Animus Boxed Set 1 (Books 1-4): Initiate, Co-Op, Death Match, Advance

by Joshua Anderle

  “Let’s leave that as the last option, all right?” the bounty hunter requested belligerently. “Shouldn’t there be a release switch for the parachute?”

  “Probably. Check around, although you have to remember that you’re still stuck in the chair. You’ll probably bounce around like an archaic pinball through all those branches on your way down.”

  “Maybe I can swing to a branch,” Cameron reasoned, swinging his legs to move his chair forward and back as he tried to reach an adjacent branch.

  “You keep on trying,” Silas yelled. He looked up as he heard the shuffling of snow and snapping of ice to see Luke, Kaiden, and Flynn approaching. “Looks like the cavalry is here.”

  “Nah, man, we’re just a traveling circus group,” Kaiden joked.

  “Honestly, it looks that way so far.” The enforcer chuckled. He motioned to the opposite end of the box. “One of you mind taking off that twist-lock?”

  “I got it,” Flynn offered. He went over and began to unwind the latch.

  The ace placed his hand on his waist as he looked at Cameron. “So, is he just bored, or is this some master plan I’m not privy too?” he asked as he saw the bounty hunter swing along the tree line.

  “His harness is still on. He’s trying to get the seat on a branch that will hopefully deactivate the lock,” Silas explained.

  “Keep it up, Cam. I believe in you,” Kaiden yelled.

  “Keep your sarcasm shoved up your— Aw, shit!” Cameron cursed as the lines of his chute tangled, sending him into a spin as he swung. “Help!”

  “You know, if he wants to be a good bounty hunter, he’s gotta be a bit more methodical in his planning,” the ace stated.

  “That’s why we’re training, right?” Silas remarked with a grin.

  He smirked. “Guess Cam is learning what it means to be prepared for anything.”

  “I got it,” Flynn declared, the final binding falling from the crate.

  “Let’s see what we got.” Silas began to unclasp the locks on the crate.

  The ace looked behind him to see Luke leaning against a tree. “You wanna see the goodies, big guy?”

  The titan shook his head. “Not unless there’s some nausea medicine or blue stuff.”

  Kaiden reached up and tapped the side of his cheek. “I think I’m turning my friends into addicts.”

  Flynn and Silas picked up the top of the crate and slid it over. The ace walked up to peer inside with them, grinning at the contents. “Pretty good cache.”

  “What’s this?” Flynn asked, reaching in to grab one of the items. It was a silver weapon about the length of a forearm and had two arced segments on each side. The marksman pressed a switch, and the arcs shot out. Two lines of metal connected to a panel at the back of the weapon. “It’s a crossbow!” he exclaimed. “Haven’t seen one of these in ages.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, not outside of a vid or weapons glossary,” Kaiden stated.

  Flynn continued to study it, admiring the design. “My grandad had one. Family heirloom from the early 2000s. I used it a few times. Interesting weapon, not practical even back then, but damn, did you feel good when you hit your mark.” He looked at the underside. “This seems more modern. I didn’t realize they still made these. It’s a bolter model. There should be a loop of arrow bolts for me to slide in here.”

  “Like this?” Silas asked, holding up a cylindrical tube. The marksman took it and looked at the top, then showed it to the others, revealing the pointed tips of arrows inside. “That’s it all right. I’m calling this, by the way.” He slammed the cylinder into the crossbow’s compartment. When he aimed at a tree in the distance and held the trigger down, a bolt slotted into place, and when he let go, it flew straight into his target.

  “Well, it might not be my sniper rifle, but it’ll do.” He smiled.

  “What else do we got?” Kaiden asked.

  “There are some rations, a couple of blades in sheaths with belts, a few vials of power-sip, helmet… Ah, here’s a pistol.”

  “Dibs,” Kaiden declared immediately. Silas grabbed the pistol and tossed it to him. He examined it, noting that it was metallic with a long barrel. When he unclipped the magazine, he saw small copper bullets. “Damn, are all these weapons archaic?”

  “Won’t be too much help against a beast that can tank laser fire,” Silas noted.

  “Anything else good?” Flynn asked.

  “Besides what I just said, there’s a satchel and this reflective blanket.” The enforcer pulled out the blanket and unrolled it. The silver coating reflected the light into Kaiden and Flynn’s eyes, nearly blinding them.

  “Oy, mate, put that away,” the marksman grumbled. Silas rolled it up and placed it in the satchel. “Want anything else?”

  “Nah, keep one of the blades and give the other to Cam when we get him down,” the ace advised.

  “Luke’ll be the only one without a weapon,” Silas pointed out.

  Flynn looked at the ill titan. “I don’t think he needs one quite yet. More likely to hurt himself tripping.”

  “Or maybe use it to make the spinning stop,” Kaiden quipped, drawing a finger along his throat.

  “What about the helmet?” Silas pulled it out and showed it to his companions. It was white with silver lines running up the forehead and down the back.

  “You keep it. Works best for you,” the ace said.

  “How so?”

  “Camouflage. You’re at the most risk for a headshot.”

  Silas frowned and rolled his eyes. “Couldn’t be a bit more tactful?”

  “Not the guy for that.” Kaiden smirked. “One of them is over there trying not to upchuck his stomach, and the other keeps glancing at his crossbow like it’s whispering sweet nothings in his ear.”

  “Hmm, what are you talking about?” Flynn asked, looking up from his weapon.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Silas grinned. He moved a dial on the base of the helmet which caused the plates to shift forward and out. Cautiously, he put it on and then rotated the dial back until it was snug around his head.

  “Comm check,” he declared.

  Flynn and Kaiden nodded. “We hear ya, but it doesn’t seem like the helmet has a mic, so looks like you gonna have to be on air with that thing on.”

  “You guys done trading presents?” Cameron yelled. The trio looked up to see he had stopped spinning and was back to dangling uselessly. “Find anything that can get me down?”

  “A couple of things, but it doesn’t look like you’re gonna have an easy time of it,” Kaiden called up to him.

  Flynn looked up at him for a moment before looking back to his companions. “What if I cut a few of the parachute’s lines? Let him hang horizontally so he can press the chair against the tree? That should deactivate the lock, right?”

  “Not a bad idea. He’d probably prefer that to us shooting him down,” Silas commented.

  “Can I do it?” Kaiden asked, reaching for the crossbow.

  “Whatever you do, don’t let Kaiden shoot me,” Cameron ordered.

  “There’s no way you can hear us talking from way up there,” the ace hollered.

  “I see those guns. Whatever plan you got probably involves them.”

  “Come on, buddy. You know I’m a good shot. I won’t miss,” Kaiden countered.

  “I’m not worried about you missing,” he retorted.

  “I am becoming far too predictable,” the ace huffed with mock severity.

  “Cameron, look here, mate. I’m gonna cut some of the lines of the chute so you’re at an angle. Press the chair against the tree so you can get the bars deactivated,” Flynn instructed.

  Though he was many feet up, they could almost make out his eyes bugging. “That’s the best plan you got?”

  “Do you want us to leave you in the tree until we catch Raza tomorrow?” Kaiden threatened.

  “Dammit…fine, but be careful. We aren’t in the Animus.”

  “There are six lines on th
e chute. Cut the two on the right and two in the middle. That should put him where he needs to be and still give him enough support not to fall,” the enforcer advised.

  The marksman raised the crossbow, pressed a button on the side, and a small scope appeared that he aimed through. “You want this as quick as possible or some time to prepare between each cut?”

  “Just do it,” the bounty hunter commanded.

  Flynn fired four shots in quick succession. All four lines severed, and Cameron’s chair tilted and slammed into the side of the tree. The bars opened and he slipped out, grabbing the bars for balance as he shinnied onto a nearby branch. “You could have given me a countdown.”

  “Hey, I did it.” Flynn cheered. “But fair enough, let me help you out.” He fired a series of bolts into the tree, creating a path for Cameron to climb down quickly.

  “Nice work, Flynn,” Kaiden complimented him.

  “What do we do now?” he asked.

  “Well, we should probably find shelter and prepare for tomorrow. See if we can find more crates and arm ourselves better,” Silas suggested.

  “We going to go looking for a cave or something? All I see is forest,” Flynn noted, scanning the woods.

  “Places like these have traveler shelters and emergency bunkers for those who get lost. We can probably find one of them along a path, and they’ll have supplies to boot,” Kaiden reasoned.

  “How do you know that?” the enforcer asked.

  “I’ve been catching up on my ace workshops. Had to make up four weeks of survivalist training.”

  Cameron trudged over to the others. “You know…I’d make some joke about you maturing and all, but I’m too damn tired.”

  “Didn’t all that swinging reignite your childhood energy?” Kaiden quipped.

  “Shut up,” the bounty hunter sneered, placing his hands on his knees and taking in several deep breaths.

  “Definitely not your best. You must be tired,” the ace mocked with a smirk.

  “I’m going to run these rations and a power sip to Luke, see if we can get him back on his feet,” Flynn said and walked over to the titan who still leaned against the tree.

  Kaiden reached into the crate and took out the other knife and belt and tossed them to Cameron. “Not much, but I already called the gun.”

  The bounty hunter wrapped the belt around his waist. “It’s a start. At least I can make some pointy sticks if we find nothing else.”

  The ace chuckled. “Have to remember to go for the eyes.”

  “Which way should we go?” Silas asked.

  Kaiden looked around. “Look like there’s a clearing up ahead. Best bet is to find a path there and follow it until we run into a shelter.”

  “Then I’ll pack the remaining gear into the satchel, and we’ll head off,” Silas acknowledged, going back to the crate.

  Cameron walked next to the ace. “What do you think our chances are?”

  “Of what? Finding a bunker? Getting frostbite?”

  “I’m talking about winning, smartass.”

  Kaiden looked around at the group, “Well, we’re not that well-armed right now, one of our guys is sick, and we’re in an unknown environment. And, of course, our challenge is an alien hunter who specializes in this sort of thing…” He looked at his companion and smiled. “I still see opportunity, though.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kaiden kicked open the door to the shack, his gun at the ready as he walked inside. He scanned the room, taking in two cabinets, two beds, and a fireplace with wood and fire-starting equipment. He walked back to the door and motioned for the others to come in. The five were somewhat cramped in the space. Flynn and Cameron sat Luke on one of the beds while the ace crouched beside the fireplace and prepped it to light.

  “This will do for shelter. We should rest for a bit before looking for more supplies,” Silas advised.

  “I wonder if we can hunt some rabbit or birds. These rations will keep us sated, but they aren’t exactly tasty.” Cameron grunted as he took out a half-eaten bar from the satchel.

  “I can take a look around. It gives me a chance to get more practice in with this darling.” Flynn grinned and held up the crossbow.

  The enforcer nodded. “Just be sure to conserve your ammo. You already used quite a few to get Cameron down from the tree, and I don’t know how many bolts you have left.”

  “Twenty-four. Each roll has forty bolts, and I used sixteen back at the tree,” the marksman answered.

  “You know that just off-hand?” Cameron inquired.

  Flynn removed the roll from the crossbow to show them the front. “I looked through the roll on the way here.”

  “Get out there, but don’t go too far that you can’t hear us over the comms, and stay within five hundred yards of the shelter,” Silas ordered.

  “On it.” The marksman left the shelter and closed the door behind him.

  “Look at him, all giddy with his new toy.” Kaiden chuckled as he used a flint and striker to ignite the logs. “Wonder if he’ll start using one once we’re back in the Animus?”

  “No matter how good he gets with one, it would be foolish of him to drop a real sniper rifle for a crossbow.” Silas moved to sit on the other bed. “You feeling any better, Luke?”

  The titan nodded. “Don’t feel like the world is spinning and my stomach has settled. I’ll be good to go soon.”

  “Good to hear. We still need to find some more equipment if we want to have a chance at winning this thing.”

  Cameron sighed, tapping his fist a couple of times on the wall he was leaning on.

  “Something wrong, Cam?” Kaiden asked.

  “Just the general vibe. I mean, what’s stopping us from surrendering when Raza shows up? We could be back at the Academy by mid-afternoon if we do.”

  “Seems kinda defeatist,” Luke muttered.

  “Literally, in this case,” Kaiden concurred.

  “I just don’t see how this is really training for us. I get that it’s a test of skill, but why not simply have us do it in the Animus? We’re here because none of us really read through the agreement and we’re trying to win because why? Wulfson said so and the promise of some vague rewards?”

  “While I agree the circumstances could be better, I do see this as a good team exercise. Plus, in your case, you get more experience than we do,” Silas pointed out.

  “How do you figure?” Cameron questioned.

  “You going to be a bounty hunter, right? You have to be ready for all kinds of terrain and circumstances. You should be looking around, finding the best place to dig in and make traps, or where you think Raza will attack from—vantage points, things like that.” Silas showed a finger for each item on his list.

  “This is the first real time I’ve had to use those survival skills I thought were pointless,” Kaiden admitted. “I still have the mindset that I’m at my best with a gun, but I can see that I can have other talents.”

  “Luke and Flynn are military classes. Luke’s gonna be on the front lines, and Flynn will take his place as a sniper. They could be stationed in a snowy region like this. If Flynn decides to become an assassin, having to rely on his own abilities and knowledge will become even more paramount.”

  Kaiden laughed. “He would make for a cheery-ass assassin.”

  Cameron took a bite off the remains of his ration, then motioned to Silas with it. “What about you? You’re an enforcer. That’s mostly merc work and bodyguarding, right?”

  “Mercenary, bodyguarding, and assault teams mostly, but there’s still the possibility of police, military, or guardsman. I have options. I may be the least likely one to have to deal with environments like this on the regular, but I gain the most from having to work in a team.”

  “Don’t forget the Deathmatch coming up,” Luke reminded them. “It’ll be in teams of three, but we should still look at this as practice.”

  Kaiden hit the top of his head with the palm of his hand. “Aw, hell, when do we learn our tea
ms again?”

  “Wednesday. It’s only Sunday now so we’ll be back by then. Assuming Raza doesn’t get lost,” Silas answered.

  “Probably have even more work to make up. Though considering we’re on an official trip with Wulfson, maybe they will be lenient?” Luke pondered the possibility without apparent conviction.

  “Most likely. I hope we’ll have time to rest. Going from that mission on Friday to this back-to-back is killer.” Silas grimaced.

  “I’ll make sure that the next training excursion Wulfson wants us to do is in the Animus,” Cameron stated.

  “I doubt that will ever happen. He wouldn’t know how to set one up,” Kaiden said.

  Luke looked at him. “How’s that? The teachers and faculty use the Animus too. Everyone knows how to set up a map or training session.”

  “He doesn’t, because he can’t,” the ace declared.

  Cameron tilted his head. “He can’t use the Animus? He always says he doesn’t like using it but never mentioned that he can’t.”

  Kaiden shrugged. “I don’t know all the details, but I left my bag in his training room a month back and overheard him talking to Raza. They were talking about the Sauren’s possible integration with the Animus in the future, and Wulfson mentioned that he couldn’t use it when Raza asked for his opinion. Something about a mental condition or biological defect that wouldn’t allow it.”

  “Even with all the upgrades it’s gotten over the years?” Silas asked.

  “Guess not.”

  “So he stops us from using it for his training because he can’t use it?” Cameron quizzed.

  “No, his kind of training is important. You can’t argue with your gains, can you?” Kaiden questioned.

  “I mean, no, not really,” the bounty hunter admitted, flexing his arm. “I just don’t see why he had to take us out to a place like this. The Animus can replicate an environment like this easily. Up the synch and equi and there would be almost no difference.”

  The ace looked at the fire. “You aren’t a little more on edge out here? Knowing that what’s hunting us is very real and that you can’t simply de-sync?”