The Solar Flare shuddered. I don't know if the dampening and paralytic effects of my body were turned off once we landed or if the ship was just that bad off, but I felt the thing quake when I had felt hardly anything even crashing into buildings. The displays were mostly red.

That wasn't the real problem. The problem was once we landed and the ship's non-essential systems began shutting down, the first or second system to go was the vast array of cameras, and the AI that simulated images where cameras were damaged. Which meant the view of Sara floating beside me and the view of the surrounding shallow pond and bouncy houses blinked away. I was left in a very tight, very cramped, very dark space.

"Get me out of here Max," I managed to say, instead of shout.

"You are still quite injured, another ten to fifteen minutes-"

"Now!" I snapped.

There was a clunk followed by a hiss.

"The entry system is damaged would you like to use the emergency ejection system or direct the nanites-"

"Eject!" I all but grunted.

Things flashed in red and I expected some sort of explosive movement. Instead I dropped a few inches and then rolled to my right as I fell out of the ship and into the seven or eight inches of water that covered the field.

It wasn't an insignificant distance and so I had maybe half a second of time to panic before I landed and pain washed over me. Almost immediately I felt the pain drop away. Either from the new biology or the nanites, but something was blocking the nerves.

My suit was covered in a sort of clear mucus.

I was also very injured.

I managed to roll over on my back, the paper-doll display of my body showing damage on my left arm, both legs, and splotchy bits of my abdomen.

I didn't speak, something I rarely had to do to navigate the menu systems now, and selected a list of injuries, nanite priorities, and time frames.

I decided I could wait the eight recommended minutes before I got up.

The survivors swarmed us less than a minute later. I had Max blast them with a message that I was recovering but fine, and to leave me be. Sara was also recovering to the rear of the ship. She was able to exit correctly.

The people that rushed in had all retreated, some with blisters on exposed skin from the heat radiating off the ship.

Only then, as I pulled my gloved hand from the water, did I notice how fast it dried.

I made a mental note to do a coolant dump, at some extreme elevation, before landing.

"I'm just going to lay here until you get up," Sara said over coms.

"What if I don't get up?" I asked.

"Fine by me," she said.

There was popping from something that sort of sounded like gunfire. When I asked Max informed me it was metal shifting against metal.

"The Operators say they can't contact you," Sara said.

"Emergency?" I asked quickly.

"No," she answered just as quickly.

"Max what's the update on the hives?"

"Deja Vu is reporting forty percent cleansed, and Red Rocket isn't updating the network. He is however visible from above if you'd like to see. They seem to have the situation under control."

My current view was split in half. To my left I was staring up at the warped and burned metal on the right side of the ship. To my right a wide expanse of open cloud-covered sky.

"Sure," I said with a sigh. Something shifted in my leg. The shifting came from inside and it felt wrong on a level I wasn't sure I had words to describe.

There was a satellite view of the city. The weird three story disco ball of floating mirrors was labeled as Deja Vu. It looked like several tens of thousands of manhole-sized mirrors were floating around her in a chaotic pattern. There had to be three or four layers of the things. She walked in the center.

Waves of force that pushed away debris, collapsed buildings, and lifted on rushing Antithesis spread out from her. It was a sort of anti-grav system then? Whatever killed the things did so without any visual component. There must be nanites involved as well because the green flesh melted and dissolved as the barely seen figure inside advanced forward.

A huge coordinated wave rushed her from all sides while the street itself opened up in some sort of pit trap. A model I couldn't identify, likely a variant, sprayed acid. It floated along side the bone spears and huge chucks of rock some other model had flicked forward at impossible speeds.

She, and I was assuming a she from the name alone, paused there while the Antithesis that were floating around her dissolved even as she herself floated over the open hole. The bodies of the creatures poured over the streets and leapt from buildings. They all slowed, and those touched the ground floated off from it. None got within swiping distance of the mirrors.

She stopped there until most of them were turned to goo. Then she started forward again. Inevitable it seemed.

Red Rocket was the opposite. Where she was slow and deliberate, he was bouncing around the street and off buildings like some sort of super hero. It didn't look like he was flying but he did have the ability to jump astounding high as well as to redirect his motion in flight.

I'm sure someone like Sara could explain his name. Perhaps when he had started out he'd flown in a red rocket, or perhaps it was juvenile and sexual. He was now either the largest human I'd ever seen, in some sort of mech or bio suit, or a combination of all three. He was armored in red, but damn near ten foot tall. The way he kicked cars aside or damaged the buildings he pushed off from showed he had a lot of force behind his movements.

He had massive hands and massive fists that held tiny pistols. Likely, due to scale issues, the pistols were very large, and his hands were just that much bigger.

Whatever the guns were they made exercise ball sized spheres of purple lightning that seem to disintegrate whatever was inside the spheres. For as much jumping and scrambling as he did, he never seemed to miss.

They were both currently circling the majority of the incursion pods, most of which would have converted to full blown hives by this point.

I knew the general plan. They would circle until the Antithesis exhausted themselves and began to flee instead of fight. Then they would rush the hives doing their best to destroy as much as possible before much of the alien biomass could escape. Then it would be nanites and resonators and fire as they began mapping the tunnels and clearing those out. There were always tunnels I'd learned. even if they landed in flat desert, they dug tunnels and lined the sand with sort of epoxy equivalent.

I had the map display other Samurai.

Two more were already in the city clearing the streets and sewers. Neither one was any Samurai I knew. There was another one close by. Extremely close.

I checked the rag doll indicator. It was all green. Even so I expected soreness or pain as I sat up. No discomfort at all.

I turned enough to see, and sure enough the new Samurai was standing some distance away. She was chewing on a finger nail as she shaded her eyes while staring at the ship.

Not shading her eyes, I noticed after a moment, protecting her face from the heat.

She was darn near a hundred feet away.

"I guess I'm getting up," I said.

"Sara would benefit from an extensive meal," Max said, "Her injuries were significant and she has less body fat to draw from."

"How long can that wait?" I asked.

"Ten to twelve hours, though I expect her to grow hungry in the next half hour or so."

"You know all that food you got for us on the train?"

"Oh god yes," Sara said.

"Can you do big meals, Steak, Lobster, all that, but for three?"

"Of course," Sara said as she reached me.

There was a noise behind us and we both turned to look. The ship shifted on the field, one of the four landing struts sank into the ground a bit.

The new Samurai was in her late twenties if I had to guess.

She looked between us, and Sara was the first one to remove her helmet.

I had mine half off when the woman all but tackled Sara in a big hug.

There were enough hugs to include me as well. Then I suggested we get something to eat, to which both women agreed.

There was very little talk as we met with the crowd of spectators. Mostly because of the loud cheering, which I had to admit felt good.

We made our way to the medical area first, which was close to the field we'd landed in. There weren't too many people that absolutely needed nanites or they would die, but eight did. Everyone else either died of their injuries, or was dead on arrival.

We took over a tent, requested a table and chairs, and then Sara ordered a meal she'd worked out through Max.

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It was by far the best usage of a point I'd ever spent. I figured lobster or beef steak would be the best as that was what the media portrayed, but I ended up enjoying something called a butter squash brown sugar bake. It was apparently a baked gourd that was mashed with butter. Then apple chunks and brown sugar were added as well as raisins that that been boiled in wine and rolled in something called cinnamon. I think I moaned more through that meal than I did the night I lost my virginity.

"Sam says I should ask to join up with you on clean up. He thinks I'm dangerously low on points. That I either need to wait for my daily allowances to build me up to a safe buffer or team up with other Samurai."

"Where are you at?" I asked.

She hesitated, as if she didn't want to say.

"Seventeen," she said.

She glanced between us then sort of deflated.

"Sam warned me, but I couldn't just stand around while people were dying," she said.

"You used your points on medical supplies?" Sara asked.

She nodded.

"That is a noble cause," Sara said, "but Sam is correct. You can't save anyone if you're dead."

"We can head back in on foot. We have to be wary of diggers though. I can spot you a weapon, but you should discuss with Sam options for armor."

"You can exchange points with her for credits," Max told me in what I recognized as private conversation.

"Like sell her points?" I asked.

"You could, though I don't believe she has the credits. I meant more of exploiting that trade by gifting her a certain amount of points in exchange for a single credit. Then you could shift the point share to the extreme percentage until you are paid back or keep it equal and expect to be paid back when you are done. In this way she is much safer with even minimal armor, and the ability to purchase emergency medical supplies."

"Eve," I said. Then I paused as I willed my points to show up.

I'd spent a lot on the Solar Flare dipping down to the sub one thousand points. Which seemed like a lot when a great gun might run twenty points. It was all the upkeep. The ship kept coolant to cool things. But I could dump it, replacing it with new, very cold coolant for a point cost. I had cheap lasers capable of taking out model ones or focusing together to take out larger models. Those were my only weapons that needed only power, no ammo. Everything else, autocannons, rockets, the three smaller rail guns, and the massive gun that ran down the center of the ship, had ammo that cost points. There was some storage on ship, but unless I loaded up one of the drones with ammo, which was capable of matter compaction, I had to buy ammo with points. Eventually I should be able to print things like autocannon ammunition or rockets with tier one technology which should save on a lot of points.

There were also the care packages. Currently I teleported in everything from medical supplies to live grenades, to barrels of chemicals. In time, with another drone pre-loaded, I should be able to drop off weapons and ammo that I made and compacted before hand. Again changing a recurring cost from points to credits.

I would still have to spend points on things. Specialized ammo, unexpected items, guns, or armor.... and mashed squash.

I earned 10 points a day. I should be able to spend one on food.

Even as I resolved to do so I discarded the idea. It took twenty points to cure someone of cancer. Was that worth twenty days of great meals? Especially when I could likely spend credits on meals and get food that was still beyond my expectations. Of course it wasn't worth the points.

"Fred," Sara said.

I realized I'd been lost in my thoughts.

I pulled up my point total.

6277 Points, 3 Tokens.

"I've some points to spare," I said to Eve.

"I'm not giving them to you, but I'll sell you some for one credit. Then you'll gear up. Then we will get to cleaning up the city. You can earn points and then sell me the same amount back for one credit."

As Eve began discussing with Sam what she should buy, I asked Max what I'd earned the tokens for.

There were variations, but all three tokens came from saving people. I figured we'd get a few from taking out the larger models or attacking the hives directly, but we had not.

"How many points did we earn so far this incursion?"

"Nine thousand and seven," Max said.

I did some rough math before asking, "How much did I spend on ammo, care packages, all of it?"

"Two thousand one hundred twenty-one."

That was only saving roughly a hundred people with nanite consumables.

"How long until the Solar Flare is ready to fly?"

"It is currently ready."

"Everything is red on the displays!"

"Not everything, and the nanites are working on the priorities."

"What's the biggest loss," I asked Max. It was something we'd discussed before. A way to quickly communicate good and bad things in time sensitive environments.

"I know what you are asking, and the answer to your questions is drones. You lost two. But there is another answer I think you should hear."

"Hit me with it," I said unsure of what she meant.

"The largest loss is, I suspect, your trust in your fellow man. You armed ex-military forces. They were later over-run. From your response and from having literally rebuilt your brain I suspect this will have a large impact on your decision to arm people and send them into harm's way in the future. When in fact it should not."

Whatever the nanites and bio goop did for physical pain they didn't touch for emotional pain. Her words had a heavy impact on me.

"I asked the Operator's network to flag and link videos that included those men. I'd like to show it you."

I indicated without speaking that she could.

A screen appeared and what followed was a soundless montage of the old men.

They started at the crates. Opening them up and handing out weapons. Their hands were old but they knew how to load the guns and check over them better that I did. There was some discussion on the nanite inhalers, but the old man with the oxygen rig made a joke the others laughed at. He took a few hits, then doubled over coughing up what looked like a bloody froth.

The others came together around him to help. Thirty seconds later he was staring at his hand as he flexed his hand into a fist and extended his fingers. Then they were all taking hits on the inhalers and eating the provided MREs.

The last image of them at the crates was of them laughing as they tossed glasses away and set the walking cane on top of a crate.

What followed next I was wholly unprepared for. Different cameras from different angles showing their deaths. There was approximately ten seconds of video and then one would die, then a few more seconds before the video switched. The last three men died together, overrun by a larger swarm they couldn't hope to survive. They threw out all their grenades first and one man was down to a knife in hand when they flooded over them.

The video clips didn't stop though. Instead it showed other clips. Again from odd sources. A car's dash cam, a lobby camera, an ATM camera, and many others. Instead of death, these video clips showed the old men saving people. Sometimes it was as simple as gunning down a model three that had someone trapped under a car. Other times they led a group of twenty or so people through an office building, or six people through a food court.

They used one of the extra nanite inhalers on a man with an abdominal wound who was carrying a child wrapped in a coat.

Some of the clips had the full group of older men, some of the clips had only the last four.

All of it was silent, right up until the end.

The sound of gunfire startled me.

"Go!" A man shouted.

Someone passed in front of the camera. It was jerky and unfocused. Then it dealt with entering a building instead of being under the sunlight.

A few more people passed as the person holding the recording device pointed it back at the doorway.

Six older men with weapons and backpacks full of ammo poured through the door.

One of them stood in the doorway and fired out. The camera shook then and dipped but came back up.

"Alright folks," one of the men addressed the survivors, including the one holding the camera, "It's your lucky day. I got an angel on the line with me and she says this building has a safe room in the basement. She's on the line with a woman inside it who says there is room. You're going to go down those stairs-"

"INCOMING!" one of the men screamed. The old man talking turned around and brought his weapon up to his shoulder.

The two men near the door were fleeing.

The man being filmed started shooting a moment before the doors exploded open and a model burst through. It looked like car-sized bear with quills on its back. It could fire the quills, but was concerned with getting through the door first.

The video stayed on the man as he kept firing into the thing's head and neck. From the edges of the video other bodies were firing and walking forward. There were calls of, "Reloading!" as someone dropped a magazine to fit another.

It felt like forever, but it was only seconds before the firing stopped. The big creature was wedged in the doorway.

"You," the man said turning to the survivors, "To the safe room! Angel, where to next?"

"I feel forty again!" a man said kicking the leg of the model five.

"Angel's got us overwatch on a parking garage. A big swarm headed our way!"

The next clip was the parking garage. The video was from an intersection camera across the way that mostly showed the gunfire, but not the men in the shadows. Audio accompanied the clip. Audio between Operator Angel, an older man with Spanish accented English, and the men.

"Any response yet Angel?" One of the men asked.

"I'm made the request and the AI acknowledged it. I can't do much more."

"No worries," one of the men said. There were a few more bursts of gun fire.

"Out!"

"Same. I got this, but only what's loaded in it."

"Angel. We really need that ammo."

"I'll update the Samurai again."

The gun fire had stopped except when one climbed up the side toward the second story.

"Angel," the man said, "If he doesn't make it in time. Tell him I don't hold it against him. Frank and Eddy, God rest their souls, wouldn't hold nothing against him either. We've saved a lot of lives today, and those drugs, shit I feel thirty again."

"Tell him I'll hold it against him," one of the others said. But everyone laughed.

Like a swarm of birds the Antithesis changed direction suddenly and began bounding toward them.

"This is it lads. Strap it up and pray quick."

Gunfire popped off from their position.

"Confirmed!" Angel said, "He's on his way!"

"Not gonna make it," the man said, "You did well Angel. Nothing you could have done better. Keep that in mind when you start second guessing."

"Sixes!" one of the men called even as they big armored bastards ran into the camera's view.

Then the Solar Flare was there, gunfire poured from the side of the ship washing into the crowd. Death swept through them. Then moments later it left.

The scene was completely changed. Several turrets were firing into the masses when something moved. Two crates sat in the center. Moments later six men rushed out, a few firing weapons but most at a dead sprint.

Those with working weapons took up positions between the turrets as the others tossed the lids aside and began loading up.

"Angel," the man said into the coms, "He got us grenades! If these Plants don't kill us Billy will."

"It was one time decades ago!" someone else, presumably Billy, called out.

"Where to next Angel?"

The screen blinked away and I found Sara and Eve staring at me.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and then blew my nose.

I remembered that drop off if only because one of the men had stood up and threw a salute at the ship.

"Those men likely would have died had you not gotten involved. They still died, but they saved lives before they did because you included them," Max said.

"Is there room for Eve on the Solar Flare?" I asked out loud.

"Not internally," Max said, "but for a single point someone could climb the access ladder in the front and strap to the ship."

"Oh! Me!" Sara said raising her hand.

I thought it was insanity, but Sara was laughing after I exited the rear of the ship.

Eve was covered in vomit and I realized all the biological changes Sara and I had gone through to prepare for high-g maneuvers and ship-integration she didn't have. Was she just wedged in a dark box that jerked and slammed her around the whole time?

Eve had borrowed two hundred and twenty-seven points. We'd made a pass over streets where evacuation was still occurring and dropped several communication towers on taller buildings. They had enough power to last three days, and could handle as much, if not more, than a modern cell phone tower, while being the size of a standard basketball hoop.

We'd earned almost a hundred points each, just from random model ones.

The sewers really did need specialized Samurai. So we were on rescue duty, which mostly consisted of clearing and securing a route to a safe room, getting the scared people inside to open up and follow us out, and then getting them to walk toward the forward operating bases.

We lost a third of the people before they even began walking. Not to death, but because it was like trying to wrangle cats. Every single person had a better idea than we did and if we would only listen to them, everything would work out. There was always someone who wanted to stay behind as well, assuring us that with less people the safe room could sustain them for a few days until things were actually safe.

Add to it that turrets I'd dropped off as well as everything else of value was already being looted. Hell, one of the communication towers we dropped was offline two hours later.

We stole several hovercars to get around the city, letting Max take the Solar Flare up and have it perform air support for any operators that had need. We mostly kept the elevated roadways survivors were using as escape routes, clear of Antithesis presence.

Four safe rooms with a total over three thousand people were lost to model seven infection and/or panic. Everyone in the world was as armed as an American School Shooter was pre-incursion. When people started to panic in enclosed spaces and everyone had weapons, fear, and no loyalty, it left a lot of people dead.

I killed my first human as well.

I stood over him afterward while Sara and Even helped the woman he'd been raping. As far as ethics and morals went it was a good shooting. He was in the middle of a crime, then shot at us. I pulled the trigger out of habit honestly. I never even felt fear in the visceral emotional sense. It was more, 'holy shit is he shooting at us?' but by that point his brains were already sprayed against the wall.

"Max," I said as I turned around, "Put this on the Therapy List, and bring up the next location."