by Skyler Grant
"Those two wouldn't seem to go together."
"It's a weird place. The Righteous, though, are all about the world that was. They try to get Power cores and strip them of their power, bring things back a little bit more. You might say they're on a mission to put the old world together piece by piece."
"It sounds more like they are mortal enemies than they just don't like each other," I said.
Anna tried to shrug and winced "My painkillers are wearing off. A war is coming, everyone knows it's coming, but it isn't here yet."
If a war was coming, then it begged the question of whose side we were on? Did we have one, or were we our own?
The Rim seemed interested in stealing my cores—they hadn't come to talk, but came with guns blazing. The Righteous at least wanted to talk, eventually, but Anna said they weren't to be trusted. I also knew now that Anna came into this with her own prejudices.
First, I had to make sure I was capable of fighting anyone right now. Mechos, Anna, Abigail, and one of the Mechanites were all in the Infirmary. I'd lost my warrior mole and would have to replace it. The tunnels into the base were even more caved in after the shelling we'd just taken, and a good fifty percent of my systems were functioning irregularly after the power surges of earlier.
I also had a research project to start.
Research Menu
"Runner"
Runner is bonded to a speed core. This grants her the ability to move and think at speeds vastly greater than those of a normal human. Her core has been expanded so that she can phase through matter as well as deconstruct it violently at a touch. Research could yield a variety of speed-related bonuses.
That was intriguing. Runner hadn't just naturally been that powerful. This was the first clear example I'd seen of someone else’s core truly being upgraded. It seemed like I would only get one of those abilities from researching. I wondered what would happen, if I killed her? Would I then get all of those extra abilities, or would they generate out there in the world somewhere?
I began the research. The time was quick compared to most, it would only be a week.
I took the opportunity to review what I'd accomplished.
E.M.M.A
Underground Facility
Power Core: 250
Power Usage: 85
Habitability: 20
Biomass: 678
Building Material: 85
Research: 4
Military: 1
Manufacturing: 0
Additional Facilities
Biocomputer - Level 4
Bioreactor - Level 4
Genetics Lab - Level 4
Growth Vats - Level 4
Infirmary - Level 3
Cabins - Level 3
Processor - Level 4
My supply of biomatter was coming along nicely at least. With increasing amounts of my systems being biologically focused that was my primary building material.
Anna was still up. Even though my organic computer was a bit slower than my old processor, I could still out-think a human. My considerations had only taken seconds.
I hit Mechos with some stimulants. The man groaned and tried to sit up. The broken bones weren't very conducive to that.
I ordered the autodoc to apply splints to him.
"Anna has some specifications for you. We're going to need shielding built and installed as quickly as possible," I said.
"Is Samantha all right?" Mechos asked.
It took me a moment to realize who he meant. Of course, his Mechanite companion also in the Infirmary. They had names, I probably should learn them one of these days.
"Simply a little electrocuted. Four days to repair, you are in far worse shape," I said.
"Sorry I didn't get Runner the first time," Anna said.
"You did your best. You knew how dangerous she was. It was brave of you to try," Mechos said, staring into her eyes.
"Coitus later. Shielding now," I said.
"You've a real talent for ruining the moment," Anna said.
"You've a real talent for repulsing men. Get to work."
40
Runner hadn't stopped moving in her testing labyrinth. At first, I thought she was just attempting to phase through the floor again, but now I was getting worried that she had something else in mind.
My cameras were starting to be distorted, the views angling oddly. If I had to guess, I'd say that she was trying to wrap space in some fashion.
I was confident in the containment holding, but I feared she might be attempting to reach out to her gang. I'd already seen firsthand how she could phase through matter, perhaps she had some way of signaling her location?
I modified the open sections of the cell floor into new traps. Layers of rapidly swirling razor-sharp fan blades. Setting foot in there now would lead to being sliced into ribbons one layer at a time.
The Speedfreaks did arrive, but nowhere near my new traps.
When intrusion alarms went off it was in different areas of the base simultaneously. One in Hydroponics, another on the Security level, yet another on the Archives level.
I had a quick solution for one of those. I'd had the Archive floor powered down after all the damage from the electrical surges. I turned everything back on to overload levels.
It didn't matter how quick someone was when the very halls were filled with electricity. Lightning was faster—or so you'd think. Still, the woman that materialized managed to dodge several arcing bolts. My fastest cameras could barely catch her movements. A bolt did finally catch her in the arm and the result was a smoldering corpse tumbling down the hall.
If it could work on that level, I could make it work in Hydroponics. I'd never uninstalled the water cannons I'd used against Hot Stuff and the Flames. I made it rain, then overloading the power again I made an electrical storm.
The water made a great conductor and an astonished-looking man collapsed into a damp and twitching heap in a puddle.
Two down in quick order. The third wasn't going to be as easy.
I had traps on the Security level. I had lots of traps on the Security level. Spike traps, saw traps, poison gas, incinerators, freezers, chompers and bolters and biters. The woman avoided them all with a skill that made me feel absolutely inept. Everything triggered too late. I tried to anticipate her moves with the traps and she would only go even faster.
"Okay. I know you're watching me. How about we talk?" said the woman.
With my efforts at killing her going so poorly, I wasn't averse to the idea.
"Tired out from killing your friends. What do you want?" I asked.
"My friends were assholes. Runner is a monster. You going to kill her?"
A potential ally, or was she lulling me into a false sense of security?
"Maybe," I said. I wasn't going to give away any information I didn't have to. "You looking to save her or betray her?"
"I'm Octavia, and I'm the second fastest woman you'll ever meet. You kill her, that goes away and I'm nothing," Octavia said.
When a Powered lost their core, their lieutenants lost their ability? It wasn't something I'd been able to confirm. The only Powered I'd actually killed had been the Commander, and he didn't have lieutenants, just thralls.
"What if it didn't kill her?" I asked.
"What if you give me her core and we become best friends, even lovers. I'm flexible," Octavia said.
"I'm an organic supercomputer and find you repulsive."
"All good. I'd finish first anyways and aren't all that generous."
Why did humans always have to be so disgusting, especially when they might be rather useful, despite their habits?
"How about I keep her locked away in a cell she can never escape from? You work for me and keep your speed, and live to disgust people with your flirting another day?" I asked.
Octavia considered this. "Second fiddle to a badass computer. Most important human alive. I dig it."
"Not quite. There's Anna, who is going to be Queen of the World. Then t
here's Mechos, although he is technically a prisoner. It's all rather complex," I said.
Octavia tapped her foot so fast gusts of wind sent dust scattering along the floor. "Anna hot?"
Why was that a question? What did that possibly have to do with anything?
I opened a comm and a two-way display. "Anna. I have a Speedfreak here who possibly wants to join up and seems disturbingly interested in seducing you sight unseen."
"Way more interested now that it is sight seen. I'm Octavia," Octavia said.
Mechos scowled behind Anna's shoulder as she brushed a few strands of hair back from her forehead.
"I'm Anna. You're cool with me being Queen of the World?" Anna asked.
"Do I have to curtsey and call you Majesty and stuff?" Octavia asked and shrugged. "Why not?'
"Uh, yeah. Let's go with that. I'm okay with her—she's on board," Anna said, and killed the connection.
"Your choice. I can go back to trying to kill you, if you'd prefer," I said.
"You were doing pretty bad at that," Octavia said.
I was, but then I'd been bringing up some toxic gas from the levels below. I had stockpiles enough now that I could flood the entire level if this didn't go as needed.
"That isn't an answer," I said.
Octavia grinned. "Tell her Majesty I'm on board, digital hotness."
"It's Emma."
"I like my name for you better."
I'd keep the poison gas on hand. For now though, with all we faced, I was happy to have any support we could get.
41
A week passed. It was enough time for us to finally clear out the entrance. I repaired my exterior cameras, but there wasn't much I could do in terms of weaponry that might manage to hit an airship.
It was also time for my research project to complete.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open up new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Research Menu
"Runner"
Runner possesses a speed core granting her enormous speed of body and mind. You have two possible rewards from this research.
Accelerator
This chamber will offer a modest increase in speed for all base facilities and defenses based on their level.
Speed Matrix
With the Speed Matrix you can upgrade biological entities with the hasted ability granting them a lesser version of the speed Runner herself possesses.
They were intriguing possibilities. The first option sounded like it would improve the speed of everything in my base, but by a modest amount, although that would scale over time. The second would give me an upgrade I could apply. With a number of my functions now biological that meant I'd be able to apply it to them as well, although at a cost in core points.
I preferred the passive upgrade. Not all of my systems were biological, and core points were a precious commodity. While I'd love the ability to mix something like the Speed Matrix in a Fire Matrix in a defender, I could have a lesser version of that at half the cost.
You have an unspent core point.
Core points can enhance your competencies and open up new options for Research and Manufacturing.
Your options are:
Research 4
Research 4 will allow you to institute advanced testing protocols. These protocols will halve the research times of all projects. In addition, when beginning a new project you will gain an enhanced breakdown of the possible benefits.
Military 2
Military 2 will allow you to control a greater number of defense drones. There is power in numbers.
Manufacturing 1
Manufacturing 1 will allow the production of automated minions. They are capable of autonomous facility repair and will halve all build and production times for new facilities.
The Military upgrade had already proved its worth and going that route again was tempting. The Manufacturing was as well, I truly was weak in some of my fundamentals. The Research upgrade seemed underwhelming, although I suspected that as the level continued to increase some vastly better rewards might be found further along that path.
Ultimately, I wanted to be a SCIENCE facility and that meant I needed to do SCIENCE. I took the latest Research upgrade.
I granted Bernard a full teleportation upgrade and sent him scouting the surroundings so that I could get an idea of what was going on out in the world.
He didn't need long to report back.
It was a small-scale war. The three Scholar airships hadn't left and were regularly engaging the gangs on the ground. They were winning handily, their firepower more than any of the gangs could match.
I called my council, such as it was, together. Projecting details of what was going on for Anna and Mechos.
"They're hunting cores while they're in the area. They'll get bored, eventually," Anna said.
"Are you certain of that?" Mechos asked.
Anna gnawed on her lower lip for a long moment. "No. This area has a higher core density than it's supposed to. Higher than it says in the records."
"Bad record keeping? Were you in charge of it?" I asked.
"I was, actually. I was hiding this laboratory," Anna said. "Those ships are flying Lady Sylax's colors. It isn't beyond her to try to make a claim for this place."
"I'm not familiar with the name," Mechos said.
"Her colors are black and red. How much more do you need to know? Sylax likes to play the vamp and really likes shedding blood."
"Did you two finish with the shielding?" I asked.
"You're hidden. And they'll likely think I was poaching cores and ran off," Anna said.
"You do seem like a thief."
"I do, and they'll want to believe it. That means they don't have to report my presence and that means they have more time to operate off the books and try to establish their own claim," Anna said.
"If they do claim this area, what will it mean?"
"They'll be here in force. They'll use disruption towers to weaken the physical laws still in effect," Anna said.
None of that sounded particularly good.
"I'd rather not have that happen, “I said.
"The question is, can we stop it? They appear to have a considerable technological advantage," Mechos said.
"We can't. I've said it before, you're not ready for this fight yet. We stay low and we poach cores, and we don't get involved," Anna said.
"What about the Righteous?" Mechos asked.
They were the logical alternative. They had at least one airship of their own and they were at ideological odds with the Scholars.
"They're fuckers that want purify everyone and everything with a core. They aren't really your friends," Anna said.
I didn't doubt her. I knew that they weren't my friends, but that didn't mean that we couldn't have a common cause.
"I have the frequency they used to contact us before. I can reach out to them," I said.
Anna let out a low breath. "Emma, have I steered you wrong yet?"
Despite her many shortcomings, Anna had always tried to be a good partner. I recognized that.
I said, "No, but you're too close to this, Anna. It is making you even dumber than usual."
"For what it is worth, I agree with Emma. I don't trust the Righteous either, but they are our best option," Mechos said.
Anna scowled at us both, but then nodded. "Fine. I'll play nice, but on your heads be it."
It was settled then. I had a call to make.
42
"This is the Righteous Purifier," said a drawling male voice on the other side of the communications channel.
"This is Emma. We need to talk."
"One moment. I'll get you Commander Danik."
It took a minute for a new voice. Gruff and male.
"This is Commander Danik of the Righteous Purifier. I understand you wish to take us up on our offer," Danik said.
"Incorrect. I've no desire to be under your command an
y more than you have a desire to wind up in my testing lab. I want to discuss the Scholars," I said.
There was pause, I suspected they were discussing things.
"What do you know about the Scholars?" Danik asked.
"Three ships for now, flying the colors of Lady Sylax. We believe she intends on staking claim to the Wasteland," I said.
It seemed best to be upfront with my knowledge. Anything which made me appear a knowledgeable and capable partner would make them more inclined to cooperate.
"We concur. No doubt, as an inhabitant of the Wasteland you have little desire to have that happen," Danik said.
That was obvious. But they weren't giving away as much as I'd like. It was time to push my luck.
"If you were a match for them, you would have already engaged. We like our odds, but it is still closer to a fair fight than we would like. Perhaps there is an area for cooperation between us here?" I asked.
"Perhaps there is. We have a problem. Our airships and theirs are operating under very different physical laws and once we breach their hulls and get aboard, their physical laws render our weaponry ineffective," Danik said.
The Scholars likely favored some sort of defensive powers in their construction. Once aboard, mundane weapons probably fared very poorly. It made sense.
"Can your people toggle off their dampening abilities?" Mechos asked.
"Briefly. Why do you ask?" Danik asked.
Mechos was sketching quickly on a pad. I saw what he was working towards.
"We can make backpack bombs that should be immensely powerful in their environment. We'll need to deliver them to key systems. If we teleport your people there, can they at least fight their way to the target and detonate the devices?" I asked.
"Yes, and that would be acceptable. As you know, death isn't a lasting thing for us. But so long as the ships crash," Danik said.
I wondered if that meant my attempt to kill one of them had failed. It might be to my advantage that it had, they didn't know I had that ability.
