Ethan
CRAP!
That’s exactly why I had instructed the drones outside to be ready to rush in at the first sign of trouble.
Instinctively, I tried to hold back a cascade of emotions I knew very well, but only a trickle came my way.
-Well, if Virgil’s control is this good, maybe Xyra hasn’t completely frozen by fear right now, and its calculation should allow the drones to respond to the issues quickly too.-
The ancient machines stirred to life, rusted joints grinding and bodies clanking even above the roar of the wind and the crash of lightning. Xyra held her ground, steeling herself against a possible attack
-Ethan- she transmitted urgently, her voice laced with tension. -I'm not sure I can handle this alone.-
My brow furrowed. Did she think I would leave her alone in there? More than that, she had time to think about that before the drones came in.
-Hang on tight, Xyra. Reinforcements are coming in right now.-
I concentrated on the incoming drones a little. They should’ve been way quicker than that; they were literally outside the door. Their metallic outer layer glinted in the flashes of light in the climate control station.
They were weaving through the debris and holding the carrier drones against the raging climate in the room.
-What’s the big idea, Virgil?- I asked the machine aloud. -Aren't carrier drones useless in a fight?-
"That is correct" Virgil responded.
"We evaluated our objectives, our resources, and the data we possessed of the machines of the ancient empire. We concluded we couldn’t achieve our current objective in a fight. Alternative route = assimilate the control unit."
Well, at least I can see what the scientists who created these zombie drones I command were likely trying to recreate in the first place.
There’s too much of a resemblance in the way those robots can still move with the amount of damage they received and the way mine can defy death. Short of destruction, there’s no way to bring them down.
I can’t hope to destroy the threat without wrecking the climate control room, possibly destroying any hope of managing it and bringing back any semblance of stability in the sector.
There wasn’t much time to think about it; the ancient machine and its minions had almost taken their stances, and they were drawing dangerously close to Xyra and the drones that had arrived and created a shield around her. I look at the respective stances, and I frown more deeply than before.
- Are you sure you can achieve that?
That machine might be like you, Virgil.
Did you notice that it moved its forces to protect only the still-working consoles?-
“Noted. Query = sign of sentience or sapience”
-Good question. I guess the only way you can find out is to attempt to assimilate the machine. Guess we have little choice then.-
I sigh and assign the orders accordingly: the priority is to defend Xyra, try and destroy the drones, and if all else fails, bring a carrier drone to the giant menacing robot.
The forces are 16 of my drones and 14 of its drones.
Six of mine are non-combatants, two of their sides are almost broken, six are heavily damaged, and six are moderately so.
I sincerely hope this is enough to even the odds.
Xyra
Xyra couldn’t yield to fear.
With the dead by her side, the huntress's support, and Ethan's guidance, she felt ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.
For the sake of Vexx, for the freedom of her people, she would not falter.
She had expected the battle to begin immediately, but the machines simply had taken position first, as if to study the terrain and the enemy they were facing.
The truce couldn’t last forever, and the battle began, the ground trembling beneath their metal tracks and claws, the frozen surface cracking under the combination of weight and stress.
Both sides went for a melee assault right from the bat; the ancient machines didn’t seem to hold any ranged weapon, and Ethan didn’t seem to want to use the ones stolen from Dexton’s forces.
The electrical discharges that danced across the room didn’t particularly affect any of the combatants outside of electrifying their frames.
The machines attacked with metal claws, and the dead responded with hardened light blades, but either could barely dent the other’s defense.
Since the robots were more damaged to begin with, the fight seemed to favor her side, but there was the wild card of the tornadoes.
The swirling vortexes of debris and chaos could suck any who ventured too close to one and then spit them out in a random direction.
Since she shared her perception with that of the drones, she was disconcerted, to say the least, by the sudden change in one of the feeds.
Virgil was aptly able to cut and restore them with efficiency. Still, there was this uncanny sensation whenever a perspective shifted, was cut, and then restored in another random place.
The unfortunate victim would, of course, be damaged by the experience, and so one had to move even more carefully to avoid the anomaly.
The coordination of the drones seemed to be affected by this; their movements were slower and less precise than usual.
The enemy, however, seemed able to navigate the room with more ease and without being hindered by any phenomena.
While the ones that had risen weren’t much of a threat, the ancient machine was a formidable foe, even with its rusted joints groaning with exertion as it fought back with relentless fury.
Arcs of lightning crackled across its metallic frame, illuminating the chamber with bursts of blinding light, and its blows were able to damage the dead.
The dead and the robots fought each other with unwavering resolve, their metallic bodies absorbing blows and returning them with calculated precision.
Though some fell or were damaged in the heat of battle, their loss was almost inconsequential, for the others simply continued to fight unimpeded.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
As for Xyra, she hadn’t joined the battle; she had instead received the smaller forms that allowed one to join the collective.
She still remembered how she interacted with one of those to become what she now was; however, this wasn’t the time for recollections.
-Xyra- Ethan’s voice had resounded in her mind after a few exchanges in battle
-Take all the carrier drones you can with you. The other drones will open a way; when you see an opening, go and unload them all on the big robot. Make sure they can begin the assimilation process no matter the cost.-
Xyra had felt a surge of happiness and a sense of purpose to these words.
She had a mission: to capture prey. The carrier drones, for their part, clung to her, their spider-like legs somehow gripping tightly to her now-metal scales.
Despite the chaos of battle, Xyra remained focused, looking for a cue to jump her target, and as soon as she saw what appeared to be a good opening, she was ready to pounce.
Xyra launched herself into action, her enhanced reflexes allowing her to dodge the machine's initial assault.
As she neared further, it was impossible to dodge all of the blows coming her way, and she was struck multiple times.
Her metallic scales managed to protect her from some of them, but others struck past her defenses, managing to hurt her.
It wasn't hurting as much as it did when she was still of flesh and bones, and besides, she had to learn to withstand a little pain.
This was nothing. With a defiant roar, she pressed forward, her determination unyielding.
She unleashed the payload of her four arms, her mechanized claws digging into the ancient guardian’s frame with resounding force as she grappled with it to shelter the carrier drones from the raging winds a moment further.
All she saw was a blur in the periphery of her vision; the world flickered, and she was in her house again, the serene tranquility of her surroundings a stark contrast to the chaos of battle and raging elements that she had experienced up until now.
Disoriented, she stumbled, the world a hazy multiple vision, for she saw her own body, her head completely missing but still clinging to the form of the guardian.
She put a claw to her neck, almost still feeling the hot sensation of the impact that had severed her head.
With dread, she saw her body repeat the motion in the fractured vision she still had; the world blurred, tears stinging her eyes.
What was that? Was she going to die? She felt the tinge of a wave of nausea as her emotions were stifled, the sensation of accomplishment strangely coming over her.
The shape of Ethan, clearly preoccupied and surprised, appeared within the frame of her window.
????
ßÿñæptrâ Löckßhÿă Këßtræ was, in Dexton's view, a top dog, an alpha, a leader; that much she knew, and it was little to no comfort to her.
Quite the contrary, this now meant that she was being put through the wringer, dealing with Dexton's recruits.
While it may have seemed quite the opposite, since she was as strict and commanding as one could be, she loathed the very idea of having to deal in such a way with those of lower status.
The prospect made her feel of lower status herself.
-Listen up, you curs! You think you're tough? You're but a bunch of puppies!-
She barked, her words changed by the tone modulator cutting through the air like a whip, her four eyes scanning the crowd in front of her.
Internally, she cringed at the words she had to speak. What was with Dexton's obsession with canine references!?
She'd rather assert dominance by shooting one or two, but this method did work in preserving forces, and right now she needed men.
She didn't need a too-disciplined fighting force; she needed them to be alive, angry, and obedient enough to go in the assigned direction and tear a new one for that pesky Myar knight.
Another human expression, she cursed under her breath, her body showing the black tinges of frustration above her natural blue skin. If not for her clothing and tech disturbance that made her figure that of a menacing human, anyone would be able to tell her feelings.
She moved the top left of her slender six arms, her three claws moving as if to make her projection point to the crowd.
-You all went to a pound for what you did! Every single one of you wasn't tough enough to remain free.
Look at me. I am a figgin’ pirate. Here I stand free. You?
You all owe your freedom to Dexton's Dogs. Do you think you can handle anything that comes your way?
Well, think again!-
Despite her internal discomfort, she pushed forward, knowing that she must maintain her facade of strength and authority if she was to lead these men.
With a sharp whistle, hisses, and clicking sounds more suited to her kind than words were, she called the group to attention.
She had to refrain from using her physical strength, lest her masquerade be broken, so she was left with having her top attendants deliver punishment on her behalf for the slightest sign of incompetence or disobedience.
It denied her some pleasure from bringing pain herself, but it suited her in a sense, suited her status and importance, so fewer of the green tinges of frustration were on her skin.
In the end, she made her voice ring out from the translator with authority as she laid out the objectives of their training.
She emphasized the importance of ferocity, teamwork, and unwavering loyalty to their cause.
If all went according to schedule, it would take her almost another week to have them all ready.
She cared little how many of them were going to die.
All that mattered was to put that pesky knight in its place.
Then it would come time to retire the old dog entirely, and maybe at that point, she would come after Dexton if he continued to deny her birthright to pleasure!
Tessa Eligah
Tessa sat hunched over her workstation in the med bay, surrounded by screens displaying complex data and intricate diagrams.
Her lab coat was stained with various substances, clear evidence of her tireless experimentation as well as her poor hygiene.
Clean water was a commodity one couldn't afford as freely as she wished on City 29.
She absentmindedly pushed her VR glasses up her nose as she mulled over the results of her latest study.
-Fascinating... absolutely fascinating...- she muttered to herself.
She zoomed in on a particular section of the data, her eyes alight with excitement as she re-watched the footage.
-What is fascinating?- inquired Aria Lane, the doctor appointed to care for her father's men's well-being and overall performance as she entered what until now was solely her domain.
-Would you look at that?- Tessa chirped.
-The nanite integration has increased by nearly 30% in all analyzed subjects in just this past week!
This is approaching the initial stability our nanite tech had when we started applying it to the wider populace!
But on multiple different lifeforms! Like they studied the genome of all of them before! We're witnessing history, Aria!-
She leaned back in her chair, a satisfied grin dawning on her face.
But as she continued to analyze the data, her expression shifted to one of concern.
-Wait what's this...? The rate of mutation of the nanites' purposes seems to be accelerating as well. And the level of this mechanical enhancement...no ... no it's impossible!-
She muttered as she pulled up images of the creatures she had been studying, comparing their appearance from the beginning of her research to now. The differences were unsettling.
-Well, look at that. They're hardly recognizable from the natural-born creature!
Before, it was clear they were cybernetically enhanced. It's as if the nanites are rewriting their code to make themselves less noticeable.-
Her mind raced with possibilities as she considered the implications of her findings.
She knew she needed to share this information with her colleagues, but a part of her was reluctant to let go of the mystery she had uncovered.
-Is that such a big deal?- asked Aria. -I mean, the patients I treat with prosthetics want that chunk of metal to look as natural as it can get. Isn't that the same?-
Tessa chuckled. -Maybe, but I doubt they have a doctor of your caliber, Aria. They wouldn't have had such prosthetics applied at the very beginning!
Look at them! Things geared to emit laser blades and god knows what else! Metal plates for defense! All gone! Overnight!
Luckily, this place is so dangerous and full of pirates armed to the teeth! Otherwise, people would go on a riot just from the amount of power these things were displaying!
And now poof! All gone! Without a medscan to say the least one wouldn't be able to tell she's talking to a frigging robot!
Whatever's happening here, I'm going to get to the bottom of it, Aria.
These things may hold the key to unlocking the full potential of nanotechnology, and I won't rest until I understand every last detail.
I may still save Chief Pop from kicking the bucket!-
Aria sighed, shaking her head, barely holding herself from chuckling for whatever reason.
-Well anyway, the general may need his daughter if she isn't too occupied studying creepy metal bugs!-
Crap! She had almost forgotten the other reason she came in! She had to check again how the nanites holding her father together fared!