The abomination dashed forward, its fatty flaps jumping all around as it moved with extreme agility, taking advantage of the numerous protruding limbs around its body. With incredible speed and dexterity, Altair took control of the mech with practiced efficiency.
Just as the first abomination arrived at his location, the mech was already lifted and maneuvering into a firing position, all the while moving to the side in anticipation.
Movements of all kinds, from the unseen critters to other biological factors, were shown through the interface.
"Adjutant, filter the other figures, and focus on the abomination's bio signatures." Altair commanded.
"Affirmative, Lieutenant!" The Adjutant hummed in a slow but strangely energetic voice.
In a span of a moment, the other biological signatures started to disappear one by one on the interface. "Excellent." Altair said confidently, along with a pleasant smile as he focused with eyes wide at the screen.
"Adjutant, what are the weapon statuses?" Altair asked deliberately.
The Adjutant whirred in response as it calculated their ammunition stockpile.
"Secondary cannons are operational, we have 200 kinetic rounds remaining. Main plasma cannon is operational with 25 rounds remaining. Missile systems are operational, with twelve missiles currently loaded. Point defense systems are offline, severely damaged from Terra." The Adjutant said in a voice that lowered with each passing designation.
Altair's ear perked up at the increasing oddities from the Adjutant, but concurrently he diverted his eyes and mind away from it and into the incoming battle ahead.
As the abominations were getting closer, Altair responded reflexively as he twisted the joints of the controls, with the Ironside making a sharp turn to the right, which by a hairsbreadth, was able to avoid the abomination who had suddenly lunged at him.
"Autocannons, now!" Altair said decisively.
Without any answers or questions, the Adjutant hummed, then suddenly without delay numerous ports outside and within the hull of the Ironside started opening, and from them numerous cannons came up and pivoted towards the abomination.
The auto-cannon's breach chamber opened wide with a strong metallic click; a fresh cartridge was inserted into the belt feed mechanism. With a round now loaded, with the Adjutant taking automated control, and with relentless barrage, multiple auto cannons lit up in multiple flickers.
The firing pin struck the primer with a devastating percussive force, which ignited the propellant inside the casing of the round. It was followed by an expanding wave of energy in an increasing amount of gas which propelled the projectile down the rifled barrel at supersonic velocity.
Within a span of less than a microsecond, the round spun, achieving stability in the air. The barrel recoiled backwards, which absorbed the kinetic energy as the casing spun violently in the air after being ejected out of the chamber.
Along with efficiency, the return spring drove the breach forward once again, as a new round was chambered into the auto-cannon. As the casing briefly glinted in the sky as it fell downward, the auto-cannon continued firing, with mechanical and devastating speed. Smoke cascaded out of the super-heated barrel as the barrage ended.
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The abomination was pummeled by dozens of kinetic bullets; it pulsed and deflated, but first it screamed in an ear-splitting tone, before its body began to inflate again.
The Adjutant, sensing something wrong, began to speak with increasing tone and energy. "Lieutenant, a spike in atmospheric energy rising, ru—" The Adjutant was cut off as a massive explosion erupted beside the Ironside.
Debris of biological material rained over the ground as the hull of the Ironside was painted in a deep crimson red, with one of its legs shattered.
"We lost one of our legs, Lieutenant." It spoke as if it was disappointed.
After the smoke from the ash cleared, the damage showed itself. "My God!" Altair said dramatically.
Green, lush liquid submerged one of the Ironside's legs, and within it the metallic surface and joints were being actively dissolved.
"Lieutenant, our shields are down to 10 percent," the Adjutant whirred, displeased.
However, as if fate could not be anymore crueler to them, the next eleven abominations came hurtling towards them.
"Adjutant, divert more power to the Ironside's legs!" Altair said at the top of his lungs as he turned and twisted over the controls in front of him.
"Affirmative, Lieutenant!" The Adjutant fizzed in response.
Almost immediately, the power was diverted to the legs, to which Altair masterfully maneuvered the Ironside to the side, as three abominations came hurtling in the front. To which he then pushed hard into the controls with the Ironside leaping away, much further from the rest of the abominations.
"Launch the missiles, maximize area of effect damage!" Altair ordered.
"On it, Lieutenant!" the Adjutant replied with a different expression than usual.
In a span of less than a second, the silo doors above the Ironside groaned and opened under the brilliant sky. With a single command from the system, the ignitions flared, white-hot plumes erupting, painting the dark hull in hellish orange. The missile leapt skyward, its engines howling in defiance, slicing through the sky into ribbons of fire.
Meters blurred beneath as it dived, its nose cone glowing cherry red. Upon its impact, the earth buckled, a thunderclap swallowing screams. Shockwaves flattened the nearby trees, hurling soil sky-high. The crater steamed, glowing faintly as silence returned to the scarred ground with biological matter.
After its impact, four red dots immediately disappeared from the interface, which reduced the number of abominations to a staggering seven.
However, despite their victory, the Adjutant suddenly buzzed. "Lieutenant, there are atmospheric particles gathering around the center of the group of abominations." As the seven abominations stopped in their tracks to clash against one another.
"What are they doing?" Altair asked in confusion.
Brennan, who was left stunned on the sidelines, went wide-eyed as he saw the seven Stygians move towards each other to go into what they call a metamorphosis.
With a sudden gut feeling, he gazed over the ancient construct and with a desperate wail, he screamed at the top of his lungs and ran for the ancient construct.
"Lieutenant, the sentient life you saved earlier is running towards us." The Adjutant buzzed.
Altair, who was watching from his seat, frowned and asked, "His expression does not look good." Then he continued, "What do you think?"
The Adjutant fizzed and then replied, "His expression seems to denote desperation, anxiety, and despair, typical of someone on their final throes."
Altair gazed reflexively and in confusion, not knowing he had just made a blunder.
"Don't let the Stygians finish the metamorphosis!" The man screamed to the top of his lungs.
Altair watched in confusion, but then as he gazed back into the interface momentarily, he saw the one that might be dying soon.
"Damn!" Altair slammed the interface.
The seven abominations combined and morphed into something bipedal but also terrifying. Its form looked like that of a human, but also not. It was uncanny; its eyes were not in the right position, mouths and noses everywhere, and terrifyingly long arms and hands.
"Adjutant, the plasma cannon!" Altair said, with defeat already dawning upon his expression, but there it was, as he faced it, he knew it was time. "Damn i—"
The monster opened its numerous mouths and, with a reflex coming from its stomach, a fountain of biological liquid came out of its mouth.
"Lieutenant, we are losing our shields." The Adjutant whirred. "It's piercing throu—" The Adjutant was cut off as the Ironside dissolved.
Altair felt an intense searing pain all over his body, as it melted into numerous compounds and chemicals, until nothing was left over.
Three... Two... One.
R.E.S.E.T
