“You’ll need a crane for that,” Lana protested, “Or something equally powerful, like a bulldozer.”
“Hmm …” Nori looked down at her hands. “A bulldozer … or a Hummer.”
Lana's eyes widened as she took the woman’s meaning. “But didn’t you say the gang was dangerous?”
“I wasn’t planning on asking for their help. I’m a Navigator now, right? I bet I could drive that Hummer just fine. Besides, I have my baby here if we get into trouble.” She patted her weapon affectionately.
“You want to steal from them? That would probably make them angry. Why not look for another Hummer or a tractor?”
Nori shook her head. “Something tells me they won’t work. I don’t know, maybe it's a Navigator thing. But I guess there’s no harm in checking it out. But before we do …” She approached one of the dead Warped and nudged it with her feet.
Tec extraction commencing.
Extracted 0.4 Tec (10% success rate).
Faint light streamed from the body toward the three companions.
“Aww.” Lana scrunched her nose in disappointment, “This time I got much less than before, only point six Tec extracted.”
“That’s half again what I got,” Nori said dispassionately.
Lana winced, “Sorry.”
“Doesn’t matter.” The taller woman lifted her weapon. “That choice allowed me to use my sweetheart over here.”
“The total Tec count in my Status increased to six and I need eight to make it to level four.”
“I’m still at five,” Nori said, approaching the second Warped and nudged it as well.
Tec extraction commencing.
Extracted 0.4 Tec (10% success rate).
She glanced at her status screen.
Nori, Human, level 3 (6 Tec)
“And now I’m six too,” she said in satisfaction.
Wordlessly, Nathan bent down and plucked the two teardrop-shaped gems that formed over the bodies.
piTec: 400
piTec: 300
“Huh, so now we have sixty-three hundred piTec in total,” Lana said, her tone sounding overly casual. “I hope we eventually figure out what it means.”
“I know where Bulco’s gang is holing up,” Nori said. She hesitated for a moment. “You two don’t have to come along. God knows that spider thing could have killed you if we hadn’t made it into the ship in time. Aside from that, we’re about to go against other humans, so if you want to go back to your hideout, I’ll understand.”
Lana and Nathan exchanged looks, then the woman looked back at Nori. “Oh, hell no. You’re not getting rid of us so easily, missy. Aliens? Spaceships? Ray guns? We’re both in for the long haul.”
Nathan shifted uncomfortably, then nodded his approval.
Nori smiled at her and nodded. “Then follow me.”
***
The three carefully made their way through the abandoned streets. Nori led the way, Disruptor in hand and ready to fire.
“So I was thinking,” Lana said. “The Disruptor you found seems pretty powerful, maybe we should just stay here for a while so you can take down a few more Warped and level us all up. That’s gotta give us an edge, right?”
Nori thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “We don’t know exactly how powerful this weapon really is. Until we have a better grasp on its capabilities, I think it's better to use it defensively. Besides, I’m not sure how many shots are left in it, or even if it can run out of shots. I’d hate to find that out during a fight.”
Lana shuddered at the thought. “You have a point. In that case ... “ She walked over to a white sedan.
“This car looks in pretty good shape. Want to give it a try?”
“Alright,” the braided-haired woman said. She walked over to the driver’s side and tried the handle. It was locked. With a shrug, she punched through the window. With the exoskeleton augmenting her strength and protecting her knuckles, her first smashed the glass like it was made of paper. Nori unlocked the door and entered the driver’s seat.
“Nope,” she said after a short moment. “I just got a message saying ‘incompatible fossilized fuel component found.’ Looks like the alien tech doesn’t appreciate good-old fashioned combustion engines.”
“Maybe we should try looking for an electric car?” Lana suggested.
“Even if we can find one in decent shape, after six months, chances are the battery is long gone. But I guess we can keep an eye out for one. Let’s go on.”
They continued walking, constantly taking in their surroundings, and always on high alert against the possibility of encountering more Warped.
After walking in silence for several minutes, Lana spoke up. “Is it just me or does anyone else think we’re accepting it too easily.”
“Accepting what too easily?”
“This.” She motioned around her. “The ruined city, the dead masses, the existence of aliens, and the Calamity itself. Everything. I mean, it’s only been several months since life as we knew it turned upside down and sideways for everyone in the world, but we’re just going at it as if it was always so. It feels like we all adjusted just a little too easily.”
Nori pondered on her words. “To be human is to be a survivalist,” she said finally. “I think we were so used to growing in a civilized society, we forgot our base instinct. For our ancestors, struggling to survive was simply a fact of life. I guess it was always a part of our nature, hidden deep within, and recent events just brought it to the surface.”
“So that’s your answer? It’s all thanks to our lizard-brain?” Lana shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Maybe it could explain the sentimentally of people like you, who fight each day to survive. But Nathan and I, and a lot of other people, aren’t like that. Everyone just seems … a little bit too well adjusted. You know what I mean? Take me for example. I’ve just played around with the controls of an alien ship. I’m excited, sure, but the old me would be lying on the floor, hyperventilating and trying to get her wits together.”
“When you say it like that …” Nori looked at the ground. “You might be onto something. Other survivors I’ve met in the shelter also seemed to be well adjusted. There’s fear, sure, but nothing like you’d normally expect. People are mostly level-headed and are trying to figure out a way out of this mess. Maybe it has something to do with our increased healing rate and reduced need for food. With those two basic concerns out of the picture, all people really need nowadays is a safe shelter. So … maybe … human psyche adjusted to complement our new physical needs?”
Lana looked unconvinced. “I only took one class of psychology, but it’s enough to know people’s minds don’t adjust so quickly. Not like this.” She sighed. “I don’t know why I’m making such a big fuss over it. I’m probably overthinking it. Even if I’m right, this mentality will only increase our species’s chance of survival.”
Nori shook her head. “No. You’re right for bringing it up. Never shy away from asking the hard questions. You were right earlier when you said we’re living in a new world. We need people like you, asking the hard questions and trying to figure out the answers if we hope to take control over our world again.”
Lana blushed slightly. “Thanks. My mind sometimes likes to take trips on its own and it sometimes comes up with strange ideas. Especially when I’m trying not to think about monsters jumping at me out of every shadow we pass.”
“Well, you can ease up,” Nori said, pointing at an old, two-floor stone structure in the distance. “We’re nearly there.”
“The county library?” Lana frowned. “Are you sure that’s Bulco’s hideout?”
“Yes. I overheard a couple of his guys mentioning the place when …” her face clouded. “When they dragged a man out of a shelter I was staying in.”
Lana swallowed hard. “Maybe we should reconsider our plans?”
Nori shook her head. “No, there, look - see those tire marks - they drove the Hummer straight through the main entrance.” She t
ook a step forward, and Nathan let out a shriek.
Without them noticing, a winged Warped the size of a pony swept down from the sky, diving straight at the young man.
“Nathan!” Lana screamed.
The young man cried in fear and his hands flew up instinctively to protect his face. The bird-like monster’s sharp talons sliced up his thigh and its beak snapped forward, locking onto his shoulder.
Nori lifted her weapon but realized she would be risking hitting Nathan. So she dropped the Disruptor, jumped, and grasped the bird-Warped from behind. The monster thrashed and let out a high-pitched screech. It let go of the wounded man and tried turning on the woman who was hanging on its back. Nori grabbed the thing’s neck with all her strength, trying to keep the snapping beak from reaching her face. The monster shook violently, flapping its wings and nearly managing to tear the unintentional rider off its back. In desperation, the woman let go with one hand and grabbed at a wing. She pulled, putting her entire body into the motion with her legs straining to provide leverage. The exoskeleton’s mellow hum rose to a metallic screech and, little by little, the giant wing gave out. With a tremendous effort, Nori pulled, tearing away the flapping limb completely. The Warped screamed in pain and fell to its side, thrashing against the floor.
Nori let go, arched backward and kicked out, and propelled herself backward. One of her hands touched the ground, balancing her entire body, while the other swept up the Disruptor. The momentum carried her over to do a complete somersault, and she landed on both feet with the weapon drawn out, pointing at the monster. An instant later, a blue ray shot out, hitting the creature and reducing it to a smoking heap.
Lana ran to Nathan. “Are you alright?”
The young man looked up at her weakly. His hands clamped on the terrible gashes on his thigh and shoulder.
“Here, let me have a look.” Nori crouched next to him. She examined the man’s wounds with a clinical detachment, then nodded. “Doesn’t look like there’s an internal injury. He should be alright.”
“Alright?” Lana’s voice rose by an octave. “He was just mauled by that … that … thing! We need to get him to a hospital … I mean … we need to do something!”
Nori shook her head. “You led a pretty safe life in your hideout it seems. People don’t die of flesh wounds anymore. Didn’t you know? Here, look.” She pointed at Nathan’s torn shoulder.
Lana frowned and leaned in closer. Fine silvery threads rapidly appeared across the wound, sewing the torn flesh back together right in front of her unbelieving eyes.
“See?” Nori said. “He’s even healing faster than anyone else I’ve seen before.”
“It’s probably because we’re no longer level zero,” Lana said slowly, then she shook her head. “This is insane.”
“Unfortunately, the Warped also heal,” Nori said flatly. “And they can do it even faster. That’s why conventional weapons are so ineffective against them. Come on; loot the body and let’s get off the street. We’re lucky the fight didn’t draw out the gang.”
“Loot the body?” Lana frowned.
“Gamer jargon.” Nori shrugged.
“Oh.”
The dead Warped provided them with more Tec and an additional 300 piTec, which Nori put in her pouch. She pointed her chin toward an upturned truck. “You two go hide over there, I’ll try to sneak in.”
Lana glanced with uncertainty at the impromptu hideout, then her face hardened and she nodded. “Be careful.” She bent down, helping Nathan to his feet. His wounds still looked awful, but they were no longer bleeding. The two limped toward the truck, and Nori turned to face the gray building. All the ground level windows were boarded up and the only visible entrance was through the front doors.
Nori snuck over against the side to avoid being discovered in case someone suddenly came out. The front wall of the library was chipped and full of holes, as if at some point someone had sprayed it with gunfire. As soon as she got close, she heard the unmistakable hum of a large engine. Looking around, Nori found a hole she could peek through.
The large Hummer stood in what used to be the library’s lobby. The interior wooden doors leading toward the main reading hall were broken and torn off their hinges, but she couldn’t see anyone else around. Nori silently walked to the front entrance and tried the doors. They were locked. She tried again, a little more forcefully, and heard a metallic clink. “They chained the door from the inside,” she murmured.
Taking a deep breath she steadied herself, then with a quick jerk, she pulled at the door. The exoskeleton magnified the force by several folds and a loud ‘pop’ sounded as the door’s bar was torn off. Scanning quickly the inside, the noise didn’t seem to attract any unwanted attention. The Hummer was just a few meters away. Nori slipped through the open door and hurried toward the vehicle.
The door opened easily, and she jumped into the driver seat.
Intense light washed over her from all sides, blinding her. Nori yelped in surprise and raised her hands to shield her eyes.
“Mind telling me what the hell you think you’re doing?” a deep voice sounded above her, followed by the sound of a cocking gun.
5 - Mechanics
“Hands up, or we’ll shoot,” the deep voice said.
Nori closed her eyes in frustration. She was so close. Even though firearms seemed mostly ineffective against the Warped, they could still harm her. She held the Disruptor below the dashboard, but with the intense lamps shining at her, she could barely open her eyes.
She smiled bitterly. It's ironic that after escaping death by the Warped for this long, I end up murdered by a human.
The door flew open and a large hand grabbed her by the shoulder. Nori felt herself being yanked out of the seat and thrown into the air. With her high agility, she was able to tuck in her head in time and roll with the momentum, mitigating what would otherwise have been a bone-shattering impact. She rolled up to her feet and held out the Disruptor, moving it from side to side while blinking her bleary eyes.
“What? You don’t like being in the spotlight?” There was a deep chuckle followed by several others and the man who grabbed her moved into view.
Nori clenched her teeth. “Bulco.”
“Hey, I know you,” the black man said in surprise. “You’re one of the brats who tried to steal my spaceship. What the hell are you doing here? You got a death wish or something? Where are the two other brats?”
Nori pointed her weapon straight at his head. “I’m the one with the gun, so forgive me if I refuse to answer. And I’ll be taking your car with me.”
The man crossed his thick arms, staring at her unafraid. “Am I supposed to be afraid of this shiny kids’ toy?”
Instead of answering, Nori moved her arm slightly to the side and fired. A beam of pure blue energy shot out, missing the man’s head by centimeters and hitting the wall behind him.
Bulco looked back and stared with surprise at the small crater the ray had punched into the brick wall. He turned back to the woman and chuckled. “Looks like you got some alien loot, but it won’t save you.” He whistled sharply and the projectors turned off. With the blinding light out of the way, Nori could clearly see more men standing on a second-floor railing above her. They were all aiming guns at her.
“Now why don't you hand me that shiny laser gun and that weird-looking outfit you’re wearing, and tell me how to get into the ship?” Bulco drew out a huge revolver from his side and pointed it straight at Nori’s head. The muzzle looked big enough to shoot apples. The large man grinned at her toothily. “If you don’t cause any more trouble, I might even consider letting you off with a warning.”
Nori narrowed her eyes as she considered her options. She seriously doubted she could heal from a head wound from the black man’s hand cannon, level three or not. She lowered her gun.
“Alright, you won,” she said casually and flipped over the Disruptor in her hand. “Here you go.”
Bulco narrowed his eyes. “Don’t try
anything stupid,” he cautioned her and approached, never taking his eyes from hers.
Despite his cautious approach, he was not prepared for what happened next. As soon as his outstretched hand touched the Disruptor, Nori exploded into action. She grabbed the large arm with both her hands and jumped, wrapping both her legs around his shoulder. The man gave out a surprised yelp and dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Nori sat on his back, putting a knee into his spine and pinning him in place. She twisted his arm backward and forced his face into the ground.
“So this is how it’s going to work,” she said quietly. “You’ll order your men to drop their weapons and get out of the building. Then I get into the Hummer and drive away. If you’re a good boy, I might consider not breaking your arm - let you go with only a warning - how about that?”
The man grunted. “You’re one tough kid, you know that?”
Nori fastened her grip on his wrist, the exoskeleton hummed as it augmented her strength. “You have to be in this world. Now, are you gonna play nice, or what?”
Bulco chuckled. “Wrong move, kid. A little free advice: when you threaten to break someone’s arm off, you better make sure you have the means to back it up.” And with his free hand, he pushed himself off the floor.
Nori couldn’t believe her eyes. She immediately locked down on his arm and leaned backward, trying to force him down again, but Bulco ignored her. Like a bull brushing off a fly, he got to his feet and jerked his arm forward, throwing the tall woman off him. A chorus of guns cocking filled the air as the rest of the gang members aimed at the woman now in the open.
“Hold your fire!” Bulco shouted.
“What are you waiting for?” Nori yelled back at him, shivering from disappointment and the rush of adrenaline. “I know what you do to people who cross you. Just get it over with already.”
Earth Force (Relict Legacy Book 1) Page 5
