《Armored》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Shhrrriiiikk sshhhrriik shrriik. The sound of the sharpening stone seemed hypnotic to me. I simply repeated the process of passing the stone over my blade over and over. Over and over. It calmed me more than anything else seemed able to. I tried focusing on it as much as I could. The blade was as sharp as it was ever going to get. Which wasn''t saying much. It was spotted with rust and had several chips in the blade that no amount of polishing would ever fix. I needed to do something, however.


    If I thought of what I was about to do I would start to shake again. It was best to not think about it. Nothing could be changed now. My course was set. Probably long before I even knew it. Rats can''t escape their fate. Those born on the bottom would never rise to the top. The sound of the sharpening stone seemed to grind away the last of my stupid idealism and naivety bit by bit.


    My friends told me my naive thoughts were foolish. They told me the best people like us could hope for was to survive. Time seems to have proved them right. It simply took a while longer for me to realize the truth of their words. They aren''t around to tell me they told me so though.


    When John caught typhoid I still held out hope. Foolishness. When I came to his home and I could hear his mother screaming and crying I knew he had given into the sickness and died.


    When Alex got caught stealing food I was sure it would be alright. It was nothing but a bag of rice, right? Surely he could be forgiven. Naive. The merchant demanded the harshest punishment. The guards cut little Alex''s hand off. Within two weeks the infection had set in and Alex was gone.


    When the sirens sounded and the gunshots could be heard throughout the night, I hoped that no one I knew would be claimed. Stupid. Sandra and her father didn''t survive the night. Their little shack was coated in blood and little pieces of flesh and bone the next morning along with several of their neighbors "houses". I remember throwing up at the sight.


    The outer circle''s walls were far too low. The guard was too lax and spread thin. Only rats reside in the outer circle. Why would the nobles ever invest in the safety of rats?


    Even then I held out hope. It would be different for me. The world was dark, but there is always light... right? When I woke up a week ago and found my mother collapsed on the floor, understanding started to dawn. It started to truly sink in.


    When the quack doctor that was the best us rats could hope for told me she needed medicine or she would die hope flared anew. When he told me the price, it died.


    How could a rat ever afford that? 30 silver for a month. Just a month worth of medicine was 30 silver. That was the price of my mother''s life. Not even her life. Just of a month of it.


    I couldn''t ever find that much. Selling scrap or doing some day labor wouldn''t even get me a tenth of that. It''s was impossible. Unless I did something truly desperate.


    And that was what I was currently doing. Something desperate. My mother''s heart was failing. What else could I do? So I joined the scavengers. When I showed up with a bag of groceries and two months medicine my mother didn''t understand.


    When I told her what I had done she was at first furious. Then she cried. I''d never heard her cry like that. It was a piercing sound. As if her soul was being ripped apart. It was as if she already thought I was dead. I guess she wasn''t really wrong to think so.


    Only fools or madmen join the scavenger. I stood motionlessly as she gripped me. I think she thought if she hugged me tight enough I wouldn''t have to leave her.


    But here I was. Sharpening a blade I barely even knew how to use. I would rather use a gun, but it was too expensive. A single tiny useless cap gun was 1 months supply of medicine for my mother.


    Nobody dodges a contract with the scavengers. Or more appropriately the nobles backing them. Nobody who wanted their family to live. That was why they paid in advance. That and because no one would accept a job on the basis of money they would most likely never get to spend.


    My mother''s desperate hug couldn''t keep me from the fate I had resigned myself too. I gave her the last thirty-seven silver from my contract and left.


    I thought about the look in her eyes as she fixed my collar this morning. I tried to remember the feel of her hands as she smoothed the shirt over my shoulder and touched my cheek. She tried her best to put a smile on for me, but I could see the cold despair in her eyes as tears trickled out of them.


    Her breathing came in little gasping sobs as her body shook. I couldn''t bring myself to cry in front of her. I don''t know how I did it, but I smiled and assured her everything would be fine. We both knew the truth though. Nothing would ever be fine again.


    The sound of someone wretching broke me from my trance. Looking over towards the sound I saw the man currently puking his guts out. He wasn''t the first man to puke today. He probably wouldn''t be the last.


    Two rows of benches lined the walls on either side of a wide corridor. I guessed it was at least eight meters wide. The benches were full of fools like me. Or madmen. I wondered which of the two I was.


    Some of the men occupied themselves as I did. Some of them mumbled to themselves and shook. Some seemed ready to Sprint for the nearest hole to climb into. A few even seemed pumped and excited. Those were the madmen no doubt. And fewer still were silent and steady. Those were the veterans. There were shockingly few of them.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    They say the mortality rate among scavenger is over fifty percent... for one trip. They say for first timers it''s even higher. Who knows the truth though. They don''t release the numbers. Bad for recruitment I guess. Or maybe they just don''t care to count. We are just rats after all.


    The outer circle is said to have 250 thousand rats living in it. We rats lived in total poverty and filth. They called us rats as a joke. As in, we breed like rats. The name stuck. We even call ourselves rats.


    Crime and death are rampant in the outer circle. Disease, theft, rape, murder. Even slavery. All of humanities worst facets on display. Nobody seems to care. Nobody with any power at least.


    Those who are lucky get to work in the factories. Those even luckier few work in the middle circle as little more than servants to the middle and upper class. I honestly doubt any rat has ever seen the inner circle. Well, maybe a few. But I wouldn''t call them lucky.


    Rumors say that beautiful girls are brought to the inner circle from time to time, never to be seen again. The authorities denounce such rumors, but rumors still spread despite authority. It''s human nature.


    As I sat there contemplating the world and my shitty spot in it a sound began to catch my ear. A rhythmic thumping that seemed to draw closer. I looked down the corridor in the direction of the inner city and saw the lights first. They don''t light the corridors well in the outer wall so the lights seemed almost blinding in the dim corridor. The lights moved side to side, up and down in tune with the rhythmic thumping. As the sound and lights drew close I figured out what caused them.


    Down the corridor walked a file of giants made of metal. Light poured out of their chests and heads. Or should I say helmets? Each step they took sent tremors through the ground. These "giants" stood nearly five and a half meters high with thick barrel like bodies. They had legs like tree trunks and arms to match. Each held what seemed to be oversized machine guns and had massive swords attached to their backs. As they drew closer dust and grit started to trickle down from the ceiling.


    Every man waiting beside me now had their eyes glued to the giants. I could hear a single word on many of their mouths. Knights. That''s was what these behemoths were. Or more aptly the men inside them. The dream occupation of every little boy.


    A voice rang out from one of the giants carrying the tin like quality speakers seemed to always add to a voice. It crushed any remaining childhood dreams of honor and chivalry among knights like in the tales of old.


    "So you all our the bait and meat shield this time around? Ha! What a joke! What do they even feed you Rats? You''re all skin and bone. It won''t even take half a second for a core beast to eat one of you up and move on! That''s no good. You sad sacks are supposed to buy us at least 2 seconds so we can do the REAL work and kill the core beast! Hahahaha"


    The voice seemed to come from the knight leading the formation. I instantly disliked the man. He was torturing us. I could hear one of the younger men among us begin to cry and smelled an awful stench start to spread from that direction. I pitied the boy. I was one of the younger men among this group at 19 but he seemed even younger than I.


    Honestly, I would probably be crying and shitting myself as well if I hadn''t already given up all hope. Sure I would fight to survive, but I knew the odds. Maybe I could survive the first trip, but eventually I would die as food for some crazed core beast.


    Joining the scavengers wasn''t a long term solution. It just bought time for my mother. The thought comforted me. Mother. She was my reason to live. My reason to fight. Crapping myself and losing it would do her no good.


    The lead knight seemed to have got his jollies off enough and kept walking. The rest of the file seemed no less menacing or arrogant. They sneered at us through their reinforced glass visors. As the file of knights passed us I began counting. One, two, three, ..... twelve. Twelve knights all outfitted in the same armor type.


    They called this armor series GOLIATHS. They were the basics of the basics. Clunky, heavy, clumsy. But what they lacked in finesse they made up for in pure power.


    Every kid grew up and learned as much as they could about armor in the hope one day they could operate one. Even these piece of junk armor was more than any rat could ever hope to lay hands on.


    The GOLIATH armor was new world made. New world as in after everything fell apart. After the core beasts destroyed everything. These knights may be arrogant but they were the bottom of the barrel as far as knights go. Bottom wrung warriors.


    New world armor was notoriously clunky and barbaric and the GOLIATH was one of the worst. Only good for hitting things hard. Only some of the major cities to the north could even begin to produce any good armor types.


    Still, they stood at nearly three times my height covered in steel and had enough power in their mechanical limbs to smash me flat. I wasn''t about to start making fun of these knights for their bottom shelf armor.


    As the knights came to the end of the corridor they stopped at the massive metal gates and turned. They seemed to be waiting for something. Minutes ticked by and eventually, another sound started to echo down the corridor. This sound much lighter and less jarring. My head swiveled to look at the source. No lights came with the sound this time. No big tremors and falling dust from the ceiling.


    From further down the corridor came another metal giant. This one different however. This armor was sleeker and slimmer. Smaller as well. Though still easily four meters tall. It''s movements more fluid and less ponderous. There was no loud thump with every step. No creak or scrape of metal. No sound of hydraulics.


    It was shocking silent except for the sound of shifting grit and gravel under Its feet and a very soft electric mechanical sound. Its metal plating seemed to flow over it and I couldn''t see any gaps at all.


    There was no clear glass as a vizor that could be easily used as a weak spot to aim for. The face was pure metal all the way around and what looked like two gem like protrusions that were really sensors and cameras were mounted on its faceplate where eyes should be. The armor had an odd sheen to it making it look unlike any metal I had ever seen.


    My mouth went agape with shock and envy. This was an old world armor! Made before the fall of civilization. Made with technology mankind was only just beginning to rediscover and unlock. Made with knowledge beyond our current ability. This armor must be at least 500 years old but still worked like new. Or at least mostly like new. I hadn''t ever seen an old world armor before.


    Rumors said old world armor wasn''t just a machine. They said it bonded with the knight. Only that knight could pilot it so long as he lived. On more than one occasion a knight had been killed for the express reason of "freeing" up his armor.


    Old world armor was the dream of every knight. Some of the old world armor was rumored to be so powerful it could take on dozens of other knights based off the stats and the capabilities of the armor alone!


    Every man seemed filled with awe. Even the GOLIATH pilots seemed hushed and subdued. A crystal clear voice rang out from the armor.


    "Are we ready?"


    The voice was filled with confidence and class. I immediately knew this knight was a noble.


    The lead GOLIATH knight answered respectfully.


    "Yes, sir. Ready when you are."


    The new arrival nodded his massive metal head and said.


    "Then let''s begin."


    And the massive metal gates began to open.

 Chapter 2

    Armored chapter 2


    As the massive metal doors spread open large gears and motorized noises could be heard. I was astounded by the thickness of the doors. At least a half a meter thick doors separated loudly and slowly to finally come to rest with a final loud thunder in the distance like sound. The motors seemed to still run though. I guess they wanted to be able to close the doors as quickly as they could.


    Before us lay wasteland. Patches of yellow grass some long and some short were spread about in random fashion. In some places, the ground seemed recently torn up, while others seemed dug up in the past and slowly weathered with rain and time. This was an obvious and sporadic battlefield.


    The sight was eerie and worrying, but not unexpected. At least two or three times a month anyone in the outer circle would hear a series of roaring blasts lasting anywhere from five minutes to sometimes hours in contrast to the usual few loud bangs a day that came from a single cannon shot or a mine being triggered. It was artillery or buried bombs. Usually a mixture of both.


    They have heavy artillery emplacement all along the inside section of the outer wall. Reinforced bunkers and walls protected each grouping of artillery. They were basically small forts. They also buried large bombs here and there which they used on larger groups of core beasts.


    I knew this because the rats were not allowed to go near these emplacements. There was a 100 meters kill zone around every employment. Anyone not sporting military or noble insignia would be killed without questions asked. But due to limited space inside the outer circle rats basically lived nearly right up to the kill zone. It wasn''t unheard of for a young foolish child to accidentally wander into that zone while running and playing.


    Usually, they would immediately realize their mistake by the sudden gasps and shouts of anyone around and dart out of the zone and back to safety. But sometimes people are assholes. Even though a six-year-old boy isn''t likely to be a threat and only a few seconds of mercy was all that was needed for the young child to live, some asshole would decide he wanted to hunt rats from time to time. It''s rare, but it has happened. A few months ago there was an "accident".


    Most humans are just greedy. They will stab you in the back for your purse, but not just because they feel like it. Some are just pure evil, however. They enjoy causing others pain. They enjoy watching other people suffer. They don''t need a reason. They don''t need to profit. I''ve heard multiple accounts of the story that says rats heard several loud laughing voices that seemed gleeful coming from the artillery emplacement. Like it was a sport and their team just scored a point.


    Multiple complaints would be filed. Nothing would happen. It would be called an accident and the fault would be heaped on the person killed. They entered the no man''s land and that was why they were dead. Or at least that was what officials would say. Some people spread rumors that a few of the people killed were actually outside the zone. It was believable.


    The haunting site of this churned wasteland sent shivers down every scavenger back. That was the difference between outside and inside. Inside was chaotic and disgusting. Outside was death. No sane man without a giant suit of mechanical armor and heavy weapons would ever step outside the walls.


    Several mechanical clashing sounds could be heard. It was every knight chambering a round into his weapon. Even the noble chambered a round into what seemed like a massive armor piercing sniper rifle as well as a smaller gun that looked like a submachine gun. When I say smaller I mean in regard to his sniper. It was still too large and heavy for any non-armored man to use.


    "What are you looking at you RATS? Do your damn job!" The same man who seemed to enjoy causing us to worry and piss ourselves suddenly yelled.


    Every scavenger nearly jumped out of their skin and rushed forward. Disobedience was not tolerated. They made for damn sure we understood that when we signed up. Our lives were in the hands of these knights for the next two to four weeks. We had been "rented".


    We all immediately left the safety of the corridor and spread out slightly. Scavengers trotted in a loose assortment, trying to not stand on the outer edge and trying not to bunch up. Most of all no one wanted to be first. Land mines were a worry. The path is supposed to be well remembered and plotted.... But sometimes mistakes were made. I felt bad for the veterans who basically had to step up in this situation. They had the experience. It only made sense.


    Our group was supposed to be what they called "skirmishers". It was a joke. We were walking trap triggers and bait. Oh, and if we were where lucky we would carry stuff.


    For nearly 400 meters the churned ground continued before sparse trees started to crop up. The trees had seen better days. Some were missing chunks and large sections of bark. Some were completely cut off from somewhere along its trunk.


    The further we walked into the sparse trees the safer we felt from the buried mines and the more concerned and fearful we were of the surrounding forest. The trees thickened quickly and were less and less sparsely spread.


    All of us rats had barely ever seen greenery. Now we were surrounded by it. It should have been wondrous. It wasn''t. Fear of the Forrest was driven into us at a very young age. Nightmares and monsters lived in the forest.


    But sadly enough treasure resided there too. And that''s what we were after. Knights left the walls for one thing usually... Tech. If they were lucky they could even find an old world armor. Most of what was brought back were computer systems. Sometimes an old bank vault would be found. Sometimes some weaponry like missiles or special guns like lasers or particle cannons.


    Our area wasn''t well known for finding tech artifacts. Apparently, not many cities of old were around this area and if they were a lot of the ruins simply didn''t survive the ages and destruction of the core beasts. Knights from our city usually only poked around for a bit randomly while killing low-level core beasts for their cores.


    Every city had to collect cores. It was the power source for every armor. Or more accurately fuel. Cores could even be eaten to improve the strength of the body. Though you were taking your life into your own hands by consuming them. An unrefined core would in all likely hood kill the eater. It''s said to be a very painful way to go. Only the middle class or higher people could possibly afford refined cores.


    It was one of the reasons our city had such bottom shelf knights and military tech. No one shared tech between cities for free and we didn''t have much to trade with. We were an out if the way and tech-deprived city.


    I was surprised to see an old world mech in our group. Let alone one piloted by a noble. I realized something was special about this outing from that. I guessed maybe the noble had a map or some intel about a possible spot to find artifacts.


    It made me worried. Nobles would not make a move themselves unless some truly juicy meat was in front of them. I smelled trouble. It was one of my few skills. I had a good instinct for avoiding trouble and reading a situation.


    I wasn''t truly a strong man. I was tall, but not much taller than average at 6 foot tall. Instead of making me imposing the extra height made me seem even a little bit more emaciated than most rats. Food was usually what a rat could scratch together and it wasn''t much.


    I wasn''t a particularly good fighter, but I was adequate. I knew how to duck danger and did my best to understand the entirety of any situation I was in. That was my strong suit.


    I was pale to an almost extreme like most rats and carried the look of a frail sick young man. My dark hair only seemed to draw into focus even more clearly my sickly look. Bathing was a privilege in the outer circle so my smudged and dirty face could not be clearly judged, but I would say I was somewhat handsome despite my sickly look.


    Not that it mattered. Handsome, beautiful. You can''t eat them. Women choose men for their ability to provide in the outer circle. Love and attraction were for the upper classes.


    As we trotted along the column of armor followed in the wake of our group of rats. No longer sauntering or arrogant. I sensed the tension in the knights as well.


    Several of the GOLIATH armors had large containers under one arm. They were full of provision. Everything we would need to survive over the next few weeks. Food and water, ammunition, and cores.


    Everything seemed unreal. Our group of about 30 scavengers was like hound dogs before a hunting party.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Branches and weeds constantly jabbed at me and or caught on my clothes. The knights simply threw out a hand and broke entire thick branches off. We followed the shouted orders of the knights for nearly two hours while crossing through the thick forest.


    The knights seemed to check in with the noble from time to time to make sure we were heading in the right direction. The noble seemed impatient. Rest wasn''t allowed. Many of us had already begun to pant and sweat profusely. This was grueling work for rats.


    At the end of the second hour, we had our first casualty. A guttural scream rose from the left side of our group and it seemed to be dragged away quickly.


    A few knights shot in the direction of the moving bushes and scream with no concern for hitting the scavenger, but I doubt they hit anything. Whatever core beast type it was, it was fast. The man''s screams were dragged out and echoed into the distance.


    When it started me and my fellow rat scavengers darted towards the knights like scared children running to the shelter of their mother''s skirt. We knew not to stand in their way or we might be slapped away with a few tons of sudden shoving force, or even a stray round, but safety resided within the umbrella of the knight''s guns all the same.


    The group waited for any more surprises for about 10 minutes before the knights simply sent us back out to scout and we resumed our trudge through the forest. It was almost like nothing happened at all. Nobody made any comments. Some men whimpered. But that was it.


    I had no time to care. I focused every fiber of my being on studying the forest and trying to not get too far ahead of the group or too far back. It felt like a core beast would jump out and grab me at any second. I had the creeping suspicion we were all being watched.


    Half a day seemed to pass in a blur and It seemed no one in the entire group except the almost silent noble knew where we were heading. How he knew where we are or where we were heading I have no idea. I was already completely lost.


    The knowledge that should I be separated from this group I would be lost as well as completely alone chilled me to the core. I felt the urge to stand closer to the knights and their armor at the thought.


    I couldn''t though. Anyone who lagged too far behind and was seen to not be doing their job properly was told they wouldn''t receive any rations for a day.


    If one of us went a day or two without eating it would be a death sentence every bit as much as being dragged off by a core beast would be. The group wouldn''t stop for anyone too weak to keep up.


    As day turned to night I began to worry. It did not seem like our noble leader wanted to set up camp. He was too impatient and wanted to push on for a few more hours. Everyone knew it was multiple times more dangerous to travel the forest at night. Even the knights tried mentioning the dangers of the night, but the noble didn''t seem to care.


    When darkness set in we lost 2 more people before the noble decided to set up camp in a formation of large rocks that we found.


    The first of the two men yelled in pain and terror before sprinting through the underbrush to the safety of the knights. The Knights fired and seemed to hit something as a howl filled with anger and pain was heard through the trees, but a core beast body was never found.


    It was a shame the scavenger wasn''t able to enjoy the safety of the knights for long. When the scavenger made it to the knights he was missing the front section of his right arm from the elbow down and had deep lacerations on his stomach. The knights and noble left him behind the group to bleed out. No aid was given. No food or water was left for the man. He begged to be brought along but he was ignored.


    The second scavenger to die wasn''t even a confirmed death. He simply disappeared. When the group found out one of our number was missing we all stopped and did a small sweep for the man. No signs of him being killed or dragged off were found.


    With the loss of the third man, the noble finally conceded and we moved about 2 miles further from the area the man disappeared and set up camp at the rocks.


    2 of the boxes carried by the GOLIATH armor were unpacked. One box contained food and water as well as some cores to top off the fuel level on the armors.


    A small handful of jerky and a small bottle of water were thrown to each of us. We each ate quickly and greedily and drank all the water. It wasn''t really quite enough, but most of us were smart enough to buy a little extra jerky or other dried food and bring it along with us to hold us over. Scavengers were notoriously underfed on missions.


    The second container opened to reveal four sentry turrets. They were small independent computer-controlled machine guns mounted on tripods.


    The tech was high-end stuff. I knew it must have been brought by the noble as this was beyond the capabilities of this low rent knight group. These knights were little more than bottom of the barrel Mercs. Only the most advanced cities could produce these sentry turrets.


    I wondered why a noble capable of using a high-end old world armor and smart turrets was doing using such a shoddy group of merc knights.


    I think he was in too much of a rush to find anyone better. This noble''s impatience made me more and more worried as time went on.


    Why was he so worried? If there is some artifact out there or some building with possible artifacts getting there a day or two later or sooner wouldn''t matter. It would still be there.


    That was of course if we were the only group of people looking for it. The possibility of other groups going after the same loot we were worried me. Knights frequently competed for and killed each other for the right to claim artifacts. Out in the forest, there were no rules at all. The dead told no tales.


    I tried calming my thoughts after dinner as we all huddled together in the center of camp. We had no tents or sleeping bags. They would only cause trouble should we need to break camp fast. We slept on the cold forest floor after clearing the grass and weeds. Most of us brought along a single small blanket. It would have to be enough.


    Several trees had been ripped up from inside the camp and thrown to the outer edge by the knights. It would make camp easier to watch and maybe slow down any core beasts long enough to be spotted and killed before damage to the group was done. Just behind those fallen trees a small portion of our scavenger group milled around keeping watch on the dark forest.


    They were first watch. I was assigned to third watch. Third watch was second to last. I would have to walk up late into the night/early morning to take my shift. Third watch was the worst of them all. I would have my sleep interrupted, have to do my watch and then try to fall back asleep for a few short hours.


    Further inside camp behind the scavengers four knights set up in a box formation around the center of camp to keep watch as well. Even the rocks we nestled against were watched as some core beasts could climb rocks like geckos. Or so I''ve been told.


    The rest of the knights and scavenger settled in and tried to get some sleep. I envied the knights. They slept in their armor. It''s seemed uncomfortable to sleep standing like that, but also seemed much safer than sleeping with my soft flesh exposed to the night air or any passing set of teeth.


    In the distance howls and weird echoing squeaks and ungodly sounds bounced about. At times the noises seemed too close for comfort.


    I didn''t think I would be able to sleep, but my exhaustion overcame me within fifteen minutes. If I was to guess we cover at least 15 miles today. On foot through thick forest. It was a grueling and unforgiving pace and it had completely exhausted me.


    After what seemed like 30 minutes but was actually much more of fretful sleep and nightmares of beasts with mouths full of gnashing incredibly sharp teeth, I was woken up by another scavenger and told my shift was to begin.


    I pulled my sore and exhausted body off the ground and went to my post. When I arrived another scavenger joined me. Apparently, we were to stick together so if one of us was attacked the other could sound the alarm.


    We stood together in the chilly night and peered into the night cautiously. My watch partner was an older man, maybe in his late 30s or early 40s. He was one of the veterans and I was relieved for the fact. He had a machete at his waist and a 6 gauge semi-automatic shotgun on his back that had an extended magazine. I envied him for his weapon but part of me knew it wouldn''t do much against anything but the lowest level core beast.


    He had short brown hair, gaunt cheeks and a nose like the beak of an eagle. He did seem to be better fed than most and calm. His demeanor caught my attention and I opened my mouth to speak the first words I had spoken since I joined this group at the corridor to the gates.


    "Sir, my name''s Caleb. Are you one of the veterans?"


    It was only answered with a head nod.


    "Are there any tricks or tips you can give me to help me survive?"


    The man looked me up and down in appraisal and sighed. It seemed to me he thought he was wasting his time.


    "The little things like where to sleep and little camp making tricks won''t change much. You will learn them on your own or by watching others. Blade techniques and shooting lessons take too long to teach and I don''t have the time or intention to teach you them on night watch. Not that I am all that skilled either."


    He shook his head as he said it and run his finger through his hair. His eyes were locked on the forest as he continued.


    "The only thing you can really rely on is your judgment and reflexes. Your instinct may save you as well. Those who do stupid things die. Those who get too far from the group die. Those who don''t react quick enough or run fast enough die. We are not warriors. Don''t be delusional. Run every time."


    He breathed in with a rush and finally looked me straight in the eye.


    "Don''t make friends. Most of them are going to die. Don''t get sentimental about them." He said this as he flicked his head over his shoulder at the center of camp. "Don''t do any extra work or take on an extra burden not assigned by the knights. Don''t try to outshine anyone or gain the attention of the knights or nobles. Its never works out for the better.


    If you are carrying any non-essentials drop them now. Your blade, food, water and your blanket as well as your socks. That''s all you need. I can tell this noble means to push us hard. Any extra weight is a death sentence. Watch your feet. An injury to one of your feet will have you being left behind. Your feet are your most important body part out here. Take care of them. Try your best to not let them get wet."


    He paused and seemed to think for a bit.


    "That''s about it. As I said, you will pick up the little things on your own and I don''t have the time or patience to teach you the big things. Good luck kid. Now stop asking questions and keep your eyes on the forest."


    With that, we both stopped talking. We spent the rest of the night like that. Quiet and tense as we stared at the wall of black between the trees.


    The camp was eerily quiet except for a few coughs from the sleeping scavengers, but the roars and odd calls of beasts in the distance continued.


    When our shift was over I tried falling back asleep but the words of the veteran seemed to circle in my head. His words confirmed my thoughts and the rumors about the scavengers and I didn''t like it.


    Instead of sleeping I passed questions back and forth around my head. How far were we going? What were we looking for? How many of us would survive?


    I thought about my mother as night slowly turned to dawn. She needed me. I had to find a way to get through this.

 Chapter 3

    Armored chapter 3


    As daylight started to push away the darkness the call came to get ready and the camp was quickly packed up. I was not surprised to see the noble order us to break camp before it was truly even light out yet. His impatience was palpable.


    The sentry turrets were quickly stored and our group of armored knights and scavengers set off into the forest. We resumed our formation of scavengers out front like a pack of hunting dogs and the knights following in our wake.


    In the still dim light howls and echoing cries of beasts could still be heard now and then causing the group to be ill at ease, but nothing could be done about it.


    Thankfully no accidents or attacks happened. It was hard moving through brush that seemed to reach out and jab me in the darkness, but if that was the worst of it I would count myself lucky.


    True daylight quickly showed itself and we picked up the pace at the urging of the knights. No contact was made with any core beasts and we made great time seemingly eating up miles with our pace.


    As we moved through the Forrest I began to grow accustomed to the feeling of being in this grand green labyrinth. When you saw the forest without the pall of dread covering your eyes it was truly a beautiful thing.


    The dark green of shadowed leaves mixed with the light green of better lit areas. Shafts of light cut through the canopy randomly and seemed to create emerald green spots among the foliage. It truly looked magnificent. I cautioned myself against becoming drawn by the beauty and allowing myself to be lax. Danger lurked around every leaf in this forest.


    My feet ached from yesterday''s trek, but I soon found myself more adjusted to moving among the foliage. I was no ranger by any measure, but I had an easier time avoiding jabbing branches and getting my clothes caught and torn. I was happiest with the later as a guessed even my second pair of clothed would become not much more than shredded rags if I couldn''t protect them from the ravages of the forest.


    I watched the few veterans among our group and tried my best to copy their fluid movement and steady almost silent footsteps. I was met with limited success, but it was a start. I was obviously making more noise than them and still got caught on branches and bushes from time to time.


    Half a day quickly passed with no problem and we took a small break to drink water and eat a small lunch. Our group of scavengers seemed elated at the chance to rest and eat some food.


    The break lasted less than 20 minuted before we were roused from our resting and set back in motion. Several of the older men and a few of the younger ones seemed extremely tired despite the break. I felt tired as well, but they seemed almost pushed to their limit.


    I knew it was only a matter of time before we started leaving people behind. Anyone who couldn''t keep up would be abandoned. It was cruel seeing as the pace we were pushing was truly too grueling. I wondered if I might become one of those left behind. How many days could I keep this pace up?


    We were lucky for the entire day and didn''t lose a single man to exhaustion or beast. I was truly happy with the news. It wasn''t so much that I cared for or empathized deeply with anyone lost, but more the cold rationalism of safety in numbers. The less scavenger that survived the more danger I would be in.


    If we had losses like yesterday every day with an almost ten percent mortality rate our group of scavengers wouldn''t have a single living person left within ten days. I doubt the knights would care much beyond feeling pity at the loss of bait. The death clause of our contracts would simply pay 100 silver to our family and we would be replaced with some other fool desperate for money.


    Camp was set an hour past dark like the night before, shifts were set and we all slept. I received first shift with glee. I would get uninterrupted sleep tonight.


    Night watch was uneventful besides the fact of my watch mate being a chatterbox. He was a young kid being maybe 16. I could tell he used talking to relieve his fear. He was the skittish type. He jerked and twitched a lot, but his mouth never stopped whispering.


    He talked about anything and everything. He seemed set on telling me his life story, but I simply let his voice drift into the background and nodded my head at what seemed like the appropriate times. He didn''t seem interested in my story and I wasn''t interested in telling it to him so I let him prattle on.


    When my shift ended I said goodbye and went to the center of camp. I already forgot his name. I had no intention of making friends. Especially not green scavengers who probably wouldn''t survive. It wasn''t arrogance. I simply didn''t want to have to worry about someone else when shit eventually hit the fan like it was almost destined to do.


    I hoped every day could be as uneventful as today as sleep overtook me. I dreamed of my mother. I dreamed she was on the ground writhing in pain. I dreamed of monsters and being lost in a deep sea of green trees. I dreamed of laughing nobles and knights.


    When I woke in the morning we quickly began to pack up camp and got ready to move on. I drank a little water as I waited.


    I noticed something odd happening about 10 meters away from me. One of the scavengers seemed to still be asleep. Another scavenger nudged him with his foot repeatedly, but the man didn''t wake. He stayed curled in the fetal position he seemed to have fallen asleep in.


    The rest of the group began to notice the oddity as well. A veteran gave the sleeping man a hard kick but there was no response. The fact seemed to alarm the veteran.


    With caution, the veteran used a large stick to turn the man over. When the sleeping scavenger was finally belly up gasps could be heard among the entire group.


    The man''s stomach bulged like a pregnant woman''s. It was a disturbing sight. Most of us me included already knew the prognosis.


    Parasites. I had heard the tales and been warned about eating any food or drinking any water in the wild in the ridiculously brief and underwhelming crash course they called survival class for scavengers, but this was my first time seeing it happen to someone. The man should have been warned against consuming anything in the Forrest so he must have come in contact and infected through touch.


    The sight made me gag. The man was still breathing. His chest rising and falling as if he was just lightly sleeping. The veteran who nudged him with his foot earlier seemed to panic a little and shake his foot as if to shake off an insect.


    From what they taught us parasites and poisonous insect were the second leading cause of death among scavengers. There was a plethora of parasites and poisonous insect in the forest. So many in fact it was impossible to list them all.


    The veteran who kicked the "sleeping" man may very well have infected himself by such simple contact with the infested scavenger.


    The veterans spoke up and we were told to avoid touching each other in the coming days. If this disgusting form of parasite spread by touch we would know in a few days as anyone who made contact and becomes infested would likely follow in the footsteps of the man on the ground and die a gruesome death. We could only hope the infestation claimed only those already infected and no one else. Maybe we were all infested already. Who knew? The thought made my skin crawl.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    There wasn''t much to be done besides that and the knights were not in any mood to try and treat the man. Medicine was expensive and there was no guarantee of curing the man. More importantly, the man was now dead weight. He was left behind.


    Besides the fact that we scavengers now made sure to not come too close to each other nothing changed. The veteran who had tried rousing the infested man was treated even more suspiciously and no one would come within a few meters of the man. He looked pale with fright and worry.


    We resumed our trek through the forest with renewed caution. Many men seemed to use their sleeves to cover their hands when they pushed away branches in an effort to let as little of the Forrest come into contact with their skin as possible. I copied them and we kept moving.


    The myriad ways the forest had to kill a man scared me. The wilderness seemed like one big organism set on consuming humanity. Humans were not suited to living here. We were fragile and weak little creatures.


    The pace was not allowed to slow in the least and we pushed on. Another day of pushing through branches and trying not to break our legs in any hidden holes passed.


    We took one break same as we did the day before and made good time. I guessed we were at least 40 to 50 miles from the city at this point. Though I could be wrong.


    As the day was about to turn dark we noticed the terrain becoming more uneven and rugged. Rises in the tree canopy, as well as jutting sections of cliff face, could be seen through holes in the foliage.


    The group was commanded to halt at the urging of the noble. We all stood in place and watched as he operated his armor to go to one of the GOLIATH armor carrying our supplies and took out an odd-looking contraption.


    I was intrigued and astounded as the odd device seemed to unfold in the palm of his armored hand and sprout metal blade that quickly formed a circular shape.


    I realized it was a drone from its new shape. It began to issues a mechanical whine and the blades spun up. The drone took off from the armor''s hand and quickly darted through and above the canopy of the Forrest.


    The noble stood silent and unmoving in his armor for nearly 20 minutes before the drone came piercing through the canopy and returned to his armor''s outstretched hand. He packed the drone away again and order us to set up camp.


    No one argued or asked questions and they were all happy to get an early end to today''s journey. We would all get a few hours extra sleep. Everyone seemed elated.


    I was not. For the noble to suddenly stop when he was so impatient before told me one of two things was happening.


    One. We were at our destination. I doubted that as we were informed the trip would take two to four week at least. Even if you included any time needed to search our destination area it was unlikely we had arrived yet.


    Two. We were approaching a tricky and dangerous area. The noble may have stopped us as going further into the area in front of us as night was about to set in as it would be dangerous. I didn''t think the noble cared one bit about the safety of scavengers so the danger had to be enough to put the knights or even himself at risk.


    The second option seemed more likely to me. I cursed at the thought. Anything dangerous enough to make armored knights cautious was basically a meat grinder for us petty scavengers.


    When the camp was set and we finished eating I tried to sleep as close to the knights as I could to overhear anything I could. Any information I heard could save my life and the proximity to them might save me as well.


    I was disappointed as not a single peep was heard from the armored giants. They were speaking to each other with radio.


    One other thing I noticed was an increase in the knight''s guard detail. They split into two groups of six with the extra two night watch armor put towards the area we were about to enter tomorrow. My thoughts about their reasons for such changes made my stomach turn.


    Tomorrow was probably going to get messy. I wished I could listen in on their private radio chatter right now, but it was nothing more than a fantasy and they didn''t see a lowly scavenger worthy of being filled in on the detail. The lack of Intel made me feel blind.


    I''m a curious man by nature and believe highly in the value of information. Living in the outer circle taught me to keep my ear to the ground and pay attention to the smallest bits of information. You never knew what tidbit of rumor or gossip could come in handy later.


    When my friends were still alive we used the rumor mill and gossip to our advantage to find the best places to sell or obtain scrap and aid us in any of our other various schemes and attempts to make an easy silver. The information also helped keep us out of the eyes of any rat kings.


    Rat kings were the local crime bosses in the outer circle. Little more than bullies and con men. They were organized crime in their own right, but the pathetic rat version of kingpins and mafia. They stole anything not well hidden. Charged "protection" fees and sold drugs. Some even dipped fingers in the slave market. Slavery was supposed to be outlawed but it didn''t seem to stop the practice.


    There were no cops in the outer circle. Only guards. The guards only moved when things become too chaotic and messy and as cures go they were worse than the sickness. They operated more like a hammer than a scalpel.


    Years ago Alex''s family received pressure from a rat king to pay a protection fee so they could keep operating their small weaving shop. The amount demanded was beyond what Alex''s family could afford.


    Alex came to me and the others in our small group in tears one day and told us the story. We set about fixing the problem. We immediately began searching out any information we could on the rat king demanding protection fees and learned of a rivalry between this rat king and an opposing rat king in the area.


    We spread out in the area of the opposing rat king and set about spreading rumors that the rat king was planning violence on the rat king demanding payment of Alex''s family and that he was talking crap about this other group. We spread an assortment of different such lies like that. We were truly inventive. I even threw out a rumor the rat king was being cuckolded by his women in concert with this new rat king. We sowed the seeds of hatred between both groups.


    Within a few days, there was an incident in one of the markets between the underlings of the two men. It was the spark that began the fire. The two groups quickly escalated again and again. They increased the savageness and violence against each other at every turn as we fanned the flames with rumors.


    It became a slum war within a week and Alex''s family was left alone as their local rat king had bigger problems to solve. That is the power of Intel and rumors.


    Oddly enough our actions seemed to aid the rat king instead of lead to his destruction. He won the slum war. Within a month he had taken over the competing rat kings territory and mounted the rat kings head "anonymously" in the street during the night alongside multiple of his subordinate''s heads.


    The guards didn''t like the open conflict in the streets and heads being out on display so they moved in. But like always they were hammers. Not scalpels. They bashed few heads that probably didn''t have anything to do with the situation, flaunted their strength in the area for a week and left.


    The guards are useless. The rat king waited a while and went back to work like nothing changed. But we had succeeded in our goal. The rat king had a bigger piece of the pie and forgot about little Alex''s family shop.


    A year later we heard information that the rat king had died. Apparently, he had kept the slain rat king''s woman as a prize to flaunt and abuse like a dog as a sign of glory and as a trophy. She had played good little girl for a year as his bedmate and toy and one night cut his head off as he slept right before another rival gang invaded and slaughtered the entire gang. Such was the fate of rat kings. It was not a long-lived or wise career choice for most.


    The guards in usual style moved in again and simply caused more damage and destruction before going about their business. Which usually consisted of shaking people down and taking bribes.


    As my mind thought about the past I smiled at the memory of my friends and felt a pang of sadness at their loss. I missed them. I looked up at the stars and wondered what tomorrow would bring. Would I join my friends in the afterlife tomorrow? Was there an afterlife?


    I continued watching the stars as my eyes slowly drifted closed. I could feel sleep overtaking me. Hopefully, tomorrow would be another "easy" day.


    I didn''t get to drift off to sleep, however. A scream woke me from my almost sleep like a slap to the face. The smart turrets started releasing a loud whirring sound before firing into the night in long drawn out rapid streams of fire.


    Floodlights mounted on the armored knights came to life pouring light into the surrounding and they began tracking the barrels of their machine guns across the outside edge of our camp firing at any movement they saw with loud booms that made my ears ring.


    When I finally ascertained the direction of the danger I looked to the edge of camp and saw shapes as big as horses rushing into the circle of our camp and running down our unarmored scavenger watchmen. Multiple sets of blood-curdling screams could be heard piercing the night.


    I couldn''t tell the true shape of the beasts but I could tell they were four-limbed and fast. In the dim light, I saw one of them throw the desecrated remains of a scout in the air and seem to unhinged it''s freakishly massive jaws before catching the corpse on its mouth with an audible snap.


    As I watched the horrifying scenes what must have been at least two dozen other beasts flooded into camp from behind the feasting beast.


    The battle was on and all I had was a rusty and chipped short sword.

 Chapter 4

    Armored chapter 4


    Screams were drowned out by the thunderous sound of every knight unloading round after round into the charging monstrosities. The smell of burning gunpowder stung my nose and my eyes teared up as smoke began to drift about blocking my sight in patches. My ears rang from the sound of the gunfire and sound become almost muted.


    I guessed about ten of the core beasts were taken down in the first few seconds of the barrage laid down by the knights, but the core beasts were quick to respond. Those beasts still munching on human corpses quickly abandoned their gruesome meals and charged with the rest of their compatriots.


    The outer two smart turrets on that side of the camp were knocked over quickly. They flopped and spun around on the ground as their tracking systems tried to understand what had happened and aim at the targets. The turrets become dangerous to friend and foe alike as they randomly let loose short staccato bursts of fire in seemingly random directions as they spun about upside down.


    The core beasts ignored the now helpless turrets and continued their charge, losing a few more of the pack as they did.


    As the beasts drew close the knights retreated step by step while continuing to fire in long drawn out sprays of ammunition. A few knights threw cantaloupe sized objects into the pack of charging beasts which quickly blew up and seemed to splash liquid fire over half a dozen of the enraged core beasts.


    The core beasts that were showered in the liquid fire screeched and rolled in the dirt in an attempt to extinguish themselves. The fire was tenacious though and no amount of thrashing could put it out. Still, the rest of the pack rushed forward.


    I and the other scavenger watched the scene in horror and tried our best to keep the knights between us and the rage-filled beasts. The problem with that was the knights were retreating from the beasts and one unlucky scavenger was pinned underfoot of one of the knights.


    He screamed as his legs were turned to pulp beneath the massive foot. The knight didn''t even take notice and as the knight took a further half step back the upper half of the screaming scavenger was ground into the dirt. I could swear I heard a nasty and sickening pop as the scavengers head burst open and spilled brain matter everywhere.


    I noticed the danger and made sure to keep out from underfoot of any of the metal giants. My hands shook as I held my sword in a death grip. My ears were still ringing and my eyes still stung but I made sure to listen and look for every detail in the chaos.


    As the dozen or so beasts who survived the initial charge made contact with and began fighting in close quarters with the knights I noticed that the two smart turrets on the opposite side of the camp had begun firing. I looked behind us and my stomach did flips in my belly.


    More beastly shapes had materialized from the dark on that side of the camp and began charging. While not quite as numerous as the first group it wouldn''t matter with the knights totally distracted.


    I screamed "behind us!! We are surrounded!!" And dove into the middle of the group of knights who had now formed a circle around the noble. I was forced to dodge multiple sets of massive metal legs in the process.


    The knights seemed to have noticed my warning and the few knights not cutting or shooting beasts down tried their best to turn and shoot down as many beasts as they could. It wasn''t enough to stop the charge. Nowhere close to enough.


    By the time the two rear placed smart turrets were knocked down and the beasts had charged onto the fray only seven or eight in total had been killed.


    The battle then devolved into total chaos. I watched in horror as a knight was pounced on by three beasts. They jumped five meters in the air and landed on his chest and back. They tore at the plates around the armor''s neck. Metal shards were wrapped out and steel was bent and cut.


    When a hole large enough for a man to stick his torso through was opened one of the beasts stuck it''s head in and tore a screaming knight out. The edges of the gaping hole were not soft or rounded. They bit into and tore into the man''s flesh much the same as the beast teeth.


    The knight was tossed into the dirt as his armor rocked stiffly and fell onto it''s back. The beasts that were perched on the armor''s chest and shoulder section leapt off the falling armor and landed on and around the knight to begin feasting on the still screaming man.


    I tore my gaze away from the sight and did everything in my power to concentrate on staying as close as I could to the noble without being trampled. The knights had prioritized his safety above all else it seemed and I decided that next to him was safest.


    Multiple other knights were ridden down by the beasts in the following minute and the formation began to crumble. As all seemed to be lost a sound like the buzz of a million bees began and quickly drowned out every other sound. Light began pouring out of the center of our group of knights.


    I turned around to see the noble in his armor begin to stride forward in a calm and composed manner with what seemed to be a bar of burning light in one hand. Or more like a sword. The intensity of the light was such that I could hardly make out the shape of it.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    As he strode he passed multiple knights and the beasts took notice of him. They roared in challenge before six of their number jumped into the air and struck towards the noble.


    What happened next was a blur. The sword of light slashed out and after images blended together in the darkness of night. When the light show was over five of the beasts were nothing more than chunks of smoldering flesh quivering on the ground.


    The sixth beast''s midsection was gripped in the left hand of the nobles armor as it scratched at the forearm and fingers of the knight ineffectually. The noble had caught the beast before I had even seen it and now slowly and maliciously squeezed the beast to death.


    The beast''s roars turned from rage-filled to pain filled and finally turned into a high pitched screech before suddenly cutting out as the beast burst at the seams. Blood and guts poured out of the armor''s hand and the mutilated remains of the beast were casually tossed aside.


    I stood agape at the sight. The casual and masterful way the armor completed the task. The graceful way it moved around the battle. It was like a dancer and a butcher. Beauty and brutality mixed together.


    The battle quickly shifted in favor of humanity with the addition of the noble and his old world armor. The beasts were quickly being cut down in most part because of the noble. No beast that came within four meters of the noble could survive more than a second.


    I did my best to avoid any beasts that now ran around randomly here and there and the feet of the knights as they rushed about helping each other to finish off the last few stragglers of this pack of beasts.


    I shuffled and moved about dodging legs before I collided with the remains of one of the downed armor. Taking shelter by the armor''s shoulder section I put my back to it and raised my sword. I waited.


    Nothing came for me. No beasts took notice of me. With the armor blocking the knight''s feet I found myself in a little pocket of peace within the battle. My shaking hands and my panicky breathes began to calm. I watched the battle.


    The noble truly changed the flow of battle like I never thought a single armor could. Before long less than a dozen core beasts were alive and they began to flee.


    The Knights chased those they could down. They seemed to be enraged and enjoyed inflicting pain on the core beasts. I could understand their rage.


    I could see the downed figures of three armor lying in the dirt scattered about not counting the one I was currently leaning against and saw multiple other still moving armor scarred with extensive damage.


    It was a costly victory. I felt sick at the loss of four knights. I didn''t care about the well being of the knights at all. It was the loss of safety the armors provided. The group was now weaker. And the weak die in the forest.


    As I cursed our luck and our losses I surveyed the battlefield further. Human bodies lay strewn about. Mostly scavengers. However, close by I did notice a single mangled corpse that did not seem to be dressed like any scavenger I had seen. I deduced it must be a knight.


    Curiosity got the better of me and I looked around to make sure the coast was clear of any more beasts before approaching the body.


    The man''s chest was completely mutilated. Most of his belly was torn out to the point his spine could be seen through the mess. His ribs were cracked open and his lungs were only half complete within his chest cavity.


    The sight nearly made me vomit. I turned my eyes towards the man''s face and instantly regretted the action. His face was frozen in a look of such abject terror my soul seemed to freeze. My eyes were glued to the dead man''s lifeless eyes.


    I stood for multiple moments locking gaze with the dead man before the loud sound of an armor stepping close and walking by me broke me from the dreadfully awful gaze.


    I looked up and watched the armored knights pass before shaking my head and preparing to leave. I took one last look at the dead man''s face and began to walk away.


    I froze. The man''s corpse came into my mind again. I thought about his face. I thought about his head. I wasn''t feeling sad or sick. I wasn''t disgusted or haunted. I remembered one more detail of the corpse that nearly went completely unnoticed.


    The man had a device attached to the side of his head. Attached to his ear! A RADIO! I felt a shudder of excitement.


    I quickly went back to the corpse and crouched down. I turned his head to the side and saw the object. It was round on one end and long on the other coming to a tapered end. It was maybe 3 inches long and seemed hooked on the man''s ear. I unhooked the device and held it to my ear.


    I could hear voices!!


    "God dammit!! This is such a mess!! Miles is dead and so is Davie, Mike, and Ben. This job is going to be the fucking death of us! Boss, why did you take this damn job? I know the pay is spectacular but this noble is driving is straight towards one of the most dangerous areas around. We need at least three times our number for this job! This area isn''t even mapped!"


    The sound of a complaining knight filled my ear. The knight speaking seemed desperate and scared with anger to match.


    Another more mature and calm voice broke in over the channel.


    "I know James. There was nothing I could do. That noble is one of the MacArthur family. If we didn''t take this job and offended him we might all die in our sleep. When a MacArthur says jump you don''t say no. You don''t even ask how high. You jump and hope to God you break orbit."


    This voice seemed to be the leader of the knights. Then another almost voice followed after the words of the leader.


    "James we got no control over this. Boss isn''t trying to get us killed. You know that. The MacArthur family is too powerful to deny. Let''s just do the job and hope for the best. Let''s round up the rats and see what the damage is. Gather up. James you and Heather handle the rats. Marcus and Simon check on the supplies. Jacob, check out the auto turrets. I think they are fine. They just got knocked over. The rest of us are to reestablish defense lines and reform."


    The bosses voice followed up on the words of who seemed to be a vice leader of some sort.


    "Do it"


    A chorus of affirmatives and yes sirs were barked onto the channel and the knights all jumped to different tasks.


    A loud booming voice cut out into the night from the speakers of one knight.


    "Scavengers gather up. Report in and don''t fucking wander about. Anyone who doesn''t fall in and report in the next two minutes is getting left behind when we move!"


    I quickly stashed my new stolen gadget in my inner chest pocket and joined the group of scavengers filtering over to the knight who called out.


    The radio device in my pocket felt heavy even though it really didn''t weigh much. It was a good feeling. It was a source of information and information was key to survival.


    I was no longer blind. I was no longer groping about in the dark. I would figure out what the hell was going on. If I was to survive this nightmare the key to my survival would be this little piece of metal and plastic.


    I smiled for the first time in a week. I had a little bit of control over my own life back. It felt good. DAMN GOOD.

 Chapter 5

    As chaos was brought under control and the scavengers slowly gathered to the designated area tasks were handed out. I noticed only eighteen of the scavengers including me had survived. Less than half our number and we were not even halfway through the mission.


    I was ordered along with four others to gather the bodies of our dead scavenger comrades and dump them outside of the camp. It was a gruesome and disgusting task. Most of the corpses we found were incomplete.


    In many cases, we were forced to do our best to carry organs and innards along with the other desecrated remains to the edge of camp.


    I felt my stomach turn and fought the urge to vomit repeatedly during the awful work. My hands became caked in blood and pieces of flesh. Our group of five regularly gagged and wretched. We didn''t dig graves or cover the bodies. We simply laid the remains down outside camp.


    I felt guilty for the action, but while doing the disgusting work I took a beanie hat off one of the dead. It felt like grave robbing and I earned some disgusted looks from my fellow impromptu morticians, but I needed the hat. It would allow me to wear my stolen radio earpiece without it being seen.


    I felt some anger at the fact that the knight''s bodies were treated with a much different level of respect than the bodies of us scavengers.


    Each of the knight''s bodies was carefully put in black body bags and stored inside the cargo containers carried by the GOLIATH armors. It was just another example of the difference in status.


    The work was done quickly and the entire camp set about digging out the cores of the core beasts. We hacked and stabbed at the beasts until their cores were revealed and dug them out.


    Being so close to the core beasts I finally got a good luck at them. They looked like dogs or maybe hyenas with massively overgrown thick front legs. Their front paws seemed almost like hands with four finger-like claws.


    Their heads were the most awful part of the beasts. They seemed oversized and completely alien. Multiple sets of eyes ran the length of the head that was shaped like a melon seed. Its mouth nearly split open all the way to the neck revealing row upon row of small jagged teeth.


    It looked like a disgusting grinder. Its tongue was not one single large tongue, but many snake like tongues that ended in bulb like disgusting points with barbs sticking out of them in every direction. The drool was disgustingly black and smelled awful.


    Their skin was mottled and seemed like it was rotting. Patches of hair grew here and there in the beasts. Despite the rotting appearance of the beasts skin and flesh, it was incredibly hard to cut or pierce the flesh.


    I was glad I didn''t try anything foolish like attempting to slay one of the beasts with my pathetic sword. I wouldn''t have been able to pierce or slash much more than an inch or two into the beast before it ripped me apart.


    The cores were slowly and painstakingly extracted and handed over to the knights. They would be added to the supply of cores used to power the armor.


    The Knights used their armor to throw the massive bodies of the beasts outside the camp and we were ordered to resume watch intervals and attempt to sleep. No one slept. The night battle had scared us enough that no one felt comfortable to sleep here.


    Many of us simply sat huddled on the ground fearfully watching in every direction.


    I, however, put my newly acquired beanie on my head and folded the sides down to cover my ears before taking out the communicator and listening into the knight''s chatter.


    There wasn''t much to be heard sadly. Besides those knights on watch shift, the other knights were quiet. I assumed they were asleep or in private channels.


    I decided against trying to change channels as I didn''t want anyone to notice me listening in and wasn''t sure if changing channels or attempting to join another occupied channel would alert them to my snooping. No one seemed to notice the missing earpiece and I aimed to keep it that way.


    One thing I was able to learn was the divide between the knights and the noble. It seemed that while the knights were worlds above rats in status, the noble was worlds above them.


    A few times a knight would mumble about "uppity nobles" and would be hushed by other knights. It seemed they were afraid of the noble being able to listen in to their channel.


    As the night progressed I took a shift at night watch and then went back to "sleep". Oddly enough I did end up sleeping while listening into the inane chattering of the few night guard knights.


    Nightmares haunted my sleep. Hulking shapes much like the beasts that attacked the camp hunted me through a pitch black forest landscape. When they finally caught me, multi snake like barbed tongues drilled into my body filling me with horror.


    When the morning came and the call to wake up was shouted I jerked from my fretful sleep drenched in cold sweat. My head pounded and I felt more tired than before I slept.


    The smart turrets were packed away. The cargo containers were hoisted up by the armors and we set off in the direction of the growing in number jagged peaks and hills.


    Even with our loss of numbers no mercy was shown to our group of scavengers. Ever the same we were treated like a pack of hunting dogs.


    As we roamed loosely in front of the armor the chatter among the Knights picked up. One thing caught my attention above the other useless ramblings.


    One of the knights commented on the state of damage among the surviving armor and lamented they didn''t have an old world armor. I didn''t quite understand until one of them mentioned self-repair abilities with jealousy aimed at the noble.


    I looked over at the noble in his armor and noticed something odd. Last night the noble had gripped one of the core beasts in his armor''s massive metal hand and crushed it. But before the beast had been crushed it had scored the first and hand of the old world armor with a myriad of scratches.


    The scratches were nothing that would affect the ability of the armor to operate, but they were obvious.


    They were now gone. Not a single blemish could be seen on the hand or arm of the armor. The realization was shocking to me. Just how advanced was this armor?!


    What kind of equipment could literally heal itself?! It was metal!! Or was It? Was it some kind of smart metal? Was it actually biotic and only seemingly metal looking?


    I didn''t know. It was far above me and no one bothered to inform rats about the capabilities of old world armor. What was the use? We were just disposable pieces of trash. But it did begin to make sense to me. How could a 400-year-old piece of equipment survive battle after battle and the ravages of time and still operate properly? They basically had to be able to self-repair.


    As we continued forward the terrain only got more and more rocky and jagged. Cliff faces began looming here and there on either side of our loose column.


    Trees began to become more and more sparse. I thought being out of the thick jungle would be comforting, but I was wrong. I felt unprotected and out in the open. It felt like the cliffs and hills had eyes that all watched me.


    The ground became more and more barren. Grass became something rarely seen. It seemed this land did not support life.


    I noticed the knights began to speak about this phenomena as well. They seemed spooked much the same as me. Apparently, none of them had ever been to such a place before.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I felt my sense of danger grow the more we moved forward. The only good part of this whole situation was our line of sight on each other had much improved. Without the trees and bushes to block our line of sight we could actually see the entire group at any one time.


    I began to notice the noble moved differently than the rest of our group. He avoided walking his armor across soft ground and seemed to prefer walking along ridges of rock as much as he could.


    I wondered at the behavior. Not knowing any reason not to follow his lead I copied the nobles behavior as much as possible.


    I noticed the ground had become more and more dry and sandlike as we progressed forward, but didn''t think that the reason why the noble would avoid stepping on it. Simple sand wouldn''t affect the old world armor. It wouldn''t even affect the GOLIATH armors.


    If sand was all it took to stop an armor it wasn''t well designed at all. Was he worried about quicksand?


    The answer came shortly over the com channel. The mature voice of the man the knights called boss spoke up over the group channel.


    "Be careful. Baron MacArthur just warned me we should guard against sandworms. We need to avoid stepping on any loose ground or sand as much as possible."


    A chorus of groans could be heard among the group. Many of the knights seemed afraid at the revelation. From what I could tell they had never encountered such beasts before but had heard awful stories about them. I had no idea what a sandworm was, but the name gave me colorful ideas.


    That was why the noble was moving so oddly! He was avoiding loose pact ground because of possible danger below our feet.


    I wondered when us scavengers would receive a warning as well. After another thirty minutes, I finally realized no warning was coming.


    I cursed the selfish bastard noble and the knights. We were once again being used as bait. If there were any beasts lurking below our feet they would reveal themselves when they attacked a scavenger.


    It was a disgusting tactic, but not unexpected or out of character for the knights or noble. I thought of warning my fellow scavengers, but threw the idea out when I realized I wouldn''t be able to explain my warning. How exactly would a rat know anything about sandworms? My hands were tied.


    The most disgusting part was the tactic of using us as bait wasn''t even discussed. No one raised any objection or even brought up the idea. It was instinct for them to allow us to walk straight into any trap. Much better a rat trip a trap than a "valuable" knight.


    My hatred for the knights and noble increased a notch. We were nothing more than a few gold coins out of their pocket. I really thought about it. We''re were hired for one gold or the equivalent 100 silver as advanced payment. Ever job we survived we earned another gold piece. If we died our families got a gold piece.


    What was a gold piece to a knight? Their armor alone even as the most basic of armor probably cost a thousand gold at least. They could afford a hundred or maybe even thousands of our lives for the price of one armor. The math was simple. Our lives were cheap.


    God, I hate this world. Why were those in power such pieces of shit? Was humanity always like this or did it happen along the way? Life seemed like a big meat grinder to us rats.


    Toward the end of the day we lost a man. He was walking across open ground and suddenly he was gone. The ground seemed to collapse under him and he fell into the hole. It happened very quickly. He didn''t even scream. He just grunted loudly.


    When other scavengers approached the hole in an effort to pull a man they simply assumed fell into a normal hole out they found nothing but some loose dirt and gravel mixed with sand and some blood.


    The other scavenger were confused and scared, but the knights moved into action at the word of their boss.


    "Go into container three. Baron MacArthur has a seismic cannon in that container. Don''t waste any more charges than needed. We don''t have many and it''s baron MacArthur''s gear. Use it just like in the simulations."


    The cannon was quickly unloaded and brought forward. No comment about the lost scavenger was even made.


    This new piece of equipment was odd. It looked like a massive rocket launcher with the front portion thicker than the rest portion. There was no opening however on the front portion. It wasn''t a tube.


    The scavengers were ordered to back off and the knight came forward while avoiding the area where the scavenger was sucked under. He placed the end of the massive weapon against the ground while it was mounted on his shoulder and paused.


    There was no indication he was about to fire. No click. No woosh. The only indication anything happened was the ground around the device being cracked open in a spider web like designs and sand being thrown in every direction before I felt like a wall of wind hit me straight in the face.


    I stumbled back and my ears began to ring. My head started throbbing with an ache. The knight fired two more times before he stood and put the massive weapon away into storage again.


    I was in such complete shock over the oddity of the weapon it took me a while to notice my nose was bleeding as was the corner of my eyes. When I noticed I was horrified at the sign. Could I have suffered internal damage from the weapon?!


    The words seismic cannon circled around in my head. A weapon that used sound? Or pulses? What exactly did it do? What did it do to me?!


    If the weapon used sound waves or some unseen energy and was powerful enough to make my eyes and nose bleed I could already be a dead man walking. The thought chilled me, but what could I do but pray?


    Another two days were spent passing through ridges and hills. We lost four more scavengers to these underground beast and each time the strange seismic cannon was used after the fact. I made sure to stay as far from the weapon when it was being used as possible and the effect seemed less damaging.


    Not much useful info was talked about among the knights. They seemed to not know our objective as well. It felt good that the knights were being used much the same as us scavengers but the lack of info still worried me. The noble obviously had a good idea of where we were going but kept it to himself.


    We camped on flat slats of rocks or even nudged up against cliffs. We avoided setting camp on dirt or sand at all cost even if we had to travel onto the night before finding a suitable place to camp.


    The other scavengers had long caught onto the fact that there were beasts in the dirt and sand. They tried their best along with me to avoid walking over dangerous areas, but the knights caught onto our new tactics and threatened us to "properly scout the path ahead".


    It was sickening in much the same fashion walking across an un-mapped minefield probably felt. We were using our flesh and bone to trip these "mines". We were using our lives.


    Eighteen scavengers became thirteen. I knew then that this was more of a suicide mission than normal for sure now. At least for us scavengers. None of us would survive this.


    After three days of this minefield like hell, we came out of the peaks and hills area to a more flat area. The ground seemed much more solid and mainly consisted of rock.


    I felt relief at the change. I figured these sandworms wouldn''t be able to dig around in this type of terrain as easily. I had not even been able to see a single one of the subterranean beasts but they filled me with dread.


    They struck with such suddenness and there was no man who survived an attack. One moment the man was there and the next they were gone.


    We moved across the rocky ground that started showing more and more plant life. The plant life however was very odd. It seemed twisted and unhealthy.


    After half a day of traveling across this weird and awful landscape, one of the knights spoke up with a little tension in his voice that made me pay more attention than I usually did to their inane chatter.


    "Boss I''m reading elevated radioactive levels. It''s not too bad, but it''s getting a little more intense as we move forward."


    The word radioactive made me panic. I nearly tripped and fell on my face. Everyone knew about radiation. Even the rats.


    It was said that in the last war before the fall of civilization nuclear bombs were used openly and without reserve. Whole patches of the continent were no man''s land where no unprotected man could travel.


    The core beasts had pushed humanity to the brink and one of humanities trump cards was nukes. They were obviously not as effective as hoped.


    The threat of radiation was so potent that even centuries after the use of such weapons they still showed their awful effects.


    The boss''s voice cut in.


    "Yeah, I''m reading it too. It''s well within acceptable ranges. Our armor is made to protect us from this bit of radiation. I''ll talk to the baron and see what''s up."


    He soon came back into the channel and spoke again.


    "The baron says it will get worse but not by much. Well within acceptable ranges. The scavengers might be getting a lethal dose, but that won''t even be our problem. Hopefully, they survive long enough to get back to the city. Once they are back we don''t have to pay a silver extra should they die inside the city walls."


    The words spoken shook me to my core. Die? Death? I''m going to die?! No. No. No.


    I knew the stories of what radiation death was like. It was horrible. One of the worst ways to die. I didn''t even pay much attention to the words of one knight as I panicked inwardly.


    "Boss are we penny-pinching now? Haha. What''re a few gold coins?"


    The boss answered calmly.


    "Every gold is going to count on this one. The scavenger guild will charge us 3 gold for every scavenger lost and repairs are going to be painful for this mission. Not to mention replacing the lost armor. I''m going to have to try and squeeze some extra gold out of the baron for this job to begin with. While I mention repairs.... Carlos, how is your radioactive seal? Is the damage your armor suffered effecting it?"


    I didn''t even care about Carlos''s answer. Fuck the bastard. I hope he gets a nice dose of radiation like the rest of us.


    Panic was truly beginning to set in. I had to get out of here. I had to get back home. I looked around me. There had to be a way out.


    But there was nothing. Just an open expanse of rocky terrain and the little clumps of twisted ugly shrubs and grass. I know understood the reason for the hideous look of the greenery.


    There was no tree to duck behind and flee out of sight. No cliffs. Nothings.


    I could feel the chill of death''s breath on my neck. I closed my eyes and thought of the one thing that could calm me down. It didn''t calm me as usual. It only left me feeling desolate.


    Mother, I don''t think I''ll be coming home. I''m sorry.

 Chapter 6

    Armored chapter 6


    We moved at an increased pace without any uneven terrain or bushes and trees to block our way. With an unblocked view of our surrounding and hard ground beneath our feet, the other scavengers seemed to feel safe.


    I didn''t feel safe at all. My mind was numb. Every step forward felt like a step closer to the grave. I tried remembering the symptoms of radiation poisoning.


    Weakness, dehydration, bleeding from the orifices, bloody stool, nausea and vomiting, hair loss. Dear God this is awful. What am I going to do? Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.


    My thoughts spiraled in hopeless and dark circles. My body moved as if it was on autopilot. I tripped and fell multiple times due to not watching my feet and path properly. I felt numb to the world.


    An entire day passed like that before I shook myself from my stupor. I couldn''t keep going like this. When I finally started to come back to reality I slapped my cheeks hard.


    Wake up dumb shit. Crying over this isn''t going to help. I need to think. I need to find a path out of this. What did they say over the channel? It MIGHT be fatal for us scavengers, right?


    I thought it over. MIGHT be. Wouldn''t that mean it was close to fatal levels but not guaranteed to kill? Could I seek treatment when we returned to the city? I didn''t even know how much radiation sickness treatment would cost.


    Damn it. I''ll have to take this one step at a time and hope for the best.


    There wasn''t really anything else I COULD do. It felt maddening to leave it to fate like that. I felt so powerless... again.


    My hatred for the knights grew to a whole new level. Especially that damn noble. He knew he was leading us into this radiation. He just didn''t give a shit. If I ever got the chance I would kill this noble. I made the vow in my heart. The bastard deserved it a hundred times over.


    As the second day in this rocky barren area came to a close I noticed the noble using his portable drone more and more. He was searching for something. But What? I could only guess.


    The knights all had their guesses and openly talked about their postulations over their com channel. Most seemed to believe the noble had tracked down a map to a hidden bunker or base with old world tech stashed away.


    Some believed we were heading for an ancient battlefield to pick through the remains in hope of finding leftovers.


    It''s was anyone''s guess really. The noble was completely silent on the topic. In fact besides issues a few course corrections he didn''t speak at all from what I could tell. At least not over the common channel.


    There was one thing I was certain of. The noble hadn''t been to this place before. He was looking for something that he believed should be here, but wasn''t sure of its exact location. I hoped he found it quickly.


    Based on the talks of the knights the radiation levels were climbing. When I heard one of the knights finally stop using vague terms and speak an actual number for the rad levels I knew my time was very limited. Four hundred rads was a fatal dose. We were already in the high three hundred range.


    This also was not a single flash dose of radiation. This was constant exposure. If I didn''t get treatment within a few weeks I was a dead man. I highly doubted I would even be able to walk back home. I was already beginning to feel the symptoms of radiation sickness.


    My teeth began to ache. I felt sick. I could see blood in my drool from time to time. My urine had begun to take an orange tint. I knew it was blood coloring my urine. Eventually, it would be red. Eventually, I would weaken to the point I would be left behind.


    The other scavenger also began noticing their symptoms. The poor bastard didn''t even know what was happening. Maybe it was better that way. I knew eventually they would catch on, but it was already too late.


    On the fourth day in this radiation filled land when our weakness had truly started to affect our ability to keep up the pace we finally found something. By this time panic had begun to truly set in among the scavengers. They had guessed what the sickness meant and despair was written on every face.


    The noble suddenly jerked to a stop and the knights channel was filled with the nobles voice.


    "Stop!"


    The knights obeyed and issued commands to stop the entire group. The entire group waited silently for the nobles orders. I figured he found something with his drone as we simply stood in place for a long period of time. Finally, he spoke again.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "To the east. The drone found something. Move out."


    And we did. The entire column was soon heading east. We were pushed to a breakneck speed. The nobles excitement was obvious. He kept pushing further and further forward until he was leading the pack. Half a day later we found what we were looking for. We came to an exhausted halt and surveyed our findings.


    It wasn''t much. Before us lay what seemed to be dozens of weathered rocks. They seemed weirdly shaped. It took me a few moments to realize what they were. They were the weathered remains of buildings. Time and wind, as well as rain, had made the once sprawling complex little more than a husk of its former glory, but the outline was still there. Some of the building held their original shape though their outer surfaces showed the corrosion of time.


    It was a base of some type. From the looks of it sections of wall still stood marking the installation as a probably military outpost. It was a small outpost. Not much more than a mile across. Many of the smaller building nothing more than ruble and a few walls.


    The knight''s chatter was a cacophony. Whoots, yips, hurrays, and laughing could be heard all mixed together. It was as if they had hit the jackpot. Maybe they had. I doubted they would see any of the profits though. The noble would horde the good things for himself. It was their nature.


    We immediately moved into the complex. Passing through one of several sections of crumbled walls we moved between crumbled and weathered building.


    Our group of scavengers was sent to scout every building we passed. Not much was found initially, but eventually, we began to find bits and pieces of tech.


    One group came back with a few objects that looked like rifles. They were corroded and some of them little more than broken pieces. The remains of a few tanks were found. These tanks were in better shape than should be expected, however. When the tanks were found the knights were filled with glee.


    I expected they were considered a big find. What confused me was the nobles reaction to their discovery. He didn''t have a reaction at all. He simply pushed us to keep searching.


    As the complex was searched more and more we finally found two beaten and battered armor that seemed to be simple and basic mass production types. They were identical to each other. Still, the knights went nearly apoplectic at the discovery. The discovery of the armor was the find of the century for our little backwater region. Any type of old world armor was an amazing find. Even the more basic types.


    But still, the noble showed agitation, impatience, and unconcern at the findings. I realized he was here for something specific.


    When the news came back that an underground tunnel was found in one of the large hanger like building at the center of the outpost the noble''s armor came to a sudden halt and he ordered the entire group to uncover it with a voice quivering with anticipation.


    Our group of scavengers was a truly wretched lot as we slowly uncovered the entrance to the tunnel with our dying and pathetic bodies. The knights and noble were already enjoying the treasures to come and we were dying.


    Blood ran from most of our noses. Men passed out and when others went to aid them we were ordered to continue digging. Hatred for our slave drivers could be seen in every eye, but weakness and death loomed close robbing us of any will to fight.


    I hated using the last of my life to uncover the treasures these bastard knights would live to enjoy. I hated my fate. The fate of a rat.


    When the tunnel was finally uncovered it revealed itself to be too small for any armor to fit into.


    Night had fallen at this point and in unaccustomed mercy, we were ordered to set up camp by the noble.


    We didn''t understand. The knights didn''t understand.


    "What''s going on? Why pause now? We are so close. There must be all sorts of goodies down there!"


    "I don''t know. Baron MacArthur wants us to stop for the night. Set up camp. There is no rush."


    "I can''t believe we actually found a bunker. We are going to get a massive payout for this!!! I''m going to buy one of those fancy Northern Coalition Hydra armor!!"


    Similar exclamations sounded out among the knights. Apparently, while they didn''t get to keep the tech as they were simply hired hands, they did get a massive pay bump for the find. I didn''t understand the pay structure for these merc knights and frankly, I didn''t care.


    No scavengers were put on watch as we were in no condition to do it anyways. We were almost completely ignored at this point. We were nothing more than used up rags to these privileged assholes.


    We camped in the building the tunnel entrance resided in. I felt defeated and exhausted. My mind was numb. I was dying and all I wanted was to sleep. We scavengers simply fell into heaps and went to sleep. I wondered how many of us would wake up. Some of us had begun puking blood. Others seemed to be passing in and out of consciousness.


    I hated these knights and the noble so much. I wished them death and destruction, but I knew it wouldn''t come. I knew this was the best day of these damn knights lives. They didn''t even feel guilty about what it had cost us.


    When the shooting started I was so sick and exhausted it took me a while to even respond after waking. I wrenched myself into a sitting position and guessed we must be under attack by some core beasts. I felt happy at the thought. A quick death at the claws of core beasts seemed merciful at this point. Maybe the beasts would even kill some knights. I soon realized I was way off in my assumption.


    The loud boom boom boom of automatic fire made my headache, but what my eyes saw shook me even more. Every knight in camp was firing not out of the massive building we camped in, but inward.


    On the ground lay the shattered remains of two GOLIATH armor and above them stood an orb of energy that was semi-translucent. Round after round bounced off the orb. The knight''s com channel was a complete mess of swearing and screaming men filled with anger.


    Inside the bubble of shimmering energy was the old world armor of the noble holding another GOLIATH armor from behind. As I watched in total confusion a blade of light sprouted from the chest of the GOLIATH armor.


    The remains of the now useless armor and dead knight were casually tossed aside. The large sniper rifle looking weapon that was usually mounted on the armor''s right shoulder blade swung down and smoothly inserted itself into the hand of the old world armor. The muzzle slowly tracked up and aimed at a batch of Goliath armor still unloading round after round into the energy shield.


    And the noble fired.

 Chapter 7

    Armored Chapter 7


    A flash of light and a snapping sound much like what a God snapping his fingers must sound like issued from the rifle. Dust and debris kicked up and blew away from the armor.


    At the inevitable end of the barrel''s path a GOLIATH instantly had its internals, human pilot and machine alike, ripped out and ejected out of the back of the armor in explosive fashion. Behind the GOLIATH armor, the ground seemed to take a mighty blow. A section of ground 3 meters across and 4 meters deep seemed to lift up and blast out in a massive volcano of concrete and earth.


    The remaining 4 GOLIATH armor scattered in different directions and returned fire. One of them pulled another one of the Cantaloupe sized grenades from a slot at its waist and lobbed it in an arc.


    As the grenade lofted high and raced down directly towards the old world armor the nobles rifle released multiple streams of steam from the barrel of the weapon that sounded like water hitting a red hot frying pan only magnified a hundredfold.


    I watched the rifle as it seemed to be cooling itself and the grenade landed on the energy shield and detonated. A gout of viscous flame splashed over the shield and slowly poured down the bubble-like shape of it.


    When the flames settled to the bottom of the shield in a harmless ring around the armor the rifle began tracking its next target. The motion was slow and steady as if in no hurry.


    Another ferocious snap and flash were followed by the sight of the wall one GOLIATH had taken cover behind being punched through.


    I couldn''t see the ultimate fate of the GOLIATH, but based on the flailing severed right arm of the armor I saw sail through the air I figured the armor had been destroyed.


    Two armor were left to oppose the noble in his old world armor. The amount of fire coming from the two GOLIATH armor seemed paltry now. Little ripples sprang forth on the shield like pebbles thrown in a pool of water. The machine guns the GOLIATH armors used were simply too weak to do any real damage to the shield.


    The rifle began to cycle and cool itself again as the armor patiently waited for the process to finish.


    Begging began to flood the knight''s com channel as one of the two remaining pilots began to beg for his life. His voice was choked up and nearly unintelligible. He begged for his life. He offered to keep his mouth shut. He offered anything he could.


    The noble didn''t even care to answer. The rifle cooled and there was another snap. The begging over the com channel cut out instantly.


    When the begging voice cut out it was like I had been slapped out of a half sleep. I began cursing inwardly.


    What the hell am I doing just standing here!!?? I''m next! Move you fool!


    I finally realized with my sick and addled brain that I needed to move. Once the last armor fell we scavengers would be next.


    As the noble waited for his rifle to cool and tracked his new target who had now started to flee wildly I looked around to see my option. Time seemed to slow a fraction.


    My eyes raced around my sockets looking for a way out. The tunnels were the first thing I looked at. The darkness of the tunnel seemed endless. I stifled a shiver and took in the supply crates left on the ground by the knights.


    Not likely. Anything in there that might even be able to help was beyond my knowledge or ability to use. The time needed to even dig anything out was too much.


    That left the tunnels. I made my decision. I looked at the scavengers around me frozen in shock and indecision and decided to try and give them a chance too.


    "Scatter!!! We are next! He''s silencing everyone! He''s not going to let us live!"


    I shouted the words as I began sprinting to the tunnel entrance. It could barely be called a sprint actually. More of a shambling run. My legs burned and my breathing came in ragged drags. I could feel fluid in my lungs that made me cough over and over. I kept running as fast as I could while wheezing and coughing.


    I heard the sound of feet hitting the ground behind me and took a half second to look behind. Three men had followed me towards the tunnel, while another half dozen scattered in random directions. Every other scavenger stayed where they were. A few of them lying on the ground where they had slept simply watching with raised shocked faces. The rest were standing or kneeling with similar looks of shock and confusion locked on their faces.


    I pitied the fools. They were dead for sure, but in the moment I realized I was probably dead as well and decided to push their fate from my mind.


    As we ran another snap echoed through my skull informing me of the likely fate of the last armor opposing the noble. Time was short. I was close to the tunnel entrance at this point.


    I looked over my shoulder towards the noble to see the old world armor turn towards the scavengers and level the submachine gun that was usually mounted on its waist towards the rear of the armor at the spot the majority of the scavengers SHOULD still be at.


    When the submachine gun came to rest at the spot the scavengers were expected to still be grouped up the armor seemed to sort of twitch and jump a little.


    I could see the armor freeze for a second before its head began to turn and track me and the other three scavengers as we dove into the cover of the tunnel''s entrance.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A second after I dove into the tunnel with my two accompanying scavengers I heard a magnified voice.


    "No!! Don''t go in there you bastards!"


    Rage filled the nobles voice with a little fear included as well. A split second lapsed before I could hear the rapid-fire sound of the submachine gun and felt the concussive force of high caliber bullets as they riddled the entrance opening and began blasting away patches of concrete.


    I continued running onto the pitch black tunnel while this happened. I felt like the reaper was breathing down my neck again.


    The firing stopped after a few seconds and then started again followed by shrieks of pain. I knew the noble was killing those scavengers who were not able to rise to flee or were too stupid to do so.


    I kept running and we began to run into twists and turns in the path. We ran down a flight of stairs and into what looked like an open space with chairs. Multiple paths branched off from the room. Two paths leading to the left and right. The paths and objects could barely be seen at all in the dark.


    Behind a circular desk, four two-sided metal doors that seemed to slide in either direction stood. I guessed they were elevators.


    All four of us stopped and began catching our breath. We were gasping and coughing. Dust filled the air and we coughed all the harder. One of the men spoke up.


    "What do we do? Which way?"


    He seemed like he was begging for an answer. His voice was filled fear and it sounded like he was weeping. Another more mature voice cut through the darkness.


    "We have to avoid being found. The noble is not going to show an ounce of mercy. We have to find a hiding place. Maybe we should split up. It might make it harder for him to find all of us."


    It sounded like a familiar voice. I began to marshal my thoughts while I dug in one of my chest pockets. I dug out a completely cloth wrapped cylindrical item. Quickly tearing away the cloth wrapping it revealed an object like a test tube sealed in both sides.


    Inside the tube was moss. It glowed in the dark with an eerie green glow. This was one of the items I had spent money on in the city in preparation for my trip.


    Glow moss was an odd moss that grew in dark caves or under extremely thick foliage. It glowed in the dark but would lose the effect completely when exposed to direct sunlight or any other strong source of light.


    It wasn''t exactly the best light source but it didn''t require batteries and was cheap. As the green glow lit up the faces of the men around me they stopped bickering among themselves and all looked towards the source of the light and at me. I noticed the familiar voice came from the older scavenger I had talked with before while on watch. The one who gave me what little advice he could.


    As everyone seemed to be looking at me my head cleared. I thought about our problem and spoke.


    "Down. We should go down." I pointed at the elevators and continued. "This looks like a lobby of some sort. This is a bunker, right? If this is the lobby it''s basically the entrance to the bunker. Nothing good is on this level."


    Another voice cut me off.


    "Nothing good? What the hell are you talking about?!! We are not here for a treasure hunt! We are fleeing for our lives!! Fuck old-world treasure. We only have one life!"


    Everyone else seemed to be in agreement, but I spoke up again while shaking my head and pointed at the man''s face who spoke.


    "You''re bleeding from your eyes."


    The words seemed to confuse them. I didn''t give them any time to think it over as I went on.


    "We are all dying of radiation poisoning. We are all dead already. We have been in the radiation for less than a few days and we are all already on our last leg. This isn''t going to get better for us. We hide... We die. We wait... We die."


    The face of the man who spoke showed horror at my words, but the other two faces showed recognition of the truth. The helpful old timer spoke again.


    "We are all dead men. You''re right. Why down though?"


    He looked me deep in the eyes while he gave me time to answer.


    "Whatever the noble is looking for is probably down there."


    I pointed to the elevators to put emphasis on my words.


    "I want to know what he is after. More importantly, I want to know how I can screw it up for him! He is the reason I''m dying and I''ll be damned if I don''t wreck his plan before I die."


    As the pathetically simple plan was spoken it truly sunk in for me that I was dead. My spoken and mostly false bravado became real in that moment. I realized I really did want to wreck the nobles scheme however I could. What little time and life I had left was worth it as a bet for that. I wasn''t going to let this asshole get what he wanted.


    As the new meaning of my short life took seed inside my head I grinned fiendishly and looked into the three sets of eyes looking back at me.


    "And who knows, maybe we could even make it that noble''s grave down there. It''s a gamble and I have nothing to lose. How about you?"


    I flashed my most crazy smile at the three as they all showed differing levels of shock and awe at the stark nature of my plan.


    POV change


    In the large building covering the entrance of the tunnel the old world armor fired the last few rounds required to execute the remaining scavengers. None of the scavengers who had not fled into the tunnels had survived. Their blasted and torn corpses lay sprawled here and there. Limbs severed from their bodies could be spotted everywhere among the dead.


    The old world mech turned towards the tunnel entrance and froze. It trembled in such a fashion that it seemed the pilot was starting to do something before stopping and starting a new action before stopping again. The pilot seemed locked in indecision.


    This continued for a while. Maybe five or ten minutes later the old world armor released a hiss and two jets of mist from its shoulders before a mechanical and heavy click was heard.


    The old world armor dropped to both knees and became motionless. A portion of its chest suddenly jutted out and separated to the left and right. Cursing and yelling rang out from the newly opened hatch.


    "Fuck fuck fuck fuck!! Fuck you-you piece of shit rats!!! Stupid shits I''ll fucking kill you!!"


    The noble climbed out of the opened chest section while beating his fists against the chassis of the armor. He continued cursing and raving while he began to walk away from his armor in a stiff rage-filled nature and towards the supplies left in the middle of camp.


    He was outfitted in odd almost metallic clothing. His clothes seemed to be all one piece. His chest was covered by a thicker portion that covered all of his vitals. His head was wrapped in a metal helmet with a futuristic look. A glass visor covered his face.


    He mumbled to himself. All of the cool control and aristocratic method of speech was gone from his demeanor.


    "I can''t let these little shits get their hands on what''s down there. It''s mine! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I don''t have time for this shit. Damn it."


    He dug through the supplies before coming out with an aggressive looking assault rifle. The rifle couldn''t be compared with the rifles a few of the scavengers had been using. This one was obviously in much better shape and more high-tech.


    He loaded a magazine into the rifle that was full of little metal slivers, looped an ammo belt over his shoulder and paused while he looked at the dark tunnel.


    "Damn it...."


    He looked to the corner of his helmets glass were a readout was scrolling down slowly. It read 34:45:17.


    " Damn it, I can''t wait that long!!"


    He straightened up, glared into the dark tunnel before slapping himself on the side of the helmet and entering it.


    As he stepped into the full dark of the tunnel two lights on the side of his helmet lit up shooting streams of light down the tunnel. He moved cautiously and slowly with his rifle fully up and ready to fire.


    "I guess I''m hunting rat tonight."

 Chapter 8

    The four of us had agreed. Though only the expression of myself and the helpful veteran seemed to have any confidence. I knew it wasn''t confidence on our face though.


    It was the feeling of letting go. We had both accepted our fate. We had cast off most of our fear. We had decided we had nothing to lose.


    Most of all we had a burning hate. The other two men as well. I believe it was the only reason they were not begging for life or hiding and weeping.


    The nobles had always been awful. In just about every way. They used rats like dogs. But this noble had found a special place in our heart. A place filled with acidic hatred. This man had used us COMPLETELY. To the very last drop, and then planned on disposing of us. Murdering us.


    We quickly moved over to one of the elevator doors and begun prying them open. The outer doors were easy, but the inner set of doors was a much harder task. We used blades and a survival ax one of the other men had to wedge the doors open.


    A black abyss greeted us. The bottom of the shaft could not be seen at all. We stood for a second peering into the dark before all of us started setting our bags down and pulling out ropes. It was one of the common sense items every scavenger brings. You never know when a good rope might save your life.


    The ropes were thin but strong. It was made from the hide of core beasts. Tied together they would reach a pretty amazing length.


    The rope was tied on the metal leg of the desk. The desk was built right into the ground with metal legs making a perfect place to tie off.


    Two of the other men had glow moss vials of their own. The other man had smashed his on accident during the trip. I pitied the man.


    We all came to a stop at the door and paused looking at each other. The pause seemed to last a few seconds before I realized what was happening. We were all wondering who was going to go first. No one wanted to go first....


    All eyes seemed to eventually fall on me. I understood the meaning completely. It was my idea, I should go first. I breathed in one large breath and exhaled a small stinging cough that sent the taste of blood into my mouth. I fought down the urge to cough more and stepped up to the rope.


    I wrapped my hands with the cloth of one of my spare shirts and pushed out and into the dark shaft.


    I managed to secure the vial with a piece of tape to my jacket. The light was half covered but it was still effective.


    I wrapped the rope around one leg and pinched it with the other so I was gripping the rope with the strength of my legs as well.


    I descended like that at a somewhat quick pace, looking around the large shaft as I went. There seemed to be no other doors for the first 50 meters. I began to worry about the length of the rope.


    When I began to see doors I felt relief. I wanted to go as deep as possible but if the rope was not long enough to reach any doors I would have to climb back up. I doubted I could do it. And at most I would be climbing back up to face a pissed off noble armed to the teeth.


    At about 75 meters the rope came to an end. A large knot was tied to the end of the rope warning me of that. I gripped the rope around my legs and arms bringing myself to a halt. One door perfectly aligned with my stop. I decided to call the choice fate and stood on the edge of the door''s frame. It was an uncomfortable and small place to stand when considering what kind of drop may lay below.


    I hollered the all clear and swung the rope like a whip to show I was safely off the rope.


    I quickly forgot the rope, took my blade and wrenched at the seam of the door. It was amazingly hard to insert the blade into the edge and even begin to pry the doors apart. I could tell my "sword" was complete junk by now.


    By the time the second man arrived, I had the doors open 3 or 4 centimeters. He quickly signaled the all clear to those above and joined in the task of opening the doors. With a second person, we got the task done quickly.


    We stepped into the middle a surprisingly well-preserved corridor. The most surprising sight was the dim lights running along the ceiling. They still worked. The corridor wasn''t exactly brightly lit, but it was not dark. The base still had power!


    This was an amazing find. Who knows what was still in operational condition in this facility.


    I hated it. It would do me no good. The nobles would profit off from this. If I failed to kill this asshole noble chasing me he would be the noble to profit off from this.


    The third man came through the door wheezing and coughing. As we waited for the fourth man we looked around the empty corridor like idiots.


    The fourth man''s screams descended from the shaft, quickly gaining volume before just as quickly sounding like they came from below and losing their volume in a gradual way.


    I was stunned for a second before I realized what happened. The noble had caught up. The rope had been cut.


    The door was checked and there was no rope hanging in the corridor confirming my suspicion.


    A part of me had hoped the noble would be too cowardly to follow on foot into this bunker. A part of me was happy he wasn''t a coward. Maybe I was already delirious.


    We decided a direction at random and began moving at an almost shambling jog. The corridor led into a massive room full of desks and chairs. Most of the desks were separated into cube-like shapes by thin chest tall barriers. There was no clutter. No debris or scattered items.


    Most of the chairs were neatly put behind every desk. Those that were not, seemed to be lazily pushed out and left in place. Besides the dust in the air, it looked as if some people could simply walk out of the shadows and start going on with their day. The effect was chilling.


    I asked "Here?" While we caught a breath.


    I looked at the two men with me. They clutched their sides and heaved heavily. Both of them looked like the walking dead. Gashes and bruises mottled their skin along with some rashes on their forearms and face.


    The corners of their mouths were starting to peel and bleed. Blood trickled through their teeth as the tried to fight coughs. They looked weak and dying.


    The veteran seemed to be looking at me with concern in his eyes as he answered between some light wheezes.


    "As good a place as any I guess."


    I nodded my head and tried standing straight from my heaving for air, bent over posture. The weakness that came over me in the attempt nearly had me on the floor.


    I steadied myself and licked my lips. In the corner of my mouth I could feel the peeling skin and taste some blood. I realized I was probably in as bad if not worse shape than the other two men.


    The veteran''s look of worry made sense to me now. I was a somewhat skinny pale man to begin with. I probably looked like a walking corpse at the moment.


    "We hide behind desks and attack when he is in the middle of the rooms."


    The veteran''s plan was simple. We were not exactly commandos. It did have the element of surprise, which would have to be good enough.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "You sure he''s going to come to the center?"


    The other man made a good point.


    We had to attack him from all sides. We outnumbered him. We had to use that advantage it was the only advantage we had.


    I cursed myself for not buying a gun. It would have been useless against core beasts but may be useful now. A gun, however, cost 20 to 40 silver depending. That''s a month of medicine for mother.


    I thought about her again. I found myself thinking about her more and more as I got closer to death. I hated that I couldn''t be there for her. I was about to die. And soon she would too. The medicine would run out eventually. The thought tore my heart open. A Deep sadness overwhelmed me in that moment.


    For a while, even though I had signed on to the scavengers, I had hope. I hoped I could survive. I hoped I could finish my contract and return to taking care of my mother.


    Hope was a powerful drug.


    I seethed with rage at those who had led me here. Those damn knights who used us, but most of all that damn noble.


    "Hey, kid. You there?"


    I looked up at the words to find the veteran snapping his fingers in my face. He looked troubled. I realized I hadn''t even been paying attention.


    "Yeah. Sorry. I''m here."


    I shook my head and gave the man a hard look and then a nod. He nodded back.


    "Good. Now that you''re with us, listen. You don''t have a gun. Just that chunk of long metal. Hide towards the center but further back. Make some noise to draw him in and hide. When he''s in the middle we will begin to shoot. Try and jump him with the chunk of metal you got there in the chaos."


    He looked at me to make sure I got the plan.


    I thought about the plan. It''s was awful... for me.


    If I drew the attention of the noble he was more likely to simply blast me away along with anything close to me. Even if he didn''t... I looked down at my blade. It was junk. I looked at my arm. It looked thin and at the moment pathetically weak.


    If I took this role I was getting the shit role of this entire impromptu ambush.


    I looked at the two men as they looked at me. I could see it. In their eyes. Hope. Hope and a guilty apology.


    Fuck it. Let''s not ruin it for them. Let them cling to hope.


    I smiled and shook my head lightly with a chuckle. It wouldn''t matter anyway.


    "Sure."


    I said it with a big smile. I''m pretty sure the looks the two men gave me indicated they thought I was going insane. I didn''t explain myself. I''m sure it wouldn''t have made them laugh anyway.


    We didn''t talk any more. We simply moved to our positions. I was almost center of the room leaning against a desk. The veteran with his shotgun was center-left and the other scavenger with a rifle was on the right, way towards the back. As far away from the way the noble would come from as could be. I cursed his coward nature, but let it go.


    When we found our spots and settled in everything became very quiet. I could faintly hear the wheezing of the veteran. I hoped he could control it when the time came.


    We waited. And waited. It honestly felt like forever. I wondered how much time had actually passed.


    Then we heard the boot steps. A soft thunk, thunk, thunk. It sounded like a cautious pace. I thought about the best time to make a noise. I decided it didn''t really matter that much.


    I picked up a book next to my head and tossed it against an office chair on wheels across the path and between desks.


    The book collided with the backrest and forced it to both roll and spin. It collided wheel first with the edge of a desk and tipped over. It felt deafeningly loud to me.


    In the next second things in my general area started bursting into pieces or have holes ripped through them at an astonishing rate while loud snap, snap, snap, snap sounds cracked out like a storm.


    I sat completely motionless. I simply watched and beheld the sight. Sitting like a drunk man leaning against the desk, I watched the terrible scene like a child watching fireworks. It seemed beautiful to me. I smiled like an idiot.


    When the snapping sounds stopped and the show ended I checked myself. I didn''t feel any pain. No pinch. No burn. I felt fine. I looked my chest over and saw a hole bursting out of my jacket right below my armpit.


    I put my finger in the hole and wiggled it around. It was astonishing. The round had gone clean through without hitting me at all.


    I smiled in a way I thought would say not bad and nodded my head.


    An idea struck me at that moment. Not knowing if it was a good idea or not I simply acted. I choked out a word.


    "Fuck"


    I let out a hoarse groan and began coughing and sputtering. I made some flopping motions and hit a few things around me. I played it to the hilt. It was almost a game to me.


    Boot steps soon came closer and closer. I wondered when the two scavengers would start shooting. For a second I wondered if they would shoot at all.


    When the bang bang bang of the rifle started echoing and blasting around the room I smiled.


    The snap, snap, snap, of whatever terrifying gun the noble had started up nearly instantly, but I began to hear the bang bang bang of another weapon. It was a deeper bang.


    I knew it was the veterans shotgun and sprang out of cover. I charged forward in a pathetic, radiation poison and rage-fueled sprint.


    When I laid eyes on the noble he seemed to be rocking back against a divider. The veteran was standing 5 meters from him slamming round after round of his shotgun into the nobles chest plate.


    I continued running forward and watched as the veteran emptied his ammo and started clicking at the trigger.


    The noble put one hand out to steady himself from toppling over, raised his rifle and began filling the veteran with holes. The veteran seemed to melt away under the rapid fire of the assault rifle.


    I put the picture from my mind, pointed the tip of my sword at the nobles neck and continued my charge.


    I must have been silent or very fast because he didn''t see me coming. The blade struck him right in the throat. Because of my poor skill and weakness, I simply bowled right into the noble while following the path of my kamikaze strike.


    The blade didn''t seem to sink in at all as I hoped. The pommel of the sword struck me in the hip as we both tumbled to the ground.


    I rolled over and tried bringing my blade back up to strike.


    In the tumble and mess of both of us sprawled out I couldn''t quite get the sword in a position to strike.


    Before I could find a way to strike properly the noble swore and began coughing while he grabbed my arm holding the sword and with the other arm grabbed me by the neck.


    Fighting him felt like fighting a gorilla. I stood no chance against his strength, especially half dead as I was. He quickly overpowered me and took top position.


    With a shake of his arm, he forced my hand to release the blade. The blade, if it could even be called that, sailed off into the distance. I watched it depart with sadness.


    Straddling my midsection he began to rain blows down upon my face.


    "Fucking piece of shit. Die die die."


    The noble screamed like a lunatic as he pummeled my face. I did my best to protect my head, but I was like a weak child before him. My arms felt like noodles.


    As I began to see spots in my vision and my arms started drooping I heard the bang bang bang of a clunky old semi-automatic rifle.


    The noble reared back and flung his arms out to protect himself. He released pained grunts here and there. In my delirious half-conscious state, I watched as he reached over to his assault rifle pick it up and begin shooting back.


    I realized we were fucked from the beginning. We couldn''t even pierce his personal body armor.


    His gear is light years ahead of ours. Fuck. If only...


    And then I saw it. On his belt. Within perfect view, as the man straddled me and fired in nearly the same stance as when he pummeled the crap out of me. His backup weapon. A somewhat feminine handgun. Very futuristic looking. Very LETHAL looking.


    By the time my last compatriot was blown away, I had slowly reached up, unslotted the pistol from the holster and pointed it directly in his faceplate.


    When he looked down with a smirk of victory for blowing away what he thought was the last real threat to himself his face froze in confusion and terror.


    I didn''t say any words. I did not smirk. I just pulled the trigger. Again and again and again. Over and over until no more snaps sounded out and the kick of recoil stopped.


    I watched as the noble toppled back with a smashed visor and a pulpy, bloody mess where his face once resided.


    I simply lay there and took the feeling in as I stared at the ceiling with the gun still outstretched.


    The noble flopped back and rolled to the side a bit. His legs still covered mine. I didn''t care.


    I simply lay there. I soaked in the silence. I didn''t seem to feel any pain. Just an unrelenting feeling of being tired.


    I decided here would be the place I die. The gun fell from my limp fingers and both my arms flopped to the sides. I sucked in a blessed moldy breath of air and smiled.


    I felt the end coming. I only had to wait.


    So I waited.


    I thought back on my life. I thought about mother. I thought about everything I had lost.


    They say there is a heaven. When we die we go there. I never believed. But at this moment....


    I was so out of it I didn''t notice the humming until it was well into the room. It was lyrical. It sounded like a cheerful young boy humming a tune. It also sounded oddly mechanical. It cut off with a startled cry.


    "Deary me, what''s happened here?! Such a mess!"


    I heard the sudden movement of something large that moved closer. I had the illusion of many legs in my head.


    Before I could summon the strength to lift my head or try to sit up the moving "person" stopped next to me.


    A long snake-like appendage soon swayed over me and fixed itself in a position less than 6 inches from my face. It seemed to end in a bulb-like crystal covering. I realized it was a small camera as the thing spoke again.


    "A person!! Amazing. Amazing!! Amazing!!"


    The appendage seemed to wriggle about in glee as a child like voice started to celebrate. The mechanical tone in the voice made the sound creepy.


    It quickly mastered it''s enthusiasm and pointed the camera appendage at me again.


    "This is such a delight! I haven''t had a testing candidate in such a long time! What luck!!! I knew today was my lucky day!"


    As IT finished saying that I felt something grip my ankle with metal pinchers and lots of power.


    Soon I was being dragged through the remains of the ambush. My head bumped and skid across the now debris filled room.


    My vision began to blur and turn to darkness. In my final moment of consciousness I heard it say one more thing in a voice filled with glee.


    "I''m going to name you Buddy!"

 Chapter 9

    The first thing I felt when my mind started coming to was a pinprick sensation on my forearm. It seemed to bring me a little closer to consciousness. A warm and tingling sensation spread from the area.


    Within a few seconds I went from being a half dead, blurry minded, and delirious man, to wide awake with razor focus.


    I knew I had just been given a massive dose of some sort of stimulant-laced cocktail of drugs.


    The entire room was white. Between unadjusted eyes and the total uniform and nearly seamless white color around me, I experienced the illusion that I was floating in the sky for a few moments. I swear I could almost see faint clouds in the distance.


    My arms and legs were bound it seemed. Even my chest seemed to be strapped down. My jacket, shirt, and pants were all missing.


    I started to experience a drug-fueled bout of panic and anxiety when a sound of whooshing came from above.


    From the perfectly white ceiling, an almost imperceptible section of ceiling seemed to fold out and unravel as well as droop down closer to me.


    I watched in horror and fascination as the almost organic shape unfolded in a tangle of thinner and thicker snake-like appendage surrounding a drooping main large appendage.


    The bottom bulb of the main appendage seemed to swivel and face me directly. On it''s "face" sat what looked like multitudes of lenses and sensors. Some of the lenses seemed to focus in and out like the pupils of a human eye.


    "That''s good you''re awake already!"


    The voice was not coming from the machine. It came from the blind spot behind my head.


    "You are doing amazing buddy!! I knew you could do it. Now that you are awake we can begin phase two!"


    A vaguely familiar figure menacingly stalked into my sightlines from behind, then to in front of me. The closeness of the thing gave me goosebumps. It was almost as if it was a spider crawling over me.


    It took position directly in my face. The thing definitely resembled a spider. Like a mechanical spider with a bunch of incredibly thick snake-like limbs. It was oddly disturbing.


    "What are you?"


    I spoke. I figured if it wouldn''t even identify itself, it was not going to answer any of my many questions anyway.


    The machine paused, directed its sensors towards me and answered.


    "I''m Toby!"


    I waited. It didn''t say anything more. The fact struck me it was a computer and I was asking for too much with too little. When the machine called Toby began to move towards the large octopus like thing that had unfurled itself from the ceiling, I called out again.


    "What are you doing to me."


    Toby didn''t stop as he went to the other machine and began to prod and poke at the machine. He seemed to be working on or altering it. The ends of a few of Toby''s limbs were apparently designed just for such things.


    "Besides the use of stimulants to wake you, nothing else is currently being done to you."


    Watching it continue to fiddle with the other machine I was startled and confused. I definitely was secured to a table naked. That didn''t seem like nothing to me.


    It struck me that technically the question was properly answered. He wasn''t currently doing anything to me. I decided if I wanted multi-layered answers I would have to ask multi-layered questions. This was a computer I reminded myself, again.


    "What has been done to me and what do you intend on doing to me."


    It answered while working.


    "Candidate 782 has been injected with czt12 and modified Alpha cellular embryos as well as stimulants. Candidate 782 has shown reduced rejection levels and will proceed to phase two of candidate selection."


    Nothing more was forthcoming. I digested what information I could. Injected... czt12... Alpha cellular embryos... None of it sounded good.


    I part of me wanted to rage or despair right there, but I swallowed the rage.


    "What happens to me during phase two."


    "You are not authorized knowledge of testing procedures beforehand."


    The robot seemed to lose its fake jovial tone as I asked questions that broke the rules. I wasn''t punished in any way, but the tone told me no amount of asking would get an answer.


    "What happens if I survive all tests."


    The question seemed best to me. I couldn''t break free. I couldn''t resist. I decided I would find out if surviving the tests would be any better than simply dying in them.


    "You will be assigned residence within the base for training and further testing after a judgment from a commanding officer is rendered."


    So there was an after. That was good. I was worried this was just a dissection. This seemed like good news to me. There was the possibility of surviving. Training and further testing sounded hopeful.


    The machine named Toby continued to work on the other machine while I digested the information.


    "What is the purpose of these tests?"


    Toby paused for a second. Then continued working while he answered.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "Once again candidate 782, you do not possess the authority to receive the answer to such questions. Your current rank is too low for such information to be accessed."


    I was surprised by part of what it said.


    My rank is too low? I don''t have any rank!


    " My rank? I don''t have a rank."


    "That is incorrect. All candidates are given the rank of sergeant before testing is started, as project operating procedures require."


    I thought about it. I was a little surprised that I was now a sergeant in a long dead and gone army. It was odd but understandable. Some subroutine or program was in control. This machine was following a set of rules rigidly without any common sense or ethics.


    "I have the rank of sergeant then? What privileges does that give me?"


    I doubted it would be helpful, but I asked anyway. The machine called Toby answered with a chipper voice.


    "Currently candidate 782 has no privileges. Candidate 782 is currently listed as in reserve. Reserve troops have no privileges within the base."


    So it was a rank in name only. Why give out the rank if it meant nothing? The answer seemed to hang outside of thought though. I had a thought it might still be a good thing. You don''t give a test animal a rank. It told me there were plans beyond testing and experimenting that required I have rank.


    As I started thinking up new questions Toby chirped an odd almost joyful sound and spoke.


    "There. All done. We can begin phase two now. Aren''t you excited?"


    Whatever he had been doing to the octopus-like thing was done. I was NOT excited in any way.


    "No, I am not excited. I need more answers. I don''t want to be experimented on."


    The machine "Toby" paused and faced his camera towards me.


    "It''s a shame you are not excited, but under standing order #1257 the concerns and safety of citizens are of secondary consideration. I''m sorry you are not in agreement with the importance of these tests, but your approval is not necessary."


    I hated this crap. I watched as Toby made an audible clicking and beeping. The octopus started to move again. It perched above me as it''s many snake like limbs squirmed.


    One of those small limbs slithered its way towards my mouth. Fear began to overtake me again. I guessed its purpose and clenched my jaw. I would die before I let this appendage in my mouth.


    The end of the limb poked around my mouth area for a while before it split into dozens of finer ends.


    These finer wire-like parts squirmed into my lips as I did everything in my power to turn my head and shake it away. My head was strapped down so my efforts were in vain.


    To my horror, more and more limbs started descending and roving my body. As my eyes followed these new appendages they also split into many ended fiber like threads. I felt like puking at the sight but clenched my teeth harder instead.


    "There is no need or reason to fight. Your cooperation will make this easier for all of us. Please cooperate buddy."


    I realized it only called me buddy when it was trying to calm me. I knew it had to be some sort of programming to calm me. It seemed all the more sickening though, as this very inhuman thing attempted to mimic human emotion.


    I wanted to curse at it, but as the thought crossed my mind I felt the fibers of the appendage that was peeling my lips apart begin to wiggle their way between my teeth.


    I started to whimper and struggle harder. I was panicking. I was losing control and beginning to thrash harder than ever.


    It did no good. The fine wire like ends peeled my jaws apart as if I was a toddler avoiding food.


    When my mouth was fully open the entire appendage rushed forth and into my esophagus. It felt like a massive insect was burrowing into my throat and stomach. I could feel the fine wire like ends poking and prodding inside of my throat and stomach.


    As I felt the new and awful sensation I also began to feel needle-like pain all over my body. It felt like I was jabbed by a hundred needles all over. Even my neck and head were not spared. It seemed to me the most injections happened around my spine and neck.


    For a moment I wished I was unconscious. I was terrified and confused. The pain wasn''t horrible, but the unknown nature of it all was.


    "Begin nanite injections."


    When Toby gave the order the octopus-like machine chirped in response and then I felt coldness spread throughout my body.


    I felt like a man-shaped balloon being filled with ice cold water to the bursting point. I felt bloated and sick. My limbs felt heavy. I wanted to vomit, but couldn''t as my mouth and throat was filled with the machine''s appendage.


    "Begin nanite/host integration. Monitor brain activity levels and begin mapping neuron response to stimuli."


    The words were all gibberish to me. Only a few words stuck out to me. Nanite and host being at the forefront. But before I could think any deeper on the subject pain began to tear into me from the inside.


    If I could explain the sensation, I would probably say that having your internal organs filled with fire ants was the closest description I could think of.


    I tried screaming through my blocked throat to no avail. I tried bucking and thrashing but was held firm by my restraints. Time lost its meaning as I raved and jibbered and raged. I cried and attempted to beg for mercy.


    The pain seemed to transfer from my organs to my bones. It felt like I was being eaten from the inside out. My bones felt like they were being ground down or scrapped viciously.


    "Buddy you''re doing good!! Stay with me buddy."


    I wanted to curse Toby. I wanted to smash my fist into its camera as it watched me suffer.


    "Administer an extra dose of stimulant. The Candidate is showing signs of passing out."


    I wished the damn machine would let me pass out. I would take death over this feeling any day. A quick and painless death felt like mercy to me at this point.


    I lay there in my pain. I was powerless to do a thing besides suffer and wait. Time became meaningless to me. I had no idea how long I had been in this state.


    Only the now existed and right now all I felt was pain and a deep sickness. Toby continued giving commands to the other machine, but I had long stopped paying attention to his words.


    I have no idea how long I spent like that but eventually, the jagged pain began to subside as a more fine and acute numbing pain spread throughout my body.


    It felt like small amounts of electricity being spread randomly through my limbs and chest. Like little bubbles full of electricity were floating around inside me randomly popping.


    The feeling was painful and uncomfortable, but compared to the earlier pain it was heaven.


    I began to weep in happiness. Drool had splashed down the corners of my mouth and ran down my cheeks. Tears constantly filled my eyes.


    "Phase two nearing completion. Note, Candidate is showing reduced rejection of nanite integration. Hypothesis, radiation poisoning and genetic differentiation may play a role. Further testing required to support the hypothesis."


    I just lay there listening. I was in the back seat here with no power. I was happy to be alive but worried this was only the beginning.


    "Brain mapping complete. Neural pathways connected. Nanite integration complete. Phase two complete. Beginning preparation for phase three."


    I moaned in horror at the thought of phase three. How many phases would be required? I wondered if it would ever end.


    "You are doing so good buddy. No candidate has achieved such optimistic results before. I knew you were special!"


    I ignored the robot as I sank into despair. I just wanted release, death was good enough at this point.


    When the appendages began to retract and the one in my mouth pulled out I screamed. It was not a scream of pain, but anger. I was enraged. I was furious at these machines. Furious at their creator. Furious at everything. I wanted to rip the whole base apart.


    Toby didn''t seem to mind my outburst at all. It continued its job with a happy tune burbling out of its speakers. It watched me for a long moment before speaking.


    "The Candidate requires rest and recuperation before phase three can continue."


    "What did you do to me? What was that about nanites!! My brain... WHAT DID YOU DO!?"


    I screamed the questions at the machine. It seemed startled for a moment.


    "Candidate showing increased distress and shock levels. Administer sleep aid."


    "NO! ANSWER ME!!"


    My demand went unanswered. I felt my consciousness slipping. Whatever was administered was a powerful sleeping drug.


    My final moments of consciousness was filled with pathetic pleas for mercy and information. All of which went unanswered.


    Darkness took me quickly.

 Chapter 10

    When I awoke the room was still a bright white. The octopus-like machine seemed to be roving over my chest. From a few of its smaller snake-like limbs, little beams of light scanned over small portions of my chest.


    I had no idea if it was just scanning or doing something else. I didn''t feel anything odd due to the lights.


    My body felt weak, but the sick feeling had abated. I had an uncontrollable twitch in my left foot. My skin felt like it didn''t fit right. Almost foreign. The feeling was awful. I had the uncontrollable urge to itch. Of course, bound as I was it was wishful thinking.


    The spider-like robot "Toby" immediately approached and hovered close by while watching me.


    In my still groggy state, I started to ask questions immediately.


    "What did you do to me? What are you going to do to me?! Why are you doing this to me!?"


    I asked the questions in a feverish rush. I was panicking again. I could feel it.


    The robot gave a chirp that cut off the octopuses movement and answered with creepy, honey filled, and synthetic sounding words.


    "You''re doing so good buddy! I know you can do this! You are already so energetic! You''re the best candidate yet!"


    It was only spouting more feel-good programmed social responses. I cut the robot short.


    "Answer me!"


    I screamed at the robot with rage while it jerked to a halt and observed me. A few seconds later it''s cheerful voice spoke.


    "Candidate 782 has been injected with Icarus project nanite solution #256.


    Candidate has bonded well within an acceptable range with the nanites to proceed with phase three. The nanites within Candidate 782 have also shown high success rate bonding with Alpha embryo cells.


    As to Candidate 782 second and third question, your rank does not allow access to classified information. You have already been informed of this. Candidates will receive only semi-classified information pertaining to their own project advancement status."


    It was the most the robot had ever spoken and the rapid-fire way it happily went on made me almost miss parts of its speech. I also had trouble comprehending the vast majority of it.


    I did, however, catch a few choice parts that seemed important. I had already heard the word nanite during the earlier procedure. I had also heard the word alpha embryo cell before. Those two things scared me the most.


    "What are these nanites? What is an alpha embryo cell?"


    I was in information gathering mode again. I needed more info. It would help me gain even a little more control over my situation. Anything would make me a little less panicky. Asking questions didn''t seem to get punished and sometimes I got answers. It was worth asking.


    "The Nanites are multipurpose nanorobots. They have altered candidate 782''s body and genetic structure to facilitate awakened alpha embryo cells. Icarus project nanites also enhance the host''s abilities. Any further information will be taught to you by a commanding officer during training and testing.


    Any information pertaining to alpha cells besides their existence is marked highly classified. Candidate 782''s rank does not qualify for such information. Candidate 782 must receive authorization from a superior officer ranked colonel or higher within Icarus project staff to receive the requested information."


    Fuck me... so basically they are turning me into a monster?!!


    I heard a lot I didn''t like. Altered body, genetics, facilitate awakened alpha embryo. I could only picture images of a Frankenstein like monster, or ghouls in my head.


    The words altered genetics and embryo circled in my head. I had a flashback to the poor scavenger with a belly full of parasites. I felt sick for a moment.


    I told myself that you don''t give monsters rank. That was my thread of hope. Even now I didn''t fully understand why I was given rank. It made sense that there was a reason. I hoped it wasn''t just a quirk in this robot''s program.


    Maybe the robot could only operate on-base personnel. I wasn''t base personnel so the robot found a loophole. Assign me rank and, presto problem solved! I have no idea what programming errors may have popped up in a 600-year-old mechanical "mind".


    As I started formulating new questions the robot spoke again.


    "Phase three required the base main fusion reactor to be started. Fuel reserves are extremely low. Time is of paramount consideration. Candidate 782 is asked to hold all questions until the end of phase three."


    I was stunned. I felt angry. I was basically told to shut the hell up...


    The robot Toby chirped and the octopus-like machine snaked an arm out and stabbed at my arm. I felt it inject something.


    "What was that?"


    I ignored the robot''s request to hold my question and asked anyway. The robot didn''t even attempt to answer my question. It just stared at me.


    Seconds later a slithering scrape and a whoosh, as well as a few clicks, could be heard from my right. I looked over to see a pedestal rise from the ground.


    On the pedestal, an odd device rested. It seemed fixed to the pedestal or even a part of it. The pedestal ended in a large bright yellow crystal. There was an inner light to the crystal. Even in the well-lit room, it showed it''s inner brilliance.


    I almost panicked again at the thought this thing might be put inside me. It was much too large for that though. It was as big as a watermelon.


    I soon realized it was very familiar. It had the same color as the cores we had dug out of core beasts, though the ones we dug out of them were much smaller and did not have this bright a glowing inner shine.


    Sound soon started resonating from the large crystal. The sound seemed very odd. Like a frequency or deep vibration. It made me uncomfortable.


    I felt sick as the sound grew in intensity. I could FEEL the sound with my body. The experience was very uncomfortable. I felt hot and extremely itchy.


    The sound started pulsing as the light from the large core crystal grew in intensity. The light seemed to pulse in unison with the sound.


    As the light from the crystal grew I noticed the lights from the room actually dimmed with each pulse!


    My discomfort grew and every cell in my body began to vibrate. I felt heat like fire inside my chest that seemed to radiate out to my limbs with each pulse. My head felt like my skull could vibrate out of it at any moment.


    When the sound started decreasing instead of increasing I felt immediate relief. The crystal that was now glaring and sun like also began to grow more and more dim.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    I heaved and took gasping breaths while my body slowly stopped shaking apart at the cellular level. I praised a God I was pretty sure didn''t exist and drank in the sweet absence of pain.


    The heat in my chest radiating into my limbs however did not abate in the least. It only seemed to slowly grow in intensity over time.


    I began to squirm as much as I could but secured to the table as I was, it didn''t accomplish much.


    It was one particular area that burned the most. I felt like there was a red hot piece of steel directly under my breast bone.


    After an unknown but torturously long time, the heat started to dissipate. It was a good thing because I had begun to grow delirious with the heat.


    When my body began to feel like it was almost back to normal temperature Toby began speaking.


    "Amazing! Buddy that was amazing!!! You have officially made it further than any other candidate!! You''re so amazing!"


    I watched in my peripheral view as the robot danced around creepily. I really hated this damn robot. It stopped suddenly.


    "We have to begin phase four immediately! Fuel reserves are already approaching danger levels."


    I felt horror. I was hoping this was the end. I began thinking up demands and questions to fire at the robot but before I could say anything more it clicked a few time and the octopus machine whirled into action again.


    I whimpered and flinched at its movements. I had an ingrained fear of this machine now. One of its limbs snaked out and I felt another injection. This time it was on my inner thigh.


    A numbing sensation spread and my body went limp. I could not move a single muscle. I couldn''t even speak. I wanted to beg for a reprieve, but I couldn''t.


    The straps that held my limbs in place seemed to lift me and turn me over. I realized the straps were not actually straps, but more snake-like appendages that seemed to grow from the very table.


    After turning me over they released me for a few seconds before returning to their side of the table and securing my limbs again. A depression for my face seemed to form in the chair allowing me to breathe.


    "Begin cerebral implantation procedure."


    I wanted to scream at the robot.


    A brain implant. Not just my body. This machine was going to fuck around in my head as well?


    I felt violated worse than any other time during my horrific stay in this bunker from hell. I wished I had the ability to bite my own tongue off, but I could not move to do it. Even that was beyond me. I let out the faintest of moans only.


    Even through the numbness, I could feel something happening on my head neck and large portions of my spine. The sounds coming from behind me spoke of slicing and stabbing. A burst of light lit the room from behind me from time to time and the smell of cauterized flesh invaded my nose.


    I felt no pain, but only discomfort from the procedure. The implications were enough to absolutely send me into fits of inner hysteria.


    The inability to keep track of time was one of the worst parts of this entire process. I had been unconscious, conscious, half-conscious, and in many other states of minds recently. Pain and suffering also seemed to warp the perception of time.


    Every once in a while the robot named Toby would speak a word of encouragement.


    "You''re doing so good buddy!!" And "You can do it."


    The words did not encourage me at all. I swore inwardly and hated this damn robot all the more.


    The procedure eventually came to an end. Toby let loose a few chirps and clicks and I heard the machine operating on me move away. The tables limbs flipped me over again.


    "Activating nanite integration cerebral implant, code-named Prometheus System."


    My entire body jerked and went rigid. A familiar popping electric bubbles feeling spread throughout my body. In addition, it felt like a constant current of electricity swarmed around my spine and neck.


    My vision went in and out of focus and I lost my hearing for seconds at a time before it returned, only to cut out again.


    My senses continued going wild and chaotic as Toby spoke.


    "Prometheus system activated and powered."


    "Beginning Prometheus operating system upload."


    I felt a headache began to form and heat also started to radiate from below my breast bone.


    Just before the heat and headache began to get truly unbearable the heat started to recede and the pain in my head abated.


    "Upload complete. Sending boot command to Prometheus implant operating system."


    A trickle of current seemed to travel up and down my spine again as well and possibly parts of my brain. It wasn''t painful at all. I only felt a tingle that quickly became unnoticeable.


    Letters began to appear in my vision. Green words formed instantly and scrawled the upper portion of my view.


    Initializing... Initializing complete.


    Loading default user configuration... default configuration loaded.


    Activating neuron mapping subsystem... mapping complete.


    Cerebral synchronization initiated... cerebral synchronization rate - 93%.


    My senses began returning to normal. To my judgment, they seemed even better than before. My eyesight definitely felt more clear. I could also hear my own heartbeat clearly. It sounded very loud.


    More word scrolled across my vision.


    Starting user interface subsystem...


    Green light seemed to explode in my vision and quickly form into line and curves. I realized the green line outlined the edges of the room and objects inside of it.


    The medical robot hovering close by was outlined in green with the word AUTOMATIC SURGICAL ASSISTANT and a string of number labeling it with a green line connecting the words to the machine.


    Just next to the descriptive words another text box came into existence.


    AUTOMATIC SURGICAL ASSISTANT SCANNING HOST...


    BLOCK SCANS? ACCEPT - DENY


    Further below that text box, another box opened. This text box seemed dim though.


    HACK


    I was shocked. I realized I basically had a computer in my head. The realization shook me.


    I didn''t know exactly what would happen or how it would help me, but this new... ability?... I had to test it.


    When I thought of hacking the robot the button marked hacking seemed to flash and pulse before another test box opened.


    HOST MUST BE IN CONTACT WITH MACHINE TO HACK IT.


    I felt sad at the prompt. I looked back to the text box marked BLOCK SCAN and wanted to accept that instead. Instantly text began scrolling.


    BLOCKING SCANS


    The surgical robot gave a large twitch. More text followed.


    WOULD THE USER LIKE TO SET SCAN BLOCKING AS THE DEFAULT? ACCEPT - DENY


    I thought for a split second and decided I didn''t like being scanned without my permission. I "clicked" accept.


    It couldn''t even be called clicking. The program seemed to instantly respond to my desires and act accordingly. All of the prompts and selection happened extremely quickly.


    "Are you blocking scans? That is against base regulations. Please cease blocking scans or your regulation breaking will be reported to your superiors."


    I thought about Toby''s request. Telling him to shove it up his ass probably wouldn''t do me any good currently, no matter how much I desired to do it.


    When I thought about allowing scans again the texts prompts flickered in view for a split second and the words scanning appeared beside the surgical robot again. I was amazed at the speed and responsiveness of the system.


    For a moment I thought about what I was now. I didn''t even know what I really WAS! What was I some sort of cyborg? Half man half machine?


    The implication of my situation threatened to overwhelm my brain. While I thought about what this all meant to me I scratched my face and frowned.


    When I began to work my way through my beard stubble to the other side of my chin I finally realized my hands were free.


    I bolted upright and stared at my hands. I was free. Well... My limbs were at least. I looked over at the robot named Toby and realized he had been speaking.


    "I knew you could do it, buddy! You have passed candidate selection. Congratulations!!"


    It paused then continued.


    "Project Icarus completion parameters met. Deactivating cold storage protocol. Base returning to full operation."


    It went through a machine like list of subsystems and technical jargon before turning to me and saying.


    "Sergeant 782 added to active duty roster and promoted to captain as required by standing order #1634. Captain 782 please report to a superior officer for orders."


    As it said that a door whooshed open on one side of the room.


    I wondered at the reason for calling me by my rank and my candidate number now. I guessed I wasn''t a candidate anymore so my rank took precedent now. I also assumed because the robot never asked my name it simply automatically named me 782.


    I threw the useless thought away and began thinking about my next move. I REALLY wanted to start smashing this robot Toby to pieces, but I wasn''t sure it would end well for me. I felt amazing in comparison to before or during this whole procedure, but I still felt weak. And even at my best could I beat this intelligent metal spider?


    I eyed the door. It screamed freedom to me. I knew there was no superior officer waiting for me outside that door. Could I simply find the elevator and leave? I felt the urge to boot as far away from this room as possible.


    The base was fully powered now. Were there security systems in place, now fully powered and capable of stopping me?


    I suffered the agony of indecision for a few moments before an idea struck me. I looked at Toby. He had an outline of light around him as well. Same as The surgical robot. Of course he did! The prompt for blocking scanning hovered next to him as well. Below that prompt another sat.


    I slowly walked up to Toby and touched him with calm nonchalance. Toby seemed to recoil slightly in confusion at my invasion of his personal space. He did not understand a human''s ability to be devious.


    "What are you doing Captain 782? Physically damaging base property is.."


    Before he could speak any further I looked at the now brightly lit hacking prompt and thought ACCEPT. Pinprick like pain jabbed at the tips of my fingers and a network of fine lines spread from my touch like worms digging their way into the machines surface. Toby went absolutely still.


    A progress bar jumped onto existence and began to fill. Next to the progress bar were the words HACKING... 1% ETA 3 MINUTES.


    As I watched the progress bar fill slowly and rested my hand on Toby''s frame I smiled. I imagined what I would do with this robot.


    I couldn''t help a chuckle from breaking out. Things were looking up!

 Chapter 11

    As I began to lean against the now frozen in place Toby I reactivated scan blocking and whistled.


    As the process started I could feel the electric current like feeling in my spine and neck again. Even my brain felt odd. I realized using my abilities would give me this feeling.


    I also quickly realized using these abilities would have its costs.


    When the progress bar passed 40% I started feeling heat in my chest. When it passed 70% the heat felt truly hot and my head started to ache. It was bearable but uncomfortable.


    When the progress bar read 100% I released a sigh of relief. I rubbed at the sides of my head. The headache was disorienting.


    I also felt oddly weaker. I wasn''t sure as I was already pretty tired, but I thought I felt that way.


    When I had finished appraising myself I looked at Toby. He still stood like a statue. He made no sound.


    I wasn''t exactly sure what hacking this robot meant just yet. I felt caution would suit me best. Was the hack a complete hack? Did it simply freeze him? Could he suddenly attack after breaking the hack?


    "Can you hear me, Toby?"


    No answer came. Toby stood motionless. I stared for a few moments. Eventually, I came to the conclusion he was frozen.


    I wondered if that was all this hacking ability did. Useful but limited...


    I started checking the overview information panel attached to toby in my vision.


    SEMI INTELLIGENT AI ASSISTANT #C3Z1 (TOBY) HACKED(safe mode)


    Bellow the text box sat 3 buttons. One marked SYSTEM ADMIN PRIVILEGES. One marked SYSTEM DATA, and the last marked DEACTIVATE SAFE MODE.


    I thought long and hard. I sort of understood the use of each button. I didn''t feel like altering the system data was within my capabilities.


    If I accepted that option I guessed I would be met with lines of code and programming language. I couldn''t even read it all in a month let alone alter it in all likelihood.


    I thought about the safe mode prompt. It was currently in safe mode. It was even marked as such next to its name. I figured safe mode was automatic when hacking.


    It made sense. If I was hacking something a frozen safe mode upon completion would be the best way to do it.


    I wondered if machines that were linked might notice one machine suddenly dropping out of the loop and entering safe mode. Maybe in some circumstances, safe mode wouldn''t be the best choice.


    As I thought about the issue more prompts flit across my view asking about user preference and setting defaults for hacking.


    This implant was definitely good stuff. The intuitive nature of it shocked me. I also felt violated at how entwined this machine was with my mind.


    I choose to keep safe mode as the default and only change it on the fly as needed.


    I thought about my options and only system admin privileges seemed to suit my needs.


    With a simple thought, the prompt exploded into lines and formed a new text box. I read the text and realized it was a simple list of admins as well as a backlog of admin right alterations. It also had a common user list.


    There was only one admin currently listed and no users. A doctor Gregory House was listed as the only admin.


    I checked the changelog and found dozens of names with the words ADMIN PRIVILEGE REVOKED and USER PRIVILEGE REVOKED next to them, as well as a time stamp for each action.


    One of the other pieces of information listed was who revoked their admin rights.


    On the very long list of revoked names, every single person''s admin and user rights were revoked by a Dr. Gregory House.


    I felt like I might have the name of the grand architect of this whole hair-brained operation now. I wondered if this doctor Gregory set this all up or if the project went beyond his control.


    It didn''t really matter right this second though. I would find out more later.


    I thought about adding my name to the admin list and my implant responded immediately. I accepted the prompt and my name was instantly on the list of admins as Cpt. 782.


    I thought about it and decided to revoke the good doctor''s admin privileges. Better safe than sorry I say.


    Another fast and intuitive prompt later and the doctor was now revoked of all privileges.


    I thought about anything else I could do, but nothing came to mind. I figured I had done everything my untrained mind could to the robot for now.


    I selected DEACTIVATE SAFE MODE and waited.


    Toby jerked and began moving. His snake-like limbs started swaying and probing around him again. His camera turned to me.


    "Do you hear me, Toby?"


    "Yes, of course I do captain 782! Isn''t it such a great day!!"


    It didn''t call me master or indicate any need for commands. I don''t know what I expected it to say honestly. Maybe "how can I serve you master/admin" would have been my expectation.


    So I asked a question I know wouldn''t have been answered before to test my privileges.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "What are alpha embryo cells?"


    Toby quickly answered after a short pause.


    "All data on alpha embryo cells are stored on the Icarus base main database. No copies can be stored separately.


    Currently, my connection to the main database has been severed by system security. Reason for my revoked authority is unknown. Would you like me to run a diagnostic to troubleshoot the problem?"


    "No!"


    I started to sweat. It seemed hacking definitely wasn''t all powerful. I guessed the base systems had already identified Toby as compromised.


    I wondered if Toby running a diagnostic would reset the hack. Maybe he would lose his robot "mind" and start acting erratic.


    This was good. I didn''t get an answer about what I asked, but I did get info. I also got confirmation of my admin access. He didn''t say he wouldn''t give me the info. He said he COULDN''T. There was a difference.


    So the base computer is still operating? I had to think about that. What was the computer capable of? I guessed it''s processing power far outstripped Toby''s, but was it just a powerful computer in a box, or could it somehow harm me? I had to ask more.


    "Toby, the main base computer... does it have control of security systems?"


    "Yes. All base automated security systems are under Icarus main system control."


    I felt a shiver at the thought. Was I already listed as an intruder? I couldn''t know.


    "Do you know the status of the automated security systems?"


    "Yes"


    It took me a second. I had done it again. I had asked a robot a question too simply. It HAD answered my question. I cursed inwardly and rephrased the question.


    "What is the status of the automated security system?"


    "Before I was barred from system access the automated security system status stood at 7% effective."


    That was good. 7% sounded good. It was basically on its last leg. It still wouldn''t be good to turn a corner and get blasted by one of the few still operational wall mounted phasers, disintegrators, or some other futuristic gizmo.


    I had a decision to make. After I had hacked Toby I had started playing around with the idea of taking the whole base for myself. Now... I wasn''t sure if that was a good idea.


    Take the risk, or leave? I thought long and hard.


    In the end leaving won out. Too many factors were in play. This base computer. The security systems. And most of all the knowledge this facility wasn''t unknown to others.


    The rushing way the noble had pushed our group here, it stank of him trying to beat someone else to the punch.


    I may be able to bring this entire base under my control. I may gain possession of a vast storage if old world tech.


    It wouldn''t help me if someone else showed up and killed me however. How many gold miners had been killed while celebrating over their find?


    No. Mother needed me. I wasn''t here for a treasure hunt. The risk was too much. Leaving was the proper decision.


    What would I even do with all of the tech anyways? In the world today having something valuable was reason enough to get murdered.


    I was alive. That would have to be enough.


    "Toby, can you lead me to where you found me while avoiding any operational security systems?"


    "Yes."


    I smiled.


    "Good, lead the way around security to the place you found me."


    Toby went into motion immediately. He quickly crawled through the door and headed down the hallway.


    I followed in the steps of Toby at a fast walk. There were doors here and there on either side of the hallway, but Toby ignored them.


    I noticed all the lights were now on and brightly lit. Some of the lights flickered, and some didn''t operate at all, but the ones that did work were now fully powered.


    I also noticed the corpses. The halls had corpses laying on the floor every once in a while. The corpses looked ravaged by time, but intact. Their clothes were not much more than wisps of rotted cloth now.


    We wound our way through a labyrinth of hallways and tunnels for at least 10 minutes before coming to a door with a stairwell painted on the wall beside it.


    Toby brought one of his appendages up to the doorknob and I heard a loud buzz and a discordant sound. A light next to the handle that was yellow turned red and flashed before turning yellow again.


    "My access has been revoked."


    Toby said it as chipper as always. I began to sweat. I walked up to the door and to my relief I saw the handle and the locking mechanism outlined in green with now familiar prompt next to them.


    I quickly selected the hack option after touching the locking device. There was another pinprick sensation on the parts of my hand touching the device, and a web of burrowing worm-like fine lines spread from my touch. It was the same as last time.


    The progress bar appeared and showed an eta of 15 seconds. I smiled. It only made sense a door lock would be easier to hack then Toby. Toby was an at least semi-smart artificial intelligence.


    I didn''t feel any heat or experience headache during the short process.


    When the progress bar filled fully the light on the door turned green and flashed. I heard an audible clunk and I pushed the door open.


    I didn''t need to mess with any of the options as the automatic safe mode seemed to have unlocked the door by default anyway.


    Toby quickly went passed me and started climbing the stairs. Watching him crawl upstairs was creepy to me. It was the fluid way he moved. It was definitely spider-like.


    We ascended a few dozen flights of stairs and passed many doors. I was shocked at how deep this complex went. If every level was as big as the one I just left, then this bunker was absolutely massive!


    After a while, Toby stopped at another door. This door also had a yellow light on it. Without even giving Toby a chance to try the door I pushed passed him and touched the door lock.


    Moments later the light turned green and I swung the door open.


    Toby lead me down winding passageways for another few minutes. We passed through multiple familiar looking rooms along the way.


    There were desks, chairs, and chest high barriers in these rooms. They were not the room of the ambush, but they were very similar. I had the idea that this level was some sort of workspace level for research types or something.


    Eventually, we came to the scene of the ambush. I stood for a few moments and looked at the three corpses in the room.


    I felt like kicking the noble''s body for a moment before shrugging and moving on.


    I also felt bad for the scavengers, but there wasn''t really anything I could do for them. I couldn''t carry their bodies back. It just wasn''t practical.


    I went to the center of the room. I went to the place I had hidden for the ambush and found what I was looking for. My bag lay in the debris.


    I opened it and pulled out my last pair of pants and an extra shirt. I didn''t like being naked and I had been naked for who knows how long at this point. It felt good to be wearing clothes again.


    With my clothes on and my bag settled on my shoulder, I walked back to the corpse of the noble.


    Using my foot I rolled him off from the other object I wanted in this room. His assault rifle!


    It sat there almost smiling back at me. A green glow outlined the weapon. Text appeared beside the rifle.


    PENETRATOR KINETIC ASSAULT RIFLE


    HACK?


    Just like every other time, when I touched the rifle the hack option lit up. 9 seconds later I was holding my new rifle and trying to familiarize myself with it.


    There was a safety like most other weapons, but I couldn''t figure out where the magazine release was. I couldn''t even tell if this weapon took magazines to begin with.


    After fiddling with the weapon for a while and finding a recess in the weapon that matched the size and shape of a piece of metal attached to the noble''s hip, I had figured out how to refill its ammo.


    Instead of a magazine the gun simply sucked the metal bar into the compartment on the weapon magnetically. This thing didn''t shoot bullets it seemed.


    I tested the weapon on the wall. I was pleased to hear the snap of it shooting, and watch holes appear on the wall. The weapon had surprisingly little recoil.


    Just as I finished testing the weapon and began eyeing the nobles corpse with thoughts of stripping his armor off, all the lights in the room and hallways attached to the room went dark.


    I was startled at the sudden darkness. Soon small flashing orange strobe lights began flickering to life. They pulsed in coordination.


    A soothing but robotic voice of a woman came over speakers that sounded like they were mounted in the ceiling.


    "Base fuel reserves have fallen below failsafe levels. Base self destruct initiated. All base staff are recommended to evacuate immediately."

 Chapter 12

    "All base personnel should follow designated evacuation routes."


    I barely heard the last part of what the voice said. Self destruct sounded bad. VERY bad. I remembered Toby saying something about a fusion reactor at some point.


    Would the base detonate its reactor?


    I didn''t understand the difference between a fusion reactor or a nuke exploding as much as I would like but this sounded terrifying.


    "Toby, how long before the base is destroyed?"


    Eyeing Toby in anxiety I waited for an answer.


    "Estimated time until self destruct 1 hour 29 minutes and 13 seconds."


    An hour and a half? I had to be gone fast. I wondered how much time my plan would take. It would all depend on my new abilities at this point.


    I couldn''t outrun a nuclear blast on foot. Getting up the elevator shaft will probably eat up 15 minutes or more alone.


    I rejoiced at my earlier decision to leave instead of getting greedy. It may have saved my life.


    Not wasting any more time I started sprinting towards the elevator shaft I had come down.


    The robot surprisingly followed me and we quickly came to the elevator shaft. I found what I was praying for.


    I hoped the noble had left his own rope here. I was screwed if he used some other methods to get down.


    I was surprised, however, at what I found. The "rope" was a handle with a thread like strand of metal coming out of it and ascending into the darkness above.


    Upon further investigation, I found three buttons on the handle. Putting two and two together I realized the top button should ascend and the bottom button should descend.


    I wasn''t so sure about the middle button. It might be a stop button. It might also be a release. I didn''t want to test it out.


    I tested the first button successfully. The device started to reel in the line. When the button was released it stopped pulling the line in.


    I slung the kinetic rifle over my back using its strap and got ready to ascend. Just as I was about to go I looked at Toby.


    "Toby, can you climb this shaft?"


    I wanted the robot. It could be useful. I wanted information from it mainly. Anything not listed as highly restricted and stored on the base''s main database alone SHOULD be stored inside Toby, right?


    "No. I can not traverse a verticle surface. My current chassis does not support vertical climbing."


    I felt a pang of regret at his words. A part of me hated this robot with a burning passion. That was the caveman part of my brain. It wanted to smash Toby.


    The logical part of my brain knew Toby might be a treasure trove of info on the old world, however. More importantly, he may be able to explain my abilities and their drawbacks more.


    I was about to abandon the idea when I thought about the problem more. Toby DID say that his CURRENT chassis couldn''t do it.


    Could I track down a new body for him? Probably not. It did, however, give me an idea.


    I looked at Toby and selected system data from the text prompts floating by him.


    MUST BE IN SAFE MODE TO ACCESS SYSTEM DATA.


    I huffed, took note, and put Toby in safe mode. I clicked system data again.


    I was met with line after line of code. Ones and zeros rained down in my view. There was no way I could understand this and alter it.


    I wasn''t trying to alter it, however. I wanted to copy it. I didn''t even know if it was possible before trying, but the implant came through for me.


    COPY SYSTEM FILES? ACCEPT - DENY


    I paused. The idea was good... on paper. On further thought though...


    I wasn''t copying Toby''s mind to a computer. I was transferring him to my own brain. Or was it my implant that stored him? Were the two things even separate anymore? I didn''t know.


    I shivered at the thought of Toby''s programming going crazy in my head.


    In the end, I chose to believe in the implant. I copied the system files. It took longer than I expected.


    7 minutes later the process was complete. It was odd. The heat didn''t build up this time. My brain didn''t ache.


    Was it because it was a simple data transfer? Did it take more power to hack than transfer data? I thought about it. It made sense. Many calculations and programs probably had to run at the same time to hack. A data transfer would only be limited by the upload and download capacity of the 2 computers, right?


    I really didn''t understand enough. That''s why I took the risk of downloading Toby. I have always been addicted to gathering information. Today was no different.


    Some prompts began flashing again.


    FILE DOWNLOADED.


    DETECTED INTELLIGENT CONSTRUCT PROGRAM.


    ENABLE


    DISABLE


    QUARANTINE


    Instantly I selected quarantine. The idea of Toby''s programming mixing with other parts of my head had me worried. I wanted his programming data as secured as possible. Instead of running toby''s code on my own grey matter I would find another system to download him on to.


    I would never allow an intelligent program to run inside my own brain. The assist from my implant was already pushing boundaries I didn''t like.


    With the information from Toby downloaded, I had no real use for him anymore. Everything I could want from him was now stored. His entire mind was now stored in my head.


    Eyeing Toby, I considered blowing him away with my fancy new rifle. I had some anger issues to work out with the robot and destroying him would feel very good.


    Toby sat still as a statue. I came very close to shooting him, but in the end I let go of my anger. It was just a program. A machine. It was just doing as it was programmed.


    Blaming Toby for my pain and suffering would be no different than blaming a gun for murder. It didn''t make sense. It was fuzzy logic. I took Toby out of safe mode.


    I sighed as I grabbed the handle of the device and watched Toby. I clicked the button to ascend and was quickly pulled up into the looming darkness above.


    The robot Toby actually came to the edge of the elevator shaft and watched me leave. I thought the robot almost seemed sad. As if a dog whose master had abandoned it.


    Shaking my head clear of the thought I looked up and watched for the only other open elevator door there should be in this shaft.


    After coming to the door I swung back and then through the opening while hitting the middle button on the climbing device. Like I thought the middle button was a release. The line quickly spooled into the device.


    I threw the device into my backpack and leveled the rifle as I swept the room for any dangers. I didn''t want to be caught with my pants down. Who knew what was waiting for me up here. An army? A group of commandos? The noble''s angry mother? Who knew?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Whatever waited ahead I would blow it away or run. I couldn''t surrender. Any other players who had their greedy little hands in this game were unlikely to let me live.


    Rifle leveled, I worked my way cautiously towards the bunker exit. I tried being as disciplined as possible, but the thought of the inferno this bunker and its surrounding would soon become had me moving at a half jog.


    To my relief, there was no one waiting at the tunnel entrance. Well, no one alive anyway. There were plenty of corpses as well as broken GOLIATH pieces scattered about.


    I put the imagery from my head and went straight for my target. The old world armor knelt directly in front of the entrance on both knees. Its legs made almost perfect steps up to the cockpit. I took note of the name given to the mech by my implant.


    X-209 "CALIPSO" LIGHT ASSAULT ARMOR


    My hands shook a little as I reached up and pulled myself onto the cockpit. I was excited. I had never piloted a mech before. I was also worried this wouldn''t work.


    I sat in the seat, found a comfortable position and quickly selected the now bright hack option and prayed. A familiar prickling sensation came from my hands and I felt the familiar electric current in my spine and neck.


    HACKING... ETA 11 MINUTES.


    While the new progress bar began to slowly fill, I celebrated internally. It worked! I didn''t have any reason to believe it wouldn''t, it was just another machine, but if it hadn''t worked I would be going on foot to escape the blast. I was pretty sure I wouldn''t make it like that.


    This armor also played a major role in the plans slowly forming in my head. Yes, this armor would be a great asset in the future.


    My internal celebrations began to falter at the 5-minute mark. The heat in my chest and the splitting pain forming in my head had brought me back to reality.


    I was hoping even though the process would take more than three times as long as hacking Toby that the pain and heat wouldn''t be that much worse.


    At the eight-minute mark, I nearly let go and jumped out of the cockpit. The pain was almost as bad as the experience of being Toby''s lab rat... almost.


    When the progress bar fully filled and I got confirmation of a successful hack, I drooped in the pilot''s chair and took great gasping lung stretching breaths.


    Blood had started trickling from my nose and eyes. My hands were shaking like crazy and I swore I could smell some burnt flesh from my chest. I felt exhausted.


    I was scared by my own condition. I realized using my abilities might just kill me one day. I didn''t understand enough. I didn''t understand why my chest burned so much. I could sort of guess why my head ached.


    The brain was like any muscle. Overwork it and it would hurt. I guessed the implant was being not so gentle with the wet stuff between my ears.


    The heat in my chest... I didn''t have a clue. All I could think of was that it may be like a heat sink. I couldn''t be sure.


    I sat and waited for the heat to die down and for my head to stop pulsing with pain. I knew I didn''t have time, but I was in very poor condition now. I needed a minute.


    As the heat started to fade and my head started returning to some semblance of normal I thought of my new problem... piloting.


    I was no pilot. I had very little idea of how to control this metal giant. I was banking on the implant again. It didn''t let me down. Though it found a solution I didn''t expect at all.


    When I began looking through all the prompts given to me by the implant, I didn''t immediately notice anything helpful. There was information on weaponry, power output, power storage, shield levels(currently deactivated), and many other probably important pieces of information.


    But not a tutorial option. No autopilot option. No setting a waypoint. Nothing like that. I could do some things with what I found like closing the hatch or fully powering the mech, but none of that was really all that helpful unless I could move the damn thing.


    I sat in growing panic as I rifled through all my options looking for an answer. Right before I truly started to lose my shit I found an option marked FULL LINK MODE.


    With that option being the only option that might be helpful and a creeping suspicion that I might have a clue of what this option did, I selected it.


    All along my hands, legs, spine, and neck, I felt thousands of little pricks. The vast majority of the pricks came from the back of my head and down my spine.


    The hatch immediately closed with an audible hiss and a loud locking clunk. Immediately every surface in the cockpit began to be filled with color and light.


    The surface of the cockpit was a picture of outside the mech. Blue tracing lines and tactical prompts and sensor data floated here and there. Objects and equipment were outlined and labeled much as my implant did for my human eyes.


    I could hear the core drive on the armor begin to ramp up in output. Just as I was drinking in the marvel of everything happening my vision flickered and everything changed.


    I could still see everything the 360-degree screen in the cockpit was showing, but it was completely different. WILDLY DIFFERENT.


    I realized I was not seeing a screen anymore. I was quite literally seeing out of the armor''s eyes themselves. More than just its eyes. The armor had a multitude of different sensors and cameras mounted on and in its body.


    All those sensors. All those cameras. They were now my eyes and ears. It felt very confusing to see in the infrared and normal vision at the same time as well as a few other types of vision I hadn''t even heard of before.


    My vision was also no longer limited to the normal field of view. I saw in EVERY direction. Hell, I even saw behind objects. Parts of the data flowing into my head were more than just visual. I could "feel" the outlines and shapes of objects behind obstacles.


    It was creepy, but I stuffed my shock way down and took it all in. I realized the implant was hooked up to this armor and feeding the data straight into my head. My head or the implant was digesting the information and presenting it in ways I could understand it.


    I smiled and lifted my right hand to rub at my chest where the heat had begun to slowly grow again. The rate of heat growth wasn''t as bad as when hacking, but it was noticeable. I couldn''t maintain this full link mode forever.


    I knew there was a high likelihood of this happening. Anytime I had used these implant given abilities before the heat and headaches had come. It didn''t take a genius to figure out synching with the armor would probably do the same.


    I guessed I had about an hour before the pain would become unbearable. It was just an educated guess, but I was pretty sure I would last. I was in pretty shit condition already, but I should be fine.


    I was startled, however, when instead of lifting my actual hand to scratch at my heated chest, a large metal hand began to scratch at the front chest plate of the mech.


    Pulling "my" hand back, I looked at it. I could feel the foolish grin split my face as I twisted the armor''s hand this way and that. I began to chuckle as I started walking.


    It was a little awkward at first to walk, but I soon got the hang of my new body''s dimensions and weight distribution. I was amazed by the implants abilities all over again.


    Stopping myself from running around jumping and skipping like a child with a new toy I slapped myself internally and moved towards my next goal. The noble''s box of goodies. He had a supply box that seemed to be full of his own equipment and supplies. He didn''t share supplies with anyone else during the trip here.


    There should be food and water as well as fuel for the armor in there. I had seen the noble pull all of those things from this box. In fact, he was actually using refined fuel cores instead of the unrefined ones the knights had been using.


    There was also two other things I knew were in the crate. Sentry turrets, and those little helicopter drones. Those would definitely come in use.


    I tucked the sturdy crate under "my" left arm and was about to leave when I had another thought. Looking throughout the camp I saw what I wanted.


    Tucked up and leaning against one wall were two beaten and battered old world armor. They were the two armor the group had found in the rubble of the base.


    Walking up to them, I compared the two to see which one looked less damaged. Being unable to carry two, I wanted the least damaged one.


    Picking the one with the least damage, I squat down and heaved the damaged armor over "my" shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I wasn''t going to leave without taking anything I could possibly take. I was thrifty like that. Others called it thievery... but I like the word thrifty better.


    I was worried the load would be too heavy, but the former noble''s armor took the weight without much trouble. The load wasn''t anything I would enjoy fighting with, but I could still move relatively well.


    With the armor now loaded I began to move out. I exited the large building covering the tunnel entrance and began passing in between half torn down building, scraps of junk, the remains of a defensive wall, and left the base completely. It was the middle of the night. I could see a sky full of stars like an ocean above me.


    As I passed the last of the base''s remains I picked up the pace and moved at a swift jog. It felt weird to be jogging at a moderate pace and see that the HUD listed me as moving at 53kph.


    With my new larger than life viewpoint, it didn''t feel like I was moving that fast, but the HUD didn''t seem to be in error. I loved the feeling of being a giant.


    As I moved further and further into the desolate area around the base and did my best to move in the direction we came from I started to run as fast as I could.


    I felt more comfortable controlling the armor and I knew I would need as much space between me and the incipient blast as I could manage. I cursed at the lack of any hills to put between me and the explosion. The landscape was as flat and featureless as I remembered. Not even a crevice could be found.


    After nearly 40 minutes of running at full speed, I heard the chop of rotors. Several sets of rotors.


    I had been concentrating on the path ahead, but with the new sound, I immediately stopped and began scanning the sky. It didn''t take me long to spot them. The armor''s sensors picked them out immediately.


    To the northeast 4 heavy helicopters cut a straight line towards the direction of the base. Two of the helicopters were unarmed helicopters. My heads up display keyed me in on their specs and abilities quickly. They seemed to be fitted out to carry heavy loads.


    The third and fourth helicopter, however, were fully armed. I could see the rockets loaded beneath the helicopters as well as a long tri-barreled canon sticking out of their nose.


    As I watched, one of the armed helicopters banked to the left and came directly at me. I began to sweat and panic.


    I immediately began to sprint again. My pulse began to shift into overdrive and I noticed an odd sensation of time slowing. It now seemed easier to maneuver the armor and as such, I picked up some extra speed. I pushed my observations to the side.


    Looking at the HUD my current speed read 138kph. I knew it wouldn''t be enough.


    As I heard the rotors begin to overtake me I decided I wouldn''t wait for the helicopter to blow me away. I would fight back.


    Dropping the armor and cargo container I thought about the armor''s equipped rifle and it instantly swung down, around, and into place directly in the palm of "my" hand.


    I thought I had timed it poorly and wouldn''t have time to aim before the helicopter blew me away with its cannon or rockets, but the helicopter blew past me before rounding and settling into a hover.


    A spotlight was thrown on and a patch of ground 20 meters wide around me was now fully lit.


    I started to level my rifle at the helicopter when a notification on my HUD jolted me from my concentration.


    INCOMING COM REQUEST


    ACCEPT - DENY?

 Chapter 13

    My mind began to race as I stared at the com request. My HUD informed me the com request had come from the helicopter hovering with its guns seemingly trained on me.


    I wondered who this could possibly be. Friends of the baron I killed? His enemies? Competitors for the tech "gold rush" the base represented?


    Whoever they were, talking was the last thing I wanted to do. The base would be going up in smithereens soon. I had to be as far as possible from it. I couldn''t waste any more time.


    My original plan was to slip away with what I could without anyone the wiser. It looked like my plan was falling apart and fast.


    I contemplated shooting the helicopter without any warning. I was pretty sure a single round would do the job. I had seen this rifle in action before and I knew it packed one hell of a punch.


    The helicopter did have a lot of firepower. A full barrage of its rockets... could it kill me?


    Deciding to hear what was to be said before making a decision, I opened the channel and waited.


    "Your Lordship Vagnar, apologies for my earlier aggressive action. My sensors had trouble identifying your armor until the last moment. Your friend or foe identification also seems to be disabled."


    Lordship Vagnar? Who the hell is a Lord Vagnar? Wasn''t that noble''s family name MacArthur?!


    This was all wrong. For a moment I couldn''t put it all together. I knew this was important information. Eventually, I began to piece it together.


    The noble that brought me here wasn''t any baron. He wasn''t even a MacArthur. He was an imposter! But why?


    Your Lordship was a greeting used with those ranked count/earl. I killed a count?! If he was a count though why the cloak and daggers? I couldn''t figure enough of it out. There were too many unknown facts.


    "Your Lordship, please respond."


    While trapped in my own thoughts I had not paid more than secondary attention to the increasingly stressed and suspicious words of the attack helicopter pilot.


    "Please activate your FOF transponder, my lord."


    I realized this state of relative peace wouldn''t last much longer. The pilot was only showing grace and not blowing me away with his rockets because he thought I was his Lord.


    When he realized the truth... things would begin to happen very quickly. I decided to take the initiative. Initiative in a fight can mean the difference between winning and losing.


    "My Lord? Please... HUH?!!! FUCK!!"


    I could completely understand the pilots surprised reaction over the com channel. It only made sense as while he was mid-sentence I raised the long barreled rifle and aimed directly at him with little hesitation.


    I watched the concentric blue and green HUD markers began to extremely quickly fill in the range and angle of the required shot. When I received the confirmation of my aim I pulled the trigger.


    My aim was true. Honestly, I would have been very disappointed if I missed a hovering target only half a kilometer away.


    The pilot had tried and failed to jink his aircraft to the side in an attempt to avoid the round, but he was too late to achieve the maneuver.


    He wasn''t too late in responding to my aggression with a little of his own aggression, however.


    A split second before my bullet hit the aircraft and sent it spinning to the ground, two rockets leaped off of their racks and charged at me with insane speed.


    A loud and shrill tone started beeping out with increased speed and magnitude inside my head. System information and my own logic told me exactly what the tone meant.


    It was a lock on tone. Within half a second the tone was nothing less than a shrill screech.


    I ignored the almost unreadable data lines and trajectory indicators that now populated my eyesight and relied on instinct alone to dodge the rockets.


    I activated my shield on instinct as well. I wasn''t sure the shield would stop the rocket, but it was better than nothing.


    Even in the "bullet time" mode, I seemed to enter when stressed and in combat, the rockets were so fast I didn''t even move before they had already traveled halfway to me. One rocket trailed slightly behind the other.


    I activated the large booster on the spinal column of the Icarus and felt my body slam into the seat of the cockpit. It felt as if an elephant was standing on my chest.


    My speed indicator showed a speed three times the armor''s max speed for a few seconds. The armor''s feet even lifted off of the craggy ground during the boost.


    I didn''t do anything fancy. I simply tried diving under the path of the rockets. I didn''t really have the skill to try anything fancy.


    I''m sure as a first-time pilot, my split-second reaction would have made a few eyebrows raise. I had only been piloting for less than 40 minutes. I should be proud of my reaction speed.


    The rockets, however, didn''t give a damn about patting me on the back or my vain pride.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The first rocket was successfully dodged. The rockets had trouble redirecting it''s flight path to intercept me and struck behind the Icarus armor, missing by nearly 30 meters. Flames and a shockwave with some shrapnel harmlessly bounced off my rear shield.


    The second rocket that trailed behind the first... did not miss, however.


    With the extra distance and time to recalculate my new speed and trajectory, it accounted for the change and swiftly altered course.


    For a moment after the first rocket exploded I thought I had successfully dodged the rockets completely.


    The rockets streaked out of the sky with a large twist and struck the ground at nearly exactly the point my shield made contact with the ground.


    I only saw my shield flash white hot for a split second before I felt the hand of God reach down and smack me. I was launched into a wild spin and flew across the ground.


    When the CALIPSO armor finally came to a rest my mind was rather fuzzy. Alerts flickered across my now dim view warning me about a concussion and cracked ribs.


    Damage readouts for the CALIPSO swarmed in my view as well. An outline of the CALIPSO was presented with sections colored orange and yellow. Shockingly little green sections were shown.


    My shields showed a 31 percent charge. I couldn''t appreciate the fact that the shields had held and saved my life though as my head and body seemed almost disconnected. My entire being ached.


    In time, I was able to pull the CALIPSO into a sitting position and then stand. I could tell something was wrong with my controls. The CALIPSO was unsteady and not answering my mental commands properly.


    When I finally reoriented myself and looked to the west I saw my worst fear come true.


    The two cargo helicopters had peeled off, began moving higher, and creating distance between me and them.


    The second attack helicopter was NOT retreating. It was making a straight line dash at me and my armor.


    I watched with dread as it quickly ate up the distance between me and it. It made jinking and erratic movements in its flight path as it came on.


    Even through the ringing in my head and pain in my head, I knew this would be a do or die moment. The attack helicopter only needed one pass to kill me. I had one chance to end this and stay alive.


    I tried to steady my mind and body as I began to raise my rifle. More concentric aiming reticles and aim assist markers popped up as the armor''s computer tried crunching numbers and calculating the best place to aim my shot.


    Just as the computer nearly finished its calculations and I was almost ready to fire a prompt brought me back to earth like a meteorite smashing into the ground.


    HOST BRAINWAVES SHOWING FLUCTUATIONS...


    HOST BRAIN DAMAGE IMMINENT.


    CANCELING FULL LINK MODE.


    As I finished reading the prompt I suddenly felt sick. Before I could react all of the data and sensor reading stopped being fed directly into my head. I was suddenly sitting in the pilot''s chair again.


    The full synch had cut out. I was now dead in the water. I couldn''t pilot the CALIPSO without the full synch.


    Terror took me for a few moments as I tried my best to find a solution with my aching and fuzzy mind. I tried reactivating full link mode again and again, but each time my implant shut it down. It gave me messages about safety and an inability to, but it was all just background noise to me at this point.


    I felt so tired. I felt like I had been beaten half to death and injected with drugs meant to slow my brain. I felt sick and had to fight the urge to be throw up inside the cockpit.


    Eventually, my, mind calmed enough for me to realize I was fucked. Well and truly.


    I watched as the helicopter rose and pitched down for an attack run. It would release a salvo of rockets and I would die.


    I couldn''t move. I couldn''t fire back. I couldn''t do anything but wait for the end.


    I checked my shield readout only to find it slowly regening. The implant noticed my focus and seemed to read my intentions as it showed text prompts asking me if I wanted to divert power to the shields.


    I accepted the prompts on instinct and watched as my shield levels started climbing faster.


    I huffed out a long sigh. It wouldn''t be enough. I knew it. The boosted shields might buy me a few more seconds. That was all.


    With nothing left to do to change my situation, I did what I had found myself doing far too often these days. I waited for the end.


    I thought hard about everything and came to a conclusion.


    I tried. I tried damn hard. I got pretty far too. I could be proud of that. I had killed that damn noble. I had nearly escaped as well. Not many could say they had done what I have.


    Just as a began to accept my new reality and watched the helicopter begin to truly bare down on me the world turned white.


    Behind the helicopter, in the direction of the bunker, a pinpoint of light came into existence and quickly grew in intensity.


    Within half a second every screen in the cockpit was colored in a blinding white brilliance.


    A second or two after that the shockwave struck. It felt like being hit with a sledgehammer, or at least what I thought that must feel like.


    Pain lanced through my chest and head as the CALIPSO and I were thrown into the air with a furious spin.


    My mind seemed to disconnect and not properly record the next few moments.


    Eventually, the spinning/tumbling stopped and the CALIPSO crashed into the ground in the same fashion as a missile. My head slammed into the side of my chair and I could feel the trickle of blood run down the side of my head.


    My vision swam and I nearly passed out then and there. I fought hard to clear my vision and access my situation.


    Many of the screens in the cockpit were now black. Some were filled with static and some flickered with random colors.


    After a few minutes of waiting while trying to stem the flow of blood from the scrap on the side of my head as well as the streams of blood coming from my nose, eyes, and mouth, a few of the forward screens began functioning again.


    The system seemed to go through multiple attempts to fix the sensors as well as activate several back up sensor arrays before it gave me sight of the outside world.


    My jaw sagged at the sight presented to me.


    A massive mushroom cloud rose into the air. The magnitude of the cloud shocked me. I had seen a video clip of a nuclear explosion before, but the footage was at a distance. It did no justice to the full experience of a nuclear blast.


    Up close the cloud seemed like a massive earth swallowing monster raising itself off of the ground above me.


    Dark soot and ash rained down upon everything in sight, my armor included. Small partials of stone and dirt fell from the sky and tinked off from the armor of the CALIPSO.


    The sensors picked up extremely high levels of radiation. The anti-radiation systems apparently held though. There was no indication that the cockpit was filling with radiation, much to my delight.


    My shield systems were flashing an orange color and showing error message after error message.


    I looked over the damage readout results only to find swathes of red covering whole sections of my armor''s small simulated outline. Not a single section registered as green and fully undamaged.


    Fighting the weariness in my bones and muscles as well as my head I tried my best to find information about the helicopters.


    My sensors showed 3 columns of smoke rising into the distance. 2 of the columns far off to the north and one much closer to the west.


    I sighed in relief. I didn''t believe they could survive the blast, but my addled head couldn''t understand logic all that well currently.


    With all known enemies now destroyed and no ability to control the CALIPSO available I watched the mushroom cloud and the raining dust, ash, and debris.


    I felt the tug of sleep and decided to give in to the urge.


    With my consciousness fading, I watched the mushroom cloud until my vision went dark. I sank into the comfort of sleep.


    Sleeping felt like heaven. I allowed all my worries and concerns drift away.


    I was alive. For now, that would have to be good enough.

 Chapter 14

    I awoke to a steady thrumming pulse in my entire body. The Familiar electric-like feeling traveled up and my spine into my head. With each of my heartbeats, my head throbbed.


    It felt as if cotton had been stuffed inside my head. My eyes itched horribly and felt like there was a steady pressure behind them.


    Tremors ran the length of my arms and legs. I fought to steady my hands but the shaking was uncontrollable.


    A steady beeping drew my attention. Looking around the cockpit searching for the source of the sound, I failed to find it.


    Eventually, I found that the sound was coming from my implant.


    In the upper right corner of my vision, a new text prompt flashed. The prompt informed me I was starving and dehydrated. It recommended I consume food and drink water immediately.


    The implants message was unhelpful as I already knew the state of my body. My throat was dry and my belly felt as if there was a cavern inside of it. A deep and endless black hole.


    I''ve never felt more hungry or thirsty my entire life. My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. A crusty film caked the outside rim of my mouth as well.


    Painful cracks ran along my tongue. I tried mustering some saliva to wet my mouth, but couldn''t bring forth a single drop.


    Trying my best to ignore the sensations, I checked the information readouts that were preset to be shown at all times.


    The virtual outline of the armor still showed swaths of red and orange. Though there seems to be more orange and less red than before I passed out.


    A pulsing light caught my attention. Upon investigation of the light, I was dismayed to find the armor''s fuel levels had dropped below 1/3.


    Shocked by the fuel consumption, I wondered why the fuel had been consumed so quickly.


    I didn''t have the knowledge or skill to read or manipulate the systems of the armor and find the answer. Most of the information given to me was surface-level only.


    I guessed the damage received during the blast and the subsequent automated repairs had played a part in draining the fuel levels.


    Forcing one problem from my head, I focused on a new problem. The viewscreen inside the cockpit was almost completely black.


    The discovery was worrying. Before passing out I did remember at least a few sections of the screen showing the outside world. I remembered the massive mushroom cloud looming above me.


    Did the armor''s sensor stop working while I was unconscious?


    No. The view screens were not black. They were grainy. Understanding struck me. The View screen and the sensors that provided the information to the screens were not damaged.


    Remembering the earth-rending explosion and the debris, dust, and ash that rained afterword, I knew the problem.


    The armor was coated and covered with the detritus from the explosion. Its sensors and cameras were blinded.


    Shaking my head at the new problems that always seem to crop up one after another, I began to assess my situation and started prioritizing my next moves.


    Leaving this place was of utmost priority. Soon others would be drawn to the site of the explosion. Maybe someone had already arrived and I simply couldn''t see them with my sensors covered as they were.


    Deciding moving would be my first move, I hoped the armor was still capable of movement and activated full sync mode.


    The implant immediately doused my hopes.


    FULL LINK MODE UNAVAILABLE


    CALIPSO ARMOR SYSTEMS DAMAGED


    INITIATING FULL LINK IS DANGEROUS TO HOST.


    Fighting the urge to scream and kick something, I calmed myself. Frustration and rage felt like a fire in my chest and head.


    Eventually, I brought my breathing and my mind under control.


    I made a list of what I had available to me. What tools could I use?


    After thinking about it for 30 seconds I was met with a sad reality. I had nothing. Well, not nothing. I had an assault rifle, and my bag but that wouldn''t do much good in this situation.


    I couldn''t move the armor. I couldn''t see what was outside the armor. I was paralyzed and blind. Starving and dehydrated.


    My hands continue to shake and the pulsing electric like feel was not abating.


    Once again I felt like screaming. I felt like smashing my fist in the viewscreen. I wanted to throw a tantrum.


    Running through the list of what I had available again and again my frustration grew. A damaged armor and a useless assault rifle.


    I did, however, have food and water. My backpack had two canteens and a few packets of beef jerky and protein bars. I decided to eat and drink first.


    The protein bars were disgusting. They were meant to be a food of Last Resort. The package didn''t even list ingredients. It was just a clear package with a grayish brown block in the middle of it.


    I was happy it didn''t list ingredients. During the very short training session for scavengers, a few of the scavengers had made jokes that the protein bars were ground up insects and waste meat material from core beasts. If that was true I would rather not know.


    Starting with the beef jerky I began eating. I had about 3 lb and would eat it before I touched the protein bars.


    I ate and drank ravenously. I felt out of control as I shoved more and more food and water down my throat.


    When I finally felt full I was shocked to discover that I had eaten all of my beef jerky. It should have been enough for days.


    Turning my canteen upside down I realized I had drunk 2 days worth of water as well.


    Chiding myself for being a fool with no control, I put my pack down on the floor of the cockpit.


    Being full and rehydrated did do wonders for the state of my mind and body.


    Almost immediately the aching thrum and the shaking in my limbs begin to subside. My mind began to clear and feel less fuzzy.


    Breathing a deep sigh, I focused on the issues at hand. I ran down the list of my available tools again.


    Lists had always been helpful to me. It was a method to keep my mind on the problem instead of giving in to the feeling of dismay.


    Don''t Panic. Work the problem. Focus focus focus. My strength had always been my mind. I was never a brute. I wasn''t strong in a normal sense. I wasn''t a genius or scholar, but I did know how to control my mind. Focusing was the key.


    My mother had taught me that. She had taught me the methods to refocus my mind on the problems in front of me.


    My mother said I had always been a child prone to something she called catastrophizing. I saw the worst in any given situation and the realization usually zapped me of any will to move forward and work the problem.


    My mind also tended to wander. A single thought could throw me on to a completely new track.


    I was doing it again now. A single thought of mother had brought memories of her up. They circled in my head.


    Focus focus focus. I had to focus. I threw the memories of my mother to the back of my head and refocused.


    Work the problem. What did I have available to me? I would go over it again and again and again until I found something. There''s always a way.


    I listed my available tools. I open my backpack and searched through it finding nothing that could really help me.


    Stubbornly sticking to the method my mother taught me to solve my problems, eventually, I realized I wasn''t thinking of everything available.


    I was focused on things. Objects that could be helpful. I was forgetting I had more than just objects available to me.


    Realizing that no object would help me, I focused inward. My new abilities would have to help me... somehow.


    My implants, however, did not jump to help. No prompts came into my view. No suggestions. Nothing...


    Fighting the urge to curse I ran the list of my head again. Nothing...


    Wondering if I could survive in the radiation filled air outside I thought back on the experiments Toby had done to me. Would my body survive the radiation?


    I couldn''t know. I wish Toby had told me more about my body and my new capabilities.


    Thinking of Toby and what he had done brought me on to a new track of thought.


    Toby... I still had Toby. I remembered back when we both stood in front of the elevator shaft. He told me his body couldn''t climb a 180-degree surface. I believe his exact words were chassis.


    Lightly knocking my fists against the inside of the armor, I wondered if the armor counted as a new chassis, and I smiled.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    With thoughts of uploading Toby''s mind into the armor, the new prompt sprang into existence.


    UPLOAD CONSTRUCT TO ARMOR SYSTEMS? ACCEPT - DENY


    Fighting the natural urge to not put the armor under the control of a semi-intelligent bastard of a robot like Toby, I hit accept.


    It was really my only option. Toby might be able to control the armor. At the very least maybe he could teach me to operate it. And at worst he would kill me somehow.


    It was better than sitting here and dehydrating to death. I heard that was a pretty awful way to go.


    The upload took a little less than 1 minute. It was much quicker than when I downloaded Toby. The short ETA timer confirms suspicions I had earlier that it was Toby''s chassis that had been limiting my download speed before.


    The armor seemed capable of much higher speeds of download or upload. It made sense.


    I was surprised when all power in the armor cut out. For a few moments, I couldn''t see a thing.


    Moments later all systems inside the armor began to restart. I was greeted with a happy voice that echoed through the entire cockpit.


    ¡°Hello, buddy! It''s so nice to see you again. It seems I''m in a new chassis! Did you do this? I like it! This chassis has much higher processing power. It will be of great aid in testing."


    I rolled my eyes and scowled.


    "Shut the fuck up."


    Immediately Toby complied.


    ¡°Do you have full access to all systems?¡±


    ¡°yes, all main systems and subsystems are under my control.¡±


    ¡°Can you move the armor and if you can how well?¡±


    ¡°Though maneuvering systems are damaged this armor is capable of movement. Estimate maneuvering systems are at 68% effectiveness.¡±


    " good. Bring the calipso to a standing position."


    Without answering the armor immediately began to shake. Odd creaking and cracking sounds echoed around the cockpit.


    The feeling of lying on my back turned into a feeling of being properly seated on my ass.


    As the direction of gravity changed, so did my view. Like a person shaking off snow that had covered them, the armor stood and all of the debris and ash fell away.


    At first, the view was blurry. I was worried they were damaged. But within a few moments, the blurry images cleared up.


    I saw a great expanse of charcoal gray ash and debris. Even now it still rained from the sky, though it seems to be slowing. It looked like grey snow.


    ¡°There is a supply Crate and a damaged armor somewhere inside this thick layer of ash. Attempt to find them.¡±


    Toby obeyed without a word. After a few minutes of wandering around toby had found the armor. After that, the supply Crate was quickly found as well.


    The armor was now more damaged. It was a pity but it was still valuable to me. The supply crate, however, was wrecked. I could only find a few refined cores. 7 in all.


    Commanding Toby to use the cores to refill the armors fuel reserves, I was happy to find the armor did not require all 7. Four were enough to refuel completely.


    Nothing else of value was recoverable from the crate. It had all been thrown around so viciously that everything was broken. Even the turrets were broken. They looked like scraps of metal.


    The container had been almost completely ripped apart and most of the contents were lost as well.


    Another happy find was that when I asked Toby to store the three extra cores somehow I learned the Armor had storage capabilities of its own.


    Below what amounted to the armor''s rib cage, and completely flush with its outer armor were two storage compartments on either side. The space inside was not much to speak of. Toby informed me that there were 10 backup cores in one compartment as well as emergency food rations and water in the other.


    I commanded Toby to bring the damaged armor with us and directed him to the east.


    During our travel, I asked Toby questions about the armor and its system damage. He informed me full repair would take weeks.


    Maneuverability would be restored to full condition within a day or two. It was the least damaged of the systems. Most of the maneuverability systems were armored and deep within the recesses of the outer shell.


    The largest amount of damage to the maneuvering systems appeared to have been received by the left knee joint. I could feel the trembling of the armor every time the left leg struck the ground.


    Traveling at about 60 kilometers per hour, we did much better time then when I walked here earlier. The speed of our travel made me wonder why the noble even brought scavengers in the first place.


    Scavengers weren''t meant for this type of work. Scavengers would only slow armors down in this situation. In most cases, scavengers are only used as bait or manual labor in what the knights called hunting missions but really amounted to nothing more than setting up fortified positions and using sounds or scavengers to draw in core beasts. It was the method used to gain most of the cores used in the city.


    The corps beasts would charge prepared positions and die too overwhelming firepower.


    Within an hour I arrived at the area with broken low hills and cliffs.


    With the lessons I learned earlier while traveling through this area I avoided any soft ground. It made for slow traveling, but it was the safest way through this area.


    Upon further questioning, Toby actually informed me that the armor had stored map data based on the earlier trip to the base. It would make finding home much easier.


    The sky began to darken and I knew I had to set up camp eventually. It wouldn''t be much of a camp. It would just be me sitting in the armor in the dark. Alone... I didn''t really count Toby.


    Eventually, we found a good place to stop for the night. A recess in the rocks, blocked by two small trees and multiple bushes, made an almost perfect place to spend the night.


    Toby maneuvered the armor to take a position inside the crevice and sit. I ordered Toby to power down all systems besides sensors and I began to think deeply on my situation.


    As I began to settle in for the night I talked to Toby. He was a treasure trove of information, but drawing it out of him was annoying as all hell.


    I hated his chipper attitude. As a machine he didn''t truly understand emotions and his attempts at connecting emotionally with me only pissed me off. Maybe it was just what he had done to me. Maybe I was holding a grudge. I didn''t know.


    The first thing I had him do was pull up map data and began to get a feel for the area around me. I was also happily surprised to find the map covered much more area than the trip to the bunker could account for.


    The map was a treasure all on its own. Map data was heavily protected. No one would trade map data without good reason or reward. Even if all I got out of this entire trip was the map I could sell it for a very large sum. The map data seem to cover large swaths of land to the north as well.


    Cities small, medium, and large dotted the map. I found about 90 cities scattered and hugging what appeared to be a curved coastline. Further inland was nothing but red and black striped land marked unknown.


    After a while, I''d seen everything I could see on the map and moved on. With a few more questions toby began informing me how long each system and subsystem would take to repair.


    It wasn''t good. 2 weeks for the shields to be repaired fully. Sensors would take at least a week. They worked currently but the range was limited and certain types of sensors were not operating. Full outer shell armor repair would be about a week.


    I had Tobe run estimates and how long my fuel reserves would last. It would depend on how hard I pushed the armor. The best estimate was 2 weeks with only maneuvering and sensors running on low power.


    If I did that, however, the repair systems would stop. Factoring in the repair systems and only running maneuvering and sensors, I had about 9 days at best. If I pushed the armor and ran multiple other systems I had less than 4 maybe 5 days.


    The large rifle, which I now knew was called a magnetic accelerator rifle, attached to the right shoulder blade of the calipso was damaged much to my chagrin. However, the sub-machine gun was not damaged.


    When I asked Toby how long the rifle would take to be repaired I was saddened to learn the rifle did not possess self-repair abilities.


    Maybe I could find somewhere to repair it later. It was a problem for another day.


    As the night got darker I began to run out of questions about the armor and moved on to questions about what was done to me.


    " buddy was selected as a candidate. Your genetics were altered to allow your body to accept and bond with the Alpha embryo cells. You were also injected with a bio/mechanical nanite solution to facilitate that Bond as well as reinforce the capabilities of your body.


    An implant was installed running along the length of your spinal cord and parts of your cerebral cortex to control the nanites and by extension the alpha embryo cells.


    With these alterations, your body is now capable of much more than the average human body. Your current body is the perfect Foundation to create the perfect soldier as well as pave the way for a new form of the human race well suited to the world in its current form."


    It wasn''t much different than I thought it would be. The heightened senses of my body as well as the increasing strength, agility, and balance that I had been noticing ever since I had left the testing room attested to this. Even my thinking seemed improved.


    I asked Toby questions about any side effects or dangers inherent with what was done to me and all I received was the answer ¡°unknown¡±.


    I could feel that the process was ongoing. My body was changing little by little. It made me feel like a mutant.


    I had a general idea what genetics, as well as nanites, were. Humanity had lost the ability to alter genetics or build nanites, but knowledge of such things hadn''t been lost, completely.


    The names and general knowledge have been passed down through word-of-mouth, books, articles, and legends passed among the rats. There was also a trickle-down effect from the higher classes. When old world tech was found it rarely stayed secret for long. The nobles loved using the tech against each other.


    We rats were also not barbarians. What held us down was mostly poverty and a lack of resources.


    There were places one could go and watch old world movies. old novels were passed down through the ages, copied and spread. All expensive for rats, but still available.


    The city only had so many resources and almost none of it would be spared for rats. everything the city acquired had to be found outside the city or traded for with other cities. Both methods were dangerous because of core beasts.


    Rats were seen by the upper classes as little more than parasites who didn''t contribute. We hadn''t regressed to a dark age. We were simply too damn poor.


    While I knew most of the general terms in a loose sense, it was nice to receive some the more specifics from Toby. The exact wording was Latin to me, but I did begin to fill in the missing pieces in my knowledge.


    It seemed any technical details on the nanites were also classified as Toby could only give me a general outline of their abilities and functions.


    As Toby filled me in on more and more of the project details that still resided in his mechanical mind, we eventually came to the one thing I wanted to know most of all.


    ¡°What are alpha embryo cells?¡±


    ¡°Data not found.¡±


    The answer didn''t surprise me, but I had suspicions. I asked a new question following the same line of thought but from another angle.


    ¡°The material used as fuel in this armor... What are they and what did they come from?"


    ¡°The fuel used is refined cores retrieved from the corpses of beta core beasts. The data on cores is limited. Cores bend the laws of physics and thermodynamics. As such testing and analysis is extremely difficult. Humanity has found methods to use the power locked in cores, but the exact nature of cores is still in the early phase of research.


    I also do not possess data on cores beyond the methods of using and unlocking the stored energy within, such as with the core drive installed in this armor. I would have to access the Icarus project main database to read the data directly from them to possibly answer as to the deeper nature of cores. No outside storage of classified data is allowed."


    It was infuriating only getting small parts of a large puzzle revealed. Toby''s creators had made sure that while he could operate as a research assistant and access classified data he would never be able to leak the extremely classified data.


    It was possible to get little snippets of information, but Toby would not be able to give me the full picture. It seemed a large portion of project Icarus data had been destroyed along with the base. Everything I was learning was surface level only.


    Toby could use the term alpha embryo cells in what seemed the right context without any real knowledge of what they are. It made sense. A computer didn''t actually "know" anything. It was just reading recorded data.


    But the little snippets of information had begun to fit together enough for me to ask my next question.


    "What are the different types of core beasts?"


    "There are more than 16,000 different types of recorded core beast. Would you like me to list them all?"


    "No."


    My question wasn''t asked properly.


    "What are the different types of core classifications and what is the classification of the beasts each type of core is retrieved from?"


    "Known core classifications are alpha cores, beta cores and gamma cores. Alpha cores are retrieved from alpha core beast, beta cores are retrieved from beta core beasts and.."


    "Shut the fuck up!"


    Toby stopped speaking immediately.


    The cockpit felt like it spun around me. I had my suspicions but hearing the words destroyed me.


    Alpha core beasts... Alpha embryo cells... The connection was obvious. He had injected me with core beast cells. The implications were clear and it made me want to vomit.


    I thought back to the monsters that had attacked our camp. I remember their mutated bodies and freakish anatomy. Would that be my fate? Was I slowly becoming a monster?


    Pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them, I buried my head in my thighs.


    It felt pathetic to sulk and act like a child, but I just wanted to go home. I missed mother. I missed what few friends I had left.


    While despairing about my possible future, I wondered if I was returning to my mother a monster or human.


    Asking no further questions I eventually went to sleep while wrestling with dark thoughts.


    In my nightmares, my fingers turned into claws and my teeth were sharp. Awful and grotesque appendages sprouted from my body.


    I wailed in an inhuman voice and thrashed in endless darkness while ripping and clawing at my own body.

 Poll - closed

    Alright, so I have been receiving some messages asking if I have a patreon or if I would start one. The simple answer is I don''t know if I SHOULD start a patreon.


    I''m very new to being an author. I have little confidence in my skill. The thought that people would be willing to give me money for what I only started as a hobby is amazing and mind-blowing.


    I can''t express enough how flattered and happy I am with the support and attention my novel has received so far.


    I never truly expected anyone to like my content, much less be willing to pay to support its creation. Being a full-time author would be a dream come true for me. To be able to do what I love and have it support me financially seems to me nothing more than a pipe dream.


    However, the thought of taking money to support my writing is scary. When I receive money from someone I feel I have a responsibility to provide a service to the best of my ability.


    That brings me to the reality of my situation.


    I have a job. A crappy one... but it pays the bills... barely. It keeps me fed and puts a roof over my head. It is the main reason why I have trouble releasing more chapters.


    I can only write for a little bit each night. Most of my writing is done on the weekends.


    Furthermore, due to the size of most of my chapters I can only squeeze out 1 or 2 chapters a week with my limited time.


    I do like writing long chapters as I remember reading stories with short chapters. The short chapters never quite seemed able to whet my appetite for the story. It felt like a game of stop and go. Like having sex and constantly being told to pause midway.  lol.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Between the reality of my situation, my limited skill, and the responsibility I would feel to anyone who would be so kind as to give me their hard earned money, I find myself totally unable to make a decision.


    No matter what I will keep writing. It centers me and brings me joy. The support and encouragement I have received are already more than I ever expected and it gives my heart great warmth to find that people enjoy my writing. I never started writing with the goal of making money. It never entered the equation until recently.


    If I do open a patreon, it would be with the goal of earning enough to support me fully or at least mostly and allow myself to write every day as my job. It would also come with the responsibility of providing constant chapters.


    I do not feel totally comfortable with starting a patreon without being able to give my supporters a stream of chapters. I have seen others open a patreon but not give any concrete plans to deliver to those who support them. It is basically treated like the tip jar.


    To accept money for what I would have written anyways as a hobby feels... off to me.


    If I did start a patreon I would probably go with a system of a certain number of guaranteed free chapter based on a tiered system depending on how much I received, as well as reserved advance chapters for my patreon supporters. Due to the larger nature of my chapters, I would have to work out a fair system and find a sweet spot that won''t drive me crazy or leave my supporters feeling cheated.


    In closing, I find myself at an impasse and have decided to gauge the response of you fine people to help make a decision.


    To allow people to keep their anonymity I have provided a poll to gauge the attitude of my readers.


    If you feel the need to outline your thoughts on the matter more clearly please feel free to comment below. I don''t mind any harsh criticism or negative responses. I understand it may be far too early to consider such things as receiving money for my writing. Don''t hold back. Let me have it!


    ------------------------------------------------


    I''ve closed the poll. I got my answers. Thanks for the support. You guys are great.


    I''m going to keep the page up so the comments don''t get deleted.

 Patreon page is up!

    The consensus seems to be to start a patreon and see where it goes. So I have done just that.


    The first two patreon advance chapters are now up on my patreon page for the one dollar tier.


    Due to a bug were creating a tier after some patrons have already donated I made the chapter available to all patrons and not based on a tier.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I''m going to attempt to keep to a schedule of at least 2 free chapters a week or about 6 to 8 thousand words. My average chapter length seems to be about 3000 to 3500 words. Some are 4000.


    For anyone who decides to donate... Thank you! You''re amazing! amazing! amazing! You are the best BUDDY!

 Chapter 15 version 2

    Chapter 15


    Upon waking I felt deep shame for giving in to weakness and despair the prior night. I hadn''t acted like that since I was a child.


    Telling myself the last few weeks had been extremely stressful and that last night had been all of that stress boiling over, I lightly slapped my face with both hands and let it go.


    I had to move forward and stop looking back. Whatever will be, will be. Crying about it changes nothing.


    Checking the instruments in the cockpit as well as the view screens, I found not much had changed during my sleep.


    ¡°Toby, did anything happen while I was asleep?¡±


    Toby immediately began to fill me in on every single detail that had happened around the CALIPSO as well as an extremely detailed accounting of all repairs done during the night.


    His accounting was in fact too detailed. He even told me about a flock of small birds that had landed on a small tree''s branches nearby during the night.


    Eventually, I cut Toby off and explained I did not need every single detail, but only required the more important and to the point information. The robot had trouble understanding the difference between important and unimportant, but with a little time and a few explanations from me, he seemed to better understand my desires.


    "Repair progress is following the estimated time frame. No enemy contacts or core beasts have been spotted on sensors."


    That was good. No news was good news at this point.


    It was still dark outside, but I could see light beginning to peek over the horizon. I decided now would be the best time to move. Sitting here would not be a smart decision. I was still far too close the site of the base''s destruction.


    Other people would come and investigate eventually. Their search wouldn''t be limited to the crater alone.


    Choosing a direction to move took some thought. I couldn''t move west and directly towards my home City. That would put me in the path of any forces that would sortie from the city and investigate the explosion. The blast must have been visible from the city.


    Thinking about the city and its proximity to the blast, I worried that the radiation from the blast may affect the city.


    I asked Toby to run estimates on whether the city would be affected or not. The prognosis was good. He estimated that with the direction of the wind and its speed most of the radioactive dust would be blown further inland and not toward the coastline.


    After some deep thinking, I decided to head south. There were multiple reasons for my decision.


    Moving west or east were not good options. West led me back to the site of the explosion. East put me in the path of any forces sent from the city.


    I struck North from my options when I remembered that the helicopters had come from that direction. It was possible the good Earl had more reinforcements in that direction.


    That left south as my only real option. Checking the map I found that there were no cities directly south of my position. There were some to the southeast but the closest one was about 180 km away.


    While Toby maneuvered the Calipso through the broken and craggy terrain and avoided any soft ground, I studied the map.


    Toby brought us south while I asked him more questions about the alterations done to my body. I''d been too distraught last night to ask any further questions.


    Toby answered with the same chipper attitude as always and I was happy to learn that my body now possessed a very high resistance to radiation, parasites, certain poisons, and disease.


    Knowing my food and water would run out eventually, I also asked Toby if I could drink contaminated water or eat non-treated core beast meat.


    ¡°It is impossible to give an exact answer due to the variability of the possible scenarios. The answer would change depending on the exact type of contaminants present in the water as well as the type of core beast meat eaten.


    While your body has increased resistance to contaminated water and food, it is still recommended to purify all the water you drink and treat all meat consumed.


    In the absence of the ability to decontaminate food and water I highly recommended to at least examine all food and water thoroughly with the sensors of the calipso.


    I really don''t recommend eating whatever you find on the ground buddy. It''s not good for your belly!¡±


    I let his sudden over-familiarity slide. I was getting used to it. It was random and odd but seemed hard programmed into the AI. It wasn''t worth the effort of trying to change it.


    With the problem of food and water being answered, I moved on to new questions.


    Based on what project details had been stored in Toby''s mind, I also healed at a faster rate and required less sleep. He informed me the condition of my body should improve over time, but the exact speed and nature of these improvements could not be perfectly estimated.


    One of the questions I asked Toby was about my eyes. They had been burning for almost a full day now. They also itched horribly. I thought it was just the stress and lack of sleep causing it, but I want sure about that any more.


    "The nanites inside your body are altering and enhancing your eyes slowly. Due to the delicate nature of human eyes, the nanites must do the work cautiously. Don''t worry buddy. Your eyes will be better than new soon!"


    With further questioning, I was surprised to learn toby could answer to the exact specifics of what the nanites would do to my eyes. The information was not top secret, though he couldn''t tell me exactly how they would do it.


    ¡°The nanites are altering your eyes to better see in low light situations, as well as give them the ability to sense thermal radiation. Pretty cool, right?!"


    I didn''t know whether to be happy or disturbed. Night and heat vision? At least it would be useful. A younger me would probably think the alterations were very cool. Sort of like the X-ray vision I had once wished for as a kid.


    I swear the childish wish was innocent enough. I absolutely swear I had no ulterior motives... None at all.


    One of the most comforting pieces of information Toby gave me was that the nanites were programmed to avoid changing the physical appearance of my humanity as much as possible.


    It appears their creator was not intent on creating a monster.


    We moved south very slowly, though our progress was much quicker than the first time passing through this area.


    Looking at the map and estimating how long it would take to get through this area of labyrinth-like low cliffs and jutting sections of Rock, I came up with a personal estimation of two days. Toby''s estimate closely matched mine.


    This area of low broken labyrinth-like cliffs was long and stretched out. When our ill-fated party of knights and scavengers passed through the area we had traveled its thinnest section.


    My decision to travel South had forced me to cross a long stretch of the area. I wasn''t upset and was actually happy with the path.


    The topography and the presence of the sandworms forced our rate of travel to a crawl in comparison to the armor''s top speed, but it also provided a lot of cover and camouflage to avoid being spotted by long-range observers.


    Due to the presence of sandworms, it also added the benefit of likely being an area that other core beasts would avoid. This entire area appeared to be the domain of sandworms and I guessed other core beasts would avoid the dangerous and disgusting things.


    Sandworms while extremely dangerous due to their subterranean attack methods, were easy to avoid once you understood the danger. They were beasts of ambush and didn''t seem to move from their underground nests.


    As such this area actually provided the perfect cover for me and my armor. I would be less likely to be attacked by random core beasts during the night or day. All I had to do was pay attention to our path and avoid any possible sandworm ambush locations.


    Toby was in control of the armor and I could have left the choice of paths up to him completely, but I did not feel comfortable putting my life completely in the robotic mind''s ¡°hands¡±. Machines make mistakes where humans wouldn''t. Or were they called errors?


    Our travel was actually pretty uneventful. Besides firing questions at Toby as they came to mind, watching the path ahead, and trying a piece of gray-brown protein bar that tasted like moist paper, there was not much else to do in the cramped cockpit.


    Deciding to use my time efficiently I asked Toby to begin teaching me the controls for the armor. I couldn''t leave it in his control forever. The sooner I learned how to control it myself the better.


    It was ridiculously complicated.


    Moving the legs and arms in a robotic and stilted fashion was not overly complicated.


    Keeping balance as well as the finer and more dexterous movements was far more complicated, however.


    Every other system and function on the armor was also very complicated. There seem to be hundreds of buttons in the cockpit. The joysticks that sprang out with a click of a button alone had a few dozen buttons on them. They seem to control hand, finger, and arm finer movements.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Toby offered to activated a simulation mode but I denied it for now. Activating the simulation would basically block my ability to see what was happening outside from moment to moment. I currently did not trust toby enough to control the armor without keeping an eye on him.


    I dedicated a general outline and list of all the controls and buttons to my head while watching Toby''s actions for any mistakes that could get me killed.


    My ability to memorize things and multitask had definitely been improved since my alterations. The current tasks proved that to me quite well.


    The day dragged on and eventually, the sun began to dip below the horizon.


    I contemplated traveling throughout the night, but after some thought, I decided against it. Caution would suit me best.


    My friends had always called me a worrywart for my cautious ways. They never seem to complain when my caution saved us though. A smile spread across my face at the memories of our hijinx over the years.


    Finding an overhang of rock, Toby positioned the armor underneath it. It wasn''t the perfect place to sit down for the night as there wasn''t much cover from anything on the ground but the overhang would Shield me from any eyes in the sky.


    Having rocket shot at me from above once was more than enough. I didn''t feel like any repeat performances. It was also the best option available for now.


    After drinking some water the desire to exit the cockpit came over me. The cockpit was extremely cramped. My bag and the assault rifle did not make the situation any better. The rifle kept poking me in the arm and my bag which I had between my legs reduced the amount of movement I could accomplish. My Legs ached to take a walk. I wanted to stretch my arms out. An impossible task in the cramped confines of the cockpit.


    There was a burning need to breathe fresh air. The air in the cockpit had a metallic scent accompanied by the scent of my own sweat, blood, and dirty clothes. If I had any water to spare bathing would have been too high on my priority list.


    My body was also sending signals that it needed to relieve itself. The cockpit came equipped with a catheter but between the choice of it or relieving myself the natural way, the choice was pretty obvious.


    Without any further need for excuses I ordered toby to pop the hatch and I breathed in my first fresh breath of air in days.


    Holding my arms out at full length well rotating them in the sockets of my shoulder, I stretch my back in a curve and heard multiple small cracks. The feeling of tension draining from my body was heavenly.


    Arms outstretched and leaning back, my eyes were met by the beautiful sight of the night sky. Thousands of stars dotted the dark expanse from horizon to horizon.


    Unzipping my pants, I relieved myself without taking my eyes off of the beautiful sight. A crescent moon had just begun rising from the edge of the night sky.


    I filled my lungs with a large breath and exhaled it slowly. The stars seemed brighter than normal. A cool breeze whistled through my hair.


    Standing there while peeing, a feeling of peace settled over me. The immensity of the night sky and its sparkling jewel-like beauty washed away weeks of tension and stress.


    Rotating my head to stretch my neck and work the kinks out, I laughed at myself. I didn''t tend to stargaze and get all zen about life. Doing so while caked in blood, sweat, and what I presumed was urine struck me as funny. Holding my ¡°tool¡± in my hand while doing it only made it doubly funny to me.


    Eventually, my tool made it back into my pants and I began to walk a bit while I continued stretching. I stayed close to the Calipso in case of an emergency.


    Looking at the armor I noticed the outer surface was truly messed up. It looked half melted and beaten out of shape.


    The sight of the Calipso brought my thoughts back to my plans for the future. The sad reality was I didn''t have much of a plan. I only had a general idea.


    I couldn''t bring her back to Grey Rock City. It wasn''t like I could walk through the front door with it and say ¡°look what I found!¡±


    First of all the calipso was recognizable. Second of all so was I. Questions would be asked and I wouldn''t really have any good answers. My entire team has been wiped out and I came back with a bunch of goodies?


    It was a fat chance they let me keep any of it. Even if I went to another city the recognizability of the calipso would possibly get me tracked down by associates Earl Ragnar.


    Once the armor had repaired its outer shell it would be easily recognizable. That thought caused my mind to jump to another thought and a possible solution to the Calipso''s trouble luring appearance.


    My desire for fresh air and a stretch fully satiated, I climbed into the cockpit again.


    While moving the assault rifle into a position where it didn''t poke me in the arm quite as annoyingly, I addressed Toby.


    "Toby, the repair system is a type of nanite correct?"


    "Yes and no, they are general repair nanite model number 138923, but the repair systems are not comprised of only nanites. The system also includes nanite control modules as well as equipment used to recharge the nanites."


    Toby had gave me more information than I actually desired but I didn''t dissuade him from the practice. He seemed to be learning that when I asked a question in most circumstances I wanted more than a simple yes or no answer, but also not to be drowned in jargon and technical details. Micromanaging every response he made would only frustrate me. He was improving. That was enough for now.


    He was learning my preferences and his programming told him I preferred more branching information attached to his explanations.


    ¡°When the nanites repair the outer shell of the armor, are they only able to repair it to certain specifications or can they alter the appearance of the calipso in some way?¡±


    "It is possible to alter the outer shell to non Factory specifications with the repair systems. It will require me to alter repair system programming. However, I do not recommend it. The outer shell of the calipso is designed to efficiently displace and deflect incoming kinetic forces as much as possible. The alteration will affect its efficiency. Do you want to give the Calipso a makeover buddy?"


    "If you were to reprogram the repair systems to give the calipso a different appearance unrecognizable from its original appearance, how much would the efficiency of the outer shell armor be affected in comparison to before?"


    "Processing"


    Toby actually took a few minutes to answer.


    " I have run 36,484 simulations and have selected the best alternative outer shell design possible. The new design will be 4% less efficient than the Calipso''s original design at deflecting kinetic energy.¡±


    4% loss of efficiency wasn''t too bad. It was actually quite acceptable. The calipso would be like bait to any of the late Earl''s allies otherwise. It was a worthy trade-off.


    "Show me the design on the view screen."


    A split second later a wireframe model appeared on the screen. The new look was slightly more boxy and less futuristic-looking, but that only made me like the design more. I didn''t want the Calipso to be flashy.


    My next moves would require me to be noticed as little as possible. The tallest tree in the forest was usually the one that got knocked down by the wind first. Standing out too much was not a good thing for a lone person without any backing.


    ¡°Can you add simulated superficial battle damage to the design without affecting the defense capabilities of the outer shell?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing buddy!¡±


    I was beginning to like Toby more and more. He was extremely useful. It was almost to the point where I was even thinking about forgiving and forgetting what was done to me under his watch.


    ¡°Add the superficial damage to the simulated design before me.¡±


    The image before me was updated quickly and I smiled. It was ugly and little simplistic looking. The simulated image of the armor appeared to have been through many scuffles. It was perfect!


    ¡°Alter the repair systems and implement this design.¡±


    ¡°Ok... I really don''t recommend doing it but you''re the boss!¡±


    With one problem out of the way, I moved on to the next.


    I couldn''t go straight back to Grey Rock City, even with the new design. I could change the armor''s appearance. It would be much harder to change mine.


    Grey Rock City officials may treat rats like they were unimportant, but it wasn''t like they wouldn''t at least keep identification documents on scavengers. The Scavengers Guild alone would have pictures and data on me.


    Even if I claimed to have been separated from my group and just so happened to have found 2 random old world armor, I doubted they believe or even care to believe me.


    The second I was out of the armor and identified they would probably arrest me. Scavengers didn''t have rights to claim anything found outside. It was part of our contract.


    So Grey Rock City was off my list of options for now. I would need to return eventually. My mother couldn''t be left alone. Within a little over two months, she would run out of Medicine and probably die soon after. The thought of my mother going months without news of my safety made my heart ache. I hoped she wouldn''t do anything foolish. After father left us I was basically all she had left.


    I would have to go somewhere else for now. Somewhere that would take in an unidentified man piloting an old world armor with a second highly damaged old world armor slung over its shoulder.


    In my days wandering the outer ring of the city I never really focused much on information from or about other cities. It wasn''t helpful in my situation and I never sought it out.


    There was one city, however, whose name was actually quite famous. It might be the perfect destination for me now.


    It was supposedly a bandit haven. One with very little restrictions and lot of freedom, but reportedly somewhat chaotic.


    It was a medium to large-sized city based on what I''d heard. Apparently, there was no class differentiation like in Grey Rock City.


    For a while, I thought tales of the city were simply fairy tales but the older I got and the more fleshed-out the information on the city became to me, the more I realized the city was anything but a fairy tale.


    30 years ago the occupants of the city rose up and slaughtered their own nobles and most of the middle class. How exactly they achieved this, I don''t know.


    They used the weapons of their oppressors and set up factions and guilds, a good portion of which amounted to bandit war parties that roved about trying to catch and ambush any trade caravans from other cities.


    The city was a constant pain in the ass for any nobles in the area. The main industry of the city was bandits. Who in return brought back equipment and money from their thieving expeditions. So the city supported these bandits in their ventures and even idolized them in a fashion.


    Despite the bandit nature of these groups who occupied the city, there was a form of government. It was a loose one, however. The major powers among the rebels of the city set up a joint council to handle matters regarding the safety of the city and the basic rights of its citizens. The council acted as the leash for these bandit-like war parties, keeping these groups from eating away at the city and sowing discord.


    There was a military system under the leadership of this council and basic laws were set up. Infighting was kept to a minimum or at least as much as possible in such an odd situation.


    I had always thought that such a city wouldn''t last more than a few years. Its antagonism of the cities surrounding it would surely bring the hammer of the nobles down upon their head.


    An old man who claimed to actually have been to the city within the last 10 years, told me over a cheap beer that I had bought him, the reason I was wrong.


    He told me that the city was only saved based on two factors. Its location made it extremely hard to attack in a siege. The second factor was the absolute insanity of its occupants and the seemingly huge amount of weapons and armament it had.


    No noble wanted to use their own private army to break this city and weaken themselves to the other nobles in the region.


    Nobles also had a well-known adversity to cooperating with each other. The only exception I knew of, was the very loose defense pact between the southern nobles meant to keep the northern nobles from coming south as they please.


    He also told me I should never call anyone from the city a bandit to their face. They preferred the name "privateers". I guess on face value that was what they were, government-sanctioned land pirates.


    The old man told me the city had been something of a fortress before its change of ownership and not much had changed that.


    Apparently while at "peace" the city might be less than perfectly united, but should a force move against the city, a special unity would be instated and many of its occupants would fight tooth and nail in cooperation to protect their City.


    The citizens of the city loved their freedom. They liked the chaos and despite its many factions and bandit nature, they had pride in their city. It was a place anyone not a noble could freely enter or leave as long as they followed basic laws. It was the kind of place where a rat could rise above being the lowest rung on the ladder of society.


    The city would be a lot safer as a destination for me than any other choice I knew off. If I went to a noble owned city, the nobles in charge would likely strip me of my armor without a second thought. They made the rules. With this city, however, I would probably be allowed entry to the city and my property rights would be respected.


    I didn''t entertain the idea that should one of those "privateer" guilds find me far outside the cities boundaries, that they would leave me alone. Anyone not inside the city or within its defense perimeter was open season. But should I actually get to the city, I should be safe.


    I pulled the map data onto the main screen and started searching. It should be to the east and slightly south of Grey Rock City. I even had a general idea of how far away it would be. I had been fascinated with tales of the city for a while.


    Eventually, I found it. About 250km from my smaller home city, nestled between two sections of a mountain range forming an almost perfect natural defense, was a city.


    Above the marking of the city on the map sat a glowing name.


    ANARCHY CITY.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16


    The next few days were uneventful. Toby brought us further and further south while edging towards the east.


    While he piloted, I continued devoting the controls of the Calipso to memory. My memory had improved a lot but controlling the armor required more than just a good memory.


    During the night I had toby run the simulations so that I could practice actually controlling the calipso.


    The view screens would go black and then a virtual field would be laid out before me. In the field were multiple cutouts of other armor types, all of which I did not recognize.


    There was a large obstacle course to traverse and I could even request simulated enemies to fight against.


    For now, I stuck to learning to maneuver and operate the calipso under non-combat conditions. I would use the full link mode during combat.


    Moving slowly was actually quite simple. I had memorized the controls and functions of the calipso completely. I got a handle on walking the machine, running, and manipulating its arms and hands.


    Piloting the machine became ten times more complicated when quick alterations in movement, sudden agility, and flexibility were needed.


    It was easy to control the armor to complete simple tasks like running in a straight line or turning but once I needed to dodge, duck, weave, or twist in odd ways I would need to input dozens of rapid and complicated commands into the system.


    Logically I knew how to do it. That wasn''t good enough, however. It needed to be muscle memory. It needed to be second nature and instinct. That can only be accomplished with practice and experience.


    So no matter how much I caused the virtual armor to crash into the simulated ground while making myself look like a fool, I kept practicing.


    The late night sessions of simulated practice cut into my sleep schedule. It was a good trade-off however, as by the third day I felt much more comfortable piloting the armor.


    I felt assured that should toby be unable to control the armor for some unforeseen reason, I would be able to take his place at a moments notice.


    During our day time travel, I asked Toby about the history of the continent and the nation that had built him.


    His answers disappointed me. His creators did not seem to believe he required such information.


    During my questioning, however, it was revealed that Toby himself actually had map data from before the fall of humanity.


    None of it was top secret but there were a lot of cities as well as several military bases marked. Most of the military bases on the map were not top secret. Their proximity to cities marked on the map told me they were probably known to the citizens in those cities all those years ago.


    I created a data file combining the two sets of data while keeping the nobles map data file as it was. I planned to use the map data from the calipso as a bargaining chip when I got to Anarchy City.


    There was no reason to give more than needed and I wanted to keep the information to myself for later use. I didn''t know if I would ever use it but felt it smart to hold it in reserve.


    At the end of the third day, we came to the end of the sandworm territory and to the edge of a forest. I decided to spend one more night at the edge of the sandworm territory before I would dive into the darkness of the forest.


    There would be a multitude of different types of core beasts inside of it and the choice between sleeping inside the forest or inside the territory I had already become used to, was an easy choice to make.


    There was some good news. I had been randomly testing the full sync capabilities to see if they had been repaired and earlier in the day I had been able to successfully sync with the Calipso. The outer shell of the armor was also coming along nicely. A full restoration would soon be complete.


    When I set out on the morning of the fourth day I decided to take control of the calipso myself. I would have to do it eventually and the more I held off on doing it the longer it would take me to master the controls.


    With Toby no longer required to pilot, he was relegated to a support role. I had him watch the sensor feeds and warn me of anything suspicious.


    The drawback to piloting the calipso myself was I was to not be able to do it as efficiently as Toby. My maneuvers wasted more of the fuel reserves than Toby''s had.


    The status of my fuel reserves was also beginning to weigh on my mind. At the current rate, I would run out of fuel in about five days. I would have to find a source of fuel and soon.


    That meant combat. The only source of fuel available outside of the cities had to be obtained directly from core beast corpses. I would have to fight eventually and create some core beast corpses.


    Piloting the Calipso inside of the forest was difficult. The tangle of tree branches required me to maneuver the Calipso much more delicately. It did, however, make for great practice and helped to improve my piloting skills immensely.


    As I weaved the calipso through the trees while attempting to make as little sound as possible, I kept the submachine gun firmly gripped in the Calipso''s gauntlets and ready to fire at a moment''s notice.


    Every once and a while I would bump into a tree branch or tear through some low bushes with a massive armored foot by accident. The loud sounds it created made me cringe and stop to listen for any reactions from the forest.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Moving inside the forest while attempting to keep from making too much noise was extremely slow. My skills at piloting the calipso manually did not help matters. Neither did the burden of carrying the extra armor over the Calipso''s shoulder.


    Due to the curving path, I would have to take to avoid coming too close to any cities, the distance I would have to travel to get to Anarchy City was a whopping 480km.


    With the forest slowing me down it would take at least a week to get there. My fuel would run out long before then.


    The question of fuel came to a head when on the second day I found a large outcropping of rocks sticking out of the forest with a small clearing around it.


    I hadn''t run into any core beasts along the way. At first, I was happy to travel in peace, but I knew conflict couldn''t be avoided forever. I really needed cores to fuel the armor.


    When I spotted the outcropping of rocks it struck me how perfect of an ambush location it would be and I made a decision.


    I would use the outcropping of rocks as a defensive position and lure in some beasts.


    The terrain afforded to me by the outcropping was perfect for it. There was a large slab of rock on the back side. It looked incredibly hard to climb. The slab was smooth and due to its vertical nature, I doubted many core beasts would ever be able to climb it.


    The front section of the outcropping was while not impossible to climb, uneven and jagged. Only one section seemed somewhat easy to climb.


    If I positioned myself near the top and took a defensive position there, any core beasts that came at me would only be able to do so easily from an area that was 6 or 7 meters wide.


    Attacking me from the sides would be incredibly hard and attacking me from behind would be nigh impossible.


    I hadn''t spotted any other features of the land that offered so much defense. It was nearly perfectly suited for my plans.


    Piloting the Calipso up the slope, I found it extremely hard to keep my balance. The rocks and boulders below the Calipso''s feet kept shifting. At one point it required me to embarrassingly scrabble my way up on the Calipso''s hands and knees while I dragged the other armor behind me.


    Towards the top of the rock formation, about nine meters high, I found an area relatively flatter and chose it as my position for the defense.


    I shifted some boulders out of my way and position them to help block anything trying to climb up and attack me. I could also kick the boulders down the slope and hopefully take out some core beasts.


    When the work was done I looked out and over the forest. All I could see was the tops of trees in every direction for miles.


    I thought long and hard about when I would start my plan. Most core beasts were active at night. Not all core beasts followed this rule. The literature I had read and the rumors I had heard told me a little more than two-thirds did though. I didn''t feel it a good idea to attract too much attention, so I struck a night ambush from my mind.


    Neither could I do the ambush directly before night time. If I did that I would have to travel at night to get away from the corpses and the reeking blood they would no doubt be leaking everywhere. The smell of blood might draw attention from core beasts eventually.


    My plan was to wait until the morning of the next day. That would allow me to quickly collect the cores after the fight and move on.


    Sunset was an hour away when I came up with another idea. I scrambled down the slope and to the edge of the forest.


    Selecting trees just small enough for the calipso to carry, I pulled out the energy blade, activated it, and made quick work of cutting them down. In total, I cut down 12 trees.


    It took a lot of effort and time to drag them up the slope and position them scattered about on each side of the path heading up, but eventually, I was very happy with the results. Anything that wanted to come up any other way but the path left open in the center would have to climb over loose boulders, jagged rocks, and the trunks and branches of the trees.


    From my flattened position up the slope, I could still see over the obstructions and had a clear field of fire.


    The only qualm I had with the situation was if I was attacked by a much larger group or a core beast more powerful than I was capable of stopping, I would be trapped on the hill. I didn''t like plans the left me no path of retreat, but I couldn''t think of anything better at the moment. I figured that if it got really bad I would use the thrusters and jump straight over all the obstacles and retreat into the forest.


    The plan was simple but I like simple plans. Complicated ones tend to fall apart. Complicated plans required everything to go exactly as planned. In a simple plan, there were less moving parts. You tend to get more reliable results from a cunning yet simple plan.


    My plan wasn''t exactly genius level but it would do.


    I sat the Calypso down with its back against the massive slab of rock that jutted out of the ground at an angle and leaned against the giant hill of boulders and rubble.


    The sky grew dark as I ran simulations in a last-ditch effort to familiarize myself as much as possible with the calypso''s capabilities. I triggered full link during the simulations as that would be what I would do during the fight to come.


    I familiarized myself with all the Calipso''s weaponry which consisted of the submachine gun, the blade of light called a force blade, and 3 grenades that the armor had attached to its left hip.


    The submachine gun had a 40 round magazine that I practiced loading. It, like the rifle that was damaged, as well as the assault rifle I had in the cockpit, also used ammunition without a propellant.


    The ammunition was nothing more than a segmented block of metal that was fed directly into the top of the weapon. The ammunition was magnetically stuck to the calipso''s left thigh and parts of its chest.


    I liked the design as there would be no need to pull a magazine out of the weapon before replacing it with a new one.


    The force blade was simple enough. Its reach could be extended at will, but the longer it was extended the less concentrated the energy of the blade would be. The sweet spot for blade length seemed to be about two and a half meters.


    Two of the grenades were of the explosive variety. The last one was a combination stun grenade that also blocked electronic signal transmissions for a time.


    The thought of burying the grenades and triggering them remotely had come to mind but I decided against it as I wanted to be able to use them when and where I needed.


    If somehow the core beasts avoided funneling through the area where the grenades were buried, the grenades would end up being useless.


    I spent as much time as possible in the simulation using full link mode before the headache and heat in my chest got too painful. I managed a little over an hour and a half. During that time I''d practice firing the submachine gun, wielding the blade, and throwing the grenades.


    Before heading to sleep, I ate a few of the ration bars and drank some of the water that I had dug out of the Calipso''s storage compartment.


    The ration bars didn''t taste bad at all. The Noble obviously wouldn''t stock his rations with bad food. It did surprise me that his water was flavored. It had the taste of lemons.


    I scoffed at the prissy attitude of noble. Flavored water... What a pansy. The spoiled prick had flavored water as an emergency supply of water.


    When I slept my dreams were much better than the dreams of the night before. The memory of the dream is fuzzy, but I seem to remember sitting in the kitchen of my house at the table while my mother cooked food and softly hummed the tune to a song she had loved since her childhood.


    When Toby woke me at the time I had designated him to, I felt a pang of regret at having to part from the dream. Toby actually had to raise the volume of his voice before I begrudgingly parted from the dream.


    Powering the armor and bringing it to a standing position I looked to the east. A faint glow had begun crawling up the sky in that direction ever so slowly. Now was the time.


    I ran my simple plan through my head a few more times before deciding nothing needed altering and that there were no major problems with it.


    Setting all systems to full power, I picked up a large rock perfectly suited to the hands of the calipso and smashed it against an even larger boulder.


    A loud crack like the sound of a gunshot accompanied the action. The sound echoed out over the treetops and into the distance.

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17


    I watched the edge of the clearing closely as I continued beating the rock against the boulder.


    It took a while but eventually after 20 minutes of doing this the sensors of the calipso started tracking movement and heat sources in the forest and Toby voiced warnings about multiple contacts deeper into the wooded area. I stopped my noise making and watched.


    Eventually, a large dark shape stalked out of the edge of the forest. It moved extremely low to the ground and seemed to track it''s head back and forth like it was a dog sniffing at the ground.


    It walked on 6 extremely long limbs that were spread out very widely. Its front 4 limbs were vaguely human-like. It had clawed hands with four fingers instead of five, but it had a very human looking elbow and an opposable thumb on each hand. The limbs even seemed to have a human-like muscle structure.


    Its two rear legs, however, were anything but human looking. Its rear legs had two joints each, both of which seemed to pivot in opposite directions of each other.


    Its head was very round and had one extremely large and perfectly round eye on it. The combinations of its globe-like head and perfectly round lidless eye made for a disturbing sight.


    Its mouth couldn''t really even be called a mouth. It was a gaping hole below what amounted to a chin with a multitude of long worm-like tongues hanging out of it and writhing about. Its nose was recessed into its face. I could see the outlines of two holes lower on its face.


    While the creature''s limbs looked sturdy enough its abdomen was insanely thin. the creatures ribs could be clearly seen poking out of its chest.


    As I watched the creature stood on its two hind legs and raised its body. It''s height shocked me. Standing at full height the creature was actually taller than the Calipso.


    It continued to swivel its head around in search of the source of the noise I had made earlier. As it did this its midsection bulged before suddenly deflating. It released an odd sound as it did this.


    I truly don''t know how to explain the sound perfectly. If you put me on the spot and demanded an answer, I would have to say it sounded like the sound of someone dropping a large rock into a body of water but magnified a thousand times mixed with the sound of a short bursting croak of a frog.


    Further into the forest similar sounds answered back. The overlapping nature of the sounds made it difficult to guess how many creatures were in this pack. Most core beasts travel in packs but the size of the packs varied greatly. I hoped this wasn''t a large pack.


    Deciding not to reveal my position before I got a count of the creatures, I kept the Calipso as low as possible and out of sight.


    Two more of the creatures stalked from the edge of the clearing that was about 40 meters away from my position.


    I was extremely lucky these creatures had come from the front and slightly to the right. If they''d come from another direction I wouldn''t have been able to observe them before they rounded the massive mound I was positioned on and came at me.


    When the two creatures joined the first they all stood on their hind legs and began inflating and deflating their chest while releasing that extremely odd sound.


    They released the sound one at a time in a constant pattern that grew louder and louder while their heads continue to track and search the area.


    I could see more movement at the edge of the forest. More of the creatures were slowly stepping out of the forest. As I was counting and trying to gauge their numbers, the weird calls from the three standing creatures suddenly stopped in unison.


    Looking at the three creatures and wondering why they had stopped, I was quickly given an answer.


    Each of the three creatures massive single eyes were trained directly on me. I felt a chill run up my spine as the creatures stared unmovingly at my position. I was pretty sure I wasn''t showing any of myself but it couldn''t be a coincidence.


    The jig was up. I activated the full link mode before standing while raising my submachine gun.


    As I sprang from cover the creatures also suddenly burst forward into motion. They dropped from a standing position and onto their hands before bolting forward at an impressive speed.


    The Calipso''s aim assist systems overlaid aiming reticles and targeting data over the creatures, and I began to fire.


    My aim wasn''t quite as accurate as I had hoped, but it was better than I had expected. More than half of the rounds fired hit their target.


    The leading creature took 7 rounds before it fell to the ground unmoving. As it fell to the ground I began tracking the second closest creature.


    While I aimed at it, I noticed many shapes begin to burst out of the forest. I felt a tinge of panic for a second at the numbers. I didn''t even have time to get an accurate count but there were at the very least 20 of them.


    Throwing the panic aside, I focused on aiming and fired round after round at my second target. It too quickly fell just like the first. The third creature I fired at joined the first and the second moments later.


    I aimed at the 4th creature and scored two hits before my submachine gun stopped firing and an indicator told me to load more ammunition.


    I fought down terror as I slapped the Calipso''s left hand to its thigh, pulled the ¡°magazine¡± and inserted it into the submachine gun.


    During these few moments, I watched as the creatures made good speed and covered most of the distance to the bottom of the mound.


    When I began firing again the creatures had already begun climbing up. The first creatures followed the path of least resistance and went straight up the area I had left for enemies to funnel up.


    Due to the clumped up nature of the creatures, by the time I needed to reload again I had killed five more.


    The creatures, however, kept charging forward and were already halfway up the mound. They stepped directly over the bodies of their pack mates and continued forward.


    Instead of reloading I pulled one of the explosive grenades and tossed it. It sailed into the midst of the creatures and detonated. There was a boom and a cloud of shrapnel tore five more of them apart.


    While I reloaded another magazine into the submachine gun, I checked my flanks. I could see several of the creature struggling to climb up the more uneven terrain on either side and over the trees I had strewn in their path.


    With the submachine gun loaded I aimed down the open path and smiled. The grenade had caused chaos. The creatures were having trouble getting over their fallen comrades. They''re overly long limbs tangled with each other.


    My plan was working perfectly. More than half of the creatures were already dead. Soon they would all be dead.


    I fired in short controlled bursts at any creature that was able to climb over its allies and begin making its way up towards me. It had turned into a chicken shoot and I truly believed the battle was over. It was only a matter of time now.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But as I shot one after another of the creatures I began to notice a high pitched squeal. It was extremely loud.


    Taking my eyes off the cluster of tangled and struggling creatures at the bottom of the path, I look to the left and right for the source of a sound.


    Not finding the source in either direction, I looked further out in front of the mound and was met by the sight of a massive balloon.


    No, it wasn''t a balloon. It was one of the creatures, but its extremely thin torso was no longer extremely thin. Its had expanded until it resembled a massive balloon.


    It squatted on the ground with its mouth hole wide open and its body expanding more and more. It was releasing the high pitched squealing sound.


    The high pitched squeal suddenly stopped and its mouth flicked to point directly at me. Its head seemed to roll back while its neck thrust it''s mouth forward and it''s mouth opened wide before suddenly closing to a small circle.


    It was at that moment I realized something was terribly wrong. I was far too late to react though.


    In the same instant I thought about dodging, the massive balloon-like torso of the creature nearly instantly deflated and I was struck by an incredibly powerful shockwave.


    The Calipso and I were thrown back and into the air to smash into the massive slab of stone behind us. It felt like I had been hit by a runaway train. The submachine gun flew out of the Calipso''s hands and skittered across the ground.


    My mind went fuzzy for multiple moments. Pained coursed through my body and head. I struggled to get control of my body. I could taste blood and felt the trickle of something wet from my nose. Even in full link, I could still feel my human body. It was something I regretted very much. A definite design flaw.


    By the time my head cleared and I brought the calipso to its hands and knees, I looked up to find one of the creatures cresting the edge of my flattened position and lunging towards me.


    It grabbed the head of the Calipso with one of its right hands and the neck of the calipso with the other.


    I was jerked up and over to be slammed against the stone slab behind me. The creature slammed the Calipso''s head into the slab 2 more times before I got my wits together enough to pull the force blade out and begin to defend myself.


    I slashed out and across its chest, cutting the beast directly in half. Its entrails and blood poured out from below its chest cavity and it released me to slump on the ground.


    I didn''t have time to celebrate as more and more of the creatures rushed me.


    I swung the blade in an arc and cut two reaching and grasping arms directly off from their owner. The creature recoiled and began to shriek while thrashing on the ground.


    Another two creatures lunged forward while reaching for me with their incredibly long arms.


    These creatures seemed to be grabbers. They loved to reach out and grab their targets before giving them a thrashing.


    Deciding to kill the creature on the right first and maintain the clearance needed to swing my blade, I sent out another arcing swing of the blade which decapitated the beast.


    The beast on the left managed to grab the elbow of Calipso''s left arm with one of its hands before I twisted the left arm, shaking off the hold and grabbed it by the throat.


    I gave the beast a heavy jerk which took it off its feet and held the creature out before leveling the force blade and driving it home into the creature''s chest.


    As I tried to pull the blade out and reposition myself for more incoming beasts two sets of hands grabbed the Calipso''s right arm all along its forearm and pulled.


    The pull nearly caused me to lose all balance and fall to my knees. I steadied myself against the force of the creature and sent a left hook directly into its stomach.


    The beast let out a howl but kept a firm grip on the Calipso''s right forearm. I couldn''t use the blade with my arm and wrist caught as they were.


    As I was about to throw another left hook, two more sets of hands clasped themselves around the Calipso''s left arm much the same as the right.


    Between the force of the two beasts gripping the Calipso''s arms and jerking before suddenly lunging, I was taken directly off my feet. Both of the Calipso''s arms were pinned to the ground.


    The creatures rapidly lifted both of the arms they held and smashed them into the ground over and over.


    Just as I was about to bring the Calipso''s right leg up to knee the beast on my right in the belly, more sets of hands began to pin the Calipso''s legs to the ground.


    Very quickly I found I couldn''t move the armor at all. I was completely pinned and weighed down by the mass of a half dozen creatures.


    They pilled on top and began to grab and thrash the Calipso against the ground. One of them jumped on the Calipso''s chest and began to rain blows down upon its head and chest.


    Every blow to the armor jolted and impacted my fleshy body inside the cockpit. If I hadn''t been wearing my harness I would have probably been bounced around the inside of the cockpit like a rubber ball.


    I could feel panic creeping up on me again. Fighting the urge to vomit that wanted to overwhelm me, my mind raced in an attempt to find a solution. My head was too chaotic to find an answer at the moment and I truly thought this was the end.


    I watched the creature who had mounted the Calipso''s chest as it gave the armor blow after blow, and simply couldn''t find a solution to my current predicament.


    Just as I was giving up hope my view through the sensors suddenly dimmed to almost complete darkness. For a moment, I thought I was dying or that the cameras had been damaged too badly to work anymore.


    A split second later my view was instantly almost too bright. There was an awful ear-piercing wailing sound accompanying the sudden brightness.


    Though my view was almost blindingly bright now, I could still see the shapes of the beasts as they all collectively recoiled and howled. They flung their arms up in front of their single massive eyes to shield themselves from the massive amount of light and sound that assailed them.


    None of the beasts were now restraining me. I took the opening and smashed out with the force blade set to an extra long length of 4 meters.


    I scored hits on the two beasts to my direct right and they fell to the ground in a twisting, squirming heap and began to bleed out from the massive and deep bloody wounds I had left on their chest. Several of their arms had been cut off.


    Not taking any pause I reached up and grabbed the beast straddling the Calipso''s chest by the neck and drove the force blade through its eye before throwing it corpse directly into the beast that was still reeling back while covering its blinded eye. The two beasts collided and the still living beast fell to the ground in the tangle of the dead beasts limbs.


    Eyeing the beast that had clamped down on my left leg earlier, that had now stood and looked to be drawing back in pain and fear, I kicked out with the armor''s left leg and pulverized one the joints in its legs. It fell to the ground screaming.


    With my immediate surroundings now somewhat clear I rolled the Calipso onto its left shoulder before using its left arm to jab out towards the ground and almost instantly brought the armor to its feet.


    A quick evaluation of my surrounding showed every beast not dead or writhing on the ground was beating a fast retreat and nearly throwing themselves down the side of the slope.


    In a fit of rage, I chased one of the slower ones down and grabbed it by its left shoulder from behind. With a vicious thrust of my force blade, the creature was run through. I pulled the blade out and ran the creature through a second time before tossing its corpse aside.


    By the time I had dispatched the beast and tossed it aside the other creatures were halfway down the slope and fleeing as fast as they could. I could see 4 more beasts scrambling down the slope.


    I decided to not chase the beasts down the uneven ground to avoid any reversals of fortune and turned to the pile of corpses and the still thrashing beasts not yet dead.


    Finishing the beasts was just a simple matter of a few swipes of my force blade that took less than a few seconds.


    I searched around the ground and eventually found the submachine gun. Grabbing it up into my hands after stowing the force blade, I leaped to the edge of the flat area on the slope and leveled the weapon. I could still see multiple beastly shapes making a rapid retreat towards the forest.


    Familiar aiming reticles sprang up and I held the trigger down while screaming in rage.


    Another beast was shredded by a dozen rounds while a second was punctured in three separate areas of its body before the submachine gun ran its magazine dry.


    The rest of the fleeing beasts escaped into the forest while I reloaded.


    I stood at the top of the mound overlooking the battlefield strewn with corpses and felt sudden relief.


    While I viewed the battlefield I noticed a contact still in the clearing marked red by the Calipso''s friend or foe sensor systems.


    On the ground in the clearing was one of the beasts on all of its limbs nearly frozen in place. Its body shook and twitched. Its chest rapidly expanded then deflated in little gasps.


    It seemed frozen and hurt somehow. It didn''t have any external wounds I could see, so I didn''t understand at first what was happening.


    Then I realized this core beast was the one that had used that weird shockwave ability on me earlier. It looked like using the ability had come at a cost to the beast. It was in some sort of shock from the use of its ability. That explained why the beasts hadn''t all used the powerful ability. There was a price associated with its use.


    A cruel smile split my lips and I leveled the submachine gun at the beast. I held the trigger down and the beast appeared to fall apart in a bloody mess as round after round passed through its body.


    I used entirely too many rounds to kill the beast, but each splatter and puff of blood and guts satiated a sick desire I held to punish this awful creature.


    When the last round cycled through the chamber the battlefield fell silent. I stood absolutely still and surveyed the bloody scene. The corpses of the core beasts were littered everywhere. The lay in jumbled heaps here and there.


    I waited a full 5 minute to make sure the battle was truly over before deactivating the full link and slumping into the pilot''s chair.


    I let my head lull back against the headrest and brought my right hand up to cover my eyes. I felt all the tension in my mind and body drain out of me and felt a sudden feeling of weakness overcome me.


    I didn''t mind the feeling at all. It felt like relief. I signed before smiling and giving a barking almost insane sounding laugh.


    "I''m alive!"


    The words never sounded so sweet before.

 Chapter 18 version 2

    ¡°We won Buddy! We make such a great team! I knew we could do it!"


    Toby''s words caused me to open my eyes and cock my head quizzically. I couldn''t understand what this "we" stuff was about.


    "What in the hell are you talking about? WE didn''t do anything. I won. You just watched. What makes you think..."


    My words trailed off as realization dawned on me. I didn''t have much time to think about it when it happened, but maybe Toby did have a hand in this victory. I remembered the intensely bright light and the howling screech when I had been pinned down by the beasts.


    "Of course I helped Buddy. I''m the one who activated the stun grenade. I also triggered the sensors to protect themselves from the stun grenade. We make such a great team, don''t you think?!"


    Controlling the Calipso to view the place the stun grenade should be mounted on the armor''s waist, I found a large circular scorch mark instead. Toby was telling the truth. He had saved my life.


    I thought back to the battle. I remember the position I was in. The panic and the way my mind could not come up with a way to pull myself out of the predicament I was in.


    Toby had done all of it of his own accord. He didn''t receive any orders or prior requests to intervene if needed. I had trouble understanding why.


    Up until this point I''d looked at Toby as nothing more than a machine. A machine I didn''t like very much. My dislike actually bordered on hatred.


    ¡°Why did you do it? I didn''t give any orders to do that."


    "I couldn''t let my best buddy die now could I? There''s no need to thank me. We''re in this together!"


    I wondered if that was just a canned and programmed response. I thought about whether he had helped me because of some programming that made him protect users or admins.


    In the end, I decided it didn''t matter either way. The end result was the same. I owed my life to Toby. thinking about it, I owed him my life twice over.


    When I had first met Toby, I was a dead man. The radiation poisoning would have killed me eventually, but because of Toby, I lived. I held so much anger and resentment for the pain Toby put me through during his experiments, but they did save my life. They may have also given me the tools needed to make a better life.


    I straightened my posture in the chair and spoke.


    "Thank you, Toby. I would be dead if it weren''t for you. Truly, thank you."


    And I really meant it. At that moment I decided to lay down all of my hatred and malcontent with the intelligent program. I wouldn''t hold a grudge against him anymore.


    "No problem buddy. That''s what friends are for!"


    The edges of my mouth curled up into a small grin.


    "Yup, that''s what friends are for."


    The feeling of being alone that I had felt since I left Grey Rock City dissipated. There was someone who had my back now. Toby may not be much more than an intelligent program, but he was a hell of a lot better than nothing.


    "Caleb."


    "What was that buddy?¡±


    ¡°Call me Caleb. That''s my name. My friends call me Caleb.¡±


    ¡°Caleb, that''s a good name. I think Buddy is a better name, but Caleb is a definite close second.¡±


    I couldn''t help the chuckle that escaped my mouth. Now that I didn''t hold a grudge, Toby''s words actually made me laugh. He was a quirky little program and he was quickly growing on me.


    We didn''t have much time to talk. I had some more work to do. The cores needed to be collected and we needed to leave the area immediately. More core beasts might arrive at any second.


    Digging the cores out of the corpses of the beasts was extremely delicate work when you are trying to do the work with massive metal hands. So delicate in fact, that instead of controlling the armor manually I triggered the full link mode to do the job.


    Using the force blade set to the absolute minimum output, I was able to dig all the cores out of the corpses in good time.


    I worried about damaging the cores by using too much strength or hitting them with the force blade, but the cores were much sturdier than I thought. I didn''t test them out with the full output of the force blade or attempt to crush them in the armors fists, but they could definitely survive being handled by the armors brutish hands.


    When all the work was finished I dug out a total of 27 cores. A number that surprised me. Had there really been so many of the beasts? That put the total well over thirty if I counted the beasts that fled. I felt some pride at the number.


    One of the was different than the rest.


    The core of the last beast I had killed, the one that used the ability on me and seemed to slip into some sort of shock after, was dim and brittle.


    Its core came out in pieces. When I handled the pieces they fractured further until they were nothing more than dust.


    That left me with 26 cores. All of which were brighter and larger then the cores I had dug out of the hyena-like beasts during my scavenger work with the group.


    Cores that were unrefined were not as efficient as refined ones, but they should be more than enough to fuel the Calipso until I reached Anarchy City. Toby''s estimates confirmed my thoughts.


    The other downfall to unrefined cores was that the core drive could not operate at full output with unrefined cores as the fuel. The core drive could only achieve 80% of its max output with unrefined cores.


    That was a problem, but I soon found a workaround after talking the problem through with Toby.


    I had Toby partition a section of the Calipso''s internal fuel storage for refined cores only.


    During normal travel, the core drive would use unrefined cores as its fuel source. During combat, Toby would automatically switch the fuel source from unrefined cores to refined cores.


    It was the best workaround for now. If combat was sprung on me it would take a bit for the core drive to clear out the unrefined fuel and begin burning the refined cores, but I definitely didn''t want to burn through all my refined cores in non-combat situations where they were not needed just so that I would be at top condition at all times. I would run through what little refined cores I had left very soon that way.


    I ran into the problem of where to store all these new cores but eventually came up with a solution.


    I emptied the food and water reserves from the calipso storage compartment and brought just enough to survive until I reached Anarchy City into the cockpit with me and dumped the rest. It made the cockpit extremely cramped. I was forced to carry some of it on my lap. There was barely any room to wiggle in the cockpit.


    The Calipso was surprisingly only lightly damaged during the fight. The beasts had smashed the Calipso against the ground and the large slab of rock, but the damage would only add a day or two to the repair time. Clearly, the Calypso''s outer shell of armor was insanely strong. There were only dents where the beasts had struck. None of the Calipso''s internal components were damaged.


    With all of the work done, I climbed the mound, retrieved the old damaged armor and left.


    As a single armor moving through the forest, I found that I attracted very little attention to myself. As long as I was careful not to make too much noise, I went unnoticed.


    My days traveling through the forest were almost uneventful as I continued practicing manual control and even-handed control over to Toby from time to time so that I could practice moving the armor under combat conditions in simulations.


    The simulator gave me an assortment of opponents and scenarios to choose from. I lost the fights more than I won them, but I could feel myself improving and showing better results with each simulation.


    I avoided training with full link mode for now. I really needed to work on my manual control. I couldn''t rely on the full link mode too heavily. As I had already learned, it wasn''t always available and it did have a time limit.


    I was beginning to trust Toby more and more and didn''t feel the need to monitor his every move. Without me telling Toby to shut up every time he spoke up with his chipper attitude, he tended to prattle on and on. Before the battle on the mound whenever he did this it annoyed me. Now I found myself giggling and smiling at his childlike attitude.


    There was an incident where I stumbled upon a core beast with very feline features feasting upon a fresh kill. The beast looked like a larger version of a jaguar I''d seen in a book growing up.


    It immediately set down its meal and launched itself at me with its crystal-like claws bared.


    The fight was quick and ended with a single swipe of the force blade. I collected its core and moved on without wasting more than 5 minutes.


    On the 5th day of my journey following the winding path to Anarchy City, I had another run-in with core beasts. But the encounter was unlike anything I expect when running into core beasts.


    I had been following what looks like a well-worn game trail when the path opened up to a large clearing of long grass.


    When I stepped into the clearing I was shocked to find what must have been one or two hundred massive Green Elk with pristine white antlers.


    At first, I didn''t know they were core beasts. When I magnify the image displayed, I could see the yellow cores embedded in their foreheads. I felt a few moments of fear at the idea of so many core beasts charging me. Their antlers looked extremely sharp and had an unnatural sheen to them.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When the large herd noticed me I got ready to begin hightailing it into the woods like a madman but stopped when I noticed there was not much of a reaction from the herd.


    A few of the larger beasts step forward and position themselves between me and the herd, but besides huffing at me with loud grunts and scraping at the ground with their hooves while dipping their antlers at me, no aggressive moves were made by the herd.


    I stood watching for a few minutes and realized these were not meat eaters. I watched as these massive green elk lowered their head and tore up some of the long grass. They placidly chewed it and almost completely ignored me.


    It was the first time I''d ever thought of core beasts as majestic. I found myself having a new outlook on core beasts. The words core beast had always been associated with the word monster in my head.


    Now, I wasn''t exactly sure what to think. Obviously not all core beasts where mutated monstrosities. The thought gave me comfort and made the forest around me seem less foreign and brooding.


    My time of gazing upon the herd was cut short as what appeared to be one of the herd leaders got annoyed and impatient with me eyeing the herd.


    It suddenly initiated a short charge that nearly stopped my heart in my chest before suddenly breaking off its charge halfway and resuming its huffing, grunting, and scraping the ground with its hooves while staring at me. He was obviously trying to scare me off.


    I took the hint and moved on, but not before recording the images. I wanted to show them to my mother. There were very few animals kept in the outer circle. Not many people were stupid enough to try raising a pet when most can barely feed themselves.


    Even if you could afford to feed it, there was no guarantee someone else wouldn''t see a cat or dog as a convenient source of meat. As such the likelihood of seeing animals that didn''t want to eat you was minimal.


    I was sure my mother would appreciate the sight of the herd just as I had. They were truly majestic beasts and gave you a sense of peace from watching them.


    On the sixth day, I began drawing very close to Anarchy City and the region became very mountainous. I was lucky to have the map or I probably would have gotten lost many times over.


    At one point during my travel, I noticed half a dozen large white shapes on the rocky side of a slope higher up on a mountain.


    Magnifying the image with the Calipso''s optics, I could see that they were some sort of horned and hooved creatures that I failed to recognize from any literature or tales I''d heard. They were incredibly nimble and seemed to cling to the mountainside effortlessly.


    I had just started to get the same majestic and peaceful feeling that I had when I observe the herd of green elk when a massive and monstrous bird swooped out of the sky like a streak of lightning and grabbed one of the pure white beasts.


    The sudden death of the furry white animal on the mountainside reminded me that the outside world was not quite as beautiful and majestic as I had started to believe.


    The world outside the walls of any city still operated on the rules of the jungle. If I really thought about it, the rules of the jungle even applied inside the cities. The world was both beautiful AND ugly.


    On the evening of the seventh day, I drew within 50 km of the city, a travel time which actually overshot the estimations I had made earlier by a noticeable margin.


    Instead of being upset at the delay I was happy because that night the shield system started operating again. They couldn''t achieve full power, only a little under 50%, but it was better than nothing. Should things go wrong at Anarchy City, they would be very helpful. The outer shell armor had also been completely repaired minus the minimal aesthetic damage that I left on purpose.


    Instead of approaching the city at night and risk being identified as an enemy armor sneaking up or having someone with a twitchy trigger finger shoot at me as I approached as nothing more than a shadow in the night, I decided to wait the night out and approach in the morning.


    During the night I had toby make up a special map file that I could use before actually trading the real map file. It was nothing more than a mock-up of the coverage of the real map. It showed the areas mapped without actually revealing the data. It would allow me to give a potential buyer an idea of what they were buying.


    I planned on using the map data to purchase entry into the city if needed. I wasn''t sure if it would work, but I sure as hell wasn''t going to start my bargaining tactics off with trading away the old world armor slung over the Calipso''s shoulder. It was worth much more than entry to the city and I would be foolish to you use it that way.


    Besides, in a city full of bandits that travel the region hunting for merchant caravans, I figured map data would be an excellent trading commodity.


    As I slept toby woke me and informed me of activity. Two helicopters passed over me a few kilometers to the south. They ran completely dark, but the sound of the rotors, as well as their heat signatures, stood out plain as day to the Calipso''s sensors.


    The helicopters were moving in the direction of the city. They were heavy cargo helicopters like the ones that had come to join the noble Count Vagnar, but these were louder and obviously older designs.


    Nothing else of note happened the rest of the night and I set out for the city in the morning.


    When I got within a few dozen kilometers of the city the Calipso''s systems picked up a signal. The signal was unencrypted and broadcast on an open channel. A gruff male voice repeated the same message over and over. The message was obviously recorded and set to loop as well as transmit a set of map coordinates.


    "This is Anarchy City defense forces. If you are hearing this message you are within the defense perimeter of Anarchy city. You ARE being watched. Any suspicious activity will be met with swift and deadly force. No warning will be given.


    If you intend on entering Anarchy city proceed to one of the coordinates being broadcast and enter by the marked path. Broadcast your location on approach over channel 3.26. When contacted by security forces over that channel follow all instructions. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT make any aggressive actions or attempt to sneak into the city. Only a quick death awaits anyone who tries entering the city by unauthorized methods. Obey all instructions and you will not be harmed."


    The message was clear enough and I had no plans to disobey. I made my way to the coordinates sent along with the voice transmission, making sure to keep my weapon down and doing my best to appear peaceful.


    I did, however, turn my shield systems on. If someone took a shot at me I would at least be prepared.


    When I arrived at the coordinates there was a sign stabbed into the ground with a large arrow pointing up a gravel path and a large A within a circle.


    I followed the path cautiously. It felt weird knowing I was probably being watched. Some ass hat probably had a weapon trained on me right at this very moment.


    There was nothing I could do about it though. I walked the path with the sensor systems set to active and broadcast my location openly on the channel the earlier message instructed me to.


    There were two modes for the sensor systems. Passive and active. Active mode sent out radar, lidar, and an assortment of other wavelengths and signals to try and get active return data.


    Passive mode did not send out any signals or energy of any sort. The cameras simply watched and the sensors passively received any wavelengths or signals already generated by outside sources.


    Passive was the way you ran your sensors when you wanted to stay incognito. You run your active sensors when you didn''t care about being found. They gave you a much better picture of the world around you but it was basically like setting off a flare in the middle of the night.


    I learned all of this from the data files toby helped me find inside the Calipso''s data core. The file was a sort of a user manual for the Calipso and I had dedicated it to memory. It wasn''t a complete tutorial on tactics and methods but it was extremely helpful.


    I didn''t mind being seen and in fact, I wanted to be seen. So I ran the active sensors. The last thing I needed was to be thought of as trying to sneak up on the city.


    The gravel path ascended up and in-between three massive mountains that formed the point in a V-shaped mountain range.


    As I ascended into the mountain path, I began to see defense emplacements built into the steep mountain ridges to each side. They looked to be hardened bunkers with cannons and even some surface to air missile batteries.


    I could see armor patrolling around these defensive emplacements of varying types. Many of these armor seemed to be watching me.


    It was extremely uncomfortable being under the barrel of these cannon filled fortifications. If these cannons began firing, would the weakened shields of the Calipso hold?


    Making my way further and further up the path, the defensive measures became more and more numerous. Anarchy City had a massive defense network wrapped around it obviously.


    "Sensors are picking up drive core signatures and moving contacts directly in front of us. The distance of these contacts is about a kilometer. Sensors register at least 8 contacts of varying size. Estimate contacts to be a group of armor."


    Toby rattled out the information and my tension ramped up. This would be my first contact with anyone from Anarchy city and I was worried what I knew about Anarchy city was false.


    Proceeding along the path, eventually, I saw the group. They also saw me as well. When they spotted me they paused much the same as I did. We appraised each other for a half minute before they began to move forward again.


    At first, I thought they were the welcoming party of anarchy city, but when they finally got close instead of stopping they simply stayed to one side of the path and passed by. They did seem to keep their guard up against me and I noticed most of the group turning the heads of their armor and main sensors to keep an eye on me. They passed quickly and we parted ways. No attempt to contact me over com channels was made.


    After another 15 minutes of slowly proceeding along the path, I saw reinforced concrete buildings blocking the path ahead. I also noticed the edge of a city poking out of the forest higher up and nestled between the mountains. The walls looked much higher than Grey rock city''s walls.


    Multiple sets of armor patrolled this outpost on the path. Some of these armor stood directly on the path and seemed to be waiting for me. Just as I began to think about how to approach them, I received a notification from toby telling me there was a comm connection request on the channel I had been using to broadcast my location. I immediately accepted the request.


    "Connect to channel 3.97 and continue your approach. Do not make any sudden moves. Turn off your active sensors. They can mess with our own sensor systems when you are close. You don''t need to continue broadcasting on the original channel you were ordered to anymore."


    The male voice that came over the channel was very gruff. I did as ordered and waited for more instructions.


    "That''s good. My database does not have your armor registered. What group or unit are you a part of?"


    I thought for a second and answered.


    "I''m not part of any group from Anarchy city. This is my first time here. Is that a problem?"


    "No. It''s uncommon but not that rare. You will need to be registered and given an ID before you are allowed entry to the inner city. You will also be required to disarm here before you can proceed. Don''t worry, all of your weapons will be returned in time."


    I guessed as much. They wouldn''t allow an unknown man to enter the city armed to the teeth. It would be stupid to allow that.


    "That''s fine. I expected as much. Are there any requirements besides that for entering the city."


    "Not much really. You can''t bring your armor into the city proper. It will be stored in a sectioned off part just inside the wall, but you can access it anytime you want. It''s required of every pilot within the city. Only defense forces or council sanctioned units are allowed to pilot armor within the inner city."


    The thought of leaving my armor under the protection of others was not a comfortable one. It was a good thing I had Toby. If someone tried to steal the Calipso he would be there to stop them, or at least put up a fight. I would leave his existence as a secret and let him be a surprise for any would-be thieves.


    The process at the outpost went smoother than expected. My weapons were taken while multiple armor watched and I was led towards Anarchy city by half a dozen armor.


    "Are you a noble?"


    The question surprised me.


    "No. I''m not even a knight."


    "That''s good. People here don''t like nobles. In fact, most people hate them. You would run into a lot of trouble if you were one. If you''re lying about not being one... I warn you now, we have an extensive list of noble identities and it''s unlikely you will escape notice."


    "It won''t be a problem. I''m not a noble."


    "A more in-depth questioning will happen when you get to the city. This outpost is just a buffer before anyone enters the city. I suggest you be open and honest about your reasons for coming here."


    There was nothing to really say in response. So I said nothing. The man didn''t appear to be interested in talking anymore either. None of the other armor pilots spoke on the channel.


    The closer we got to Anarchy city, the more I was surprised by its size and defensive layout. It was built into the side of the mountain and looked like a hedgehog made of walls and cannons.


    Above the city was the gaping mouth of a massive cavern. I was surprised when a pair of jets rolled in over the treetops and seemed to dive directly into the mouth of the massive cavern.


    The man who guided me along with my other escorts must have noticed my attention on the odd sight.


    "That is the air base for Anarchy city. It''s built directly into the mountain for defensive purposes."


    I gave a short grunt in acknowledgment of his words. Eventually, we came up the walls of the city and a massive gateway built into the wall. When we came to a rest, the gate began to slowly part with a rumble.


    Another group of armor was waiting on the other side of the gate as it opened. My weapons were handed over to this new group and I was ordered to follow them.


    As I stepped inside the tunnel behind the gate, it began to close. I wondered if coming to Anarchy city was a mistake.


    Only time would tell. I really knew of no other place I could go.

 Chapter 19

    Edit 19


    Chapter 19


    The massive Gates closed with a sound like thunder rolling off into the distance. There was a finality to the sound that told me there was no escape should things go wrong.


    "Are you coming or not?"


    The words were spoken by a female over the Comm Channel. Her voice was one that only someone who had smoked a pack a day for their entire life could have.


    "Yes, I''m sorry."


    "Don''t apologize. Just get your ass moving."


    She was definitely the no bullshit type. I saw no reason to get on her bad side and followed her. Once again, just as before, all of the other armor fell in behind me in cautious observance.


    We proceeded down the tunnel and I could see that there were more gates recessed into the ceiling every few meters. They were not closed now but I knew should the city come under attack they would close quickly.


    When we got to the end of the tunnel, the gate there was already half opened. My escort did not wait for the gates to fully open before she slipped right through the doors. I followed and we stepped out and into a walled yard.


    The walls were only about 6 meters high but each wall had two sets of fierce-looking machine guns mounted on them which were aimed directly at me.


    The hairs on the back of my neck stood up upon seeing them. I really did not enjoy people pointing weapons at me. The thought that all it would take is one man with a twitchy trigger finger to start a very horrible sequence of events, did not sit right with me.


    My leading escort went directly to the door on the right. She gave the okay sign to a mounted camera over the door and it opened.


    When we got to the other side we paused. There were two armors positioned on that side of the door. There was also half a dozen large and long buildings that look like warehouses.


    My escort must have been speaking over private communications with the guards because after a second one of the guards pointed in a direction and my lead escort began to walk in that direction.


    "You''re in hangar 6. You''re lucky, hangar 6 is meant for spill off when the main hangers are full. There will be fewer people sniffing around your armor in there. You will get a little privacy."


    I wasn''t even sure what was happening, so I couldn''t tell if I was really lucky or not. I kept my mouth shut and stayed close to my escort.


    We passed some of the bigger hangers and came to a smaller one. The word smaller was relative though. It was still a very big building.


    While passing in between the buildings, I noticed the incredible amount of cameras. There were also armor station here and there holding weapons and keeping a close eye on the surrounding area.


    There was a group of armors coming out of one of the larger hangers. I could only see what looked to be half the group and that already accounted for 10 armor. I experienced a flashback of the merc knights when I saw them as they were mostly outfitted in Goliath armors.


    There were also groups of unarmored people walking in and out of some of the different hangers. Most of the people I saw were of the rough-and-tumble sort. I seemed to draw a lot of attention in my old world armor, but I spotted another old world armor in the distance entering another hanger and knew that while old world armor was rare they are not unseen here.


    While my heart was not totally set at ease, I did feel a sense of comfort from my surroundings. It didn''t appear like I was walking into a trap.


    My escort brought me into the small hanger. Inside along each wall were small closed off sections, some of which were closed shut by thick gates. Inside of the closed areas was statue-like armor of assorted types.


    "Store your armor in this here and dismount."


    She pointed to an empty area with the number 16 painted on the back wall as she said it.


    I did a she told me, but before I powered down the Calipso and dismounted, I told Toby to monitor the situation around the Calipso. I gave him orders to not allow anyone inside the cockpit besides me and should it seem that anyone is trying to damage the armor or move it he was to stop them.


    I also pulled two data chips out of slots in the computer system of the Calipso. It contained the map file I intended to trade off and the mock up map file.


    In all other cases, he was to remain completely still and give no indication of his existence. The realization that I had an artificial intelligence installed inside my armor may draw undue attention to me. I wanted to make the least amount of waves here as possible even if that wasn''t entirely possible while being an old world armor pilot.


    Setting the old world armor I had been carrying over the Calipso''s shoulder to one side, I powered down the Calipso and opened the hatch.


    When I stepped out of the Calipso, I immediately felt small and weak. My escort and two other armors towered above me. It wouldn''t take much for them to squash me like a bug.


    My sense of unease ramped up as the massive armors all stood still watching me. When the armor the raspy-voiced woman suddenly tilted forward and took a knee, I nearly dove for cover.


    There was a hiss of escaping gas and the hatch to the woman''s armor opened. Two feet followed by a sturdy body swung out of the cockpit and planted themselves on the ground in a show of athletics.


    The woman who I had heard over the com channel now stood before me. She was a thick-bodied and tall woman. Bigger than many males I had seen. Two parallel scars ran across her lips and she had a hard look about her. She looked like someone you didn''t want to piss off. I thought she looked to be in her mid-thirties.


    She could see my tension and barked a laugh before talking.


    "First time?"


    I nodded my head and didn''t relax my body at all.


    "Relax, no one is going to jump you here. They would get their shit pushed in within a half a minute if they did and the security forces won''t mess with you unless you mess with them or you break a rule."


    She walked past me and to the edge of the area assigned to me. With a wave of one hand, she signaled for me to approach.


    When I got close to her she pointed at a recessed part of the wall separating my area from the next. A small screen and number pad revealed themselves with a push of a button.


    "This is how you access your billet. In a moment I will have you input a passcode of your choice into the system. Only you will have access to your billet. Well, you and anyone with the proper rank among the cities security forces... like me."


    She gave a small smile and a wink as she spoke the last words. After pressing a string of numbers into the number pad she stepped back and waved me forward.


    "Put your code in. I suggest you don''t use 123456 or anything else just as stupid."


    While making sure to use my body to block the number pad, I input my code. I used my mother''s birthday as the code. A number I would never forget.


    As I finished and took a step back to watch the large gate close, I felt a hand fall on my shoulder from behind.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The woman stepped up close to me and spoke into my ear which she easily reached with her large stature. She was every bit as tall as I was.


    "You''re pretty handsome. You''re also the pilot of an old world armor. Truly an all in one package. Though, you could use a shower."


    I was at a complete loss for words. I had never experienced such blatant flirting from a woman. It felt like I was a maiden being accosted by a drunk ruffian. It was completely new territory for me and I was out of my depths.


    "We should get to know each other. I can assure you that you will come to enjoy my company very much."


    She had a very dirty look in her eyes as she said the words. She gave me the impression of a wild beast preying on a lamb.


    "Ah... I''m flattered. Really, I am... But..."


    Words failed me completely. What does one say in this situation?


    "Come on. You''re such a handsome little devil. So tall and cute. You''re a little young and skinny for my taste, but we can make it work. Don''t worry I don''t bite."


    My mouth sagged open and I probably looked like a completely innocent fool. Before I could say anything else though there was a burst of sound from one of the armor standing over us watching the exchange.


    "Hahaha. Rose leave the boy alone. Can''t you see you''re not his type? Don''t you already have too many toys already?"


    The speaker had a deep voice and was obviously male.


    "Shut your damn trap Tom or the next session of PT I will make you run nonstop! Would you like that?"


    The male''s voice cut off immediately with a startled grunt.


    "Don''t listen to him. I don''t have any toys. Just friends. You can be my new friend. Let''s get to know each other. My name is Rose, but you already heard it from the dumbass. What''s your name cutie?"


    "Um... Caleb." I stammered my name out and tried to shrink back out of her grasp. her grip on my shoulder, however, held me firm.


    "Ooohhh. What a sweet sounding name. Rose and Caleb. Don''t you think those names fit together perfectly?"


    Once again I simply stood in total stupid shock.


    "Hehe. Don''t be shy. Follow me. We need to get you an ID."


    As she said it she gave me a light pat on the ass which made me flinch and nearly jump with surprise. I made a mental note to never hit on a woman like this and followed her as she started walking.


    We walked out of the building and down the rows of hangers before we came to a human-sized door. Two unarmored men stood outside the door and opened it when we approached.


    Rose wrapped her arm around my shoulder again as we walked in and I caught the smirk of one of the door guards before entering.


    I did not enjoy being seen as Rose''s conquest but there wasn''t much I could do about it. Obviously Rose had a reputation among the guards. I would let Rose ply her methods for now and flee the first chance I got.


    Being rude to her didn''t even cross my mind. Pissing off a guard with rank was the last thing I wanted to do while still so new to my surroundings. She could probably make my life a living hell a million different ways if I pissed her off.


    Rose brought me down a hallway and into a plain cement room. There was a table with two chairs on either side of it inside the room. She motioned for me to take one chair and I sat.


    Just when I thought I would receive a reprieve from her hands on nature, she grabbed the opposite chair, dragged it over to my side of the table and sat down in it. She was entirely too close.


    She produced a small computer tablet from her jacket and set it on the table before she began to ask me questions. She asked me about my purpose for coming to Anarchy city and what I intended to do in the city.


    Rose obviously lacked enthusiasm for asking the questions but still showed great interest in sexually harassing me. She made sure to keep on the pressure as she ran her fingers over the hand I had laid on the table and even lightly gripped my thigh at one point. When I showed discomfort she would smirk and giggle.


    I answered all questions honestly and was happy when she didn''t ask where I got the two old world armor. I also gained a new sense of appreciation for the women I had seen in similar situations to my own in the past.


    I felt like a trapped animal. I couldn''t escape the situation at all and Rose knew it. If she wasn''t in a position of power I would have already made it clear I didn''t appreciate her advances. Other than squirming, however, I couldn''t do anything. She didn''t truly overstep any bounds, so I let it slide.


    While it didn''t take long to give her the information she asked, it felt like it took much longer than it actually did. Eventually, Rose stopped asking questions and typing information into her tablet. We left the room and she walked me down the hallway.


    When we got to the end of the hallway, she nodded to the two heavily armed guards wearing body armor watching a door from behind a desk. They handed something to her and hit a button that caused the door inside the room to slide open. We stepped out and onto a busy street moments later.


    Rose pointed to the building we had just exited.


    "This is the only access point for civies to the area where we stored your armor earlier. If you want to get to your equipment, you have to pass through security here. Hit the button next to the door, state your name and the doors will open. When you go to leave with your armor you will have to pay for storage fees. It''s 1 gold a day for a single billet. Make sure you have it or you don''t get to leave with your armor. When you leave you get your weapons back."


    I nodded and felt relief at the prospect of parting from this very sexually aggressive woman.


    "Do you know where you''re going to stay while in the city? Some places are a complete ripoff."


    "No... I haven''t been here before."


    "I recommend the Lonely Crow. It''s nothing fancy but it''s clean, cheap, they serve good food, and they don''t water down the alcohol. Just go to seventh street and ask around. It''s not hard to find. Talk to Nicholas. He owns the inn. He''s a good man. If you need a little help he will give you some direction. Don''t get on his bad side though."


    "Thanks. I should get going."


    I wanted to bolt into to the passing pedestrians and flee from this woman but just as I turned to leave she reached out and grabbed my arm. She pulled me close and wrapped an arm around my waist.


    "You''re forgetting something."


    She brought her face close to mine and I could feel her warm breath on my face. I leaned my upper body and head back as much as I could and stared at her.


    "Um... I..." I tried to sputter out some words and failed. A phenomenon I was finding happened all too often around this odd woman.


    Just as I thought she was about to force a kiss on me she brought her free hand up and waved a small card in my face.


    "Your ID silly. You''re going to need it."


    She giggled at my relieved expression. I reached up and accepted the card.


    "What did you think I was going to do, kiss you? Silly fellow. You have such a perverted mind. We can save that for later."


    She was absolutely shameless and nearly I choked on my tongue.


    "Don''t be a stranger Caleb. I get off my shift in a little over an hour. Why don''t you wait for me and I can show you the city? There are all kinds of fun places to visit."


    I declined her offer and quickly extracted myself from her grasp before disappearing into the traffic of the street like the fleeing rat I was. I could hear Rose laughing from behind me as she watched me scurry away. I have never felt so embarrassed in my entire life as I did at that moment.


    For a while, I just followed the flow of traffic and observed the city. I figured I was in the outer circle of the city. It was both similar and different to grey rock city.


    Some of the streets looked much the same as my home streets. Some of them looked much cleaner and had larger more impressive buildings lining them. It was a weird hodgepodge of clashing prosperity.


    Some of the people walking the streets looked to be very poor and unhealthy while others looked well fed and well dressed.


    One thing I noticed was nearly everyone was openly armed. Some had knives strapped to their waists while others wore hand handguns. It was a sight I was unused to seeing. People didn''t openly carry weapons back home. It was against the law. Sure, plenty of people strapped knives or even small pistols under their clothes, but it was nothing like this.


    I walked the streets for about an hour before I got my fill of the sights. I asked a man where seventh street was and he vaguely waved in a direction before rudely turning around and walking away. After repeating the process half a dozen times, I found the Lonely Crow.


    It was a three-story building that looked old but well kept. It was clean and in good repair. I wanted to see if they still had a room open.


    I didn''t actually have any money, but Rose''s appraisal of the owner made me think I might get a little help from the man. I intended to ask him where I could offload the map data and get the best price. I needed money and quick. Maybe the man would let me book a room and pay later. I doubted it but it was worth a try.


    The inside of the inn was as clean and well kept as the outside. There were a few customers sat at a long bar and some of the dozen clean tables scattered around the room.


    Behind the bar, was a giant of a man. He was about 5 inches taller than me, which was saying something as I was already a pretty tall man. I wasn''t sure but I thought I had grown a few inches since the upgrades had been applied to my body. My physique had also filled out and I no longer looked like a cancer patient. Even then the man dwarfed me.


    Just as I walked up and was about to talk to him the man looked me up and down and spoke.


    "Caleb right?"


    I was shocked that the man knew my name and my guard instantly went up. A look of suspicion came across my face and I stared at the man. He laughed with a friendly grin.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not a spy or mind reader. Rose called ahead and told me you might be stopping by."


    My tension drained a bit. Rose was looking out for me. I wasn''t sure what to feel exactly but I was at least a little grateful.


    "How did you know it was me?"


    He gave me a look that told me he questioned my intelligence before eyeing me up and down meaningfully.


    "You stand out quite a lot kid. Just look at yourself."


    Doing as he said, I looked myself over. I felt I really was stupid. My clothes were dirty and stiff with accumulated grime and dirt. My skin had splotches of dried blood and other unknown substances on it. My smell must be overwhelming right now.


    Yeah, I definitely stood out alright. I wondered how Rose could stomach being so close to me before. I had gotten used to my own condition so I had completely forgotten, but she must have smelled me while being so close. I decided to not wonder about it anymore. Rose was an odd woman and it was a waste of my time to try to understand her eccentricities.


    I nodded slowly.


    "Yeah. I can see that now."


    Pausing and looking the man in the eyes I continued.


    "I don''t mean to be a bother but can I maybe book a room before paying and get a little information from you? I need to find a way to sell some map data so I can get the money to pay you. I''m willing to pay more later if it''s too troublesome."


    He smiled before giving me a chuckle.


    "Polite, just like she said. We''ll get along just fine. You don''t have to worry about the cost of the first day. Rose already took care of it for you. About the map data... I know a friend who can help you with that. I''ll give him a call. If the data is any good he will put you in contact with a buyer. He will want a cut, but he is fair and you will get the best price this way."


    A feeling of gratitude for Rose came over me. As odd and aggressive as she was, she seemed to be a good person. A rarity these days.


    Nicholas waved his hand in a motion meant to tell me to follow him and he brought me to the second floor of the inn. He opened the door to a small but comfy room and gestured me in.


    He went to a small closet and pulled out a blanket and a sheet as well as a pillow which he laid on the small bed in the room.


    "Don''t get my bedding dirty. There is a shower down the hall. It''s marked with the picture of a drop of water. The bathroom is besides that room. Go clean up." He paused and looked me over again. "Do you need any clothes?"


    Feeling embarrassed for a moment I awkwardly nodded. The clothes I wore were completely soiled and I didn''t have any backups.


    "Haha. It''s fine. I''ll let you borrow an old set of my clothes until you can wash yours. They might be a little baggy on you but it''s better than nothing."


    I rubbed the back of my neck with one hand and thanked him. He left the room for a minute before bringing me the clothes he promised and led me to the bathing room.


    "Don''t take too long if you take a shower. I don''t like people wasting water. I''ll go make that call. My friend should be pretty interested in that map data. I hope it''s good data. He can be cranky when people waste his time."


    I hurriedly nodded and Nicholas left to go downstairs. Just before he got to the stairs he turned and spoke again.


    "The water will be cold. We only turn the water heater on for 2 hours in the morning and at night. 6 to 8 am and 6 to 8 pm."


    The bathing room was small and had nothing but a mirror, a small tub, and showerhead. I decided that I would take a shower as a cold bath didn''t seem appealing.


    The cold water felt heavenly and seemed to wash away what seemed to be years worth of grime. There wasn''t any soap or a washcloth and I wouldn''t have used them if there was, but I made due.


    When I finished showering and stepped in front of the mirror I looked into the reflection and saw a new man. The words new man were more apt than I would have thought actually.


    My height had definitely grown a few inches and my musculature was more pronounced. I didn''t want to admit it but I looked like a tall boy before. Now I looked like a tall young and fit man.


    I turned this way and that while appreciating my reflection. The beard that was once the scraggly and patchy beard of a boy was now thicker and evenly grown. It wasn''t long yet and I decided I liked it. It gave me a mature and somewhat dashing appearance. I needed a bit of a trim but it would do for now.


    In time I stopped my narcissistic gazing and found I had a problem. I didn''t have a towel to dry off with. Just as I was about to put the new clothes on anyways I heard a knock on the door. Nicholas''s voice came from the other side.


    "I nearly forgot about your towel. I have a freshly washed one for you right here."


    I thanked him and felt some relief at the man''s kind actions. He really was a good man.


    Just as I was about to open the door a crack to receive the towel, the door swung wide revealing Nicholas standing in the door frame.


    My hands shot up to cover my privates and I felt extremely shy. I said thank you awkwardly and reached out for the towel. He handed it over without any seeming shame or embarrassment.


    After quickly wrapping the towel around my waist and staring at the man awkwardly, I voiced a thought that bubbled to the surface of my head.


    "How do you know Rose again?"


    Nicholas smiled and raised a hand. On his ring finger sat a gold band.


    "She''s my wife."

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20


    Rose is his wife?! That is a problem... right? And what''s up with this big guys sense of privacy?


    I watched Nicholas for a moment and wondered if he was trying to send a message or something. Was he trying to warn me to stay away from his wife? Was he trying to make me uncomfortable?


    Or worse, was he also an odd one like his wife? My head felt like it was going to explode from the unexpected situation and the implications.


    Maybe staying here wasn''t a good idea. Thinking about it, I decided finding a new residence might be worth the effort.


    As I was about to awkwardly close the door in Nicholas unreadable face, I heard a pair fo feet stomping up the stairs.


    "Dad, what are you doing standing around up here? I need help! You always try and slink off and avoid work."


    The voice belonged to a girl. One right on the edge of maturing into a woman. She had long blond hair in a ponytail with a few messy strands hanging loose over her forehead and her deep blue eyes. Despite calling Nicholas her father, she didn''t take after his body type at all. She had an elegant and womanly build and a height of about 5'' 8".


    I watched as she approached from behind Nicholas. She was about to pull on his arm in the direction of the stairs when she noticed me.


    "Dad come on, I nee-..."


    She darted behind the mass of her father and hid. I reacted to the situation too late to save myself or this girl the embarrassment but quickly closed the door anyway. I could hear her speak words in an awkward tone through the door.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t know anyone was up here. I, I, um... Dad, let''s go downstairs. He needs his privacy. It''s getting busy downstairs."


    I could hear the young woman scolding her father in hissing but hushed tones as she and Nicholas moved to head downstairs.


    Standing on the other side of the door and listening to them part, the image of the girl flashed into my head. I didn''t get to see much of her, but she had left an impression.


    Who was that girl? She called Nicholas dad. She lives here too?


    Maybe staying here for a bit wouldn''t be so bad? Yes, it would be rude to just up and leave. These people had been great hosts so far. They had opened their home and hearth to me and put a roof over my head. I should stay and show my gratitude however I can. It was the right thing to do!


    With the decision to stay here for a while made, I dried my body and put on Nicholas''s spare clothes with a smile on my face. They were too large by a rather sizable margin, but I made do by rolling the sleeves up and tucking the shirt in. The pants were slightly baggy but between fixing them up with a belt and rolling the pant legs up a bit, they would do.


    After getting dressed and putting my dirty clothes back into my bag in the room, I went down the stairs and into the common room of the inn.


    Nicholas was busy behind the bar getting drinks. There were more customers scattered around the large room than when I had come in. The inn seemed to be hitting a busy part if the day.


    The golden-haired girl flit between the kitchen and the tables in the common room. She carried rather large plates of food and drinks to tables full of dirty and rough looking men.


    The men tried to compete for her attention and tease her but all attempts were expertly ignored as the lovely young lady seemed to dance from table to table. She was like a drop of serenity among the growing chaos of the common room. When she disappeared into the kitchen and didn''t immediately show again, I felt a pang of regret.


    Without her lovely presence in the room, it immediately became a boring place. The men who roamed the room with a beer in hand while smelling to high hell held no interest to me. I had seen it before.


    Making my way to the bar I sat down in one of the stools next to Nicholas and a little away from any of the men drinking at the bar.


    Before I could say anything Nicholas set a mug of clear liquid before me and leaned on the bar from his side.


    "Here. It''s good stuff. I made it. We treat it like mother''s milk. It''s very smooth. Drink up!"


    The drink had already been poured. It would be rude to deny the offer. Plus it was just some weak brew. So I accepted the offer.


    When I took the first swig of the brew I didn''t hold back. A man is not supposed to be timid. I regretted the action immediately.


    The alcohol felt like a liquid fire that began to burn its way towards my stomach. Halfway through my swig I almost choked on the fire like brew.


    Some of the alcohol spilled down the edges of my mouth as I fought back the urge to spasm and cough. The aftertaste was horrendous. It tasted like gasoline had been poured down my mouth. Making small suppressed coughs, I leaned onto the bar and closed my eyes.


    "What is it too strong for you?"


    The way Nicholas said it riled me up. It felt like he was questioning my manhood. I felt a foolish desire to show the man some steel. I looked him straight in the eyes.


    "No. The alcohol is fine. The taste is much like mother''s milk. Smooth. Just like you said."


    Nicholas beamed at me.


    "Good! Drink up. I brew all kinds of alcohol. I want to know what you think of them all!"


    Oh no. I had walked into a trap! Nicholas''s gaze told me so. I was a fool! How could I back out of this now?


    "I don''t have any money currently. I can''t pay for this right now. I would if I could but-"


    "No no no. You''re my guest! Drinks are on me tonight!"


    My mind raced for ways to turn down the offer. Just as I started to think about saying I was too tired a set of manly hands clasped my shoulders.


    "Yes! You''re our guest. Drinks are on us tonight! Don''t worry about it!"


    Rose had nearly draped her body over me while she kneaded my shoulders. My body went tense at her sudden arrival and her hands on nature. The fact that she was like this in front of her husband also threw me for a loop.


    Between their harmonic coaxing, eventually, they got me to finish the drink. The brew was very strong alcohol in a very large cup. I knew that even with the enhancements my body had received it wouldn''t take more than a few of these drinks to make me tipsy. A few more than that would get me sloppy drunk.


    Just as they started talking about pouring me another drink in almost unison like agreement, my savior came. From a door behind the bar, the golden-haired girl came out in a rush.


    "DAD! What are you doing? I need help!... Mom, you''re home already?! Good! You can help too. What are you two..."


    She then saw me. She had a look of consternation on her face. She knew her parents well and could guess better than me what was happening. She closed her eyes, raised her face, and looked to be pleading with a higher power for a moment.


    After a moment her lovely blue eyes shot open and she rushed forward in a huff. Her father took a sudden step back and her mother did as well. The bar between Rose and her daughter appeared to have little effect on Rose''s fear for her daughter.


    The beautiful young girl who seemed very harried reached up and grabbed her father''s ear with a twist. Nicholas let out a yelp and lowered his head to try and alleviate the pain of his daughter viscously tugging at his ear. Air hissed out of his teeth.


    The girl, who now seemed more like a Valkyrie than a tavern girl, glared daggers at her mother. She didn''t say anything for a few moments as her mother withered under the look.


    The entire common room went almost silent while the girl stared at her mother. I could swear the temperature in the room had dropped a few degrees.


    "Mother... would you please join me and father in the kitchen for a talk."


    The voice was silky soft and lovely as always, but it had a hint of metal to it. It offered no warmth and seemed to imply disobedience was not acceptable.


    I looked on in fascination as both husband and wife hung their heads and slowly walked into the kitchen like prisoners heading towards the execution grounds. To them, she was an executioner. To me, she was a guardian angel!This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    This girl had fire! I should have guessed it. With parents like this, it was no wonder. She had tamed her parents well. As well as can be expected with weirdo parents like these, anyway.


    I smiled and tried to listen in to the ear full I could hear the young girl give her parents on the other side of the kitchen door.


    A hand landed on my shoulder startling me from my inner musings. A half drunk man with an impressive beard leaned over and whispered to me with a cunning smile on his face.


    "Be careful lad... you wouldn''t be the first young man to chase the hare and instead get caught by a bear."


    Looking the man in his eyes for a moment, I looked down the bar to see half a dozen other men also smirking at me.


    A feeling of embarrassment rolled over me. Had I really been seen through so easily? I didn''t even know these men. I was only a little intrigued by the young blonde haired girl. That''s all! And what exactly did they mean by bear? Were they talking about Rose or her husband? And if they meant Nicholas... in what way did they mean It?


    "We have seen this play out a few times. Some young buck comes sniffing around the lady and doesn''t realize he is as much prey as she is in this place. Most are able to scurry away and give up after too many close calls. But... those that fail to escape... Well, they are changed forever."


    The entire bar burst into laughter at the man''s words. A few of the men spoke. Their words were not encouraging. One told me to run for the hills. Another said something about sitting down being hard for me from now on. And one winked and said, "maybe you will like it?"


    I sat on the stool and brooded. They were making fun of me. My reaction only made the men giggle harder.


    Nicholas appeared from the kitchen moments later with a chastised look. He started serving drinks to the customers again. Rose also stepped out of the kitchen and began to clean dirty tables and clear empty plates off of them.


    It seemed they were warned about bothering me and they were doing their best not be chastised again. They still took every chance they could to make me feel uncomfortable.


    Nicholas kept staring at me and Rose found every excuse in the book to pass by me and run her fingers over my back or through my hair.


    The men who had joined in laughing at my odd circumstances quieted down eventually and the room began to descend into the chaos every good bar room had.


    The men proved to be talkers and I struck up conversations with them. Most of them had a few giggles at my expense here and there but seemed to be genuinely alright people. They were the Lonely Crow''s regular customers.


    They filled me in on the day to day here at ''The Crow" as they called it. Nicholas brewed the alcohol and served the beverages. Rose worked in the security forces as a platoon leader but helped however she could when not at work. Both Rose and Nicholas were not people to mess with apparently and that kept trouble makers away.


    Alice, their daughter was the real head of the inn. She did everything in her power to keep her unruly and odd parents from tanking the business. She ruled the bar room and the kitchen with an iron fist.


    Regret filled me at not hearing the girls name from her own lips. Alice was a good name. It suited her well.


    I''m a young man. A young man with hormones coursing through his veins. Probably more so after the enhancements. It wasn''t love I felt. I hadn''t even known her name until a moment ago, but she had definitely caught my eye. I couldn''t help smiling every time her head darted out from the kitchen door to check on her parents. Both of whom were on their best behavior when she was looking.


    The men at the bar slowly introduced themselves. A few of them even bought beer for me. They loved to throw in little jokes when they did. Things like "you''ll need it." Or "it will help with... later.".


    Deciding to take the jokes on the chin with good nature, I accepted the drinks and got down to learning about this city. The men were more than willing to answer questions and teach me the ropes. I received a lot of helpful information from the men.


    It was always easiest to get a man talking once you got a few drinks in him. Usually, it was me buying drinks for others in an attempt to rattle some info loose. Now I was being treated.


    The overdrinking became a problem though. I couldn''t turn down drinks constantly or I would risk ruining the forthcoming and open attitude of these men. They like most drunks were a fountain of info. Nicholas also came over from time to time and replaced my empty cups with full ones.


    By the time the room started to clear out, I noticed there were a half dozen of my new friends nearly passed out at the bar. I was not in much better condition myself. My ability to drink had improved drastically from the alterations, but it could only go so far. I had avoided getting knock out drunk in a new place, but not by much.


    My ability to drink had left many good impressions among the men in the bar, but I still got drunk in the end. The attitude of the bar room had swept me along. The men had bought me drinks and tried competing with me. I really did like this bar. It was more open and warm than others I had been in.


    Normally, people drank quietly among themselves and were distrustful or rude to strangers. It was different here. More... free and friendly. More... chaotic and loose.


    As I sat in the bar stool enjoying my languid and drunken state a pair of large hands rest themselves on my shoulder. Rose leaned over one of my shoulders and spoke into my ear.


    "You''re drunk. We should get you to bed. I''ll tuck you in nice and snug."


    My eyes flew to Nicholas behind the bar. The man was cleaning a cup and watching his wife drape herself over me. This was one of the weirdest situations I had ever been in. What in the hell was going on!?


    "Yes. We can''t leave you down here like this. You''ll catch a cold."


    She half supported and half dragged me towards the stairs and I felt mounting confusion. My mind was fuzzy with alcohol but even in my inebriated state, I could feel something was going terribly wrong.


    Just as I was about to start flailing my way out of her burly arms, a charming but wrathful voice shattered the almost silence of the common room.


    "Mom! Leave him alone!"


    My thoughts about Alice now bordered on pure devotion. She was my guardian angel. She had saved my innocence!


    Alice shot out of the kitchen and batted her mother away from me. When I nearly toppled at the lack of support, she offered me her shoulder and began to help me up the stairs while scolding her parents.


    "There are still dishes to do. There are still plenty of dirty cups laying around. Make yourself busy! I''m going to get him to his room. When I get back you two better be cleaning!"


    She helped me keep my balance as we walked up the stairs to the second level. I wasn''t so drunk that she had to drag me or support my weight, but the help with my balance was much appreciated. I also very much appreciated the feel of pressing against her and her smell.


    She smelled like home cooked food with a hint of beer. There was a smoky scent as well as an undertone of sweat. It was heavenly. Even after a full night of running around the inn, she smelled great. How do women do that?


    "I''m really sorry about my mother. She means well. She''s just a little... weird. Don''t worry she won''t go overboard."


    I laughed.


    "You''re my savior. My beautiful guardian angel."


    The alcohol was talking now. Alice blushed at my words but continued helping me to my room.


    "My name''s Caleb. I''ll be staying here for a while."


    She smiled.


    "My name is Alice."


    She had very white teeth. Her skin was a clear and almost pure white. Not pale, but clean and healthy looking.


    When we got into my room she brought me to the bed and helped me into it. She was very gentle and I was soon under the covers.


    "I''ll see you in the morning. I''ll lock the door on my way out."


    I didn''t want to part so soon. I was making an awful impression but my alcohol flooded mind didn''t care. I also wanted to get a rise out of the stunningly beautiful girl. When drunk, forethought is never a strong suit.


    "Your mother offered to tuck me in. I don''t seem to be tucked in..."


    Looking around my bed like I expected the bed to magically tuck me in on its own, my eyes eventually came to rest on her.


    "Shouldn''t a daughter make good on the promise of the mother?"


    I let a sly grin spread across my stupid face. I was sure this last comment would send the girl scrambling with a deep red blush on her face. I was playing the rogue.


    She eyed me up and down in all seriousness for a moment.


    "My mother really promised that?"


    I nodded. I didn''t expect her to go with my foolishness at all!


    "You''re probably cold too. That blanket is pretty thin. We wouldn''t want you to catch a cold. Maybe someone should sleep with you... you know... to keep you warm."


    I was starting to feel wide awake. She was hinting at something and I was very much liking where this conversation was going.


    "Would you like that? A warm body to keep you cozy?"


    She seemed so angelic and lovely at that moment. There was a sex appeal about her. I eyed her. Her eyes were so blue. Her hair was bright and lustrous. My eyes traveled down her body and took in the sight of her. She was thin where she should be and full were she should be. Her figure was perfect. Even beneath her somewhat loose tavern girl get up, I could see her body''s seductive lines. I had only ever seen 2 or 3 women as attractive as this girl in my entire life from a distance. It felt like I was close to something absolutely amazing about to happen.


    "Yes. I need someone to keep me warm. You wouldn''t want a guest to catch a cold would you?"


    She showed a shocked expression before she brought her right hand up to cup one of her cheeks.


    "That would be horrible! What kind of hosts would we be if we let you be cold at night? Yes... you should be kept warm."


    I was wide awake now. I couldn''t believe some random drunken bullshit I was spouting seemed to actually work! As crass as it was, I felt like the luckiest man on earth. I began to even feel a little narcissistic. My charm had obviously won this angel-like girl''s heart over. My head kept flopping up and down in agreement to her every word.


    She smiled lightly and approached the side of my bed. Her hands slowly pulled back the edge of the covers enough for a person to slip into. She paused and looked at me with a seductive look in her eyes.


    "Is that what you want? Someone to keep you warm tonight?"


    I nodded my head so hard it made me dizzy for a second. There was no way a young drunk man like I was going to turn down this girls offer. Never going to happen.


    She smiled brightly. Raised her head up and stepped away from the bed.


    "Mom! It looks like our guest needs some company tonight. He''s very cold. He needs some warmth."


    The words were like a bucket of ice cold water being poured over my head. I sat bolt upright and began pleading.


    "No. I''m actually fine! It''s actually too warm in here. Far too warm. I''m fine!"


    She showed me a puzzled look with a small grin splitting one side of her face.


    "But you just said you''re cold. You''re right. It''s very cold up here. We can''t be poor hosts and leave you up here all alone can we?"


    I was panicking.


    "No. No. It''s fine. I''m a grown man. I can get by. Truly... thank you for the offer, but it''s fine."


    She smiled a devilish smile.


    "Are you sure? My mom wouldn''t mind at all. It IS a hosts duty, right? My mother also made a promise. You yourself said how important keeping promises is."


    She wasn''t going to let this go easily. Hanging my head I admitted my wrong.


    "I''m sorry. You win. I''m just being a stupid drunk. Please forgive me?"


    She covered her mouth with her hand and laughed hard. She was definitely soaking in my shame and enjoying it. She made her way to the door while giggling. When she got to the door she looked back at me with a confident smirk.


    "I always win." She turned off the light to the room and continued. "See you in the morning, Caleb."


    As she said my name she slowly closed the door while fighting back a chuckle.


    "See you in the morning, Alice." I shyly answered back while feeling like the world biggest fool. What had ever come over me to say such stupid words?! I had thought that based on the girls innocent appearance it would be easy to tease her. I was dead wrong!


    After I heard her footsteps going down the stairs, I let gravity bring me to lay on the bed with my arms stretched out and stared at the now dark ceiling above me.


    "Alice... what a sweet name."


    I fell asleep with a stupid grin on my stupid face.

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21


    The sunlight beaming in from the window of my room woke me from my dream of a blonde haired beauty. My eyes felt like grit had been rubbed into them. I could smell the scent of beer and alcohol wafting from my body.


    Despite the massive amount of alcohol I had consumed last night, I was not plagued with even the smallest of hangovers.


    Flicking my eyes to the upper right, I checked the time. During my travels, I had played with the abilities of the implant and found I could fix all sorts of information to my eyesight. It was exactly like a HUD. Not wanting to clutter my vision, for now, I kept it simple and only had the time listed. Placing it as high as my eyes could travel into the back of my skull meant I would only see it when I wanted.


    It was 7.30am. I jumped out of bed and grabbed the towel Nicholas had lent me yesterday. There was just enough time to take a shower. A long one if others didn''t bother me.


    I double checked to make sure the door was locked and entered the shower. The hot water felt miraculous. The water was so comforting that when the water started to become colder I realized I had been showering for more than 30 minutes.


    The ability to bathe daily with hot water was new to me. Back home the showers were communal. Lukewarm was the best you could expect and there were always other people present in their own shower stalls to drain the enjoyment out of showering.


    Nicholas wouldn''t like that I wasted so much water, but he didn''t have to know. I would pay more attention in the future.


    When I stepped out and began to dry myself, I realized I would need to get some cash really soon. I didn''t even have a toothbrush. My mouth felt like a dirty cesspool with bacteria colonies growing in it. The lack of soap was a problem as well.


    After putting Nicholas''s spare clothing on again, I placed the towel back in my room to dry and went downstairs. The common room was completely empty. The chaotic mess from the night before had been completely cleaned as if it had never existed.


    Not knowing what to do, I sat at the bar and waited. What could I do? Without any money, I was stuck in place for now. I really needed to meet Nicholas''s contact and get some money. I wasn''t sure exactly how much I would get, but it should be enough to at least pay for the day to day and maybe even buy some fuel and ammo for the Calipso. Fixing the Calipso''s damaged rifle might even be an option.


    There was also a need to restock the ammo for the submachine gun. I had spent nearly a third of it in my battle with the core beasts during my travel here.


    Most important of all I needed to find a way to extract my mother from Grey Rock City with none the wiser. My thought was to obtain a false ID for me and her. Slip in. Slip out. Trash the ID and never use it again. It wouldn''t be that simple though. Bringing my mother across the wilderness to Anarchy city would be extremely dangerous for her.


    To top it all off, it had to be done within a time limit. I gave myself a month to get it done. Too much longer and my mother would run out of medicine. Even if she had an unending supply of it, she must be worried about me. Maybe she already received news of the group I had left with disappearing.


    If any city had people with the capabilities to offer false ID and or methods to sneak my mother out of Grey Rock City it would be this one. Anarchy City was well known for its spy network.


    How else could the bandits and "privateers" get information on trade caravans to make a move on? Wandering around aimlessly would likely net a group a whole bunch of nothing.


    I also needed to arrange things here. Without figuring the situation in Anarchy city out, it would be foolhardy to set roots down here. I could be bringing my mother into a dangerous situation. There wasn''t a doubt in my mind I had made waves of some sort by coming here.


    Two old world armor, no matter how damaged one of them might be, tended to make waves. There was probably already rumors and whispers floating around about a battered young man showing up alone with two old world armor.


    What would people do with that knowledge? More importantly, what would the powers that be in Anarchy city do with said knowledge? I didn''t maintain the illusion I would be left alone to do as I please. Even leaving the city would probably spell a quick death for me. How many groups of greedy armor pilots would set about tracking me down the instant I left in an attempt to part me from my armor?


    Obtaining an old world armor and keeping it were two separate things entirely. I needed to be cautious with my next moves.


    An old man once told me the most cruel and vicious creatures on the planet were not core beasts. They were humans. His words were absolute truth that I took to heart.


    My mind went over and over what would need to be done. Lists were made in my head and a general outline started to take shape.


    The smell of cooking food dragged me from my list making and planning. A heavenly scent drifted from between the cracks of the kitchen door and teased my nose. The scent reminded me I hadn''t eaten at all yesterday and my stomach roared with the desire to consume food.


    Looking around the common room and seeing no one around, I made my way to the kitchen door and pushed it open slowly.


    Inside the kitchen, Alice was cooking. She was humming a light tune and doing a sort of dance while she glided around the kitchen. She had a large smile on her face and she seemed to float instead of walk around.


    I leaned against the door frame and watched in silence. Watching her was like looking at moving art. Every move she made was elegant and beautiful. She seemed innocent and completely defenseless. Call me a stalker or a weirdo if you want. I''m just a young man not accustomed to being around pretty girls. The girls from back home were nothing like Alice.


    After a minute of watching her without her notice, I coughed lightly into one hand and cleared my throat.


    Alice performed a small started jump and yelped in surprise before she spun around and laid eyes on me. I could see the blush on her face as she looked to the ground in embarrassment.


    I didn''t understand my desire to make this girl blush at all. I just gave her a big grin and openly showed my amusement at her actions.


    Once again she surprised me. She smiled widely and spoke.


    "Were you cold last night? We can fix that tonight if you like?"


    I choked back the teasing words I was about to speak and giggled a bit. It seems I would have to pay a price every time I made her blush. Alice was no pushover. Though, the price of admission was worth it.


    Her words brought back memories of what happened last night. A feeling of deep shame at my foolishness last night crept up inside me. God, i had barely known the girl for a few hours and I had already made an ass of myself.


    "No... I''ll be fine."


    "Are you sure? You know my mom is always-"


    I cut her off mid-sentence.


    "Nope. Nope. It''s good. I''m fine. It was VERY warm."


    My sheepish expression seemed to have won me a reprieve. She let it go and began mixing the contents of a pot while humming a triumphant little tune with a grin.


    Deciding to move on, I left the door frame and walked into the kitchen. Looking into the pot, my eyes beheld a stew that made my mouth water. Large chunks of carrot and potatoes floated around mixed with what looked to be a healthy amount of beef.


    It looked absolutely delicious. When I approached the pot closely a large wooden spoon was thrust into my face. Leaning back to avoid sauce splashing on my face, a beautiful set of glaring eyes assailed me.


    "Don''t touch! I hate it when people stick their fingers in the food. My dad does that all the time!"


    "Alright. Alright. I was just looking. It looks great. I''ve never seen a better-looking stew. That''s all."


    My words and calming gestures eventually persuaded her I wasn''t going to violate her stew and she let it go.


    She went about her business while almost completely ignoring me. She was bouncing around here and there tending to the food. From time to time she would stop while the food simmered and read from a book. It felt like she was ignoring me on purpose. Obviously my stupid act last night had put her on her guard.


    Being ignored and left to the side by such a lovely girl didn''t sit right with me. I figured she was looking at a cookbook and went over to investigate when she stepped away from the book. I wasn''t really interested in a cookbook but maybe it could spark a conversation. I felt the desire to fix what damage I had done to her view of me last night.


    When I began to read the book, I was shocked to find the book contained mountains of technical jargon and all sorts of data. I flipped through a few pages and found that the book was a user manual for an armor! Some armor called a Stiletto.


    The book was more than just a user manual. It contained heavy annotations in the columns which seemed to be tips and tricks as well as corrections to the book.


    I was fascinated for a few moments before two delicate hands reached out and grabbed the book up.


    "Don''t turn the pages. I''ll get lost! I don''t even remember what page I was on!"


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.I took a step back and looked at the angry girl. Alice wasn''t furious, but she was very miffed. She seemed to have strong boundaries when it came to personal items.


    "I''m sorry. I was just a little shocked. I didn''t expect it to be a book about armor."


    "Why not? Is a girl not allowed to study armor?"


    This was a trick question if I had ever heard one before. Which I had. Answering in the affirmative would put me permanently in Alice''s bad books.


    "Of course not! I just didn''t expect it from you."


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    Oh shit. My mother had warned me about spiraling talks with women. It was never a good idea to get caught in this situation. Almost anything I say could be turned around on me.


    "No. You just... You have the whole inn keeper thing going on. I didn''t... expect-"


    "You didn''t expect what? You should keep your expectations to yourself. It''s a sign of fuzzy thinking."


    Oh boy. This was not going well. Using the only tactic left to me, I forced the conversation along. At least she was speaking now.


    "Do you plan on repairing armor or something?"


    "Why? Is that the best I can hope for as a girl?!"


    Why god?! Why do I keep putting my foot in my mouth?! Talking to girls was sooo much harder than it looked!


    "No. No. I''m just asking. I didn''t mean..."


    And then I saw the grin she was trying to hide. This little witch!


    "Har har har. You done making fun of me?"


    She burst into light giggles. I was beginning to think her innocent appearance was some sort of natural camouflage to hide her more devious side. However, she was smiling again and that was great.


    "You should have seen the look on your face. You were all like "no no. I''m just asking." It was priceless!"


    She did a silly impression of my earlier demonstration of foolishness. The impression she did was very unkind. I didn''t look so stupid.


    Ok, now I knew she had taken part of her brazen nature from her mother. She enjoyed making people scramble for words and squirm uncomfortably.


    "You want to be a pilot?"


    Changing the topic felt best. It was also a topic of interest to me. Alice looked me over and smiled.


    "Yup! I turn 18 in 4 months. When I do, I''m going to apply for the Steel Eagles. My mom and dad were a part of the Steel Eagles. They were actually part of the founding group. It''s my dream."


    She seemed to relish the thought of joining these "Steel Eagles"... whatever they were. I could see the conviction on her face. Nothing would stop her from trying.


    "The Steel Eagles? What do they do? Are they bandits or something?"


    She tended to the food while she answered. I found my eyes fixed to the nape of her neck. She had her long hair in a ponytail that revealed her lovely white neck.


    "Bandits with CLASS, when they do go about it, but no. Mainly they hunt large packs of core beasts that wander too close to the city and head out on deep treks into the continent''s core looking for old bases and research outposts. Cities too."


    She seemed to respect these Steel Eagles a lot. I listened as she went on with rapt attention.


    "The Eagles are nothing like the Devil Dogs or The Legion. They don''t prey on every target available. They only target caravans that are run by the nobles who stand out as baddies and even then it''s usually not a slaughter or anything."


    I was learning some good stuff. Apparently, while there were disreputable bandits in anarchy city, banditry itself was not looked down upon at all. It made sense and matched what I had learned so far.


    "Finding old world tech is what I really want to do. Doesn''t that sound amazing!? Going to places living people haven''t been to in hundreds of years. Finding a mountain of treasure and the such?"


    I didn''t feel that it was so amazing. It was dangerous out in the wildlands. Things only went from bad to worse out there. I had intentions on doing much the same as Alice, but I never looked at it as some grand adventure.


    She could see my hesitation and disagreement.


    "I was only picking on you earlier but your not actually going to say some crap like girls shouldn''t, or a girls place... right?"


    I shook my head in the negative.


    "No... It just wasn''t so grand when it happened to me. When I found some old world tech... It was anything but a pleasant experience."


    She picked up on my mood.


    "I''m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just... Wait! Did you say you found some old world tech?! When, how, where?! What was it like?! What did you find?!"


    Alice was excited to the extreme. She was blurting her words out like a machine gun fired bullets. She rushed up to my face and seemed to forget about personal space... not that I minded. The conversation seemed to have worked to break the ice between us.


    Scratching the back of my head, I tried thinking of all the answers I could actually tell her. I was having a hard time thinking with Alice being so close. I decided to tell a small fib and leave the rest out.


    "Um... it''s best if I don''t tell you the when and where for now. But I can tell you I found two old world armor."


    That set her off even more.


    "Really! What class of armor were they?! What group were you a part of? What type of armor did you pilot?"


    Alice was all questions now. They came rapid fire one after the other. I tried answering as best I could.


    "One was a light assault armor. I haven''t gotten around to IDing the other. It''s pretty banged up and probably needs some repairs to even be able to power it."


    She was showing dogged attention to every word. I could see she was imagining herself being in my position. She was imagining finding an old world armor and coming back a hero.


    "As for the group... I don''t think it even had a name. If it did, they didn''t plan on telling me. I wasn''t a pilot or knight. I was just a scavenger."


    At the mention of the word scavenger, Alice''s face went pale. A look of concern spread across her face.


    "A scavenger? For real?! That''s horrible. Why would you join the scavengers? My parents told me to never join the scavengers. It''s basically signing up to die. But... how did you get the armor then? Wait... They don''t use scavengers in Anarchy city for that type of work."


    She was a smart girl. Even in her excitement, she was rapidly piecing together the story. She also seemed distrustful of my story now. I didn''t blame her. The story did sound like a fib. Obviously Rose hadn''t told Alice anything about me yet.


    "No. I''m not from Anarchy city. The reason I joined the scavengers was that it was my only choice."


    That got a reaction out of her. She looked down at the floor in embarrassment at asking a man why he would be stupid enough to join the scavengers. Everyone with half a brain knew the answer. There wasn''t a choice in most cases. Those men who joined the scavengers were selling their lives. She seemed to feel sadness for my forced decision.


    "And the reason I got the armors and no one else did was... because everyone else was already dead."


    I let the words hang there. She was silent while she looked at me with an incomprehensible emotion in her eyes.


    "I''m sorry... for your loss."


    The words "for your loss" didn''t sound right to me.


    "I didn''t lose anyone. It''s not like I was friends with any of them."


    She lowered her head. And spoke one word.


    "Still."


    I fumbled for words while I ran my fingers through my hair. The best I could come up with was a grunt. My feelings about the death of the other scavengers were complicated. I didn''t weep for them but it could have just as easily been me dead and one of them here now.


    "So you want to be a pilot. You have been studying hard right?"


    Changing the subject was a time-honored go to move when talking to girls... or so I have been told. She gathered herself and nodded. I was glad she let the subject drop. The mood between us had grown rather dreary and the look of sadness didn''t suit her at all. She was beautiful when she smiled.


    "Yeah. I''ll join the Steel Eagles and be the best pilot ever... if they let me join. It''s not exactly easy joining without bringing your own armor and my parents refuse to help me get one. They say if I''m going to be a big girl and be a pilot, I shouldn''t need any help from them getting into the Steel Eagles. If I can''t even do that I''m not ready to leave the city."


    "Sounds like a good goal. I think you can do it."


    I smiled a bright smile at her. Honestly... She might be able too. She seemed smart enough at least.


    An incredible idea struck me suddenly. I could hit two birds with one stone!


    "Why don''t we study together? I was a scavenger until not long ago and could use some help filling the gaps in my knowledge. You can also teach me about the Anarchy city, its different groups, and show me the ropes. We could even use my armor to practice what we learn."


    I sort of regretted offering to let her pilot the Calipso immediately. I was too excited and I let my words out before thinking. I liked Alice. I liked her a lot despite only knowing her for a day, but I had let my youthful hormones speak for me.


    Putting the Calipso in her hands felt like a stupid move so early into meeting her. She seemed like a great girl, but I barely knew her. However, could I take my words back now? I could already see the look of pure joy on her face. Her eyes were like stars brilliantly shining with vigor. She reached up and grabbed my forearm.


    "Really!! Are you being serious?! For real!!? You would let me pilot your armor!?"


    I could see the expectations in her eyes. The unadulterated glee. Her bright shockingly blue eyes pinned me in place. She smelled amazing.


    Fuck it. I smiled back and nodded.


    "Of course. But don''t underestimate how hard it will be to teach me. I''m pretty dense at times. You will more than earn a few training sessions in my armor by the end of teaching me."


    My words were greeted with a silky soft hug from Alice. Due to our height difference, the top of her head only came up to my nose. She buried her head in my chest while squealing like a little girl. I knew not to take this hug as some sort of sign. She was just very excited. Talking about armor appeared to be the right method to close the distance between me and her.


    "Thank you thank you thank you!"


    She was having a blast and I chose to lay my hands on her shoulders in a calming way.


    "It''s fine. Like I said. You will definitely earn it in the end."


    She pulled back a little and looked me in the face. Her grin was infectious.


    "I''m going to be the best teacher ever! I swear! You won''t regret this."


    I stared at her joyful face with a stupid grin on mine. Dear god, she was beautiful. Though the look she gave me wasn''t one of love and affection, it would do for now.


    She still had her arms half wrapped around my midsection and I could feel her body lightly pressed against mine. My mother taught me not to take advantage of naive girls... this didn''t count, right?


    The sound of a deep cough broke us from our similarly happy but different in meaning embrace.


    I looked towards the sound and saw the bear of a man Nicholas standing in the door frame to the common room. He had an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face.


    "Are you two enjoying yourselves?"


    Alice and I parted from each other immediately. While I scratched the back of my neck and tried to avoid Nicholas''s gaze, Alice began to jump with joy and explain to her father my offer to let her practice with my armor.


    He was happy for her and said nothing else about the embrace his daughter and I had shared. I respected the man''s control and easy going attitude. I was half expecting the man to be very protective of his daughter. I would be in his situation.


    Alice danced about gleefully and talked on and on about armor and the Steel Eagles. She talked about hunting treasure and seeing the world.


    Nicholas calmly listened to it all and appeared to show mild support. Eventually, he spoke up interrupting Alice.


    "Is the food done? You should go wake your mother up. She drank more than she should have last night. She will have trouble waking up. You can tell her all about practicing with an old world armor when you wake her."


    Alice thought the idea was a splendid one. She skipped off to wake her mother and tell her the good news. I smiled and watched her enter the common room. I could hear her rapid and excited footsteps as she went up the stairs.


    As I watched and then heard her leave I failed to notice Nicholas walk up to the table I was leaning against. I only noticed he had approached when he laid his hand over the hand I had placed on the table.


    The sudden contact shocked me and I felt the urge to pull my hand away but found it gripped in the massive man''s grip.


    What in the hell was going on? Nicholas looked me in the face with a serious look.


    "You can chase my daughter. I''m fine with that. As long as you play fair and honest. Who she chooses is her choice. As long as the man is not total garbage I won''t say a word. I am a supporter of free love."


    For a moment I thought he was giving me the go ahead. It felt weird as I wasn''t even sure what the hell I was feeling about Alice just yet, but reality soon reared its ugly head.


    Nicholas''s grip suddenly tightened like a vice. It felt like he was trying to break every bone in my hand. By the look of the veins standing up on his arms and wrist, he was trying just that. If my body hadn''t been enhanced I would have experienced the pain of my fingers being pulverized. Even with the enhancements, his grip hurt something awful.


    Nicholas leaned forward into my face with a deadly glare and continued his speech while he did his level best to crush my hand.


    "But, if you think for one moment I''m going to sit by and do nothing while you help her become a pilot and fight on the battlefield...."


    He paused for emphasis and narrowed his eyes. All of the good-natured kindness those eyes held before was now gone.


    "You got another thing coming BOY."

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22


    Nicholas stared me down for a few moments before he spoke again.


    "Do you get me?"


    Ignoring the pain in my hand, I stared back into his eyes. He had deep blue eyes that he had obviously passed down to his daughter. They currently had an ice-like shade to them.


    I was experiencing a conundrum. Nicholas had taken me into his home and given me sanctuary. He had put clothes on my back and shown me nothing but kindness. Even with his and his wife''s oddities, the debt wasn''t something I took lightly.


    On the flip side, neither did I take the promise I just made to Alice lightly. Imagining the look in her eyes should I suddenly go back on our bargain, I quickly decided breaking my word was not something I was willing to do.


    While I deliberated this new set of circumstances, Nicholas showed a look of confusion. His eyes tracked down to my hand which he was attempting to crush and back up to my face which only showed light discomfort at his vice-like grip. I could tell he was surprised I wasn''t on my knees begging for him to release my hand.


    Deciding to go to bat for Alice and put her father on the defensive, I smiled and spoke in a calm and controlled voice.


    "Why don''t you talk with Alice about this? Earlier, you were all smiles when she told you our plan. What do you think she will do when she finds out you''re trying to sabotage her?"


    Nicholas showed some shock. Then he frowned, followed by a sneer.


    "Tell her and you will regret it for the rest of your life. This is between you and me."


    He didn''t want his daughter to know he had no plans on allowing her to be a pilot. I could use that.


    "Ah! I get it. You can''t openly stand in her way. So you act from the shadows however you can."


    I reached out with my free hand and began to peel each of his fingers away from my gripped hand. The man''s fingers were like pieces of rebar. It was hard but eventually, I slipped my hand out of his grasp and began to massage my bruised and battered fingers.


    "No. I like you, Nicholas. Hell, I owe you a debt of gratitude. You have shown me kindness and warmth since I have come here. I have no intention of forgetting that debt."


    I paused and looked up from the hand I was now opening and closing over and over.


    "However, I also have no intention on breaking my promise to Alice. Besides, Alice is a strong girl. I''m not going to stand in the way of what she wants. I''m sorry but it seems like we are at an impasse. So... what do we do now?"


    He was surprised at my show of backbone. He must be used to people giving in to him when he demanded it. I could understand why most people would buckle under his glaring eyes and give in, but I tended to do the opposite of buckling whenever someone tried to strong arm me.


    Nicholas was coming up short for a response to my riposte. I could see the wheels turning in his head.


    He probably thought about kicking me out. He couldn''t do that though, as it would tip Alice off that something was wrong. If his attitude towards me suddenly shifted after Alice and I made our deal, she would know the reason.


    Thinking about it, his wife probably wouldn''t back him either. She was a woman and an armor pilot as well. Rose was likely to be much more sympathetic to Alice''s desire to follow in her parent''s footsteps than her husband.


    Nicholas had his hands tied. Besides intimidation, he didn''t have many cards to play right now.


    Just as Nicholas was about to speak again, the door to the common room opened and Alice pranced in with obvious gaiety in her step.


    She paused for a moment and appraised the two of us with a tilt to her head while we each gave each other frosty looks.


    "What are you two doing?"


    Nicholas''s face transformed into one of warmth and he shifted his gaze to his daughter.


    "Nothing. I was just talking to Caleb about my friend. The one coming to appraise and buy the map data he has."


    He was a smooth liar. I decided to play along.


    "Yes, when did you say he was coming again?"


    Nicholas turned his gaze to me and the warmth they held while looking at his daughter disappeared. He still held the smile, though it seemed forced.


    "He should be here in an hour or so."


    Alice smiled and nodded.


    "That''s good. Who are you using? It''s not Varris is It? That pig of a man always creeps me out. He seems like a weasel."


    Nicholas chided Alice.


    "Don''t talk about Varris like that. He''s an old friend of mine. I''ve known him for a long time and he has never taken advantage of me before."


    His eyes tracked to me and he continued while sporting a toothy and sly smile.


    "I''ll make sure to give him a good talking to so he knows not to take advantage of our guest."


    Damn. I knew the meaning of his toothy grin immediately. He had no intention of speaking up for me now. If anything he would push his friend to rip me off. I would have to be extremely careful when making a deal with this Varris character.


    "Good. Get the table set. Mom will be down shortly. She is getting sorted right now."


    Alice hummed as she put the finishing touches to the stew and pulled a steaming loaf of bread from the oven. After about ten minutes Rose came down the stairs and into the kitchen. She seemed to lack any energy at all. Rose was obviously hung over from the night before. She even lacked the energy required to tease me. Something I was very happy about.


    A small table in the kitchen was set by Nicholas and we all sat down to eat. When I went to sit beside Alice, Nicholas quickly took the seat instead. Rose had already taken the opposite seat next to Alice and I sulkily took the last remaining seat. Nicholas was obviously going to be petty about this.


    Alice did most of the talking during our meal. She went on and on about what books she would show me and tried to figure out what I already knew, which was sadly not much more than slightly better than basic piloting of the Calipso.


    Rose and Alice didn''t seem to notice the interplay happening between me and Nicholas at all.


    While Rose was hungover and still half asleep, she still showed genuine support for her daughter''s decisions. She gave tips and advice to her daughter whenever asked. She seemed genuinely proud of her daughter perseverance towards her goals.


    I abandoned the thought of involving this mother and daughter pair in the conflict between Nicholas and I. We would keep this little battle of wills between the two of us. There was no way I would be able to win Nicholas''s respect if I played dirty and involved a third party to win. It was a shame Nicholas probably wouldn''t show the same hesitation.


    The meal came to an end and Alice ran upstairs. She came down moments later with an arm full of books and a computer tablet. Rose left to go to work with the security forces and Nicholas went about his daily duties of tending to the inn''s many daily tasks while shooting glares at me whenever Alice wasn''t looking.


    We sat at the kitchen table while Alice started to make up lesson plans. She was extremely organized and showed a talent for teaching.


    Even if I wasn''t crushing on the girl, I would have found our bargain to be a good one. I had said she would earn the right to practice with my armor half-jokingly before but now I knew it was true.


    We didn''t have long to study, however, as about an hour after we started the bell attached to the inn''s front door chimed and we heard Nicholas''s deep voice in the common room.


    "Varris! Old friend. It''s good to see you. How have you been? How are the wife and kids?"


    Another voice answered back but it lacked the volume needed for me to make out the words.


    Alice and I stood up from the books spread across the kitchen table and went to the common room. Inside the common room stood Nicholas with his arm around the shoulders of a morbidly obese man with a shaved head and brown eyes.


    Nicholas was whispering into the man''s ear and his eyes moved to look at me while he did it. A smile crept up onto his face.


    The man named Varris seemed surprised for a moment before he looked to Nicholas and nodded. He turned to me.


    "Ah! You must be Caleb. I''ve heard you have some map data for sale? It a good thing you met Nicholas and by extension me. I excel in the acquisition and sale of information, among other things."


    He approached and offered his hand to shake. His fingers were like thick, short sausages and seemed sweaty. I shook the man''s hand and covertly wiped my hand after.


    "Thank you for coming. Yes, I have some data I would like to sell. Hopefully, we can come to an arrangement."


    I left out any mention of this being my first time doing this type of sale and tried to project confidence and a sharp wit. One of the first rules to trade was projecting strength and ability. If you showed weakness an experienced merchant would take advantage of it.


    The obese man turned to Alice next.


    "Alice! You are growing so fast. You grow more beautiful every time I see you! You are now a young woman, where before you were still a girl."


    Alice nodded without much enthusiasm before she started to talk about the business deal Varris and I were about to negotiate.


    "Varris, Caleb is a friend of mine and is helping me out a lot. If I learn you took advantage of him with your tactics I will be very upset."


    Varris showed a look of shock that transformed into one of mock pain at being judged as a miscreant.


    "Alice, my dear your words wound me. I wouldn''t dream of it. I always do fair business. Don''t listen to those silly rumors."


    Alice grunted and showed a look on her face that said she wasn''t buying his bullcrap for a second. I felt joy at Alice showing concern for me and being protective. Offering to help her with her dream of being a pilot had definitely put me in her good books.


    Alice wanted to sit in on the conversation but Varris told her all business he did was between him and the seller or buyer alone. Nicholas took Alice into the kitchen and Varris took a seat across from me at one of the tables in the common room.


    "So... let''s get down to business. No need for small talk. We can leave that for after. Do you have the data on you?"


    Nodding in agreement with his words, I produced the mock-up map data chip from a pocket. I stayed silent and stoic as I pushed the data chip over to him.


    Varris produced a tablet and inserted the data chip. While I watched Varris tap away at the tablet, I mentally added a computer tablet to the list of things I would need to acquire going forward. In Grey Rock city such tablets would be very rare among the rats but they seemed more commonplace here.


    "This isn''t map data. It''s just a general outline. Where is the real data?"


    I thought for a moment. The man was trying to pull a fast one. If he inserted the real data into his tablet there was no guarantee that the talks over price wouldn''t "fall through" later and he would leave. Probably with a copy of the data on his tablet.


    "That doesn''t seem to be something I should show you just yet. If I show you, it kind of defeats the purpose of trying to sell it. The data you have received should be more than enough to get a general idea of what it is worth."


    I arched an eyebrow at the man as I said it. He showed a confused look and shook his head.


    "No no no. That''s not how it works usually. If I can''t see the actual data how will I know what I can sell it for later?"


    I didn''t budge and gave the man a stern look. He seemed to think and struggle internally for a few moments before he shrugged and smiled.


    "Ok. Seeing as you are a friend of a friend, I will cut you some slack. But it will affect the final price. You don''t want me to lose money, do you?"


    The man was being smooth. I wasn''t buying his crap for a second. He was going to do everything possible to push the price down.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Thank you for your kindness Varris. As long as the price is fair we shouldn''t have a problem. However, should the price be too low, I will have to consider a different option."


    I paused and narrowed my eyes before speaking in a flat voice.


    "I''m sure Nicholas has spoken to you about taking care of me. I appreciate any... concessions you make on his behalf but they are not required."


    I emphasized the words "taking care of me" and "concessions" in such a way that I was sure he would understand that I knew Nicholas had probably not spoken up for me and actually probably told Varris to take me for everything he could.


    "Ah... yes. Nicholas did tell me to... take care of you. But don''t worry. Business is business."


    He tried smiling an innocent smile but I wasn''t going to be tricked that easily. He thought for a few moments before cutting to the chase.


    "I''m going to be honest. The map data is not all that valuable. There are parts of the map data that cover unmapped areas that are not known here in Anarchy city but it''s not a lot. That data also isn''t of much use here. The only data that isn''t already known to people here is some of the data from up north."


    He paused and shrugged as if it couldn''t be helped.


    "The northern Lords and southern lords are at an uneasy standoff and have been for a while, but here in Anarchy city, we don''t play into the political games between the two coalitions. The southern regions around Anarchy city have also already been well mapped out."


    The man had a point, but I knew the data wouldn''t be sold just among those in Anarchy city. A good information broker wouldn''t have such a small net of outlets to sell this data.


    "Even so, this data won''t be sold only to those in Anarchy city. Most of the money will be made from selling it to other cities."


    He thought for a moment before he answered.


    "That''s true, but selling the data outside the city is harder. First I have to actually bring the data there. That means making the trip. The wilderness is dangerous. If I sell the data to a second party who will make the trip themselves, I will get less for it. The more people involved in the chain of sale, the less each person gets. You can''t simply keep adding more and more to the price each time the data is sold to the next person in line. The data is only worth so much."


    I spoke up before the man could continue his inane bullcrap any longer.


    "Why don''t you just name the price. We can work from there. There is no need for all of this back and forth."


    He nodded and pondered for a moment.


    "Fine. I respect that. I''ll even give you a better price than normal out of respect."


    The man''s nose wiggled and I knew the price he was about to tell me would be far below the data''s actual value. That was fine. I knew a trick to handling hucksters and cheats.


    All you had to do was follow a simple formula. Whatever price the man offered, I would demand triple. Then I would not let him work me below double the original price.


    He held up three fingers.


    "Three thousand gold. That''s the best I can offer."


    A feeling of glee washed over me. 3000 gold was more than a rat like me could have ever hoped to get his hands on. I held my joy in though. I couldn''t let the man see my surprise. Even if the number was more than I originally thought I would receive, I knew Varris was still low balling me.


    Laughing at the offer, I shook my head slowly and smiled at him.


    "You must be joking? Three thousand isn''t even half of what it''s worth. No, it needs to be at least 9 thousand."


    Varris showed a look of shock and bewilderment.


    "9 thousand? Are you mad?! That''s insane. No one will pay that much! No no no."


    He brought his hand up to cup his chin and rubbed at his awful looking soul patch. His brown eyes narrowed.


    "4 thousand. That''s it. You''re bending me over the barrel. I can''t do better than that."


    I laughed loudly again.


    "Bullshit. You crafty old fox. I''m no fool. 8 thousand. Don''t mess with me or I will just walk away from the deal. I''m sure others will pay my price."


    He smiled and chuckled.


    "You got me boy. Still, 8 thousand is too much. How about this. I''ll meet you half way. That''s more than fair right? 6 thousand."


    It was a fair price from what I could tell. 6 thousand would pay for a lot. I considered accepting. However, I thought about it and felt I could squeeze a little more out of the fat man.


    "You can do better than that. No. I''ll budge a little, but not at 6. Let''s call it 7 and be done with it."


    He had a look of unwillingness on his face. He seemed to be struggling with the idea and sat in thought for a long few moments. Eventually, he begrudgingly nodded.


    "Fine fine. You bargain hard for a young one. I respect that a lot. I see a younger me in you."


    Hoping to God I wouldn''t end up like this man, I smiled and stuck out my hand.


    "7 it is. It''s a pleasure doing business with you."


    Varris wrapped his fat fingers around my hand and we shook. The deal was sealed.


    "How do you want the money. It''s not like I carry sacks full of gold around with me. Do you have an account with the Anarchy city banking guild?"


    Damn. That would be a problem. I had no such account.


    "No? Hmm... I could transfer the money to Nicholas''s account and he could transfer it over once you set your own account up."


    That sounded like a horrible idea. I didn''t think Nicholas was a greedy man who would steal the money, but I was sure he would use it as leverage in our little battle of wills. No, I needed another way. An idea struck me and I liked it the more I thought about it.


    I called out to Alice in the kitchen and she poked her head out.


    "Alice. Do you think you could help me? I don''t have a bank account to transfer the funds into for now. Could you let me transfer it to your account until I set an account up?"


    Alice was surprised at the request. I was showing a lot of trust right now. It might even be too much trust. Others might call me a fool for placing so much trust in someone I just met, even if I did seem to have a crush on her. I had a few reasons for doing so though.


    One was that it might bring us closer. She would see how much I trusted her and it may raise her opinion of me. Also, the best way to gain someone''s trust was to give it.


    Two was that it would be a great test of her character. I intended on getting closer to her and it would be best to learn her moral character sooner rather than later.


    I''ve always held the notion that it was better to risk a little now and find out the true morals of a person than to let them get close and experience being let down later. If she stole the money, it would be a small price to pay to find out early that the girl I fancied was a low down thief.


    Even further than my fancying her, I had a growing idea forming in the back of my mind. What was I going to do after retrieving mother? Alice could play a role. I needed to see what she was made of first. Just how capable was she?


    Others may scoff at me calling 7 thousand gold a low price to pay but to me, it was worth it. Insane?? Maybe, but it''s just the way I operate.


    Sure, it was more gold than I have or should have ever had. In the larger scheme of things though, it wasn''t much of what I held. The damaged armor would be many times the value of this map data.The Calypso itself would sell for an amazing number if it ever came to that.


    Even the map data was just a portion of the data from the full map using toby''s data. That map would sell for astronomical amounts. But I had some ideas about how to use that data.


    The third reason was that if she held the money in her account, it would be an excellent excuse to drag her out with me later to buy things and set up an account of my own.


    Three birds. One stone. Doesn''t get more efficient than that, does it? Call me scum for being a schemer. I don''t care.


    Alice pondered the question for a bit. Her face showed multiple different expression before she spoke.


    "Caleb, are you sure about that? You have only known me for a little while. You shouldn''t trust people so easily."


    I held up my hand to forestall any other words from her and smiled my most charming smile.


    "Alice, I''m not trusting people so easily. I''m trusting YOU. There is a difference."


    She had a look of shock on her face. She thought about the request for a while before she answered.


    "I guess that shouldn''t be a problem... Are you sure about this?"


    I nodded confidently.


    "Of course I am. I trust you, Alice. You''re a good girl. I don''t believe you would take advantage of me. You would be helping me a lot."


    She looked at me and smiled a stunning smile.


    "Sure. No problem. Let me get my tablet."


    She scampered off into the kitchen and returned with her tablet. Varris transferred the money to her account and I handed over the real map data.


    Finally, I had some money to spend. It was more money than I ever thought I would have in my entire life. I knew, however, that it wouldn''t go very far. It would cover the cost of living for quite a while, but when it came to fixing the Calipso''s accelerator rifle, as well as buying fuel, ammunition, replacing grenades, and the other things I needed as a budding armor pilot, it wouldn''t last long. It was a start though.


    I had also been thinking about repairing the damaged old world armor I had as well. If I go to sell it, I would probably get a much better price that way. That would most likely be expensive.


    With the trade done, Varris stuck around for a bit and talked with Rose and Nicholas about the past. Eventually, he said he had to go. I walked him out the door and shook hands with him again.


    "Thank you for being fair with me. I was sure you would take Nicholas''s side and screw me over in the end."


    He started laughing at my words. It was the laugh of a man looking down on another.


    "Boy, you have a lot to learn about making a trade. I''ve been wheeling and dealing for about as long as you have been alive. Do you really think I haven''t seen the triple to double price trick?"


    A feeling of incredulity spread inside me and my mouth sagged a little as he continued.


    "You really shouldn''t have made an enemy out of Nicholas. His baby girl is his pride and joy. I would have easily paid 11 thousand for the data. Maybe even a little more than that."


    I felt like an absolute idiot. The man had seen through me and played me like a fiddle. He got me good. I just got bent over the brine barrel without even knowing it.


    The deal was done, however, varris had underestimated me. I wasn''t done in yet. The very nature of data is different than a physical object. It could be sold as many times as one can copy a file.


    When I walked back into the inn, Nicholas was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and a big grin on his face.


    "Are you happy with the deal Caleb? I''m sure Varris took VERY good care of you. I told him to take it... easy on you."


    Nicholas was rubbing it in. Dear god, the man played dirty. He had cost me at least 4 thousand gold and he was enjoying it. Let''s see how smug he will be latter.


    As I thought about saying something acidic, Alice spoke up.


    "Thank gosh you did Dad. I can''t believe Varris paid 7 thousand for some map data. I had no idea data could sell for so much. It must have been some very important data. I''m happy for you Caleb!"


    Her innocent smile did wonders for my bad mood. I couldn''t resist throwing some covert shade at Nicholas though.


    "Yeah, he really took care of me. Thanks, Nicholas. You''re such a KIND man. Very honorable. A true paragon. What would I do without you, Nicholas?"


    My words did nothing to dampen Nicholas''s good mood. What a bastard.


    "Caleb, let''s keep studying. We have a lot of ground to cover."


    I thought about it for a moment.


    "Actually, I was thinking about going out and getting some necessities. I don''t even have any soap, shampoo, towel, or a toothbrush. I also need some new clothes."


    Alice showed agreement at the idea.


    "That''s a good idea. You definitely need that stuff. You can''t keep wearing my dad''s old clothes. They do make you look a little silly. I''ll be here getting the lesson plan together when you get back. Don''t take too long."


    I felt a little sad that she hadn''t suggested going with me. I had a pre-arranged solution to that though.


    "I was actually hoping you could go with me. I''m new to the city and I don''t know where to go just yet to find the good stuff. You could show me around. I was also thinking about checking on my armor. Plus... You have all of my money."


    Alice slapped her forehead lightly and stuck her tongue out in an absolutely adorable way.


    "I totally forgot. I''m sorry. I can be silly sometimes. Sure. I would love to show you the city. I can show you all the best places to get deals and we can go set up an account for you with the banking guild. Let me get ready and we will go."


    As she started for the stairs Nicholas spoke up.


    "Let me take him. I can show him the ropes. I don''t have anything to do."


    His smile pissed me off. He was playing goalkeeper and messing with me. I tried thinking up a workaround to the problem but thankfully Alice solved it for me.


    "What are you talking about dad? You have plenty to do! You have to clean the lines to the beer taps as well as bring up some kegs from the cellar among a bunch of other stuff. Stop being lazy! It would also mean I would have to run the bar while you are gone. Don''t create more work for me! Don''t worry we will be back before the afternoon rush. Hold the fort while we are gone."


    With that said she went upstairs to do what girls do before they leave to go out in public. I thought she looked amazing but apparently, she didn''t agree.


    While I waited for her to return, Nicholas eyed me as I eyed him back with a smirk. The score read 1 Nicholas 1 me.


    "Enjoy your little victory while it lasts. There won''t be many of them and you should treasure each one."


    I grunted and ignored the man. He scoffed and went into the kitchen. Alice came down the stairs after about 20 minutes. I was happy she wasn''t one of those girls that took forever to get ready.


    When she came down I was shocked at her change of appearance.


    Alice had changed into a long blue dress that hugged her ample curves perfectly and made her eyes stand out. She had brushed her hair and let it hang loose. It came to the small of her back and looked like a river of gold streaming down her shoulders and back.


    When she approached I could smell the light scent of perfume on her body. It smelled like spring flowers.


    I was completely taken in by her beauty and the pure aura that seemed to hang around her. She was the kind of beauty only seen once or twice in a lifetime. I thought that she was a stunner before, but after some simple changes, she only became more so. She wasn''t even wearing any makeup from what I could tell.


    The small pistol in a holster strapped around her waist gave her a fierce but lovely look. Like a rose with thorns.


    "Are you ready?"


    Her words woke me from my appreciation of her beauty.


    "Yup! As ready as I''ll ever be. Let''s go."


    She nodded with a bright smile and we made to leave. Just as we were about to exit the inn, Nicholas poked his head out of the kitchen.


    "Make sure you check in every hour or so. Don''t make me worry. Caleb, make sure you protect my baby girl while you are out there. If anything happens to her, I''m holding you accountable."


    "Dad, I know! I''m not a kid anymore. I''ll check in every hour or so. Plus, I can take care of myself."


    "I know darling. I just worry sometimes."


    "I''ll be fine dad. Don''t worry. Let''s go, Caleb."


    I nodded with a grin on my face as I pushed the door open for Alice. As we left while walking together, I could only feel elation. Despite getting ripped off earlier, today was looking to become an amazing day!


    ------------------------------------------------


    Nicholas''s Pov


    As I watched my beautiful and absolutely adorable little angel leave with that little asshole Caleb, I smiled an evil smile.


    Walking to the corded phone behind the bar, I picked it up and dialed a number I hadn''t dialed in a while. The voice from the other end was an old friend. He was surprised to hear from me by the sound of it.


    "Nicholas! God, it''s been a while, hasn''t it? How''s the family?"


    "They are doing great. How about you John? Got a wifey yet?"


    "No, not yet. You know me. So, what can I do for you, my old friend?"


    "Actually, I need a favor. There is an insect buzzing around my baby girl. Do you think you could round up a few of your boys and take care of him for me?"


    "Whoa. Nicholas... you know we don''t do that kind of stuff. I want to help bu-"


    "No. It''s not that sort of thing. I just need him roughed up a bit. Nothing too drastic. Though, I wouldn''t mind if he broke a bone or two."


    John paused for a long moment. I was beginning to think I would have to talk about how many times I had pulled his ass out of the fire when he spoke again.


    "Alright, Nick. I owe you. I can''t promise any broken bones but we can teach him a little lesson for you. You better give my boys a night of drinks for their trouble though."


    "No problem John. Thanks."


    "When do you need it done?"


    "Today would be best. You have a few hours. He''s out with Alice walking around the city right now."


    "NOW? You really know how to put me on the spot Nick... yeah, I think I can get it done. How will we find him?"


    "Once you get your boys together I''ll call Alice and get their location."


    "She''s actually walking around the city with him? Damn. The boy has some chops! Isn''t Alice basically a stone wall when it comes to men pursuing her?"


    I nearly crushed the phone in my hand at John''s words. I answered his question through gritted teeth.


    "Yeah. He''s a crafty one. That''s why I need to bite this problem in the ass as soon as possible."


    "Haha. Sure thing buddy. We will handle this Casanova for you before the day is over. Don''t worry about it."


    "Thanks. I''ll make sure to bring out the good stuff when you bring your boys over."


    "That sounds amazing. You brew some of the best alcohol in the city. Alright, call me when you have the info. Give me at least an hour or two to get my boys together. How many do you think we need? Is he armed?"


    I thought about the question. I wanted to say two would be fine. Then I thought about when I had tried to crack the boy''s hand bones.


    "Don''t underestimate him. There is something different about him. I don''t think he will be a soft target. Make sure to use at least 3. He isn''t armed yet. You don''t have to worry about it turning too nasty. My daughter is armed but she knows not to pull a gun unless her life is in danger."


    I could hear John whistle from the other end. No less than three was high praise for the little bastard. The men John sent wouldn''t be pushovers by any measure but I needed to be sure.


    After John said his goodbyes and hung up, I placed the phone on its holder and smiled.


    The little shit had completely underestimated me and now he would pay for it. I couldn''t wait to see his bruised and battered face when he returned.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23


    Alice and I walked the busy streets as she began to point out different places of interest in the city. There was genuine pride in her voice as she guided me around the city. I could see her love for her home city plain as day.


    I had to admit, the city was a damn sight better than my own home city. Just as before, I noticed the differences between grey rock city and anarchy city. Even public order was much better here. There was an assortment of different people from different walks of life mixed in among the crowd. Rich rubbed shoulders with the poor. That was something rarely seen back home.


    The city was by no measure a paradise of course. At one point a group of 5 men arrogantly walked down a busy street only to have the crowd almost fearfully part before them. When I shot a questioning look at Alice she scoffed and explained.


    "You see the tattoos on their necks?"


    I could see them. They were the image of a snake wrapped around a dagger that was stabbed through the crown of a skull. The colors were vivid and I could even make out the red tears dripping from the white skulls eyes.


    "They are part of the legion. Not friendly at all. Very arrogant. The Legion is part of the unofficial anti-council faction. If the city was run the way they wanted, there would only be those with power having any right to speak. So only pilots."


    As we walked Alice gestured with her hand at the backs of the group that had gone around a corner.


    "Groups like that work to undo everything the council has achieved. They are the blight of our city. But... They follow the law, mostly. As such, the council can''t do much to them. People fear them and they give the other groups like the Steel Eagles a bad name by association."


    She went on and explained the political situation of anarchy city as best she could.


    The city wasn''t as peaceful as it looked. There were deep undercurrents here. On one side you had the council. A fledgling representative government attempting to bond all the varying factions of the city to a common goal and keep the peace.


    Then there was the council supporting mercenary guilds like the Steel Eagles. They didn''t number very highly as the council had slowly but surely reigned in the rights and powers of these mercenary factions as time went on.


    As such the second group of mercenary guilds was the largest of the lot. They didn''t support or oppose the council. They supported their own bottom line. Most of this group knew the importance of the council but still sought out terms that would best benefit themselves. They were merchants of war. They wanted to have balance between the council and the mercenaries.


    Then there was the third group. These groups felt that as fighters and those with power, it didn''t make sense to obey a council and would prefer to be free to do as they wish. They didn''t like the idea of having common citizens voting representatives into the council and believed the council should be occupied by only those with the military force to back their words. They undermined the council''s authority wherever possible while attempting to gain council seats.


    The council was an oddity in of itself. Part of its make up was representatives voted for by the common citizens. The other part was made up of those supported by one mercenary group or another.


    The balance of power was a tight rope act. But the council had been able to achieve balance with only minor problems along the way. Minor as in attempted usurpation of power and rebellion by mercenary troops unhappy with the status quo. Luckily all put down in the end.


    The lines between these forces shifted and seemed to blur at times. A lot of the infighting in anarchy city was done behind closed doors or with cloak and dagger. Even worse, the fighting could happen outside the city walls. It wasn''t unheard of for one mercenary faction to be preyed upon for one reason or another by another while outside. In the last 30 years, many mercenary guilds had risen and fallen. Most due to trickery or betrayal.


    Eventually, what knowledge of the subject Alice had was given to me and we moved the conversation back to her showing me the city.


    We came to our first destination and I was happy to see it was a clothing store. As Alice explained to me that this was the best store to get quality and a good price, we stepped into the shop.


    The clothes hanging around the shop were of better quality than anything I had ever worn in grey rock city or even seen other wear. I felt at a loss to pick as I was used to very limited choices.


    After Alice had greeted the shop owner and began to look around she noticed my lost look. Alice walked up to me with a puzzled look.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing... I''m just not used to such selection. Neither am I used to such high-quality clothes. I''m not sure what to choose."


    She smiled and laughed a sweet laugh.


    "Surely you have some preferences. Like color at the least."


    Thinking about it, I really couldn''t think of anything. I never chose my own clothing before. Mother picked them out for me and they were usually second-hand goods.


    Alice saw that I was coming up empty for words and smiled a reassuringly. I could almost feel her pity. She already understood my economic situation up until recently.


    "It''s alright. We can find what suits you together."


    Very quickly she began to grab up different sets of clothing off the hangers and set them on the front counter.


    "Black. I think your color is black... or dark grey. With your dark hair and beard, it could work. It will give you a dark and mysterious look."


    Raising an eyebrow at her I spoke with obvious sarcasm.


    "Is that how you see me? As dark?"


    She rolled her eyes and waved a hand as if she was shoeing away an annoying fly.


    "Enough of that. I''m never wrong. Just try a few sets out."


    I did as I was told and in the end, I had to agree. Dark colors did seem to suit me. Changing out of Nicholas''s old clothing and into ones that fit me also changed my look completely.


    Looking at myself in the mirror on the wall of the shop near the changing room, I felt that little bit a narcissism creeping up again. Wearing dark pants made of some synthetic material and a comfortable black grey t-shirt that hugged my chest to reveal the muscles I didn''t have until recently, I found myself to be pretty darn dashing.


    Alice seemed to agree and I tried on a few different sets of clothing. I liked the idea of keeping my style uniform, so the clothing sets we chose were mostly like the first that we liked. Simple but extremely well made and form fitting.


    After we had selected most of my clothes Alice, who had been standing behind me while I turned this way and that in the mirror, suddenly had an idea and danced away only to return with a stylish black jacket in her hands.


    "You need a final touch."


    She motioned for me to put it on and I did. Standing before the mirror, I began to zip the front of the jacket, only to be stopped by Alice.


    "Leave it open."


    I didn''t understand. What was the point of a coat if you didn''t close It?


    Alice rolled her eyes.


    "It''s style. It''s all about style."


    Looking at my reflection, I had to agree with her opinion again. Closed, the coat hid my body structure and muscles. Open, the coat showed my chest muscles peeking through the contours of my dark grey shirt.


    "Yes. It''s perfect. You have a rogue look about you now. The coat is the cherry on top. Dark clothes really bring out your green eyes while working well with your dark hair. God, I''m good at this."


    It was my turn to roll my eyes.


    "Are you done patting yourself on the back?"


    She stuck her tongue out and we went to pay. When the shop owner revealed the total price of the clothes I thought I misheard. 9 gold. 9 gold!


    I nearly put all the clothes back right then and there, but Alice assured me I wasn''t wasting money or being conned. Things were more pricy here in Anarchy city. People had more money, so prices rose to match. The unique way this city obtained goods also played a part. I begrudgingly paid the price and my clothes were bagged.


    We left the store and I felt like a new man wearing these clothes. I had never felt such comfortable clothing before. Nicholas''s clothes made me feel like a child wearing his father clothes. The man was a giant. My old clothes felt rough and ill-fitting.


    "Where to now?"


    Alice cupped her chin and looked me over before answering.


    "Haircut. The beard needs a trim too."


    Running my hand through my overly long hair, I felt a little embarrassed. She was right. My hair looked awful. It almost hung over my eyes.


    She dragged me down a street and to a barber shop. When we entered she dropped all pretense of asking my opinion and simply told the barber what she wanted.


    20 minutes later I had somewhat short hair still long enough to style but short enough to let it be wild if I wanted and a perfectly trimmed beard. The girl knew her fashion. I wouldn''t question her judgment on that front ever again.


    She nodded with a grin and obvious pride at her handiwork. It felt sorta weird. Like I was some sort of pet she was dressing up. Or a toddler.


    On the next part of our journey through the city, she brought me to a chaotic market area. Apparently, this was the best place to buy the soap and shampoo as well as other essentials.


    While I followed behind Alice like a baby duck following its mother, she zipped around here and there while quickly obtaining all the day to day requirements I would need. A towel, soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, and toothpaste.


    I enjoyed walking the market with Alice a lot. She liked to pick up and check out any little trinket that caught her eye. She also checked any books on armor she could find to see if they would be useful to her. Sadly most were something she already had or just plain bad.


    While Alice strolled around the market, I noticed many sets of eyes following her. She was someone who stood out in a crowd for sure.


    When we passed a table with an assortment of computer tablets on it, I remembered I would need one. As I stopped and looked over the selection Alice approached the table and sneered at the tablets.


    "Junk. All second hand refurbished crap. Mostly out of date. Crappy security measures too. Don''t buy here. I know a better place."


    The stall owner took offense at her words but Alice didn''t care and we moved along. She quickly led the way out of the open air market and down another few streets before I was dragged into another shop.


    Inside was glass display tables with all sorts of different model computer tablets and electronic devices. Alice tried her best along with the shop owner to explain the differences to me. Eventually, I gave up and asked Alice which model she used. She showed me and I bought it on the spot. Another 18 gold gone. It was a good tablet though. It doubled as a wireless phone and had good security measures.


    The first thing I did with my new tablet was trade numbers with Alice. She explained how calling worked and how I would need to attach a bank account to my tablet to make calls or transfer data wirelessly. The council built and maintained the wireless network of Anarchy city and using it cost money.


    With the mention of a bank account, we made our way to one of the branches of the anarchy city banking guild and set up an account for me. The bank teller gave me an odd look when Alice immediately transferred almost 7000 gold into my brand new account. I pulled 50 gold coins out of my account to carry around with me and we left.


    When we exited the bank I felt my stomach grumble and looked to Alice.


    "I''m pretty hungry. What about you?"


    She pondered for a bit.


    "I could eat. Let''s go to Della''s. It will be nice to eat something not cooked by me for once."


    "Sounds good. My treat of course. As thanks for helping me out so much."


    Alice shook her head.


    "You don''t have to-"


    "Just let me show my gratitude. Please?"


    She let it drop and we eventually came to a large building with a sign in front. Della''s was written on it in large stylized cursive.


    Just as we were about to enter, a cheerful jingle rang out from Alice''s tablet and she put it to her ear.


    "Yes dad, I''m fine. No. Nothing happened. We are almost done with the shopping. We are going to eat right now. Yeah. Ok. I know. I love you too. Hmm? Oh! Della''s. I haven''t been here in a long time and I thought it would be a good choice. Ok. Bye, dad."


    She rolled her eyes and stuffed the tablet back into her bag.


    "He is always worried."


    I nodded and pushed the door open for her as we entered. The inside of the restaurant was clean and well furnished. The restaurant was well lit and the tables were spaced out just enough to offer a little privacy to speak.


    A waiter soon sat us down and we ordered. I ordered two large meal sets for me alone. That earned me an odd look from Alice. I just shrugged and smiled.


    My appetite was endless lately. For the last week or so I simply hadn''t been eating until I was satiated. I planned on making up for that now. We talked as we waited for the food.


    "My mom joined the security forces after my dad and mom left the iron eagles. She is a big supporter of the council. She calls it retirement without being bored to death. The security forces are much safer than the mercenary troops and she still gets to be a pilot."


    "What about your Dad? What''s his story?"


    I definitely wanted her father''s back story. Call it recon.


    "He was the co-leader of the Steel Eagles. He eventually got tired of battle and also wanted to stay close to me as I grew up. He retired from piloting and passed his armor down to the man he chose to replace him. I''m still a little ticked off he didn''t leave the armor for me. It was an old world armor. I never even got to see it in person!"


    She paused and propped her chin up with her hand.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "When he retired, he bought the Lonely Crow and the rest is pretty humdrum. That was about 5 years ago. What about you? Any family?"


    I smiled at her interest in my life and told her about my mother. Talking about my mother with Alice felt nice. Alice smiled along as I told her stories about how I was a little wild child back in "the day" and even told her about some of the shenanigans my friends and I would get up to.


    "Your friends sound like total jokers."


    I laughed loudly and nodded along in total agreement.


    "It would be fun to meet them."


    She must have noticed the stiffness in my face because she quickly asked what was wrong.


    "You won''t be able to meet most of them. Not many are still alive. Those that are alive are hundreds of kilometers away. Maybe I can bring them over here but I''m not sure."


    She had a sad look on her face as she reached across the table and gripped my arm in a friendly and comforting nature.


    "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have mentioned them."


    I shook my head and motioned in the negative.


    "No. It''s fine. You couldn''t have known. And it''s not like I can''t talk about them."


    She nodded and smiled before her smile faded again.


    "And... your mother. Is she still..."


    I smiled.


    "Alive?"


    She noticed my good mood and smiled lightly.


    "Yup. She''s alive. I am going to go get her and bring her to anarchy city soon. You will get to meet her eventually. I just have to figure out how."


    Alice wondered what I meant by figuring it out, so I filled her in on the situation with my mother. As I told the story, small tears began to drip from her eyes. Alice immediately took up an interest in helping me find a solution to my problem.


    In the end, the best suggestions she had was high-end smugglers or joining a mercenary troop and having them help me. Of course, her first recommendation was the Steel Eagles. I promised to remember her suggestions and the conversation moved on to other topics.


    We chatted up until the food arrived and beyond, which seeing as I wasn''t eating like a pig but still had twice the food, took a while. We talked about Anarchy city, rumors, music. But mostly we talked about piloting armor. She was obsessed with armor. Whenever the subject was brought up her eyes seemed to glow.


    I also noticed a difference in her demeanor towards me. When I tried to be all dashing and flirty to the extreme, she seemed to ignore my attempts to make an impression. But when I stopped attempting to be charming and just talked with her openly and naturally, she became much more animated and less closed off from me.


    Realizing I was trying too hard to make an impression, I decided to cool my jets and let it rest for a while. It''s not like there weren''t more important things happening in my life right now. The slow and steady route seemed to possibly give better results in the end anyway. I would simply take this a whole lot less seriously. What will be will be.


    With my new decision on how to treat Alice made, I felt some of the stupid youthful tension drain away. I became less stressed about my interactions with Alice


    Long after the food was finished our conversation came to an end, Alice pulled her tablet out and nearly jumped out of her chair.


    "Uh oh. It''s getting late. We have to get back. Well, I do at least. I''m already late to start the dinner roast for the inn."


    I paid the bill and we stepped outside.


    "If you want to go and see the city still, you can probably go by yourself at this point. If you get lost use the GPS on your tablet."


    I thought about it and decided against going out alone. I had already gotten most of what I needed, and I didn''t want to carry all these bags around the city.


    Having both decided to return to the inn and call it a day, we began walking. We kept our chat from earlier going and weaved our way through the less crowded streets.


    At one point I made a crude joke before thinking and was shocked when she burst into laughter. I figured she would be offended but instead, she told me she loved crude jokes. So I began searching my mind for every crude joke that wasn''t too awful and recited them to her.


    I had a grin on my face as Alice burst into peal after peal of laughter with each punchline I delivered. She was an odd girl.


    Just as I was about to begin a new joke amidst Alice''s boisterous laughter at the prior one, a shaven-headed man stepped out from around a corner. Alice in her laughing state failed to notice him.


    She ran directly into the man head first. Both she and the man stumbled back. Alice got the worst of it due to body mass differences and I was forced to drop the bags and steady her for a moment to keep her from falling.


    "What the fuck! Look where you are going. AAH..."


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to bump into you. Are you ok?"


    The man rolled his right arm in its socket and twisted his neck.


    "I''m not sure. I think you hurt me bad. Somethings up with my shoulder."


    Alice didn''t understand what was happening just yet, but I did. I had seen this scene play out plenty of times in grey rock city.


    "Yeah. I''m going to need some compensation. You should know better than to run around injuring people."


    Alice was dumbfounded for a moment before anger surfaced on her face. She was beginning to catch on. This was a shakedown.


    "I didn''t run into you that hard. Stop trying to pull something. Move on to your next target."


    She flicked her thumb in a gesture that told the guy to get moving.


    "Now you are calling me a liar!? First, you injure me and now you slander me! Fucking little bitch."


    That was enough. Words were not going to work on this asshole. I stepped forward and between Alice and the man.


    "Alice save your words. He isn''t going to be reasoned with."


    I motioned Alice to calm down before addressing the man.


    "How much?"


    That''s what it came down to in the end. It was a matter of price or fists. I didn''t really want this to become a brawl with Alice here. So while it may deem slightly cowardly, I decided if the price was low enough, I would just pay it and move on.


    "How much? What kind of attitude is that? What do you think I am? Some commoner to be bought out by the likes of you? Are you going to throw a few silver at me and slink away? Fuck that. I''m seriously injured here!"


    The man was a horrible actor. I could feel Alice getting pissed behind me. I motioned for her to let it go while I kept my gaze level with the asshole scammer.


    He giggled after staring back at me with ill-disguised contempt for a while. He shrugged his shoulders and raised his arms in a gesture of mock surrender.


    "Haha. Alright. I''m a fair man. I guess a fair payout will work. Hmmm."


    He rubbed his chin while he thought of a number. I wanted to punch the man. I probably should have right from the start. I would have if I wasn''t pretty sure this man had back up. These types always do. There should be one or two men waiting in the wings to back him up should things get messy.


    Plus if I coldcock him out of nowhere on a street with pedestrians and cameras... I don''t think it would be big trouble for me on paper, but I need to be free for the next few weeks to set things up and get mom.


    "Ok. 1000 gold. That''s my price."


    Both Alice and I were shocked at the number. Alice burst onto angry yelling.


    "Are you kidding me? 1000? Gold?! You greedy ass! No way. Go row a boat! You must be insane to think we would pay that!"


    I was similarly shocked. But for an entirely different reason. Shakedowns don''t work like this. Asking for 1000 is insane. No one will pay that even if they did have it. Asking for a price you knew would never be paid was a fuck up. Or worse. Something was wrong. More than just some scammer trying to shake us down. Even the scammer himself was odd. He was fit and clean. He seemed to carry himself more like a soldier than a thug.


    "You got a mouth on you girl."


    He smiled a sickening smile at Alice and licked his lips.


    "Yeah. 1000 sounds about right. Gold of course. I''m worth a lot don''t you know?!"


    Alice continued her angry debate with the man while I kept myself between her and the man and began to scan the street and the pedestrians around us.


    "I don''t care if you are a fricking high noble. A bump isn''t worth a thousand gold. We aren''t paying! Stop wasting our time."


    "Hehe. If you don''t have the money we can always arrange something else. You are a real cutie. How about you spend the night with me and we call it even."


    Alice nearly launched herself at the man when he spoke those words. I was forced to hold her back once again as she tried to reach for and hit him.


    My eyes were still scanning the pedestrians around us and sadly I began to spot what I was looking for. At discrete locations here and there surrounding us, were men slowly moving into position. I started counting. 1, 2 ,4 ,6. Damn. One of them was a truly big bastard too. At least 6''7".


    These men were all fit men who moved with practiced ease and confidence. Nothing like normal scammers and street rats. They had already cut off all escape avenues.


    "Caleb, what are you doing? He''s just one man. We shouldn''t just giv-"


    I cut her off with a motion and gestured around us. The men had been casually closing the distance between us the entire time.


    Alice noticed the situation and I heard a startled exclamation from her. I kept my eyes tracking the men. There was something off about them besides their abnormal look and feel. They were all eyeing ME.


    At first, when the man had named a price of 1000, I thought for sure he was naming a price too high to pay for the obvious outcome of pressuring Alice to join him for the night. And he did say that. But on further evaluation, the man and his companions kept track of me before anything else. The man maintained his conversation with Alice before but his eyes kept flicking to me with some unknown animosity in them.


    Finally, I got it. This wasn''t any sort of shakedown at all. This was an ass beating about to happen! I was the target here!


    Who the hell would send people to attack me though? I hadn''t even met anyone yet worth mentioning. I''m sure I made some waves coming here alone with two old world armor, but it had only been a day.


    The good news was the men all avoided placing their hands on their holstered side arms. There was a big issue if you pulled a gun or God forbid fired it without damn good reason in the city. Parts of the council are even pushing for a firearm ban.


    The streets were monitored with CCTV cameras with pretty good coverage. The network of cameras may not solve a crime before it happened, but they were good enough to catch a gun-toting idiot after the fact. None of the men covered their face. So this wasn''t a hit. Just an ass beating.


    I turned to Alice and gripped her shoulder while keeping my body bladed to the man in front of us. Making sure she was paying attention, I spoke in my best low and authoritative voice.


    "It''s time for you to go Alice. Just go home. I''ll catch up in a bit."


    Alice showed a completely confused expression followed by an offended one.


    "I''m not leaving you here! What do you even think of me? I can take care of myself. Don''t worry about me holding you back. Besides, they are after me anyways. They won''t let me leave."


    I looked away from her and to the "scammer".


    "No. I think they will actually let you pass without a problem... won''t you?"


    I addressed the last part of the sentence to the man before us. I wasn''t quite sure I was correct just yet, but the man''s answering reaction solidified the conclusion. He took his forefinger and tapped it on the side of his nose before chuckling and pointing the finger at me.


    "Bingo. You got it, kid. We are here for you! You pissed someone off. A little late on the uptake though. A minute or so earlier and you might have been able to slip away."


    Alice was completely speechless. She just looked to me for confirmation. I nodded to her.


    "You see. You can go now. This is my trouble."


    A warm feeling began to spread from below my breast bone and my head felt... I guess you could call it... tight? I can''t really explain it. My vision seemed very odd. Like it was both in focus and out of focus. Normally such a phenomenon would make it hard to see but for some reason, it only improved my ability to focus while also keeping track of my surroundings. It was freaky but instinctually it felt right. My altered body always seemed to be doing funny things when I was stressed out or amped up.


    Alice tried to step past me and almost succeeded. She seemed extremely pissed. Both at these men and me.


    "I''m not leaving! I''m no coward. I''m a damn warrior too!"


    I hissed out a breath.


    "Alice. You are causing me trouble plea-"


    Just then Alice yelled and showed a horrified look before pointing behind me and the "scammer". I turned my head instinctually. Confusion racked my brain. There shouldn''t be anything close enough to shock her behind me. The men were closing in but they were not that close yet and they were being damn leisurely about it.


    That''s when she pounced. Unluckily for the "scammer" in front of us, he also fell for Alice''s trick. While he turned his head to see what had shocked her, Alice slipped from my grasp expertly, took one leaping stride forward, and kicked as hard as she could, directly into the man''s groin.


    He released an animalistic squeal and dropped to his knees with his hands cupped over his devastated neither regions. The veins in his neck stood out starkly while his face contorted into a look of pure agony.


    Just as the man gasped out the last of his shrieking breath and began to inhale another scream of sorts, Alice wrapped both of her hands around the kneeling man''s neck.


    I watched in fascination and bewilderment as Alice viciously brought her knee up in a perfectly formed knee strike. The stunned man was left with little time to react and took every blow squarely on his chin, nose, and eye sockets.


    After half a dozen blows, Alice released the man allowing him to crumple on the floor. There was no sign of any movement from the man who now had his face firmly planted on the ground.


    Taking my cue from Alice, I whirled around and attacked the nearest assailant while the man still gawked at the sight of an elegant and lovely young girl completely destroying one of his mates.


    He was just within reach of the massive leap I took and had only barely begun to react when my right first struck him like an atomic bomb across his jaw.


    Even I was shocked by the effect of my punch. An audible crunch and cracking sound could be heard and the man flew back 3 meters to land in a heap, motionless.


    I looked down at my right first and found it unscathed. Flexing my fingers sent no sharp or stinging pain shooting down them. Just how tough was my body? I had punched men before. It was nothing like this, however. I''m pretty sure I shattered that man''s jaw.


    Very quickly the momentum of the fight forced me from my momentary side thoughts.


    "Fucker."


    The man who screamed the unimaginative insult at me whipped out a retractable baton before lashing out at my head with it.


    Despite the blow coming from my right and behind, I clearly saw the path of the swing in my peripheral vision and instinctually ducked below it. While twisting to face the man I dodged another swipe of the baton. The man was a practiced hand with the baton for sure.


    I really can''t praise the implants abilities enough. I was nowhere near this capable of a fighter before. I didn''t even have a fighting style or martial arts training. This was all the implant and the nanites at work.


    It felt like everything was moving slower. Or was my brain moving faster? It felt like I had so much time to think. Even my own, obviously faster than normal movements, felt slow to my eyes. Being impatient with the speed of my own movements was a very odd sensation.


    The baton wielder kept his constant barrage of whip-like swings up and did a good job of sealing me off from getting within striking range. After a second or two of weaving through his attempted strikes, I decided that pussyfooting around with this asshole while his friends surrounded me was a losing plan of action.


    I stopped the half step by half step retreat I had been doing and stepped into the attack. The real issue with the baton was it added a lot of reach to the man''s swing. I needed to cross that distance and the man was an experienced hand at this. My body was damn fast now. More than I could have ever hoped for. But I wasn''t quite fast enough... yet. I would have to pay a price to approach the man and strike.


    Trusting to the alterations done to my new more sturdy body, I brought my left forearm up into the path of the man''s next cruel swing and felt a shock run through the arm with a *tink* sound accompanying the feeling.


    Ignoring the pain, I slammed my right fist into the surprised man''s unprotected solar plexus. He released a guttural wretching noise and collapsed to the ground to flop like a fish.


    Paying no more attention to the man I spun around. The situation was getting chaotic and fast. The other three men had already almost reached striking range and were coming from multiple different angles.


    Wait. Three?


    My first thought was of Alice. If the fourth man wasn''t here, a second away from launching his fist at me, where was he? I was sure he would be attacking Alice.


    Flicking my eyes in the direction Alice should have been last, I found she had moved. She currently had her foot planted in the arched back of the fourth man with the long strap of her carrying bag wrapped around his throat.


    She had him perfectly off balance. He stumbled around while trying to claw the strap away from his throat with little success. I could even make out that, over the strangled man''s shoulder, Alice was keeping an eye on me and my fight.


    I wanted to watch more, but the precious half second I had to evaluate Alice''s situation was completely used up now. My three assailants had arrived.


    This was going to get messy no matter how I did this. Six hands would be faster than my two. So I reverted to thug tactics 101. Hit hard and fast. See who is left standing when it''s done. Sounds dumb right?


    I abandoned all defense against the two normal sized foes and took their punches directly while stepping around the two men to keep them in between the big guy and me. I still wanted to avoid being hit by that bruiser.


    One fist struck me clean on the nose. The other found its way to my left rib cage. The nose shot hurt. I was not passive, however. My own blow shot out simultaneously and shattered the front teeth of the man on my right. His hands flew to his face and he doubled over in pain.


    The man on my left had taken a half step back and launched another punch. Just as I was about to send out another trading blow, the big bastard bristling with muscles stepped around the body of his mate and fired off an explosive haymaker.


    I abandoned all attempts to hit the smaller man and whipped my arms up to take the massive man''s blow. His meaty fist landed on my arms and sadly the laws of kinetics were on his side.


    His mass was such that I was nearly knocked off my feet. I simply didn''t weigh enough to counteract the inertia behind the blow. I stumbled back three steps before I regained my balance and got my guard up again.


    My arms tingled dully where the giant had struck me, but they still functioned fine. I leaped back into the fight and towards the smaller man on the left.


    He had stepped up beside the big man and approached in unison with him. A mistake. He should have hung back behind the big bastard and harassed me with blows.


    Sliding to the left and away from the big guy, I fainted a left jab towards his face. He reacted with recently learned fear of my punches and his guard shot up in a tight wrap of his face and head.


    While his vision was blocked by his own arms, I sent out my real attack. My leg swept up and extended out in a heavy kick to the man''s stomach. He flew out a few meters with a loud grunt and rolled on the ground clutching his stomach.


    I didn''t have time to celebrate as the big man''s oversized fist came sailing in between my now loose guard and struck me square in the chest.


    The wind got knocked out of me as I tumbled back and off my feet. Despite that, I quickly rolled to a standing position and glared the big man down as I attempted to regain my breath. I could already feel a large bruise begin to spread across my chest.


    The massive man bared his teeth at me and roared in berserker fashion at me while his right hand beat his chest. He looked like an ape. Under different circumstances, I would have laughed.


    He was the last one. All of his other companions were either silently laying on the ground or moaning in pain. I felt some confidence sprouting. Without his friends to distract the hell out of me, the big guy would have trouble landing any blows. I didn''t need to have a slugfest with this big ape.


    I abandoned my overly aggressive blow for blow attitude and readied myself for a drawn-out fight with this mountain of a man. All I needed to do was finesse him. Dodge and weave and pepper him with some vicious blows in between.


    Just as the man I was staring down seemed about ready to charge me, we both heard a dainty cough to our left. We simultaneously looked in that direction to see Alice standing less than 2 meters away, untouched and seemingly unbothered by the events that just happened. She had a big smile on her face.


    "Hey, big guy!" She waved to the giant with one hand while raising a small cylindrical object in the other hand and leveling it at the man''s face. "You forgot about me!"


    A cloud of orange gas and liquid bloomed from the object and spread in a 2-meter long cone of orange mist, completely engulfing the big man''s upper body.


    The mountain of a man began to stagger around and cough, while fighting back the urge to puke. He kept rubbing at his eyes crazily and yelling in a roar.


    I have to admit, her tactics for taking this beast out seem much more efficient and elegant than the way I planned to do it.


    "Fuck!! Bitch! You fucking bitch!! aaagh! You bitch! I''ll fucking kill you."


    I had about enough of listening to the man''s pathetic cursing at Alice and watching him stumble around blinded. Walking up to the blinded man and punching him in the side of his head was easy for me with his current condition. He went silent and crumpled to the ground.


    Everything became mostly silent then. I looked around the ground littered with unconscious men laying here and there. A few still moaned lightly or clutched at a part of their body.


    My eyes came to rest on a smiling Alice. Yup. She was still smiling. A very odd girl indeed. I decided to speak first.


    "You gave them quite the surprise! Hell, I''m pretty damn surprised myself!"

 Chapter 24

    Alice nodded with ill-disguised pride.


    "Good. I don''t want to hear any of this "You leave, I''ll be fine" crap again. I''m a fighter. Just like you."


    She walked up to the big guy currently passed out on the ground as she spoke.


    Alice had begun to shift the big guy''s clothes and I was at a loss for what to think. She was lifting his shirt, peeking into his collar, and in general searching his skin.


    "What are you doing?"


    Was she appreciating the big man''s muscles? Was she odd in the same fashion her mother seemed to be? Alice didn''t even look up as she answered.


    "I''m looking for tattoos. If they are part of a gang or merc crew they will have one at least. Don''t you want to know who they are or who sent them?"


    I felt a little embarrassed at my earlier thought. Alice was one step ahead of me and thinking of our next move. Alice didn''t seem to find what she was looking for and looked up to me.


    "Help me get him on his stomach."


    Walking over and using my foot, I flipped the man over. Instead of letting Alice continue the search, I bent down and did it myself.


    Pulling his shirt up to his neck, a large image of a hand of playing cards on his right shoulder was revealed. It was gripped in one skeletal hand and had flames licking up the edges of the cards. The 5 cards gripped in the hand were a royal flush of spades.


    I watched Alice''s face while she looked at the image and saw multiple different emotions. Some of which I couldn''t identify. The two I could identify were confusion that slowly transformed into anger.


    Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, she spoke stiffly.


    "We should go."


    Confused, was a good word to use to explain my current feelings. Didn''t we have to stay and deal with the repercussions of what just happened? I sort of knew brawls were not seriously punished, but this was a little more than a simple brawl. Multiple men lay severely injured on the ground.


    When the security forces arrived they would ask questions and investigate, wouldn''t they? As much as outside tales of Anarchy city had painted it as a lawless place, the real situation was that the city was more lawful than most.


    If a group of rats puts each other in the morgue by beating the crap out of each other, not much would be done about it back in grey rock city. I didn''t think it would be so easy here. Considering these men''s claims at being pilots, it could only be more complicated.


    The cameras would be rolled back and these men would be questioned. We couldn''t just slink away, could we?


    Alice noticed my confusion and exhaled slowly.


    "It''s fine. Let''s go. I''ll explain later."


    Accepting her mollification, I nodded and followed Alice as she began to walk. Her steps were rigid and she seemed angry. With no understanding of why she was suddenly so moody, I kept silent and let her think. I did some thinking of my own as we walked.


    Eventually, I noticed we didn''t appear to be going back to the inn.


    "Alice, where are we going?"


    Alice suddenly stopped in her tracks. She ran her fingers through her hair and snorted a short huff of air.


    "I''m not sure. I just don''t want to go home right now."


    I was at a loss for words. What the hell is going on? Before I could ask any more questions Alice started walking again.


    We walked for about 20 minutes. Alice seemed to be just wandering in any direction her feet took her. Her expressions ranged from angry at times to dejected and a wide variety of other emotions. I followed a half step behind her and kept silent.


    Eventually, her tablet began to ring with a cute tone. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. She scowled and I heard a beep with negative connotations. Before she stuffed the tablet back into her bag, it rang again.


    She paused for a moment and then answered in a clipped tone.


    "What."


    She waited and the caller seemed to speak for a while.


    "I''m fine. Thanks for asking."


    Another pause.


    "Are you done? Good. Now I''m going to speak... Did you really think I wouldn''t recognize them? Shut up! I''m not a stupid little girl. I don''t know what exactly you thought this would accomplish, but you messed up this time."


    The caller seemed to go silent.


    "Here''s what you''re going to do. You are going to make some calls. You''re going to fix the mess YOU made. When I come back with Caleb tomorrow, you will have an apology ready and waiting for the both of us."


    The other side began to talk. Alice listened for a bit then spoke over the caller.


    "Don''t try to pull the wool over my eyes. Do you think I''m an idiot?! Just do as I say or I won''t even be coming back tomorrow."


    More words from the caller who I was beginning to be sure was her father.


    "You don''t have to worry about what Caleb and I will be doing or where we will be going. That''s none of your concern."


    With that said, she ended the call with a frustrated and dejected sigh. She looked to me for a moment and then lowered her eyes.


    "I''m sorry."


    I kinda knew what she was talking about. The phone call had been the puzzle piece that finally fell into place. The only people I had really interacted with since coming here were Rose, Alice, and Nicholas.


    So, who would send men to rough me up? Who, that I had interacted with, would have the connections to do that. Who would have a reason to do it. Alice''s conversation over the phone had been confirmation of my suspicions.


    Alice had put the pieces together with shockingly little evidence or info to go on.


    "It''s not your fault. Your dad is just overly protective."


    She crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She waved one hand and spoke.


    "He''s not a bad person. He''s just stubborn and a little forceful. He thinks he knows what''s best. He has always been like this. Then you add in my mother who is chaos incarnate... I just, I don''t know what to do with them."


    I felt bad for her. Her parents loved her, but they were both a handful. I had only known the husband and wife duo for a little over a day and they had me ready to run for cover. I couldn''t imagine what Alice must have gone through growing up with such odd parents. It was also true, as she said, that her parents were generally good people. Even I, as a victim of their oddities, couldn''t bring myself to hate them. Though, I was currently more than miffed with Nicholas. To an extreme degree.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "Those men, their tattoos mark them as Lucky Spade pilots. My father is old buddies with their leader. It''s no coincidence that it just so happens to be them who came to give you trouble. I don''t believe in coincidences like that."


    She looked at my eyes as I nodded in agreement with her conclusion.


    "I''m really sorry Caleb. I thought I had talked this out with him. I thought he wasn''t going to stand in my way anymore. When I saw the tension between you two this morning, I chose to ignore it, and now you have been wrapped up in my problems."


    I didn''t want Alice to blame herself like this. I gestured to assuage her feelings and tried my best to say the proper words in this situation.


    "It''s not your fault. Besides, I can handle punks like that any day of the week. Barely even an inconvenience."


    My over the top arrogant and funny expression and the way I thumbed my nose worked like a charm. Alice giggled and smiled before digging into her bag and offering me some tissues.


    "Yeah yeah. You''re a real tough guy. You might want to look in a mirror."


    I took the tissues with a little confusion and at her urging put my hand up to my face. My mouth and chin had drying blood running down them. Remembering I had been punched straight in the nose during the fight, I guess my nose had bled and I didn''t even notice.


    I shyly smiled and wiped the blood away with the tissues.


    "This is nothing. Just a little blood. That''s all."


    She reached forward and lightly thumped her fist against my chest. Right where the big ape of a man had walloped me good and left a large bruised area. I hissed out a breath in dull pain and Alice smiled.


    "Yeah. Nothing at all. You took a few hefty punches. Did you know you are supposed to dodge them?"


    I kept my unserious attitude and joked back.


    "Really? I always felt that men should trade blow for blow. It''s cooler that way. Maybe I should have strangled them from behind with a purse."


    She stomped one foot cutely while shooting back at me.


    "It''s not a purse. It''s a bag. And yeah, maybe you should have. At least I''m not all bruised up like you! Maybe I should teach you a few things about fighting."


    I laughed and smiled.


    "I can''t be that bad. Look at how many I took care of. I believe the score speaks for itself, and it currently reads Alice 2, Caleb 5. Clear cut proof of my abilities."


    She answered back with a mock haughty laugh of her own.


    "2 to 5? Where did you get those numbers from? By my count, we are even. 4 to 4."


    We had begun walking side by side again.


    "4 to 4?! Now I have to question your counting skills. There weren''t even 8 of them, to begin with!"


    "That''s because you are only counting the big guy once. Obviously, he is worth 2 points."


    I snorted.


    "Fine. But even if he counts as 2, that would only increase my lead. That makes it 2 for you 6 for me."


    She took feigned offense at my words.


    "So you are counting the big guy for yourself? I don''t see it that way. His points belong to me."


    "How so? I do remember being the one to knock him out."


    She made a gesture like flicking away something dirty and scoffed.


    "You seem to forget I''m the one who really took him down. Before I took care of him, you were planning on slugging it out with him. So 4 me, 4 you. That''s the score."


    She said it as if disagreeing with her further would be a mistake. She looked at me with one eyebrow arched as if to dare me to argue with her. As adorable as Alice was, she was no joke. Her actions during the scuffle before proved that.


    "Arguing with a lady is uncouth. I''ll have to step down and agree to disagree."


    My smile must have told her I was enjoying this verbal sparring, as she rolled her eyes at me and gave another of her scoffs.


    "You''re being impossible. I''m not talking to you anymore."


    I laughed and she did her best to ignore me as we walked randomly around the city. Most of the reason I was playing with her like this was to keep her mind off her parents. She was in a complicated situation. She was feeling depressed and caged by her father''s actions.


    As we walked a silence took over slowly and I could see Alice slipping into deep thought again. Her face was showing sadness and frustration. When we passed a road I recognized, I had an idea.


    I tapped Alice on the shoulder as she looked down a few other streets and seemed to be choosing a direction.


    "Do you have a plan?"


    She showed a look of consternation and shook her head. I nodded and gestured for her to follow me.


    "Come on. I have an idea."


    Turning and starting to walk in what I thought was the right direction, Alice quickly followed from behind and asked questions which I avoided answering in any clear fashion.


    "Don''t worry. You will understand when we get there. Think of it as a surprise."


    She was confused but accepted my dodges to her questions in the end.


    Eventually, after having to pause and think about what little of the city roads I knew, we came to the place I wanted. Alice spoke up in a questioning tone.


    "This is the city mercenary and civilian hanger access entrance. What are we doing here?"


    I could see the growing suspicion and delight in her eyes.


    "Well. I need to check on my armor. It needs to be topped up with cores and I want to make sure no one has messed with it. Plus... you want to see it right?"


    Her answering grin and the glittering light in her eyes was all the answer I needed.


    -----------------------------------------------


    POV Nicholas


    I hung up the phone and felt defeated. I had called expecting my daughter to tell me that Caleb had just been bullied and beaten. Instead, my little angel had found out my association with the assailants. I tried to explain things to her, but she wasn''t buying any of it.


    Caleb must have ratted me out or the group John sent messed up and let their identity slip while kicking the crap out of Caleb.


    Where the hell was she and Caleb going to be staying overnight? She wouldn''t go and hook up with Caleb just to spite me, right? Caleb should be bruised and battered right now. Maybe she would feel bad for him. No, my baby girl is smarter than that. She will help him get some medical attention and book some rooms at an inn.


    At least the little asshole Caleb would probably choose to leave of his own accord now. An ass beating tended to make people think twice about their actions. Even if my daughter was angry with me, the Caleb problem should be solved. I can appease Alice later.


    I picked the phone back up and dialed Johns number. He would tell me what went wrong. He answered the phone up and didn''t sound too pleased with me.


    "You finally called. Do you know how much trouble you have created for me?! We are even now. No more calling me for favors. I should never have agreed to help you."


    What the hell was John talking about? It''s just some punk. What kind of trouble could have happened?


    "What are you talking about John?"


    He sounded absolutely pissed.


    "You don''t know?! It''s already getting around the city by now. 7 of my guys got their shit pushed in by your darling little girl and her boyfriend. A young girl and boy just mopped the floor with my guys! My entire guild is going to be mocked for this! You always knew how to make trouble for me."


    What the fuck?! Moped the floor? 7 men!


    "What the hell are you talking about, John?"


    "What I''m saying is pretty simple. Your daughter and her boy toy just put a bunch of my men in the fucking hospital! The boy with your daughter, in particular, was very heavy-handed. What am I supposed to do about this Nick?!"


    Damn. I didn''t have an answer for John.


    "How bad is it?"


    I could hear John sigh heavily over the line.


    "It''s pretty bad. A lot of broken bones. One of their jaws is being stapled and sewn together as we speak. They aren''t happy. They aren''t thugs. This isn''t their job. We did you a favor and it blew up in our face."


    Closing my eyes and rubbing my forehead, I began to mollify John. I offered to pay the medical fees and cover the costs of recovery and pay the 7 men some hush money. I even offered to make some connections for John and his crew to get some better contracts. At one point John started talking about pressing some sort of charges against Caleb and I had to persuade him it wasn''t a good idea.


    I didn''t really care about Caleb one bit, but Alice would blame me entirely if Caleb suffered from this. Alice may even get dragged into it if some officials get involved. Eventually, John accepted the payoffs and demanded I arrange some great contracts for his crew.


    Agreeing to his demands with a sigh, I hung up. I would be making a lot of phone calls tonight. The next phone call I made would be the hardest.


    Rose would not be pleased with my actions. Not at all. She had warned me about interfering with Alice''s desire to be a pilot. I was going to be in the dog house for a while.


    I felt like part of this was her fault. If she hadn''t brought Caleb over, this would not have happened. None of that would matter to Rose though and it really was a flimsy excuse.


    We had an agreement to not be nosy about each other''s "private" life. Something I was in full support of. I took advantage of the agreement to my satisfaction the same as Rose. I had never even entertained the idea of it being any other way. Rose was a free spirit and had not spent a second of her life pretending otherwise. It was part of what I loved about her.


    However, did she really have to select such young and handsome men? It made me self conscious at times. Plus, she seemed to be able to attract many more "playmates" than I.


    I dialed Rose''s number and waited for her to pick up. While waiting I thought about Caleb and what John had told me about what happened.


    7 fucking men. All trained pilots and Mercs. I had completely underestimated the young man. He was stronger than he looked. He would be a tougher opponent to handle than most of the flies that buzzed around my baby girl.


    When Rose picked up the call I could hear from her voice that she didn''t know anything yet. That was good. She would have to be told eventually. She would have to make sure the security forces didn''t get involved in this and I was sure she would either be told by Alice or hear something through the grapevine anyway. This way, maybe I could lessen the blowback on me by telling her myself.


    "So... honey bun, I kinda messed up a little."

 Chapter 25

    <div>


    Chapter 25


    Alice was a powder keg about to blow when we reached the hanger. When the gate to my billet slid open, she let out a slow exclamation and smiled in wonder.


    She started asking an absolute ass ton of questions. Rapid fire. So much so, that I couldn''t even answer before another was asked.


    Eventually, I motioned her to silence and asked her to wait a minute while I did some things with the armor. She calmed down with a little embarrassment, as I climbed into the armor and closed the hatch.


    It felt good to have silence and a moment to myself. The last day had been... odd to say the least.


    "Who''s she?"


    Toby''s mechanical voice broke the silence.


    There goes my moment of alone time.


    "Her name is Alice. She is a friend of mine."


    "Why does she keep touching the Calipso?"


    I looked at the 360 external view screens. Alice was grinning like a foolish person and touching or poking the armor everywhere. She looked like a kid who had just found the coolest darn thing to ever exist.


    Alice was in love with armor. I''ve come to realize that quickly. She has a laser focus on her goal. I smiled and answered Toby.


    "She has never seen an armor like this. She is just excited."


    Moving the topic of conversation along I started giving Toby tasks.


    "Toby, give me a general rundown on system status starting with shielding."


    Toby took all of .1 seconds to answer.


    "Shielding will be at full functionality within 36 hours. Maneuvering systems are fully operational. Sensor systems are fully operational. Power distribution systems fully repaired. Fuel level is at 59%."


    Fuel consumption while sitting hadn''t been light. The armor hadn''t truly been sitting doing nothing anyway. It was putting the finishing touches to the repairs. I had toby reroute more power to repair systems while the armor sat here.


    Without maneuvering and sensors as well as a few dozen other systems sucking up power, the repair systems could hog all the power for their own use.


    By sacrificing the extra fuel, the repairs would be finished very soon. Shields were the last system to be complete. In every other way, the Calipso was fully repaired and ready for service.


    "Have there been any people investigating the Calipso?"


    "No. It''s actually been pretty lonely. Like the old days at Icarus base."


    Good. No lookie-loos.


    "Can you scan the area we are in currently and find any surveillance equipment?"


    I didn''t like the idea of being spied on in my hanger birth.


    "I have run multiple sets of scans and found no indication of surveillance equipment of any kind inside the birth given to us."


    Another good thing. The city defense forces seemed to play by the rules.


    After a second or two of thought, I produced the computer tablet from my pocket and waved it a bit.


    "Toby, can you securely connect to this device wirelessly?"


    I needed a way to stay in contact with Toby at all times. My implant could probably do the job just fine. It would probably take nothing more than a thought to accomplish it. However, the idea of my mind being connected to Toby''s like that still gave me second thoughts.


    The screen of the tablet flickered for a split second and then returned to normal. A moment later Toby''s voice sounded out from the tablets tiny speakers.


    "Of course I can! What do you take me for?"


    A sly grin split my face. Toby was my ace in the hole when it came to operating inside a city. Every city had a network in one form or another. Toby would be the tool I used to swim in those networks like a fish in the sea. I already had a few tasks planned for him.


    "Is the connection secure? What is the likelihood of you being discovered when interacting with the city''s network?"


    Toby paused for a moment before answering.


    "It is nearly impossible to be discovered while simply connecting to the network of Anarchy city. I have already been connected to the network for 16 hours. There are indications of other AI connected to the network, but all signs show them to be low-level AI. Their programming is much less advanced than mine from my estimations."


    Toby had already been dipping his fingers into the Anarchy City network. I had to remember in the future that if he didn''t have standing orders from me, Toby tended to be free-spirited. I let my surprise at Toby''s independent action drop.


    "Those other AI are less advanced than you? Does that mean you could control or invade the network and its attached databases with impunity?"


    Toby let out a robotic chuckle.


    "No. It''s not that simple silly goose! Those AI are less advanced than me. That''s true. But it doesn''t mean they can''t defend themselves or their systems. A lot of those AI can be defeated by me and invading their systems wouldn''t be much of a hassle. But others within the system are not so easy to handle.


    The humans who set up some of the AI systems connected to the network have used brute force methods to ensure the security of their data systems.


    The AI they use may be less advanced, but when those same AI are installed in systems with inordinate amounts of processing power, their ability to defend those systems and the data within is improved. Some of these systems even have multiple AI running in parallel. It''s barbaric and wasteful but an effective workaround to the problem of low-level AI."


    I kind of understood but felt lost on the finer details. Toby noticed my lack of understanding and began speaking as if he was talking to a toddler.


    "Ok buddy, look at it this way. Those AI are the commanders of their fortresses. They are entrenched within layer after layer of defensive traps and firewalls. Those systems are like walls and soldiers. I may be a much smarter commander than those AI, but I do not possess the soldiers and equipment that some of these AI systems possess. All I have to work with is the systems contained in the Calipso. The Calipso has a powerful system, but compared to some of the server farms supporting the AI controlling high-level systems in the city, it pales in comparison.


    But don''t worry Caleb. Many of the systems connected to the network do not have such brute force methods to protect themselves."


    So Toby couldn''t give me the keys to the city. It was a shame but also expected. If a city''s data systems would roll over so easily, the networks never would have been installed in the first place.


    "Alright. I think I understand Toby. It''s complicated."


    Tapping my fingers on the right side armrest of the pilot''s chair I thought for a bit.


    "Toby, I''m going to let Alice into the Calipso''s cockpit. Monitor and record all of her actions while inside. Assign a system user ID that allows her to use the simulator as well as access the user manual data for the Calipso. She should also be able to open and close the cockpit. Restrict her from doing anything else to the Calipso. If she attempts to install anything on the Calipso''s systems or access systems restricted to her, inform me immediately."


    After another moment of thought, I continued.


    "Don''t reveal your presence to her in any way. Stay absolutely quite and do nothing more than watch her. The only time you should act is if she should attempt to damage anything, steal data, or take control of the Calipso."


    After Toby gave a confirmation of my orders, I clicked the button to open the hatch and swung out in an arch to land on my feet in front of the Calipso. Alice stood in front of me with gleaming eyes. I smiled and hooked a thumb over my back.


    "Wanna take a look?"


    She started to shake as if her anticipation would kill her should she wait one second longer. When I stepped aside to allow her entry she bolted into the chest cavity of the Calipso and took a seat.


    Cramming myself into the side of the cockpit just enough to see the panels of buttons and the smaller screens suspended in front of the pilot, I gave her a quick rundown on the systems. The systems where multiple times more complicated than those new world armor. It increased the difficulty of piloting but allowed for much finer control.


    Eventually, she got the hang of the interface and I showed her the simulator systems. She was ecstatic. Even more so when I took a step back and informed her she could have some fun with the simulator.


    Cutting off her sputtering joyous exclamations and thanks for allowing her to use the simulator, I clicked the external hatch button and the chest cavity of the Calipso seemed to swallow Alice.


    After stepping off the legs of the Calipso and finding a wall to sit against, I pulled the tablet from my pocket and watched the screen. It showed a live image of Alice nearly foaming at the mouth and beside herself with excitement. She was showing a truly silly sight inside the cockpit. She must have thought she was completely alone.


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    Eventually, she calmed down and after reading the user manual''s basic systems and maneuvering sections, she activated the simulator.


    It gave me a little shame when she began to run the basic maneuvering course set up for new pilots in the simulation better than I had at first. Chalking it up to her having a lot of study where I had none, I let my ego drop.


    Alice was an odd girl. Very odd. When she believed she was alone she dropped all decorum and shouted and whooped within the cockpit like a child. She looked more like a child with a toy than someone operating a machine of war.


    Deciding that Alice didn''t intend on pulling any funny business and feeling a little shameful for spying on her without her knowledge, I asked Toby to inform me when she exited the simulation and pushed the live feed data into a separate tab on the tablet.


    I wanted to know when she would drop out of the simulation because when she did, she would get a live feed of what was happening outside the Calipso and be able to watch and hear my conversation with Toby. Toby should be kept a complete secret for now. Even from Alice.


    "Toby, I want you to start compiling data from the network. From any and all sources available. Avoid any actions on the network that put yourself at risk of discovery. I want no one to know what you are and what we are doing."


    Toby''s chipper voice responded with a sing-song tone.


    "I started this task yesterday. While the task is still not complete, a lot of low-level data has already been compiled and sorted. I have already invaded multiple data storage systems connected to the network and set up back door access to them. Every minute the data extracted from the network grows more complete and detailed. Sadly a lot of confidential and secret information is simply not stored on lower level systems. Most of the data I have compiled so far is a mash-up of scraps taken here and there among a multitude of different systems and pieced together."


    I guess Toby''s free spirit could be useful. It had saved me a lot of time today, though, I still warned Toby to avoid making decisions like this when it was possible to ask me before taking action. I cut him some slack this time seeing as we were out of touch with each other for a day.


    "I have a few tasks for you then. First, I want you to make a list of all smugglers, for hire private helicopter pilots, identification forgers, and any smaller but experienced mercenary outfits that could be of help with smuggling. The mercenary outfits should be ones with positive reputations and also be known for their discrete and honest nature."


    Toby accepted the order and began working on it. I could see the data begin to scroll across the tablet''s screen and begin to grow.


    "The second task is to find any and all information brokers who would likely be interested in buying map data. Compile a detailed list of their contact information."


    The second task I gave Toby was less important than the first. I needed the smuggler contacts and the rest of that data to work out a way to get my mother out of Grey rock city and bring her here.


    The second set of data I requested was purely me being a sore loser. I had tried to make a deal with Varris knowing he would likely not be trading in good faith. It was a massive mistake and I paid a hefty price for my foolishness. That didn''t mean I wouldn''t strike back if I could. And I could.


    Nothing said I couldn''t go and trade the data I just sold Varris earlier today, to every damn information broker in the city.


    There wasn''t a way to do it before finding out what toby was capable of achieving within the network and city data systems. If I traded the same information to every broker in the city while assuming my own identity... I would make some enemies.


    Now that I had toby to cover my tracks, I could anonymously sell the data to just about anyone I damn well please. Once someone realized the data was no longer exclusive, it would be too late and Toby would have already disappeared like a ghost within the system.


    We didn''t even have to be all that crafty about it. I watched as the broker data started to propagate and scroll down the tablet''s screen. There were dozens of brokers within the city. After separating out Varris from the list of contacts and setting another task for Toby to investigate the man with a fine tooth comb, I began to send inquiries to all of the brokers using an anonymous system ID which couldn''t be traced that Toby had set up for me.


    At one point a gave up writing the messages myself and tasked Toby with the job. I had him send the mockup data and anonymous contact information as well as an attached price. I set the price at 5 thousand.


    The data was worth more than that, but it wouldn''t matter. If even half the brokers agreed to pay a few thousand I would rake in a massive profit. I had no intention on haggling over every last gold and intended on selling the data to as many people as fast as possible. I would drain all of the profit the market could offer for the data away before Varris could make a move. If the broker only agreed to pay a few thousand... ok! Who cares!? It won''t even be worth a hundred gold within a few days. Let''s see how Varris liked them apples.


    The data would have to be sold as fast as possible though. It wouldn''t take long for people to catch on and begin trying to track down the asshole selling the same data to everyone in the city. Without the cloak of anonymity that Toby offered, I would never attempt this.


    With the information brokers all messaged, I began to sift through the mounds of data provided by Toby on the first task given to him. I also added a new task for Toby. He began investigating Nicholas and the group that had tried teaching me a lesson today, while I moved on to the data already being compiled.


    Private contract pilot data. Mercenary group personnel and track record data. Smugglers and human traffickers. There was a mountain of data to go through. I would need to pick and choose my options carefully. My mother''s life was hanging in the balance. Should I choose the wrong people to hire, she could be put in a lot of danger.


    As I slowly scrolled through the data, from time to time I would check on Alice while she operated the fake Calipso in the simulations. Watching her squeal with delight at hitting a digital target made me chuckle. She was an armor maniac!


    After a half hour or so of Alice running simulations and me scanning through data, the first brokers began contacting me. It began as a trickle and soon became a torrent.


    Dozens of brokers began requesting a meeting and even began haggling on a price immediately. I denied all requests for a meeting. Any request for my personal info was also shot down. Many of the brokers lost interest immediately. Nearly half dropped the chat and stopped responding. I didn''t care. I knew many wouldn''t accept such an arrangement. I didn''t need all of them though.


    Those that stayed and continued negotiations wanted some assurances. Most want the data first, then payment would be received. While I didn''t really care TOO much about being ripped off here and there, I still wanted to get as much as possible.


    Eventually, with Toby''s help sorting it all, I had worked out a deal with 15 brokers. The deals varied greatly. Some wanted to pay a smaller deposit up front for the data and pay in full after receiving it. Some wanted to receive half the data up front before payment.


    It was a mess and definitely not my finest haggling at work. It didn''t matter. The first objective was to screw Varris good. The money was nice, but it was almost secondary. Plus, the longer these negotiations dragged on the more likely someone would notice something was up. After that, all offers would dry up fast. It was sloppy work, but it didn''t need to be nice and neat.


    After an hour and a half of haggling and bullshitting, I threw in the towel and just accepted all of the deals that were not obvious attempts at getting the data without paying at all. The price I had agreed for some of them to pay was so low it was laughable.


    Toby set up an untraceable unaffiliated bank account and worked his AI magic to clean all the transfer data and allow the gold to be transferred into my own account at a later date.


    All said and done, I received 21 thousand gold. The numbers sat on my tablet screen and seemed to wink at me seductively. I smiled and laughed.


    A good portion of those that had paid a down payment before receiving the data never paid the second installment. Even a few of those who received half the data chose to not pay at all. About half of the brokers pulled stunts like that. I didn''t care. The deed was done. They would soon find out that even if they only paid a few thousand, they had still been shafted good and hard. There would be many rage-filled screams tonight. Not my problem. Blame Varris.


    Toby cleaned all traces of our presence associated with the deals and I wiped my hands of the whole situation. I guess we could have stayed at it longer and roped in more buyers, but I didn''t want to drag this out. Toby was an advanced AI and I trusted in his ability. However, if he began to draw a lot of attention the full might of Anarchy cities network security systems might possibly find a way to track Toby down and cause a lot of problems down the road. Better to play it safe.


    Adding in the 21 thousand gold we had just scammed out of more than a dozen brokers and the 7 thousand Varris had paid, I had a hair under 28 thousand gold at my disposal.


    For a while, I sat contemplating the number and rejoicing at my turn in fortunes. From a little street rat with barely a few silver to his name to a man with nearly 30 k and an old world armor.


    The number awed me for a long time. The awe quickly dissipated when I began to browse new sections of the net data being compiled by Toby.


    The network of Anarchy city was used for more than just data storage and making calls among civilians. It was the leading way some of the larger industries in anarchy city sold equipment and also how mercenaries exchanged data, bought equipment, arranged jobs. There where online shops with detailed inventory of military and civilian equipment for sale. Job request boards for smaller mercenary groups and many other methods of contact between the different entities of Anarchy city.


    The net seemed to be the best way to sell or buy high-end equipment or find mercenaries to hire. To those with the knowledge to do it, you could set up and arrange all of this just from the net. Of course, gold made the world turn round, and nothing was cheap.


    Searching the net for a rifle similar to the one used by the Calipso I was shocked to realize the weapon didn''t even have a duplicate within the city. The most similar option cost nearly 11 thousand gold. God damn! You could buy and equip a small squad with basic armor and weapons for less!


    The nearly 30 thousand gold I was so gleeful over just moments before, seemed paltry now.


    Overall, the experience with the network was highly rewarding. It offered me the set of tools needed to operate in this city. I wouldn''t have to rely on other people to set up trades and gather information. With Toby''s aid, I had an information gathering apparatus better than even most of the larger mercenary guilds had available to them.


    After nearly three hours of digesting information fed to my tablet through Toby, I checked the live feed of Alice in the cockpit. She was currently doing some odd repetitive motions with the digital version of the Calipso. I sort of understood her actions. She was trying to commit certain reactions and maneuvers to muscle memory.


    With my thoughts on Alice, I began to think about my current situation in regard to her family.


    Leaning against the wall and turning the tablet screen off, I sighed and evaluated my decisions over the last day. It wasn''t pretty. I had been very sloppy over the last day.


    First, there was rose. Honestly... She was the least of my concerns. It''s possible she approached me with ulterior motives, but something told me she was just chaos incarnate. She was wild to the core. At worse, she would rope me into an embarrassing and stupid situation. Annoying, but not all that horrible.


    Then there was Nicholas. He was a total asshole. And a vicious one to boot. His being married to Rose, a woman who seemed intent on sexually harassing me at every turn, should have sent me running. His oddities on that front alone should have told me I needed to keep my distance.


    Getting wrapped up in other people''s lives was stupid. These people were not friends. Normally I prided myself on my caution and forethought. Normally I would have separated myself from this situation as soon as possible. At first, I thought it might be possible to befriend this couple, even as odd as they were they seemed alright.


    That was until Nicholas took offense at me interacting with Alice. I should have known better than to trade with Varris under those circumstances. I should have walked away. But I didn''t. I created more trouble for myself. I chose to stay and surround myself with chaos. Why did I do that?


    The answer was obvious and brought me to the third member of this odd family. Alice. I had to admit to myself that if a pretty young girl wasn''t present, I never would have allowed myself to be drawn in like this.


    The situation had spiraled and become messy. I now had a pissed off father with a lot of connections and ability of his own, dead set on fucking with me. Who knew how this would affect my stay here in the long run. It had all happened in less than a day.


    What exactly was I doing? I had more important things to worry about. Mother being a top priority. Finding a place and setting up shop in Anarchy city was another thing I needed to accomplish.


    It had only been a single day and not much time had been wasted, but thinking back on the last day... It was slightly pathetic. I had spent the last 24 hours scheming ways to spend time with Alice despite her father''s animosity. It seems a pretty face was all it took for me to stop thinking properly.


    Which brought me to the decision I needed to make. I needed to create some space. From Rose, Nicholas, and sadly but most importantly, Alice.


    Would I break my promise? Go ghost on her? No. I wasn''t exactly a man of my word. It''s not like I hadn''t broken deals in the past. I''m no saint. But my deal with Alice held meaning for me. More than many other deals I had ever made. Was it because of her pretty face? Or because she was actually a great help in learning? Was that just an excuse? Maybe it was because I believed she was genuinely a good person and a possible great contact to have for the future?


    It was complicated. Generally, I hated complicated. So I made a decision. It wasn''t a full fix, but it would help me create the distance needed to step back and handle my priorities.


    I finished my musing and ran through what little data on Nicholas toby could find, all of which while lacking in detail, painted a pretty terrifying image of him. The man was basically a folk legend among security forces and those mercenaries aligned with the council.


    Just as I flipped a page to read the rest of a partially destroyed report by a council member using glowing words to talk about Nicholas, Toby informed me Alice was shutting down the simulator. I turned off the tablet and stood as she exited the Calipso.


    "It''s amazing!! It''s like I''m in a dream. Thank you, Caleb. Really, thank you. I''m sorry for taking so long. I lost track of time."


    I shrugged.


    "That was the deal, right? Don''t worry about it."


    Walking over to the Calipso, I slapped its leg with the palm of my hand.


    "From now on you can come here whenever you want to use the simulator. Besides opening the hatch, the manual, and the simulator, everything else is locked down for now. The simulator doesn''t eat up much power so don''t worry about that."


    Alice''s eyes grew large and her mouth opened a little.


    "Really!? I can come here whenever I want?! But... that''s too much. I''ve only caused you trouble since we met. I didn''t earn this."


    I laughed.


    "Don''t worry about it, Alice. I knew I was signing up for some trouble when I decided to start butting heads with your father. It was my choice and had more to do with keeping my word and being hard headed, than anything to do with you."


    That wasn''t the complete truth but she didn''t really need to know that. After some talking, I was able to convince Alice to accept the offer and we left. We walked the streets as darkness began to set in.


    "I guess we should find an inn or hotel now."


    She seemed to feel awkward at her own suggestion. I guess it was weird to go find accommodations with a man you barely knew. Though, it''s not like we would be sharing a room. That was beside the point though.


    "I think you should go back home. It''s not right to be out of your house overnight like this. Your parents must be worried. I know you are mad right now, but your parents love you. Besides... if you stay out all night with me, your father is likely to hate me even more."


    My last sentence along with the clownish eyebrow wiggle I added, forced a laugh from Alice. It took a little more effort to persuade her, but eventually, we made our way back The Lonely Crow. We stood outside for a moment as Alice prepared herself to walk in.


    "Alright, this is where we part ways. Try to work things out with your dad. He is a complicated man, but he is only trying to do what he thinks will protect you. Don''t worry about my issues with him for now."


    I didn''t know what else to say. Alice seemed taken aback.


    "What do you mean? Part ways? Aren''t you coming in too?"


    I looked her in the eyes for a second and shook my head.


    "This situation is a little too... complicated for my liking. It''s nothing personal Alice. It''s just, I have a lot to handle in the coming weeks, and your father isn''t likely to make my life any easier should I stay here. I think it''s for the best I find somewhere else to stay."


    I could see the dejection on her face. It wasn''t the look of a girl about to lose contact with a guy she fancied, at least from what I could tell. It was a look of embarrassment and shame for the actions of her father. Actions that had forced me to leave.


    "Why did you let me use the Calipso like that and set it up so I could use it whenever I want? I understand you made a promise, but if you can''t even be friends with me because of my father, you must know I wouldn''t hold you to the promise, right?"


    Cocking my head to one side and scratching the back of my head, I laughed at Alice a little.


    "Haha. Who said we couldn''t be friends? We made a deal. It''s not you holding me to the deal, it''s me holding YOU to the deal. I''m not done receiving lessons from you miss teacher. Besides..."


    I pulled my tablet out and wiggled it in front of her.


    "Just because I don''t live here anymore doesn''t mean we can''t communicate. You can even visit me if you like. We will both be using the simulator a lot and will probably be testing out things together. This isn''t goodbye."


    Her expression brightened a bit and a small smile was shown.


    "I guess your right. Dad doesn''t even need to know we are still talking. I guess that could work. I can send you the lesson plans wirelessly and we can talk over the network. If we need to meet we can arrange it. This is actually kind of fun to think about! I''ve never really kept a secret from my dad before!"


    The more she thought about it the more she seemed to like the idea of pulling one over on her father. I doubted it would work though. Her father would realize eventually. He was a shrewd man. It would buy me time and space though.


    Alice double checked to make sure she had put my contact information into her tablet properly and waved goodbye before entering the inn. I waited a few moments and began walking.


    With the problems Nicholas provided to me somewhat handled for now and Toby monitoring any and all moves made by Nicholas in the coming days, I felt more assured. More in control again.


    As I walked down the wide street while heading towards a good inn Toby had found, I thought long and hard about my next moves. The next few days would be busy ones. Everything had to be handled perfectly. It was time to get my mother and nothing would distract me from that anymore.


    Every minute wasted was another minute mother was alone.

 Chapter 26

    <div>


    Chapter 26


    Humming a tune while I walked, I proceeded down the street in a much better mood.


    There was still a need to remain cautious though. I checked behind me and avoided walking directly around corners.


    I had been cornered in the street earlier today. That shouldn''t have happened. Even before my alterations. Even with all of my improved senses, it happened.


    That was a loud and clear sign to wake up. I was being sloppy. Thankfully, my attackers had been somewhat sloppy as well. If they had attacked in unison without any warning, I would have been ko''d. If they had used guns... I would be dead.


    And what was I doing while those men tracked us down and set an ambush with almost casual ease? Looking at a beautiful girl of course! Like a dumbass.


    The inn Toby had marked on the map was a mid-range one. Nothing fancy. It was a bar that catered more towards low-mid tier mercenaries. I chose it for that very reason.


    The net was a great way to find information. In fact, it was ludicrously easy. However, the net wouldn''t give me a perfect picture of everything happening. No matter how much of the net Toby conquered, word of mouth would always be a part of my information gathering.


    I talked to the inn''s owner and had a room within a few minutes of arrival. I paid for a few days in advance and left immediately. I had to get a few things.


    After following the road Toby marked on my tablet, I came to a large well lit shop. It was obviously a thriving business. Stepping inside, I was met by the sight of glass display cases filled with an assortment of weapons. Blades, throwing knives, pistols, brass knuckles, body armor. Even assault rifles were displayed, though they were trigger locked and behind the counter under the heaviest security.


    There were several other customers in the room being led around by employees, while a few hawk-eyed security guards stood rigidly around the edges of the room watching over everything.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, sir. How can I be of assistance?"


    Turning my eyes from appraising the room, they fell upon a grey-haired man in a fancy suit. His appearance gave me the impression of a fancy butler.


    His addressing me as sir felt odd. I was still getting used to the difference my new clothes and change in physical appearance made in the way I was treated compared to before. I felt like a fraud at times. Like someone might jump out and start pointing their finger at me while declaring me an outsider and pretender.


    "I''m looking to buy an assortment of things. A blade, useful for stabbing or slashing, and a waist sheath. A strong but thin blade without a guard for strapping flat to the body.


    I need a good pistol as well. Something with some punch and penetration. Do you have any well rated, concealable body armor?"


    The urbane man quickly tapped away at a tablet before him as I spoke.


    "I also need a high-quality earpiece. Something comfortable but powerful. Do you have any flash bangs?"


    The man''s neutral demeanor slipped a bit at sight the growing list before him. He grew more ingratiating and his professional smile transformed into a real and warm one. He must get a commission or something.


    "Do you want a powderless handgun? The rate of fire is better. They need almost no cleaning. They are less noisy and hold more ammunition. Some of our better models can pierce level 5 personal body armor with ease. They are pricier but besides having to supply the weapon with batteries to work, they are better in every way compared to powder weapons."


    The assault rifle I had left inside the Calipso''s storage compartment was powderless.


    "Do you have a shooting range? I think it would be best to get a feel for what I want. Money isn''t so much the issue. I want what''s best for me."


    "Of course. It''s in the basement for safety concerns. Would you like to proceed to the range first or select your other equipment?"


    "Other stuff first."


    "Of course. Please follow me, sir. There is a back room meant to offer our better customers privacy. You can also change into the concealed body armor in the room. It goes under the clothes and hugs the skin."


    Selecting most of the equipment was a simple and easy thing. The knives I selected were matte black and of high quality. Both of which had "atom thin" blades.


    I doubted whether the man was just pumping me up, but the blades were viciously sharp. The assistant had been able to cut through a piece of steel with little force. He said the blades should pierce through lvl 4 armor with 25kg of force behind the stab and not break, bend, or chip.


    The body armor came next and I simply selected the highest rated concealable armor shown to me. It was as thin as a t-shirt and only a little heavier than it looked.


    The assistant sang his praises about the armor but made sure to mention that while the armor did rate as a level 4 body armor, it did not stop all of the kinetic force behind the bullet or stab. So getting shot or stabbed would likely leave a nasty bruise.


    The armor was comfortable and allowed some airflow as well. If you didn''t know better it would seem like nothing more than an undershirt that hugged the body tightly. The material seemed very similar to the material used in the dead nobles armor.


    The earpieces brought before me varied greatly, but after a few minutes, I found a pricy one that seemed durable and discrete with an incredible battery life.


    While costly, it was worth it. It would allow me to interact with toby while out and about more easily. The microphone could pick up my whispers in a crowded and noisy room. Its signal range was also the best.


    "The shooting range is this way, sir. We can discuss your options there."


    After going down a level and into the underground shooting range, I was told I would be charged at cost for ammunition, and handed weapon after weapon to test fire.


    Most of the weapons didn''t feel right. The assistant patiently went from one model to another before I found the one I liked.


    "Are you sure about this sir? While this pistol does pack a punch and is the pistol with the most penetration, it isn''t technically powderless."


    The pistol I had selected was massive as far as pistols went. It was an odd selection no doubt. But I had fallen in love with the gun immediately. The long blocky barrel was a work of art. It was extremely loud and it wasn''t completely powderless. I would need to clean it from time to time. It didn''t even hold more than 8 rounds in its cylinder. Yeah... It was a revolver. Caveman tech.


    None of that mattered. It was the most beautiful pistol I could ever dream of. It used both magnetic acceleration AND a special mix of propellant to fire large rounds down range with incredible force. The gun was basically an anti-material rifle in pistol form.


    You might think 8 rounds was an incredibly small amount. And it is, but this pistols rounds were special. There was an incredible number of different types of rounds.


    Normal accelerator weapons just fired slivers of metal. Small slivers of metal could be tightly packed together. The rounds of this weapon were at least 10 times larger. The extra mass did add more lethality to the round, but more importantly, the extra types of rounds needed to be larger to even work properly.


    You could use nonlethal rounds, flash bang rounds, HE rounds, armor piercing rounds, even emp rounds, and incendiary rounds.


    All of which was controlled by an onboard computer. The computer would allow you to do things like time the explosive rounds to explode just on the other side of an obstruction or trigger a flashbang round at the best instant.


    A simple flick of a recessed button allowed the pistol to quickly switch between different ammo types already loaded into the weapon or it could be done with voice commands. The pistol could fire without battery, a design choice I very much agreed with. There was even handprint recognition.


    The shop assistant didn''t seem to support my decision despite the large price tag on the weapon. He gave me his honest opinion.


    "Sir, the Desolator is an incredible weapon with a lot of neat tricks and a ton of penetration power. However, it''s bulky and heavy. It has a slow rate of fire and holds only 8 rounds. The recoil is also incredibly fierce. It needs to be cleaned and its ammunition is only available in Anarchy city."


    The recoil and the weight of the gun were not much of a problem for me despite the man''s concerns. The weapon felt only a little heavy on the front end and the recoil was jarring but manageable. The name Desolator would have to go, but otherwise, functionally the weapon was amazing. If I had this pistol, I could severely damage a Goliath. A PISTOL able to damage armor!


    The last part of what he said caught my attention, however. The assistant seemed to notice and continued.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "This weapon is a new concept designed and built by a weapon designer here in anarchy city. Besides the original designer and a few shops like us, there is nowhere else in the world that sells this weapon and its ammo. I am not trying to upsell you, sir, it''s one of our most expensive weapons. The weapon is a fantastic piece of work, but it''s still early in its design and testing phase."


    I mulled that over for a while.


    "Still early in its design and testing phase? It isn''t defective is it?"


    "No, no, no. It works perfectly. But it''s not very suitable for carrying around the city. It''s a cannon meant to pierce heavy plate body armor rated lvl 7 and even higher. It''s overkill. Honestly, it''s just a showpiece. A trinket."


    That was fine. I didn''t mind overkill. If i needed to shoot some core beasts, overkill would be great! The low number of rounds and the rarity of its ammo was a concern though. I still wanted the gun. After a minute of thinking and weighing the gun in my hand, I made a decision.


    "Bring me a secondary pistol. Something I can strap under my left arm and conceal within my coat. Make it powderless with a high rate of fire and a built-in suppressor."


    He seemed to understand what I wanted and he helped me select and nifty pistol that collapsed down to a small-ish metal block on a strap under my arm. It didn''t even cause a bulge in my coat. Despite its small size, it carried 40 rounds. It lacked some penetrating power but made up for it with the ability to fire at an incredible rate. The built-in flip-up holographic sight was also nice. The weapon was named the Widow. Very unoriginal.


    I was happy with my selection and ordered a ton of extra rounds for each weapon sent to my current place of residence. Most of the rounds where basic rounds meant for practice, but I made sure to buy at least 80 of each special round as well. Those special rounds were very expensive in the end.


    "What about grenades. What have you got?"


    "The flashbangs are simple. There are a few different types. Any explosive grenade or ones with emp capabilities are not for sale to be carried in the city."


    I bought 6 small flashbacks and 2 gas grenades that were as small as cigarette lighters and put them in one of my inner coat pockets.


    "You said not for sale for use in the city. Can I have them shipped to my armor''s billet in the hanger? Or does the city hold onto them like they do my armor''s weapons?"


    The man showed very little surprise at the mention of me being an armor pilot. I''m guessing my high-value clothes and my spending had painted that picture for him already.


    "The city holds onto the explosives and the emp grenades. Too much chaos can happen should they be allowed into the city. There is a hard ban on explosives inside the city. When you leave the city they will be returned to you."


    The assistant paused before raising a finger.


    "Also, I wouldn''t use any explosive rounds or emp rounds inside the city. They aren''t technically illegal yet, due to them being a newer product, but if security forces want to interpret the laws loosely, you could be in for some serious time behind bars. They will get around to adding them to the books eventually. Actually... I wouldn''t recommend using that gun at all. Use the widow inside the city if you need to fire any weapon at all. I believe the only reason this weapon isn''t banned is because it''s a brand new design and so few of them exist right now."


    That was good to know. It would be foolish to fire this weapon wildly inside the city even without any laws in place. The regular rounds alone could pass through multiple buildings. I thought about what else I could buy.


    "Other explosives. What have you got?"


    He brought his tablet up and after clicking for a few moments he spoke.


    "We have an assortment of choices. We have shaped charges. Basic bricks and detonators. We have 3 different types. I recommend plastic explosive C-6. It is the most expensive but it has the best weight and mass to explosive force ratio. It''s also extremely stable."


    I ordered a few shaped charges for blasting through thick metal doors and two 10 kg bricks of the C-6 plastic explosives.


    What was I going to use it for? I had no idea. Better safe than sorry I say. Honestly, I was surprised at how easy this was. Spending could be addictive.


    It felt like I was spending money like water, but after stepping out of the shop armed about as much as any man could be while walking the city streets, I felt much more secure. Sure, my digital wallet had taken a hit to the tune of 928 gold, but it was worth it in my opinion.


    I would have to find a shooting range and practice shooting. The general idea was easy to understand. However, I had only used a gun one time in combat. Using weapons I hadn''t trained with at all seemed dumb. A few words to Toby and the address of a shooting range near my hotel appeared on the tablet''s screen. It was less than a 15-minute walk from the hotel.


    For the next two days, I hunkered down in my room and devoured information from the net. When I wasn''t doing that, I was practicing with my new weapons at the range. I had to order more ammunition on the second day. My accuracy and control of the firearms improved rapidly. I was no gunslinger... yet, but the weapons no longer felt foreign to my hands. I could reach up and unholster them with fast and fluid motion. My aim was consistent and accurate. True mastery would take time, however.


    Despite Toby''s ability to gather large amounts of information, it was troublesome piecing it all together. I had to resort to keyword searches and think outside the box at times. It was time-consuming work.


    Any time not spent shooting at the range or digging through data in an effort to work out the best method of extracting my mother from grey rock city was spent studying different pilot tactics and methods literature sent by Alice.


    Alice admitted to spending at least 5 hours every day using the Calipso''s simulator. I didn''t mind. Toby had run estimates and the time she spent using the simulator accounted for less than 5 percent of the fuel burned in the last 2 days.


    Besides talking about armor, we talked lightly about other petty things. Apparently, her mother was throwing a hissy fit and not speaking to Nicholas much. She was upset for two reasons. One being his attempted interference with Alice''s plan to become a pilot. Two... was that she was pissed he chased me away.


    Alice enjoyed telling the account of her mother storming away while yelling something about running her favorite new toy away. She giggled at my obvious discomfort over the phone call as she told me.


    Not much else happened during those two days. The biggest change would have to be what I had found out about the current situation at Grey Rock City.


    Apparently, a massive nuke detonating in the area had made the buttocks of every noble within 300km of the blast clench. It had been close to 18 years since the last nuke was used by ANYONE. The blast had been like an alarm bell ringing and every city in the region had panicked. Most of the cities entered a state of high alert. The nobles were scrambling to try and figure out what happened. Nobody had much of a clue and some nobles were not sleeping well at night due to worry. Poor them.


    I couldn''t give less of a shit about how any noble felt about anything, but this would affect my ability to enter and exit grey rock city. A higher level of caution from those soldiers in the city could sink the entire plan.


    The new variables reinforced my plans to find the best people to smuggle me in and us out. I would need experienced and capable help in pulling this off.


    It would prove difficult to find said help, however. I had begun making discrete inquiries about making a trip to a city to the west with multiple reputable private helicopter crew who also doubled as smugglers at times, and was disappointed that very few were interested in going there.


    All of my preparations were made more difficult by the fact that Grey rock city was an out of the way shit hole. Very few caravans or many helicopters went to or from grey rock city. It didn''t even have a true road connecting it to other cities.


    Many of the cities in other areas had roads connecting them here and there. Looking at a map, the roads seemed to mimic a torn spider web. You could clearly see who liked who among the noble hierarchy based on the way the roads had been set up.


    In one area you might find every city connected to each other among the small network of roads. And 150 km in another direction, you might find that another small network of roads had been set up between other cities. Neither network connected to each other and it was easy upon reflection to see why this happened.


    The roads semi-accurately showed faction layouts and even the larger holdings of the more powerful southern lords.


    To the north, it was a completely different story. On the other side of the massive spine like set of mountain ranges that split the north from the south, every city mapped had at least one large road attached to it.


    That made going by air the best way to retrieve mother. That meant taking up a high status. Could I pull that off? No. I needed an experienced hand. Someone who knew who''s hands to grease and what to not do. Someone who has made the trip before.


    On the third day, I found my possible accomplice. He had the experience. He had been to grey rock city before. Most importantly, he wasn''t likely to say no. My offer would be like a life jacket thrown to a drowning man. The man I chose to approach was in debt. Once an extremely successful merchant, now nothing more than a man on his last leg.


    Due to the man''s failure, I nearly passed on selecting him entirely. Thankfully the net gossip and some of the intelligence reports from organizations within anarchy city told his story more clearly.


    Business wise, the man was impeccable. He simply trusted the wrong man. His longtime business partner decided being the top dog was better than sharing.


    The man was lucky, however.


    His business partner talked him into investing almost everything into a large shipment of high-value goods. His partner also arranged the mercenaries that would accompany the massive caravan. Midway to the final destination, his partner and the Mercs turned on him and his few personal guards.


    So, how is he lucky?


    Well, for some reason, possibly out of pity, possibly out of hatred. Instead of blowing his head off, his partner left him stranded in the wilderness. Surprisingly, the man made it back.


    I read the story the man had reported upon his return and marveled at a defenseless soft handed merchant traveling 140 km on foot through the wilderness. That was when I decided to give this man a try. He had grit.


    There was doubt whether the man considered himself lucky, however. His son had accompanied him on the trip and tragically, did not make it back with him.


    It was a shame that despite returning to anarchy city, he couldn''t do anything about his betrayal. Anarchy city had a strict non-interference policy for ANYTHING that happened outside the city''s outer parameter. If it didn''t happen inside anarchy city territory. They didn''t care. The betrayer now being one of the largest merchants in the city didn''t help matters.


    On the evening of the third day, I found myself knocking on the door to a house barely better than a shack buried down a dirty alley. Hard times indeed...


    After 5 minutes of beating on the door, I began to grow frustrated. Someone was home. My sense of hearing was great now. There was no way I could miss the sound of a chair scraping the floor when I initially knocked or the sound of someone approaching the door. The peephole had also gone dark for a moment.


    After pounding once again I spoke in a loud but controlled voice.


    "I''m looking for Jarod. I have a business proposition."


    Another 30 seconds and the only reaction was the sound of a floorboard on the other side of the door creaking. I knocked more lightly and gave it one more try.


    "I''m not a debt collector. I''m not here for anything shady. I have a job I need help with."


    There was nothing but silence. Just when I was ready to give up, the door opened a crack. Despite the darkness between the crack, I could make out one green eye.


    "We aren''t interested. If you want help moving drugs, you can buzz off like the rest. My father won''t help you."


    The voice sounded like it belonged to a young man. Younger than me. I wanted to take offense at being taken for a drug dealer or drug smuggler but upon further thought, drug smugglers would be very interested in the services of a man like Jarod. A man like Jarod could probably be of amazing assistance to a drug lord.


    The drug trade, while frowned upon by a lot of people here, was not in fact banned completely. It was another one of Anarchy city''s quirks. You couldn''t sell drugs within the city. Nothing, however, said you couldn''t run a drug smuggling operation from the safety of Anarchy city.


    It was known that several cartels set up logistics in Anarchy city and simply ferried shipments from one city to another. As long as the drugs never entered the city, Anarchy city law enforcement wouldn''t say a word. There were even mercenary pilots in abundance to hire in Anarchy city if they needed some extra bang. Everyone involved won. Everyone except the poor bastards who took the drugs of course.


    I had seen the effects of long term drug use. I will always remember the first time I saw a man ranting and raving like a lunatic. My mother grabbed a 7-year-old me by the arm and dragged me away while I asked a myriad of questions about the man. Eventually, my mother was able to explain the man was an addict. She had also made me promise to never do drugs. A promise I had kept despite many opportunities to partake.


    Despite Jarod''s destitute state, he chose to avoid the easy money of drug smuggling. I could respect that.


    "No. I''m not talking about that. A real job. Clean money."


    My words seemed to make the green-eyed boy think for a moment before the door opened a little more to reveal the smudged face of a black-haired boy of about 15 years.


    "Why my dad? There are better options out there. Is your job dangerous?"


    The kid was smart!


    "If I try doing it alone it could be. That''s why I need your dad."


    I could swear the boy was about to close the door in my face when I heard the sound of footsteps behind me. Turning around and looking down the dank alleyway, I saw a man who appeared to be about 45 approaching in dirty work clothes carrying a sack over one shoulder.


    His other hand wasn''t occupied at all. In fact, he didn''t have another hand. From about 4 inches below his right elbow, half of the man''s forearm was missing and tapered down to a nub where the man''s wrist should be.


    The right side of the man''s face was completely torn apart. From his ear to his upper lip and down to the bottom of his jaw, the skin was completely gone. His cheekbone could be seen along with the molars of his teeth. Even worse, a few teeth seemed to have been ripped out and deep marks could be seen running over the exposed bone and leaving trails in the flesh and tendons traveling up his face and arching around and on top of his head. It was a face that could send children running in terror.


    Despite the man''s deformity, he carried with himself a sense of peace and calm. He barely reacted to my presence beyond giving a slight nod and what looked to be a small smile on approach. His deformity made the smile grotesque, but I could see his intention.


    "Dad, you''re back!"


    The door to the home swung open and the boy half ran to stand in front of Jarod. The revelation that this was Jarod did shock me a bit. The reports had mentioned him being injured during his survival in the wild, but I didn''t know it had been this bad.


    "Did you get anything good? There where two collectors today. They left after an hour or so of being ignored, saying they would be back tomorrow. Mom ate some food earlier. She''s kept it down so far."


    Jarod smiled with his eyes at his son before handing him the bag and looking at me. His son noticed the look and scowled at me.


    "He was talking about a job. It seemed fishy to me. I don''t like him. He looks like trouble."


    Jarod laughed and ran the fingers of his only hand through his son''s hair.


    "You have a sharp eye, Andrew. It''s always good to be cautious. But let me handle our visitor. You don''t want to judge anything too early. It doesn''t hurt to listen."


    His son didn''t seem to agree. Based on what had happened to his father, I don''t blame the boy. Jarod made a fist and lightly thumped his sons head.


    "I''m not an invalid. You''re not replacing your father today. I still have plenty to teach you. Go. Look after your mother."


    He gently chided his son with affection in his voice and eventually, the boy gave in and sulkily entered the house. Before entering he shot one last distrust filled glance at me. I smiled at him in return and nodded my head.


    "How can I help you, friend? Normally, I would invite you in and offer some refreshments, but sadly I lack refreshments, and lately those that visit me are not the kind you invite into your home. Please pardon my rudeness."


    I smiled and held out my left hand for the man to shake.


    "Not a problem. No offense taken. My name''s Caleb and I have an offer for you if you''re interested. It''s clean work, but not without its risk. I would rather not go into the details out here though."


    The man''s deep and steady green eyes studied my face and more importantly my eyes for a few moments before his intact hand reached out and grasped my own hand.


    "It''s a pleasure meeting you Caleb. My name is Jarod. Please, come inside so we can talk."

 Chapter 27

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    <div>


    Chapter 27


    Grand Duke Vagnar sat in an absolutely throne-like chair behind a massive, lovingly carved, ancient, wooden desk. The fingers of his left hand drummed a steady beat on the pristine polished surface of the table, while his right hand lifted from time to time and flicked at a holographic image of text floating above the table. Every time he gestured as if to wipe upwards on a surface, the text moved with the motion and revealed more text below.


    The data projected in front of the Grand Duke seemed to be production numbers, resource requests, workforce requirements, military reports. The sheer number of different messages and data files showed the extent of a grand duke''s work requirements.


    Once in a while the duke would select a recipient and a square section of the desk would suddenly change from the rich hues and pattern of ancient treated wood to a pitch black section with a full keyboard outlined and detailed on its surface using simple lines of light.


    Mid-way through writing a response to a factory head''s request for funds to upgrade an outdated production line, the corner of his desk suddenly lit with lines of light that lifted off the table and began to take shape.


    A fully 3d and perfectly life-like image of a stunningly beautiful woman wearing an ancient style of clothing similar to a large sheet elegantly tied around her body appeared to be standing on the edge of his desk. Her image was only 8 inches tall, however. She patiently waited for the Grand Duke to notice her.


    The Grand Duke straightened in his chair and swiped right across his desk. The holographic image of text before him flew off the desk in the direction of his gesture and disappeared.


    "What is it Hera."


    The image of the woman beamed a wide but oddly robotic smile at the grand duke before speaking.


    "The agents you''ve sent south to track your son, the Count, have reported in. They were successful in their mission to retrieve the black box data."


    "Finally. Maybe I can get some answers."


    The Grand Duke had been in a state of worry for nearly a month. His third and most cherished son had slipped away with nothing more than two transport helicopters, two escort attack helicopters and one of his officer''s old world light assault armor.


    It took nearly a week for his agents to figure out that his son was chasing treasure. Through meticulous work, his agents found an information broker his son had made deals with shortly before leaving.


    After some choice words from a few agents in a dark and cold basement, the broker sang like a bird.


    The grand duke''s darling boy had found some information. He had found the location of... something. His talks with the broker and the map data he purchased showed he had a great interest in an area to the south. Close to a crappy little city named grey rock city. That basically insinuated one thing. An ancient cache of weapons or tech.


    It didn''t surprise him that his third son would try obtaining whatever he found by himself. As the third son, he had always felt left out of the hierarchy of power within the family. He had been oppressed by his older brothers all his life. Hence, he tended to be rebellious and independent. The grand duke Vagnar wondered if it had to do with wanting his approval.


    He wished his Third son had more talent. If he had, his situation would be different. Despite the grand duke''s love for his son, he was disappointed with him.


    He thought too highly of his own limited skill. He was arrogant, brash, prone to anger, jealousy, and made stupid decisions. How could he hand such a son responsibility and power?


    Better to keep him home. Let him chase girls and enjoy his high born status. Let his more talented brothers fight for the seat of power. However, his third son disagreed with his father''s plans. His greed for power wouldn''t allow that. He wanted a seat at the big boy table.


    His son''s little adventure wasn''t panic worthy until news of a massive nuclear explosion came from the south. The agents sent to try and catch up and keep tabs on his son reported in nearly two weeks ago that the explosion was in the area his son could possibly have gone.


    8 days ago it was confirmed that the wreckage of helicopters matching those brought by his son was found at the outskirts of the blast. The duke immediately ordered that the black box of at least one helicopter be retrieved and sent more agents in.


    It was a hard task considering the wreckage had already been collected by other forces. However, he had sent his best agents to track his son, and there were not many missions they failed at. Bribery was the go-to tool of his agents. Cold blooded murder was the second option, sometimes the first.


    Grand Duke Vagnar dismissed the AI named Hera and began bringing up the relevant data to hover above his desk. He preferred to watch and interpret the information himself. An AI was horrible at breaking down information and giving a full report. It was just something about AI.


    He had heard AI being called "dumb" before. A respected engineer once told him that AIs were "good at fulfilling tasks and crunching numbers, but not so good at deep thought."


    Apparently even the ancients did not build "intelligent AI". They banned the creation of such AI. Seeing as basically all new world tech is a poor copy of old world tech, there was no way current society, that hadn''t even caught up with ancient society, could make their own smart AI. The Grand Duke disagreed with the ancient''s decision. A smart AI would be an amazingly useful weapon in his opinion.


    Grand duke Vagnar sat in his plush chair with a deep frown on his face. Above his desk, a holographic video of trees seen from above was playing. The trees shot by from front to back attesting to the camera''s movement speed.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Audio could be heard as well. The voices if multiple males talked across a channel. Direction, wind speed, times, crosswinds. It was pilot chatter.


    Grand Duke Vagnar made a gesture with his hand and the recording speed up. He kept his eyes glued to the image until suddenly the constant and monotonous trees disappeared to reveal wasteland. The sped up chatter of the pilots, that now sounded like small animals chittering, also changed in tone.


    He slowed the recording and watched with narrowed eyes as the helicopter pilots zeroed in on a signal, no doubt released by his son. Grand Duke Vagnar grew more and more confused as he continued watching.


    He sat in stunned silence when his son''s Armor raised its weapon and fired at the attack helicopter. The image went black and the recording ended. After a full minute of silence, the grand duke selected a new file.


    His agents had more than come through on the mission and acquired 3 of the 4 black boxes. The viewpoint of the second attack helicopter immediately appeared and he skipped right to the part he left off on the other recording.


    He zoomed in and felt horror when he realized his son''s armor had taken a nearly direct hit from a missile shot from the first attack helicopter. If the pilot that shot that missile was standing in from of the grand duke now, he would no doubt be bleeding on the immaculate and expensive carpet from extensive bleeding due to torture.


    After he managed his anger, the Grand Duke watched the rest of the recording that ended with the nuclear blast and felt puzzlement. His son was not very talented. That was a fact. However, he wasn''t untrained. His reaction and his movements didn''t match what he knew of his son. He rewatched the recording over and over to make sure.


    Every male of the Vagnar line must be trained in combat to at least a competent level no matter where they stood in the line of succession. His son was not showing any of that training. He wasn''t trying to jam the missiles lock. He avoided the missile in an odd way considering how he was trained. Even the way he aimed his weapon and took a firing stance was odd.


    His son was trained in the same way all Vangar males were. Even he, himself trained in the same methods. The more the grand duke thought about it, the greater his dread. He eventually came to the conclusion he didn''t want to contemplate but had to admit.


    His son wasn''t operating the Light assault armor. Someone else had been piloting it. The grand duke knew what that meant. Outside his armor, in the wilderness of the untamed zone further inland, alone... His son was most likely dead. His murderer was most likely the pilot of his son''s armor.


    Based on the data from the black box and some number crunching done by the massive computer system available to him, he was able to determine that there was a solid chance the killer survived the concussive hit and radiation from the nuclear blast.


    He now wished the helicopter pilots had been successful in their attempted attacks. He inwardly cursed them for their failure and spoke.


    "Hera."


    The beautiful image of the woman appeared at the corner of his desk again.


    "Yes?"


    The Grand Duke Vagnar stroked his mustache before speaking with narrowed eyes.


    "Contact the team leader of the minstrel agent cell. He is to be standing in my office in less than 20 minutes. Tell him I will be very disappointed if I am made to wait."


    He was sure that would be more than enough to get his agent moving. He would understand the hidden meaning of his Lord''s words. The Grand Duke tended to prefer a more "subtle" approach to control his agents and knights.


    As he waited, the Grand Duke began to compile and arrange the orders he would give the no doubt panting man when he arrived.


    Anyone who had ANYTHING to do with his son would be investigated. No matter how small the link. Especially those who were in his son''s group. The knights, and the scavengers.those who supplied the trip. Engineers. Even their families. Heads would roll. He didn''t care. He would murder a thousand innocent people to find his sons killer. Even burning Grey Rock City to the ground would be nothing in the scheme of things to him.


    He would need to receive some cooperation from the city lord if possible. That wouldn''t be too hard. Either through bribery or fear, the lord would no doubt agree. If the lord had half a brain, he would know cooperating with a northern lord such as a grand duke would be profitable. Not cooperating would be painful and expensive. Possibly fatal.


    He would send every available agent he had. His son''s killer would not escape the massive net he would set up. The Grand Duke would torture the man himself if possible. He had promised himself that, at the very least, he would feed the mans dead body to core beasts by his own hands.


    As he fantasized about sweet vengeance and bloody murder, there was a knock at the door and the image of Hera appeared again.


    "The agent has arrived."


    The grand duke of the Vagnar duchy, a man who ruled 5 massive cities, millions of people, and extensive armed forces, smiled before speaking.


    "Let him in."


    -----------------------------------------------------


    I sat in the corner of a nearly empty caf¨¦ located on a backroad while sipping at a cup filled with something called "cappuccino". It seemed very similar to coffee, but it tasted sweet and creamy. It had a thicker consistency and a great aroma. The mix of bitter and sweet tastes was amazing.


    My eyes tracked around the room impatiently as I waited. The man I was waiting for should arrive at any moment. The new watch strapped to my wrist told me there was only a minute left until the designated meeting time.


    Getting into contact with Jarrod had ended up being a good decision. Despite my inability to use his services openly due to his current status as a social hot potato, his knowledge had been invaluable. After talking with the man for less than 30 minutes, I decided to hire him as an advisor.


    Through him, I was able to get what I really wanted. A contact. The sort of contact no amount of digging on the net would get me. Those with true skill didn''t have their names and business listed on the net for all to see. If you wanted to do business with these types of heavyweight players, you had to know someone, or wait to be approached.


    I didn''t have time to wait, and I wouldn''t stand out enough. I also didn''t know anyone personally. Hence, Jarrod. We were both happy with the arrangement. There seemed to be a huge weight lifted off Jarrod''s shoulder when I handed him 100 gold as his first month''s salary.


    At one point the man would have probably scoffed at the amount and told me to buzz off. That man was long gone, however. I guessed he died somewhere in the wilderness. Possibly it happened when he returned to find everything he had built had been taken by the banks and that his family was now living in squalor.


    No matter, his new reality, and attitude had made him the perfect secret employee. He immediately set about poking holes in the already skeletal plan I had begun pulling together. My amateurish plan had put a gentle smile on his face as he shook his head like a father watching his child do something silly.


    Cutting to the point, he asked me how important it was that the job is done right. I told him the truth. It had to be accomplished at all costs. He had actually shown empathy when I told him what, or more accurately, who I wanted to retrieve from grey rock city.


    "That''s not something you gamble on. If you have the ability to pay, go for the best."


    He looked down at the tablet full of the data I had already pulled together and placed before him.


    "Some of these options are good, but under the circumstances, like the time limit and the state of security in the area, you need the best. If you are trying to do this on a budget, I would choose among these options. But if you have the money to spend and you want the best, you won''t find the name you need here. If it was a few years ago, I could have accomplished the task on my own..."


    He tapped his finger on the table before continuing.


    "No, you need Markus Valerino. He''s the best. However, he is the most expensive. You don''t get to bargain. He states a price. You pay or he walks. You pay up front as well."


    After explaining the man''s reputation and ability to me, I agreed with his assessment. I needed the best. I wouldn''t try to pinch copper coins when my mother''s well-being was on the line.


    As such, here I sat, in a cafe that despite its slow business had a comfortable and elegant feel to its interior. The drinks were delicious and the music soothing.


    Moments before I was about to order another drink, the bell hanging from the front door rang and I shifted my sight from the pretty waitress to the doorway.


    A large shaven-headed black man, a rarity here, stepped through the frame of the doorway and stood straight and firm while his eyes traced every corner of the room before landing on me.


    His height was nearly the same as my own and he had long arms. A very nasty looking pistol sat on his hip and my improved eyesight caught what looked to be the same exact type of discrete body armor I wore, under his clothes. He had the air of an extremely competent killer.


    He stood in place watching me for a moment with his cold dark eyes, before stepping forward and to the side.


    Another man stepped into the room and nodded to the big black man in a friendly manner. It looked like the man was saying "thanks for the good work" without words.


    The second man was slightly portly with pale skin, grey hair, and brown eyes. I guessed his age to be in his early fifties. Despite his jolly smile and portly look, I didn''t get the feeling this was a simple man at all. His eyes came to rest on me and his smile broadened.


    After speaking to the waitress and pointing to my table, the man and his big bodyguard strolled over to my table. His bodyguard maintained caution at all times and his hand never wandered more than a few inches from his weapon. He somehow managed to make it seem natural and simply a part of his movement.


    "Have you tried the pastries? They are to die for. Simply the best in the city."


    The man, who I assumed to be Markus, sat across the table from me with a gentle smile that gave me the impression of an old timer out for a stroll and enjoying life.


    His bodyguard, on the other hand, sat at another table about 3 meters from our table and stared at me whenever he wasn''t scanning the room and doorway with his eyes. Once again, I noticed his hand never strayed away from easy reach of his gun.


    "No. I haven''t. I''ll have to make sure to do so."


    I reached across the table and offered my hand to him in my best attempt at matching his own demeanor.


    "My name is Caleb. It''s a pleasure to meet you."

 Chapter 28

    Marcus was an odd man. He gave me the impression that he had never taken anything seriously in his life. He prattled on and on about pastries and tea and his appreciation of good food and drink. I did my best to be patient and show an interested expression. I nodded along as he spoke and smiled politely.


    ¡°What is your favorite wine?¡±


    I raised my hand in negation.


    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not much of a drinker.¡±


    He smiled and raised a finger as if he was giving me life advice.


    ¡°There is always time to start.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, he beckoned to the attractive waitress who came to our table immediately.


    The women in Anarchy city sure were a level above anything available for rats like me to look at in Grey Rock city. The sway of the waitress¡¯s hips. The way her skin was so clean and blemish-free. Her fashionable hairstyle. Each facet of the pretty young thing had me admiring her.


    Marcus¡¯s raised eyebrow, the attractive waitress¡¯s ashamed blush, and lowered head as she left with the wine order were what tipped me off that my¡­ appreciation of the girl had been at least a little too obvious. I cleared my throat and spoke.


    ¡°Maybe we could move on to business. I''m not much of a talker and I wouldn''t want to waste your precious time.¡±


    What the hell was wrong with me? Ever since I had come to this city my attention always seemed to be glued to the most attractive woman in the vicinity. Sure, the ¡°level¡± of the women in Anarchy city left the options available back home seemingly like dung in comparison, but I thought myself at least a mostly in control man. I don¡¯t remember ever leering like I had been doing recently. It was almost as if I was a starving man surrounded by sumptuous delicacies, barely able to control myself.


    Was it my new found confidence in my appearance? Was I getting arrogant?


    Thankfully a knowing grin was the only other response from Markus before he generously allowed the awkward situation to pass.


    ¡°Sure, the young do have so little patience. You have so much life ahead of you, but always seem so set on rushing through it. I guess you can only appreciate the slow moments through the filter of age.¡±


    These talks were beginning to weigh on me. They were nothing like any negotiation I¡¯ve had back home. Usually, two disgusting and dirty men would meet in a dirty back ally or bar, while trying to make sure to keep their backs to a wall for fear of being jumped from behind.


    Lots of words like, ¡°fuck you¡± and ¡°suck my dick¡± would be passed around as both parties tried to screw the other over as much as possible or be screwed as little as possible using bluffs, scare tactics, menacing looks and a variety of other base methods before finally passing the goods across. Of course, while making sure to monitor each-others hands for hidden blades.


    As down and dirty as it was, it was what I knew. This¡­ cultured and civilized way of doing things felt off. I didn¡¯t care about this man''s preferences in food or drink. It all seemed so contrived.


    ¡°I was informed by our mutual acquaintance that this was to be a retrieval. Human cargo to be specific. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The fact my mother was referred to as cargo nearly set me off. I kept a level gaze and didn¡¯t show it, however. The more he knew about my deep attachment to this ¡°cargo¡±, the more he would charge.


    ¡°Are there any special requirements for delivery?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I want the cargo retrieved before the end of the month. I would also like to accompany the cargo to assure proper treatment. I will require a fresh identity that can¡¯t be traced to me here in Anarchy city. Those that are brought back can¡¯t be traced here as well.¡±


    He pursed his lips and stroked his jawline.


    ¡°You want to accompany the shipment? That¡¯s highly unusual.¡±


    I shrugged.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°But it shouldn¡¯t be an issue. I hope you don¡¯t expect 5-star treatment along the way. Your assumed identity may require some¡­ effort on your part. Though, as a pilot, it wouldn''t be too different than the work expected from you already.¡±


    Had Jarrod told the man my background, or at least the little I had told him? Maybe. Or maybe he was just doing his due diligence. It shouldn''t surprise me that Markus had investigated me well in advance of meeting with me. If he hadn''t, I wouldn''t feel comfortable handing this work to him.


    ¡°The time limit is an issue. Less than a month. Hmm. We will need to move quickly. Quick is dangerous. Dangerous is expensive. You understand, no?¡±


    ¡°I do. Within reason.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Grey Rock city. The slums.¡±


    ¡°How many?¡±


    It took me a second to think about how to answer.


    ¡°At least one guaranteed. At most, 7.¡±


    Markus raised another questioning eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving the choice to them. They can stay if they want. But one of them is coming along no matter what.¡±


    Markus huffed an incredulous breath.


    ¡°A choice between the slums of Grey Rock city, or life in Anarchy City. Only a fool would choose the former. So seven it is. Hmm? You don¡¯t agree?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes people become attached to the life they have. Even a pile of garbage can evoke fond emotions if every memory they have involves that pile of garbage. Sometimes people are just afraid of change.¡±


    Markus smiled widely.


    ¡°You know, Caleb, for a former rat, you are pretty intelligent.¡±


    I didn¡¯t show any surprise at his marking me as a former Rat. It shouldn''t surprise me. I''m sure between his investigations and the no doubt half dozen tells I revealed during this meeting, it wouldn''t be hard to figure out.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Markus then closed his eyes and seemed to slip into deep thought while he stroked his chin, a self-soothing gesture that seemed a mainstay of his while in thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s do-able. Let''s see here.¡±


    After a while, he spoke, opened his eyes and pulled out a compact tablet. After a half-minute of typing and swiping, he looked across the table and smiled.


    ¡°I like you, Caleb. So I¡¯ll give you a deal.¡±


    I¡¯d heard that phrase before. Usually before someone tried bending me over and having their way with me¡­ metaphorically that is.


    He held up two fingers. It took me a moment to realize he didn¡¯t mean two thousand. Twenty thousand. Christ, it was nearly my whole purse.


    ¡°I believe Jarod would have told you I don¡¯t negotiate on price. Twenty, or I walk. Business is business.¡±


    I swallowed my words and nodded. Even if it was only for the peace of mind knowing my mother would be transported by the best, it was worth it. There wasn¡¯t a price too high to pay for her safety.


    Just then the waitress returned with the wine Markus had ordered. She set the wine down and apologized for the wait. She offered to pour our wine, but Markus declined. As Markus popped the cork on the wine and began pouring a glass for each of us, I watched the ample rear end of the waitress as she left. She must have felt my gaze, as she used the tray she brought our wine and food on to cover her rear.


    I looked away from her retreating figure with a little shame to find Markus smiling at me knowingly. He offered me a glass of wine which I accepted and raised his glass.


    ¡°To youth! Oh, how I miss it.¡±


    I lightly struck my glass against his and added. ¡°And to a deal struck.¡±


    ¡°Well said!¡±


    I drank my wine in silence and thought about all the money I had just agreed to spend. Markus drank and ate merrily and returned to his earlier inane chatter. After another 10, maybe 15 minutes. He stood and addressed me with an outstretched hand.


    ¡°It was truly a pleasure Caleb. I hope we meet again.¡±


    His phrasing confused me. As I shook his hand the large bodyguard stood and approached the table.


    ¡°This is Jamal. He will be acting as my agent on this task. Listen to his arrangements. He speaks for me. I trust him with my life and know of no better man to put in charge of this assignment.¡±


    Before I could make heads or tails of the situation, Markus had walked to the door, which was opened from the outside by what seemed to be another bodyguard, and he was gone. I was left staring at a closed door for a few moments before I looked to my new acquaintance questioningly. His voice was like deep resounding and low thunder as he answered my unspoken question with another mocking question.


    ¡°Did you think he would be handling this personally? For twenty thousand? Dream on kid. Add a zero and maybe¡­ maybe.¡±


    He must have seen my disappointment and disagreement because he continued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry kid. This is how most of our jobs are handled. The boss rarely leaves the city. Even meeting him was a special thing. I¡¯m guessing whatever connection you used to arrange this meeting is the reason he showed such respect. You should feel flattered. Even the price he gave was truly the cheapest I¡¯d seen for such a job. You aren¡¯t getting shafted. Suck it up.¡±


    I took a moment to let go of my expectations. Then I straightened and asked.


    ¡°So what now? Where do we go from here? What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Hm? From here? Do? Go? Nowhere. We go absolutely nowhere and do absolutely nothing until twenty thousand gold is transferred into the account I am about to give you the routing number for.¡±


    I smiled awkwardly and nodded. Christ, the man was a gruff son of a bitch. Honestly, I was more comfortable with this type of man than the type Markus was. No flowery words or pleasant nothings from him. He was all business.


    I quickly transferred the money and waited for him to start telling me the plan. He pulled out a tablet and messed with it for a long while before seeming to notice I was waiting for words from him.


    ¡°You¡¯re a pilot, right? An old-world armor? Are you any good?¡±


    I paused to think about my phrasing.


    ¡°Depends on what good means to you.¡±


    He showed a disgusted look and seemed about ready to spit on the ground.


    ¡°Semantics. Bah. I would have to see for myself anyways.¡±


    He gave me a good long stare in the eyes before continuing.


    ¡°Noon tomorrow. Training yard 14. Bring your Armor.¡±

 Chapter 29

    <div>


    Chapter 29


    Jamal gave no other information or instructions and only repeated his demand before quickly leaving. I was beginning to wonder if I chose the right people to help me. 20 thousand gold was a lot to pay to be ordered around and disrespected.


    Assuming what was waiting for me tomorrow at noon was a test of sorts, I went straight to my birth in the hangers and began to clock in some more hours on the simulator. I hadn''t been using it as much as I should have lately. For one, I was doing a lot of research and groundwork for my plans in Anarchy city. And two, it wasn¡¯t always available.


    Alice used it nearly every single day and clocked in at least 6 hours a day on it. She was training like a fiend. I don¡¯t blame her. The cheapest option for simulators cost a lot to rent by the day. Even then they were a poor imitation of the simulator available in the Calipso. She was probably also concerned that her ability to use it could disappear at any moment. Which, if my guess was correct would happen soon.


    Between Markus¡¯s hints and Jamal¡¯s desire to test my ability as a pilot, I guessed that my assumed identity and cover story would involve me being a pilot. A pilot without an armor wasn¡¯t a pilot. So in all likelihood, the Calipso was going with me to retrieve mother and any of my other surviving friends and acquaintances. That was better in my opinion than going without it. With the Calipso and Toby by my side, I would feel more secure outside the city.


    Alice usually used the simulator earlier in the day as she had to work evenings at the inn. So I had it to myself for the rest of the night.


    She had been inside the cockpit so much recently I could smell her scent lingering inside it. It was a nice change to the reek of my own sweat. I also noticed she seems to have wiped down all of the surfaces and cleaned every nook and cranny inside the cockpit. Girls will be girls. Despite my laziness, uncleanliness, and uncaring attitude about the dirt and grime before, having it spotlessly clean and fresh smelling definitely made staying inside the cockpit for long hours more bearable.


    Quickly booting up the system, I ran the gambit and did a little of every type of training before concentrating on close quarters combat. Staying up relatively late into the night I clocked in about 9 hours of last-minute training before I proceeded to go to my room and crash. At this point, sleep would do me better than a few more hours of training. Despite my modified body¡¯s ability to sleep less, my best work would be done while well-rested.


    My alarm woke me at 10 am, I ate a small breakfast, showered, and proceeded directly back to my hanger birth. I stopped along the way and used the locker rooms attached to the hanger to change into the battle suit I had purchased in the last few days. It wasn¡¯t as good as the one the late Count Ragnar had used, but it didn¡¯t need to be.


    The main functions of the battle suit that I needed were head protection and air filtration. Despite my modified body and more sturdy nature, I couldn¡¯t guarantee every large bump in the Calipso wouldn''t give me a concussion or worse. I wasn¡¯t confident that my body could handle and shrug off ever spore, chemical, toxin, poison, radiation dosage and the such either. The helmet would protect my head and the built-in filtration system would protect my lungs. Any pilot that left the city without one of these suits would be considered a fool. Who knew when a possible breach in your armor could happen?


    Alice used the Calipso¡¯s simulator almost exclusively earlier in the day and I should have known to warn her I would be using the Calipso today. I hadn''t thought of it and as such, when I opened the cockpit I was greeted by a surprised-looking Alice.


    ¡°Oh! Hello Caleb. Are you using the Simulator this early today? I noticed you used it a lot last night. The logs show you stayed up pretty late.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Alice. No. Not today. I believe I will be doing something with it today, but I¡¯m not sure of the specifics.¡±


    Alice looked confused.


    ¡°You believe? How could you not know?¡±


    The question left me in an awkward position. It was awkward because I should know exactly what I was about to do. The problem was, Jamal seemed to enjoy leaving me to guess what was about to happen. That or he just didn¡¯t care enough to tell me.


    Based on the fact that he asked me to show up with my armor and that the location was a training ground, at the very least, he would see what I was able to do. Maybe he would make me pilot around an obstacle course. Maybe he would make me do jumping jacks. Or, maybe he would show up with an armor of his own and see if I could stand in the ring with him for a while without getting the Calipso¡¯s head taken off.


    Knowing as little as I did about Jamal beside his surly nature, I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    I told Alice a basic outline of the events, excluding names, and my plan to use outside help to retrieve mother and the few friends I had left as well as what transpired yesterday. She thought about the situation for a bit and spoke.


    ¡°I would guess he isn¡¯t going to ask you to use the simulator. Otherwise, he would have just connected to it remotely and watched you do a few courses. He didn¡¯t do that. He wanted you at a training field with your armor. You said he was a man of few words and a bit on the surly side? He might be one of those types that don¡¯t believe in results shown through simulation. Something about there being no real exertion or danger in a simulation. Those types believe you can only show what your worth in real physical tests of skill. My dad is like that. He once said that any green pilot can post good results in a simulation, but the stress of real combat usually had most new pilots falling apart at the seams.¡±


    I nodded and agreed with her assessment. Her opinion on the matter closely matched my own.


    ¡°Otherwise, there is another reason for him to test you in person and using ¡°real¡± combat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Like what?¡±


    Alice thought for a few seconds before letting out a sigh.


    ¡°You said he was surly. A bad attitude right?¡±


    Another nod from me.


    ¡°Well, ¡­ he might just want to put you in your place. Maybe gain a little respect from you. You¡¯re a young guy with an old-world armor. He probably expects you to be arrogant or have an overly high opinion of your own skill. Maybe he even feels some jealousy at you piloting an old-world armor. It¡¯s not uncommon for that to happen. Sort of like ¡°You wouldn''t be crap without that fancy piece of old-world tech.¡±. It might be that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°That would be pretty unprofessional. Wouldn''t it?¡±


    Alice smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°Sure, jealousy would be unprofessional, but putting you in your place, earning respect¡­ not at all.¡±


    Another quizzical look from me prompted Alice to elaborate.


    ¡°Look, based on what you have said, this guy is going to be your guide. He will likely be with you through the entire process. So he may want to make sure you understand HE is in charge while on the job. It¡¯s hard to command others without first obtaining their respect. Going outside and operating as a team is very dangerous if a clear line of command is not maintained. It¡¯s nearly suicidal in fact. My mother talks about beating respect into the pilots she commands often enough for me to get the general idea.¡±


    Mulling that over, I had to agree. It¡¯s very possible this would be a little more than a friendly spar.


    ¡°Your thinking is flawless. I''ll have to watch out. Thank you, Alice.¡±


    Her arrogant little nod as if she was a great teacher looking upon a student didn¡¯t irk me. In fact, it was cute as hell.


    ¡°Should I let him win?¡±


    ¡°Why? Caleb, if he notices you let him win, he will not respect you. Not to mention you are a green pilot. You may not even be able to hold your own against him. Just go full out. Be cautious, but show him you have some¡­¡± She seemed to want to say another word and her eyes flicked down for a second before she continued. ¡°¡­fortitude.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    A lopsided smile tugged its way across my face and I felt the urge to tease her.


    ¡°Fortitude? Why does it feel like you were about to say another word? I wonder what it could have been?¡±


    My shit-eating smirk was a step too far I guess because as usual, she fired back with twice the zing.


    ¡°You''re right. I was about to say BALLS. I just didn¡¯t want to possibly put you in an awkward position. You know, some men do have issues like that. I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt your ego just before you spar.¡±


    I raised my eyebrow and shot her a deadpan look. One that I hoped portrayed that I could prove to her that I didn¡¯t lack balls if it was required. The look seemed to work as she coughed and switched subjects back on track.


    ¡°So, like I said, if it becomes a spar, just do your best.¡±


    She proceeded to act like a nanny as I fired up the Calipso and ran a check on all systems. Alice ran down the list of all the faults she could spot in my technique based on the recordings of my simulations. I could tell she wanted to be there and witness whatever was about to happen, but she and I both knew Jamal probably would like it if I brought along an observer. She was able to get me to promise to record whatever happened so she could review it later, however.


    After final checks were complete and I had stitched the fuel consumption from unrefined cores to refined ones, I powered the armor and left the hanger bay under the envious look of Alice. I could tell she wished she was the one in the Calipso at the moment. Despite her ability to use the simulator, she felt the lack of her own armor keenly. A pilot without an armor isn''t a pilot.


    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the training field as they were positioned close to the hangers for ease of use. After about 10 minutes of passing through checkpoints, I arrived at the field to find a single armor standing in a walled-in patch of land about 30 meters wide with a long pole in one of its hands. There were no cameras or sentries posted on the walls. An oddity in this city that almost always had someone watching you while piloting. I guessed that somehow Jamal had pulled some strings.


    The armor standing in the center of the field was a little taller than the Calipso. Almost .75 meters taller in fact. Its head wasn¡¯t human-shaped but more squashed. Like a wok. Its ¡°face¡± was covered in gem-like sensors and cameras. The body was thicker than the Calipso as well. It seemed built to take a beating. There were weapon mounts both under the armpits and on its shoulders.


    To my surprise, Toby identified the armor as an old-world model. Jamal hadn''t said anything about him also having an old-world armor. The fact that the man assigned to me possessed an old world armor told me that maybe the money I had spent would be considered ¡°cheap¡± as Jamal said.


    ¡°It¡¯s an X-207 Avenger. That one is configured for a heavy load-out. You can tell by the weapon hard-points. They are designed to carry heavy firepower and have a high level of defense. Their maneuverability while fully loaded is lacking, but that was never their purpose. Fire suppression and area of control are their specialties.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Toby. Show me the specific data on it.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing buddy.¡±


    I watched as data scrolled across the screen and compared it to the Calipso¡¯s data.


    The Calipso had the advantage in speed and agility. Its sensor systems were a match for the Calipso. In every other way, this armor outstripped the Calipso. Power output, defense, attack, shield strength. Any thought of my old world armor giving me an unfair advantage evaporated.


    ¡°The Avenger is requesting a comlink. Patch it through?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The comlink was established and I heard Jamal¡¯s deep voice over the link.


    ¡°Are you going to stand there forever?¡±


    More gruff talk¡­


    ¡°Just observing the enemy. Always good to get all the info before you fight, right?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what we are doing.¡±


    ¡°You are going to beat some obedience into me right?¡±


    ¡°Oooh. You are smarter than you look.¡±


    ¡°Do we have a problem?¡±


    ¡°No. No problem here. I just want you to understand a few things. Operating outside these walls, as a group, is like being in a pack. There has to be a hierarchy same as in an actual wolf pack. There has to be an alpha. I¡¯m the alpha. It¡¯s nothing personal. Just how it works. I¡¯ve seen young greenie pilots your age. Ones with a very high opinion of their skill. If you hadn''t requested to accompany me on this task, we wouldn''t have to do this, but since you did¡­ here we are. Plus, I really do wanna see if you have any skill. Don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    ¡°So what''s the plan. Do we take some swings at each other? Any rules?¡±


    ¡° No blades, no guns. No shields. We use blunted melee weapons. Choose your weapon from there.¡±


    His armor raised one hand to point at a massive rack of training weapons to one side of the field.


    ¡°Other than that, no malicious actions. We aren¡¯t trying to cripple the other armor or hurt each-other physically. But I doubt you will need to worry about that. Don¡¯t worry, I know how to not harm you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. We will see.¡±


    ¡°Yes, words mean nothing. Show me what you got.¡±


    I piloted the Calipso over to the weapon rack and chose a long sword.


    ¡°A sword? That¡¯s an odd choice.¡±


    And it was. Usually at least. Most people avoided using swords as a weapon of choice. Most chose axes or polearms like the one Jamal was using. Swords, based on their thin designs and lack of weight, usually lacked killing power and more importantly, became damaged easily. Not to mention their reach was limited.


    It was different for me.


    ¡°My melee weapon is a beam saber. So I train with a sword.¡±


    ¡°Hoo. A beam saber? That¡¯s good stuff.¡±


    It was. I had checked the price on all of the equipment the Calipso had and found there to be only two other beam sabers for sale in Anarchy city. Both of which were priced at nearly 35 thousand gold. Honestly, besides the Calipso itself, the beam saber was the most expensive piece of equipment I had.


    It was a very special piece of equipment. It had an advantage in attack strength. More than that, it was incredibly hard to block. Even if your own melee weapon wasn¡¯t sliced in half, which most equipment would be, you still had to deal with the fact that you couldn¡¯t actually block a beam saber.


    The beam would pass right over your own weapon and continue on to slash through your armor if you didn¡¯t take that into account. The beam wasn¡¯t an actual physical blade and couldn¡¯t be stopped so easily as a normal blade. The beam saber also did an insane amount of damage to shields. It cut through them like they were made of paper. It was specifically designed to cut through shields and armor only fared slightly better. In my opinion the close-quarters weapon of choice for the Calipso. With its speed, it could dive in on an enemy and deal a devastating blow with the beam saber.


    ¡°Well, no fancy beam saber for you today.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    I said it as I stepped into the field and took a position about 5 meters in front of his armor.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    Feeling the now semi-familiar feeling of adrenalin that usually crept up in tense situations and taking a moment to do a last-second check on the Calipso, I answered.


    ¡°Ready when you are.¡±


    No sooner than I had finished speaking, the first attack came like lightning.


    The Avenger raised its polearm as it took a massive leap forward and attacked from above with one hand holding the polearm.


    Shocked at his immediate attack, I raised my sword and blocked with a horizontal guard while keeping my center of gravity low. If I allowed him to, Jamal could pivot the end of his polearm over my blade and thrust down into my cockpit or the head and shoulders of the Calipso.


    As our weapons met in mid-air I expected a heavy blow, only to be surprised when instead of putting the weight of his armor behind the strike, he dropped to a lower stance and thrust his armors left palm directly towards the chest of the Calipso.


    I had been tricked with the very first move. Deciding I didn¡¯t have the time needed to avoid the blow completely, I pivoted the Calipso while shoving the polearm away and took the palm strike with the shoulder of my armor. I maintained the pivot in an attempt to divert as much of the kinetic energy as possible and achieved limited results.


    Barely able to keep the armor standing as it slid backward from the blow, I swung the sword out in an arc to cover my retreat as I fired my forward thrusters in an attempt to create some distance. Jamal had no intention of allowing that, however.


    He fired his own rear thrusters and his polearm that I had shoved away did something odd. Instead of stopping the force of my shove and launching another piercing blow, his armors wrist rotated with the direction of the shove and let its grip loosen so that the polearm nearly slide out of its grasp. Now holding the end of the polearm instead of the middle, the rotation continued and the ¡°blade¡± end of the polearm came around to slash horizontally with a new improved reach that allowed him to strike while out of range of my own desperate slash.


    Realizing that I couldn¡¯t pull the blade back fast enough to block, I dropped down and stayed low to avoid it completely. The polearm passed above me, but instantly I realized I had made a mistake. No sooner than I had dropped down, I found that a large metal leg was sweeping up and into my chest.


    Only able to bring the Calipso¡¯s left arm to the front in time to cushion the blow, I felt a massive kinetic force slam into me. The Calipso and I were sent tumbling backward in mid-air.


    I fired my main thruster when they came around to face my opponent and gained even more elevation while flipping before I cut them and hurdled back towards the ground. Barely able to get my feet under me as I landed, the Calipso skid across the dirt ground and I was forced to drop to one knee and plant a fist on the ground to maintain balance.


    As the Calipso came to a halt I shot to a ready stance and prepared for another attack. I was embarrassed to find Jamal and his armor serenely standing 15 meters away with the butt of his polearm planted on the ground as he leaned on it. The stance seemed to say ¡°is that it?¡±.


    He was toying with me. I felt anger before I realized that was what he wanted.


    Jamal was a crafty opponent. He hadn''t used one straight forward attack yet and I believed even this gesture was meant to make me lose my cool. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to fall into his pace.


    I straightened the Calipso before deciding that I wouldn''t hold back any advantage in this fight. My will to win was too strong now.


    Silently urging the Adrenalin fueled state I was in to greater heights, I also activated the link with the Calipso and watched as my viewpoint switched from my actual eyes to the hundreds of cameras and sensors of the Calipso.


    The Avenger armor raised one hand while still leaning on the polearm and gestured for me to come.


    I obliged, and the fight was back on.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30


    As I approached the Avenger I maintained my earlier composure and did not reveal my new and improved movement and reflexes. I would let my new improved fighting ability be a surprise only to be revealed at the best moment.


    Jamal had been using tricks and hard to read moves from the start. It was my turn now.


    Using the same low stance I had been in since the beginning, I probed his defenses while making sure to keep proper range to dodge his own piercing and swiping attacks. His defense was meticulous and he never allowed me to attack from any openings. In fact, there were no openings. I would have to create one then.


    Noticing he liked to use his weapon like the blade of a propeller a lot, I decided that would be my angle of attack.


    I fired my rear thrusters and feigned a frontal attack. My blade thrust forward in a basic stab. Jamal fired his own forward thrusters momentarily to create space and slashed down and at the opening created by my attack.


    Abandoning my own attack, I slammed my forward thrusters and backed off. As his attack missed by less than a foot, I once again fired my rear thrusters and made to pierce his chest again with my blade.


    This time I wasn¡¯t surprised when his polearm did a full circle and came back around with increased momentum. It really was odd to think about that type of movement seeing as the human wrist can¡¯t rotate a full 360 degrees. A machine had no such limitations however and the polearm began its fan-like whirling.


    This was when I revealed my sudden increase in reaction speed. A normal pilot needed to either factor in every move before it was made and pre-plan every command input before the actual moment of action was needed. The half-second or two needed to input a command was simply too long in the heat of battle. Human hands could only move so fast.


    I didn¡¯t have that problem. The full sync system allowed every movement and system command to be nearly instantaneous. All that was required was a simple thought and as if the machine was my own body, it moved.


    I registered Jamal¡¯s shocked grunt at the speed of my next dodge. Almost the instant I rushed forward I had already begun retreating. However, my pre-planned moves didn¡¯t end there. As soon as I had dodged his propeller-like polearm I lowered my center of gravity and struck out with the Calipso¡¯s left fist. My target wasn¡¯t his armors body. Neither was it his weapon. It was his armors hand. The one griping the polearm. My strike did little to actually damage the hand holding the polearm. I wasn¡¯t aiming for that.


    It was the pivot of all the kinetic energy maintained in his polearm and as my armors fist struck his from a lower angle, the center and pivot for his propeller-like attack lost all balance. His weapon Nearly left his armors hand in its now completely erratic and out of control spin. It was like a spinning top that had its center of gravity disrupted.


    Between the kinetic energy of his own out of control polearm and my strike, his armors right arm shot up and over his shoulder. In that opening, I thrust my weapon forward at his armor''s chest.


    Jamal reacted quickly and brought his left arm up into a guard. Instead of taking the blow straight on, he pivoted using the force of his now pulling right arm and used his left arm to guide my attack away from his center of mass. It was sort of unfair. Should my blade have been a real one, the strike would have done massive damage to his arm. It, however, wasn¡¯t a real blade.


    As my blade skittered across his left arm and missed his chest, I lowered the Calipso¡¯s right shoulder and rammed it into what would have been the Avenger¡¯s left rib cage had it been a human. While doing this I also fired the Calipso¡¯s thrusters to add to the force of the blow.


    Jamal let out a startled and pained grunt over our open com channel. The shoulder blow must have rattled him inside his cockpit. Kinetics are a bitch for pilots. From what I could tell, no tech had ever been designed to cancel out the kinetics behind a blow. The pilot simply had to ride it out and suffer.


    Despite his no doubt ringing head and aching body, Jamal maintained his composure and fired all of his


    forward thrusters as he rolled ass overhead and flipped back up to his feet. His polearm slashed out when he came to his feet much the same as my sword had when I was knocked over, trying to keep an enemy that was expected to be pushing an advantage and still attacking back.


    Just the same as he had done when he had knocked me back, I took a relaxed stance and leaned on my sword as I watched him take to his feet. It was petty, and pushing my advantage would obviously be the right move in real combat, but winning wasn¡¯t my main concern. Respect was. Plus, this wasn¡¯t real combat.


    As Jamal took a moment to sort himself out, he spoke over the com channel.


    ¡°All right. So you¡¯re not a pushover. Congratulations. You have good reflexes. But that won¡¯t be enough Fuck-head.¡±


    Before I could even respond to his words he launched his armor at me in a full-frontal attack. Up until this point he had mainly maintained a defensive stance and simply responded to my attacks with counters. Seemingly, the kiddy gloves were now off.


    His polearm once again began to rotate like a spinning top, but this time, he allowed no angle of attack on its pivot. He always kept his angle of rotation as such that I could never strike at his armors hand.


    As his buzz-saw-like attack swiped here and there at me, he thew in kicks and punches at every opportunity presented. I was forced to retreat so much that my main forward thruster actually registered a high likelihood of overheating at the current rate.


    As I was forced to bring my sword up to block one buzz-saw swipe, the blade nearly flew out of my armor¡¯s hand and the Avenger¡¯s right leg swept out to take my armors feet out from under me. With quick reaction speed and a short hop, I was able to clear the leg, but just as I did, Jamal brought The wok like head of the Avenger down and smashed its forehead into the chin of my own armor.


    Despite being synced with the Calipso, I still felt the whiplash as my head flung forward and then slammed back into the headrest. Fighting through the throbbing pain, I didn¡¯t attempt to keep the Calipso on its feet and rolled the armor onto its back before firing its rear thrusters and doing a backflip.


    My execution wasn¡¯t perfect and my momentum was only stopped by the fact that as the Calipso came to its feet its back slammed into the wall of the training area. Sheets and sections of the concrete crumbled and rained down around the Calipso¡¯s shoulders.


    Despite my ringing head and the pain that seemed to shoot down the back of my head and neck, my mind was clear enough to know Jamal would not allow me a moment to regain my composure. My sensors quickly told me the truth of my judgment. Jamal had brought the avenger forward and was preparing to land a finishing blow.


    With my back to the wall and defense seemingly useless, I banked everything on attacking.


    Firing my now very hot rear thrusters and the ones on the soles of the Calipso¡¯s feet in combination with a small hop, I leaned back and allowed the Calipso¡¯s shoulders and neck to maintained contact with the wall.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    As the Calipso¡¯s legs rose, I tucked its knees into its chest before shoving off the wall with both of the Calipso¡¯s hands and uncoiling its legs like a fully loaded spring, directly at the chest of the charging


    Avenger armor.


    Jamal roared over the com channel and managed to bring his armor''s left arm up to block. Despite that, the combined force of the Calipso pushing of the wall and its own legs striking out, not to mention the extra boost the thrusters had lent to the attack, smashed his armors left arm directly against the Avengers''s chest and sent the armor slamming back.


    It was truly a vicious strike, and should I have been calm minded, I probably wouldn¡¯t have performed it. That much striking power against a cockpit could kill a man. Kinetics are a bitch.


    For one shining moment, I thought it was over. It wasn¡¯t.


    Even as The Calipso¡¯s feet slammed into the avenger and I heard the gasp of pain and shock from Jamal over the channel, he launched his own attack. The ever-spinning polearm of the Avenger took one extra-wide rotation before its extremely heavy ¡°blade¡± come down like the fist of a pissed off titan and slammed into the cockpit of the Calipso.


    Every single joule of energy contained in the polearm coursed through the cockpit of the Calipso and by extension ME. My entire being became one big throbbing existence filled with pain. Not only did my head ring, but seemingly so did every atom of my body.


    As the Calipso had been mid-air and horizontal when struck, I got to enjoy the secondary blow of its back hitting the ground at what felt like mach speed. Despite the mathematics involved telling me the second hard-knock shouldn¡¯t have been worse than the first, it only seemed to multiply the pain radiating through my body ten-fold.


    For a few moments, all of existence was the inside of my body, and the only thing my body seemed to contain was pain. Throbbing, aching, searing, tearing, pain.


    After a few moments, whether through sheer willpower, or some animal-like instinct, I was barely able to focus enough to began to try to access the damage done to myself and the ¡°enemy¡±. None of the instinctual commands my brain fed into the Calipso seemed to work properly, and I ¡° heard¡± a constant flurry of beeping, screeching, buzzing noises. It took a long while to piece some of what the systems were trying to tell me into something I could understand.


    FULL SYNC DESTABILIZING¡­


    NEURAL PATHWAY CONNECTIONS FAILING¡­.


    ATTEMPTING PILOT RESCAN¡­


    PILOT SAFETY CONCERNS REGISTERED¡­


    SAFETY PROTOCOL INITIATED¡­


    CANCELING PILOT FULL SYNC CONNECTION¡­


    With that, the full sync fell away and my vision became human again. Gone was the fascinating almost godlike feel of having hundreds of different eyes seeing in multiple spectra from a multitude of different angles. I nearly felt blind with the loss. Despite losing full sync and being in poor condition myself, I could still read the sensors the normal human way. After taking a moment to sort myself out, I reached out and began to click away at commands, albeit slowly and with shaky hands.


    The Avenger armor lay flat on its ¡°stomach¡±. Had I done it?


    As I looked at the sensor data I could hear my own ragged breathing and registered that I was coughing viciously and hacking at an attempt to draw air past what seemed to be fluid in my lungs. I was in poor condition. Jamal¡¯s last blow would probably have killed a less sturdy man.


    A second set of ragged coughs and wretched breathing caught my attention and I realized the open com channel was broadcasting Jamal¡¯s own pathetic attempts at breathing and gaining control of his body.


    As I listened to him gagging on his own fluids and switching between pained grunts and angry growling similar to my own, to my horror, the Avenger started to shake before both of its arms came out to support it. My inner voice screamed ¡°No! Stay down! STAY DOWN!¡±.


    The Avenger and its pilot did not obey my silent command. Its arms came out and slowly brought the Avenger to its knees, followed by a pained grunt over the com channel as the Avenger took to its feet.


    After standing, the avenger looked to the know mangled practice polearm in its right hand and threw it way. Jamal¡¯s grit surprised me. Disregarding the fact he landed the more heavy of our two blows in the exchange, my two-legged kick to his armor¡¯s chest, should have at least knocked the sense out of him. There was even a deformed section of his chest armor shaped like his armor''s left forearm. Despite what must be tearing pain in his head and chest to match my own, he had resolutely piloted his armor and stood again.


    ¡°You ok? Please tell me you¡¯re not dying. It¡¯s bad business to kill your client, accident or not.¡±


    After closing my eyes and taking one long searing breath of metallic tasting air, I answered back while trying to keep the tone of defeat from my shaky voice.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Opening my eyes, I felt the need to prove my words and slowly brought the Calipso to sit up, then stand. The shake in my hands had reduced drastically at this point and I felt more human and less like a battered and beaten garbage heap. I could still fight if I wanted to, but it was useless. The fight was over. I lost. This was a practice match, and should his weapon have been real and of quality, I would currently be dead. Or at least most likely dead. Sure, if my weapon had been my beam saber and we had been using shields, the fight could have gone my way, but losing was losing.


    ¡°You have some steel in you kid. Not bad.¡±


    The was a pause as he made an awful sound that I realized was him hawking a wad of something probably pink-colored out of his throat before he continued.


    ¡°You should probably get checked out by a doctor or your armors internal med scanner if it has one. Internal bleeding is a major concern when taking heavy blows.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    He must have heard the discontent in my voice.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be a bitch. Losing is nothing to cry about. I don¡¯t claim to be THE best, but I am definitely up there among them.¡±


    After another cough, he continued.


    ¡°Besides, you should be proud. That last move was a real surprise. I haven''t been this sore in years. Let me buy you a drink. Of course, after we both get a check-up. Internal bleeding and alcohol don¡¯t exactly mix well.¡±


    I guess the fight did have some benefits despite losing. Jamal¡¯s attitude towards me had shifted drastically. Gone was the sour tone of voice and rough attitude. He must be the type that won¡¯t respect you until they fight you.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you up on that offer.¡±


    ¡°Good. Be here tomorrow at the same time. Bring your armor.¡±


    I took a moment to absorb what he said.


    ¡°WAIT¡­ We are doing this again?!¡±


    I could almost hear the smirk on his face as he spoke.


    ¡°Of course we are. We haven''t got anything better to do while we wait for the boss to piece together a plan, and I have to teach you a few things. You have some glaring flaws in your fighting style. If you didn¡¯t have some amazing reflexes the fight would have ended much earlier.¡±


    Stunned silence was my only response.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±

 Chapter 31

    <div>


    Chapter 31


    "You seem to always go low when attacking. It establishes an easy to read pattern. Switch it up."


    "No No No! Stop fighting like a human. You''re piloting an armor. It''s not a human body. It can move in ways a human body can''t."


    "Yes! Like that. The armor''s joints have more mobility than human joints do."


    "Stop relying on your thrusters so much! Once they burn out you''re fucked. Just tap them a bit. There is no need to burn them so hard!"


    "Don''t focus on landing a hit so much that you lose focus on the bigger picture. A failed attack is less to worry about than taking an attack while being so zoned in on your own attack. Your armor is fast and flexible, use that to your advantage. Focus on using your mobility to draw your enemy into a failed attack then counter."


    "Why does each and every one of your attacks have to be a killing blow? Stop that! Attacking an armor''s joints and sensors is devastating to an enemy. If it can''t move or can''t see, an armor is just a heap of metal."


    "Bah! If you hold the trigger down like that out in the wilderness you will be out of ammunition before you know it! Your armor is a light assault armor. LIGHT assault armor. Are you going to carry a few thousand rounds with you wherever you go? I think not! You can¡¯t expect an ammo resupply out there. Conservation is key to survival."


    "Don''t run your shields at 100 percent at all times! You don''t need a big ass bubble of protection around your armor like that. Shrink them down to cover about 3 feet from your outer shell. That''s more than enough and actually improves the strength of the shields since they can focus on pouring more energy into less area."


    "Are you even watching your energy reserves? If you run them dry the armor will have to power everything with nothing more than the power output of the core drive. Don''t let them fall below 50 percent in a fight if you can avoid it. It''s a pool of energy that the core drive is constantly filling. The core output is mostly constant but the reserves allow you to access more power at once. That doesn''t mean you dip into it like a child in a candy store!"


    After forwarding the recording of the fight with Jamal to Alice, parking the Calipso in the hanger, refueling it, and giving Toby the task of overseeing repairs, I went to my accommodations and slept like a dead man. Despite the internal scans my implant did telling me my body was only slightly bruised internally, I felt like a beaten sack of shit. A good night''s sleep and my body''s heightened healing abilities did wonders by morning, but there would be no real reprieve for me in the days to come.


    What followed was 5 days of hell-like like training from Jamal. The man would beat the crap out of me in sparring, before forcing me to connect to the simulator and run target practice as well as a smattering of different scenarios. Most of the scenarios were designed by him and seemed made for the express purpose of being nearly impossible to win.


    After simulations, Jamal would force me out of the Calipso to run physical training or worse, spar with him hand to hand. I thought the modification to my body would allow me to have an advantage here, but I was wrong. The man seemed to know every move I was about to make before I made it.


    "Hah, I don''t know how many pharmaceutical cores you consumed to get that tough body and fast reflexes you have, but your style is a mess."


    "Come on, follow through with the punch. Stop opening yourself up for a counter every time you throw out a punch!"


    "Dear god! Are your feet growing roots!?? MOVE THEM! GOD DAMN you''re like a tree stump!"


    "Stop that! It''s fine in a fistfight, but habits in normal fighting tend to be dragged into our style when fighting as an armor pilot. Here like this. No no no! LIKE THIS!"


    The last one was said a mere second before the man knocked me on my ass gasping for air.


    ¡°Do you even know what kicking is?!! You have 4 limbs you know!¡±


    The man didn''t know what rest was and kept at me like a tick on a dog''s asshole. Even when I wasn''t being "trained", something that felt more like being abused and insulted than taught at times, he sent me back to read book after book or watch video after video on piloting or mechanical jargon on armor.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "If you don''t understand the ins and outs of armor, you are nothing more than a bone head who hits things with a big steel fist. I have no idea how many times some tiny little fact of mechanics or mathematics has saved my life. A good pilot is as much an egg head as a warrior. We fight with our minds first and our armor second. Well, maybe in our case you SHOULD just bank on hitting things hard."


    He always seemed to have some quip or wise sounding words to back up his insults and there was nothing I could do but nod my head in resignation and go along with his hellish training. I was a rat. My days before leaving on our doomed scavenger job were just a little different than this. I was having trouble adjusting.


    "OH boo fricking hoo. Waaaahhhh. The experienced pilot who is taking time out of his schedule to train me is mean as hell. Do you need a tissue?"


    When I complained to Alice in a moment of pure exhaustion after 10 hours of insane level training one night, she seemed pissed that I would complain at all.


    "Look, Caleb. You have a golden opportunity to train with what seems to be an extremely experienced pilot looking over your shoulder. From what I can tell he is doing it out of the kindness of his heart."


    I huffed while covering my drooping and exhausted eyes while listening to another person rip me a new asshole. It''s not like I was crying. All I said was Jamal could probably insult me less.


    "Caleb, not everyone has the opportunities you do."


    Noticing her tone shift, I looked up towards the tablet I had propped against the wall on the bed and watched the live stream video of Alice''s face as she continued.


    "Do you know what I would do to get a chance like this? In fact, there isn''t much I wouldn''t do. Don''t look a gift horse in the mouth. I''ve watched the footage you have sent me of all your spars with him. He is top-notch. Take in his every word as if it were gospel. It will probably save your life a hundred times over."


    Letting my heavy head fall back onto my comfortable and soft bed I spoke back in an aggrieved tone.


    "Jesus Christ, Alice. You think I don''t know that? All I said was he could be a little more respectful while teaching me. AND YOU! Can''t I complain to the one friend I have in this whole damn city without getting a metaphorical boot up my ass?"


    Alice laughed unsympathetically.


    "Nope! Complainers get boots up their asses. You should be happy. If you had ever seen my mom train her new recruits, you would feel lucky as hell and think of Jamal as a gentleman."


    "Bullshit."


    "No, seriously! Do you know what my mom calls her recruits? WHALE SHIT!"


    While Alice giggled, I looked to the screen again and raised my eyebrows quizzically.


    "Whale shit? What the hell does that even mean?"


    Alice had a big grin on her face as she explained.


    "You see, in the ocean, you have all kinds of life forms. Different types of core beasts, whales, sharks, big fish, little fish, plants, coral. Well, bellow all of that you have the sea bed. And what is the sea bed mostly made up of? Shit! I don''t know why she chose whale shit of all things, but the idea is a new recruit is the lowest of the low. Not even a life form. Hence, whale shit."


    I grunted out a laugh and somehow her explanation made me smile.


    "How colorful."


    "Hahaha. I''m not the one who came up with it."


    After our laughter had died down and we settled into a lull in the conversation, Alice spoke again.


    "Forward me the data from today and all of the reading materials you were ordered to read by your hard-ass drill sergeant. His literature choices are always illuminating."


    Alice had been reading basically everything I had been in the last few days. She agreed wholeheartedly with Jamal''s reading assignment and made sure to keep up with my homework assignments. We usually talked at length about what we had read and compared notes at the end of every day. She even ran many of the same scenarios Jamal had programmed into my simulator despite the fact that my new training regimen left her little time to use the Calipso''s simulator lately. I wondered what Jamal would think if he knew that, in a way, he wasn''t only training me.


    I sent along the data on our spars and training for today.


    "Well, it''s getting late. I''ll let you go now. I wouldn''t want to interrupt your beauty sleep. Try not to cry into your pillow."


    I barked a laugh.


    "You bitch."


    "Hahaha. Whale shit."


    I propped myself up on one arm and looked at the screen with a smile.


    "You never stop do you?"


    Her grin told me she wouldn''t be stopping any time soon. Poking fun at me was simply too enjoyable for her.


    Rolling my eyes at her I reached out towards the disconnect button on my tablet.


    "Goodnight Alice."


    Her smile was less playful and more gentle as she answered back.


    "Goodnight, Caleb."


    As the screen went black I rolled onto my back again and let myself feel every bit of the warmth and comfort offered by the big bed under me. It wasn''t truly big, but it was massive in comparison to any bed I had ever slept on before. Its sheets and blanket were pristine and smelled great.


    Despite my little complaints about training and the mistakes I had made since coming to Anarchy City, the last few weeks had been the happiest I had ever known. A warm bed, good food, money in my pocket. I was now an armor pilot. The only thing missing was my mother. Hopefully, that would soon fall into place as well.


    I wondered how my mother would react to the changes in lifestyle. I pictured her in a clean and colorful dress with new shoes and perfectly groomed hair. I imagined her without the always gaunt look malnutrition gave almost every resident of Grey Rock City''s outer circle. I could almost picture the look on her face as I sat her down to a meal at a fancy restaurant that served the type of food she had probably never once thought she would consume in her lifetime. I couldn''t wait to show her the city.


    As I drifted into sleep I decided to prepare a gift for her. A simple gold bracelet or necklace would do nicely.


    Yeah, life was good.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32


    The next morning I woke an hour and a half earlier than normal and headed straight to the market after brushing my teeth and taking a shower. I wanted to pick out a good gift for my mother and made sure I had enough time so that I wouldn''t rush a decision.


    After 45 minutes I found what I was looking for. It was a simple gold necklace with a small plate instead of any jewels adorning it. Adorning the plate was an elegant picture of a variety of different flowers lovingly crafted with inlaid white gold. It was simple but nice. It only cost 21 gold but I knew my mother wouldn''t like me spending on something lavishly. If I had bought her some gaudy, jewel-encrusted, wallet buster of a necklace, she would likely sell it at the first opportunity and attempt to give me the money.


    I had the jeweler engrave a message on the back of the plate. It read, "To my mother. The only constant source of warmth and love I have ever known." It wasn''t poetry, but it was the truth. I hoped she''d like it.


    After paying the man, I put the necklace in the inside pocket of my jacket, directly over my heart. Where it would stay until I gave it to her.


    I wasted another 20 minutes walking the streets and bought some food from a roadside vendor. A sort of sandwich I guess. It had meat dipped in some sauce, lettuce, as well as an assortment of other vegetables wrapped in a dense bread. The man who sold it had brown wheat-colored skin and told me it was food made by his people for generations.


    After finishing the food and growing bored with people watching, I proceeded towards my hanger and fired up the simulator to warm up before another day of hellish training. I could smell Alice''s scent lingering in the cockpit. It''s not like I was creepily sniffing the seat or anything. I swear. I didn''t have to. My enhanced sense of smell had picked up the sent without much effort. She must have just left.


    Alice had been forced to get up extremely early each morning if she wanted to use the simulator as I had been using the Calipso nearly all day every day for training with Jamal. Despite being able to use the simulator a lot less than she would like, I hadn''t heard a single iota of discontent from Alice about it. She treated my letting her use it as a gift and didn''t take it for granted. I liked that about her.


    After warming up I headed to the training field we always used and found Jamal waiting. We proceeded with training like usual but I noticed that he seemed to be going somewhat easy on me. His verbal abuse didn''t ebb any, but he pushed me less physically and seemed to avoid any rough stuff. As he called an early end to the training I learned the reason why.


    "The boss has worked out the plan. Everything is set. We leave tomorrow afternoon."


    I was stunned. Then ecstatic. Then slightly annoyed.


    "You guys don''t exactly give much warning do you?"


    "Hey now. Don''t get pissy. You''re the one who set a tough deadline. I only learned about it myself this morning."


    I guess that made sense.


    "To top that off secrecy was a top concern of yours. That''s tough to work out. He only finalized everything last night. If we don''t leave tomorrow night, everything falls apart. We are now on a schedule."


    Forgetting the fact that Jamal couldn''t even see the gesture over the audio-only com channel, I nodded.


    "So what''s the plan?"


    Jamal went silent for a second then answered.


    "Not over a channel. We are both in old word armor and it would be hard to listen in to our chatter, but it''s still not smart. We have a policy of never talking specifics over com channels. Let me buy you that drink I offered."


    I had almost forgotten about the offer to buy me a drink.


    "Sure."


    45 minutes later, after I had showered in the room used for such things in the hanger areas, Jamal and I sat down at a table in the same place I had first met him. We ordered a drink and Jamal asked the waitress to not bother us for a while.


    "This place is great for talks like this. They don''t pry and we have connections with the owner. It''s why we use it so often. Still¡­ When talking hard facts, time tables and the such, basically anything that could get us killed if leaked, we use this."


    Jamal pulled something out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table. It was an odd thing. I didn''t even know what the shape could be called, but it had many surfaces that were perfectly matte black. Each of its surfaces was the same shape. An octagon.


    As he placed it down he tapped the top of it 2 times. Suddenly the object raised itself off the table using one of those smooth sides and began to¡­ wriggle? No. Each of its surfaces seemed to separate from the other slightly and then begin to pull in or push out. At times some of them would tilt slightly this way or that.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    There was a low pitched whine from the object before my ears suddenly stopped hearing any sound at all and my vision went blurry. A moment later I could hear and see normally again. That wasn''t fully true. I could hear and see everything within a meter of the object perfectly. Anything outside that radius was dead silent and blurry as all hell. Nothing more than indistinct shapes.


    "What is this thing?"


    Jamal smiled at my shock.


    "I don''t know the name for it. It''s old-world tech. It cuts all outside signals and sounds as well as makes viewing us as anything more than two blurs impossible. It''s like a Faraday cage, but waaayy better. I wouldn''t waste your time trying to buy one at any normal market or online. They are very rare. Not so much because there aren''t many, but because they are extremely use-full, for obvious reasons, and cant be made with new world tech. Any that appear on the open market get bought up like hotcakes."


    As I raised my eyebrows in appreciation of the device, I asked a question.


    "And you bought one? Must have cost a lot."


    "Haha. No. It''s not mine. The boss has a few. He lends them to his agents. Their usefulness outstrips the money he spent on them. Has probably saved my life as well. Leaked information can be more deadly than a gun. So, are you ready? Did you prepare as I told you?"


    Thinking for a moment, I made sure to go through my checklist one more time. I had already gone over it a hundred times, but it paid to be sure. Jamal had told me what was required for our trip on the first day of training. Since then I had silently gathered what was need.


    "Yeah. Everything is set. Ammunition, cores, food, water, iodine pills. Thank god we are leaving tomorrow and not tonight. I just checked in with the people repairing my main weapon last night. My rifle should be with the rest of my gear in the Anarchy city mercenary lockup by the end of tonight. Do you have any idea how much extra they charged me for pushing them on the deadline for repairs?"


    "Ha. Not my problem kid. And should it not be done in time, you will be leaving without it. So you better make sure they are on time. If it''s not with your gear tomorrow before 10 a.m, it''s not going with us."


    I nodded and made a mental note to contact the people I had hired to repair the main rife of the Calipso. They were damn good at their job, being suggested by Jarrod I expected no less, but even they had complained about me pushing them on the deadline.


    "Good."


    That''s when I noticed something he said.


    "Tomorrow at 10 a.m? I thought you said we leave tomorrow night?"


    He crossed his arms across his burly chest while leaning back and nodded.


    "Yep. We leave tomorrow at 1 a.m. Our gear, however, will be loaded onto the helicopter before then. We aren''t going to pilot them straight to the helipad and jump on in plain view."


    He noticed my confusion persisted.


    "People take note of stuff like that. No, our gear will be taken away by a "repair company". Some wires will get crossed, some I''s wont get dotted and woopsidaisy, somehow our armor will get loaded into a nondescript helicopter inside nondescript shipping containers. People are clumsy like that."


    Nodding again as I began to understand how we would leave the city with no one the wiser, I listened carefully as Jamal continued.


    "That''s also why you will need to contact a certain nearly defunct "repair company" and request repairs on your armor as well as your gear. They will need the authorization to take your armor out of its hangar as well. Don''t worry. They don''t need access to the cockpit. They use a machine to pick the whole thing up and stuff it into a big metal box. You DO park your armor in the tradition kneeling position, right?"


    "Just like in the manual."


    I realized I would need to tell Toby what was going to happen or he might react¡­ aggressively should some big forklift or other try to suddenly pick the armor up. I had left him with orders to defend the armor if someone tries to steal it. Toby would probably take such actions as attempted theft if I didn''t give him forewarning.


    "Good. Besides that, be here tomorrow at 11 p.m. We will have a nice meal and a drink then slip out the backdoor and into the dark dark night. After taking a few "wrong" turns and passing a few checkpoints with some very lazy guards, who won''t check any I.D, we will find ourselves standing on a helipad with a nondescript helicopter that has two big nondescript cargo containers inside of it.


    After an hour of waiting, the helicopter will take off and leave for a little city that produces high-quality ball bearing to the east. But of course, once we are out of senor range for any of Anarchy cities listening outposts, that helicopter will stop heading to its preplanned flight destination and start heading south by southwest. It will curve its course and dip below any radar until it brings us to within 80 km of another little city called South Valley City, where it will roll two nondescript cargo containers out of its back cargo area and into the open air."


    He smiled at me.


    "Don''t worry. The containers have parachutes."


    I rolled my eyes.


    "Then we kick the doors off the containers and head to the city. Upon arrival in the city, we will sit around drinking and doing what mercenaries do in their free time. After a day or two, depending on people''s ability to keep to a schedule, a trade caravan will pull into the city. A man who is part of that trade caravan, a merchant who has a debt with the boss, will "hire" us to guard his portion of the caravan. We will fulfill our obligations as his guards like any good mercenary is supposed to.


    One of the stops along this caravans route is a little piece of shit city called Grey Rock city. Do you have any idea how hard it was to dream up a conceivable reason why any self-respecting merchant would actually want to visit that shit heap? I guess that''s beside the point.


    While there we will make contact with our "cargo" and get a list of everyone who is coming along. Like you said, seven at most. That''s what''s been arranged and it can''t be changed.


    The people on said list will be hired as servants or laborers, whatever suits their identity best, and we will all leave with the caravan. After passing through one city, we will silently and stealthily slip away into the night while on the way to the next city and get picked up by another nondescript helicopter.


    That helicopter will bring us back here¡­ a few wires will get crossed and a few I''s wont get dotted and somehow our armor is back in the hanger and it''s like we never left the city. Some lazy guards will not check our I.D. Your friends will have new clean I.Ds and the job will be done."


    Jamal raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders.


    "Sound good to you?"


    Sitting back in my chair, I stroked my beard and mulled the plan over.


    "And we will be in Grey Rock before the end of the month?"


    Jamal nodded.


    "Even if we factor in delays, because there are always delays, we will be in Grey Rock within 3 weeks. We should be back, all said and done, in 5 weeks at most."


    I bit my lip and studied the palms of my big hands for a while as I tried my best to poke holes in the plan. When I found I couldn''t, I looked up and nodded.


    Jamal nodded back before giving me the information for the "repair company" and explaining exactly what I would have to do to give them access to the Calipso and my gear. After that, he clapped me on the back before tapping the matte black device twice and pocketing it.


    "Don''t be late." Was all he said before leaving.


    I sat in the chair for a while and felt that my heart rate was accelerated. It wasn''t fear. It was excitement.


    It''s happening. I''m going to see mother!


    After shaking myself free from the excitement I stood up and left. I had things to do tonight. Calls to make. People to talk to. Arrangements to be made. Jarrod had to be called. I had given him some tasks and he would have to be told I would be out of contact for a good long while. Toby had to be warned about the pick-up tomorrow.


    It seemed a little early and I wasn''t sure if she was ready, but I also had some plans for Alice. Let''s see if Alice was more than just a pretty face. Could she grasp the opportunity I offered?


    As I walked towards my hangar, I dialed her number.


    "Alice. We need to meet."


    "Now?"


    "Yeah. It''s important."


    She paused for a second and I could hear her tell her mother she was leaving.


    "Ok. I''m on my way. Where should we meet."


    "At the hangar."


    After the call disconnected, I stuffed the tablet into my pocket and wondered if I was making the right call. Everything would be more simple if I cut her out of my life. Why was I unable to do it? Her story wasn''t special. There were thousands of young men and women who dreamed of being pilots who would never get the chance. She was just one of them. Was I that stupid that I would keep sticking my hand in the fire?


    After a few moments of searching my mind for an answer, I spoke to myself.


    "I guess I''m just a stupid fucking sap."