by Erik Weir
Wynn showed no emotion as she moved forward, rifle aiming at the robotic workers. The rest of the squad moved in as Victor barely took a step forward. Shaking off the moment of disbelief, the Blade moved with the team toward metal crates and a utility vehicle. For a brief instant, the workers carried on adding and welding equipment and shield plates to the hull.
“Buk, Diz, and Sakura, ready to deploy once our initial scans finish,” Wynn directed.
Victor moved behind some crates with Buk and Diz. He could see in his vision that everything he was seeing was being recorded and uploaded in real time. Peeking from behind a crate, he marveled at the size of the ship and for a brief instant wondered if he could pilot it out of there.
A worker turned its smooth head to the end of the hanger and caught sight of a man just hiding behind a crate. Scans shifted and heat signatures appeared for a dozen bodies. Alarms blared to life as lights flashed.
“Intruder Alert. Intruder Alert,” filled the hanger.
“We need six minutes to complete the scans,” Wynn said over comms.
Walls slid open at ground level and sentries stepped out, lifting up rifles. Simple digital faces glowed red as they turned their attention to the end of the hanger and began marching. The ground level of the chamber was flooded with sentries in mere seconds as they met in the middle and began to advance.
Wynn looked over to Victor, “Retreat and we will cover your escape.”
The Blade looked to the fox woman, heat rising up his neck. “Sorry foxy lady but it looks like I’m going to be protecting all of you.”
Victor stood up and stepped into the open while activating his Nano Sphere abilities. Rifle in hand, he spent three points of Constitution on Weapon Upgrade, Power Suit Upgrade and Armor Upgrade. Lifting the rifle up, a cable snaked out of his arm and connected to the weapon, plasma cartridge glowing hotter. Along the pores of Victor’s skin, nano-drones ejected by the trillions, barely past the skin but before his clothing, spreading out and connecting like armor plates. In a span of seconds, metal scales covered the Blade while several cables launched and connected to his armored trench coat. Nano-drones spilled onto the plating, making them thicker and more durable as Victor began walking toward the horde of sentries marching toward him.
“Stand down Non-Consumer,” a sentry ordered while aiming at Victor’s chest.
Victor stared, his body armored with smooth plates while he lifted his plasma rifle. “Wynn, get what you need and retreat.”
“Subdue the non-consumers,” the sentry ordered as metal fingers pulled on triggers.
“Open fire!” Wynn ordered.
The hanger exploded in weapon fire. Sentries advanced as the front line flashed with light. Victor spent two points of Strength, one to Jump and the other to his increased strength and speed. In the blink of an eye, the Blade launched into the air as blue and green energy bolts shot past, missing his boots by inches. Wynn and the squad opened fire, plasma bolts punching fist-sized holes in the front line. As they fell, more stepped over them while above them, Victor practically floated as he pulled the trigger of his rifle. A stream of hot plasma death rained down, slicing through the ranks, blasting sentries to pieces of junk. While Wynn’s squad kept them at bay, Victor’s weapon upgrade tore them to pieces. The barrel of Victor’s plasma rifle burned with intense light as it cut sentries in half as gravity took hold and he fell down.
Victor landed on the floor as a green bolt struck his shoulder. The blast didn’t register as Victor jumped again toward one of the walls. Body turning in mid-flight, he fired into the advancing sentries, slowing them down but not stopping them. Legs connecting with the wall, the Blade pushed off sideways, holding back the trigger as his rifle fired again and again. The smell of burning plasma bloomed as Victor flew across, sentries blasted to pieces.
Wynn fired into the crowd, every shot true as she picked her targets. Miku and Kimi roared as they unleashed plasma death. The cat women shouted in defiance as they returned fire. Buk, Diz, and Sakura stayed low, waiting for their orders amid the chaos. Sentries aimed at the flying Victor before plasma bolts punched through their metal bodies with ease. Metal clanged on the floor as the sound of marching sentries added to the carnage.
Victor hit another wall and bounced off, flipping through the air and landing to the side of the hanger. Rifle up, auto-targeting engaged as he pulled the trigger. Super charged plasma punched through chests and robotic limbs, but the horde of sentries barely slowed. Many of the sentries turned their attention on the resistance fighters and Victor shook his head in disapproval. Rushing in, he cleared a path through the marching army before his rifle clicked empty. Tossing it aside and opening his hand, a bone sword slid into his palm.
“Time to see what you can do,” Victor said before a blue energy bolt struck the side of his head.
Victor spun as armor plating fell away like dying leaves. His exposed eye looked down at the metal plates as they sprinkled to the floor before he regained his balance. Spending a point of Strength, the Bone Sword vibrated to life.
“They are using EMP and Neural Disruptor charges,” Wynn shouted over comms.
Victor’s brow shot up and he pointed his Bone Sword to the advancing sentries. “They are not trying to kill us?”
A sentry aimed and fired. A blue energy bolt struck Victor’s shoulder, armor plating falling away. The Blade stumbled back and then planted his feet as he aimed and roared. The bone sword vibrated before a shockwave blasted outward. The air rippled as it struck the advancing sentries like a storm surge. Sentries were flung like rag dolls by the dozens, crashing into others. Like dominoes, the whole front line crumbled from the blast, scattering weapons and many robotic limbs.
Victor looked down at the bone sword. “Yes,” He shouted as he charged it with another point of Strength.
In the APC, Lily watched the exchange of plasma fire. Hand out, her staff appeared but before she ran out, Dawn was already moving. The succubus charged after her as Dawn darted toward the hanger entrance. Thick metal doors slid out and the elf poured on the speed. Before the doors closed, Dawn launched into the air, slipped sideways through the closing doors and hit the ground into a roll. Lily sped toward the closing door, the last image she saw was Dawn bolting forward before the doors slammed shut before her. The succubus rammed her fist into the door and she shouted for Victor.
Nyku turned her panther-like head to the entrance they came through and watched as the doors were closing. Dawn launched again, slipping through the doors before they closed shut. The elf brought her rifle up and joined in the firefight, her shots clumsy until she saw Victor point his bone sword and unleash a blast of power again.
The sentries attempted to stand when the second blast knocked them down. Victor rushed into the heat of battle, sword swinging and taking off sentry heads with sparks shooting into the air. The Blade was unchained, slicing rifles, arms and heads from bodies. The sword point stabbed into armored chests, the robotic sentries sparking and falling to pieces. Blue energy bolts struck the Blade and he stumbled back, his armor flaking away from each strike.
“Scan complete,” Wynn said over comms, “Buk, Diz, and Sakura, deploy.”
The three women nodded as they activated their packs. Armor slid from the packs, covering and encasing their limbs and torsos. The plating covered their faces into iron masks and even cascaded over their rounded horns. Buk and Diz lowered their bodies as they charged into the crossfire. Sakura’s pack blazed to life as she launched into the air, wings out.
May and Ema fired into the Sentries when a green bolt struck May in the side of her head. Ema reached out to grab her friend as the light went out in her eyes. May slumped to the ground and Ema jumped on her, several green bolts striking her back. Wynn didn’t wince as her command display showed May and Ema were unconscious. The fox woman continued to fire, eyes glimpsing Victor as he cut through the enemy line.
Victor sliced a sentry in half before turning the blade sideways and blockin
g a blue energy bolt. Body spinning, he moved like a typhoon, smashing and slicing the enemy to pieces. Plasma bolts blasted past him, punching holes in drones. The Blade kept cutting his way through before he glanced back to see Buk and Diz rushing toward him, about fifty feet apart. The Blade looked up and saw he had sliced his way under the ship and judging from Wynn’s commands, she was going to take it out.
Buk and Diz fell to all fours, rushing forward. Sakura landed on the top of the ship. Activating the command, a square metal box launched from her backpack and landed on the ship’s hull. Spikes clamped onto the metal sheet and a red light blinked. Sakura was ready to launch into the air when a gun turret emerged from the ceiling, targeted the harpy and opened fire. Green bolts rained down just as the harpy launched into to the air and striking her back.
A screech filled the area amid plasma fire as Sakura spiraled from the air and hit the ground hard. Dawn and Leah moved forward, firing into the sentries, eyes on the fallen harpy. Haaki moved from her cover to assist when a green bolt struck her leg. The panther woman fell to one knee before several more bolts struck her dead center of her chest. Nyku rushed out, grabbing the fallen Haaki and pulled her back to cover. Dawn fired as she rushed forward when energy bolts shot past a little too close. A sentry aimed at the elf and pulled the trigger. Leah jumped in the way, taking the hit, her body hitting the floor and unmoving.
“Dawn, get back,” Victor shouted as he sliced a sentry in two.
The elf ignored him as she flipped into the air and landed by the fallen Sakura. The harpy moaned as the elf grabbed her leg and began to pull. Victor knew she would be cut down at any moment. Spending another Strength point, he charged the bone sword and unleashed another shockwave. The blast sent sentries hurtling back.
Buk and Diz rushed until they were well enough under the forward section of the black and silver ship. Staying on all fours, commands were spoken. From the middle of their backs, square boxes launched upwards until they touched the hull. Claws clamped onto the metal hull and a red light flashed. Buk and Diz turned and rushed back, rising up on two legs and arms out to help their fallen comrades. Buk grabbed Dawn while Diz grabbed Sakura. Diz hoisted the harpy over her shoulder as they rushed back to the others.
“Pull back now,” Wynn ordered Victor over comms.
Victor saw the blinking red lights on the metal boxes and he took steps back while knocking away energy bolts. Backpedaling, Victor remained calm as parts of his armor were blasted off and falling like metal rain. The horde of sentries continued to advance, firing non-stop. Victor blocked a blue bolt when several more hit his stomach. Armor plates fell away as he stumbled back. Head turning and then his body, light flashed, striking his back as he tried to run. Victor fought to keep his balance as energy bolts relentlessly continued to fire.
A side door slid open and Victor turned his gaze to two women struggling against metal clamps on their limbs. Heat touched his eyes as he saw them pleading in a side room, their mouths gagged.
Wynn looked over to the open room, “Victor, don’t!”
The Blade saw them, his heart whispering they belonged to Vala.
Listen to Wynn! It’s a trap!
The Blade spent a point of Strength and activated his Jump ability. Without a second thought, he launched into the air. Sword swinging, he knocked a blue energy bolt away as he came down, hit the floor and slid into the room. The door slid shut behind him as enemy fire filled the hanger.
Wynn cursed under her breath as she readied to activate the explosives. Sentries turned their rifles, firing blue energy bolts at the metal boxes while turret guns fired down on the one Sakura planted. Wynn activated the command and the squad braced for the explosions.
The light on the boxes died before turrets and sentries turned their attention to resistance fighters and resumed fire.
“Victor,” Buk screamed as she charged back into the fight.
The ram rushed toward the door when blue energy bolts struck her. Armor was blasted away as she kept up her pace. When her chest plate was blasted off, green bolts rammed into her body and she slowed.
“I’m coming…for you…Victor…,” the ram woman said as her charge slowed.
Wynn and Dawn watched as Buk fell to her knees before another green bolt hit her between the eyes and she slumped to the ground. The rain of energy bolts stormed on as the remaining squad huddled, all means of escape cut off. Wynn was the only one returning fire, growling with foul contempt.
***
Victor stepped toward the women bound to the wall when a side wall slid open and three sentries stepped out. The Blade flashed toward them, bone sword cleaving one in half and then beheading another.
The last one lifted its hands, digital face turning white, “We come in peace.”
Victor’s sword was an inch from the sentry’s neck, his eyes hard. The smooth face of the sentry shifted and swirled in digital light before a woman’s face appeared. Victor was stunned by the angelic beauty but he kept the sword at the sentry’s neck.
“I only wish for some time with Vala’s chosen,” the woman said in a harmonic voice.
“What is this all about,” Victor demanded.
“Please put the sword down so we may discuss in peace,” the woman asked as she lowered her hands.
Victor did not comply.
A digital screen appeared on one of the walls and it blinked to life. Victor glanced to it, seeing his friends hunkering down as the horde of sentries moved closer.
“They will not last much longer. My sentries are using non-fatal means to subdue them, but I can easily have them executed if you do not give me a chance to speak.”
Victor looked to the screen and then to the two women bound to the wall. Pulling his sword back, he let it point to the floor as he took several steps back, putting his body between the sentry and the prisoners.
“Thank you, Victor Hobbs,” the face smiled.
“You have my attention,” Victor said as he charged the Bone Sword.
The Sentry nodded. “I am Xull. Caretaker, Guardian, and Provider for all who dwell here.”
“Slave owner is more like it. I know you want to keep the populace under your control and you execute those who do not conform.”
Xull’s digital face did not change. “As with all high ideals, their meaning can be lost in translation. I only wish to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is my directive, my sacred duty to ensure all living beings are safe from an indifferent universe. I bring order to chaos.”
“You kill those who don’t fall in line,” Victor spit.
Xull gave Victor a kind smile. “I can understand your confusion. When you saved Lily and the others from the medical tower, they informed you that those who reject their digital lives are slain which is far from the truth. I have those who reject the implants moved to locations far from the cities so they cannot infect others. The two women behind you were early discoveries of the nano-shell rejections but as you can see, they are alive and healthy.”
Xull kept her kind smile, “What you have been told has been a lie.”
The metal clamps on the two acolytes hissed and popped open. The women fell to their knees, rubbing their arms as their gags fell away, eyes filled with confused fear.
“With all beginning relationships, a display of trust must be forged,” Xull said before she turned her head to the screen.
Victor watched as the sentries stopped firing and halted their advance. Wynn fired and ducked down. The hanger grew quiet as nothing moved.
“I don’t not wish for any further violence, hear what I have to propose and we can decide afterwards the next course of actions.”
“You lured us here to talk,” Victor said with a blank expression.
“It was the only logical way to ensure we can speak. I allowed Wynn to gain enough information so she could not resist coming here. I made it difficult enough where she would need to summon you to assist.”
Xull stepped closer, walking past Victor
and kneeling down to one of the women. Metal hands reached out and helped her to her feet. Xull moved to the next one and did the same. The two women eyed the sentry in disbelief as they moved to Victor’s side.
“This trying to be nice isn’t going to work,” Victor said, sword at the ready.
Xull stood before Victor, eyes bright. “Your mistrust is noted, but we must discuss the future. I am aware of all six realms and what dwells in each one. For a long time, there was a stable harmony between all. When your goddess was slain, the harmony was broken and thus began a period of discord. I was content to shut off my realm to the others to ensure those I cared for were shielded from the growing chaos. I learned that self-imposed exile only slowed down what was to come.”
Xull stepped back, hands behind her, “Your arrival has stirred many to action. The realms gather their forces for a war none have seen in millennia. You are the direct cause and key to the growing tide of chaos. My power had allowed from some protection, but logic dictates in order to survive the coming storm, one must align with those to become stronger.”
Xull smiled, “I come to you, Victor Hobbs, to create an alliance between Vala and my realm.”
“The ship out there doesn’t look like it was built for peace.”
The sentry nodded. “It is the first of many being constructed. Peace cannot be gained by words, but by actions.”
“Action huh, how about you end the war with the resistance and then maybe we can talk more.”
Xull closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, “The resistance was built by my design. Many believe they found a loophole in my logic matrix, but I knew there must be a resistance to ensure the majority of the population would stay under my control. Many admire and hate the resistance, but seeing their actions play out keep the populace from joining except for the most determined.
“If I wished, my forces would have stormed the sublevels and executed everyone with a single command. I allow them to serve a purpose so society remains guarded under my watchful eye. But times are beginning to change. The small chess game is being pushed aside by a much larger one. For that, I ask for your consideration of an alliance.”