I found my trip towards the Precinct went a lot smoother than the trip to the Terminal. Part of that was because I was more experienced now, part of that was traveling with an additional three killbots, one of which could detect ambushes before they happened.
It helped that the largest thing on the roads was a model six. A model eleven did pass overhead, but this one ignored me; I wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing, or a bad thing.
Either way, progress was made and soon I could see the precinct in the distance. The massive building was built like a fortress. Thick concrete walls, heavy security shutters on all the doors, firing points instead of windows, and heavy automated turrets, although these had already been ripped apart by the time I arrived.
The most worrying thing is it was quiet, dead quiet. There were no gunfire, no bodies, no Antithesis, nothing.
“Nyx can you get the fox to scan the area please, it can’t be this easy.” I asked.
Got it.
It scanned the area, slowly, stopping several times.
It says… inconclusive?
“What the hell does that mean?”
I don’t know, the bot isn’t making any sense. There are no anomalies, but it’s identified the pile of trash on the left, the garbage can on the steps, and the concrete divider between the two garage doors as suspect.
“Any ideas?”
There are some Antithesis with stealth properties, usually they’re not so passive though.
“Yeah well, you keep telling me this Incursion is strange. Spooky, shoot the trash can.”
As soon as the burst rang out the trash can’s silhouette dissolved, transforming into something more like a fuzzy, glitchy blob. The other two instantly took off, one disappearing around the corner of the building, the other behind some nearby debris.
“Fuckers are fast.”
Extremely, I’m still concerned about their behavior though. Typically model 9s are ambush hunters, emphasis on the hunter part. They’re rarely that passive, unless something else TELLs them to.
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“Right. Why can’t anything be simple”
The fox’s head snapped to the top of the precinct, then back down the street behind me, then back at the sides of the precinct.
“Nyx…”
Heavy footfalls from behind you, faint buzzing from above, movement from around the sides of the precinct.
“Fuck.” Looking around, the only cover I could see was the doorway of the office behind me. “Spooky, open that door, everyone inside.”
The door splintered, and my little squad poured into the building. Without prompting the bots took positions at the different windows, overwatching the plaza. I could hear the buzzing now, the sound was quickly getting louder, as was the sound of movement around the precinct.
The model three which rounded the corner of the left side of the precinct drew my attention momentarily, so I nearly missed the two Antithesis coming over the top.
The flyers were terrifying. At first glance they appeared to be model sixes, but as they closed in I could see they were much larger. Their heads were more beak-like, an array of insectoid wings ran down their backs. Their most bizarre feature was what looked like a set of sideways gills on their necks. As soon as the first one hit the ground it reared back, like it was going to spit, instead these organs snapped open, there was a sharp cracking noise.
I dropped to the ground, unsure why I was taking cover until I saw one of the bots. It was laying on the ground, head broken open, dozens of thin bone needles stuck into its face.
“Holy shit!”
Model sixteens, they’re used to command hunts and oversee assaults. Smart, these two must have organized an ambush in case anyone tried to get in or out. I would recommend staying away from the windows.
“I got that, thanks. Get the bots to cover, we’ll just have to deal with the Antithesis as they enter rather than on the street.”
The CAR swung towards the door, my first round caught the model three just as it was entering, blowing it back into the street.
“Get the fox to keep track of those sixteens. I don’t want to give them a chance to put one of those claws in here.”
The situation dissolved into a mess of rifle fire, explosions, and dying Antithesis. The bears cut down anything trying to crawl in the windows, every once in a while the fox would shift and fire a burst out of a random window, suppressing the sixteens, and I held the door.
Then the world exploded into heat and light. Well, not really, but several lasers cut through the Antithesis at the door. The smell of cauterized flesh was overwhelming, making me gag, I tried desperately not to throw up.
There was a muffled thump, followed by a loud whistling noise, then another. Silence descended upon the area.
A figure stepped up to the door, a massive humanoid suit with a series of mechanical tentacles emerging out the back. The two of us stared at each other for a long moment, me on the floor, the figure standing with one hand on the doorframe.
“You okay in there kid?” The voice was melodic, fairly young, female.
I wanted to reply, instead I rolled onto my side and vomited violently onto the floor.
A great first impression.