Shelters and bunkers are both two very different things

Shelters are for the most part, safe against most of the lowest tier of Models, but need to be evacuated quickly once the incursion starts ramping up into whatever specialization it decides on.

As long as a corp didn’t skimp somewhere, you’ll be fine for a few hours

Bunkers on the other hand are wildly different, it can range from a concrete box underground with 1 foot thick walls, which a single Model Three can breach in a matter of minutes, to a reinforced set of rooms underground that are hardened against tunneling antithesis to the point they can hold for hours.

They aren’t necessarily the best consistent option, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice.

-Excerpt from a forum discussion post about incursion safety

“Uhhhh, Evie?” I fidget, Evie’s glare piercing into me.

“Yeah Spark?” Evie stands beside me, her arms crossed.

I tap my foot on the ground, unsure. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Evie glared back at me, “Cause you sent me off to nuke some bodies alone while you slapped a new part on your wand!” She turned back with a huff, a dissatisfied look on her face “The least you could’ve done is actually come with me in case I was attacked!”

She is correct about this, corpse disposal is not a current priority for you currently. The best course of action is to get your family to safety and then remove the threats from the complex. After that is when I would advise proper corpse removal.

I hung my head, “You’re both right. Sorry for sending you out there alone Evie. That was a pretty shitty move on my part.”

“Just, don’t do it again okay?” She let out a breath, her demeanor softening. “If you pull something like that again I can and will give you a snake bite.”

That warning more than anything motivated me to not make dingy decisions anymore. Evie’s snakebites hurt. “I uhhh, I’ll do my best ma’am!”

The kids between us were snickering away at our antics when a loud sound came from around the corner. Quickly rushing to the front, I peek around the edge of the barn we were walking alongside, finding a Four trying to break open a window as the pigs inside were squealing up a storm.

A grin plastered itself on my face as I swapped my new toy to its cutter mode to blast the overgrown shrub. The Four almost looked startled by the high-pitched whine of the wand, just before the beam tore into its side, wreaking all kinds of havoc on the surrounding tissue and its nervous system.

Any tentacles that wriggled in the way of the beam were sheared off instantly, and fell to the ground still twitching. The actual body of the Four soon followed with a crash.

Targets Eliminated! Model Four x1 15 Total: 111

The pigs continued to scream bloody murder, which most likely sealed their fate as fuel for the antithesis war machine.

People came before the pigs in an incursion scenario.

Turning to the rest of them, I motioned towards the house that was now only twenty meters away. “Now that the distraction has been dealt with, let's get you all inside.”

Evie looked like she wanted to argue about what my wording implied, but I cut her off with a look. We had already wasted enough time to make it to the house and back to my workshop already. Of course even thinking that had a perverse effect on the universe, and it had to throw one more wrench into everything.

Aunt Nyra’s truck practically screamed into the driveway, as she skidded to a stop next to us, she looked over us all from the cab and shouted through the open window, “Why aren’t you all in the shelter?”

Before Evie or I could respond she coughed once, and her hand came away red. In fact there was a lot of red where there shouldn’t be, and the window wasn’t open, but shattered. I cursed as I rushed to the door and opened it; There was blood everywhere, and lying in the passenger seat was a dead Model One.

“J-just barely was able to kill it before it tore into my throat,” Nyra wheezed out, “Not much that can be done for me anyway, just make sure you all are safe.”

“You’re not dying today Auntie,” I mutter, my heart slamming in my chest, “Pyri, get me what I need.”

Nyra seemed to pale once she heard what I said.

Understood.

New Purchase! Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite 20 Electroactive Polymer Bandage 1 Hemo-Restore 5 Total: 26 Points Reduced To: 85

I felt a small pressure against my right palm, and as I looked down at it, another nanite injector fell into it. Not wasting any more time I injected it into her leg. I then repeated the palm thing, and got a nanite inhaler which I pressed to her face, then after confirming she knew what to do, administered it. After that I pulled her out of the truck onto the gravel, where a package containing a bandage had appeared. Nyra only seemed to be getting worse, as she was as white as a sheet and was starting to shake.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

“No…” My Aunt grabbed my arm, her grip disconcertingly weak,“Not you too…”

I didn’t really understand what that was about, so I ignored it to focus on applying the bandage. Evie was understandably, slightly distraught over her mother’s state, and was sobbing quietly as she hugged the kids.

I advise you work quickly. The antithesis will be attracted to this location by the noise, and Evelin is clearly distraught to the point her fighting capabilities are impacted.

“I know, I know, just give me a second.” I forgoed truly cleaning the multitude of gashes around her arm and just slapped the bandage over where Pyri had highlighted.

After that I picked her up into a princess carry with a heave, “Evie I know this is hard, but you’re our only defense right now. Grab the wand, and cover us please.”

Thankfully, she was cognizant enough to drop her shotgun to swap to the wand like I asked. I quickly set it back to the regular firing mode, then swiftly began walking towards the house. Just a few more meters and we would soon be safe.

We only had one last encounter before we made it, a flock of Ones that were easily dispatched by Evie that brought me up to 102 points. Reaching the thankfully already open doors I stepped inside. Summer was quick to flick on the light switch lighting up the staircase.

“Pyri, do you see any signs of any xenos getting in here before us?” My eyes scanned the corners, keeping watch for anything moving as my AI responded verbally through the phone.

[Not unless a Model One flew in, which is doubtful. I advise caution regardless.]

“Alright then, kids stay up here with us, Evie can you...” Before I could finish she had already softly closed the door. “Ok, Evie you need to go first, you heard her.””

She nodded resolutely, bravely leading the group down into the bunker proper. It doubled as food storage for the family with an entrance into the kitchen, Shelves and cots lined the walls and there was a small nook that had some basic cooking appliances in it. Autumn typed in the sealing code into the keypad once we were all inside, causing the entrance we came in from, and the interior stairwell to be sealed with a soft thump.

[You are all safe, there is no antithesis presence in this bunker.]

With a collective sigh of relief, I rushed Aunt Nyra to a cot and laid her down on it. Evie instantly was at her mother’s side holding her hand.

“It’s going to be okay Mom! We’re in the bunker now, Spark got you all fixed up,” My cousin whispered, before she turned to the phone to ask, “Pyri, her wounds not being cleaned is fine, right?”

[The bandage itself is meant to prevent infection, the only thing she needs right now is rest.]

“Oh thank goodness,” Evie muttered as she put her mother’s hand to her forehead.

As she did, my aunt spoke in a hushed tone, her blood loss making her voice weaker than I had ever heard it.

“I'll protect her," she murmured ever so quietly, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I'll protect your daughter, Lily."

My eyes shot to my aunt, my body awkwardly moving away from her like an ancient robot as my mind replayed her words like a broken record. Lily? Isn't that... My mom? Do... I have a sister? But they always told me I was her only child? Wha- I don't...

Reeling, I stumbled over to the corner of the room, away from the rest of my family. I unstrapped the washer from my back in a haze, too out of it to notice that I neglected to turn any of it off.

Spa...re y.. kay?

I practically fell into another nearby cot, a deep chill emanating from deep within my bones. My breathing growing shallower by the second, I clutched the freezing metal bars in my hands as a tiny, yet indescribably sharp pain began to throb in the lower back of my head.

…rk! Li…n to me!

Coming upon me like a tidal wave, memories I had long thought drowned soon swept me out to the recesses of my own mind.

-

I was in a large unfamiliar room, the walls surrounding me were covered in lavender wallpaper and posters featuring real life superheroes. The downright massive bed in the corner looked incredibly soft and inviting with its big fluffy pillows, giant plushies, and flowery duvet cover.

Looking down I saw myself in a cute green shoulder strap dress, with a white t-shirt underneath. A warm fluttery feeling welled up in my chest, making me feel almost like I could soar in the skies. Momma was so nice helping me find clothes that let me feel this pretty.

Momma...

The word sent a lance of grief through my heart.

Where is she?

She said she was going out on an errand, but she hadn’t come back yet.

“Umm excuse me Miss Day?” I peek out the window, but Momma isn’t anywhere in sight. “Do you know where Momma is?”

The question was directed to a small speaker in the corner of my room. Miss Day was a helpful robot Momma got that would help me with my numbers and my block puzzles!

[I’m sorry Spark, Ms. Graham will not be able to come home today, I informed your Aunt Nyra of the situation and she is on her way and will be here shortly.]

“Oh, Ok!” I cheerfully trot over, plopping down on my fluffy bed.“Can you tell Momma I love her and miss her?”

[I will do so soon, little Spark.]

When Aunt Nyra opened the door a few minutes later, my world fell apart.

-

“Spark! Are you ok?!”

I jolted from my position on my bed to find the kids looking down at me with tears in their eyes.

“Uwah?” I sputter out, “Wha happen?”

I was quickly buried by multiple hugs as Evie explained from across the room, “Pyri said you had a panic attack followed by a traumatic flashback.” She exchanged a look with her mom, an emotion I can’t read on her face. “You were also muttering something under your breath. We weren’t able to hear it.”

She looked at the floor in shame as she quietly asked, “Are you ok?”

That deep chill was still flowing through my veins, that flashback still looping in my head.

I didn’t remember much before I moved in with the rest of my family, and Nyra was always tight-lipped about my past. Clearly, I was missing some pieces, but now? I had an advanced AI in the back of my head that could help. Peeling the admittedly very worried kids off of me, I sent them off to go play, or take a nap in Benny’s case, while I went to the nook to make us all lunch.

I hope you aren’t attempting to run from anything.

“I’m not,” I whispered as quietly as I could, “is there a way for me to speak to you inaudibly?”

I can parse your vocalizations, just mime the action of talking without opening your mouth or creating sound.

‘Ah, okay. Like this?’

Exactly! What did you want to speak privately about?

I thought about what to say as I got out a pot and a packet of noodles.

‘I had a flashback of my childhood. I was five years old, and I’m assuming at my mom’s place. There was a lot there that I don’t remember happening, but I know it did. But the main thing I’m confused about was…’ I trailed off as a faint echo of that comforting fuzziness came back to collide with the feeling of cold dread that had been building up since I had awoken.

Was what?

‘I was wearing a dress. It made me… feel… myself, in a way I can’t ignore..’