Chapter 94: Flight-to-Fight
4:36 AM August 30th
[Western Shandian Facility: Floor B6 (Lower RnD Layer)]
Ripley
This floor was the smallest of the bunch, but it was still a winding mess of hallways hiding away the secrets of Shandian’s Shardware research. I sent Webcrawler into various rooms, scouting out quite a few unique pieces. In a way, it was underwhelming as it was overwhelming.
I didn’t find any massive revolutionary piece of tech in here, rather many of the working pieces at Silver or Bronze Grade were experimental pieces. New versions of old existing tech, a few unique designs and theorems of Electromagnetic weaponry, improvements to basic Shardware constituents. And oh- a mask that seemed to be able to change how your face looked.
Nothing screamed super-secret tech like Goliath, but I wouldn’t know any more until I could have the time to dig deeper into their files.
“Do you feel that, Ripley?” R0N1N put his hand on my chest, blocking me as he turned to his left.
”Feel…” Oh, oh… now that I was feeling it, that deep rumbling of unsettledness in my Implant — yeah, I could. R0N1N walked up to an inconspicuous wall, one absolutely blaring with faint Bronze Warp Energy. And he ripped it open as he normally did.
A loud snarl ripped out at us, metallic and gravelly and droning like a swarm of bees, hundreds of tiny eyes radiating malice swarmed around in a glowing vat. They looked like rabid flies about an inch-wide made off metal, but upon closer inspection seemed to each have tentacles pouring out of their probisci.
R0N1N said exactly what I was thinking. “I’ve never seen MALware that small, Gear Gluttons from the look of it.”
“Right, they’re smaller than the Implants themselves, must be some sort off… swarm? Hivemind? Probably connected to some bigger MAL.” R0N1N looked through the room, which had a pretty barebones infrastructure, I couldn’t yet jack into their security, but as soon as I established a proper link with another facility — Mirage’s personas could help.
“There’s nothing else for us here.” R0N1N decided. “We have to find the researchers.”
“You’re right.” I tore my sight away from the hungry swarm of metallic insects, exiting the room to delve deeper into the complex where we found another staircase taking us deeper.
Deeper. Into unmapped territory.
[Western Shandian Facility: Floor B7 (???)]
Down at this depth, the only way to have a proper connection to the Net would be through direct links, hopefully I’d find a passage into a direct transfer that would let Twilight or Daylight into my head. For now, I took deep breaths as R0N1N gripped the last door in our path and pried it open, actually heaving breath as it drew every inch of his strength to yank it apart.
Gunfire exploded at us, but R0N1N’s Ryoho blade floated up and blocked the bullets for us, revealing the shooters to be a few shaky scientists in lab coats.
“Please don’t hurt us!” One of them dropped their gun, cowering as he raised his hands up.
R0N1N strode forward, picking him up by the collar. “Your security clearance?”
“B-Bronze!” The man shouted, the fear drenched in his face.
“What do you know about Goliath?” R0N1N’s floating blade peered up, standing at attention next to the man’s throat.
“I-I don’t know much! It was worked on by our Silver and Gold-clearance researchers! They all left!” The researcher said, and R0N1N dropped him with anger I’d never expected from the mercenary.
Left? How could they leave? We were way underground.
“Dreadwire… any chance you can get that device working?” R0N1N moved down the various stations of computers until he stood behind a large glass viewing-dome. I walked up, looking past the glass to see a massive spherical contraption in the middle of a circular room. It was a mess of wires, disks and energy, but it radiated such foul strength that I had been able to feel it through the glass. Like static clinging to my mind.
It was Gold Grade tech. At the least.
“What the hell is that?” I didn’t know a single piece of tech that describes it.
“A short-range Warp Transporter.” R0N1N’s hands scraped fine scratches on the glass. “It can instantly transport objects and people between other devices of the same type. Maximal range of 1000 kM for this one.”
A… teleporter? “That type of technology exists?!”
“For the last century. This is my first time seeing one outside of a Corporate Nation, however.” R0N1N slammed his hand into the glass, a web of cracks spreading. “Either Goliath was moved away as we infiltrated, or they’re sending more support to where it’s really hidden.”
“One of the other two facilities?” It was my only guess.
His voice was drenched in anger. “If we’re lucky.” Then he turned and threw his blade, pinning it into the lab coat of a scientist who’d tried to run through the open doors. “None of you are leaving!”
He pulled the blade back to his hands, and began rounding them up one by one against a wall of the facility. I couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable as he scraped his blade against their backs. “Where does this Transporter connect to?”
“T-to two other facilities!” One of them broke due to the pressure.
He only responded by prodding the blade deeper. “Can either of you activate it?!”
I let him get to work, in the mean time I connected up into their network, it was the deepest connection here but… dammit! Twilight’s DataCleaver was burnt out and I couldn’t get through at all!
“I need one of them to get me access to the network.” I relayed to R0N1N who stared across the twelve or so scientists who remained. One of them volunteered, the same one who’d been the first to cower. A thick bearded old man with graying hair and metallic hands.
As he leaned down, sweat dripping over his face, he gulped as I took out my gun. “No tricks.”
”None.” He nodded quickly, opening up the systems to me without fail…
With access in, I could find a register of the Warp Transporters last usage and the remaining Warps possible considering the charge. One in either direction.
From what it seemed, they had sent a split of forces between the northern and southern facilities the other’s had gone to. The only two options listed. One of which had to have Goliath.
I opened up the limbs of my back, carefully positioning their blades around the old man’s neck. “How do I activate the teleporter?”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Y-you can’t!—” I sunk the blade deep enough that it drew blood across his cheek. “—It- there’s a 24-digit-code that changes everyday! None of us know the full code!”
“It’s split between you all?” I gauged.
One of the researchers yelled back at the two of us. “Akihiro! You’re going to get us all in trouble!”
R0N1N promptly smacked the rowdy scientist in the mouth, glaring him into silence before turning to me. “We’ll go back up, reconvene at-“
”R0N1N, Dread!” Missy’s voice shrieked through our comms, a mess of static and her actual voice. “What’s happened at your guy's facility, we just jacked into their system but this whole place is on high alert! A sudden influx of enemies popped in from below us, what the hell’s happening?”
“They have a Warp Transporter.” R0N1N said out loud.
“Shit! That explains why we’ve picked up four Silvers! We’re going to need backup.” Missy said.
“Yeah!” Diamante’s voice came in next. “So do we! They do have a fucking Silver-Grade Hydra! It’s tearing me a new asshole!”
“A Hydra? In Westcrook?” R0N1N took a sharp breath in. “Any chance that you all can escape?”
“Not likely! Quartz can only draw human attention away, these damn drones are hounding us.” Diamante sounded worried, more worried than I’d ever heard. “Look… I can survive this… but-“
“Mirage?” I said, a lump in my throat.
“We’ll be fine.” Mirage’s voice filtered in, panicked and hurried. “Dreadwire and R0N1N, get to Missy and Topaz! We- urgh, fuck, we’ll figure out where Goliath is soon! Just- didn’t expect a fucking Silver Grade Wardrone to be built here! And like 4 more Silvers!”
Missy retaliated. “Mirage, don’t be stupid. Topaz, Quickshot and I can handle ourselves! We can endure this, you four can’t! R0N1N and Dreadwire, get over to-“
“Fuck!” Diamante cut in, his metallic voice thick in static. “A delver’s jamming us out!”
Twilight’s voice came in last to my earpiece “Dreadwire! Just in case this mission goes wrong, we’re sort of a little bit falling in lo-“
Then they were gone, our communications cut. “Fuck!”
This was bad, me and R0N1N were supposed to be entering the most dangerous of the facilities, now half of the forces we’d been expecting to face had been split into the other two buildings. This entire time they were just moving their forces elsewhere! And we still didn’t know which one had Goliath!
Fuck, fuck! I grabbed the researcher Akihiro, my masked gaze burned on him. “This code for the Warp Transporter! You have it?! All of you here?!”
“I-…”
Gold flared in my Arachnid limbs. “Tell me or I’ll slice your head open.”
“Six of us here know the code!” He admitted, teeth clenched as my Arachnodyne limb neared his throat.
“Who?!” I grabbed his coat, tugging him closer.
“I-I- I’m sorry!” He was shaking so bad I felt my bones wobble. “But I’d rather die than have Yuzhou get me! My family!”
My gaze settled on him, determined. “Die? That’s fine by me.”
I snapped his neck like a twig, my claws digging for his BUG.
“Dreadwire?” R0N1N looked at me. “What are you doing?”
I didn’t respond… I began absorbing the Bronze BUG, feeling the warm blood on it fizzle away as it’s material form vanished… I needed that code!
Thought Multiplier: ‘Transporter Code’ X ‘Implant Reading’
My vision snapped away, I was now sitting on a desk, the same desk I stared at everyday. On cue at 12:00 AM, a number snapped into my view.
B: 8462
I pulled myself out of the memory, not wanting to waste anymore time. I could do it, all of these researchers had BUGs to work with the security systems, I had the key to this teleporter.
”R0N1N.” I said, my voice low and quiet. “I can’t have any witnesses, I’m disabling the cameras but… they have to…”
R0N1N tilted his head to the terrified board of scientists, nodding at me. “They made their bed.”
————
27038462519800612982173
I clicked the code in. My mind blurring the corpses and bloodstains around me.
Choose Destination:
* Northern Automation Facility
* Southern Weaponry Facility
Two options, one choice. Missy and Topaz. Or Diamante and Mirage…
It was both a gamble and a condemnation for one group. Goliath could be in either of the facilities, but if it was as secure as it seemed to be, then all the data would be locally stored on a Datacube in close proximity to the experimental tech in person.
“R0N1N.” I made my choice. “We have to split up. If we stay together, we’ll leave one group too vulnerable while also only having a 50% chance of being right.”
“I agree.” His voice came steadily, knowing this was the better option. “I’ll run over to Missy and Topaz while you use the Warp Transporter to-“
“I’m not so sure. Gauging the distances, Missy’s Facility is closer. I could drive there with my bike assuming I take a few shortcuts… and besides Diamante and Mirage are…”
I had to sink a calming breath to continue. “Silver automatons and Adapters will wear them down quickly… if you can get in there, it’s likely this access code should work for the other facilities, otherwise I’m sure Mirage could find something. Be honest, which group has the worser chance of making it out of this?”
“Topaz, Mirage and Quickshot.” R0N1N confirmed, the gravity in his voice resounding with me. “A Yuzhou Hydra is a war machine, I’ve only ever fought one and it was the closest I came to death. Mirage, Quartz, Diamante and Stonewall will likely… it’s unlikely for all of them to survive. But for them to have such a high level security drone… Goliath has a high chance to be located there.”
“Then yeah, It’d be smarter for you to get to them rather than me. Still, one thing is worrying me, looking through the records, they sent 3 Silvers into Missy’s location and only 1 towards Mirage. I don’t know if that’s to make up for-“
“We don’t have time for speculation.” R0N1N put a hand on my shoulder. “Assuming I’m the one who teleports, you’d have to escape this facility by yourself. You have a better chance with using the Transporter to-“
“Assuming you run all the way there—” I interrupted him. “—You’d already damage your legs by moving that fast. If we’re splitting up, I won’t be able to repair you. Sure, you’d be able to fight your way out of here but… I don’t need to do that.”
“Then what is your plan?” R0N1N leaned in, and I revealed it to him.
He chuckled.
———
Light flowed through every surface of the Warp Transport Chamber, Golden Warp Energy sparking the circuitry to life. R0N1N stood at the center of the circular platform, unflinching as rings of metal began to float and rotate around him. They picked up speed, my breath captured in my lungs as the world’s laws began to crack under the weight of Warp Energy.
The rings blurred in their rotation so quickly until it seemed like a sphere had engulfed R0N1N, then they stopped as electricity detonated through the room — and the lone mercenary was gone.
I was alone.
Resolving myself, I looked up the security feeds, right now reinforcements of both the police and Yuzhou had infiltrated down to the Production Layers of the facility. Without much time, I needed to act quickly.
It was a good thing then, that R0N1N had given me a little gift… it had taken some time to be properly modified, so I’d used the charging duration of the Warp Transporter to read it’s Warpcode and collect a few items for my deception.
Though, I still felt nervous slotting in the Silver BUG into my Mimicset.
Mimicset Modules [7/10]:
* Stabilize: [I+B] Sustain/Sustain
* Burn: [2B] Overclock/Overclock
* Insight: [2B] Analyze/Network
* Wield: [2B] Integration/Integration
* Databreak: [I+B] Dataweave/Jailbreak
* Hammer: [I+B] Accommodate/Overclock
* Overcome: [2B] Sustain/Database
* Hypermind Prime: [B+2S] Sustain/Overclock/Integration
I’d absorbed the Silver Energized Function, netting quite a few bonuses too in the process, not to mention all the Bronze BUGs I’d devoured to try and find the memories pertaining to the Transporter’s Access code. It was a considerable amount knowing that I’d already absorbed an entire Silver earlier in the day, but it was necessary.
Psyche V.2.13 has updated to V.2.15
Effects:
* Increased non-empathic response to killing.
* Increased motor control during mental hyperactivity.
Energized V.2.11 has updated to V.2.14
Effects:
* Protocol: Shard Conversion is more efficient
* Quicker transmission of Warp Energy across Shardware
* Minor mental enhancement when Warp Energy is cycled through the Neuroframe.
Technician V.2.15 has updated to V.2.18
Effects:
* Protocol: Scrapyard has increased ability to download information directly through uplinks into digital memory.
* Protocol: Scrapyard has increased automotive effect on Shardware.
* Protocol: Reverse Engineering is more effective during combat scenarios.
Data Mimicry V.2.18 has updated to V.3.00
Effects:
* Increased ability to retain information of scanned memories.
* Increased ability to specify memory scanning.
* Protocol: Frequency Sync allows the Adapter to alter the way their Warpcode is conceived by others based on the frequencies of the Warpcode and Warp Energy they have scanned or Mimicked. It also enhances the natural observation of other’s various Warp Frequencies.
Frequency Sync… it was built off my newest command when I absorbed the Silver Energized Feature. To become anything.
Staring at the tools of deception I’d brought from the labs upstairs, I was pretty satisfied as I dug into a Yuzhou-brand Arachne.
It was now or never, I was alone — and I had to succeed.