I felt bad for the poor woman, who had been telling her story, before it became my turn to be the storyteller. It was also strange how she was able to walk, and bow to the audience, despite the majority of her chest area being nothing but a hole.
It was almost like she was unaware that her spine was a thing of the past.
As I moved to sit down in the chair, in perpetration to tell my story, a thought came to me. It was strange how close her story was to my own. It was only at the end of her story that it differed from mine, and based upon her wound, her encounter with the Model Fifteen had gone far poorer than mine had.
So, I began to tell my story, and before long, we reached the same point in the story that had been the end for the previous storyteller.
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The Antithesis wasn’t sure why its new instincts had urged it to dig this hole into the side of the hill, or why they bid for it to wait here. Still it listened, as the new instincts had not led it wrong so far.
Yet it could feel the old instincts rising in anger. They knew that there was metal to smash over the hill, they yearned to launch the object inside itself at that metal. Only the instinct to find a good place for the new hive was happy. After all the hole it had dug was a perfect spot for a hive, once it had done its job.
It felt the new instinct’s return, soothing the old ones. It need not worry about going over the hill to smash metal, the metal was flying towards it right now. How much harder could it launch its object, if it didn’t waste the energy required to walk to the metal.
This calmed the old instincts once more, and it pondered how much harder it would be able to launch its object. Then it gave a low grunt to the little ones around it, a sign to bring it food. Digging the hole had been tiring for it, and it would need all the energy it could get.
The flying metal was coming, but it, and others like it, would be ready to smash it, once the instincts told them to.
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We will be reaching the leading edge of the mass shortly, activating some basic stealth capabilities.
“How basic are we talking here?” I asked from my seat. Might as well start learning how the dropship’s stealth system worked, even if only in the basic capabilities.
Just some minor holographic projections, and colour adjustments to the dropship’s skin, so it blends into the night sky better. Unless this hive is far older than I thought, there shouldn't be anything that can engage us in the mass, but better safe than sorry.
I nodded along with that bit of sage advice, then asked. “Right then, how do you suggest we go about this?” After asking the question, I stood up from my seat, and started moving towards the ramp.
I would suggest that we make passes over the leading edge, until you have gained enough points to get some more firepower. As things stand right now, even with my support, you would likely be overwhelmed on the ground, before you could get that firepower.
“Sounds like a plan, let’s go with it. Say, you got a monkey tail onboard, that way I can sit on the ramp and fire out the back?” I asked, as I pulled the helmet on.
There is, just a second for me to open the ramp. I’ll also patch your helmet into the dropship’s sensors, to improve your visibility.
I was still moving towards the ramp, so that I could hook up to the monkey’s tail as the ramp opened. Suddenly, there was the crashing sound of metal hitting metal, and sparks flew off the wall of the dropship, as something entered through the open ramp.
Shit, sit down and hold on Ellis.
I was just barely able to sit down in one of the middle row chairs, as Zorg whipped the dropship around to face a different direction. I vaguely watched, as the forces involved caused a 6 foot mass of metal to slide back out of the dropship. What might have been Antithesis matter, was still attached on one end.
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I didn’t pay too much attention to that though, as it sailed off into the night sky. After all, I was too busy with the task of trying to figure out what had happened to my right arm. Everything from roughly the middle of my forearm down, had simply vanished into thin air, leaving behind a ragged mess.
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The Antithesis had spotted the flying metal coming a couple of minutes ago. The old instincts wanted it to launch its object at the metal as soon as it had spotted it. But the new instincts had come back in force, bidding for it to wait. To wait until the metal had passed overhead, before it launched its object at the metal.
The new instincts had been right before, so it waited, and watched as the metal flew overhead. It watched, as the metal suddenly started to act strange, seemingly moving across the sky at random, but still moving in the same general direction. So it began to concentrate, tensing its muscles around the object, looking for a pattern as it prepared to fire it at the metal.
The new instincts came again, bidding for it to wait, and so it did, but it could not hold back the old instincts for very long. Time slowed for it, as it launched the object at the metal. It watched as the object flew true, smashing into the metal on its closest side, as it reappeared in the same spot for a third time, sending the metal into a spin.
It watched as strange glowing objects came out of the metal, heading towards its location. It did not care, it had done its job, and a new hive would be born in time.
Its brain shut down, as the 30mm shells started to smash into it.
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I felt the vibrations in the floor that went along with the 30mm rotary canons, as they started to fire at something. It was strange, there was a lot less blood coming out of the space where my forearm had been, than I expected.
Ellis, please spray the remainder of the Emergstop, located in the center ammo pouch of your armour, onto the wound.
I let the Lib-VRRRT-tea hang by its sling, as I went through the motions, following the instructions of what I assumed was Mor. Their instructions had been enough to make me aware that I was currently in shock, but not enough to bring me fully out of it. “Is. Is that you, Mor?” I asked, finishing up with the Emergstop.
Yes, it is me, Ellis. Do I have permission to move some of the nanites currently making up the muscles in your shoulder, to your arm? This would allow me to close the currently exposed veins and arteries, plus restore blood flow to the rest of the arm.
“Yes, blood flow sounds like a good thing to have, Mor.” I replied, still looking at my arm.
Thank you Ellis, I would also like permission to make a purchase for 1 dose of Mind Clear: Shock, costing 10 points. It will bring you out of shock, and prevent you from reentering a state of shock until a dose of Cleanse is taken, or 24 hours has passed.
I nodded my head at the suggestion, watching in fascination as metal started to consume the temporary skin of the Emergstop.
Is you nodding your head confirmation Ellis? Considering your past experience, I require some kind of confirmation to make a non emergency medical purchase. Please either verbally confirm, or nod your head again.
I nodded my head again, as the metal finished consuming the temporary skin, and formed a smooth metal cap on the stump.
Thank you Ellis, please hold out your left hand, and take the pill that appears in it.
With that, a small blue pill appeared in my hand, and as it took its one way trip, my fascination with my missing hand faded. In its place, came a single question. “What the hell was that?”
Model Fifteen B, a variant of the hybrid artillery Model Fifteen. They are used as disposable long range anti-tank, anti-air, and anti-material units. Though the fact it dug a hole into the side of the hill is a new trick.
Yes, though the situation is strange. Normally Model Fifteen B’s don’t show up unless the hive has been under prolonged air or armour attack. There has also been a noticeable lack of communications from towns that were located near the path that the mass has taken over the past day.
“We can figure out how they got B’s in the future, and Bell’s likely the cause for the lack of coms. Mor, options for the forearm, fancy can wait so long as it works.” I cut in, before they got too much into trying to figure out where the Fifteen B had come from, as my mind got back up to speed.
If you don’t mind prosthetics, there is a combo from the Sunrider catalogue that works for the short term at 100 points total cost, for the replacement and the neural uplink required to use it. There will be a brief period of vertigo, as the chip is teleported into position, and you will feel slightly off balance for a couple of hours.
Long term you can unlock bio sculpting, if you would prefer to have an organic replacement. Though it is fancy for the current situation.
“Let’s go with the combo, assuming it falls under the medical definition for the description.” I replied, watching as the points counter briefly crossed into the positive, before dropping back to -100. The 30mm had been firing nonstop since the hit from the Fifteen.
Item’s purchased:
Class 1 Neural Uplink Network MK 3: 50 points.
Class 1 ‘Service’ Sunrider prosthetic: 50 points.
Total cost: 100 points.
There was a thump from the seat next to me, as a wave of vertigo passed through me, clearing nearly as quickly as it had arrived. Opening the box that had appeared revealed a basic, metallic looking hand, attached to a pair of tubes to make up the difference in length, with an angled plate on the other end.
Hold the plate up to the stub, the nanites will take care of the rest. The Service comes with a plasma cutter in the pointer finger, and a multi tool in the middle finger. Unfortunately the capability to have additional tools or weapons built in, would have taken it outside of the medical restrictions.
The feeling of texture coming from the fingers on the Service, was less than what was coming from my organic hand. Still, it was enough that I could feel major changes to texture, but the fine textures were beyond it.
Still, as I watched the fingers go through the motions as naturally as my original hand had, I couldn’t help but feel that for the moment, it would do.