“When I first started converting the rig, my intention was that if I built right above where the antithesis were, I wouldn’t have to chase them down. When the Family came to me insisting that I rent out space on the platform to let them use as a forward base against the Antithesis, I was skeptical. Then they offered me a rather… tidy sum, and it immediately became much easier to accept their presence.”
* Interview with First Generation Samurai, Buoy, for the documentary ‘The Hidden Origins of New Houston’
***
Achys and I are utterly silent as we walk through that damned hallway again, doing our best to not look at what we knew was there. It isn’t until we arrive back in that main computer room that I can take a breath of relief. I walk over to the open computer I had used before, sitting down with a groan.
“Well, Achys,” I mutter, pointing at the computer, “Do your thing.”
I still can’t connect to them, Emmalyn. You’re either going to have to find a way to patch me in, or remove the data drive so that we can get the info off at a later time.
I slam my head into the desk, then shake the impact off to get to work. Unfortunately, an annoyingly long time later, I find there simply isn’t a way for me to connect to the computer, so we have to go with plan B. After turning it off, I pick up my hammer, then do my best to lightly tap the side of the plastic PC case. The part I hit warps completely inward, making it a simple task to rip it off to reveal the delicate innards.
Well then, that works. It’s the two little boxes in the bottom right.
I quickly unplug them, then realize I don’t have anywhere to put them. “Uhh, Achys?”
Need a bag?
I start to nod but then raise a finger instead. “I need one of those and some new clothes.”
That’ll cost more, but you’re not exactly hurting for points at the moment. What kind of clothes do you want?
“Hmmm…” I look down at myself, the long bloodsoaked black dress and apron not exactly appealing at the moment. “Let’s keep it simple. While I don’t want the same exact dress I have on, I kinda really liked being a maid while it lasted, and I guess I’m gonna be cleaning the reef as I ascend so…”
You… Want another maid dress? Do you even need a bag with an apron like that?
I shrug. “I like the aesthetic, sue me. I guess the apron is good enough, but I want it to be frilly. And I want the dress to be cuter than this one is.
As you command, my Vanguard overlord.
Points update!
Starting Total: 165 Points
Targets Eliminated!
3x: Model 10-T
Reward: 30 points
2x Model 4-T
Reward: 30 points
Small Hive Destroyed!
Reward: 500 points, 1 token
Total Gained: 560 points, 1 token
Catalog Unlocked!
Class-I Basic Combat Garments
Cost: 20 Points
New Purchase!
1x Class-I Combat Maid Dress
Cost: 5 Points
1x: Class-I Combat Frilly Apron
Cost: 5 Points
Final Total: 690 Points, 1 Token
I snicker, then swiftly change into my new clothes, using my old ones as towels to clean off the fresh grass stains from my skin. The new outfit is far more, to put it bluntly, anime then the original, a bright apple red dress with adorable white frills on the poofy sleeves and short skirt. The apron is simple to be fair, just a white apron lined with the same white frills as the dress, but it’s a pleasant combo to be sure. It’s as I’m changing though, I reach up to see that my hair is not blonde anymore.
I shrug, sticking the drives into my apron pocket and walking to the door. “Uh, why is my hair gray, exactly?”
The virus.
I tilt my head, not entirely understanding. “Yeah, but why though? Shouldn’t it be paler instead?”
The environment module doesn’t need to reinforce your hair, so it didn’t weave into the section protecting it. Keratin is quite resilient.
“I… guess?” I shake my head, walking out of the damned laboratory into the open twelfth floor air. “You’d be surprised at how easy it is to break a nail though.”
I sniff the air, then turn to see a now rather gigantic black pillar of smoke rising from the lab. I blink, then groan, they obviously hadn’t followed the rules of the reef when making that place. As we walk past a trash can, I toss the ID card I was given inside- it was a useless piece of plastic now.
There was only a single destination I could head to, if I wanted to save anyone on this floor from dying. I begin to speed walk towards the center of the floor, deeply thankful I had gotten lost earlier. I had walked past the central hub of the floor, where the workers in the various facilities would spend their time when on break. It’s where I’d find the admin building, where the reef administration kept their facilities.I take a hard right into a narrow passageway through the jungle of pipes, only to screech to a stop and squint at something in the distance.
I cautiously raise the hammer in front of me and say, “Achys, is that- OH SHIT!”
I barely manage to fall backwards, dodging a jet of concentrated water that cuts into the steel floor where I had just been standing. I stumble upwards and rush back around the corner as the monster begins to run at me.
I peek around a pipe only to duck back behind it as another jet of water shoots at me, then screech, “I didn’t know they could shoot stuff!”
It’s a model five variant, which is fairly concerning. It seems that the previous Hive was not the only one on the floor.
I patiently listen for the approach of the alien, the clanking of its feet slowing as it gets closer. I ready my weapon, and when I hear it get right up to the corner, I swing the hammer side in a diagonal arc; Straight through the rusty pipes I had been hiding behind. The weapon seemingly isn’t bothered by the roadblock, smashing right through the metal to crush the beast into a fine pulp. I’m blasted with burning steam, and I scream as I fall backwards, only to thankfully find my skin protected by a now rather cooked set of Virus tissue.
Shaking that close call off, I walk over to examine my victim, finding a strange chimera that looked similar to a lionfish combined with a shrimp of some sort. It was the size of a large man, or maybe a bear- I’d seen a few in some of the nature documentaries I’d watched, and the size was somewhat comparable. Maybe. Kinda hard to gauge size from behind a screen.
It’s good you managed to not get hit, I’m unsure the virus would have been able to fully prevent that from piercing into your skin. Lionfish venom is nasty.
I shiver, listening carefully for any more movement. For better or worse, only the sound of hissing steam fills my ears.
“I need a ranged option,” I mutter, then continue with, “And maybe an upgrade to the armor so that doesn’t happen.”
Both of which are feasible with the catalogs you have access to. Is there anything in particular that you want?
“Preferably?” I move my jaw back and forth as I think. “Something I don’t need to actively swap to mid-combat. I’m focusing on the hammer pretty hard when I’ve been fighting, so…”
With that in mind, I actually have two suggestions that fit both roles you’re looking for as well as the criteria you set. First is a ‘Option ball’, which is a spherical drone that works to intercept ranged hits but also allows for you to throw or hit it at opponents, utilizing its gravity manipulator for stronger hits.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
I snort, the image of playing baseball to kill aliens playing in my head as I ask, “Sounds kinda fun, what’s the other one?”
It’s a combination of two catalogs, specifically based around an advanced drone within the Gravitational Manipulators catalog, the Gravitationally Unrestricted Lightweight Lancer. It’s styled after a seabird, utilizing both the lift it receives from a bit of wind and its ability to ignore reality to perform piercing strikes on enemies. In addition, there is a separate Viral Module catalog for drones you can add to it with, giving it more unintentional functions, like defending you from ranged attacks.
I groan at the abbreviation, shaking my head as I ask, “Price difference?”
The orb is one hundred fifty while the GULL is eighty, along with one hundred twenty on top for the required catalog and viral module, but its total price dramatically varies depending on whatever other upgrades you decide to make to it.
I tap the butt of my weapon on the ground in thought. “I can make the bird drone look like whatever I want, right?”
The size of the drone is variable, and a cheap variation of the virus would be able to make it look like any avian you wish it to.
I grin, then give a thumbs up. “Gimme a vibrant Jay. I really like how they look.”
Do you want any additional upgrades? The virus can do just about anything you’d want.
“Um, might as well go all out,” I mutter, then say, “Increased durability, speed, offense, automatic recovery?”
Easy, and done. I’ll be summoning all of these together for convenience’s sake.
Points Update!
Starting Total: 690 Points, 1 Token
Targets Eliminated!
1x Model 5-A
Reward: 20 Points
New Catalog!
Class-I V-AI Drone Modules
Cost: 100 Points
New Purchase!
1x: Class-I Gravitationally Unrestricted Lightweight Lancer (Gull Config)
Cost: 80 Points
1x: V-AI Drone Suite
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Defensive Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Mobility Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Offensive Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Recovery Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Appearance Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
Total Cost: 300 Points
Final Total: 410 Points, 1 Token
I cover my eyes with my arm as a momentarily blinding flash of light fills the area.
The universe cries, the Antithesis slowly devouring it whole.
I peek out to find, appearing in the air in front of me, a vibrant red flower opens to reveal a small silver bird, curled up in its own wings.
YET! There is hope!
It floats up a bit as it begins to radiate a deep golden glow as a virus glob drops onto it, covering the bare metal with a layer of flesh.
Enigmatic protectors sent forth their Systems and AI to those who most needed them!
Then, four more orbs appear above it, slowly one by one shifting the flesh and coloring the light.
Beneath the murky depths of the Gulf, we will defend those who cannot protect themselves!
A final, silver star appears above the bird, slowly starting the final changes. A set of glowing feathers begins to sprout from the virus, the bird’s silhouette taking on a far more familiar shape.
We will defeat our foes, rising to the surface to gain our freedom!
The light begins to fade, beginning at the tip of the Jay’s tail, slowly revealing a vibrant blue and red bird, the tips of its wings and the entirety of its beak a pure white. The bird twitches, then spins up into the air, stretching its wings wide and opening its beak as it loudly sings:
“I am Achys, and I will keep you whole!”
I tilt my head, raising an eyebrow as I snicker. “Did you really go all that way convincing me on this thing to get a body for yourself?”
Achys flies over, landing on my shoulder. “It’s just a pleasant bonus from an optimal purchase, I’d never manipulate you just for my own gain.”
“Riiight.” I shake my head, my lips raising a bit “Shall we get moving again?”
“Indeed!” Achys tilts her little head forward, and I can swear she is grinning despite the lack of emotion on the bird’s face. “Shall I scout ahead?”
I roll my eyes, waving my hand up in the air. “Go wild. If you spot any strays and get an opportunity, uh, I guess eliminate them if you can?”
“That seems reasonable!” Achys flaps off my shoulder, shooting out into the darkened sky of the Twelfth. “I shall return soon!”
I give a thumbs up, resuming on my path. It’s a winding, rather annoying set of turns through the realm of pipes but soon I reach the open area, immediately finding a somewhat troublesome situation. A huge crowd is gathered around the administration building, loitering as they quietly chat among themselves, several frantically gesturing towards the quickly growing pillar of smoke.
“Achys,” I whisper, glaring at the upcoming difficulties looming in front of me, “Can you still hear me?”
I can, my Jay body is simply an extension of me. I can see the issue, do you need me to do something?
I roll my shoulder, then grin and prop my hammer against it as I get an idea. “Yeah, just come back and land on my shoulder. Make it flashy.”
With pleasure.
I wait for a moment until I hear Achy’s song approaching, then walk forward with purpose in my steps. Achys does a quick rotation around the crowd in the air, then flutters down to land on my shoulder. The entire crowd turns to look at me, a mixture of awe and fear in their eyes as they take me in.
A man covered in grease, probably not much older than I am, steps out of the crowd, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “You a Sam’?”
I tilt my head just a little to the side as I ask, “You a wrench monkey? What's the problem?”
“It’s sorta’ obvious miss.” Exasperated, he waves his hand up at the smoke. “Can you fix that?”
Putting an exaggerated look of surprise on, I turn to the black smog gathering at the roof and gasp, putting my fingertips to my lips.
“Why I’d never! How’d that happen?!” I turn back to the crowd with a very unimpressed look. “Oh yeah, that was me.”
A few people gasp, backing away from me. I scoff, then begin twirling my hammer like a baton.
“You see, workers of the Twelfth, I have a job.” I walk forward, the crowd parting around me with every step. “I’m a maid, and I have but a single task.”
I stop, then point the hammer at the pillar of smoke, letting an exuberant grin rise on my face as I declare:
“I clean, and someone left a little mess for me to mop up.”
I put my finger to my cheek, turning my head slowly to look at the people in the crowd, many of which were growing increasingly nervous. “Now, I can’t help but wonder, why are you all still here?”
An older woman, bulkier than a lot of the people in the crowd, steps out with her jaw askew. “Well, miss, the admins have the stairlocks locked up like normal still. Nobody leaves during work hours.”
I blink, then raise an eyebrow. “You’re fuckin’ with me.”
I look up at the small circular tower behind me, a set of heavy metal doors a dozen feet below a full row of completely tinted windows. I squint, finding myself unable to see anyone inside. I sigh, then glance back at the woman as I declare: “Well, I have an easy enough solution to that.”
I casually swing my hammer, blowing both doors completely off their hinges, leaving them a pile of scrap metal. I glance back at the shocked faces of the crowd with a grin, then casually stride inside and up a set of spiraling stairs. As I reach the top, my jaw drops at what I see, or well, the lack of it.
“THERE’S NO ONE HERE!?” I screech, then glance around, quickly finding a large control panel. I skip over, glancing over it until I find a switch labeled ‘Release all locks.’ I flip it, then in a few quick leaps, I’m once again on the ground. The crowd anxiously greets me, and I point towards the stairlock in the difference.
“Well, you don’t have much time.” I look up to Achys, who flaps up off my shoulder. “I’d estimate you all have about… Ten minutes before the Twelfth becomes a good place to be if you wanna be a popped balloon.
Just about everyone gets moving at that, leaving me snickering in their wake. Achys hovers a bit over the bulk of the group, sending a video feed to my glasses.
You do know that the time till the floor is dangerous to be on is probably closer to half an hour right?
I start walking, beginning to hum ‘Look at Me’. “Yup. They’ll never know.”
I hear the jay guffaw in the distance, a rather strange sound all things considered.
The longer I spend with you, the more suited you seem to this role.
“Yeah, I’m noticing that too,” I mutter, watching the fleeing backs in front of me. “I’d never really thought about it before now. Samurai were just…”
Outsiders?
“More like myths.” I rub my tongue against my incisor. “As far as I know, none even live in the reef.”
According to the data I have access to, you’d technically be correct. There are only two samurai that permanently make their home in this city, namely ‘Haifisch’ and ‘Steel Hound’. Haifisch has taken responsibility for the bottom six floors, while Steel Hound protects everything above that.
An explosion rings out in the direction of the fire, startling me into speeding my casual stroll up to a jog. Achys shoots through the sky, blurring until she is casually gliding beside me.
“Honestly, if Haifisch isn’t quick…” I look to the rising flames in the distance, increasing my speed even more. “I think he’s going to go down to five floors he controls.”
Achys chirps, showing off by circling around me as she flies. “Are you not going to take a few floors yourself?”
I scoff, sticking out my tongue at her as I declare:
“Yeah right, I’m gonna be a traveling Samurai flying around on a ship or something! Stupid aliens won’t know what hit em’!”
My AI-Bird squeaks a little chuckle, then says, “I’ll keep that in mind, Emmelyn.”
“Nah, that’s wrong,” I blurt, before immediately stuttering, “I-I mean, Emme is fine. You’re a good bean.”
“I…” Achys looks at me, her eyes turning into a crescent. “Thank you, Emme.”
As we start getting close to the crowd funneling into the stairlock, a deep rumbling comes from the side of the floor kitty-corner to the flames. Achys flies off to check, the crowd in front of me anxiously shuffling a bit closer to the floor’s exit. I squint, trying to see what exactly was going on, but it seems futile. “Achys, got anything?”
My best guess is that despite what the floorplans stated, there was an evacuation shelter hidden on the floor, which is where the admin went. When you opened the locks, you inadvertently began the release process on it, so after a few minutes it detached from the floor to begin its rise to the surface.
“I… Well, sucks for them if they weren’t ready, I guess.” I walk closer to the stairlock, finding that the crowd has thinned enough that I’ll be able to go up myself on the next cycle.
As the door to the stairlock opens once again, a very, very unsettling creaking begins to occur from the direction of the inferno. As people rush in, I pale as I visibly begin to see a slightly warping in the steel that makes up the Twelfth’s walls. I anxiously tap my foot against the ground, only being able to take a breath of relief once I am safely behind the stairlock’s doors. As it clicks shut behind me, an ear shattering crack vibrates everything around us, and then I blink.
When I reopen my eyes, the other side of the door is covered in water.
“Well, that was a close call.” Achys tilts her head down to look into my eyes. “You’d probably be fine with the virus suite if you were in there, but honestly, it’d probably really, really hurt.”
I take a shaky breath, and nod.
That was far, far too close for comfort.