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I would say I stalked through what was left of the labs, but that would be a lie, with a newfound confidence, you could say I strut. The first group of antithesis I came across was a small pack of Model Threes. I could hear them before I even turned the corner of the hallway. They seemed to be trying to get into a food cart.
Turning the corner and levelling my Auto-Injector at the first model three, I saw with a thunk the mini-missile attached to the syringe fire and with a hiss, the round shot out of the barrel, slamming into the antithesis I barely had time to register the round hitting before the antithesis seemed to almost melt before my eye with large chunks of it’s ‘flesh’ sloughing of its body before it collapsed in on itself. The other two antitheses, not even caring that one of their own had just melted before they charged me, quickly met the same fate as the first.
“What is in these syringes, Amanyta? It’s not contagious, is it?” I had expected something alien, but whoever had created this pathogen knew what they were facing and how best to eliminate it quickly.
That would be a concoction I created specifically for you. I call it Blightmare. It's an insidious creation as it uses the antithesis of plant physiology against them. Once it gets into the antithesis, it targets the cell walls, weakening or destroying them, causing the antithesis to fall apart. Unfortunately, it will likely only be useful on the single-digit antithesis, as the physiology of the antithesis gets more divergent the higher the model number.
“That's an ingenious way of dealing with antithesis. Would it be alright if I took some samples of the antithesis to see its effect through a microscope?”
I was going to suggest you purchase a sample container, as we will need to monitor how the pathogens mutate and how this affects the antithesis. Do you want me to purchase the sample container?
“Sure.” Before I became a Samurai, I had hoped to join one of the teams working on anti-antithesis weapons to actually help with the fight against the antithesis. Still, I had been soundly rejected each time I broached the subject.
Current Points
Small Sample Canister - 3 points
Total left 65 points
A black box appeared at my feet. Instead of a plain box, a silver bird skull with a laurel of feathers sat engraved on the top. The corners also had silver facets engraved with feathers. “Amanyta, why the sudden change in the box?”
I spoke to one of the other AIs, and they mentioned how they customise their Samurai’s box, which always seems to make them happy. I thought I would do the same for you, as you have had a rough few hours, but if you prefer, I can stop.
“No! No, it's fine. I like it.” it had been a long time since I had someone do something just to make me happy, and the design was perfect. Running my fingers over the engraving one last time, I flipped open the box and was greeted with a thermos.
Whilst it may look plain, it is anything but, inside the sample canister, you’ll find twelve sample test tubes. What makes it more than just a thermos with some test tubes is that when sealed, everything inside the canister is put in stasis, preventing any degradation or change in the samples.
“I wish I had something like this when I was working here, and it would have saved so much hassle” Picking up the thermos and unsealing it, I plucked out one of the test tubes and approached the melting pile of antithesis. With no other way, I just scooped and grabbed a section of somewhat melted plant flesh, placed it in the tube, and sealed it in the canister.
“Alright, samples collected. Let's go find some more.” I scoured most of the floor, barely finding any antithesis. The largest group I found was another ambush from model four, along with a group of five model threes.
“Where are all the antithesis? You would think with an incursion, there would be a lot more about.”
This isn’t an incursion, not yet. The alerts haven't gone out. If I had a guess, I would say that it is confined to the building at the moment.
The alert hadn’t gone out. In all the panic, I hadn’t noticed. The antithesis must have gotten to this floor somehow, and my guess would be the freight elevator. They clearly didn’t come up through the main elevators or stairwells.
Having cleared most of the floor, getting to where the freight elevator was easy. A wet crunching stopped me from turning the last corner. Peaking around, I was greeted by a large armoured wormlike antithesis, easily several meters long, eating a pile of corpses. Around it was a pack of model three, six in total. But more worryingly was the large bearlike antithesis covered in razor-sharp quills lining its body, sitting behind the worm-like antithesis.
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The first is Model Eight, which is mostly harmless; the antithesis uses them to carry biological matter back to the hive. The other is more worrying. A Model Five expects it to take a lot to put down, and watch out for its quills it can ‘toss’ them.
Amanyta had obviously guessed my question, “Anything to clear out that group?”
The Biological Warfare catalogue has multiple options for clearing large areas, but a virus bomb would be the most effective as I can tailor the virus to the situation.
“Alright, buy one.”
Current Points 210
Bio-Oxidative Microbe Bomb - 5 points
Total left 5 points
“Was that a pun, Amanyta!?”
Yes, although a bad one, judging by your reaction.
Opening the small black box that appeared at my feet, I was greeted by a typical grenade. Picking it up, I peeked around the corner; the antithesis hadn’t moved. Looking down at the grenade, I realised I didn't know how to arm it.
Twist the top three times, no more, no less. That will set the timer for three seconds. You don't want to hold it when it goes off, but being caught in the cloud it creates afterwards won't affect you.
Doing as Amanyta said, I twist the top three times and peek around the corner again, tossing the grenade. It sails through the air past the first model three before hitting the ground and bouncing. To my utter shock, it rolls past the second antithesis and into a lab before exploding into a cloud of green gas.
I am speechless. The chances of you messing up that throw were less than 7%, and you still managed it.
“Oh shut it, Amanyta, it was pure bad luck.” unfortunately, my bad throw hadn’t gone unnoticed., peaking around the corner. The pack of model threes were approaching the intersection of the hallway I was in. Sighing, I stepped out into the hallway, aiming my Auto-Injector. The gun thunked, firing the needle missiles and hitting three models, causing them to fall apart quickly. One of the remaining antitheses managed to dodge out of the way of the round, only taking a glancing hit whilst the other two rounds missed completely.
The antithesis were quickly on me. Dodging the first antithesis to lunge at me allowed the seconds lunge to grab my arm. Planting my feet, I managed to resist being brought down. Quickly raising the Auto-Injector, I fired a round at the antithesis blowing a chunk out of its side before it began to fall apart.
Gideon dodge!
Not even thinking, I dived to the side just before a flurry of quills flew past where I was standing. Looking toward where they came from, I saw Model Five, the hulking mass of plant matter that took up most of the hallway and stared me down.
Quickly looking back at where the model threes once stood, expecting to need to deal with them quickly only to see them laying on the ground foot long quilts peppering them. Getting up I squared up with the model five. This thing looked like it could crush me with just a swing of its arm, and to be honest, it probably could.
Not letting me muse on how much it could kill me, it charged. Snapping up the Auto-Injector, I fired five rounds, each digging into the flesh of the antithesis, but instead of collapsing in on itself as I expected, the charge kept coming.
With nowhere to dodge, I dived towards the antithesis, managing to slide between its legs, just missing a swing from its gigantic front legs. “Amanyta, why isn’t it working!?”
The virus inside the rounds is designed for smaller antithesis, its going to take a lot more bullets to start seeing any results.
“I don’t have that many left, and I don't think I can dodge like that again. Get me something that will work!”
Total points 245
Phytonecrosis round - 5 points
Total left 240 points
Holding out my hand, a single canister appeared, and a black liquid could be seen within. Pulling back the slider of the Auto-Injector, I chambered the round. The Model Five, not liking being ignored, shuddered, and a wave or foot-long quills shot towards me. With nowhere to dodge, I brought up my overcoat, hoping it would at least slow the quills.
To my surprise, nothing penetrated the coat. It didn’t stop their momentum but prevented any penetration. The wind was driven out of my lungs as multiple quills hit me. Lowering the coat, I looked at Model Five and raised the Auto-Injector. With a thunk, the gun fired a round that hissed through the air until it hit Model Five in the shoulder.
The effect was immediate. The area around the impact turned black and withered, and within a second, it had spread over a third of its body. The antithesis didn’t even get a chance to move before it collapsed, its body still turning black and withering.
“Holy shit, that was something I am going to need to see that in action under a microscope!” I had expected something closer to the Blightmare rounds but not full-on necrosis.
Thank you for the compliment. I specially engineered it for model fives, which is why it is so expensive.
“Now, what about the Model Eight?” turning towards the giant worm, it hadn’t moved, it hadn’t reacted to the fight. It just sat there munching on viscera.
A few Blightmare Rounds should sort it out. They’re not particularly made to be durable.
Firing a few rounds into the Model Eight, it started to fall apart. “Now, the freight elevator.” A little further down the hall were the doors to the freight elevator. Large metal doors were built to open out wide, but the doors had been blown off their hinges, probably by Model Five.
Peering into the room, I was immediately hit with the smell of iron; it probably would have been overwhelming if it hadn’t been for my mask. Bodies piled in the elevator at least a dozen people were killed with no chance of fighting back.
I’m sorry, Gideon, there wasn’t anything you could do. I would suggest using the stairwell that runs alongside the elevator.
Sighing, “Yeah probably a better idea.”