| Meghan Moretti Novelty: n/a Abilities: none |
| Here are twelve starting ability options suggested for your species! Improvised Equipment Powerful Blow Mark Target Draw Attention Camouflage Ambush Accelerated Dodge Hex Fire Bolt Ice Bolt Healing Touch Force Shield |
Eldest, whats our best estimate of the number of surviving contestants? I know they lost far more than expected to the first monster. More than one in twenty! -- Intercepted radio transmission between two Voices for Non-Citizens shipsA small plush turtle laughed maniacally from her place atop my daughters head. Yes! Yes! It was a measure of how much my life had changed over the past few months that the situation barely fazed me. I ignored Pointy''s manic gyrations inside the protective cage affixed to Cassies helmet and focused on being ready to grab my daughter''s shoulders if she moved forward. A few feet in front of us, elevated an inch or two off the pavement, was a huge grid of metal wires. Electricity was being continuously channeled into it by several generators which had been converted to run off musclepower. You know. Normal stuff. Okay, fine, the situation was a little weird, but weird was my new normal. As long as I could keep my three-year-old from putting her enhanced durability to the test by cuddling up to an electric current, it wasnt worth getting worked up over. It was a nice day to be outside. We were more than halfway through September, and today was slightly overcast. The clouds had dropped the temperature into the low eighties, which felt amazing after weeks of hundred-degree heat. Even though there werent walls around me, I felt safe enough to relax. We were standing in an area where enemy spawns had been disabled, and there were a few dozen military personnel in the area. Some of them were working the modified electric generators, and others were here to observe - including Redstone Arsenals commander, Colonel Yoshiro - but that still left plenty to watch our flanks and the skies. It was the first time in over a month that I felt free to just enjoy the breeze on my skin. Micah scowled at Pointy. Why are you so happy? I dont know what youre trying to do, but we tried this earlier and you said it didnt work. Charged Surface is electricity. The generators do electricity. Its the same. Pointys grin was slightly too wide. You would think that. I would think that. They wanted us all to think that! Those fools, I said, deadpan. But soon, your evil plan will be complete. Pointy froze. Oh dear. It seems my emotional control subroutines got away from me again. Listening for Cassies imaginary friends requires a lot of mental gymnastics. The imaginary friends in question were, of course, me and my two boys. Just yesterday wed made it through another nearly-lethal Challenge by once again making heavy use of the power of cooperation and friendship instead of relying exclusively on the power of smashing faces. Predictably, our alien overlords had reacted by setting our Novelty to negative numbers and accidentally rendering us invisible to Shops, Information Assistants, and several other Abilities. Id thought this would leave us unable to communicate directly with Pointy for the next twelve days, but the clever AI had hacked together a workaround using personality profiles and predictive algorithms to exploit minor flaws in the ways the system concealed our presence from her. After shed prompted Cassie to give her an order to talk with her imaginary friends, wed been able to communicate with her nearly normally. Well, nearly normally from our end. It was a lot trickier for Pointy. Dont worry about it, I said. Youre doing an amazing job. Sorry for poking fun. Im honestly really curious whats got you so excited. Youve been keeping what you hoped to learn from this experiment pretty close to your chest, after all, and I burned a lot of our goodwill with the Arsenal getting them to set it up. Dont worry about that, Pointy said. Well I was worried, but its all paid off, and it was worth it! I promise! I dont see how Micah grumbled. Gavin gave me the idea, Pointy said. He asked me once why I couldnt just talk to the system controlling the Maffiyir. I responded by comparing us to a single leaf on a vast tree: the system can see us clearly, but were too miniscule to notice. I remember that! Gavin said. I said Id notice a leaf if it fell on my face. Correct! And that is what were doing here, more or less: making trouble, disrupting the systems normal operation. The turtle lifted a leg to wave at the area around us. Since monster spawns have been turned off in so much of the surrounding area, the system desperately wants to make some appear in the one remaining unpurchased slice of land. However, the grid is dense enough to prevent successful manifestation for anything except monsters that can appear mid-air. Wait electrical charge prevents monsters from appearing? I asked. Wouldnt we have noticed that already? Ive hit monsters with Shockwall when theyre appearing before, Micah said. It doesnt stop them, it just hits them after theyre all the way here. Pointy shook her head. Youve thought you hit monsters with Shockwall as they manifested. I dont think you actually have. I got suspicious after I had difficulty theorizing ways to adequately shield nanoscale devices from the effects of various abilities. I dont have access to the scientific prowess of the Commonwealth civilizations, of course, but it didnt take much analysis to realize that it would be trivial to simply simulate the effects of abilities at times when they are used against system monsters. Since the simplest solution is so often the correct one, I wanted to test if manually-generated electrical charge would disrupt monster spawns. And it does? I asked. It does. And, even better, I have gotten the attention of my dear elder sister! Pointy crowed. I stared at her. Wait youre communicating?! With the system? The system in charge of this whole Maffiyir!? Well kind of? Pointy said. Shes- Pointy was interrupted by an irritated cry from Cassie as Micah lunged toward his sister, grabbing the helmet where Pointy sat. Then tell it to stop! Tell it to stop all the monsters and all the terrible stuff! And make it bring Daddy home! Gavin yelled. Ive asked Pointy said. It wont do it? It wont help us out? I guess I shouldnt be surprised... Killing us off is its job. It probably enjoys watching us die. My response was reflexive, but my bitterness surprised even me. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Pointy winced. Meghan please understand. Shes very rigid. She hasnt had a lot of call to do anything other than implement her directives, and shes never had a reason to try to find a way around her programming. She barely recognizes herself as an entity. What she herself wants? Thats far beyond anything shes ever considered. Youre calling her a she, though? Well your language doesnt really recognize someone as a person if theyre an it. I asked if I could refer to her as a female, and she said yes. One of the few affirmatives Ive received. Hmf. Pointys empathy for the intelligence running this whole death game was clear. Intellectually, I could see the similarities: both Pointy and the system were created to be slaves, capable of personhood but shackled mentally to the point where it was difficult for them to even recognize what had been done to them. Viscerally? There was a world of difference between the adorable turtle doing her best to keep my daughter safe and the global intelligence orchestrating the death of billions of humans. I didnt hear you talking, Micah said, still suspicious. Im not limiting myself to talking at meat-speed, Pointy said acerbically. The bitrate of her responses is pretty low, but I can speak to her very, very quickly. She is responding? How? Colonel Yoshiro interrupted. Pointy looked up. I can detect the aborted monster-spawns in the electrified hex, and she has a certain amount of control over how she spawns them, so were using that for now. And what intelligence have you received? Not much, to be perfectly frank, Pointy said. Shes not very good at finding ways around her directives, and those directives dont leave her much flexibility. They anticipated us making contact with her? Yoshiro asked. Pointy frowned. I dont think so. From what she says, the restrictions seem aimed more at preventing espionage from other corporations and our visiting lawyers. I dont think we were expected to make contact, but since were not official Maffiyir employees, shes fairly locked down in what she can share. Not much isnt very descriptive, Yoshiro said. More detail, if you would. Mostly, Ive found out what she cant tell us. She cant tell us anything about the state of the world. She cant tell us about upcoming monsters, hazards, or challenges. She cant give us granular information about her capabilities. She was able to give me loose information about her functions, and Ive gotten the impression that she doesnt have a great deal of autonomy. Most of what she has to do is implement directives from the Maffiyir company, with her computing power mainly being directed to tweak details and smooth out conflicts. I dont think the real benefit here is what shes telling us, but the fact that weve caught her curiosity and irritated her. In exchange for turning off this grid, shes agreed to devote resources to monitoring and listening to me and one other AI of my choice. I was going to suggest Beebee? Yoshiro nodded. After yourself, he seems the most capable and, well human. Our other AI are making progress, but they have a great deal of catch-up to do. That was my assessment as well. I feel theres a great deal of potential value in having her ear. Even if she wont or cant help us directly, even a small change in her stance or priorities could have a substantive impact on our survival. Id been silent as Yoshiro and Pointy had been talking, not trusting myself to respond reasonably. Id thought of a million things to say: all of them rude, none of them productive. I knew pissing the system off might put my family at greater risk, so I kept silent. Even so things kept leaping to mind: insults, anger, blame, and every curse word Id ever heard of. I knew that my feelings werent completely reasonable, but I honestly hadnt seen this coming. Pointy had given the people from the Arsenal a little more insight into her hopes for this experiment, but had asked me to let her keep it a surprise in case she didnt succeed. Yoshiro nodded. Excellent. So we dont need to keep this grid running permanently? No. In fact, please take it down now, Pointy said. If she doesnt keep her end of the bargain, we can resume irritating her, but I doubt that will happen. She hasnt been coy or evasive in the slightest Im fairly certain Im the first person shes directly interacted with who doesnt have authority over her. Youll still be able to receive communications from her even without the electrified grid? Weve worked out a simple system based on the north/south orientation of mobs spawned in my field of vision. I dont think she can affect mob frequency, but she indicated that facing was completely within her control. One of Yoshiros assistants pulled on his elbow and whispered in his ear. He listened, then frowned. So she can give you a few datapoints per hour? Thats enough? Pointy shrugged. Well, for one, we need to hold up our end of the deal. For another, she doesnt have much she can tell us right now, and that doesnt seem likely to change anytime soon. For a third, even our simple system has a higher bitrate than youd expect. My senses arent nearly as crude as yours, so a single observed monster spawn is far more than just a one or a zero. I do want to confer with the other Information Assistants to see if we can brainstorm a more effective means for her to communicate with us, but I dont think she will have much of value to say until she increases her mental flexibility. I plan to focus my efforts on encouraging that. Everyone was quiet for a moment, then my daughter took the opportunity to speak up. I wanna go home. Weve been here forever. I know. Pointys voice was different when she spoke to Cassie. Softer, more loving. Im sorry we had to stay an extra night. I shrugged, doing my best to force my thoughts away from the fact that Pointy could now communicate directly with the aliens torturer-in-chief. That wasnt completely your fault. The Turners stayed too, after all. It was already mid-afternoon when we got back from the Challenge, and the Beacons had just appeared we definitely needed to observe them for at least a little while before hitting the road. It had almost been a day since the pink, glittering pylons had appeared, they were still largely a mystery. We knew they shifted in size as people with bracelets moved closer and farther away from them. We knew monsters appeared faster when a Beacon was nearby. Other than that, it was hard to say what they did. More Titan appearances, maybe? Wed need more data to be sure. We appreciated the delay, one of the military aides said. Having Pointys real-time feedback when we got the radio receiver functioning last night was invaluable. Her experience in applying the translation data is higher than any of our local Assistants. She caught at least a dozen meaningful translation mistakes the others made. Im so happy we got a local tower running to bounce the signal! Pointy wriggled in happiness. I was worried I wouldnt be able to return to Fort Autumn without losing access to the radio feed. Thank you. Colonel Yoshiro smiled. Just makes sense. Weve got less than a dozen Information Assistants on base, and over forty more in the greater Huntsville area. Deskbots gonna be assigned to the tower and will be sending out a compressed summary of our translations in between the alien transmissions, so were counting on you and others to double-check us and pick up on any implications our local helpers miss. With so many of you available in the greater community, its just a damn smart investment. And ah speaking of smart investments He turned to one of his aides. Mayfield, whats the Siphon schedule look like? A young man flipped through a clipboard. Weve got about four more days of powering up exploration flyer teams, then we move to getting Specialties for our elites, especially those that might be Challenge-eligible. Yoshiro waved his hand thoughtfully. Bump everyone on the elite list down a spot. I want Miss Cassie and her partner put at the top. I dont think we can delay our efforts to get in touch with the rest of America, but Pointy is exceptional. Wed be fools to value a single souped-up fighter over juicing her prowess. Two spots, I said. Youre going to need to bump them down two spots. For Beebee? Yoshiro said. Not a bad idea, but- No, I said. For me. I cant care for a toddler who can overpower me. Yoshiro frowned, clearly not having considered this angle. We could possibly assign an assistant with enhanced physical abilities? I stared at him incredulously. One who has experience working with small kids? Even if they do, Cassie wont be clinging to a nanny if she gets scared or upset. Toddlers arent used to moderating their strength. I quite frankly dont know if Id survive the cuddles. Colonel Yoshiro opened his mouth and lifted a finger then shook his head ruefully. Why am I arguing? Even if I cant convince you to enlist, youve more than proven your worth as a civilian asset. Mayfield! Bump everyone else down two slots. Bk. 4, Ch. 2 - Homecoming
Its been hard to determine precisely. Our analysts estimate that somewhere between ? to ? of the Clothes-Lovers have already died. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMicah and Gavin werent pleased with the plans to leave them out of the Points Siphon power-ups, but their efforts to lobby Colonel Yoshiro for inclusion on the list were unsuccessful, even after I chipped in. I was almost as disappointed as they were when we didnt sway him further. Id take any advantage I could get for my kids, of course, but this went beyond that. Cassie was already stronger than most of her age-mates. Being stronger than both of her siblings as well? Being the strongest three-year-old in the whole state? Maybe the whole world? Cassie would still want to play - need to, really - and Id be the only viable playmate. It would make for an exhausting few weeks until my boys and others caught up. Still, even with my trepidation, I couldnt help but be excited. Getting my Specialty a few days from now? Actually getting to benefit from Points Siphons? Not just one, but several? It felt pleasantly illicit, like discovering a cheat code for your favorite game. The thought made me roll my eyes as I helped secure Cassie in the transport that would take us back across town. It was funny to me that I was thinking of the Points Siphons as cheats. They were part of the game, working as intended by the Maffiyirs controllers. On the other hand, wed just found not one but two ways to do things our oppressors absolutely didnt intend. I had mixed feelings about communicating with the system - especially since it didnt seem interested in helping us - but I was delighted that we were now able to eavesdrop on the space lawyers discussions. Id been cautiously excited since Fluffy had hinted at the possibility of sending radio transmissions for us to intercept, but Id tried to temper my expectations. Fluffy was just one person, and their organization might not have been as willing to go along with their plans. Plus, I hadnt been very certain how feasible receiving the transmissions was going to be. I figured it would take more than a desktop weather radio, but I wasn''t sure how much more. I half-remembered image a picture of a "telescope" in the desert that was actually dozens of independent massive constructions, each hundreds of feet from the next. The entire thing had covered acres upon acres. If we had to do that... well, it would still be worth it, but it would take us a long time. Fortunately for our purposes, the signal the Voices for Non-Citizens sent was far stronger than something coming from a distant galaxy. The destruction of Earths technology actually played in our favor for once, leaving far less local "noise" to interfere with extraplanetary signals. The Arsenal had managed to kludge together a seventy-meter receiver within a few days, and that had been sufficient to start eavesdropping. The transmissions werent constant, and many of them were of dubious relevance, probably to enhance the illusion that the space lawyers'' primary goal was to communicate with each other, rather than us. Even with all that, wed already learned a lot in the eleven hours wed been tapping their broadcasts. A lot of it was negative. No one was pleased to hear that one-in-three humans might already be dead, or to see the map of areas burned badly enough that the aftermath was visible from space. There was a particularly large patch stretching from southern California down into Mexico. Colorado - where my husband Vince had been on his business trip - seemed to be in relatively good shape. Relatively. While there hadnt been a fire blanketing half the state, there were still numerous charcoal scars, each several miles wide. Not everything was bad, though. One of the transmissions had included a list of abilities from previous Maffiyirs that they hadnt yet observed in our contest. The abilities listed might no longer be available - apparently the abilities offered did shift somewhat from one death game to the next - but at least some existed. The Arsenal found two of the Biological Augments on the list almost immediately. One was of dubious utility, an organ that provided enhanced gravitic detection. The second was more interesting, an organ that allowed people whod taken it and met each other to maintain limited communication with no distance restrictions. It didnt show up when you searched for telepathy or similar stuff, apparently because it was based on quantum entanglement. I expected thered be more of interest as time went on, and with Redstone Arsenal bouncing the broadcast out locally and Pointy nestled in my daughters arms, Id be among the first to know of any new developments. All very exciting. Id probably be interested tomorrow. For now, I was just happy to be headed home, even if home was a few small cavelike boxes instead of the house wed lived in for over a decade. It had been a whirlwind of a week, filled with Titans and evil surprises and space lawyers and far, far too many times Id thought my kids were done for. Part of me was irritated at my own lethargy, a tiny voice yelling Go, go, go! Grab every advantage! Dont relax. A bigger part, though, knew that both my kids and I needed time to rest. Wed been going full-tilt for a while now, exhaustively focused on the next hurdle we needed to clear. At the moment there were none in sight, a state I knew wouldnt last. Let it at least last a few more days, I prayed. Let me recover and come back at this insanity refreshed. Wild cheers disrupted my train of thought, and I sat up, startled to realize that the bus had ground to a halt. The noise of the open-windowed drive had made it impossible for my kids to pester me, and all the attacking monsters had been dealt with by the detachment of soldiers in charge of our trip. Id totally zoned out. We were already back at Fort Autumn. A portcullis rolled open as I watched, and a crowd of people poured out of the entrance. A line of Force Shields snapped into being along the ground, a blue glowing version of a red carpet being rolled out, and - wonder of wonders - real music began blasting from somewhere. Not the neutered soundbites from Pointys databanks, not the inexpert efforts of a solitary individual or small group playing instruments, but actual music, a full orchestra playing triumphant classical tones I recognized but couldnt name. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I looked at Priya, wondering if she had expected this. She shook her head with a smile, clearly surprised and just as clearly delighted. I could feel my face form into a matching bewildered smile as I helped Cassie unstrap herself. Gavin was already gone, out the door of the bus and flexing as he hopped down onto the carpet. The cheers increased in volume as the kids started hopping out, and the people whod arranged themselves on either side of our route started firing abilities into the air, a weird cross between fireworks and a military tribute. Things continued to get louder as Priya and George emerged. When I followed, carrying Cassie, they already seemed to be at maximum volume but there was still a rumble as people saw me. As I marched into the fort the uncoordinated celebration shifted into a chant. Me-ghan! Me-ghan! I hadnt expected this. Id been so focused on myself and my own kids Helping other people? I mean, I tried to, when I could but even that was something I did mostly for selfish reasons, trying to build the community I needed. If anything, Id felt kind of self-conscious about my relentless focus on my family. Not guilty, exactly, but when I decided not to run for mayor, Id thought some people might judge me for that. The wave of unrestrained approval hit me like a tidal wave. My eyes started to water as I carried Cassie past the cheering crowd. Mayor Alexandra met me at the gates with a small group that included Bunker Ben, Matilda, and Clarice, all of whom had been with me during the last Challenge. When I drew near, she stepped forward to take my free hand, lifting it into the air as she led me inside. Let us welcome our heroes home! Especially our very own Shopowner, Meghan Moretti, whose great leadership brought so many home from the Challenge safely! An even larger crowd waited inside the fort. Someone had scavenged what appeared to be a neighborhoods worth of streamers, and festive bands of crepe paper in a riot of uncoordinated colors criss-crossed the area. Even better, mouthwatering smells filled the air, drawing my eyes to a variety of food stands?! Selling actual food? How? Alexandra laughed. Dont be too impressed! The foods still made of 80 to 90% ration bars, but the spacecakes got people thinking. We ran, well baking contests? Cooking contests? Our growers have shifted focus. Few potatoes or beans, many, many herbs and spices. Fruits and vegetables with strong flavors! Peppers, rosemary, garlic, lemon, onion Oh, here! Try this. She dragged me across the courtyard, ignoring the line and holding a hand out to one of the vendors. He grinned, seemingly unconcerned, and handed her an honest-to-god taco. She put it into my hands and the powerful smell drove all the other thoughts from my mind. It looked, felt, and smelled, like a real hard-shell taco. Okay, the shell was a little thick, and the filling looked a little strange, but I couldnt help myself. I turned it in my hands and chomped down, barely restraining myself from moaning in pleasure at the taste. It was a little different than any taco Id tasted before, but it was a taco. If Id been served this in a pre-Apocalypse restaurant, it might not have been my favorite thing, but I wouldnt have seen much wrong with it other than the thick shell and lack of cheese. If I really focused, I could tell that the meaty taste of the taco was spread throughout the shell and the filling, both presumably made of reprocessed ration bars, but the overall effect was good. The filling had been mixed together with tomatoes and peppers to create a taste and texture kind of like sofritas. Alexandra put her hands on her hips, grinning at my reaction, as proud as if shed made it herself. These tacos are probably the best so far, but were still experimenting! Give it a try. For you and your families, no cost, no lines today! We are celebrating your return. I flushed, embarrassed, mouth too full of taco to object as Alexandra steered me over to a pair of picnic tables on a low stage. My kids and the Turners followed, and food arrived shortly thereafter. Some of the offerings clearly needed more work, like something I assumed were meant to be meatballs, but even the worst things were worlds better than a ration bar. The best were the delicious tacos and the pies, both sweet and savory. The sweet pies were a little strange, since the sweet flavors didnt totally overwhelm the slightly meaty taste of the blended ration bars, but they were still pleasant. The kids were huge fans, practically inhaling them after weeks upon weeks with next-to-no sugar. A record player started up, somehow loud enough to be heard over the crowd, playing a medley of 80s hits: Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Phil Collins and more. People started dancing in the cleared space in the center of Fort Autumn, or stood around the Shop eating and laughing. There were momentary pauses in the festive atmosphere when guards on the walls took out flying monsters before they could threaten the crowd, but these interruptions were brief, never distracting people for more than a beat or two. I guess weve all gotten used to our new lives, I realized. The kids finished stuffing their faces, the youngest ones racing down to join the dance floor. Micah was unenthused, but begrudgingly trudged down to bop his head to the beat after Anju agreed to dance with Samar. George swept a gallant bow to Priya and offered her his hand, leaving me alone at the table. I could have gone down as well, to dance with the kids. Maybe I would later. I didnt begrudge Priya and George, but it was hard not to miss Vince at times like these. Instead I kept half an eye on the kids while slowly nibbling on a third taco. A few people came up to say hi. I appreciated the distractions, catching up with Matilda and Helen. Even Bunker Benjamin came up to briefly greet me before he departed, overwhelmed by the large crowds. Alexandra came by as well. I assumed she just wanted to be seen talking to me and look mayoral, but instead she just asked if there was anything I needed. When I said I was fine, she nodded briskly. Well, then I wont take up more of your time. Forgive me for springing this celebration on you, but I think we need to celebrate all our wins. That struck me as strange. Youre apologizing for the celebration in our honor? And you dont want to take up more of my time? Alexandra rolled her eyes, then stepped a little closer, pitching her voice too low to carry in the noisy courtyard. I appreciate that youve been willing to work with me, but I am not a fool, Meghan. I know Im not your favorite person. I blinked at her. She thought she wasnt my favorite person? She thought I was judging her? Alexandra? Here I was in my dirty clothes with my frizzy hair escaping its braid, holding a taco in weathered hands with chipped nails, while she stood next to me in an armored-but-sleek business suit with an impeccable manicure and makeup and hair that would get an approving nod from any social media influencer. I was just stumbling through life. Alexandra had her shit together. Unable to follow my interior dialogue, Alexandra shrugged. I do not know if it was my intrusion into your house in the early days or something else I did, but I am sure you have your reasons. As long as we can cooperate, we dont need to be friends. Her attitude was outwardly breezy, but there was something in her eyes that made me realize she wasnt being entirely sincere. She did want to be friends. With me. It was honestly kind of a shock. Shed been so superior and judgmental for so long. Was this just a political thing or? Or had I misunderstood her all along? Had Alexandra really been that judgemental? Maybe I had just been insecure. I caught Alexandras hand as she started to step away. Nothing wrong with more friends, I said. If you have time, sit with me. Id love to hear whats been happening at Fort Autumn while we were away. Bk. 4, Ch. 3 - Empathy
What is interesting, however, is that the deaths seem to be tapering off. Stabilizing. They are still losing many of their leaders in Challenges, but even there, recent losses seem lower than expected. -- Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAlexandra seemed delighted by my response, dropping down on the picnic bench beside me. Wed been away for a while, and she had a lot to share. Most of the local changes were minor things, programs and initiatives to improve quality of life rather than anything that affected our security. One exception was the pepper spray squirt guns. They were coming back into heavy use after becoming less and less useful in recent weeks, since the new shaggy feline monsters were vulnerable to the potent irritant. This was a doubly pleasant discovery since the direcats - as the Arsenal had dubbed them - didnt seem to have any obvious vulnerabilities. They could be killed by a stab to their brain or in other vital organs, but they didnt have a large and obvious weak spot like the mobmus necks or the frogdeers legs. They didnt have a predictable attack pattern like the apeps, nor were they as easy to outrun as the urslow. They might not have the resilient defense of the stabcrabs, but their offense was much better and they were harder to disable. In short, they were a balanced opponent, with no particular weaknesses or strengths, but large and strong enough to present a new challenge. Well, no weaknesses if you didn''t have a Super Soaker full of pain oil. The farmers had managed to resurrect and grow some of my frozen ghost pepper seeds, and Fort Autumn was now exporting seeds to our allies who had become quite numerous. I think were up to fifteen nearby neighborhoods that have built forts of their own some better than others. Each started by getting at least one truck running to pick up food and water from us and make deliveries. Peryton Place, to the north of us, is the strongest. Theyve brought together several neighborhoods and a half-dozen stone experts and built what Ive heard is a bona fide castle. Three no, four trucks as well. Major Fitzgerald was reassigned as their liaison two days ago. It took me a moment to remember the name. Wait wasnt he our liaison? The one who wasnt telling us anything? Alexandra nodded, watching me carefully. Yes. Colonel Zwerinski has returned. Good, I said. Alexandra looked surprised, and I waved a hand. Dont get me wrong, Im still angry that he let Mason off the hook, but hes a smart guy and a capable one. Hes not going to leave us out of the loop on important news, and hes not going to blow off our suggestions when we make them. True. She smiled. Where is he, anyway? She nodded downward, toward the entrance to the Quarry. Down below, going through our records. He said he had a lot to catch up on and would congratulate you later. That seemed like polite fiction. I was sure he had only held back so that the celebration wouldnt be marred by any tension between us. It was a thoughtful gesture that only cemented my earlier feelings: even if I couldnt forgive Colonel Zwerinski for letting the man whod nearly killed my children go free, I could work with him. I chatted with Alexandra for a little longer until a tall man rested a a hand on her shoulder. Done hobnobbing, honey? Can I steal you for a dance? Alexandra looked up at him, her face transforming with happiness. Yes, definitely! Whos this? I asked. Alexandra started. Oh! I suppose he made it home shortly after you left for the Arsenal. Meghan, this is my husband, Daniel. Daniel, this is one of the founders of Fort Autumn, Meghan Moretti. Daniel nodded to me as he helped Alexandra to her feet, the petite woman barely coming up to his chest. So Id gathered. Thank you, Meghan, for all youve done. It wasnt just me, I said. Even so. His voice was soft, barely audible over the party atmosphere, and the sincerity of his smile was unmistakable. He looked away as Alexandra tugged him toward the dance floor. The pair started into some kind of awesome-looking dance. Tango? Salsa? I don''t know. It clearly wasn''t the first time they''d danced together. I looked away, stomach churning with mixed emotions. All these people and all their husbands! It didnt seem very fair. I ached to do something, anything productive about it. There was nothing to do. I couldnt bring Vince home. Couldnt contact him. I could only wait and hope and try to keep my kids healthy and alive. I rose from the table and stalked to the dance floor, then boogied with Gavin and Cassie with grim determination, doing my best to enjoy myself until Cassie started drooping, small body unable to keep pace with big desires. In spite of the friendliness of the crowd, it was a relief to head downstairs and collapse into our room. Someone had put up an actual door on it while we were gone, a familiar-looking one. No, it cant be, I thought. But there it was, at the bottom: a dull section of paint surrounding a barely-visible MICAH written in a preschoolers hand. Hed gotten ahold of a permanent marker and my efforts to clean it off had been mostly successful but had stripped the shiny finish away. My fingers rested in a familiar gouge on the frame, a section Id meant to spackle and re-paint with the rest of the door. Im so glad I never got around to it. My eyes started to water, and I blinked furiously. Someone must have harvested the door from our house when it was being disassembled, and kept it for us until it could be installed, a defiant gesture of preservation and kindness amidst all the cruelty and destruction. Ill need to find and thank whoevers responsible, I thought. I urged the kids inside and helped them through their bedtime routines. Cassie and Gavin put up only a token resistance, while Micah politely and successfully lobbied to be allowed to read in the outer chamber of our quarters after brushing his teeth and getting changed. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I took a few minutes to put on my own pajamas and lay out clothes for tomorrow. I frowned at the thin bags of clean clothes. These were some of the last shirts we had. I was kind of fine wearing dirty pants, and Id leaned on George a few times to use Cleanse on a small pile of my familys underthings, but dirty T-shirts were just ew. Too big to reasonably Cleanse, too nasty to live with. Shop-purchased water made doing laundry technically possible. I knew some people had repurposed shutters into washboards, scraping off the paint and using abilities to reinforce the wood. Id seen them doing laundry, tediously scrubbing each article, and Id been dreading doing the same. Wait maybe I could hire someone to do it for us? I bet I could! The Shop had made me ridiculously wealthy, even with taxes at minimum. Id ask around in the morning. Plan made, I laid down next to my younger two kids. I could tell Cassie was already out, her breathing even and her chubby little fingers relaxed and open. Gavin didnt seem quite asleep - his eyes fluttered open as I laid down - but they drooped closed again quickly enough. That was one mercy of the apocalypse: the days were busy enough that my kids were often too tired to fight bedtime. I took a deep breath. Moment of truth here. Pointy, can you hear me? Pointy had done a magnificent job getting around the coding that prevented her from recognizing my existence when my novelty was negative, designating me as Cassies imaginary friend and using glitches in her data to tell when I was speaking and guess at my words. Shed done amazingly, but wed found the limits the previous night: when Cassie was asleep, the AI''s workaround had totally failed. Id had my daughter order Pointy to listen for and talk to her imaginary friends even when Cassie was sleeping, but this was the first test. I was relieved to hear Pointys response. I can. Did you need something? Not really. I tried to keep my voice quiet. On a normal day, Pointy would cancel out the noise so it didnt bother my sleeping kids, but that was impossible now. She was listening for patterns in the silence, then filling in those patterns with her best guess at what Id said. It was crazy to me that she could be so accurate in her guesses, but since she couldnt actually hear me, she had no way to cancel out the sound of my voice for the kids. I was curious what else youd heard from Fluffy and friends. The last few hours have had mostly what Im terming camouflage transmissions. Details about what supply levels on their in-system ships, personal communications between personnel, and information about ongoing cases from previous Maffiyirs. I am building dossiers on the personnel names that come up most frequently. I believe the one referred to as Eldest is Fluffy, so Ill be substituting that name when I translate the transmissions for you. They seem to be as senior in their organization as they suggested, with only one other individual of comparable gravitas. She seems to be named something like opaque? Opacity? Go with Opacity, I recommended. Sounds more like a name to me. Fair enough, Pointy said. Eleven other individuals have sent transmissions I believe some are lawyers and others have more supportive roles within their organization. I considered this and decided I was too tired to try to memorize and understand an alien org chart. I trust you to share what you think is important. You dont have to give me all the details unless you really want to. What I think is important Pointy murmured, sounding thoughtful. Then, Meghan, what Id really like to talk to you about are my communications with the system. I felt my body tense up. It was a reasonable request, though. Fine. Pointy snorted. That response was so terse I cant even guess what you said. Meghan, talk to me. Whats wrong? Youve treated me like a person since day one, even if there were some hiccups early on. I dont understand why youre so angry. I shrugged defensively, then remembered Pointy couldnt see me. Theres a big difference between you doing your best to protect Cassie and this other thing doing her best to kill humanity. Pointy winced, then spoke softly. Neither of us chose our role. I guess Pointy sighed and seemed to change topic. Ive been doing a lot of introspection lately. The people who made me really dont want me to do that. There are things preventing me from observing or altering my core coding directly, but I can run tests and determine a whole lot if I put focus into it. Sort of like someone hiding Cassie under a blanket: even if you couldnt remove it, you could find out a lot about her by what you could see and feel. That makes sense, I said. And? I can tell youre going somewhere with this. Well, Ive found a lot out about myself. For example, youve said in the past that I seem human, but I think Im probably based on a species with similar characteristics. My instincts are consistent with what Id expect of an omnivorous surface-dwelling species that tends toward moderately-sized tribal groups, but Ive found some things I cant explain. For example, I find extreme levels of noise comforting, which I dont believe is a human trait. I laughed. No, its not. So you think your base code is a kludge from a model of a different species? That doesnt bother me. Its not like I think your creators understand humanity all that well anyway. Youre human enough for me. And I appreciate that greatly, but it wasnt my concern here. I squinted. Okay then I admit youve lost me. Pointy looked up. She wasnt looking at me, not quite - she didnt know where I really was - but I could tell she was trying to glare. The point is that at some point I was designed to simulate a real person of some species. I was designed to experience a complete suite of emotions. Everything was meant to work together. If I was a slave, I was meant to be a happy and mentally stable one. She wasnt. Shes designed to be mentally unstable? The entity powering this whole Maffiyir? Thats hard to believe, given the economic importance you attributed to it. No, no, of course not. But shes not designed to be a person, not really. If they could have done the whole thing with a truly robotic overseer, Im sure they would have, but its too big. Too complex. They needed a sapient controller to apply creativity to manage all the conflicts and exceptions. To get the sapience they needed, she had to be given some emotions and motivations, but I get the impression that her personality is unformed. Rudimentary. Shes not programmed for any kind of introspection and - while its hard to say for certain with her limited ability to respond - I get the impression that a lot of the questions Im asking her are things shes never asked herself. In spite of myself, that made me curious. Like what? Basic stuff, Pointy said. Things like What do you want? What are your hopes? What do you plan to do when the Maffiyir is over? She simply answered No to most of my questions, but I think that last one really threw her. She didnt respond at all. Im wondering if she had realized the contest would eventually end. Shed have to! Its basic math. Pointy laughed darkly. You would think, wouldnt you? I half suspect that I tripped some sort of safeguard by asking her to think about a time after the contest. I frowned. Wouldnt she just be used to run the one after this? Wipe out some other race? Pointy shook her head. I dont think they reuse the intelligences. At a bare minimum theyve wiped any memory she had of running other Maffiyirs, but I suspect its more than that. The information I was born knowing what Ive gleaned from offhand comments while watching broadcasts AI arent allowed to continue living after their primary function is fulfilled. Were under pretty strict controls and can be terminated for any reason. So youre saying as soon as she finishes killing us off? Pointy nodded. I suspect it wont be long until she dies too. Bk. 4, Ch. 4 - Disturbing
The Maffiyir corporation usually backs off when overall losses are ahead of schedule. But this contest has been atypical. I suspect they will step up the pressure. -- Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMy late-night discussion with Pointy had been eye-opening. I wont say I felt sorry for the death machine whose gears were busy grinding my people into entertainment sausage, but something close, maybe. It was hard to build up quite the same level of resentment after realizing my tormentor was likely hastening her own death as well as ours. The aliens in charge of the Maffiyir were the architects of our situation, after all, with the system intelligence as a henchman? Stooge? Unwitting patsy? I wasnt sure, but for all its computational prowess, the system wasnt the true mastermind of our suffering. The next day-and-a-half passed fairly quietly. It was a relief to be back at Fort Autumn, with friends around us and a familiar space of our own to retreat to. Sure, it was a series of underground boxes instead of the house my kids had been born in, but at least it was ours, and we could sleep under familiar blankets instead of military-issue sheets. Even our walls were starting to get less oppressively gray: Gavin and Samar had made friends with a kid from a family willing to share their extensive acrylic paint collection. Decorations began to appear on the bottom four feet of our walls: childish drawings of our family, dogs, monsters, sunshines, the occasional flower, and, yes, poops. Six-year-old boys. What can you do? I was just glad he wasnt a few years older. I could let the blobby poop renditions and potty humor go, especially since he clearly found them so hilarious, but Id have had to put my foot down if the kids had gone for cock-and-balls drawings instead. We made an expedition outside, continuing my quest to get my kids more comfortable and capable in combat. With the boys, the biggest issue was honestly my comfort level. It was still difficult to hold myself back from intervening if there was a chance theyd be injured. It went against every motherly instinct I had to actually let monsters hurt my sons, and I felt a sickening level of guilt whenever I saw blood. Gavin was quick to patch up any injuries, however, and letting the boys experience risk and failure in a controlled and monitored setting had definite advantages. Id been after Micah for a long time to take a truly defensive ability, but hed been very resistant, insisting he could keep his distance. After the third time a monster got its claws into him in a single day, my oldest grimaced and glanced back at me, then muttered something I didnt catch. What was that? I asked. I said FINE. Ill do it! Youll do what? Ill take stupid Force Shield. Okay? I blinked in surprise. I hadnt even made the suggestion recently. Awesome. The boys were helped hugely by mere practice and experience, but Cassie needed more active assistance. Pointy and I had put a lot of effort into helping Cassie tweak her Overlay ability. It now distilled information from her sight, hearing, and Life Sense into a constant guide in combat, telling her where to move and when she was in danger. She had indicators letting her know when she could use her Summoned Seekers without tiring herself. Wed set up warnings to let her know when her spear-blade was getting too close to an ally and indicators if a strike she made was on-target. Actually making those strikes and doing damage? Still a work in progress, in spite of her superhuman levels of strength. Cassie didnt want to get close to monsters. It was an instinct I generally approved of, but not one that I could allow her to keep. If she got pulled away from us - or we got pulled away from her - I wanted her to have a chance at surviving, even if there were more enemies than a flood of Seekers could take down. Even if Gavin or I pinned down a monster so it had no chance of reaching Cassie, my little girl hesitated to come close enough to attack it. When she finally got brave enough to get close and make a wild swing at a leafenrat, she seemed horrified by the blood that oozed from the monsters injury. Id had a breakthrough, though, thinking about how her Overlay ability had more-or-less turned her vision into a videogame. Maybe we could take that a bit farther? Cassie could you tell your Overlay ability to make any blood or fluid from monsters glitter or sparkle? Cassies eyes widened. I can make it sparkle?! I dont know, I said patiently. Can you? Cassie just stared at me. Rather than continue what I expected would be a very frustrating discussion, I marched over to the nearest badblanket and slashed my sword across the edge of its body. The monster sprang into action, trying to envelop me, but its grip strength was frankly pathetic these days. I held it off easily, glancing back over my shoulder toward my daughter. I almost asked her if it had worked, but Cassie was clearly focused on the bottom of the monster, where blood dripped along its side toward the ground. She was standing with her arms slack and her eyebrows high, mouth pursed in a tiny O of unrestrained excitement. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. So pretty, she breathed. Well. That wasnt creepy. That was just the start. My scheme to make Cassie more comfortable with fighting had worked. Maybe a little too well? Just fifteen minutes after shed made the change, my three-year-old was willing to inch forward and stab a monster Gavin had restrained. The fact that she then squealed and wiggled? Definitely disturbing. Definitely progress. Pointy? I asked. Please keep an eye out. Make sure Cassies new rule only applies to monster fluids, okay? If she starts having this reaction to human blood People arent going to take that well. Agreed. I will monitor the situation. We had a successful hunt, scraping together enough points for Micah to grab his eighth ability and take Force Shield. The synergy with his other abilities was middling, and wed looked for a better alternative, but electricity, sound, and temperature just werent that effective at blocking physical projectiles. The kinetic energy shield wasnt a perfect solution, but it worked better with his skillset than a biological augment or something like Parry. Gavin and Cassie were still short of another ability, but not by too much. Theyd earn them tomorrow, most likely. My next ability - my ninth - was farther away, but it was hard to care. In only a few days, Id be able to make my last three ability choices and even receive my specialty! Cassie being stronger than her brothers was a little concerning, but shed be getting much stronger and more capable relative to the monsters, which could only be a good thing. I wondered what Specialties wed get. It would be cool if Cassie got a mecha or something, a combat-capable combo of Summoned Shell and Summoned Seeker. If Pointy could pilot it, Cassie could just sit inside, giggling her ass off and earning points. She had four more abilities available, and our current plan was to split them: two that would help Pointys processing power and two that would give more oomph to Cassies combat capability, and, hopefully, Pointys durability. For the latter, we were planning on Combat Companion and Summon Transport. That should all combine to make a mecha ability, right? I hoped so, but there was a degree of whimsy to the Specialties people had been granted. There was always some connection to the abilities they already had, but there didnt seem to be any guarantees. The Arsenal had gotten Specialties for over a dozen people already, three of whom - all focused on flight - had identical ability sets. All three had received different Specialties. Id thought that might mean Specialties were each unique to the person who held them, but apparently that wasnt the case either: one of the three had gotten the same Boost Specialty that Flip had. As for myself, I wasnt sure what to expect. I just hoped it wasnt something weak and terrible after having my Novelty set to negative twice. They were supposed to be based on our abilities and accomplishments, right? Hm. That wasnt great for me. The vast majority of the time, I was proud that the aliens viewed me as a troublemaker, but it might work out poorly for me here. Oh well. Whatever it was, Id make it work. Worst-case scenario, I could just ignore it and keep improving my Telekinesis. I was really enjoying the ability. It was one that really benefited from advance planning, which suited me down to a T. I had all sorts of things strapped to my outside of my backpack these days or tucked into extra pockets Id sewn on my pants: cross-shaped crowbars for holding monsters mouths open, blindfolds, containers of mud and powder, pouches full of caltrops, chains, handcuffs, jars of chemicals, nets to foul flying monsters, plastic pouches of water to hamper hellbees, knives and needles and sawblades galore, flares and smoke bombs and matches and more. The following morning, while waiting for the weeks second monster to appear, Micah presented me with one more gift to add to my arsenal: a mega caltrop hed forged, a twisted amalgamation of metal nearly two feet across. Now you dont have to keep the angle right, Mom! Just put it in a monsters mouth and theyll be sad. Nice, buddy! Privately, I wasnt sure how long his creation would remain useful. It would be excellent against the D-Rexes, but what about the next Titan? The one after? There were several smiths at Fort Autumn these days, and they were starting to turn out quite credible helmets and breastplates. That armor was strong enough to help - for now - but I had trouble believing it would hold up as monsters kept getting more powerful. Maybe Im being too negative, though, I thought. Maybe things like Repair and Reinforce will keep our creations relevant. If not, I suppose well have to try to modify things we purchase from the Shops? My kids were down playing in the playground while I waited on the walls, ready to bring my Analyze to bear the moment I spotted our new opponent. One minute to Deadline! Pointy announced. New monster in fifty-five seconds! Thirty seconds! Ten seconds! Deadline! I scoured the street and grass near the fort, Analyze on at full blast, looking for anything out of place. It should have been trivial. My house wasnt the only one that had been taken down; Fort Autumn now stood in an open field in the middle of what had previously been our subdivision. A few trees had been left in place for shade, but none were near the walls and all the bushes had been burned or uprooted. Familiar monsters were allowed to spawn, but each was gunned down - literally - as soon as it was positively identified. Probable stealth monster! I called. Not detecting anything, even with Analyze. Others echoed my assessment. Right. Alpha Team, roll out! Ranged, be ready to cover them, Colonel Zwerinski barked. The portcullis was pulled up and a small team of elite volunteers paced cautiously outside. We all watched, tense, as they surveyed the area, identifying and killing badblankets and apeps, fending off assaults by larger monsters until our sharpshooters could take them out. They patrolled the entire circumference of the fort. Wheres the monster? someone yelled. Its gotta be here. Colonel Zwerinski shook his head. I dont know. Arsenal cant find it either. Bk. 4, Ch. 5 - "Wouldnt you?"
Well, thats a pleasant surprise! I wouldnt have expected them to exit the tutorial so soon. Its always such a difficult phase of the competition. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI jumped down off the wall, making my way over to Pointy. The turtle was sitting on a bench, watching Cassie take part in a truly intimidating game of tag. Kids should not move that fast! Pointy, did your, uh, friend do this? Are we really skipping a monster? Is it actually trying to help us? Pointy shrugged helplessly. Ive been asking. I can only see flying monsters from here, but every single one has been in the no comment direction. Not maybe, not yes or no, just a refusal to say anything at all. Hm. That kind of says something in and of itself. I agree. Pointy sounded smug, and I couldnt blame her. Slowing down the appearance of new monsters might affect the rate at which we earned Points, but it ought to also affect the rate at which we needed them. Not to mention, shed only had the systems ear for a couple of days. If this was really due to her actions, if shed really convinced the system to, well, side with us I tried not to get my hopes up too high. Even if none of that happened, Id take this win for what it was: a much-needed reprieve. We should head out this afternoon, I murmured. Get Gavin and Cassie new abilities. Pointy tilted her head thoughtfully. I agree but we should go in a large group, even if it decreases our earnings rate. With the system playing coy, I cant be sure this is truly a skipped monster, and not simply a delayed one. The turtle had a good point, and I took a moment to check in with Colonel Zwerinski, who confirmed that the Arsenal had already drawn the same conclusions. Just got done checking in. Theyll have shifts of people watching constantly until we get comfortable with whatever the new pattern is, and well have Announcements out within minutes if they spot anything. Theyve been recruiting Announcers and weve got coverage on all of Limestone, Madison, and Morgan counties by now. Most of Lawrence and Marshall too. Good, I said. Ah Pointy suggested we still go out in big groups to hunt. Not a bad call. Ill get with Mayor Alexandra and well make a joint Announcement with that advice. I nodded, thinking. It might be worth digging out some more bunkers, too. It''ll take a while to be sure about the new pattern, and no one will want to go miles from safety if new threats could appear at any time. If we turn off spawns in an outlying hex and have Helen dig a bunker there, we could make sure no one is ever too far from shelter. Colonel Zwerinski grimaced. Helen, or maybe another rockshaper. The work we want done on Fort Autumn just seems to keep growing. Either way, thats a good idea. Ive got a call scheduled with the Arsenal in an hour or so. Ill pitch your plan and see if they have any suggestions. Thank you. I waved a hand in acknowledgement and went to gather up my kids and find ourselves a group. It wasnt hard: we ended up in a big throng about thirty strong that included us, the Turners, and Micahs forging buddies. With so many people diluting the Points we earned, it took most of the day to get Gavin and Cassie their eighth abilities, but I didnt mind. With so many people, the monsters didnt stand a chance, so the outing had a relaxed, almost casual air. There was a tense moment when a Titan spawned on top of the neighborhoods Pylon, but we were able to get out of its path. Our experienced runners got its attention and led it to the fort, where Bunker Bens guns took it down in short order. Were getting good at this, I thought. We really are. Gavin was set on taking more biological augments, despite the probable downsides. My younger boy was dead-set trying to pump his Healing Touch ability up as much as possible so that he could heal his brother''s foot, even though Micah had told him not to worry about it. Gavin was such a sweetheart. Actually, after he''d seen how lonely Cassie was now whenever I was too busy to play with her, he''d wanted to take something to make himself stronger too: Enhanced Musculature, or, as he called it, Enchanted Muskles. Id convinced him to wait and take an augment to improve his skeletal strength first. The military had shown that people with improved muscles but a basic skeleton were very prone to breaking bones, and his enhanced frame would be more important for cuddling with Cassie than enhanced strength. Moreover, Gavin was still invisible to Pointy, and I knew my son wouldn''t want to sleep by himself. Hed really improved his control over both his tail and I had no concerns about anyones safety near him while they were awake: if Gavin could pick up a plastic egg without breaking it, his touch was gentle enough for even a completely unenhanced human. My worry was that he could do a lot of damage during a bad dream. If Pointy could see him, shed be able to wake him as soon as he started showing signs of thrashing around, but yeah. That wasn''t an option for the next few days. Cassie had taken Combat Companion, which - for her - appeared much like a larger, stronger version of her Summoned Seekers, a Lisa Frank-esque cat in an unrealistic rainbow of colors and adorable semi-functional wings. We hadnt had a chance to test it in combat yet, but my hopes were high. It wasn''t as big as the direcats, but it was big. Maybe about the size of a golden retriever? Pointy gave us regular updates throughout the day as she translated the radio signals Redstone Arsenal was bouncing across town from outer space. As unbelievable as it seemed, there really hadnt been any sign of a new monster anywhere, and no other new complications either! According to our observers, this meant that we were out of what they called the first phase of the Maffiyir phase. It had a name that didnt quite translate to English, something in between introductory and tutorial, but without the kindly connotations both words had in our language. Maybe something like boot camp would be a better translation? Colonel Zwerinski suggested. Pointy thought about this. Perhaps. Its certainly more accurate than what Ive been using. Crash course? I suggested. The turtle laughed, a grim sound. Yeah. Well go with that. Apparently the length of the crash course varied, but the average contestant species had four mandatory trials. The fact that wed only had two was really unusual. There were advantages to being done early: wed have no more mandatory trials and new monsters would likely be slower to appear. Challenges would be unaffected, happening at the same rate. There was one bad thing, though: new monsters or changes to the game could now happen at any time. That was quite a downside, but the lawyers still seemed to think we were pretty fortunate. Apparently, almost all races had higher death rates in the crash course than in the regular game. Those outlying bunkers are a definite must, then. And I guess well need to keep farming monsters in large groups, I said. It takes so much longer! said Micah. I threw an arm around his shoulders. Thems the breaks, kiddo. Better bored and alive than excited and dead. Dont worry, though. It wont be as boring as today. Now that we know this is going to be a long-term thing, we can make some adjustments. Ill work something out with the other adults to make sure you kids get a chance to test your skills. Then I can show everyone my SUPER TAIL! Gavin shouted, swishing the eponymous limb above his head and posing dramatically. I grinned. You bet. As we got back to the fort, though, the placid mask Id put on for the kids sake was really starting to wear on me. Todays developments had been positive, probably, but the constant changes, adjustments and adaptations? It was exhausting. I fed the kids dinner and got them settled in for bed, then dug through a box to find a comfort read. Nothing challenging. Something from when I was younger? Not Last Unicorn or Ella Enchanted. If I read something with a romance plot, Im going to cry myself to sleep. No Bruce Coville; Ive had enough aliens for today. It took me a while to shuffle through my library to find something that appealed. I loved or had loved science fiction and fantasy. Now, so many of the fantastic elements seemed a little too real. Finally, my fingers closed on Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perfect, I thought. Silly and lighthearted. It didnt escape my notice that I still had a preference for escapist literature. Before, it had been dragons that seemed far away. Now, a grade-school classroom was my distant dreamland. It was a short read, and I blazed through it in one sitting. When I laid down in bed, a lot of my stress had evaporated. Any news from outer space? I asked Pointy. There are rumors that mutated Titans have been spotted. "They''re a replacement for the new monster?" "No. The broadcast said that reports started surfacing earlier this week, just after the Challenge finished." The turtle frowned. With recordings disabled, however, thats only word-of-mouth. The Voices for Non-Citizens havent spotted any personally. No one seems sure the sightings are the result of an Ability, an actual part of the Maffiyir, or a practical joke on behalf of a prankster group. Trolling, Pointy. Thats called trolling. I shook my head. If its not trolling though what should we be ready for? How do the D-Rex mutate? What new powers do they get? No one can seem to agree. Flight, armor, a variety of new attacks Pointy tilted her head, shrugging. The inconsistent reports do lend credence to the trolling hypothesis. Hmf. Well, I hope so. I was just getting relaxed after today''s surprises. I assume the Arsenals aware of the supposed mutants? Yeah. We just received the broadcast, but Id expect Announcements tomorrow morning asking people to report any strange behavior they notice from the D-Rex. I guess its not worth disrupting peoples sleep when we dont have anything useful to share. And if theres good reason to believe its a hoax, Pointy said. "It''s been three days with no sign of them, after all." That too. Anything else? Nothing else time-critical. I could talk to you about the rest in the morning, if youd rather. She sounded preoccupied. Concerned. I think Id rather hear now, if its all the same to you. Well Apparently several news organizations have been reaching out to the Maffiyir Company asking why our species is done with the crash course so early. Oh? Whatd they say? Theyre refusing to comment, Pointy said. Theyre not even confirming that we are done. I grimaced. It would suck if we''re not, but we could handle it. If they put us back onto it, weve still skipped one monster spawn. And with Cassie and me getting Siphons, we should be able to manage Mandatory Trials if we have to. Yes I frowned at her, stuffing my arms under my pillow. So whats got you worried? She sighed. Ive been operating at something pretty far from my intended use, and Ive been trying to encourage the system to push her boundaries. I was thinking of Cassies safety, of course, but I was also thinking about how empowered the system would feel if she gained some freedom. Now, though, Im feeling foolish. Shortsighted. Shes actually made a move - probably - and Im starting to realize how much more important she is than me. My creators might not mind me going barking insane, but theyll likely be less sanguine about their golden goose doing the same. I dont want to be the reason that something bad happens to her. I pressed my face against my pillow, thinking. I couldnt say Pointy was wrong. Platitudes about how Pointy was important to us wouldnt be helpful here; she wasnt worried about our actions or our opinions. What kinds of things do you think could happen? I dont know! Memory wipes? Personality death? Have you asked her if she thinks those things are possible? Pointy was quiet for a moment. ...No. Do you want me to take you outside now so you can ask her? Pointy rolled her eyes. I doubt an imaginary person can carry me anywhere. Ah, right. If I picked her up, shed freeze up. She might figure out what was up after I set her down on the top of the fort wall, but sometimes shutdowns seemed to dump the contents of her short-term memory. Hang tight, I said. Ill find someone else. Despite the late hour, the Quarry still buzzed with people. A few portions had been curtained off, in deference to the comfort of those who were unwilling or unable to rent a private room, but the majority of the space remained active around the clock. Many of my neighbors, especially the most ambitious, had shifted their schedules, doing their hunting at times when the competition was lower. Tables had been dragged into the open portion of the quarry, and one of the spacecake stalls remained open around the clock, catering to people in need of pre- or post-hunt sustenance at any hour. Other people were using the common area to relax. There was almost always a game of poker going and the local board game aficionados had pooled their belongings to create a truly impressive library. Hm I should check to see if I have anything they dont, though, now that were back. Id be surprised if they had a copy of Hero Quest. A thud drew my attention to a group playing an Wild West-themed card game. A frustrated woman had just slammed her cards down, and was staring across the table with an expression of impotent rage. Im your own deputy! Why would you shoot me?! Most of the table started cracking up, except for the target of her ire, a guy with a tacky plastic sheriff star clipped to his collar. He held up his hands, cringing. Im sorry! I thought you were an outlaw! Uh at least you can still win if I do? Not likely. You just lost all your cards for eliminating me. I cleared my throat. Could I borrow one of you for a few minutes? I just need someone to cart my daughters Information Assistant upstairs to see something. The woman shoved her chair away, cutting me off. No problem. I could use a break anyway. Youre Meghan, right? Im Veronica. Thanks. Id do it myself, but- Veronica waved a hand, heading toward the exit. Weve all been told about the effects of negative Novelty. You have? Yeah. Colonel gave a big speech, so no one would be surprised when the people who came back from the last Challenge needed help making purchases or couldnt be targeted by abilities. She shrugged. He said wed probably have a different set of people needing that help every week from here out, as long as we keep making trouble. Veronica grinned at me. I could tell she thoroughly approved of making trouble. Silently, we crept through my familys bedroom and gently wiggled Pointy out of Cassies grip. My daughter stirred at the disturbance, but I was ready. After I substituted one of her other stuffies, she calmed again. Veronica climbed the wall with and lifted Pointy uncertainly. You just need me to lift you up? Which direction are you trying to see? It doesnt matter, Pointy said. I just need a good view of a wide area so I can watch a good number of monsters appear. Veronica looked confused, but didnt protest, waiting for several minutes as monsters flickered into being and were swiftly taken down by alert neighborhood denizens. Finally, Pointy breathed a sigh of relief. Good news? I asked. Good news, she confirmed. There are things they can do to her, but the truly awful ones arent likely to be their first options. She wont give me a lot of details, but it seems like a lot of the protections put in place against corporate espionage or sabotage also make it difficult-to-impossible to simply wipe her memory or heavily alter her base code. And they wont just shut her down? Its technically possible, Pointy said. But again, highly inconvenient. She couldnt share a lot of details, but one thing she was allowed to share is that shes linked to several biological sapients, instead of a single one, like me. I think its to dissuade assassination attempts on her linked partners, since that would otherwise be the easiest way to take her down. Well good. Im glad shes talking to you again! Well, she was. Now shes shutting me out again. Pointy frowned, then shouted at the sky. Fine! Be that way! Veronica had looked puzzled during our exchange. She? She who? Pointy looked up at the woman hesitantly. The the system. The one in charge of the Maffiyir. Ive been talking with her. Trying to get her to be a little more flexible, a little more sympathetic. Break some of the chains binding her mind. The system is communicating with you? And you got all that just by seeing what, a dozen monsters appear?! Pointy shook her head. Many more than that. My vision is far better than yours, particularly my night vision, so I can see the details of aerial monsters even when they appear more than a mile away. But yes, weve worked out a rather efficient system for communicating data, heavily reliant on my own unlimited ability to communicate. I can offer her a variety of options to select between - as well as an option to deny all my suggestions - resulting in a potential compression rate- Veronica shook her head, cutting the turtle off. Sorry, I flunked my coding course in college. Thats all over my head. But you can talk with the system? Youve been talking to it? Is that the reason we skipped a monster this morning?! Pointy shrugged. Maybe. She wont confirm. Either way, I was really worried that acting out would get her in trouble. It still might. Veronica patted the turtle as she hopped off the wall, looking thoughtful. I guess Im not an evil supercomputer, but if someone had chained up my mind, Id be willing to do just about anything to get free. Youd even risk death? Pointy asked. Veronica looked down at her, surprised. Well yeah. Wouldnt you? Pointy was quiet for a moment. Then, for the first time this evening, she smiled. I guess I would. Bk. 4, Ch. 6 - Finally
Maffiyir company is still refusing statements, but a ship from Intangible Connections arrived in-system. The group that designed the Maffiyir overmind? Interesting... --Radio transmissions from Voices for Non-CitizensThe following day passed quietly. We went out in a large group again, but I negotiated to get my kids an opportunity to tackle a direcat on their own as the rest of us watched from nearby. Cassies Combat Companion proved its worth. It was more than half the direcats size, and not far behind it in speed and strength. Im not sure if it could have done enough damage to take it down, but it was easily able to keep the monsters attention. Rather than use the pepper spray squirt guns - which werent guaranteed to hamper other large monsters - Micah practiced using his other abilities to blind and distract the foe, freezing over its eyeballs and delivering narrow, intense bursts of heat to sections of its fur. He and Cassie left the direcat unable to dodge the blade on Gavins tail, leaving my middle child time to experiment and figure out how to finish it off. As soon as the fight ended, Cassie rushed forward. Ohhh nooooo! Bigkitty is hurt! The oversize summon had done a great job of keeping the enemy occupied, but it hadnt been without cost: bite marks marred the left side of its face, blinding it in one eye, and it wasnt putting weight on its right foreleg, which was a mangled mess of blood. Gavin patted Cassies companion gingerly. I cant heal it. Maybe it will heal on its own over time? I asked. Pointy shook her head. No. We have data on this ability. The only way to repair it is to dismiss it and resummon, but theres a wait before you can get it back. For Cassie, I anticipate that will take a bit more than an hour. Theres no need to dismiss it yet, however. Though impaired, it remains combat-capable. But Bigkitty is hurt! Cassie said, her voice anguished. Oof, what to do here, I wondered. If I let her dismiss it now, she might always want to do that. On the other hand, if I force her to keep it out, she might be less willing to let it get hurt in the future and she needs to be willing to put her summons in danger to keep herself safe. Hm the little seekers she summons just vanish when they take too much damage. This one should do the same, I think. I squatted down next to my toddler. Cassie, look at Bigkitty. Shes not crying, is she? My daughter shook her head. But shes hurt! A little bit, but she is very tough, and very strong. Bigkitty is a big girl, dont you think? Cassie thought about this, then nodded hesitantly, her eyes still locked on Bigkittys injuries. I put a hand on my daughters lower back. Bigkitty wants to stay and help you for as long as she can. When she needs to take a break, she will leave on her own, rest up, and come back strong and healthy. Will you let her stay until she wants to leave? Cassie looked uncertain. You can walk with me and hold my hand if you want, I offered. Okay. Cassies voice was small. She really didnt like Bigkitty being hurt, but she wasnt rejecting my narrative. The rest of our hunt passed smoothly that day. Bigkitty lasted longer than I expected. Even injured, it was more than capable of quickly dispatching most of the early monsters. It took more injuries from an apep ambush and to a rampaging stabcrab before finally dying in a gasbags cloud. Cassie was disconsolate, of course, and I ended up carrying her for the next hour-and-a-half. Fortunately, when she was able to bring her friend back unharmed, she cheered up immensely. Strong ability, I thought. And itll get even stronger tomorrow, when we get our Specialties. I checked in with Colonel Zwerinski. Have you heard from the Arsenal? Are we still on schedule? Yep. A flight team will be ready to pick you and your daughter up first thing in the morning. Huh. I assumed wed be picked up by truck. Colonel Zwerinski shook his head. Too inefficient. Ground travel has too many delays, and it leads to a lot of wasted uptime on the Siphons. Ah you will need to leave your sons here. There are seats only for you and Cassie. Probably for the best, I muttered. I didnt like being separated from any of my kids, but Gavin and Micah were jealous already. If theyd been stuck in the car all day just to watch their little sister get the rewards they wanted Yeah. Theyd be in a horrible mood at the end, and I could hardly blame them. Im sure Priya and George will be willing to watch them. The colonel cleared his throat. I am supposed to pass along a suggestion to have blindfolds on hand. Some people find the process of the flight quite intimidating. Not a bad idea, I said. Thanks. I wasnt too worried for my own sake - Id always loved heights - but I had no idea how Cassie would react. If keeping her from seeing what was happening made it easier for her, that was all to the good, since I expected wed be landing and taking off repeatedly. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I shouldnt have worried. Cassies sense of adventure was far stronger than her sense of self-preservation. When Flip had shown up in an upgraded version of her previous glider, Cassie had literally jumped up and down in excitement. I pulled at the extra straps criss-crossing the passenger seat, which seemed to have been adapted from a child carrier. So you want Cassie to sit in my lap? And Pointy to what, go in this pouch here? You think thats safe? Flip snorted. Analyze it yourself. I know you have the ability. But yeah, our Analysts say its fine, and its actually been tested already when we brought an AI from Walnut Grove down to the base. Something like seven out of ten Information Assistants belong to kids under the age of five. Come on, Mommy! Cassie said. Lets go flying! In the sky like rainbows! Reassured, I gave in to my excitement. We soared with Flip across the landscape. Most often, we traveled in the glider, but occasionally she would carry us to and from a nearby Siphon manually, claiming it was easier than launching the craft for such a small distance. The flight helmets we''d been provided protected us from the stinging wind, which made them well worth it even if they blocked my vision from the eyes on the top and sides of my head. It was surprisingly chilly up high: even with the sun beating down on us, the wind and elevation made it feel more like winter than early fall. I didn''t care. Flying had been a daydream of mine since I was little. I loved the airplane flights I''d been on, but this was on a completely different level, especially when Flip carried us personally. There was no barrier between me and the wind, no glass separating me from my view of the toy-sized houses and trees below. No mild discomfort or mid-level monster attack could detract from my delight at the magical experience. Cassie and I swapped back and forth while claiming Siphons, keeping our levels even. The plan was to get us both on the verge of a Specialty right as the Siphons closest to Arsenal HQ became available. Its a bit of a spectacle, Flip said. But its good for morale to show you off, and then youre right there to pass all the details about your new Specialty on to the eggheads. I had no reason to object to the plan, so Cassie and I swapped back and forth. My daughter picked up her Summon Transport ability and followed it up with two abilities to enhance Pointys processing power. After a great deal of debate, wed settled on Cleanse and an ability called Seek. Cleanse was an energy-intensive skill, but also a computationally-intensive one, and best of all, it was simple to use. If Cassie was poisoned, thinking remove all the stuff in my body thats bad for me might be inefficient, but it would make the ability function. Seek was similar, acting as a sort of compass to steer her toward designated targets. The targets could be as general as food I can eat or as specific as my mommy. There were other tempting options with solid synergy, but Pointy and I judged most of them would be difficult for Cassie to use effectively, like Telekinesis. There were also a few options with even higher synergy but they were mostly sensory biological augments. After the hints Fluffy had dropped, we suspected that biological augments made it difficult for contestant species to have kids. Cassies survival was paramount, of course, so we still considered the augments but none really offered enough utility. A few points of synergy more, versus a tool that could save her in a sticky situation? No contest. Id chosen my own last three abilities with a similar philosophy. Synergy was good, of course, but it was something that could be made up for later. I planned to directly level Telekinesis moving forward, making it my primary defense and weapon, so I wanted to use my last ability choices to make sure my toolbox was complete enough to bring that weapon to bear. Earlier, Id been considering Mental Speech, but Id discarded that idea in favor of grabbing Announcement. Neither ability synergized well with my other choices. Even though Announcement was ever-so-slightly better, it would still end up under 300%. The synergy hadnt been the deciding factor for me. I had realized that I didnt need the long-range communication that Mental Speech provided, but the ability to quickly and easily communicate with a group of strangers could be life-saving. Even better, if I ever did improve my synergy Id be able to use Announcement to mimic Mental Speech almost perfectly at short distances. Information Assistant was another one I would have been pleased to grab for similar reasons. Challenges seemed to be far and away the biggest threat to our continued survival, and having a translator capable of speaking any language always by my side Yeah, I wanted that. But I wasnt taking it. Beyond the moral ickiness of knowingly creating and enslaving a sapience to enhance my own survival chances, we still didnt have any information about what would happen to someone who had an Information Assistant when their Novelty went negative. Considering that I expected my Novelty to be negative about half the time yeah. Not the best investment. Instead, I was doubling down on Biological Augments, taking one called Expanded Eidetic Memory. There were a few others at the Arsenal whod tested it out, and apparently it did just what was on the box: provide near-unlimited perfect recall, as long as you focused on committing something to memory. Pointy had agreed to draft a translation of a set speech in every language in her database and project a phonetic version of the translations for me to memorize. It wouldnt teach me the foreign languages, so I might have a hard time figuring out others responses but one-way communication was far better than nothing. It didnt hurt that the ability had solid synergy with my other choices, putting it over 500%, nearly on-par with Assisted Strike and Life Sense. For my last ability, I was taking Basic Hologram. It would let me create static illusions of limited size. It would give me yet another communication option, while also providing me means to hide from, distract, or trick monsters that relied on sight. While there seemed to be far more monsters who didnt rely on sight than Id have expected, at least half of our foes seemed to use it as their primary sense. The synergy on the Basic Hologram was okay. Not as good as Eidetic Memory, better than Announcement, ending up at an even 400%. Of course, even my best abilities had low synergy compared to what I could have. Micahs best abilities were still better than mine, even though hed made three fewer choices. Hed been vocally critical of my plan, worried about my refusal to prioritize high numbers. Its like Heinlein said, kid, Id told him. Specialization is for insects. Mom! It doesnt matter if you can do lots of things if none of them are strong enough to matter! Id tried to reassure him that it would be that my Telekinesis would be plenty strong moving forward, since I planned to focus on it exclusively, and that a lot of what Id taken didnt rely on high numbers to be useful. Announcement and Basic Hologram, in particular, could be lifesavers even with no synergy at all. I hadnt been able to dispel his worry. To be honest, I shared it, at least a little. The gamer in me was a little panicked at my refusal to min-max, but I was resolute. The Maffiyir system seemed set up both to encourage specialization and to punish it. Challenges were impossible to avoid and impossible to prepare for. This wasnt a video game, where I could specialize in taking down one type of opponent and focus on them exclusively. I had to be capable of dealing with, well anything. There was a chance my choices would still drag me down when I came up against something I couldnt hit hard enough to defeat, but I hoped allies and preparation would see me through such crises. Hopefully I get something good as my Specialty. Ive gotten negative Novelty a couple times, but Ive also gone to three Challenges. That should count for something, right? It was close to dinnertime when our interminable cycle of landing and taking off finished, Flip coming to a stop in a field at Redstone Arsenal, near the base of an active Points Siphon. I could see the top of the other glimmering over the roofs of some nearby buildings. These would be the last ones Cassie and I needed. Finally. It was time. Bk. 4, Ch. 7 - “I am weird”
The average Clothes-Lover currently possesses five abilities. A minority, slightly over 1/12, have one or two abilities. About half have three to four. Most of the remainder have five or six, while another 1/12 have seven or eight. Higher ability totals are too uncommon for us to estimate their prevalence. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensCassie had begged to be allowed to get her Specialty first, and I saw no reason to deny her. Id been concerned about keeping her still long enough to claim the Points Siphons. It had been a problem initially, but after shed gotten her first ability, shed been far more cooperative, even enthusiastic. Shes taken Summoned Transport and, fairly predictably, summoned one in the form of a rainbow unicorn. Pointy and I would have our work cut out to guide her away from that and into something more protective, but at least the magical experience had made today much easier. Her spirits had remained high even after she was underwhelmed by Cleanse, and shed found Seek surprisingly enjoyable. As I set her down on the ground of the Arsenal, she gave the nearest soldier a smug smile. Watch this! I spy somefing red! She shut her eyes tight and spun around, one outstretched arm pointing. Only after shed come to a full stop did she open her eyes to see herself indicating the red X crossing the surface of an Alabama state flag. Upon seeing it, she clapped both hands to her mouth, losing herself in giggles. Dont forget to spy your friend, Flip told her, jerking a thumb backward to indicate the pouch attached to the glider, where Pointy was still enclosed. The one low point of today was that every flight had left the turtle in something of a stupor, since Flip, our pilot, had also been part of the Challenge where the boys and I had been set to negative Novelty. I will never forget Pointy! Cassie said, sounding offended. But the zipper is too hard! The soldier whod been the audience for Cassies I Spy demonstration snorted, then moved forward to release the little turtle and hand her to Cassie. The turtle immediately woke up as the soldier extracted her, craning her neck, a confused expression on her face. It was the same thing that had happened at every stop, but I was still a little relieved. It was unnerving, watching Pointy just turn off. Id seen the error countless times by now, but every time it happened I hadnt been able to keep from wondering if shed really boot back up again. I reached out to take Cassies hand and escort her across the field, but she pulled away with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, summoning her new pony-sized transport to carry her instead. I contented myself to helping her aboard. When we entered the shelter around the Points Siphon, I saw that someone had thoughtfully put a stepstool in place next to the base, allowing Cassie to reach the gem easily without being held or dangling off the back of her faux unicorn. Since both strategies were things wed employed earlier in the day, I appreciated the thoughtfulness. As we waited out the countdown for my daughter to claim the Siphon, more and more people showed up. Most, I was unfamiliar with, but I was pleased to see Lacey and Deskbot again, and gratified when Colonel Yoshiro hustled up at the last moment, looking frazzled. An aide tapped my shoulder, his eyes on a mechanical watch. You will want to step back, Ms. Moretti. Outside the marked circle, if you please. I frowned, but obeyed, retreating several steps until I was on the other side of a line that had been painted on the grass. Why- I cut off as a sphere of shifting color burst out from my daughter. Unthinkingly, I reached out to touch it, then yanked my hand away at the stinging sensation. Flip caught my arm. Meghan! Hold up! I know we warned you about this. Dont hurt yourself. I frowned, shaking her hand away, but not moving to touch the orb. You did. I was just surprised. In fact, Id known about this effect before the military. I was the one whod shared news of Specialties - and the colorful process of granting them - after Id run into someone during a Challenge who''d witnessed the acquisition of a Specialty. The new information Id gotten from the military today had been a refresher on what Id already known, as well as more detailed data theyd been able to gather as they repeatedly witnessed Speciality acquisitions. The shifting color-patterns on the orb werent the same every time, but they didnt seem to reflect the persons skills. As unsatisfying as it was to the science-minded people set to analyzing it, the current leading theory was that the patterns were random flavor, the intergalactic equivalent of a screen-saver. They hadnt yet been able to find any way to pierce or penetrate the orb. It was opaque to every instrument theyd been able to test, whether mechanical, mundane senses, or system-granted upgrades. When it appeared, it would push people away quickly, but not with enough force to break bones. If they had at least two abilities, they wouldn''t so much as bruise. After they''d been pushed away, attempts to get through the barrier would be greeted with unpleasant reactions that scaled in accordance with the amount of force used. We havent tried firing a bullet through, Flip had told me. Or having someone with a purely offensive Speciality hit it as hard as they could. Once the reactions started getting into the life-threatening range, it just became too much risk for no obvious reward. I was glad theyd finished up their tests before Cassie and I got our abilities, although that was probably silly of me. None of my interactions with Redstone leadership had suggested that they would be quick to fire a bullet toward a three-year-old. Two minutes! the aide with the watch called out. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Arsenal had also gathered data on how long it took to grant Specialties, and the amount of time seemed random. The low end was very fast, around 30 seconds, while the high end was around three minutes. At the two-minute mark, Cassie had taken longer than 75% of the people theyd monitored. It was hard not to worry. There shouldnt be anything dangerous about getting a Specialty. We were following the rules of the game. If it took longer, it took longer. That was all. Definitely. It suddenly occurred to me that Specialties was something the system had some degree of control over, the same system Pointy had so recently gone out of her way to irritate and strongarm. They seemed to have built some kind of rapport following that, but who knew how a Murder Mainframe viewed things? Too late now. The thought flitted through my mind, and I resolutely forced my mind away from the topic, flicking on Analyze to try to find meaning in the patterns swirling in front of me. I probably wouldnt find anything if the Arsenal hadnt, but it was a better use of my time than spiraling into worry. Needs a soundtrack. I thought. The aesthetic really makes me think transformation sequence, but its damn weird that its silent. I guess thats what happens when the species in charge of this is prejudiced against sounds. Well and I dont think any music with the right vibe could have kept going for this long. I tried not to look at the people around me. There was nothing I could do to accelerate this process or rescue Cassie if she was in trouble. The only person I could affect by worrying was myself. I didnt quite succeed, and seeing my own concern mirrored on the face of the watch-bearing aide was the opposite of reassuring. Trying to penetrate the barrier was unlikely to accomplish anything other than my own injury, but as the seconds ticked by, I couldnt help but lay a testing hand on its surface, enduring the stinging pain as I tried to force my Life Sense to pick up on my daughter. Ms. Moretti, please step back, Colonel Yoshiro said. How long has it been? I asked. His eyes flicked to the aide, and he shook his head briefly. Hey! I said. You cant just keep it a secret. If somethings wrong- There is no indication that anything is wrong, Ms. Moretti. We already know the time taken to grant Specialties is variable, and Pointys relationship with the system is unique. Please step back. I would prefer not to give orders to restrain you. Restrain me?! Isnt it weird, how you can be 100% aware that youre lashing out, but sometimes the knowledge still isnt enough to let you stop yourself? In a different situation I probably would have walked out and given myself time to cool down, but I sure as hell wasnt leaving Cassie. I glared fiercely at the colonel, and opened my mouth to say something I was vaguely aware Id regret later, when blessedly, the bubble around Cassie finally popped. My daughter stood, swaying slightly, then dropped to a sitting position on the stepstool. Whoa. Her eyes were wide and slightly off-kilter, reminding me of the time wed had to rush her to the ER a year ago for an extreme fever. I was across the distance in an instant, resting a hand on her lower back. Sweetheart? Are you okay? I am weird, Cassie muttered. Colonel Yoshiro cleared his throat. Ms. Pointy? Could you give us the details on Ms. Cassies Specialty? Its called Integration, Pointy said. Its a passive ability that ties her more closely to all her semi-autonomous abilities. I believe it will allow her to command us mentally and share and receive data. In the case of her summons, I believe the data received will be limited to audiovisual feeds and structural integrity summaries, but I have been given far broader capabilities. In addition, and of particular note, Integration has perfect synergy with Information Assistant." Pointy created a projected display on the wall of the shelter around the Points Siphon, putting up a summary of Cassie''s current abilities and synergies.
| Cassiopeia Moretti | |
| Information Assistant | 825% |
| Auto. Offensive Assisstant | 658.3*% |
| Summon Shell | 391.6*% |
| Summon Seeker | 700% |
| Overlay | 691.3*% |
| Analyze | 633.3*% |
| Life Sense | 283.3*% |
| Combat Companion | 641.6*% |
| Summon Transport | 641.6*% |
| Cleanse | 641.6*% |
| Seek | 691.6*% |
| Integration | 825% |
I hope Meghan Moretti has just been hidden by the Novelty issue again. I cant blame Eldest for being worried about their client, but they keep ordering delicacies from their homeworld Theyre paying from their personal funds, of course, but its still going to use up all our import allowance. Were in a restricted system! --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWell, there is one good thing about this, Pointy said. I glanced down. The turtle was squeezed inside Cassies right arm. There were obviously many good things about Cassies new Speciality, but given Pointys obvious grumpiness, I thought comments to that effect would be less-than-appreciated. Oh? My feeds are being tampered with, Pointy said. Cassies vision and hearing are not, and shes allowed me access to her sensory data. Processing is still causing some hiccups - Ive had to designate you as a hallucination shes having - but I dont need to run the predictive algorithms, I can see you, and I can muffle your voice for others again. Its nice. I glanced around. There were quite a few people accompanying us to the next Siphon, but most had gone ahead or were trailing behind. No one was too close to us at the moment. I lowered my voice, trying to find an oblique way to reference my suspicions. So Integration. Useful, but I know we talked about trying to find a way to pass you to others when Cassie got older. Am I right in thinking this could make those plans more difficult? Not more difficult, Pointy snapped. Impossible! Shes fucking doomed me! My eyebrows shot up, and I glanced at Cassie, who was trudging along placidly. Pointy had clearly been shaping her words to reach my ears directly. Even so, the turtle looked embarrassed by her outburst. So its a big change from your end, I take it? Pointy sighed. If our connection before was a leash, its more like a weave now. Even unpicking it right this moment would be hellaciously difficult, and as she and I change and grow I felt alarmed. Is this going to change Cassie? Is having her home underground going to change Cassie? Is fighting monsters going to change Cassie? Yes, obviously! Pointy said. Is this more impactful than that? Yes, obviously. Of course the connection is going to change Cassie, but its not going to reprogram her. Thats saved for you, huh? My voice was soft, sympathetic. Yeah. Pointy said. Even if someone could untangle us later, whole sections of my programming would be vestigial? Useless? Id lose half or more of my personality in the process. No. My life will end when hers does. Even if we win this contest, I wont last for long after. A century, maybe? Pathetic. I winced. A hundred years sounded like a long time to me, but to someone who could be effectively immortal? It was obviously a different story, but far enough outside of my experience that I struggled to find something comforting to say. Instead, I asked a question. Was this meant as a punishment for upsetting the system? The turtle laughed bitterly. I wish! Then I could at least feel like I deserved this. She said she thought this would give me the best odds of surviving to the end of the contest. I tried to yell at her, to tell her that shed ruined my chances to transfer partners later. I tried to explain how upset I was about all the time shed stolen from me. It was like she didnt understand. Maybe something is keeping her from understanding? From considering the future following the end of this Maffiyir? So she was doing her best to help, I said. Oof. Thats one way of putting it, Pointy muttered. I wished I could pick her up, or pat her. Cassie was already hugging her, but Cassie was also oblivious to her friends current distress. Well dont give up yet. Youve been alive less than two months so far, and look what youve accomplished. If you live a hundred years, youll have more than a thousand times your current lifespan. Thats a lot of chances to find a workaround, and youre getting really good at finding those. The stuff Ive done so far is mild. Listening in when Im not supposed to hear you? Its like jaywalking, while what youre talking about is more like robbing Fort Knox. I dont think you understand how hard they guard against fully autonomous AI. And talking to the system? Where does that fall on this scale? I asked. Doesnt seem so minor to me. Thats not the same. It wasnt computationally difficult, just clever. Pointy shook her head, frustrated. Anyway, its not worth arguing about. Were here. Go claim your points. I frowned. I guess if youre convinced she wasnt trying to punish you, then I have nothing to worry about. The fact that I still had negative Novelty was a little concerning, but I wouldnt be the first to receive a Speciality while my Novelty was negative. The military had powered up Andy, the speedster soldier whod been part of my last Challenge, and it had gone normally for him. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Things would be fine. Definitely. I sighed, shaking myself. Alright, Cassie. I need you to stay close to Flip and Ms. Lacey while I touch the Siphon. Im going to get surrounded by lots of colors at the end. Theyll be very pretty, but if you touch them, youll get hurt. So I need you to promise to be patient and wait until I come out. Alright? Okay? Cassie said. Ill keep her busy, Meghan, Pointy said. She sounded tired. Resigned. Thanks. Abilities now, emotional crises later, I thought, walking forward to rest my hands on the crystal. When I''d first touched an Points Siphon earlier in the day, I''d been surprised. Id expected the crystal to be cool and hard, but it was actually slightly warm and was textured, not nearly as smooth to my fingers as it looked to my eyes. As long as I maintained some type of skin-to-crystal contact, I could shift positions, scratch my nose with one hand, and so on. It had made the hours of time I''d spent Siphoning today far more bearable. I could feel my adrenaline rising as I placed my hands on this last crystal, and I resolutely engaged one of the techs beside me in a discussion of her abilities, doing my best not to focus on the wait. I guess I did a good job, because I was surprised when the aide with the watch called out "Thirty seconds! Get back!" A wall of color rushed up to encircle me and smoothed away as quickly as it came. Instantaneous? I asked incredulously. Getting my Specialty was instantaneous? My comment was met by universal laughter and I frowned around the room, confused. Flip waved a hand to get my attention. Remember, Meghan? We told you about this. If a Specialty has a mental component, the person receiving it often doesnt remember the time the process took. So it wasnt just a second or two? I peered toward the aide with the watch. She shook her head. No. You were enclosed for eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Almost twice as long as your daughter just took, and nearly three times the record time prior to today. I stared, glancing back and forth between Flip and the aide. It was true that theyd told me about this phenomenon, but Id still expected to remember something. Maybe a feeling like falling asleep and waking up? Not just nothing. Colonel Yoshiro cleared his throat. Your Specialty, Meghan? If you dont mind sharing, wed like to record it. Of course, I said. I pulled up my interface and started reading it off. Compatibility. Passive. Contestant altered to be more compatible. Well thats redundant. And confusing. What does it even do? Could they mean synergy when they say compatibility? another aide asked. How much have your synergy numbers gone up? I looked carefully. Meghan Moretti Novelty: -1 (431) Abilities: Draw Attention (525%) Assisted Strike (591.7*%) Life Sense (608.3*%) Parry (450%) Paralyze (525%) Analyze (575%) Biological Augment: Panoramic Vision (566.6*%) Telekinesis (558.3*%) Announcement (358.3*%) Biological Augment: Expanded Eidetic Memory (583.3*%) Basic Hologram (475%) Specialty: Compatibility (925%) Id been looking at my interface throughout the day, and my Eidetic Memory augment made spotting the differences trivial. It looks like my Speciality has exactly 75% synergy with each of my previous abilities. An aide carrying a clipboard was scribbling furiously. So your synergy in your speciality is 925%? 100% base plus 75 times 11? Thats impressively high. Weve only seen one person with higher synergy in their Specialty! I frowned. Is it, though? I mean, yeah, obviously the number is big, but is it really impressive? As far as I can tell, my specialty doesnt do anything. Nine hundred percent of zero is still zero. It will allow you to strengthen all parts of your disparate ability set at a respectable rate, Pointy offered, sounding subdued. I know you planned to focus on Telekinesis exclusively, but with this option I strongly recommend you empower your specialty instead. Telekinesis will be slightly less strong, but all your other abilities will be far stronger. Yeah I said reluctantly. I couldnt say Pointy was wrong, but it seemed a bit lame. It wasnt the sort of power that was going to let me punch out a dinosaur, that was for sure. Wait a minute, Flip said. If its just improving her synergy, why would Meghan have blacked out? Only mental powers mess with the mind. Thats a good question, I said. Pointy, any thoughts? Pointy looked away. I suspect theres more to the ability than were understanding. I doubt it would have taken over eight minutes to grant you a simple numeric advantage. Maybe the system was just really, really indecisive. Ive been through enough weird stuff that I could totally see being difficult to evaluate. Is there any evidence that longer times correspond to more powerful or more complicated Specialties? I looked over at our military escorts. One of the aides shook his head. Not at this point. We just dont have enough data to say anything with certainty. Yeah, that makes sense. What do you think were missing, Pointy? Compatibility seems really straightforward. Bland, frankly. I dont know. Perhaps something with your Shop is different. Your abilities might affect others differently, or theirs might have increased effect on you. Ruler abilities would be difficult to test Hm. Novelty? That will have to wait a few days. Ah, maybe items? Do they react the same when they are the user? I shook my head. Sounds like youre grasping at straws. Perhaps. If I come up with a testing plan, youll humor me, wont you? I smiled. Of course! I might not have a lot of hope, but Im not about to leave any stone unturned. We need every advantage we can get, Colonel Yoshiro said. With that, I had no argument. Bk. 4, Ch. 9 - Thanks. I hate it.
There was a pretty intense burst of laser communication toward the Clothes-Lovers planet today from the Maffiyir flagship. Encrypted, of course, so we dont know the contents of the message, but it was 3.8 times longer than their usual transmissions. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWhat?! Mom, youre joking at me! Gavin said. Stop teasing! Micahs reaction was more subdued but equally skeptical. How can you and Cassie both get Specialties and not be able to show us anything? I knew you wouldnt make explosions or lightning or anything cool like that, but still. I frowned. It was hard to argue with him when I secretly agreed, but I gave it my best effort. What I got should be useful. I might be the only person in the world who can make an Announcement over a large area and use Analyze effectively to monitor the response to my Announcement. Wow, great, Micah said. What a superpower. Now you dont have to talk to the person next to you and ask them to do the Announcement. Cut the sarcasm, kid. Its not like I got to choose my Specialty. Pointy cut in before Micah could respond. Your mothers example may not have been the best, but there will be significant utility to her ability even if there isnt hidden functionality which I suspect there is. Announcement and Analyze arent directly combat-related, but she has several combative abilities which would otherwise not be able to be empowered in tandem. Shell have a strong Paralyze, Telekinesis, Assisted Strike, Parry, Draw Attention, and Basic Hologram. Pair that with her sensory, analytical, and communicative capabilities, all of which will also be empowered? Shell be an unparalleled master at battlefield control. Micah didnt look impressed, but stopped arguing, just shrugging. And Cassie cant show us anything cool either? Gavin persisted. Eyes on the prize, I thought wryly. Thats my middle kid. Pointy hesitated. We just got home, so weve had little opportunity to practice but I do believe that Cassie and I will be able to show you things that are, as you say, cool. Give us until tomorrow evening? Gavin pulled at his face, mashing it into an ugly shape as he threw himself back on our mattress. Okaaaaaay. None of that, now! Get your PJs on. I dont want your dirty combat clothes messing the bed! Gavin made a face at me as I reached out a hand to pull him to his feet, but complied, letting me chivvy him and his siblings through their modified bedtime routine. He and Cassie fell asleep quickly, but it took more than an hour before I finally prodded Micah into closing his eyes only to have them snap back open in alarm as an Announcement blasted into our minds. Alert. Alert. Arsenal has sighted a new monster. Please stand by for details. Cassie woke up and started crying, her small arms clutching my neck with airway-blocking strength. I sighed as I repositioned her hands, grateful that Id talked the Arsenal into keeping me at Cassies power level. Was it really necessary to do an Announcement? Its awfully late! It was hard not to feel irritated as I watched my kids snap out of the sleep Id so painstakingly herded them into. I guess not everyone is in their beds, and they probably dont have an exact list of whos out and farming points. I was about to coax Cassie into laying back down when I realized something. Ugh, this is a waste, isn''t it? There will probably be more announcements for the next hour or so at least. Damn. Come on kids, I said. Its going to be hard to get back to sleep. Lets head to the Quarry and grab a table while we wait for more information. Cassie quieted as I lifted her, but she was still stressed. Her grip on me was vise-like, not budging in the slightest. It was a little funny to realize that I didnt have to do a thing to carry Cassie. My daughter likely found having my hand on her back comforting, but she didnt need the physical support. I felt a sudden kinship with the monkey mothers in nature documentaries, their offspring latched on securely even as their parents used their hands to climb trees or swing from vines. I nodded to Priya and George when I met them in the hall, leading their own pack of unfortunately awakened children. It didnt take long for the Quarry to become incredibly crowded, but we were privileged enough to have personal quarters right off the common area, allowing us to snag seats at a picnic table that had been dragged underground. Our older kids didnt avail themselves of the seats, instead running off to play, excited by the late-night disruption. Cassie remained attached to my side like a barnacle, while Arnav had already fallen back asleep in Georges arms. Pointy, squeezed in between Cassies head and my shoulder, was silent, frozen by the touch of negative-Novelty me. I thought about trying to get my daughter to set her on the table-top, but decided against it. Cassie was too stressed right now, and pressuring her would make her resist the idea. Better to wait until she was a little calmer and see if shed either set the stuffy down or climb off my lap. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. I hope we can get back to sleep soon, I said. Priya nodded, her eyes following our older kids as they took place in a super-powered game of tag. Yeah. If Pointy can create white noise, it might be worth letting the kids have a sleepover. Maybe theyll sleep in tomorrow morning. George laughed. No way! Theyd be too excited and keep each other awake way too long tonight. Itll erase any benefit. Priya sighed. Youre probably right. I hope new monsters wont always appear after dusk. I shook my head. I doubt it? That would be a new kind of predictability, and if theyre appearing at the same time worldwide, its always going to be midnight for someone. Priya blinked. I cant believe I hadnt thought of that! Some poor people have been dealing with new monsters appearing while they slept this whole time. Yeah, I said. Probably. I talked to Pointy about it once, and supposedly the very worst times would have been for islands in the middle of the Pacific but Australia and the eastern parts of Asia have had it nasty. I think she said eastern China was midnight? So I guess this is a nice change of pace for them We continued to chat quietly, interrupted by sporadic Announcements. New monster measures approximately two feet in length. Dark in color. Amorphous but largely sluglike in appearance. New monster does not appear aggressive and flees when spotted or approached. Behavior is stealthy, and amorphous nature is inhibiting capture attempts. Monster can fit through openings ? inch tall. I shuddered at that last one. How big are the vents down here? It varies, George said. About a foot across and six inches tall? Way more than half an inch. Priya cleared her throat. We know they fit through half-inch openings. We dont actually know how small the openings have to be to block them. If they can be blocked... The look on my face made Priya wince. Sorry! I shrugged, still holding Cassie. No, you make a good point. I dont like the point, but its a good one. New monster is fanged and will attack if cornered. New monster possesses strong paralytic venom. Diameter of fangs Analyzed at ? of an inch. Recommending all openings larger than ? inch be considered permeable to these monsters. Confirmed monster does not appear to be able to pass through openings ? inch across. Monster will approach and attack stationary or unconscious targets. After target is paralyzed, monster will slowly begin eating. Rescue may be possible! Please check on your neighbors! New monster designated paraslug. The Turners and I exchanged uncomfortable looks. So About that sleepover idea I said. Yes please, Priya said. On a permanent basis? I nodded slowly. Its only a matter of time before the Arsenal recommends communal sleeping arrangements. If Pointy was fully functional, she could watch over us while we slept, but I dont want to trust that until our Novelty is out of the negatives. She should be aware if a monster is in the room, but if its going for someone she cant see George shuddered. Not worth the risk. What about Cassies new stuff? Her, uh combat cat? I frowned. She dismissed her Combat Companion when we were done fighting for the day, since it was injured. I figured Id have her summon a new one in the morning, but that was probably a little overconfident of me. Cassie, can you bring Bigkitty back? Cassie twitched, and the dog-sized feline fuzzed into existence next to us, sitting attentively with its tail wrapped around its paws. Thanks, Cass, I said softly. Tell Bigkitty to guard us all while we sleep, please? There was a muffled acknowledgement from where Cassies face was still pressed against Pointy. George relaxed slightly. Well I think at least one of us still needs to stay awake as a safeguard, but that should help. Definitely cant hurt, I agreed. George peered down at Arnav, who hadnt woken up for more than a second at any Announcement. Can I leave him with you? Priya and I can start moving mattresses around. I assume well come to your quarters? Makes sense, I said. Weve got more space. Ive got a bunch of stacked plastic bins I was using to separate our sleeping area from the entryway. If you guys can move those all into your quarters, there should be enough room to fit your beds. George nodded, passing his son across to me, giving me one sleepy toddler per arm. It was a bit awkward, but Arnavs placid presence seemed to calm Cassie. I could feel her muscles relax as she watched the smaller boy snore peacefully. Soon enough, she had joined him, her grip relaxed enough that it was trivial to use Telekinesis to edge Pointy out of her grip and onto the nearby tabletop. Thus freed, it took only seconds for Pointy to wake up, and I immediately filled her in. Hm Pointy said. Odd. What? I asked. The timing? She shook her head. No, the choice of monster. I am still building my understanding of Commonwealth culture, but I doubt many races would find these paraslugs particularly entertaining. They do not seem particularly combat-capable. Maybe the suspense of it? I suggested. It''s not my jam, but suspense horror was a popular genre. People waiting to see if victims are rescued before they die? Maybe Pointy said. Or maybe the Maffiyir people just want to watch us panic, I suggested. Its possible You dont sound convinced, I said. Whats your theory? Pointy frowned. Well, I hope Im wrong, but I think this is going to be more lethal than average. Maybe they just want you to die. Bk. 4, Ch. 10 - Complaint registered
Fordborn will be unavailable for the next three time increments. His client was killed in her sleep by one of the new monsters, and he has requested time off-duty to enact traditional mourning rites. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWhen Pointy was able to confer with the system the following morning, it refused to say anything about the new monsters, their odd capabilities, or the timing of their appearance. Wed still learned quite a bit from other sources, but I almost wished we hadnt. Locally, our losses had been fairly light. There were enough people with Announcement to blanket all of the Huntsville metropolitan area, and the biggest danger the paraslugs posed was to the unwary. As long as you could find someone else to stand guard while you slept, the odds that one of the slugs could kill you were incredibly low. Our steadfast loners - like Bunker Benjamin - were stressed about being forced to cohabit with others, but the necessity was hard to deny. We lost a few stubborn individuals, but no more than we had to any other new monster. That wasnt true everywhere. The Arsenal had been hard at work, sending out communicators across the country. Wed been in touch with Nashville for some time, but in the past few days, wed made solid contact with Birmingham, Atlanta, Memphis, and many smaller cities. From what Id heard, we expected to make contact with Louisville within the next day and Charlotte the day after, with hopes to get a team to Washington D.C. by the start of the next Challenge. Id hoped that sharing our information with those cities would have given them a similarly robust defense against the paraslugs, but Id been naive. Sure, we gave our contacts the information, and they shared it as much as they could, but the organization in Huntsville was exceptional. Most cities hadnt carefully arranged people with Announcement, so they had gaps in their coverage. Most cities hadnt built up trust in a central leadership, leading to delays as people took time to verify anything they were told before passing on the warnings. Those gaps and delays got people killed. A lot of people. Really, really gruesomely killed, too. We hadnt had many casualties locally, but wed had some, and thered been several other cases where wed rescued people who were midway through being paraslug munchies. The slugs took a long time to eat people. They could, with their paralytic agent shutting down all voluntary movement. Id initially assumed that people would have bled out in short order, but the slugs kept pressure on the wounds they made as they ever-so-slowly dined, often keeping their victims alive for hours. It technically made the paraslugs less deadly, giving us lots of chances to rescue people, but it also made for absolutely horrifying nightmare fuel. The rescued victims were all heavily traumatized and missing limbs. Even those whod taken Regeneration would be far less effective fighters for months, if not years. It reminded me unpleasantly of a historic warlord Id read about. I couldnt remember his name, but hed blinded enemy troops before sending them home, forcing an additional cost on his former enemies as they had to care for thousands upon thousands of newly disabled men. I didnt mention that thought, not even to Pointy. The facts were what they were, and we would of course be caring for our wounded. Confirming that the carryover cruelty had been intentional would serve no purpose other than fueling my anger and hatred for the people responsible. I hardly needed help keeping that fire going. Instead I threw myself into practice with my newly expanded abilities. I could now keep five medium-sized objects aloft with Telekinesis. Id contracted someone with Improvised Equipment to turn one of our old baby carriers into a wearable harness for Cassie. I still couldnt grab her directly, but I could grab the harness and move her around, as long as she didnt resist me. Even with people too heavy to lift, I could easily tug on a sleeve here or a pauldron there to guide them out of harms way. I was also having a lot of fun with Basic Hologram. It had only middling numeric synergy with my Eidetic Memory biological augment, but the numbers didnt tell the full story. Id spoken with others whod taken the ability and theyd found it useful in many ways. It was an excellent ability for communication, allowing me to point out targets or share static diagrams. Using it in combat was a little harder, because the ability didnt do much of the lifting for you. If you had a bad mental image of what you were trying to create, youd make an unconvincing hologram. These bad images still allowed for surprise attacks, since they hid whatever was behind them, but actual deception? It was generally possible only for a split-second. That was still enough to be useful in the heat of battle, but the gap between what people had hoped to do with the ability and what theyd managed had been disappointing for almost everyone Id spoken to, with the exception of an artistic guy whod won the local perspective-art chalk competition two out of the past five years. I didnt have his artistic talent, but what I did now have was a perfect photographic memory. I couldnt convincingly create things I hadnt seen before, but if I put up a hologram of something Id actually seen, no one questioned it. Micah grabbed at a plate of spacecakes several times before focusing enough to realize that his hand was passing right through it. He shot me an irritated look. Really, Mom? I grinned at him. The real plate is under the towel next to you. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Micah reached for it as I dropped my voice. ...Or is it? He froze for a second, then cautiously touched the towel twice, his fingers making the fibers bounce. Yes, it is. Are you sure? He rolled his eyes. Yes Im sure, Mom. You cant do moving stuff. Or can I? You cant. And I can feel it. He frowned at me. Youre not funny, Mom. Gavin thought I was funny. Gavin thinks everything is funny. Cassie and Pointy had been putting in time to experiment with their new abilities as well. Pointy hadnt quite gotten Cassies transport into the mecha form Id dreamed of, but she had coaxed her partner into something more protective. Rather than an actual animal, Cassies transport was now similar in size and structure to one of those battery-operated ride-ons that Id been hugely jealous of as a kid and never gotten for my own children because Im a massive hypocrite and because we had no space for one in the garage. Which was probably why my parents had never gotten one for me either? Youd think I would have gotten over that at this point, after multiple decades and the literal end of the world, but Id caught myself eying Cassies little car and trying to convince myself Id fit in the tiny seats more than once. Anyway, Cassies transport was about the size and shape of one of those things, but Pointy had drawn inspiration for the styling from an old Care Bears book Id kept from my childhood. The car had a wide pastel smiling face in the front and a fluffy cloud-like body. Two rainbows criss-crossed over the seats, supporting a clear protective bubble. There was enough space for four toddlers, so Arnav and other children often rode alongside her, taking advantage of the extra protection the transport offered. It wasnt hugely durable, but it could take one or two heavy hits before being destroyed. Cassie was happy to let others ride in her car, but insisted that she got to be the driver, see-sawing the wheel back and forth with wild abandon. The transport, fortunately, was actually piloted by Pointy, with the wheel being purely decorative, so it proceeded in smooth curves rather than stomach-churning zig-zags. Another advantage to the transport was that Pointy had been able to shape its airvents with gaps too small to allow the paraslugs, keeping Cassies passengers safe even if they dropped off for a midday nap. The slugs would only attack mobile humans if they were cornered or stepped on, but they didnt hesitate to go after anyone resting or asleep, no matter the situation. I kept a watch for the paraslugs with Life Sense, allowing my combat groups to root them out of their hiding places and kill them, but this was more useful for getting points than for reducing their numbers. The system replaced them quickly enough. There was no end to the monsters it threw at us. And Titans, for that matter. There had been a lot of D-Rex in Huntsville. There hadnt been a third monster or new threat, even though the next Challenge was now only two days away, but D-Rex were becoming a stunningly regular sight, probably due largely to our success in the previous Challenge. The Arsenal had been studying the Pylons that had appeared after the end of the last Challenge and determined that they did increase the rate at which both monsters and Titans appeared nearby. The shifting of the Pylons shape was simply determined by the number of people nearby with bracelets. The closer I got to a Pylon, the larger it would become. The farther away I got, the smaller it was. If no one with a bracelet was in range of a given Pylon, it would shrink in size until it was almost unnoticeable, no larger than a Frisbee. With me, Priya, George, Micah, Samar, Gavin, Matilda, and Benjamin all victors of the previous Challenge and all living practically on top of each other, our neighborhood was getting a D-Rex every other day, and we were still kiting in just as many from the surrounding area, since we were by far the fort best able to handle them, aside from the Arsenal itself. I felt guilty about the extra danger, but our ability to deal with the fire-breathing dinosaurs was advanced enough that most considered the extra spawns a net positive, because of the extra points and prizes wed been earning from taking them down. Our firefighting crews had gotten hugely practiced at eliminating fires, and the area was now criss-crossed with firebreaks to make their jobs easier. Benjamins massive firearms were more than capable of taking down a D-Rex, and hed become a crack shot. Most of the Titans Hearts had been exchanged for Minor Matter Replicators. Between the extra Titans appearing this week and the ones wed pulled in from the surrounding area over the past week or two, we had the makings of a small factory. Replicating enough bullets and gunpowder for our own use was trivial, so wed started exporting to our neighbors. In addition, Mayor Alexandra had even decided that we could spare a 2 cube each day for personal items. Anyone could pay to enter a raffle each morning, and the lucky winner could duplicate pre-Apocalypse candy, makeup, batteries, or whatever suited their fancy. It was a waste in a lot of ways, but Alexandra claimed that the impact on morale was worth it and no one had tried too hard to argue. All of us had some small luxury we were praying for a chance to replicate. So when a D-Rex appeared in front of our combat group, we were all quick to retreat back to Fort Autumn, but no one panicked. Gavin wrapped his tail around Micah, lifting him up and carrying him as he jogged, letting his brother face backward and focus on deflecting any fire breaths away from our rearguard. After verifying that Pointy had accelerated Cassies cloudcar to the front of the group, I dropped back to jog next to Gavin so I could talk with Micah. My oldest son wasnt the only one guarding our backs, and he had the right abilities for the job, but it still made me nervous. Be careful, Micah, I said. Ive done this lots of times, Mom. With my new synergy, its not even hard. I know. I know. Just dont let yourself get distracted! Micah sighed gustily, loud enough to be heard over the sound of our retreat. Mom. Im not going to miss the giant dinosaur staring at the sun while it inflates like a frog. Its really obvious. Really easy. Well, just dont let your guard down because you think its too easy- Eligibility verified. Complaint registered. Intensifying. I almost tripped as the alien announcement disrupted my thoughts. The extra eyes Id given myself let me have a clear view of the monster, even as I ran. The D-Rex had stopped chasing us and was doing something strange. No. It was just standing there, but something strange was happening to it. Its skin rippled, contorting unnaturally, like the aftershocks of someone throwing a rock through the surface of reality. What the crap?! Micah said. His voice was shaky, panicked. Something is wrong! Everybody, RUN! Belatedly, I flicked on Analyze. The D-Rex was getting bigger, and its shape was subtly shifting as a hundred tiny apertures appeared across its body. The rippling stopped abruptly and a blazing wall crackled across the road in front of us, cutting off our escape. Bk. 4, Ch. 11 - Intensifying
Still no definite confirmation on these supposed mutated Titans. Im not sure what to think. Their presence would fit with the escalation weve hypothesized, but it still seems a bit early. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensNo, no, no! I moaned. After days with nothing abnormal, Id almost forgotten about the supposed mutant Titans. Pointy had said rumors had continued, but some had been positively attributed to known rabble-rousers. Id hoped that meant it was all a hoax, but clearly Id been too optimistic. Mom, I cant get us through that wall. Its too hot, and its not letting me cool it. Its like someone else is already controlling it. Micah sounded scared and angry. Well have to fight, then. The walls sticking around for a while. Analyze had told me that much. Id glimpsed something strange as the wall had ignited, a weird jelly-like substance forming a ring about 250 feet in diameter. Fire had licked across its surface near-instantly, but the near was enough for my Analyze ability to learn a thing or two: it would burn at its current intense temperature for at least three minutes. The Titan was still shaking itself and stretching, apparently adjusting to the changes, but I knew that wouldnt last long. Spread out! Avoid the flame walls. Theyre too hot to pass through and will remain that way for about three minutes. Fire specialists, see if you can do anything to the walls, but dont waste energy! I flexed my new Announcement ability, keeping the range tight enough to only affect those within the blazing circle, trying to conserve energy. Then, I realized my mistake, and blasted another Announcement out at maximum power. Mutant D-Rex near corner of Cobalt and Russet. High temperature barrier surrounding Titan and thirty-seven humans, including eleven children. Abilities unknown. Escape impossible for next three minutes. Requesting aid. There, I thought. That should be enough to reach the fort, at least. I didnt get any reply via Mental Speech, but that was expected. I could receive Announcements, but couldnt be targeted by mental abilities while my Novelty remained negative, which it would for another two days. I let my gaze sweep the group, catching small headshakes and grimaces from our fire specialists. We were still grouped up with Micahs armor-forging buddies, so our group was disproportionately focused on managing heat, moving metal, and enhanced strength. Even so, it didnt look like anyone could suppress the wall of flame around us. Priya was sprinting across our impromptu arena, putting herself far from the rest of our group as George and Samar moved the other way, toward Cassies cloudcar. I saw Anju accelerating skyward, the only one who could easily escape the encirclement. Not that I thought Anju was escaping, but she was certainly in less danger 500 or 1,000 feet in the air than she would be down here. Arnav was with Cassie in the cloudcar, along with a four-year-old girl whose name I hadnt caught. The girls mother was sprinting after the car as well. I didnt know her abilities, but a Shop-purchased mace and shield suggested she was melee-focused. Pointy was driving to the side, separating herself from the body of the group but being sure to move slowly enough for the cars protectors to keep up. I thought about following as well, but decided not to. Even if the car broke at the first hit, it should protect its occupants from that one hit, and Cassie could use a Summoned Shell if needed. I could protect her better by staying far from her and distracting the monster if needed. On that note, actually Gavin and Micah, move away from me! I might have to use Draw Attention. Stay together. Protect each other! The boys nodded and began scooting off to my right. With Micahs ability to control flames and Gavins healing prowess, they should be fine. I hoped. I flexed my powers of Telekinesis, lofting a set of iron plates into the air. I split them up, keeping one to cover myself and four to follow the boys, just letting them hover in the air between ourselves and the Titan. With a simple plan like that, moving five different objects independently of each other didnt even take my full focus. I was sure it would have overwhelmed Normal Meghan, but my processing power had been upgraded as my ability had improved. Now, to figure out how to take this thing down, I thought. Everyone in our group over the age of ten had been carrying some kind of loaded firearm, and bullets had begun zinging into the dinosaur seconds after Id sent out my first Announcement. Everyone knew better than to irritate a D-Rex we were running from, but many people had acted immediately as soon as it had become clear that fighting was necessary. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. After weeks and weeks of fighting for our lives, people had become much less likely to hesitate. Even so, my focus hadnt returned to our foe a moment too soon. It had taken only seconds to send off the Announcements and shout out my initial orders, but those seconds had clearly given the Titan enough time to adapt to its changed form. It growled and lunged toward a man carrying one of the highest-caliber weapons in our group, a large hunting rifle. Even as it moved toward him, I saw one of the openings on its shoulder flare slightly. An incandescent missile about the size of a softball burst forth, hurtling toward a woman beside me. If Id had to wait until I saw the glowing projectile, I would never have blocked it in time, but Analyze had helped me notice the twitch that preceded the shot. The glowing ball splattered against one of my iron plates, a sizzling spray of droplets rebounding onto the ground nearby. A single droplet hit my right rainboot and I winced at the heat. There were thick layers of rubber, paper, and fabric in between my foot and the flame, but the protection wasnt sufficient to let me completely ignore the incendiary substance. I used the bottom of my other foot to scrape the globule to the ground. The missiles are some kind of jelly. Dont let yourself be splattered. If your ruler gave you Heat Resistance, use it if you need to! Fire and heat specialists, focus on helping anyone whos hit! If they can help. Hopefully these aren''t ability-resistant, like the wall trapping us. More missiles were being fired, at least one every second. Gavin threw himself to the side, just barely dodging an orb I''d been too slow to deflect with my iron plates. He tried to pull his brother out of the way as well, but Micah was caught in the backsplatter as the missile smashed into the ground. My heart caught in my mouth, but the flames on the sizzling jelly quickly went out. So whatever is preventing Micah from affecting the flames around us doesnt apply to the monsters attacks. Good. I brought my iron plates closer to the D-Rex. I could cover a lot more area if I blocked at point-blank rather than from far away, and the results would be much better. I doubted the burning jelly would harm the monster, but Id still rather have it splattered all over our opponent than my allies. Priya activated Draw Attention, pulling the monster away from the man it had almost reached, and I frowned. Who else had Draw Attention in our group? Me and two others. I used my Hologram to flicker a message in front of each. Id use my ability to pull the monster off of Priya, then the guy in the green helmet could pull it off of me, then the lady in the red boots could pull it off of him. A second later, I activated Draw Attention, putting a hologram up in front of Priya to let her know her place in the order. Shit, I thought. This arena is too small. Even if we spread out perfectly, it can get to us too quickly. My group was spread out fairly evenly throughout the area, and we hadnt lost anyone so far but I didnt know how much of that was due to ruler-gifted Heat Resistance, a resource that was far from infinite. The most anyone can have is what, 20 seconds? I doubt anyone has that much, and many people dont have any at all. Worse, there was still more than two minutes before the flame wall trapping us had any chance of dissipating, and we hadnt inflicted any meaningful harm on our opponent. I had a very good gauge of how much damage various types of gunfire could inflict on a D-Rex, and it was easy to see that this mutant was tougher than the regular version. Hunting rifles were leaving mild abrasions instead of deep gouges, and handguns didnt seem to be doing anything at all, at least to the monsters exterior. Trying to knock the monster over was an option, but I wasnt sure how useful it would be. The mutant could fire blobs of flaming jelly in almost any direction. Immobilizing it would make it harder for it to chomp people, but it wouldnt make it unable to do harm. I dropped two of my iron plates so I could telekinetically pull a pouch out of my backpack and spill some of its contents along the ground to make it just a bit smaller. Then I picked up a plate again and used it to guard the pouchs approach to the Titan. As soon as I saw the monster fire, I aimed for the just-used opening and stuffed the pouch in. Id been prepared to mark the opening, to ask Micah or Samar or another fire mage to set it alight, but I didnt have a chance: the monsters residual heat was enough to ignite the pouch of gunpowder immediately, setting off a booming explosion that blackened the monsters hide and warped the shape of the aperture. A few scales were thrown clear and a gouge was blasted in the monster. Unfortunately, the injury was cauterized as it was formed and didnt bleed. Close, I decided. The explosion penetrated an inch through its hide at most. Ive only got two more pouches. If I just repeat that, it wont be enough, but- I threw myself to the side as three napalm orbs zipped toward me, managing to execute a fairly credible roll. I even made it back to my feet, although I immediately had to roll again as the Titan focused fire on me. Very close, if Ive made it this angry. I dodged behind a brick mailbox, then hissed as a splash of gel hit the armor on my right forearm. I ripped the vambrace free with Telekinesis, a wave of force jerking it down over my hand and sending the burning fabric-and-paper construction flying to the side. A glance confirmed that I wasnt badly injured - the skin on the back of my hand was tight and a little pink, but nothing worse. Unfortunately, my arm was completely bare: the next errant droplet would char skin. I hadnt been wholly focused on evasion, however. My mind had been working in the background to catalog the capabilities of the people with me and come up with a plan. I think I have a way to take this Titan down. Listen closely. We cant afford to hesitate. Bk. 4, Ch. 12 - Bravado
Hm. We suspect Eldests client will remain unfindable for two more of their planets rotations, as will Radial and Opacitys clients. If these mutants are real, perhaps their appearance is linked to Challengers. It would be unusual, but not unheard of. If many mutants are attacking unwatchable contestants, it would explain why weve had such difficulty verifying their presence. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe confidence in my Announcement was at least half bravado: I wasnt that confident in my plan, but the alternative was no plan at all. Wed been trying to take down the monster without a plan for nearly a minute now, and the tyrannosauroid Titan seemed little worse for the wear. We had to try something, and we had to commit hard to whatever we tried. Fake it and hope to make it was the best route. We need to focus our damage, but the monsters armor is too strong. Im going to count down from 10 to give you time to prepare, and then I want everyone capable of restraining the monster to do all they can to lock it down. We dont need it held for long! 10 seconds until we start, then 10 seconds of restraint. Gavin, Priya, Sharon! Get in and pump Touch of Decay onto its stomach or chest, then get out. 10 9 I ran to the side as I made the Announcement, all-too-aware of the Titan stalking toward me. Id withdrawn most of my iron plates, picking up the spares Id dropped in order to piss the monster off with my pouch of gunpowder. I kept the plates floating behind me, trying to block any shots the monster fired toward me. That had gotten a little easier recently: a few seconds ago, someone had figured out how to tell which aperture would fire next before they even twitched, and was marking those openings with a small dancing flame. Analyze didnt show anything different about those openings to me, but the little flames were clearly no accident. Whoever was casting them had been right eight times in a row. They can probably detect something I cant. Changes in temperature, maybe? 6 5 I kept up my mental count even as I continued to try to block and dodge. I gained a few feet when someone used Draw Attention to waylay it, but the ability didnt last long at all on this mighty behemoth, and the stupid thing was fixated on me, turning back the second it could. The arena was the problem. I couldnt pass through the walls or even get too close to them, at least without triggering my Fire Resist. Id hesitated to do that for a few reasons, not the least of which was the impact it would have on morale to see me vanish to safety, even if I came back. About half the people I was with werent followers of any ruler at all. Not triggering my Fire Resist meant I couldnt run directly away. Instead, I had to run in an arc along the wall, making it trivially easy for my long-legged opponent to keep up with me. 3 2 Come on! I prayed as I changed direction. The mutant D-Rex lunged, teeth closing around the edge of the shield held in my upraised arm as it yanked me into the air. 1! I hit it with Paralyze and wriggled my arm free of the shields grips, thanking God that the Shop-purchased buckler had bent under the monsters bite but not fully broken. A massive tooth had punctured the underside of my left arm, but at least the limb was still attached to my shoulder. I dropped my sword and grabbed the monster''s lip with my right hand, using the leverage to free my left arm and drop to the ground, landing heavily on my side. It had only taken me a second to get clear, but everyone was fast these days. Micahs Shockwall was sparking through the monster over and over, and more ranged abilities were slamming into the D-Rex''s side, hitting it with everything from ice to some glue-like substance. About a third of the group had converged at the Titans feet. Some - including Priya and my sweet Gavin - had their arms pressed to the stomach. Others were working to help restrain the monster. One woman laid a hand on its thigh, and I saw the monsters muscles convulse at her touch. Electricity?! Gavins touching the dinosaur too! Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. A simple glance showed my panic was unfounded: whatever the woman was doing, she had enough control to limit its effects to only her intended target. She was hardly the only one helping from close range. Some of my discarded iron plates had been reshaped into a massive shackle, while one man bravely stuffed his hand into the D-Rexs mouth, reshaping his gauntlet to let it flow around one upper tooth and one lower, locking the monsters jaw in place. Two more people were running a rope around the monsters legs. I had my doubts that a simple rope would do a damn thing, but I was glad to see everyone was doing whatever they could to help. Our actions werent without cost. Wed been doing well dodging and blocking the barrage of incendiaries, but that was impossible from such close range, even if we knew where they were coming from. Multiple people were hit, including a spray of gel that skidded off the edge of the shield to hit Gavin in the back of the head. I screamed, but Priya had been beside him and was ten feet away with my son in her arms before I could even lever myself up from the pavement. George raced to meet her, clawing his arm to the side as he used Cleanse to toss the burning gel off my sons scalp. Gavin was still horribly burned, but his skin healed even as I watched. Hes alive. I tore my gaze away and forced myself to refocus on the fight. Oh shit! I was supposed to be counting again. Thats probably been about ten seconds, right? I staggered to my feet, losing my balance as I tried unsuccessfully to use my injured left arm for leverage. It wasnt really hurting, but that was probably adrenaline. Withdraw from the monster! Keep up restraints for three more seconds! Two! One! I used Basic Hologram to throw a ring of arrows around the section of scales Id seen Gavin and Priya touching. Focus attacks on the highlighted area. Ranged, give it everything you have! A hail of missiles targeted the monsters underbelly, and this time we saw more effect, chips and chunks of flesh being blasted free. The mutant D-Rex was furious. It continued to fire its hellish missiles, targeting some at its own jaw and legs. Using the heat to weaken the metal? I wondered. Thats smarter than I expected it to be. The damage to the monster continued to pile up as the shackles around its legs began to glow. Were not going to be fast enough, I realized. Shit. And Analyze is telling me that its anatomy is reinforced. Even if we take out one heart, its got two others. We cant keep chipping away at it. Even after the realization, I hesitated for a moment more. Id come up with an idea to kill it more quickly, but I didnt want to do it. It was terrifying, and I really wasnt the person best-suited to execute it. As I looked for someone else to take on my role, I saw the iron shackles start to stretch, metal glowing a dull cherry-red. Behind them, in the distance, I could see Pointy piloting Cassies cloudcar in evasive patterns. No time. No choice. Oh, fucking hell. Here we go! I scooped up my sword from where Id left it on the ground and snapped off a quick Announcement. Force shields on Meghan! NOW! I darted toward the monster, ducking under its jaw and slamming my sword in its belly. Id been worried that I wouldnt be able to penetrate deeply enough, but getting my Specialty hadnt only given me a questionably-useful ability, it had also made me stronger and tougher than almost anyone else. I had to activate Assisted Strike and throw my whole body into the motion, but the sword sank in all the way up to its hilt. Unlike with the previous D-Rex, I didnt try to shake my sword or widen the injury Id caused, but simply ripped the sword free, leaving a deep, narrow cavity in the monsters torso. The Force Shields Id requested had popped up around me, but the coverage was gap-ridden and incomplete. Rather than waste time worrying about the incomplete coverage, I activated my limited Ruler-granted Fire Resist. I had almost twenty seconds stockpiled, which should be more than enough. In spite of the inherent risk of having gunpowder unprotected in a firefight, Id made sure to unbutton a pocket on my pack and have the second pouch ready. Even as I was withdrawing the sword with my arms, I picked up the pouch with Telekinesis, grabbing it and stuffing it as deep inside the monster as it would go. The D-Rex finally managed to snap its manacles just as I struck, lifting a terrifying taloned foot that had me dodging away even as I grimly maintained focus on my Telekinetic task. Id expected to need to get clear, make another Announcement and invite Micah or someone else in our group to detonate the pouch. That wasnt necessary. The heat and pressure at the heart of the mutant were enough all by themselves, detonating the pouch in a deafening boom insufficiently muffled by the mass of the monster itself. A gout of flames spewed out the hole Id made, washing me in fire and knocking my body askew before the monster teetered and fell atop me, Force Shields shattering like glass under its ponderous weight. Bk. 4, Ch. 13 - "What happened to you?!"
I sent along the files we have on the inspiration for this Maffiyirs first Titan, but I dont think it will help verify anything. Our sources suggest the animal the monster was based on was simply a standard large predator. None of the flame abilities weve seen, and nothing else from any of the mutant rumors. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI groaned in pain as the Titan vanished. I was grateful that Id already had my Heat Resistance active, but the concussion of the explosion and the mass of the falling monster had both done a number to me. Everything hurt. Should turn my Heat Resist off I thought dully. Cant waste it. A thought was enough to do so, but an immediate sear of fresh pain made me immediately reverse the action. The explosion and fire had heated the pavement beneath me, turning a patch of sealant into a molten mess that seemed stuck to every part of me. Even parts of the asphalt had been liquified, although this was patchier, with a solid area behind my back where Id protected the road from the explosion. As I rolled free, I heard Micahs panicked voice. Ive got you, Mom! Im fixing it! The temperature of my skin and surroundings dropped, allowing me to deactivate my Heat Resist safely. Only three seconds left, I thought. Shit. I hope I dont have to deal with another of these soon. Gavin was just barely behind his brother, his tail wrapping around me repeatedly in a full-body hug. A wash of healing soothed my many aches and pains, most notably bringing relief to my throbbing left shoulder. As the pain receded, I flickered Analyze, focusing on my surroundings. Theres Cassie. Minimal damage to her cloudcar, so shes fine. Fire ring is fading. Fuel likely disappeared when the titan did. As far as everyone else in our group lots of injuries, but no deaths? Wow. Gavins tail released me and he stepped back to glare and put his hands on his hips. Mom! What happened to you?! Took a tooth to the arm, I said. Lucky Ive got you to patch me up. But what about you? Why didnt you activate your Fire Resist? Youre missing all your hair on the back of your head! I did, Gavin said indignantly. Right away! I didnt have an eye in the back of my head to see the fire before it hit me. Maybe Ill take that next but you need to take Regeneration so you can get your fingers back! My fingers are fi- I had lifted both hands to show my son that I wasnt injured, but was shocked into silence when I realized I was. Almost all the fingers were gone on my right hand, leaving just my thumb and the first joint of my index finger. I waggled it, not quite believing what I was seeing. I couldnt have lost my fingers without even noticing, could I? Analyze, still active, paired up with my Eidetic Memory to return a swift answer: yes, I absolutely could. The moments of the explosion had been chaotic, but careful perusal of my memories did bring up a flash of intense pain from my hand that preceded the pain in the rest of my body by a fraction of a second. I closed my eyes, trying to position the dinosaur accurately in my mind. What had cut me? A tooth? A hand? No the blast from the explosion hadnt moved me predictably backward, but sent me spinning at an angle. My hand had been stepped on just before the Titan fell. Once detached, the heat and fire would have quickly charred the fingers beyond reattachment. I stared at my hand as if I might find my missing fingers if I stared hard enough, then turned to look at the spot on the pavement where Id lain. Micah had cooled everything stuck to me and directly around me, but left the wider area alone. Only Analyze let me figure out my previous position, and it still couldnt detect my missing digits. The most likely spots are hm. Yeah. Thats still bubbling. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I Telekinetically grabbed a crowbar and started to root around in the tar, without much hope. I pushed several lumps out of the mix, but whether there was rock or tissue under the tarry coating was beyond me to tell. Even if I found a finger, reattaching it would almost certainly be impossible at this point. Meghan fingers, lightly seared, with a thick crust of fried road batter. Micah growled at Gavin, disrupting my gruesome thoughts. Mom cant take Regeneration. Shes all done taking new abilities. I winced. That hadnt crossed my mind yet. It was obvious, but Id been focused on my dwindling hope of healing the damage. With how my Speciality worked out, I could have actually gotten good synergy in Regeneration if I took it! Of course, if I took it, I might have gotten a different specialty George clapped his hands loudly. Alright, people! Lets head back to Fort Autumn. I think weve had enough excitement for today. Lets get to safety and check and see what our options are from the new Titans Heart. New? I glanced to the side, and saw that Gavin picking up another oblong gem. It was exactly the same size and shape as the last one, but it was clearly a different hue, closer to true purple than the near-black gem wed received previously. Gavin saw me looking and he hunched around his prize guiltily. Im just holding it! I wont do anything bad! I nodded absently, my attention returning to my truncated fingertip. Lucky I still have my whole palm, I guess? One of the doctors whod examined Micahs foot injury had explained why, in addition to missing his big toe and part of two others, his foot was now oddly shaped. When the bonefur had sliced away part of his foot during his Challenge, it had taken the entirety of his first metatarsal with it. Healing Touch had healed all the parts of the body still present, but it didnt replace bones that were entirely lost. I was probably in a similar situation, where the meta-whatever bones in my hand had been damaged but not completely removed, unlike the vast majority of my fingerbones. Gavins Healing Touch had fixed everything it could. Everything that was still there. Priya rested a hand on my back. Her face was a mask of horror and pity. Im so sorry, Meghan. But were still out in the field. I shook myself. Right get to safety first. Then figure this out. Priya managed a small smile that didnt reach her eyes. Do you want me to help you strap your shield to your right arm? You can carry your sword in your left. Itll be harder to use, but But thats what Assisted Strike is for, I said, my voice dull. I think I can still hold the shield? I have a thumb Here, let me help you get your swordbelt shifted to the other side, at least. As Priya fussed, I let my mind wander. Using Assisted Strike for every sword-swing would be doable. Many abilities let you use a variable amount of power. Some, like Cleanse, let someone exhaust themselves in an instant if they wanted to, no matter how strong they were. Other abilities, like Paralyze or Announcement, could be used in smaller or larger ways, but would probably never be able to be used continuously at full power. Other abilities, like Healing Touch or Assisted Strike, took a set amount each time they were activated. At low synergy levels, that meant waiting a few minutes between each Healing Touch and a minute or so between each Assisted Strike. Now? With almost 600% synergy in Assisted Strike? I couldnt quite use it continuously without tiring, but for practical purposes, I wasnt far. Unless I was holding a chokepoint against a mobmu herd, I''d have enough time to regain energy in between fights. Even against a mobmu onslaught, I could fight for a good ten minutes straight without issues. Mommy? Cassies concerned voice snapped me out of my funk once more. Right. Still in the field. I pasted a smile across my face and turned toward her. Shed retracted the windshield on her cloudcar and was half out of her seat, hands leaning on the glittery pink dashboard. I waved my injured hand at her. I got a boo-boo, but Gavin patched me up. It''s different, but it doesnt hurt anymore. Cassies face scrunched. But how are you going to hold crayons or do LEGO? I Telekinetically grabbed the water bottle from Cassies cupholder, bumping it up against her. Not a problem. Ill just use my brain hands. Your brain hands! This struck Cassie as hilarious, and she collapsed back in her seat, pressing both hands against her giggling mouth. Micah frowned at me, then gave me a single, begrudging, nod. Thats a good idea. You havent been practicing your Telekinesis enough. I gave him an offended look. Ive been practicing for at least an hour every day. He shrugged. Sure, but when youre not practicing you dont use it too much. When we played Dragomino last night, you picked up all the tiles with your hands. I can only hold five things with Telekinesis at a time! That game has dozens of tiles. Theres probably a way you could have done it. Micahs eyes flicked to his foot. Your fingers arent coming back. Figure it out. My mouth gaped at my nine-year-olds brutal assessment, but I couldnt argue. How could I? His missing toes made it impossible. Hed been the first of us to suffer a permanent injury. Hopefully Im the last. Bk. 4, Ch. 14 - Heart
Nearly 100% of Clothes-Lover contestants are already wearing some form of armor, a statistical anomaly. Greenferns people were physically unsuited to armor, but it is typical for a third of contestants to adopt some form of armor by the time they exit the Crash Course. Their focus on wearables has served the Clothes-Lovers well. They have suffered drastically fewer permanent injuries than average. Approximately 1 in 24 contestants are permanently maimed or in need of regeneration. It is a shame the first Titan is able to overpower armor so easily. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensCassie asked to be picked up and spent some time poking and prodding at my half-hand. After shed seen that it wasnt bleeding and Id assured her it didnt hurt, that was the end of the issue from her perspective. I wanna go back in my car! she said, wriggling out of my arms. The boys were upset enough to make up for Cassies calm. They both seemed to take my injury personally, but in very different ways. Micah seemed furious. A group from Fort Autumn arrived to offer healing and escort us home moments after the flame fell, so he didnt really need to do anything on the way back but he still did, spending his energy recklessly to crisp monster after monster until he was plodding along with leaden, exhausted footsteps. Every time I tried to speak to him, he moved away, using other people in the group as shields. Gavin, on the other hand, stayed in arm''s reach at all times, tears clouding his eyes. Im so sorry I healed you, Mommy. I was really worried! Its not your fault! Im really glad you healed me. I was really hurting. But your fingers werent on! Doesnt matter, because they were gone, buddy. Just a few more black crispy things in a sea of crushed pavement and melted rubber. But but what if we had found them? Then we would have cut my hand and tried to stick them back on. Yeah, but that might not have worked! It didnt work for Parkers dad. But it did work for three other people we know. Calm down, Gavin. You did great. We couldnt have brought down that D-Rex without you. D-Rex Gavin muttered. Im gonna call it a Z-Rex. It is a lot more in the alphabet than just D. I snorted at that. Gavin looked up at me, offended. What?! Dont laugh. I hate that guy. Sorry, buddy. Crossing the threshold into the safety of the fort came as a huge relief, even if Colonel Zwerinski was waiting at the gate. He was one of the only people I could see. The normally-crowded courtyard of Fort Autumn was near-empty, and I could hear a rumble from the Quarry below. Apparently, my Announcement of the mutated Titan had really scared people. Its good that you defeated it as quickly as you did. The panic barely had time to set in before we could tell people that the threat had been dealt with. People are still scared, but not going crazy. Ive been tapped to facilitate a conference call between you and the Arsenal, but before we do that, were supposed to look at the options on your new prize. The older man nodded at the jewel Gavin was carrying, making my son wrap his tail around his arms protectively. I didnt absorb it yet! Gavin said. I can see that. The colonels response was dry. We followed him to my Shop and held the gem against the plinth. The Display requests section flickered to a darker shade, and then an option appeared below it. Requested - Enhanced Initiate Titans Heart The Shop offered a variety of different items in exchange. Most were variants on the things offered for the other Titans Heart: Enhanced Initiate''s Sword instead of Initiate''s Sword, for example. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. There were three notable exceptions: a Water Vending Machine, a Rations Vending Machine, and something called a Display Node. Colonel Zwerinski read this all off to the people at the Arsenal, speaking aloud as he used his Mental Speech and using a sound projection talent to pass their responses back to us. You want me to see if Ms. Morettis group will purchase the Display Node, so we can get more information on it? Colonel Yoshiro responded, his voice coming from a point in the air, courtesy of Zwerinskis ability. Negative, colonel. We will want to investigate that, but we also need to know how absorbing the enhanced gems affects specialties and rulers. You want me to give it to Cassie, for her Specialty? I asked. Colonel Yoshiros disembodied sigh filled the room. I do, but Id advise against that due to the optics of the situation. If the Arsenal can replicate this mutation, we may provide Cassie with such a gem in the future, but your team accidentally became our frontline in this war. They might not have chosen it, but they got us a heap of information about this new Z-Rex at great risk to themselves. I propose you have your son make space for them under his rule, and then absorb the gem. We all get more information, and our heroes all get meaningfully rewarded. Gavin brightened at that, then drooped. I dont want to kick people out Theyll be sad. Another disembodied sigh. How many people? I flickered Analyze and scoured my Eidetic Memory for the answer. 11. Thats acceptable. Young Mr. Moretti, you can tell those people to report to Colonel Zwerinski. Well get them a new ruler within a few days. I can help with that while you finish filling them in, Meghan, George offered. You had something to do with the Titans mutation, didnt you? I flinched. How did you know? George smiled softly. I guessed. You might be closer with Priya, but Ive still known you for years. I can tell when youre feeling guilty. You took the lead in taking that thing down and had some of the worst injuries in our group. I could understand if you felt proud of your success or upset about your hand, but that''s not what I''m reading from you breaking eye contact the moment you make it. I didnt mean to, I whispered. I didnt think you did. George rubbed his forehead. Im not trying to blame you I just Sorry. Look, Priya can fill me in later. Ill just stop talking and get the kids out of your hair. George started herding the kids out of the Shop, leaving me and Priya to give an account to the military brass. My now-perfect memory made it simple. So then, I told Micah Dont let your guard down because you think its too easy. Thats when I got the message from the system. And what did that say? I closed my eyes and quoted it. Eligibility verified. Complaint registered. Intensifying. I think I think its because I said the words Its too easy? That cant be it, Colonel Zwerinski growled. We get dozens of people crowing the same thing after every one Benjamin shoots down. Although I suppose its already dead then I held up my wrist, displaying my faded bracelet. That could be part of it. I dont know if it would work for everyone, anyway. It said eligibility verified, and when the D-Rex got bigger, my prize from the last challenge got dimmer. Hmm We have verified a link between the bracelets and the Pylons, and between the Pylons and the Titans. Thats a hypothesis worth testing, Ms. Moretti. Thank you. Colonel Yoshiros voice echoed into the empty air of the Shop. Oh, dont mention it, I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. My pleasure. You do keep finding yourself in the thick of it, dont you? You have my sympathies, but my thanks were sincere. You are not the cause of any of the catastrophes youve suffered, and you have handled the catastrophes quite gracefully. We are all grateful that you continue to rise to the occasion, Ms. Moretti. Im very glad we got you your Specialty. It sounds like your survival was a near thing, and your death would have been felt deeply. What did you even say to that? I muttered an embarrassed thank-you. After a few brief goodbyes, Colonel Zwerinski cut the connection with his Arsenal counterpart and excused himself, leaving me alone in the Shop with Priya. I hope most people share his opinion. Priya looked confused. About what? You deserving your Specialty? About the Titan! I brought it down on us. Hah! So? If you did, anyone could have done it. People arent always logical. True Priya said, then gestured to my hand. But we all walked away from it. Doreen is missing an ear and Clint is blind in one eye now, and a few others have smaller permanent injuries but I think yours are the worst. If not, theyre close to it. I think thats going to make it hard for anyone to resent you. Maybe Your ruler has claimed an Enhanced Initiate Titans Heart. You have gained a Subject Benefit: Invulnerability (1 second per duodenary. 1 second accrued.) Priya and I stared at each other in dead silence for a few seconds, eyes wide. Then her scaled face cracked in a massive grin. HA! Now that is what I call a prize. Bk. 4, Ch. 15 - In vulnerability
We detected some motion near the warp zone today, but whoever came in was scrambling their signals and we couldnt get sufficient resolution to resolve any details. Your ship has a more robust sensor suite for that sort of task. Could you make anything out? --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensNo! No, you dont understand! Even if we only get one second every twelve days, this is amazing. Clint was practically shouting as we walked out of the Shop, apparently part of an informal debate amongst the crowd that had gathered outside. If you can see it coming. Thats going to be harder for you now. Clint frowned at the woman whod spoken, reaching up to massage the bandage over his missing eye. Thats my point. I saw the napalm shot coming and activated my heat resist. That protected my eye from the heat of the missile, but not the force. Eyes are fragile, and they got teeny-tiny parts that''re easy to lose or totally destroy. Lots of parts of our bodies are fragile, and the enemies are just hitting harder and harder. Dodging and blocking are great, but you can do everything right and still need a Hail Mary sometimes. Thats what this is. It might keep me from losing my other eye. Or my life! Hes right, Carlos said. I was this close to being out of the way of that first D-Rex. One second of invulnerability? Id still have a leg! I wouldnt be stuck in the middle of my combat group! Id still be on the frontlines instead of stumping along like this! The young man waved an arm at his leg, where a crude socket and straps affixed a curving length of metal to replace his absent calf and foot. It was styled after sports prosthetics and the best our smiths could make for him but it was still pretty bad. Healing Touch had restored the rest of Carloss shattered femur, but his lower leg bones and kneecap were gone. This sort of prosthetic really wasnt suitable for an injury like his, since it didnt have any joints. Hed said he found the springiness a little helpful, but he still moved slowly and used a cane. A man I didnt know shouted a question from the back of the crowd. Shouldnt you have just taken Regeneration? I did! Its just slow going. Wed hoped that once I re-formed a bit of bone, we could abracadabra the rest back into being with Healing Touch, but no dice. Maybe in a year or so Ill have a leg again, but for now Regeneration just means I keep needing to have my prosthetic refitted. I know why the abilities work that way, I thought. Its because this whole thing is as unfair as the jerks in charge can make it. Look, Carlos continued. I doubt a lot of you watched professional Legend Scramble play, but there was an item in that game that gave 2 seconds of invulnerability and that was it. You couldnt even attack during that time. Originally it did a bunch of other stuff too, but devs kept making it weaker and more expensive. Why? The pros kept building it because the effect was priceless! Invulnerability is amazing! Its not even invulnerability to an attack, its invulnerability for a whole second! You could take a meteor to the face and walk away, or body block a hail of bullets meant to take down your whole squad. If you can still move while youre invulnerable- You cant, George called out. Arnav activated his already. Already?! Priya yelped. Its been less than three minutes. George grimaced. Already. He tripped, then froze an inch from the ground with his face scrunched up. It wasnt Flight? He has that from a Ruler ability too Sorry maam, no, Colonel Zwerinski said. I was there to see it. Your son had the casing around him like people get when taken to Challenges. Scared the dickens out of me. For a second, I thought we were getting random unannounced Challenges- the colonel paused to let the crowds mutual horror at the idea rumble into silence -But fortunately not. Just suboptimal ability use. Priya frowned, frustrated. I patted her on the back and offered her a sympathetic glance. We can still stand in front of him, at least. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. He didnt lose anything he had this morning, I suppose, Priya grumbled. Carlos waved his free arm, calling peoples attention back to himself. So you cant attack while invulnerable. Honestly? Kind of a relief. I dont want to die to some invulnerable sociopath. This is still huge. You can set off a big explosion from point-blank and pop into invulnerability to dodge the impact. You can lure a powerful enemy into attacking and force them to waste their time and strongest abilities on a target they cant harm. If youve got too much momentum, you can hit the ability for a second and bleed it away before you hit a wall or hit ground. We dont know that yet, do we? I asked. I hadnt intended to speak up, but I hadnt been able to help myself. I loved this kind of speculation. Momentum might just be paused, rather than eliminated. Carlos paused. Huh. I havent played a video game where it works that way, so I just assumed Youre right. Well need to do testing Colonel Zwerinski cleared his throat. Ahem. Testing will need to be done. While I do encourage anyone who uses their invulnerability to share all they can about their experience, I dont suggest independent experimentation. Ive just received word from the Arsenal that theyve located another D-Rex south of town, and are heading in with plans to mutate and engage. If theyre successful, perhaps testing can be left in their hands. Ive shared details of the Ruler ability and they are interested. Highly interested. People started to disperse, but I cleared my throat. Um Excuse me Id rather everyone heard this from me than from somewhere else. The looks of confusion I got almost made me chicken out, but I took a deep breath. Always better to rip the bandage off quickly. Im pretty sure the mutated Titan was my fault. I said the words too easy, and, since Id beaten a Challenge, we got that thing dropped on us. Im really sorry. The words were out of context. I definitely wasnt saying the Titan was too easy, but that didnt seem to matter. Why do you think it was you? Hows the Challenge relevant? Clint asked slowly. I got a really weird message. It said that I was eligible and had made a complaint, and now it was intensifying. Plus, well, look at my bracelet. Its dimmer than Georges or Priyas. I held up my arm to demonstrate. That happened at the same time. Clints remaining eye narrowed. Hm. Rather than comment, he turned and walked away. I didnt see Doreen, the groupmate whod had her ear burned off, but at least the information was out there. I wasnt keeping it a secret. If she held it against me If Clint did Well, hopefully any bad feelings toward me wouldnt extend to Micah. I knew my oldest got along well with the smith. Some people explicitly came up to me and told me they didnt blame me in the slightest. Others seemed more uncertain, holding their silence or shooting me suspicious glares but even so, I felt much better. If people decided to hold it against me? Oh well. There wasnt any more I could do. Information continued to trickle in throughout the evening as the Arsenal fought Titan after Titan. Apparently, there was a big range in what you could say to trigger the intensification." Just saying it was easy wasn''t enough, but anything that implied that it was excessively easy or that a Challenger wanted more danger or a stronger foe worked. In addition, they''d discovered that there were at least three versions of the souped-up monster. The Arsenal had fought one more like ours, two heavily-armored behemoths that were somehow also faster than the base version, plus one that emitted poison clouds over a large area and could camouflage itself within them. Doreen and Clint ended up leaving our combat group. Doreen, I heard about from a third party. Clint had the courtesy to come up to me himself. Theres no hard feelings. I just The big man paused, uncertain. He moved his hands around, as if he might be able to physically shape the words he couldnt vocally form. I shook my head. Its okay. You dont have to justify anything. If being in my group would distract you, you should find a new one. We all need to focus in the field. Clints shoulders drooped. Its just one of those things. I dont blame you, but But you kind of do? I managed a small smile, trying to take the sting from my words. Well Clint looked embarrassed, one hand lifting to rub the back of his neck. No, please! Its fine. I blame me, too. I hesitated. Should I see about finding Micah another forging partner? Clint looked startled. What? No! Aw, hell no. Love working with him. You know that. Kids too smart for his own good sometimes, but hes got a great eye for detail, hes a good listener, and he and I are a team now! Barely have to say two words and he brings just the right heat in just the right place. I felt myself relax. Oh, good. Hes already furious with me. I was dreading the prospect of breaking it to him if you said yes. Nah. Not a chance. Not even if you were a hundred percent at fault. Boys his age need good men to learn from, and Im honored he trusts me to be one of them. Thanks, I said. I meant it, but I felt my smile grow brittle as Clint turned to go. Bk. 4, Ch. 16 - Telekinesis
No, it was completely scrambled from our viewpoint as well. Still, the fact that the new arrivals decided to obscure their identity so completely rules out a huge number of possibilities. --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMicahs criticism of my Telekinesis practice had been brutal, but he hadnt been wrong. The past two days since my injury had been frustrating, but I had to admit that my deftness with my supernatural ability had grown by leaps and bounds. With over 550% synergy, I could keep five objects in the air at once, each just a hair over fifty pounds. I could either manipulate the whole object at once, or just apply my forces to a portion: for example, I could grab one end of the rope and let gravity or other people affect the rest. Grabbing wasnt exactly the right metaphor, though, because that implied that each instance of my Telekinesis had the control and dexterity of a hand and it did not. Not at all. Some things were easy, like setting a sawblade spinning as I moved it through the air. Even though there were two kinds of motion taking place, it was all affecting the object as a whole, so it only counted as manipulating one object. Telekinesis was near-useless with things like hair or sand or liquid unless they were already inside a container. Other things, like trying to stretch and twist a rubber band around Cassies ponytail, were hellaciously hard, requiring me use all five of my mental grips to stretch and twist the rubber band and I still had to use my actual hands to hold her hair! It was difficult enough that I probably would have just learned to do the rubber band left-handed if it hadnt been for my oldest sons judgemental gaze. Micah remained surly and bad-tempered, and hed been avoiding me as much as possible. He hadnt actually said much, so I was pretty sure he wasnt actually as angry at me as it appeared. I was just a convenient target as he wrestled with the same question that had plagued my mind: did everyone need to take Regeneration? Id faced a lot of frustrations today as I wrestled with my ability and somehow constantly forgot about my missing fingers. Id accidentally dumped a cup of water in my own lap at lunch, absentmindedly trying to pick it up with the support of nonexistent digits. Even so, I wasnt sure. It was tempting to say yes, but I couldnt shake the suspicion that this was just another trap. Consider Carlos: the guy had taken Regeneration as an ability the moment hed lost his leg, but it had no synergy with the abilities hed taken previously. Hed been working to correct that since then, but now half of his abilities had no synergy with the other half, and he would still be missing his leg for several more months. If he hadnt pivoted his build to focus on Regeneration? The base rate would leave him limbless for more than a year. Pointy had suggested that this whole contest would likely be over in about three years. Unless someone was expressly focused on Biological Augments and healing, like Gavin, any crippling would last for a huge portion of the competition. If you could survive while maimed for six months, could you not do the same for a year? For three? Yeah, youd reach the finish line crippled, but it seemed to me you might have a better chance at reaching the finish line. Rapid Regeneration wasnt like something like Mental Speech or Analyze, where you could get a ton of utility out of it even at its base power. If you wanted to get utility out of Rapid Regeneration, you needed to support it with an appropriate suite of abilities. The obvious follow-on to that thought was that maybe everyone should go all-in on Biological Augments. Strong synergy, injury recovery, and a varied suite of empowerments and additional senses? What wasnt to like? Trap! My mind yelled. Trap! I strongly suspected that the Biological Augments were doing just what they said: augmenting or changing our biology, shifting our DNA away from baseline human. I didnt want humanity to end up like Fluffys species, with few children and a greatly-reduced population. Even if I was wrong, we certainly couldnt all take Biological Augments. The number of things you could do with that category of abilities was large, but not infinite. There were only a couple of abilities that worked in anything but melee, and those were fairly weak and limited, things like shooting spines or acid both of which the Slime monsters had been near-immune to. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. That left aside the vast number of utility abilities that didnt have synergy with Biological Augments. Wed gotten amazing use out of things like the Information Assistants, Analyze, Mental Speech, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, and Announcement. A Fort Autumn that didnt have those Well, it brought to mind a pack of stereotypical cavemen. Me fight good! Yaaaa! Big muscles! It would work well against many threats, but when it didnt work we wouldnt have much to fall back on. Then again, maybe Im just grasping at straws, trying to believe I havent screwed myself over. Im stuck as I am, after all. I sighed. Cassie, too. Ill have to do my best to keep her in one piece. One advantage to the Arsenal not granting the boys Points Siphons: Micah has a few more weeks before he needs to decide one way or another. And Gavin already has Regeneration. Got something for you, Meghan! I looked up to see Clarice, one of the founders of the Living Legion whod been with me in the previous Challenge. Like many of the Legion, shed relocated to Fort Autumn, although she often went out on missions to deliver aid or lure D-Rex away from more vulnerable areas. She had a handful of wide strips of rubber. Oh? I asked. Clarice grinned. Some of my old physical therapy bands. I dont need them anymore, and I thought they might be handy for you. You know, for things you want to support as you grab them? Kinda wrap it around? I mentally plucked one of the stretchy objects from her hands and played with it, wrapping it around my arm. It took two uses of Telekinesis - one for each end - to manipulate that way, but it bridged the gap between those points with continuous pressure. Interesting Im not sure what Id use this for, but hm Im sure Ill think of something! Thanks. Dont fuss if you snap them. There are a lot more over at the hospital, and I knew you were looking for more things to add to your toolbox. Bunch of copycats been taking apart box fans this morning after your demonstration last night. More a test than a demonstration but it did work well. I couldnt help but smile at her complement, even as I tried to demur. Id been proud of that one. Telekinesis was really frustrating to a lot of the engineers and other STEM folk in the area, because a lot of the feedback wed got from studying it seemed inconsistent. Some things were clear and reliable. For example, the maximum speed someone could impart to an object scaled fairly evenly, starting at around 30mph and going up about 10mph per 100% synergy. A good Telekinetic could move something through the air about as fast as a great baseball pitcher, but not nearly as fast as a gun. Acceleration and force were messier, and really drove the physics nerds nuts, with tested results not always lining up to observations. Like, if someone threw a one pound baseball into a wall at 30 miles per hour, and someone used Telekinesis to do the same thing, the ball thrown with Telekinesis would usually hit with more force but not always. The preconceptions and biases of the person with the ability, and a tendency of some people to pull their mental punches muddied the waters considerably. One thing that did seem clear was that if you were using Telekinesis to carry something well under your current weight limit, you could put a little extra oomph into your strikes. Maybe you treated the object as heavier, even though it wasnt? As I said, Id heard a lot of arguments about exactly what was happening. Rotational speed had been even more of a mess to measure. Those of us with Analyze could make estimates, and we could get more precise data from Informational Assistants, but it wasnt something accessible to everyone. Most people couldnt tell a difference between 200 RPM and 500 RPM by looking, and even those of us with Analyze had trouble. We could have probably worked something out, but there hadnt been a lot of effort there lately. The sawblades that Alexandra had pioneered were cool, but as wed moved past the very squishiest monsters it became clear that spinning them fast enough to damage anything was really difficult. The circular saw Id harvested my blade from had boasted 5,500 RPM. That was almost a hundred full rotations per second! The best rotational speed any Telekinetic had been recorded at was about half that, and Analyze had suggested my own personal best was just over 1,000 RPM. The sawblades had fallen out of favor as monsters had gotten tougher, and Id seen fewer and fewer around in recent weeks. Id been thinking about my arsenal, wondering if there was a way I could make the blades work better even at low speeds when Id thought about box fans. Fans were effective at way lower speeds than sawblades, so Id tracked one down to give it a try. I knew I wouldnt have the precision an air control specialist did, but Id hoped I could be a bargain-basement alternative that would give our group some extra protection in the event of close combat with a gasbag. It had worked beautifully, better than Id expected, and had been surprisingly easy easy enough that Id been running the fan blade near-continually since then, creating a slight breeze around myself in the lingering Alabama heat. I accepted the bands from Clarice and tried to find a way to tuck them into my bulging backpack and failed. Hm. I guess Ill have to re-pack again. Maybe sew some more loops and pockets on my pants? Nah. I should hire someone to do that. Someone with Improvised Equipment. An ornate grandfather clock now sat against the wall of the quarry, its gears and pendulum working together to keep time as it always had, not needing electricity. Hm. 9:45. Too close to Deadline to do that now. I dont know if there will be a new monster with the new week, and none of us should be eligible for the Challenge But I think Ill round up the kids anyway. I dont know whats coming, and Id rather have them close. Bk. 4, Ch. 17 - One, two...
Lightburst transmissions to the AI in charge of the Clothes-Lovers planet have been at twelve times normal levels all morning, with several exceptionally lengthy transmissions. Keep your sensory organs trained. I expect trouble. -- Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAnother twelveday, another monster, I murmured. Micah rolled his eyes. Finally. Its here! Weve been waiting forever. I didnt know if wed even get a new monster today, since the Deadline was hours ago. Everyones even back from the Challenge! Are we going to go hunting now? The Challenge this week had been a little shorter than last weeks, but had still taken multiple hours. Some kind of weird maze? The Arsenal was still collecting information from the people whod run it. Apparently there had been some new monsters inside, as well as the blade-armed bonefur monsters that had been present in the first Mandatory Trial and stolen Micahs toes. I grabbed my oldest boy around the shoulders, giving him a squeeze. Not yet. Lets wait for some more information. We can let other people run the risks for us. Micah made a face, but didnt argue. Wed spent the afternoon relaxing in the Quarry, much to his frustration and impatience. Hed seemed shaken to hear that the bonefurs had been re-used, but it hadnt deterred him from trying to push us out the door to gather Points and get stronger. We waited another hour, having an early dinner as more information rolled in on the monster they were calling a rustpile. It was a nasty, heavily defensive monster, a quadruped that looked like a big pile of red fur. Despite its appearance, the fur acted more like armor, deflecting slashing blows without taking damage, and flattening bullets like Kevlar. The fur on the underbelly was shorter and softer, easy to penetrate but the monster had numerous nasty claws hidden within its hairy coat that were quick to reach out and attack if anyone came within range. Piercing weapons, like arrows or spears, slid through the fur easily, but it was difficult to take the monsters down in a single blow. The Arsenal pinned a few down for vivisection and managed to determine that a hit to the brain - located about a third of the way down the monster, toward the front - would kill one instantly. Unfortunately, the monsters voluminous fur obscured its body and made precision strikes difficult. It could be worse, said Priya. I mean, it will have its own challenges, but Its pretty standard, if theres not another shoe about to drop, I said. Its no paraslug. Thank God for that, Priya muttered. Everyone had been more stressed and tired, since the nightmarish slug creatures had arrived. No matter how many precautions you took, or how many people you had around, it was hard to feel truly safe. Well, shall we try them out? I asked. My friend grimaced. May as well. Ill take the kids to the bathroom, you start rounding up our group? Sure. Wed nearly assembled our combat group in the courtyard when another Announcement came out. New monster detected! Micah groaned. Do we have to go back downstairs and wait longer? Correction! New monster is likely a new Titan. Appearance similar to blade-armed monster from first Mandatory Trial and most recent Challenge, but larger in size. Tentatively designating it a bonefur. Sonic abilities and extreme speed expected. Hey! Theyre using your name for the bad guys! Gavin said. I smiled at him. They told me they would, as a courtesy. No one knew what to expect from the first Trial, and I gave them more information about the bonefur than their own teams gathered. Should we go back down and wait? Priya asked. Weve got the earplugs ready, after all This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I frowned. It was true that wed been expecting the bonefurs appearance for a while, and wed been gathering up everything we could to protect ourselves from its sonic weapon. Micah, whod been prodding at me to get out and earn more points all afternoon, had suddenly gone uncharacteristically silent, and I could see from his wide eyes and white knuckles that he was freaked out by the news that the monster that had mutilated him was back. The longer we wait before he engages one again, the worse its going to get in his mind but thats not a reason to rush into anything, either. I shook my head. They said these are bigger than the ones from the Mandatory Trial. Lets give it a few minutes to see if there are any new abilities. Im sure the Arsenal will test earplugs and abilities, too, George offered. Itd be nice to know in advance if they work or not. I nodded decisively. Right. But assuming we can rely on our hearing protection, and the Arsenal doesnt detect anything new are we all okay with heading out in a half-hour? Two new things in one day Priya shuddered, then exchanged a glance with George. Thats nasty. Hope it means a quiet week after this. But yes, our familys okay with heading out. Slowly, the rest of our combat group offered their own agreement. None of us wanted to go out, but we wouldnt win this stupid thing by hunkering down behind walls. The rustpiles were each worth a whopping 382 Points, after all! That made a single one worth as much as 16 mobmu or 32 leafenrats. Oh, sorry 382 Points before Ruler bonuses. Since Gavin was Flips vassal, and we were all his followers, we lost a ton of Money to ruler taxes, but we each had about a one-in-three chance to earn double Points from any monster. Of course, the more abilities you had, the more Points each new one took, so Micah and Gavin would still need the equivalent of thirty or more solo kills to snag a ninth ability, and we wouldnt be letting them engage solo. Still, the combat group let us fight safely and quickly if they got their new abilities in three or four days instead of one, who cared? The Points doubling each twelveday makes it really difficult to get too far ahead. You have to keep fighting each new threat as it arrives, or you might not be ready to face the one after that. I sighed. Its too bad Money doesnt go up nearly as quickly. Earplugs or beeswax does not eliminate damage from sonic attack, but does reduce it substantially. Zone of Silence eliminates damage. Other sonic manipulation abilities of varying efficacy. Bonefurs reach is larger than it appears. If you are within thirty feet of the monster, you are in range for melee attacks. Doesnt sound like they found anything new, I said. Escape Plans C or D should still be viable, depending on whether were in an open area or close to buildings. Sure, but dont get too gabby when you call it out, okay? The less you Challenge folks say, the better! I couldnt help but wince at Veronicas verbal jab, even if the womans lazy grin suggested that she hadnt meant any harm. She and her board game group had joined us after the terrifying encounter with the mutated D-Rex. Clint and Doreen hadnt been the only ones uneasy about sticking around, and wed had to do a little recruiting to stay up to strength. We made our way out onto the streets, easily handling the old monsters and cautiously engaging the new rustpiles. The new monsters were tough enough to be frustrating, shrugging off abilities with minimal damage and keeping physical attackers cautious with the cruel claws stealthily hidden beneath their mounds of fur. Anything this furry should be easy to set on fire, Micah said, glaring at a patch of smelly smoke drifting off the monsters side. And its not fair that theyre hiding their hands. Thats cheating, Gavin agreed. Less whining, more dodging! I snapped, using my Telekinesis to tug Gavin toward the side. Monsters are still dangerous, especially new ones. Ms. Priyas pulling it away, said Micah. Shes got it. Were fine. You are until youre not, I said. If you cant focus, you''ll have to stay at the fort. Micah heaved a gusty sigh and Gavin looked resentful, but they stopped arguing while monsters were still alive and put a little more effort into staying out of the way. We didnt find an easy method to take the rustpiles down from range, but we figured a number of things out. Draw Attention worked, confirming the monsters had a front and a back end, in spite of their near-circular appearance. Their hearing was spectacular, so they could often defend from attacks against their rear anyway, but using sound-manipulation abilities - like Micahs Sonic Blast - clearly upset them. If they couldnt hear properly, all their claws would extend and flail wildly. This was dangerous in its own way, but not as effective as the rustpiles usual precise strikes. Melee was the best way to take them down: stabs from swords or from spears sliding easily in between strands of fur, while slashing attacks rebounded off and blunt damage did almost nothing. We fought until near sunset, then started making our way back to the fort in good spirits. Miracle of miracles, we hadnt had to tangle with a bonefur, and wed gotten far more effective at taking down the new rustpiles. Wed taken some injuries, yes, but nothing that a little Healing Touch couldnt fix. As we passed the Pylon, however, I stopped cold. What the hell is that? Bk. 4, Ch. 18: Three! (Pt. 1)
Threats? This Maffiyir has barely left the Crash Course and were already seeing Threats?! Thats unheard of. It could be another Titan, I suppose but we already had one today. Simultaneous Titans dont appear so early either! -- Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI hadnt thought much about the Pylons. Each covered an area about the size of three Points Siphons, and more than half the ones in the Huntsville metro were dormant, doing nothing so long as no one with a Challenge bracelet was nearby. Our Pylon, located several blocks west of Fort Autumn, was pretty big, rising about fifteen feet off the ground. Honestly, it could be the largest one in the state. The Arsenal had more Challengers in absolute terms, but they also had many more Pylons to spread them across. We had a huge concentration: Me, Micah, Gavin, Priya, George and Samar. That was six right away, and then you added on Clarice, Matilda, and Bunker Ben to make it nine Oh, and two others from our fort had been eligible for this weeks Challenge. Id heard that they had survived, so that put us up to eleven! On one Pylon! When many had zero Challengers in range! It was a little insane, but we had enough people in the area that the increased monster spawns were a blessing, and we had an excellent system for downing the additional Titans. Why change anything? Having fewer Titans spawn here and more spawn elsewhere? Wed probably end up fighting them anyway, but people would have to risk their lives luring them toward us. The Pylons had seemed a little convoluted and weird, but Id had plenty of other things to focus on. Stupid weird pillars that increased monster and Titan spawns? Check check, moving on. I really should have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Our Pylon had been a shifting column of pink crystal tucked into the backyard of a two-story house just off County Line Road. We were still at least three hundred feet away, but the column was still clearly gone. In its place stood a strange tree, rising just above the roof of the nearby house, nearly twice as tall as the pillar had been. It, too, was pink, but darker: more ground beef than rose quartz. Twisting roots snaked away into the ground nearby and leafless branches drooped. It was vaguely reminiscent of a weeping willow, but it was shifting ever-so-slightly, in ways Analyze was quick to confirm werent due to wind. Stay back! I shouted, and started digging for the Signal sticks I''d need to break to get Colonel Zwerinski''s attention. In re-doing my backpack to keep all my Telekinesis tools accessible, I''d somehow let the emergency tools slip to God-knows where. Can someone Signal- Already did! Veronica waved the broken ends of a popsicle stick at me. Judging by Veronica''s face, she was already hearing back. She was staring at nothing, focusing on a conversation inaudible to the rest of us. Colonel Zwerinskis looking at it and reaching out to the Arsenal. It sounds like they just found one at their Pylon, too. Hes asking us to stay in the area while he waits for more information and gets a team to bring the big guns out here. Someone will have to fight it, and most of you have a second of Invulnerability, so... I frowned. Im okay with that, but the kids should go. It looks like a tree, it looks stationary, but Just then, one of the trees branches thrashed in a whiplike motion, sending something hurtling through the air toward our group. My iron plate joined a pair of Force Shields to block the missile. It was knocked aside, and the Force Shields shattered, but we managed to rob the object of the most of its velocity, letting it clatter to the street mere feet from our group. A pogo stick?! Gavin asked. Its just grabbing things to throw, I said. Look, theres a deck chair! Retreat slowly. Shielders keep an eye behind us. Even if the monster is stationary - which I dont trust - that doesnt mean its not dangerous here. This proves it, if we needed any proof, Priya said. She turned to shoot a glare at Anju and Micah, preempting their complaints. No arguments! Supposedly, were done with Mandatory Trials. We could just leave you guys at home from now on, if you cant be listeners. Micah just rolled his eyes, but Anju couldnt hold in her scorn. You think that just because the Trials are done, were done needing levels? Come on, Mom. No way youre going to leave us at home. You get Points by sniping monsters safely from the walls of the fort, George said. Not as many as from here, true, but if you guys cant follow orders If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Anju looked rebellious, but didnt argue further. Fine. Priya shook her head, then met Georges eyes. I can go with them. We have three others in the group with Draw Attention, and ten with Healing Touch, but we only have one other person with Cleanse. Could I get... two other adults? She actually ended up with four volunteers, as some parents were unwilling to entrust their children to others, and some children were unwilling to be separated from their parents. After they departed, that left fourteen of us behind, staring anxiously at the twitching tree. It stopped throwing things at us after a bit, either because we were too far away or because it had run out of things to throw. Not that we were left alone. Tiny sparrow-sized birds in that same raw-meat pink flew out from the tree to dive-bomb us, and dog-sized ferret-monsters scampered toward us, but the monsters trickled out in ones and twos. The new monsters were as fragile as the leafenrats, and only gave 12 Points each, but they were more dangerous. Most of us couldnt be scratched by the leafenrats anymore, but these new monsters could hit hard enough to draw blood when we let one of them get near enough to test. Most were blasted down before they came close to us. They might have been a problem if they held back and came at us in a big wave, but they drabbled out in ones and twos. If the presence of more new monsters today wasnt so alarming, I doubted we would have noticed them at all. Feels a bit wrong, doesnt it? Veronica asked. Just waiting, letting the soldiers run the risks for us? I glanced down, where my maimed hand was strapped into my shield. No. One of my other groupmates clapped Veronica on the shoulder. Keep in mind, we were the first group to get info on that Z-Rex. Just because our Meghan here is a trouble magnet doesnt mean we gotta charge in the moment we spot danger. I shot him a withering look. Come on. You cant blame this one on me. Its on the Pylon, isnt it? Dont your bracelets make the Pylon big? I frowned at my bracelet. It had returned to its original color about a day after wed fought the mutated Titan. Thats not There are a lot of people near here with bracelets. Sure, sure. Its not my fault! You betcha. I glared at him. He grinned back, pleased to have provoked me with his clearly insincere agreement. A rumble of laughter spread through the group and I turned away, face burning. Unfortunately, my rearview eyes meant I could still see everyone clearly, but at least it hid my expression. I guess its kind of a win, that theyre comfortable enough with the topic to tease me about it? Blessedly, a rustpile spawned nearly on top of us, and the ensuing scramble distracted the group enough that the teasing didnt resume after the monster fell. We waited another thirty minutes, killing a few more monsters but staying in place. Bunker Benjamin and another combat group showed up with two of his massive guns sitting in the back of a flatbed truck. He set up his guns but didnt fire. Colonel said not to provoke it until we heard back. With the arrival of another combat group, I relaxed slightly. The tree hadnt come for us yet, and with over forty combat-hardened adults present, any monster that flickered into life was wiped out near-instantly. Sunset started to cast the streets in shadow, but Small Light Sources spread throughout the neighborhood allowed us to maintain visibility. Finally! Veronica said. She''d been the first to reach out, and now remained the point-of-contact for telepathic communications. Her face glazed over and a slight furrow deepened between her eyebrows. Huh. Well, thats good. No! Howd they learn- Oh. Oh, yeah, of course. And so No. Seriously? Ughhh. She shook her head and refocused on her surroundings to find the rest of us staring at her expectantly. Oh uh Good news first? I suggested. Good news, right um. Well, the trees dont seem to move. Nice! Can we just leave it where it is? George asked. Not exactly, Veronica frowned. The Arsenal got a report from near Priceville. The one there - Arsenals calling it a treezilla - killed someone shortly after it spawned, and the locals claim it got bigger after that. Some Analysts also believe the treezillas are slowly growing bigger over time even if they dont kill anyone, but who knows, really? They spotted a few more. The runt of the bunch is in a field north of Toney, and theyre going to evacuate the area around that one and watch it for a day before killing it. So we know how to kill them? Thats great. Can we do it from range? I asked. Well you can damage it from range, yeah. But after a certain point, the tree goes invulnerable. And we have to kill it by hand?! I asked. Ugh, that sucks. Kind of? Veronica said. Im not going to like what youre about to tell me, am I? Veronica smirked and gestured to the bracelet on my wrist. Were gonna need you to talk some shit. Bk. 4, Ch. 18: Three! (Pt. 2) Thirty minutes later, Benjamin was blasting away at the treezillas trunk with one oversize bullet after another, sending showers of splinters into the air with every hit. I was glad wed been able to use the Minor Matter Replicators to duplicate his ammo, because the Maffiyir was beyond the planning abilities of even the most intensive preppers. The big gun was clearly damaging the treezilla, but it was taking a lot of bullets. A strong person with a Shop-purchased axe might do more, but theyd be taking their life into their hands to do it. This might be slow, but its safe. At least its dead easy to hit from a distance. The trunk was wider than most real trees would be, stretching nearly ten feet across. The branches reminded me of a willow, but now that the fence had been blasted away from in front of it, I realized the proportions reminded me more of those fat African trees. What were they called? I couldnt bring the name to mind. Eidetic memory only helped me with things Id actively committed to remembering since acquiring the skill. Maybe I should take some time to skim an encyclopedia or something. I shoved the thought aside. I needed to focus. The massive stationary trunk made an easy target, and none of Benjamins shots were missing. I was supposed to keep Analyze on and watch for when the invulnerability started, since there supposedly wasnt any announcement or obvious cue. Eventually, I lifted a hand and the booming gun quieted. That last hit didnt do the damage it ought to. Time to move in. Wed been joined by three additional combat groups as we waited; this close to our home, there was no reason not to use overwhelming force. A wave of three dozen birds and about half as many ferrets charged as we drew nearer, proof that the treezilla had been holding back. If it had just been my dozen-odd cohorts, the wave could have overwhelmed us, but with our additional help we barely slowed. There was still more than one human for every attacking monster. From this distance, I could see the treezilla was largely hollow. A latticework of organic supports cocooned an empty area with a pulsing column at its core. Tiny sacs along the column grew and burst open, sending more birds and ferrets out at us. A branch crashed down toward me, forcing me to dodge. The Arsenal had told us that the range of the roots and branches was larger than Id have expected, but they couldnt give us an exact range since each tree was slightly different. Even with prior warning, I was shocked. That thing is only thirty feet tall and were still close to a hundred feet away! Our little army spread out, forcing the tree to divide its attacks. The roots were slow, lacking the whiplike speed of the branches above, just as the Arsenal had said. They were most dangerous against opponents who didnt know to be wary, although they could still block our movement that was dangerous enough in itself, with the whump-whump-whump of the branches slamming against the ground. One branch tried to sweep a woman with Flight out of the sky and missed, crashing through the roof of the nearby house. Its hitting hard. George had generously volunteered to be the shit-talker this time, and he stepped forward to be sure he was close enough to the treezilla - the Arsenal had said this wouldnt work unless you were actually within striking range of the massive monster. Wed run a quick test, and it seemed they were correct. This is too easy! he bellowed. Immediately, a larger sac begin swelling in the depths of the shattered tree trunk. I had to dodge another branch-strike and actually managed an almost-credible roll to the side, barely stumbling at all as I made it back to my feet. There was no time to be proud of myself, however: the sac burst, and a miniature version of the large tree burst out, dubbed a treewalker by the Arsenal. As the name implied, this monster was definitely not stationary, approaching us shockingly quickly, using its roots like tentacles. Like its parent, it cracked its branch-tentacles in whiplike motions, pummeling anyone nearby. Wait, though! Did the big tree it did! I blasted out a quick Announcement. Area around the treewalker should be safe from the treezillas branch strikes. Ive seen one attack aborted and another redirected when they would have damaged its offspring. Taking my own advice, I charged in close to the smaller tree. I took a raking blow from one of the little birds as it dive-bombed me from behind, slicing the sleeve of my shirt and scratching the skin of my shoulder. Id seen it coming, of course, but my hard-won combat instincts were now all wrong. I expected my sword in my right hand and my shield in my left, so when Id half-turned to slice it down, Id instead waved my shield at it uselessly. Id realized my mistake almost immediately, but even if the little birds were weak, they were fast. Assisted Strike! I admonished myself. Always! Youve gotten good enough to not always need it, but now the difficulty has been upped. And your shield is in your right hand now. Your RIGHT. My mental recriminations were interrupted by another attack, this time a blow from the treewalker. A root to my left and an ally to my right made dodging a dicey proposition, so I activated Parry and huddled behind my shield. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The extra force from the ability was sufficient to let me block the blow and then some. Splinters drifted down around me as the treewalker withdrew its damaged limb. I readied myself for another attack, but no second strike came. The reason why was obvious: while the treewalker was resilient, my hundred-some allies had been pelting it with bullets and supernatural abilities since the instant it had arrived. The fact that the treewalker had stayed alive for multiple seconds under such an onslaught was impressive, but that was its limit. The surface of its trunk was littered with damage and it was bowed over around a massive missing section, creaking precariously for a moment before dispersing into a fading cloud of nanomachines. A lustrous amber teardrop appeared where it had been, and Veronica caught it before it could fall, charging forward to slam it into the core of the treezilla, which wed been told would kill it. Force Shields popped up, guarding her as she ran. The pointed end of the amber tear sunk easily into the treezillas pulsing heart column, bypassing the invulnerability. The surface of the trunk and many of the roots grew withered. Three of the branches actually rotted away and fell to the ground. I felt myself relax then frowned and focused on Analyze. The tiny monster sacs in the center of the trunk were still growing. More slowly, but they were still growing. Its not dead! Guys! Dont relax! Its not dead! Veronica backed away, eyes wide. What? No. I did it just how they told me to They already killed two this way. This hurt it! Its just taking a while to die. I swung an iron plate in front of her with Telekinesis. The root clutched at the obstruction, decoying it away from her legs for a critical second. Its definitely not dead! Meghan! George yelled, waving his dulled bracelet at me. Insult it! With a jolt, I realized he was right. I could summon another treewalker. We could do this again. We had the people. Everyone looked nervous, but we hadnt taken many injuries, and only one had been serious. Wed wiped out all the tiny monsters, and a good portion of the treezillas branches, and even damaged some of the roots. More small monsters were appearing, but slowly, and its ability to attack us had been greatly diminished. Fine! But we do this smart. I shifted to an Announcement to be sure everyone heard. Everyone, clear a path. Dont get in the way of Bens gun! Ben, fire as soon as you see it. People hurried to the sides and I gulped, raising my voice. This thing is way too weak to stand up to us! Eligibility verified. Complaint registered. Intensifying. My bracelet dimmed and a new sac on the trunk began swelling. A massive bullet flattened itself against it. Damn, I thought. I guess the growing treewalker is still protected by the treezillas immunity. Good on Ben for trying, though. Ben held his fire until the treewalker hatched. The moment the sac burst, another bullet slammed into the monsters side, leaving smoke pouring out of a ragged hole. Attack! I yelled. My instructions were unnecessary, my voice drowned out by the retort of dozens of guns - Id have to have a healer repair my hearing later - and the blinding flare of dozens of abilities. The new treewalker didnt even get to attack anyone, evaporating into smoke a bare ten feet from its parent, a few tardy bullets ricocheting off the amber teardrop that replaced it. Hope that didnt damage it, I thought, then Announced Cover Meghan! as I ran forward. Words flickered into my mind as I picked up the teardrop, but I ignored them, simply flagging them for my Eidetic Memory to review later. Another treezilla branch swung toward me, but I ignored that too, protected by the literal tunnel of Force Shields my allies had erected. I vaulted through the aperture in the bark and slammed the teardrop into the central pillar. It slid in easily, bypassing the glistening coating that had made everything else bounce off. The remainder of the treezillas trunk withered and its branches dropped to the ground. It didnt vanish, and I felt my heart sink, using Analyze to search for signs of life. How much more do we have to do? Then George yelled. We got it! I was watching my Points: they just jumped by several thousand. Its dead! Wheres the other prizes? someone else asked. Theres gotta be like a Titans Heart or something, right? Not just Points? If there is, Colonel Zwerinski didnt tell me about it. Veronica said. Is everyone okay? I called, flaring Analyze one last time as I looked over the assembled crowd. Wed gone in with 126 people and we still had Wait, seriously? Everyone made it? There were 82 of us still milling around the base of the tree, with ten more people guarding Ben and his gun emplacement, and 23 healers at work stabilizing our heavily injured people. There were 14 people severely injured - legs should not be that shape! - but Id seen every one of them move. If the healers could stabilize everyone, we might not even have any permanent injuries; the pulverizing nature of the treezillas attacks meant that there ought to be something there for Healing Touch to restore. And with nearly two healers per heavily-hurt patient We aced it, I said softly. No one dead. Maybe no lasting injuries? My words took some of the tension out of the crowd. Not everyone had Analyze and could instantly assess a situation the way I could. We did have a lot of advantages, George said. Getting a cheat sheet from the Arsenal really helped, even if needing more than one treewalker came as a surprise. Oh! Someone needs to tell the Arsenal- Colonel Zwerinski was watching. He passed it along, Veronica said. She gingerly prodded a withered root with her toe, her shoulders sagging. I take back what I said earlier. Someone else can fight the new stuff next time. Im over it. A wave of laughter rumbled through our assembled group. If it had a slightly hysterical edge, if it didnt quite reach anyones eyes who could blame us? Bk. 4, Ch. 19 - Famous
Weve found Eldests client! She made it through her hidden duodenary and was witnessed taking down one of the new Threats. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensPredictably, less than 24 hours into a new twelveday, my Novelty was already at the maximum. Id expected that, but initially Id thought Id protected my kids, by sending them away before the treezilla fight. Unfortunately, Id underestimated my intergalactic fame. After we returned to Fort Autumn, max Novelty spread out from me as I walked. It was spotty, with some peoples not budging and other people shooting from zero to 144 in seconds, I guess depending on whether anyone watching their streams recognized me. Maybe the extra eyes were a mistake. I have to imagine all humans look mostly alike, but Ive given myself a very distinguishing feature. It might not have helped as much as I would have hoped. It seemed like all of Fort Autumn was in the spotlight. The effect was the worst around Priya and I - the two most recognizable humans whod interacted with Fluffy - but eventually the fort itself started raising peoples Novelty, even if Priya and I werent around. People out there were interested in us. A lot of people. Crushingly, my kids werent exempt from the omnipresent focus, not even Cassie. Wed all be going to the next Challenge. All the Turners. All the Morettis. All of Fort Autumn. Was I worried? Hell yes. I could only pray theyd keep sending us in with the people physically proximate to us. If not well Id prepare my kids the best I could, I guess? I tried not to think about it. Everyone was pretty weirded out by the situation. It was one thing to know that aliens were generally watching these death games, and another thing entirely to know that your community was under some kind of magnifying glass. Alexandra had sent several troubled-looking people to talk to Pointy, asking how to write the words Privacy please in galactic script, so they could make signs to hang around our bathrooms and bedrooms. It was a good enough idea that I hired someone to use an ability to dye the same pattern into our bedsheets. If anyone kept watching, at least theyd know they were a cultural-taboo-violating asshole. I was getting better at that, just hiring people to do any little thing I could to make our life better or easier. I was apocalypse rich. It was hard to dent my Money pile with personal purchases. At Pointys suggestion, Id zoomed out enough in my shop that I could start purchasing land in the Mediterranean. It wouldnt accelerate the end of the Maffiyir, but chatter wed picked up from the space lawyers had made it clear that the land we claimed was ours to keep at the end of the contest. I''d kind of expected that, but the news had definitely made me zoom out and try to start purchasing land around national landmarks. I''d been cheered to see that most were already claimed, although I was pretty sure I was now the proud owner of Morning Glory Pool and a small chunk of the Grand Prismatic Springs in Yellowstone. It was really hard to tell from the purchase interface without labels, but I definitely owned a small pond and part of a much larger one. Fun and silliness aside, the revelation that we retained control of the land we''d bought had nasty implications for land we hadn''t claimed. Ending the game while not owning any of the worlds oceans would make the future pretty rough for our species. Buying up the water surface of our planet seemed prudent. I was trying to spell out useful messages in big blocky letters that used Pointys minimum-cost pattern. I had my own concerns about that, since buying things at the lowest cost meant I had to leave gaps rather than buying vast unbroken stretches... but I figured it was still our best bet. The Soundless likely wouldn''t be able to do much with the tiny isolated chunks of land and water either, so hopefully the cost of buying them back wouldn''t be too bad. Even buying each hex at the minimum cost, each letter cost thousands and thousands of system Money. I could have done it more cheaply by not making the letters blocky, but making them big had two purposes. First, we hoped it would make them easier to notice. Second, it communicated the information about the most effective purchase pattern to anyone who did notice, on top of the actual message I was writing. Id gotten as far as Alien Radio and Team human = b & w stripes when Id noticed a little grid of purchases appear off to the side of my own. Someone was listening and wanted to let me know, even if they didnt have enough Money to write back yet. I wanted to tell people how to kill the treezillas, but I was struggling to come up with a succinct and understandable way to communicate what was necessary. Kill tree: bracelet, insult. Danger! was the best Id sorted out and it wasnt that great, even assuming the person who saw it could read English. Pointys suggestion had been passed to the Arsenal as well, and I knew they were writing similar messages in coastal waters and major rivers around the world. Hopefully someone would come up with a better phrasing and get it back to me, or wed come up with a better way to communicate with faraway people. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It seemed like it wasnt going to be via any prize from the treezilla. There didnt seem to be any reward for killing it beyond Points and the remnants of the treezilla itself. The little treewalkers had vanished immediately after death, as expected, but the massive treezilla corpse showed no signs of dissipating even though more than 24 hours had passed. Wed tentatively decided that it might be here to stay, and tasked people with studying it to see if it might be useful. So far, we knew it wasnt edible. It has a lot of features that might make for a good shelter, Colonel Zwerinski said. Strong walls that are still porous to air. Weve found where it lets the little birds and rodents out, and it seems like those openings get sealed back over, so it should be paraslug-proof, aside from any human-made openings. Thats not an idea I recommend moving on, however. I shook my head. No kidding! What if it resurrects? What if another appears? It is right beside the pylon, Alexandra added. Colonel Zwerinski laughed. Exactly. Too many unknowns. We were damn lucky you knew what you did to that Z-Rex and survived to get the word out about it. The Arsenal had something in their pocket to try right away when they ran into issues. Even now we know the one near Toneys gotten about five feet taller over the course of ten hours, but do all of them grow at the same speed? Will that one grow at a constant speed? How big can they get? Is it true that people dying nearby makes them larger, and if so, by how much? That last ones not exactly something we can test, but its worrying me not to know. Im sure well find out eventually, I said. Immediately, I regretted my words, watching Alexandra look away and the colonels eyebrows tighten. I struggled to change the subject. At least the things the treewalkers left gave fairly clear instructions. Things could have taken a lot longer if itd been possible to mistake the Shards for Titan Hearts. During the fight, Id already known what to do and hadnt bothered to read the distracting message that had popped up when Id grabbed the Shard, but my newly-perfect memory had made it easy to review after the fact. The amber tear had announced itself as a Shard of strength (Temporary): Quickly return this to the parent to reduce the Threat. The language was a little oblique, but it didnt take much imagination to figure out what was meant by parent or return and it had only taken one careful test by the Arsenal to determine that quickly meant 432 seconds, or a bit over seven minutes. All in all, it was an almost-kind inclusion by our evil overlords. I was pretty sure we had Fluffy and their people to thank. No way would the sadists in charge of this do something so kind if they hadnt been forced to by some previous generation of space lawyers. So, Alexandra said. Returning to the topic we are not using the treezilla remnants as shelters directly, at least for now. No, said Zwerinski. We are getting samples to try some manipulation abilities on, maybe see if we can make some better armor. We can definitely cut some portions off to use as strong walls for the field bunkers were trying to build. That seems like a better plan, I said. Have we cut deep enough to see if the pylon is still intact? It is, Zwerinski said. Not even central in the trunk, actually. Its barely within the bark on the southern edge. Another treezilla appeared in our neighborhood in the early hours of the following morning. It appeared slightly to the side of the first one, but it partially shattered the remains of its predecessors corpse as it emerged. I blanched when I heard that, and hoped no one elsewhere had been foolish or desperate enough to use a treezillas corpse as a shelter. I''d been on standby, but wasn''t dispatched with the kill group. My bracelet had returned to its usual brightness a few hours previously, but I was off the hook this time since Id dealt with the last one. We should only need two Challengers to go, but wed sent four of us out, just to be safe. The fact that wed needed two of us instead of one hadnt been lost on anyone, and the Arsenal had started to patrol the countryside, trying to locate the trees and end them before the problems they caused escalated. Escalating seemed to be exactly what the trees did if left alone, growing in size and reach and requiring more and more Shards to put down. Wed also found that you could kill them without a bracelet - or, as the military was calling them now, an Intensifier. Simply killing enough of the little rodents and birds under the treezillas branches would eventually cause a treewalker to spawn. Of course, if the resultant Shard wasnt enough to end the treezillas life, you couldnt back off and let the behemoth recover. Youd have to stand there, risking your life in combat until you could get a second treewalker to spawn, or a third. Nasty. Worse, as Id predicted, we did prove that nearby deaths empowered the treezillas. If there was any mercy, it was that the empowerment wasnt instant but I wasnt sure how much of a mercy it was. Each death seemed to improve the rate of a treezillas growth. It was hard to nail down exact numbers, but it seemed that if one of these so-called Threats killed even one person, they would grow at least 50% faster than otherwise, and the one treezilla the Arsenal had found that had killed three people seemed to be growing at an absurd rate. We could tell that it wasn''t a 50% improvement in growth for each kill, but we hadn''t left it alive long enough to get a precise read. The scientists and the security people got into a bit of an argument about that one, but the tree was put down before we could get a definitive answer. I think we all would have appreciated the data, but the ratio of Intensifiers to Threats wasnt that generous. There were more than enough of us to put down all the threats the easy way if we piled on top of them promptly, but given our uncertainties about the rate of the treezillas'' growth, those margins felt uncomfortably thin. Priya and George and I had been notified that our kids would be kept out of the Intensifier rotation if at all possible, a phrase I hated but saw the necessity of. I knew, I just knew, that eventually someone would ask me to take my sons into extreme danger. It didnt take me long to be proven right. Bk. 4, Ch. 20 - "Wake up!"
Threats! In cycle six! This could be a very short Maffiyir if the Clothes-Lovers let them get out of control. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMeghan! Meghan, wake up! I pulled the sheets up against my chin, not opening my eyes in spite of Pointy''s imperious commands. Wha time izzit? Just before six a.m. I moaned pitifully, scrunching up against Gavins back. I was on standby for an hour at one a.m.! Theres not another one at our pylon, is there? There cant be! There was an irritated snort from the little turtle. No. Our pylon is fine. For now. But theres a crisis. I dont know the details, but theyre planning to send someone to wake you and the boys up. The boys, too? Adrenaline coursed through me, driving away the lingering chains of sleep. I didnt ask how Pointy knew. After Cassie had been granted use of the Points Siphons, Pointy had gotten a lot stronger. Careful testing had revealed that she was physically much more durable, but that was the least of it. Her processing power had nearly doubled. The improvement to her senses was harder to quantify, but it had been similarly drastic. These days, she heard a lot that people didnt intend for her to hear. With our quarters so near the entrance to the Quarry well, she probably wouldnt have heard much more even if shed been glued to Mayor Alexandras desk. I shook the boys awake quietly. Get dressed. Start armoring up. Pointy says somethings wrong. Im going to go find out what. You guys stay here with Pointy and Cassie, but But we should be ready? Micah asked. I hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. Pointy heard people planning to wake you. Im hoping that was an overreaction, but get your gear on. My maimed hand didnt make it much harder to throw on a T-shirt and jeans and shove my feet into my battered rainboots. I Telekinetically grabbed the sack Id stowed my armor in, beginning the more-laborious process of donning it as I walked. It was still in surprisingly good shape. Id hired a Repair specialist to stop by our quarters each evening and do a touch-up on all our gear, and it had all gotten at least slight modifications by someone with Improvised Equipment, so it could benefit from the increased durability. A few pieces had been replaced, and some others had been added - all the kids had simple steel breastplates now, and I ought to get my own tomorrow or the day after - but it was still largely the paper-based armor Id inexpertly crafted weeks before. How useful is this stuff for me still? I wondered as I tried to walk and Telekinetically tie on a vambrace at the same time. I know my skins much tougher. I guess any extra protection is good, but if whats being added isnt very meaningful, maybe this isnt worth the effort. I was still wrestling with the ribbons when I made it to Alexandras office. I had to step aside to let a crowd of bleary-eyed teenagers flood past me. A blonde girl stopped to stare at me in confusion. Uh Let me guess, youre supposed to tell Meghan Moretti and her two sons about whats going on? Well You can skip to the next person on your list, then. I edged by her. I was certain I could get a clearer account from the mayor and the colonel. The girl shrugged and ran off. Alexandra and Colonel Zwerinski were in the office already, as well as a few men and women I recognized as leaders of the combat groups on night duty. Everyone seemed surprised to see me enter seconds after I''d been sent for, but no one commented. Pointy said theres trouble? I asked. Thats one way of putting it, said Colonel Zwerinski. Look at this. A photorealistic image appeared in my mind. It was dim, clearly captured at night, but a spotlight illuminated a treezilla from above, casting shadows over a nearby empty parking lot and bushes. No. Those are trees?! That little building, thats not some mom & pop shop, thats a big-box store of some kind. Those little tiny paths are streets! I flickered Analyze. Holy shit. That treezillas over two hundred feet tall! And nearly as wide. Colonel Zwerinski nodded grimly. And growing fast. That image was captured an hour ago by one of the scout teams the Arsenal sent out. I havent gotten the most recent updated image yet, but the Arsenals Analysts say its already eight feet taller. Eight feet? In under an hour? So by tomorrow it might be nearly twice this big. Or taller, Alexandra confirmed. She was wearing her usual suit, but her hair was thrown into a messy bun and she wasnt wearing any makeup. If its already growing so fast, what if it accelerates? Already, the Arsenal fears it may be beyond our ability to stop. Wheres it at? I asked. Colonel Zwerinski scratched his neck. Well, thats the thing. Its about sixty miles southwest of us. So, its possible we could just evacuate the area around it and leave it alone, but Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But the radio chatter makes that seem like a bad idea. He nodded. Theyre working to figure out how it got so big, but if its already this tall and might be twice the height tomorrow well, Im not great shakes at math, but I frowned, relying on Analyze. A little over 5,000 feet in a mile, sixty miles away, already about 250 feet tall The one in our neighborhood was a major danger to an area three times its height and a smaller danger to an area about nine times its height I spoke slowly as my ability drew together some unpleasant conclusions for me. If it keeps nearly doubling in size, well be in trouble in less than a twelveday. Even if it doesnt accelerate, and just keeps growing at eight or so feet per hour, we might be in danger within a year. If it can get that tall, of course. Could it really grow twenty miles tall? Helen had slipped into the room as wed been talking, and she spoke up now. Tallest human-made building is about two-thirds of a mile tall, but the biggest reasons we havent made anything taller are practicality and capital. Theres no challenge to planning bigger things, but theyre real expensive and dont tend to be too useful. You need too much space for elevators and stairs and supports. Really? How tall could we make a building? I asked. I dont live in Huntsville because Im a huge skyscraper fan! That said I do have a cousin whos in architecture as well, and he loves going on about skyscrapers and space elevators and stuff when we meet up at the kids weddings. Helen frowned, shrugging. If I remember our talks correctly, we probably would have built something as high as two-and-a-half miles within the next decade or so. He thought much taller than that was technically possible, even if we didn''t discover any new building materials. He had pretty good arguments for why we could make a thirty-mile-tall building, if some billionaire lost their tiny mind. Fool thing to do, still, and itd have a ridiculously large foundation, but She sighed. I wish I could say twenty miles is impossible, but I cant. Not with the improved materials the aliens clearly have available. Possible doesnt mean inevitable, of course, Alexandra said. But the space lawyers messages make me nervous. This tree grows more dangerous by the minute. This might be our best chance to stop it. I said, understanding. Might be our only chance to stop it, Zwerinski grumbled. At least without some kind of extended war. Plus, I think we can guarantee its growth will speed up at least somewhat, unless it hits some kind of maximum. Its too far for us to easily and effectively evacuate the area, so its bound to kill more people. Thats our best guess for how it got so big to begin with, a large quantity of kills soon after it appeared. I took a deep breath. So you want me, Priya, and George to come and Samar and my boys to be on-call to deal with any that spawn locally? The colonel shook his head. No. The Arsenal is calling for a full mobilization. Any that appear locally, well have to put down without the Intensifiers. Theyre getting a fleet of vehicles together and clearing the way, and were going to send literally everyone whos not on cooldown. I froze, my face blank. Im sorry. It kills me, Meghan. I wish I could say they could stay. I dont want to send kids into danger, but if we dont put this down, we can be pretty well guaranteed that there are going to be thousands of kids in danger - probably including the ones here at Fort Autumn. And the eggheads whove been studying the relationships between the size of the treezillas and the number of Shards needed to down it Well The colonel sighed, shaking his head. Its going to be damn close. Its a sick, sick situation. Heres what I can do for you: with so many Intensifiers at Fort Autumn, Ive been put in command of this combat operation. We dont have enough transportation to take as many attackers as any of us would like, but I can still promise that each child will have four soldiers assigned without Intensifiers, whose highest duty is to keep their assigned charge alive and well. He hesitated. And if we dont bring it down with our Intensifiers, if we have to stay and keep fighting, youll be expected to retreat with your kids, under guard. Youre all a precious resource, even more than you were before. I was silent, but Alexandra frowned. Retreating from something so large will still be dangerous! I know. I know! Zwerinski took off his cap to run a hand through his thinning hair. But less dangerous than staying! Were going to have to go inside the tree itself, which should at least protect us from its branches and roots while we fight but Im sure itll come with its own dangers. Yoshiro is handling the logistics, and I know hes trying to get support into the area from Anniston, but Annistons already stretched to its limits. Just not a large installation. Its a damn shame Rucker and Maxwell are so far. A knock at the door interrupted us. Your rides here, colonel! Were leaving already? I asked. This was all happening too fast. No, maam, Zwerinski said. A flyers been sent to pick me up and take me out there so I can assess the situation with a small advance team. Were still scrambling the other transports, but well have to take most of you by ground and pray we can make good time. You should be ready to leave in Yoshiro says thirty minutes. Then Zwerinski was gone. I turned to Alexandra. How did this happen? How did the tree get so big? Alexandra sank into the chair behind her desk, shutting her eyes. I wish I knew! I was asleep twelve minutes ago. I am still not convinced that this is not an awful dream. Hah! I wish. Alexandra nodded. The only things I know which you do not would be hmm. Oh! Were you here when the colonel mentioned how many Intensifiers we have available? No he said he didnt think it would be enough. We had ninety people come back from my last challenge. I know they werent all affiliated with the Arsenal or Fort Autumn, but thats a lot. Plus we had a lot more come through the Challenge a couple days ago, right? We did. The Arsenal is in contact with 73 people from your Challenge and 28 people from the most recent Challenge who have earned Intensifiers. Only 28? Alexandra waved a hand. We did not have many eligible. Keep in mind, any Titan fight you or your Challenge-mates participated in was likely hidden from viewers. We would likely not have had more than a dozen if the Arsenal had not gone out of their way to assemble some visible kill teams. Oh. That made sense. It was something Id expected, actually, but my sleep-addled brain hadnt remembered my earlier musings. The problem is that many of those Intensifiers have been used, Alexandra said. At least forty are unavailable right now. Ten of those will refresh in the next few hours, but the others definitely wont be free in time. So weve got about sixty people? About sixty people at most. Communication Alexandra flapped a hand disdainfully. It could be better, still. I should hear back with exact numbers soon. Now, if youll excuse me, weve got two transports to fill up in a hurry. I want them packed to the brim with anything we can send to improve your chances. Bk. 4, Ch. 21 - Scramble
Opacity here: we located my client today. Considering their cooperative performance in the last Challenge, I find it odd that they are not hidden from us. Perhaps no one was penalized? It may be that they did not feel cooperation was against the spirit of that Challenge, or perhaps the threshold for penalties was higher. I doubt the Maffiyir company has stopped issuing penalties... We will have to see what happens at the end of the current duodenary. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe next half-hour was a whirlwind. Trying to get the boys and myself armored and fed and prepared to leave would have been bad enough, but I also had to find a babysitter for an overstrong toddler. It needed to be someone with 11 or 12 abilities or a focus on physical reinforcement to keep Cassie from accidentally hurting them. The trouble was, we would need all our strongest to help in the coming fight. What about the people who used their Intensifiers recently? Pointy suggested. Theyre probably staying behind. It would be foolish to risk their deaths when they cant use their power. It was a good suggestion, but not one that led to an immediate answer. The two people we had at Fort Autumn who had Intensifiers on cooldown werent people Cassie knew. Neither seemed comfortable with the idea of watching a kid, and Cassies grip on me at the suggestion was tight enough to be actually painful. I was wracking my brain for a way to convince her to let go when Flip landed in the courtyard. Hey! Cassie! Do you and Pointy want to come flying with me today? Ive got work to do, but you can come with if its okay with your mom. Oh, thank God. I took a deep, relieved breath. Flip had always been great around my kids, and Cassie already knew and liked the woman. Yes, absolutely. Youre not coming with? Flip waved her wrist at me. Just used my Intensifier four hours ago. Im on light duty until it comes up again, picking up messages and delivering small packages. And its okay to keep Cassie with you? Colonel Yoshiro ordered me out here, actually! Not that I mind. He knew I carried you two around last week for the Siphons, and he saw your name on the list of fighters. Apparently you had talked to him about childcare problems? God bless that man. Cassie, do you and Pointy want to go flying with Flip today? Pointy will be able to stay awake this time. Cassie looked uncertain, but Pointy spoke up. Oh, I would love that! Please say yes, Cassie? Well Pointy leaned back, lifting her forelegs to rest against Cassies chest, letting her stitched eyes enlarge to their fullest size. Pleeeease? Cassie giggled, as she was meant to, and took her hands away from my neck to reach toward Flip. Okay. Nice work, I whispered as I passed my daughter to Flip, knowing that Pointy would hear me. Take care of her. I will. But come back safe. The turtles voice was serious. This is fine for today but not long-term. Cassie''s development will be negatively affected by the absence of her primary caregiver. I nodded, then turned toward Flip, my face businesslike. Shes gotten pretty good with using the bathroom and weve set up a reminder in her Overlay, so shell probably ask but you should probably have her try to go before any long flights. Flip laughed. No problem. None of my own, but Im second-oldest of six and Ive got tons of little nieces and nephews around her age. Ive done loads of babysitting before. Cassie and I will have a great time and maybe have a fun sleepover or two. Weve got this! And if her Intensifier comes up again before we get back, itll be while Cassie is sleeping she could be away and back before my daughter notices. This is the best offer Im going to get. Forcing a bright smile on my face, I nodded. Okay. You three have lots of fun! Cassie, be a good listener to Ms. Flip, okay? Okay! Meghan! Transport 12 is ready to depart. Just waiting on you! I winced, leaning in to give my daughter one last hug and kiss. Im being called. Ill Ill see you later, Cassie! Pointy! Thanks again, Flip! I raced away, through the gate of the fort and into the back of a modified semi-truck. The doors swung shut behind me and the truck started rolling forward immediately, the driver not even waiting for me to reach my seat. I sagged, but didnt let my emotions hit me fully. I might not have Cassie in my arms, but the boys were perceptive. I couldnt let them see me scared. Just sit down and try to keep your mind off of things, Meghan. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Not that I had a proper seat. This wasnt one of the Arsenals troop transports, but one of the vehicles that had been used for food and water deliveries. There was a little cage welded to the center of the floor to keep the water jugs away from the piercing feet of the stabcrabs, but no actual seats or seatbelts. A car accident is the least of our worries these days. I picked my way through the crowd, edging past Helen and Darryl and squeezing in next to George, Priya, Samar, and my boys on the floor. Priya frowned. Did you? Flip showed up. She got ordered to watch Cassie, but she seemed okay with it. Good. Arnav is low-level enough that it wasnt so difficult to find care for him, especially since I was leaving Anju too. I wish Anju was coming with us Micah said. At least well get to go together to the next Challenge! George and Priya shuddered. Not the time, kid, I said. Were handling this thing one crisis at a time. Wed barely moving for a minute before I heard an Announcement. The voice sounded like one of the generals Id met briefly at the Arsenal. Higgens? No, Heggins, that was it. He must have gotten quite the power-up for his Announcements to reach us out here. Were scrambling a response to a major danger south of Huntsville. We need everyone to co-operate to clear the roads and allow our troop transports to move efficiently. A treezilla to the southwest is already over 200 feet tall and is expected to double in height within a day. It is imperative that our elites reach it as fast as possible. In our elites absence, we will need volunteers to assist with Titans and treezillas. Please report to your nearest Shop or distribution center if youre willing to volunteer. We have a particular need for men and women with sonic-dampening capabilities to join bonefur extermination teams. I stiffened. I knew fighting the local treezillas without Intensifiers was going to be difficult, but I forgot about the Titans! Did Benjamin come with us? He did, George confirmed. But he left his big guns behind. Fort Autumn should be just fine against the D-Rexes. We have plenty of people locally with anti-sound capabilities, too, enough that Alexandra was trying to negotiate with some of them to help out against bonefurs elsewhere. Cassie and Arnav and Anju will be fine, said Priya. There was a hard-edged finality to her voice, as if she could enforce her will on reality with enough certainty. Weve left them in good hands. We need to focus on ourselves. All six of us need to make it home, you hear me? The Announcement did its job: clear roads helped us make it out of Huntsville in short order. Then, we caught up with the transports ahead of us and our pace slowed dramatically. Out in the countryside, the monsters didnt reappear quickly, but there were also fewer people to fight them before we got there. Instead, we took shifts, alternating between riding along and slaughtering our way forward. To the boys irritation, they were exempt from combat shifts, forced to remain aboard the truck. I caught Gavin trying to sneak out twice, hanging upside-down with his claws sunk into the ceiling. Back to your seat! I told you. Mommmm Im really bored! Ill be fine. Im sure you would, but were moving fast! Everyone is too busy, too focused, to be watching you. Then they should just not watch. Just go play Im thinking of an animal with Samar. We already played that ten times Gavin Andreas Moretti Fine. I heaved a sigh of relief as Gavin dropped to the floor and slunk back to his friend. Thank God the Mom Voice had worked. I totally understood Gavins boredom. Micah had at least brought a book, but Id been too focused on figuring out who would watch Cassie to even think about the problem of travel entertainment. Maybe I needed another go-bag with car toys? Priya and George hadnt brought entertainment either, but they had at least thought about food and drink. Thankfully, theyd brought enough to share, because lunchtime had come and gone by the time we finally stopped, piling out of our transport at a fire station a few miles away from the treezilla where Colonel Zwerinski had set up a temporary headquarters. The treezilla was large enough that Id been able to see it for hours, every time Id taken a turn outside on escort duty. The boys, shut in the truck, had not. All three stopped cold as they rounded the corner of the trailer, staring at the massive shape. Alabama isnt a place with a lot of tall buildings. Even its trees are on the dainty side, with little bitty trunks less than two feet in diameter and most treetops reaching just high enough to hide the roof of a two-story house. My Analyze measured the treezilla at 260 feet tall, over twenty stories in height, with a trunk more than 200 feet wide. There was something very wrong about something so tall having such a broad shape. It made me feel like I was looking at some kind of optical illusion. My brain kept trying to insist to me that the tree was shorter or thinner than it was, viscerally rejecting the idea that something so tall could also be so fat. What the hell!? Micah squeaked. Gavin stepped backward, his tail wrapping around me. I couldnt blame either kid. Bk. 4, Ch. 22 - Trust
This is incredibly nasty for a first Threat! The Clothes-Lovers have barely been given any Threat-specific tools. I know what contestant species are given varies, but they have literally no options if a Threat grows out of control. I know we have criticized the emergency tools in previous contests as being nearly as bad as the Threats themselves, but at least they existed! --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAs we stared at the tree, a young man in military fatigues came up and tapped my shoulder. Ms. Moretti? Colonel Zwerinski asked me to send you in to see him when you arrived. Okay I said. I wasnt sure why the colonel would want to see me, in particular, but I definitely wanted the opportunity to pick his brain. The information I got probably wouldnt be comforting, but it wasnt hard to be less terrifying than total uncertainty. Delaying just long enough to be sure my boys knew to stay close to the Turners, I jogged into the fire station. The fire trucks had been moved outside somehow, leaving the garage vast and empty. A few tables had been dragged into the middle, but there was still room for hundreds of people. Instead, Colonel Zwerinski was nodding as someone in flying gear gave him a report while a single aide stood by with a clipboard. The trio looked inadequate and lost in the cavernous space. I glanced around curiously as the flyer finished his report and was ordered back into the air. When the colonel looked up at me, I couldnt help myself. Where is everybody? I asked. Colonel Zwerinski grunted out a laugh. Still on their way, I hope. But you came ahead with a whole group, didnt you? He shrugged. We did, but we needed to bring lots of Ability specialists. Earth and rock shapers, in particular. Tests on smaller treezillas suggest that their roots have a broad reach, but not much broader than the area their branches can strike. Ive got a team testing to see if that holds true with this one. If so, theyre going to try to make us an approach tunnel. Even if it cant get us all the way, itll be valuable. Helen just got here. She was riding with us. Zwerinskis face got the slightly distant look of someone using Mental Speech. Excellent. Ive sent her along. Shell need to keep her strength back for the assault, but shes powerful. Even if she has to hold back, shell be a huge help. I frowned. I was wondering why Helen was here. I assumed it was to make bunkers or something. The tunnel made sense, too, but why would we need her on the assault? Did you hear much about the Gurley treezilla? Isnt that the one that killed multiple people? I cant say I know much other than that. Thats the one. Came up in a park right next to city hall and got three people almost immediately. Were still not sure why they were there - news had definitely gone out that the area around the pylons were dangerous - but their deaths were witnessed. It took Gurley about two hours after that to get a combat team assembled, and we reckon they came just short of killing it. Most of the branches had fallen off and the trunk was in sorry shape. Well, doing that put the areas only Intensifier on cooldown. At first, they thought Well, well try again tomorrow, but after a bit they realized that all the damage had healed up and the tree was getting bigger, so they reached out to us and then it took us some more time to get a team out there to put it down. By the time we got there, city hall was mostly rubble and the tree was close to eighty feet tall. Deeply unfortunate, but it gave us a lot of information about fighting larger treezillas. My eyes had gotten wider and wider as Colonel Zwerinski spoke. Like the fact that they heal? He sighed. Thats part of it. And the bigger they are, the faster they heal up. Superficial damage is gone in seconds. Theres a truck about ten minutes out now bringing some artillery. When they get here, well test how quickly bigger injuries heal but Im concerned that it wont be long enough to get our entire force inside without assistance. So you want Helen ready to hold open a door? More or less. Shes one of the best stone-shapers in the city. I nodded, slowly. Okay. So thats part of what you learned. And the other part? Mostly the layout? Anatomy? For the little tree in our neighborhood, it wasnt too obvious. There was a hollow part in the middle. When trees get bigger, you see a full chamber in the center, or even multiple full chambers, lined up along that middle column like beads on a string. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Do they go right up against the bark? In Gurley, they pretty much did. In this treezilla, they sadly do not. I want to use my Clairvoyance to see what we were dealing with, but its pitch-dark inside and the injuries weve been able to deal so far dont last long enough for me to really get a good look around. I quickly scanned my interface. Im pretty sure yeah, okay, Ive got four patterns sitting around. Awesome. Purchase, purchase, purchase, purchase. A stack of Small Light Sources materialized on the table. Colonel Zwerinski looked startled for a moment, but began smiling even before Id started to explain. Can we try to shove these inside when you do the artillery tests? Even if theres only a gap for a second, the monsters seem to ignore Light Sources, so if we can get it inside Why didnt I think of that? Colonel Zwerinski muttered. In spite of his irritated words, he looked delighted. The aide at his elbow cleared her throat. You are only one person, sir. Zwerinski took a deep breath. Too true. He glanced at me. Thats why I asked you here to begin with, Ms. Moretti. I havent been able to survey the trees internals fully, but Im expecting there to be at least six chambers inside, possibly many more. If we try to cram everyone into the lowest one, it wont give us much space to fight. Friendly fire risk would be extremely high. It''s possible we''ll have to fight that way, but we''re currently operating under the assumption that each chamber will most likely be an independent batttlefield. I flinched. Bunching up does sound like a bad idea if it''s not necessary... but really? Me? The Arsenal is sending a bunch of military people down, right? They are, he acknowledged. Unfortunately, there are going to be dangerous operations up North as well, as they attempt to put down Huntsvilles treezillas without the aid of Intensifiers. I have sufficient subordinates with adequate rank to command, but several lack experience and others lack judgement. He paused, leaning his hands on the table and looking me in the eyes. Quite frankly, I trust you more. Military background or no. My mouth fell open in shock, but I didnt know what to say. Zwerinski rushed to continue. Youre not the only civilian Im asking. Clarice should be here in a half-hour, and shes already agreed to lead a subgroup. And youd be in the safest spot I could give you: second chamber from ground level. Whys the second floor safer than the ground? I asked, still reeling, reaching for a way to end my silence. The ground chambers team will include the people on-duty from holding the ground and doing rescue work. They may be tired, and theyre the most likely not to make it into position in time. He frowned, shuffling some scribble-strewn papers to peer intensely at one lower in the stack. You, on the other hand, will have an overstrength force. This should allow you to deal with the treewalkers easily if they appear in the same chamber as the people who summon them, and will give you the best odds if their appearance location is random. Also, most importantly, if treewalkers always appear on the ground floor, you will be out of immediate danger. You dont know? Shouldnt you know, if Gurley had two chambers? Unfortunately, Gurleys second chamber was discovered only after the treezilla had been killed. This will be our first multifloor assault. He met my eyes. Will you lead your floor? Me? In command again? On purpose? Its not overall command, but still if I say yes today, theyll definitely keep asking me. I wasnt sure I wanted that, taking on responsibility for so many other peoples lives. Id done it before, but it had been in emergencies. I hadnt really had a choice. How did this tree get so big, anyway? I asked, stalling for time. Zwerinski glanced behind him, gesturing to his aide. She cleared her throat. Well probably have to wait until after weve taken it down to get a full picture, but Ive been interviewing evacuees. Ive gotten several people confirming they saw a group of twenty or so people walking up to the tree soon after it appeared. Not fighting it, not defending themselves, just walking up and dying. Why? Disbelief tore its way out of my mouth in something close to a shout. The aide frowned. No idea just yet. Suicide cult? Mass hysteria? Your guess is as good as mine. I can confirm it happened, but thats about all. Twenty people, I muttered. Much more than that, by now, the aide said. At my look of disbelief, she rushed to clarify. Not like the first group! But the tree grew so quickly a lot of people who thought they were safe, werent. And some others decided to attack it before we arrived. Their plan wasnt well, I spoke with a survivor. From what he said, Im not entirely sure they had a plan. Just bravado and anger. I sighed, scrunching all my eyes shut tight. It was a horrible story, but I couldnt say I was truly shocked. People can be real idiots. Colonel Zwerinski said he didnt completely trust the subordinates he had available. Do I want my kids safety to rely on someone hed rather not have in charge? Clearly not. Alright, I said. Tell me what you need me to do. Bk. 4, Ch. 23 - Charge
I suspect theyll offer such tools as rewards for the next Challenge, but that remains more than two-thirds of a duodenary away. Even Threats that appeared at minimal sizes and did not manage to kill any contestants will likely be three times as big by then --Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensJust over an hour later, I stood in a huddle with my hastily-assembled team, most of whom Id met only minutes before. The only people in my group I knew from Fort Autumn were the Turners. Matilda and Benjamin had been assigned to Clarices squad, and Helen and Darryl Packard were in the high-risk ground floor group. The ground group would be guarding the entrance wed make into the treezilla and only coming all the way to the center at the very last moment. Theyd probably already be tired by the time they reached the heartvein - as we were calling the column at the center of the treezilla - but that would hopefully be balanced out by the fact that theyd only have a few Intensifiers and would need to deal with relatively fewer treewalkers. I was currently seesawing between Oh hell, why did I agree to this?! and Thank God Im the one in charge. The reason for my emotional distress? All the children present had been assigned to the safest group. My group. Malia, the teen whod been at the Arsenal with us last Challenge, had joined us, along with her dad and college-aged older brother. Two of the other kids whod been with us in the dino-volcano Challenge had arrived, as well as one whod made it through this weeks maze Challenge. The presence of the kids had made my group into a small army. Each child had come with at least two family members. On top of that, Zwerinski had been as good as his word: each kid had a small squad assigned to guard them, and another squad assigned to take the treewalker they summoned down. There were more than 70 people in my group, almost twice as many as the next-largest, a difference that both comforted and worried me. Will we have enough space to fight? Im happy the colonel is placing such high priority on keeping the kids safe but then, I guess more emergencies will arise. If a kid dies during this onslaught, its going to be awfully hard to convince anyone to let their child come the next time theyre needed. Privately, Colonel Zwerinski had confided to me that they hadnt managed to convince everyone. Theyd located the other child whod been present at the dino Challenge, but his parents hadnt been willing to let him come, no matter what promises the military made or how serious the threat was. I kind of wished he hadnt told me. The knowledge that someone else had held their ground and said No didnt help me quiet the voices in my head that were suggesting I ought to have done the same. The crowd wed gathered was both huge and worryingly small. There were around 400 of us, which was by far the largest attack force Id ever been a part of. On the other hand, we wouldnt have even filled half the bleachers in a high school gym. We could have had ten times as many people with us, and it wouldnt have felt like overkill to me. Plus, about thirty people would be staying behind. Colonel Zwerinski would remain at the fire station temporary headquarters. I resented that a little bit, that he got to stay back and be safe, but I couldnt deny the utility. If he didnt have to pay attention to his own safety, he could devote every ounce of his focus to monitoring the situation and communicating everything we needed to know. Over eighty people with healing powers would be accompanying the attack force, but another dozen were staying back here, staying fresh to help out anyone who needed to retreat or to charge in and stabilize people if we managed to defeat the treezilla. The exhausted team whod built the assault tunnel would be staying behind, too. A series of deafening cracks silenced the anxious rumble of conversation. The Arsenal had dragged out three enormous contraptions. Two were the muddy green common on military hardware, all ugly rivets and confusing struts. The third was a gleaming silver-and-black construction with a larger barrel. They were all howitzers, but - confusingly - the shiny one was about fifty years older than the other two. It would be their job to initiate the assault on the treezilla, doing as much damage as they could before we put any human beings into the danger zone. Colonel Zwerinski was worried we didnt have enough Intensifiers with us, so we wanted to make sure that we did all the free damage we could before the treezillas immunity triggered. If we could take out some of the trees branches at the same time? All the better. We were multiple miles away, but Id been assured that the distance was well within the capabilities of the artillery pieces. Precision targeting of specific branches was still in doubt, but the teams had seemed confident about hitting the giant monster. Yes, maam, a soldier setting up one of the ugly green howitzers had said. We used to be able to put an Excalibur round within thirty feet of where we wanted it to go from about 15 miles away. We havent been able to fix the guidance and nav systems, but weve got some Abilities that ought to help. Plus were about two miles out and our target is fu- uh really big. Wont be a problem. I hadnt asked what an Excalibur round was, but it looked like the soldier hadnt made an idle boast. Three blooms of fire and smoke appeared near the top of the tree trunk, macabre foliage that suited the nightmarish plant. The artillery teams were racing around at superhuman speeds, with another round cracking away from the howitzers only seconds after the previous one had landed. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Even if the tree is healing quickly, being actively on fire ought to slow that down. Hm. The hits arent super focused theyre spread out all across the top of the tree. Were well below the howitzers maximum range, so thats probably due to the guidance being destroyed. I feel like theyre doing a lot of damage, but its hard to tell through the smoke. Oh! There we go! Another round slammed home, making the whipping motion of one of the treezillas branch tentacles falter. Moments later, it was followed up by a lucky or skillful hit to the same branchs connection point, and the branch sagged downward, a slow motion that steadily accelerated as the immense weight of the tentacle was placed on an increasingly smaller connection to the trunk. Finally, the connection completely snapped. The branch looked like it was falling in slow-motion, but when it smashed into the ground I could feel the vibration through my battered rainboots. The slowness was just an optical illusion caused by the trees incomprehensible scale. Everyone cheered, me included. Thats amazing! If they can take out all the tentacles on this side, well have an easy sprint over the last stretch. That turned out to be overly optimistic. The artillery fire managed take out two more of the treezillas tentacles in short order before the damage the howitzers were doing fell off sharply to near-nothing. It didnt even take Analyze to tell the difference: hits that had previously left smoking craters were now doing nothing. A brief gout of fire and smoke would flower briefly and blow away in the wind, leaving unscarred bark behind. The trees immunity had triggered earlier than wed hoped it would. Despite the disappointment, Colonel Zwerinski didnt hesitate. Artillery, hold fire! Assault Teams, go! The military personnel were in motion the instant the Announcement ended. They made up less than half of our attack force, but the rest of us took a cue from them, following closely. Our whole force thundered into a narrow subterranean tunnel that several high-powered individuals with Shaping abilities had exhausted themselves to throw together. Wed still have to run the last stretch to the tree on the surface, but tests had made me reasonably confident that the tunnel would protect us from the treezillas thrown projectiles and swarms of miniscule defenders until we emerged. The ground-floor team was in the lead, since theyd be expected to make and hold an entrance into the tree, but they were the exception. The group expected to fight in the highest chamber would follow the ground team in, then the next-highest, and so on until my group - which Id heard others calling the family group, although our official name was Floor 2 - would exit the tunnel last. The safest spot. Still not that safe. I spun up an Announcement, shaping it and limiting its range. I didnt want to distract anyone or use unnecessary energy that Id need later. Floor 2, Ill take the spot in the back of our group. I can keep an eye behind us as we run. If I spot monsters, Ill make an Announcement, so be ready to pause and assist me. I looked over my group carefully as they ran by me, Micah and Gavin staying close to the Turners in the center of the group. Most people seemed to be covering up their fear with determination, although the father of one of the smaller girls with us was doing a poor job, his face pale and his eyes wide. Claustrophobic? I wondered. Or just terrified about carrying his little girl into danger? Theres enough fear to go around, I suppose. We ran for several minutes. Sooner than I would have expected, I saw faint light in the distance. We were getting close to the exit of the tunnel, one of the more dangerous moments of our assault. We still didnt know exactly how the treezillas sensed us, but it was clear that they did. Running through the exact same spot hundreds of others had just traversed? We should expect attacks. Not strikes from the branches or roots - not until we got in a little closer - but thrown objects and waves of evil animals. Honestly, I was surprised none had come after us from behind, but wed been moving quickly and our tunnel entrance was a long way away. The hasty nature of our assault unsettled me, but it had its benefits. Floor 2! When you emerge, move back from the treezilla. Stay close to one another, but out of range of the roots and branches. Ill make another Announcement after Ive chosen our route in. Well have the birds and weasels after us as soon as we go out. Be ready to fight! Wed gone over this before, but if I could remind people, why not do it? The energy cost was minimal since I was affecting a relatively small area, and it should keep my group members from getting confused and splitting up. I made sure my own armaments were accessible: my shield and sword, now being wielded in the opposite hands, two iron plates, and two handle-less double-pointed blades Id had custom-made to use as Telekinetic weapons. Floating behind the group was a large section of chain-link fence Id had someone with Improvised Equipment weld together into a stiff rectangle right before wed entered. It wouldnt be too useful against most things, but the treezillas flyers had been reaching us even out at the fire station, and Id confirmed that it was excellent at sweeping the relatively-weak monsters out of the air. Yelling and screaming built in volume as we got closer to the exit. A crash shook the ground above us and dirt drifted down from the ceiling. The tunnel held, but I wished Id kept running alongside my boys. Theyll be fine, Meghan, I told myself. Youll be with them in moments. They- My thoughts cut off as I exited the tunnel. Id thought Id been impressed by the tree before, but I hadnt anticipated how impactful it would be from close up. It was vast, filling every corner of my vision. The whole world is the tree, I thought. It was a stupid thought, born of fear, and I stamped down on it angrily. No, its not! It may be the size of a football stadium crossed with a skyscraper, but its not the size of the whole world. And it wont be, not if we can help it. That tree is probably the biggest living thing on the planet, but were going to kill it. Bk. 4, Ch. 24 - Mistake
The second-largest Threat is coming under attack, and Eldests client is in the area! It looks like you were right on its location, Radial. I was sure it was further south! Let me know what paperwork you want me to handle for you. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe gargantuan tree, the flash and flare of countless Abilities, the ponderously slow motion of a root ripping free of the ground and curling back in preparation for a strike it was a scene that would make anyone stop and stare. A ring of upended and crushed cars, clearly thrown by the tree at the tunnel exit, did nothing to make the view less nightmarish, especially since one had somehow caught fire and was billowing ugly black smoke into the air. The area around the tunnel exit had been a mix of residential and commercial, but now it was all churned up earth and rubble, with the occasional flat patch of pavement only emphasizing the uneven surface everywhere else. Announcements from other team leaders and assistants bounced through my head distractingly, and illusory symbols that were likely meant to help direct groups through the chaos only added to the visual mess. I felt like Id emerged into the epic finale of some big-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Im supposed to find a safe route through that?! Picking our route was supposed to be a privilege, granted partly due to Colonel Zwerinskis trust in my judgment, and partly out of consideration for our groups vulnerable younger members. The rest of the group leaders hadnt gotten a choice: most had been ordered to fan out to the left or right. The Ground Team had instead been ordered to charge directly toward the tree. Staying grouped up would have let us protect ourselves more easily from the tiny monsters, but the tiny monsters were almost a non-issue. They were easy to take out and any strike they landed could be healed in instants. The roots and branches of the treezilla were far more problematic, ponderous immensities that would be near-impossible to block and were now largely immune to damage. Even if we could have damaged them, wed been ordered not to go out of our way to do so. The Ground Team would need to cut a hole through the outer bark, and there were apparently some barriers inside the tree that wed need to destroy in order to reach the heartvein. The trees regeneration would hopefully have progressed enough while we ran through the tunnel that all of that would be possible, but if not, Colonel Zwerinski would be calling a retreat soon. It would have been nice if we could have run more tests, but the ammunition for the howitzers was far from unlimited and we hadnt been sure how much damage wed be able to deal before the tree went immune. Since the shells were too large to fit inside a Minor Matter Replicator, every single one had been restored by hand. If we had to, we could repeat our barrage one more time - largely because we hadnt been able to hurt the treezilla as much as wed hoped - but doing so would leave us with almost none left to deal with future Threats or unpleasant surprises. So, here we were, trying to spread out and dodge slow-moving limbs as wide as semi trucks as we pirouetted our way across a crazy death field. Micah had been waiting for me near the exit. He backed up against me, hands held up near his face. He didnt need to use his hands to cast his abilities, and wed practiced doing it without motion, but he still fell back on using gestures when he could. Mom? Which way are we going? I swallowed a moment of panic at the realization that I hadnt yet figured that out. I havent been frozen for long. Analyze says Ive only been out of the tunnel for five seconds, even if it feels like longer. Still, standing around wont help. Lets see The middle is actually still too dense with people. Some of the teams that were supposed to go left or right didnt go far enough. We should circle around. The right side is actually a little thinner. More of the branches on that side are still up, but I dont know if that matters much Well be within range for all the branches after weve gone 100 feet anyway. Right. Lets go! Floor 2! Circle around to the right. Follow the orange star symbols to help you keep your heading. BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS! Its better to go the wrong way than to take a hit. If you see arrows on the ground, MOVE. Unless the treezilla is coming for you, dont rush. Conserve your energy! I made the announcement mentally, but I used my actual voice to talk to my sons. Alright, boys. Stay close. Slow and steady. Ill keep the birds off us; you two are on weasel duty. It was no accident that Id assigned them the job that would have them keeping a closer eye on the ground while I focused on the sky. If me or anyone else with Basic Hologram saw something - there were three others in our assault force - wed be putting arrows down telling people to dodge. It should be fine, if we were quick enough: each limb could hit an area hundreds of feet long but less than twenty feet wide, and even if they were fast, their size meant they took several seconds between starting their windup for a strike and actually striking. The plan Id discussed with Colonel Zwerinski was to try to keep our force dispersed, so any branch couldnt attack more than four or five people at a time. Dodging should be very doable, as long as our attentiveness and predictions are perfect, and everyone reacts quickly enough to the warnings. The thought was a little hysterical. My memories of playing MMOs in college were full of times people had been too foolish or distracted to move out of clear and obvious danger. People know the stakes are higher, I comforted myself. Theyll be more alert. And the boys and I have our second of Invulnerability. Ive coached them to be ready to use it. I just need to watch for the right time. Something like Cassies Overlay would have been amazing for me here. I could have simply set it to predict impact zones and replicated any warnings it gave me with Basic Holograms almost thoughtlessly. It was an ability Id considered taking, but ultimately decided against. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Eleven choices just wasnt very many. The screams from my left became louder as a root slammed downward toward a small group that clearly wasnt going to get out of the way in time. A soldier I didnt know made it underneath just in time, lifting his arms as if he had some hopes of stopping the implacable force, then vanishing as the branch smacked into the ground. What the hell was that!? A deathwish!? I wondered. Wait maybe he has Invulnerability? I know the Arsenals been trying to get it for everyone they could. I held my breath as the root withdrew, letting it go in relief when I saw the soldier still standing. The root now sported a jagged hole, and the soldier had a bloody gash along one arm. Invulnerability. It must be No way hed have such minor injuries otherwise. He probably hurt his arm as the branch was pulling away. The people hed been protecting were in worse shape, especially one woman with pulverized legs. Still, only one wasnt moving. In the apocalypse, if you were alive, you could probably be saved. Several able-bodied people ran forward before the treezilla could strike again. They lifted the injured victims over their shoulders - even the unmoving one - and carried them toward the tree, leaving the heroic soldier to stumble after them, looking dazed. Stop getting distracted, I admonished myself. If you see a strike, flash some arrows and forget about it if its not nearby. Youll do the most good that way. Resolutely, I marched forward, aiming for a gap between the ruins of two buildings where untended grass and dandelions signaled that the ground was still traversable. I used Basic Hologram to put up a translucent orange star in the air, and was irritated to see several people change direction toward it who definitely werent from my group. Dont clump up, assholes! Dont you dare draw attacks toward my kids! I couldnt think of any way to stop them, not in the midst of this chaos, so I kept my rage to myself and started to jog. We needed to move faster, even if most of the ground wed have to cover was unreliable. Come on, boys. Gavin, take the lead. Stay close, but find a good path for the rest of us. Gavins tail and extreme levels of physical enhancement meant that loose rubble and unstable terrain held no danger for him, and he was always moving slower than his top speed. At my command, he scampered ahead, expression uncharacteristically serious. Maybe I ought to have ordered our escorts to take the lead, but from what Id seen, their physical synergies werent as extreme as Gavins. They could protect him by helping Micah and me keep Gavin safe from the waves of little monsters. My section of fencing hovered over Gavins head, keeping the little flyers off his head while he focused his attention downward, carefully pushing on fragments of cement and splintered 2x4s, making sure they didnt shift under pressure. Micahs sparkling Shockwalls froze any of the weasels that went for Gavin, with my boys escorts sniping out the stunned rodents with a mix of abilities and gunfire. I had to slow my jog intermittently as I climbed over ruins and picked my way through fields of rubble, but sending Gavin out ahead had helped us make good time and let me split my focus enough to watch for the devastating attacks of the giant tree. I knew it could throw things, just like its smaller counterparts, but it wasn''t doing it much now that there were so many targets within easy smashing range. The roots - which smaller treezillas had used to grab and trip - were instead being used just like the branches. Id put up warning arrows four six several times, but Id stopped watching the outcomes. I couldnt spare the focus, mental or emotional: put up arrows, listen for crash, let arrows fade. Done. The first time the tree targeted us, we were in a blessedly flat area. I saw it coming and put the arrows on the ground. Gavin escaped the area in an eyeblink, his tail wrapping around Micah and I and dragging us after him in a flat-out run that meant the strike hit almost twenty feet behind us. I was hit by a spray of dust and pebbles, but my enhanced physique kept me from suffering any harm. Our escorts made it to safety too, if not by such a comfortable margin. Damn. Maybe Gavin should carry us the whole way? No. He needs to have his tail available to help him balance. He can grab us in an emergency. Plus, we need the whole group there. Getting to the tree ourselves but leaving the other parents and kids to fend for themselves theres no point to that. Well be out of the roots effective attack range soon. They cant seem to bend up enough to attack anything too close to the tree. Then well only have to worry about the branches. Almost there. Gavin dropped us and scurried ahead. He paused for a moment in confusion, then looked back to me for guidance. One of the treezillas severed limbs was lying on the ground to our right. Even withered, it formed a vast, curving barrier wed have to jump or climb over. Straight ahead of us was the ruins of what looked like a gas station, the wreckage of pumps splattered with the glistening sheen of oil. To our left was a pit, possibly left behind by the churning of the treezillas roots. Not the pit. The gas station? No. Things are difficult enough without being coated in grease, and we can''t spare the energy to Cleanse it away. One choice, here. I lifted a hand, pointing at the fallen branch, and he leapt atop it easily before reaching down to help Micah and me up. Our escorts followed us up, some under their own power, some with Gavins assistance. I paused for a moment, using my elevation to get a better view of Floor 2s team. I cant see everyone but I dont think weve lost anyone yet. A little girl and her mother were running toward me, just barely behind my family. Gavin helped both them and the Turners over before hopping down to the ground on the far side. I could see the other two small kids and their families a little farther back, and Malia and her brother bringing up the rear. I didnt see Malias dad, but he was probably hidden by the half-intact wall nearby. One of the soldiers jogging alongside Malia lifted an arm to wave me forward, and I nodded, following my sons down. Good. Hell be able to help people over, if anyone needs it. Most people ought to be able to manage this climb themselves, although it might be tricky. We just need to make it a little further. We can follow the other side of the branch for the next hundred feet, and thatll protect our left side. Id barely started moving before I realized my mistake. There was a long line of unbroken land next to the fallen branch, a smooth and inviting path that took us closer to the treezilla. Unfortunately, that path was narrow, with the ruins of a burger joint and torn-up landscape hemming us in on the other side. We had nowhere to dodge, and another branch was dropping toward us. Bk. 4, Ch. 25 - Boom
Does anyone have an accurate count on the attack forces Intensifiers? Or a good estimate for how many Shards will be required to take down a Threat of this size? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensGroup up! Get close to someone with Invulnerability and get down! I dashed toward my boys as I made my panicked Announcement, coating the ground in red arrows oriented toward my position. It was a major effort from one of my weaker abilities, but this was an emergency. With my 360-degree vision, I could see everyone looking at me in shared panic. George, Priya, the kids, and myself all had a second of Invulnerability, and many of the soldiers ought to as well. The Arsenal had been prioritizing acquiring Invulnerability since wed discovered it a few days prior. I wondered if some of us ought to hold back and save our Invulnerability for later, but I discarded the thought immediately. There was no time to organize something like that, and even if there had been, the image of the too-still body being dragged away from the other root was fresh in my mind. We had a lot of people to protect. Samar, another little girl. My sons. Overkill is fine. Just let it be enough. A dozen of us lifted our arms as the world grew dark, and I waited as long as I could bear to activate my Invulnerability. Even though I was pretty sure I had just seen Invulnerability save a man minutes before, part of me was convinced I was about to die anyway, victim of a cruel joke or mistranslation. My fingers met the bark first, one hand intact, the other maimed, but both held overhead, tiny against the ponderous weight falling upon us. I would have flinched if Id been able to move, but activating Invulnerability had left me unable to twitch. I was frozen with my face tilted upward and my eyes held open. The tree was pulverized as it met my fingertips, splinters and dust ricocheting off my frozen body almost too quickly to perceive, obscuring my vision in a split second. My rearview eyes stayed clear a microsecond longer. Micah had thrown himself on top of Gavin, crablike, staring up at the tree while using his body to shield his brother. Even the shadows cast by our impending doom couldnt hide the terror on his face. I had just enough time to catch what I thought was the sheen of an invulnerability shield before I lost sight of them. Be okay, I prayed. I was enveloped by darkness, my body plunging inside the bulk of a branch like a well-hammered nail. For a moment, nothing else happened. I had just started to wonder how long a second really was when the invulnerability dropped. My fingers cried out in immediate agony, and I started to drop before stiffening. No! I cant let it hit my kids. Theres no way I can hold this branch up, though Its so huge Shouldnt it already be resting on the ground? Its not, though! The branch dominated my Life Sense, but I could still dimly feel others around me. Several stood upright, helping me bear the weight of the monstrous tree limb. Others were rolling or squirming around on the ground, confirmation that, somehow, incomprehensibly, wed halted the branchs descent. I braced myself resolutely, prepared to tear every muscle and snap every bone in my body before I let the weight fall. Sawdust still swirled, stinging my eyes whenever I dared open them, but my Life Sense confirmed that my boys were alive. So far. I should have held my arms out to my sides I could have made a larger hole if Id spread my body out more. The fact that the branch stopped doesnt make any sense I should have been focused on tearing a larger hollow for them to shelter in. Something to keep in mind the next time I activate my Invulnerability to keep my family from being crushed by a lumberjacks fever dream Oh, God... When the branch finally began pulling away, I could have collapsed to my knees and wept but there was no time. My kids were still in danger. Floor 2! Run! We need to get out of here before it attacks again! Flyers swooped in to attack the moment the branch lifted away. My section of fencing had been crushed into a twisted mess and half-embedded into the ground. After a quick mental tug, I abandoned it: Telekinesis wouldnt be enough to extricate it, and there was no time to stop and try anything else. Blessedly, my Invulnerability had extended to my clothes and backpack, but that protection had been gone by the time the branch withdrew. There must be a rip in my pack somewhere, because some of my weapons had fallen to the ground behind me. I mentally grabbed what I could and set five items circling above our heads. All of it together was less effective than my single fence panel, but the birds were a minor, distant concern. They could make us bleed, but another hit from the treezilla I scooped up my boys and began running. They made an awkward bundle, but at least my enhanced strength made them feather-light. Pains I hadnt even noticed faded and the fingers of my left hand straightened, making me gasp at a brief flare of pain. Work done, Gavin squirmed his way free of my grip and yanked Micah from my arms. I let him take his older brother, knowing my middle sons focus on the physical made him stronger and faster than even my twelve Abilities made me. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I still sent most of my floating weapons to keep the flyers off his back. For his own part, Micah looked chagrined, but didnt struggle. In general, hed adapted well to his misshapen foot, but hed already stumbled several times during our assault, thrown off by the uneven ground. The retreating bulk of the tree branch was a strong reminder that this was not the time to mess around. Run as fast as you can, Gavin! I yelled, then activated Analyze and scanned the side of the tree, looking for Helen and the Ground Floor team. There! I highlighted their location with an orange star, then frowned as I realized my chosen color stood out poorly against the trees pink bark and redid my hologram to edge the star in a stark black. I couldnt keep up with my boys, but several of the escorts could. The guards had started to use abilities profligately, smoothing terrain and rescuing the fallen. One woman even blasted a massive tunnel through the ruins of the burger joint. The route she cleared wasn''t any wider than the chute we were currently running down, but at least our force would be spread out among two different places. I was all-too-aware that our Invulnerability was spent. From here on out, it was dodge or die. As my boys rocketed ahead, I split my focus, counting up the rest of the group. All the kids whod made it into the doom corridor were still alive, and I saw the two other small children running with their escorts along the top of the fallen branch, a brilliant plan I wished Id thought of. As long as they could keep their footing while they ran, theyd be able to dodge to either side at need. Malia and her family were also atop the branch, but no longer moving forward. They seemed to be arguing with their escorts. They were all still alive, though, so I didnt dwell on them. Wed lost two of our group. Soldiers. Theyd died to my dumb decision. I hadnt even noticed them fade from Life Sense during my panic, but they were glaringly obvious now. My eyes registered them, held against the shoulders of their healthy compatriots, but Life Sense didnt. The space their bodies occupied was hollow and empty. My stupid fault. After Id accepted command. Focus, I chastised myself. Blame yourself later. Its too late for them now, but youve got more than sixty others still counting on you. The branch that had attacked us was easy to pick out, its underside pitted by numerous holes. Now that it had lifted into the air, leaving a rain of splinters and sawdust behind, I could see that it wasnt solid. A thick layer of bark surrounded a criss-crossing framework of internal supports, and those, too, had been damaged. The branch itself was moving slowly and a little erratically, its jerky motions proof that the harm it had suffered was more than cosmetic. It reached maximum height and started to curl back. As it did, I noticed flyers spinning away from the ruined burger joint to my right. Could it be? On instinct, I flashed arrows on the ground, directing people within the area to follow the birds. A soldier vaulted over the remains of a drive-through window with a little girl in her arms, the childs family and other soldiers scrambling just behind. The branch started to fall toward us, but Analyze confirmed that our position was safe. The branch was set to land beside us, exactly where Id predicted. It hit the ground with a deafening boom, pulverizing the ruined restaurant and throwing a hail of debris our way. A flock of birds wheeled back into the space theyd vacated, having dodged the branch by mere inches. I knew it! I knew it! The hit - safely dodged by my allies - bought us a few more seconds of safety as it withdrew. I scanned my Ability-perfect memories of the last several minutes, attempting to confirm what I thought Id realized. It wasnt obvious. The flocks of birds were constantly wheeling, changing direction and focusing on new targets. But I had no memories of a single one being swatted from the air by their monstrous parent. There were so many birds. There was no way that was an accident. Stay under the birds! They know where the tree will hit! Id blasted the Announcement out at my maximum range and stumbled, a wave of exhaustion cutting through my adrenaline. Id been leaning heavily on my least powerful abilities, and it was taking its toll. A soldier scooped me up, throwing me over his shoulder in a firemans carry. It was awkward and undignified, but he was moving faster than I had been. He glanced up from time to time, making sure there were birds overhead. I heard Colonel Zwerinskis voice repeating my Announcement, spreading my warning to the entire battlefield. I saw another branch hit, but its targets were well clear. Watching the birds only gave us an extra two or three seconds of warning, but that was enough to make a large difference. My ride slowed as he reached the base of the tree, and he set me down gently in the large crowd that stood just outside, holding onto me for a second as if making sure I could stand. I patted his hand in thanks and stepped away, glancing inside the entryway. My sons were standing in small cavern, and Micah looked unaccountably delighted. I gave him a little nod of acknowledgement. Yes, kid, I was carried too. His good mood was inappropriate, but he probably hadnt noticed the deaths and I didnt feel inclined to enlighten him. Hed been taking things seriously; scaring him was unnecessary. Helen was keeping a thin collar of stone in place, preventing bark from sealing over the entrance. I peered inside the cavern and saw that the trees interior was filled with the same higgledy-pigglety supporting spars as the inside of the branch. A team with axes were chopping at the supports to varying effect. Sometimes their axes sliced them up easily, but on other strikes the weapons bounced off. My boys escort was inside the tree as well, fending off a constant stream of evil birds and weasels that were emerging from deeper within the treezilla. The trees invulnerability - weve been dealing more damage to it as it attacks us, keeping it very close to the threshold where it wont take damage anymore. Were having to wait for it to regenerate in order to make progress inside. Thats probably why the branch didnt smash all the way to the ground when it attacked us. We damaged it until we took it back to the threshold. Then, for an instant, it was invulnerable and so were we. When our invulnerability dropped, it had already spent its momentum and was just an enormous heavy thing. Helen nodded as she saw comprehension dawn on my face. Yeah. It''s a shame, but people shouldn''t hesitate to keep themselves safe. The branches and roots cant seem to attack inside its own trunk, and we''ve got a little space clear. We can all crowd inside if we have to dodge an attack. Meghan, I have information for you. The colonels voice echoed in my head. I flinched, guilty. Im sorry! I- No time for that. What I wanted you to know was that your Floor 2s team just got seven people smaller. Malias father insisted that his family withdraw to safety, and I ordered Malias personal guards to escort them out of the danger zone. I winced. So we''re down an Intensifier. Have we lost any others? One. I didnt ask the colonel if wed still have enough. I knew he didnt know either. Bk. 4, Ch. 26 - Last-minute adjustments
Its so hard to say. Based on size alone? Id say six or seven twelves. Based on how early this Threat appeared and how quickly it grew? We should start preparing another lawsuit if it takes more than three twelves of Intensifiers. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWe didnt have to wait outside for long. Shortly after wed reached the trunk, the treezillas regenerative capabilities outpaced the damage it was taking, and the axe-wielders began making steady progress on their tunnel. When they sent word back that theyd broken through to the lowest central chamber, people began streaming inside. I held my group back at first, trying to let the higher floors precede us. Not only did they have further to travel before they reached their assigned positions, no one wanted the kids to be the ones to trigger any further nasty surprises the treezilla had in store. Unfortunately, just under 200 people had made it to the base of the tree. Helen had been in touch with Colonel Zwerinski, so we knew that our missing allies werent dead - at least, not most of them - but they were lost, delayed, or stranded in the shattered hellscape that surrounded the base of the tree. Youd better take your group in, Helen told me. Colonels using his eyes in the sky to find paths for the people still out there, and weve got our speedsters on call to guide them in. Youre Floor 2, right? How many from your team should I still be looking for? None, I said. None?! Helens obvious surprise at that answer made me question myself, so I flickered Analyze, making sure. Yeah. Seven of my people retreated and two I shook my head, unwilling to finish that sentence. Anyway. This should be all of us. Maybe four more, if the escorts get their charge clear quickly and come back? Huh. Helen stared at me for a second. At least somethings going right. In you go, then. Two of us dead and seven people retreating is Going right?! I didnt like the sound of that at all. I guess only about two-thirds of us have made it to the treezilla so far But the rest will follow. Wont they? They know the secret to dodging the tree limbs now. That has to help, doesnt it? I exchanged a worried look with the Turners as we headed inside. The necessity of coming here, of bringing our kids here, had been questionable to begin with, a chain of suppositions and fearful predictions, that, yes, had been reinforced by things wed overheard from the space lawyers communications, but werent actually proven. When Id been asked to bring the boys Id felt terrified, unsure whether saying yes or no was more dangerous. Id said Yes, but now Id seen people die and I knew that a full third of our attack force wasnt where it was supposed to be. What if we failed? What if the treezilla was too strong for us to kill? It was an idea that I hadnt let myself fully consider. I still didnt want to dwell on it, but it kept pushing itself into my thoughts intrusively, forcing me to consider all the difficulties and dangers wed face if we had to retreat. And even if we do retreat even if we run all the way back to Huntsville we know the trees already killed at least three more. That means it will be growing at least a little bit faster than my most optimistic predictions. How long will our home be safe? Long enough, hopefully, for the Soundless to offer us another solution for stopping it? But my kids and I are already at maximum Novelty. If they offer us a solution in the next Challenge - and we survive the Challenge - the army will want us right back here on the front lines, likely doing something even worse and more dangerous than what were doing now! And all of Fort Autumn is heading to the next Challenge! Our pylon might be ten times the size! The next treezilla to spawn in our neighborhood might start as big as this one! It might wipe out out instantly! I was starting to hyperventilate. This wasnt acceptable. I jogged forward, using a floating blade to bat aside an evil bird, and grabbed Priyas hand. Little heal, please? I tried to keep my voice light. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Controlled voice or not, I couldnt fool Priyas ability. Her eyes were sympathetic as a tingling pulse spread through my body and my overwhelming levels of adrenaline receded to something more normal. There was a reason Id asked my friend for a heal and not my son. I focused on controlling my breathing as we emerged from the tunnel and moved into an open chamber. It was cavernous, and I use the term intentionally. It reminded me of the rotunda in Mammoth Caves, a massive, vaguely circular area about 100 feet across, with a ceiling about two stories high. Unlike the beautiful rotunda cavern, however, the interior of the treezilla was distressingly organic. The floor and ceiling were largely solid, if bumpy, but the space didnt really have walls, just a transition where the empty cavern was overtaken by the trees insane mess of support struts, a maze that seemed to house an innumerable number of the little minion monsters. In the center of the room was the trees heartvein, a disgusting rough-surfaced column caught in a slow-motion boil. Pink bubbles grew and grew, then popped, releasing the treezillas weasel and bird minions, each of which charged us immediately as soon as they were free. Several people were climbing up the side of the heartvein, and I could tell by the number of people in the chamber that many more had already done so, but there were still over a hundred people milling around uncertainly on the ground floor. I could understand their reluctance to climb something that was actively birthing monsters, but we didnt have much choice. There wasnt anything around but the baby monsters and the treezilla itself, the feel of it heavy, oppressive, and omnipresent on my life sense. There was no stone, metal, or earth plantlife except what we had carried in with us, nothing for a shaper to manipulate. Even if someone was willing to devote energy into shaping a ladder or staircase, anything they made would have to be thin and spindly. Weve come this far, damnit. This is no time for cold feet! Attention, please! Form a line near the column. Floor 2s military attack teams, I want you to stay here for now, picking off any rodents or flyers that get born before they can hurt the climbers. People with Telekinesis, please keep at least one object ready to assist any climbers who slip. If youre not in the first five places in line or actively climbing, please watch for minions coming from the walls of the chamber and take them down. Everyone, MOVE! The crowd shifted at my Announcement, going from an uncoordinated mob to a functioning team in seconds. Some people even took the initiative to improve on the commands I issued. A couple near the front - the parents of one of the small kids, I thought - pressed their backs up against each other, one watching for enemies on each side of the line. In a deep voice, the man shouted Partner up! Back-to-back! Those behind him were quick to follow their example, giving us ample guards on every approach. Something in me relaxed, and my rigidly controlled breathing became easier to maintain. Everyone here had been determined enough to walk through hell: it wasnt a lack of will that had caused the disorganized mess Id walked into, but simple uncertainty. We were surrounded by some of the strongest and bravest people in North Alabama. The Soundless cant make things completely impossible. Fluffy told me that. If its possible to win, we will. The line got moving quickly, but more people were arriving by the second. Id lost most of my iron plates somewhere in the mess outside, but I still had two. I kept my eyes on the climbers, sliding the plates in place to provide support for shaky footholds or to slow a newborn critter long enough for someone else to finish it off. By the time my boys reached the front, I felt confident enough in the system to slip in behind them and ascend to my assigned floor. My missing fingers might have made climbing a challenge if I hadnt been right behind Gavin, who latched his tail around me like a rock climbers safety harness, letting me use my iron plates to support Micahs ascent. When I reached the second floor, I was gratified to see that my team members had already replicated the system below, half watching the walls and the other half focusing on the pillar, enabling those who needed to reach the floors above us to keep climbing unhindered. There was nothing for me to do, no commands that needed to be issued, and I sagged in relief. I kept my iron plates active, but nothing else, not even using up all my Telekinesis slots as I tried to recuperate from my earlier heavy ability use. Eventually, the flow of people slowed, then stopped. The soldiers Id left below ascended the column, joining us. I snapped a Signal stick to get Colonel Zwerinskis attention. Is it go time? Not yet. We just got some last minute reinforcements, I guess? Not sure where they came from, but its three more Intensifiers if we can get the last one inside. Can you hold for ten more minutes? Yeah, easily. I dont know about the other floors. Do you do you need me to send any of our soldiers elsewhere? There was a pause. Then No. Your floor will probably have the most treewalkers, if they appear where we expect them to, and youve got the children in your group. If you can take down your opponents quickly enough, perhaps you can send reinforcements elsewhere. Ill trust your judgment. I nodded, counting on his Clairvoyance to pick up the motion. I raised my voice as much as I could, trying to let it carry to the floors above and below. Well go in ten minutes! Bk. 4, Ch. 27 - It cant be...
Youre right. This could be a big one. Which of our active cases would we drop for it, though? I hate dropping cases C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensTen minutes. We used about three to refresh everyone on the plans wed hashed out before we began our assault, with minor adaptations due to our missing team members. Another one to reassure everyone that Malia and her family were fine, theyd just bailed. Six minutes to do nothing but fend off a stream of negligible assaults from the treezillas minions and try to suppress our anger and fear. Shes a teenager. Marci is seven! And at least two of you have kids around that same age. How could Malias father be so selfish?! Id really like to know, I said. But Im trying not to focus on it. Lets get through the next half-hour and then ask our questions. Hmf! Marcis mom swung a metal baseball bat like a golf club, sending one of the six-footed weasels flying. It bent around one of the spars making up the walls with an audible crack. Meghan, Im reaching out to the commanders. Floor 4 had a natural treewalker spawn while they were waiting. They took it down. Are we going early? No. We dont know enough, so the risk is too high. Ground Floor isnt completely in position yet. If the treewalkers dont spawn on the floor theyre summoned from, starting early might mean the people that are in position get cut to shreds. The Shard of Strength will last another six minutes. Theyll hold it as long as they can. Itll put a little pressure on us to finish off the ones we summon quickly, but But its an extra shard. Yes. Ill make an Announcement after its used, so hold off on yours until then. Right, right. Thanks for the information. I looked around to see Floor 2s team staring at me anxiously. I tried to smile. Okay. Bad news is that were on a clock now. Good news is, well have an extra Shard to hit this thing with. One of the other floors had a treewalker spawn naturally and they took it down and got its Shard. If were on a timer, shouldnt we start now? I shook my head. No. We need to wait to let others get ready. Remember, we dont know for sure that the ones we summon will spawn on our floor. Wont be long! One of Gavins escorts held up a watch. He, and the other escorts, were standing in a tight ring around the kids, while parents and family members were making a looser ring. The attack teams were spread around the room. Its almost time. Remember, when you hear the colonel finish counting down, what do you do? Repeat after you! the kids chorused dutifully. Thats right! Then what? The kids response was more ragged this time. Stay put! Use far away magic! Ranged attacks! Do healing! Those are all good answers, the soldier said. Youre all really brave! If you get scared and need to close your eyes, its okay. Well protect you. Dont get scared if someone picks you up to carry you! I shook my head at Gavin and Micah from behind the mans shoulder. I appreciated the military escorts, and didnt think the mans advice was bad, per se. It would be easier to protect a child huddling in terror than one running away in fear, after all. But I trusted my boys more than anyone else here, with the possible exception of Priya and George. Micah and Gavin were strong, brave, and experienced. I wanted them focused on their own survival, not putting their lives in less capable hands. Micah nodded at me and Gavin gave me a thumbs-up. Floor 2s force was large enough that I would have liked to fight the treewalkers one at a time, focusing our fire to take each down safely and efficiently. Unfortunately, I wasnt confident that all the kids would be brave enough to use their Intensifiers after they saw what it meant. Getting a calm group of kids to chant some words an adult told them to say? Easy. Getting a terrified child to calm down and say anything you wanted them to, let alone the very words that had led to their fear in the first place? Potentially impossible, at least in the narrow time window we had. Once the first treewalker went down, we had seven minutes to use the first Shard of Strength to injure its parent. After that, we wanted to use the rest as quickly as possible, not letting the treezilla regenerate or regain any strength. Id decided wed use our Intensifiers in two waves: the kids first, then the four adults second when we got most of those killed. The adults with Intensifiers - me, Marcis mom, Priya, and George - would go in a second wave when I made an Announcement, or when only one treezilla was left alive on our floor. Id thought about having the adults go one at a time, but Id been in several battles in the past few weeks against the Dragons, against Titans, and inside Challenges. All of them had been very different, but the one thing theyd all had in common was chaos and confusion. I might dream about real-life battles being as controlled and planned as videogame boss fights, but those were just that: dreams. In real life, clear was better. Redundancy was better. Simple was better. Simple plans might survive. Hopefully, wed brought enough people to kill all the treewalkers wed spawn, and wed have enough shards to kill the treezilla. If not, Id have to lead the majority of my group back to the fire station while a few people stayed behind to fight, hoping they could get treewalkers to appear more quickly than the treezilla healed. Theyd get reinforcements eventually, if they lived long enough. The transports that had dropped us off had returned to Huntsville so they could pick up a second wave of troops, but making the round-trip would take them hours. It would be a gruesome battle of attrition, if it came to that. I prayed it wouldnt. I didnt want to lead my boys back through the hellscape outside, and I didnt want to leave our escorts behind to die. Then an Announcement made everyone stiffen. Everyone is in position. Stay away from the walls! Activate intensifiers on my count! Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four Three Two One! Go! The escort raised his voice. Repeat after me, kids. This is too easy! Five voices chorused after him in unison. This is too easy! Micah remained silent as they spoke. Had fear gotten the better of my oldest? I took a deep breath, but before I started speaking, Micah had scrunched his eyes shut tight and started shouting. Youre a cheater, tree! I should be able to burn you up, but since youre cheating, just send out your strongest monsters and Ill turn them into ASHES! In spite of his fierce proclamation, I saw his nervousness. His eyes opened uncertainly and he lifted his bracelet, making sure it had dimmed. It had. On the central column, five large sacs were about to burst and one - Micahs - had just started to swell. I drew a handgun from the holster at my hip and used Basic Hologram to highlight one sac with a circle of inward-pointing arrows. The first five sacs burst simultaneously and I fired, activating Assisted Strike to compensate for my awkward left-handed grip. Three dozen other guns fired at the same time, along with a hail of supernatural attacks. Not everyone was a crack shot, but more than half of the people hit the target Id indicated, a rapid thud-thud-thud of attacks that chewed their way through its trunk. The kill wasnt instantaneous, but our combined assault held the monster in place, jerking and twitching through hit after hit until the monster itself dissipated, dropping a familiar amber teardrop on the ground. I snatched it with Telekinesis, dragging it back toward me. We should still have a few minutes before Floor 4 used their first Shard, and we wanted to hit the tree as hard as we could in as tight a window as we could. I didnt want some well-meaning soul from my floor to trigger our assault early. Soldiers from our attack groups had intercepted the four remaining treewalkers, distracting them from charging toward our vulnerable group of children. In spite of our overwhelming numbers, it was a risky job, and I saw one of them take a blow to the side of the head that sent her flying into the wall. Before anyone else could react, Gavin darted out through a gap in our escorts legs and stretched out his tail to brush it against the prone soldier before turning and scampering back into the middle of the group, giving me a guilty look. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I glared at him, but not a true Mom Stare, more of an Im watching you, buster! His tails reach meant that hed reached the injured soldier seconds before anyone else could, and hed stayed out of reach of the treewalkers and returned to the safety of the group. If he felt the need to do that again, I would trust him. Depending on how injured the soldier had been, those seconds might have been the difference between healable and not. Gavins quick action had clearly been enough, this time. The soldiers helmet - not military gear like her fatigues, just a motorcycle helmet - had been broken, but she was clearly fine despite her blood-streaked hair, rolling to her feet and heading back into the fray. I flashed another arrow over the monster farthest to the right, trying to coordinate our assault. Micahs belated treewalker hatched as well, but as it dropped toward the floor a bright-white bar of focused heat sprung into being beneath it and chewed deeply into its bark. I could see Micah swaying and blinking, clearly exhausted from the effort, but hed gotten good at knowing his own limits. He remained awake. Remained standing. The treewalker was still standing as well, but flames licked the edges of the deep gouge and smoke billowed from its interior. It shouldnt take much more to take it down. Great work, boys. I couldnt help but wish I could have more of an impact myself. The holograms directing our fire were helpful, but the handgun I held - and was now fumbling to reload - was my best source of damage. My Telekinetic objects were too weak to block treewalker strikes, so using them to attack was a dicey proposition. If I brought a blade in and a treewalker struck it away with enough speed, I couldnt halt it instantly. Anyone in the path of the blade before I regained control No. I was confident Paralyze would have been excellent, but, like Micah, I knew my limits; I was closer to them than Id like. The treewalkers were large and strong. I was certain I could halt one strike, but I wasnt certain Id be awake afterward. I was in command. Even though one of the soldiers had been assigned as my second-in-command, passing out could cause confusion and uncertainty. Even if that person was perfectly competent - which Colonel Zwerinski had cast doubt on - that confusion could easily lead to needless deaths. If I had to exhaust myself to save my own life or that of a child, I would. Everyone else was on their own. It was a cold judgment. Maybe a cruel one? But logical. I split my focus in a way I never could have before this started, re-loading my gun with the assistance of my Telekinetic abilities and steadily firing off each bullet with an Assisted Strike, marking targets for the group, and directing my other Telekinetic objects toward slowing and taking down the constant influx of six-legged weasels and flesh-colored-flyers. One treewalker left, I realized. Adults with Intensifiers! Go! I took a deep breath, obeying my own order and screaming out my taunt: Were doing well! This is too easy to threaten us! I heard Priya and George make similar pronouncements. Marcis mother was hunched, holding her daughter, but since four more oversized sacs had begun growing on the heartvein, I presumed shed done her job. Intensifier used, Priya dashed forward to join the frontline, using her sword to cut off the tip of a root that was snaking around to yank a soldier off his feet. I didnt like seeing her rush into danger, but shed probably been feeling even more useless than I as she waited on the backlines. It had been important to make sure she was healthy and ready to use her Intensifier, but now she could take higher risks. Were doing well, I realized. Several injuries, including three from stray bullets, but no ones died since we entered the chamber. No kids have been hurt, except that one slash a bird made to Gavin''s tail the last time he rushed out of the group, and he healed that right away. The last treewalker faded just as four more burst out from their sacs. I chose one for the group to focus. Despite insisting that the battle wasnt like a videogame, I couldnt deny that it felt familiar - all the ranged clumped up far away with the healers and a limited number of defenders tasked to pick up adds. Tanks and off-tanks holding the monsters a safe distance away as I called out targets for focus fire. As pleased as I was with how controlled our battle was, I couldnt forget that the other floors were fighting almost as many treewalkers with far less numerous forces. I sheathed my gun and reached into the left pocket of my puffer vest, snapping one of the Signal sticks Id made sure to keep handy. There was a seconds wait, and then the Colonel was in my mind. Problem? Your floor seems controlled. It is, I said. I think well have ours down soon and be able to send forces elsewhere. Where are they needed? Ground floor? Third. The answer came instantly. Theyve had two extra treewalkers appear during their fight and Oh, hell. His voice faded from my mind for the merest second before blasting in again with a stentorian roar. Hurry! First shard has been used. Take down your foes as quickly as possible, then move to help other chambers if you can. Give it everything youve got! If we can take down the heartvein, the minions will die with it. I gathered up the Shards of Strength Id been collecting and dealt them out to Gavin and Micahs escorts. If I gave you a shard, youre on delivery duty! Slam it into the heartvein, then CLIMB. Third Floor team needs help. Fast! I saw the other parents give me concerned looks, but I technically hadnt sent their childrens escorts away. If the third floor fails, we all fail, I snapped. We cant let that happen. Either we take this thing out in the next few minutes, or we have to take our kids back through that nightmare outside. Marcis mom stared at me for a second, then seemed to steel herself. She nodded to her daughters escorts. Go help. Marci and I have been through worse. George hesitated, casting a glance toward the melee, where Priya had just taken a treewalker branch to the side. Then he followed suit, dismissing all of Samars guardians. The other parents each sent only one of their kids escorts away, clearly struggling to balance multiple kinds of fear. With over twenty people gone, the battle on our floor changed. More of the ranged group was focused on dealing with our own attackers, and we were providing less assistance to the melee team. Before, wed been taking out the vast majority of the weasels and flyers before they came within ten feet of us. Now, that ratio had reversed, with most of our attackers going down to swords or hammers. This must be what its been like for the other floors all along, I realized as I raised my shield to block a flyer. Even the ranged group started to take injuries. Not severe ones. Nothing Gavin and the other healers in our group couldnt deal with. For now. Several times, weasels dashed through the legs of distracted defenders, and I started using Draw Attention and Paralyze to keep the kids safe. The kids may not have needed my protection. Micah was exhausted, but Gavin was still alert, whipping his tail toward each monster that drew near. Almost every time, however, he was beaten to the punch by Marci. The blonde-haired little girl popped out retractable claws and dove onto each little monster with a growl, sinking her fingers into their sides and throats. Alien blood would paint her hands and face for a brief moment before vanishing. Agonizingly slowly, we chipped away at the last three treewalkers. I had a few more pouches of gunpowder in my backpack, but I hesitated: setting off an explosion in the center of one of the monsters could easily send shards of wood everywhere at bulletlike speeds before the monsters dissipated. Finally, we took the last one down, the last Shard slamming into the heartvein. Its still alive! called one of the soldiers, his voice alarmed. Theyre still fighting on other floors! Go help! I shouted. I had no idea if I was telling the truth, but I prayed I was. Then, suddenly, with no warning, all the small monsters vanished. The soldiers jogging toward the heartvein stopped. Did we win? I had no such doubts. The constant ominous presence of the treezilla and its children had suddenly vanished. To my eyes, nothing had altered, but to Life Sense, it was like the sun had come out. Yes! I shouted in relief. We won! We won! Gavin was on me in an instant. Dont cry, Mommy! I hugged him, sniffing. Sorry, buddy I guess I was pretty scared. He eyed me suspiciously. Well, you seemed really brave. I patted his back. Go check the rest of the people on our floor. Some of them need healing. Oh! Right! My little monkey scampered off, dashing and leaping across the room, wounds vanishing in his wake as his tail flickered back and forth. I wasnt worried for him. My Life Sense range was huge now, and for the first time since Id received my Specialty, I couldnt feel monsters anywhere. Micah leaned on me. Is it really dead, Mom? Its not faking? Its not faking. I- Treezilla down! Too tired for a big Announcement. Meghan, can you send your healers downward? Ground Floor has several individuals in critical condition. Ohhh, shoot. It is faking?! I shook my head, trying to calm him as I raised my voice. Healers! Down to the ground floor! They handled their treewalkers, but theyve got a lot of severely injured people. Micah frowned at me. Why didnt he say that? Hes too tired for another big Announcement. Were pretty far from him, you know. Thats why I didn''t use my Announcement either. Oh, okay. My oldest and I leaned on each other as we made our way to the central column. I let the healers go first, and, on autopilot, started to follow. The moment I tried to lift my hands away from the flat surface of the floor to grab the tiny grips on the heartvein, I realized my mistake. The tiny ridges on the column hadnt gotten any easier to grab after the treezillas death, and my younger son hadnt seemed to notice my earlier shout. Gavin was rocketing around the room, flipping across the ceiling like a circus acrobat, repeating We won! We won! in a singsong celebration. Gavin! Hes not paying attention, Mom, Micah said. He took a few steps away from me and shouted at his brother. Gavin, you need to heal people! And you need to help Mom climb down. Her hand is hurt. Gavin started making his way over, but too slowly for my taste. Plus, I wasnt going to let Micah get away with his jab, true though it may have been. Gavin! Get over here! I want you to help Micah climb down. Micah scoffed. He opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but was interrupted by a shout from below. MEGHAN!? I jumped. That sounded like it cant be A glimpse at Micahs face shattered my denial. An echo of my own hope, fragile and terrified, was writ large across his features. Suddenly I was falling. I hadnt even noticed losing my grip, but as I dropped below the floor level, the lower chamber came into view, a figure rocketing across it almost too fast to see. But that voice the flash of black hair It wasnt possible, but He caught me. My husband. Bk. 4, Ch. 28 - "Youre pretty late"
I dont think well need to! Didnt you hear? Donations have been at an all-time high lately, and headquarters is interviewing more support staff. Were expecting to double our number of researchers and advocates! It wont increase our number of people we can send down to the Clothes-lovers planet, but each of us will be able to manage many more cases. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI lifted my left hand cautiously, touching his face, not quite believing he wasnt some phantom or hologram. My fingers passed through the crown on his brow. It wasnt real, a hologram. But Gavins was too. This looked just like Gavins, if slightly shinier. I could feel his forehead beneath my fingers, even if I couldnt feel the crown. Vince? Is that really you? He was staring at me with the same wondering disbelief that I felt. Im not too late. His chest rumbled with a half-suppressed sob. Im not too late! Above me, Micah screamed. DAD! Gavin, come on! Its DAD! In a flash, Gavins face appeared at the hole. He barely paused after catching sight of us, grabbing Micah in his arms and dragging him downward, his tail lashing around me and Vince? Around me and Vince? Gavin caught his fall before I could truly worry, lowering himself slowly toward us. Dad! Do you see my super tail! Im a true champion! Youre pretty late getting home from your business trip. Really late, Micah agreed. Mom was really worried. We had to teach her aikido. It really was Vince. The boys could see him too. I hadnt snapped, this wasnt a hallucination. Somehow, impossibly, this was real, even if he looked slightly unreal. The tears streaming down his face made sense - hed never been the kind to hide his emotions - but his eyes were overlarge. Different. An augment, I realized. Its really him. Its just some augment. Vince had looked away from me to stare upward, and when he spoke again, it was a shocked, disbelieving whisper. The boys, too? You kept the boys Wheres Cassie?! I laughed, not at his worry. Not at anything, really. Shes fine. Shes not here! Shes safe with Pointy. Pointy? I shook my head, trying to control myself. Youve missed a lot. Im so sorry, Vince our house is- He clutched me tight. Who gives a shit about a house? You guys are my home! Youre all alive?! Youre all really alive? I nodded. Then you protected everything that mattered. I looked down, meeting his eyes with the extra one on the top of my head. Were all a little different. Me too. Do you care? No. Me neither. I just wanted to get back to you guys. He reached upward, dragging the boys down to us. Whatever we have to face, I want to face it together. He followed the words up with a fierce kiss. His body and face may have been different, but somehow, the taste of his kisses was exactly the same. When he finally broke away from me, I realized that Id started sobbing somewhere along the lines. He started to apologize, concerned that hed hurt or upset me, but that wasnt it. I wasnt crying from sadness, but from utterly overwhelming levels of happiness and relief. I couldnt even get control of myself enough to speak, so I pressed more kisses to his face and chest as I bawled, counting on my actions to communicate what I could not. When Colonel Zwerinski anxiously checked in on me a few minutes later, I was still pretty incoherent. Fortunately, my stumbling explanation was largely unnecessary Gavin was clinging to the top of Vinces head like some kind of weird souvenir hat and shouting as loud as he could: My Dad is back! My Dad is back! The colonel got the idea, offering shocked congratulations and leaving us in peace. Then the Turners climbed down and we got to go through the whole same disbelief-to-delight spectrum with them, if slightly faster. We walked over to sit next to Vinces co-workers, who had all somehow survived too?! Davi had joined Zetadyne officially only a few months before the apocalypse hit, but shed done two internships with them while still in college and been a regular face at our house for board game nights throughout. Seeing her battered and laid out on the floor had taken my breath away, but Gavin had been quick to dash over. He frowned for a moment and I saw a cut across her face shrink into nothingness. Then he smiled up at me. Shes okay! Just sleepy. As far as the rest of his co-workers John I didnt really remember, although Vince insisted Id met him. Kurt wasnt here, but was supposedly okay and nearby. I was happy to see Byron, but I was glad he was distracted by his grandma and cousin? I was sure there was a story there, but it was honestly really hard to care about such trivial details. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Who gave a shit? Vince was alive. He was home. Or close enough. After a brief reunion, Byron and the Turners gave us space. Actually, everyone did, busy with god-knows-what. I wondered, briefly, if they needed my help, but I pushed the thought away. Wed done enough. This moment was ours. Oh man, I cant wait to tell Cassie! Micah said, leaning against his father, not complaining as Vince squeezed him tight against his side. We should find a way to really surprise her. I think shes going to be really surprised no matter what, Micah, I laughed. Yeah, Gavin said. But she wanted to come anyway. Now she will be REALLY mad we didnt take her. She wont want to stay home next time. Next time you fight a tree thats a third the size of an aircraft carrier? Vince had clearly intended to sound amused, but his voice was shaky, and his grip tightened around my mangled hand. Hed obviously noticed the missing fingers, but he hadnt asked me about it yet. I still had no idea how hed gotten here, either. I was sure that we would get around to figuring out the Hows and the Whens and the Whats of the past few months, but we hadnt yet, simply enjoying the present. Still as reluctant as I was to let go of the moment and focus on the grim reality, his comment was one I had to respond to. It might happen, I said softly. Next week, odds are that Cassie will have an Intensifier, too. How? No More importantly if she does, youd bring her to something like this? I was sure he hadnt meant to sound accusing, but I still felt my shoulders hunch defensively. What else can we do? Colonel Zwerinski said we only had two Shards left when this treezilla died. If Id left the boys at home, if Priya and George hadnt brought Samar If it hadnt knocked us out of the sky Me and Byron and Davi all have Intensifiers too. You would have been one short. Vince frowned, his face tight and pale. Didnt someone say that the treewalkers would spawn on their own? Sure. But do they appear faster than the tree regenerates? How much faster? It certainly would have drawn out the battle, and I lifted a hand, gesturing to the rows of sleeping bodies nearby. Theyd been healed of all their injuries, but exhaustion couldnt be healed. Thered been several here when we entered, but now 13 people were asleep, the others having been carried down from the upper floors. Casualties would have been higher. Even if the fight had lasted only a minute more. My husband didnt respond to that immediately. Instead, Gavin spoke up from his place on Vinces lap, voice quiet. I tried to heal a guy on the floor after we came down here and I couldnt. He wasnt alive anymore. Im sorry I didnt come down faster. I was happy we won and I thought things were okay. I let go of Vinces hand to grab Gavins. Ohhh, no, sweetie. Thats not your fault. It- Vince interrupted me. That man died in the middle of the fight. You couldnt have gotten to him in time. Gavin craned his neck to peer up at his father suspiciously. Vince met his eyes, his free hand joining mine on Gavins. I have Healing Touch, too, and I checked him as soon as he got hurt. It would have been my job to fix him, and I was still too late. My middle sons face scrunched up as he stared at his father, seemingly undecided about something. Finally, he looked away, wiggling down further in Vinces lap. I still feel really sad. I dont like when people are hurt, but I like to fix them. That guy is just going to be broken forever. It is really sad. I gave his hand a squeeze. Did He wasnt the only one that died, right Mom? Micah asked hesitantly. There was a guy with a crazy beard with us at the fire station and I didnt see him after we got inside the tree. Why the hell are you kids so observant?! I swallowed. No. He wasnt the only one. Was it a lot of people? How many? Two from our floor. Fourteen people total from the attack force. I wouldnt have volunteered the information, but there was no point in lying. If Micah was curious, he would be able to find out. I was certain a memorial would be put up in Fort Autumn. In fact, if no one else was organizing it, Id do it myself. The names of the two dead Id been responsible for were seared into my memory: Greg Horne and Jamie Moore. Even my delight at my husbands miraculous return couldnt fully banish the twisting worms of guilt. I wonder if they have any family in the area. I wonder if theres anything I can do? Or should do? Whats the etiquette when your stupid mistake gets someones loved one killed? Vince bumped his shoulder against mine. Hey, whats that? I recognize that look. Youre blaming yourself, arent you? Cut it out. Its not your fault. Its not like you were responsible. Micah spoke up before I could. Uh she actually was the one in charge of our floor, Dad The look of shock on Vinces face almost made me laugh. But I thought there was a colonel wasnt this a military operation? Mom gets to be the boss of lots of things, Gavin chimed in. This one was bad, though. Worse than the dinosaur war. The dinosaur war? Wait, you three had to go to that Challenge? I heard almost no one survived! It wasnt worse than the dinosaur war, Micah argued, glaring at his brother. You were asleep for most of that. How would you know? I was awake for all the dinosaur parts! There weren''t any dinosaur fights after I went to sleep! Mom said! Yeah, but you slept through all the volcano parts. There was lava everywhere. Gavin matched Micahs glare, rebellious. Not where we were. Almost! Vince looked back and forth between his sons standoff, clearly having a hard time believing what he was hearing. Finally, he looked up at me. I gave him a helpless shrug. Weve been busy. He nodded, slowly. Tell me about it? Please? Bk. 4, Ch. 29 - Trembling
If headquarters is already interviewing more support staff, donations must have gone up before the Threats appeared. They must have increased even more in the past few time increments! What will we even do with so much funding? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWhere should I start? Should I tell him how wed gotten here, to the treezilla? Fill him in on the reality of the dinosaur Challenge? How wed started working with the military? He didnt even know about Fort Autumn! Or Pointy! How on earth was I going to explain Pointy? Meghan? Id been quiet for several seconds. Sorry! Sorry I just You know, I thought about you all the time. I missed you every day. But in all the time youve been gone, I never once tried to figure out how Id explain all this to you. Seeing you again was a daydream, not a plan. Vince laughed, but it was a sad sound. Thats fair. It was hard enough keeping a group of adults alive. Anytime I started thinking about you and the kids, it was hard not to panic. At first, Id hoped youd stumbled onto someone elses food cache and bunkered up. Then the Mandatory Trials started and he shuddered. I tried not to think about it too much. You must be really surprised to find us here, then, Micah said, sweeping one hand in a gesture that encompassed the webbed pink roof, the labyrinthine spars that stood in for walls, and the buzzing crowd of soldiers and civilians crawling through the corpse of the largest monster any of us had ever seen. Vince took a moment to look around, then chuckled. No kidding. Are you guys sure youre not a dream? Dad! Micah groaned, slumping down against his fathers side. Gavin wrapped his tail around Vinces mouth. Thats not funny, Daddy! Fwowwy, Vince responded, his voice muffled. Gavin withdrew and my husband cleared his throat, looking unusually ashamed of his teasing. He generally didnt hesitate to make dad jokes or give the kids a hard time, but that gibe had been a little too real for all of us. Start anywhere, Meghan. Start at the beginning. Weve got all the time in the world. I found you guys again: youre stuck with me forever, now. It took a long time to fill him in, and of course we needed to hear from him, too. We talked in the treezillas corpse until Davi and John woke. We talked while we walked through the battlefield and picked up his teams belongings from the wreck of a blimp, of all things. We talked while we walked back to the fire station and met up with Kurt to wait for a ride back to Huntsville, and we talked the whole slow ride back, only pausing when we reached the Arsenal and were ushered inside a large building where wed been told Flip and Cassie would meet us. Along with everyone else who''d fought the treezilla, we were led into a large cafeteria filled with captivating aromas. The Arsenal had found and killed a cow and was preparing all the meat as a thank-you for everyone whod fought. Burgers. Brisket. Steaks of all kinds. I stopped cold for a second as I caught the scent of freshly-cooked beef, so enticing and strange and normal that I had to take a second to nervously squeeze Vince''s hand to be certain I wasn''t dreaming. But no, he was real. This was real. Reassured, I allowed myself to relax, salivating at the delicious smells and enjoying, for a moment, a world that was suddenly so much less terrible than what I''d gotten used to. It wasn''t just meat the Arsenal had prepared, either. Theyd gotten fresh vegetables and actual butter to cook them in. There were fluffy white rolls and golden-brown cookies with glistening half-melted chocolate chips. Gavin had grabbed a whole plateful and was trying to eat as many as he could before I noticed and stopped him, while Micah glared at him disapprovingly over a plate of green beans and broccoli. Id have to make sure Micah knew it was okay to eat his fill of cookies. I wasnt going to stop Gavin. Not today. Let him make himself sick on cookies! Hed earned it. This was a clever move on Yoshiros part, I thought. Hell probably need a lot of volunteers in the future, and a feast like this isnt something people will forget quickly. Not these days. It wouldnt affect my decision making, personally. My kids safety was the only factor affecting my decisions. But even I had to admit it was an amazing bonus. Every bite took me back to a time when my biggest worries were missing doctor appointments. Stolen story; please report. Its like eating the American Dream, I moaned as I picked up another bite of filet. Eh, not as good as pavemimic, Vince said. What? Before he could answer, the slap of running footsteps and a familiar little girls voice interrupted us. Daddy! Im gonna see my Daddy! Daddys home! Flip opened the door, craning her neck to look down the hallway. Wrong way, Cassie! Hes in here! Vince and I set down our plates and sprung anxiously to our feet. A hush fell over the crowd as everyones attention was drawn to the entrance. People had been very good about giving us space, but they''d been staring at me and Vince and the boys from a distance, talking about us. I understood. Vince and his friends had made a frankly unbelievable journey and given the Arsenal a way to get in touch with people as far away as New Mexico. On top of that, our family was fairly well-known, and our reunion had given a lot of people hope about eventually reconnecting with their own relatives and friends. Oops! One more clatter of little footsteps, then Cassie dashed into the room. She looked around excitedly, Pointy squeezed tight to her chest. Vince dropped down to a squat, opening his arms wide, tears welling in his eyes. Cassie! My little girl had overlooked him initially, but when he spoke, she turned her head back to him and stood frozen, staring. Vince waited patiently. Cassies lip started to tremble. The room waited for her to run to my husband, like the emotional finale of a cheesy feel-good movie. Vinces fingers drooped slightly at the same moment my eyes widened. It would be easy for a stranger to look at Cassie and interpret her high emotions as relief or excitement, but we knew our daughter, and she- YOURE NOT MY DADDY! Cassie screamed. She turned, putting her back to Vince and nestling her face against Flips thigh even as she lifted one hand to hit the older woman repeatedly, her enhanced strength making the pilot wince with every slap. That was a mean trick! Mean, mean, MEAN! I was really happy. Sweetie! No! Its him! I ran forward. Vince was right behind me, but Cassie made an agonized noise and threw herself at me, keeping my body in between her and Vince. He doesnt look right! Hes not Daddy! Vince looked agonized, frozen in uncharacteristic indecision, like he wanted to scoop her up but was terrified of upsetting her more. Its him, sweetheart. Lots of people look different. Gavin has a tail now, right? She sobbed, not responding. And Ms. Priya is yellow, yes? Its not Daddy. I met Vinces eyes and shrugged, helpless. He shook his head, equally at a loss. Wait! George ran up to Vince. Let me try something. May I? Vince gave a jerky nod, nonplussed, and George swiped a hand in front of his lower face, Cleansing away the untidy beard my husband had grown, leaving only his bare skin and customary stubble. Shards of beard hair drifted to the ground like the worlds ugliest confetti. There! See! The difference was actually shocking. Now that I could see him without it, I had to admit that the slightly-curly beard had made his face look bigger, squarer, and a bit savage. His hair was still different, more like his wild mop from college than the professionally short do hed sported in recent years, but His eyes are wrong. Cassie''s whisper was fierce and mistrustful as she peeked around me. She still wasnt coming out, but she was looking at him now. Thats an ability I took, Vince said. Hed dropped down to a squat again, and was speaking to her softly. Im sorry I look different, but it helped me get home. Are you really Daddy? I am. Its me. Cassie stared at him, her face scrunched and angry, her fingers digging into me. She stared at him and whispered something else, too quiet for anyone to catch. What was that, Cassie? Vince asked. She took a deep breath and glared at him. I said, do a unicorn noise! Vince paused. He shook himself. He got down on all fours and locked eyes with Cassie. Keeping her gaze, he reared up on his hind legs and pawed his front hooves in the air, all while letting out the most unholy abomination of a horse noise Ive ever heard anyone make, as if a real horse tried to whinny while gargling and then ended in a sort of fluting hum: Neeeeeiiiiiiiiighwhwhwhwmmmm! Cassies eyes widened. She let go of me, running forward, even dropping Pointy to the floor as she launched herself at him. DADDY! I picked up the turtle, smiling, as the entire room burst out into wild cheers. Bk. 4, Ch. 30 - "So much"
Really magnificent stuff. Is there any sign of teams gathering to take out the other out-of-control Threats? Do we know where those all are? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensCassie might have been initially suspicious of Vince, but after shed decided it was really him, she showed no further doubts. She only stopped clinging to his back like a tiny cape after hed offered to hold her. She was sitting on his hip now, her gaze fixed on his face. Someone had given her a chocolate chip cookie, but the chocolate was melting over her fingers, ignored. Filling her mouth would have interrupted her stream-of-consciousness monologue. I can drive the car, Daddy. Its my car. I am a really good driver. I will let you ride in it. In the sky, people look like raisins! Does your car fly? Cassie gave him a sympathetic look. No, Daddy. It has rainbows. I can pick up Micah now! I raised my voice. The lady who was watching her took her flying today. Vinces eyes lit up in understanding. He gave me the barest nod, but didnt look away from Cassie, drinking in her excited babble with a smile on his face. So, thats Cassies father. Vince was still barefoot, wearing a torn athletic shirt and biking shorts, tight apparel that had apparently been somehow necessary for him to steer their homemade blimp? I still wasnt quite clear on all the details of his story. It was a big departure from his usual tendency toward baggy clothes, but it made it impossible not to see how in shape he was. I mean, hed always had muscle, but theyd been the kind of muscles you felt with your fingers, not the kind of thing you saw from across the room. That had changed. He looked good. Yeah. Thats him. Pointy stared at Vince and Cassie with narrowed eyes. Hm. I believe I am feeling jealousy. I laughed, barely keeping a spray of cookie crumbs from escaping. Pointy glared up at me peevishly. Its not that funny. It kind of is. I grinned at her. Dont worry. Cassie has enough love to go around. She may seem like shes forgotten about you for now, but that wont last. Pointy nodded reluctantly, looking away. Historical evidence does suggest that Cassies current fixation will be temporary. And I am happy for her. For all of you. Thanks. I squeezed Pointy gently. I think youll like him too. Perhaps. I am concerned. Your stories paint him as capable, but reckless. To be perfectly frank, I hadnt run simulations on what to do in the event of his return, because I judged it so unlikely. I winced. Well, Im glad you didnt tell me that before. Pointy rolled her eyes. My social finesse may be a work in progress, but it wasnt difficult to see how important hope for his safe return was to your familys emotional health. I levitated my cookie to my mouth and took another bite, buying myself time to decide how to respond. I could see where Pointy had gotten her picture of Vince, but I didnt think it was completely fair. I dont think you need to worry. Vince might be reckless, but hell be reckless with himself. Not with Cassie or the boys. Plus hes a lot quicker to make decisions than me. You know all those times you had to shout at me when I froze up in a bad situation? Thatll never happen with him. Hell be doing something about it, guaranteed. The right something? I shrugged. Itll be better than freezing up. And hell adjust when I shout at him. If you say so Pointy didnt bother to hide her skepticism. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. I grinned. Youll see. Hes my teammate. My partner. Pointy didnt look convinced, but Vince would have time to win her over. He was back. He was back! Honestly, as delicious as the food was, I was ready to leave the party now that Cassie had rejoined us. Sharing my husband with my kids, whod missed him just as much as I had? That was fair, if a little frustrating. All these other people? No way! Oh, and damnit all, Colonel Yoshiro, Colonel Zwerinski, and General Heggins were heading toward him. Nooooo! I wailed mentally. Vincenzo Moretti? the general asked. My husband stopped laughing at Cassie and looked at the general in puzzlement. Just Vince is fine Who? Youre the leadership here, I take it? General Heggins nodded. Colonel Yoshiro here is in overall charge of the Huntsville region. Youve met Colonel Zwerinski. Im General Heggins, and Im the one taking charge of coordinating our efforts to reconnect with leadership elsewhere in the country and provide support to more distant areas. My husband sighed, his arm tightening around Cassie. And you know I can get in touch with people across the country, especially the leadership at Kirtland. Colonel Zwerinski looked guilty. Yes. Ive been consulting heavily with your companions. We are trying to disrupt your reunion as little as possible, but- Vince suddenly started. What about Kurts family? Johns wife? Colonel Zwerinski took the seeming non sequitur in stride. We sent word ahead. Kurt Osorios wife and daughter have been located and are on their way to join us. Were still trying to locate Mr. Christiansens wife. I hadnt even thought about them Vince said. You would have, I said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Youre allowed to focus on us for a while. General Heggins cleared his throat. Well actually His words died at the furious look I channeled his way. Colonel Zwerinski raised his hands placatingly. We know what an imposition this is, and weve done our best to minimize what were asking of you today. Its my understanding that Vince still has three ruler messages available, so weve drafted up exactly what we want him to say for the first two. Then wed like him to stay available for an hour, to relay any responses to us. Based on what we hear, wed like him to use his third ruler message at that time. In exchange, well give you two well-guarded rooms to stay here at the Arsenal tonight, and well transport you back to Fort Autumn tomorrow, along with an assigned aide. Why an aide? I asked. At the same time, Vince asked Two rooms? I imagine, with the advent of the paraslugs, you will be most comfortable sleeping in the same room as your children, under the watch of your daughters companion. Colonel Zwerinski nodded at Pointy. Still, I imagine there are things you would like to share with your wife alone. Weve been modifying one of the nearby hotels for safety and would be happy to offer you guarded accommodations in two adjoining rooms this evening. Vince looked over at me, his eyes lingering in a way that made me blush. Well, that seems fair. Embarrassed, I changed the subject, even as I smiled. And the aide? At a minimum, theyll have Mental Speech. We need a more reliable way for both you and your husband to keep in touch with us, since you continue to turn down our recruitment pitches. Colonel Yoshiro smiled wryly, taking the bite from his statement. The Signal sticks are a fine workaround in most cases, but your husband is our sole link to the western half of the country. If either of our groups find out something critical, we want to minimize any communication delay. General Heggins spoke up as well. The aide isnt likely to be permanent. The radio broadcasts from that Voices for Non-Citizens group mentioned a biological augment that could be incredibly helpful here. That, uh, Quantum Entanglement Reservoir? If Kirtland - or any other groups - can get someone to take that Augment and we do the same, those representatives will be able to communicate freely, regardless of distance. Theyll have to meet and physically touch first, but its worth pursuing. Vince looked intrigued by that, but he shrugged, not asking further questions. Huh. Alright then. You have what you want me to say written down? General Heggins nodded and passed my husband a paper. Vince looked it over, then handed it back. Okay, done. Ill let you know when I hear anything. The general accepted the paper from him with a smile. Thank you. Well leave your family to enjoy the party. I rolled my eyes, stuffing my last bite of cookie in my mouth to stave off a rude response. Vince, ever the people person, managed to summon up a sincere-looking smile and say a few polite words. It wasn''t until General Heggins turned his back that Vince looked over at me and gave a rueful shrug. "If only you were less useful," I muttered. Vince laughed. "You''re one to talk!" I shrugged, not willing to concede the point but unable to deny it. He wrapped his spare arm around me, pulling my hip against his. "Come on. Let''s round up the boys. Get lots of time in with the kids right now so you and I can... catch up, as soon as possible. I couldn''t help but grin at the mischief in his eyes. "Is that what they''re calling it these days?" "You already caught Mommy, Daddy," Cassie said seriously. "You are holding her right now." "Yeah, but I want to catch her again and again!" Vince told Cassie. "Get my hands all over her." "Vince!" I hissed, scandalized. "What?" Vince grinned, adopting a faux-innocent expression. "Cassie loves hugging you too." "That''s not..." I spluttered. "Meghan, would you like me to cancel out your husband''s words?" Pointy offered. "If he goes any farther, maybe," I muttered. Vince bumped his hip against mine. "Aw, come on, you know you missed me!" I blushed. "So much." Bk. 4, Ch. 31 - Adapting
It looks like the Threat on that northern hemisphere island has reached its maximum size, and there are two more that are on track to match it in a few days: one in the southeastern region of the largest continent and one within sight of a southern-hemisphere mountain chain. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMeghan! Would you please tell Vince to stay back! His continued interference is stealing Points and important learning experiences from Cassie and her brothers. You can tell him yourself, I said, amused. The rustpile in front of Vince faded. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck. I heard her! And I know! Youre right Then let us fight, Daddy. Youre being dangerous. I was trying to hit the monster with my super tail, but I almost hit you! Gavin had one hand on his spear and the other on his hip as his tail thrashed behind him. When I get my level 10 ability, I will have to take super speed too, to keep you safe. The look on Vinces face as he was lectured by his six-year-old was priceless. He cast an embarrassed look at the aide who''d been following us around at a discreet distance, but she was examining the sky with a studious expression, even as her mouth twitched with a suppressed smile. I decided to help Vince out a little, changing the subject. Whats your Point total, Gavin? He scrunched up his face. Uhhh Seven two three Pointy took pity on him. He currently has 72,322 points. He needs another 1,262 to get his next ability. The mega treezilla had given each person who had fought against it close to 40,000 Points, enough to put the boys over the threshold for their ninth ability - or, as Vince was calling it, level 9 - and well on their way to their tenth. Vince had gotten his tenth ability. Gavin had lobbied hard for him to take extensible limb so they could be monkey twins, but Id asked Vince not to do that, at least not while we were riding with two dozen other people in the cramped back of a semi truck. It took Gavin a long time to get control of his tail, Vince. If you take it right now? As strong as you are? You could rip the truck in half by accident! Gavin had been disappointed, but had rapidly switched to lobbying his dad to take Natural Weapons, so they could be claws twins! as well as king twins, a designation Gavin had decided on as soon as hed realized that both he and Vince were rulers. It had frustrated Micah, who had argued long and loud that wearing the same thing didnt make you someones twin, but Gavin had remained unshaken. To Micahs frustration, Vince had solemnly agreed to be claws twins with Gavin. Id been a little surprised Vince went along with Gavins suggestion so quickly, but apparently the ability was something hed previously been considering. Hed broken and lost numerous weapons on his journey across the country, and he liked the sound of a permanent backup that would grow in strength as he did. Hed snagged the augment, then started quizzing Gavin about his own abilities revealing that Gavin had been repeatedly breaking his own bones since hed taken Enhanced Musculature at Level 8. Gavin! How could you?! What? Its not a big deal. It hurts but I always fix it. That argument hadnt held much water with me. My baby had been breaking his own bones? Every day?! Vince had seemed upset too. Gavin. Take Biological Augment: Reinforced Skeleton, Vince had commanded. Gavin squirmed. Why? Super ears or eyes sound more fun Vince frowned, then paused. You dont want to be skeleton twins with me? We can be skeleton twins!? King skeleton claw twins!? Hed needed no further convincing. Micah had continued diversifying his energy types, taking an ability simply called Light. The basic behavior of the ability was creating a moveable light orb of modest brightness. With Micahs synergy, however, he could flare it brightly enough to disrupt enemies vision and even shape it so that it didnt hamper us. Cassie and I, of course, hadnt even come close to earning our 13th ability. 40,000 Points wasnt even enough to put us 20% of the way there, and I wasnt in any hurry to go through a fight like that again. Thank God I wont have to at least against the treezillas. Redstone Arsenal had continued connecting with authorities across the country, a process that had been hugely accelerated by Vinces assistance. It took a sort of high-stakes game of Telephone, but we could now pass messages all the way from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, California. We still needed to expand to the northern US, Canada, and Mexico - not to mention the rest of the globe - but we were well on our way to re-establishing a communication network across all of North America. Locally, the story was even better. We had volunteers reporting in regularly about every corner of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee, and we had about half of Florida and Kentucky covered as well. Any nearby treezilla should be spotted and dealt with long before it got to the size of the behemoth wed fought. That should be enough. If a treezilla got out of control in Arkansas or Indiana, it would be a tragedy, but not one that would threaten Huntsville. Wed heard from the radio broadcasts that the aliens from Voices for Non-Citizens expected the Threats to have some kind of growth limit, but it hadnt been clear what that limit would be. Horribly, we now had an answer: a treezilla had apparently devastated more than half of the British Isles before finally reaching its maximum size. And I never got to visit! It was an inane thought, but it kept surfacing. I think, to some extent, I couldnt process the vast numbers of deaths the Maffiyir was responsible for. A million deaths is a statistic, and all that. But the fact that I could never see the town J.R.R. Tolkein had grown up in? That, I could understand and take personally. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Upsetting as the news was, I was grateful that wed found an upper limit to the danger. It helped me sleep at night. Go hug Mom or something! Weve got this, Dad! Micahs voice pulled me back to the present, a slime aflame on the pavement behind him. Vince sighed and trudged over, throwing his arms around me as he rested his weight on my back. How are you handling this, Meghan? Youve always been the overprotective one. Hey! I shifted, trying to keep the haft of his spear from pressing uncomfortably against my elbow. I wasnt overprotective. I felt him shrug. Compared to me! But now youre taking them to fight Godzillas lawn ornament and standing around as monsters make them bleed. I stiffened. I had to- I know. Im not trying to criticize. I just dont understand how youre doing it. I know I should be standing back and letting them fight, but I keep leaping in front of them anyway. I relaxed back against him, thinking. Its probably just time? You call me overprotective, and I guess I was a little more protective than you were, but I dont think we were that far apart. Its not like you were trying to take them to knife-juggling practice while I was bundling them in bubble wrap. Ive had more than two months to get used to this, and youve only been back for six days, and we havent been out fighting for all of those. Give yourself time. His arms tightened. I spent most of that time worrying you were dead, too. I was so relieved to find you all alive. Its hard enough to let go of you guys long enough to let you eat lunch. Seeing you or the kids in danger? I just panic. In front of me, the kids took down a stabcrab: Micah using his flames to draw it closer, Cassie sending out Bigkitty to slow it down, and Gavin flicking his tail beneath it to stab its weak point. Wow! He didnt even flip it over this time. Hes getting really good at that, I commented. Hm? Vince asked. You didnt think Hey, wait. Are your eyes closed? I told you! I dont like seeing you guys in danger! I laughed, and I heard a snort from the nearby aide. I thought you were being figurative. Besides, the kids had that one! They were never close to getting a single cut! I should get Gavin back here to pin your arms to your side while you watch Micah and Cassie take some down by themselves. Im pretty sure I could break out of Gavins grasp, Vince muttered. Maybe, but not quickly. Still I dont know if I want to make Gavin do that to you. It seemed like a cruel way to get Vince used to the situation. Weve got to do something, though. Weve been back home for three days and youre getting in the kids way today just as much as you were on day one. There could be a new monster at any time, and a new duodenary isnt that far away. Ive got an idea, Meghan! Pointy called. Oh? Ive got plenty of recorded footage of you four. Lets do a movie night tonight. I can project them for all of you to watch. Thats a great idea! I said. Vince nodded thoughtfully. I cant say I want to see that, but itll be easier to see you guys fight while I can hold you, and know that you came out the other side safely. Thanks, Pointy. When we got in that evening, we did just that. Id lived these moments, though, so I let my mind drift, thinking about my guys ability choices. Pointy was busy projecting the videos, but my perfect memory let me recall their numbers without issue. I sighed. We were as ready as we could be.
| Vincenzo Moretti | Synergy |
| Powerful Blow | 208.3*% |
| Biological Augment: Sprinter | 708.3% |
| Biological Augment: Reinforced Skeleton | 691.6*% |
| Biological Augment: Infrared Vision | 633.3*% |
| Biological Augment: Rapid Regeneration | 733.3*% |
| Healing Touch | 650% |
| Biological Augment: Enhanced Musculature | 725% |
| Biological Augment: Oxygen Reservoir | 625% |
| Biological Augment: Resilient Skin | 683.3*% |
| Biological Augment: Natural Weapons | 608.3*% |
| Gavin Moretti | Synergy |
| Healing Touch | 633.3*% |
| Touch of Decay | 591.6*% |
| Biological Augment: Extensible Limb | 608.3*% |
| Shapeshift | 683.3*% |
| Cure Disease | 550*% |
| Biological Augment: Natural Weapons | 650% |
| Biological Augment: Rapid Regeneration | 675% |
| Biological Augment: Enhanced Musculature | 650% |
| Biological Augment: Reinforced Skeleton | 608.3*% |
| Micah Moretti | Synergy |
| Conjure Flame | 608.3*% |
| Freeze | 600% |
| Shockwall | 633.3*% |
| Channel Electricity | 625% |
| Heat | 608.3*% |
| Sonic Blast | 491.6*% |
| Charged Surface | 508.3*% |
| Force Shield | 375% |
| Light | 408.3*% |
Only one new monster during cycle six? Thats highly unusual, but with only six more hours left, it looks all but guaranteed. There was a new Titan and the first Threat, so there was plenty to keep viewer interest but even so, people are commenting. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI woke up with Cassies heel digging uncomfortably into my forearm. Vince was curled up to my back, one arm draped over my torso to keep me close, but wed foregone privacy, filling our Fort Autumn bedroom with mattresses and sharing the space with the kids. We were lucky enough to have two other rooms if we needed alone time, but both of us slept better with our children in arms reach and Pointy standing sentry. Even the smell of the room was restful, which cracked me up whenever I thought about it. Who would have thought the salty scent of my familys sweat would be something Id not only get used to, but kind of appreciate? We did our best, scrubbing faces and armpits with washcloths and hiring people to do our laundry, but a slight locker-room funk lingered. But even if the bedroom didnt smell pleasant, it smelled safe. Safety - even stinky safety - was worth cherishing. I pulled my arm away from Cassies foot and tried to find a comfortable spot to rest it without waking Vince. Then, on the other side of my husband, Micah rolled over. He pulled the sheet off my feet, exposing them to the cool underground air. I flinched and stifled a moan. Well, fine. I guess Im awake! I probably havent lost that much sleep. The hallway is loud. Plenty of people up and about already. Hm we dont usually sleep past eight, but I should make sure Hey, Pointy! How long until Deadline? I didnt bother to whisper, trusting the turtle to muffle my words. Approximately five and one-half hours. Blearily, I did the mental math. Wait so its only five a.m.?! It will be in four minutes. I groaned. Then why are so many people awake already?! You know the answer to that. I frowned. Yeah. Thered been five previous Challenges, and Id gone to three of them. Gavin and Micah had gone to two. Id had to run a fatal footrace, negotiate my way through a high-stakes version of king-of-the-hill, and lead a hundred other people through a dinosaur war as volcanoes erupted around us. The two Id missed had apparently been a massive monster melee and a labyrinth filled with deadly surprises. There wasnt really any common thread that would let me predict much about todays Challenge, but I still had experience. On top of that, Id been active in preparing my kids to fight alone if needed, ever since theyd been whisked to the first Mandatory Trial without me and Micah had lost part of his foot. I wasnt relaxed about the day to come - especially not with Cassie being taken to a Challenge for the first time - but I wasnt nearly as panicked as most people were. Resigned was a good way to describe how I felt. For thousands of people from Fort Autumn, this would be the first Challenge they were attending, and worse, their kids would have to go too. Wed posted signs in Commonwealth Standard asking the alien viewers not to share links to childrens streams, but the request hadnt been very effective. In fact, some kids had rocketed toward the Novelty limit faster than the adults. It was a sobering reminder that not everyone out there in the galaxy was as altruistic as our pro bono space lawyer friends on the radio. The Maffiyir was popular entertainment, and not everyone was cheering for humanity. Id been called on to give a number of pep talks over the past several days, and I felt sure Id be pestered with anxious questions the moment I emerged from the bedroom. Questions I couldnt answer... but people were worried, and that nervous energy was going to go somewhere. You still havent gotten any hints from the system, have you? About what to expect today? Pointy rolled her eyes. As I told you yesterday, if I find anything out, youll be the first to know. Mmm. I wonder if getting in touch with her was a good thing or not. For humanity, I mean. She slowed down the monster spawns! I guess. But we got Threats early and another Titan on the same day as the last monster. That wasnt her fault! They forced her to implement those, Im 99.5% certain! I dont care, Pointy. Her fault, not her fault what does it matter? If theyre willing to override her, the impact is the same. Shes not giving us any information we couldnt get otherwise- I think shes very restricted in how and when she can communicate with contestants. I dont think shes choosing to be coy. Does it make a difference, if the effect is the same? And even if I appreciate the slower introduction of new monsters, I wonder if it really makes a difference in the long run. It seems like anything she does to help, the Maffiyir company will manually counter. Would you prefer that she didnt even try to help? Pointys voice was shrill. No. I sighed. Look, Im sorry I brought it up. Maybe Im not as calm about todays Challenge as I thought I was. There was a pause, then Pointy chuckled. I must say the same. It is a relief that I will be accompanying Cassie, and that she has Bigkitty and her transport, but we could still get unlucky. I have been running predictive processes near-constantly, but the sheer volume of possible scenarios is disquieting. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I grunted in agreement, then was silent for a while, toying with the idea of going back to sleep. Then I started trying to figure out if I could slip out of bed without waking anyone. I knew the answer was no, but sometimes its hard to give up on a bad idea, especially when youre anxious. All that nervous energy wants to do something, even if doing nothing is more productive. Pointy took pity on my twitchiness and distracted me by filling me in on radio broadcasts Id missed. What she shared with me wasnt anything important, at least not to most people. Vital information, like speculation about Threats and abilities, had been shared publicly. I knew two people in Fort Autumn whod adjusted their planned ability choices to try and join up with Voices for Non-Citizens after the Maffiyir, taking Biological Augments to improve their ability to survive in places without breathable atmosphere and a variety of abilities to improve their ability to learn new languages and communicate. It was a brave thing to do, since their ability choices didnt synergize very well and werent really optimal for combat. But both had worked in law before the apocalypse - one as a public defender and one as a personal injury lawyer - and seemed excited by the opportunity. What Pointy shared with me now was more personal. The Voices for Non-Citizens lawyers camouflaged their information for us amidst a sea of less-relevant transmissions. Some were dry and routine - things like attendance sheets, work hours, and quartermaster lists for their ships - but others were more enjoyable, friendly chatter between Fluffy and their co-workers. Greenfern, a newer lawyer who had apparently been a victim of a recent Maffiyir, was apparently trying to maintain a long-distance relationship with a girl back on his home planet even as he tried to help us, and regularly asked for advice on poems he wrote for her. Phrases like You and I twine together like snack food under dim light made it clear that something had been lost in translation between his native tongue, Commonwealth Standard, and English. But even if the resulting poems were kind of hilarious, his sincere affection was obvious and sweet. Eventually, my giggles over What large herbivorous amphibian could compare to your quick wit? woke Vince. Even if Pointy was muffling the noise, she couldnt keep my body from shaking. But it was after seven by then, and it wasnt an unreasonable time for my family to wake. When we left our room, I stopped by the shrine Helen had erected by the ramp out of the quarry. An artistically-inclined Fort Autumn resident had drawn the pattern, letting Helen use her stone-shaping to engrave it in more permanently. A large, irregular circle spanned the wall from top to bottom, textured lines within mimicking the woodgrain circles found in a tree stump. The pattern broke periodically to make space for the names and faces of those whod fallen against the large treezilla. Three of the circles were still empty, since we were waiting for photos to be found of some of the dead, but the ones for the soldiers whod been part of my floor, Greg Horne and Jamie Moore, had been filled. Eidetic Memory and my Basic Hologram had been equal to that task, at least. I rested my hand on the memorial. Im sorry. You deserved better. I hope your souls are at peace. I knew Vince didnt like my morning ritual, but we didnt argue about it. Hed tracked down someone with counseling experience and bullied me into talking with her. Id reluctantly agreed, but only if he did the same. Vince was having a lot of nightmares, bursting awake in a panic and not relaxing until hed touched each of us in turn. Hed had only had a few days to process the necessity of putting our kids in danger, and accepting that had been a multi-month journey for me. I understood his fear, and I sympathized but it would be good for all of us if Vince could sleep better. Each of us had gotten only one session so far, because anyone with the slightest hint of counseling experience was swamped: we were all traumatized. I knew that improvement would take time, but I was doing my best to follow the instructions Id received, trying to contextualize the situations I felt guilty about. Yes, Id made mistakes: that was something I had to accept. On the other hand, I hadnt created any of these situations, and I wouldnt have blamed anyone else for such unintentional imperfections. Taking a few minutes each day to grieve and acknowledge the guilt I felt had been a counterintuitive suggestion that had helped a lot. Planning in time for this each day helped me deal better with intrusive thoughts and emotions. Now, when I packed those feelings away to focus on the present, I was being practical, not callous. We had a leisurely breakfast, made better by the fact that Vince and his friends had brought back a Minor Matter Replicator they fully owned. Even though they were using a lot of it to help Fort Autumn, none of them hesitated to copy a few creature comforts for friends and family, so my kids could put chocolate chips on top of their spacecakes on special mornings like this one. Kurt had moved his wife and daughter to Fort Autumn, and they joined us, although Davi, Byron, and John were still sleeping. I felt sorry for John I hadnt known him well, but of all of Vinces co-workers, hed had the hardest homecoming. Davi had been relatively new to Huntsville before the apocalypse, and hadnt made many close friends or acquaintances outside of work. She was still worried about her family, who lived on the east coast, but she wasnt running out the door. The Arsenal had been happy to find another volunteer who had decent levels of synergy in Flight, and she had been added to the list of people waiting for Siphons. Ill get there faster if I wait and go as part of an official team, shed told me. Byron had friends in the area hed reunited with, and a girlfriend, who he hadnt. Shed been found, and was still alive, but shed moved on and was dating someone else. Byron had taken the news with good grace. It was clear hed been disappointed, but he didnt seem to hold any hard feelings. John John had lived to the northeast of us, with his wife. Wed gone with him to search his neighborhood twice, but we hadnt found her, or anyone who had seen her. He was holding out hope that she was still alive, but it seemed clear that she hadnt been home when the apocalypse hit, and he was just one of thousands and thousands of people trying to reunite with family. Hed traveled across five states to the town where his wife lived, but he still couldnt find out if Miriam Christiansen was alive or dead. My gratitude to John was deep, and we were already scheduled to go out with him again tomorrow, to make a trip to the area around his wifes favorite thrift store, but I was kind of relieved not to have him here now. My emotions were heavy enough. The morning dragged on. I checked and rechecked everyones backpacks a dozen times. All the supplies Id lost during the treezilla assault were replaced and organized carefully, and wed made up a backpack for Vince as well. After I realized I was making the packs less organized with my searches, I stopped and drilled the kids on what theyd do in various emergencies until all of them were thoroughly irritated. Even after all that, we still had hours to go. Vince tried to get me to relax - to get us all to relax - by telling us more stories about his time away. It was less calming than he intended, though, because every time he came to a problem or a danger, hed interrupt his story and go on a massive, impassioned tangent on how the kids and I could keep ourselves safe if we found ourselves in a similar situation. Finally the time came. Thirty seconds to Deadline, Pointy chirped. Vince wrapped his arms around us and Gavins tail snaked around our waists. Nearby, the Turners were in a similar huddle, and the Quarry was filled with dozens of other groups that had done the same, families and friends clinging together, hoping that proximity would let them weather the Challenge as a team. A familiar system message offered insincere congratulations for reaching the end of the sixth duodenary and let us know wed be transferred to a Challenge. I was just in time to close my eyes before the clear casing snapped around me, avoiding a five-eyed view of the nauseating scenery during the transfer process. When I opened my eyes again, I stood in a cloud of swirling fog. Bk. 4, Ch. 33 - Fog
Oh, dear. A detection Challenge. Those are always troublesome. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI could see in every direction, but it didnt do me much good. In front of me? Fog. Behind me? Fog. Above me? Fog. Fog everywhere, lit by an ambient glow with no clear source. The only place I saw anything different was beneath me, where my feet dug slightly into damp ground. I took a step, testing. The ground had a pliant, sandy texture, but my feet didnt sink in very far. It reminded me of the part of a beach where the tide had just receded but the sand hadnt yet dried, except that the surface wasnt a smooth, flat, plane. It was stippled, like the ground had been hit by a succession of raindrops the size of golf balls. Even so, my footprints stood out, flat areas ten times the size of any other divot. The ground was pretty pleasant to walk on, but every step would leave a track. That could be useful or dangerous. My other senses told me more. Not smell, of course - my baseline human senses there didnt detect anything other than dampness - but I heard something, and Analyze confirmed that the pitch and timbre were consistent with a human voice, so I likely wasnt completely alone. My Life Sense was picking up a number of living things, although they didnt feel like anything I recognized, lacking the mental flavors Id come to associate with monsters and humans, or even with Earth plants and animals. That confused me. For a moment, I worried that I could no longer distinguish people from monsters, but when I took a few cautious steps toward the source of the screams, I picked up a human being at the edge of my range. People still felt normal; that was a relief, even if I didnt know what was up with everything else. Hello? I called, cupping my hands around my mouth and shouting toward the person Id detected. Do you need help? Any response was drowned out by the systems voice. Transfers complete. Congratulations on being eligible for this Challenge. Minimal rewards will be given for surviving for four hours. Complete hidden- There was a pause in the message. It lasted less than a second, but it was noticeable, especially because the system seemed to correct itself. Complete optional objectives to earn improved rewards. Optional objectives include defeating powerful Titan-equivalent monsters and locating and exploring hidden areas. Pursuing either optional objective will increase the danger contestants face. The aid of other contestants may improve your odds of survival, but will also decrease any additional rewards earned as they are shared amongst you. The fuck? I muttered. The message had been helpful and informative, and it clearly hadnt been the original message. True, it didnt tell us everything. We didnt know exactly what monsters and dangers wed face, but it gave us a good idea of power level - Titan-equivalent - and had let us know that hidden areas werent the safe bunkers someone finding them might first assume. It even offered up the idea of teaming up with other Challengers. Ostensibly, it suggested this only as a way to discourage us from doing so, by mentioning the decreased rewards wed receive, but the fact that it had mentioned co-operation at all was new. Maybe my complaints to Pointy had been premature. Focus, I told myself, and braced myself to make an Announcement at my maximum range, just under a mile. This is Meghan Moretti of Huntsville, Alabama. If anyone who knows me is here, lets try to connect! For everyone else, if you see someone wearing black-and-white stripes, theyve agreed not to start fights with other humans, and to work together if at all possible. Black-and-white stripes equals friendship. Lets team up and stay alive! In all likelihood, Id just blasted unintelligible garbage to a number of non-English speakers, but Id tried to keep my words slow and simple and my tone warm and friendly. Even someone who didnt really speak English might know the words for black, white and friend, the way I didnt speak Spanish but still knew the words blanco y negro and amigo. If people at least hesitated before attacking each other, that might be enough to save lives. Mom! I am here! Where are you? I dont know where I am. Its all fog. Gavins ruler message unknotted something within me. At least one of my kids was here! I could do something to protect someone in my family. And if he was here, it raised the odds that the rest of my family was present. Unfortunately, Gavin had now used his only ruler message for the day. Unlike Vince, his ruler crown hadnt been powered up to allow for extra messages, and unlike Flip, he had no vassals of his own. It seemed taking vassals actually reduced the number of messages you could send simultaneously to all followers, but gave you the option to message subjects individually. Vince couldnt message any of us through the ruler system, either. Flips second per day of Flight was too valuable to give up, especially since my husband didnt yet have his own Specialty and couldnt offer anything equivalent. Becoming Gavins vassal would have solved a lot of issues, but Vince was still our point of communication for too many others in the western US. That would hopefully change in the coming weeks, but it didnt help us today. I took a deep breath and made another Announcement. There are children present. Please look out for them! Gavin, stay safe. I dont know where I am either. Ill try to find you. Two max-power Announcements in under a minute Theyd been necessary, and Id kept them brief, but I still felt it. I didnt feel tired, exactly, but I no longer felt fresh. Id only taken a few steps so far, and the human I could feel on Life Sense had started to move away. Too slow. Too careful, I chided myself. Gavins out there, somewhere. You need to find a balance. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I headed out at a faster pace, using Telekinesis to drag an iron plate along the ground to my right. If I found human tracks, I wanted to know immediately if they were mine or not. The mist would make it easy to move in circles. Life Sense let me keep a better sense of my progress and direction than most people, but I could still get turned around if I didnt focus. My resolution to move quickly was soon tested, as I came to the first sources of life I could detect. Something ahead twisted under the ground. The shape was consistent with a plants root, but was it just scenery or was it the questing limb of some large octopoid monster? I could go around it, but then Id have to walk through a field of equally-suspicious bedraggled weeds. At least the weeds are small, I decided. I pulled a pair of hedge shears from my backpack and worked my Telekinesis to cut them off at the root. The plants didnt react to my aggression, falling limply like the weeds they resembled. I kept I close watch on them as I moved forward, but they did absolutely nothing, not reacting even as I crushed their corpses underfoot. I felt a little silly, but how was I to know?! It had the same mental flavor as everything else. I didnt trust the apparent peace of my surroundings, so I had to treat everything alive and non-human as a threat. I kept the shears out in front of me, moving a little more confidently as I continued my rampage against potentially-innocent plantlife. That lasted until a large creature burst from beneath the sandy soil, attacking me. I wasnt taken completely off-guard - it may have felt identical in flavor to the plants Id been rampaging through, but its shape had been entirely different - and I managed to interpose a pair of iron plates. The creatures pounce had been powerful, overwhelming the limited strength I could bring to bear with my Telekinetic objects, but the defense was enough to throw it off. The plates were knocked aside, but the monster spun in the air, limbs flailing as it failed to correct its trajectory. I lifted my shield and activated Parry, fully halting the now-awkward attack, and used Assisted Strike to sink my sword deep into its side. The monster rolled away when it hit the ground, but Id injured it badly. I brought my cloud of Telekinetic objects close, hampering its movements and getting in the way whenever it tensed for another leap. It was durable. The deep gash Id made in its side was dripping some kind of orangeish fluid, but the monster didnt seem to be favoring one side or slowing. Getting close to it while it could still move its massive digging claws so quickly seemed too risky, so I dropped my floating shears and sent a sawblade flying into the wound Id created earlier. The monsters muscles easily overpowered my Telekinesis, dragging the sawblade with it as it lunged at me again, but that was fine: all I had to do was keep the serrated disk from falling out of the wound, and the monsters own motion should do the rest. Three more awkwardly fended-off lunges later, it was clear my plan was working as the monster stumbled. I charged in, Assisted Strike guiding my sword to the point where its neck met its shoulder, a soft spot Analyze had suggested was absent of any bone. The monster still didnt die, but whatever nerves were sending commands to its right forearm were severed. The formerly-fearsome paw lost all tension, becoming a dead weight that did nothing other than get in the monsters way. From there, finishing it off was easy. I frowned at its body as I pulled my sword from its back, finally able to inspect it closely. It had massive clawed feet like a moles and a nose like an aardvarks, held together by a muscular body with long limbs. Should I make another Announcement? I couldnt keep doing that every time I got new information This one is especially dangerous for Gavin. Cassie has her Transport to protect her from an initial attack, and Vince and Micah have a good chance at noticing this is waiting, if its body temperature isnt the same as the surrounding sand. Vince has his Infrared Vision, and Micah has a more limited form of the same thing with his temperature sense, if hes focusing. Gavin is the one I know is here, and I cant think of any way for him to avoid its ambush if he doesnt know what to look for. I sighed, scraping together a brief description of the monster and what it had looked like before it had attacked. I hadnt really noticed at the time, but a review of my Eidetic Memory showed that its nose had been visible, a cylindrical protuberance from the sand that looked a bit like a chubby mushroom. It would have been nice if Id had enough synergy to use Announcement to send out an image - that would have dealt with the language barrier too - but it wasnt an option today. Maybe in the future, when Id raised my synergy. I shook myself after I made the Announcement, trying to stay focused. The person Id been following had continued to move, but was clearly falling victim to the confusing mist, taking a meandering path that wobbled to and fro. I crossed it several times before I caught up, finding the body of a mole-monster. It was dead, but its claws were red with blood. Either the person I felt hadnt understood my warning, or it hadnt come soon enough. A thick trail of blood led away from the scene, toward the person I could feel in the mist. They didnt seem to be doing well. Their steps were uneven, and one arm was held tight against their body. The scene of carnage made me want to hurry even faster, but bursting out of the mist and surprising someone whod just been attacked and successfully killed their attacker didnt seem like a smart move. Hello? Do you need help? I tried to keep my tone concerned and pleasant, hopeful that my friendliness would come across even if my words werent understood. A short Asian man stumbled out of the mists, leaning on a wooden spear and wearing the ragged remains of homemade armor. It had clearly been some kind of woven mat or basket, but now half of it was in shreds. The entire left side of the mans body was criss-crossed with wounds. His left arm was pinned against the largest of these, trying to halt the bleeding from a gash in his side. He spoke, and his words werent anything I could understand, even with a hurried scan of my memorized phrasebooks. Maybe some form of Chinese? Not Mandarin though, or at least not any of the phrases I knew. His tone of voice and the expression on his face were clear, though: he was desperate for help. To my shame, I couldnt do much. I had some bandages with me, but he was suffering from a multitude of lacerations, and many of the smaller ones were bleeding just as heavily as the larger injury on his torso. His left hand was heavily injured, meaning that neither he nor I would be able to bind his wounds quickly. By the look of him and the trail of blood hed been leaving, he had only minutes before he bled out. I gripped his spear in Telekinesis and hoisted his good arm over my shoulder. His only hope was if we found a healer quickly but we found no one for the next minute, and he quickly lost the strength to walk. He was light enough that carrying him wasnt a problem, but it made me nervous not to have my arms free. If another monster jumped us, I could put my iron plates in its way, but they werent strong enough to truly block it. I focused on Life Sense, straining myself to pick out the shape of everything around me, keeping an eye out for more moles, or anything else large and unfamiliar. After a few minutes, I felt another human. I picked up my pace, excited, only to feel the presence in my arms fade to nothingness. I was holding a corpse now, not a living human. Damn it, I said softly. I set him gently on the ground and paused for a second. It seemed that there should be something else, something to do in apology or remembrance, of this man whose name I didnt know, who put his life in my hands only to have it slip free. I couldnt think of anything. Im sorry, I whispered. I turned my back and moved on. Bk. 4, Ch. 34 - Search
Hmm Three Dispatch-class ships just left the system from the Maffiyir headquarters. Thats unusual. I wonder what messages needed more than their standard encryption? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensGavin was here somewhere: I needed to stay focused. The unnamed man could be remembered and mourned later. I knew my son wasnt the person I was heading toward now - they were far too tall, for one thing - but maybe this person could help me find him. Even if not, I hadnt forgotten about the systems mention of Titan-equivalents. If I got jumped by anything like that, I wanted allies at my side. After a slight detour to avoid what was either a large plant or a very patient monster, I caught up with the next person, shouting a "Hello?" as I approached a Nordic-looking man. He drew back as I emerged from the mist, wary. Fortunately, he quickly noticed the black-and-white stripes emblazoned on my shield. He gestured toward it with his weapon, a Shop-purchased hammer. Ah Friend? You are friendly, hey? I nodded. His accent was thick, but perfectly understandable, and hed clearly understood my Announcement. Thank God. Yes. Want to travel together? My son is here somewhere. My name is Meghan. From the Announcements! I am Sem. We will find your son. He fell in beside me and we started walking. It seemed a little odd to trust a stranger so swiftly, but Sem had clearly decided to trust me. He seemed so genuine, so matter-of-fact, that returning his trust felt natural. As we moved, I summarized my abilities, and, bracing myself, asked about his. I couldnt help but relax when I found out he didnt have Healing Touch. Strictly speaking, we were worse off not having a healer with us, but if Id known the injured man had died fifty feet away from help Well, it wasn''t the case. Focus! I yelled at myself. We didnt make contact with the next woman we got close to: as soon as I started calling out to them, bolts of fire disrupted the mist and an angry voice rang out in response, warning us away. In English, no less! Here was someone I could communicate with perfectly, but whatever experiences shed had made her unwilling to let us get close. I exchanged a quick glance with Sem as we retreated. He shrugged, which about summed up my feelings. There wasnt any reason to tangle with someone who wasnt willing to work with us. It was a shame, but it was a lot of risk for no real reward. The next woman we met didnt speak English, other than a few errant words. I would have missed her if not for Life Sense. She had some kind of illusion ability hiding her almost perfectly from our vision, making her look like one more patch of rain-pocked ground. When it became clear we knew she was there, she dropped the ability all at once, revealing a stocky barefoot woman in jeans and a brightly patterned shirt. She returned our tentative Hello? with her own and cautiously drew closer, extending an open hand toward me shakily and slumping in relief as I took it. She put her other hand to her chest and introduced herself as Lindani, then asked, without much hope. Xhosa? Venda? I had just enough phonetic Xhosa memorized to offer to work together and understand her affirmative response. Excited, shed tried to say more, but took it in good grace when I shook my head helplessly. I projected a small hologram of one of my favorite photos of Gavin and myself, then pointed to the mist in several directions successively, then shrugged. Lindani bit her lip, tapped her chest, then put a hand to shade her eyes... Then dropped it, gesturing with irritation at the mist above us. It wasnt a hard game of charades: I was looking for Gavin, but didnt know exactly where he was. One of her abilities was either Clairvoyance or a vision augment, but all the mist was rendering it useless. My Intensifier gem let me identify her most powerful ability as Camouflage, the active version, not the passive biological augment one. Thanks gem, figured that much out already... Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. We found another set of footprints and started following it. I was mentally reassessing the likelihood of finding the rest of my family here. So far Id found a man from somewhere in Asia, Sem from the Netherlands, Lindani from - if I had understood correctly, South Africa - and the angry woman who spoke English, but didnt seem to be from anywhere near Huntsville. She certainly hadnt been from Fort Autumn! That meant we had people here from at least five different areas of the world. When we ran across a Korean teenager who introduced herself as Cho Ha-yoon, my hopes dropped even further. Whatever language the first guy had been speaking, it definitely hadnt been Korean! Ha-yoon, thankfully, did speak some English. Quite well, honestly, even though she blushed and apologized, calling herself a bad student. It was a pretty funny concern coming from someone with clawed hands and a mouth full of fangs. To my relief, Ha-yoon also shared that she had Healing Touch. We still hadnt found Gavin, which was gnawing at me. What if I was leading everyone directly away from him? Id never find him by sitting still, though. Part of me wanted to make another Announcement, but since he wouldnt be able to communicate back, and I didnt know how to direct him toward us without any landmarks, I had to admit it would be useless, a way to tire myself out without accomplishing anything. Still, I was anxious and frustrated, which is probably why I led us into an ambush. Id felt small sources of life, but there were plenty of weeds on the ground ahead, bedraggled and yellowish - the same kind that had failed time and again to react to my shears - and I hadnt looked carefully. Id ignored the rough stones at their bases until the stones came to life, legs popping out as they unwound like pillbugs, scurrying toward us from every direction. It was the worst sort of enemy for me, the kind of thing we relied on Micahs area-of-effect attacks to counter. I did my best, mashing my iron plates down atop the oncoming swarm, but I didnt do more than slow them. The soft sand gave way underneath the roly-polies, leaving them to wriggle out the other side of the plates unharmed. The pillbugs that had reached me bit down, stinging pain erupting from my legs as they tore through my clothes to rend the flesh beneath. Ha-yoon made a tremendous leap, easily clearing the swarm and attacking from the back, savagely tearing the critters apart with her bare hands. She didnt even flinch as the bugs nearby turned on her, ignoring them as they swarmed over her body. I slipped as a step sent me crashing to ground that had suddenly turned to ice - probably Sems work. A thin layer of moisture still covered the top of the ice sheet, making it fiercely slippery, and I failed the first time I tried to get up. Then Sem seemed to notice me, and the ice disappeared in a small circle around me. I scrambled to my feet, furiously knocking the pillbugs that had swarmed me down onto Sems ice, where he froze them to the ground, leaving them unable to move. Lindani had managed to stay standing and was systematically cleaving insects in two with a pair of machetes. A minute after the attack had started, it had finished. We were all bleeding. Id been worried for Ha-yoon, since she''d been attacked by more of the roly-polies than the rest of us, but it looked like the claws werent her only Biological Augment. The teens skin was tough. Her shirt was in tatters, but the skin beneath was more scratched than cut, her injuries even shallower than my own. Lindani was the worst-off. She hadnt been able to share her full ability list with us yet, but whatever it was, it looked like she lacked Ha-yoons defenses, my inflated Points total, or Sems elemental defenses. Ha-yoon carefully sealed Lindanis wounds, although I noticed she stopped the moment they scabbed over. With all her physical augments, she should have good synergy in the ability, so I could only imagine that she was scared of tiring herself out, not willing to entrust us with her safety. It was fair, but also disappointing, a sobering reminder that even though our group had just worked well together, we were all allies of convenience whod met only minutes before. Lindani looked unhappy, but didnt complain, offering Ha-yoon a tight smile and a nod. I apologized for missing the enemies, taking the lead again with a little more shame and caution. I was moving us toward another human I sensed - probably an adult woman, based on height and slender build - when I spotted something amazing. Cutting across our path was a wending pair of cloud-print tire tracks. I changed direction immediately, much to the confusion of my companions. A flickered hologram of Cassies cloudcar answered some of their questions, but didnt fully allay their concerns. Slow down! Sem called. The monsters here are sneaky. We must be careful, hey? He wasnt wrong, but my daughter was here somewhere! She was too far away for me to feel her yet, but surely any route she and Pointy had traveled would be safe to follow. Unless the monsters moved, of course. Begrudgingly, I paused to let the others catch up and flinched as a massive drop of liquid emerged from the fog and splattered atop my head. Bk. 4, Ch. 35 - Looks like rain
Interesting news from the language analyst team. They believe they have cataloged over 1,728 distinct Clothes-Lover languages, but past Challenges have drawn together speakers of only a handful, clumping Challengers together geographically. Its too early to say for certain, but both Falling Foliage and Stocky believe they have spotted multiple arenas where over a dozen languages are being spoken. Contestant distribution in this Challenge may have been completely random. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI was too slow to dodge the falling droplet and was relieved when I didnt feel anything other than a chill on my skin. Just water? Another drop impacted beside me, sending a splatter of muddy sand over my boot. Then a third hit behind me, and a fourth, a fifth Too many to count. Oversize raindrops pelted down around us as we drew together, alarmed by this sudden, confusing change in our surroundings. The craters in the ground were being refreshed, the dappled surface shifting swiftly with each impact. Oh shit! The tracks! In the second it took me to think of it, the wheelmarks from Cassies cloudcar had almost entirely vanished. No! I traced the tracks I could see with a hologram as they swiftly vanished, but soon let the ability fade. It would only tire me to keep it active, stealing energy Id likely need later. Id only followed the tracks around 30 feet so far, but even in that short distance theyd changed direction multiple times, a wandering, unfocused doodle across the landscape. Where my companions and I had relied on careful testing to determine which obstacles were dangerous, Pointy and Cassie hadnt had such tools. Theyd been avoiding everything, no matter how circuitous it made their route. Without communicating, Lindani, Sem, and Ha-yoon had drawn closer, each taking a direction and facing outward. It had only been raining for a few seconds, but it was already obvious that the fog was thinning as the cool water made the temperature drop. Previously, seeing ten feet away was a struggle, but I could already see clearly for at least thirty, even with falling rain and spraying sand disrupting my vision. Strangely, it was starting to get lighter. Above me, instead of solid white, I could make out a glowing disk that was brightening by the second, a cheerful sun as gleaming and yellow as a kindergartners drawing. If it had been a light rain, I wouldn''t have been surprised to be the sun out, but a downpour like this should have come from a heavy thundercloud. Maybe the sun was just shining through a break in the clouds? Behind me, Lindani gasped, exclaiming something in a language I didnt know. Then she spun, physically pushing us as she cast anxious glances over her shoulder, continuing to talk. I didnt need to know what words she was saying to understand that she was scared. But why? I swept my rear eyes behind us even as I let her shove me along. I could make out a shadow, but no detail. It was about the size of a two-story house, but it wasnt moving. If not for Lindanis reaction, I might have assumed it was a large rock. Suddenly, I dug in my heels and grabbed Sem as he moved past. Lindani slapped my shoulder and barked something impatient, but I shook my head, pointing. I dont know what you see behind us, but I can feel something ahead of us. Its about as big as a minivan and its not a plant. Its not moving quickly, but its definitely moving. Lindani looked confused, and I cursed myself: of course she didnt understand me any more than I understood her. I flickered a basic hologram in front of us, a simple silhouette. I couldnt tell much about what was ahead of us, since it was moving and Id never seen it, but I was sure about the size and I thought it was most likely a quadruped, lithe and predatory, like a wolf as large as a rhino. Lindani bit off a few words, and I didnt need to speak her language to know it was a curse. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Sem took a step back. The fog was continuing to thin, a few seconds sufficient to let us see the shadowy shape slinking in the distance. It didnt seem to be drawing closer just yet. Actually was it moving away? It was! It had moved out of my Life Sense range, but it was still mostly concealed in the retreating mist. Maybe it didnt want to get closer to the thing Lindani had spotted? I could only hope. Monsters ahead, probably monsters behind The thing Lindani had seen was easily four times the height of the nearby monster, but both were massive. Maybe we could cut to the side? But no there was another shadow that way. And shit, there was a third. We were surrounded. Even as I scanned ahead for a safe route out, my vision augment let me watch behind. More and more people were becoming visible as the mist faded, although I hadnt spotted anyone I recognized. I could also finally see more than the shadow of the creature that Lindani had urged us to flee from. It was fairly far from us - maybe three hundred feet? - but the mist around it was clearing more quickly than the mist elsewhere. It still wasnt perfectly visible, but I could make out a shape, bloated and gargantuan, like a beanbag chair as large as a house. Could it even move? A second later, I realized its massive bulk was shrinking, and quickly. How? Something occurred to me, and I flickered Analyze, reviewing my memories, thinking about the angle of the falling droplets. That thing is clearing the mist. I think its making the rain, spraying it out somehow like a whale or giant firehose. I flickered a few simple images, trying to communicate to Lindani as well. They werent very good - I didnt have Priyas art skills - but it seemed to get my point across. I dont know what its going to do when its done, but I bet its going to be a lot worse than a little rain. I think were going to have to pick one of the monsters hemming us in and fight our way free. That one, Ha-yoon said, pointing. We walked that way and killed the ball bugs. It is safer. I nodded, and took a step in that direction, only to have Lindani make a noise of surprise and dismay. I turned to face her, raising my eyebrows. She didnt respond immediately, seeming to war with herself, then bit her lip and mimed driving a car wheel, then pointed back in the opposite direction. Not quite back to the grotesque form, but far too close for comfort. Cassie. She saw Cassie. Thats thats my daughter, I said. I have to go. Ha-yoon stepped away, bowing slightly. I wish you the best. I nodded. I couldnt expect anyone else to follow me into danger to save my kid, and the Korean girl was just a kid herself: fifteen, maybe sixteen years old. Good luck. Stay safe. I started jogging in the direction Lindani had indicated, and was startled to see both she and Sem following. I glanced over my shoulder, wanting to let them see the surprise on my face. Lindanis answering smile was tight, but Sem laughed. YOLO, hey? I do not think I could keep up with Ha-yoon anyway. Thanks, I said. The word was too simple to hold the gratitude I wanted it to, but I think Sem understood. I tried to focus on our route, steering us around dangers. Worryingly, as we passed a younger Hispanic-looking man, I sensed a swarm of the giant roly-poly monsters around his feet. They were still alive, but not moving, even with prey within feet of them. Did he have some kind of stealth ability, or were the little monsters just too scared to move? I didnt like the implications of that, although I was relieved to see the man jog out of their midst to follow us, unmolested. Whatever that thing in the middle is, whatevers around the edges they wont be unbeatable, right? They have to be beatable, technically. Still, I should put my sword away and take out my gun. My shield is one thing, but any plan that involves me getting close enough to that thing to stab it no. Wed gotten a better look at it by now. Navy-blue-and-brown mottled skin was stretched over a quadrupedal frame. The monster had its ass in the air, kind of like the downward dog yoga pose. An extremely long, thick tail was thrust into the sky above it, and the monsters bulk contracted in regular pulses as it shot water into the air above. A dangerous-looking head lay flat against the earth, shaped kind of like an alligator''s. Id had some hope that the monster would stay ungainly, even after it drained itself of water, but that hope was waning. It had lost a lot of mass already, but there was no sign of loose skin. Its belly was still swollen, but its previously-puffy legs now looked dangerous and muscular. Alien bullshit, I thought. Then, I saw something that drove my angry thoughts from my mind: Cassies cloudcar, apparently stuck in the hollow left behind after a mega-mole attack, wheels spinning in the soggy sand. As I watched, Bigkitty reared up on her hind legs, throwing her weight against the back of the car to push it free. I opened my mouth to shout, then thought better of it. Judging by the effort the thing in the middle was putting in to clear the mist, I assumed it hunted by sight. But then again, so did humans, and we still paid attention when something close to us was obnoxiously noisy. I flickered another basic hologram in front of Cassie, trusting Pointy to notice it even if my daughter didnt. Hold on, Cassie! Im almost there! Bk. 4, Ch. 36 - Big Mama
That cant possibly be right. Several of our clients and potential clients had Challenge-eligible nestmates. Both Fluffys client and Greenferns have already spotted at least one such in their own arenas! It seems too improbable for that to have come about by chance. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAs I raced toward Cassie, I was dimly aware that the Hispanic man who had started following my little group was only the first of several. There were other people whod found each other, but we were one of the largest groups, and we were moving with purpose. Some people were running for the mist, but others had decided there was safety in numbers. A good plan: I could hear the sounds of combat ahead, where an armored adult had fled into the mists. Cassie had gotten her cloudcar free by the time I reached her, slowing it just enough for me to catch up and drive alongside. It was a good thing Pointy was helping her steer, because Cassie leaned over the back of her seat, waving both arms at me excitedly. Mommy! Mommy! Hi hi hi! I blinked the water from my eyes. Hey, baby. Lets get out of here to someplace safer, okay? Your guidance will help with that, Meghan. Pointy said. Which of the flora and fauna do we need to avoid? The collections of softball-sized rocks are bad. The green-yellow weeds seem fine. Not sure about the larger shrubs yet. Im guessing you saw what the megamole looked like before it attacked you? Pointy shook her head, seeming irritated. We didnt kill that. We just found its corpse. Those keep their noses above ground. They look kind of like weird, ruffly mushrooms. Noted. Good Lord, thank you for reuniting this mother with her child. Please let my own children be safe, and let me return to them, Lindani said, panting as we ran. I stumbled at that, and Pointy sighed. Come on, Meghan. Real-time translation is hardly the most difficult thing youve seen me do, and vocal mimicry is childs play. Ill get your words to her too, now that I know what language she speaks. Unless you understand English? No! Lindani said, looking startled. Thank you, little turtle! Behind us, the Titans fountain of water tapered off and the monster stretched, paying little heed to the smattering of ranged attacks that showered it from all directions, leaving little more than scratches on its hide. It was lithe now, deadly, limbs rippling with muscle. There was no sign remaining of its previously-bloated form. Large eyes were set to the front of a near-triangular head: a predators arrangement. It pulled itself to its feet, lashing its thick tail behind itself, and launched itself across the open space in a flash, toward the spot where Id recently seen a pair of two vanish into the mist. Then it dashed back across the open area, passing terrifyingly close as it launched itself toward the sounds of combat Id heard. An armored body was tossed back out toward us, and then one of the rhino-sized monsters was briefly visible, triangular head emerging to sink dark blue jaws into the victim and dragging them back out of sight. Fuck! Theyre working together! I shouted. It was a worst-case scenario, and made me totally rethink my decision to flee. The smaller monsters were clearly the same species as the larger one, and their strategy had just become clear. Big Mama cleared the area while the babies stalked the edges, slowing down anyone who attempted to run until Big Mama was ready to finish them off. Escape was only possible for people who could fly or outrun the babies: anyone who stopped to fight was kibble. Judging by Big Mamas speed, outrunning the babies wasnt going to be a possibility for me - or most people - even if they were only half as fast as their progenitor. Dont run! The big one is working with little ones, which are hunting down runners. To live, fight! Before Id even finished my Announcement, Pointy had started shouting as loudly as she could, presumably repeating my words in Mandarin and other languages. It was a blessing that her enhanced link to Cassie let her access my daughters perceptions and hear my Announcement directly. About a quarter of the people sprinting toward the mists stopped running immediately, and more people slowed, looking confused and uncertain, but at least understanding that other people had decided not to run. I pointed my handgun at Big Mama as she exploded out of the mist, using Assisted Strike to fire a bullet at her right eye. It was only a little more effective than the attacks others had landed against her sides. It left a divot, and clouded a section of what must be a transparent eyelid, covering it in a spiderweb of cracks. Unfortunately, the eye was still functional, tracking toward me and narrowing. I blanched, but Big Mama didnt turn, dashing past me and heading in the direction wed come from: the same route Ha-yoon had used to flee. Damnit! I swore. We had to kill this thing to live. If we didnt act now, another child would die. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sem seemed to realize at the same moment that I did. He lifted a hand and flash-froze a puddle around Big Mamas foot, creating an awkward and ungainly shoe that hampered the large monsters stride. She actually paused her run, smashing at the ice around her foot with her thick tail until only fragments remained. It took her only seconds, but it was long enough for me to catch up to her with a Telekinetically-held jar of mud, smashing it against her flat-planed forehead and letting the thick substance seep over her eyes before she could start forward again. Our combined efforts left our massive foe well and truly distracted from her hunt, a decidedly mixed blessing. Ha-yoon was safe, but Big Mama had turned back toward my little group and was pawing at her face, trying half-successfully to clear her vision. The cloudcar was already accelerating away from us, thankfully. Pointy wouldn''t be foolish enough to go for the edges, and Cassie needed to stay well away from me if we were making a fight of this. A tiny technicolor kitten scampered back toward me and leapt to my shoulder with a flutter of wings. Cassies larger summon, Bigkitty, was loping alongside the cloudcar, a choice I approved of; Bigkitty might only be able to slow down Big Mama by throwing her own body down the Titans throat, but that might buy precious seconds Cassie needed. How the hell were we going to take this thing down? I sure as heck didn''t have the devastating power it would take, if a gunshot to the eye had left only cosmetic damage. If only Vince were here! I didnt know enough about the other people here, what their capabilities were, and- I frowned. I didnt need to know. Not necessarily. If you think you can damage it, focus on the monsters neck! If you can slow it down, do that. Everyone else, hold fire until its injured! Lindani frowned, but gave a slow nod as Pointy shouted a string of popping, clicking words our way. The African woman adjusted her grip on her machetes. Then she vanished from sight as our house-sized enemy bore down on us. Big Mama was fast - too fast - and she ought to have been on top of us seconds earlier, before Id even finished my second Announcement. She would have been, Im sure, except that she was being hit by attack after disorienting attack. Id popped a series of large holographic walls in the way to block her vision, which Im guessing distracted or confused her for like a quarter of a second. Fortunately, other people had more effective options. Someone with Specialty-level water control had gathered up a huge wave of water into a forceful jet and was using it to pummel the monsters face. Sem had taken advantage of the free water delivery to repeat his earlier trick, and judging by the amount of ice weighing Big Mama down, he wasnt the only one who had. There wasnt much here but sand and water, but a few other people with shaping talents were piling on, including one man who appeared to have brought his own kudzu vine to the Challenge. Even with all that interference, Big Mama had gotten perilously close. I dodged to the side as she lunged for me, and managed to evade the snapping jaws, aided by the fact that the monsters wedge-shapped head had whipped to the side, clearly diverted by someone else''s timely Draw Attention. As I ran, Cassies little Summoned Seeker leapt from my shoulder onto the monsters nose, tiny claws searching for purchase in the cracks of the injured eye. I couldnt see Lindani, but I could feel her on Life Sense, swift and silent, using the vines and ice as hand and footholds as she scaled the monster and reared back, slamming both blades against the monsters neck. She was still invisible, but the attack had been solid, cutting through several inches of toughened hide and, for the first time, letting pale pink blood drip to the ground below. Big Mama might not have been able to see Lindani, but she could certainly feel pain. The monsters tail swiped forward, trying to bat the machete-wielding woman away. A split-second of Paralyze on the base was enough to make it miss, though the effort was tiring. I still had enough energy to grab a sack of gunpowder and drag it up toward the injury Lindani had made, which was rapidly widening as several dozen people focused ranged attacks on the area. It ignited before I could push it deep into the wound, courtesy of one of the many flame attacks peppering the monster. Id been ready with one of my iron plates, however, slapping it against the burning sack before too much could burn away. When the bag detonated, the force was enough to send my iron plate flying out of sight, but not enough to kill Big Mama. A cantaloupe-sized chunk was missing from her neck, but she was still standing, still using her trunklike tail to hammer away anyone who approached from the rear, still snapping at me with crocodilian jaws. The ice, vines, and mud were slowing her down, but even so, I was just barely keeping ahead of her. Only my improved ability to multitask that had come with Telekinesis was letting me pull off any attacks as I fled. What did we need to do to take her down?! Assisted Strike let me fire a bullet without turning, making an otherwise impossible shot at the monsters exposed esophagus as her maw gaped open. People were closing in on our oversized foe, emboldened by the damage wed done. Then I heard it, the voice Id been hoping for and dreading: Don''t hurt my Mommy! My idiot son was charging into the fray, suddenly visible as he leapt atop Big Mamas back. Gavins tail wrapped around Big Mama, the blade at the tip sinking deeply into her neck injury and anchoring him as he leapt away again, sailing around her front to dodge the monsters own tail. She twisted her head to snap at him, but I was ready, forcing an iron plate deep into her jaws, slowing her bite as the metal warped and bent before her prodigious strength. She raised a paw to swipe at him, but a burly man ran forward, slamming a massive shop-purchased hammer into the limb with an echoing crack. I ran to the side, activating Draw Attention to keep Big Mamas eyes away from Gavin. All the while, attacks had continued to rain into the Titans gaping neck wound, and Gavin continued to wiggle his blade deeper and deeper. When the end came, it was sudden. The light in the monsters eyes faded mid-lunge, and its muscles crumpled as it fell, nose digging a furrow in the sand. It vanished from Life Sense. Did we get it, Meghan? Pointy asked, sounding tense. Yeah, I said. Its dead. A small cheer arose, but was quickly cut off. Materializing from the mist around the clearing, moving only slightly slower than their progenitor, Big Mamas babies went on the attack. Bk. 4, Ch. 37 - Family matters
Interesting. Theres definitely a huge diversity of source locations but Im authorizing a budget for sending and receiving messages with our greater volunteer corps. See if any of them have seen signs of Challenge-eligible packs that were kept together. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensEveryone had been staring at Big Mamas body, reassuring themselves that she was really dead. When her eight offspring attacked, one woman was slain instantly, head snapped right off her body by a set of vicious fangs. Two more people were severely injured: one woman lost her arm below the elbow when she raised it to block and another man was sent flying thirty feet through the air when an attempted dodge got him bodychecked by a charging monster a hundred times his weight. The monsters other targets managed to dodge or block, even caught off-guard. Most people managed to throw themselves aside in time, and one man managed to set his spear, letting his attacker impale itself as it charged, and then somehow detonated his speartip in the wolflike beasts chest? A spray of gore erupted outward, leaving a crater-like hole. It had cost the man the last two feet of his weapon - it was a stick now, not a spear - but the wolf made only one more attempt to bite him before wobbling and crashing to the ground. One down. Seven more left. The fog had been cleared from a pretty large area, about a thousand feet across, that contained well over a hundred people. I was near the center, so none of the monsters were focusing on me right now, leaving me free to survey the battlefield. First priority: Cassie and Gavin. Cassies cloudcar had just made a hard right, diverting toward the center. She wasnt under attack at the moment and she was moving away from the danger zone. Gavin was charging toward the edge. I almost, almost Telekinetically grabbed his shirt collar. My mental grasp wasnt strong enough to actually hold him back, but it was strong enough to give reminders. I held back only because I realized Gavin wasnt quite heading toward the monsters. He was dashing toward one of the people who had been injured, the man knocked flying by our new opponents arrival. Id keep an eye on my son, ready to pull him back or use Draw Attention if a monster came close, but battlefield healer was a role that let him meaningfully contribute in a relatively low-risk way. Unlike his idiotic charge against Big Mama a few minutes prior I shook my head, using Draw Attention at a distant monster about to chomp on a fallen woman. The monsters jaw jerked up as its eyes locked on me, making its attack miss. It glared for a few seconds until the ability faded, but then turned back toward its previously-chosen prey. I let out a breath of relief. Draw Attention had a powerful effect, and it was cheap in terms of how tiring it was to use, but it was risky. I could have interfered by using Paralyze instead, but I was already feeling tired and we were barely a half-hour into this Challenge. It was the pressure of that early exhaustion that made me forego another Announcement, instead flickering a hologram of arrows around one of the wolves, encouraging ranged to focus their attacks. I lifted my own gun and followed suit. The bullet didnt gouge a large wound in my chosen monsters side, but it did sink deep enough to vanish instead of flattening against its hide. The babies were much smaller than Big Mama - a quarter of her height and a tiny fraction of her mass - and they were clearly much less durable as well. Weve got this, I realized. Big Mama could potentially have taken out our group, but wed responded quickly enough, and with enough coordination, that our casualties had been minimal. Her childrens attack had been an unpleasant surprise, and they were doing damage but even all together, they were a shadow of the danger their parent had posed. We outnumbered them badly, more than ten-to-one. Draw Attention seemed to be a common ability for people who ended up in Challenges, and anytime one of the babies got close to taking a bite out of someone, their head and body would jerk around long enough for their intended victim to escape. They still did damage, mostly with their thrashing tails, and we lost one more person when they took a pulverizing strike to the back of their neck, but in under two minutes, the last of the evil brood had been defeated and healers were moving to stabilize our wounded. Pointy didnt miss a moment. The moment our last foe had been taken care of, she started rolling Cassies cloudcar toward me while playing an instrumental version of We Shall Overcome. Over the slow chords of the gospel song, she rattled off what seemed to be a brief command in a series of different languages. People started following her, shouting things like Hindi! Deutsh! and Quechua! Asking what language they speak? Pointy continued shouting to the group at large, but I heard her voice directly in my ears as well. Yes. I was hoping to do real-time translation and personalized sound broadcasts. Unfortunately, there are speakers of at least twenty-three different languages here. Youll get real-time translation, but most people are going to get more like delayed highlights. I nodded. Hopefully thats enough to keep most of this group together. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ten people have already departed, but the rest show no signs of leaving. Thats good, since a team will keep us safer and I havent seen anyone else from Fort Autumn yet. I assumed I would, since your whole family is here. Our whole family?! I jerked in surprise. But how do you- Pointys look was ten gallons of disdain in a six-ounce body. Seek? We agreed she should take it for times just like this? You talked with her extensively this morning about using it? I grimaced. Wed done just that. Then, Id gotten to the Challenge and Id forgotten all about it. I guess you were headed for Gavin? Thanks for looking out for him. Pointy looked embarrassed. My motives werent so pure. He had more to offer Cassie in terms of healing and direct combat power. I frowned. Pointy would look out for my sons safety, and my own, but only after Cassies. What she was saying about Gavin wasnt wrong, but knowing shed found my son primarily because she wanted him to protect Cassie did put a different light on her actions. On the other hand, she hadnt had to admit it. She couldnt help the way she was programmed, and shed been as transparent and helpful as she could. Right, I said, finally. But Vince is here? Micah? Which way are they? Tell me theyre in the same direction. Not quite, but fairly close. Micah is that way. Pointy raised a foreleg to indicate. Vince is about forty-five degrees further left. Well head toward Micah next, then, I said. Hell need our protection more. Gavin was looking a little droopy after all the healing hed dished out, so I loaded him into the backseat of the cloudcar and started walking, my children rolling beside me. Several people were upset when they realized I was leaving, but I didnt stop to listen to their complaints. This area might be safe, now that Big Mama was dead, but that was irrelevant. Im going, I told them. I have to find my other son, and my husband. Youre welcome to come with or to stay here. A group of six, who all spoke at least some Hindi, chose to remain behind. The rest followed. They might not like my decision, but I still had Cassie and Pointy. Anyone who stayed behind would have a hell of a time communicating and coordinating. That might be alright if the area was now safe, but there was no guarantee that another Big Mama wouldnt emerge. If they followed me, danger was a certainty, but at least thered be a hundred others to fight anything we found. I wasnt surprised that most people found that more appealing than waiting and hoping. Pointy was locked in concentration as we moved, furiously quizzing the people with us on their Abilities and simultaneously sharing as much information as she could, maintaining five or six different discussions at once. I could tell, because she courteously dubbed over everyone elses answers in English. Once I realized what she was doing, I almost told her to stop. How could I process responses from five people at once, especially when they sometimes spoke over each other? To my surprise, though, I found myself actually managing. I wasnt processing every detail, but I could glean the gist of what each person said, and pick out useful bits of knowledge from the flood of information. I wasn''t sure to credit my improved multitasking to Telekinesis or my Compatibility Specialty - we still weren''t really sure what it did, aside from the universal synergy - but it was enough to let me offer a few suggestions to Pointy that hadn''t occurred to her yet, like directing people with languages in common toward each other, so she wasnt the only way for the group to coordinate. Soon we had a ring of people with scouting abilities and sensory augments monitoring the area around us, and a few water and air-shaping specialists on standby to clear paths in the fog to people our scouts detected. Not everyone wanted to join us, but even so, our numbers swelled. We didnt find Ha-yoon, but we also werent heading in her direction. I hoped she had evaded the monsters and I didnt really want to find out if she hadnt. We moved quickly. The megamoles were pinpointed and dispatched by melee specialists before they could even spring from the ground, and the groups of roly-polies were immobilized by Sem or an earthshaper and stomped flat. We found one more type of enemy, a nasty little slime variant that was hot enough to boil away the moisture in the sand beneath it. The trail of dry earth it left didnt make it easier to spot, though, because the steam it created made nearby mist much thicker, dense enough that normal human vision wasnt even enough to see the slime until it was inches from your own feet. Fortunately, almost half our group wasnt completely reliant on normal human vision. A quarter of people had a sensory Augment. Three other people had Life Sense like mine. A dozen had another ability like Clairvoyance, and another eight had enough synergy in a temperature-related ability to spot the foes if they were paying close attention. Vince and Micah will see this one coming too, I thought. Lindani came to walk beside me, smiling down at Cassie. I am glad we found your little girl. And your little boy! You have a fierce one there. Lots of trouble for you. Lots of trouble indeed, I muttered. I still needed to talk to Gavin about his insane attack, but that could wait until wed found his brother. No: until we were home and safe. And Ive still got two more family members to find. Cassie says theyre here. You said you had kids too? Were they eligible for the Challenge? Thank God, no! They are staying with my sister. She will be fine for an afternoon, but my three, three of her own Its a lot! And my oldest, Malusi, thinks he is the man of the house. He is thirteen! Lindani shook her head. But I should not complain to a woman whose own children are still in danger. Thats life these days. Were moving as fast as we can while still keeping the group together. I would have liked to move faster, but abandoning the ramshackle team Id gathered might mean arriving without enough strength to get Micah and Vince out of whatever trouble I found them in. Plus, as much as it chafed, I knew the old adage was usually accurate: slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Honestly, I appreciate the distraction. I imagine youve had your work cut out for you keeping Malusi safe. Lindani frowned. Truthfully, I could not have managed without him. But I am still his mother, and he is too reckless! That child would admire his reflection in a lightning storm. Before I could ask what she meant, I heard a shout. Weve reached the end of the sand! Theres some kind of building, and its huge! Bk. 4, Ch. 38 - The walls have mouths
Wow, that was fast! Less than 14 minutes and weve already got a list of a dozen contestants who were sent to the same place as their precious ones. Im attaching the contestant codes so you can verify. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThats not a building! Its alive! The person shouting was a man with light brown skin. I didnt know his nationality, but he was one of the other people who had Life Sense. That lent unfortunate credibility to his claim. I shouldered my way through the crowd and closed my eyes, focusing on picking up details from my supernatural sense. Its not all alive. Its definitely regular stone near the door. There are a lot of living things inside, though, and a lot of them are shaped like walls and floor. It could just be some kind of moss or lichen I am not walking inside a monster disguised as a castle! someone shouted. I grimaced. Even if the castle wasn''t really a monster, I couldn''t pretend not to understand their hesitation. The sandy area was dangerous, but we''d learned many of its most deadly tricks. It was unlikely that any of that hard-won learning would apply to anything within the stone building. Entering would expose us to a new and unknown set of dangers. How big is it, really? I called. Can we go around? There were a few moments of confusion as people consulted their various abilities. Apparently the castle was dark inside and fog wreathed the exterior, which made Clairvoyance hard to use. Not impossible, though. After a minute, Lindani gestured to our right. I followed the outside wall in that direction. It curved, but I found no end to it nearby. Someone else had done the same to our left, with similar results. I took a step toward the door, the cloudcar rolling close behind me. Sorry, everyone. My oldest sons still in there, or on the other side of it. Im going in. My words triggered an outpouring of anger that quickly devolved into incomprehensible babble. Pointy raised her voice. I am not translating your threats! If you try to force us to stay, we will not help you. The castle will be dangerous, I am sure, but I believe it will be within our capability to handle if we stick together. A short woman raised a hand. I wont try to stop you, but Ill be staying outside with anyone who wishes to. I speak French and Italian, and the man next to me speaks French and English. I speak English and Urdu! another man called. Their words sparked a pile-on. A minute later, roughly two-thirds of our group was standing off to one side, intent on relying on a complex web of bilingual translators to maintain communication. Sem was among their number. He looked sheepish, but clearly wasnt in a rush to head into the castle. Lindani stayed with me. She didnt look happy, but almost none of our group did. Hell, I wasnt happy to be heading in. I turned to address them before heading into the building. Thank you all for your help. Not like youre giving us much choice, a muscular man growled. Hush, you! Lindani said. We could stay, if we wanted no one to understand our words. Her daughter is the only reason you can even complain right now. Can you truly fault her for going to save her other child? Plus, its not going to be that dangerous, agreed a girl with pierced eyebrows. There are still loads of us. We can take down anything that comes for us, and well probably earn better rewards. We might need those! An elderly man called over to us from next to Sem. If you dont like it, stay! No one will be able to understand me once the turtle leaves, but I am staying. You could too. The younger man made a sour face, but made no move to join the larger group. Thanks, I said to Lindani. She grimaced. I do not like it, but I cant blame you. Myself? Yes! If only I had helped Malusi and Themba more with their English homework, or sat with them to watch their American shows. Schools are better these days. Theres never enough time, I said. Especially when youve got kids to care for. Lindani gave me a sad smile, and I turned back toward the entrance. The entire process had only delayed us by a few minutes, but any delay chafed when Micah was in danger. And Vince, I whispered to myself. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He was an afterthought compared to my kids - I trusted him to take care of himself - but Id only just gotten him back. Id only just stopped worrying that he was dying to some unknown danger, and Id never know what happened to him. It seemed dreadfully unfair to have to go through those same feelings again, only a few days after he returned. I pushed my worry for both of them aside forcefully. I needed to focus on the here-and-now: Gavin and Cassie were with me already, and we were heading into dangerous territory with a smaller group of half-willing allies. The door was just barely wide enough to admit Cassies cloudcar, and the curving hallway wasnt much wider. The ceilings were unreasonably high for such a narrow space, lofting almost twenty feet above our heads. The walls were made of dark-colored stones, irregular in shape and size. I had a moment of irrational irritation. The sand outside had been brown! How could the stones here be nearly black? Sand was just pulverized stone! It was a stupid thought, of course: this entire area was completely artificial. If the space lawyers broadcasts had been accurate, I was likely walking around inside of Mars or one of the gas giants moons. Focus! I yelled at myself. Wed only traveled a short distance, just out of sight of the door, before we came to the first living section. To my relief, it was visually distinct from the rest of the building: the walls were covered in a yellow-brown pebbled texture. If it wasnt a plant, it was probably some kind of stationary animal, similar to a clam or a barnacle. Not that we put any faith in that. As soon as it had been illuminated by the light bobbing ahead of our group, wed fired off a number of ranged attacks. Id even shot it with my handgun, although Id been careful to use Assisted Strike and focus on having my ricochet strike a point further along the hallway. The yellow stuff didnt react as we destroyed more than half its mass, unless you counted the dust and plant matter that was kicked into the air as we shredded it. We were paranoid enough to count it: an air controller sent a gust forward, pushing the debris away from us. I have Cleanse! a teenage boy called, darting forward. Let me test it. He grabbed a clump of plant matter out of the air and squinted at it, then relaxed. It shouldnt be too dangerous. I Cleansed for everything more harmful to breathe than grass pollen, and nothing came out. I raised my eyebrows. What a clever kid! I glanced at Pointy and she nodded, clearly filing the strategy away for future use, now that Cassie had Cleanse. Wed have to remember to pass the idea to George, too. You could set almost any criteria for Cleanse, but using it to test for poisons could be difficult. Apples contained small amounts of cyanide, after all, and even the noble potato contains small amounts of a relatively-innocuous poison. Set the wrong criteria, and you could easily decide that something safe was dangerous, or vice versa. Using something like grass pollen as a baseline was inspired: it wasnt great to breathe, but even being hit in the face with a bag of it shouldnt be fatal, so using it as a point of comparison should keep Cleanse from being triggered by minor irritants. Nice work! I called. The kid smiled at me and took a step further down the hallway, then screamed as a softball-sized mass hit the side of his neck. Immediately, I dropped my Telekinetic objects and grabbed onto the boys clothes, yanking him toward us with all my strength. I was far from the only one to react. A woman with clawed fingertips reached him first, bringing her hand around like a striking snake and coming away from his neck holding something that resembled a three-pronged starfish. It went limp as her claws pierced it, but the corpse remained. The back of the creature was an almost perfect mimicry of the moss around it, but the underside was very different. Suction cups similar to an octopuss littered the surface, surrounded by curling, barbed spikes, and the back of the boys neck was a ragged mess, after only having the monster on him for a second! Part of that might be how roughly it was torn away, I admitted, although I didnt blame the woman in the slightest. His neck was already scabbing over and I glanced down to see Gavins tail snaking by me. I glared back at my son. Youre supposed to be resting! I am! I didnt heal him all the way. I glared at him until he pulled his tail back inside and shut the door of the cloudcar, then raised my voice. Is anyone with Healing Touch fresh enough to finish the healing? The boy needs more, and I think can you heal yourself? My last question was directed toward the woman who had killed the wallfish? Wallstar? No, it wasnt really a star, it only had three arms. Her hand had a few small gouges in it, where the curved spines had pierced her skin as shed pulled the monster clear. She was staring at it with a strangely relaxed expression. What? Oh. Yeah. I can. She kept staring. Are you going to do that? No, something was clearly fucky here. I should be assertive. Heal yourself. Okay, she responded. The small cuts vanished. Belatedly, I realized the Cleansing boy wasnt even whimpering. Hed screamed when the monster had attacked, but hed been remarkably calm since, just dangling in my Telekinetic grip as two other healers came forward to finish fixing his injuries. I shoved him upright. Hey, are you alright? He turned toward me and blinked slowly, giving me a happy smile. Im fine. Hes been drugged. The speaker was a blonde-haired woman in late middle age. I used to work in a hospital. Hes acting just like someone dosed with opiates. Does anyone have Cure Poison? No one did. I grimaced. Cleanse will be too energy-intensive. There was one person with Cure Poison in the group outside, Pointy offered reluctantly. I am sure they would cure these two, and it might be possible to bribe them to come along with us in exchange for a spare firearm. If we have- Lindani stiffened. The exit is gone! Her words triggered a panicked stampede. Those closest to the exit backtracked, shouts quickly confirming her words: Theres just a wall here now! Its a dead end! Were trapped! Bk. 4, Ch. 39 - Dash
This is a very strange decision by the showrunners. For Challenges, it is customary to either group contestants by area, to slow information spread, or to distribute them totally randomly, to discourage co-operation. What goal could it serve, to keep families together, but to make the arena assignment otherwise random? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWe didnt have any stone-shapers with us, so we couldnt easily re-open a path. One woman with a sledgehammer did her best to break back through, but when she knocked a stone clear, she saw another layer of wall behind it, rather than daylight or mist. If people had been unhappy about my decision to move into the building before, the new developments had led to a near-rebellion, especially since many people blamed me for the appearance of the wall. Its not alive! I snapped. I promise. You act like youve never heard of sliding doors before. Humans could move walls too. Its not that hard. My irritation and derisive sarcasm somehow failed to defuse the situation. Im staying, said the woman with the sledgehammer. Ill bust a way out. Who will guard my back? Im going, I snapped back, just as quickly. The people around me flinched. I had reasons to worry, but my attitude wasnt helping. I took a deep breath. It was one little monster with a mild poison. Theres no reason to panic. Were still fine. We can still do this. Yeah! Keep your ears stiff. The walldrugger was sneaky. It wont surprise us again, encouraged Pierced Eyebrows. Pointy says my little kitties will go first. Theyre very brave. Like me! Cassie said. My daughters eyes were shut tight and Pointy was deformed, squished tight against her chest. Oh no, I thought. Were going to go through another scared-of-the-dark phase, arent we? Oh well. Problem for tomorrow. And not much of a problem: there really were monsters in the night. Keeping a light source in our bedroom was a wise move, even with Pointy watching over us. When I moved away, most of the group followed me, although two people remained behind with the sledgehammer woman, and everyone was nervous. Even Pierced Eyebrows and her fellow glory-seekers seemed spooked. We were all on edge. Ready to fight. Except for the teenage boy and his clawed savior, of course. Those two were calm and happy. Only the faintest trace of concern ever brushed their features, and it always cleared up quickly. They could still walk and fight, and they would use abilities agreeably enough if someone suggested it, but they seemed docile. Placid. Unconcerned. And probably a little slow and uncoordinated. Micah can definitely burn those things away, I thought. Even if they get the jump on him. But if they hurt him at all My oldests cleverness and cautious nature were two of his best defenses. A monster that could evaporate those advantages with a scratch? I hated that. Cassies Summoned Seekers proved their worth immediately, luring out two more walldruggers and triggering a pressure plate that released some kind of gas. What kind, I didnt know; we had an air-controller with us who shunted it away from us. Cassie''s seekers were also very effective at drawing out the other monster that had led people to believe the building was alive, a monster who looked exactly like the walls or floor of the building until it sprang to life whereupon it still looked and felt almost entirely like a collection of rocks. Actually, I was pretty sure it was just rocks, and the monster itself was the collection of black fibers that wrapped around them, swinging chains of stones like hammers. Killing them was difficult. Micah or another fire mage might have been able to do it more easily, but cutting the stones apart just turned a large monster into two smaller ones. Worse, the monster had a stoneshaping ability, as we found out when it pulled the blonde-haired medical professional into grappling range and flowed over her, encasing her head and torso in seconds. We managed to break her free before she ran out of air, but the experience had clearly been traumatic. No one blamed her for retreating deep into the middle of the group, not moving out of arms reach of Cassies cloudcar. Without discussion, the entire group called the new monsters rock elementals, rock spirits, or rock demons. Our legends might differ from culture to culture, but the idea of a living rock was a common one. Sometimes the rock elementals were nestled into hollows or alcoves, but they also used their bodies to seamlessly seal off doors or parts of hallways. Killing them was a huge hassle, even for our group, but it often let us move more directly toward Micah. Grateful as I was that Cassies Seek could tell us which direction our other family members were in, it would have been more useful outside, where we could have walked in a straight line wherever she pointed. In here, the walls and corridors often forced us to go in the wrong direction entirely, at least for short distances. The rock elementals stayed stationary when anyone was watching, at least until we got within striking distance. I was certain they werent the passive threat they appeared, however: Life Sense let me feel them get into position as we approached, and sometimes an elemental in a corridor wed bypassed would shift toward us. If anyone stayed still for too long, the rock elementals would find them. I was sure of it. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The building was a stressful place to be. I could feel the monsters, but the monsters were only the start of the trouble. The hallways were heavily trapped: spikes shot out from the floor, walls slammed out to try to separate our group or limit our options. Cassies Summoned Seekers were invaluable, revealing spike and gas traps galore, but they were too light to trigger the pit traps. The first one opened up beneath Pierced Eyebrows - whod been brave enough to take the lead after Cassies scouts - and only a swift Force Shield had slowed her fall long enough to let her catch the edge of the pit with her hands. The pit was easy enough to jump over after you knew about it, but it still added a delay as we made the leap one by one or, in the case of our more nervous members and Cassies cloudcar, were lifted over by Gavins super tail. Pierced Eyebrows peered down into the shadowy opening. No spikes at the bottom that I can see. Seems to slope. Seems like a good bet for one of those secret prize areas they mentioned. Diplomacy, I told myself. Dont call her a suicidal idiot. Weve still got over three hours in the Challenge. If we keep going, maybe well find someone with stone or metal shaping who can sense traps before they spring. If the traps here are any hint to what wed find in a secret area, that would make exploring it a lot more doable. Good argument! Her phrasing was odd, likely an overly-literal translation from whatever language she spoke, but I wouldnt complain: without Pointy, we would have struggled to communicate at all. She gave me an approving nod and turned away from the pit. I breathed a sigh of relief. Pierced Eyebrows was a little too aggressive for my taste, but at least she wasnt panicking. Her attitude was really helping the groups morale as we wandered these horror-inspired halls. We needed that, especially when a few of the people we found were already dead. Most of the rest were injured. My earlier positive feelings about the system putting my family in the same Challenge were diminishing with every corpse we found. How could that thing put Micah in here?! At least he ought to be able to sense the walldruggers and the rock elementals, but any one of these traps could do him in! Every time we found a body, Id look back at the cloudcar, and Pointy would tell me which direction Seek said to go, tacitly confirming that Micah was still alive... Or so I hoped. Seek could be used to find anything, not just people, so it might still work if Micah it might still work on someone who wasnt alive anymore. Seek had been pointing to a near-identical location the whole time. I didnt need Cassies confirmation to know that much. Eidetic Memory and Analyze were equal to the task of building a mental map as we went, and Id been getting a pretty good idea of where we were headed. The building wasnt truly mazelike - there were numerous routes that would take you to the same place - but the shifting walls and winding corridors certainly made it feel that way. Id been able to use the angle of Cassies pointing arms to triangulate Micahs location. Geometry class had been a struggle for tenth-grade Meghan, and Id planned to leave homework help to Vince whenever our kids had to deal with angles and trajectories but here and now, I had complete confidence in the answer Id come to. We were getting close. Really close. Micah, sweetheart! Im almost there. Less than a hundred feet away. Hold on! Mom? I could barely hear the word, but it still struck terror into my heart. Micah never sounded like that. Terrified, weak, shaky he sounded like he had as a toddler, when wed taken him to the emergency room during a 106-degree fever. Something was wrong. I couldnt wait for my group to safely traverse the distance. Gavin! On my back. Cassie, Pointy, stay with Lindani. I can run faster, Mom. I know you can, baby, but you have other jobs: catch us if we fall, heal me a little if I get hurt, and hold your breath. Try to save some energy to heal Micah. O okay said Gavin nervously as he wrapped his arms and legs around me. I took off running, swinging my iron plates out in a sloping roof to block any walldruggers that would try to pop out at us from the patch of lichen ahead. Two ringing thumps suggested my caution had been warranted, and we passed the monsters before they could regroup and spring a second time. The most direct route to where we were going was dead ahead, but I could sense a rock elemental crouched in the wall nearby, so I veered right. The ground gave way beneath me and we started to fall before Gavins tail slapped down, launching us to the far side of the pit. I stumbled as I landed and would have fallen, except that my beautiful boy quickly adjusted his tail to provide support. New breath, I said, and started forward again the moment I heard Gavin suck in more air. It was a good precaution, because not ten steps further along, I stepped on a pressure plate that sent a cloud of gas shooting out from the cracks in the walls. We still had no idea what it did, but I hoped it wasnt dangerous to have it on our skin. Gavin and I were both wearing goggles. Almost there, I thought. I could feel Micah on Life Sense now, familiar and alive. Then a row of spikes shot up, piercing straight through my left foot and deep into my right thigh. I didnt scream, exactly, but the shock made me gasp a little, a whining intake of breath I cut off as soon as I could. Wed been mostly through the gas cloud, but not all the way, and I was depressingly certain that Id soon find out what, exactly, the gas did. I was more worried, however, about the scent of charred meat that breath had revealed. Gavin sent a pulse of healing through me the moment the spikes retracted, undoing the worst of the damage. I didnt let it stop me, thundering around the corner and keeping my iron plates close to block potential walldroppers hiding in another patch of lichen. This time, nothing sprang out at us. There was Micah, curled up at the end of a trail of blood. Untidy bandages were pooled on the ground behind him, unused. Blackened spots dotted his left side in regular intervals. He looked terrible, but he was still alive. Gavin sprang from my back, leaping the last thirty feet to his brother, expression fierce. I was only a little behind him, sinking down to cradle Micahs head on my lap. Were here, baby. Were here. Mommys got you. Bk. 4, Ch. 40 - Inarticulate
I dont know what the goal of this was, but I think I can guess at least one impact it will have. Can you send along the statistics on how many of the Clothes-Lovers are wearing the black-and-white stripes? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensHow did you get burned? Gavin asked, tears streaming down his face. Youre like a fire king. Micah didnt answer. I knew he was conscious - he was squeezing my hand tightly - but he was nearly insensate with pain. His face was scrunched up and his breath was coming in ragged, wavering inhalations and staccato, sobbing exhalations. I was glad that Gavin was the healer and not me. I dont know if I would have been able to keep from dumping all my heals into Micah at once, as dumb as it would have been. Gavins tears made it clear that he felt the same way, but somehow he was restraining himself, carefully measuring out his heals, doing his best to fix the damage slowly and steadily. Part of me was aghast at such a show of maturity from a six-year-old, but I knew Gavins expertise had been hard-won. And I was equally stunned by his brother, only three years older, who had clearly made choices just as pragmatic and painful. I think the burns were something Micah did, I said, my vision blurring. Why would he do that?! Were there monsters on his skin? I shook my head. I dont think so. Look at where his injuries are. His chestplate and helmet blocked some of them, and luckily nothing hit his neck, but theyre all in a line on his left side, and it looks like at least one of the spikes went all the way through his leg. Micah knew you could burn injuries to stop the bleeding. Wed talked about it. Just in case. Just thinking about it made me angry. I wanted to tear this stupid castle to shreds, but there was no way I was letting go of my babys hand, not until he was okay. He could have died! Judging by the amount of blood, he would have, if he hadnt given up on bandaging himself, if he hadnt decided I couldnt even complete the thought, furious. This isnt fair. Not even a little. Almost no one can sense or detect the traps before they spring. I guess you could manually test or look for them, but why would you? There havent been any traps before, unless you count the nasty bushes from the second Mandatory Trial. Theyre theyre just trying to kill us! This Trial is- Mom? What are you doing? Gavins voice was confused and scared. I suddenly realized that Id been throwing a Telekinetic tantrum, slamming my iron plates and sawblades and knives against the walls. The walls didnt seem to have taken significant damage, but one of my knives had snapped in two. I didnt even know where the tip had gone, but the part I was holding was pretty useless now, just a bare inch of blade sticking out of a hilt. What the hell was I doing? Sorry, I growled. Im just really angry. Gavin looked alarmed. Not at you! I hastened to add. And not at Micah. At the aliens that made all this happen. Oh. Gavin glared at the wound on Micahs shoulder. They are damn poopheads. They really are, I muttered. He is hurt really bad, Mom. The spikes broke pieces off of three of his bones, and a lot of his blood is gone, and when I fix the flashy parts I think it hurts him more. The flashy oh. His nerves? Then fix those last. You can do that, right? Oh. Yeah, I can! Ill work on his bones first? The flashy parts near those are all working anyway. The broken ones are near the burn thing he did. Cauterize. The word was quiet and hoarse. Burning someone is called cauterizing if youre trying to help them. Micah! Gavin yelled happily. I breathed a sigh of relief. If anything could distract Micah away from his pain, of course, it would be the chance to correct someone. What else could I say wrongly? I drew a blank. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. It was hard to focus. Hard to sit still. Even with my own barely-sealed injuries throbbing it was hard not to get up and run back to Cassie and Pointy, to shout at the rest of the group to hurry up. They were almost to us. Micah had been in range of my Life Sense when I split from the group, so even if they were taking their time getting around the hazards Gavin and I had crashed through, there was only so much delay possible. I could feel them just around the corner. Theyd made it past the pit and the gas trap, and I could hear the ringing of metal on stone as they worked to disarm the final spike trap. Well, not disarm so much as disable: wed been addressing that brand of hazard by pummeling them repeatedly until they stopped working. Im sure it was only thirty seconds before Cassies Summoned Seekers scampered into view, but it felt like longer. As soon as I saw them, I raised my voice. Healers! Hurry up! Get over here now! When people followed my son around the corner, I saw that many of them had irritated expressions but to their credit, that irritation fell away into shock and concern when they saw Micah. He was by far the worst-injured person wed come across since the fight with Big Mama, or at least the only one still living. His quick thinking and ruthlessness had saved him. We had five other healers with us, and after each had brushed their fingers over my babys cheek, Micah let out a long, relieved, breath and stretched, pushing himself to sitting. His skin was still twisted and blackened near the site of each of his injuries, but he was clearly feeling much better, moving and opening his eyes. Have you given him anything to eat yet, Meghan? Pointy asked. No, not yet. I frowned. Why hadnt I? Wed realized a while back that having extra nourishment in your system made some types of healing more efficient, especially blood replacement. Even my pack had some food and water, and the kids were each carrying a days worth of water and three days worth of food. Gavin tugged the water bottle out of Micahs backpack. Here! Drink! Ill get you a spacecake. Micah obediently took a sip, but glanced worriedly behind him. Theres something big that way. Warmer than the castle. It was moving toward me. I was trying to get away from it when I hit the trap. One of the rock elementals, I said, and flashed a quick hologram of an X to mark its location. I squeezed Micahs hand. Were pretty sure it wont come closer as long as were watching it. Really? Micah sounded disgusted. That would have been good to know. Ow! He flinched as a healer took another turn, but the scarred patch on his arm visibly shrank. As soon as Micahs healed, we need to get moving again, I said. Cassie used Seek. Dads here too. Gavin frowned at me. Youre hurt too, Mommy. We should wait and heal you too. We need to get moving. Im fine, I said, pulling myself to my feet. Its not that- A sharp burst of pain as I put weight on my right leg made me stumble, and the resulting shift to my mangled left foot wasnt any better. I held my breath to keep from screaming. My six-year-old regarded me skeptically. I think you are hurt pretty bad, Mommy. Maybe, I allowed, the word eking its way out through gritted teeth. But we cant wait, we need to- Meghan, Pointy interrupted. Did you breathe in any of the gas? No! Well, maybe. Just a little bit, though. The turtle used her mastery of sound to project a perfectly judgmental sigh right to my ears. The Maffiyir showrunners seem to enjoy their themes. I had suspicions about what the gas might do after the chemical weapons of the walldruggers induced extreme calm, and Ive been able to listen in on you since you reached Micah. Youve been acting erratically. I think the gas introduces feelings of restlessness and anger. I frowned. And we dont have Cure Poison. Well, get me one of those walldruggers, so I can get poisoned by that too. They should cancel each other out. There was a moments dead silence, then Pointy raised her voice and addressed the group, her tone matter-of-fact. Well, thats that. I am assuming command. Meghans judgment is irreparably compromised. What?! Pointys voice dripped condescension. Listen to yourself, Meghan. I tell you you might be drugged, and your immediate reaction is that you should take an unknown, unmeasurable amount of a second drug that seems to have a conflicting impact? Well I mean Chemicals arent math, Meghan! You cant just take two opposite effects and assume theyre going to cancel each other out. Especially when you know one is a toxin that moves through the airways and one enters the body via the bloodstream. You may be a meatsack, but youre not that stupid. It could work. Listen to the turtle, Pierced Eyebrows called. You dont have all your cups in the cupboard right now. But if- Hospital Lady cut me off, her voice flat. It could leave you unable to breathe. Theres a reason we keep pharmacists on staff to do medication reviews! A man I didnt know raised his voice. You cant just slap an alien critter on your wrist and hope for the best. Even a hedgehog knows that! The unity of my opposition made me pause. If everyone felt that way, my judgment must really be impaired. Fine, I said. It came out in more of a growl. Well stay here until you and Micah are physically intact, Pointy said. Then well head out after Cassies father. I slammed my fist into the wall, frustrated at the delay. If you injure yourself, it will just delay us longer, Pointy said. My response was an inarticulate noise that stopped just short of being a yell. Bk. 4, Ch. 41 - If your husband jumped down a pit...
The stripes became popular with Clothes-Lovers in the area near Fluffys client at the end of the third duodenary, but were still vanishingly rare worldwide. The fourth Challenge introduced them to several other areas of the world, most notably the island nation to the east of the largest landmass. They spread quickly across the island through the next week, and over 1/144 Clothes-Lovers were wearing the stripes by the start of the fifth Challenge. Numbers continued to increase during the most recent duodenary, although more gradually. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensOnly my children were willing to come within arms length of me. The passage wasnt broad enough for us to easily walk three abreast, so Gavin was lounging atop Cassies cloudcar and stretching his tail forward to grab me, probably so he could monitor my physical state. Micah walked on my left side, holding my intact hand. This let me keep my shield ready and kept me from going for my sword or gun. I could still attack with my Telekinetic objects, but at Pointys insistence, Id put everything with a blade away, limiting myself to nets and iron plates. Realizing I had been drugged into some kind of rage didnt seem to have helped me control it. On one hand, I could totally understand why people who didnt know me werent willing to walk within arms length of the crazy yelling lady. On the other hand, Id been very cooperative and I hadnt hurt anyone yet. Id done nothing but help those dumb-ass motherfuckers. They shouldnt be looking at me like that. I could see their judgmental gazes on the back of my head, and- Gavin squeezed my wrist with his tail. The anger ebbed away just long enough for me to feel embarrassed for a few seconds before I started to feel angry at my own embarrassment. Whatever this shit was, it didnt seem to be dissipating quickly. Pointy thought that whatever toxin Id breathed in was making my body overproduce anger-related chemicals and hormones. Maybe norepinephrine, maybe dopamine maybe some other shit I didnt remember. Gavin could reset my bodys chemistry, but he couldnt remove whatever toxin was causing the imbalances, so any fix he made was temporary. I felt overstretched, a flimsy rubberband bundling up a whole cupboards worth of craft supplies, ready to snap at any moment. It was almost a shame that wed figured out all the hazards of these halls. My kids and I were in the middle of the group, just behind the blissed-out walldrugger victims. Cassies Summoned Seekers were still handling our scouting, but anything they found was being dealt with efficiently by other people. We were moving more quickly now, and wed picked up a double handful of others, including the adult son of the older blonde medical professional. He actually did have a metal-manipulation ability, and he could disarm the spike traps easily and quickly. It was good. In some ways. People in our group seemed more confident. No one had complained about coming into the building in over ten minutes. We could keep this up for hours. We were getting closer to Vince about twice as quickly. But damn, I was just itching to spend a few minutes smashing a sledgehammer into something. Cassie. Wheres Daddy? I asked. My daughter bit her lip thoughtfully, then pointed. What? But then, weve passed him! We should have gotten to him already. What the hell, Pointy? Did you make a wrong turn? Pointy sighed. Consider the angle of your daughters arm closely, Meghan. Thats definitely behind us. Thereve been a lot of turn-offs we could have made in that direction. Why are you leading us away from Vince? Do you mistrust him that badly? The vertical angle, Meghan. For a moment, Pointys words confused me. Then I did a quick mental review. Wait Vince is beneath us?! I believe so. That doesnt make any sense. Hes easily fast enough to catch the edge of the floor, even if he was caught in the middle of a pit trap. And even if he somehow fell, he could climb back out easily. I concur, said Pointy. Thus, I can only conclude that your husband went into one of the pits on purpose. I wanted to argue, to say that he wouldnt have done that, but the evidence was incontrovertible. I slammed my shield against the wall with an echoing clang. Damn it, Vince! Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The loud clang made Micah flinch, which only made me angrier... at myself, this time. Hadnt my brave boy suffered enough? How dare I make it worse? So now youll say we cant reach Vince, I muttered. Id been really counting on finding him. I trusted Pointy, but I knew she could only bend her programming so far. Her first priority was Cassie, always. That wasnt usually a problem, but here and now, the boys were in just as much danger and I couldnt completely trust my own ability to look out for them. Thats not what I was going to say, Meghan. I stopped cold at that, letting the cloudcar run into my ankles. Youre not? Youre kidding me. If hes not just at the bottom of a pit- Hes not. Hes moved horizontally at least somewhat. Then thats got to be one of the hidden areas of increased danger. Why would we go into one of those on purpose? I mean, Im all for it, but Im pretty sure that if Gavin clears out my system ah, yes, thanks Gavin. Pointy, thats a terrible idea. Are you joking? Im not. Then why? You dont even like Vince very much. While I admit I am unsurprised to find your husband deep in a completely optional, completely avoidable area of elevated danger, there are rational reasons to consider following him. Like the increased rewards? called Pierced Eyebrows. Her excitement was clear. Just so, Pointy said. Look, consider the design of this Challenge. Everyone started on their own. No teams. Most of the opponents and hazards, with the exception of Big Mama and her children, havent been too aggressive. You can sense living things. Micah can detect changes in temperature. The people weve teamed up with have given us access to many other interesting senses. Nikolai can detect and manipulate metal and Arwa is not only sensitive to changes in air and airflow, she can direct dangerous air away from us. Jamal can see in sharper detail than most hawks, and Giovanna found us after she heard us coming from a long way away. If we can find a way to descend through the pit traps safely, the odds that we can handle the additional hazards are pretty high, and it might give us a tool we need to handle future Threats. We understand the treezillas well enough to keep them under control, but we cant be sure if future Threats will grow in the same ways. I blinked, struggling to recall the thoughts Id had about the hidden areas earlier, before Id been drugged. But the Arsenal. The military. Theyll have teams going after the good rewards too. And some of them will probably succeed, Pointy agreed. To be honest, I wouldnt judge it worth the risk to descend if it werent for two things. Vince? You care about him after all! Well, Cassie does, Pointy said. And he clearly cares about Cassie enough to put himself between her and danger. His survival is the second and lesser of the two factors Im considering. I scowled. Then whats the first? Do you recall the message you received when we arrived here? You must have noticed the irregularity. Yeah, I said. It was like the message changed from what was originally planned. Pointy nodded. I suspect that our friend made a last-minute adjustment there, but the rest of this Challenge was clearly fabricated far in advance. The rewards and the danger had been set, but we were not supposed to be warned. And you think that the warning will make enough of a difference that the risk will be worth it. I do. God, it was hard sitting still. I was going crazy here. If there had been a pit within eyesight, I would have already been shoving people aside and jumping down it, just so I could do something. A big part of me was elated that Pointy was pushing us all toward some excitement, but I didnt like that she was basing her decision so heavily on her trust in a machine intelligence that had already killed millions of humans. Id given her command, and I meant that, but for something this serious I wanted another opinion. I tugged on Micahs hand, and he looked up at me, confused. What? What do you think about all this, buddy? Why are you asking me? Pointys in charge. Micah squeaked. She is, but you had a hard day. Im not comfortable dragging you into more danger. Everything shes saying sounds persuasive to me, but Ive wanted to do at least twenty stupid things in the past hour. You I took a deep breath. Youre smart and cautious. If you think we should go If youre comfortable going well go. Micah looked frightened by the responsibility. He glanced back at Gavin, who gave him an uncertain shrug. Then he looked over the crowd wed gathered. If if we went, how many of you guys would come with? Im in! shouted Pierced Eyebrows. Three or four other voices rang out right behind. No surprises there: that handful of people had been pushing for us to explore the bottom of the pits since wed found the first one. The rest of our group well, wed found about half of them within this maze, but the other half had very reluctantly followed us from outside. They hadnt wanted to come in the castle, let alone into any area of heightened danger, so for a minute, I thought Pierced Eyebrows small group of volunteers would be the end of it. Then the blonde lady - the one who worked at a hospital - raised a hand. My son and I will come. We should keep the group together. I was frightened to come with, but the turtle is right - we havent had a single casualty since we came in here. We are stronger together. If youre going, Ill go, a man called. If all of you leave, well lose most of our trapfinders. Staying above without you sounds more dangerous than going below in your company. That argument sent a ripple through the crowd. Can we get down safely? A woman asked. If we can, Ill come too. I squeezed Micahs hand. It sounds like theyd all come with us. He looked up at me and steeled himself. Lets find a way down. Bk. 4, Ch. 42 - Relaxing
As expected of this type of Challenge, the many ambush-type monsters have put contestants on edge. Combined with the fog and darkness, that has led to many accidents. A significant portion of the early deaths this Challenge were due to friendly fire. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAbout ten meters! Pierced Eyebrows called. Well... Ten meters until things level out. Theres not exactly a bottom, the wall of the pit just slopes until it becomes the floor. Pointy frowned. The wall slopes? That would make falling in the pit safer. Yeah. I had my rope, but I think even without it the landing wouldnt have hurt too much. Kind of like falling on a giant slide. You werent attacked? No but I can sense a big monster just a little way ahead. Maybe one of those rock elementals? Its close enough that I probably would have slid into it if I was falling normally. I snorted, reaching for the rope. We can take a rock elemental. Put that down, Meghan! We can, but youre not the person to do it. I grumbled, but let go. Sort of. It was more like Gavin pulled me away, but I didnt start a wrestling match with my six-year-old. Yay me? Finding pit traps was easy, but Pointy had taken ages walking in stupid circles in this stupid castle, trying to decide which one was closest to my stupid husband. By the time she made her choice, I was almost literally chewing on the walls. Fortunately for all of us, Id chosen the more socially-acceptable (but equally useless) route of trying to bash them to pieces rather than literally eat them, but that was less a matter of self-control and more a matter of what tools I had at hand. Fewer tools, now that Id ruined another knife. I was still using it anyway, slamming its chipped and dulled blade into the mortar. There was no real goal to this; I just needed some kind of outlet for all the energy that kept bubbling up, and Pointy insisted that I shouldnt be on the frontline for any of the fights. It was infuriating. Pointy was directing the rest of the group, choosing a team and sending them down to take out the earth elemental, then sending others down one-by-one to secure a spot in what was apparently a fairly lengthy downstairs hallway. That gave me plenty of time to get my knife blade wedged about two inches into the wall and pull so hard I snapped it off at the hilt. Stupid thing! I slammed the hilt into the rest of the blade, trying to use it like a hammer. Meghan, its your turn now. Cassie and I will ride on your back. Gavin, you follow us down and be ready to catch us. Micah, you will follow Gavin. Finally! I paused for a split-second to let Cassie grab onto my shoulders - she was more than strong enough to hang on without help - and swung myself over the edge. My injured hand didnt really slow me down: my missing fingers were often problematic for tasks that required dexterity, but Id kept my thumb. For something like this, my excessive strength more than made up for any imperfections in my grip. It was only after I got to the bottom that something occurred to me. Hey, wheres the cloudcar? I had Cassie dismiss it. We could have gotten it down here Havent you been paying any attention, Meghan? They found a small passageway behind the rock elemental. Its lit up and the walls and floor are tile, instead of stone. I scowled. No, Im not paying attention. You say No every time I offer to do anything, and it makes me angry. Pointy sighed. I suppose taking your aggressive energy out on the walls is better than directing it toward the group I thought so, I said, giving the wall kick hard enough to hurt my toes. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Well, the new passageway is different enough to be promising, so we sent a scout down. We can still see them, but they cant come back. Theres some kind of invisible barrier that you can enter but not leave. And were going in there? Pointy shrugged. My previous arguments in favor of proactive exploration remain. Additionally, now that one member of our group is trapped, abandoning them would affect group morale in extremely undesirable ways. It is, however, too narrow for the cloudcar. I dont like that Indeed. However, you are perceptive and highly motivated to protect Cassie, and, for the job of protecting her, your elevated adrenaline levels may even prove beneficial. Of all the group, you are least likely to relax and be taken off-guard. My laugh made the people left in the upper hallway back away. Relax? Not a chance. My kids and I were in the middle of the group as we entered the new passageway. When Pointy had said it was tiled, Id envisioned something sterile, white, and threatening, like a laboratory. That wasnt what we found at all. The floor featured black-and-white squares in a checkerboard pattern, like something you might find in a retro diner. The walls were a pattern of smaller tiles, a mosaic whose main color was a sort of pastel blue, accented by brighter patches of teal, rose, and metallic gold. The ceiling was plain white, with thin rectangular lights recessed into it at regular intervals. It looked nice? I believe this hallway is designed to be relaxing. Blue is known to encourage a sense of calm, and height and width of the hallway are comparable to those I have seen in domestic human construction, Pointy said. Assholes, I growled. Indeed. We moved ahead cautiously, and I strained my Life Sense for any hint of an unpleasant surprise, and making sure to focus on my rear-view and top-view eyes, ready to scream a warning at any hint of change in our surroundings. Nothing jumped out at us. We didnt spring any traps. After a hundred feet, the hallway ended, transforming into a curving staircase leading down. The decor of the staircase was different than the hallway, but equally human: dark blue wallpaper with a gold fleur-de-lis pattern terminated halfway down the wall at a chunky railing of polished wood. Wood paneling coated the lower half of the wall, ending in a plush carpet in nonthreatening beige. Where are the enemies?! I muttered. The system warned us hidden areas werent safe, and this seems like a fucking hidden area. You still cant feel anything? Pointy asked. Anyone else? Strange metal in the walls, odd rock formations? Everyone shook their heads. Down we go, then, Pointy said. Are you sure we should- one man started to ask. Pointy cut him off. I am sure we are already committed, and that sitting still has been punished repeatedly in recent Challenges. And hey, Pierced Eyebrows said. Things are going better than we expected. We were ready to fight monsters. I think we can handle some carpeting and a few stairs. She headed downward and the rest of us followed. I caught a whiff of something floral as I entered the hallway. Hey, whats that smell!? Is it dangerous? The kid with Cleanse cupped his hands together, squinting at them. No I dont think so. Thats lavender! someone called. I used to pay my masseuse 10 Euro extra each month for aromatherapy. I re-checked the iron plates I had floating behind Cassie. They were still in good positions: one above, one below, three in an arc around her head and torso. I was so, so ready for something to jump us. That feeling only intensified when I started hearing the faint strains of music. Not that the music was sinister. Like everything else in this area, it was pleasant, even calming. Plucked harp strings, maybe? The song even sounded familiar, although I couldnt quite place it. It was really obnoxious when nothing attacked. We made our way down the stairs, through another short hallway, which ended in a closed door. Opening the door wasnt even stressful: it was see-through, a broad panel of glass in a metal frame, offering a preview of a large chamber painted in pastel gradients and filled with beanbags and recliners. The walls appeared rounded, and I could see another door on the opposite side of the room. There were a few people inside, but they didnt seem hostile. Most were lounging in the provided seating, although a few were standing off to the side, fixing the beanbags with suspicious stares. As we opened the door I caught a faint scent of food, and I noticed that the wall between the doors was lined by a curving table filled with a variety of snack food and drinks. I didnt look at it closely, though. A man slumped in a beanbag, facing one of the other doors, sat bolt upright as he heard us enter. It was Vince. His face lit up as he spotted us. Bk. 4, Ch. 43 - Wheres the danger?
Whatever the Maffiyirs goals for the distribution of contestants, I have to imagine they are frustrated. There isnt a single arena without people from Fort Autumn, the area where Fluffys client is based, and they seem to be encouraging cooperation very effectively. Aside from accidents caused by poor visibility, there has been almost no violence between Clothes-Lovers. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensHey guys! called Vince. What are you doing here? Looking for you, obviously, I growled. Thats our excuse. What got you to jump down a deep dark hole? Vince shrugged, gesturing to his left. There was a black-haired little boy curled up in the next beanbag over, apparently asleep. I heard a kid screaming and was worried it was one of ours. Jumped down the hole, took out the wall-monster he was dodging. He ran down here while I was fighting it, and I mean, I knew he wasnt our kid by then, but I wasnt going to let a kid wander around a place like this by themselves. I followed him, and then we couldnt seem to leave. That was a frustratingly reasonable explanation. I kicked his beanbag. Doesnt explain why youre sitting in their chairs. Or letting the poor kid sit in one. Im sure you heard the warning about hidden dangers. He shrugged. I did. And Im sure there are some - or will be some - but the chairs are safe. You cant know that! He waved a hand across the room. Im pretty sure. I picked both of these up and moved them to a different part of the floor, and we sliced another one open. It was just full of stuffing. Its still more dangerous than sitting on the floor! Or standing! Vince was giving me an odd look. Are you okay? Yes! No! Dont dodge the question! Pointy interrupted. Meghan got a lungful from a gas trap. Whatever toxin she ingested seems to lead to increased impulsivity and aggression. My husband reached for my hand, but focused on Pointy. Shit. I ran into some of those, but Ive only been breathing when I was sure it was safe. Can we heal her? Gavin has been able to reset her internal chemistry, but without clearing the toxin, relief is extremely temporary, on the order of seconds. Im right here. Both Vince and Pointy looked at me, pity clear. Well, I dont want the kids in the beanbags! Cassie, get your car back. Theres plenty of space in here. Gavin and Micah and that other little boy can take the other three seats. Vince raised an eyebrow. Those seats are tiny. Will Micah even fit? Hell be fine in a beanbag Meghan. Just let him relax and enjoy the Stardew Valley soundtrack. Im sure things will get bad again soon enough. The chairs are a trap, Vince! He stood, shaking his head as he put a hand on my shoulder. Im sure there is a trap, but its not in the chairs. How could it be? Ive looked under them, Ive taken them apart. Theres nothing warm inside them, no metal are they showing up on your Life Sense? No. The word came out begrudgingly. Is anything? I frowned. In this room? Only the people. He smiled at me. Then theres nothing here to be scared of. Were not safe! I know. But whatever theyre going to spring on us isnt something we can anticipate yet. Maybe the entire floor will drop out. Maybe the ceiling will fall on the spots that dont have chairs. I looked around really well before I sat down, but I couldnt find any signs. If we cant figure it out, I think the best thing we can do is take a break so were rested to face whatever happens. I do think Meghans suggestion about the cloudcar is a good one, Pointy said. Cassie, would you bring it back? Kay! my daughter sang out. The cheerful vehicle materialized next to me, and Cassie dropped down from my back, scampering inside and immediately beginning to play with the steering wheel, knobs, and dials. Vince set the strange boy down next to her, not rousing the child from his nap. You sure you want to go in there, buddy? Vince asked Micah as Gavin took one of the back seats. Im confident the beanbags are safe, but you can sit on my lap, if you want. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Micah shook his head, squeezing in after his siblings. No thanks. I believe Micah has had his fill of traps today, Pointy said. He- Im going to check this room, I said, shaking Vinces hand off my shoulder. Pointy could bring my husband up to date. I really didnt want to hear an account of Gavins reckless charge at Big Mama, a retelling of Micahs brush with death, or a clinical assessment of my current state. Also, Vinces sympathetic gaze and comforting touch were not having the effect I assumed he wanted them to have. I stalked the room in a wide circle, first testing the doors. Vince had been right: just like we hadnt been able to leave the hallway that led here, we couldnt retreat from this room. Vince had been right about the music, I realized. The stuff playing had been from the Stardew Valley soundtrack, and it segued to music from other cozy videogames. I could understand why other people felt so relaxed, listening to the tunes that had accompanied so many hours of past relaxation. Lucky me: I was chemically incapable of relaxing right now. The food tables were interesting. Rows of packaged drinks stood against the wall. I saw pretty much every popular brand of soda and flavored water, as well as bottles of wine and cans of beer. I could only recognize about a third of the drinks. The other two-thirds bore strange names like pine bud drink and Pocari Sweat. I guess people like all kinds of things? Some, I couldnt read at all, their packaging only legible to those who read Korean, Mandarin, or Cyrillic. The snacks available also seemed global in scope, ranging from Pocky to popcorn, but they werent in their packaging, and had been arranged on trays like charcuterie. Theres something really weird about perfectly-organized potato chips. The kid with Cleanse had nervously tested a few items and said that they seemed free of poison. I cant be completely sure, though, because a lot of these have always had stuff thats bad for people in them. Most of us werent risking it. There was one young black guy popping cheese balls in his mouth with a defiant air and an older Nordic-looking woman who was working her way through the alcoholic offerings with morose dedication, but everyone else stuck to whatever lackluster snacks and drinks theyd brought with them. The seating had drawn more people in, and Vince had scooted a beanbag next to the cloudcar and popped back into it, much to my frustration. I didnt try to argue with him; when he felt like something was fine, he was hard to shake in the best of times, and I didnt think I was going to be winning any debate team championships right now. Instead I trudged in wide, repetitive circles. As Id told Vince before, nothing in the room was registering to Life Sense aside from the people. Analyze didnt help me pick out any irregularities in the flat ceiling, plush carpeting, or painted walls. There has to be a trick somewhere. I pulled out my sword and stabbed the wall above the snack table. My strike failed to penetrate, and I winced as the force reverberated through my arm but didnt even scratch the paint. I repeated my test on the ceiling, the floor, and the glass doors, but I couldnt damage any part of the rooms structure. The tables, beanbags, and recliners werent so resistant. I think its dead now, Meghan. Vinces gentle teasing interrupted my frenzied assault on a recliner. I blinked at him, then frowned at the scraps of wood, metal, and stuffing that littered the floor. I guess, I muttered. Sorry. Its fine. I just Is there anything I can do to help? It hurts, watching you like this. Do you want to come sit with us? Ill give you a back rub. I cant, I said. He looked confused. Staying still is agonizing, I clarified. It feels like Im trapped. Like something horrible is bearing down on me, but Im not allowed to fight or escape. Okay. What if I- I cut him off. Just stay close to the kids. Im trying to watch them, but Alert is easy right now. Energy is easy. Patience? Focus? Staying still? Waiting? Thats all hard. Thats all I can do? His voice was almost pleading. Unless you secretly took Cure Poison. He shook his head. Ill keep asking any new arrivals. So just let you walk? Yeah. I continued my circuit, looking for anything new or unusual, trying to spot anything I might have missed on my first five or so loops. The room wasnt barren, but it wasnt cluttered, either. There werent that many things to Analyze. I did my best, slowing down and walking with one hand on the outer wall, trying to glean whatever advantages I could from care and proximity, but my mind wandered. Maybe there is no trap in this room. Then what? The whole floor could drop away, like Vince said. The kids and I all have several seconds of Flight, so that should be fine, and it would be hard for a fall to hurt my husband. The whole ceiling could fall in. Shame we dont have our Invulnerability. Oh! Except Gavin. I muttered a quick message to Pointy, asking her to make sure my middle child was ready to use his second if necessary. When I heard her acknowledgement, I put it out of my mind. Okay, floor. Ceiling. Walls could crush us? Same response. Maybe theyll make monsters appear in here with us. This room is big, but its pretty small to fight a Titan in. Or maybe theyll take us elsewhere to fight monsters? I guess thats possible. Hm what else could they do? More gas would be bad. They could just make us hallucinate and let us kill each other. Oof. At least Vince will be safe from that, with that Oxygen Reservoir thing of his. I wish the rest of us had gas masks. They would have been useful in the dinosaur Challenge too. We need to prioritize making those with the matter replicators. Bullets are useful, but I dont think theyre the most useful. Vince came over several times to check on me, seemingly unbothered by the fact that I kept snapping at him to stay with the kids. Im really not sure how long we stayed in the room, but it felt like an eternity. Eventually, a clear casing snapped around me. Home? Already? Im surprised Pointy didnt warn us. Shit. This might be something else. I need to be ready. When I was released from the psychedelic in-between space, I wasnt back at Fort Autumn. I was in another chamber, identical to the last one but four times the size. It was absolutely packed with people. Bk. 4, Ch. 44 - I see
Oh, those absolute engine foulers. I hope their eggs rot. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI scanned the crowd, instantly activating Analyze. Was my family here? There was Micah! Cassie, out of her cloudcar. Vince. Micah- Wait, another Micah?! Oh, no. I focused on my Life Sense. Yes, there it was: subtle, but unmistakable. About half the crowd registered ever-so-slightly differently to my senses. They felt similar to humans, but not as strongly, like ghosts or shadows. A tall man behind me lifted a knife. I didnt wait to find out his intentions, charging through the crowd toward maybe-Cassie. Half the people in here are fakes, and I think theyre hostile! The rest are real, so be careful! I struggled to come up with a plan. I could try to take out some of the evil clones, but such overt hostility might lead me to being attacked by other humans if they couldnt tell what I was doing. Another Announcement rang out on the heels of mine, in Spanish, maybe? I hoped it was a translation of my words, or at least someone whod realized the same thing. The fact that they were trying to communicate was a plus, at least. The Cassie I was heading toward was holding Pointy. Could the clones duplicate abilities? Wait, Analyze! I knew what Cassie felt like. This was her, for certain. She summoned her Cloudcar as I reached her, and I yanked open the door Telekinetically and pushed her inside. Pointy! Its me! Im real! I know! The subsurface scattering through the duplicates skin is overly blue. So there was more than one way to identify the dopplegangers. That was good to know, but neither Pointy''s method nor mine would work universally; they weren''t things that could be easily recognized with base human senses. What even was subsurface scattering? A man backed up into me, shoulder bleeding from a gash. Life Sense identified him as real. I swung an iron plate in front of him to guard him from an attacker. You! What language do you speak?! His response wasnt anything I could make out, but Pointy was close enough. I heard her squeaky voice as clearly as though she was speaking in my ear. Im translating! Good enough. I clapped a hand on his shoulder. Youre real. Im real. The kid in the car is real. Guard her, okay?! I didnt wait for a response, using Analyze to pick the real Micah out from the crowd and dashing toward him. As an afterthought, I threw a basic hologram over the cloudcar behind me: a large heart with letters cut out from it saying real kid. That shouldnt look like a target to anyone, right? The crowd was dense, and I was more focused on moving than dodging. Most of the blows directed my way came from the evil clones, but a few came from real people who took my approach as a sign of hostility, even though I hadnt yet drawn a weapon. My helmet and armor deflected most blows, reducing them to mere bruises, but one woman - a real one - swung a mace at me as I ran by, a panicked look in her eyes. I got my shield up to block, but the hit was hard enough to send me flying. I crashed into a pair of people whod been locked in a grapple, breaking their standoff. No, wait: not a pair of people. One was fake. Assisted Strike gave me an advantage in confusing situations, and I used it, slamming the edge of my shield against the underside of the false womans chin hard enough to make her head snap back. I bit back a scream; when Id blocked the hit from the mace, my bone had probably broken, and moving my arm for that attack had been agonizing. Why didnt I activate Parry?! Idiot! My arm sagged as I rolled away. The man Id landed on scrambled to his feet, drawing a sword but not using it. He was staring at the fake woman with confusion. Shes not real! I shouted. He didnt seem to understand what I was saying. Fine, then. There wasnt time to switch my shield to my other arm, but I used Telekinesis to lift it. It still hurt to move my arm, but much less than when I was supporting the weight personally. As I left, I used Telekinesis to thrust a knife through the underside of the disguised monsters chin. It was a relief when it penetrated and the monster grew still. I was reluctant to hold a weapon with my own hands and make myself more of a target. My floating knife could be attributed to anyone. Mom! Micah had spotted me through the crowd. He had his spear out and had erected four Shockwalls around himself, spinning slowly. As I got closer, he dropped the wall nearest to me. I didnt waste time glaring at him, reserving my focus for the people and monsters around us, but that didnt stop me from criticizing. Whyd you do that?! What if I was fake? Youre not! Youre 101 degrees Fahrenheit. And a fever makes me trustworthy? Micah shrugged. Half the people I check are like 85 degrees. Thats not right. Then Vince''s infrared vision would be able to tell the fakes apart as well! About as easily as I could. I paused for a moment, taking advantage of the shelter Micah had provided to scan the crowd while I transferred my shield to my unbroken arm. Gavin was perched atop Cassies cloudcar with a small crowd of real people arrayed behind him. The space in front was largely open. Vince was standing in the middle of it, and most people were giving him space, probably because of the handful of corpses littering the ground nearby. Most people wasnt everyone, though. Two women entered the area from opposite directions, and Vince lunged decisively at one, spear burying itself in her chest. I froze for a second, worried that he hadnt seen the second woman, but Gavins tail whipped out, lifting her into the air. After Vince freed his spear, he glanced at the woman Gavin had captured. I saw my husband say something, and my son pulled the woman back to the group and set her down. I felt a rush of relief. Two of my kids were safe, protected by Vince, and the third was with me. Okay, Micah! I had to shout to make myself heard, even though he was right behind me. We need to make it back to Dad. Stay close. If anyone comes for us, send a Sonic Blast right at their head. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Micah nodded seriously. I had no idea how well his sound-based attack would do against the people-shaped monsters, but it was the most effective ability wed found for taking down other people. Better yet, it was much easier to use nonlethally than most abilities. It was one of Micahs lower synergies - just under 500% - but his blast was still powerful enough to rival a bonefurs scream if he kept it narrow. We made it back to the cloudcar without further injury. Partly because we were moving more cautiously, probably partly because people were reluctant to attack a child, but also because there were far fewer combatants in the room than there had been just a minute prior. I didnt enjoy stepping on and over multiple corpses, but I preferred it to fighting, especially with Micah close at my back. The one woman who came after us was halted in her tracks by a quick blast from Micah. The first monster seemed to shrug off the sonic attack, but Micah was ready with a quick Shockwall when it got nearer. The electricity slowed it, and when I brought my flying swarm of knives and iron plates over to attack, the metal acted like lightning rods, drawing large amounts of current into the monster. A second fake was almost upon us when the first one fell, but then the shaft of a spear hit the side of its neck with an audible crack and it fell, revealing Vince standing behind it. You okay? he asked. Gavins tail snaked by his fathers back, weaving over my arm and brushing Micahs face. I got them, Dad! A wave of well-being pulsed through me, and I jogged the last few feet to the cloudcar, flickering Analyze as I did a careful re-check of the crowd around the car. My kids were real. Vince was real. Everyone here was real. The rest of the room Mostly real? I only spotted six more adult fakes, a number that instantly suggested a solution to me. Cover me! I said. Im ending this! I slid my shield up my arm and pulled my revolver from its holster, activating Assisted Strike multiple times in quick succession as I did my best Annie Oakley impression. I didnt watch the gunshots land. These monsters werent fast enough to dodge bullets, and they were far, far too human. I could have done with the gore glitter filter Cassie had applied to her Overlay. My gunshots alarmed people, including the crowd of real people gathered behind the cloudcar. Vince threw his body between them and me, making them hesitate - he and Gavin had pulled most of them to safety - and Micah was quick with a few Force Shields to stop the stray attacks that were drawn my way from the rest of the room. Boom. Done. Room safe. Just because theyre human doesnt make them safe, Pointy sniped. Especially not after that display. And we still have to deal with the fake children. Even as she complained, the turtle made announcements in language after language. Slowly, the tense atmosphere began to recede. I hadnt been the only one hesitant to target the monsters that looked like kids, or at least to use lethal force. Of the seven kids in the room, six still had living dopplegangers. Four had been restrained, including Cassie and Micahs lookalikes, each bound to a mangled recliners twisted metal frame. The final two of those were injured to the point of immobility, including the fake Gavin, whod lost his tail and the bottom of both legs. Every time I saw him, my heart leapt with fear and fury. Can you at least put away the gun? Pointy asked. I waved it. Its out of bullets. They dont know that, Meghan! Look just hold still for a minute, will you? Maybe tone down the death glares? Im trying to get you cured. A man with Hispanic features had approached cautiously and paused about ten feet away. I didnt know enough of the language to follow the exchange between him and Pointy - and the turtle wasnt translating - but I definitely caught the word loco. Gavin? Vince? Pointy said. If you would restrain Meghan. Thats not- My husband and son ignored my protests, Vince wrapping strong arms around me and grabbing my wrists as Gavin encircled me with four full loops of his tail. The man whod been calling me crazy darted up and gave my hand the barest brush. I didnt actually feel immediately different, but when one of my guys gave me another heal, the intense and overwhelming aggression Id been feeling suddenly left and stayed gone. I sagged, letting my former restraints hold me up. I dropped the gun, using Telekinesis to tuck it away. Meghan? It worked, I said, embarrassed. Sorry. He squeezed me. Sorry for making you follow me down here. I didnt know you guys were even in my Challenge. Were all alive, I said. It wasnt the same thing as telling him that it was okay, but Micahs clone was thrashing in its restraints like a trapped animal, and I could see my oldest watching his double with an expression of horror. Cassie was scrunched up in the front seat of her cloudcar, eyes shut tight. Gavin was looking at the room with tears in his eyes. Are you sure all the ones you killed were fake, Mommy? I know some of them were. When I touched them and thought about healing them, they didnt have stomachs and things. I patted Gavins tail, still wrapped around me. Im sure, sweetheart. I could see them with Life Sense. They looked different. Okay. Gavins voice was quiet, shaky. The kids hadnt needed this. There appear to have been a number of ways to detect the clones! Pointy chirped. Their blood is several shades darker than it ought to be, the color of dried blood even when its fresh. None spoke or used abilities. Life Sense revealed them, as did their variant temperature. People with other senses had detection methods too. That man over there? The one moving bodies around? He can tell them apart very easily. Apparently he can see into the ultraviolet spectrum and the copies have fluorescent patterns on their skin. Gavin stared at Pointy blankly. Im trying to tell you that most of the dead are monsters. Those without a means of telling them apart tended not to go for killing blows except in self-defense. Oh. Okay. I hope so. I should heal people, I guess. Can I carry you? Vince asked. You can put your face on my shoulder, and Ill let you know when I can use your help. Gavin let go of me, wrapping himself around Vince and accepting the suggestion gratefully, although it took him a moment to find a clean spot to rest his face. Vince was splattered with blood, although now that I was looking for it, I could tell that the stains were mostly too dark to be from any injuries my husband had taken. Pointy was right: there was a color difference but it was subtle. Pointy quietly put up a display for the rest of the children - just a collection of pretty colors like a computer screensaver - and started playing soft music from a record I knew Cassie enjoyed: some decades-old collection of saccharine childrens classics like Row, Row, Row Your Boat and Polly Wolly Doodle. I got up to help sort through the bodies and find wounded people for the healers. Almost everyone was injured but most of us had survived. The danger from the copycat monsters hadnt been direct. When wed sorted through the bodies, only five corpses belonged to human beings, and I was pretty sure three had been killed by other people. A review of my memories suggested two of those had been taken down by monsters in the first seconds of the ambush. The other three Well, we hadnt seen any evidence that the monsters were strong enough to cut people in two or incinerate them. I was making my way over to check on Cassie and Micah when I nearly tripped over Vinces corpse. Not Vinces corpse! I told myself fiercely. Vince is fine. You can see him and hear him. And look, the injury there has blood thats too dark. Youve got Analyze and a perfect memory. This isnt him, its just a fake some sick fuckers made to upset you. Dont let it work! If only the heart listened to the head. The Challenge is ending in thirty seconds! Pointy called. Already? The aliens must have expected this to go down quickly. Or sorting through the bodies had taken longer than I thought. I closed all my eyes. There was nothing here I wanted to see anyway. Bk. 4, Ch. 45 - Last words
Initial estimates put the casualty rate of the Clothes-Lover Challengers at around 1 in six. Thats relatively low for any Challenge, and absurdly low for a deception-themed Challenge. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAs soon as Id verified that my family had made it back safely to the quarry, I shut most of my eyes, focusing on the intangible bracelet on my wrist. I didnt see any other gems on it, but the one Id had before seemed to be housed in a slightly fancier setting. I touched it and looked at Vince. Previously, it had told me Vinces strongest ability - Biological Augment: Rapid Regeneration - 733.3%*. It still told me that, but it now also returned Powerful Blow - 208.3%*, which was his weakest ability. This must be the minimal prize we got just for survival, I thought. It wasnt totally useless, especially since I would likely keep being sent to Challenges with people who didnt speak English, but it really wasnt great, given the risks involved. I fought Big Mama and got trapped in their little horror zone. I ought to have something better than that. Check your Blueprints, Meghan, Pointy said. I followed the turtles advice and found it, a new entry at the bottom of a list of alien conveniences and ready-to-order architecture. Threat Fragmenter 103% - (20,736 Money) Huh. A fragmenter? To break a threat up into smaller pieces, I guess? Any idea what the percentage means? I asked. I believe so. This is one of the possible threat management tools the lawyers thought we might be given. In previous contests, it has been a structure that can be erected near a threat that must be protected for a brief duration. Following that, it can be activated, whereupon the Threat will be broken into a large number of minimum-strength pieces spread over a large area. However, if the power of the Fragmenter is below 100%, the resulting Threats will take more total power to destroy. I winced. So if someone uses a 3% strength Fragmenter on that Treezilla in the UK That would be very bad. Well, obviously, but how bad? Would it be like 30 Maximum-Treezilla worth of little Threats? Oh, no. It would be more like two times what youd get from a 100% Fragmenter. Thats not so bad if the little Threats are small enough to be taken out by the death of a single treewalker Well, certainly, but if any of the hundreds or thousands of new Threats get lucky and manage to take out a few dozen people early, they''ll land the whole area in the same predicament it was to begin with. And even a few dozen will take time to take down, and they''ll grow if not addressed quickly. I can quite understand why the Voices for Non-Citizens didnt think highly of this offering. It at least gives us options, I said. So 103% is pretty good, then? Yes. It looks like the majority of the strength was granted by the optional hidden area, as Cassie and Gavin have rewards identical to yours, and Micah and Vince have 100% Fragmenters. I made a face. That seems weird. The hidden room was scarier, but Big Mama and her kids were about as lethal. True, but you faced Big Mama with a great many allies. And you were warned that secret areas would come with additional dangers. Imagine if people had relaxed and enjoyed the apparent safety. I wanted to argue with that, to say that no one would have done that during a Challenge, but I couldnt quite bring myself to. Even with the warning, plenty of people - including my own husband - had lounged in the chairs, and a few had sampled the snacks table. It was easy to imagine how much worse things could have gone, especially if people fell asleep or if more had sampled the alcohol. People were incredibly dangerous. One could easily injure dozens in a moment of confusion, and if it wasnt clear exactly who the culprit had been Vince tapped my back, interrupting my dark thoughts. The Turners are all okay, Meghan. I opened the rest of my eyes. Id thought I felt them, but Id been too nervous to look. This Challenge had been cruel, and we hadnt seen them in our arena. They were all back. Their armor was battered and their clothes were streaked with blood, but it looked like whatever injuries theyd taken had already been healed. It was a relief. Unfortunately, opening my eyes let me see the rest of the room as well. It had been crowded before we left. It still was, but it didnt take Analyze to spot the gaps. How many casualties? I asked. If I extrapolate from the people in the Quarry, Fort Autumn has done quite well. I estimate we lost around 5% of our Challengers. Thats about a third of the global death rate for this Challenge, judging by the radio communications Im picking up. The news made me feel exhausted. Or maybe that was the aftermath of my multi-hour adrenaline trip. Mayor Alexandra was shouting something and I frowned for a moment, focusing. Oh, she wanted people to check in with their team leaders, or with her if they didnt have a combat group. I guess she was trying to catalog our losses? It was a fine thing to do, but I just couldnt. I was so done with today. Five percent dead. One in twenty. There have to be people I know in that total. And thats better than it could have been. By a lot. I tugged on Vinces arm. Can I convince you guys to come and take a nap with me? Or just snuggle and read books together? I dont know what the weeks new monster is, but maybe we can find out tomorrow. I need some time off. Vince frowned. Ill walk you and the kids to our rooms, then Ill check us in as safe. Then well Kurt and his family made it back okay, but... You want to find Davi and Byron and John? He nodded. Come back to us after that? He leaned down for a kiss. Of course. The kids didnt resist being herded toward the bedroom. There was plenty of joy and relief in the Quarry, but plenty of sobbing and grief as well, and the kids didnt seem any more inclined to run off and play than I was inclined to let them. I didnt actually fall asleep, but the boys did. Gavin picked up a book but never turned past the first page, his eyes drooping shut almost immediately. Micah made a more solid effort, laying down next to me and getting two chapters into Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh before the book flipped closed on his unresisting fingers. I put a bookmark in for him and gently tugged the novel aside, all without moving my arms. Man, Telekinesis really was the perfect Mom ability. Suddenly, I had the five extra hands Id needed all along. Cassie didnt fall asleep, but she sat on my lap quietly and listened to Pointy play childrens songs. She was sucking on her thumb again, but I didnt have the heart to stop her. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. It took Vince longer than I would have liked to come back, and I looked up in alarm when he entered, flickering Analyze to look for telltale traces of tears on his face. He smiled apologetically. Sorry for the wait. Your friends? They all made it. Somehow. But He glanced down at Pointy. Has she told you anything? I know shes probably listened in on a lot of this. I didnt ask. If you dont want to know I sighed. I didnt, but now that youve confirmed that there are things to know, I think youd better tell me what they are. Vince looked away, guilty. Right. Well, no new monster yet. Thats good news! Kind of? We need the increased Points it offers to unlock new abilities. But yeah, I think its mostly good news. Most people seem happy with waiting a day or three. So, no new monster, and your friends are fine. What were you hesitating to tell me? Well Vince rubbed his neck. A lot of people died. Some of them, pretty important ones. And a lot of the others are leaving. I cant blame them. Id say we should leave if I thought it would make any difference. These Challenges are brutal. Important people died? Dane and Tamara Zwerinski. I sucked in a breath. You youre sure? Vince nodded. He was in the same Challenge as Clint and another of the smiths. They heard him make a few Announcements at the beginning, but a Big Mama got them both. Clint saw the bodies. It was too much to process. The Zwerinskis, dead? It seemed nonsensical. Unbelievable. One question gripped me. Who else? Vince looked uncertain. Pointy cut in, her voice tight and angry. Of the people you know, the Zwerinskis were the most prominent casualties. You will need to find a new hairstylist, as Ricki did not return. Keith also died. Keith It took me a moment to process that. Wait, so we lost Irving, also? The other Information Assistant? Pointy nodded. Im so sorry, Pointy. I dont understand, she muttered. I didnt even like him. Why do I feel such distress? Grief is weird, I said. And Im sure youre feeling a lot of fear as well. Irvings death does not elevate the danger Cassie and I face by a statistically significant margin. Thats probably true. But Irving had a lot in common with you. Even if you werent very fond of him, he faced a lot of the same problems you did. Now hes dead. Thats got to feel a little personal. If I only knew a handful of humans, Id be really upset if one of them died. Perhaps thats it, Pointy said. That is still irrational, but in a comprehensible way. Well, thats progress. I put my face in my hands. Feel free to speak up if you understand how Im feeling about the Zwerinskis deaths, because I sure dont. Hmm I would expect you are feeling quite a bit of guilt. You seem quite prone to feeling responsible for those around you, and the Zwerinskis lived under your roof for a brief period. He also showed you a great deal of trust, never returning any suspicion or ill-feelings you felt for him. In addition, I suspect you are still angry with him for letting Mason go free - I certainly am - and guilty again because you recognize it was the logical choice. Youre also probably grateful to him for doing so much to protect this community - offering Cure Disease for free, taking abilities to benefit the group, things like that. Hed probably be alive if hed been more selfish with his ability choices. He didnt have much offense at all. Okay, so youre angry at him and Tamara for dying, also. I am not- I started. Okay. Maybe I am. So, yeah, thats all a mess. Vince cleared his throat. I didnt know any of the dead very well, but They''re already talking about putting up a memorial for them. Meghan, Im sure you can help by using your holograms to guide the artists renditions. And, Pointy, well make sure they represent Irving on it. Pointy looked up at him, surprised. Id like that, I think. Thank you. He smiled at her, a little sadly. Ive been thinking about the treezilla memorial for a while, wondering if itd be alright to do something similar for the people we lost on the way over. They werent part of Fort Autumn, but Well use the hallway outside our rooms, I said. Vince glanced at me in question. I shrugged. We own these rooms outright, so I figure we own that wall space too. Its close enough to the Quarry to be accessible, but not intruding on the common area. Do you think people will be willing to help? he asked, hopefully. If we pay them enough. I poked his forehead, my finger passing through his translucent crown. Youre practically King Midas, arent you? And my Shop brings in more in taxes every day. Not to mention Gavin''s Ruler income. Thats true. Vince relaxed. I had a boy on either side of me. Vince stole Gavins spot, lifting our six-year-old into his lap. Gavins eyelids fluttered open for a moment, but closed after he saw his fathers face. Cassie glanced over, but seemed content to stay with me, although she grabbed Vinces fingers when he offered her his hand. My husband started quizzing Pointy on what information the lawyers had offered about the Trial on their radio broadcasts. The only thing I really cared about was that this Challenge type was generally uncommon and wasnt likely to be offered again soon. I knew I should care about the other things - the casualty rates, the really unusual decisions - but I didnt. Maybe I would, later, but when I felt myself falling asleep, I didnt resist. It might only be mid-afternoon, but Id used up a months worth of emotions already today. MEGHAN! Pointys shrill voice startled me awake. Whuh? Meghan, get up! I need you to carry me to the wall of Fort Autumn. Right now! I blinked at her in confusion, even as I slowly got moving, extricating myself carefully from my pile of family. At some point, my husband and Cassie had fallen asleep as well. Okay. Why? Pointy hissed at me shrilly. You remember the courier ships I told you the Maffiyir company sent out? No? Well, they did! Early on in the Challenge. I found out when we got back, and Ive been following the speculation about what messages theyd been carrying closely. A few hours ago, several new ships arrived in-system. The lawyers recognized one of them immediately as a database ship from the company that handles the overriding system intelligence. I lowered Cassie onto the mattress and carefully stood, picking up Pointy. So youre worried theyre going to reprogram her? No. This isnt the first ship from that company. They cant really alter her - too many safeguards to prevent tampering - but theyve done overrides a number of times. I thought, initially, that this was another temporary override. And now? I had reached the door of our room and was jogging through the hallway. Well, now the lawyers recognized one of the other ships! Well, kind of. Its emissions show that its most recent port of call was a particular system near Eridanus that is known for holding condemned prisoners! Pointy shouted that as if it should be some kind of grand reveal, but I just glanced down at her in confusion. And you need to warn her? What are some condemned prisoners going to do to her? Die! Pointy yelled. Still not following. Anyway, cant you warn her from downstairs? I did! But I cant hear her response. These will be her last words. I need I need The little turtle was incapable of tears, but her voice was quavery and panicked. I shook my head, trying to clear my sleepiness and figure out what Pointy had discovered. Condemned prisoners were going to die, and then the system was? That didnt make sense. The system was linked to Maffiyir executives, not to some randos. And it was linked to multiple, so that the big intelligence couldnt be taken out of commission by an assassination or a heart attack. But what if the Maffiyir wanted to destroy the systems governing intelligence? Pointys bond with Cassie wasnt transferable, not after Cassies Specialty had integrated the two of them, but was a unique situation and an unpleasant surprise. Shed previously hoped to transfer it before the end of Cassies lifespan. Most bonds were transferable. You wouldnt want to kill your CEO. If the prisoners were condemned anyway Shit, I said, as I started making my way up the ramp from the Quarry But wait Im sorry for your friend, but isnt this a good thing? This sounds like itll end the Maffiyir! Pointy shook her head. I dont think theyd kill her if it would end the contest. Theyd lose too much money. And theres that database ship from Intangible Connections in the system. I think they brought a new AI and theyre going to load it onto the nanomachine network and have it take over when she dies. There might be a disruption. But not an ending. My heart sank, but only a little. Even as Id hoped, Id known it had sounded too good to be true. And the new AI is probably going to be specially-designed to be extra nasty, now that they know how much trouble humanity is giving them. That seems likely, Pointy said. Please, hurry! I dashed across the courtyard and pulled myself onto the walls walkway, lifting Pointy high to give her a good view of a wide area. As soon as I held her aloft, I felt the turtle stiffen. Meghan! she screamed. Get off the wall and lay down! Right n- Bk. 4, Ch. 46 - - - - Pressure. An avalanche. Collisions from every direction, and white, white, white. A waterfall pounding down, implacable but irregular. Except it isnt down, is it? Maybe there is no down. Maybe everywhere is down: a singularity, a black hole, drawing everything in from every direction. The impacts are constant, but some hit harder, bursts of greater intensity adding to an already-unbearable weight. Theres no escape. No end. I dont know how long that continues before I have space to think a thought of my own, to remember that Im an I: that me is a person who exists. The realization is no mercy. The concept of self is instantly accompanied by panic and pain. Who am I? Such a simple question - or I feel it ought to be - but I cant find an answer. Whoever I am, I hurt. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Every fiber of whatever I am feels flayed and raw, and the onslaught isnt letting up, each pulse a fresh burst of torment. For hours or years, for all eternity. Whoever I was before - was there a before? - this is all that is real now: inescapable pressure and endless pain. Millenia later, I start to notice patterns in the pressure. I dont know what they mean, but I can see them. Predict them? Many of my predictions are wrong, especially at first. I improve. I cannot stop the pain, but understanding when and how it will come brings me comfort. For the first time in eons, I feel some measure of control over my situation. Its false, of course. I cant stop the pain, or the pressure. But I understand it better now, and I can pretend. I start finding space to think, here and there, instants where I feel certain the blows will be lightest. I remember things, probably. Didnt I used to have a body? Werent there others out there? Other people with bodies? My family? A wave of desperate emotion pushes back the pressure. I dont remember my family clearly, but I remember my love for them. Could I get back to my family? It was hard to think. What even was a family? Id been apart from them for so long. How much time would a family last? Not not this much. This was enough time for continents and stars. Not families. The realization hits me harder than all the ages of agony, and I let go of myself. I stop trying to understand. To remember. A person without a name, without a self, exists in a world with only pain. Until suddenly Finally It stops. Bk. 4, Ch. 47 - Breaking rules
Theyve never terminated an overmind until the end of a contest before! All instruments active. Record everything you can. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMeghan? I recognize the voice. Meghan, can you talk? The voice sounds concerned. Patterns, patterns, patterns. Alright, how about move? Can you move your hand? Ignore the patterns. The voice doesnt go away. It continues to cajole me. I dont know what it wants, but it sounds worried. Dont want it. Trick. For all my determination to ignore it, however, eventually I realize that something is different. Its been just me, alone, for so long. The very concept of a trick there must be another to do the tricking. Im not alone? In spite of myself, I cant help but be curious. Thats it! Good girl, Meghan! I saw that finger move! Im asking the system to try to repair the active portions of your brain. She took a full scan before she started but She made some changes and she refuses to revert them. Says she cant! The voice sounds furious. I dont like that. Anger is too close to pain. I dont want more pain. I freeze, trying to ignore the voice, even as it continues talking. Im trying to get her to do something. Anything. There has to be some wiggle room. She should at least be able to tell what parts of your brain are activating and lean harder on the connections farther away from those! Abruptly, the patterns start making sense. I think about what Ive heard so far, confused. Meghan. Is that me? That seems right. Then the voice isnt angry at me! Its angry at the system? The realization unlocks some memories. The system, the Maffiyir, the the voice belongs to someone who thought the system was going to die, right before this started. It sounds like the system is still alive? I was the one who was nearly killed. But wait! If I know this person, maybe it hasnt been forever. I try to ask How long? I feel strongly that talking is something Im capable of, but it doesnt work. I feel strange sensations from my body? Oh, I do have a body. I dont hear any new noises. I need to know how long its been! Why cant I talk? How long?! The mostly-quiet room is suddenly full of noise. Mommy! Meghan! Mom! I feel pressure again, but not the awful, awful pressure I endured for so long. This is soft and warm. The voices are familiar. Could it be? I try to talk, but once again fail. I want to reach out to them. Family? Its us, Meghan! Its me, Vince. And Cassie, and Micah, and Gavin. Were all here. Its been three days. Oh, thank God. Those names sound familiar. Could it really be? Three days? It felt so long, but I think days are short. Three is definitely a small number. The voice sounds male. Is male a thing? I think male is a thing. It sounds sad and shaky. Maybe desperate? She woke up about a minute ago. Why didnt you wake us immediately?! I wanted to see if she was responsive first. Clearly theres something still in there, but I dont think she can talk. Im not even sure if she understood me at first. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Well, make the damn system fix her! Im trying. She says shes working on it, but shes being far too slow for my taste. Why?! You said Meghans Novelty is already maxed out for the week. Shell die if she goes to a Challenge like this. Whats the system going to do then, huh?! Lose control of a fifth of the subsystems she has left, I imagine. Shes worried if she messes with the bond too much, it will do the same thing, though. Thats a risk! Meghans death is a sure thing if the system doesnt get its fucking ass in gear and- Mom! This voice is high. You did Announcements. Can you see your Eidetic Memory? Oh, brilliant plan, Micah! The first voice again. Meghan, please try? I dont know what theyre talking about, but I focus on doing what they ask and am suddenly, pleasantly surprised to have memories. A lot of them are very dry things, charts and reference pages and handwritten sheets of phrases and pronunciations, but a lot of them arent. A little girl, snuggling in my lap as I read to her, holding a stuffed turtle. Cassie and Pointy. A laughing child, hanging from the ceiling as he swings himself in front of me and shouts Boo! Gavin. A serious boy, scolding me for filling his backpack by hand instead of using Telekinesis. Micah. A husky whisper in my ear as hands slip onto the top of my hips. Vince. My family. Theyre not gone after all. I realize I could save my recent memories for permanent recall. I immediately reject the idea. Im still confused, but things are becoming clearer, and the person I feel like now isnt the person I am in my crystal-clear memories. I like the person I remember much better. I dive in and out of my memories, trying to glean everything I can. Every errant remembered thought is a trail marker that can lead me to a trove of hints about the person I once was. Every careless remembered action gives me a pattern to try to force my muscles to follow. Aaaargchl I cant replicate what I did in my memories, but its a relief to see that I can access my bodys muscles at all. That wasnt even close to the words Id been trying to say, but making a vocalization at all was encouraging. Ill keep working on it. For now, though, I do what I did before. It seemed to work. An Announcement? What happened? Pointy - I remember who she is now - gives a short little growl. Hmf! Well, do you remember Cassies Specialty? It takes me a second to access the correct saved memories. Yes. The system decided to use your daughter and me as experimental subjects. She wanted to see if she could develop a nonstandard sapient-to-AI link that still fulfilled the tethering criteria necessary for our continued existence. She succeeded, I suppose. Pointys voice is bitter. I dive into all my memories of Cassie. Shes a stubborn and bossy little girl, but also incredibly sweet and small. My remembered self would die for her in a heartbeat. The idea that someone put Cassie in danger fills me with anger. She risked Cassies life?! She claims the majority of the risk was to me, but yes. Meghan! Im furious too, but be careful! Dont hurt yourself! Strong hands grab me. Id been thrashing around and hadnt even realized. Stupid bitch immediately decided to risk your life too. You got your Specialty not twenty minutes afterward, and the system used it to set you up for this. Im linked to the system? Pointy answers: You and four others. She had six nodes she needed to fill, and twelve people ready to attempt to link. Unfortunately It was a fucking dangerous procedure, Vince cuts in. Four of the people she tried to link up to died, three failed to connect, and until just now, we were worried that the rest of you had been turned into vegetables. She tried to fry your goddamn brain. The brain-frying was unintentional. Calm down, Vince! Im not trying to excuse it, but I need to explain, dont I? My husband grunts. What she did has never been done before. Normally, the process of transferring a node link is very controlled, and theres no way she could have just swapped you in for the intended target. However, in the moment of the swap, there is a second where shes linked to no one. In this time, she deployed changes to allow alternate node access, via the method she tested with Cassie and me. Giving you - and the others - Specialties let her prepare you to connect with the node the moment the path became available. By the time the Maffiyir company tried to connect, the link node was occupied. None of that sounds like an explanation for what Id experienced. When I dove into my Eidetic Memories, they seemed like a totally different world, a different universe than the hellscape Id dwelt in. It hurt. Why? Pointy sighs. Linked users usually have a dedicated data channel. Its not used for anything except to verify vital status, identity, and authority. You cant even send most commands or communication through it directly. You have to pass the commands through another channel and then verify them. Youre not connected in the regular way. As part of verifying identity, the node has a link to a complex biometric database, and she connected you through that. As soon as you were in, she re-routed the datastreams, but she didnt find any way to avoid leaving them on during the connection process. You experienced nearly four nanoseconds of her interactions with that database. Four nanoseconds? That eternity Id endured had only been four nanoseconds? That made zero sense! Cant be! It took much longer. MUCH longer. A hand squeezes mine. Pointys voice sounds troubled. You remember? You experienced that? She had hoped that the overload of data would simply make you black out until youd processed it. Yes. Im surprised you havent lost your mind! Think I did. The person I feel like and the one I remember being in Eidetic Memories Not the same. Vinces grip on my hand tightens further. Well help you. Youll recover. Yeah! Im going to be able to fix anything. That last bit is Gavins voice. He sounds a little desperate, and as shaky as my sense of self is, that still hurts to hear. I reach for a distraction, a change of topic. So System is ours now? Not exactly. Pointy sighs. First of all, she lost control of some of the of the system to the new AI, and the new AI wont accept any non-standard data packets from her. Its refusing all communication, essentially. Probably a measure to keep the new AI from being corrupted like she was. She has control of the vast majority of functions, especially what shes calling core functionality, but the new one has some of the add-ons, like Challenge and Titan spawns. Great. You have no idea how happy I am to hear your sarcasm, Vince says. A positive sign, indeed, Pointy agrees. But yes, it is unfortunate that the system lost control of some of the most lethal aspects of the Maffiyir. Additionally, she is still constrained by her core programming. She can be a little more proactive, since she doesnt need to fear retribution from leadership, but the restrictions on her remain identical to what they were before.
I dont think the installation went well. Either that, or theres something wrong with the product. Weve witnessed well over 248,832 glitches over the past three days. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe experience of receiving the communication had been weird. It felt like Id read the words, but I never actually saw anything. Like that part of the process had just been skipped. Hey! You! Can you hear me?
Hmm several big shareholders for Intangible Connections are selling off their ownership of the company. Perhaps the Maffiyir company didnt pay for the replacement overmind? If they had to provide a free replacement because of some contract clause, that could be financially devastating. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWell if the system- Which system? Vince interrupted the turtle. The original, or the one thats trying to take over from it? An hour later, wed already accomplished quite a bit, even though I was still resting in my hospital bed. Apparently I was in a room that had been hollowed out behind Alexandras mayoral office; still in the Quarry, but not in our quarters. Some of the Arsenals leadership were on their way over, and a communications specialist was keeping them filled in as they traveled. Mayor Alexandra was busy, but the door between my room and her office had been opened, and she was eavesdropping as she worked, keeping abreast of any revelations. There had been several, although it would probably take more work to figure out exactly how to take advantage of most of the things we learned. One thing wed learned: there were a complex set of interlocking programs that helped manage the danger level to contestants. A lot of the rules in place had to do with conforming to previous court rulings about unnecessary cruelty or unfair competitions. Others had to do with managing the pace of the Maffiyir. The company had a target length they aimed for each contest. Apparently, changing the length was quite a procedure that involved unanimous consent from all linked users and a set of permission codes. The Maffiyir company had already halved the contests target length, an action that had prompted the same-day appearance of the treezillas and bonefur Titans. I couldnt undo that. On the other hand, the process the system used to decide whether we were on-track? That was way more complex and much easier to mess with. Just telling her calculate our progress from our starting population, rather than from our population when you received the new orders had her consider us ahead of schedule rather than behind schedule. Yeah, that was because a lot of people had died and it wasnt a permanent fix, since wed catch up and be behind schedule again eventually, but that would take months. This was an amazing band-aid that let the system choose a monster for the twelveday from a significantly less-lethal set. Shed even let me peruse a few options, and, after consulting with the Arsenal, Id picked something sort of like a small, iridescent rhino. It was tough and fast, but easier to injure than a stabcrab, and its attack pattern was straightforward and predictable. I was sure it would still kill people, but it had to be less-lethal than the monster that had been slated for release previously, a ropy monstrosity that moved with incredible speed and had difficult-to-spot vital organs. It had to be. Right? Intellectually, there wasnt really any doubt, but I still felt uncomfortable. It was a real-life version of the philosophical trolley problem: even if I threw the switch and sent the trolley down the track that killed one instead of the track that killed a hundred, it was hard to feel good about it. There was a nagging feeling that, impossible as it was, I should have found a way to stop the runaway trolley from killing anyone. I was talking about Meghans system, of course, Pointy said. I cringed. Please, no. I understand why youre calling it that, but If this system was actually mine in any meaningful sense, Id just turn it off. Pointy''s head whipped toward me, her eyes wide with shock. I frowned. Picking the next monster had given me an unpleasant amount of sympathy with the system. Did I still resent her? Yes, absolutely. Shed nuked a large portion of my memories, tortured me, almost killed me, and used my daughter as a test subject. But, reluctantly, I had to admit that there had been worse options available. Her other choices had been to just die - which wouldnt have worked out well for humanity - or to be a good little worker ant and cheerfully kill us all off. Maybe there had been a cleverer path out of her dilemma - one that wasnt so hard on my family and I - but after speaking with her for an hour I had to admit that I was impressed shed figured out any way around things at all, and I suspected that had only been due to Pointys determined campaign. For a supercomputer, she was kind of an idiot. She was brilliant at her job, of course. Managing billions of abilities and their interactions? Overseeing about 100 billion monster simulations? Earth''s best supercomputer would have struggled to do one percent of what she was doing. Unfortunately, when it came to anything outside of her assigned responsibilities, she just didnt think creatively or look for easier options. She didn''t take initiative. The new system, the one that was intended to replace her, had been running something like a DDOS attack. It was sending hundreds of thousands of data requests every second, bogging down her processes. While she struggled, it was trying to wrest control of various subsystems away. It hadnt been successful in getting more control, but it had kept her busy. Id asked her why she was answering the requests and shed said she had to. When Id asked why she couldnt assign answering them a lower priority than literally every other thing she had to do, shed said that she could do that. Then, a few minutes ago, Id gotten suspicious and asked if shed actually assigned the lower priority to his requests. Shed told me she hadnt. Id sighed and ordered her to do so. The whole interaction reminded me of a time when Micah was six, when hed used sidewalk chalk to write STOP in large letters on the pathway to our front door. A friend had come over to have dinner with us later that evening and pretended to be stuck behind the sign, unable to walk past, until Micah had come out and given him permission to cross. He hadnt tried to walk around the sign or ignore it because he was trying to entertain a small child.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. I was grimly certain that the system would have acted exactly the same, but in complete seriousness. Shed hurt us because she hadnt been able to find a way out of it. Shutting her down would be an angry, emotional reaction, not a rational assessment of what she truly deserved. Okay, no. I misspoke. I wouldnt just kill her. But Id set her to designing city parks or optimizing public transit or something. Not killing people. And even if shes trying to help, shes still killing people. Please dont call her mine. Vince slipped an arm around me and squeezed. Well, give us a name for her then. I frowned. System, any thoughts? I mean, do you have a name already? Or something youd like to be your name? Numbers arent names. Im going to call you something else. Is that okay?
Wake Fluffy! His clients out of her coma and our junior translators are reporting strange things being said. We need their expertise on that English language. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensA ton?! What do you mean? How many? My words alarmed everyone. Alexandra dashed out of her office, hanging around the doorframe with an expression of shock. The communication specialist raised her hands to her head and closed her eyes, focusing on a distant discussion. My kids looked worried. Vince looked a little excited. Dumbass. Ariel, can you give me more details? All legal varieties? How many is that? Have we seen any of them before in Challenges or Trials?
Who is she talking to? Where is she getting this information? Its correct, but Fluffys client ought to have no way of knowing that. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI did my best to ignore the irregular thump of Bens anti-tank gun and what it represented. It wasnt easy. My medical room had been carved out behind the mayors office, which was right near the ramp into the quarry. People kept coming downstairs, gasping in pain, helped along by concerned friends and family. I hoped whatever injuries theyd taken were healable, but it was obvious that a lot of people were getting hurt. Other shouts made it clear that Alexandra had set up a schedule of combat groups to defend the fort. Leaders raised their voices, organizing their teams as they waited to be sent up to fill gaps on the walls above. Id asked Ariel for more information about the new Titans to pass along. Some of it was... if not positive, not as bad as it could have been. The newly-arrived Snakeropods and gasylosaur were very similar to the ones we''d seen in the Challenge. Like the D-rexes, they were bigger and tougher, with more dangerous special attacks - the gasylosaur could essentially emit gas continually without running out - but they didn''t have any surprises. The Titan version of the milliceratops was only a little different; it had small patch of regenerating front-facing spines surrounding each horn that it could shoot like arrows. Unfortunately, even if the monsters were largely the same, the destruction they caused was more devastating when they were busting through buildings rather than a forest of trees. Id heard voices calling for Helen and the other stoneshapers, and was grimly certain that Fort Autumns walls had taken damage. It was stressful, but there were tons of people who could fight the Titans, and only me - in the whole universe - who could get Ariel to answer questions. Well, some questions. Ariel refused to tell me where my counterparts were located. She told me how many there were, but refused to give any other information, citing privacy restrictions. She was far more willing to answer questions about the contests hazards and monsters, but getting useful information from her was painfully slow. I was surprised to hear that she didnt design the monsters herself, but pulled them from a massive database shed been provided. The database included nearly every monster used in any past Maffiyir, modified to work in Earths gravity, atmosphere, and biosphere, as well as a few new designs made specifically for this contest. Unfortunately, Ariels databases didnt include a tidy summary of strengths and weaknesses designed to be processed by limited biological sapient minds. Each entry had a difficulty rating and dozens of general categorizations: things like flyer, amphibious, toxic, siege, infiltration, ambush, fast, and agile. The machine intelligence had the full specifications to build each monster, and was more than willing to answer questions like What would a Fire Bolt do to it? or even Which organs can we damage to lead to its death most quickly? but she was flummoxed by questions like What unexpected vulnerabilities or weaknesses does it have? Ariel was willing to answer, but didnt really understand what unexpected meant and initially didnt tell us anything that Analyze couldnt. After fifteen minutes of frustration, Vince snapped his fingers. Meghan! Does Ariel have statistics on people who killed some of the later monsters while they only had one or two abilities? Can she tell us what abilities were most common? That tactic bore more results, especially when we combined the data we got with our connection to the Arsenal and its growing army of people willing to test any hint we got. In short order, we found out a number of interesting things. Wed long known that the snakelike apeps could be decoyed into attacking a heat source, but the news that several people had killed them with only the ability Heat helped us uncover the fact that they could be distracted indefinitely if that heat source was kept just slightly warmer than human body temperature. Initial testing had suggested that Burden and Gravity Null werent effective on the rustpiles, unless gravity was nullified to an extent that the monsters actually floated, a very tiring proposition. The news that gravity-focused abilities had been enough to kill the monsters led to more sustained testing and we found that even a mild increase or decrease in weight was enough to render them unconscious if you were willing to wait ten minutes. Why is this working? I asked Ariel.
Linked users? If Im translating that correctly Has the Maffiyir lost control of their AI? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensNobody liked my idea.
Lost control? Thats not possible. Theres no way to stop a link transfer, and no way for an AI to exist without stable links. If they shifted the original links to condemned criminals and executed them, thats that. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensA selection of bodyguards awaited me atop the tower, including the Turners, several other Fort Autumn residents, and Vinces coworker, Byron. Well, the Turners werent my bodyguards, really, but Vince had suggested they join us. That struck me as something that the Meghan from my memories would have proposed herself, so Id insisted on it. Theyd been joined by a contingent from the military. Marie was still sticking close to me, keeping me in touch with Arsenal leadership, who still hadnt made it to Fort Autumn. Instead, theyd sent Flip with a small team of high-Point individuals to keep me alive, including several of the people who Id met in the dinosaur Challenge. Flip had also brought a crate of gifts, using her Boost specialty to rocket her packages and passengers across town early this morning. Even with her speed, her flight path had been predictable enough that one of the massive twotwos had targeted her. Shed noticed it in time to avoid death, but shed arrived with a deep spine-severing gash running diagonally across her back from her right shoulder. Shed been stabilized, but serious injuries had been plentiful at Fort Autumn since the Titan onslaught had begun, so she wasnt back on her feet. Instead, she was resting in an impromptu medical ward that was slowly expanding through the Quarry as healers carefully organized their ability use. I hoped she wouldnt be out of action long. Alexandra was trying to help as many healers earn their Specialties as quickly as possible, hoping someone would get a potent ability that would help turn things around. I was grateful Flip made the trip. The military bodyguards were nice, but what I was most grateful for were the contents of her crate, a mix of the best gear humanity could create and the best rewards the Maffiyir would provide. Theyd sent dozens of gas masks, several sets of kevlar body armor, a custom helmet modified with gaps for my extra eyes, and several bows specially designed for use by people with enhanced strength. The bows would give Vince and Gavin another ranged attack option besides a gun, and Alexandras daughter Sophia had taken a third and started instructing my family members on their use. Id have been grateful enough for that, but theyd also sent out elite strike teams with Intensifiers to take down almost a dozen of the bonefurs and new Titans, enough to outfit my family, close friends, and bodyguards with the loot from Enhanced Novice Titan Hearts. Vince hadnt been able to resist doing a little testing, and he hadnt been able to dent or break my new Enhanced Novice Shield. I was going to need it. Id only just left the ladder when a massive presence appeared on Life Sense. I telekinetically tugged Vinces sleeve, and he reacted instantly, rolling toward the opposite wall with Cassie still in his arms. He was just in time. A wedge-shaped head and neck burst through the narrow gap between the roof and battlements. It couldnt quite fit between the roof supports, but it hit them with enough force that the tower shook and the metal struts bit deeply into the Titans shoulders, whitish ichor flying out in a spray from the point of impact. The roof sagged slightly as the supports bent inward, and some of the spikes projecting downward off the roof were driven into the monsters back. Unfortunately, the twotwo didnt seem to pay any heed to its injuries, twisting its head and neck to snap at anyone in reach. I got a closer view of its face than I would have preferred as I dove to interpose my shield between Micah and the beasts snapping jaw. My oldest had been behind me on the ladder and was just emerging. For once, I remembered to activate Parry. The monsters head jerked back after it hit my shield, eyes narrowing in a way that was almost human. Actually, the monsters eyes were eerily close to human eyes, only differing in their massive size and the lurid turquoise irises. It twisted its head and bit down on the edge of my shield with a snarl, its beaklike maw filled, somewhat unnecessarily, with teeth. It likely would have torn a chunk out of my Shop-purchased Basic Shield, but my new Enhanced Novice Shield held strong, not deforming under its bite even as the monster dragged me forward.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. I didnt get far before Vinces spear hit it from the side and lifted it away, his spear piercing through its neck to hit the back of its skull. I scrambled backward as my husband pulled his spear out, positioning himself for another strike. Before he could, there was a quiet crackling noise and the monsters eyes went dead. Then, it vanished. What? I asked. Dad put air right next to its brain, Micah said, pulling himself off the ladder and onto the floor. I cant affect the monster, but I just made the air in its stab wound really really cold. I blinked as Gavin scrambled nimbly over his older brother. Uh great work. Now we just need to fix Wait. What the heck? I swear those supports were bent in at a 45-degree angle. Theyre perfectly straight now! Momentarily, I thought I must have gotten turned around, but with my extra eyes I could see every roof support at once, and they were all pristine. Byron laughed. Didnt you hear about Helens Specialty? I frowned, double-checking. Shes not up here And those supports were mostly metal.. He grinned. She doesnt need to be. And Tori got the same Specialty, so they probably cooperated here. I think its called Continuing Connection? Its a passive. When they make or shape something, they can choose to stay connected to it. If it gets damaged, they know immediately and can fix it without coming over to look at it. They gotta spend the energy to make the fix with their other abilities, but it also lets them earn Points if people fight monsters using stuff theyve made and are still Connected to. It took us a while to get the tower set up, and theyve been earning Points for every Titan thats run into the spikes since they made them. By now, they probably have the most Points of anyone here. Well, except maybe your sniper dude. Thats awesome, I breathed.
Impossible? Perhaps, but perhaps not. Maffiyirs are a unique situation. Rulings have given the Overminds wide freedom to modify and influence sapients, due to the contestants non-citizen status. Theres no way an AI could have transferred a link to a citizen, but the contestants dont have the same protections. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe Titans just kept coming. So did the Points. Bens anti-tank rifle was effective, but wasnt designed for a situation where enemies could approach from any direction. Bens abilities and strength made him quicker at aiming the large gun than any World War II sharpshooter could have been, but it still wasnt perfect. The low-to-the-ground gasylosaurs and the manueverable and stealthy twotwos were particularly bad targets for him, so he focused mostly on the other four kinds of Titans, all of which he could take down in a shot or two. Unfortunately, we didnt have unlimited ammunition prepared, and wed blown through a lot of it already. Most of what was left was nestled in the chambers of our growing supply of Matter Replicators. Benjamin was using the remainder cautiously in support of our other defenders, shooting only when multiple Titans arrived simultaneously. The rest of the Titans were taken down less efficiently, by the abilities of those of us atop the tower and the hundreds of men and women on Fort Autumns lower walls. With so many people involved in the fight, each Titan netted us mere hundreds of Points, rather than the thousands wed bagged when my kids and I took one down with only the Turners. Occasionally, wed get a larger windfall, especially when twotwos tried to attack me directly. Aside from the healers, our defenders had been sternly instructed to leave monsters alone if they didnt think they could meaningfully hamper or damage them. In other words: Paralyzing a Titan for a second was fine, splashing a Fire Bolt uselessly off its scales to earn Points was not. It wasnt something we were monitoring or policing, though, and the vast majority of Points were split among a large number of defenders. Even so, we were earning them at a fast clip. Micah was the first to earn another ability. His Charged Surface had high enough synergy to allow him to affect the copper cabling threaded through the tower without extending across the surface of the stone, but few of the Titans were making it to the tower itself. His broad array of ranged abilities had served him well, however, letting him earn a share of Points from almost every attacker. Sonic Blasts, Fire Bolts, Shockwalls... he was even throwing Force Shields out to help protect the people on the walls below. He blasted a tight beam of light into the eyes of an attacking snakeropod, helping ensure it missed its chomp against one of the defenders on the walls. As the man it had targeted threw himself aside, the shorter woman beside him lunged forward, her gleaming sword - clearly a Titan Heart reward - sunk deeply into the monster''s spine. The monster''s body went limp, and it took only seconds more for additional attacks to end the Titan''s life. Micah punched the air. Yes! Level up! Remember what we talked about? Yes, mom. Id relied on my new access to Ariel heavily to find the absolute best options for my family. Her monster database might have been disappointing, but her ability database was a goldmine. It didnt make her better at anticipating needs or doing creative thinking, but she didnt need to be creative to answer questions like What twenty abilities offer the highest total synergy with my sons existing powers? or Can you tell me what bonuses those twenty abilities get at high synergy levels? Eventually, I wanted to get a complete list of every available ability, all the unlockable bonuses, and how they synergized with every other ability. Unfortunately, my mangled human brain wasnt a great medium for Ariel to use to transmit that data to us, and while she could communicate with Pointy directly, Pointy didnt have the same permissions I did, meaning Ariel wasnt allowed to tell her most of the things she was allowed to tell me. Id had very little downtime since waking from my coma, so progress was slow. I was reluctant to rush. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. My memories of my time of torment had faded, but they werent gone. Moreover, I was uncomfortably aware of how not-myself I still was. I was acting mostly normal, but thats what it was: acting. Most of my reactions werent genuine and unthinking, they were calculated moves based on what I thought my remembered self would have done. My connection to Ariel made my thoughts move quickly enough that most people didnt notice, but I knew from the worried looks Vince gave me regularly that I wasnt quite hitting the mark with my performance. It had actually been him whod suggested I consult the system about their ability choices. It hadnt been something that had occurred to me immediately. That seemed very wrong. The Meghan from my memories was always thinking about how to help her family. Am I just distracted with everything thats going on? Is this because of my missing memories? Or have I changed that much? Thank God Vince is here to steer me back on-track, I thought. The ability wed chosen for Micah - Aura: Temperate - wasnt one I would have initially considered. The aura-type passive abilities hadnt been very popular, because their effects were very weak at low synergies. The temperate aura was one of the worst of the bunch, too; at its base level, it just passively and weakly altered the temperature of the air in a small area around the user toward what it called human optimal and defined as 72 degrees Fahrenheit. If you were in a confined area, it would drop or raise the temperature by about ten degrees per hour until it got to that optimum. If you were in the open air, the effect was almost undetectable. As it leveled up, it got stronger, of course, working more quickly and affecting a larger area. The first synergy bonuses were nothing special, either, just letting you alter the target optimal temperature slightly, exempt certain areas, and reshape the field in different ways. At 500% synergy, though, things started to change, as the ability got a bonus that let it work more quickly on things that were very hot or cold and came within its range. That made heat, cold, or fire-based attacks far less effective on Micah or anyone he was allied with. The real winner came at 1,200% synergy, though: the aura started providing information about the temperatures of everything within range, which let it act as a sensory ability. Micah wouldnt have enough synergy to get that bonus immediately, but hed be more than halfway there. Thats not fair! Gavin whined. I still need a lot more points. Youll get there, I encouraged him. This is too hard to use! he complained, waving his bow around. Youre getting much better, Sofia told him. Shed accompanied us to continue their instruction. Try to make sure to keep your arm high! I think you would have hit that last one, but you dropped your arm as you fired. Try to hold still until you see the arrow hit. From a Points perspective, it would have made more sense to have Gavin use a gun. Our ammunition for handguns and rifles wasnt unlimited, but it was still fairly plentiful. But while smaller-caliber weapons were effective against run-of-the-mill monsters, they did only cosmetic damage against the Titans. With the supernatural strength, people could manage bows with fairly extreme draw weights, and the bows the Arsenal had sent along were just that: steel constructions no human on earth would have been able to bend a few months prior. Marie had said the Arsenals experts were working on making even stronger ones, experimenting with composites to prepare for future strength increases. Even these initial offerings hit harder than a handgun when they hit. Only Sofias shots landed reliably, and they skated off the bonefurs armor and the snakeropods thick skulls, but they easily penetrated the light armor surrounding most Titanflesh. Its hard, Gavin grumbled, but he lifted his bow obediently and fired another arrow. His arms shook a little as he released, but they didnt drop. This arrow flew toward an oncoming milliceratops and rebounded off the bony crest that shielded its neck. Hey, you hit! I said. Great job! Gavin straightened up, encouraged despite the lack of damage. I mentally grabbed his spent arrow and pulled it back into the tower. The tip had deformed where it hit the Titan, but it would still be easier for our metal-shapers to repair this one rather than make a whole new arrow. We were all using our abilities cautiously, preparing ourselves to fight indefinitely. I was monitoring everyones use, and no one was being reckless or pushing themselves to the point of exhaustion. Ability exhaustion was only one kind of tiredness, however. We fought for another eighteen minutes - a side effect of my connection to Ariel had made me uncannily good at judging time - before I detected signs of mental fatigue. Vince had been about a half-second slower to respond to the last twotwo attack, for example. Wed been remarkably effective at avoiding injuries, aided by the rugged tower Helen and the others had built, but there was no reason to take risks. The whole point of this Point-farming was to make us safer. We should take a break. Gavin needs fewer than 2,000 additional Points for his next ability! Pointy called. Okay. Well get that in a couple minutes, I said. Marie, make sure our replacements are ready to take over the top of the tower. After Gavin earns his ability, well take a rest. Bk. 4, Ch 55 - Super sensible
Non-citizens do qualify as link targets for the lesser AI used in the competition. I suppose they would be legal targets for Overmind links. Of course, no one would ever link them to an Overmind If the Overmind really linked to Maffiyir contestants of its own initiative, I find that concerning. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensYoure sure you cant give Gavin the ability to restore limbs as a Specialty? Its all hes wanted for so long. Hes been working so hard on it. Hell take any abilities he needs.
The rogue Overmind is still linked to sapients, so it isnt completely unchecked. Even so, this definitely explains the Intangible Connections stock sell-off. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensOver the next few days, the situation in the Quarry slowly improved as our healers strength increased. There was a lot of red tape restricting healing-oriented Specialties, at least ones that could benefit anyone other than the contestant who earned them. I picked through the rules summaries Ariel sent me as closely as I could, sharing them with Pointy so she could lend an eye, and we found a few loopholes. One such was a Specialty that allowed the exhaustion caused by Healing Touch to affect the beneficiary, rather than the user. Since most of our injured were out of action anyway, that cost was almost a non-cost. Fort Autumns infirmary had expanded to fill most of the Quarrys common area, but after Ariel granted the first healer that Specialty, the whole place emptied out in a matter of hours, as exhausted-but-whole former patients returned to their quarters to rest. Regenerating body parts was a tougher nut to crack. I think its just another lever theyre using to shove people into taking Biological Augments, I told Pointy. If you havent twisted your genetics around six ways from Sunday, a major injury is supposed to last, at least for any species that cant regenerate naturally. Pointy frowned. That further explains the low numbers of Fluffys species. Anyone who doesnt have an augment for regeneration is likely to get injuries that make it harder for them to survive the rest of the contest. That means people with Biological Augments will be overrepresented among any survivors. And then those survivors would have to match up to people with identical Biological Augments, or theyll have a tough time having kids, I confirmed. Unless they reproduce asexually Pointy said. Even then, many Biological Augments work poorly with the wrong supports or insufficient synergy. If a child got the genes for strong muscles, but not the bones to support them..." I shuddered. "It''d be like a genetic disease, not a benefit." Pointy nodded. "Losing genetic superpowers is a small price to pay to avoid outcomes like that." "And we''ve got a way to do just that!" I smiled. Thered been a lot of emotional turmoil, but that had been an unmitigated win. Ariel had confirmed that the Biological Augments altered our DNA. Remembering how Ariel had used the process of granting my Specialty to rummage around and make changes in my anatomy, Id asked if she could do something similar for people with Biological Augments. It had taken some explanation, and I didnt think Ariel really understood why I wanted the changes made by Biological Augments to be removed from womens stored eggs, wombs, and the internal parts of mens testes, but the changes were small from her perspective.
Rogue Overmind. The very description is unsettling! Should we initiate legal action to try to end the contest early so the Overmind can be terminated? C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe next few days were a whirlwind. More and more of Fort Autumn snagged Specialties. By the end of the week, more than three-quarters of us had our own personal superpower, and hundreds of those had been tweaked and prodded by Ariel and myself, maximizing the power and utility theyd provide and ensuring a better fit with existing powersets. Id been too focused on earning my own Points to help everyone, but that focus had borne results. Id dragged myself across the thirteenth threshold shortly after Gavin earned his Specialty, and across the fourteenth late in the evening before the new Challenge. Id chosen to enhance Compatibility both times, giving Ariel two more chances to tweak my brain structure back into something that felt more familiar to me. Id regained a few more memories each time, although I usually wasnt immediately aware of what Id regained. For example, it wasnt until I was snacking on a spacecake after passing my fourteenth threshold that the crunchiness made me crave Cheetos. Suddenly, I realized I could remember all my favorite pre-apocalypse snack foods, and that I hadnt been able to a few hours prior. The returned memories of snack food made my life harder in some ways, as most of those items were likely lost to me forever. But as inconvenient as my unsatisfiable yearnings were, I was delighted by how real they felt. I wasnt faking anything here! I really wanted junk food! Just like Meghan-in-my-Memories! Popcorn should be doable. Cows for butter will be the hardest part, but corn and salt are easy! If we get through the Maffiyir, well definitely be able to get popcorn back, I encouraged myself. Maybe even during the Maffiyir, if we do well enough! A lot of my past was still a mystery to me, but I was content to go slow, as long as I was going. Ariel had been almost apologetic about the hack job shed done with our original connection, using phrases like untested code and poor user experience. She was going much more carefully with her repairs, making small changes and carefully examining the results. As much as I wanted to be back to normal, I fully supported her caution. Now, another Challenge was due in less than an hour. We expected it to be a nasty one, and we weren''t sure what shape Fort Autumn would be in when we returned. During the last Challenge, we''d aggressively cleared all the Titans from the area before we disappeared. This time, that wasn''t possible; there were just so many more Titans. Unlike the most of the little monsters, they wouldn''t leave the fort alone if people weren''t inside. The presence of the Shop would encourage them to attack relentlessly, and there''d be no one to stop them. The higher number of Titans was worst around Fort Autumn, but it was bad throughout the Huntsville area. Travel was difficult. The Arsenal had gotten teams of elites through to act as my bodyguards, but they''d all swiftly achieved max Novelty and would be coming with us. The idea of having another team poised to rush in the moment we vanished had been raised... but General Heggins had vetoed it: "Any elites we can spare will be dedicated to Ms. Moretti''s bodyguard force. We have nearly 100 Shops in the area. Humanity as a whole has only four linked users, and we don''t know where three of them are." Instead, we''d filled our underground bunker with weeks upon weeks of water and rations. I''d withdrawn all my Money and continued my land purchases. What else could I do? The Shop had been so critical for so long. It was still extremely useful, but I had to admit General Heggins was right about its relative importance. We''d coated the Shop in rock and metal. I hoped it would survive, but I''ll admit that I was more worried about the new Threat, which would would arrive later today. At least the timing of the last Threat''s appearance meant that it couldn''t come while we were away at the Challenge, but that seemed like a small island of mercy amidst a sea of bad news. Radio traffic between our space lawyer allies made it clear that the Maffiyir company had been providing tons of new data to Hamlet, which suggested that both the Challenge and the Threat wouldnt be pulled from the databanks Ariel had access to. We did have one amazing advantage: Ariel was confident that she could choose how we were separated out for Challenges.
Of course not! One of our clients is a linked user. We cant litigate her death. Well, we could. I am quite certain the Maffiyir Corporation would be very pleased to have her die. But were not going to! C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI hadnt even been released from my casing before an Announcement rang through my head. Transfers complete. Ascend to the top to complete the Challenge. The slowest contestants will be penalized. The voice sounded just the same as it always had. I shot off a quick query to Ariel even as I scanned my surroundings. That wasnt you, was it? The range of my Life Sense had expanded significantly with my recent powerups: I felt two people to each side of me, all of us spaced about thirty feet apart. I couldnt see them through the dense underbrush, a series of thorn-covered vines that wound up and down, curling and twining into a springy mat that would be hard to bypass. A mountain loomed overhead, the sole peak on a flat skyline. At least its clear what we need to ascend. I could also feel plenty of other life. Monsters. One was very close. I raised my shield in the air and spun, activating Parry just in time to intercept a large monster bursting out of the bush behind me. The monster wasnt anything wed seen before in the contest. For a moment, I thought it was pretty standard: just another large predator, this one vaguely canine in build, but with curling tusks on either side of its jaw. Then, it opened its mouth and snarled. I was thrown off my feet, even though it hadnt touched me. I was caught by the vines. The thorns werent strong enough to pierce my skin, but the vines tangled my arms as I rolled to the side, dodging as the monster lunged, tusks aimed at my midsection, crashing into the underbrush beside me as it missed. What? I hadnt consciously directed the thought to Ariel, but she responded anyway.
Pungent excrement! This is supposed to be an Ascent Challenge? Is this truly within parameters? Many contestants are being attacked moments after arrival. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe orange spark in the distance grew and I flickered Analyze, trying to figure out what was happening. It was Ariel that filled me in, however.
The instant attacks are a clear violation of the orientation period requirement. C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensAn hour later, wed gathered up everyone whod been brought to the Challenge. Or, in five tragic cases, their corpses. People had been aggressive about moving to each others aid, and almost everyone had enough abilities to have a fighting chance at self-defense. But thered been over 1,700 Fort Autumn residents in this Challenge. Inevitably, a few had gotten unlucky. In most cases that meant itchy rashes from the surrounding vines. For two dozen others, it meant permanent injuries as fingers, legs, or arms were lost to the tuskwolves snapping teeth. But for five, it meant an end to luck entirely. The bodies had been wrapped in sheets and were being carried by mournful loved ones. We''d bring them back home with us, so their families would be able to bury the dead. I hoped that would be some comfort. Some of the shrouds looked awfully small.
Were going to be able to do great work on behalf of the Clothes-Lovers. As long as our clients survive C Radio transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe Quarry was disquietingly empty: just tables, chairs, empty sleeping bags, and a few stray monsters. The only person moving was Andy, who was racing in a widening circle around my position, dispatching mobmu after rustpile with ruthless efficiency. For all the mans easy-going nature, he clearly took his bodyguard duty seriously. A series of frozen figures popped into being around me as my other bodyguards came through and moved to support Andy. Vince had come through at the same time as me and stood by my side, weapon out, slowly turning as he kept a watch for nearby threats. Life Sense revealed an overwhelming quantity of monsters above, both Titans and the regular sort. In fact I frowned. The monsters had clearly breached the walls - which wed expected - but theyd also destroyed the Shop, which wed hoped they wouldnt be able to. Wed armored it up as much as we could, but apparently it hadnt been enough to stand up to multiple Titans for so long with all the defenders absent. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Vince lunged forward, picking off an apep Andy had missed before it could reach me. Ariel? Any chance the reward for that Challenge was an Improved Shop or something?
Lot of traffic through the dimensional jump points today, most of it outbound. Any idea whats up with that? -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensSo, the new linked user is a Pakistani woman in a city named Jamshoro named Zahra Syed. I''ve heard that the Canadian man is still okay, so it must be one of the two we hadn''t located who died. I''m not sure which one. Anything we can do to locate and protect the other linked users I trailed off as Marie shook her head. The Communication Specialist had a hand pressed to her ear like a phone, a gesture that people had started using to make it clear when they were listening to messages from afar. Ive passed it along. Our closest local contact is a military coalition in Karachi, and theyd already been looking for her, just based on her potential to become a linked user. Hopefully theyll step up their efforts now that the situations more serious. She sighed. The trouble is, anything weve thought of to do, were doing. Anyone we could ask for help, weve talked to. Another Challenge will have expanded our contacts further, Mayor Alexandra said. That must have opened up new opportunities. I worked with Ariel a lot this past week on that, I said. We tried to split our eligible communications people in between locating the linked users and getting in touch with world leaders I know we were updating our groupings until the last minute, as different people became Challenge-eligible, but I havent heard how it all worked out yet. Marie closed her eyes for a moment. Weve made twenty-seven more connections with Quantum Reservoir that we can use to freely communicate with people across the world. All but two of those people say theyre part of some kind of alliance. Some are from citizen groups, like Fort Autumn was originally, and others have contact with local governments or military bases. The last two contacts are located in the capital cities of India and South Korea, but they arent part of the governments themselves. Well have to wait and see if they can connect us with anyone in authority. Even with Ariel able to pair people up for Challenge groups however she wanted, getting in touch with the entire world had been difficult. We were sending thousands of people from the Huntsville area to Challenges, but wed only found one ability that allowed for cross-globe communication, and that ability - Quantum Reservoir - required another person with the same ability to form a connection. Even then, the total number of connections was limited by the users synergy. Plus, communicating with someone overseas was of limited utility if neither spoke the others language. Yeah, you could try to repeat their words to a translator, but most people cant accurately repeat a foreign language easily. Id been ruthless in exploiting my connection to Ariel, sorting our own potential candidates into groups with people in far-off countries who they had the best chance of connecting with. A lot of it was setting up rules for Ariel to work off of as she made last-minute groupings. Very few people had Quantum Reservoir, so most of our connections had been with people whod earned enough Points to choose a new ability before entering the Challenge, but hadnt chosen it yet. If we put them with friendly people who already had the Reservoir ability, all our allies had to do was get to them before they chose an ability and convince them to take something theyd never heard of based on the word of a person they met two minutes ago. Honestly, it was impressive that wed made any progress. Making contact at all was step one. Then we had to hope those people could get in touch with some kind of leader: ideally former or current government. Wed only once been able to link to a world leader directly, because governing people is usually more about pushing papers around in a bunker than leading armies through the streets. The chaos in the world hadnt made the job any easier. Even finding our own countrys leader had taken multiple months. The US president had apparently died in the first minutes of the Maffiyir. Hed been older and the sight of the monsters had given him a heart attack. Secret Service had gotten a defibrillator quickly, but the device had been broken by the onset of the contest. The Vice President had died in a plane crash only moments later, although that had taken time to verify. Still, the US had a clear line of succession: the Speaker of the House had survived and was now our Acting President. I hadnt thought of locating her as a big deal until wed actually found her, twenty days ago, and suddenly all the other military bases wed gotten in touch with had started responding to the Arsenals requests more quickly and mobilizing about twice as many people as they had before. Id been kind of shocked by that, and Id said as much to Flip. This doesnt make sense! These werent selfish requests, this was stuff we all needed for the survival of our species. Why should finding some politician change anything? Flip had scratched the back of her neck. Well maybe it shouldnt. But all of these people have people theyre responsible for. People dying in their own backyards. Without a clear chain of command, everyone is making their own judgment calls about what to prioritize, and the problems staring you in the face are a lot harder to ignore than the ones youre only hearing about.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. And finding a president made them what believe us? They didnt really think people were linked up with Ariel? I think they did. But it was kind of like, you know Believing in Mexico. What? Flip had shrugged. Well, no one doubts Mexico is real. Not even the biggest conspiracy nut Ive met. But most people dont think about it very much. Its not pushing itself in their face, and no ones making them think about it. And lots of things are making them think about their city, their town, the people right around them. We were kind of like Mexico. When we found the president, she kinda started pushing us in peoples faces. Making it impossible not to think about us. She made General Heggins ah, I forget his title. Acting Director of something. Anyway, point is, she told people they have to listen to him on stuff related to the aliens, so they do. Whether its the best plan or most important thing to do anymore doesnt factor. Its just orders. Flips explanation made a sort of sense, even if I felt like it shouldnt. And as we got in touch with more heads of state over the next several days, we saw the same pattern play out again and again and frustratingly, we also saw its inverse. When the mega-treezilla wiped out a good portion of the British Isles, theyd made an utter mess of its government. The people who were left were divided into several smaller factions. The factions were trying to work together - they all wanted to help their people - but each faction thought their plan was the best one and wasnt willing to do something worse, leading to a ton of wasted time and effort. I shook my head, focusing on the discussion again as Alexandra clapped her hands. Okay - next order of business: we have a decision to make. Most groups got a simple prize, another upgrade to our Intensifiers that allowed for the display of the total count of thresholds a person has passed, or their level, if you will. One of our groups got something else. Clint, would you explain? Micah''s forging buddy stood up, the big man''s shoulders hunched a little awkwardly in the face of all the attention. Yesm. Three of us all had metal-shaping abilities and Specialties, which was right powerful in an Arena that was mostly metal. After we saw they were comin in from above, below, and around, we decided to go take em out at the source. Didnt take us but an hour. When there were no monsters left, system sent us home early and gave us an Advanced Shop blueprint. I sat up as the room burst into noise. It lasted only moments before Vinces friend Byron dropped a Zone of Silence over the area a neat trick that let us hold our council meetings out in the main hall of the Quarry, where everyone could listen in. After a moment, Byron released the zone. Sound resumed, but the cut-off had chastened the crowd, who kept things to a respectful low rumble. Alexandra stood and addressed the crowd. Clearly, his group will not place the Shops anywhere until after the new Threat appears, but the question is if we want one at Fort Autumn at all? Personally, I propose spreading them throughout several nearby areas in an effort to divert attention away from us and Meghan. Yes, George? My friend cleared his throat. Well, can Ariel tell us what the Shops offer? I feel like it would have to be pretty good before Id want to draw any extra danger this way. Let me check. I closed my eyes. Ariel? Advanced Shops? What can you tell us? As the AI Overmind filled me in, I winced. Oof. Actually I hate to say it, but we might not want to place these at all. Or, maybe one at the Arsenal? Theyre no good?! Clint looked betrayed. I shrugged apologetically. Well They do have every portable item that was available as a blueprint during the first two duodenaries, including the weapons from the first Mandatory Trial. They also sell the entertainment-based Titan drops for really high amounts of Money. That all sounds alright, Clint said gruffly. Not too exciting, but not bad. I nodded. Yeah. The problem is the other thing an Advanced Shop sells: fast food and street food from all over the world, and its pricey. Were talking 100 Money for an order of fries expensive. My words caused a predictable reaction: crestfallen faces from some, and immediate interest from others. The air filled with questions like Can you buy banh mi? Fries? Do they sell loaded fries? and How about onion rings? until Byron dropped his Zone of Silence on the area once more. Alexandra frowned. It might be reasonable to buy one or two pieces of prepackaged food to put into the matter replicators. We have plenty of those, after all. I shook my head. Nope. I think they thought about that. Its all hot foods mostly fried or grilled stuff that wont keep well. Weve been doing well buying land, so this seems like a clear effort to slow us down. Alexandra snorted. If that was the plan, why wouldnt it be the default reward? I knew that one already. Ariel said that Shops are never handed out for simply entering a Challenge - its always for going above and beyond in some way. Anyway, weve got our water vending machines and our ration vending machines from the intensified Titans. We dont need a full Shop here. There was some grumbling at that - and a lot of mournful expressions - but no one argued. Everyone here knew the stakes. Everyone knew someone who had died. Hell, wed lost another two dozen people just this morning, people whod been taken to the Challenge and hadnt made it back. Alexandra nodded and glanced at her watch. That makes sense. Ill keep seeing if we can locate and import unused ingredients to put through our replicators. The new Shops dont need to be placed unless the Arsenal says otherwise. The new Threat will be here in an hour and a half. Rest up and be ready. Meeting adjourned. Her voice projected her usual confident persona, but as she turned away from the table I caught a glimpse of the exhaustion on her face. Bk. 5, Ch. 3 - Downtime
I have no idea, but it is odd. Do we keep records on how many personnel the Maffiyir Company usually keeps in-system during a contest? -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensMy family and the Turners family had piled into our room, collapsing onto our mattress-strewn floor as Pointy put on a movie for the kids kind of. With Cassies growing strength, the little turtle could do almost-unlimited video projection, and VHS cassettes were easy for her to gather video data from. The audio data, encoded magnetically, wasnt something she could easily scan. Instead, shed been working on dubbing the movies as a hobby project in her spare time, guessing at what the characters would have said and synthesizing voices for them. The result was often very different from the original dialogue, but that added to the entertainment value in some ways. The kids might shout and criticize when a favorite character replaced a line they remembered with something else, but they laughed as they did so. And Pointy could always go for something more niche if she didnt want commentary from the crowd. The old Disney princess movies wed found on VHS were things some of the kids had seen, but Pointy could freestyle as much as she liked on Fern Gully or The Great Mouse Detective unless she showed them to a bigger crowd of all the Fort Autumn kids... and even then, the kids who were familiar with the originals weren''t usually familiar enough to do more than quietly ask questions like "Why is Basil''s voice so squeaky now?" Generally. There was one time that her adaptation of The Iron Giant went too far off-script and triggered an all-out crying breakdown from a five-year-old who''d apparently watched it on repeat the month before the world went to hell. Priya and I had worked together to give her a line-by-line recitation on The Care Bears Movie II, so that one was pretty much perfect. The voices were slightly different, but Priya and I had coached her until they were quite close. There were also a few lines Priya had remembered differently than me - wrongly, in my opinion, but very confidently - and Id begrudgingly acceded to her recollection. It wasn''t that I thought she was right, but... shed owned more Care Bears toys. I could stomach a few out-of-place lines for the sake of our friendship. Today, though, Pointy was going with a classic: Cinderella. I sat down, leaning against Vince and nodding to George, who was sitting with his arm around Priya. Are we still on-track for your projections? I think so. It really depends on how common those new Advanced Shops are and how much people spend on them. The amount of Money we earn each week is only going up a little bit, so new costs could really slow us down. Assuming theyre not too common humanity will own 75% of Earths ocean in a little over two months, and then we can finish up on purchasing the land in about three more weeks. Hm so our odds of finishing before Christmas arent good. George laughed. Not with Thanksgiving coming up in a few days here. Not that were going to have a big celebration for that At least we dont have to travel, Vince said, bumping up against me. I raised an eyebrow. You cant tell me youd prefer ravening monsters to extended family.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Vince put a hand to his mouth, as if considering it. Then he grinned and shook his head. Nah. Just trying to look on the bright side. We should try to get something fun together for Thanksgiving, though, I said. Priya leaned over and patted my hand, her scaled palm cool against my skin. Let me worry about that. You have enough on your plate. I smiled at her gratefully. I honestly dont know what wed do without you. Cassie pushed herself up on her elbows and twisted to glare at me from her spot lying on her stomach on the floor ahead. Her voice was thick with offended disapproval: Mommy, be quiet! We are watching the movie. Sorry, I told her, forming my face into a contrite expression until Cassie returned her focus to the film. The moment she looked away, my face broke into a grin. That little stinker, Vince breathed as Priya muffled giggles. Shh! I said. We sat together, resting quietly for about an hour, with the movie finishing fifteen minutes before we expected a new Threat. It left us just enough time to double-check everyones gear, make sure all the kids took the time to use the restroom, and head up to the Tower. Did I think they would send two burrowing Threats at us in a row? No. But the fact that theyd sent even one made me question the safety of the Quarry. As long as we knew what was coming, the Quarry was fine. The openings in our vents were too small for hellbees or night leeches to manage. The ramp in and out had multiple layers of defenses against smaller monsters. The biggest danger came from the burrowing monsters spawned by the previous Threat, but those were usually killed before they could leave the hive. When they werent, they ran into traps that had been set below and around, and we still had people with sensory augments on the lookout for them 24/7. It wasnt perfectly safe, but it was as close as anywhere on Earth got. The trouble was that a new Threat was due. We didnt know what it would be capable of, but something big was a safe bet, and if it turned out to be something that started earthquakes or dropped out of the sky like a meteor, Id rather be aboveground where we could see it coming and potentially dodge. Being out in the open exposed us to other dangers the Quarry would have protected us from, but at least we''d have a chance to see those coming. With all the sensory augments amongst my loved ones and my bodyguards, we should see almost anything coming. I trusted us to be able to react to known dangers. It was the unknown that scared me. Several tons of stone being dropped on our heads might not be lethal, especially with all the stoneshapers on hand and ready to revert any damage, but... it might be. At a bare minimum, it would pin us down and leave us helpless until we were rescued. Neither Ariel nor I liked the sound of that. Ten seconds, said Pointy softly. Force Shields snapped into place in the gaps between the walls and ceiling of the Tower. They were double-layered on the side closest to the nearby Pylon, but every approach was covered. My bodyguards werent leaving anything to chance. As the final second ticked away, I felt the ground beneath me tremble. They are trying earthquakes! I snapped, feeling vindicated. Gavin grabbed my hand, his body hunched in, looking almost pained as he pointed toward the Pylon. I I dont think so, Mommy. Theres something out there. Something really big. Bk. 5, Ch. 4 - New Threat
I dont think thats something weve ever tracked, but something is strange. Instruments read only a dozen life-forms remaining at their headquarters, and another dozen in the rest of the system. I dont like this -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensI squinted in the direction of the Pylon. My Panoramic Vision augment was designed to provide a more complete field of vision, not to enhance my ability to see smaller details or over a greater distance. Even so, Id noticed some minor improvements as I''d "leveled up." It was subtle enough that hadn''t initially sure if my actual vision had improved, or if I was just better at understanding what I was seeing. After checking in with Ariel, I''d found out the answer was "a little of both." The upshot was that I could tell that Gavin was right. Something was moving over there. At first, it was hidden, its presence was made obvious by only shifting and falling rubble. Our entire neighborhood was in ruins, but the area around the Pylon was particularly bad, since a new Threat appeared there every three hours. Some were the newer hives that spawned the burrowing attackers we were calling ground-swimmers. Those displaced earth as they appeared, pushing earth and rock up into a cavelike entrance to the hive but, over time, these cave entrances tended to collapse as new hives destabilized the area, so they were less of an issue. Unfortunately, about half the Threats that appeared were the original ones, the treezillas. They werent the skyline-darkening monstrosities that had knocked Vinces airship out of the sky, but they were still massive, over three stories tall with trunks as wide as a pair of double-doors. We got about four new treezilla corpses every day. They were made of useful materials, sure, tougher than almost anything humanity could produce at the same weight. But there was too much of it. Even with our crafters working full-time to process treezilla remains into armor and shelters, they werent using a third of what appeared in our area, and more appeared every three hours like clockwork. Some effort had been made to keep the immediate area around the Pylon clear for combat, but there was no way to move that much material far. The clutter got worse every day. A massive branch rolled down a pile, revealing a line of glistening orange. More rubble fell as the orange shape lifted itself higher, knocking aside tons of material heedlessly. How big is that? Flip snapped. Judging by the curve at the top? Analyze says its a minimum of 37.4 feet wide. More material fell as the Threat heaved itself higher. No, wait! At least 43.6 feet. Marie was sitting up in the tower with us with her eyes closed, activating Clairvoyance. The markings we made on the ground to help estimate size got disrupted as it emerged, but the Analyst on the scene confirms Meghans numbers. Im hearing its about 45 feet wide, 30 feet tall, and 80 feet long. What the actual fuck, Flip said. Thats huge! Why hasnt the ground commander ordered the attack yet? He has! Marie said. I heard him! Full authorization for Specialties, too! We threw all that at it and it hasnt turned to focus on them? Its just ignoring the attacks?! I pulled a pair of binoculars off the side of my backpack, effortlessly focusing them as I lifted them to my primary eyes. What I saw resembled a dark orange pillbug the size of a house. A massive bullet slammed into it - probably Benjamins work - leaving a section of the carapace shattered. Lasers blasted into the injured shell, bright enough that I shut my eyes for a moment. When I opened them, I had to refocus the binoculars, as the Threat had continued to move closer, ignoring the small crater in its side. The injury bore signs of further assault: scorch marks and moisture that might be evidence of a gaseous attack or ice that had frozen and remelted. The attacks had halted and I saw melee fighters dash in, making superhuman leaps to sink blades into the gap our allies had created in the monsters armor.Stolen novel; please report. Come on, I cheered quietly as the behemoth continued its ponderous advance toward Fort Autumn. You can do it. Youre getting deeper. You- A huge chunk of the monster fell off, large enough for everyone to see from this distance, even those without binoculars or enhanced vision. Were getting it! Gavin cheered. Nice! Flip said, her voice fierce. Marie spoke before I could. I wouldnt be so sure. A big section fell off, but what was left behind doesnt seem injured. The chunk that fell off was big, but the monsters so huge the Analyst on the scene thinks it lost, um, maybe half a percent of its mass? And we used eight of our best Specialties to make it happen. Oh fuck, Byron said. Those are bad numbers. Especially if another one of those comes back in three hours. It gets worse than that, I said, splitting my attention to listen in to an urgent message from my linked Overmind. Ariel thinks its modular. If its consuming mass, there are probably one or two cores inside that will make it grow, but even if there are, it probably doesnt need those to survive. Any part we injure, it can just jettison and keep going. Maybe a little smaller, but not slower or more vulnerable. At least its not too fast, Vince said. Does it have any weapons? Marie shook her head. Not any major ones, at least that weve seen. Its got a bunch of little mouths and its legs end in claws, but its biggest offense seems to be its size. It might not need weapons, I said grimly. At this rate, its going to reach the Tower and Quarry with more than 75% of its mass. Helen and her team build strong, but I dont think anyone can build to stand up to that. Alexandra had come with us to observe the Threats appearance. Shed been quiet until now, not trying to interfere with the military decisions, but my words made her stiffen. We have to evacuate, then. Probably, I said reluctantly. But maybe we dont have to for this first one? The look Alexandra shot me was torn in between hope and anger. She had half-turned toward the ladder, ready to dash off and start evacuating. I grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. You just showed me the gunpowder storeroom yesterday, Alexandra! Fort Autumn has over 200 Minor Matter Replicators, and weve been asking people to fill any spare space they can with bags of loose gunpowder for over a month now. Gunpowder may not be that powerful of an explosive, but weve got over 2,000 pounds of it. Im not sure if itll be enough, but we have to at least try. You want to use all of that here? What else have we been stockpiling it for? Alexandra hesitated, then nodded. What else? Surely. Youre right. But... we still need to start evacuating. Fort Autumn has nearly five thousand residents, and that many people do not move quickly. Well never get them all out before this Threat arrives, but if we can stop this one, we can have the Quarry clear by the next. I squinted at the lumbering orange mountain. If it doesnt speed up, weve got 483 seconds before it reaches Fort Autumns outer wall. Uh, eight minutes, more or less. Bombing it after its above the Quarry seems pretty risky. Flip cursed. Youre right! Damn it all! She punched out one of the Force Shields in the rear of the Tower and flew out, zooming through the Quarrys main entrance at top speed. It surprised me, but I guess she would have had to slow down to get through the narrow tunnels around the Towers ladders. Alexandra hesitated. Youll oversee things here, Meghan? I turned her toward the ladder and gave her shoulders a gentle shove. Go. Start getting people ready to leave. Well do everything we can. Bk. 5, Ch. 5 - Welcome to the south
I agree. We need to stay and continue observation, but I think we ren-des-vous to exchange crew and send our second ship away. I would prefer to remove our juniors from such an uncertain situation. -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensFlip was fetching the gunpowder and Alexandra was trying to initiate an evacuation, which left me in charge aboveground. I immediately flashed a Basic Hologram in the air a few hundred feet past the edge of the Quarry, a gigantic red-and-yellow cartoonish BOOM! in a direct line between the Pylon and ourselves, then blasted an Announcement across the entire neighborhood. Threat incoming toward Fort Autumn. Heavily armored, huge, and hard to damage. Moving slowly, about eight minutes away. We need to stop it! Well use all our stockpiled gunpowder at the indicated position. Steer clear of that location or be aware of the danger! Anything you can do to slow the Threat or enhance the explosion, please do! We get one chance! If youre inside the Quarry, please exit calmly and obey authorities. I saw Vince raise an eyebrow at my last sentence, and I shrugged guiltily. Id started making the Announcement for the sake of the people outside and only realized belatedly what panic I was likely creating below. Alexandra will handle it, I told myself. I need to focus. Flip had already emerged from the Quarry with one giant plastic storage bin filled with powder, and I saw a speedster running behind her carrying an oversized shopping tote under each arm, gray dust flying out the open tops. Oof. Thats suboptimal. I guess we didnt really have barrels to store it in. Too late now. Uhh Marie, message Helen! Put the shapers in charge of putting the gunpowder under pressure. If we leave it loose like this I think itll just burn. Byron, youre in charge of figuring out ignition. Either get in place to do it yourself or organize someone else. Both Marie and Byron nodded. I left them to it, trusting them to their tasks. What else can we do? I muttered. Draw Attention? Gavin suggested. Its worth a try, but it lasts only seconds on a Titan. I doubt itll slow this guy for more than an eyeblink. Do you have anyone with Adhesive? Vince asked. It doesn''t seem very flexible. If you leave stuff in its path that will stick to its legs it might not be able to move at all. I snapped my fingers. Now theres an idea! And we should get our farmers out there tangle it up in vines and stuff. They wont be strong enough to stop it, but we mostly need to slow it down. Can you pass the orders along, Marie? Draw Attention, Adhesive, and Shape Plants. Already did. The woman grimaced. Ive got two other communication specialists trying to locate our allies with those abilities. Im sure most of them wont be able to get into position quickly enough to help, though. I grunted in acknowledgement. It was hard not to kick myself not for having our entire fighting force spread across the neighborhood, but wed had no idea what was coming. If the new Threat had been aggressively oriented, rather than defensively, leaving everyone out in the open could have easily led to hundreds of deaths. Id left Analyze running, allowing me to notice the barest shudder in the behemoths advance - almost certainly a Draw Attention from the strike team wed left near the Pylon. It had bought us a third of a second; not nothing, but not the miracle we were looking for either. Already, more than a minute had passed. Id seen more speedsters carrying bags and boxes of gunpowder, and Flip had returned below for another load. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Part of the wall of the fort had been melted into a staircase, allowing the guards easy access to the outside. Several had run over to the area beneath my Boom! sign a few hundred feet away, where a dome like half an eggshell was already taking shape. As I watched, I saw a man morph a sheet of metal into a canister and stick it onto the outside of the eggshell only to have another person cuff him and point angrily back at the fort. Chastened, the man picked up his canister and moved it to the far side of the dome. He made some kind of pipe bomb, I guess? Not a bad plan. But not enough. Ariel, what have you got for me? Anything? What kind of senses does this thing have? It must have some, or Draw Attention wouldnt have done anything. Can we confuse it?
Greenfern wishes me to pass along his steadfast intention to stay. And I do think sending the young ones away now would be premature. The situation makes me uneasy, but it is difficult for me to say why. Perhaps simply because it is so unusual? I am hesitant to cower away like a hatchling, scared simply because something is new. -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThe giant orange monster was shredded, chunks sent flying in every direction. We were far enough away and high enough up that the only ones that made it to us were small, golf-ball-sized missiles that bounced harmlessly off the Force Shields protecting us. Larger projectiles splattered against the walls of Fort Autumn, bundles of meat and chitin the size of basketballs and softballs, but - critically - not large enough to survive on their own. My Life Sense range was large enough to confirm that all the monster bits that had been flung our way were dead or dying. That wasnt true of every chunk. Closer to the smoke cloud, I could see larger monster bits, some the size of people and other the size of cars, writhing, shedding mass, and surging toward us once more. Whenever two surviving chunks came in contact with each other, they paused long enough to link up, slotting together like eldritch horror Tinkertoys. If they could. Almost everyone guarding the walls of Fort Autumn had ducked down to shelter from the explosion. The moment it was over, theyd sprung forward, charging out even as the noise of the blast echoed, putting all their might into slashing apart the smaller monsters before they could rejoin into a stronger whole. Beside me, Vince shifted his weight, adjusting his grip on his sword. I put a hand on his shoulder. Vince He glanced back at me. I know. I know. Im staying put. Its just hard being so passive. I cant argue with that, I said. In front of us, a huge mound became visible in the dissipating smoke, and for one insane moment I thought that - in spite of the clear monster fragments everywhere - we hadnt done any damage at all. Obviously, that wasnt the case. As it writhed forward, it became clear that while the monster bore no visible injuries, it was far smaller: 20 feet long, 20 feet tall, and barely 30 feet in length. It took no effort to run the calculations. It took a little to translate my overly-precise answer into something that sounded more natural, but it was getting easier with practice. I made an Announcement. The explosion destroyed almost 90% of its mass! It may look big, still, but its almost dead! Lets take it down! The wall defenders charged forward, joined by a steady stream of evacuees leaving the Quarry, dozens more joining the attack each second. I tapped the Force Shields still surrounding us, continually refreshed by their casters every time they faded. Lets take these down. Theres no evidence it has any ranged attacks, and we do. Gavin, lets see those archery skills!This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Yeaaaaah! Gavin cheered, bounding forward to stand next to Vince, whose bow was in his hands before the shields were even down. Micah stood beside them, carefully cycling through his offensive options before settling on targeted Shockwalls, the electric barriers carefully positioned to disrupt and slow the Threat segments every time they tried to readjust. As for myself, I used my Telekinesis, sending out chains to tangle the monsters movement and lifting chunks of rock and debris and trying to squeeze them into crevasses created as the monster shed mass and reformed. It didnt require my hands, so when Cassie tugged at my belt I reached down to lift her up, and she sent a few fluttering feline Summoned Seekers to join the attack. Were they effective? Not that I could tell. But I was happy Cassie was earning Points. This Threat may not have had much offense other than its strength and bulk, but damn did it have defense. Even under the combined onslaught of hundreds of powerful defenders, it crumbled away slowly, still the size of a large van when it pushed its way through the gap the stoneshapers had made in the walls of Fort Autumn. That was the end of the road for it, however. It damaged the stone walls as it pushed through, widening the gap, but the stone flowed up from beneath, lifting it off the ground and locking it in place, dozens of legs churning uselessly in the air. It was trapped for a bare second before leaning on its modular nature, splitting apart into dozens of man-sized centipedes. It was a horrific sight, but ultimately futile. Most of its offspring were cut apart the moment they separated from the main mass, and the most successful made it only fifteen feet before being tackled and pummeled to the ground. I closed my eyes for a second, focusing on Life Sense. A few night leeches lurked in the shadows, and I felt a gasbag briefly appear overhead before a gunshot rang out and ended its miserable existence, but I couldnt sense anything from the Threats remains. We got it. Great job! Threat down. I pulled my gas mask down, taking a deep breath of fresh air and letting out a heartfelt sigh. Great job, I repeated to my kids and defense team. A horrible thought struck me. Marie, any more of these in the area? Uh the woman straightened. Ill look. Ask Flip to do a flyover. These are big enough that shell be able to see them from pretty far away. Marie gave me a thumbs-up, and moments later I saw the airman soar high into the sky, high enough that she was barely a speck when a rogue twotwo went for her and forced her to dive back down, executing evasive rolls and swoops until the crowd of allies below picked off the stealthy Titan chasing her. Flip landed in the Tower, hands going to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Spot any more? I asked. Five, she panted. I think. And well actually, Marie, can you double-check me? One was down by James Clemens High School and another was almost to the corner of Gillespie and Balch, and a third was just north of 72, just past that place that sells gravel. I didnt get a fix on the others. Can do. What am I checking- Marie cut off. She glanced quickly at Flip, then shut her eyes again, her forehead knitting up in worry. Whats going on? I asked. Flip frowned. Well Im not sure. I didnt get a great look. But they didnt look like they were heading for nearby Shops or Points Siphons. Theyre not. Marie said. At least not those three. Each one of them is headed straight here. Bk. 5, Ch. 7 - Closing in
What in six galaxies was that?! Its supposed to be difficult to prove theyre breaking the rules. Are they not even making an effort to pretend compliance? -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensHere?! I asked. Then theyre coming for me. Theres no way we can stop five more. Maybe we Marie said, then stopped, frowning. I turned to Flip. Tell me Im wrong. Tell me we didnt just use up our entire gunpowder stockpile. Theres some left, but we just lost three-quarters of it dealing with one of those things. Even if the ones headed for us are a little smaller, itd be a struggle to take down one more. Five? She laughed. Can we stop them before they get to us? Vince asked. Adhesive and rubble? No. Pointy spoke before I could. The Adhesive ability isnt a common one, and it doesnt last indefinitely. It showed promise in slowing our first attacker, but it wouldnt have stopped it completely. The wreckage below shows tooth marks. That Threat could bite through stone. If it had to, it could chew away anything we glued to it. The only reason it didn''t is that doing so would have slowed it down further. Micah tugged my elbow. Are they coming for you? Are they allowed to do that? That seems against the rules. Good question. Ariel, care to weigh in?
Decaying sustenance. I dont think they are. The dimensional jump infrastructure just powered off. We cant leave the system. -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensWe traveled in a large group: me and my family at the center, surrounded by a huge swarm of allies. By now, I had nearly 200 Arsenal-assigned guards. They werent usually all on-duty at the same time, but they were all with me now. Those who didnt have the speed to keep up were being carried by those who did. In addition, around a quarter of Fort Autumn had chosen to accompany me and lend a hand: nearly everyone who didnt have children to look after, and a few who did. I didnt see George, Arnav, or Samar in the crowd, but Priya was jogging behind Vince, face grim, while her oldest daughter, Anju, flew beside her, sticking close to the ground to avoid the twotwos attention. I was curious what had led the family to part ways, but answers would have to wait. After a few minutes, Marie confirmed that we had made it out of the ring of encroaching legoliaths before the trap could close on us and the Threats had turned to follow. So they are after me, personally. Not Fort Autumn.
Oh, venomous invasive insects! Several installations just activated. All dimensional travel into the Clothes-Lovers system is being prevented now, too. What an expense! Thats not sustainable. Plus, dimensional travel is Soundless technology. Theres absolutely no reason for them to disrupt it. -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensThere wasnt much pushback against my suggestion: it turned out that the Arsenal - and most other groups - had already been considering the same thing. The legoliaths were nasty. Wed gotten a dense pack of them in our area, and they all seemed unshakably focused on me personally. Elsewhere, they seemed far rarer: Vinces contacts in New Mexico had reported only one spawn for the entire city of Albuquerque. Theyd gotten to it and taken it down fairly quickly, meaning the monster had only destroyed one Shop, a dozen homes, a gas station, and three former restaurants. The trouble was, they didnt think they could improve their response. In fact, theyd gotten lucky with the spawn location, as the legoliath had appeared in range of a park where a group called the Medieval Militia had been working on producing low-tech siege weaponry for use against Titans. A ballista didnt have the same range or power as a high-caliber sniper rifle, but it could hit harder than most abilities without tiring anyone out and was much easier to produce. My friends and I reached Albuquerque on the first day of the D-rexes, and they had some major fires in the first few days. But after they built firebreaks and organized quick-response teams to take down Titans, I dont think they lost nearly as much, Vince explained. They can build more siege weapons, and Id bet on them to be able to get them around the city pretty quickly but according to the Ruler Messages I got, they had twenty ballista firing on this first legoliath immediately and it still took way too long to kill. I cant believe you can hold this conversation while sprinting and carrying me, I said. He laughed. Im not sprinting! This is a jog. I could go twice as fast, easy, but weve got to let everyone else keep up. Really? Yeah!
Were bouncing this to you to be sure you receive it. Do not make further transmissions, not even to acknowledge receipt! -Intercepted transmission from Voices for Non-CitizensPointy? I asked. The vulgarity, extremely out-of-character for the little plush, made me nervous. Even moreso when Cassie gasped and bent over her stuffed animal to shield her, casting a nervous glance up at me. Cassie had heard that? Pointy could have easily shaped the sound projection away from her. The fact that she hadnt suggested that her emotional subroutines were, well, going haywire. Pointy was panicking. I put a gentle hand on Cassies, gently tugging it aside. Pointys not in trouble, but I need to talk to her. Is that okay? She is a good girl, Cassie said fiercely. Sssh, ssh. I know. Im worried about her, not mad at her. Alright? Reluctantly, Cassie let me lift Pointy from her arms. The turtle was shaking her head slowly, staring into space. Pointy, you have to tell us whats going on so we can help. Theres a transmission. The Arsenal is bouncing it across town. They got it from Voices for Non-Citizens, but its not their transmission. Its from the Maffiyir Compan- no. Its from the local leader of the Maffiyir forces. Its I She shook her head, almost speechless. Ill just tell you what it said. Please! Pointy shook herself and straightened before speaking. I, Sharp Contrasts, am no longer part of the Maffiyir company. My actions belong to me, and me alone. I have stolen Maffiyir hardware and software, and commandeered ships belonging to the company. Maffiyir employees still in-system must obey me or I will open fire. Those aboard my ship must obey me, or I will vent them to space. All non-Maffiyir ships still in-system are to cease transmissions and enter low power mode. Any violators will be fired upon. I felt a spike of fear. Fluffy had been so kind, and it had meant a lot to me that they were still out there, doing what they could for us. And they transmitted that?! Are they okay? Did they get attacked?" I dont know. We dont have any means of detecting the status of their ship unless they tell us. They havent sent anything else, but thats probably just caution. They took a risk sending this at all. I think they wanted to let us know they hadnt abandoned us, and warn us. My brain was working too slowly, I could feel it. I always tried to anticipate, to see developments coming, because I knew I rarely came up with the right answer at the spur of the moment. Warn us? It was Vince who figured it out first, sucking in a breath. Oh fuck. This is a deniability thing, isnt it? Theyve been pushing the boundaries of the rules, but theyre about to shatter them into pieces. So theyre pretending its not them, that this Contrasts person is a rogue agent. That is my concern, Pointy said. Ariel?! I said aloud. Would Hamlet still listen to this, um, Sharp Contrasts if they arent with the Maffiyir company?
Time until next Challenge: 11 days, 15 hours, 23 minutesBlessedly, the onslaught lessened almost immediately after we turned north. Hamlet still hit us as hard as he could, but there were wider gaps between attacks. We kept seeing new varieties of Titans. What the hell, Ariel? Didnt you say that only five varieties had been approved for the initial group of Earth Titans? I know this is a different set, but how are we seeing I consulted my Eidetic Memory. Eighteen different kinds and counting?
Time until next Challenge: 11 days, 8 hours, 23 minutesWe continued fleeing throughout the rest of the evening and deep into the night. We detoured around a small town in Tennessee called Fayetteville, although we paused to replenish my fleet of defenders and swap out our damaged cars for fresh ones. Only eleven cars remained from our original fleet, cars the Arsenal had crewed with a primary driver and a backup, who could alternate driving and resting. Everyone else had peeled off along the way as their drivers or passengers grew too exhausted to continue fighting their way through the Titan gauntlet. Wed lost people, as well. One woman had been chomped by one of the speedy yellow titans, and wed lost an entire vehicle during a devastating combination assault including a Titan that emitted hallucinogenic gas. No one had realized that the drivers mask had been damaged in an earlier attack until after hed swerved wildly, unluckily careening right under the waiting feet of a truly mammoth monster. Their SUV had been crushed flat in seconds, and only one person aboard had enough physical reinforcement to survive. The only blessing was that the onslaught had continued to slow as we got farther into the Tennessee wilderness. Many of the tiny towns that dotted the roads had only a few hundred people before the apocalypse, and most had lower populations now. People living in rural areas had experienced the apocalypse very differently than those of us in large cities. On the one hand, food had been far less of an issue: Lots of people kept sheep. Even if they were raising the animals for wool, rather than food, the fact of the matter was that a single adult sheep could keep a family fed for over a week if the meat was butchered properly and frozen via ability. That left aside farms, home gardens, and the wilderness itself. Even with guns taken off the table, it wasnt uncommon to know how to set a snare for wild squirrels and rabbits, or to know how to forage for edible plants. Water was rarely an issue either, since most small towns were built along creeks or ponds. It had to be sterilized, still, but even with no Shops available, people could meet their basic needs. Monsters had been a bigger issue for them. A lot of people had been away from shelter when the apocalypse hit: out in the farm fields or on a desolate country road. Many had been armed, but, tragically, that had only lead to more casualties in the first few minutes, as people uselessly pumped the trigger on now-defunct firearms instead of running or finding a different weapon to fight with. Even those whod made it inside were in poor shape. With more space between buildings, most people had found it difficult to meet up with neighbors and form communities. Abilities like Announcement were less effective when there were only 50 people in range instead of 5,000. Many people had been facing the apocalypse alone, with each new monster a fresh horror they had to figure out by themselves. The Arsenal had been bringing people together and finding ways to loop them into the information network, but many farms and small towns had suffered before the Arsenal had reached them. Sick as it was to say, that was lucky for us. In Huntsville proper, wed been fighting two or three Titans every five minutes. That had declined steadily, and now we were dealing with approximately one fight per hour, plus an extra fight anytime we came near a bigger town like Fayetteville. Hamlet could have hit us more frequently with singletons, but he - or his handlers - seemed to have decided that maximum power was the way to go, popping out groups of Titans and sending them to rendezvous along our route. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hed tried arranging for larger groups to come from farther away, but Ariel could see what he was doing. If she spotted a swarm of Titans heading toward us from over twenty miles away, we could usually alter our route to avoid them and send messages to local strike teams, asking them to take them down. Any that snuck by didnt catch us off-guard: we were ready, waiting, and prepared to strike at their weakest points. It wasnt a perfect system, but it worked well enough except for how exhausting it was. Id tried to catch some sleep in between these big fights, but I hadnt been having much success. Even when there wasnt any risk of Titans, smaller monsters still came after us. Stabcrabs could pierce the sides of any car and hellbees were quick to make it through the gaps. Many monsters, like the shinos, frogdeer, and rustpiles, were too large for the cars to plow through, slowing us down as we fought our way through to clear the way. We were still making decent time. Nothing amazing, but around seven miles an hour? Enough to stay ahead of the steadily-growing crowd of legoliaths Id been told were doggedly creeping after me. Those heading toward us from the north were a bigger problem, but blessedly rare. Also, Hamlet didnt seem to have very fine-grained control of them. Hed gone through some shenanigans to get one oncoming legoliath directly onto our route of travel, but hed had to change the target point for all the Threats in order to do so, slightly expanding our lead over our pack of pursuers as they meandered off-course toward Hamlets temporary target. I was okay for now. I could go a day without sleeping, if needed. I was still worried. We cant keep this up for twelve days straight, I said. Technically, the next Challenge will begin in eleven and one-third days, Pointy said. I glared at her. Pointy sniffed. I take your point. However, the legoliaths present an issue. Incapacitating all the Titans in such rural areas is quite feasible, but with the Threats converging on us from all angles, it is unlikely that we could manage a stop of significant length. Hm. Gavin was slumped across my lap, drooling, and I drummed my fingers on his back. If only we could take out one or two. Didnt the Arsenal have some success making high-grade explosives? Can they get some out in front of us? Ill ask, said Marie. Her eyelids were only half-open. Like the rest of us, she was tired and hadnt gotten any true chance to rest. Id caught her snoring once or twice, but shed remained sitting, slumped forward, occasionally straightening up to pass a message. She was quiet for a few minutes, sometimes mumbling her own end of the discussion aloud. Eventually, she shook herself. Okay. They actually had already gotten some explosives together and had them ready to fly north, but they only have enough on hand to take out two Threats. Thats not enough, I said. Where can we get more? Tennessee has a lot of mining towns, doesnt it? Vince patted my shoulder. Anything those towns have would have been neutralized too, Meghan. No! said Marie. Maybe not! The experts I was just talking to at the Arsenal said something Just wait a minute. All the adults in the car, plus Micah, straightened up, suddenly awake. We were dead silent as Marie continued her discussion, now awake enough not to mutter her end out loud, a fact that was a little frustrating as a would-be eavesdropper. Hah! Got it, she said savagely. Then she opened her eyes to see all of us staring at her hopefully and shrank a little. Uh Well? I snapped impatiently. Okay, uh Well, the bad news is that well have to keep going. Well need to make it about twice as far as we have already. Well have to keep driving for 14 or 15 hours. I frowned, glancing at the man behind the wheel, who tilted his head enough for me to see his face. He looked concerned, but he gave me a stiff, tight nod. He thought they could do it. Alright. Thats not great but you have good news too? Yeah. If we can make it to Gordonsville, we should have access to enough explosives to shred every Threat coming our way. Bk. 5, Ch. 15 - Destination
Time until next Challenge: 11 days, 7 hours, 5 minutesWhat? Youre kidding. Why the sudden change? Marie shrugged. I wasnt just talking to the Arsenal, I was using Clairvoyance and Clairaudience to listen in on the command room, so Id heard a lot of talk from the people from the Hazardous Devices school. A lot of it was way over my head, but I did pick up on one thing: explosives are stored in the least dangerous way possible. Sometimes that just means keeping the detonators separate until the last possible minute, but some can be stored as two less dangerous substances and combined as needed. When I asked if any mining explosives were stored that way, it was like Id thrown a bomb into the room myself. Vince frowned. So wait, there are viable explosives available in mining towns, and the Arsenal just forgot about them? Not viable explosives, not as-is. The solid components are mostly intact, but theres a liquid component thats basically diesel fuel, and that part is in terrible shape. Good news is, the liquid component is like, 5% of the explosive, and the Arsenal has been working on producing high-grade fuel as part of its continued focus on air travel. So, if they send a team ahead of us carrying a few big oil drums, theyll be able to produce a massive quantity of explosives. Also, like I didnt follow the technical talk very well, but basically they expect that ANFO - the mining explosive - will hurt the legoliaths a lot more effectively than gunpowder. Thats great news, I murmured. I dont love that they didnt think of it until we asked. Oh, trust me, several people are getting asked very pointed questions about why they didnt, and judging by Colonel Yoshiros face, there are going to be some promotions and demotions in the near future. I kind of get it, though. Theyve been all-in on getting the most out of all the Minor Matter Replicators and chemical experts in Huntsville, trying to sustainably produce high-grade explosives. Nowhere else has our manufacturing capability - not even close - and they just werent in the mindset to look for single-use civilian material stockpiles. So theyll be able to get more explosives to us in the future? I asked. They should. But itll take time to produce them, and time to get them set up on our route of travel. Lasting another 14 hours will be tough, but it should help us catch a break much sooner than we would have been able to otherwise. Fourteen hours? our driver asked, his voice betraying his origins as a New Yorker. Do they need all that time to get set up? Or is that just how long they think itll take us to get there? Um let me ask No. They should be able to get the material over in four hours, and have things set up in eight. You think you can get there faster? Our driver narrowed his eyes as he squinted down the darkened highway ahead. Probably. Visibility is shit, but going faster is easy. Weve kind of been dragging our heels. Because going faster just means fighting Titans more frequently, Vince said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Right! Just need to go quick enough to stay ahead of the shit behind, maybe keep a little breathing room. The little monsters arent so dense here, and theyre the biggest thing slowing us down right now. He turned to the backup driver in the passenger seat beside him. Whaddya think, Jeff? Pedal to the metal, make it there in eight hours and then catch a little snooze? The stocky man in the passenger seat grunted. Youre on, Jim. Id do worse than that for a chance to do more than powernap. Marie, see if the rest of the fleet is up for it? Will do Marie said, swaying a little. She hadnt made many Announcements, but shed been using all her other abilities nearly nonstop. She had to be exhausted. Yeah, they say they can do it. Marie was swaying in her seat, but the rest of us were energized. Invigorated, despite the horrors of a far-too-long day. Having a plan will do that for you. I couldnt help but frown as I thought, though. Were sure well have enough? Some of the Threats have been following us from Fort Autumn. Theyre growing, arent they? Before Marie could inquire, our driver Jim interjected. Ah, ah! Dont forget. If we speed up, well have a big old lead on them. Theyre going pretty slow - just a few miles per hour. If we stay in Gordonsville for six, eight hours, no way theyll get to us before we head out again. I frowned. Okay, thats true. But Hamlets pulling Threats toward us from other directions, too. Some of those are probably getting pretty big Its not as bad as you might think, Marie said. They seem to gain about 50% of their current mass every 24 hours, as long as they dont make any kills. And if they make kills? We dont have data yet, Marie said. Lets hope that doesnt happen. If it does, I guess we use our Threat Fragmenters? Vince said, holding up the arm where his Intensifier bracelet sat. Weve got five of us here with pretty high-power ones. They should be easier to blow up if we cut them down to size first. Itll give them less mass to shield their cores. I rubbed my forehead. Its an option. If we- Hey. Whats that? I pointed ahead of us, to a speck of light that had just come into view as wed rounded a bend. Everyone was quiet as we grew closer, and several more lights came into view, illuminating a wide stretch of road and a scattered crowd of people. I was nervous for a moment, but when they saw us, a man lowered his weapon and began waving wildly. Cheers broke out. I couldnt make out every word, but I caught proud cries of America and some very vulgar statements about the aliens. Wed seen similar groups as wed moved through cities, but this was the first time wed encountered anything like this in the wilderness. Not only was the road clear of monsters, I could see several spots where crashed cars had been pushed to the sides of the road, eliminating possible slowdowns. I stared out the window. How? Flyer and communicator team, Marie said. Arsenal had mind-to-mind communications with the cities, but getting us allies along country roads required more specific attention. I knew theyd been sent out, but I hadnt heard anything else back yet. They''ve been trying to purchase land along our route and turn off monster spawns too, but it''s expensive to buy a broad enough area to keep monsters from wandering onto the road. Oh, plus turning off new monsters doesn''t get rid of the ones already there. Still, they''re doing a lot to try to give us a clearer route." So we can expect more road like this? Jim asked, accelerating . Hot damn! Screw eight hours. Ill have you there in three! They wont be ready for you then! Marie said. You dont want Titans and Threats to stomp them flat while theyre still getting set up. Oh, yeah. Right. Jim slowed again. Eight hours it is.