“When I first started verting the rig, my iion was that if I built right above where the antithesis were, I wouldn’t have to chase them down. When the Family came to me insisting that I rent out spa the ptform to let them use as a forward base against the Antithesis, I was skeptical. Then they offered me a rather… tidy sum, and it immediately became much easier to accept their presence.”
Interview with First Geion Samurai, Buoy, for the dotary ‘The Hidden ins of New Houston’***
Achys and I are utterly silent as we walk through that damned hallway again, doing our best to not look at what we knew was there. It isn’t until we arrive ba that main puter room that I take a breath of relief. I walk over to the open puter I had used before, sitting down with a groan.
“Well, Achys,” I mutter, pointing at the puter, “Do your thing.”
I still ’t ect to them, Emmalyn. You’re either going to have to find a way to patch me in, or remove the data drive so that we get the info off at a ter time.
I sm my head into the desk, then shake the impact off to get to work. Unfortunately, an annoyingly long time ter, I find there simply isn’t a way for me to ect to the puter, so we have to go with pn B. After turning it off, I pick up my hammer, then do my best to lightly tap the side of the pstic PC case. The part I hit s pletely inward, making it a simple task to rip it off to reveal the delicate innards.
Well then, that works. It’s the two little boxes itht.
I quickly unplug them, then realize I don’t have ao put them. “Uhh, Achys?”
Need a bag?
I start to nod but then raise a finger instead. “I need one of those and some new clothes.”
That’ll ore, but you’re ly hurting for points at the moment. What kind of clothes do you want?
“Hmmm…” I look down at myself, the long bloodsoaked bck dress and apron ly appealing at the moment. “Let’s keep it simple. While I don’t want the same exact dress I have on, I kinda really liked being a maid while it sted, and I guess I’m gonna be ing the reef as I asd so…”
You… Want another maid dress? Do you even need a bag with an apron like that?
I shrug. “I like the aesthetic, sue me. I guess the apron is good enough, but I want it to be frilly. And I want the dress to be cuter than this one is.
As you and, my Vanguard overlord.
Points update!
Starting Total: 165 Points
Targets Eliminated!
3x: Model 10-T
Reward: 30 points
2x Model 4-T
Reward: 30 points
Small Hive Destroyed!
Reward: 500 points, 1 token
Total Gained: 560 points, 1 token
Catalog Unlocked!
Css-I Basibat Garments
Cost: 20 Points
New Purchase!
1x Css-I bat Maid Dress
Cost: 5 Points
1x: Css-I bat Frilly Apron
Cost: 5 Points
Final Total: 690 Points, 1 Token
I shen swiftly ge into my new clothes, using my old ones as towels to off the fresh grass stains from my skin. The new outfit is far more, to put it bluntly, ahen the inal, a bright apple red dress with adorable white frills on the poofy sleeves and short skirt. The apron is simple to be fair, just a white apron lined with the same white frills as the dress, but it’s a pleasant bo to be sure. It’s as I’m ging though, I reach up to see that my hair is not blonde anymore.
I shrug, stig the drives into my apron pocket and walking to the door. “Uh, why is my hair gray, exactly?”
The virus.
I tilt my head, irely uanding. “Yeah, but why though? Shouldn’t it be paler instead?”
The enviro module doesn’t o reinforce your hair, so it didn’t weave into the se proteg it. Keratin is quite resilient.
“I… guess?” I shake my head, walking out of the damned boratory into the opeh floor air. “You’d be surprised at how easy it is to break a nail though.”
I sniff the air, then turn to see a now rather gigantic bck pilr of smoke rising from the b. I blink, then groan, they obviously hadn’t followed the rules of the reef when making that pce. As ast a trash , I toss the ID card I was given i was a useless piece of pstiow.
There was only a single destination I could head to, if I wao save anyone on this floor from dying. I begin to speed walk towards the ter of the floor, deeply thankful I had gotten lost earlier. I had walked past the tral hub of the floor, where the workers in the various facilities would spend their time when on break. It’s where I’d find the admin building, where the reef administratioheir facilities.I take a hard right into a narrow passageway through the jungle of pipes, only to screech to a stop and squint at something in the distance.
I cautiously raise the hammer in front of me and say, “Achys, is that- OH SHIT!”
I barely mao fall backwards, dodging a jet of trated water that cuts into the steel floor where I had just been standing. I stumble upwards and rush back around the er as the monster begins to run at me.
I peek around a pipe only to duck back behind it as another jet of water shoots at me, then screech, “I didn’t know they could shoot stuff!”
It’s a model five variant, which is fairly ing. It seems that the previous Hive was not the only one on the floor.
I patiently listen for the approach of the alien, the g of its feet slowing as it gets closer. I ready my on, and when I hear it get right up to the er, I swing the hammer side in a diagonal arc; Straight through the rusty pipes I had been hiding behind. The on seemingly isn’t bothered by the roadblock, smashing right through the metal to crush the beast into a fine pulp. I’m bsted with burning steam, and I scream as I fall backwards, only to thankfully find my skin protected by a now rather cooked set of Virus tissue.
Shaking that close call off, I walk over to examine my victim, finding a strange chimera that looked simir to a lionfish bined with a shrimp of some sort. It was the size of a rge man, or maybe a bear- I’d seen a few in some of the nature dotaries I’d watched, and the size was somewhat parable. Maybe. Kinda hard to gauge size from behind a s.
It’s good you mao not get hit, I’m uhe virus would have been able to fully prevent that from pierg into your skin. Lionfish venom is nasty.
I shiver, listening carefully for any more movement. For better or worse, only the sound of hissing steam fills my ears.
“I need a ranged option,” I mutter, then tih, “And maybe an upgrade to the armor so that doesn’t happen.”
Both of which are feasible with the catalogs you have access to. Is there anything in particur that you want?
“Preferably?” I move my jaw bad forth as I think. “Something I don’t o actively s to mid-bat. I’m fog on the hammer pretty hard when I’ve been fighting, so…”
With that in mind, I actually have two suggestions that fit both roles you’re looking for as well as the criteria you set. First is a ‘Option ball’, which is a spherical drohat works to intercept ranged hits but also allows for you to throw or hit it at oppos, utilizing its gravity maniputor for stronger hits.
I snort, the image of pying baseball to kill aliens pying in my head as I ask, “Sounds kinda fun, what’s the other one?”
It’s a bination of two catalogs, specifically based around an advanced drohin the Gravitational Maniputors catalog, the Gravitationally Uricted Lightweight Lancer. It’s styled after a seabird, utilizing both the lift it receives from a bit of wind and its ability to ignore reality to perform pierg strikes on enemies. In addition, there is a separate Viral Module catalog for drones you add to it with, giving it more uional funs, like defending you fred attacks.
I groan at the abbreviation, shaking my head as I ask, “Price difference?”
The orb is one hundred fifty while the GULL is eighty, along with one huwenty on top for the required catalog and viral module, but its total price dramatically varies depending on whatever rades you decide to make to it.
I tap the butt of my on on the ground in thought. “I make the bird drone look like whatever I want, right?”
The size of the drone is variable, and a cheap variation of the virus would be able to make it look like any avian you wish it to.
I grin, then give a thumbs up. “Gimme a vibrant Jay. I really like how they look.”
Do you want any additional upgrades? The virus do just about anything you’d want.
“Um, might as well go all out,” I mutter, then say, “Increased durability, speed, offense, automatic recovery?”
Easy, and done. I’ll be summoning all of these together for venience’s sake.
Points Update!
Starting Total: 690 Points, 1 Token
Targets Eliminated!
1x Model 5-A
Reward: 20 Points
New Catalog!
Css-I V-AI Drone Modules
Cost: 100 Points
New Purchase!
1x: Css-I Gravitationally Uricted Lightweight Lancer (Gull fig)
Cost: 80 Points
1x: V-AI Drone Suite
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Defensive Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Mobility Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Offensive Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Recovery Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
1x: V-AI Appearance Adaptation Module
Cost: 20 Points
Total Cost: 300 Points
Final Total: 410 Points, 1 Token
I cover my eyes with my arm as a momentarily blinding fsh of light fills the area.
The universe cries, the Antithesis slowly dev it whole.
I peek out to find, appearing in the air in front of me, a vibrant red flower opens to reveal a small silver bird, curled up in its own wings.
YET! There is hope!
It floats up a bit as it begins to radiate a deep golden glow as a virus glob drops onto it, c the bare metal with a yer of flesh.
Enigmatic protectors sent forth their Systems and AI to those who most hem!
Then, four more orbs appear above it, slowly one by one shifting the flesh and c the light.
Beh the murky depths of the Gulf, we will defend those who ot protect themselves!
A final, silver star appears above the bird, slowly starting the final ges. A set of glowihers begins to sprout from the virus, the bird’s silhouette taking on a far more familiar shape.
We will defeat our foes, rising to the surface to gain our freedom!
The light begins to fade, beginning at the tip of the Jay’s tail, slowly revealing a vibrant blue and red bird, the tips of its wings and the ey of its beak a pure white. The bird twitches, then spins up into the air, stretg its wings wide and opening its beak as it loudly sings:
“I am Achys, and I will keep you whole!”
I tilt my head, raising an eyebrow as I snicker. “Did you really go all that way ving me on this thing to get a body for yourself?”
Achys flies over, nding on my shoulder. “It’s just a pleasant bonus from an optimal purchase, I’d never manipute you just for my own gain.”
“Riiight.” I shake my head, my lips raising a bit “Shall we get moving again?”
“Indeed!” Achys tilts her little head forward, and I swear she is grinnie the otion on the bird’s face. “Shall I scout ahead?”
I roll my eyes, waving my hand up in the air. “Go wild. If you spot any strays a an opportunity, uh, I guess elimihem if you ?”
“That seems reasonable!” Achys fps off my shoulder, shooting out into the darkened sky of the Twelfth. “I shall return soon!”
I give a thumbs up, resuming on my path. It’s a winding, rather annoyi of turns through the realm of pipes but soon I reach the open area, immediately finding a somewhat troublesome situation. A huge crowd is gathered around the administration building, l as they quietly chat among themselves, several frantically gesturing towards the quickly growing pilr of smoke.
“Achys,” I whisper, gring at the uping difficulties looming in front of me, “ you still hear me?”
I , my Jay body is simply aension of me. I see the issue, do you need me to do something?
I roll my shoulder, then grin and prop my hammer against it as I get an idea. “Yeah, just e bad nd on my shoulder. Make it fshy.”
With pleasure.
I wait for a moment until I hear Achy’s song approag, then walk forward with purpose in my steps. Achys does a quick rotation around the crowd in the air, then flutters down to nd on my shoulder. The entire crowd turns to look at me, a mixture of awe and fear in their eyes as they take me in.
A man covered in grease, probably not much older than I am, steps out of the crowd, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. “You a Sam’?”
I tilt my head just a little to the side as I ask, “You a wrench monkey? What's the problem?”
“It’s sorta’ obvious miss.” Exasperated, he waves his hand up at the smoke. “ you fix that?”
Putting an exaggerated look of surprise on, I turn to the bck smog gathering at the roof and gasp, putting my fiips to my lips.
“Why I’d never! How’d that happen?!” I turn back to the crowd with a very unimpressed look. “Oh yeah, that was me.”
A few people gasp, bag away from me. I scoff, then begin twirling my hammer like a baton.
“You see, workers of the Twelfth, I have a job.” I walk forward, the crowd parting arouh every step. “I’m a maid, and I have but a siask.”
I stop, then point the hammer at the pilr of smoke, letting an exuberant grin rise on my face as I decre:
“I , and someo a little mess for me to mop up.”
I put my fio my cheek, turning my head slowly to look at the people in the crowd, many of which were growing increasingly nervous. “Now, I ’t help but wonder, why are you all still here?”
An older woman, bulkier than a lot of the people in the crowd, steps out with her jaw askew. “Well, miss, the admins have the stairlocks locked up like normal still. Nobody leaves during work hours.”
I blink, then raise an eyebrow. “You’re fu’ with me.”
I look up at the small circur tower behind me, a set of heavy metal doors a doze below a full row of pletely tinted windows. I squint, finding myself uo see anyone inside. I sigh, then gnce back at the woman as I decre: “Well, I have an easy enough solution to that.”
I casually swing my hammer, blowing both doors pletely off their hinges, leaving them a pile of scrap metal. I gnce back at the shocked faces of the crowd with a grin, then casually stride inside and up a set of spiraling stairs. As I reach the top, my jaw drops at what I see, or well, the ck of it.
“THERE’S NO ONE HERE!?” I screech, then gnce around, quickly finding a rge trol panel. I skip ng over it until I find a switch beled ‘Release all locks.’ I flip it, then in a few quick leaps, I’m once again on the ground. The crowd anxiously greets me, and I point towards the stairlo the distance.
“Well, you don’t have much time.” I look up to Achys, who fps up off my shoulder. “I’d estimate you all have about… Ten minutes before the Twelfth bees a good pce to be if you wanna be a popped balloon.
Just about everyos moving at that, leaving me snickering in their wake. Achys hovers a bit over the bulk of the group, sending a video feed to my gsses.
You do know that the time till the floor is dangerous to be on is probably closer to half an hht?
I start walking, beginning to hum ‘Look at Me’. “Yup. They’ll never know.”
I hear the jay guffaw in the distance, a rather strange sound all things sidered.
The longer I spend with you, the more suited you seem to this role.
“Yeah, I’m notig that too,” I mutter, watg the fleeing backs in front of me. “I’d never really thought about it before now. Samurai were just…”
Outsiders?
“More like myths.” I rub my tongue against my incisor. “As far as I know, none even live in the reef.”
Acc to the data I have access to, you’d teically be correct. There are only two samurai that permaly make their home in this city, namely ‘Haifisch’ and ‘Steel Hound’. Haifisch has taken responsibility for the bottom six floors, while Steel Hound protects everything above that.
An explosis out in the dire of the fire, startlio speeding my casual stroll up to a jog. Achys shoots through the sky, blurring until she is casually gliding beside me.
“Holy, if Haifisch isn’t quick…” I look to the rising fmes in the distance, increasing my speed even more. “I think he’s going to go down to five floors he trols.”
Achys chirps, showing off by cirg around me as she flies. “Are you not going to take a few floors yourself?”
I scoff, stig out my to her as I decre:
“Yeah right, I’m gonraveling Samurai flying around on a ship or something! Stupid aliens won’t know what hit em’!”
My AI-Bird squeaks a little chuckle, then says, “I’ll keep that in mind, Emmelyn.”
“Nah, that’s wrong,” I blurt, before immediately stuttering, “I-I mean, Emme is fine. You’re a good bean.”
“I…” Achys looks at me, her eyes turning into a crest. “Thank you, Emme.”
As we start getting close to the crowd funneling into the stairlock, a deep rumbling es from the side of the floor kitty-er to the fmes. Achys flies off to check, the crowd in front of me anxiously shuffling a bit closer to the floor’s exit. I squint, trying to see what exactly was going on, but it seems futile. “Achys, got anything?”
My best guess is that despite what the floorpns stated, there was an evacuatioer hidden on the floor, which is where the admi. When you opehe locks, you iently began the release process on it, so after a few mi detached from the floor to begin its rise to the surface.
“I… Well, sucks for them if they weren’t ready, I guess.” I walk closer to the stairlock, finding that the crowd has thinned enough that I’ll be able to go up myself on the cycle.
As the door to the stairlock opens once again, a very, very uling creaking begins to occur from the dire of the inferno. As people rush in, I pale as I visibly begin to see a slightly ing ieel that makes up the Twelfth’s walls. I anxiously tap my foot against the ground, only being able to take a breath of relief once I am safely behind the stairlock’s doors. As it clicks shut behind me, an ear shattering crack vibrates everything around us, and then I blink.
When I reopen my eyes, the other side of the door is covered in water.
“Well, that was a close call.” Achys tilts her head down to look into my eyes. “You’d probably be fih the virus suite if you were in there, but holy, it’d probably really, really hurt.”
I take a shaky breath, and nod.
That was far, far too close for fort.
Aliapanacea
