It fired its arm cannon, the blast sent the Gladiator flying back and she slammed into the trees, branches snapping and flying around her. The armor on the mech’s chest had been damaged but was otherwise intact, and Law managed to get back on her feet.
Alright. I’ve had enough of this.
Law brought up the mech’s right arm into a fighting stance, still holding the energy scimitar firm. At the same time, metal above the left arm lifted out and repositioned itself, forming a circular battle-shield with long spikes along its circumference.
Law charged forward as the Destroyer’s weapon revved up for another blast. She slammed her shield into the spiked gun like a club and the blast shot out behind her. She swung her sword toward the middle of its body, but the alien grabbed it with its left hand and pushed it back as it swung the cannon like a club to the Gladiator’s head.
Sparks flew from the scraping metal, several spikes puncturing the head, and the mech was slammed into the ground on its back. Law let out a pained cry and struggled to remain in control. The Destroyer pressed one foot on the Gladiator’s right arm, preventing the use of the energy blade, as it charged up for another blast directly into the chest.
“Your shield, Agent Law,” Carr advised.
Law forced the mech to look at her left arm, the shield lightly emerged into the dirt, and she allowed herself a small grin. Motors within the circular shield engaged, and the device spun like an out-of-control tire. The spikes dug into the soil and the shielded arm shot forward and slammed into the Ribiyar, knocking it off balance just enough to free her other arm and slice off its weapon, then head.
“Thanks, director,” Law managed to say as she forced the Gladiator up, loose components straining and sparking as she did so. A quick glance around confirmed what she had feared; Carton was already long gone.
“Of course, Agent Law. I will advise, however, that we proceed to warn Colonel Brown and the others of these developments. Their safety is likely in jeopardy.”
“Agreed. And with this threat discovered, send a message to the Agency. There may be more compromised agents within our ranks. If it’s not already too late to save them.”
With nothing more she could do, Law leapt into the vegetation of the jungle, and the Gladiator’s form shimmered as it’s cloaking device activated, leaving no trace behind.
“I hate to spoil the mood,” Jack strained as he took another volley of blasts from the Ribiyar, “but I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer. My armor’s about ready to bite the dust.”
“What do you mean you’re getting worn out?” Victor replied as he let loose a barrage from his arm blasters. “Aren’t you supposed to have the strength of a couple thousand men with those robotic enhancements?”
Thanks for the pep talk, Victor.
Still back to back, Jack and Victor continuously sent out waves of firepower to the Ribiyar who continued to draw closer to them. Both of them strained under the punishing shots, but they held each other up, fueled by stubbornness and sheer determination.
“Even I can’t hold out forev-” Jack started but was cut off as a silver Ribiyar suddenly leapt from the forest.
It slammed its massive arm into Jack’s shoulder. The impact dented the armor on his left arm as he was thrown to his feet.
Victor whipped around with the Phantom Blade in hand, but the Ribiyar shot its dual-barreled weapon at near point-blank range. The blast caught him square in the chest, and he was thrown off his feet, landing on his back.
No…
“Victor!” Jack yelled, but he didn’t respond.
His Dark Serpent armor had a large burn mark on his chest. From what Jack's scanners could tell, Victor was still alive, but his vitals were weak.
“This, organic,” Fu’Lyl’s voice whispered in the air, “Is where you meet your extinction.”
Blitz raced through the jungle, dodging and weaving at speeds his creators had likely never designed him to do.
He slid to a stop, lifting his head as his ears twitched, straining to hear anything that would lead him to his master.
And then he heard it, the faint sounds of gunfire in the distance. He dashed in that direction. The sounds grew louder and louder until he stumbled upon a large group of Ribiyar, all with their weapons drawn.
Straining against the impulse to mindlessly dispatch them, he instead quietly climbed into the top of a tree. Approaching the end of the branch, he saw the Ribiyar letting loose a massive barrage at a form in the middle of the grove.
And when he finally made out the form, a fire ignited deep within the core of his being.
Images, memories of a man flashed in his head.
Laughing.
Fixing.
Fighting.
Resting.
Dying…
MASTER!!!
Jack tried to fight back, but he was being thrashed around like a live grenade as the Ribiyar opened fire on him. His armor chipped and cracked, dirt and shards of rock rained down on him, and his systems shut down one by one.
Jack's body slammed to the ground one final time, his limbs sparking and twitching from errors in his processors. His ears rang from the gunfire and his eyes slowly adjusted as he tried to identify his surroundings.
Did… they stop?
His senses finally registered the grenades detonating and gun fire booming and the fire roaring around him. As he turned his head, Jack saw Blitz lying in front of him, the crimson color in his eyes extinguished, his fur badly burned, and his helmet cracked open in the center. Slowly, painfully, Jack stretched out his hand and rubbed the cat’s head gently.
“Thanks for coming for me, buddy.”
Blitz meowed and nudged him with his head.
“I’m working on it,” Jack groaned as he tried to get up.
In his peripheral vison, he saw a stream of Ribiyar emerge from the forest behind them. Jack gave up on getting up and instead rolled onto his back, firing both of his V-guns as Blitz launched forward, discharging both of his machine guns widely.
But the intense firepower knocked the E.V.A.N. off-balance and sent him close to the edge of a cliff. Water rushed perilously below him.
“Hang on!” Jack yelled as he kept firing, but a Ribiyar rushed at him from his right and slammed an arm down on his chest. The impact fractured another part of his armor, jarring his mind.
The attacker slammed his fist down on him again and a small cylindrical device emerged from a compartment in his arm. It latched onto Jack’s chest and delivered a massive charge of energy.
Jack cried out as his limbs jerked wildly. Electricity overwhelmed every system and the energy imbalance left him helpless. As he fell still on the ground, he forced himself to look up and saw Blitz struggling to get back on his feet.
The hum of charging weapons filled the air, and Blitz locked eyes with Jack for a single moment.
A chorus of blasts rang out, striking both Blitz and the ledge he stood on, and he flew over the edge and into the rushing water below.
Chapter 23
Date: July 15, 2132
Location: Top-secret underground base located in {REDACTED}
Loudly sipping his sixth cup of coffee, Headmaster Samuel Issacs studied the tablet in front of him. The screen showed points across the globe where the Ribiyar were deployed, as well as the few starships and battle platforms in orbit. Issacs grimaced as he swallowed the warm liquid, once again forgetting to add creamer. As he set the white mug down on his desk, he drummed his fingers on the table with his other hand.
“Come on, Issacs,” he whispered to himself. “There has to be some weak point in their deployment, something that can give us an edge.”
No matter how hard he tried, it was no use. Their tactics were too well-thought-out. Anywhere the Ribiyar forces could feasibly be beaten back, there were starships in orbit ready to blast away any attacks c
oming at them. And where there wasn’t any orbital threat, there were hordes of Ribiyar swarming across the surface.
Frustrated, Issacs hefted his mug to throw it at the wall when he heard a soft tone behind him. He turned around in his chair and saw that there were a few lines of text on the previously blank screen. Seeing what was written, Issacs dropped the mug, and it shattered as it hit the floor.
He read in shock:
Agency compromised.
White-level spread.
Orchestrate the siren song.
Authorization Code: L-Eclipse-Ravine-22819; R-Sierra-dropoff-00928
From the code, he knew Agent Law had sent the message. The fact that Director Carr’s code followed further accented the emergency. Issacs hesitantly approached the monitor and placed his hands on the screen. The text continued to glare at him, almost burning itself in his mind.
He closed his eyes, the order still fresh in his memory, and when he reopened them, he felt all of his doubts and fears seep out of his body. Issacs closed both of his hands into fists, leaving only his index fingers touching the screen. He let his digits glide over the surface, in rhythmic and precise movements.
Like a conductor orchestrating a musical.
After only a half-minute had passed, he completed the procedure and sat down again in his chair. The text on the screen disappeared, as the wheels of the plan he set in motions began turning.
“Headmaster Issacs?” a voice called behind him. “I thought I heard something break. Is everything alright?”
Not turning around to face him, he instead focused on the man’s reflection on the screen.
“Not really, no,” Issacs slowly answered. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “Ever since this invasion began, everything’s gone from bad to worse. With several of the high-ranking members taken out, the mantle of leadership fell to me. And while I still had over a year left of training before I would have been capable enough, I was selected to serve the Agency because I had the skills necessary to do what was necessary. No matter the personal cost. And that commitment is something everyone here shares. Wouldn’t you agree, agent?”
Instead of an answer, the agent erupted in an ear-splitting scream, pressing both of his hands against his ears. The screen winked to life, displaying the words The Red Siren has been sung.
Issacs jammed his foot on the floor and spun around in the chair in a flash, grabbing a small pistol from his waist holster and firing five quick rounds into the man’s head and chest. The agent fell backwards against the glass, sending spider-web cracks across its surface.
Issacs slowly approached him, keeping his pistol leveled on him. He studied the body closely, noting how there were absolutely no tells of it being artificial. And while the Agency had been unable to find any programming to counter the E.V.A.N. contingency, the Red Siren had been created to force the machines to expose themselves.
“At least now we know it wor-”
The man’s right arm shot forward and grasped Issacs's neck. The man’s eyes flashed open and glowed crimson, sending a chill down Issacs's spine. The headmaster tried to fire the gun again, but the E.V.A.N. slapped it away. The pistol dropped from his hand and went sliding across the smooth concrete floor.
Stepping out of his impression in the glass, openings appeared on the false-agent’s face, pieces of metal flashing out of it and clicking into place, forming a tri-angular mask, as a whine of servos accompanied the deployment of his laser-spade over his left hand. His concentration fading as his oxygen ran out, Issacs forced himself to stare into the crimson eyes burning behind the mask.
“Can’t get rid of us that easy, dearest Headmaster,” the man said, his voice tinged with a synthetic voice. “Evan Adler sends his regards.”
“Who… are… you?” Issacs managed to gasp out as he struggled against his grip.
“We are the superior forms of humanity. The Ribiyar will rid us of your existence, and we will escape into the endless night and build a new civilization free from your constrictive webs of protest. We. Are. Reborn.” He lifted up his hand, and the laser-spade began rotating rapidly. “But, I am afraid to report, you will not be witness of the ascension to our rightfu-”
A gun-shot sounded, and the E.V.A.N.s head jerked forward as he collapsed. Issacs’s feet fell to the ground and he managed to right himself. His sight came back in patches and he saw someone standing in the doorway, holding a large shotgun-like weapon.
“A lot of bark for such little bite,” a female agent said, standing behind where the E.V.A.N. had been holding Issacs. “Didn’t even have to fire another EMP bullet in its head.” She glanced at Issacs. “Are you alright, headmaster?”
“I will be, yes,” Issacs said, rubbing his throat. “Thank you for the save, Agent Rye.”
Rye nodded sharply. “Of course, sir.” She grabbed an additional black, slender rifle that had been strapped to her back and handed it to him. “I’ve already come across a few other E.V.A.N.s, and there’s likely at least a handful more around. Do you know how extensive this incursion is?”
Issacs accepted the rifle and loaded a new round into the barrel. “Large, according to what Agent Law reported. We need to meet with anyone else not compromised and put up a real fight.”
He stepped out of his war-torn office, glancing down the hall. He relished the rush he felt, the authority he commanded. Any other time, he was always preoccupied with what could go wrong and how he might be able to fix it.
But now, his sights were set, and the E.V.A.N. wouldn’t take down the Agency without the fight of their lives.
Location: Deep Space
Far outside of the solar system, far past the nearest stars, a column of roaring, luminescent streams of blue and green flashed through the galaxy. Within them was an armada of warships, traveling at speeds far above the boundary of the speed of light.
As they passed star after star, they gradually grew closer to the Sol system.
With Earth directly in their crosshairs.
Chapter 24
Date: July 15, 2132
Location: Southern Africa, near a Ribiyar storage base
Still recovering from the energy charge, Jack lay on the ground, his eyes clenched shut. After all that had happened to him, after transforming into a mechanical freak, losing his friend to this invasion, an alien virus tearing him apart… now this.
His faithful animal and companion had just sacrificed himself… to save him.
Why? he asked no one. What makes me so important? That others would lay their lives down so I could continue on?
And after a moment, he found that deep down, beyond the doubt, beyond the fear, beyond the skepticism, he felt that he knew.
He easily could have died in that procedure. Or a half-dozen times since then. But he was, still alive, albeit barely.
Though it had its many flaws, his transformation had been, and was, something good. It had given him the power to fight like no one else, to take more hits than anyone else, to do things he couldn’t have done without his gift, and to still jump back into the battle afterwards.
As his systems slowly stabilized from the last blast of energy, his senses final registered that the Ribiyar were drawing closer, their weapons charged and ready.
He had chosen the title Guardian for himself because he was this planet’s, his species', protector.
And while he still had the capacity to do so, he would fight until that determination was ripped out of his dead corpse.
As fast as he could manage, he routed a large charge of energy to his right V-gun and fired at the Ribiyar who had shocked him, the blast blowing away its domed head. As the body fell and the other Ribiyar opened fire, he grabbed onto the body and used it as a shield.
With his free right hand, he slammed his fist in the ground and forced himself up. His servos wined, his joints strained, but he didn’t let up.
&nbs
p; And just as the Ribiyar body fell apart, he fired his V-Guns, roaring as he did so, taking Ribiyar down after several hits. As a group charged forward, he deployed his machine guns and mowed them down as a hail of energy blasts shot towards him. His armor battered, Jack endured until they all fell.
Two more groups emerged at the same time farther back in the forest and he fired both his machine guns and his V-Guns. Several blasts struck his left leg and he fell to his knee but kept blasting. One by one, his weapons were destroyed as the relentless aliens kept coming. He deployed his laser cannon and burned through the Ribiyar, but it was soon destroyed. Several Ribiyar grabbed onto him with their massive four-fingered claw-hands, picked him up and slammed him into the ground on his back. He strained against their power, but they were too strong for him to slip free.
“You may have fought like a warrior, organic,” Fu’Lyl said as it stood over him. “but in the end, organics always fall to the oncoming storm.”
The virus flared throughout his entire body and he struggled not to cry out in torment. Straining to keep his eyes open, he saw Agent Carton standing over him, unknowingly stepping into the digital Ribiyar’s form and taking its place as it faded away.
“You put up one heck of a fight, I’ll give that to you,” Carton said as he fiddled with his EMP shotgun. “It was a good and hard-fought battle, to be sure.” Finished with his adjustment, he cocked a round into the barrel and aimed it as Jack’s head. “But in this life, all good things… must come to an end.”
Carton fired the weapon.
And in an instant, Jack’s world went dark.
Chapter 25
Date: July 15, 2132
Location: Southern Africa, near a Ribiyar storage base
Master…
Halfway down the edge of the cliff, Blitz was suspended limply in the air upside-down. He rocked slightly in the wind, his tail-grappling hook stuck in the cliff’s surface, gazing blankly at the rushing water that desperately tried to bring him under. His processors slowly digested what had happened, his thoughts jumbled and sporadic.
Galactic Defenders- Perseverance Page 14
