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TH - Book 2 - Chapter 8 - Apex Predator
🕑 Added 2024-12-31 16:47:00 +0000 UTCSkyler grabbed my arm before I stepped through the door.
“What did we just learn?” she asked me in a disappointed voice. “If it’s an enclosed area we flood the area before entering.”
“We also learned that the enzyme gas causes cancerous mutations in non-antithesis lifeforms,” I pouted. “Not exactly something we want to pump through a farm complex.”
“Better than being sliced apart by whatever’s in there,” Skyler replied. The drones tilted forward, preparing to fire through the door. “We’ll ask Edward to purge the plants on this floor, better to lose some than lose the entire complex.”
I couldn’t argue with that, and even if I wanted to I didn’t have the time, as Skyler launched a full salvo of gas rounds through the door. She adjusted her mask, checking the seals before flashing me a smile through the partially mirrored, heavily polarized face plate. “Shall we go?”
I reached out and grabbed her arm as she stepped forward. “Me first,” I told her quietly.
As I entered the seventh floor into an ankle deep layer of enzyme gas. Six rounds would be enough to flood the entire floor, eventually, but most of it was concentrated around the initial impact point and slowly wafted outward.
“Keep an eye out for Andre, or any other staff,” Skyler whispered as she followed behind me.
Normally I would have nodded, or given some sort of acknowledgement that I’d heard her, but I was already focused on my surroundings. I’d already spotted several suspicious plants, and installations, around the area and I really didn’t want to give those little bastards another chance to get their claws into me again. Or even worse, Skyler.
Eyes flicking between the different objects I approached the closest one, a plastic barrel at the edge of farmland. It didn’t flicker like the nine on the previous level, but I still gave it a kick to make sure.
The plastic barrel toppled over with a loud clatter, which echoed through the otherwise quiet area, spilling hundreds of withered plant clippings all over the floor. Skyler jumped “Fuck, Reina was that really necessary?”
“I needed to be sure,” I replied quietly. Even though I didn’t show it, I was probably just as jumpy as Skyler was. The extreme quiet, only broken up by the sound of our footsteps, rebreathers, and the quiet whirring of the automated arms. I really wished that the antithesis made noise, instead of stalking around in complete silence. It would have made this hunt a lot easier.
As I slunk towards a suspicious pile of dead plants a loud crack echoed through the area. I whirled towards the sound, just in time to see a fire extinguisher enclosure fall off the wall. Even before it hit the ground, the enclosure dissolved into a mess of long hair-like strands, and scything limbs.
Normally I would have rushed the creature, to strike it down before it could attack, but it was quite obvious this one was already on its way out. Most of its camouflage tendrils were slowly dissolving, and its limbs were spasming hard enough to snap right off. A couple feet away a pipe distorted, then revealed itself as a nine as the camo burned right off. A few seconds later it too dropped to the floor, thrashing.
“Guess the enzyme really doesn’t agree with them,” Skyler muttered.
“Well, they have a lot of exposed surface area with those camo tendrils, and not a lot of mass,” I said as I slowly sheathed my blade. “The gas is probably a perfect counter for them.”
Skyler pouted, “I know this is probably ideal, killing off the lot of them without lifting a finger, but I was kind of looking forward to a little bit of action.”
“I’m sure we’ll see plenty of action before the day is done. We should take the easy wins where we can,” I said, turning back towards her.
I had planned to shoot her a confident smile, but that didn’t really happen. Instead I was distracted by the gas behind her swirling, parting almost unnaturally. Alarm bells rang out in my head.
Skyler squeaked in surprise as I yanked her forward, putting myself between her and the abnormality. As soon as I did it moved, smashing into Skyler’s drones, sending them spinning away. When it was only a few feet away I grabbed Rending Wave’s sheath with one hand, the hilt with the other, and drew the blade in a lightning fast slash.
A four feet long, heavily armored limb appeared out of nowhere and pinwheeled into a nearby wall. At nearly the same moment I felt a rush of wind pass the side of my head. After a few seconds the gas in front of me settled into a flawless, flat layer once again.
Skyler gaped at the limb. “What the fuck was that? I didn’t see anything! How did you know?”
“I don’t know what it was, but it was invisible. Not camouflage like the Nines, truly invisible,” I hurriedly explained. “But it disturbed the gas! Look for gaps!”
Skyler didn’t ask any more questions, her drones gathered around her, creating a loose perimeter, before tilting forward to prepare for direct fire.
I scanned the floor, looking for any disturbances which would identify our attacker, but all I could find was patches disturbed by the nearby ventilation fans, or points where the fallen Nines poked above the gas.
One of Skyler’s drones fired, and I twirled towards the explosion. The middle of the room had been consumed by an orange fireball, blowing the gas out of that area, but I didn’t see the creature.
“I hit it dead on, I swear!” Skyler hissed. “Whatever it is just completely shrugged my round off!”
“I believe you,” I replied quietly, scanning the area. Skyler’s round had scorched the area, but there was a large gap in the pattern, which indicated something had been standing there. Unfortunately since the explosion had dispersed the gas, we’d also lost our one hint to the creature's location.
While I was scanning the ground, looking desperately for any trace, Skyler gasped. “Right side, Blood!”
Something told me I didn’t have time to ask questions, I simply pivoted on the spot and swung at the point she’d indicated, aiming low. There wasn’t much resistance, but it was there. By the time I’d finished my swing two massive dog-like limbs had fallen to the ground.
The creature had apparently had enough, and it dropped its stealth. The monster vaguely resembled a Model Three, but was several times larger than the basic model. Unlike the Three this one had an extra set of battering ram shaped arms, one of which I’d severed earlier, and it was completely covered in metallic armor. The creature towered over me, its one remaining arm prepped to smash me into paste.
I was saved by Skyler grabbing me by the back of the jacket and yanking me back. The antithesis’ fist smashed down right where I’d been standing, leaving a large impact crater in the soil. “Less freezing, more killing!” she yelled.
Sweeping Rending wave back as quickly as possible I managed to catch the creature in the elbow before it could fully pull back, severing it’s forearm.
With both of its offensive limbs severed, along with its front legs, the antithesis shoved itself forward with its back legs, jaw snapping wildly. Although it was still dangerous, I was much less afraid of it without the arms.
Stepping to one side, past the range of the snapping jaw, all it took was a single quick stroke to behead the creature, and bring an end to the madness.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“What the hell is that?” Skyler asked as I staggered away, trying to catch my breath. “I’ve never even heard of something like that!”
{Athy: Model Twenty-One, advanced stealth model. I’m surprised the hive managed to birth even a single one, considering how fast it was pumping out smaller models. I doubt that it would have been able to birth two, but stay on your toes, they hunt in packs!}
“Fucking wonderful,” I groaned, instantly snapping back to attention, scanning the area.
Skyler and I stood back to back for a good ten minutes, making sure there wasn’t even a hint of movement anywhere on the floor before we were convinced the threat had been neutralized.
We did one last lap of the floor, making sure that the Nines were dissolved and dumping nanites on the Twenty-One before leaving. That’s when we found Andre, crushed against a wall.
“Poor guy,” Skyler said, kneeling down before his corpse and gently closing his eyes. “He deserved better.”
“He did,” I agreed, “but it's only because of his sacrifice that we even knew the antithesis were here. Guy was kind of a hero. I’ll let my mom know and make sure he’s honored properly.”
Skyler gently placed Andre’s broken rifle on his chest before standing up, resolve in her face. “We should clear the other floors before we leave, make sure the antithesis really are gone, and prevent this from happening to anyone else.”
I nodded, “Lead the way.”
Comments
Joshua Millins
From what I understand the M-21 is fully capable of messing up Cat-2 Samurai and or war mechs on the regular. The fact the girls are uniquely suited to tactical forethought is good. They aren't dumb or impatient kids. Teddy would have been near merced by a M-21 if she was as new as them. Since the bots wouldn't attract the attention of the M-21 she would be prime target. Only saving grace is her small size making a hard target.
Shannon Livingston
Yeah, looking back early TBoB had some serious issues. I wish I'd had the experience I have now when I was writing book one and two of TBoB. It has the investment in the SOL parts, but out of that many of the character moments could have been improved. Andre did his best, but he was still just one man against a monster. I'm sure he'll be missed... by someone...
Joshua Millins
Damn shame, but good writing. Your getting good at the darker aspects of story writing. My only true complaint in TBOB is the lack of investment. The Seattle arc is almost empty of character investment. While the catacombs arc is very heavy handed to the point it feels hollow. There can't be a good story without investment. He might of been a prick but in this era of corporations who isn't? He did his job and he did it well with what a normal can accomplish.
