“The Protectors, the name of a highly advanced alien species that gave us the Samurai A.I.

We get this all through questioning the super advanced A.I.s the Protectors use to guide the Samurai.

Samurai are a curious bunch and investigate who is giving us this opportunity of gifts of advanced technology and why?

The reason the A.I. gave? Because they want to uplift humanity to defend ourselves from the Antithesis. Our modern means weren’t enough and they give seemingly random people the power to fight against the Antithesis and uplift humanity with the Protectors and other alien species technology.

Amazing. This is everything we could hope for as we dreamed of flying cars, over the top spaceships, and cat girls.

And while others are very very scared of the Protectors’ intentions or what the new changes do to humanity itself.

I’m scared of the fact that the A.I. can lie.“

* In private messages between April Melik and Sgt. Horatio Creff, April 2053

***

The blue glow of the room was getting on my nerves.

The cool reflection of the water cooling tanks made the control station almost peaceful. In this tranquil environment I burned with fury.

Meticulous planning in the hazy fog of cold anger has all been for this and the Samurai of Macroon REFUSE TO PLAY THEIR PART!

I slammed my fist down on the counter near the control console and my metallic fist tore through the material.

I didn’t even feel the impact and so couldn’t focus on another sensation than the burning heat that controlled my chest and mind.

Nursery wouldn’t arrive unless I dangled a bleeding human in front of her self righteous fucking face. Ripping that holier-than-thou attitude apart would be amazing!

Maybe I could search the nearby apartments for survivors to do just that? It would feel great to tear something apart and see RED!

Red-Line could come by, he is smart enough to know the impact of my threat. Either that or he is moving his poor family far away from Sector 8. That materialistic bastard would find a way to profit from this whole situation. I WANTED what he has, to take it from him and watch him bleed onto his blasted red outfit.

Triumph wouldn’t comprehend the danger, that dumb bitch. Whatever the drugs and alien hormones did to her brain had only fogged a broken mirror of intelligence. The dysfunctional giant whore would do nothing for the grand explosive but it would be so satisfying to burn all the work she put in. To prove that her worshiped strength is nothing to flames.

What I needed was Phasmatic, his plasma weaponry would power the bomb to new heights so no Samurai could ignore me. The arrogant kid was so obsessed with his insidious vidgames that he can’t envision a way his gift could destroy his very home. I was sure his ego would lead him blindly into this room.

I seethed. This wasn’t going to plan. Where were Daito or Bushido? They loved grandstanding and moral justice. Hell, Bushido has a moral code he sticks to! WHERE IS THAT MOTHERFUCKER! His conceited ass would try to lecture to me like Sky did.

Daito would draw a crowd to watch his victory over evil, as the domineering fucker was determined to be the most powerful of all the Samurai of Macroon.

Swarmkeeper was the odd card. I wasn’t sure they’d come by. I still don’t. The disturbing Samurai never gave a reason for anything they did. The fact they spoke with insects more than people or other Samurai spoke volumes to their anti-social behavior.

I was sure there was some technology I could rip out of their corpse to feed into the weapon but I didn’t rely on it. But I did rely on at least one of the bastards to try to stop me.

Ambrose wouldn’t let his poor Arcology be destroyed so lightly. But I might’ve judged him to have even the slightest semblance of a heart for his own creation.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I should’ve known, the cowards did nothing for Project Nova. They turn a blind eye to what's happening here. Jericho deserved better! HE DESERVED BETTER THAN THE people who failed to save him. The same people who created and nurtured the beast that killed him.

I felt a brief moment of love as I saw him as he once was…beautiful, kind…loving…determined to make the world a better place. As the memory transitioned to his bleeding body heard the sound of a dying animal echo around the chamber.

It was in pain, misery, as if it lost the only thing that made life worth living. I realized that I was making the noise and I began to laugh, punching through my body’s grief to replace it with maniacal hysteria powered by wrath. I will kill them. I will kill all of them.

Did they plan his death?

Did they?

They did!

Of course!

They could never have such an inquisitive Samurai in their ranks. Not one that would refuse any bribe and only do what he believed was right for the people of the world. His righteousness was genuine and relatable compared to the bitch Nursery.

Nursery always had more influence than she should have. Was she higher in the scheme than I believed?! I was onto something. Key details slammed into place, building a collage of the conspiracy. They engineered Project Nova to kill Jericho. They were all in on it!

As it all clicked into place I threw the remnants of the counter across the room and marched to the door. I will set off Sky’s heart and destroy Section 8. But that’s not the end. I’m coming for you bastards—

Then a small canister bounced across the floor toward me and the world erupted in noise. Pipe organs screamed their haunting melody from every speaker in the room.

What? Who! I readied my Ignis Dei Mk. IV, spurting a small jet of fire onto the small canister but it just released a thick black smoke.

I switched to heat vision as the smoke obscured more light. The pounding drums distracting as I saw figure just ahead of the smoke as they did something—

Something slammed into my chest and I felt pain. PAIN! Switched back I saw something I couldn’t comprehend. A knife with a pale blue wire attached to it.

Who uses a knife?

In a blink it was ripped out, my blood spurting through the small hole it made in my Class D. Vine Mechanized Armorsuit near the spot that Sky hit me…when was that? I felt a strange sense of Deja vu.

A cold bead of sweat ran down my neck.

Snapping my head up I realized that I lost track of the figure. Where were they? I felt an impact on my back. No! Not my back but the fuel tanks positioned there.

Spinning to the insurgent I froze for a split second. No…it can’t be. IT CAN’T BE!

~~The Phantom of the Opera is there~~

“I KILLED YOU” I screamed reaching out to grasp the small figure but they slipped away like water.

“SKY!”

~~Inside your mind~~

I ignored the music pounding all around. Sky was always addicted to that ancient music. I grabbed Jericho’s light net. I’ll catch you like I did before.

“WHY WON’T YOU DIE!” I screamed at the small figure, his small figure was dressed in a strange outfit. Not his usual hoodie and light pants but a heavier set of equipment.

“You think that puny vest will save you from ME!” I readied the net to throw as Sky seemed to weave back and forth in front of me. What is he doing? Was he really weighed down by the small amount of protection?

No matter.

I was patient to catch him when he slipped out. He always did.

I was then struck from behind. Small projectiles impacting but not piercing the thick metal.

“You brought help! Ha, it won’t save you!” As I turned away from Sky to find—Antithesis!

A Model Five was hurling its quills as a small wave of Model Threes leap onto me. Their combined weight unbalanced me and I dropped the Light Net that caught a single Model Three. The monster was very surprised as light wrapped around it and locked it in mid air.

Motherfucker!

Two Model Fours grabbed my failing limbs with spiked tentacles. I wasn’t worried about the damage as my armor could take much more beating before it finally failed. Then they pulled. They used their leverage to pull against my servos and motors that kept me upright and I toppled over on the small swarm of Model Threes as the quills continued to pepper me.

It was a mass of writhing bodies, teeth, and claws and the Antithesis threw themselves with reckless abandon to kill me. I twisted and fought to regain control of my Ignis Dei Mk. IV to burn all these fucking plants apart.

In the frustration, I felt a burst bloodthirsty joy for finally finding something and someone to kill!

As I couldn’t reach the flamethrower, I instead set off two firebombs while on my belt. The pile exploded in a fiery mess and I stood up. As the flames danced around me I locked onto Sky.

Moving through the melting bodies I marched his way. I will rip him apart again just to see how he came back. I ignored the Model Five as it was a small annoyance doing superficial damage. Sky on the other hand had a knife and other weapons that could do serious harm.

I picked up my pace and charged with machine enhanced speed. Sky turned and ran. That’s when I noticed something very distinct. Sky’s helmet didn’t reflect anything and as I closed I saw through the hologram.

That wasn’t Sky! I hit the figure and they fell to the floor, whatever displayed the helmet fell off and I was left looking at a human. A random human.

“Who the fuck are you!” I marched closer, looking down at their prone figure. They raised a pistol, the thing cumbersome compared to Samurai grade weapons. I scoffed, “That’ll do nothing—”

They shot twice and I didn’t feel the impact of either bullet. My anger paused for just a moment to feel incredulous. They missed from this close?

Beeping from my proximity alarm alerted me to something incoming from above. I caught the crushing weight of the security door with both arms. Sneaky.

“You almost got me.” I say, fighting to prevent the strain from entering my voice. I just needed a proper grip and I could shift my body to the side and let it drop.

I looked down to see the worm dive past me. What—

I massive weight crashed into my back and tossed me into the small space as the door came crashing down. Twisting around I looked up into the face of a Model Five and Model Six - D.

Glancing around I realized my flamethrower was in the main room...on the other side of the security door.

Fuck.

The floor shook as the combined weight of the monstrous dinosaur and the quill bear bounded my way.

Fuck!

“I’LL KILL YOU MOTHERFUCK—” I was cut off as the Antithesis launched themselves on me, between them 3,000 kg of aliens crushing me.