Prologue
JOHN HATED HOW his HUD keeps on pulsing red light. He wondered why red light was used to impose a sense of urgency and emergency. Was it a universal thing or maybe because red is blood, he asked himself. Then he wondered, if the color of Veerians' blood was also red.
John felt his world is shrinking toward him. “Red.”
“What are you talking about, John?”
“The Veerians. Was the color of their blood red?”
“Of course not, their blood does not contain any iron and it doesn't need oxygen. Its luminescence green, if you must know.”
John said nothing. He either did not care or his mind is losing. After all, losing a lot of blood will do that to you. His A.I companion from the very start of his missions, Crabtree, knew from a technical standpoint that John's chance of survival is zero, unless he is warranted with an immediate medical attention.
“Keep talking to me, John. Dying here sucks more than you can imagine.” Crabtree said.
“That's very reassuring, Crabtree.” John said sarcastically. “Have you uploaded your data back to The Tellaveer?”
“Of course!”
John sighed a relief. “That's good, at least one of us will survive here.”
John knew his time was near, in fact, even surprised and amazed that he even lasted this long. A third of his torso was gone and there was hole in his right lung. The only reason he is still alive is because the nanites in his Suit were imitating his lost organ functions.
A lot of thoughts entered his mind. Of how he came here in this god forsaken planet. As to why he hadn't married, but he was glad that he has no family to leave behind. His only regret was not pursuing the love of his life. Cecilia, John whispered to himself.
“ETA for Rescue, Two hours. Keep running, John. They can't send rescue in this place.”
John gasped. “We both know, we can't outrun a pack of Zoezzugs.” The hole in his right lungs makes John to gasps for more air. “I am only running to buy you some time to upload your data back to The Tellaveer.”
The suit was doing all it can to sustain life functionality without compromising mobility. John felt no pain as he ran in the roughest terrain imaginable. Every nanites in his suit were programmed to inhibit the pain away from the user. For that, John was thankful.
“Upload Link Established!” A Holo message appeared on the upper left corner of his vision.
“We can now send real time data back to The Tellaveer. However, it would take four hours for them to received it. Concentrate on fleeing, John.”
John saw four objects in his HUD following him. That was bloody fast, John said to himself.
John stopped.
“Inertial Dampener Skill have leveled up.”
Inertial Dampener, Master Lvl 2
The ability of the Suit to counter the effects of rapid acceleration and deceleration by sustaining and absorbing the natural inertia as it moved through space
The ability of your suit to resist inertia have increased by 4%.
“What are you doing, John?”
“I don't wanna die running with my tail between my legs, Crabtree.”
“The chance of you coming out alive fighting a pack of Zoezzugs is 0.00002 %, John. Whereas, fleeing them and wait for the rescue gives you a 3% chance of surviving. Do the math, you idiot.”
John prepared himself. He checked his Suit core remaining power. “Weapons system activate.” Two drop down Holo list of weapons appeared on his HUD. The first list was titled 'Main Weapon' and the other 'Off-hand Weapon'.
Atomic Slasher
Specifications:
Length: 60 cm
Width: 10 cm (Base)
Thinkness: 0.05 cm
Material Quality: Rank SS
Color: Space Black (Choice)
Equip type: Mounted Right hand (Choice)
Two-way Boron Splitter
General Specifications:
Length: 20 cm
Width: 12 cm
Material Quality: Rank S
Color: Black & Blue-Black (Default)
Equip type: Mounted Left hand (Choice)
Main Gun Specifications:
Muzzle Diameter: 5 cm
Rate of Fire: 4 rounds per minute
Rounds: Concentrated Energy (Antimatter Reactor Drive)
Auxilliary Gun Specifications:
Muzzle Diameter: 1 cm
Rate of Fire: 1000 rounds per minute
Rounds: Incendiary
John chose his two favorite weapons. A blade on his right hand and a blaster on his left. A perfect balance of offense in melee and ranged combat. John checked the map function in his HUD. It displayed six objects all coming towards his position.
“Okay John, go down in the blaze of glory and dissolve in the stomach of hungry Zoezzugs.”
John waited for the enemy. He lowered his hip and raised his left arm to aim. “What do I care if they eat me, I will be long dead by then.”
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“The Veerians would want your body, you know. They could transfer your memories to a new body, John. Be excited by that, John. Finally you can get rid of your stinking body.”
“That's assuming they can get down here on time before these things eat me. I'd rather go down fighting, Crabtree, than be killed while running.
“Damnit John! You may not be the best partner, but sure as hell I don't want to go again into the trouble of training another useless earthling.”
John laughed. “I'm sure the feeling would be mutual to the next me.”
“Prepare to engage, John. 2 o'clock, twelve seconds before contact.”
John did not wait for the enemy. His experience as a marine told him that the faster he can eliminate the enemy the higher the chances of him not being surrounded. He raised his blaster and fired. Without knowing if the target was actually dead, he ran towards it to deal the finishing blow.
As what he predicted. His blaster wasn't enough to shatter the Zoezzugs armor. The Zoezzugs he shot was getting up, but John was already swinging his blade. John knew that the Zoezzugs armor has a weakness right below their long chin. He perfectly aimed it. Within an instant, the head of Zoezzugs flew.
The legs of Zoezzugs -which has three joints dividing it- thrashed violently then stopped.
“Behind you, John. Two more coming from your left.” Warned Crabtree.
“Armor Change: Betelgeusian Faraktakk Carapace Skin.”
Betelgeusian Faraktakk Carapace Skin
An alien species found in the C8 Carivega star system. They have a particularly hard carapace that has high piercing and slashing resistance.
Material Quality: Rank S+
Assimilation Efficiency: 89%
“John, don't use too much of the Suit's ability. 50% of the nanites in your Suit is hardly keeping you alive.”
“Set 30% of nanites to life support system, Crabtree. I am gonna need every one of them in this battle.”
“Oh yeah sure. Dying in blood loss is a lot better than being picked apart by these creatures.”
“Hey now, don't be like that. It could very well be the last time we will fight together, so can you at least be nice to me.” John laughed.
“Dammit, John. Setting 30% nanites to life recovery and support system.”
John managed to kill -despite his suit limited capacity- three more Zoezzugs. Then he checked again on his Holo map. He saw four more Zoezzugs, but he wondered why they weren't moving.
John breathed heavily. He felt his mind was slipping every second. He blinked several times to reorient himself. He was back but still worried with the lack of movement from the enemy. “Are they supposed to wait like this?”
“No, John. The pack leader is coming. Be careful.”
John gulped. He was no match for the pack leader. Last time he tried battling one, he escaped with a hole in his chest and a severely damaged torso. John thought of running away, but he knew it would be pointless. He accepted his fate, or rather welcomed it. To him, dying in the hands of a mighty enemy is more than he deserved.
A larger object in his holo map was fast approaching in his direction. John was glad it was the same creature he fought before. Eyes as big as its own head and with an unbelievably long neck. John thought its head looked like a bee, with a grasshopper-like body and a mantis-like weapon.
They stared at each other. John felt no killing intent coming from the Zoezzugs. It was more like it came to play rather than to hunt. And John was pissed by that.
“You want to play? You hairy disgusting bug?” John taunted.
“Oh, great. If only you could kill with insults.” Crabtree remarked.
The enemy tilted its head. Not comprehending any word John said, it lunged at him.
Before John could react. He fell on the ground and realized what had just happened. His body was severed into two. John tried to glimpse to his now detached legs. Oh shit. Those were my legs!, John thought. He then glimpse into his enemy. He saw it was licking the blood, his blood, in its scythe-like arm.
John coughed. “What happened, Crabtree?”
“The Suit working at 70% capacity was not able to block his attack. You are dying, John.”
“I see. It's the end of the line for me. I bet you are happy now, Crabtree.”
“That's not fair, John.”
“You are right, I am sorry. But I'm not going quietly, Crabtree.”
“Warning!” the message kept blinking at John's HUD, but he paid no attention to it. The remaining nanites in his suit stopped the bleeding from his severed torso. Again, John felt no pain but the realization that he does not even managed to scratch the enemy hurt his pride.
“Got it, partner. Activate Suit-Self destruct in T-minus 10 seconds. Goodbye, John.”
John was gradually losing his vision. He hated how his Suit still trying to keep him alive. Let me die already, John thought. “Goodbye, buddy.”
A woman was smiling to John. Cecilia, John whispered.
Before John managed to closed his eyes. He saw the creature's foot atop of him. See you in hell, John tried to say but no words came out of his mouth. The creature let out a piercing shriek before it, with all its might, crushed John's head.
And a static filled screen flashed before the Veerian speczator's eyes. They were at a loss for words witnessing such brutal death of their best and only agent. They had prepared for the worst, but when it came, they felt sick.
John and the Veerians may be of different species. But Veerians thought and long considered John as an important comrade, in truth, even an important part of their family. They took it hard, but they knew they have to move on. They owe it to the fallen Veerians before them, and most importantly they owe it to John.
End of Transmission
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Specz here.
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Artificial War