Raptor One - Chapter 12
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I sit up from my pillow bed after waking up, or the closest thing to it that i have.
Looking around my room i see the small Hurricane and the big Winter still sleeping, so i look at my internal clock.
*3.45 AM*
Not that much sleep, not that i need much after activating Omega Protocol, so after 30 minutes of inactivity I'll be as fresh as new, but i like to keep my biologycal customs.
I give my clothes a scan before looking at my nanites reserves, i have a full suit of nanite clothes made of 500 units of nanites, that is, shirt, pants and the waist baldric holster.
I look at my system and go into the blueprints tab, where a new blueprint sits, complete and ready for production, i give it a last scan to find any hidden errors before i start it.
*Panzer-Exoskelett*
*Dense but light set of heavy armored exoarmor protocol, it’s activation will consume 1000 units of nanites to build around the existing external exoskeleton and life support system, reinforcing all body parts with heavy armor, focusing onarms and legs, it will replace the original arms and legs of the host into bigger and stronger versions, optimized for adaptive combat, the extra weight from the new protocol will cause the host to lose it’s flight capability, so extra nanites will be condensed into the wings for larger wing span, negating the extra weight but disabling wing blade protocol.*
*-Extreme defense,
-Longer wing span for easier flight but will make host more visible,
-Shoulder cannon permanently connected,
-Gauntlets size up with better durability for stronger attacks,
-Electro kinesis system because of overhaul(dependant on capacitor energy),
-Enhanced capacity for all senses,
-Upgraded life support system with health packs, oxygen packs and extra capacitors.*
As i finish reading and examining the custom protocol for errors i activate it knowing well i don’t have the nanites for it.
*Panzer-Exoskelett Protocol activated.*
*Not enought nanite reserve, 550 units.*
*Rerouting existing nanites into protocol, complete.*
*Starting.*
With that my clothes made of nanites disolve and merges into the pool of nanites coming out of me, my hands disolve into nanites and join the pool as does my legs, downing me to the pillow bed again, now with no clothes, arms and legs.
After a minute the pool of nanites start moving to my body. First my legs return as a bigger and more unique heavy plated boots, clearly bigger than the old ones, as i feel a familiar system in it, the hopper system. Second, armored pants crawl up my body, a mix of heavy armor and military pants that if not watched with attention can pass as a simple unarmored pants. Third, My torso is covered by sleeveless heavy torso armor, seamlessly connecting with my LSS and shoulder cannon, with space for my visored head to move about with no hindrances while protecting my neck, where many external sense assistance systems lie on standby, ready to alert me if i fail to notice before it. Fourth, my arms are rebuilt, packing heavy armor coupled with thrusters and expanded wings, my vibro blades gone, replaced by a heavy electric discharge system and a slot for a capacitor, the cloaking relocated to my neck where all the systems lie, and my wrist blades now looks more wicked and dangerous, all in all, i feel like a true panzer kunstler.
*4.50 AM*
*Nanites: 50 units.*
I’m dangerously low on nanites, but my defenses and power are strenghted, so i don’t mind it much, as i stand up and with a tought my guns are holsted.
I move to my utility shelf where i keep my things like medical and mechanical items, and with a tought i pull two cylinders from my upper back, they are the new health slot storage unit, capacity, 25 injectors each, so i fill it and place it back.
That done i pull the middle slot storage, it’s empty, but it can have 2 canisters of oxygen each, so i fill it too amd place it back.
Lastly i pick a selection of Military grade capacitors, they have five times the capacity of civilian capacitors as weapons and armors all consume energy fast, diferent from civilians that don’t comsume the energy as fast.
The capacitors being small compared to the big Walker capacitors make it cheap to get, and it was a gift from Phanter, so i need to make use of it.
I slot 2 capacitor on my lower back close to my tail, and the external spine system goes online, then a heavy jet of air leaves my armor, emptying it of oxygen as it starts syntesizing amonia based oxygen and placing it in the new canisters.
Not minding the sound that woke the girls up, i place a capacitor each in the leg slot, right behind the knees, and the legs also lights up, and with a heavy clanck I'm now anchored into the ground like a heavy howitizer ready to fire, and with some movements i find that i can walk like nothing is keeping me in place.
Lastly i place the two last capacitors in my arms, in the inside part of my elbows, and my arms light up, and with a wave, crackling energy arcs on my hands and arms, and with a wave my wrist blades shoot out of my hands, working as a conductor to the electric energy my hands are releasing.
With all that done and verified i look to the girls, looking at me with interest on my new look.
Omega - “Stop dreaming around and get ready, where going out early to the walls.”
Winter, Hurricane - “Roger!”
With that we depart from my room out of the base, the direction, hangar bay 12.
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As i was walking with the girls, as we where half way there i feel the diference in temperature, the weather going haywire, i look into the light’s and see they are dimming then shut off before lighting up again as i hear the crisp sound of blaring alarms, yes, plural.
Looking up into the pillons as best i can in this thickening mist i see their bright red flashing light as the alarm ring in the hears of the colony from all the pillons in the colony.
It’s bad, we are now comfirmed to be into a localized solar flare, a dangerous situation as most electronics stop or just fries right from the start, so Walkers, expecialy Bug Walkers are rendered incapacitated, only Arachnid Walkers and up have enought power to resist a solar flare, and i know this situation will not go unchecked.
I try to contact Kurohime, but the comms are down, and it’s almost impossible to find anyone in this heavy mist.
Omega - “Girls! Double time! We need to get into grid four as soon as possible! Our mission this time is to get the Pillons auxiliary systems online, and I'll need cover, I'm sure the hive as dumb as they are won’t miss this chance.”
Winter, Hurricane - “Roger!”
As we run in a straight line to grid four we pass by panicking citizens and downed Walkers, slumped into the ground, giving the feeling of powerlessness, and the citizens that see this that are already uneasy starts having panic attacks, making things more chaotic here in New Eden.
Relying on my acute senses of hearing and direction we manage to get into grid four walls, and the first things i hear are roars of beasts and gunfire, it’s not even 6.00 AM and we are already in a battle again.
As we weave trough the latex beasts, killing is diverse ways as we run forward, weaving trough flying spikes and leaping attacks, we finally arrive in the first Pillon.
As i crouch down and start opening the emergency panel i feel the air displace from my right as the oh so commom sound of a spike comes my way, and with a tought i know i can’t dodge as it will hit the opened emergency section of the Pillon, so i move my right hand in it’s way and deflects the spike out of the way.
With a booming voice i give a warcry
Omega - “Come on you cowardly maggots! Group up and come here where i am! So i can get our defense line working for our turkey shooting!”
Winter and Hurricane, even busy killing latex beasts give a helping boost to the warcry.
Winter, Hurricane - “HUH RAH!”
Not even a minute pass as i see 2 squads joining in on the fun, as they fortify the left and right pathways into the inner area where the Pillons critical parts are kept.
With the reinforcement, I'm finaly free to give all that levers and valves some well deserved turns as i see the Pillons pressure monitor rise and fall as i twist and turns valves left and right, and with the push of a lever the monitor goes crazy, that’s a good thing, so i return the defense plate back to it’s place and with that done the Pillon not long after gives a blaring alarm diferent from the last one.
Omega - “Let’s go! Troopers! Double time! This Pillon is going to Blast off! Now we have to get into the next one! That’s a kilometer run! So let’s go! We got a spike party to participate!”
Soldiers - “HUH RAH!”
We abandon our positions and start running in formation as we kill our way into the direction of the second Pillon, our group now composed of four squads.
A minute later after our double time, the Pillon gives blaring alarm, one that any soldier know, they call it the Buckle up alarm, and as it names implies...
Soon after the alarm the Pillon releases a strong and hot geiser of oxygen with so much force that anyone caught off quard will be launched into the air like a broken kite in a class 5 hurricane.
As our vision clears, everywhere in a distance of 500 meters is clear of mist, and latex beasts, so we return to our double time into the other Pillon, now easier done as the invading latex beasts are clear of the area and the new wave needs to climb the walls, and the soldiers won’t make it easy.
As we run, reentering the heavy mist as we close into the next Pillon i was thinking, why we don’t have Engineers on the wall close to the Pillons as they are our critical part of the defense.
Hearing the gunfire bellow, courtesy of my enhanced senses i arrive into the answer, they are too flinsy and fragile, and they all only use exposed exoskeletons as their only use are repair and moving things.
I was trying to place the city engineers with the extreme Combat Engineers like Conqueror One, and that’s not how it goes, as 99% of engineers are civilians, making their participation in this mess a certain death sentence.
I was thinking so much that i did not perceive a spike coming my way until my system reminder, but with my position i could not deflect nor dodge the spike, so i just ignored it.
With a heavy clanck the spike breaks into pieces leaving a small indent that a second later is repaired.
We continue running and cleaning the way as we pass by and the extra squads that joined our run separates in even numbers to reinforce the second part of the wall as we continue.
Finnally some meters away from the Pillon i give a warning shout
Omega - “It’s fun time soldiers! Break up! Two squads into the inner pathway! The rest with me! We're going Kaijuu hunting! Don’t forget your panties guys! You will need it to have enought courage to go head on with this Behemoth!”
Omega - “Squad 2! Into the inner pathway! I want you guys flanking the big guy as soon as possible! Squad 1, with me, focus fire on the eyes or it’s going to get hot for us!”
Yes, we got a Behemoth on the wall directly in front of the Pillon, it may be trying to break our defense line.
As we get really close to hit, we disperse and start shooting it’s eyes, and the Behemoth lowers it’s head to protect it as i predicted, removing the risk of getting a flame thrower to the face.
Omega - “Shoot it boys! Don’t forget to sync your shot’s so it don’t lift it’s head! Hurricane! You're in command, keep it busy as i try to get this Pillon working! Winter! Go reinforce the second group! I don’t want KIAs in my command!”
Hurricane, Winter - “Yes sir!”
As i run into the inner pathway i shout to Hurricane
Omega - “Hurricane, Target it’s Spark gland if you get the chance! And beware of it’s spikes!”
Hurricane - “Leave it to me!”
As the fight goes on close to me, i am busy with the levers and valves of the Pillon, and at the same time deflecting spikes as my shoulder cannon snipes the buggers.
As i was finishing the adjustment a lever responsible for connecting a power line broke.
With rage in my eyes i pierce the latex beast that managed to leap on me in the torax, with a step back and a pull it flies over my head and slam in front of me, i evade it’s swipes before impaling it’s head and with a pull beheading it.
I swipe my hands to my side and the head flies off and with a kick the body flies the other way.
I observe the damage to the lever and see that i can’t repair it in a good time, so, after detaching the screws i give the lever a pull and i get access to the power line.
Not worried in becoming a deep fried Protovali i place a hand each in the connectors, and my body starts releasing sparks like crazy, now looking a light bulb in the middle of the night i pull with all my might as i try to connect the two connectors.
As i am trying to connect the last part of the Pillon, the Pillon itself does not want to wait for me to finish, as it blast of a piercing alarm.
Omega - “Uh, oh, not good!”
With a desperate pull, relenting my defense for power as i place all my kinesis power into the pull, i finally connect it, and with haste.
With no time for running as everyone close have already evacuated the area i see no way to live, so i watch in slow motion as the gust so strong blast me off the ground, not even my anchored boots manage to keep me in place as the plate flies off with me into the sky.
Disoriented and with pain on my chest my vision returns seconds later.
*Warning, External and internal ribcage damaged, Visor damage 95%, Calculating nerve control sync: 25%, Status: Angel five, Wing damage: 50% left, 75% right, Result: Can fly, Advice: Start flight protocol.*
As my vision is almost completely covered by cracks i hear the system, and act upon it.
Closing my hands, and legs, opening my arms, and extending my wings, i try to feel the wind and my angle vector with my numb senses.
*Angel Six*
Okay, that means I'm still going up.
I try to focus my senses to the maximum and finally get a vector. Speed 300 km/h and slowing, body gyro: shrimp like, head angle, 180 degrees, flight direction, south.
With all that calculated, i flip myself up, adjust my posture, and level my bearing angle to north, as i know I'm now launched out of the confines of the grid colony 22a, so with some boosts i finally feel a stall, so with another boost as i angle down i manage to get speed north.
Flying in a snow storm, feeling like a battered bomber with 3 out of your four engines puffing as you struggle to fly back home in this unforgiving world as i weave trough the wind pathways of the snow storm to keep my lift, having only my ears and head as bearing, i continue flying, not knowing how bad or how long i was pushed...
For now, all i can do is keep flying...
Status:
Health (M.C.S: 48): Broken ribcage(Healing), Damaged Visor(Healing) , Damaged Panzer skelett(Repairing)
Day: 20 (Nightfall) Month: 12
Age: 16 (Legal adult)
Credits: 1050 (Pay for being a Psy ops +1000)
Nanite storage: 45 units (Max 1000 units, 100u Regen per day)
Abilities:
Omega Protocol: Unlocked.
Path 1:
Alpha Protocol: 0% Decoded.
Path 2:
Scavenger Protocol: 0% Decoded.