City-21 “Kyiv”, UNSA Protectorate, Avril Dominion

The Palace of Sports, underground parking lot nearby

Maksim Chernykh and Nikola Kowalski, August 12, 2049, 5:49 PM

Once they were in the underground parking lot, Max and Nikola embarked on a flurry of activity to prepare for a rapid transfer of their gear. After quickly estimating the remaining time, they decided to at least shed some of the packaging, redistribute the load more securely on both Big One and the unnamed transport cart from “Mikea”. This way, loading into the truck would take less than a minute – just lift the bots, carts, and Alisa into the truck bed, and they could be on their way.

Maksim examined the weapons they’d found and was thoroughly pleased. The Defender and crossbows, ready for immediate action, were left in Redhead’s trust. He chose a pistol for himself; shooting a shotgun wasn’t exactly feasible from a wheelchair.

When they reached the newly purchased clothes, Nikola’s spirits lifted, and she cast a meaningful look to the guy.

“We can’t be running around like this,” she remarked, tugging at her shirt, and casting a sidelong glance at Max’s bare torso. “Shall we get dressed?”

“Hmm… yeah, that’d be good. But let’s hold off until I’ve finished up with Alba.”

“What if we need to make a quick getaway?” Nikola protested, rummaging through the purchases. “If it’s about time, don’t worry, I can dress very quickly.”

“Well, it’s fine,” Maksim waved her off, checking the map. “Traffic’s jammed, so Dasha won’t be at the parking lot for another six minutes. You can change here while I meet them at the entrance.”

Nikola gave a thumbs-up and unbuttoned her shirt, taking it off.

“I take it you won’t be wanting this back,” she remarked, eyeing a bloodstain on the back. Despite her efforts to keep clean, some wounds had reopened, and the shirt was significantly stained.

“Sure, just throw it away. I’ve got enough clothes. Come here, let’s see what’s going on with your back while we have a moment.”

Silently, the girl approached and sat down to make it easier for Max to inspect.

“Actually, it’s not as bad as it could be. Just old blood, and only two places need a new bandage. Can you hand me those, along with some cotton disks and antiseptic?”

“Of course.” She darted off to their makeshift medical bags.

“There, that’s better,” Maksim said a minute later, examining the patched-up wound. “You can get dressed now. I’ll grab a T-shirt and head up; they’re nearly here.”

“Okay. I’ll keep in touch.”

Left alone, Red dashed to the nearest bathroom on the floor. Quickly tying her hair into a bun, she washed her face at the sink and briskly wiped down her torso, careful not to disturb her back.

[Say, Max, why the heck are you even bothering with this meeting? Were things with Alba that deep?] A mediaglyph from an open private channel flickered.

[I don’t know, Nika. I usually don’t discuss it… with anyone. But for some reason, I trust you.]

[That’s nice of you. So, what was it really?]

[After I lost Alisa, I didn’t think I could be romantically involved with anyone at all. Something inside me just… burned out. I did hook up with women, of course, had one-night stands. But it wasn’t serious. Alba was an exception.]

[Judging from what I’ve seen…] Nikola smirked lightly, cautiously slipping into a sports bra, careful not to aggravate her back. [Be honest, was it just about sex initially?]

[You bet! Do you know how good Spanish women are in the sack?]

[I do, actually.] Red chuckled. [Had a fling with one a couple of years back. She was incredible! But then she got transferred to Watson’s branch in California, and our brief spark ended before it really started…]

[You’re full of surprises.] Max smiled.

[Sure am! Did you know I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue? Bet that’s a skill.]

At that precise moment, the tracking system beeped a warning that the truck had made the turn off the main highway.

[Nika! Be ready, they’re almost here. You can complete your dressing up but stay alert. The shotgun’s with you, and I’ve got the pistol ready, just in case.]

[Aye-aye, Captain! Ready to roll. I’m all set, by the way.]

“She really is fast,” Max thought, as he wheeled closer to the entrance.

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City-21 “Kyiv”, UNSA Protectorate, Avril Dominion

Daria Vasilevskaya and Alba M. R. Marquez, August 12, 2049, 5:59 PM

[Dasha, we’re ready. Once you park the truck, and I’ll have a word with Alba… Despite everything, she and I aren’t strangers… or rather, weren’t. But that would be brief, ten minutes tops. And, of course, we keep Nika, Moira, and Alisa out of sight.]

[Understood.]

[Afterwards, we scatter; Alba is free to go wherever she wants, and we’re on our way like we planned. We’re ready to quickly load the things.]

Sitting quietly next to her, Alba seemed deeply and completely “lost in driving,” and ceased any more attempts to talk. The Spaniard honestly fulfilled the requirement, even more than was necessary – she’d disabled nearly all her sub-brain’s programs and modules.

Daria just shrugged her shoulders without a word – she liked the silent Alba more than a chatty one.

The traffic jam was extending even to the road’s shoulder ahead, thus the truck steered sharply right, hopping over the curb onto the bike lanes that ran alongside the main road. It was clear here, and the car surged forward with renewed speed.

In the silence that followed, both girls peered intently through the windshield as the unimog sped down the final stretch of highway.

As they neared the turn onto Esplanade Street, they had to abruptly brake – the chaos wasn’t just confined to Sports Square but had spread nearby.

The road was a mess: cratered by rockets, strewn with burnt-out cars, downed military drones, and the bodies of both shaiszu and humans. Dust and residual smoke filled the air. Likely, the smells were horrendous, but fortunately the cabin’s filters were holding up for now.

“Ugh… disgusting.” Dashka cringed when their vehicle bounced over another particularly large, grotesquely flattened shaiszu corpse.

“Indeed, it’s a ghastly sight,” agreed Alba. “But we’ll be there soon...”

But Dasha didn’t get to respond. At that moment, the truck dived under a wide gallery connecting two buildings across the street at the fourth-floor level. Visibility dropped even further as thick smoke poured from the first-floor windows of the left building. Bullet impacts and at least a dozen dead shaiszu were visible near the entrance.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Alas, they were not allowed to pass peacefully. Several dark shapes flung themselves at the windows. A blast! Hardened glass exploded into a shower of fragments. Something long, black, and massive shot forward, overtaking the truck as it emerged from under the gallery. Three more silhouettes leaped but landed on the ground behind the accelerating unimog.

Seconds later, two more bursts shattered adjacent windows, and two whole packs joined the assault!

The leading creature resembled a monstrous, enormous dog – completely hairless, tailless, with massive jaws, claws, and bony ridges along its spine. Executing an unbelievable midair somersault, it landed heavily on the truck. The vehicle’s hood, sloped and under a meter in length, meant the monster mostly hung forward, its hind claws gripping the massive bumper. The vehicle swerved sharply under the impact but maintained control.

Dasha screamed at the sight of six glowing red eyes and a vast toothy maw visible just beyond the windshield. The Spaniard got startled too, of course, but didn’t relinquish control and sharply turned the car to the right, into a street café.

The heavy truck crashed the beast’s back against the glass and plastic of the building. The creature let out a roar so loud it pressure-sealed their ears, but it was futile. The car, smashing through neatly arranged tables with lace tablecloths, barreled forward. A loud screech of metal sounded as claws tore at the hood – the shaiszu was dragged to the right.

Seeing the creature now dangling by the side, clinging to the tattered hood and bent bumper, Alba made a split-second decision. “Hold on!” she shouted, veered left, and accelerating, burst out of the destroyed café. But at the next building, the unimog jolted right, brutally smashing the beast against the wall.

[Max, we’re under attack!] Dasha sent a first-person view stream into the conference along with an “alert!” signal.

[Go to the meeting point! We’ll take them out!] Max and Nika responded simultaneously.

“Alba, we must break through to the parking area, push it!”

And so, the Spaniard did push it, throwing all her might into the engines. Without the AI’s usual restraints and fully manual now, the truck surged forward. The battered beast finally detached from the truck, leaving deep gouges in the metal and tearing off the right front fender as it fell away.

The car swerved, trying to pick up speed, but three of the pursuing shaiszu managed to jump, latching onto the rear door of the cargo area.

“They’re on the roof!”

At that moment, Nika had pulled two carbon hunting arrows from the quiver and quickly loaded both crossbows she had prepared. Now, without enhancements, these are more like toys. Some shaiszu have such tough hide that a simple arrow might not penetrate. Still, it was worth a shot.

Throwing the shotgun behind her back, Red curtly informed,

[Max, I’m going up! How’s your shooting?]

[Dead on,] Max replied tersely, having secured a good firing position, locked the wheelchair wheels in place, and prepared both spare magazines.

The map showed the truck was nearly there. Alba tried to shake the monsters off the roof. But even her sharp maneuvers from side to side didn’t help – the shaiszu, clinging low, stayed on and continued to inch forward, piercing the metal with their claws. The car skidded on another sharp turn, barely maintaining balance.

[In position!] Nika said curtly.

“Alba! Drive! Just drive!” Dasha tried to shout over the roar and the noise from the monsters’ impacts.

A crash of breaking glass followed. One of the “dogs” had smashed through the roof hatch and dropped down into the cargo bay.

“It’s wrecking Moira!” Dasha screamed, activating the manipulator arm. Fortunately, there was just enough room in the cargo bay – she tried to grab or at least knock the creature off with the mechanical “hand.” But the camera angle was poor and awkward, and the monster was too agile. For now, it was a stalemate – the creature easily dodged the blows, but Dasha prevented it from destroying the valuable cargo.

Another shaiszu reached the cabin, the roof buckling under its weight. The creature crouched and delivered a series of blows, but the side window held, only cracking.

They were almost at the parking entrance.

[Pick up speed and slam the brakes at the entrance! Hold the truck, it will swerve!] Max commanded, ready to fire.

“I can’t; Alba is driving!”

“Loudspeaker!”

“Alba, now drive! After the barrier, brake hard! Hold the vehicle!” Maksim’s stern command blasted through the mediaphone.

“Yes!” Alba responded reflexively to the familiar voice.

[Nika, you take the center, I’ll handle both packs!] Max ordered.

[Tak!]

In the final moments, another of the shaiszu beasts reached the cabin. Leaping onto the roof, it smashed the windshield with a brutal swipe of its claws.

The girls recoiled into their seats, but Alba still didn’t relinquish control of the vehicle. The unimog obliterated a barrier and the control booth, crashing onto the parking lot with a thunderous roar.

The heavy truck screeched to a halt, its tires wailing, but the Spaniard’s skill and the anti-lock brakes managed to maintain its stability.

Behind them, seven of the creatures charged onto the parking lot in two small packs, one of three and another of four.

One shaiszu, poised to leap into the cabin, lost its grip and got flung away from the truck, tumbling through the air. The other monster clung to the roof and, baring its teeth, fixed its six red eyes on Nikola.

She froze, her hands gripping a crossbow. Time seemed to slow down, stretching out the first tense seconds of the encounter.

Aiming. Target: the beast on the roof. Right middle eye. Redhead didn’t have a tactical software, she relied solely on basic aiming assist; it suffices at close range. She wouldn’t miss.

The trigger pulled.

The bolt shot towards the creature. The predatory arrow sank into the monster’s eye; its head jerked, but it held on.

BANG! The pistol echoed the crossbow. The leader of the right pack’s eye burst in a bloody spray.

The crossbow almost instantly gets tossed aside.

With her left hand, Nika grabs the second one without looking.

BANG! Max’s next shot followed without delay. Into the adjacent eye, yet the creature kept coming. BANG! Another shot, and the beast finally stumbled, plummeting downward.

Nika got steady. Focus. Aiming. The second creature had landed on its back but was already getting up. Her next shoot must hit the neck, in a small spot just below the bony crest. She fired. The arrow, piercing the skin, embedded deeply into the beast’s neck.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Maksim’s pistol continued its deathly symphony, two shots for each creature. The third beast kept running. BANG! Max added another, causing it to stumble and crash to the ground.

The guy’s mind was like an analytical computer, counting down the bullets and adjusting aim based on the targeting software running in his sub-brain.

“Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen. Twelve. Eleven. Ten. Nine. Eight rounds left.”

Nika discarded her second crossbow, knife in hand as the truck screeched to a halt. Both girls stared in horror through the shattered windshield.

image [https://i.imgur.com/VTPDwxx.jpg]

The left pack, identifying Max as the primary threat, circled the truck.

BANG! But the pack leader, as if sensing the shot, jerked its head. The bullet ricocheted off its cheek and buried into its body.

BANG! In a flash of combat, Maksim missed his target, but the beast still slowed down, giving the young man just enough time to realign his aim. BANG! A bullet struck true, hitting an eye. The beast halted with a roar, prompting the rest of the pack to charge.

Nikola leaped forward. Landing in front of the truck, she delivered a fierce blow with her left hand to the head of one creature. On the recoil, Red grabbed an arrow, driving it deeper into the monster’s neck, and twisting viciously, blood spurting wildly as she did. Quick as lightning, she plunged her knife into the wound, slashing through flesh to bone. Before the death, the beast flailed, attempting two desperate strikes, but Nika blocked both without dropping her blade.

BANG! This one was weaker – a single shot to the eye was enough. Three left.

“Seven. Six. Five rounds.”

The rapid-fire sequence BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG followed; ammo spent, one creature lay dead, another wounded and slowing, but a third lunged forward.

With a powerful knee strike, Nikola knocked the dying beast aside and vaulted onto the truck’s cab. The monster recovered and swiped at her, but she blocked swiftly and countered with a brutal elbow, smashing its head aside. A knife thrust into the left upper eye followed.

The creature howled. In response, Nika shattered its lower jaw with a fierce blow. As it recoiled, exposing its throat, she delivered a flurry of stabs, blood drenching her as the beast collapsed onto the cab roof.

Reloading took Max just over two seconds, the beast alarmingly close now, under ten meters away.

BANG-BANG-BANG! Three shots merged into one; a creature fell just two meters from him, its claws scraping the concrete in its death throes.

“Nika, another in the truck!” Daria shouted.

“Open the door!”

The fuel cell has overheated noticeably, and acrid black smoke is billowing out of the vents on the left thigh.

“Kurwa!”

The remaining two beasts from the left flank suddenly pivoted, sprinting towards the exit.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Maksim managed four shots, the thick hide finally giving way as one beast collapsed.

Ripping the shotgun from her back, Redhead flicked off the safety. Both legs boosted, she crouched down, power surging through her right leg.

Boosters ready!

She scored over the truck in a prolonged jump.

The monster flies out of the unimog like a black lightning, opening its mouth.

As she spun in midair to aim, Nika instantly takes aim and shoots just before landing, trying her best to hit the monster, and not get to the vehicle’s body.

BAAANG!

The shaiszu’s head gets obliterated into mincemeat.

Back rolling and dampening the inertia, the girl leaps up sharply, ready to open fire.

The last wounded creature is running towards her.

BAAANG!

Its head burst apart, fully splattering Nikola with gore.

Her both cyber-legs ejected the burned-out jump boosters in the clouds of smoke.

“Holy fuck,” Alba whispers in awe, watching the blood-soaked redheaded cyber-bestia through the rearview camera.