Gideon, Red, Mia, and Bullseye entered the Commander’s office to find her standing over a holographic display of the lunar base which hovered a few inches off her table. She didn’t look up as they entered, and didn’t even thank them for their work.
“Generator’s in place and we’ve beefed up defenses in our most vulnerable locations,” she said, motioning to the corners of the main structure. “We’ve pulled back all troops to this structure and everyone is as ready as they can be.”
She looked up at the trio, eyes hard as flint.
“And that’s where the good news ends.” She looked to the side and Gideon noticed that Book was standing near the far wall, reading from a data tablet.
“The bulk of the enemy strength is heading directly to earth,” Book said, “but a small portion of their armada has been diverted here. Only a few ships but there are significantly more troops than we’ve encountered thus far and several heavy units that we’ve not got any intel on.”
Commander Moynahan pointed to a position on the map which looked to be directly to the north of the base. There were two rectangular blocks positioned above the base with a host of red dots flowing out of the blocks and heading south. Gideon guessed that these were enemy ships, and the red dots represented Collective soldiers.
“I can tell you now that there’s no way we can survive this onslaught. There are just too many of them and the heavies we’re seeing here seem to be giving of a huge amount of etheric power. Chances are they’re gonna have explosive ordinances that can take out our gun emplacements and, without those, we’ll be fish in a barrel.”
She looked up at Gideon.
“This base need to survive. We’re feeding vital information back to earth HQ and without it, they’re blind to what’s going on out here. The enemy fleet is also converging on the planet which means, if we can survive, we’ll be effectively behind enemy lines, giving us an opportunity to harass the enemy from the flanks and perhaps even take out a strategic target or two.”
Moynahan flicked her fingers toward the trio and a new mission popped up on Gideon’s HUD.
NEW MISSION: Wrecking Ball
Infiltrate the enemy ranks and take out the Heavy infantry units in order to blunt the Collective’s advance.
REWARD: 10 Enhancement Points per Heavy Target
Additional rewards may be earned by causing significant damage or disruption to the enemy advance.
ENEMY HEAVIES KILLED: 0/3
“Shit yeah!” Red yelled, turning to Gideon. “Now this is my kind of mission!”
Moynahan ignored the outburst.
“I need you to disrupt the enemy and take out those heavies. I can’t tell you what they are or what it’s going to take to bring them down, but you’re our best shot. Plus, if you can cause enough of disruption, it will buy us more time to prepare.”
“What about the heavies?” Mia asked, turning to Book. “Do we have any idea what they are, what kind of attack or defense capabilities they have?”
He shook his head. “Nothing concreted. Intelligence suggests that they might be shielded and, as the Commander mentioned, there’s a significant buildup of ether around them, but that’s all we know so far.”
The Commander grunted. “It seems that he Collective weren’t completely honest when they delivered us their little propaganda package outlining their attack strategies, unit specifications and so on. There was nothing in the data packet about the Harvester you killed and nothing about these big bastards. Stands to reason that there will be a whole lot more they’ve decided to keep from us, so watch your asses out there.”
Gideon thought about how they’d fared the last time the tried fighting in the moon’s low gravity.
“One thing. I wasn’t easy to move around out there last time, not for us at least. The Collective seem to have something that keeps them on the ground and allows them to move much faster than we can.”
The Commander nodded. “Gravity Tethers. We’ve been working on a way to utilize that technology ourselves and Maddox says we’re close.”
“That’s what she was working on,” Book interjected, “when I introduced you to her.” He turned to the Commander. “She says she’s got three working prototypes and she’s fitted them to combat EV suits.”
“Prototypes?” Red asked. “So, they haven’t been tested yet?”
Moynahan grinned. “You three are going to be our guinea pigs. Even if they’re not a hundred percent effective, they’ll still give you a considerable advantage over traditional EV suits.”
“Question,” Bullseye said, drawing everyone’s attention. “How am I able to assist in this endeavor, given that I doubt they make EV suits that fit someone of my current dimensions?”
The Commander frowned but Red stepped forward, motioning to Bullseye before she could reply.
“He can shoot lasers out his eyes now.”
Bullseye snorted. “I am capable of far more than that, thank you very much. I have been fully integrated into the Artemis System and, as such, can function as a fully fledge member of this squad.”
“Good for you,” Moynahan grunted. “As long as it doesn’t jeopardize the mission, do whatever the hell you want. But I’m done talking and we’re out of time.”
She looked up at Gideon.
“I’m assigning you as temporary team leader. You’ll each be connected to a comms feed which Book here will monitor and I’ll be available if you need me. If decisions need to be made on the ground, you’ll be the one to make them, understood?”
Gideon nodded.
Moynahan turned to the others. “Any of you got a problem with that?”
To Gideon’s surprise, both Mia and Red shook their head. The later did raise his hand though.
“Just so I’m clear on this,” he said. “If Gideon bites it, does that mean I’m in charge.”
The Commander narrowed her eyes. “If Gideon bites it, leadership will fall to Mia. If she dies or is incapacitated then, I guess the turtle can run the show. If everyone is dead and there’s on one left on the station, you’re in charge.”
Red seemed to miss the insult, nodding in agreement.
“Got it.”
“Go!” the Commander barked. “Maddox has your suits ready and Book here will be able to give you intel on the best approach to make. Good luck and don’t fuck it up!”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The diminutive communications officer led them out of the room and down through the main chamber of the station. Gideon held Bullseye in one arm as they walked.
“Guess you’ll be hitching a ride with me again.”
“Looks like it,” the turtle replied.
“Just keep those laser eyes under control while we’re in the EV suit, okay.”
The turtle huffed out a response that was somewhere between a sigh and a snort.
“Unlike you and the rest of your comrades, I am quite well educated when it comes to the nature and function of the Artemis System and the various abilities it bestows. I have been the premiere AI tutor for more than five thousand candidates and have shepherded each of those souls through the process of navigating the hunt. All of those heroes you idolize achieved greatness on my back, young Gideon.”
Gideon smiled. “Yeah, but you’re not gonna shoot a hole in my suit, right?”
“No. I will not shoot a hole in the suit.”
He couldn’t say why, but something about tormenting the little turtle gave Gideon a lot of pleasure. It might have been because it was a way of exacting a petty revenge on the world for his misfortune at having his dream of being a renowned hunter thwarted.
Then again, Bullseye had been just as screwed by the events of the invasion as anyone else. In fact, his misery had begun before the invasion had even started. He’d effectively been replaced and had no idea of that fact.
“Hey,” Gideon went on as they followed Book and the others through the facility, “can you still access all the information from each of the hunter’s you’ve helped? I mean, could you remember how someone like Samson Graves set up his bow? Or could you tell me how to setup my core attributes like Kadovan the Slayer?”
The turtle shook its head.
“Unfortunately, while I was able to assist each of those hunters in their careers, the various choices they made during their progression are private. Well, not private. You could doubtless find all the information you seek back on the Artemis feeds, and I understand that there are a great many internet locations dedicated to just such an enterprise.”
“Yeah, I get that, but I mean could you tap into their histories. Like, lessons that they picked up, stuff that they wish they had known earlier.”
“No. But again, that information would be of little use to our current circumstances. None of the hunters on Artemis fought the Collective, Gideon. None of them came face to face with Stalkers or had to fight for the survival of their species. The Great Hunt was little more than a game to those hunters, whereas this is real life.”
Gideon nodded.
Real life. None of it felt real. In Gideon’s experience, real life was about waking up too early, a lukewarm shower followed by finding some clothes that didn’t reek, walking the five miles to work, and then grinding away at a grill for ten hours before heading home to do it all again the next day.
As they moved through down into an unfamiliar section of the base, Book led them through a sealed corridor and into a broad room with EV suits and lockers lining one wall and what looked like a transition chamber on the far side. Maddox was sitting on a bench fiddling with the back of a modified EV suit. She smiled as they entered.
“Greetings, kids. Ready for your next adventure.”
Red pointed at the suit she was holding.
“Is that thing gonna work?”
She smiled, handing the suit to him. “For your sake you’d better hope so.” She motioned to the other suits hanging nearby.”
“You’ll all need to get dressed. The fabric is military grade, so it’s pretty tough, but just watch yourself. You could still cut the material and that wouldn’t be a great way to start your next mission.”
Gideon placed Bullseye on a nearby bench and examined his EV suit. Maddox, or one of her subordinates had written his name on a strip of tape on the front of the suit.
It was heavier than he EV suit he’d worn to get from the crashed ship to the station and, as Maddox had said, the fabric on the suit seemed a lot stronger. He doubted it would withstand a direct strike from a Stalker blade or one of those arrows from one of the Stalker archers.
“You’re suits are combat grade,” Maddox said as they began suiting up. “That means they’ll withstand basic impact damage and will offer protection from shrapnel and the like. They won’t deflect bullets or direct strikes from bladed weaponry, so don’t let the word combat confuse you.”
She walked over to Red, helping him into the suit by pulling back the shoulders and allowing him to shrug his way into it.
“Each of these prototypes has been fitted with modified a Gravity Tether that we ripped out of a group of Stalkers. It’s a mechanism they usually have implanted in their bodies, so I had to rig up an interface so they would work with the suits.”
She sighed, stepping away from Red.
“I won’t lie to you, they’re clunky as hell and this is the first real world field test we’ve been able to do, so expect them to get a little wiggy sooner or later.”
“What are they actually gonna do though?” Red asked.
“It basically nullifies the low gravity effect of the moon. You’ll move faster and won’t float up into the air every time you take a step. It will also mean recoil won’t push you backwards and you won’t take ages to hit the ground if you do jump.”
She smiles, walking around to the back of Red’s suit and tapping the backpack style mechanism.
“You’ll get two hours of breathable air and there’s an emergency canister that will give you another ten minutes at a pinch. Your HUDs will show how much oxygen you’ve got left and they’ll also highlight any rips or punctures in your suit.”
She lifted Red’s hand and pointed to a small canister attached to the underside of the glove.
“This is the most important object you have on your possession while you’re out there. Military grade sealant that’s been specially designed for this environment. It’s tied to your suit and there’s one attached to both your left and right gloves. Basically, grab this trigger here and pull and it will squirt out a truly noxious adhesive substance that will patch up any tears or punctures to your suit. It sets quickly, and there’s enough juice in each canister to patch up half a dozen rips.”
“How long will the repairs last?” Mia asked.
“Long enough to get you back here in once piece. Honestly, this shit is tougher than the stuff they make the suits out of. Your main problem is going to be flexibility and movement. The more of this stuff you’ve got holding your suit together the less movement you’ll have. It’s like stitching up a torn shirt using welded metal plates.”
“It won’t affect the Gravity Tether though, will it?” Gideon asked.
“No. You’ll still be held to the ground. I’ve also embedded the tether on the inside of the suit, so the only way it’s going to be damaged is if someone gets right into your business. If that happens, you’ll have bigger problems than a broken Gravity Tether.”
She clapped her hands together.
“And that’s it. Once your helmets are on, oxygen will start flowing and you’ll be ready to go. Just remember that this suit doesn’t give you an advantage over the enemy, it just puts you on an even standing as far as movement goes. They’ve got natural armor which offers far better protection than what you’re wearing. They’re also likely more used to operating in this kind of environment, so expect them to be better than you.”
Something like a cough drew their attention.
“Aren’t you forgetting something, Gideon?” Bullseye said from his position on the nearby bench.
Gideon turned to the turtle. “Shit! Sorry, I forgot. This thing is pretty snug though. I’m not sure there’s room in here for you. Maybe it’s best if you stay behind?”
He wasn’t sure, but it sounded like Bullseye was growling.
“No need,” Maddox said, wandering over and pulling something out of her pocket.
She bent down in front of Bullseye and starting tapping away at a small digital device which was a little larger than a cell phone but smaller than a data pad. A small holographic display hovered above the object and it looked like the thing was hovering above the ground, suspended in midair.
“I was thinking about this,” Maddox said, squinting in concentration. “You’re almost fully integrated into the System now, so that means you can access any starting abilities associated with your class.”
“Correct,” Bullseye said. “As a sorcerer I will have access to a plethora of abilities, most of which require ether to engage. Some are innate to the sorcerer class however and do not require—”
“A shield,” Maddox interrupted. “That’s what I was thinking. If you could fast track your development a little and get a basic shield, you’d be able to survive out there without having breathable air.”
She leaned back, nodding to herself.
“There you go.”
The turtle turned its head to one side, blinking slowly.
“Curious. It seems you’ve unlocked the Astral Shell ability. That will allow me to stabilize gravity and provide a protective bubble with sufficient oxygen for a period of sixty-seconds.”
“That’s not all,” Maddox said, grining. “Check out the cooldown.”
Bullseye blinked again. “Oh my. That is…impossible.”
“It was impossible,” Maddox corrected, “but you’re not really operating within the rules anymore so we can rig the system a little.”
“What is it?” Gideon asked.
“There is no cooldown,” Bullseye replied. “It should have a five-minute cooldown but it seems that Chief Maddox has found a way to bypass this.”
“You’re welcome,” Maddox said with a bow.
“Shit!” Red shouted. “Can you do the same thing for me?”
“No. You are not an AI Tutor that has been re-introduced into the Artemis System because of a rogue virus, so no, I can’t do the same for you. You’ll just have to put up with the superhuman abilities you already have.”
Book walked up to the doorway leading to the adjoining room and entered a series of numbers into the data pad to the right of the doorway. He turned back around as the door to the airlock opened.
“Comms are all ready to go and I’ll be able to guide you where I can. I’ve added a few locations to your HUD maps that might be helpful, but you’ll have to largely operate independently once you’re out of the airlock.”
Gideon nodded. “Okay, thanks.”
“Go well,” Book said with a serious expression. “And good luck.”