Two at once?!

Gross, they’re wet…

Actually, they’re kind of cute…

Their masks are almost the same if it weren’t for those small markings. I’ll call you Spot and Stripe!

--Elise’s mind during her siblings’ births, 2031

It’s almost boring how easy it is to clear the bunker of living plants.

I simply turn myself invisible for a moment, step into a new room, and release a spray of bacteria that quickly immobilises and dissolves everything in there.

The hardest part is waiting for my incubator after each burst of SnakeBite, listening to the sounds of shuffling feet in the connected rooms and trying not to look at the bubbling breeding corpses pushed up against the walls.

In the final open chamber, as I cut the heads from a few of the sickeningly numerous zombies and spray dissolving mist on the rest, my attention is drawn to the big worm churning flesh. Its head is poking from the wall, barely exposing it to harm as it extends God knows how far into the earth.

“How do I kill that thing?”

While there are a few methods available to you, could I suggest using the convenient tube of bacteria in your pocket?

That’s… easy?

“Will it work?” I ask, grabbing the tube of green goo and weighing it in my hand.

Yes. Model Eights are a little larger than the normal target for DogEater, but with a dose that large it won’t matter.

“Cool.”

I toss the tube out, sending it down the greedy plant’s open gullet. The glass shatters on the jagged teeth lining the xeno’s maw and the loose shards dig into the green flesh of the Eight’s gums, opening fresh wounds for the vicious bacteria to enter through.

Purple cracks start to spread across the worm’s flesh as DogEater does its work.

The stench of cut grass fills the room, finally overpowering the iron tang in the air. With a final flick of my tail, refreshing the fluorescent green mist filling the room, I turn and head back towards the bunker doors.

¯¯¯¯¯

Mass Targets Eliminated!

Points gained: 2432, 1 token

Points spent: 601

Points total: 2276, 1 token

_____

Is that better?

“Yes, it’s perfect!” I beam, ignoring the dissolving corpses around me and the begrudging tone to Cyon’s voice. “Thank you.”

I leave the bunker, using the internal panel to open the door without even needing to connect my conduit. Chip and Spot eagerly greet me on the other side, scrambling up to take their places on my shoulders as I make my way out of the now abandoned compound.

“Hey, Cyon. What’s with the token? How come that earned me one?”

I judged clearing that bunker a sufficient achievement to warrant one. That’s all I’ll say.

She falls silent as I pass a few decomposing plant corpses lying in my path out. I brush my tail against them without a thought, letting a thin trail of concentrated plant melting enzyme seep from the tip.

“Fine, keep your secrets.”

We step out of the building to the crack of the railgun turret, followed quickly by a gleeful chirp from Stripe as my point counter ticks up by seven.

I’m about to call out to her when a light, tingling chime rings in the back of my skull, sending a shiver down my spine.

¯¯¯¯¯

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Incoming call from: Gwen

_____

I freeze in my steps for a moment, taking a quick breath to prepare myself before accepting the call.

Glittering light explodes before my eyes, far more dramatic than the first time we called, before unfurling into the familiar image of a lightly armoured woman.

Cyon’s definitely to blame for that, but I get a feeling she’ll get worse if I mention it…

[“Hello again, Elise. As cute as it is, I do hope we won’t make a habit of the silence when I call you.”]

Her words snap me out of my thoughts, and my eyes rise to meet hers, leaving the fresh dents and green blood smears on her armour plating.

[“Why do you keep calling me cute?”] I finally find my voice again to ask as my tail swishes back and forth behind me.

Traitor!

[“Well,”] Gwen says, her lips stretching in a playful grin that makes my stomach do a flip as her gaze drifts back to follow the hypnotic motion behind me. [“Because you’re positively adorable.”]

My face flushes immediately, and Gwen’s tittering laughter makes me pull my tail around to hide my face with it.

What the hell!

Wasn’t Cyon just telling me I have no empathy? Why is my heart all over the place?!

[“So, how’s your weeding going?”] Gwen asks after calming down, moving on to my relief.

[“Alright,”] I respond as I step into view of the lab, waving at Stripe on top as Chip and Spot leap from my shoulders to run over and join her. [“I’ve cleared a small horde and a Seven breeding farm, but I’ve still yet to get to the main hive.”]

Gwen nods and turns to lean back against the side of my lab. At least, her holographic image does. I have no clue what she’s actually leaning on.

[“That’s good to hear. The chaos is clearing up a little bit up here for now. I’ve cleared most of the plant life surrounding the university campus, and Shadowflame is doing their best to clean out the pods that took root while Stormsurge culls the building swarm.”]

[“How big is this swarm?”] I ask, tilting my head as I pull up the labs window in my augs.

The symbiotes are almost done!

[“Big enough to cause headaches. We don’t have an exact count on numbers, but Storm’s reported multiple Models in the twenties.”]

That… means nothing to me?

A single model in the twenties would have a sixty per cent chance of killing you in a one-on-one fight.

Cyon whispers in my ear as if sensing my confusion.

My tail freezes, because it actually felt like she was whispering against my ear. Since when could she do haptics?!

Gwen luckily doesn’t pay much attention to my twitching ears since her gaze is fixed on my striped appendage.

[“Is it just me, or is your tail fluffier than before?”]

I smile and skip closer without thinking, turning slightly and poking my tail towards her face.

My heart does a small somersault as she smiles and reaches out as if to touch the fluff.

[“It’s a shame I can’t touch it,”] she says, her brow creasing with a flicker of irritation as her hand passes straight through me. [“It looks so soft…”]

Oh no… I think I’m starting to understand why my siblings like annoying people.

I flick my tail out, brushing it past Gwen’s nose before pulling it back as I skip away, sticking my tongue out at her.

[“Who says I’d let you touch it? You have to earn fluff time.”]

[“Oh?”] Gwen hums, tilting her head with a small grin playing on her lips. [“Do I now?”]

Ignoring my red cheeks and the thundering in my chest, I raise my chin and walk past her.

[“Yep!”] I chirp as I slip behind the lab to look at the rear door.

‘This is where the symbiotes will come out, right?’

Yes.

Cyon’s avatar crawls out of the truck’s shadow, floating up to sit in front of the sealed door.

[“So,”] Gwen asks, leaning around the corner to look at me. [“Are you going to tell me what the bin lorry does, or do I really have to ask?”]

[“Wait, you can see it?!”]

[“Yes, I can,”] she responds, chuckling at my surprise. [“Are you not including it in the video feed intentionally?”]

[“I… Am I?”]

[Yes, you are.]

Gwen’s head snaps towards Cyon’s voice immediately, so I’m guessing that was transmitted across our call.

[“And you are?”] Gwen questions with an irritated crease to her brow.

I thought she liked raccoons?

[I’m Cyon, Elise’s Vanguard AI. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Newtonian.]

[“Right. I take it you’re the reason she doesn’t know what her feed is transmitting?”]

[Yes. I’m managing several aspects of her cyberware that she’s likely to neglect, and that includes fine control of communications during an incursion.]

I quietly step back and watch Cyon getting surprisingly defensive about the truck thing. Gwen looks like the chaos envoy’s explanation is only making her more irritated for some reason, so I decide to diffuse the tension by asking a question that has been bugging me for a while now.

And it’s definitely nothing to do with the uncomfortable feeling twisting my gut because of Gwen ignoring me.

[“How are you actually seeing this call?”]

She blinks, caught off guard by my question for a moment before her glowing gaze settles on me again as a small smile tugs on the corners of her lips.

[“I have a secondary digitized consciousness in a customised home room. You, along with anything you choose to transfer, are then integrated into the space naturally.”]

I think I understand what that means, and I don’t want to look stupid in front of her, so I just nod along.

[“How are you seeing it? I had assumed you’d have something similar given how, physical, you’ve been.”]

The nervous flickering of my tail as she draws out her words only seems to entertain her more. It takes every drop of willpower I have to not let Sim cover my face so I can hide from her teasing grin.

[“You just look like you’re here to me,”] I say with a slight pout, trying to ignore Cyon silently laughing at me.

I’m so finding a way to give her a physical avatar so I can hit her later.

[“I see. That explains it a bit. I’ll still have to get you to sit through one of Stormsurge’s lectures about trusting your AI though. You shouldn’t be letting her control your calls like this.”]

My tail bristles at the idea of sitting through a lecture and I adamantly shake my head.

[“No thanks!”]

I turn to the lab’s rear door again as the timer in the corner of my augs finally hits zero.

[“So, you wanted to know what the bin lorries for, right?”]

Gwen snorts at my obvious topic change but doesn’t resist, stepping in closer to stand beside me and staring at Cyon floating with her paws on her hips waiting for the reveal.

[“Yes, I did.”]

[“It’s… a cloning lab!”] I cheer as Cyon lifts her paws, sliding the tall door up and out of the way for a flood of black ooze.