'Today should be a fun day!' I think to myself as I force a comb through my hair for the billionth time, trying to tame its wild tangle of a mess. Not only do I get to go play with the captured Antithesis that Devoy caught for me, but I also get to go out on our second? date. Yes, let’s call it our second! I finally manage to get the comb through the matted mess of hair, just to have it tangle back up instantly. Curse my wavy hair, I shall not let it stop my good mood!

Finishing my morning routine, I go back to the living area to find no chaos! Gary is just finishing placing breakfast onto the table, and Cosima is nowhere to be seen, small victories.

I sit down before my feast and survey what Gary has made for me. Looks to be the usual fare, with a new addition. Oatmeal!

Yes! I dig in with very lady like manners, as my stomach is reminding me of my increased caloric intake by rumbling at me.

Using my augs, I flick through the news stations to see if anything interesting has happened lately. Local news, a man gambling lost his life savings, and decided to get drunk and run through the casino naked. A mega corp purchased an apartment building, kicked everyone out and is renovating it to be a massive shopping mall.

A small stealth hive was found in Jean, a small little town south of Vegas, and a local kid was initiated as a Vanguard and cleared it out. By the looks of it, he is only 16 or so, and he lost an arm in the initial attack saving his little brother, then replaced it with a cybernetic one. It must be fairly strong because it was gripping a massive hammer, bigger than the kid.

Finishing up my breakfast, I brush my teeth and slip into my gear. After being ambushed by the flying Antithesis swarm, I’ve decided to just bring it with me everywhere I go, because apparently, I am a wanted figure by the big wigs of the Antithesis and it pays to be ready.

Before leaving I stop at the door and look back, Gary is watching animal planet again, I seriously don’t get him and his fascination with extinct animals but whatever.

“Bye you two, behave while I’m gone! Cosima, be on alert if I call for you!”

I hear a hoot-hoo from the bedroom before I closed the front door.

I pass through the apartment lobby, ignoring all the onlookers and whispers that I’ve come to expect now, from living here. I may need to look into getting a more permanent residence of my own soon. Who knows how long until everyone knows I live here and get mobbed by fan-people.

In the parking lot old trusty sat in its dumpy vehicle camo.

I hop in and warm the engines up, cancelling the camo. Come to think of, it how long before people figure that out, too? I may need to cycle into other forms of hiding the ship.

I quickly zip across the desert to my lab, scheming up plans on how to play with my new toys!

Parking and going down the lift go surprisingly well, a nice change of pace.

In my lab, it is as I left it. Mostly empty, but haphazardly placed in the middle of the floor is my bag of containment vessels.

With a squeal of delight, I rush over and grab the bag, and pull them all out. I quickly realize I have nowhere to put them, nor a place to sit, or anything actually helpful in here.

I query the cookpot craft menu, and quickly design a shelf for the vessels, with plenty of room for more, a desk to work on and an overly comfy chair to sit in.

The cookpot very quickly spits out the requested items, them being common objects, it takes only seconds to craft.

Next, I need a way to contain the Antithesis so I can study them without being horribly murdered in the process.

Looking around the room, it has plenty of empty space, using the cookpot menu I design holding cells, using nanites I know to be strong enough to contain the models that were captured. With exception of the Model Twenty-Two I can fit everything else.

I order up the holding cells made of nanites, they are a bit slower to craft, accounting for their increased durability and size.

The lab now has on the far side, several rows of cells of varying sizes, the larger cells along the walls for more security, and the smaller ones spaced out from those leaving an aisleway between them.

The cells have clear walls, and a virtual control panel to manipulate the walls to form doors, or openings, really anything I need.

I grab the vessels and toss them into the cells, the cell walls open to admit the vessels, once they land and the walls close back up, I release the containment vessels and tah-dah! All my experimental critters pop into existence with a satisfactory “popping” noise.

Your definition of science is both tragic and lacking. Are you sure you don’t want to unlock the already well researched and documented catalogs for Antithesis?

I suppose as far as species go, humans are both of those things. Though you are also as a species, a bit slow to come together and fight the imminent alien invasion thing. Most species at this point in the invasion process formed unified governments dedicated to fighting the Antithesis. I will give Humans one accolade though, in all the species so far, no other has developed such a… colorful variety of individual ways to fight the Antithesis and yet still somehow survive.

See, there is the reason I picked you as a Vanguard.

I mean it, your view is one I share, Humanity as a whole needs to collectively get its act together and push out the Antithesis. Our predictive models show that if Humanity gathered a unified front the invasion could be contained withing a few years and eliminated to a non-threat in only a decade.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

That’s not true. Do not fool yourself, Morigana. You are smart and have a good head on your shoulders. Look at Human history, it only takes one influential person to create a large movement. For now, baby steps, develop your knowledge and skills, use that mind of yours and think your way through this. I have hope for your future.

… That was impressive, I will eat my own words. Continue with your experiments! I do have a suggestion though, that will point you in the right direction without cheating.

There is a catalog for analyzing and data collecting for non-specific purposes, that has equipment and tools for studying a wide variety subjects. To include Antithesis, while not specific, it will cover most of the needs that I can foresee.

I recommend getting both Class I and II catalogs and have a list of equipment that would benefit you greatly. Class I/II Analyzing equipment and data collection toolset for a combined six hundred points and a token.

Within that catalog I recommend the Biological Volumetric Air Sampler, Synthetic Chemical Recreator, and Mycorrhizal Signal Interceptor. For a combined three thousand points. This will provide a solid basis for your research, without giving away too much.

It seems that I am on to something with my original thoughts of looking into the Pheromones released by Antithesis. The first two heavily lean towards an airborne delivery system for communication. The third though… that is something I did not consider. Could they be using some sort of fungal pathway to transmit information?

Loot inbound!

Class I Analyzing Equipment and Data Collection Toolset unlocked!

Points reduced to: 72380

Class II Analyzing Equipment and Data Collection Toolset unlocked!

Points reduced to: 71880

New Purchase: Biological Volumetric Air Sampler:

Points reduced to: 70880

New Purchase: Synthetic Chemical Recreator:

Points reduced to: 69880

New Purchase: Mycorrhizal Signal Interceptor:

Points reduced to: 68880

Three rune laced spinning glowing circles appear on my desk, like some sort of demonic summoning. Each produces a black and purple box

Rolling my eyes, I open up the first box, inside is a simple glass tablet. The next box has a boxy contraption with a bottle hanging below it, and a dispersal nozzle coming from the bottle. The last box has a round-ish ball, with one flat side with a screen, and multiple antennae sticking out of it like a sea urchin.

Shiny!

I look over each device, touching each one initiated a software update and linked them to my augs.

Where to start? I think looking into my initial predictions of their communications is best. Let's see how far off I was, in thinking that the most basic communication they used was with pheromones, pollen, and chemical signals.

Lifting up the Air Sampler I move over to the cell that holds the two Model Six’. Oddly enough, all the contained Antithesis were sitting still within the cells, having given up trying to escape. Instead, they just sat there watching me with their creepy alien eyes. They seem to have realized they cannot damage the walls they were in and entered some sort of standby mode.

Holding up the device near the Model Six, it immediately makes a mental chirp in my augs, displaying its findings directly into my mind.

The Model Six was sending into the air a mixture of pheromones. Looking at the composition of both, the message was astonishingly clear.

Pacify, preserve energy, non-hostility, await command.

The information was simple, and with little detail, but the intent was clear. They, or rather the Model Six’, knew the futility of attacking the cell walls, and was instructing the group to save their energy and wait for an opportunity to attack.

Fascinating!

Using this method to communicate confirms several of my theories!

The Model Six’ are indeed short-range squad commanders. The agents they release are very short range but effective non-the-less! It also shows that they have a limited intelligence, in-so-far as being able to make informed decisions. It was also pushing out very subtle sound waves, pushing the pheromones in the directions that it wanted, enabling it to somewhat direct commands to different units around it.

I let out a giggle of excitement, as I placed the Air Sampler down and reach for the Synthetic Recreator. Immediately the menu pops up with a list of options. It looks like the data from the Air Sampler was shared with it, and I see profiles for creating the Pheromones that it has detected.

My eyes widen, and I feel my jaw hit the floor.

Oh. My. Stars!

This is revolutionary, with this simple data set I could manufacture simple repellent, grenades or aerosols to give out to non-combatants or civilians… or have them spray out from bunkers to shut down Antithesis behaviors in a localized area.

I do indeed, Morigana, it is why I suggested the equipment I did.

Well, for the most part Samurai shy towards using things like bullets and explosions to deal with the Antithesis. Very few… lets say, intellectuals, get selected for being a Vanguard.

Of course, order placed.

Grinning from ear to ear, I set to work designing a simple grenade, spray bottle, and bunker dispenser.

After several hours of intense crafting, I have a design for each idea, as well as a underslung grenade launcher variant.

A quick glance at the time, it’s nearly 8pm.

Frick!

I pull up Devoy’s number and give it a call, he answers on the first ring.

“Well, hello Mori, I was expecting a call a bit sooner.” A slightly upset voice said.

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry! Merlin showed me some new toys and I’ve been in my lab all day experimenting on the Antithesis you captured me! I made a breakthrough already!” I practically shouted at him.

“Oh?” He said, trailing with a amused sigh. “And what did you find?” I could hear “This better be good” tone under the words.

“I found a way to decode the base pheromone communication that Model Six’ use. I can duplicate the compound, and install it into deployable weapons to create safe zones, or deterrents for lower tier Models! Imagine, putting this in every school room, or kids on the street, or military grenades, and bunkers and everything!”

A brief pause.

“That… is quite amazing, Mori. So, I’m guessing no date tonight then?” He sounded like a wounded puppy; my heart broke a bit with guilt.

“Uh, well, the place I picked is open until 11pm, and I think I can still swing the food place, too, if we hurry.” I gibbered out quickly.

“Well, I am ready now, so if you give me the address, I can meet you there to save picking up one of us.” Devoy said.

“Awesome, I will meet you there in like twenty minutes!” I said while hanging up.

I quickly shoot over the address for Juhnes, while vaulting out of the lab, after sending the cauldron to craft as soon as the materials arrive.

I also make a quick call to Juhnes.

“Hello, this is Juhnes Korean BBQ. Who is calling?”

“Hey! This is Morigana, I fought off the gangs exploiting your restaurant the other day.”

“Oh yes, thank you for that, they have not been back since! If ever I can repay you let me know, please.” He said ,sounding grateful.

“Well, actually you see, I kind of promised a special friend a date, and if you guys could stay open a bit for it, I would be most appreciative!”

“Oh ho! Of course, of course! Please! I will make a special occasion just for you! When will you be by?” He asked, excited.

“Twenty minutes, and really, thank you.”

“That’s not much time, but no worries we can do it. See you soon.” And he hangs up the phone abruptly.

Yes! Salvaged!

It’s a miracle your species propagates at all.