Kaiden clicked his teeth in annoyance as he hustled into his clothes. “I’ll take a look at it when I’m gearing up, all right?”
“Doesn’t hurt to give it a once over at breakfast.”
“I’ll do that too if it’ll get you off my case,” Kaiden snapped, irritated at the EI’s persistence.
“Rather you do that than keep pouting.”
“I’m not pouting.”
“It’s all right. It makes you look adorable.”
He growled as he pulled on his shirt and walked back to his room. “Pain in my ass…”
After Kaiden grabbed his oculars, jacket, and backpack from his dresser, he left the soldiers’ dorm and headed to the cafeteria. He loaded a tray up with pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns, and three different juices before making his way to the yard.
A notification popped up on his display, showing that a networked friend was near.
“Looks like Chiyo is just making it to breakfast, too,” he observed.
“She was more likely doing something important. You just don’t set an alarm.”
“Would you cut me some slack? Just because you don’t feel the pain Wulfson puts me through doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park for me.”
“I do so enjoy watching it happen, though,” Chief chirped, turning a slightly happy pink. “By the way, when you passed out, he mentioned that he was bringing in someone else to train with you.”
“Oh, joy. I hope he’s as loveable and well-mannered as the shaved yeti,” Kaiden responded sarcastically.
“Didn’t catch much, but he said his name is Raza.”
“Raza? Is that an Indian or African name or something?”
“Whoever it is isn’t on the Academy staff. They might be an old war buddy or something.”
“Guess I’ll have that to look forward to.”
“Hello, Kaiden.”
He jumped slightly, startled, and looked up to see Chiyo holding a tray of her own.
“Hey, Chiyo. Guess even with the network invite, you can get the drop on me on occasion.”
“I wouldn’t be a very good infiltrator if I was that easy to detect.” She looked and sounded amused.
“Fair point.” They took a seat at their usual table. Chiyo removed a tablet from her bag and placed it on the table, and they began to eat. “What do you have going for you today?”
“I will be assisting Technician Calloway in the R&D department. I have been assisting her in helping improve some of the weaker areas of the Academy’s technical defenses.” She flipped through some pages on her tablet.
“Oh, good. Laurie’s defenses can be subverted by a first year.” Kaiden snickered.
“To be fair, Professor Laurie is not in charge of cyber-security,” she stated. “And you should know that I am not simply a first-year hacker.”
“Good going jackass, you pissed her off. Now apologize before she deletes your birth certificate or something.”
“I don’t think it works like that.” Kaiden hushed the EI before looking at Chiyo “Though you’re right, I still don’t know exactly what you can do. But,” he added, gesturing to her armband, “that golden triangle means you can probably do the hell out of it.”
“That would be a safe assumption.” She turned her tablet off and pierced a slice of pear with her knife. “What are your plans for the day?”
“I’m going to run a scenario with some of the guys from the division.”
“Team training?”
“A horde simulation based on the Houston Incursion.”
Chiyo’s eyes jumped slightly in surprise “Well, you certainly don’t work small.”
“I always like a challenge when I can get one,” Kaiden admitted.
“Psst, ask her about your synapse points.”
“Why?” Kaiden asked, annoyed.
“She’s probably got a few herself, so she might have some pointers. Besides, you’re more likely to take advice from her rather than me, right?”
Kaiden shook his head before looking back at his companion. “Hey, so…how have you spent your Synapse points?”
Chiyo placed her fork down as she finished chewing her food. “For now, I have used them to improve my mental capabilities, increase comprehension and multi-tasking, along with a couple of points in my EI tree.”
“You can improve your brain?” Kaiden asked in surprise.
“We should see if we can unlock that tree.” Chief snickered.
“In a sense. The Animus allows for changes in grey and white matter along with increased function in certain areas of the cerebrum. In essence, I am simply learning quicker and retaining the information at an advanced rate.”
Kaiden nodded in acknowledgment. “Guess it’s the whole ‘we only use ten percent of our brain’ thing, huh?”
She shook her head. “That is a long-believed myth, actually.”
“Maybe don’t try to impress someone with knowledge you gained from a ‘1000 Wacky Facts’ book.”
“Quiet you.” Kaiden sneered, though Chief remained obstinately cheerful despite the snub. “How many points have you got so far?”
“Seven.”
Kaiden whistled. “I’ve only gotten five so far.”
“It is a bonus of my field. I can train and run scenarios on my own for the most part. Plus, at my skill level, I can do many more in a day than most.”
“Sounds like it’s working out in spades.”
She cocked her head and looked at him. “How about you?”
He leaned back, keeping his expression non-committal beneath the curiosity in her gaze. “What about me?”
“How have you been spending your points?”
He crossed his arms. “That’s why I asked. Honestly, I haven’t used my points.”
“Have you been storing them for a talent that requires a large amount?”
“No, not for anything like that,” he admitted. “But I haven’t really figured out what I should do with them. I don’t really need to use them in the Soldier tree, and using them in the General tree seems a waste—”
“Ace?” she suggested, cutting short his rambling explanation.
“I guess that makes the most sense, but I’m not totally sure of what I would get out of it.”
“It depends on what you wish to accomplish. Aces have a multitude of functions along with their base skill of leadership. You could learn more tactics, some medical skills, or even gain knowledge about explosives or vehicles.”
“That’s the thing—I’m learning most of that in workshops. As for the leadership thing, I’m getting…more accustomed to working in groups, and Jaxon is giving me pointers along the way.”
“Are you taking them to heart?”
“Of course I am,” he declared hotly before sinking back in his seat with a slightly embarrassed shrug. “Most of the time, anyway. Jax is smart, no doubt, but he doesn’t exactly have a ton of stage charisma.”
“He’s boring?”
“More like he’s really dry…ironically.” Kaiden chuckled.
“Well, you should still consider your options. But even if you don’t see anything that stands out now, there are helpful skills in the general tree such as fitness and modification. However, you haven’t said anything about the EI tree.”
Chief’s eye widened. “What? She’s talking about me now? How could I be a better me than me?” he asked, turning an annoyed red.
“Oh, so now you don’t wanna talk about it,” he taunted.
“It wouldn’t change your EI’s functions much, but it would improve its capabilities and make integration easier,” Chiyo explained. “You may have some unique skills to choose from considering your upgrades.”
“Good point.” He nodded, wondering why he hadn’t considered it before. “But I’m a little hesitant to possibly mess with anything considering I’m already on a metaphorical edge.”
“How so?”
“Laurie had to mess around with Chief’s systems for me to integrate with the Animus at all. He was supp
osed to upgrade the pods or maybe rewire Chief or something, but he hasn’t gotten back to us yet.”
“Well then, I would talk with him as soon as you can, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I’m sure the professor would have turned off any function that could put you in danger.”
“Unless he could learn something from it…or simply get a kick out of it. The guy is a bit of an oddball,” Kaiden ranted as he finished the last of his meal.
Chiyo picked her fork up and stabbed another slice of fruit. “Perhaps, but considering the situation, you are at his mercy.”
“And it’s a jolly place to be, let me assure you.” He stood from the table and picked up his tray. “Thanks for talking, Chiyo. I gotta head to the Center. They’re probably already waiting for me.”
She nodded, her mouth too full to reply, then swallowed and said, “I understand. Good luck and let me know how it goes.”
“I’ll make sure to get back to you,” he promised as he walked away.
“Be sure that you do. There’s something that I want to discuss with you when you have the time.”
Kaiden turned back, a little intrigued. “And what would that be?”
She held up a hand, telling him the discussion was over. “Like I said, when you have more time. It’s a simple offer, but I will probably need to explain the finer details.”
“Well, the anticipation is killing me now,” he said in a melodramatic whine.
“Just don’t die before I get to ask you.” She grinned, unmoved by his antics.
Kaiden grumbled as he walked away, tossed his trash, and placed his tray on the shelf next to the dumpster before heading toward the Animus Center.
“Madame, are you sure this is the best course to take?” Kaitō asked, appearing on the tablet in front of Chiyo.
“We will need a partner for the upcoming test.”
“And he is the most suitable?” the fox avatar asked.
“That is up for debate.” She finished the last piece of her fruit. “But he is the only one I trust.”
Chapter Four
As Kaiden entered hall four of the Animus Center, he heard someone from the gathered group in the center of the hall yell, “Finally,” in a dramatic tone.
“Well, look who decided to grace us with their—ow!” Cameron yelped as Silas whacked him on the back of his head.
“At least he’s got grace.” Silas chuckled as Cameron rubbed the point of impact. “All you’ve got goin’ for you is a hot enough temper to fry an egg.”
“Hey, don’t knock it,” Flynn interjected. “Could probably come in handy if we run out of rations in the field.”
Jaxon walked up next to the marksman with his hands folded behind his back “We do not need sustenance in the Animus for extended periods,” he stated practically. “Plus, eggs probably would not remain uncracked in our gear should we bring them into actual battle.”
“It was just a joke, mate.” Flynn grinned. “Still trying to figure out the human sense of humor?”
“Considering the joke, I believe my sense of humor is fine. Yours, however, may be in need of repair. It is obviously detecting things that aren’t there.” The alien attempted a jest, but his clipped, business-like tone made it fall a little flat.
Flynn tilted his head in thought for a moment and then nodded. “That is possible, but I think I’ll hold off on the repairs. Life’s a little more fun with mine as it is.”
Kaiden placed his pack next to a pod before walking over. “Sorry, took a little longer eating breakfast than I had planned. Are we starting now?”
“Well, we would be,” Silas began, looking over to the central hub at the end of the room. “But we can’t find the map you were talking about.”
Kaiden gave them a puzzled look before walking over to the computer. “That’s weird, it’s on the approved list.”
“You sure you didn’t mistake it for a speed run or retrieval scenario?” Flynn asked as the group followed behind.
“I wouldn’t make such a stupid mistake,” he argued.
“Again,” Cameron muttered.
Kaiden leered at him for a moment. “I would think it’s all the same to you, considering how fast you’re taken out.”
Cameron pointed a thumb to his chest. “Hey, I’m a bounty hunter. I focus on a single target or small team elimination or retrieval. It’s not my fault we keep running these scenarios with a large number of hostiles.”
Kaiden shrugged as he cast Chief into the mainframe to bring up the scenario options.
“As much fun as it is to rile you up, Cameron, I do have to admit that you seem to last far longer than I would give you credit for considering your class,” Silas admitted.
“You ever think of switching? Maybe becoming an enforcer or maybe a raider like Silas?” Flynn asked.
“I could make you my sidekick,” said raider offered.
Cameron crossed his arms and frowned. “How generous of you. I did think about it a little before settling, but it’s a family thing. My old man and my uncle were both hunters. It’s in my blood.”
“That you keep spilling,” Kaiden retorted.
“With that attitude, I’m sure someone’s going to put a bounty on you one day,” Cameron taunted.
Kaiden scanned through the maps. “Probably, if I don’t have one already.”
Cameron laughed for a moment before his face contorted in confusion. “Wait, are you serious?”
“Found it.” He clicked to display the map onscreen.
“Huh, that’s odd.” Flynn’s muttered comment voiced the general bewilderment. “I mean, we all looked through the options for a bit.”
Kaiden locked in the map choice before turning back. “How long could you be looking? The choices are alphabetical.”
Silas made a beeline for a pod. “Well, we got it now.” He opened the nearest hull and hopped in. “Anyone else coming?”
The remaining four looked at each other a moment before nodding and walking over to their own pods.
“A quick reminder before we head in,” Jaxon called. “The scenario is directed by the Animus Director AI. If you need to get out for any reason, there’s a button on your right glove between your thumb and index finger. Press it for a few seconds and you will de-sync.”
“Appreciate it, mate, but we’re kinda used to this now,” Flynn said flippantly as he stepped inside his pod.
“You wanna tell us to remain in a straight-up position while syncing is in process too?” Cameron jeered.
Jaxon looked at Cameron as the pod door closed. “Considering the group I’m with, standing, breathing, and walking are about all I can trust you to remember.”
Kaiden looked between Silas, Flynn, and Cameron. “He really is getting better with those zingers.”
Silas smiled as his pod closed. “Give him a couple more years, and they’ll be deadlier than his gun.”
The others either laughed or shook their heads as they leaned back and closed their pods. Kaiden saw the familiar blue glow from the inside of the device, and the hum of the process started quietly. He closed his eyes for a moment. The initial heaviness he used to feel when he synced with the Animus was almost gone. He had obviously adjusted to the sensation.
“Inbound to drop zone, ten minutes,” a voice reported over a speaker.
Kaiden emerged from sync dressed in his usual armor. He sat beside Flynn inside the passenger area of a small dropship. He looked around to see Silas across from him in medium blue armor with neon green accents. Cameron sat next to him in his usual blood-red armor, and Flynn sprawled nonchalantly at the end in his dark armor, mask, and hood. Jaxon was on the far end in heavy grey armor.
“When did you trade in for the fat suit, Jax?” Kaiden asked.
“Just now,” the alien answered. “We have ten minutes before the scenario starts. We have no heavy or support, so I’ll play the part this time.”
“Rather nice of you,” Silas noted as a screen appeared in front of him. “I’ll go ahead and swit
ch out my gadgets for a healing stim and omnitool for armor repair.”
“Should I trade in my stealth generator for something different?” Flynn asked as a loadout screen appeared in front of him.
“A stealth generator won’t do too much good against bots with thermals,” Cameron reasoned. “Assuming we’re dealing with those, of course.”
Flynn looked at Kaiden. “What are we dealing with exactly?”
The three others turned to look in his direction. Kaiden shrugged. “Uh, Chief has the run down,” he said as he reached out his hand and the EI’s floating avatar appeared.
“Way to show preparation, dumbass,” Chief sassed.
Kaiden crossed his arms and legs, “That’s your job, you snarky testicle. Get to it.”
Chief shook his rotund body in exasperation. “What would you do without me? All right, you bunch of punks, listen up.” He projected a 3D map of the city in the center of the cabin. “You’ll be dealing with five waves of enemies. Your objective is to defeat the four initial waves and then hold out for ten minutes during the final wave. At this point, the scenario will end with you guys getting away from the Mexican army forces, and you need to make your way to the end zone at the base of this three-story building.” A building toward the back of the map glowed green.
“Seems simple enough, but again, what are we dealing with?” Jaxon asked.
“Well, considering the history and the parameters I get from the scenario description… A multitude of terrorist hostiles, from grunts in light armor armed with machine guns and grenades to heavies in thick armor with demolition and early plasma weapons.”
“Manageable,” Cameron stated with bravado.
“We do have the technological and gear advantage,” Jaxon agreed with a nod.
“Which you’ll need as you’ll also be dealing with a swarm of bots,” Chief warned them as pictures of two different styles of robot appeared onscreen. “This was how the terrorist group, The Blake Lake, caused so much damage. They were able to sneak in a large shipment of junkbots that they had made over the years.” One of the pictures enlarged into a full model, showing a thin droid on long, lanky legs with a shoddy gun attached to one arm and another with a four-pronged claw with what looked like blades made from kitchen or switchblade knives.
Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance Page 33
