by J M Guillen
I kept my focus on the wriggling, worm-like creatures as they pushed their way from their mother’s back.
About three steps away, they noticed me. The floating spawn drifted into a swarm, instinctively gathering for their rush.
As soon as I reached the back wall, I fired. The wide focus on my weapon modulated the blast into a cone pattern. My shot shredded some of the tiny horrors and hurled the rest against the back wall to splatter into a pool of oozing sludge.
It looked as if they’d been blasted there by a typhoon.
Most of them anyway.
A few had darted around my blast like fish and came to rest on my arms and face. Where they touched me, their wetness dripped onto my skin. My flesh buzzed, as if their slime were narcotic.
“ROOOOOACK!” one of the freaks gurgled from across the room. “Groak, groak, groak!”
“Fucking… no!” Frantically, I peeled the squirming monsters off my face and squished them. Ichorous slime oozed between my fingers, and I decided to throw the tiny fucks against the floor to stomp them.
I couldn’t afford to get all fumble fingered with my weapons.
More, Michael.
I glanced up. In the time it taken me to destroy this one swarm, Anya had killed or maimed three other tadpole bearers.
Even as I watched, more pulled themselves out of the azure depths of the rifts.
Too many. There were just too many.
We may need to fall back to the hallway. Anya took three steps to her right to avoid an ambitious toady that got too close before she shot it in the stomach. A narrower battlefield gives us the advantage.
You may be right. Let’s start edging toward the door. I’d rather not trigger the stasis if we can avoid it, though. Getting back inside might be difficult. Also, if we’re gone, they may break more amphorae.
Understood.
No sooner had she sent the link than one of the loathsome invaders, unseen by either of us, tackled her from the left and bore her to the ground.
“Groak,” the aberration declared and snapped at her with those serrated, disease-laden teeth. It drooled puddles of yellow glop onto the floor. “Groak, groak.”
Anya! I leapt toward her, the katana in my right hand upraised.
The muffled sound of a SIG cracked the air.
It reared back, and I got a clear view.
Anya held the pistol between her and the creature. She fired three more times, straight through its stomach. It screeched and tried wildly to bite her, even as the remnants of its organs lay scattered.
“Back!” I took aim at one of the nearest battle frogs.
“Grooooooak,” it called and prepared to spring.
I fired my disruptor straight into its face.
The thing hurled backward into the wall and fell still.
Atop Anya, the shredded remains of Froggy lurched and went still. Parasites exploded out of it, a maelstrom of wrathful need.
Michael! Pure terror and adrenaline flowed through the Ice Princess’s link as she squirmed out from beneath the ichor-covered corpse.
The shiny black parasites wriggled and writhed in the air as they descended upon her, eager.
I fell to my knees next to her. As I went down, I began to fire, blasting the cloud of squirming ick like a hurricane.
A few pollywogs, only centimeters away from my weapon, vaporized into gooey mist. Others hurtled backward, ripped apart by the force or splatted against the far wall.
On me! Michael, one of them—
I plucked it off, even as the tadpole strove to enter her ear. Then I hurled it against the floor and stomped.
And stomped. And stomped.
Until I felt the narcotic buzz of one on my cheek.
“FUCK. NO.” I ripped the thing off, hurled it on the floor, and resumed stomping.
“Rooack.” An off-brown toad monster with wickedly gleaming teeth hopped closer. “Roooooack.”
Too many. Anya pushed herself to her feet. There is no way to know how many can use a single rift.
Focus, Preceptor. I sheathed my katana, realizing this battle might be better suited for my disruptors. We aren’t close to finished.
Which is my point. She took three steps and fired with each stride. Anya caught one creature in the knee, but when two more jumped for her, she shot to kill.
Her accuracy stunned me.
We have a chance with the rest of our cadre. However, as long as it is just us two, we are woefully outnumbered.
ETA on reinforcements? I sent a general link to my cadre. I knew full-well that next to no time had passed, but perhaps they had overestimated the time they required.
It’s been what…? A minute! Frustration and worry both dripped through Sofia’s link
Are you overrun, Hoss?
Not yet, I ground my teeth. I hated to admit it, but Anya might be right here. We needed help. If we didn’t fall back, we would lose this battle.
I have at least two minutes remaining. Delacruz’s link felt distracted, and I knew she continued to work on her system even as she linked. I can change the playing field, but I need a moment.
Time unknown. I felt Wyatt’s remorse. Thing’s still misqueing from water damage. I’m struggling to keep the fields that are already up from exploding.
Yes. I hopped over to one of the slaughtered aberrations and blasted the cloud of its young into a slimy mist. Do that. No explosions.
As I linked, several more of the malformed nightmares had pulled their way out of the shimmering pools.
Anya held them at bay. Mostly she horrifically maimed any that even glanced in our direction.
But she was right. Unless we had several more Assets on our side, it was time—
I stopped, midthought.
Anya, get your back to the door! I opened my side pack and desperately fumbled through the small pile of injectors I’d brought.
There.
Are we falling back to the hallway? She fired twice more.
Another of the creatures fell.
Not yet. Just get your back against something.
My fingers grasped the injector I needed. I only had a few of them, but these were so different from the general use mecha that I could tell them by touch alone.
I plunged it into my leg and winced at the cold bite that burst through my bloodstream. The moment it finished, I accessed the fourth slot of my Crown.
And initiated the Magus.
Bishop, Michael. 108. The prompt paused. Mike, if you wanna let this packet access to Mecha, Type Five, I’m gonna need that auth code.
Fine, Paige. I aimed at one of the hissing horrors and fired. The kinetic force knocked it back against the far wall. Authorization code 020798361.
Initiating now, Asset. The soft voice, in a way I found difficult to explain, felt almost smug in my mind. You’re gonna love this.
The air rippled around me, like heat over the desert. For a moment I felt a cool sensation wash over my skin, exactly like when I geared the Wraith.
Michael? Anya took three steps forward and shot one of the advancing amphibians squarely in the neck.
The aberration fell, gurgling with inhuman emotion.
What are you doing?
Before I could answer, a loud crackle filled the room. Three separate locations, each several meters away, burst with sharp amber light.
Then—
Three other Michael Bishops stood within the room. Each moved of his own accord, possibly mimicking movements my Crown had stored within the system.
It looked damn eerie.
My Crown could easily tell the difference between them and reality. My system readout represented them as little more than simple tokens, the same place markers our phaneric nodes used.
But to the naked eye…
The simulacra appeared perfect.
To my left, fake Bishop One raised a firearm toward one of the toads. Not a kinetic disruptor, but the simple handgun an Asset often geared when on mundane assignments.
“G
rooooak!” the creature cried and rapidly leaped to its left.
Fake Bishop fired, turning in an attempt to keep up with Ribbit’s movements.
Meanwhile, Fake Mike Two ran squarely at a small pod of them, weapons blazing. The light and sound of the simulacra would have fooled almost any onlooker, and the aberrations believed it.
They scattered, one of them even leaped back into the dark waters it’d sprung from.
“Back!” Fake Michael Three cried, and waved a pistol at three of the aberrations closing in on him. When they didn’t respond, he fired and sprinted the other direction.
Man, these guys are handsome.
I am— the confusion Anya squeezed into those two words felt completely novel. I didn’t think I’d ever felt her so completely off guard. Michael, what packet is that?
It’s the Magus. I grinned at her over my shoulder as I ran toward one of the frogs she’d killed.
I believed that packet to be discontinued. She shook her head. Did you gain access to it due to your new status?
Something like that. I arrived at the corpse just in the nick of time.
Already, the aberrant’s parasitic fry had begun to pulse and wriggle loose from their mother. Her skin appeared to boil with black, slimy tadpoles ready to seek a host.
Not today, boys. I stood above the corpse and fired down with both disruptors. A wide focus on each, made it simple to pulverize the squirming tadpoles.
I thought it had been classified as dangerous? Confusion aside, Anya responded excellently to the scattering of the loathsome things. As they hopped back from the trio of phantasms, she confidently strode forward and maimed the gurgling terrors where they stood.
I don’t kno—
One of the creatures stalked me from the side, its eager eyes bright.
“I see you.” I turned toward it.
The troglodyte’s dark skin held vibrant green highlights, almost florescent. It had hidden itself on one of the shelves, back amongst the amphorae.
With maw open wide, it lunged toward me.
“Damnit!”
I lead it with the disruptor in my left hand, but the amphibian had leapt far too quickly. After I fired once, twice, it leapt, struck me squarely in the chest, and bore me to the ground.
Both guns skittered across the floor.
“Grooooak!” the aberrant gurgled with glee. “Grooooak! Grooooak!”
“Uck!” I cried valiantly and fought to keep the toad’s claws from my throat.
Its skin oozed that stinking ichor the entire race seemed to secrete.
I’d begun to hate these things.
Michael! Anya’s link felt like an echo, it seemed so far away.
The loathsome aberration bore down, its reeking mouth centimeters from my face.
I’m okay! I grunted as the slimy toad-man reared back and then slammed me against the floor.
Mike? Second injection required, the Adjunct prompted. Simulacra integrity will begin to diminish in… I’d say about three minutes.
“Really?” I yelled at no one in particular. “I don’t think I got three minutes out of the thing!”
“GrOOOAAak!” the aberration gurgled and leaned ever closer. The monstrosity practically vibrated with anticipation, those filthy teeth getting ever closer.
I’m here, Michael.
I broke my gaze away from those huge, soulless eyes.
Anya Petrova trotted up to me. She didn’t slow her approach but launched a powerful kick squarely into the creature’s side.
Toady snarled and spun to one side.
I pushed in the same direction and launched the disgusting thing off me.
What the fuck? Wyatt’s incredulousness poured through the link, a river of disbelief.
WHUF! WHUF! WHUF! WHUF!
What did you do, Hoss? Wyatt had obviously been blown away by the sight of three false but amazingly handsome men as they ran around the room and kicked ass.
I had to hand it to him, however. It didn’t cause him to lose focus on his work.
We leave you alone for five minutes, Sofia added. I mean seriously. As Sofia linked, I heard the crossbow sing.
She hit one of the toads and then a second. Both instantly vanished in a beautiful display of offensive porting.
Offhandedly, I wondered where she sent them.
This is the best day I’ve ever had, I linked as I drew my katana and advanced upon the frog I’d wrestled. I’ve dealt with subpar associates for so long; it’s really done my heart good to work with someone who understands quality.
WHUF! WHUF! WHUF! By speed alone, I could tell Wyatt had placed the stasis field on a quick trigger. As he fired, each one blossomed into a dome of reflective silver and blocked the pools.
Is he saying he doesn’t need us? Sofia shot once, then twice more. Her first shot missed, but the other two removed even more slimy opponents from the field.
Maybe he wants us to leave. I felt Wyatt chuckle through the link.
“Groak! Greeeeerk!” As Wyatt grew dangerously complacent, another of the slippery bastards snuck up behind the barbarian and prepared to leap upon him.
“No. Not again.” Sofia stepped to her right and fired the crossbow, spearing Froggy in the face.
Thanks, Delacruz. Wyatt gave her a nod.
Don’t mention it. I didn’t want to hear your girly scream.
Second injection required in one minute, my packet informed me.
Disengage, I linked, and the three simulacra vanished simultaneously.
They’ve abandoned him now, Sofia crowed. Guess we get to save the day after all.
Michael, Anya’s link warned me. I believe your Stilettos might be more convenient than the Shogun at this time.
Oh, I linked. Upon quick examination, I realized she was absolutely right. Several of the monstrosities lay dead, but if I didn’t do something, we would face a cloud of their young, all intent on finding a new home.
“GROOOAK!” One of the ichor-covered toads hopped toward me, a quick movement I almost hadn’t seen.
Just as I turned toward it, it leapt away, apparently none too eager to get shot in the face.
It jumped back into one of the few remaining shimmery pools.
“Fine, go!” I called after it. “I don’t like you anyway!”
Is this how his dates usually start? Delacruz teased.
No. Anya interjected as she kicked one of the toads in the face. My research has shown that most of Michael’s dates have more tentacles.
WHAT? I turned toward Anya in disbelief. Et tu, Petrova?
Now that’s funny. Wyatt chuckled and sealed another rift with a WHUF!
Apparently, the creature that ran from me wasn’t alone in its concerns. Several of the freakish things apparently decided against further engagement. As Anya shot them dead, one after another, Sofia teleported others to God knew where.
Wyatt closed the pools that led back to their homes, and I methodically wandered among their dead and slaughtered their children.
That couldn’t be good for their morale.
“GRooooak!” The last toad gurgled, circling around the table and the corpse of the old man. It made a leap for the last of those darkling pools.
WHUF! Wyatt sealed that path with a single shot.
Sofia loosed a final quarrel, and Croaker vanished with one last gurgle. “And done.”
Within a matter of minutes of the cadre reuniting, the aberrations had been either slain or driven back to their watery homes. Their sickening spry had been reduced to a fine but disgusting goo.
There. Wyatt gave me the biggest smile he could. What would you do without us, Bishop?
Save on therapy bills? I chuckled as I responded.
Babysitting little Froggy is more like it. Sofia wrinkled her nose at me.
Inside his sinuses, my Alabamian friend chuckled.
“I suppose that’s fair.” I glanced around the room. “There were quite a few of them. Where did you send them?” I turned to Delacruz.
“Did he?” I shook my head. “I wondered if you’d just left those Irrats there to starve.”
“I might have let ’em out.” He considered. “After a day or two.”
Well, I still had a quarrel there. I couldn’t create any new apertures, not with aberrant vectors flung all over the place. So, I simply linked to that quarrel and sent the Irrats some pets.
“Did you?” I laughed. “That seems mighty generous.”
I didn’t want them to get lonely.
“To be fair,” Wyatt interjected, “it was entirely her idea. I did not in any way recommend she trap savage aberrant creatures in with those poor Irrats.”
“No, I see what you were working on.” I glanced around. I didn’t think I’d ever seen so many stasis fields in one place. Each of them shone silver and seemed as if they might remain in place until the Earth itself was swallowed by the sun.
They’ve got good color. I raised one eyebrow at Wyatt. Not experimenting with other hues again, I hope?
That was crazy. He shook his head. I’ve never in life seen remainders like— Midlink, Wyatt simply stopped.
I stared at him, expecting him to continue, yet he just stared back, his eyes wide and confused.
What is it? I started to link, but I couldn’t get past Wh before my Crown froze.
It whirred then, and I felt my system lock. For an instant, I couldn’t move a muscle. I could still see Wyatt, though, and Delacruz behind him, similarly locked in place.
Standby for vital updates. The prompt seemed distant, and significantly more mechanical than usual.
After a moment I felt the whirring sensation again. Warmth, like melted caramel, washed through my veins. My shoulders drooped, relaxed. Then I could move again.
What? Sofia gasped. Did they just put us on lockdown?
I am receiving an urgent patch. Anya’s head twitched and then twitched again. Pardon me for a moment while I attend to system issues.
Issues? Wyatt rubbed the side of his head as if he had a headache.
My telemetric variables are being updated. Anya glanced at me, and I saw a touch of nervousness in her eyes. I am detecting Rationality variances, and I need to peruse the axiomatic weave for a moment.
“Well.” I glanced at the others. “I don’t like the sound—”