Our four Vanguards took the lead as we led our client, Desire Corp, deeper into the wasteland.
The convoy of military vehicles, which were customized to be used in the wasteland’s environment, drove for an hour before we came to the first stop on our agenda. We arrived at a ruin that had once been an industrial complex with the entire area scattered with low-rise facilities and warehouses.
While there were mutants that only resided on the plains of the wasteland, they were a lot harder to track down compared to the ones that used the derelict buildings as nests.
One of the targets Desire Corp decided on this time was a mutant spider that they called webclaws.
We approached a large complex that probably served as a production facility for a company long ago. The area the building spanned was probably more than six soccer fields combined.
It always amazed me how these buildings were still standing after so many years of being battered by the wasteland’s sandstorms.
I pointed toward the entrance the scout team had previously found, then I watched as Margarite and her team moved in to secure the building. I followed shortly after with Thorne and a small squad of my security team. I found Margarite and Dr. Lut at the forefront of three dozen men who stood at attention.
“Captain Melchior, you’ll lead squad one to be the capture team, while your deputy will lead squad two to be the distraction team. Squad three will stay here to defend this location and our vehicles outside. Remember, you’re not authorized to use lethal weapons on our targets unless as a last resort,” Dr. Lut commanded.
I wondered what they considered being a last resort. I was sure that a few casualties were well within acceptable losses for most corps. For me, on the other hand, I’d rather not have to pay the worker’s compensation and re-train personnel.
Soon, the corporate soldiers received their orders and moved out. Two-thirds of them went further into the building while the remainder, including Margarite and Dr. Lut, stayed in the lobby. They placed a few terminals around and created a mobile security room, where multiple screens displayed the body cam footage of their soldiers.
From the footage displayed, we saw them move cautiously around the corridors of the building until they reached an open area with high ceilings. It was filled with dusty, worn machines that looked more useful as scrap metal. This was where the two teams split off, with the bait team continuing onward.
It didn’t take them long to stumble into an area where spider webs could be seen in every direction. There were large cocoons spread around the area as well, and when the team looked up, they finally spotted the prey they wanted to capture. The only issue was that there were over two dozen of them.
As if smiling at the cameras, the spiders all bared their fangs at the soldiers in unison before they dropped toward their intruders.
It wouldn’t have been that bad if they were just oversized spiders, the size of a car tire, but their legs had sharp claws that were reminiscent of crabs. They were powerful offensive and defensive tools.
The soldiers of Desire Corp immediately opened fire with their specialized tranquilizer guns and backed away while they shot. Unfortunately for them, the claws of the spiders simply deflected the darts as they failed to penetrate the thick chitin.
Although it appeared the men were at a disadvantage at first glance, they orderly retreated at a speed that just barely kept pace with the encroaching mutants. They continued to back up toward the other squad that had an ambush ready.
Once the mutants were lured in, the trap was sprung. The two squads worked in unison and pelted the spiders with tranquilizer darts from two different directions. The claws couldn’t protect them from two directions, with occasional shots that went past their defense. The ones that were hit swiftly went lethargic except for the particular large spider towards the back.
Even when the darts landed on the more vulnerable rear of the spider the size of a go-kart, it failed to penetrate the monster’s hide. It rushed forward at the distraction team and cleanly cleaved two men in half with its sharp claws.
The soldiers panicked and rushed to build some distance with the monstrosity, allowing it to claim several more victims as they turned their back on the threat.
Just when I thought they would have to resort to stronger firepower, the captain I saw earlier rushed into action. He was a giant of a man, standing easily past six-four, with augmented limbs. He definitely fit the classic description of a cyborg as only his neck and above seemed to be organic.
When he dove into action, his large figure blurred and soon reappeared right next to the large mutant. He swung a back fist at the creature and blew its claw away with the powerful blow before he stabbed it with a syringe he held in his other hand.
The gigantic spider faltered but was able to muster another swipe at the man with its claw. The man blurred once again and reappeared on the spider’s flank and stabbed out once more.
This time, the spider lost balance and fell on its stomach. The surrounding soldiers stared at the down creature for a few seconds before erupting into cheers.
“You sure have a pretty powerful helper on your team,” I noted behind Margarite.
“I believe so. He’s the captain for a reason.”
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“With the amount of credits invested into his body, he should be ashamed of himself if he couldn’t deal with some mindless beasts,” Dr. Lut added.
His words drew my gaze back toward the captain so I could examine his hardware in more detail. The superhuman speed he displayed was only possible with all the augments he had done, with his spine all the way to all four limbs. If any parts were still organic, it wouldn’t be able to handle the strain or keep up at all.
It was a little too extreme for me, as I doubted I would be able to enjoy food the same way anymore if I didn’t even have a stomach.
Maybe I should consider hiring a few cyborgs like that as my bodyguard. I don’t believe I can do anything against an opponent like that without catching them off guard right now.
“Rollo, can you augment to be like that as well?” A voice suddenly whispered into my ear.
I looked over to find Thorne, who stared at the screen of the terminal unflinchingly.
“Claire would give you an earful if you tried to become a cyborg like that guy. There are other ways without going that far and still be able to compete.”
“But those methods would cost exorbitantly more, right?”
“...It’s just not worth it. We can discuss this more when we get back,” I said, hoping Claire would talk some sense into him.
Margarite soon commanded a few more of her people to go help with the cleanup while Dr. Lut sat there with a teacup in hand, like the snob he was.
They started packing away all the silk in the room, the cocoons, and all the paralyzed spiders. With the way they bound the spiders, I couldn’t help but once again think about crabs found in the seafood markets.
I should really look into where they served actual crabs. I’m starting to salivate just thinking about it.
Once they packed everything away in the trucks they brought, we drove off toward our next destination.
The next stop was at a nearby ruin that was filled with skyscrapers instead of the industrial buildings we were at. It was a high-traffic area with other scavengers as well, so there were more than just mutant threats around. Though with that captain around, I don’t think anyone would succeed in attacking us even if they set up an ambush.
As we came up onto an empty plot of land where we could park all our vehicles within this concrete forest, we heard gunfire ring out nearby.
“Should we relocate? We can come back later,” I suggested to their leadership team.
“Su—” Before Margarite could reply, Dr. Lut interjected. “No, we’ll be fine. Time is money and I am not in the habit of wasting any.”
I watched as Margarite swallowed her words and nodded in agreement.
Our next target was my old friend, the mutant snake that they called serpentant. As I found out the hard way, they like to nest underground like in the basement of buildings.
We left a team to stand guard by our vehicles while we delved into one of the larger office buildings nearby. Like before, they set up a forward base in the lobby while they prepared to head down to the floors below.
There was ample furniture left on the mezzanine, so I had my security team set up a corner for us. There were only eight of us here, including me and Thorne, as the rest were by our vehicles, so we could set up in a cozy corner near where they had their terminals.
Their team soon headed down below. They didn’t encounter any unexpected situations this time and were able to complete their mission smoothly.
I watched as they tugged a giant snake out of the basement.
“With this haul, our trucks will be full,” Margarite informed Dr. Lut.
“Very well. This was a pleasant bonus. Let’s complete our main objective and get out of here, then,” The doctor declared.
At his words, the vibe their men gave off immediately changed.
Their surrounding guards suddenly drew their firearms toward us and opened fire. I watched as a few of my guards were instantly slaughtered.
What?! But why?
Faster than I could react, Thorne pulled me into cover behind a pillar.
“Rollo, we’re getting out of here. Turn on your active camouflage now!”
I did as he instructed before we both made a run for it while in stealth. We didn’t get far before a hail of bullets chased after us. Thorne pushed me out of the way and soaked up the bullets. The damage disrupted his Shade; he flickered into view until he was fully out of stealth.
“Go…” He muttered as he collapsed.
I didn’t even have time to hesitate as a figure abruptly appeared beside me. I stepped back in time to feel the strong wind pressure pass by me as I dodged an attack.
I quickly pulled out my railgun and fired shots at my assailant, the cyborg captain, as I desperately backed away to create distance. The captain blurred out of existence and reappeared beside me, completely dodging my attacks.
I rolled away and fired more shots, but this time, he simply batted away the bullets with his hand.
No way, that’s unreal… I cannot compete at all in a fair fight. I need to get out of here with Thorne somehow. I need to use explosive rounds as a distraction with the dust it will kick up.
Before I could plot further, I felt my feet lose contact with the ground. I found myself on all fours, puking my guts out. When I looked up, I found the cyborg, who was the captain of their forces, standing over me.
He stabbed out with a device in hand, and my mind blanked as electricity ran through me.
‘Excess electricity current detected in the host. Several rib fractures detected. It is recommended the host gets immediate medical attention.’
Stop with the unhelpful alerts. I know I’m hurt.
“Enough, we want him alive. Secure him already.”
Beside the captain, Margarite emerged.
The shock stopped, and I instantly gasped for air. At least I could focus again.
“What… do you… want?” I squeezed out.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Halls, we want you alive. You’re lucky enough to be headhunted by our company for your excellence in dealing with wastelanders,” Margarite replied.
“Wastelanders? You’re not… from Desire…are you?”
“We know about your relationship with the wastelanders. You’ll find out who we are very soon. As for now, why don’t you rest up?”
She snapped her finger, and the captain stepped toward me.
Just when his hand was about to make contact with me, a strong gust of wind made me reflexively close my eyes. A sharp, piercing sound rang out and hurt my ears, followed by a shockwave that knocked me back.
When I opened my eyes again, I found the cyborg looking down at a huge hole in his chest. He tried to raise his arms toward his injury, only to collapse as if his strings were cut.
What in the…? There’s no time for that now. It’s my chance to escape! Don’t give out on me, legs…