Raptor One - Chapter 18
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I wake up with a start at the sound of flak exploding right on top of my Walker.
The sound of static comes from my radio as it tries to receive a reply.
Getting up and locking in i operate the radio so i can get less static.
“Jormungandr......tried......can’t.........sorry.......” i hear the broken wording full of static.
It’s clear I'm on my own, so with no way back i go forward.
Trying to find a open way to the outer part of the city was a failure, as all roads that was not blocked lead deeper into the city.
With no choice i venture deeper into the city in hope of getting my way out, but the constant shaded areas don’t let me find my way out so easily and instead bring me deeper into the city.
As i wait for my walker to replenish it’s depleted air i watch the shaded entrance.
This one is not the same as the others, it’s construction a mix of metal and stone, looking like the entrance into a medieval city.
After Jormungandr air reserves was replenished i cautiously advance inside.
As soon as Jormungandr finish passing the gate the metal door closes with a bang.
Rotating Jormungandr to look i see a thick metal gate closed before me, the glowing pattern on the door showing it has energy.
I try to find a switch or control but find nothing.
With no option i take some distance and open fire with the 155mm howitizer cannon.
The giant bullet flies at fast speed and hit the door but unespectedly the shot instead of blowing it ricochets back into my direction!
Lowering Jormungandr in a hurry i barely manage to dodge the shell but it hits a stone pillar behind my walker as the sound of broken stone falling send a shiver into my body as alarms ring in my head as i try to dodge, but the pressure of heavy stone hitting Jormungandr locks me in place.
With a screech Jormungandr legs give out as sparks fly and the cockpit is breached open by the impact.
On my knees i look up and see the last seconds of flashing green and red light as Jormungandr ceases all movement, it’s system going black, the alarms ceasing, and the clamps unlocking me from my kneeling position, the silence is broken only by the sound of infected and the system alarm.
*Warning, contact with harmful spores, resisting.*
*Avoid bites at all costs!*
I keep my mouth shut as i know any contact can potentially infect me as i get up and open the breached cockpit with some force.
As soon as the cockpit is open i see dozens of infected running my way, i try to use my Shoulder cannon but it does not respond, trying to use my Flintlock Kinetikers, it don’t budge, with no option i release my wrist blades and start a frontal battle with the infected as i try to keep then at bay, but their power and speed make that a dificult task.
As i fight I'm slowly forced back and soon I'm fighting two infected at a time their scratchs ripping my armor like paper, my blood flowing as i try desperately to retaliate back to no avail.
*WARNING! OPEN WOUND DETETED! ZEDSPORE TRYING TO TAKE CONTROL! RESISTING!*
That system alarm break my focus for a second, but that second was fatal as i see a third infected lung into my neck, it’s sharp teeth ripping my neck armor and taking a chunk off my neck.
*WARNING! HOST BITTEN! CONCENTRATED ZEDSPORE HAS INVADED HOST!*
I take no heed as i yell in pain as i pierce it’s head and launch the infected into the others trying to get another bite on me.
As the infected stumbles back giving me precious seconds, i sheath my wrist blades and place my hands into the capacitors, and with precise and coordinated movements Jormungandr engine lights up with a roar has the walker starts to heat up at alarming speed.
With my wrist blades out i charge into the infected horde slashing and piercing heads as more blood is pumped out of me, my body starting to get sluggish and overheated.
With a roar i manage to break the horde attack so a moment, enough time for me to jump back and land on top of Jormungandr.
With a leap i rush to the other gate as i see a glowing lever connected to the door.
With infected hapearing from fungal beds left and right i dash to the door as fast as my bathered body allow jumping over leaping infected and dodging bites as i rush forward.
As i get closer i see three fungal beds embed on the roof explode and release the infected inside, not even a second later they are standing then run towards me.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
With a horde on my back, left and right, i risk it and try to jump over their heads, i manage to kick the face of one and getting speed to pass the rest but as i was about to pass the last one, it manages to grab my leg and slam me down into the floor with force.
I cough the small amount of blood i have left before detaching the grabbed leg and with a push i manage to pull the lever.
The sound of the gate opening last less than three seconds as i dodge my way close to the door only to see a bigger horde right outside the now open gate.
They don’t waste time looking as I'm soon surrounded and dragged down, my shredded armor yanked off, my skin torn open and my insides pulled out as i watch with no strenght even to cry in pain as they gorge thenselves on my insides.
My head finally slumps down, my visor broken oozing liquid nanite, my skull open for all to see.
As my eyes roll into my skull, darkness taking over i feel the sudden heat, Jormungandr has done it’s last job in it’s dying breath, blow as much of the infected as possible before i go...
*Host KIA, Zedspore infection has taken control.*
*Genome instability detected.*
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*NP: Host body control restored*
*Omega protocol activated*
*OP: After analisis, organic body was deemed obsolete, under actual circunstances, a upgrade plan was formed*
*OP: Convert organic blood into nanite blood, Yes or no*
I stay with my eyes closed, my lungs can’t fill me with air anymore and i don’t see a motive to resist.
...But...
...
I’ll try to keep going... start conversion.
*OP: Nanite blood upgrade started*
*OP: Nanite blood upgrade complete*
*OP: Scavenger protocol liberated*
I hear my own voice saying to me, strange.
*NP: Scavenger protocol Decoded*
*OP: Scavenger protocol enables host to convert biomatter into nanites in a ratio of 2 to 1, consume more biomatter for body upgrade, that will help me liberate the next protocol*
*OP: I’ll use the rest of the nanites to enable your continued survival, good luck.*
As my own voice fades i feel my face melt, becoming nanites then reasemble back, but my muzzle feels that something is keeping it locked, but the flow of unknown air, getting denser and denser slowly alleviates my problem with air.
With slow movements i get up from the floor, i open my eyes but don’t see anything.
Nanite storage... 0 units...
I start to feel around me and feel the chain of fungal growth.
I decide to start converting the fungal growth into nanites and slowly start passing my hands on it as i feel it become liquid and be absorbed by my hand.
Nanite storage... 50 units...
I feel my blood vessel start to circulate a little better then i have a idea.
If i can absorb it, why not release it in a way that it absorbs for me?
Going by the plan i release a small amount of nanites on the ground, but i lose connection with it as soon as it leaves my hand...
25 units left.
This must be the same thing that was affecting me when i was locked with a horde of infected... i’m one of the infected now aren’t i?
*NP: Correct.*
Ugh...
I sigh but as i do that i hear four jets of air release close to my ears, just a little lower where my muzzle is, what the?
*OP: That’s the Pressure mask, it’s responsible to keep your air density high and contain components and liquids that help keep the infection at bay, it also helps you to get into a state known as 'Wrath overdrive', this state circulates the zedspore virus and make your resistance, reflex and power higher, but the drawback is that you lose control, but the Pressure Masks Inibitor negates the loss of control, beware, if all four inibitors are broken you will lose control until repaired, and the use of 'Wrath overdrive' will be forcefully ceased when 'Inibitor charge' is depleted, it will be slowly produced over time as long as it’s working and have air or nanites to convert.*
That’s a lot of info, but thanks, now for the problem with the nanites... If I'm losing connection when I'm not in contact with it... the why not keep contact to it like a chain? Let’s try it.
I extend a fine nanite tentacle into the ground and make it expand and convert any biomatter around me, and it works as the tentacle tickens and expands absorbing more and more biomatter until the place is clear, so it return into my body trough the hole in my left hand that closes as soon as it finishes returning.
500 nanites units of 4000.
Wait... 4000? I tough the max was 2000 with the new protocol.
*OP: Nanite blood acts as extra storage space as it does not need to share space with organic blood anymore, that doubles your capacity at all times, that also means you can attack using your blood if you want, but be aware that it have metal components, so magnets and things like that can disrupt it.*
*OP: Enough nanites for eye upgrade, proceed? Yes or No.*
I’d love to see again, so please.
With my reply i feel my blood rush into my eyes, it does not hurts nor feels uncomfortable as i feel the changes in it, and soon my vision returns... better than i even knew it could be.
I look around the place i am and see I'm in a private room bathroom, the place looks clean and i see no signal of fungal or mushroom inside, looking some more i see a mirror, it’s almost intact, so i get close to it and place my hands on the sink for balance as i look at my eyes...
All i see are heterochromatic eyes with a big, white, iris...
The left side sclera is blood red with white iris, the right one is cyan blue with white iris, both release small amount of light...
I sigh, four jets of red cloud leaving my Pressure mask, the mask have a silver color with red lines glowing and black Yautja words that i somehow identify as the names of the hunted creatures i killed, the four tubes with red glowing liquid catch as much attention as my eyes...
I look at myself and see that I'm nude, my hands and legs are fleshy ones, not useful for combat, but at least my fur and feathers are untouched and I'm clean.
Now that i saw what happened to me and got my vision back i leave the bathroom and enter the fungus slash mushroom consumed living room.
Placing my hand on the ground i start assimilating the fungal growth, the mass of nanites spreading on the room as it consumes every organic thing in the place.
Suddenly i feel the taste of the things I'm consuming, the taste of the fungal growth, the taste of the mushrooms enters my body, the feeling of having it in my mouth just like i have eaten it... worries me as not even a part of it feels different from eating it myself.
Finishing absorbing back my nanites i feel my body lighter, and my stomach feels like i have just eaten, but not enough to fill me.
*OP: Nanite storage at 1500 units of 4000, skin upgrade can now be done, will upgrade skin, fur and feather into artificial ones, better, stronger, resilient and more beautiful than organic one, proceed? Yes or No.*
How much? As i feel that my body now consumes nanite instead of food now.
*OP: 1000 units, right now body needs 500 units per day for continuous function.*
Do it.
As my skin, fur and feather dissolve and reconstructs itself better, i look around the room.
The place looks like a kitchen and living room in one, looking at the sofa, i see that it’s untouched by time, so after finishing with the upgrade i lie on the sofa and doze off into sleep...
This will take some time....
*Nexus Protocol detected strange disturbance in it’s system, searching... Nothing found... returning to standby mode.*
Status:
Health: On Duty.
Day: ? (Brightdawn?) Month: 12?
Age: 16 (Legal adult)
Credits: 10050 (No change.)
Nanite storage: 0 units (Max 4000 units, 500u Needed per day)
Abilities:
Omega Protocol: Unlocked.
Path 1:
Alpha Protocol: 0% Decoded.
Path 2:
Scavenger Protocol: Unlocked.
Harvest Protocol: 0% Decoded.