Chapter 17
"I don't care if it was the gangs or the antithesis, even if it was a samurai that caused that explosion. God bless them for their destructive ways. With this repair contract we will earn billions of not trillions in profit" – The CEO of Mega-constructions and Repairs CO. To the board of directors after winning the repair contract of the damaged city plate.
-July 18th 2056
Quickly crossing the room to the next hole in the wall I find that it was an old bathroom. Or at least what remains of it. Everything along the floor is covered in the hive's protective material going so far that it goes half way up the wall on the far side and all the way to the ceiling on the side that I entered from. My drone went on a head and I could see that it ran in to an other group of model 3's and model 4's “Does this thing only produce those models or something” I mutter to myself as Kevin chuckled behind me “With many tight some of these doorways are. I'm actually surprised that they don't flood the place with model 1's and model 3's only.“ He said and I nodded.
The second drone darted in to join the first one before I went around the corner and shooting in to the mob that's crowding the hallway. Each shot striking something that's moving trying to charge at me only to stumble over the ones that had been downed by the drones. After a short moment and a few of them getting uncomfortably close. “You really want to take that risk again. Grenades that laser thing was quite good after all” Kevin said as he stepped in and looked over at the pile of dead. And the ones that was within leaping range. He pointed at one of them. “If you had missed that one would have taken your arm.” He said and Lilyana added. “And then the other might have gotten your head as you fell. Seen that happen before to new ones.” She said and I nodded before shaking my head a bit. “I'm.. sorry I might have been on this for too long.” I said and Kevin put a hand on my shoulder stopping me from walking. “How long since you slept?” He asked in a calm voice.
“I did get some sleep.. A few hours ago” I said only for my ears to move a bit as Fen spoke.
You weren't a sleep during your rebuild. You were knocked out it isn't the same. It might be wise to get some actual rest soon. You are starting to make mistakes that you weren't doing a few hours ago like walking around the corner. And!
Enemies eliminated
7 x Model 3's = 70 points
5 x Model 4's = 75 points
New total: 1507 points
My ears fell down flat along my head. “Well.. Apparently that didn't count so.. Its been twelve..” I pulled up a clock on my augs and checked. Tail slowing and drooping a bit “Well Sixteen hours.. But.. I need to get this done don't I?” I said only to be met by silence by both of them. Then slowly Kevin stepped forwards. “T?v make sure that our new one here gets all the points” He said pulling his revolver. “I will fight, you keep safe. Then we head out and look for the next one. Once that one is taken care of then I'll drop you off so you can sleep.” He said “And don't even think about arguing. You almost got yourself killed earlier by not being able to think.” Lilyana said over the call and could feel my tail moving around my left leg. “I'll be careful” I said.
“No need to feel bad about it. I take it most of that time you have been spent moving around?” Kevin asked as he entered the next room. Quickly scanning the room as I followed after him. This room still had part of a smart board visible at the front. I tilt my head wondering for a moment how that thing had not been taken by the people living down here. “It have been a lot of moving around.. And might have gotten hurt once or twice.” I said as we headed for an open door leading in to the same hallway. The roots went along the wall before disappearing down some stairs. My ears twitched a bit at the sounds of movements. I quickly went to the side and raised my rifle as my drones darted to the corner. I could see two model 5's coming up the stairs as my drones started firing. “That's more like it!” He said as he nodded walking calmly to the stairs “Use your drones to see around the corner and start attacking with them as you get in to a position were they need to expose themselves before seeing you.” He said as he walked around the corner and fired down once. From my drone I could see the shot hitting the first one before it exploded killing both of them.
Enemies eliminated
2 x Model 3 = 20
New total: 1527
Blinking a few times I looked to his gun then to mine and back. “What.. Is that thing?” I asked and he shrugged. “Oh this?” He held up his revolver. “It's a simple revolver of course. Well simple in the fact its a quite advanced version of a coil gun. Firing some quite interesting bullets.” He replied and I could hear a sigh over the call. “Its more then that as well.” Lilyana said over the call and Kevin scoffed. “Well yes but no need to go in to the details.” He said before starting down the stairs. I quickly went to follow my drones circling around me once before once more one headed out a head to scout a head. Finding a wall that had been removed and what looked like destroyed and overgrown locker room with a group of model 6's and few model 4's mixed in. “More of them a head model 6's and some 4's” I said as I took a look at his gun. “Why does it look like a ray-gun then?” I asked moving down the stairs slowly behind Kevin. He snorted as he shot the first model 6 as I peeked around him to shoot at the model 4's “That's because I liked the design and It is able to use some energy cells instead of bullets if I want to” He said shooting the second quickly followed by the last model 6 as I kept on shooting at the model 4's having managed to kill one on my own as my drones took down two.
The last two model 4's charged at Kevin lashing out and to my eyes it didn't seem like they did all that much against his armor. Leaning around him I put my last two shots in to the one that had hit him as my drones burned the last one. “Good armor though. I might actually need better armor myself.” I said with a small yawn then shaking my head. “Hey Fen.. Got something that will help me staying awake and help me avoid at least some mistakes?” I asked
That I do I will get you a four hour energy. I wouldn't recommend more then one every few days though.
Enemies eliminated:
3 x model 6 = 90 points
5 x model 4 = 75 points
New purchase
1 x Four-hour Energy Juice (In a juice box) – 1 point
New total:1672 points
A small juice box with a big plus sign appears in my hand. I take the straw and push it through. Then pull my mask down and quickly drain the thing before tossing it to the side. My ears flicking about a bit at the taste. “That's not as good as the juice” I said eyes a bit wide. “And quite bad for you.. Even if its protector made.” Lilyana said over the call. Blinking a few times as something did came to me. “Hey you two.. Isn't this hive a bit.. Light on defenders? I mean from everything they teach us.. Shouldn't we be neck deep in all kinds of models trying to swarm us?” I asked as my drone went in to a large room. “Fen.. Share the view with these two please.”
Can do if they allow it.
The camera on the drone showed an old underground swimming pool that had been overgrown the walls of the pool covered in seed like pods and in the middle was something that looked to be a mix of a tree trunk and the same material that covered the walls growing all the way up to the ceiling where it looked like roots were spreading out towards the walls of the room. The walls covered in similar slowly expanding pods. In one corner was an other dissolving pool. Somethings that look like headless monkeys with six limbs moving around between some of the different pods. “Those are model 10's caretakers as we understand it and how by they act.” Kevin said just as the pods along the far wall burst open and model 3's falls out a quite large group of them. They instantly start sprinting towards the door as my drone starts attacking them.
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“That's bad!” I half shout before moving to set myself up in a corner my other drone ready and flying up high. Looking down at my gun once I freeze as its empty. “Fen reload!” I shout in a bit of a panic as the energy cell fly a way. “Calm down there. I got yah” Kevin said as he holstered his revolver and reached in behind his coat to pull out what looks a lot like a short lever-action shotgun. With a barrel that is a bit to large. And coils around it along with two rails going between the coils. “You slipped back in to your act again” Lilyana said.
New purchase:
1 x Class I Energy cell MK II -15 points
new total:1657 points
The replacement appeared just as the first model 3's came around the corner just as the screen turned green again. I pulled the trigger twice. Before a roar could be heard as Kevin fired. Part of the wall disappeared along with the model 3's behind it. He walks forwards firing and moving the lever over and over again. Stopping before heading in to the room. I quickly move to follow only to enter the core of the hive to find a large pile of dead model 3's and model 10's rushing around. The walls and floor clearly damaged by Kevin's shots.
Enemies eliminated
57 x Model 3 = 570 points
14 x Model 4 = 210 points
5 x Model 5 = 100 points
New total: 2537 Points
Looking around the room I slowly shook my head “And all of those hold more models?” I asked and got a nod in return. “They do and now you get to destroy this place. Don't do what ever you did in the other place.” He said. Nodding slowly. “I don't think I need to mix explosives..” I said before Fen spoke up.
Aww. But it would be effective.. But if you really just want one thing and not mixing them for higher effects. Then I do recommend just using a Class I matter destabilizer. It will release a cloud of highly unstable matter in to the room allowing them to bind to well everything before detonating its core and causing the cloud to flash burn everything. Burning away the hive and causing the room itself to crumble in itself. It should be just about powerful enough to take care of this room I placed there. It is 40 points.
I nod then blink a few times as a spot next to the old pool lit up in my augs. “Fen if that bomb is just about strong enough for this room.. How did it have that effect when combined with the other bomb? And go for it.” I asked
That's because it got pulled in to the gravitational pull of the other bomb and all the material got compressed and did combine with the explosive materials of the MK-IV Micro nova bomb. And that then made it about four to six times as powerful. And then the shape of the room caused much of that released energy to go upwards. Highly unlikely to happen again.
Kevin watched me as I spoke to Fen only for the bomb to appear in the spot Fen had pointed out. Going over to it I found it had a screen were I could set a timer. I looked over to Kevin “How long do we need to get out of here?” I asked. “A few minutes but if what T?v is correct that thing won't be that dangerous if we are just a few rooms away from it. So set it to four minutes” He said and I nodded before setting the timer. “Wait Fen what if it gets attacked?” I asked holding my finger ready to activate the bomb.
Then Boom! Just a bit earlier then planned.
I nod and press the button to activate it before running out of the room speaking in to the call. “Well if it gets attacked it will detonate early.” I said as I went up the stairs Kevin following keeping up with ease. “You are quite fast for your size but still might need something to make you faster” He said and Lilyana spoke up “Oh I think you should look in to a mix of genetic and bionic's there are ways to get the genetic changes to be triggered by the Bionic ones. Your AI Can tell you more.” She said. “Or power armor.” Kevin said. “That is always a good pick.” He added. As we got to the first old class room past the bathroom only to find the roots that had been going across the ceiling had burst. Leaving a to by view dark blue sludge across the floor.
“Well seems your nanite bomb worked wonders.” Lilyana said as we slowed down. “Something that I wonder about though. Fen.. Why did I get so many kill notifications.. I mean I didn't kill any and it couldn't have been more then thirty models dead in that room and all were model 3's?” I asked.
Oh those other models were from outside the outer mines have activated on a returning group responding to the pheromones of the hive being attacked after the roots burst. But no more mines have gone off. I was waiting for a good moment to inform you about those kills.
“Seems like we had some models trying to make it in through the minefield I made.” I said as we walked through the rooms and hallways before a rush could be heard somewhere behind us before the building shook a bit. I looked to the timer it showed one minute left. “Seems your bomb got attacked” Kevin said and I nodded.
Enemies eliminated
1 x Small Hive = 500 points 1 token
10 x model 10 = 10 points
47 x model 7 = 235 points
17 x model 5 = 340 points
28 x model 3 = 280 points
New total: 3902 points, 1 token
I slow down a bit. “That's a lot of points.. And whats a token?” I asked out loud and Lilyana spoke. “A token is used to unlock higher class catalogs. And are usually quite hard to come by. Some models of antithesis and saving a certain a mount of people. And for newbies like yourself destroying small hives.” She said before Kevin spoke up “As for the points. It might take a few weeks or months until you get a chance to get points again. Unless you head out to hunt for hives in the wilderness. But those are hard to find.” He said
That is true, you won't be able to get much points outside of incursions. Not at the same rate at least. And the tokens are quite useful I would recommend saving this one for now. Or getting better armor. You seem to have a tendency to getting tossed around
I nodded as we came around the corner of the main hallway. It was empty except for the sludge that was pooling in the hallway. Slowly tilting my head to the right left ear standing up. “So I need to try and budget my points a bit. So leaving turrets here and there is a bad idea. Still need to do one thing once we get outside” I said and Kevin turned his head towards me. “And that is?” He asked. “I need to deploy one of those clean up things.” I said as we got to the gates. Hopping down them quickly my tail bouncing a bit as I do and I hear a strangled sound over the call. “Star's..” Kevin said.
Ignoring the two for a moment I went out and spoke up “Fen! One of those clean up tower things please placed so that we cover the building” I said
New purchase;
1x Class I Wide-area Interconnected Sanitation Platform-system – 40 points.
New total: 3862 points, 1 token
Then just like in the square a tower appeared in front of me and a few smaller ones around the building as I touched the tower it activated once more covering the ground in that mist hiding the remaining mines as small wisp started appearing flying around attacking the dead antithesis matter.
Turning around I saw Kevin looking at me before his bike came down from the sky. “So time to head on to the next place. Quite sure I saw a small pile of dead ones surrounding a barricaded building close to the other gate in to the rest of the undercity.” He said as I walked over and I nodded. “That's our other checkpoint.. The last one was destroyed.. I do wonder though how over two hundred model 7's got in to that one. Didn't seem like this one was making all that many of those” I said and Lilyana spoke up “How many were in there?” She asked.
“460 something, I find that very odd as this hive only had 47 of them.” I said as I hopped on to the bike before Kevin sat down and took us up in to the air. Turning us towards the other gate and flying off at great speed. “That is quite odd. For that many I would have assumed the entire place to be overrun by now.” Kevin said before shaking his head a bit. “Sadly there isn't much left for us to look in to over there. But once this is all done I will head over and search through the ruins to see what I can find” He said and my ears went flat against my head. “Sorry about that.. I really didn't mean to cause that much damage” I said. Blinking a few times. “Right need to update Jack.” I said as I pulled up my messaging feature.
Rafaela: 'I found out what happened to the outpost we lost contact with. It had been over run and the shelter had fallen to model 7's be careful'
Jack: 'We will keep an eye out. I think we still have a few of the pills left too. Thanks for the warning. Now why did we get to see something strike the plate and then more things falling down?'
Rafaela: 'I might have used something a bit to powerful to remove the threat of the model 7's and might have sent a piece of the building roof up at a bit of speed'
Jack: 'I guess we will have to pick a new building when we rebuild that place need it to make sure none of the aggressive gangs try and sneak attack us. And you will have to talk to Hal about that damage. Quite sure that will get quite a bit of attention from upstairs that we really don't want or need.'
Rafaela: 'I will do that. Heading to the other outpost now.'
Jack: 'I will inform them that you are coming and that you are one of ours.'
I could feel my ears laying down again along my head “Well.. Hopefully It will be something that I can handle without too much trouble” I say to myself. “Oh didn't go well?” Lilyana said over the call and I shook my head. “Just told the others what happened and was warned that I might have drawn a lot of attention my way. With the plate thing” I said “Oh you are all over the news in that part of town. Or rather the fact that the water is out some of the net access and of course one block that has lost main power.” She said sounding almost happy about it.
