Beastmaster: Omnicide: A LitRPG science fantasy adventure (Beastmasters Book 2)

by Kory Shen

  The ground was still rushing towards us. We had maybe a quarter mile left.

  As the Mekanic grabbed me in a bear hug, it flipped so that its feet were pointing at the ground, then strained to slow my fall. The weight of the rapid deceleration crushed me against the Mekanic's arms, causing a trickle of damage.

  ENERGY: 681/700

  I waited. Too soon, and I might not survive the fall without bleeding enough momentum away.

  Too late, and the Mekanic might take me to who knows where.

  ENERGY: 645/700

  As if sensing what I had in mind, the Mekanic's arms crackled with electricity, further draining my energy.

  "Do not resist," a mechanical voice intoned.

  ENERGY: 536/700

  We were still a couple hundred feet off the ground, but the Mekanic had slowed our descent to a crawl.

  I Phase Shifted, slipping through the Mekanic's arms.

  It responded immediately, diving toward me to catch me again.

  I Phase Shifted again and again, avoiding its grasp.

  I Phase Shifted through the length of an entire tree. Then, I bounced off the ground. One. Two. Three.

  Fuck, that hurt.

  ENERGY: 78/700

  I picked a direction at random and began sprinting, zigzagging every hundred yards or so in case they were trying to track me from above.

  I didn't hear anyone chasing me for a minute, so I slowed down.

  Dustin, this is the wrong way. Zoe's tone was frantic.

  Wrong way? All I see are trees and more trees.

  To your right.

  I peeked through the foliage. In my desperation to escape the Mekanics, I had led myself right back to the outpost where Cody and Staccato had been originally waiting.

  Drake was perched over a smoking piece of metal in the rocky clearing. I assumed he had managed to take out one Mekanic.

  Dustin. They're here.

  Staccato's Beastform, some kind of gigantic brown praying mantis, charged, slashing its glowing forearms. Drake met the slashes with his own wings. They were locked in a fury of Beastform blades, evenly matched.

  Until Cody joined the fray. Drake couldn't parry Staccato and dodge Cody at the same time. Cody barreled into Drake with his cannonball attack. When Cody rebounded, I could make out a metal sleeve across the back of his Beastform.

  ENERGY: 79/700

  I had barely recovered any energy since my fall. I didn't have much to waste, but I sent a Sonic Screech at Cody to distract him.

  "Drake!" I shouted, running behind him. "Let's go!"

  I figured he could grab me and fly away, outrunning anyone chasing us. He was a freaking dragon, after all.

  Drake swiveled his head, a gleaming silver eye staring at me.

  "Hunter?" Drake roared.

  Drake did exactly as I hoped, disengaging from Staccato and lunging for me.

  But Staccato used his speed ability, appearing instantly between me and Drake.

  I was about to Phase Shift through Staccato, but Zoe screamed in my mind.

  Careful! He can hurt you in your Phase Shift!

  I dodged to the right, instead. My energy was too low to take a hit.

  Drake tackled Staccato, and they both went tumbling. I raced after them, trying to position myself closer to where Drake would end up.

  Where's Cody? And the Mekanics.

  Dustin…

  Drake disengaged from Staccato and managed to end up next to me.

  Staccato and Cody were across from us.

  "Time for a little foreplay, right Staccato? There's four of us, get it?" Cody laughed, a throaty growl.

  God, I had forgotten how annoying he was.

  "Can we run for it," I whispered to Drake, flicking my eyes upward.

  As if in response, the two remaining Mekanics landed with loud thumps, one to our right, the other on our left. Neither the former Beastmasters or the Mekanics made a move.

  "Damn Mekanics," Drake grumbled softly. He swung his head toward me, peering at me with one eye. "Why'd you come back?" he snarled.

  "I…I tried to lure them away from the others."

  Drake blew a puff of smoke out his nostrils. "I suppose it wouldn't have mattered." He lowered his head closer to mine. "I have enough energy for one serious round of Dragon's Breath. When it happens, run and don't look back."

  My heart sank. The way he said that, I knew what he expected. He was going to zero himself and end up dead, just to give me one last shot at escaping.

  "But—"

  "That's an order!" Drake hissed.

  It wouldn't make a difference. They had tricked us, trapped us, treated us like the technologically inferior species we actually were.

  That we had survived so far was a miracle. They were toying with us, even now.

  "The reunion's been touching, but it ends now," Staccato said. He waved a bladed arm at the Mekanics. "Make sure they don't escape. I want to finish this myself."

  "Spike, you traitorous bitch!" Drake roared. He lowered his voice, speaking only to me. "Get ready…"

  Even if I escaped, they would find me again. I knew it, in my gut. I couldn't let Drake sacrifice himself for me for no reason.

  "Wait!" I shouted. I unmelded and stepped forward.

  "Hunter!" Drake screamed.

  Staccato had tried to kill me last time, when he had claimed that only Zoe was important. But the Mekanics had saved me in the air just now. They could have let me fall, zero, and then swooped in to take Zoe. I didn't know what exactly Staccato's relationship with the Mekanics was like, but I had to bet that they were in charge, not him.

  "Let Drake go," I said. "If you want me, you can take me."

  "Sure, I'll take you." Staccato laughed. "Idiot. I want you dead, though, remember?" His bladed arms glowed blue as he prepared a strike.

  Shit! I prayed that I wasn't screwing up.

  "Hunter, get out of the fucking way!" Drake screamed. He inhaled sharply, preparing his final Dragon's Breath.

  Staccato took a step forward.

  "It was nice knowing you little-D," Cody called out. "Well, not really. See ya, sucker."

  I ignored everything around me, turned, and knelt toward the Mekanic on my right.

  "Take me to your leader."

  Staccato's shadow loomed over me, but it stopped. A harsh wheezing sound broke out. He was laughing. "Really, Hunter?"

  Dustin!

  "I'm ready to meet VIK649," I said, facing the Mekanic.

  "Enough," Staccato said. The shadow descended.

  "Hunter!" Drake screamed.

  I closed my eyes. There was a loud crash. I opened an eye to find the Mekanic at my side, holding Staccato's arm at bay. Drake had stopped, inches from us as well.

  "VIK649 will meet you," the Mekanic said. It threw Staccato's arm to the side.

  "The hell?" Staccato raised his bladed arms again, but the second Mekanic joined the first.

  "Stand down," the Mekanic intoned.

  "Bullshit! Fucking bullshit!" Staccato screamed, but he stepped away.

  "Boring!" Cody shouted. "Boo! Fucking robots!"

  The first Mekanic picked up me and Zoe, one in each arm. Then, it rocketed into the air, leaving the others behind.

  CHAPTER 15

  We flew higher and higher. The air grew cold and thin.

  "Please enter your Beastform state," the Mekanic clutching me said.

  I melded. The Mekanic caught my bulkier form without missing a beat and flew higher.

  We're not going into space, are we?

  It's possible but unlikely with these smaller Mekanic models.

  We pierced a final hazy layer of clouds. I blinked.

  Oh shit, what was I getting myself into?

  A massive ship was floating just beyond the clouds. It was huge, easily larger than any aircraft carrier. I couldn't make out the exact shape—it was an endless wall of metal gray.

  A wave of panic washed over me. It took me a moment to realize it was from Zoe.

/>   Zoe, you okay? It was a stupid question. We were heading straight into the heart of Zoe's enemies. Of course, she wasn't.

  I'm…I'll be fine. That's a Mekanic airbase.

  Airbase. I had to admit it was cooler than anything our side owned. The Mekanic carrying me flew towards a small opening in the side, continuing down a dark tunnel for a minute before finally emerging in what looked like a landing bay.

  I expected the Mekanic to drop me, now that we were inside, but it kept flying through the landing bay.

  It's so quiet here. The vast space was largely empty. It was just an enormous room with metal walls. A small boxy shape moved in the distance.

  Mekanics have never been a numerous race. Not like us. Their strength is in their engineering.

  The Mekanic took us deeper into the airbase. The corridors were large and cylindrical, ten times the size of a human hallway. I supposed that they had to be big enough for the larger Mekanics to pass through.

  We zoomed through more giant tunnels until finally slowing down before a twelve-foot tall door embedded into the metal wall. The Mekanic set me down and pointed towards the door with a gray finger.

  "You will stay here," it said. Then, it turned and flew away before I could ask any questions.

  I approached the metal door, still melded. The door lifted silently.

  My feline jaw fell open at the sight before me.

  Inside was the lavish living quarters of a billionaire bachelor. Lush, rich carpeting lined the floor, and crystal chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, their light reflecting off the smooth surfaces of expensive looking desks, cabinets, and bookshelves. I spotted a huge television screen that had to be at least six feet across. The only thing that looked cheap was the sofas. They were all dull black leather, the kind you found in porn videos. Weird.

  I took a partial step inside, still lingering within the doorway.

  Something shiny and metallic caught my eye, and I crouched, ready to attack, but it was just an enormous refrigerator. One section of the quarters had an immaculate-looking kitchen area, with multiple refrigerators, an oven, all sorts of cooking gear I couldn't identify—the kitchen sink, and then some.

  There was an exercise area with a treadmill, free weights, various exercise machines, all gleaming with the shine of brand new equipment.

  In another corner, I spotted an enormous bed with thick, inviting blue covers.

  It was everything a nineteen-year-old could fantasize about, other than the cooking. Not what I had expected at all from the Mekanics.

  I took another tentative step into the quarters. When nothing happened, I unmelded and stepped inside fully.

  A low voice boomed from behind me. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

  I spun around, melding as I did.

  Dustin! A Mekanic!

  A metal man twice my height stood just outside the doorway. I hadn't heard him arrive, and neither had Zoe, apparently.

  His surface was a dull gray, and his limbs were blocky. His anatomy was missing any fine details other than the minimal limbs and digits. His face had a single black circle for the eye, mouth, or some combination of both.

  "Vikki?" I asked in confusion.

  "Vikki? You mean VIK649? No, you'll meet her soon enough. I'm GAR538, but you can call me Garvek."

  "Are you like her butler or something?"

  "Butler?" Garvek made a laughing noise, although his face didn't appear to have any muscles to move. Or joints for that matter. "She would think so, at times. But no, you could say I am her father. I crafted her body. One of my finest pieces in biosteel. Much less of a headache than dealing with blood and guts." Garvek shook his head. "The damn hair always takes the longest."

  I cleared my throat. "So you made Vikki?"

  Garvek cocked his head. "What? No."

  "But you said—"

  "I made her current body. Few can make a Mekanic. Not these days…" he trailed off. He pointed at my claws. "You're ruining the carpet, you know."

  Zoe?

  Fascinating. I've never talked to a Mekanic face-to-face like this. No Chimeric has.

  Never? That was a good sign, then, I hoped. I took a deep breath. It's not like we would be able to fight our way out of here.

  I unmelded, then craned my neck to look the tall Mekanic in the face.

  "Are you in charge?" I asked.

  "Of course, I'm in charge. This place was her idea, though." Garvek gestured to the room. "Do you like it?"

  "It's great. But what happens now?"

  "We become best friends and live happily ever after. The end." Garvek stared at me with his single black eye, as if I should be satisfied with that answer.

  An uncomfortably long silence passed. "You think humans are stupid, don't you?"

  Garvek tilted his head. "Human intelligence is inferior to ours. I thought I would dumb it down for you."

  "We're not that dumb."

  "Then, why are you losing the War?"

  Fuck the carpet. I melded again, knocking over a sofa in the process.

  "Ok, Tin Man," I growled. "Enough with the bullshit. What do you want from me?" I coiled my body, ready to tear his head off.

  Careful, Dustin. We don't know what we're dealing with.

  Garvek clapped his hands together like a child, not minding my outburst. "Wonderful!" He bent forward, peering at me. "Your spectral signature is spiking—simply amazing!" He held out both arms as if he has introducing me to a stage. "This is why you're here."

  I didn't like the way he said that, like he was prying into my Beastform and seeing something private. I unmelded. "There are plenty of other Beastmasters. You even have Cody and Staccato. Why am I here?"

  "Yes, but you're something special." Garvek bent down to Zoe's eye level, his face pressed to the ground "Yes, very special."

  I rolled my eyes. Zoe's status was apparently the worst kept secret this side of the galaxy. Even the Mekanics knew about her, although I wasn't surprised since Staccato had figured it out.

  "So? You're Mekanics. Unless you're trying to make baby Chimerics…"

  Careful. We don't want to reveal too much.

  Garvek stood up straight. "How much do you know about the history between Mekanics and Chimerics?" he asked.

  "That you've been fighting each other forever?" I asked.

  "We once lived in harmony. In a symbiotic relationship. That means—"

  "I know what that means." Something about his choice of words made me pause. "Wait. What do you mean?"

  "A symbiotic relationship is when two species have a mutually beneficial long-term biological interaction."

  "I know! But between Chimerics and Mekanics?"

  Impossible! Zoe took a step away from Garvek. Her claws had dug into the carpet, leaving behind gouges.

  Zoe?

  Garvek glanced down, shaking his head at the damaged carpet. "The Chimerics would never admit it, but it's true." He spoke more softly. "Mekanics and Chimerics once bonded, as you now do with your Avatar. Of course, our two races can no longer bond."

  Something about the way Garvek said that made me think he was spreading a dirty rumor or piece of juicy gossip. Chimerics and Mekanics used to hook up? "Okay, so what…"

  No! That can't be!

  I winced at Zoe's mental cry of surprise. Zoe?

  There were rumors…but…but… Zoe stood up, knelt down, then stood up again. He has to be lying!

  I reached out to steady Zoe. It took me a moment to realize why she was so upset. I had only been in the crazy world of Beastmasters for a month. When everything surprised you, nothing did. This robot was overturning Zoe's whole life, though, if he was right.

  Garvek nodded gravely. "Many Mekanics deny what happened eons ago as well. But you'll change that."

  "Uh, I will?"

  Zoe, any idea where he's going?

  I have no idea. Zoe had gotten over her initial shock. A quiver of curiosity passed through our mental bond.

  "We Mekanics have lost to
uch with our biological heritage. We can't replicate like you do anymore."

  "You can't reproduce?" I frowned. "Then, why aren't you extinct?"

  "Our numbers are shrinking. We've only managed to survive for this long because our minds can outlive our long-gone bodies. Of course, we need to reboot our minds every couple hundred years or so when things start to crack. Keeps us fresh and sane."

  This…this is amazing. We know so little about them. We have little direct contact, outside of their war machines. We weren't even sure if they had any organic forms left.

  Why's he sharing his people's deepest secrets with us?

  Likely to gain our trust. He could still be lying. Or omitting key details.

  I nodded as if I wasn't completely overwhelmed about everything I had just heard. "Maybe Zoe or I could help with Chimeric stuff. But I don't know anything about making a new you."

  "Mekanics labored for ages to solve the problem of what it takes to birth a new mind. The answer's simple, really. It takes a body." He clanked a fist against his metal chest. "Alas, this one won't do."

  "I still don't get it."

  "When Mekanics and Chimerics could bond, they shared everything, mind and body, as you do with your Avatar. They could even breed together. One bonded pair would couple with another to conceive a new bonded offspring. The pinnacle of perfect co-evolution. The truest symbiosis." Garvek's lone black eye closed briefly for the first time since meeting him. It was unnerving. "They say such a four-way coupling was the greatest pleasure the universe had ever seen."

  Wait, did he wink at me?

  Forget that, Dustin. How does he know all this? All records of our far history, the kind he's talking about, are lost to time. We have rumors and stories, nothing more. I'm not sure I believe him.

  "You'll have to pardon her, but Zoe doesn't quite believe you."

  Garvek gave a hearty laugh. "Some of my own people don't believe me, but I've researched this thoroughly. Look at the Mekanics and Chimerics of today. Why do you think only higher Chimerics can reproduce? And they can only breed through parthenogenesis. Mekanics have lost the ability to reproduce altogether. Your Beastmasters become sterile after bonding. All of this is linked. Mekanics and Chimerics were meant to live, breed, and die together."