- Memory log 4: MG Simba -
"Arhhhhhhhh!!!!"
"General! Go on without-ARGH!"
"Blasted creatures. Have another round then. BAN HAMMER!"
Wiping out another group of pursuers, a new group appears from round the corner and resumes their pursuit. With the number of survivors before me reduced from over 20 to a mere 4 now, I figured that it won't be long before they are all wiped out as well.
With the base in shambles and a new pillar occasionally landing, we have yet to make it out of the extensive base that we set up for a full scale assault. Using up a lot of my ability Ban Hammer, I could feel the limits imposed upon me by the system closing in on my powers as it dwindled.
At this rate, I will not be able to use Ban Hammer for the confrontation against Cat itself. I wonder if Simon has enough power by himself to banish the feline fiend from this world.
In a moment's folly, I failed to keep track of the groups of CATs flanking us as they finally surround us once more. With their commander yelling the command to fire, I watched as the last four are mowed down in front of my eyes.
"YOU BASTARDS!!!" I yelled as I unleashed a wave of Ban Hammer.
Wiping out the first line of CATs, I felt a tightening force pressing down on me as the limit of administrative actions are reached, ending my attack prematurely. Kneeling on the ground, I gritted my teeth in anger but realised that I was now powerless in the present situation.
Looking up, I look at the CAT commander talking to its deputy as they stood on a CAT mecha. Through lip reading, I could roughly understand what they were saying.
"Do we capture their general?" asks the CAT commander.
"Nya! There seems to be some interference and I cannot reach Command."
"It would be wise to do so...but we have no orders nyon."
"Sir nyo! Command's last orders were to kill all on sight. I recommend killing him first and using his corpse as a sign of our victory nyo!"
"Mmeeooww...that is an idea there. All right. It's in line with our last orders anyway."
Really now. And I was pretty sure no one would be dumb enough to kill off an enemy high commanding officer that they have secured without first torturing them for information. These CATs are darn stupid after all.
Keeping that thoughts in mind, I stood up once more as they aimed weapons at me. Closing my eyes, I resigned myself to the bad end before me till I heard sounds of fighting closing in once more.
Opening my eyes, I watched as the CAT commander frantically ordered his men to fire at the oncoming armored tank. Before the CAT mecha could fire a missile, the tank fires its double barrel main cannons.
Blowing up the mecha and killing the CAT commanders in the process, I ducked down as its sub machine gun turrets mowed down the fleeing CATs. When it finally stops firing, I got back up to see a jeep driving up to my side.
"General Simba! How have you been?"
"Better. Now how long are you going to stand above me, Colonel."
"My apologies, Sir." as LTC Aiel jumps off the jeep's back.
"So I suppose you will be starting with an explanation as to why you are here."
"About that. A serious issue popped up and coming to the frontline would be for the better good."
"Figures you didn't have the balls to say that you were coming to save us. Now give me an update."
"Righty-o. But before that Sir, please add this sticker over your Mem-chan pads."
"Aiel, I'm going to hold back on telling you how wrong that sounds but you better have the name changed when we are done with this."
Placing the stickers onto the pads, I could hear some static before a beep came with the request for a Comms channel to open.
["...General. Do you read me?"]
["Loud and clear."]
["Sir. Additional land and air forces have arrived from the other regions. As we have lost contact with the earlier deployed aircraft, we currently have a total of 150 fighters, 64 bombers and 30 troop transport class."]
["Good. Have the transports loaded up with full assault teams. What of the earlier two I asked you to ready?"]
["They have been on standby and are ready to go, Sir."]
["All right. I want them deployed right onto the Oppai statue. Also launch all aircraft to provide support. Bombers are to strike the massive groups of CAT forces. Once the remaining transports are ready, deploy them at the statue as well."]
["As you command. As for land forces, we have-"]
["Deploy all of them to support Frontline HQ. We have been badly hit and the troops here are in dire need of assistance. That will be all."]
["Affirmative! Over and out."]
Looking at LTC Aiel, I was tempted to demand an explanation but realised he would be of better use elsewhere. Jerking my head to the right, I motioned to him my implicit approval of his subsequent actions.
"Thank you, General Davis!" he shouts before jumping back up onto the jeep and having it drive off.
- End of memory log 4: MG Simba -
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- Memory log 3: MSG Ahyaa -
"Oh god darn it."
Making an attempt to assist the last bomber remaining, I risked myself by making a dangerous manoeuvre only to watch the bomber blow up as a Nyaacat crashes into it. As the critter broke into uncountable bits, I lamented over the fact that we have just failed in our mission.
"All remaining fighters, regroup as we fall back. There's no point in fighting a lost battle."
"Madam, I don't think they are planning on let us go." replies another pilot.
"We will lose them in the city area. For now, concentrate on getting away. Ahyaa, get in touch with HQ and report our situation."
Seeing as I was the only one without a Nyaacat on me at the moment, I flipped the switch to attempt a connection to HQ. To my dismay, all I got was endless static before it went dead silent after a few seconds.
"Lieutenant Mao. Looks like Comms is down as well. HQ ain't picking up from here."
"I see. For now, let's head for the-AHYAA! BEHIND YOU!"
In response to her sudden warning, I jerked the grip stick at my fullest as I performed a loop just in time to evade a Nyaacat flying towards me from behind at full speed. Hearing a loud creaking noise, I try to move the grip stick in vain after my last stunt.
Realising that I was doomed, I looked over to the other three fighters that remained. Looking at the fuel gauge for the first time in this battle, I discovered that there was no way to make it back to Alliance HQ, even without having to evade those monsters.
Estimating that even with our boosted thrusters, we would at most be able to provide support for Frontline HQ for a couple of minutes before needing to make a forced landing. Clenching my teeth, I made a decision that I would have never considered before.
"Mao-san. Please head over to Frontline HQ with the rest. I think they will be needing our help with the number of pillars dropped over there."
"Ahyaa-kun. What are you-"
"JUST DO IT! I...I will get these things off your tails. They seem to prefer chasing us when we go in a straight line."
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"AHYA-"
Knowing I wouldn't be able to bear her reply, I shut off communications before grabbing onto the grip stick again. Using everything I had in me, I forced the grip stick to the right to turn in the direction of the Oppai statue and jammed it forward.
In my last shove, the grip stick could take no more and broke. Seeing as my fate was sealed, I smashed the glass panel and pressed the red button behind it.
The extra thrusters roared to life as they sapped whatever remaining fuel and energy left in this jet, sending the jet flying forward at beyond the normal maximum speed.
Grabbing my pocket mirror, I could see the other jets being rapidly smaller as the Nyaacats clouded my back view in an attempt to catch me.
"That's right. Come to momma."
Looking forward once more, I noticed I might have miscalculated a little as my current vector would result in a head on collision between the Oppai of the statue.
- End of memory log 3: MSG Ahyaa -
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- Memory log 1: CPT Sanjay -
*DING* "Basement 12. Basement 12." *RUMBLE*
Leaving the comforts of the posh elevator, I walk into the cold electronic systems hall. Glancing off the side of the metal grid panel I am on, I could see the floor at about half a metre below.
"So this is what they mean by inner workings, huh."
Recalling the directions given by Lurker, I begin running towards the core server room, where the entirety of M-chan mainland is controlled from. Without so much as an obstacle, I soon found myself before a blast door.
Keying the given pin number and scanning the access pass I was given, the door opens and reveals a 15 metre odd long corridor. Placing my handgun in its holster, I grabbed two smoke grenades and readied myself for the challenge to come.
Halfway through the corridor, the door I entered from slams shut and the laser array defence activates. Cursing under my breath about its actual existence, I released the safety pins and flung the two smoke grenades ahead.
"This better work! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" I shouted as I dived into the smoke that floods the area of corridor where the lasers passes through now.
Making it through to the other side, I waste no time and press on the button panel by the side. Feeling something unlatch itself, I could feel the entire corridor begin turning.
"What the-" was all I could say as I saw the optical smoke clear, revealing the laser array coming back in my direction.
Pulling out another pair of grenades, I tossed them forth once more and leapt through the smoke cover. As the smoke had less time to form this round, I could feel several spots of laser hitting me lightly as I made my way through.
Dashing back to the original entrance, I waited for about 5 seconds before it opens up to my relief. Not wasting any time, I run through the doorway and shut it behind me.
Collapsing onto the ground, I sigh a breath of relief before feeling some pain coming from several spots that were lightly torched by the lasers earlier. After affirming that I have not lost any body parts, I got back up to complete my mission.
"Well, this is peculiar. And I was expecting something that spawned out of Psycho Pass or Resident Evil again."
Before me was a dimly lit hall with monitors on all sides and multiple racks of servers that hummed softly within their glass casing. Making my way down the middle path, I reach the circular platform that was the control panel for M-chan mainframe.
"Now let's restore balance to the force." as I key in the commands to return administrative rights to the previous list of users.
Hitting the Enter key, a siren went off in the entire place. With a wicked "NYAHAHAHAHAHA", the monitors changed to the imagery of Cat.
"NYAA~Looks like we have a rat. While I can't prevent the list from being changed nya, I can set the maximum delay of 20 minutes. So if you get killed by the security bots nyo, then the inserted command will be undone! NYAHHAHAHAHA!!"
With the Cat disappearing from the screens, I could hear the shutters in the dark ceiling above opening as security bots swamped the room.
"Time for the years of training to pay off." I said to myself as I steadied myself to survive for the next 20 minutes.
- End of memory log 1: CPT Sanjay -
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- Memory log 2: MAJ John -
"Khairul! Set up another load of charges on the second shutter! Viniance! I need the delay chains linked up in 5!"
Busying myself with the placing of miniature remote mines over multiple barrels of petrol sitting all over the place, I must say that I am impressed by the elaborate setup that was made by Lurker beforehand.
With MSG Khairul completing the C4 placement and MSG Viniance making the final touches on the linked delay fuse, we gathered at a sidedoor of the underground facility.
"You know, with the amount of equipment just lying around in these hangers, it's a wonder Cat didn't try harder to use them." comments MSG Viniance.
"The fickle tyrant has its way with things after all."
"Lurker did say Cat didn't want to bother with the hacking because it didn't like the design to begin with." adds MSG Khairul.
"What that Cat does is not of my concern. Let's get on with the explosions so that we can start the killing."
"But the intention is to have the shutters opened for the autonomous machines to take flight, right? Won't they all be blown up?" asks MSG Viniance.
"Not an issue. Even on standby, their auto response shielding should block off most of the damage. Plus the additional blast resistant sheets should help a bit."
"LET THE FIREWORKS BEGIN!" shouts MSG Khairul as he presses down onto the detonator.
Taking to our feet, we ran upwards as fast as we could. About a minute later, we could feel the tremor as explosion after explosion went off beneath us.
"Viniance! Which is the nearest armoury from here?!"
"Another floor up! It's the security room near the grand lift lobby!"
Busting out the door of the stairwell a level above, we surprised a group of 5 armed CATs from behind. Before they could react, we gunned them down with our handguns.
"Weapons!" squeals MSG Khairul with delight as he runs over to pick up a pair of rifles from the dead CATS.
Looking over at me, I declined his offer to dual wield rifles by unslinging the heavy machine gun on my back. Moving through a series of corridors, MSG Viniance leads us out of another sidedoor.
Walking into the posh hall that was the grand lift lobby, our company of enemy CATs soon turned up from other hidden sidedoors.
Making a quick dash for a counter, we dived for cover as a rain of bullets poured down on us. Pulling out a Catnipade each, we looked at each other before tossing them out.
"Let the fun times begin." as we got up and fired with everything we got.
- End of memory log 2: MAJ John -
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We have a slightly longer chapter today, and I will also announce first that there will be no update next week.
The reason is mainly personal and related to real life, but it's partly due to another piece in the works.