Battle’s hard enough. Why make it harder with a bad interface? Modern warriors have plenty of data points to keep track of, plus communication channels on top. Just letting the gear spew their data on your feed will result in a disorganized mess that just slows you down or worse. You don’t need the drone feed blocking the text commands from higher, nor the ammo counter glitching the aiming reticle. You need Molly.

Molly is a fully integrated, CDIPS compatible interface manager that will automatically adjust * the UI experience to how you use it. Using Molly, your data access speed will increase by thirty percent ** ensuring that you never miss an objective again. ***

* Adjustments limited to size and preset options

** Based on observed performance in testing facilities.

*** Kaleron Associates is not responsible for missed objectives nor for the consequences of making or not making military objectives. User responsibility is required.

--Sales pamphlet, Kaelron Associates, 2036

***

A loud, polytonic screeching woke me with a start. I jerked up to a sitting position, which I instantly regretted as every one of my muscles protested. A groan escaped me before I could control it. I had fallen near the planter, and my guns, both new and old, lay neatly within easy reach. I climbed the planter, using one gun for a crutch, to an approximation of a standing position.

The source of the god-awful noise lay below, in the stairwell. Jonnie Be Good stood on a ladder-like contraption of white plastic that hung down from the railing. He wore a heavy set of headphones and seemed to be working on some device in the corner. After a minute, the noise ended. Jonnie must have spotted me standing and ascended the ladder before coming around. He held out his hand, and a small can appeared in it, which he held out to me.

I looked at him, and he pushed the can at me again. “Go ahead, doctor’s orders. It will help you feel better.” I took the can and opened the pull-top. The fluid tasted mellow but sweet with just a hint of tang, and it was leagues above any other juice I’d ever had. “Protector food tastes amazing,” Jonnie said. “This juice is filled with the nutrients you just lost. Twelve out of ten doctors recommend that you take some protector juice after each body mod.“

I thanked him and gestured to the noisemaker. Now that my head was clearer, I also noticed that the stairs were clear of all the corpses, though washed in a greenish goo. Several more of the boxes dotted the stairwell, easily spotted by the orange extension cords leading to them.

“Resonator turrets. The frequencies break down the bodies of most of the antithesis, melting them on their feet. It is not the fastest way to kill them, but it’s human-safe. These are upgraded versions that hit harder and work faster. I wasn’t sure if you were planning on staying up here, going down to hunt antithesis, or calling it a day.

“It’s your call. I recommend that you keep hunting, though. You could push on and find another choke point to kill the antithesis. I’m going to work my way around the perimeter and close up all the holes. Once that’s done, I’ll push in and take out the hive. You could even try for the hive, but I doubt you will make it. I’ll drop by and probably push in from here when I do go for the hive.”

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“You’re not going straight to the hive?” I asked. Spending all that time closing the perimeter seemed like a waste when you could shut off the source.

“We’ve got people watching most of the perimeter: PMCs, militias, and the like. I’ll close the leaks around them first. I find that with baby hives, it’s best to close the perimeter before doing anything else, so you don’t have anthesis scattered all over to clean up afterward.

“I’m giving you a good chance to build points here. You can push forward and rack up the kills, knowing that you can always run back here if you get overwhelmed. Wylbur won’t reveal much about what they found in those scans and what it will mean for your growth—they have very strong opinions about privacy—but he is also very insistent on getting you as many points as we can. We don’t get incursions or other outbreaks every day. It might be weeks before you get another chance.”

I nodded. I knew from media and news shows that Samurai gained points for each antithesis they killed, which were used to purchase gear and enhancements.

“You have a bit before the next wave gets here. I’ve already spent too long on this, so I have to get going. Make up your mind, and get to it.” He turned and walked out of the store, crossing the building away from the direction I had entered.

I sat on the top step and pulled out my tablet. “Is what he said correct?”

“Yes. I have a lot to tell you that I can’t here because this is not necessarily secure, and I want to protect your privacy. In general, because of your body, we may have to pay more upfront to get your basic kit started. There are a couple of items that we need before we can even start. Those will be necessary to both finish the integration and to allow us to communicate properly.”

I wasn’t sure that being able to talk with my AI easier would make that much of a difference. Nor was I sure that I’d be able to get enough points to make up the difference. The AI must have noticed my hesitance, for she continued.

“These first items will also build foundations for other things, like a workaround for augs that will let you link to devices and get data throughputs. One of them is a central processor implant that works for you. It can take the place of your tablet for computer functions. It will work differently from augs but still let you use cyber gear and operate on the net and the Mesh. The other is a better set of glasses, so you can get and use the smart gun info. These glasses are really holding you back combat info-wise.”

That sold me. Being looked down on as a naught had been a sore point for me my whole life. All it took was pulling out my tablet one time to read a chat or look something up, and the pity looks would start.

“So I kill to get more points, right? Where am I at, by the way?”

Sometime during my conversations, my glasses had restored to clarity. A message popped up:

“Current points: 335”

I scowled at the numbers a moment before they updated:

“Totals on tablet. Gun was expensive.”

“Was that due to the rush job?” I checked the tablet for a longer response.

“No. Part of that was that we had to get a catalog for that type of weapon. That is a one-time expense unless you are upgrading the catalog. The other was the gun itself, which was 100 points.”

“And where do we need to be to get that pre-kit?”

“That will be from 600 to 800, depending on some choices.”

After even this short back and forth, I could see how irritating it would be to talk with my AI meaningfully. Was this how it was for others to talk to me on social media, I wondered? I made a quick detour around the store, grabbing some clothes to create a slightly drier path down the stairs. “We have to get some communication signals set. Let me know when we are getting close to 1000. And if there is anything that I absolutely must know and we’re in combat, flash the glasses interface a few times. I’ll try to break off and get some space to talk. Now, once more, unto the breach.”