by Dawn Chapman
Notifications were going off in my view but I ignored them to keep shooting.
This was interesting and showed my weakness. I didn’t have a lot of stamina, and I was soon tired. But Jai kept solid words coming my way, and I felt part of something. Even after my earlier thoughts on not wanting to go home, suddenly I missed my two best friends, and instead of letting that get to me, I actually focussed it to make sure that I would get back to them.
I promised myself. I promised them.
I wasn’t going to be a number added to this war for seventy-plus years. I would get home.
I smiled at Naylar as she pushed forward and made Denn take the back seat with me and Jai. Denn looked awful now. When she stumbled, I was the one who had to reach out for her, because Jai was busy taking up some of the extra slack.
That was when I saw the other creature floating in the trees ahead. This time it didn’t have red dots, but blue ones. Once again, I didn’t know what was coming for me, but I knew I had to be the one to draw it out.
“Let it aim at me,” I shouted to Naylar.
Rei wasn’t arguing with that one, and as they parted to allow it to see me and Denn, I stood, waited, and then leaped for cover. My timing was perfect as the shots it sent cut through the air above my head. I moved quickly and saw that Denn had just managed to get out of the way too, and I dodged underneath the creature. Pushing myself up, I managed to get in a shot under its belly. There was a small hole that I could hit, and I tried for it with all hope I would at least do it enough damage so that the others had a chance.
I was surprised when it glowed red and pulsed.
“Get out from there,” Rei screamed.
I tried my best to move quicker, but I was partly frozen. I tried harder and then just barely managed it. I cried out in pain as an explosion of bitter cold and burning heat washed over me. It burned. I felt and smelt my hair and clothes fry. I didn’t, however, die. And there were whoops from the others as the air around me cleared. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t respond. I just flopped.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Jai held his hand out for me, and I took it to stumble up to stand. Still wobbly. Naylar scrabbled for something in her bag and held out a bottle. I could only presume it was water, but when I opened it, it wasn’t.
“It will help the fatigue.”
“Health potion?”
HEALTH RESTORATION AND REJUVENATION POTION
NANITES x 50,000
+ 64% BOOST FOR FOUR HOURS
+ 5% BOOST TO XP GAINED
Wow, it had a nice bonus. But it wasn’t stronger than Keedo’s back in Hope City.
“Yes, this one’s imbued with mana, but sure. Any term you want to use is fine.”
I pulled the top and put it to my lips. It tasted sweet, but salty at the same time. I could only swallow and hope it really would do something for me.
The outer edges of my vision pulsed, and energy pulsed through me.
Naylar grinned. “I’m actually surprised it would take effect. That’s really good. It means that you do have some base nanites, not just what you should have to be in the field.”
I guessed as much, because of the way the filing system worked, and I could see some things already.
“What’s in this?”
“If I told you that, I think I’d have to kill you myself.”
Jai laughed and tugged the bottle from me, taking a good gulp himself. From my POV I could see the effect on him. His eyes glazed, and his face flushed. He then passed it to the others. “We need to keep going. Now that they’re out of the way it should be easier, but she’s weak.”
I knew he meant Denn. I turned to look at her and noticed how her shoulders slumped. Her breathing was laboured.
“Is it far? Maybe a couple of us should run ahead and get some supplies for her?”
Jai nodded to Rei. “Take him. He can run, if nothing else.”
I knew what he was going to say. I’d make good bait for anything that went for Rei. I was expendable no matter what. I won’t deny, it fucking stung, but he was also right. I’d caused this. I could die to help fix it.
Rei motioned for me to follow him, and we set off at a sprint. “How far?” I panted out.
“Just a couple of minutes. Keep the pace, and we’ll be back to them within thirty. With more basic aid, she’ll have more of a chance. Thanks.”
I wasn’t sure he should be thanking me just yet. We hadn’t even got to their base.
Rei was quick, and I tried my best to match him, but I was flagging again already. I forced myself through the pain barrier trying to consume me, and when we got to the building, I took a deep breath. This was huge. The metal structure to the towers reached high into the sky with crystal clarity.
“You go in. I’ll make sure nothing follows,” he said.
“I don’t know what I’m looking for.”
A tiny pop up appeared with an arrow on it. “Follow that, and it will take you to the main lab. Locate a trauma bag for you to bring back. That’s all we need. Nothing else, okay? Don’t get distracted.”
I nodded, and once he opened the door for me, I ran in. The corridors were grey. Boring. But the arrow was steady ahead, easy to weave to, and I made great time.
As I turned the corner into the room the arrow indicated, something was waiting. I raised the gun and fired. It was too quick. It lunged for me, and I ran for it. Dodging to and fro, I managed to get it away from the room. I didn’t know where the hell I was going to run, but I was just managing to keep ahead of it. The classic in one door out another would have to work, but I didn’t know the base or anything about it.
Then I saw something else flag up, a different arrow as I was running, in one room and out another. Did my internal know what I was trying to do?
I followed the arrow, running through the room, quickly slamming the door at my end, and then rushing around to crash into the door it had just come through as it followed me in.
I gasped out loudly, as the trick had worked. That thing had some horrible gnashing fangs, and God only knows what was dripping from its mouth. I made a rush back to the first arrow and quickly located the bag I needed, returning at breakneck speed to Rei.
Rei took one look at me. “Stay here. You’re too weak to make it back, but we’ll return. Please don’t touch anything, and stay safe. There will be creatures roaming around in here.”
He sped off without even a look back. I was alone.
This alien world around me and its noises were weird. I wanted to run back with him, but he was right—I was panting like a little bitch, my heart about to burst free. Some kind of heart attack was coming my way for sure.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU REACHED LEVEL TWENTY-THREE! YOU HAVE TEN POINTS TO ASSIGN!
I wanted to be safe before I looked at anything. I moved to go back into the building, but his words resonated inside my mind as I wandered a little slower through the corridors.
What was in the rooms did get my attention. But I had to honour my word, right?
I made my way back to where I’d got the med bag. Maybe I’d be able to figure out what she’d need when they got her here.
The room actually had quite a decent amount of tech. I’d never studied med equipment at school, just as much as I’d never paid attention to our history. I sighed. Why had I been such an idiot?
I moved to the computer system and placed my hands over the keys.
Before I knew it, I was typing.
The base itself had simple security, not hard to break into. And I studied the schematics for a while, seeing the room where the critter was that I’d trapped. I was sure I could hear it banging on the door from here. Would it get out? I hoped not.
The code within the system piqued my interest. Still pretty simple. This now started to grate on my nerves. Why was everything so basic?
There was a little ping at the corner of my screen.
Trix Party chat
Rei - We’re almost to the door, coming in hot
. Get the med table up and running.
Jai - Follow my instructions. You can do this, okay?
I stood and made my way over to the operating table. It seemed simple enough. I tried to lie to myself. But then I wasn’t one for believing anything that came out of my mouth.
Kyle – Okay. Go for it.
Jai – Left side there’s a control panel. You want to enter the codes 44785, ARCX.
I complied, and the table lit up. A shield extended outwards and then fluxed in. I could then see it pulse in and out.
Jai - What colour is it?
Kyle - Red.
Jai - We need it green. Type in the commands 4271, followed by Jai Trix.
Wait, was Trix Jai’s last name? It felt familiar somehow, but I couldn’t pinpoint why.
There was something that I wanted to say, but as it juddered before me, the light turned green, and I felt relieved. I could hear something coming my way, and I hoped to high hell it wasn’t that thing out there.
Kyle – Guys, there was a critter in here, just an FYI.
Rei - What?
Kyle - Some grey spitting critter. I trapped it in a room. Just be careful.
Rei - We’re almost to you!
I heard their voices as there was an explosion. That damned critter. I knew it.
I ran for the door and towards where the two of them were going to meet. I had to do something else to protect those who had protected me, but what? This gun was nothing. I saw that same thing I did on the way in, the weapon on the table. I ran in and grabbed it.
It looked much like any other kind of gun I’d seen, just a bit different, still had a pointy end and a scope.
LIGHTNING LASER = UNLOCKED
WEIGHT = 3.8LB
CORE ENERGY = 12%
SHOTS = 1 HIT
I rushed away and met them in the next area trying to take it out. The creature was battling them with its vomit spit attack, and they had no way of getting to the lab with it blocking them.
I took aim with the weapon, waited as I heard something click, and the dial on the side went from green to yellow, then turned red.
“Oh shit.” I really didn’t know what this was, but as the pulse of light shot forwards, the critter exploded before me, but I screamed out in agony as the laser overheated and then exploded, taking my hand off with it! My health plummeted.
Rei was beside me in a minute.
“Fucking newbies!” he said and quickly wrapped the end of my arm in gauze. “Get Denn to the table. I’ll deal with this.”
I watched as they ran off, and Rei then pushed me back to the med bay. Denn was on the table, and they were looking after her. I felt a needle or something in my arm, and then I relaxed. I wasn’t unconscious, right? I wasn’t dead. That was a good thing.
There I saw my stumpy arm, and it was good to see the mechanical circuitry in here. The wires running with the veins were plastic, and I could see lights as they pulsed in and out. I hadn’t quite believed I was denti still. I don’t know why. Now at least it felt better. I felt better. I still needed to know why Hiroto wasn’t here, or if it wasn’t a respawn where Xirob was.
“Basic nanites incoming now. I have to give you a transfusion along with the jab. This might feel totally weird.”
I watched as Rei pulled open the side of his own arm, just like you would a robot. There was blood of course—he couldn’t help breaking some capillaries and stuff—but it stopped bleeding in a few seconds. Then when he had the arm open, he gently tugged at one of his veins. If I wasn’t squeamish before, I sure was now.
“Hold still. You might not feel it, but you won’t want to see it.”
“I might not want to see it, but I won’t look away.”
That was when he pierced my arm with his fingernail alone. There was no pain, none. But when he opened my arm and exposed more of the inner parts of my body, he tugged a vein out, and I watched as his vein and mine fused together. They wrapped around each other not with mechanical connections or any aids, and I could see his blood passing through into me. I turned away then, as I did feel sick.
“It will pass,” he said. “Hold on.”
“I’ll try.” I gagged.
“Hold onto them. Don’t let yourself fight them.”
Deep inside me a fire raged, and then things started to settle.
“There we go,” Rei said. “These should really help kick you off. You’ve got some good programming in there already. I can see it, just like Denn did. You just needed to be given base level so you can start to progress in here and learn more about you and the body you have.”
“What is it I have?”
“I’m not going to take all the fun out of it,” he said with a grin. “You need to discover that for yourself.”
“Am I actually any good to you guys, bar just being smart?”
Rei smiled from ear to ear. “It will take us some time, but yeah, I really think you’ll fit in well. You’ve got some really heavy alignments starting out already.”
That gave me a boost of confidence. I looked back to the table where Denn was. “Will she be okay?”
“Yes, she will be, with a little more time. That means we get to level you to basics and beyond. Her recovery will have to align with your time here now.”
“It’s not instant.”
“Not that instant, no. If you were respawned, sure. But for us to heal major wounds in the field, it takes time. Not as much as a true injury. I think the scale is about four to one.”
I looked to where my hand had been ripped off. “What about this, then?”
“Yeah, that’s going to affect you for a while. Most we can do is get you an over-prosthetic from one of the lower labs. But…”
I didn’t like the sound of that. There was always going to be a but in here, I guessed.
“But it’s like a hidden monster trap.”
“Ah.”
Jai came over. “We’re going to be here a while, so it’s something I’ll consider while he’s learning.”
Consider. That shocked me. I mean, what good was I without a hand? I couldn’t program shit.
Jai nodded away from us, and Rei disconnected his vein and put mine back, then he got up to move away so they could talk. I couldn’t hear anything this time and managed to just stare at what was going on around me.
Could I really see the nanites starting to work, to regrow my hand? I wasn’t sure, but to me it looked horrid, but growing.
I decided to check out my stats now and see what I’d earned if anything else on the way over here.
Name - Kyle Ranz
Species - Human/Denti
Year of Death – 2629
Class = Fighter/Sorcerer
Age ??
Level = 23
Respawns = 2
Memories = 94%
Health = 52%
Mana = 24
Kenosi Activated
Nanites x 58,191
Body Type = Unknown
Structural Integrity = Tungsten and Alumi
Internal AI Chip = X Class
Skin Strength = 20
Blood Capacity = 24
Healing Speed = 29
Strength = 18
Dexterity = 16
Constitution = 56
Intelligence = 34
Wisdom = 18
Charisma = 6
Luck = 6
Quick Points = 0
Skills =
Foot Soldier - Rank 17
Battle Mage - Rank 17
Merc - Rank 10
Sniper - Rank 15
Gun Smith - Rank 12
Nanite Engineer - Rank 17
Mech Pilot - Rank 15
Human/Machine Interface - Rank 19
Shadow Awareness - Rank 12
Shuttle Operator - Rank 12
Deception - Rank 12
Sword Play - Rank 12
Vrolsh Coding Learned
Mech Merge - Rank 10
Animal Handling - Rank 2
Night Sight
- Rank 1
Special Traits Awarded x 4 – Any extras here do not show on your Stat Sheet Totals.
Healer = Internal AI Chip X Class – Crystalline and Silver metal chip with integrated healer nanites led by Xe Aria.
Intelligence = Internal prototype AI Chip, inserted on 17th birthday, with consciousness of Hiroto.
Knowledge = direct from Xirob if he freely gives it. Extra skills and training available.
Shade Brain – One in a million, you managed to not only keep your memories, but you can also hide them. Your character sheet is elusive to even the strongest of will. UPGRADED - No one can penetrate your Shade now!
Spell - Active - Minor Healing = Requires BATTLE MAGE RANK of 2 and x 1 Mana per second.
Spell - Active - Medium Healing = Requires BATTLE MAGE RANK of 7 and x 10 Mana per second.
Spell - Active - Intensive Healing = Requires BATTLE MAGE RANK of 14 and x 100 Mana per second.
Spell - Active - Lightning Fury – Cost: 10 mana per second – Damage increased by 30%
Thank goodness! My skills and stats were back!
Xe? I asked carefully. Hoping. I waited. Nothing.
I rolled my eyes. I wondered how quickly I could get past the next few levels with them now that everything was going to be working for me.
I slapped my head again. I felt sick, like really sick and not from the hand injury. Damn, there was something in here that was wrong. Bad. I was really sick. Maybe…
SPACE SICKNESS
SYSTEM REQUIRES REBOOTING
REBOOTING – NOT AVAILABLE
HEALING – NOT AVAILABLE FOR SPACE SICKNESS
What? So I had been right. I was sick, and improving my constitution hadn’t helped. Crap.
That’s probably why the first critters that cut to the bone and hadn’t actually taken my arm off then.