"There are many reasons why one might wish to eliminate a hive. Samurai get tokens for doing so, it saves countless lives, given that no hive means no more Antithesis reinforcements and it's all around just a pretty good idea. Especially considering what killing a hive might prevent. One day, some mid-level Samurai decided they would monitor a hive and kill anything to walk out of it, rather than just killing the hive itself. It went well for a week or two. Turns out the hive was expanding, digging new exits and grabbing biomass that way and that's the story of how I killed my first model in the 30s. I didn't even get to chew the guy out for being so incredibly stuipd afterwards, because he became alien chow as soon as the 33 left the hive. Moral of the story? If you see a hive, burn it to the ground as soon as you can."
--a interview with Foxfire
I look down at the hive. It looks like it is at the bottom of what used to be a water reservoir for some kind of factory. The walls have been broken up in several areas, creating tunnels where now several hundreds of the plant-like bastards are coming through. I smile. It's time to get to work.
“Lyssa, I am going to need a big spear!” I shout out as I put my sword in my left hand.
New Purchase: Adjustable Destructive Destructible Enemy Reactive Airborne Luminal Lance
Points reduced to... 932
A lance appears in my hand, but it feels weirdly brittle, the metal seemingly flaking off the thing. I have no time to question the quality. Multiple plants have noticed me. So I take aim and throw, sending the projectile forward. As soon as I throw it, the spear seems to flake apart, creating this massive fireball that rockets towards the hive.
I hear a giant boom, and a wave of heat hits me. Sadly, I do not have that much time to wonder about what just happened as something fast flashes towards me. I activate the jet stream ultra again, making the entire world slow down as I observe the squid-like monster coming my way. Mutations have not been kind to it, that is for sure. Some of its tentacles look odd and gangly, but it is using them to great effect to come at me, sending one of the blunt tentacles forward.
I get ready to block the limb and cut this bastard apart. But the limb stops just before it can hit my sword, and then it suddenly explodes, releasing a ball in my direction. Even in slow motion, I have no real way to dodge it, so I block it instead by putting the blunt end of my sword against it, which turns out to be a mistake. As soon as the ball touches the sword, it explodes, sending needles and shrapnel every which way.
I think I just remembered why I did not like to use jet stream. It slows down any injury. I can feel with agonising clarity how the needles pierce my flesh and organs, cutting in deep before the larger chunks batter me, sending me stumbling backwards. I try to growl in pain, but my speed perception makes that rather complicated.
As for Mr Tentacle himself, he takes this opportunity to jump at me, sending multiple of his bladed tentacles at me. I turn to him, activating my hidden blade, making the crystal purple blade flow out from between the panelling of my left arm, releasing any needles in there that might be launched. I then start to run at the fucker in a counter-charge. Using both blades to deflect its tentacle strikes, I jump, planting my fire blade deep in its ugly face.
I jump back, dodging another one of its tentacles, leaving the blade behind to make sure it does its job. I look at the creature only to realise that the tentacle did not come from the model I was fighting at all. More of them have joined the fight, and many are still climbing the walls towards me as more of the antithesis come out of the different cave entrances.
I start up my digi brain, using it to talk to Lyssa, since it is not constricted by the speed of my body. Meaning that I can have a conversation with her at whatever speed this drug allows
“Lyssa, I am going to need more of those exploding sticks things; just keep them coming.”
Lyssa is on the case; just reach out your hand, and Lyssa will deliver the weapon.
I start giggling in the digital space as I raise my free arm in the air. Once I have fully pulled it back, I make a grasping motion, and a spear appears in my hand. I throw it, but the front squid kid jumps around it without much issue. The one behind him is not so lucky. I turn around, punching hard into a model three that came up behind me, sending it into the wall before it start to crash down.
I make the same grasping motion, and a new spear appears. This time, I throw it at one of the bigger cave openings, where I spotted some model 15 pushing in. I note a little warning in the corner of my augs warning me of high levels of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. I flick it away. My air filters and enhanced lungs should be more than enough to take care of it.
I jump aside, the 13 I missed before is now close enough to attack me. I grab another spear out of the air and throw it at the beast at point-blank range, making it pop like the world's most ugly zit. Bits of superheated plants fly everywhere. Talking about flyers, a problem that I have been largely ignoring has appeared. Swarms of model 1 have formed up all around me, creating a flying mess of birds. I can mostly ignore them, but it is starting to hurt now.
“Lyssa, please tell me you have something for those flyers.” I make my digital version say.
Lyssa has an option, but it will come with some minor cosmetic damage.
I stumble as I feel Evelin trying to break the door open at the thought, almost making me end up being decapitated by a flying tentacle. I clamp back down on the door, making sure it is properly closed. Sorry, kid, but it is not yet time to play, I fear.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
“Only if it is reversible.” I say.
Acceptable
New Purchase: Screen Created Hyperlink Integrated Zeptonites Operation Pattern Hextech Reacted Epidermal Nano Implant Activated
Points reduced to... 3284
I feel a sharp pain in both my upper arms, like someone just pressed a hot piece of metal to it. I wince internally but ignore it. I can see a bunch of small objects being released from my arm with my scanners. As soon as they get a certain distance away from me, they activate, projecting the form of a small dagger. The swarm of daggers flies up into the sky and joins the chaos, striking down the small flyers.
“What are those?” my digi-brain says, observing the swarm of swords.
Small nanite-controlled combat drones have minimal damage potential, but they are fast and capable of hunting down small flyers.
“How do I control them?” I ask.
With implants at the surface of your skin. Lyssa will take care of that for now.
“That is at least some good news, I think. But if I have to fight a guy in a long red coat, I am out of here.”
If you want some more good news, Lyssa is happy to inform you that the bullet is no longer pressing into your frontal cortex. You will no longer die because of the gunshot.
My digital avatar does a little dance in happiness over that news. I guess I am not going to die via gun today. Now I just have to hope I am not going to die by plant either. I turn my focus back to reality and the big fucking squid that is still harassing me.
I make another grabbing motion, and another spear appears. I throw it into the last model 13, which is still close by. I then run back to the first one, quickly retrieving my fire sword before I jump into one of the tunnels. I order one more spear and throw it straight into the tunnel before I head after it, handily clearing out most of the problems that are still festering inside of it. Time to get out of here.
Walking on the superheated rock can’t exactly be great for my shoes, but it is not like I have a much better choice at this point. The real problem comes when the cave gives way to the melted metal floor, and the stuff actually starts to stick to my feet. As I run, I turn back to Digi brain to get some more out of Lyssa.
“Okay, Lyssa, what are we in for?”
Lyssa still has not managed to make a connection with the outside with your current gear. You are most likely stuck in this hole for the foreseeable future.
I groan. “Do you still have some good news?”
Before we lost contact, Vanguard Liquid Catalyst sent you a message saying that her date with Vanguard Sparkling Magenta Explosion was successful.
“That is great, but I meant something that is directly useful.”
Because Lyssa got you the Class 2 combat Stimulant Catalog to remove the bullet, you now have access to drugs that can keep you awake and fighting for at least three to four days, so we have that long to come up with a solution.
“That is actually positive. Anything else it can do?”
The new strength enhancer available will have a small effect on your muscle density, leaving you a bit stronger after taking it.
“New drugs are good, but what are our options for getting out of here?”
Lyssa doesn’t think there are any options. We can’t send a signal. We are surrounded by Antithesis that wish to destroy us, so there is no time to take a break and build a ladder or any other method of escape.
“So, what you are saying, is that I am dead? It will just take a while for that to truly come into effect.”
Not necessarily, but the odds don’t look to be in your favour. They did go up by 5% now that the bullet is gone.
“Then, do you have any suggestions as to what our next course of action should be?”
Lyssa thinks the only option you have is to keep fighting either until there are no more Antithesis left or until you have enough points to get yourself out of here.
“Teleportation?” I ask, a bit excited
That is one of the options, but without the proper surgical equipment, a field install will be required, which would cost even more points.
“So what you are saying is that I need a boatload of points regardless of what I do.”
Correct.
“Neat. Lucky for us, there is a whole host of plants ready for us to turn into fruit juice.”
Lyssa would like to point out that even though these antithesis were made to be consumed, it still is not a great option.
“You always ruin all my fun.” I say with a bright smile.
On the other side, I have finally reached the end of the tunnel and am more than ready to take Lyssa’s plan into action immediately, as I spot something big that I have never seen before, not that far away from me. I start running at the weird thing: it has a cow-like face and is the size of a bus. It stands on these long, gangly legs. The tentacles on its belly keep reaching down, scooping up dead antithesis and anything else containing some amount of biomass. Model 1s keep flying out of its back in an almost constant stream, while on its sides, there are these large pods where the bigger model 3s and 4s are growing.
As I get close, I am almost immediately met with a problem: this fucker is protected by a whole group of antithesis, both dragging more food to it, and bigger models that I don’t even want to think about what they were supposed to be. I am of half a mind to kill every biologist once I come out of here. There are just certain things you should not mess with. Murderous alien plants should be at the top of that list, or else you will become the top of my list.
Angry ranting aside, I jump on top of a fat centaur-looking alien that, if instead of a horse, they used a rhino. I slam my blade on top of its armour plates, burning a large hole. I change my grip on the sword, getting ready to summon more of the lances to start pelting it with the hot, raging,fires of a shareholder receiving a disappointing quarterly report.
As soon as the first fire toothpick hits the big walker, something changes. It crouches down, and all the fruits -I guess that’s what they are -start to ripen at expeditious speeds. I just smile. This makes it a lot easier for me; I don’t have to aim up all that much if you are going to lie down on the ground.
I jump off the freak of nature that I used as my stepping stone and get to work. I keep fighting off the smaller models with my sword while dodging the bigger models and pelting the big spawner with fire needles. The fight is not as hard as the one I fought just a moment ago. All of these are still dangerous, but they have a lot less speed than the fucked up 13s in the cavern.
And after about the sixth spear. I finally break through the outer carapace, revealing its green-grey plant flesh underneath. I get another spear and throw it as hard as I can at the weak spot. I land it easily, sinking in deep. As the entire thing starts to smoke and catch fire, I start to cackle.
“Kill all the aliens, huh? This almost feels a bit too easy.”