《Raccoon's Gardening Guide》


 Chapter 1 - The Heist

    My soft, controlled breaths, and the steady heartbeat thumping in my ears, are the only things I can hear as I press myself down into my hiding spot.


    I can¡¯t be seen. Our plan will fail if I am.


    I try to ignore the cold metal pressed against my split cheek and my arms slowly going numb beneath me as I hold myself completely still, carefully listening for anything outside my little nook.


    Eventually, I hear the distant creak of a rusted hinge followed by a man¡¯s furious screams and hurried footfall coming towards me. I hold my breath, tuning out my beating heart and the man speaking, and focusing on the moving feet a few metres away from me.


    He doesn¡¯t stop, not even slowing a step as he passes and continues running off down the alley.


    The distraction worked!


    I can¡¯t move yet, I don¡¯t want to be the one to ruin my own plan, so I remain still despite the shouting fading into the distance. A few seconds of sitting in silence later and a hollow vibration shakes my cheek through the washing machine I¡¯m pressed against, immediately followed by a familiar crinkling, the sound of small paws on plastic bin bags, above me.


    ¡°Eee eee,¡± a low chittering call reaches me, marking my chance.


    I spring into motion, pushing myself up with my half-feeling arms and scattering the bin bags piled on top of me. Chip eagerly leaps off one of the falling bags, landing smoothly in front of me on all fours and dashing forward a few feet. He stops and turns back to look at me, standing up on his hind legs and tilting his head.


    I can practically see the impatience oozing from his beady black eyes as I clamber over the smashed washing machine, but it¡¯s not my fault I¡¯m so big and clumsy compared to him!


    I quickly push that thought away though, no use complaining about my cursed height right now when I should be moving instead. I run past Chip, pursing my lips and whistling a single harsh note to urge him to stop judging me and follow.


    ¡°Eee!¡± he responds with a chuckling squeak, sprinting straight past me to our target¡¯s back door.


    Rude.


    I slide to a stop in front of the door, my worn boots slipping slightly as they struggle to find purchase on the grease-smeared fake cobbling below. I grab the door¡¯s handle and glance down as I regain my footing, noticing the small can holding it open. I squeeze into the narrow gap left between the door and the frame with relative ease before kicking the can out, letting the heavy metal slam shut behind me.


    Infiltration success! Now to find our target.


    I scan the dim workshop we¡¯ve snuck into and can¡¯t help but let out an impressed whistle of praise at the sight. The workbenches lining the wall to my right are all completely bare, but the floor around them is absolutely covered in stuff. There are thousands of loose nuts, bolts, and screws, along with dozens of the cheap plastic tubs they were definitely organised into.


    Not to mention the random tools sprinkled amidst them.


    No wonder that guy was shouting so much. Chip may have driven him to murder! It will probably take a while for Spot to shake him.


    I look down at the culprit of the massacre before my eyes and see him grinning back up at me proudly. He immediately turns and runs to my left towards a wall of stacked tyres and points into the dark corner behind them.


    ¡°Ee,¡± he squeaks eagerly before turning to point up at the door¡¯s window and stare at me, begging for praise. ¡°Eee!¡±


    Yes, well done. You followed the plan perfectly. No one ever thinks the raccoon outside is a different creature entirely.


    I whistle a quick tone, promising him some belly scratches when we get back to the den later before heading deeper into the shop. After all, we can¡¯t waste too much time right now or we¡¯ll miss our window to escape, even if Chip may have delayed it by taunting the mechanic.


    I head straight towards the open double doorway towards the loading bay a room over, stepping through softly and barely making a sound. I immediately start to hear the faint hum of working machinery leaking in from the main workshop, and my gaze instinctively drifts towards it.


    I see the oversized main workshop doors and the small, open personnel door beside it, along with several piled-up crates sitting before them, freshly unloaded from the empty main bay between us.


    I quickly scan the room for people and glance through to the main workshop, not seeing anyone from my position. I break into a half-spring across the room, approaching the crates while fiddling about with my old augs trying to open my texts.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    They crackled in and out of my vision slightly as they usually do, but I managed to work past the instability and find the text from Hands at the same time as I reached the nearest crate.


    [The shipment ID is: #PRS142-2QH, crate: 0032] - Hands


    I can¡¯t see any IDs on top of the crate, so I search around the sides and find a small, raised plate on one with a tightly packed print of information. The shipment ID matches, but this is box 0011, so I turn my attention away and scramble over to the next closest crate.


    Six crates in, I find 0032 stacked on top of another crate. I shove another crate a little closer to the stack before clambering up on top of it and staring at the heat-sealed lid of 0032 with a frown. How am I meant to open this?


    Should I push it off and break it?


    ¡°Eee!¡± Chip calls out to me, so I tear my eyes away and look down to see him standing on two legs, offering me a crowbar.


    ¡°Ki ki,¡± I click my thanks with my tongue against the back of my teeth in a harsh clack and take the offered tool without questioning where he got it.


    I¡¯m not gonna look a gift raccoon in the mouth!


    As Chip climbs up onto the crate to join me, I ram the sharp end of the crowbar into the half-melted plastic under the edge of the lid. I push down, leveraging the lid open as Chip scales my clothes and comes to a rest on my shoulder, expectantly staring at the crate as he holds himself on by long, scruffy hair.


    The seal tears away with a satisfying crack, and I drop the crowbar, catching it with my foot and laying it down gently, not even sparing it a glance as I focus on getting my grubby mitts on our payday.


    And boy do I have no clue what they are!


    There are six, strange silver cylinders, about the size of two of my fists stacked on top of each other, with some slimy-looking plastic tubes coming out of them at random jaunty angles. They¡¯re surprisingly boring for something Hands wants so much, but whatever. As long as we can eat something with some real flavour tonight, I couldn¡¯t care less what they are!


    Chip jumps down, letting out a small joyful squeak as he moves to collect the shiny things. I can¡¯t fall behind, so I pull my empty backpack off, and rip open the main zipper before holding out the bag to my furry partner-in-crime. The moment the last cylinder falls in, I pull the zippers back into place and sling the bag over my shoulder, offering my arm to Chip so he can join it there.


    Suddenly, a loud banging echoes across the room, coming from where we entered. It looks like Spot gave the mechanic the slip. Time to leave.


    I drop to the floor, cushioning my landing with my arms against the crate behind me before pushing off into an instant sprint towards the main workshop. My strides land softly, barely making a sound despite my speed, but that habit proves completely pointless as I barrel through the personnel door and get hit by a wall of harsh sound.


    The mix of crackling electricity, grinding gears, and metal scraping against metals makes me wince, but I ignore it and power through. Chip buries his head into the side of my neck and squeals in displeasure, so I give him a reassuring scratch behind the ears as I run.


    I follow an open path along the edge of the room, passing countless cars suspended in the air with various robotic arms wildly swinging around them, carrying power tools and random components I couldn¡¯t even start to identify. Scanning the room on full alert as I move, I confirm there isn¡¯t anyone else in here. It looks like the mechanic we trapped out back earlier was working alone. We got lucky.


    I slam into the heavy door leading out of the workshop, and stumble into the corridor connected to the main reception. The door swings shut behind me, instantly dampening the noise from the workshop, and I keep running accompanied by only the sound of my own soft footfall and the quietly chittering raccoon hanging around my neck.


    I pause at the door to the reception and push it open slowly. Unfortunately, or maybe not for me, the first thing I hear is a high-pitched scream. A jolt runs down my spine, and I lower myself immediately, ready to spring back if I see trouble as I peek through the gap in the door.


    My worry quickly proves unwarranted as I watch the cheap synth hotdog stand from across the street come barrelling through the shop¡¯s front door with two familiar raccoons riding it, screeching with joy. I hold back my laughter as the stand rams into the receptionist¡¯s counter and the woman behind it runs out of the way, still screaming in panic.


    Taking my chance, I bolt towards the front door. Spot and Stripe both leap off the mangled stand and scramble after me, each carrying a hotdog in their mouths. Normally, I¡¯d berate them for not bringing enough for me and Chip, but I think I¡¯ll let them off for now.


    We¡¯re about to step out onto the street before the receptionist can recover and question where I came from, but it seems my luck ran out, because the food stand owner moves to block my exit, placing himself in the doorway.


    He¡¯s a tall, plump man, maybe a head taller than me, with a greasy apron and a fierce scowl on his ugly face. He reaches for the small of his back and pulls out a chunky, forearm-length bowie knife, because of course they targeted a man clearly carrying a knife.


    The moment I see the glistening sheen of metal, I lower my centre of gravity and whistle a sharp command to my siblings. I explode forward, pushing my legs to their limit and forgoing silence in pursuit of speed to close the distance between us. I narrow my focus on his blade-wielding arm and raise both my hands as Chip dives from my shoulder, latching onto the man¡¯s face in a fluffy hug before he can react.


    With his vision and airways suddenly blocked, the man panics, reaching up to pull Chip off with one hand and wildly swinging his knife with the other to keep me at bay. My eyes follow the unstable arc of his weapon, and my hand suddenly shoots out to clasp his wrist, ending his attack before it could even gain momentum.


    Spot and Stripe scramble past me and jump onto the man¡¯s feet, so I pull on his arm, slamming my shoulder into his chest and sending us both to the floor. He splutters out a cough and drops his knife as I land on top of him. I push myself up while he¡¯s dazed, grab the shiny blade beside us, and take off down the street without looking back.


    I slip into a side alley once I¡¯m out of sight of the shop and finally glance back to check on my furry companions. All three of them are hot on my heels, but I immediately notice Spot and Stripe have somehow replaced the hotdogs in their mouths with the belt and sheath of that stand owner.


    They were totally after the knife in the first place¡­ It¡¯s shiny... Approved!

 Chapter 2 - The Reward

    ¡°Raccoons in England? Next thing you¡¯re gonna tell me aliens will fall from the sky tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! They stole my wallet. They¡¯re a plague on this city I tell you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Shut up and pay your tab you crazy old coot!¡±


    --Random conversation in a London bar, six hours before the initial Ohio incursion.


    I pause to take the belt and sheath off Spot and Stripe, giving them each a quick scritch behind the ear as a reward, before we continue running, just in case someone saw us. I slide the belt into the waistband of my baggy trousers as I run, securing the knife into place at the small of my back, just below the hem of my hoodie.


    I don¡¯t normally carry a weapon, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m against them. I¡¯ve just never needed more than my nails and teeth so far. Mum and Dad taught me well.


    We keep running, weaving through nearby alleys in an erratic pattern until I¡¯m sure no one is chasing us. Finally, I stop running and collapse on the floor, setting my backpack down beside me and leaning my back against the alley wall as I regain my breath.


    ¡°Eee ee e!¡± Chip squeaks at our brother and sister proudly, climbing into my lap as he regales them with the details of his adventure.


    At least, I assume that¡¯s what he¡¯s saying. As much as I love them, I¡¯ve never really been able to understand my family. I can make guesses, and I know them well enough that they¡¯re usually right, but the language barrier between us still remains.


    Chip rolls over, presenting his belly to me for his promised scratches which I happily provide. Getting back to the den be damned, he¡¯s fluffy and I¡¯m tired!


    Stripe completely ignores our brother and climbs up my sleeve to stand on my shoulder. She gives me a pat on the head and lets out a reassuring, rumbling purr, before jumping off and running over to sit at the mouth of the alley. Spot on the other hand takes the moment of respite to worm his way into my hoodie¡¯s pocket, before reaching out and batting our celebrating brother on the head.


    I¡¯ll let him have that one, Chip did make his job harder by pissing off that mechanic so much. Honestly, that¡¯s the main reason I ran so far. He looked angry enough to still be chasing us now.


    I fiddle with my augs as my breathing stabilises, sending a message to Hands that may or may not reach him before we do.


    [The job was a success. Have our payment ready, we¡¯ll be there soon.] ¨C Elise


    The image on my retina flickers in multicoloured hues for a few moments when I hit send before settling. I really should replace my augs, but it¡¯s quite hard to find someone who¡¯ll operate on a person that doesn¡¯t exist without actually making them disappear. And that¡¯s not even mentioning the cost.


    Shaking the thought away, I lift Chip to my shoulder and push myself off the floor. I grab my bag and whistle for Stripe to follow, before tucking my hair in and flicking my hood up. It won¡¯t let me blend in, three raccoons don¡¯t exactly scream subtle, but it will at least keep anyone from looking at my face, and that¡¯s enough for me.


    Stripe walks along side me as we step out onto the open New Oxford streets and make our way towards the south of the city. I keep my head low, staring at the pavement and completely ignoring the noise around us. It¡¯s hard not to look up every time a hovercar swoops too low or a blaring corpo ad nearly deafens me, drawing three angry squeals from my siblings, but I manage.


    At some point, my hands find their way into my hoodie pocket to give Spot some scratches, and Chip leaps off my shoulder before running off into the crowd. He¡¯ll be back soon, so I ignore him and keep going, watching Stripe move over to pad along in front of me as we enter a busier sector of the city.


    She guides me forward, occasionally hissing at pedestrians that stray too close, opening a path to keep me from bumping into anyone.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Ki ki,¡± I click out a quiet thank you before looking up past street level for the first time in our trek.


    I recognise the street as Rose Hill almost immediately, seeing a familiar ad for the new Boots hand cannon projected on a wall up ahead. How a pre-incursion pharmacy ended up being an arms dealer I¡¯ll never know¡­ nor care.


    I cross the street and approach the alley beside the ad. There¡¯s a man crumpled up on the floor just past the entrance to the alley, wrapped in a patchwork quilt with a small pot set down in front of him. He glances up as I pass, looking at my face past my hood and causing a shiver to run down my spine, before nodding silently.


    I nod back and keep walking, not stopping until I turn a corner and come face to face with a recessed doorway. The heavy metal door before me is covered with rust and looks like it hasn¡¯t been opened in years, but I ignore that and slam my fist against it anyway.


    Three light knocks, two solid thumps, and now we wait.


    ¡°Eeee!¡± I hear an excited squeal and the soft patter of paws on stone and look back to see Chip running over to join us.


    He¡¯s skittering along on his hind legs, carrying what looks to be a bowler hat with a shiny silver buckle.


    Again? Where does he even find these things? Who wears fucking bowler hats in 2032?


    He offers me the hat, so I take it and rip off the buckle for him before tossing the hat away. He squeaks happily as I pocket the buckle for safe keeping, before pulling himself up my leg and trying to push our brother out of my hoodie to take his place.


    Really? Was that a bribe?


    I hiss down at him in warning, and he stops disturbing Spot before climbing up to sit on my shoulder again as if nothing ever happened.


    ¡°Ee!¡± Stripe calls for us, drawing my attention over as the deceptively old-looking door swings open without a sound, revealing a dim hallway.


    At least one of us is paying attention.


    I walk into the building, scooping Stripe up in my arms on the way past. Thankfully, she peacefully snuggles into my chest. I don¡¯t feel comfortable letting them run free in here, some of Hands¡¯ followers give me the creeps.


    The man behind the door as I step just so happens to be one of those creeps. I don¡¯t know his name, but he¡¯s a hulking monster of a man with half of the skin on his face peeled away to reveal the metallic sheen beneath, and more cybernetics crammed into his body than I thought humanly possible. He glares down at me as I walk past, letting out a rumbling growl as his gaze flickers between Chip and Stripe.


    ¡°Hands is waiting for you in room three,¡± he says before slamming the door shut and earning three annoyed hisses that seem to alleviate some of his anger. ¡°And keep those rats under control or you¡¯ll lose them.¡±


    Jeez dude. Calm down. You get your arm stolen once and suddenly raccoons are the worst creature known to man. Grow up.


    I silently turn my back on him and walk down the corridor quickly, reading the numbers on the doors I pass until I reach three. I push the door open and step into a cosy room, lit by a few warm yellow lights flickering overhead, with two plush sofas in the middle facing a low coffee table between them.


    Sitting on one of the sofas watching me is Hands. He¡¯s an older guy with well-groomed silver hair combed back over his head, and a neat matching beard. He¡¯s wearing the same burgundy pinstripe suit that he always does, and both his arms are casually thrown over the back of the sofa as he leans back comfortably with his legs crossed before him.


    ¡°Hello, Child,¡± he greets in his rich, Scottish accent. ¡°I assume the job was a success?¡±


    ¡°Tsk,¡± I click my tongue and nod, pushing the door shut behind myself with my foot before walking over to collapse on the sofa, slinging my backpack towards him in the process.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± he chuckles at my frustration, catching the bag easily with his chromed hands and watching with a raised brow as Chip and Stripe move to sit on either side of me. ¡°I take it you tried to message me then?¡±


    I nod, still not removing my hood as I help pull Spot out of my pocket where he got tangled during Chip¡¯s assault.


    ¡°You know,¡± Hands says, lifting my backpack without bothering to check it. ¡°I could get you some better augs for this if you wanted.¡±


    My head snaps up, my hood falling back as I fix him with a glare and my lips curl in anger. That¡¯s not our deal and he knows it.


    Spot, Stripe, and Chip all join me in glaring at him, hissing as well.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Hands barks in laughter, clutching his stomach. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone so angry at being offered better payment. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve prepared you reward already. I never go back on my word.¡±


    He wipes a tear from his eyes, and they light up for a moment as he sends someone a message. I quickly pull my hood up again and give my siblings some calming head pats as Hands finally opens my backpack and pulls out one of the cylinders, turning it over and inspecting it for damage.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s here,¡± he says with a nod before standing up and walking to the door. ¡°You can use this room until you¡¯re done. No one will bother you, and Miguel will let you out after even if you don¡¯t ask nicely.¡±


    He opens the door and lets in two women carrying two plastic trays each. They approach us and set the trays down on the coffee table while glancing confusedly at my siblings, but we barely pay them any attention. None of us even look up as they leave with Hands and the door clicks shut, because all eight of our eyes are fixed on the steaming plates of pork-chops and potatoes before us.


    Better payment my arse, this is a real reward!

 Chapter 3 - The Attack

    ¡°We saw several mass migrations after the initial incursion in Ohio.


    A vast number of species from the Americas reacted the fastest to the Alien threat and either flew themselves or found their way onto cargo ships that carried them far afield. We¡¯re still seeing the ecological effects of the spread of so many invasive species to this day.


    Worst part of those alien blighters¡¯ arrival if you ask me.¡±


    --Doctor Michael Williams, New Oxford Professor, on his fifth bowler hat of the week.


    I lean back into the plush sofa, letting out a contented sigh and smiling in satisfaction. My siblings mimic my actions beside me, pushing away their finished trays of food and patting their bellies.


    We¡¯re not in a hurry to leave. It¡¯s not every day we get a deal like this, so we have to make the most and enjoy it fully, and sitting on this sofa is certainly enjoyable.


    I flip myself around to lounge across it properly, earning a few disgruntled squeaks as I push three furry bodies out of the way to make room. They lethargically drag themselves into more comfortable positions, with Chip and Spot on either side of me and Stripe lying across my chest.


    I may not like or trust Hands all that much, but he certainly knows how to choose furniture. Maybe we should take one of these?


    Nah, that chromed guy¡­ Mitchel? Michael? Ah, whatever his name is, he¡¯s creepy and I¡¯d rather not give him another reason to bitch and whine. Not to mention Hands is the only broker around here who recognises our skills¡­ And we haven¡¯t pissed off yet.


    I doubt we¡¯ll have another chance to get real meat in the undercity if we end up on his bad side as well.


    ¡°Eee,¡± Stripe squeaks, nudging my chin with her snoot and breaking me out of my thoughts.


    I check the time and realise it¡¯s getting quite late; we should get going.


    Reluctantly, I sit up, letting Stripe roll down onto my lap. Chip shakes off his full stomach far too quickly and jumps into my pocket before Spot can, so Spot climbs up my arm to settle on my shoulder while whining cutely. I give him a consolation chin scratch before flipping my hood up and picking up Stripe while sliding my legs off the sofa to leave.


    I pocket the stainless-steel cutlery none of us used, Hands should really know better by now, before heading out into the corridor and walking back towards the exit. The door is shut when I get there, and the big borgfucker¡¯s blocking it.


    ¡°You wanna leave?¡± he asks.


    I nod, but he doesn¡¯t move.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he says with a sneer, tilting his head and putting his glistening chrome hand to his ear. ¡°You¡¯ll have to speak up.¡±


    Hands did say he¡¯ll open even if I don¡¯t ask nicely, right?


    I drop Stripe and reach into my pocket, pulling out a knife by the blade and holding it out as I carefully line up my aim. The oversized doorstop doesn¡¯t look amused, but he doesn¡¯t stop me from flicking my wrist and sending the knife into his forehead where it harmlessly bounces off.


    ¡°Out,¡± he growls, grabbing the door and wrenching it open.


    Huh, he really did let me out when I didn¡¯t ask nicely.


    I walk out into the alley with Stripe at my side, and the door slams loudly behind us again. I don¡¯t think he understands the whole hidden crime den thing. Ah well, you can¡¯t blame him when they probably replaced his brain with lead too.


    I kick the door once for good measure before walking back to the main street. I may be a little annoyed that he tried to pressure me into speaking¡­ just a bit.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Eee ee!¡± Stripe squeaks, running a few steps ahead and turning to offer me the knife I dropped.


    I take it gratefully and pick her up again to give her some belly rubs as I walk through the crowded streets watching the pavement. I mindlessly follow the route back, having walked it hundreds of times, and eventually arrive at a familiar sewer grate in a quiet back alley that barely gets any sun.


    Spot and Stripe both jump to the ground as I finally look up from the floor and glance around, checking to make sure no one is watching us. I don¡¯t want our bypass to be discovered after all, or we¡¯d have to go through the checkpoint like everyone else trying to leave the undercity. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d let me out, not without arresting me first to work out why I don¡¯t exist.


    It¡¯s not like I know either and the last time they caught me wasn¡¯t fun.


    I shiver before shaking away those memories and bending down to lift the grate and slide it aside. I lower myself down and drop into the pipe with a light thud before reaching up to catch Spot as he jumps after me.


    Stripe waits till I let him down then hops in as well. I catch her and move my hands into her little armpits, holding her up so she can slide the grate that¡¯s just out of my reach back into place.


    The pipe¡¯s dark, with a thin layer of gunk covering the floor making it a little too slippery to run in, but I don¡¯t mind. I feel right at home here.


    Spot and Stripe run off into the darkness and I follow them while helping Chip out of my pocket so he can join us. After the first turn away from the grate, I momentarily lose the ability to see as my eyes start to adjust to the lack of light, but I calmly continue walking, following the patter of paws ahead without a worry.


    It doesn¡¯t take long until I¡¯m able to make out their small furry shapes darting about in front of me, occasionally dipping off into side tunnels and coming back chewing on what I guess are bugs but could probably be anything knowing their eating habits. We slowly descend as we move, heading closer and closer to the pipes that connect to the undercity.


    Ten minutes or so before we reach the large junction we use to access several different parts of the city, all three of my siblings come running back to me from their side adventures. They surround me with Stripe in the front and Chip and Spot on either side.


    What¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Grrrr,¡± all three of them let out low, warning growls, so I immediately lower myself, softening my steps as much as I can and preparing to run.


    We move forward a few steps, passing another lumpy pile of sludge built up at the side of the pipe as I remember the knife strapped to my waist and reach back to clasp the solid handle. I¡¯ve never felt so relieved that we¡¯ve stolen something before.


    ¡°EEE!¡± Chip suddenly screeches, drawing my attention just in time to see the pile of sludge behind us move.


    Shit.


    I pull the knife out and start to spin around, swinging it in a wide arc. However, before I even make it halfway there, the thing behind us bursts forward, closing the distance between us with an eerie lack of sound in an instant and swinging several limbs I can barely see towards me.


    I¡¯m dead.


    ¡°EEE!¡± Chip and Spot both fly past me, throwing themselves at the sludge pile.


    I watch in horror as Chip slams into the limbs approaching me, stopping them for just long enough for my blade to cleave through where I think the creature¡¯s head should be, before he¡¯s flung into the pipe¡¯s wall with a sickening thud.


    ¡°Chip!¡± I scream, barely paying any attention to my disgusting voice as my head snaps over to my brother.


    Before I can run over to check on him, Spot squeaks from where he¡¯s latched to the pile of sludge, and I glance back to see him wildly scratching at the collapsed pile as it writhes beneath him. Because of course it was playing fucking dead!


    I drop down and plunge my knife into its centre mass with one hand while grabbing Spot by the scruff of his neck and tossing him aside. The creature lashes out again, but its claws catch my knife arm instead of Spot, gauging four deep lines across my forearm.


    ¡°Argh!¡± I let out an ugly grunt of pain and tears form in my eyes, but I ignore the pain and grit my teeth as I pull out the knife with my left hand instead and drive it down into the creature again in a different spot.


    It stops moving and goes limp, but I¡¯m not taking any chances. I drive my knife into it five more times while choking back sobs before I finally let go, leaving the knife blade deep in the creature.


    I glance down at my right arm. I can¡¯t see how bad it is with how dark it is here, but I can feel it. I can¡¯t move my hand.


    I clasp the weeping gashes with my left hand and try to stand up, looking over at Chip with concern, but a sudden splitting pain in the back of my head makes me stumble and fall face-first into the slick layer of sewage beneath us.


    I would have screamed if I wasn¡¯t already crying so much.


    The pain vanishes as suddenly as it came, so I ignore Spot licking at my arm with a sorrowful whine and immediately start trying to crawl towards Chip, where I can hear Stripe keening as well.


    System Initialized!


    Congratulations. Through your actions, you have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of the Vanguard, a defender of humanity. I am Cyon. I will assist you to uplift humanity so that you may defend your homeworld from the Antithesis threat!


    Rise, Elise Roberton, and become a protector of the weak!


    ¡°Fuck humanity,¡± I splutter through my tears, pushing down the shiver of revolt that comes with hearing my deep voice. ¡°Save Chip.¡±

 Chapter 4 - The Healing

    Patient report #05B42


    Patient details: Redacted


    Estimated time of injury: 09:40 pm


    Estimated time of death: 09:42 pm


    Cause of death: Blood loss (severed radial and ulnar arteries)


    Witness reports state that the victim was tripped by a raccoon (truth could not be verified) and fell through a window. The victim suffered fatal injuries to the right forearm, and minor damage to the left forearm, chest, and face.


    The victim bled out before first responders could arrive.


    No attempts to resuscitate made.


    --A medical report from New Oxford Hospital¡¯s public database


    Of course, could I suggest unlocking the Class I Medical Utilities catalogue for fifty points to see to both of your injuries? You currently have twenty-five points available from killing that Model Nine, along with the standard one-hundred-point initialisation bonus.


    I only half pay attention to the rich, feminine voice speaking far too calmly in my head as I reach Chip and drag myself up to sit beside his small, slumped form. I can barely see him, but I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s due to the dark or my eyelids flickering, trying to shut as my head swims.


    Points¡­ Catalogue¡­ Model Nine¡­


    The words echo around my mind as my breaths become shallower.


    Am I¡­ crazy? I didn¡¯t think my brain could get more damaged, but I guess I was wrong.


    I open my mouth to respond to the voice in my head, because why not roll with the punches, but a soft nose presses against my bleeding arm, and I hear a heart wrenching whine from Spot that momentarily distracts me.


    I¡­ What was I doing?


    Elise, please focus on my voice.


    Oh, the lady in my head.


    You appear to be experiencing severe disorientation from blood loss. Please give me permission to purchase Class I Medical Utilities, a WoundStop, and a Mind Krank Ultra.


    She sounds pretty. I wish I sounded like her.


    Please nod your head if you agree to the purchases.


    I do as the pretty voice says and slowly nod my head.


    Thank you


    Class I Medical Utilities unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 75


    New Purchase: WoundStop


    Points reduced to¡­ 70


    New Purchase: Mind Krank Ultra


    Points reduced to¡­ 65


    Suddenly, I feel two light objects fall into my lap, and Spot lets out a startled yelp.


    Please open the-


    The voice in my head starts saying something before stopping at the same time as I feel Spot scramble into my lap and start messing with whatever fell there. I hear something plastic fall to the floor beside me, and Spot climbs up my hoodie before pressing something to my lips.


    I open my mouth without thinking, it¡¯s not like he¡¯d ever try to feed me something dangerous, and I feel a small pill land on my tongue. I swallow it, and immediately feel a rush of clarity.


    The pain in my arm fades to a whisper and my eyes snap open wide. I¡¯m still not able to see through the dark, but every faint shape I¡¯m able to make out suddenly seems to stand out as much as a bowler hat in the twenty-first century. I breathe in and almost gag at how strong the stench of sewage is now, but I¡¯m also able to pick up the faint iron tang of blood in the air.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    My mind clearing up is nice and all, but I¡¯m suddenly frightfully aware of how close I am to dying. Or worse, losing Chip.


    Please open the case in your lap and apply the WoundStop. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of modifying it to eject in four bursts so you can close all of your wounds.


    And there¡¯s that voice again, Cyon I think she said? Now that I¡¯m able to actually think again, it becomes painfully obvious to me that I am in fact not losing it. That creature, a Model Nine as Cyon called it, was an antithesis. I¡¯ve been chosen as a samurai.


    I open the box Spot didn¡¯t touch with my left hand and pick up the large syringe within, almost dropping it because of the slick blood coating my palm.


    One end is the activation button, and the other is the applicator. Simply place the applicator into a cut and press.


    I nod and spin the tube, gripping it firmly near the top with my thumb resting against the flat end, and stick the pointy end into one of the nasty gashes down the inside of my forearm. It¡¯s hard for me to tell exactly how deep the cuts are with my limited vision, but I¡¯m pretty sure I just hit the bone with the applicator, so probably very.


    I press the button and feel a sand-like substance fill the wound. It¡¯s a little uncomfortable, but this Mind Krank thing is working wonders because I don¡¯t even flinch. I quickly do the same with the other three gashes before tossing the empty tube away and turning to look down at Chip beside me.


    I squint at his body, lying in a heap against the side of the pipe beside me. It¡¯s hard to make out any details, but as I lean down closer to him, I can definitely hear him breathing still, faint as it is.


    Could I suggest purchasing a basic head torch for one point?


    I nod at Cyon¡¯s timely suggestion and another box falls into my lap.


    New Purchase: Basic Head Torch


    Points reduced to¡­ 64


    I pop it open and pull out the multi-bulb torch attached to an elastic strap within. My fingers find the on button, and I press it only to practically blind myself in the process. I blink the dots out of my eyes and turn the torch towards Chip, and my blood runs cold at the sight.


    He¡¯s lying on his stomach in a pool of blood, with our siblings on either side of him gently nuzzling him in comfort. Granted, I¡¯m pretty sure most of that blood is mine, but it¡¯s still not good.


    ¡°What do I need?¡± I ask Cyon urgently, trying to stay as calm as she sounds and failing.


    Please turn him over so I can see his wounds properly.


    I nod and press the head torch to my forehead, holding it in place with my right wrist since I still can¡¯t move my hand properly, a problem for later, and pull the strap over my head to secure it in place. I reach out and tap Spot to ask him to move, before trying to turn Chip over as gently as possible.


    Spot and Stripe realise what I¡¯m doing quickly and help me turn him over slowly.


    ¡°Ee,¡± Chip squeaks softly, crushing my heart at the weakness of his voice but also reassuring me he¡¯s still conscious.


    I carefully brush aside the bloodied fur and see two long gashes across the lower half of his belly. It¡¯s a little hard to tell through the blood, but the wounds only look a few inches deep.


    I would suggest another WoundStop to stem the bleeding first, then a Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite and a Hemo-Restore for both of you for a total of forty-five points.


    I nod, giving her permission for the purchases without asking any questions. The faster I can help him the better.


    New Purchase: WoundStop


    Points reduced to¡­ 59


    New Purchase: Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite


    Points reduced to¡­ 39


    New Purchase: Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite ¨C Raccoon modified


    Points reduced to¡­ 29


    New Purchase: Hemo-Restore


    Points reduced to¡­ 24


    New Purchase: Hemo-Restore ¨C Raccoon modified


    Points reduced to¡­ 19


    Five new boxes fall into my lap. Three of them are the same plain white plastic as my first purchases were, but the other two have a small raccoon printed in the centre. I ignore them for now and pop open the largest box, pulling out a second WoundStop.


    Sorry buddy, this won¡¯t feel nice.


    I push the applicator into the top gash and press the button. Chip lets out a weak squeal and tries to squirm away from the pain, but Spot and Stripe both hold him in place, trusting me to help him.


    I pull the syringe out of the cut as an off-white foam bubbles up and solidifies into place, sealing it shut. After emptying the syringe into the second wound, Chip relaxes and murmurs a quiet sound of relief.


    He¡¯s no longer in any danger.


    I breathe a sigh of relief at Cyon¡¯s reassurance and move on to the rest of the boxes, starting with the unmarked ones. The first one I open has a small red tube with a yellow arrow pointing to one end in it.


    That¡¯s a Hemo-Restore. Press the end against your skin.


    I nod and follow her instructions, lifting my hoodie a bit and placing it against my stomach. The red drains into me without so much as a pinch, so I toss the empty tube away and move onto the next box.


    This one has a strange-looking face mask thing? I don¡¯t even wait for Cyon¡¯s instructions this time, covering my nose and mouth with the mask before breathing in. I feel an unpleasant buzzing pass down my throat and into my lungs, before spreading across my body.


    It focuses on my right forearm, but I feel the sensation everywhere, from my split cheek to the bruises on my knees. My right hand starts to twitch, but I ignore it for now and turn my attention to the boxes marked for Chip.


    The first one holds another Hemo-Restore, this one a touch darker than the first. He doesn¡¯t react when I inject it. I guess it really doesn¡¯t hurt.


    The second looks like a deeper face mask, and it fits perfectly over his muzzle. He squirms as I hold it to his face, clearly having a lot worse of a time with it than I did thanks to the Mind Krank¡­


    What is Mind Krank?

 Chapter 5 - The Threes

    ¡°I don¡¯t know man, are you sure this is a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Look, he¡¯s practically begging for it. It¡¯ll be so funny if we set him on Ross.¡±


    ¡°He does seem quite eager, and I would like to see that¡­ Okay, do it.¡±


    ¡°Damn, he ate that fast...¡±


    ¡°Hey man, why¡¯s he looking at me like that? Stay aw- OH FUCK! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!¡±


    --Wildlife safety 101: Why to store the stimulants out of the raccoon¡¯s reach.


    I open my mouth to ask Cyon a question but freeze before I can get any sound out. Now that the adrenaline from the fight and the panic over Chip¡¯s injuries has faded, I can¡¯t bring myself to speak again.


    I¡¯ve always hated my voice. My first memory when I woke up in the undercity two years ago is the deep feeling of disgust I felt when I first spoke. Since then, I just stopped speaking.


    If you¡¯re uncomfortable with speaking, you can subvocalise. Simply move your mouth as if you¡¯re speaking without pushing any air out.


    ¡®Like this?¡¯


    Exactly.


    ¡®Cool! How can you understand this? In fact, where are you? You¡¯re not really a voice in my head, right?¡¯


    I fire out a few questions before pausing and waiting for a response. You can¡¯t blame me for being excited, I haven¡¯t talked to someone who can understand me properly in¡­ actually, I don¡¯t know if I ever have.


    Wow, you¡¯re quite talkative. To answer your questions, I have an array of sensors I can use to read your mouth¡¯s muscle movements, and I can easily process them into speech. And no, I¡¯m not a voice in your head. I¡¯m a Vanguard AI with a chip in your head that allows me to communicate with you.


    ¡®Is there something wrong with being talkative?¡¯ I ask somewhat defensively.


    She may have helped me save Chip, but I still don¡¯t appreciate being judged.


    ¡®And why is this Nano-Regenerative thing taking so long? Isn¡¯t samurai tech meant to be super powerful?¡¯


    There¡¯s nothing wrong with being talkative, it was just somewhat against my predictions based on your mutism. And the Nano-Regenerative Suit isn¡¯t slow, your current perception of time is just skewed by the Mind Krank Ultra. Also, while the technology provided to Vanguards by the Protectors is superior to that of humanity currently, Class I catalogues are the lowest level available.


    ¡®Weird. What is Mind Krank?¡¯


    A low-level combat stimulant. It¡¯s a highly addictive, habit-forming, lightly poisonous drug that makes you feel invincible, heightens your senses, skews your perception of time, enhances your reflexes, and increases your pain and fatigue tolerance. I administered it to you because I judged it the best solution to help combat the fatigue from your blood loss while also aiding you in your coming fight with the antithesis. If you would like you can purchase a Cleanse for five points, a nanite-infused neuro-cleaning agent that will remove the effects and damage of the drug.


    ¡®No way! I feel great right now, and it sounds helpful to me.¡¯


    The buzzing filling my body finally comes to an end as I¡¯m talking to Cyon, so I look down and slowly flex my fingers, watching them curl and straighten at my command. Thank Goddess, I like being able to use my hands.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Suddenly, I hear a faint scraping echo through the pipe from far off in the direction we were heading. Spot and Stripe both sit up straight, their heads snapping to look down the corridor in sync with mine. Chip looks in that direction and slowly sits up, likely still feeling the aftermath of his injuries.


    ¡®Are you sure Chip is okay?¡¯ I ask just in case.


    Yes. His wounds were shallow enough that he only suffered minor organ damage, which is well within the Class I Nano-Regenerative Suite¡¯s capabilities. He may be a little weak from blood loss until the Hemo-Restore finishes replenishing his blood supplies though.


    ¡®Would a Mind Krank help him? I doubt they¡¯ll want to stay behind while I fight.¡¯


    It would. If you would like, you can purchase three Mind Krank Minors, a lower dosage version for smaller mammals, for nine points.


    ¡®Do it.¡¯


    New Purchase: Mind Krank Minor


    Points reduced to¡­ 10


    Three small boxes appear in my lap, and I pop one open to find a small red pill. I pick it up and offer it to Chip, drawing Spot and Stripe¡¯s attention as well. Chip sniffs it once before opening his mouth and taking it in his teeth, tilting his head back and dropping it down his throat. He immediately widens his eyes and squeaks in surprise, so much for being quiet.


    He scrambles to sit up properly before happily pushing his head into my hand.


    ¡°Ki ki.¡± I scratch him behind the ears while clicking out my thanks for saving me.


    We¡¯d all probably be dead if he didn¡¯t block that first attack for me.


    The scraping gets louder, so I pass the other two boxes to Spot and Stripe who eagerly pop them open and swallow the pills inside. Meanwhile, I push myself up and quickly walk over to collect my knife.


    Now that I can see it in the light, the pile of sludge does look like a creature¡­ I think.


    It¡¯s covered in what appears to be slick, greeny-grey fur that feels dry to the touch, and has lots of short, claw-tipped limbs lying limp across its body. I grab the exposed knife handle and rip it out, wiping the green blood off on my sleeve before turning to face our coming attackers.


    I let out a long, low whistle, telling my siblings to stall for time before slowly advancing with my knife held tight. The distant clicking gets faster and louder, and within a few seconds, I see five large, dog-like creatures running towards us.


    Those are Model Threes, a common scouting unit. They should be within your ability to handle.


    I lower my centre of gravity and pause with Spot, Chip, and Stripe waiting at my side, growling in anger. I knew they¡¯d want to fight.


    We all burst into motion the moment the first Model Three gets within two metres of us. I dash forward and drop down into a slide as the leading doggo splits its jaw open in a grotesque manner and leaps towards me. I narrowly slip under it and slash my blade across the exposed green flesh on its stomach, covering myself in a spray of green plant blood.


    Target Eliminated!


    Reward... 10 Points


    Scrambling to my feet, I spin around to see three of the doggos biting at each other, trying to remove the raccoons scrambling around their backs while screeching a mix of anger and joy. I guess their love for annoying people spreads to antithesis?


    The fourth living dog has its attention fixed on me, its three-hinged jaw hanging open as it slowly stalks towards me with more caution than its predecessor. I step forward and slash towards its face, letting go of my knife as the Three tries to spring back and sending it straight into the beast¡¯s right shoulder.


    It realises I¡¯m unarmed and leaps forward to finish me off, but I¡¯m just able to step to the side as it does, reaching out and tearing the knife away violently, ripping a chunk of flesh off with it. The Three stumbles, unable to move its right foreleg, and I quickly plunge my knife into the back of its skull.


    Target Eliminated!


    Reward... 10 Points


    ¡®Helpful to know,¡¯ I say silently, turning and charging towards the other aliens. ¡®But maybe save it till after the fight.¡¯


    I slash down, splitting open the neck of one of the distracted Threes and drawing the attention of the other two away from my siblings. I step back as they separate and start moving towards me, but Spot and Stripe take advantage of their distraction and crawl up their bodies to their heads before angrily poking at their eyes.


    The moment they lose focus again, I spring forward and bring my knife down on their necks one after the other.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Reward... 30 Points


    I stand still as the creatures slump to the floor, staring at them with a small grin tugging at the corner of my lips. Spot, Chip, and Stripe all scamper over and begin excitedly climbing up my clothes, purring joyfully as they take turns receiving post-battle head scratches.


    ¡¯That was kinda¡­ fun? This knife feels wrong though. I wish I could just use my hands.¡¯


    Well, you have sixty points now, so you can change it if you want. Would you like to hear my suggestion?

 Chapter 6 - The Claws

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve just been sent a report from the CFO flagging up an issue with our budgeting.¡±


    ¡°What can it possibly be? The last report showed no issues!¡±


    ¡°You forgot to assign any funds to the executives¡¯ Christmas skiing trip.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Take it from sewer maintenance budget. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±


    --A recorded conversation between the CEO of Sanicorp and his secretary, New Oxford, 2031


    ¡®Sure, suggest away!¡¯


    For fifty points you can unlock the Class I Simple Melee Weapons catalogue, and then for ten points, you can purchase a set of Basic Claws.


    ¡®Claws?¡¯


    My eyes light up at the idea, and I eagerly nod my head.


    ¡®I want em!¡¯


    Class I Simple Melee Weapons unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 10


    New Purchase: Basic Claws


    Points reduced to¡­ 0


    A box falls at my feet, so I quickly sheath my knife and pop it open to find a pair of black gloves with a set of deadly-looking silver blades extending from fingers like sharpened nails. I pick up one of the gloves and move my finger to touch one of the blades, but a warning from Cyon stops me.


    I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Those are monofilament blades that will go clean through your fingers. You should also avoid touching your furry friends with them on unless you want to buy some more Nano-Regenerative Suites.


    ¡®That¡¯s awful! Why would I wear them if I can¡¯t give my siblings scratches anymore?¡¯


    You can take them off outside of combat if you really need to, and once you earn some more points you can replace them with a more advanced set of claws that can retract.


    ¡®Okay¡­¡¯


    They¡¯ll do for now, I guess.


    I give each of my siblings a final pat before sliding the gloves onto my hands. They fit snugly, as if they were made for me, and they tighten around my wrists on their own. I admire the glistening claws before tentatively closing my hands into fists to make sure they don¡¯t pierce my palms.


    The black fabric stops the blades short even when I squeeze with all my strength, so I give a satisfied nod and crouch next to one of the dead xenos. I stab the claws into the corpse and rake them along it, parting flesh with barely any resistance.


    ¡®Perfect!¡¯


    I glance at my siblings who all watched me test my weapons patiently. Well, as patiently as three hyperactive, drugged raccoons can. I whistle to call them back from copying me and testing their own claws on the other corpses with less success than me and start walking down the tunnel again.


    ¡®Hey Cyon, why are there antithesis down here anyway? Is there an incursion going on above us?¡¯


    Your augs are too damaged to allow me access to information from the surface for now, but these Antithesis are coming from below anyway. It would be safe to assume there is a hive somewhere beneath the undercity spawning these.


    ¡®A hive under the city? How? Wouldn¡¯t the samurai living here have noticed that?¡¯


    It depends but considering your earlier encounter with a Model Nine and the Antithesis presence in these pipes, it¡¯s probably a stealth focused hive living off the waste of the city.


    ¡®Gross. I may live in the shit heap of the city, but even I draw the line at eating said shit.¡¯


    I stop talking to Cyon as I hear more scuffling ahead, crouching in place with my hands splayed waiting for our opponents to come to us. Four Model Threes run into my torch beam this time, and I wait until they¡¯re a few metres away to give the command to attack.


    I charge forward, reaching out and grabbing the first three by the head as it tries to bite me and curling my fingers, pushing them into its skull. It struggles for a moment before going limp, but as I drop its corpse, I hear a warning squeak and glance to the side just in time to see another Three leaping at me with Stripe clinging onto its back with her claws in its neck.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I swing my arm out, slicing two of the three sections of its jaw clean off before the creature slams into me, knocking me back and slicing into my side with its remaining teeth. I tumble backwards, rolling back onto my feet in a low crouch without paying my side any attention and driving my hand forwards into the still charging dog with my fingers extended.


    My claw cuts through the roof of its mouth and pokes out of the top of its head, and the xeno stops moving immediately, slumping to the floor. I look over at the two remaining dogs and see them snapping at each other to try and remove Chip and Spot from their backs. I push myself up and run over, slashing the first one¡¯s throat before kicking the second down and plunging my hand into its chest to rip its flowery guts out.


    The smell of mould and cut grass fills the air as Cyon announces my gains.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increase to¡­ 40


    I let out a breath and glance down at my side, frowning at my ripped hoodie and the blood leaking from underneath.


    ¡®There go my points, I guess. What do I need to fix this?¡¯


    The cuts are only shallow, you can purchase a Regenerative Bandage for five points to stem the bleeding and slowly heal the wounds.


    ¡®Yes please.¡¯


    New Purchase: Regenerative Bandage


    Points reduced to¡­ 35


    Another box falls at my feet, and I open it up to find a squishy, rolled-up sheet of white fabric.


    Peel off the backing and stick the bandage over your cuts.


    I follow Cyon¡¯s instructions, lifting my hoodie and unrolling the bandage before peeling a thin film off and pressing the soft fabric over the thin weeping cuts. It feels a little tingly, but I don¡¯t feel any pain, probably due to the Mind Krank.


    Right, note to self, don¡¯t kill them so slowly. It¡¯s not a good idea to stay in one place for so long.


    I can still hear the sounds of movement approaching from down the pipe, so I don¡¯t bother moving and wait for them to arrive again.


    I should probably think about some armour next. I don¡¯t want to waste all of my hard-earned points on healing myself every fight.


    ¡®How many points will I need for armour?


    It depends on what you want. Are you after heavy armour to protect you from attacks at the cost of mobility, or light armour to absorb glancing blows like that one.


    ¡®Something light. I don¡¯t want to spend points on healing after every fight, but I don¡¯t want my movements limited at all.¡¯


    In that case, I would recommend Class I Combat Garments for fifty points, and a Basic Skinsuit for a further fifty.


    ¡®Skin suit? As in those skin tight bodysuits that they wear in those old superhero comics? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m comf-¡¯ I stop subvocalising as five more Threes run into the light, with something larger looming at the edge of the light, clinging to the ceiling behind them.


    We can talk about this later, focus on not dying for now. The Antithesis in the back is a Model Four. It releases a biological agent that causes paranoia, but you and your siblings shouldn¡¯t have to worry, Mind Krank will keep it from affecting you at all. Though, I still wouldn¡¯t recommend letting your siblings near it.


    I nod and whistle a low, warning tone while reaching back and pulling my knife from its sheath. I throw the knife before the first Three can reach us, sending it spinning through the air and into one of the beast¡¯s two vertical eyes successfully.


    I dash forward after the knife sidestep the first living dog, slashing a claw along its side and drawing blood but not killing it as I back hand another in the face, knocking its head aside and digging my fingers into the side of its neck, ripping away a chunk of plant flesh. Leaving both of them to bleed out as my siblings distract them, I jump and drive my knee into the skull of another, sending myself tumbling over it and swiping along its back as I do, ripping the scaly-black plating clean off.


    I hit the floor and roll, rising just in time to grab the throat of the last dog as it snaps at my head, clenching my hand into a fist before ripping it out and dropping the beast immediately. Rising to my feet, I glance back at my siblings and see them playing with the last dogs, taunting and leading them along as they leak plant matter to the floor.


    I turn my focus to my last target and finally see the creature in full. It looks like a grotesque, writhing mass of green and black tentacles ever so slowly advancing across the ceiling towards us.


    ¡®How ugly.¡¯


    I walk towards it while flexing my fingers, waiting for it to attack. Suddenly, three tentacles lash out towards me, two of them tipped with razor-sharp spikes. Thanks to the Mind Krank, I¡¯m able to see them approach, so I hit back, swiping my claws and just about deflecting the two bladed tentacles that hit with surprising force.


    So much so that my arms would be aching if it wasn¡¯t for the Mind Krank. This stuff is great!


    ¡®Where¡¯s it¡¯s brain?¡¯ I ask frantically while grabbing the bladeless tentacle and digging my claws in.


    The pelvis region, but I would suggest against appro- Never mind.


    The Four yanks its tentacles back, taking me with them as I kick off the ground. I let go of the tentacle with one of my hands, twisting to avoid a few others that the creature sends towards me. I feel a heavy impact on my side, luckily not the bandaged one, but otherwise continue towards the beast¡¯s body unscathed.


    I land against its body and slash wildly at the tentacles trying to surround me, severing most of them at the base before they can even get close and aiming for the bladed ones first. The Four thrashes wildly as I cut down its limbs and I spot a gap that I immediately drive my arm through, plunging my hand into the flesh at its waist before ripping a chunk out.


    It freezes up and lets go of the ceiling, dropping both of us towards the floor as I kick off of it, tumbling away and bounding along the pipe. I stand up as quickly as I can, barely feeling anything from the many bruises I definitely just gained and running at the creature to continue my assault. I slice off tentacles and rip away flesh until it stops moving and Cyon declares the battle over.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 100


    I collapse to my knees on top of the brutalised plant mass that used to be a Four, panting with a wide grin as adrenaline courses through my veins.


    ¡®I can afford armour now, right?¡¯

 Chapter 7 - The First Hive

    After half of Oxford was blown up to end an incursion in late 2023, the city underwent a rapid period of growth with the help of several local samurai, who caused the explosion, and massive corporate investment. Several nearby towns were almost completely emptied as their residents moved into the forming megacity, New Oxford.


    Unfortunately, this mass migration led to a hive taking root in a nearby town and going unnoticed. It was only discovered after releasing a large wave of antithesis that almost toppled New Oxford again.


    --An excerpt from the documentary: The Formation of the Three Southern Powers.


    You can. But, while I would normally encourage protecting yourself, I question if armour¡¯s the correct purchase to make right now. Do you know these pipes well?


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ I say, tilting my head, not sure where she¡¯s going with this.


    Would there happen to be a large chamber ahead of you?


    ¡®Yeah, there¡¯s a big junction of pipes another few minutes away, why? Do you think there will be a lot of plants in there?¡¯


    Yes, and though your choice of weapon seems to suit your preferred combat style, I doubt you will be able to handle a larger group with only some armour and your claws. Instead, could I suggest saving your points for now and approaching the junction? A few well-placed explosives can easily earn back the points you spend on them if you do run into a larger group.


    ¡®Okay.¡¯ I nod, calling my siblings over and continuing down the pipes.


    I can hear faint shuffling sounds in the distance as we advance, so I keep myself low, prepared to spring back at a moment¡¯s notice if we really do run into a large group of xenos. We pass another pipe that branches off towards a residential district and I glance down it, my eyes passing over several piles of junk that have built up over the years.


    I¡¯m about to keep walking, but I notice my siblings aren¡¯t following me and have instead paused in front of that pipe.


    What have they found? Is it shiny or alien?


    The angry, warning growl from Chip tells me it¡¯s probably the latter, so I look back in at the junk piles, narrowing my eyes and inspecting them. Most of them look completely normal, but after a few passes I spot two that are slightly too large and a touch too close to the slowly flowing water trailing along the bottom of the pipe.


    Nines.


    I slowly start walking into the pipe, gesturing silently for the others to wait back. I approach the first hidden beast without looking directly at it, watching it out of the corner of my eye. It doesn¡¯t move until I step in line with it, just like the first one, and we both burst into motion at the same time.


    The junk pile unfurls, leaping forward with short, slashing limbs outstretched, and I spin on my heels, facing it and swiping down in two wide, intersecting arcs that tear through its bladed limbs, gouging ten deep lines that ooze green. The second Nine immediately rises and shoots towards me as my back is turned, but I grab its friend and plant my feet in the sludge below, swinging the dying xeno around and slamming it into the outstretched arms of the other before slipping to the ground.


    I scramble over to the unharmed, fallen Nine as quickly as I can, grabbing onto it with a clawed hand and pulling it closer to rip it to shreds. It slashes back, but its attacks don¡¯t penetrate my gloves, and it soon goes limp as I tear away chunks of flesh.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 150


    ¡®These things give a lot of points, don¡¯t they?¡¯ I questioned, sitting back and wiping the green blood from my face with my sleeve.


    Model Nines are difficult to spot, and extraordinarily lethal at close quarters if you don¡¯t. It¡¯s only reasonable they would give more points than other low-level Antithesis.


    The three energetic furballs run over as I¡¯m sitting and regaining my breath. They all rip into the dead xenos and tear away a few more chunks of flesh, venting their anger for Chip¡¯s earlier injuries.


    I slip one of my gloves off and give them each a pat for their good work before pushing myself off the floor and leading them back towards our original path. The noises coming from up ahead quickly grow louder, so I crouch down as I arrive at the last turn before the junction, slowing my steps and approaching as quietly as possible to peek my head around.


    The moment I do, I regret it, because I see veritable fuck-tonne of alien plant life. There¡¯s a Four stuck to the roof at the mouth of the chamber ahead, along with two more Threes advancing up the pipe¡¯s slope towards us. I can barely see the wide-open chamber behind them, but unfortunately the small bit that¡¯s visible has several Antithesis clambering across a few maintenance walkways to reach the pipes connected to the walls.


    I spot a few threes pushing a body out of a pipe as well, into what should be the pool of rancid waste below.


    Unfortunately, it appears having a torch mounted to my head and staring down a dark pipe into the faces of multiple Threes is an easy way to get noticed. The two creepily quiet doggos dash towards me, and several of the strange monkey-like creatures scaling the walls and walkways behind them turn to face me too.


    ¡®Shit! Cyon, I need explosives to deal whatever the fuck is in there. Now!¡¯


    I whistle a shrill, sharp tone, telling my siblings to run while staring down the charging Threes, ready to dispatch them quickly.


    Class I Esoteric Single-Use Explosives Devices unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 100


    New Purchase: Mark I Needler Grenade


    Points reduced to¡­ 95


    A fist-sized black orb appears in the air in front of me, so I reach out and catch it before it can roll away. It has a seam splitting it in half and tonnes of tiny holes dotting its surface.


    Twist and drop, then take cover immediately.


    Drop not throw? Okay!


    I twist the two halves of the orb and gently roll it into the pipe in front of the Threes before diving back into the tunnel we came from. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, just as the first Three steps into my sight, a loud series of metallic pings echo through the pipe. I see a flood of needles rip through the back of the dog before me, splattering green blood and small impact holes across the pipe walls.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increase to¡­ 165


    New Purchase: Mark I Needler Grenade


    Points reduced to¡­ 160


    New Purchase: Conflagration Charge


    Points reduced to¡­ 150


    Another Needler spawns out of thin air, this time joined by a box at my feet.


    Now that you have time to breathe, throw this Needler into the chamber to clear the way, then press the button to activate the charge and roll it in too. Afterwards, run.


    I twist the needler and step around the corner again, hurling the grenade past the dead Four slowly sliding back to fall out of the pipe, and slipping back into cover. I crouch down and throw off the lid of the box, finding an ominous black and red orb with a big red button in the centre. I hit the button at the same time as I hear the Needler go off, then pick up the entire box and swing it forward, throwing the head-sized explosive out.


    It hits the floor and starts hissing as it rolls away, so I turn and sprint after my siblings.


    ¡®What¡¯s that hissing?¡¯


    The Conflagration Charge is releasing its stores of a flammable gas mixture that will be ignited shortly.


    ¡®How far will be safe?¡¯ I ask as we pass the nines I killed earlier, spotting my siblings a dozen metres ahead of me.


    You are past the safe distance already, but the coming heatwave will be uncomfortable, so you may want to continue moving until you reach your last battle site at least.


    I nod and keep running, being careful not to slip. The moment I spot the brutalised Four ahead, I call for the others to stop and turn to watch where we came from.


    I can hear the scraping of claws against metal as several plants chase us, but nothing comes into view as I scan the pipe.


    ¡®When will it b-¡®


    Just as I start asking when the charge will go off, a low, rumbling pop echoes through the pipes, shaking my bones. Almost immediately afterwards, I feel a wave of hot air singe my face and I raise my arms to try to block it. My siblings all squeal in discomfort and tuck themselves behind my legs.


    It takes a few seconds for the worst of the heat to fade, leaving me with a strange tingling sensation on my exposed skin.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 1415


    Tokens increased to¡­ 1

 Chapter 8 - The Elephant in the Room

    ¡°The advent of samurai-tech has made embracing your gender both easier and harder in many ways.


    On one hand, with enough money, there aren''t really many limits to customising your body. On the other hand, this has led to lots of confusion.


    Are you valid if you seek only conventional hormone replacement therapy and nothing else?


    Are you obligated to undergo procedures to make you fit into the image of being conventionally attractive?


    Can you even afford to do so?


    If you undergo full-body remodelling, will you look like you or like a cookie-cutter version of your gender?


    Of course, that is still ignoring all the things hateful people have to say, despite the protectors confirming that there are many sapient species out there, who have no concept of gender or more than two sexes.


    Transgender and nonbinary people have many challenges to face still in their quest for acceptance.¡±


    --Doctor Lucy Pemberton, New Oxford Professor, in a lecture on Gender Studies, 2032.


    Woah, that¡¯s a lot of points! At least¡­ I think it is.


    ¡®What¡¯s a token?¡¯


    Tokens are another reward given to Vanguards, like points, for certain achievements. They can be used to upgrade catalogues to higher classes.


    ¡®Cool, does that mean I could get better claws or something?¡¯


    You could, but I would recommend thinking carefully about how to spend your token.


    Hurried footsteps start echoing through the pipe again.


    ¡®Okay, we¡¯ll pause that for now then. How much would some simple throwing knives be?¡¯


    Two points per knife.


    ¡®Knife please then.¡¯ I hold out my hand and a sleek silver blade with a small ring at the back falls into my palm.


    New Purchase: Throwing Knife


    Points reduced to¡­ 1413


    I roll it between my fingers, feeling the weight before flicking it up and catching it by the blade.


    I look down the tunnel and raise my arm. The moment I see a flicker of a movement at the edge of my light, my arm shoots forward, sending the blade spiralling through the air into the shoulder of a model Three.


    ¡®Knife.¡¯


    I draw my hand back again, as two more dogs leap into the light past their staggering companion, and another knife spawns above it, blade down. This time the knife finds its home in one of the plant¡¯s eyes, sending it tumbling limp to the floor.


    I don¡¯t even ask for a knife as I reach back a third time, but one appears anyway and I send it into the open jaws of the dog that¡¯s now only a metre away from me. It flinches back but doesn¡¯t die, so I spring forward and drive my fingers into its skull before it can recover.


    Chip, Spot, and Stripe all sprint towards the final Model Three that¡¯s still running towards us despite only having three fully functioning legs. Spot stops at the dead plant on the way and starts pulling the knife out of its face by the only part still visible, the ring, while Chip and Stripe run to either side of the living dog.


    It snaps at Chip who runs wide past its working leg, but in doing so it gives an opportunity to Stripe who springs up and latches onto the knife hanging from its shoulder, pulling it out and down, spreading the wound along its leg.


    I watch with a silent chuckle as the creature fruitlessly snaps at the raccoons running circles around it, then take the knife Spot delivers back to me. I flick it out, hitting the beast in the head this time and ending the fight.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Targets eliminated!


    Points increase to¡­ 1439


    Other than the sounds of my siblings¡¯ paws and my slow, controlled breaths, the pipe falls quiet.


    ¡®Sounds like that¡¯s the last of them for now.¡¯


    I take my gloves off and slump against the side of the tunnel, placing the blades beside me as they¡¯re returned by Stripe and Spot, who settle on either side of me, watching out into the tunnel. Chip claims my lap for himself and shuts his eyes as he rubs his head against my stomach.


    ¡®So, do you have any suggestions on how I should spend my rewards?¡¯


    I do. However, I believe I need more information about you to properly assist you in making this decision.


    ¡®Didn¡¯t you profile me before picking me?¡¯


    I did. However, there wasn¡¯t much data about the first sixteen years of your life, and even for the last two, there isn¡¯t a lot of personal data.


    ¡®I woke up in the undercity two years ago, so I can¡¯t give you any help there.¡¯


    I pick up one of the knives and roll it between my fingers as we talk, rubbing Chip¡¯s belly with my other hand.


    I see. Did you remember your name when you woke up?


    ¡®No. But I found it saved in my augs. Wait, is this why you called me Elise Roberton? I didn¡¯t think I had a last name.¡¯


    Yes. One of the things I was able to find was your birth records, and you were originally named George Roberton.


    The instant I hear the name I flinch. The knife falls through my fingers, clattering to the floor as a shiver runs down my spine.


    I don¡¯t remember ever being called George, but the mere suggestion makes my stomach coil in disgust. It¡¯s even worse than when I try to speak.


    I pick Chip up and pull him into a hug, burying my face in his fur.


    ¡®That¡¯s not my name.¡¯


    Of course not, and I apologise for bringing it up, Elise.


    She doesn¡¯t say anything else for a bit, letting me sit, basking in Chip¡¯s low purring as I calm down.


    I let out a sigh, lowering my brother back into my lap and leaning my head back against the pipe.


    ¡®Okay, what is it you need to know?¡¯


    Are you uncomfortable with speaking because of your voice?


    I kind of expected it, but the question still makes me frown.


    ¡®Yeah¡­ It¡¯s too deep.¡¯


    I thought so. In that case, would you be interested to know that with Protector grade genetic manipulation we can modify your voice?


    ¡®Really?¡¯


    My eyes widen in surprise and my head snaps to attention.


    Yes. With the right catalogues we can do almost anything we want, from modifying your current body to building a new one. Is there anything else you¡¯d like to change?


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ I respond almost too eagerly. ¡®I¡¯m too tall, my hairs too flat and wiry, my face is too sharp, my che-¡®


    I catch myself and clench my fists. It feels weird to say this to someone.


    ¡®My chest and hips are ugly and shapeless.¡¯ I run my fingers through Chip¡¯s fur, finding comfort in the warm familiarity as my chest tightens. ¡®Not like a girl¡¯s should be.¡¯


    I see. In that case, should I assume our first priority is changing your body to suit your gender identity?


    I nod my head.


    In that case, I would like to suggest the technology of the Prolotors. They have a keen focus on genetic manipulation and self-modification, and I believe their catalogues would help you a great deal.


    ¡®What would that include? What kind of self-modifications can we do?¡¯


    The Prolotors have a curious system of producing and cultivating genetically modified parasitic viruses that forcibly mutate and fuse with a host. The first catalogue I would suggest contains thousands of different virus strains with different effects.


    ¡®That sounds¡­ horrific?¡¯


    It¡¯s one of the more violent options for how you go about this, but I believe it will suit you well, and there are certain advantages to that.


    ¡®Really?¡¯


    Yes. Firstly, Prolotors¡¯ base form before all their genetic tampering is something I think you would like. I would show you an image, but your augs won¡¯t load it. Think of them as a mix between humans and raccoons. Their catalogues can be used to help your siblings too.


    There¡¯s such a perfect race?


    Secondly, it¡¯s a relatively inexpensive choice due to the slight instability.


    ¡®Instability?¡¯


    There is a chance for unwanted mutations to happen, or for a modification to fail. But the chance of failure can be reduced with help from other catalogues of drugs the Prolotors produce, and any problems that arise can be fixed, they just might cost some extra points.


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s not that bad. Will it be painful?¡¯


    Yes. The Prolotors also produce a lot of weaponised bacteria and viruses for use against the Antithesis that will help you in combat too.


    She totally just tried to brush over the pain thing! Ah well, what¡¯s a bit of pain to get what I want?


    I hear a faint clack far off down the pipe. Something¡¯s coming again.


    ¡®Looks like we¡¯re almost out of time. Okay, what should I actually be buying then?¡¯


    Class I & II Prolotor Viral Modifications for one token and five hundred and seventy-five points will unlock the basics you need to make and changes. I would supplement it with Class I Prolotor Drugs for a further one hundred points.


    ¡®Okay, that would leave me with¡­¡¯


    Seven hundred and sixty-four points.


    I totally didn¡¯t need that¡­


    ¡®What would that get me?¡¯


    The cost of modifications will vary wildly depending on what you¡¯re after. A single serum full conversion from biologically male to female will cost you five hundred points, but I would recommend first purchasing some combat upgrades to help fund further modifications instead.


    ¡®Okay, purchase the catalogues and suggest some combat stuff then. Something¡¯s getting closer.¡¯

 Chapter 9 - The New Strength

    ¡°I have been wondering about this for a while now. A lot of samurai have changed their gender, right?¡±


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to go to a gynaecologist, but getting a sex change is not getting you out of it.¡±


    ¡°What? Right, no, not what I meant. I was just wondering if that was one of the deciding factors that makes you a samurai.¡±


    ¡°You know not all samurai change their gender.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, maybe it is because people who already want to change their gender are less resistant to other changes.¡±


    "You''re still going to the doctor."


    "Fuck!"


    -- discussion between Sam and Evelin ¡®Maniac¡¯ before initialisation.


    Class I Prolotor Viral Modifications unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 1314


    Class II Prolotor Viral Modifications unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 864


    Tokens reduced to¡­ 0


    Class I Prolotor Drugs


    Points reduced to¡­ 764


    First, I believe it best you purchase a natural upgrade to your muscles and reflexes. The Class II Rabid Acrobatic Canid Viral Sample would be a good fit for your, odd, combat style. I would supplement it with a Class I Mutagen X to increase your susceptibility to mutation, and a Class I Viral Immunity Booster, to increase your resistance to any harmful side effects. It will come out to a total of four hundred points.


    ¡®Will it finish fast enough?¡¯


    The footsteps are getting louder, and whatever is approaching us, probably another group of Threes if the even patter of claws is anything to go off, is nearly here.


    Yes.


    ¡®Do it then.¡¯


    New Purchase: Class II R.A.C Viral Sample


    Points reduced to¡­ 564


    New Purchase: Class I Mutagen X


    Points reduced to¡­ 464


    New Purchase: Class I Viral Immunity Booster


    Points reduced to¡­ 364


    Three boxes spawn at my feet, each with a different graphic of a raccoon printed on the top.


    Please inject the Mutagen and Immunity Booster first.


    I nod and reach for the box with a raccoon fighting a cartoon virus with a comically oversized sword.


    ¡®I assume this is the Immunity Booster.¡¯


    Correct.


    I pop open the box and find a thick glass tube of translucent blue liquid with a nasty-looking mechanical silver head at one end. I pull back my sleeve and hold the metal end against the inside of my elbow.


    ¡®Is there a bu-¡®


    The tube starts draining into my arm before I can finish my question, and I feel a tingling warmth spread across my body. The tube empties, so I remove it from my arm and drop it to the floor, moving on to the box with a raccoon hugging a strange glitching blob.


    There¡¯s a similar injector inside, but the liquid within is an unsettling yellow that almost glows. As it flows into my arm, an excited buzz floods my veins, as if every cell in my body is coming alive.


    I resist the urge to bounce in place and pop open the last box, ignoring the flexing raccoon printed on it. This third injector is twice the size of the other two. The needle at the end is long enough to make me a little nervous, and the strange, thick grey sludge bubbling away inside it makes me swallow a lump down my throat.


    ¡®This is safe, right?¡¯


    Mostly. Please place that one against your chest. It can be over your clothes if that makes you more comfortable.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡®Why did you brush over that question!¡¯


    She doesn¡¯t respond and I grit my teeth as I place the thick silver contraption against my chest. The sharp needle shoots out, punching a hole in me and dumping the contents of the container within a second.


    At first, I don¡¯t feel anything as I pull the needle out and discard the empty injector. I glance down at my chest, waiting for something to happen.


    I wonder if Mind Krank will help with the pain?


    I get my answer much faster than I would like as pain consumes my thoughts. It explodes out of nowhere, starting in no particular spot and tearing through every single fibre of my being. I try to scream, but the muscles in my throat are being ripped to shreds just like the rest of them, so nothing happens.


    The only sensation I can even start to discern is the revolting sensation of something wriggling beneath my skin.


    I don¡¯t know how long it lasts, probably only a few seconds, but it feels like hours. Then, the all-encompassing pain vanishes like a lie. I¡¯m left gasping for breath while feeling completely refreshed. It¡¯s weird.


    ¡®That was horrible. Will every change be like that?¡¯


    Some will hurt less; some will hurt more. You¡¯ll get used to it.


    ¡®Can¡¯t we use any painkillers?¡¯


    Unfortunately, no. One of the few main drawbacks of this method is the inability to make it comfortable for the user.


    ¡®It better have been worth it.¡¯


    I raise one of my hands, flexing my fingers and trying to see if anything feels different. There¡¯s no pain, even as I stretch them past what should have been the limit of their flexibility before. That¡¯s a good start.


    I put my hands down and push off the pipe, expecting to stand up. However, instead I fling myself forward a few metres, tumbling and rolling to my feet.


    ¡®Woah.¡¯


    I slowly stand up straight, then I lightly flex my ankles, sending myself several inches off the floor.


    ¡¯That¡¯s weird!¡¯


    The sudden shift in strength may be a little difficult to get used to. I would recommend purchasing a Hyper Thought for ten points to temporarily boost your processing speed in order to adjust.


    ¡®Okay.¡¯


    New Purchase: Hyper Thought


    Points reduced to¡­ 354


    Another syringe spawns in the air in front of me. It¡¯s a good thing I don¡¯t mind needles.


    I place the injector on my arm, ignoring the fizzling yellow liquid inside. As it flows through my veins, I feel a rush to my head and my entire viewpoint seems to zoom out a little.


    ¡®This is even worse!¡¯


    I move my arms, expecting the shift in perception to make the action feel strange, but instead, the movement feels completely natural as if I never got a muscle upgrade at all.


    ¡®Never mind.¡¯


    I flex my fingers again and smile before stepping forward and closing the distance to my siblings suddenly enough to make them jump. I bend down, folding at the waist in a way I¡¯ve never been able to before due to my tight legs to pick up my gloves and knives.


    I slip the gloves on and hold a knife in each hand.


    I should buy a way to hold these next.


    A group of Threes finally enter my torchlight, revealing their blackened, half-burned bodies. The plants charge into my light one by one until there are nine shapes hurtling towards us. My siblings move to confront our enemies, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll need to.


    I crouch and lean forward, compressing my legs and building up power while angling towards the leading dog. I burst forward, closing the gap in an instant and reaching out, slamming my curled fingers into the plant¡¯s skull, ripping a chunk clean out of it and killing the creature instantly.


    I bounce between the Threes, lashing out in a hail of blades that shreds the half-cooked xenos to pieces, scattering plant matter and green blood across the pipes.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 444


    I slide to a stop behind the dead plants, looking back over my shoulder while lightly panting.


    ¡®Whoa!¡¯


    So, do you think it was worth it?


    ¡®Yes! That was a rush, and it felt so easy! I¡¯m a bit tired already though.¡¯


    Both the mutation process and the usage of your new muscles consume a lot of nutrients. You should look at taking a break to take in some sustenance soon.


    ¡®Got it. Should I be doing something about all this dead plant? Can¡¯t they use the bodies to make more of themselves?¡¯


    Yes, Antithesis gather biomass to produce more Models. On that note, I would suggest purchasing a Mark I Flesh Melter for three points.


    ¡®Buy away.¡¯


    New Purchase: Mark I Flesh Melter


    Points reduced to¡­ 441


    A silver can pops into existence, so I reach out and grab it. It has a classic pop tab on top like a drink.


    ¡®This is a grenade, right?¡¯


    Yes, it is. Pop the tab, throw it into the centre of the bodies, and stay ten metres away from the deployment zone.


    I whistle, calling my siblings over so we can head towards the undercity before following the instructions. A slow sizzling starts behind us as we head towards the junction I lit on fire.


    I walk slowly with my siblings, and we turn off at the last side pipe before the dead hive, settling down on a large half-melted pile of metal scrap.


    ¡®Can I buy food from you then?¡¯


    Yes, basic food is included in a general catalogue available to all Vanguard, just like that head torch.


    ¡®Cool. Four meals then please!¡¯


    New Purchase: Basic Ration x 4


    Points reduced to¡­ 433


    Four white plastic trays with clear plastic tops spawn in my lap. My siblings all surround me, eying them with interest as they catch the smell of hot food. I place three of the trays out for them and pop the lid off my own.


    A large, steaming plate of spaghetti stares back at me as I pick up my cutlery and prepare to dig in.


    Could I interest you in some purchase suggestions while you eat?


    ¡®Sure, what¡¯s next?¡¯

 Chapter 10 - The First Words

    ¡°It''s not known if Protectors chose Vanguard with certain... inclinations, or if their AIs are actively encouraging them, but there is an active trend for many Samurai to modify their bodies with animal characteristics.


    And so, Dear Members of The Board, I present to you the newest addition to our Samurai fashion line that will make us our next billion:


    CAT. EARS.¡±


    --Internal presentation by Louis, H&M.


    I believe you would benefit from a Class II Type 89 Splicer Kit for two hundred points.


    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯


    It¡¯s a kit that allows you to enhance yourself with the sample of another creature. In other words, you can become part raccoon. It will enhance all of your senses, including your night vision, to a certain extent, along with improving your adaptability. It will set you up with a stable foundation for future mutations.


    ¡®Okay, sure. What should I spend the other two hundred points on?¡¯


    First off, I believe you should put a small minimum point boundary in place for medical supplies. You don¡¯t want to end up wounded and unable to deal with it.


    ¡®Fair point. Let¡¯s say fifty points for emergencies then for now.¡¯


    Understood. In that case, I would recommend a further sensory upgrade. If you¡¯re hunting in the dark, you should remove the light that reveals you from a mile away.


    ¡®Sure, what should I go for then?¡¯


    The Class II Nighteye Viral Sample would be a good fit for one hundred points.


    ¡®Okay, let me finish this and we¡¯ll buy them both.¡¯


    I stop getting distracted talking to Cyon and dig into my meal in full, enjoying the rich taste of what is definitely real meat. The food is gone before I can blink and I discard my tray before glancing down at my siblings sitting contentedly next to equally empty trays.


    Being a Samurai is amazing.


    ¡®Okay, hit me with the first one then.¡¯


    New Purchase: Class II Type 89 Splicer Kit


    Points reduced to¡­ 233


    A black box with a cartoon raccoon wearing a lab coat and holding an oversized syringe appears in my lap. I open it to find a familiar glass and metal injector, filled with a thick grey solution, along the top of the case. Underneath it are two smaller, empty syringes and a small glass bottle filled with a clear yellow liquid.


    ¡®Woah.¡¯


    This one requires a little more effort on your part, can you handle that?


    ¡®Rude, I¡¯m not dumb!¡¯


    I never said you are. Now, take a sample from one of your siblings with one of the smaller syringes please.


    I pull the small cylindrical tube of glass from the box and reach out to pick up Stripe. I place her in my lap and gently pat her head before placing the metal of the syringe against her leg. She lets out a small squeak as it stabs her, but doesn¡¯t squirm.


    She sits still like the big strong girl she is and gets several seconds of well-deserved pats for it before I pull the syringe away filled with her dark red blood. She remains on my lap even after I let go and turn my attention to my splicing kit.


    ¡®What now?¡¯


    Place the syringe against the sealing film on the separating agent.


    I pick up the small glass bottle and place the blood syringe against the thin, springy film on top of it. A small needle sticks out and pours blood into the bottle until it''s almost full before retracting.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Discard the syringe and shake the bottle for a few seconds.


    I toss the syringe away and shake the bottle vigorously. As the liquid within settles, I see it¡¯s split into two layers. On the bottom is a thin layer of dark crimson and filling the rest of the space is a faded red.


    Extract the sample with the other syringe.


    I¡¯m already reaching for the syringe, barely needing to be told what to do at this point. The syringe plunges through the sealing film and draws up the thick crimson from the bottom of the bottle, leaving everything else behind.


    I take the sample and lift the final syringe, looking at the back of it and finding a small film.


    ¡®I inject the sample here, right?¡¯


    Correct.


    I place the crimson syringe against the other, and it pours the vibrant red solution into the translucent grey. I watch the grey shift, turning to a light pink.


    ¡®Do I not need any booster with this one?¡¯


    No, those were one-time boosts that were solidified with your mutation. You will eventually reach a new limit, but then we can purchase stronger boosts to raise it once again.


    ¡®Okay, here goes nothing I guess.¡¯


    I place the syringe on my chest, feeling a spike of pressure and watching the glass tube empty. I flick it away once I¡¯m done with it and brace for the incoming pain.


    A cold fire ignites my chest, spreading with each beat of my heart. It only takes a moment for it to fill my entire body, and I start shaking uncontrollably, collapsing to the ground to writhe in agony. It continues for a few seconds before vanishing completely and leaving me gasping for breath.


    ¡®Fuck that¡¯s awful.¡¯


    I sit back up and crack my neck to reset myself mentally.


    {Okay?} Stripe squeaks, nudging my side with her head.


    Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I reach out to pet her in appreciation before freezing.


    Did I just understand what she meant?


    I stare down at my sister in confusion.


    {Okay?} she squeaks again, tilting her head to the side.


    ¡®I can understand her.¡¯


    I reach out to give her a reassuring pat.


    ¡®Is this from the splicing?¡¯


    Yes. It appears the mutation has allowed you the ability to communicate with your siblings to a certain extent. You won¡¯t be able to speak back to them in their tongue yet, but we can fix that with another upgrade. In fact, that same mutation can fix your voice issue early.


    ¡®Really? How much is it? I want to talk to my siblings!¡¯


    I practically bounce in place at the suggestion. Can you blame me? I¡¯ve never been able to join their little conversations before!


    It will cost you seventy-five points.


    ¡®Perfect. I¡¯m doing it after the eye upgrade!¡¯


    New Purchase: Class II Nighteye Viral Sample


    Points reduced to¡­ 133


    Another box with a raccoon graphic spawns. I pop it open and find a syringe with a dark black liquid. I place it against my chest in an already boringly repetitive motion before bracing for pain.


    This time it¡¯s not as bad. Only my eyes feel like they¡¯re being ripped out, and the buzzing pain spreading across my face isn¡¯t even that excruciating!


    I¡¯m surprised I¡¯m not crying already if I¡¯m honest. I guess my desire to not hear my voice is just stronger than the pain. Should I consider that a win?


    The pain finally subsides, and I rub my eyes, considering why I¡¯m doing this to myself. The moment I open them, I realise why, because the entire pipe is shockingly clear, as if the sun was shining high above.


    ¡®Woah¡­¡¯


    I look to the far end of the pipe and focus on a small cockroach crawling along, counting its tiny legs.


    ¡®This is incredible.¡¯


    I reach up and turn my head torch off, finding the pipe doesn¡¯t dim even a little.


    That¡¯s a Class II eye upgrade focused on night vision for you.


    ¡®Now the light won¡¯t give me away at least. Is it a good idea to look into stealth later? Sneaking up on the plants could be good, right?¡¯


    Of course. Stealth would be a great idea for you. In fact, you may want to look at some stealth mutations for your siblings too. They will be safer in a fight if they can hide and utilise their small sizes to run away.


    ¡®That¡¯s a good idea. First though, voice please!¡¯


    New Purchase: Class II Chatterbox Viral Sample


    Points reduced to¡­ 58


    A final box decorated with a screaming raccoon forms in my lap. I open it to find a sickly green solution this time.


    Maybe this one won¡¯t hurt?


    The stabbing pain in my throat moments later proves that hope was wishful, but it¡¯s manageable compared to the other mutations. I clench my throat with both hands and wait out the change, trying to breathe despite it feeling like my airway has been crushed.


    The pain vanishes as suddenly as it comes once again, and I cough for a few moments before opening my mouth and trying to say something.


    ¡°H-¡° I start, wincing when I hear the same low tone as usual.


    However, when I think to raise my voice, I feel a strange shift in my throat.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I try again, hearing a scratchy, high-pitched tone instead.


    It¡¯s not pleasant by any means, but it doesn¡¯t send chills down my spine like usual.


    It will take you some vocal training to get used to using your modified voice box. You have a lot finer control over it than a normal person would, and you will even be able to mimic other people¡¯s voices if you practice well.


    My eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡®Really? How long will it take till I can talk in a more natural voice? I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m even meant to aim for?¡¯


    We can purchase some vocal training resources once you gain more points. That added to a processing upgrade, which you will need to remove your reliance on Hyper Thought anyway, and you should achieve your goal voice in no time.


    I can¡¯t help the happy smile that stretches my cheeks. I may finally like how I sound.


    I take a deep breath and try to speak again, this time focusing on communicating with my siblings.


    {Hello,} I let out a high, rumbling chirp, and all three of my siblings¡¯ heads snap up to lock eyes with me.


    {Sister?} Chip squeaks, tilting his head, and I can¡¯t help the tears that pour from my eyes.

 Chapter 11 - The Clean-Up

    ¡°Remember well. Antithesis are not animals. They¡¯re plants, and they¡¯re not just any plants, they¡¯re weeds. Given a chance, they¡¯ll always grow back. Roughly half of the incursions we deal with are the result of a hive that has grown from a few forgotten corpses somewhere in a hard to access place.


    So, unless you have special Samurai-grade Flesh Melters to clean up Antithesis biomass, remember your very best friend: fire. You should always carry with you a set of napalm grenades.


    Just for the love of God¡­ stay away from them when they¡¯re lit.¡±


    -- Excerpt from a PMC¡¯s orientation speech for new recruits.


    {Yes,} I chirp back, wiping the tears from my eyes.


    My siblings all crawl onto me, rubbing their heads against me while happily purring.


    I can¡¯t help but let out a chittering giggle and, after a few moments of affectionately petting their fluff, I feel a rumbling in my own chest. My eyes widen in surprise and my mouth falls open.


    ¡®Am I purring?¡¯


    It would appear so.


    Our warm moment is interrupted by a faint shuffling, far off down the pipes. I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it before my recent upgrades, but now the tiny noise seems so obvious it¡¯s hard to miss.


    My head snaps down the pipe in sync with my siblings¡¯.


    ¡®We should get back to killing plants. If there¡¯s a hive in the undercity I need to remove it, right?¡¯


    Indeed, that would be preferable.


    I push myself up and slip my gloves on, picking my knives up in the process.


    ¡®Can I have something to hold these?¡¯


    You can purchase a Basic Sheath Strap to fix them to your leg for three points if you would like.


    ¡®Yes please.¡¯


    New Purchase: Basic Sheath Strap


    Points reduced to¡­ 55


    A box appears at my feet, and I pop it open to find a simple black, buckled strap with three leather slots for my knives. I fasten it around my left thigh and slide my knives in.


    {Let¡¯s go.}


    We set off down the pipe, heading towards the undercity once again. I listen to the faint claws as we move deeper, and we reach the source at the entrance to the chamber I set on fire. I peek around the corner to the pipe and see a Three clambering down into the chamber.


    We approach slowly, trying not to make any noise, and peek over the edge of the pipe. I see the chamber drop down a dozen metres, and at the bottom is a half-melted pile of scorched plant-mass with several Threes and a Four digging through the ash to try reach the surviving biomass. The plants must have smelled me, because they all look up and meet my gaze despite not having a head light to alert them this time.


    ¡®Grenade please.¡¯


    New Purchase: Mark I Needler Grenade


    Points reduced to¡­ 50


    I twist the orb and toss it into the middle of the xenos before ducking back into the pipe as it goes off.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 105


    I look back over the edge and confirm everything is dead before leaping to a suspended maintenance gangway to climb down. I hit the grated metal with a clang, barely having to bend my legs to cushion the blow.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡®Woah, I barely felt that.¡¯


    The R.A.C Viral Sample was a potent boost to your musculature. Added to the effects from the genetic splicing, and you could even jump to the ground from there without problems.


    My eyes light up at the suggestion, so I call my siblings over.


    {Jump.}


    They chitter in acknowledgement and hop down after me, landing one after the other in my arms, avoiding my hands, before scrambling away to find somewhere to cling to. Chip pushes himself into the pocket of my half-shredded hoodie, which I should really replace soon, while Spot and Stripe claim a shoulder each.


    {Hold on,} I squeak before stepping off the walkway and dropping towards the ground.


    My fluffy passengers all squeal in excitement, and we quickly hit the ground. I slam into a mixture of ash and scorched plant matter with a heavy squelch, dropping into a roll that scatters Spot and Stripe but saves my knees from too much stress.


    ¡°Haha,¡± I let out a quivering laugh, maybe slightly too high-pitched.


    ¡®That was fun.¡¯


    I should have expected you would take that as a suggestion. I¡¯ll be more careful with what I say in the future.


    ¡®Aww, don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s important I know my limits, right?¡¯


    The lack of an answer means I won this one¡­ I think.


    I look around at the odd, half-destroyed alien structure burned onto the walls of the chamber.


    ¡®Why is only half the hive gone? Do we need to remove the rest of this?¡¯


    The Conflagration Charge I gave you was a single intense burst of heat, it flash-vapourised most Antithesis within its bounds, but it didn¡¯t have the sustained firepower to fully remove all matter from the nest. I would suggest leaving a few Flesh Melters to deal with the clean-up while you move on.


    I nod and walk across the chamber, climbing up into one of the pipes dropping sewage into the chamber. I pause in the mouth of the pipe, letting Spot and Stripe scramble up the steep incline for the first few metres before the pipe levels out ahead of me.


    ¡®Flesh Melters please¡¯


    New Purchase: Mark I Flesh Melter x 3


    Points reduced to¡­ 96


    Three cans appear in the air before me, so I scoop them up in my arms. I pop the tabs and throw them one by one, spreading them across the chamber before clambering up the pipe to join my siblings. As we move forward, I hear something moving ahead of us, and the faint sizzling fades away behind us.


    We creep around a slow bend and the sounds stops as we see a single Four sitting stationary on the ceiling ahead. I scan the pipe around it, making sure it¡¯s alone, before dashing towards it. I clear the distance between us in the blink of an eye and leap, batting away two tentacles that lash at me before burying my hand into its pelvis and tearing out a chunk of flesh.


    I hit the floor and step back as the plant falls.


    Target Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 111


    I hold out my hand and Cyon drops a Flesh Melter into it without missing a beat, dropping my points by three again.


    I pop the tab and toss it on the corpse, walking away while Chip wiggles out of my pocket.


    ¡®Am I going to have to spend points on Flesh Melters every time I kill plants? That seems like a waste.¡¯


    If you kill larger groups, cleaning the bodies will barely impact your point gains. However, if it still bothers you, you can purchase an organ to produce flesh-eating bacteria specialised for use against the Antithesis.


    ¡®That sounds cool. How useful would the bacteria be?¡¯


    Depending on which strains you purchase, you could kill most basic Models with a scratch.


    ¡®That¡¯s definitely going on the list.¡¯


    We continue through the pipe, treading quietly and scanning every piece of discarded tech or piled up waste as we go. We reach our target and pause, looking at the small, grated pipe.


    I reach out and slide the gate up and out of the way on the only bolt still attached.


    All three of my siblings leap up into the pipe, pausing at the entrance and waiting for me as they listen to the scratching sound echoing up from far below.


    Looks like we might be dropping into a fight.


    I dig my fingers into the walls of the pipe to give myself some grip and slide myself into the narrow pipe feet first.


    My siblings climb onto my chest as the grate falls closed behind me, so I push off and start our slide down towards the undercity. It starts off a lot faster than I expected thanks to my new superstrength, but it¡¯s nothing that a quick claw into the pipe can¡¯t fix.


    Ignoring the slight damage to city property, I slide down the twisting pipe on my back, quickly approaching the now frantic sounding scratching below.


    My feet slam into something soft, and we shoot out of the pipe into another several-metre wide pipe, landing on top of a Three, surrounded by five others.


    ¡®What a warm welcome.¡¯


    I slice open the front of the doggo I landed on, drawing my claws from its chin to its chest, before springing towards another plant with a wild swipe.


    Spot, Chip, and Stripe all jump at different targets, scratching out their eyes.


    I rip my targets head in half as it leaps into my claw to attack me, tossing the body aside before turning to the last doggo with eyes and running at it.


    It tries to bite my leg, but I jump over its attack, spinning in the air and raking my claws down its back. I land and slide away, digging my fingers into the ground and throwing myself forward again to finish off the eyeless plants.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 168


    ¡®I guess you were right,¡¯ I subvocalise while dropping the last corpse. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel as bad to spend three points now.¡¯


    New Purchase: Mark I Flesh Melter


    Points reduced to¡­ 165


    I toss the can and gather my siblings, setting off towards the closest exit onto the street I know of. If the aliens are attacking the undercity, I¡¯ll be more help out of these pipes.

 Chapter 12 - The First Big Ones

    ¡°Most Samurai will die in their first incursion. Can anyone hazard a guess at the most common cause of death? No?


    It¡¯s carelessness.


    It¡¯s easy to think you¡¯re invincible when you¡¯ve just been thrown crazy alien tech. Unfortunately, the Antithesis never fail to capitalise on a weakness, and most Samurai don¡¯t survive to learn their lesson.


    If any of you ever find yourselves cursed with this gift they call uplifting, just remember; constant vigilance is key!¡±


    --Stormsurge, local Samurai, giving a guest lecture at New Oxford University, 2031


    We creep through the pipe, keeping an ear out for any enemies ahead. I don¡¯t hear anything, but I do spot a single, malformed chunk of scrap.


    I grab one of the knives at my leg and whip my arm forward, sending the knife spinning straight into the Model Nine¡¯s centre mass.


    It doesn¡¯t die, writhing and breaking its camouflage before trying to leap towards us, but I throw a second knife that finishes the job.


    Target Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 190


    I walk past the dead alien as my siblings retrieve my knives, tossing a Flesh Melter back at the corpse with barely a thought. After a few metres, I turn to face another loose grate, this one leading to the outside world.


    However, instead of seeing a grate pressed into place, I find an open path into the undercity. I step up to the edge of the pipe and glance down, spotting the grate discarded on the floor below.


    ¡®The plants must have knocked it out.¡¯


    My siblings climb onto me, and I jump down into the alley below.


    ¡®Where should I be going? Am I looking for something in particular?¡¯


    You should be searching for the position of the hive, but for now I would just recommend gathering more points. It will be more efficient to upgrade your augs and let me find the hive for you.


    ¡®Okay, plant killing it is.¡¯


    I stalk down the alleyway with my siblings creeping alongside me. There¡¯s more light now thanks to the powerful artificial lights bathing the undercity in eternal daylight, but it barely makes a difference to me.


    We make it to the end of the alley, and I peek around the corner onto an open street. There¡¯s nothing on the street, but I can hear the faint sound of something being dragged along off in the distance.


    {Something ahead. Quiet.} I tell my siblings as we step out onto the street and run forward while keeping low.


    The street bends and as we follow it around, several Threes come into view, dragging along the corpse of a woman with a gaping wound where her throat should be. They spot us and drop the body, moving to attack as I run forward to meet them.


    I flick a knife into the eye of the first and punch the second in the jaw, knocking its head aside before slashing its throat out. I catch the third alien as it dives for my throat, digging my fingers into its tri-hinged jaw.


    Stripe leaps onto its back and scrambles up to stand on top of its head, staring back at me while triumphantly raising my second throwing knife.


    When did she take that?


    She drives the knife down into the xeno¡¯s forehead, finishing my kill for me.


    Targets Eliminated!


    Points increase to¡­ 217


    {Thanks,} I squeak while pulling my knife out of the dead plant¡¯s head and putting it away with the second knife that Chip collects for me.


    I can hear heavy footfall and gunshots further into the twisting streets, so we quickly move on, tossing a Flesh Melter onto the bodies and creeping deeper into the undercity.


    We reach the end of the street and peek around the corner to see a large crowd of plants assaulting one of the better built buildings down here, the Monkey Parade¡¯s headquarters. There are lots of Threes, several Fours, and I even notice a few distorted shapes creeping along the edge of the street that must be Nines. However, there are also several larger Models I don¡¯t know the names of, and there are even a few bird-like things flapping around.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    How the hell did they get down here?


    I pull back from the corner quickly, not wanting to pull the mob¡¯s attention yet.


    ¡®Holy shit, that¡¯s a lot of plants.¡¯


    Yes, with your current capabilities you would struggle to face them head on.


    ¡®What are those big things? Will I even be able to damage them?¡¯


    The two largest Antithesis are Model Sixes. They are heavy combat units with reasonable intelligence, and they¡¯re likely commanding that group. You could damage them with a strong enough explosive from your Esoteric Single-Use Explosives Devices catalogue, but you would need better Claws to get through their armoured hide in close quarters.


    I nod and glance down at my bladed gloves. They¡¯re nice, but they don¡¯t really pack much punch. Explosions it is!


    ¡®And the other ones?¡¯


    Model Fives. They are a ranged artillery unit that fire hardened quills that can penetrate light armour.


    ¡®So, if I get hit by one¡­¡¯


    A new hole to heal!


    ¡®Urgh. Staying out of sight it is.¡¯


    I look at my siblings waiting eagerly below me, practically bouncing in place with energy but forcing themselves to follow my lead.


    ¡®Hey Cyon, how do points work when someone helps me kill things? I got full points when Stripe finished that doggo, right?¡¯


    It depends wildly based on the circumstances. If you and a non-Vanguard both directly contribute to a kill like earlier, you get full points. However, if someone kills Antithesis with a weapon you have provided without your direct contribution, you¡¯ll receive a reduced reward. It¡¯s the same for independent tools such as automated drones or trained combat animals.


    ¡®In other words, if I get my siblings to help, I¡¯ll lose points?¡¯


    Yes, however, you will also increase the quantity of enemies you can deal with at once if you grow a force of your own, and there are several methods to help increase your point gains with these methods.


    ¡®Really? Okay, I want to give my siblings some grenades and have them climb nearby buildings to rain explosives on the plants. What should I buy?¡¯


    In that case, I would recommend unlocking Class I Auxiliary Weapon Utilities for fifty points and buying three Mark II Grenade Bag ¨C Raccoon Modified for forty-five points. Then purchase four Short-Range Communicators from a general catalogue for eight points. As long as they are using grenades you supplied, on your orders, within a few hundred metres of you, you should retain most points from their kills.


    ¡®Okay, do it. Oh, and I¡¯m gonna need some grenades to fill their bags with.¡¯


    Class I Auxiliary Weapon Utilities unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 164


    New Purchase: Mark II Grenade Bag ¨C Raccoon Modified x 3


    Points reduced to¡­ 119


    New Purchase: Short-Range Communicator


    Points reduced to¡­ 117


    New Purchase: Short Range Communicator ¨C Raccoon Modified x 3


    Points reduced to¡­ 111


    New Purchase: Mark I Needler Grenade x 6


    Points reduced to¡­ 81


    New Purchase: Mark I Volcano Grenade x 3


    Points reduced to¡­ 66


    Only seven boxes spawn on the floor in front of me, three large ones covered in colourful cartoon images of raccoons throwing grenades from little brown sacks, and four smaller boxes, three of them with a single raccoon face and one of them without.


    {Open the big ones,} I tell my siblings, getting more used to their strange language the more I use it.


    They scramble forwards and pop the tops off the boxes, grabbing the bags from within and trying to work out how to put them on while I check on the communicators.


    I open the one intended for me first and find a strange half-moon-shaped black device with a several glowing dots on the side.


    Place the communicator behind your ear and press the top button.


    I do as I¡¯m told, and the device sticks to my skin.


    Do the same with your siblings and you¡¯ll be able to hear each other as long as none of you leave the undercity.


    I pop open the other boxes and find similar devices, so I quickly mount them to the fur behind my siblings¡¯ ears, checking on their bag straps as I do. The bags wrap over their shoulders and across their chests in a full harness, and the mouths of the bags sit just behind their heads, each one with a grenade poking out ready for their little hands to grab.


    The grenades are already in their bags, loaded with the Volcanos at the bottom. Use them on larger models after clearing the mob with Needlers.


    I nod as my siblings line up in front of me.


    ¡®Can I have a Needler as well please.¡¯


    New Purchase: Mark I Needler Grenade


    Points reduced to¡­ 61


    {Split up,} I squeak, catching the grenade as it spawns before me.


    {Get high and wait.} They all nod enthusiastically.


    {Twist,} I hold up the grenade and mime twisting both halves. {Then throw.}


    They all give small squeaks of understanding before dashing towards one of the jaunty buildings beside us to scramble up to the roof.


    I creep forward to the street corner again and wait for them to get in place. I would join them on top of the building, but it¡¯s probably better not to give the Antithesis an excuse to collapse a building with us in it. I¡¯ll give them a more direct target instead.


    ¡®If we take out the Fives with our grenades, will I be able to purchase a better weapon and deal with the rest of the horde by hand if needed?¡¯


    Yes. However, I would recommend utilising explosives anyway. As long as you¡¯re within twenty metres of your siblings, I can place purchased grenades directly into their bags for a small extra cost, so you can restock them while you distract the Antithesis from the ground. Also, there are several more focused explosives in your catalogue you could use to handle the larger models if you would like to avoid making rushed weapon purchases.


    ¡®Oh, nice. I¡¯ll work it out then.¡¯


    {Ready.} Stripe¡¯s squeak sounds loudly in my ear, as if she was sitting on my shoulder.


    I peek around the corner and look up, spotting Chip hanging his head over the top of the building directly behind the horde, just above a small flock of birds.


    I grab one of the knives from my thigh and lean around the corner, stretching my arm back.


    {Hold,} I squeak, and Chip vanishes back.


    My arm whips forward, sending my knife flying through the air and straight through the head of one of the small flying Models, grabbing their attention immediately.


    {Throw!}

 Chapter 13 - The Horde

    ¡°Are war crimes really valid against plants? I mean, come on!


    It¡¯s not like they¡¯re people or something.¡±


    --Uncredited. Suspected: Samurai Shoggoth, during the Global Incursion.


    The plants near silently turn some of their ranks to face me, and the entire flock of flyers swoop down towards me. I immediately prime the Needler in my hands and toss it out, watching three identical grenades sailing down towards the horde from above, before ducking back around the corner and bracing.


    I hear a series of pops, followed by a rapid tapping and several thuds. I see several needles fly past in a blink and bury themselves in the walls of a run-down housing unit nearby, sending a chill down my spine as I fail to follow them even with my improved eyesight and drug-enhanced reflexes.


    I glance around the corner and see the birds and a collection of Threes lying dead between me and the rest of the horde, but there are plenty of living plants, and quite a lot of them are now running at me.


    {Again,} I squeak before urgently ducking back and jumping away as something blows a chunk of concrete from the wall in front of me.


    I look at the ground beside me and see a long, sleek, quill buried halfway into the ground.


    ¡®Okay, I think they have a target now.¡¯


    I hear another set of pops, followed by hurried padding claws coming towards me.


    {Aim for the big ones. Again!}


    This time, instead of a dull pop, I hear I violent crackle as something ignites. I wait for a moment, hearing the approaching claws pause in confusion as well, before leaping around the corner and lowering myself to dash towards the horde.


    I see a collection of Threes treading over the bodies of their allies, looking back at the Fives and Sixes covered in burning foam.


    I race towards them, closing the gap to the first plant before they even turn back to me and slashing its throat from the side.


    The dogs immediately turn their focus back to me, no longer caring about the strange, distorted whistle coming from the Sixes and throwing themselves at me. I slip between bites and slashes, carving chunks from the plants and slowly advancing towards the burning mess in front of the gang¡¯s stronghold.


    {Move!} I hear Stripe squeak through my earpiece as I rise from burying my fingers in the back of a xeno¡¯s skull.


    I immediately spring to the side, narrowly avoiding a volley of quills, half of them covered in sticky, burning foam. A few of the spines nicked my side, ripping open my hoodie and drawing three thin lines of blood across my ribs.


    I look up, quickly spotting the strange, bear-like pointing a deadly array of pointed quills at me despite its own distress. My hand snaps back to the heavy bowie knife behind my back, and I flick it out with a harsh snap of my wrist, stressing every muscle in my arm and sending the blade flying across the battlefield and into the bush¡¯s forehead with enough force to bury it down to the handle.


    I glance up at the nearby roof, spotting my siblings peering over the edge and staring down at me.


    ¡®This is within twenty metres, right? Get them some grenades to kill the fives with.¡¯Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    New Purchase: Mark I Con-


    ¡®Save that till after the fight please! I don¡¯t want to spoil my point gains.¡¯


    Of course. I¡¯ve sent them their grenades now.


    ¡®Thanks, Cyon!¡¯


    I drop below a leaping doggo with a pleased grin on my face, raking my claws along its belly.


    {Throw at the big ones!} I squeaked, returning my full focus to the battle in front of me as a pile of rags I stepped too close to leaps out to slash its many bladed limbs at me.


    I rip the Nine to pieces, dodging another spray of quills that manages to kill a few of the Threes around me with only a few scratches on my legs.


    Three deep booms signal the end of the plant that fired on me, and the crowd pouring back out of the fortified structure thins a little thanks to the explosions.


    Without the added strain from the ranged fire, I make easy work of the plants swarming me, bounding across the green-bloodstained streets as I tear them limb from limb. A few of the Fours manage to catch me with a couple of glancing blows, but the longer the fight goes on, the more I adjust to my new-found strength and flexibility, leaning into the erratic combat style that makes my blood boil and relying on my instincts and reflexes to guide my body through the crowd thankfully thinned by our explosives.


    Eventually, the booms stop, and I leap on the last surviving tentacled mass before me, slipping between its limbs before severing them at the base with one hand and driving the other into its pelvis, ending its struggle.


    I collapse to my knees on top of the corpse, panting for breath and slowly looking around the fresh garden I¡¯ve planted in the street.


    Congratulations, Targets Eliminated!


    Points increased to¡­ 1831


    Tokens increase to¡­ 1


    ¡°Woah,¡± I mutter aloud between breaths.


    It was slightly too deep this time, but not enough to be unpleasant, so I kept going aloud trying to force myself to practice.


    ¡°Why so much? And a token?¡±


    Not only did you kill a lot of Antithesis, including several Fives and Sixes from which you received most of the points available, but you saved over a hundred people when including the people fighting off the Antithesis, and the people in the shelter below their building. The Protectors encourage actions to save other humans, so I chose to grant you a token for that achievement.


    ¡°Cool.¡± I winced because my voice dropped a little too low and returned to subvocalising for now.


    ¡®Will you punish me for ignoring people then? I¡¯ll make sure their shelter is fine, but I don¡¯t really want to deal with the Monkeys, even if they¡¯re injured.¡¯


    While humanitarian efforts are rewarded, you won¡¯t be punished for avoiding them. If you would rather limit your social interaction, that¡¯s fine. However, if you still have an interest in helping people, you could always invest in subordinates or robots to do it for you.


    ¡®Really?¡¯


    Of course. You could even buy upgrades to allow your siblings to talk to people for you if you wanted. Now, as interesting as discussing increasing your social skills is, could I advise using some of those points to stop your bleeding?


    ¡®Yeah.¡¯ I glance down at my tattered, bloody clothing as my breath finally stabilises. ¡®That¡¯s probably a good idea. Get me something to stop all this bleeding for now. We¡¯ll do some shopping after cleaning up this mess.¡¯


    New Purchase: Clottax


    Points reduced to¡­ 1826


    A small box appears in the air in front of me, so I quickly reach out and catch it. There¡¯s a cartoon raccoon covered in cuts injecting itself with a small red syringe on the top, and when I pop it open, I see said syringe inside. I pull it out and press it to my arm without a thought, watching the red liquid vanish into me and looking down to see my shallow cuts quickly scabbing over.


    This is a helpful drug from your Prolotor Drugs catalogue to temporarily boost your blood clotting. I assume your following purchases will render further repair pointless for now, so I would suggest just dealing with the ugly scabs for now.


    ¡®Got it. Right, time to check on the Monkeys.¡¯


    {Come down.} I squeak, calling back my siblings only to hear a squeak behind me.


    I turn around and see my siblings scrambling over the corpses surrounding me with their little sacks strapped to their backs and proud expressions on their faces. They leap onto me, and I let myself fall back on my ass on top of the dead Four, pulling off my gloves and tossing them aside to give some proper scratches.


    {We do good?} Chip chirps, enjoying a thorough scritch behind the ears.


    {Yes. Well done.} I chirp back with a giddy smile.


    I can¡¯t help but start purring softly again, still giddy about being able to speak to my lovable little furballs. After a minute of indulging in my sibling¡¯s fluff, giving them the praise they deserve for their hard work, I stand up and slip my gloves on again, scrambling past the scorched, scattered remains of several plants blown beyond recognition to approach the Monkey Parade¡¯s stronghold.

 Chapter 14 - The Taste of Improvement

    ¡°Protector AI have admitted to generating their personalities to fit their chosen Vanguard. Our study of subjects one through five in your information pack, along with the government records of dead Vanguard, have revealed that this leads to a few curious patterns forming.


    There are three main relationship types the Protector AI seem to aim for with their chosen personalities. The first, is what we like to call the hand break fit, where the AI acts to curb their usually impulsive charge. This is the most common relationship we¡¯ve seen and matches subject three, Shadowflame.


    The second is the complete opposite: the driving force fit. This is when the AI acts as a force to encourage their charge to leave their comfort zone, usually needed with a very cautious Vanguard such as subject one, Stormsurge.


    The third is the rarest and most dangerous: the echo chamber fit. This happens when an AI acts to encourage a Vanguard with an already erratic personality. This combination is a threat to the Antithesis, the Vanguard in question, and everyone around them. We currently have no living subjects that fit in this category.¡±


    --Doctor David Smith, New Oxford Professor, in a lecture on Samurai Studies, 2031.


    I try to pull my hood up before anyone sees me, but my hand doesn¡¯t find it. I pull my hoodie around and look at where the hood should be, and I find a thin flap of cleanly cut fabric.


    Was this from the Nine that almost got my neck? That¡¯s scary sharp.


    I quietly drop my top and start pulling my scruffy hair over my face. It blocks my vision a little bit, but I can still see well enough thanks to my new super eyes. Besides, my siblings will warn me of any real danger.


    We step up to the front entrance of the building and find it half-blocked by dead aliens. I slip between the corpses and enter to find an open entrance hall with the remains of two heavy-duty turrets at the back, ripped to pieces by countless claws.


    I take two steps into the room before a group of armed gangsters enter from the other side and point their weapons at me. They have an assortment of weapons, from handguns to SMGs. The leader of the group glances down at my siblings walking behind me, and recognition flashes in his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s you! What are you doing here?¡± he asks cautiously, as if I¡¯d given him a reason to be wary, while waving for his team to lower their weapons and scan the room.


    {Enemy,} Stripe squeaks before I can respond.


    My head snaps to the side she¡¯s covering, and I scan the room for any oddities, quickly picking out a plush, upturned chair slowly creeping towards us. I grab the two knives on my leg and swing my arm out, flicking my wrist and sending the knives straight into the sneaky plant before it could react.


    Target Eliminated!


    Points increase to¡­ 1851


    The gangsters tense up and immediately point their weapons at me again, but their leader surprisingly jumps to my defence.


    ¡°Hold!¡± he shouts, throwing his arm in front of two of his men. ¡°Look at what she hit.¡±


    His team listens and looks at the chair, realising that it has crumpled into an unnatural shape and is leaking green blood.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fucking plant?¡± the only woman in the group hisses, looking at the nearby furniture with distrust.


    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡± the group leader asks me as his team once again stop pointing their weapons at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Samurai,¡± I say, this time managing to maintain a satisfying feminine hum that quickly wavers as I continue. ¡°Is your shelter secure still?¡±


    I wince, but luckily, I got the important question out.


    The man squints dubiously at me, before glancing at the dead Nine again then back to me.


    ¡°The shelter¡¯s fine. We lost a few good men, but we managed to hold them halfway into the building before they started running, they never got near the shelter,¡± he says with a hint of pride, answering my question quickly.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Damn. Maybe I should apologise for stealing so much from them.


    ¡°Was all that noise you?¡± he asks, gesturing past me with his head.


    I nod, and he seems to accept that answer, so I turn to leave.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he calls after me, so I pause and look back. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    I nod again, glancing down and seeing Chip squeezing between dead plant remains to get back to me with something pointy poking out of the sack on his back.


    Did he just¡­


    He stops and I reach down, pulling a knife from his bag.


    {No!} he whines standing up and trying to take it back.


    I glance up at the gangsters and see the woman patting an empty sheath on her leg.


    ¡°Aliens to kill,¡± I say, waving with the knife in hand, this time accidentally slipping into something somewhere between squeaking and talking.


    I feel like I want to bury my head in the ground after what I would guess counts as a voice crack for this strange new alien vocal cord, but it seems to make the gangsters recoil in fear instead, so I guess it¡¯s not that bad.


    I hand the knife back to Chip as we leave.


    I know I just considered apologising for stealing from them, but it¡¯s not my fault Chip begs so cutely! Besides, gangs have all the best stuff down here. You can¡¯t blame us for taking some of it.


    ¡®Is it okay for him to carry random stuff in the bag like that?¡¯ I ask Cyon the actually important question.


    Yes. That bag is made from nanites that allow it to reshape to adjust to whatever its holding.


    ¡®Cool.¡¯


    I pick a random building, a residential block opposite the Monkey Parade stronghold, and head towards it. I need somewhere to do my shopping, and I don¡¯t want to be in the open.


    I slip into the building through a shattered window and find myself in an empty bedroom with the door hanging open. We head further into the empty home, finding signs of a struggle in the confined living space, and even a few bloodstains on the floor.


    It¡¯s not the worst place I¡¯ve snuck into, and this actually isn¡¯t a rare sight even without aliens running rampant, so I quickly find the fridge and pop it open, quickly being joined by my siblings.


    None of that will provide nutritional benefits. Could I suggest a Nutri Pack each to snack on instead for four points?


    I look away from Chip nibbling on some questionable-looking synth meat, excited by the suggestion of more Protector food.


    ¡®Sure.¡¯


    New Purchase: Nutri Pack x 4


    Points reduced to¡­ 1847


    Four juice boxes with straws sticking of out the tops appear on the floor between me and the fridge, so I quickly bend down and snatch one up before my siblings notice and race over to take theirs. I sip on the drink and my eyes widen before I immediately drain it in one go.


    It¡¯s one of the best things I¡¯ve ever tasted. It¡¯s light and fruity with a sour citrusy kick that makes my mouth tingle.


    ¡®Another one please!¡¯


    Of course, and could I suggest taking a Cleanse as well to wash out the current drugs in your system? They will interfere with some of the upgrades I wish to suggest.


    ¡®Sure.¡¯


    New Purchase: Cleanse


    Points reduced to¡­ 1842


    New Purchase: Nutri Pack


    Points reduced to¡­ 1841


    A small white pill and a second juice box both spawn in the air in front of me, so I grab them and shove the pill into my mouth, swallowing it as I turn around and step towards the cheap plastic sofa integrated with the wall.


    I sip from my juice box, tasting a purely sweet blend this time, but I only make it halfway to the sofa before I sway slightly as everything seems to distort in my vision.


    ¡®Woah.¡¯


    I reach out and stabilise myself against the wall, stumbling the last few steps before slowly lowering myself down on the sofa.


    You may experience some light disorientation from your mental processing slowing down again.


    ¡°And everything hurts!¡± I whine in a squeaky, high-pitched tone.


    Closer but not quite.


    Your injuries will be repaired with the upgrades I believe you should purchase next.


    ¡®Okay, let¡¯s get to that then. In the future, give me the Cleanse after we¡¯ve decided please!¡¯


    My siblings set up by the entrances to the room without me having to ask as I focus on my conversation with Cyon.


    Understood. In that case, I believe I have a suggestion to address the issues of your augs, mental processing, reflexes, and the degree of separation between you and your followers in one go.


    ¡®Really? How?¡¯


    If you unlock Class I Prolotor Cybernetics for fifty points, you can combine it with your Class II Prolotor Viral Modifications to purchase a Mark IV Digital Empathy Network Upgrade Package for three hundred points. The package contains a half-biological aug that will integrate with your brain and nervous system. It will improve your reflexes and processing, and it allows you to create a closed network with anyone holding one of the child implants.


    ¡®And what does that mean?¡¯


    It gives you a super brain and you can talk telepathically with your siblings, letting you get more points for their kills. All for the low price of three hundred and fifty points.


    ¡®I¡¯m sold! But,¡¯ I glance down at my body lying splayed across the hard plastic sofa before continuing a little awkwardly since it feels like a strange priority to have in the middle of an alien invasion. ¡®Can we look at gender changes yet?¡¯


    Of course, that was my next intended upgrade, but I believe we should perform this one first. There¡¯s a higher chance of beneficial mutations if we use the right viruses in the right order. There¡¯s always order in chaos.


    ¡®Should I be worried about your fanatical tone?¡¯


    Class I Prolotor Cybernetics Unlocked!


    Points reduced to¡­ 1791


    New Purchase: Mark IV D.E.N Upgrade Package


    Points reduced to¡­ 1491


    A hefty box with a large cartoon raccoon commanding a small army of its brethren falls into my lap, so I quickly accept the order in chaos and move on.

 Chapter 15 - The Change

    ¡°Do I trust my AI? Depends on what with.


    My life? In a heartbeat.


    My body upgrades? Not in a million years.


    This fucker in my head has tried to give me animal ears more times than I can count! No, shut up, I won¡¯t hear you out! THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN I¡¯LL ENJOY THEM?!¡±


    --Shadowflame, moments before burning down a tv studio in an argument with their AI, Liandry.


    I pop open the box and find two familiar syringes, three strange silver metal disks, and a small inhaler.


    ¡®Okay, is there anything I should know before I start? Is there a specific order?¡¯


    There is, however, first I would like to warn you that using this upgrade package will likely break down and clear out the damaged sectors of your brain.


    ¡®And that means?¡¯


    I suspect this brain damage is the cause of your missing memories, so removing the damaged sectors is likely to make it impossible for you to regain them.


    ¡®Oh¡­¡¯


    I sit in silence for a moment, not quite sure how I feel about that.


    On one hand, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m missing anything. I¡¯m perfectly happy how I am now, and I don¡¯t even know if I want to remember what my life was like before this.


    But on the other, something about never knowing makes my gut twist.


    ¡®Do you have any information at all about me pre-undercity?¡¯


    A little bit, yes.


    ¡®Do I still have any living family?¡¯


    No.


    I shut my eyes and take a deep breath.


    ¡®What first?¡¯


    Please take the application pads and place them against your temples and the back of your neck.


    I pull the three hefty discs of metal out and stick them in place, each one clinging to my skin with a soothing touch.


    ¡®Do they do something?¡¯


    Yes. Please inject the syringe with the green preparation solution into your neck and I will activate them to install the mechanical portion of your aug.


    Nodding, I pick up the syringe with a thick, bubbling, lime green liquid inside and place it against my neck. A chill rushes to my head as the solution enters my bloodstream, and it¡¯s quickly followed by a buzzing pain spreading from the metal pads.


    It lasts for an instant before both sensations vanish together as the pads fall off on their own.


    Now inject the viral sample into your chest. The inhaler is a drug for afterwards to help you adjust.


    ¡®Got it.¡¯


    It¡¯s a pretty silver liquid this time, and a splitting pain hits my head moments after it disappears into my chest. I wait out the process I¡¯m slowly starting to become numb to, and once the pain vanishes again, I immediately feel like I¡¯m back on Hyper Thought again, but this time I¡¯ve taken triple the dose.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I mutter, slipping between three different tones in the process.


    I pick up the inhaler without having to be told, and the moment I breath it into my lungs I feel a haze settle over my mind, slowing it back down for a bit.


    That drug should wear off slowly over the next few hours, allowing you to adapt to the change smoothly.


    ¡®Okay, what about the augs?¡¯


    Before Cyon can respond, a simple UI pops into my vision as if reacting to my question in her place. The screen offers a basic search engine along with my messages, and I even see a small tab at the side with my current points total included.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Your new augs have several functions including acting as a hub to control any biological upgrades you may pick up in the future and the aforementioned empathy hub. However, for now you will mostly notice the working basic functions, and the increased interactivity with me.


    Suddenly, a small black dot appears in my lap, twisting and stretching to form into a pitch black raccoon with blank white eyes.


    ¡®Woah!¡¯


    I reach out and my hand passes through the avatar, but it stands up and floats up to hover in front of me before speaking.


    I can use the augmented reality capabilities to create holograms visible only to you. These can be used for both tactical purposes like 3D renderings of a battlefield, and to improve your experience as a Vanguard.


    Cyon raises her paw and taps the air, forming a glowing example panel in front of me.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I Prolotor Cybernetics Unlock ¨C 50 points


    Mark IV D.E.N Upgrade Package ¨C 300 points


    Total: 350 points


    Remaining points: 1491


    _____


    ¡®Cool.¡¯


    I reach out and swipe the screen away, watching it turn to smoke between my fingers.


    ¡®Does this mean I can know what¡¯s happening topside now?¡¯


    Yes. I can now tell you that there is a large-scale incursion occurring in city above. There are several Samurai, both veterans and newbies like you, trying to fight it off, so I would recommend you focus on trying to remove the suspected hive below the undercity still, but they are struggling.


    ¡®They¡¯re struggling? How bad does it look? Will the city fall?¡¯


    It is entirely possible. This city is not prepared for an incursion of this size, and if it drags on for too long it may be recommended to abandon the city and use more drastic measures to stop the spread.


    ¡®Great. Well, I guess not much changes for me anyway. What¡¯s next?¡¯


    Cyon taps the air again, this time leaking some of her pitch-black skin and forming it into a familiarly designed syringe filled with a pale purple fluid.


    That would be the Combat Base XX Genome Conversion Solution for five hundred points. It is a full genetic rewrite to convert you into a custom-designed, combat-focused family of the Prolotors. You will receive several changes to your anatomy, vastly increasing your compatibility with future Prolotor upgrades. Base XX is a female model, meaning your body will be changed to match that of a cisgender female Prolotor as well.


    I feel a bubbling excitement at that prospect, but I manage to stop myself vibrating out of my seat thanks to the haze calming me down.


    ¡®Will it change my height?¡¯


    Yes. There is a small variation, but Base XX should be between one hundred and sixty-two, and one hundred and sixty-five centimetres. Is that enough?


    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s perfect! Goodbye one eighty, time to be smol!¡¯


    Cyon¡¯s avatar crosses her arms and nods before raising her head proudly, as if begging for praise.


    Would you like to purchase it?


    ¡®Wait, what other changes will it cause?¡¯


    Are you sure you want me to spoil the surprise? I don¡¯t believe it will be anything you would object to.


    I hesitate for a moment before nodding. She¡¯s got me this far, why not trust her further.


    ¡®Okay, buy it.¡¯


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!


    Combat Base XX Genome Conversion Solution ¨C 500 points


    Total: 500 points


    Remaining points: 991


    _____


    A simple, plain black box the size of my forearm appears, so I catch it and flick it open to find a perfect copy of the syringe Cyon showed me.


    I take it out and drop the box, finding the syringe disappointingly light. I don¡¯t know why I thought it would be heavy. I guess I just think important things should be.


    I take a deep breath, pushing away my pointless distractions and placing the syringe against my chest.


    ¡®Here comes to the pain.¡¯


    Actually, you won¡¯t feel pain with this change.


    ¡®Really?¡¯


    My head snaps up from watching the glowing solution drain into my body, searching for Cyon¡¯s avatar but finding a quickly dimming room instead.


    Yes. You will, however, fall asleep for a short period.


    Everything went black before I could yell at her about warning me about these things.


    ***


    {-ster}


    I stir to the feeling of Stripe¡¯s nose brushing against the ears on top of my head.


    Wait, ears on the top of my head?


    I sit up, suddenly feeling very awake, flicking my gloves off and reaching up, finding a pair of small, fluffy ears that tickle as my fingers brush against them.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± I exclaim, my eyes widening as I hear a tone that clicks in my mind.


    I immediately try to memorise the shape of my vocal organ, and a message pops up on my augs in response.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Vocal form saved as default.


    _____


    ¡°Did that work?¡±


    I hear the same soft, feminine tone with a creaking rasp and feel my face stretch into a wide grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s convenient.¡±


    It¡¯s meant to be. Your augs were designed to help control your esoteric organs.


    ¡°Fair point,¡± I reply aloud, feeling a warm fuzzy feeling in my chest with each crackling note. ¡°Oh, also, why didn¡¯t you tell me that I¡¯d be knocked out!¡±


    You were only asleep for five minutes for the process to be carried out and your siblings were watching over you.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±


    I kind of can¡¯t argue with her here, and the fuzzy feeling is making it hard to stay angry, so what the hell.


    ¡°Whatever, maybe warn me in the future?¡±


    Maybe.


    I¡¯m starting to think I should trust her less and less.


    Finally taking my hands away from where I totally haven¡¯t been scratching myself behind the ears the whole time, I slide them down the sides of my head, checking for my old ears.


    Yep, they aren¡¯t there. Freaky.


    Ignoring that one for now I stop putting off the scary part and look down.


    It¡¯s hard to see through the torn hoodie and trousers, both several sizes too large for my current frame, but I don¡¯t think I need to. I can feel every inch of my body to an almost disturbing degree.


    It¡¯s surprisingly not uncomfortable, but it tells me all I need to know about the lithe, muscular form with just enough curves hidden underneath the folds of fabric.


    Tears run down my cheeks, and I feel my chest vibrate with an involuntary, rumbling purr as my tail wiggles happily behind me.


    Wait, that really is a tail!

 Chapter 16 - The New Look

    ¡°Wait-wait-wait. Back off a little. Four hundred?¡±


    ¡°Lowest estimate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that there are at least four hundred hives hidden in the sewers of England alone? That¡¯s crazy talk!¡±


    ¡°A conservative guess really. There¡¯s probably one right under Buckingham palace.¡±


    ¡°And how many in the sea?¡±


    ¡°Uncountable¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. I quit.¡±


    --First and last meeting of the Ministry of Antithesis Cleanup, 2030


    I pull my new fluffy appendage into my lap, running my fingers through its soft, bushy fur. It¡¯s a pleasant greyish silver with black stripes, remarkably similar to my siblings¡¯ coats. My hair slips over my shoulders as I¡¯m looking down, and I realise it¡¯s a matching silver with patchy black streaks now.


    I reach up and run my fingers through it, finding it as soft to the touch as my tail.


    ¡°Is there a mirror around here?¡±


    I believe there was one in the bathroom you passed in the hallway.


    I spring up out of the seat, landing without making a sound and quickly moving through the small space, surprising myself with the ease in my movement.


    ¡°Moving feels so natural,¡± I mutter in surprise.


    I can definitely tell I¡¯m shorter than I was before, a fact that only adds to my current buzz, and my weight sits in a new place thanks to both the new limb hanging from my back, and actually having a slight chest now.


    However, despite this I deftly slip around a tight corner, twisting and extending my tail to balance myself on instinct, feeling completely at home in my new body already.


    I step into the bathroom, flicking on the cheap artificial lights and staring at myself in the cracked mirror hanging above the sink.


    My hair¡¯s a scruffy mess still, but it looks oddly well-styled, framing my face and flowing down to stop halfway up my shoulder blades. My face looks soft, all traces of my viciously sharp jaw gone and replaced by plush, pinchable cheeks.


    My focus is quickly drawn to my odd eyes though, which are even more noticeable than the ears twitching in my hair.


    They¡¯re so eye-catching thanks to the large black mark, like a tattoo, bridging my nose and spreading out from my eyes, ending in upward swept peaks, like the swipes of a paintbrush. It¡¯s somewhat similar to my siblings¡¯ masks.


    The eyes themselves are the strangest bit though. They¡¯re pitch black, with the irises having a slight grey shade to them that help me make out their shape when I focus.


    ¡°My eyes are funky.¡±


    That would be due to the Nighteye upgrade.


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    I drink in my new appearance, burning it into my mind, before looking down at my tattered clothing.


    ¡°I might as well deal with this while I¡¯m in here. Cyon, what should I do for clothes?¡±


    A tiny, pitch-black raccoon steps out from behind the tap before growing in size to fill the sink, staring up at me.


    I believe that will depend heavily on how you would like to progress as a Vanguard.


    ¡°How I¡¯d like to progress?¡±


    Yes. I mean things such as what combat style do you wish to follow? Do you intend to grow a force of followers or fight yourself? Do you still wish to continue with melee combat, or do you like the idea of explosives more? Do you have any other goals you will need Vanguard tech for like your transition?Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I get the picture, but haven¡¯t I already answered some of those before?¡±


    Yes, but I believe it would be good for you to evaluate the question as a whole right now to give me a clear direction to work towards in the future. Besides, your answers might have changed after experiencing more combat.


    ¡°Sure, I guess that makes sense.¡±


    I shrug and scratch the side of my head where my old ears used to be, something I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m used to yet, as I consider my response.


    ¡°Well, I still want to fight myself, that still hasn¡¯t changed, but I¡¯m not sure I want to fight hordes myself like that?¡±


    My fingernails feel like they¡¯re itching, so I take them away from my head and look at them, flexing and watching as they suddenly extend into sharp-looking points.


    ¡°Wait what the fuck!¡±


    The genetic conversion gave you the base form of Prolotor¡¯s retractable claws, nothing to be shocked about.


    I draw in my new biological weapon and feel myself flush, feeling slightly embarrassed that the claws surprised me more than the tail or ears.


    ¡°Quiet you. Is there anything else important I should know about my changes?¡±


    You didn¡¯t gain any muscular improvement thanks to your existing upgrades, but you did receive a notable improvement to your natural regeneration which can be further enhanced if wanted.


    ¡°Helpful.¡±


    You also have basic fangs, though once again like your claws they are limited without anything to inject into your prey.


    ¡°I can inject things?¡± I ask, peeling my lips back and inspecting my pointed canines.


    From venoms to cultured bacteria and viruses.


    ¡°Cool. Anything else?¡±


    While the conversion did include full genital reconstruction, you are infertile. Combat genomes aren¡¯t expected to reproduce, so if you would like to experience more traditional motherhood you will need further mutation.


    ¡°Okay, back to plotting my progress it is,¡± I say, quickly diverting the conversation back and shivering at the idea of having children.


    The only kids I need are more raccoons.


    Good. So, you would like to fight yourself, but you want to avoid hordes?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to avoid hordes; I just don¡¯t want to get stuck with the small ones. I wanted to get my claws into one of those big guys, but I ended up having to let the others blow them up. Is it possible for me to sneak through a horde to get to the big ones?¡±


    Stealth is completely an option, though surprisingly not a commonly chosen one.


    ¡°Okay, then I want to use stealth to fight against the bigger aliens myself! It will help against any little ones too. Then all I need to do is give my siblings stuff to clear the small ones with!¡±


    Could I suggest you consider purchasing additional raccoons to grow a larger force as well?


    ¡°I can buy more raccoons?!¡±


    Of course you can. You can purchase pre-trained and modified creatures, the equipment to clone your siblings, or even robots that simply look like them. Whatever you want.


    ¡°New goal, I want to fill England with raccoons.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t be the most point efficient hobby, but it¡¯s completely valid. If you equip them with sufficient sensory skills and equipment, they could act as a great way to find hidden hives in cities and the wilderness. You could help prevent situations like the one you are in now.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great and all, but I just want more fluff balls.¡±


    Understood. So stealth, melee, and a raccoon army. I can work with that.


    The small black raccoon nods vigorously before turning into a spinning vortex for a few moments. I quietly watch in confusion, waiting until it morphs into a pitch black, skin-tight bodysuit the same size as me.


    In that case I would like to suggest unlocking both Class I Basic Stealth Systems and Class I Prolotor Viral Apparel for a total of one hundred and fifty points, then combining them to purchase a Mark V Clothing Symbiote with integrated stealth capabilities for three hundred and fifty points.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of points for something that doesn¡¯t look all that protective. What is it?¡±


    Clothing Symbiotes are a form of living virus that bond to the user and shift to cover and protect their body. You can change it into the form of almost any clothes you want, and it is both resistant to slashing and blunt force attacks. It will easily deflect the claws and teeth of most single digits and can consume matter to regenerate any damage done. Along with that, the integrated stealth capabilities will allow you to effectively turn invisible to the naked eye.


    The black suit shifts and a blurred image of the sink behind it comes into view through it, quickly clarifying until I think Cyon might have just disabled the hologram.


    While the Antithesis will still be able to detect you through other methods, there are upgrades you can purchase later to reduce those as well.


    ¡°Cool. I want it.¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I Basic Stealth Systems ¨C 100 points


    Class I Prolotor Viral Apparel ¨C 50 points


    Mark V Clothing Symbiote ¨C Modified ¨C 350 points


    Total: 500 points


    Remaining points: 490


    _____


    A shoebox with an image of a raccoon screaming in panic as a large blob of black ooze consumes it appears on the floor in front of the sink.


    ¡°Cyon¡­ What¡¯s with the art?¡±


    It¡¯s an artistic rendition of equipping the Clothing Symbiote.


    I choose to ignore her obvious attempt to scare me and bend down, flicking the box open to find a large glass tube filled to the brim with black liquid, with a silver metal casing on one end.


    Please place your thumb on the indicated face so the Symbiote can take a blood sample.


    They are just attempts to scare me, right?


    I pull the tube out and flip it, following the raised grooves running along the metal casing to a small, thumb sized plate on the end where my injectors¡¯ needles would usually be.


    I place my thumb against it and feel a small prick, a surprise considering my normal painless injections. The casing clicks, and a moment later it splits down the middle, sliding apart to let the viscous black fluid inside out.


    ¡°What do-¡°


    The black liquid shoots out of the container and races up my arms, mimicking the raccoon on the box.


    Is this how I die?

 Chapter 17 - The Symbiote

    ¡°Eee, eee eeee.¡±


    ¡°E! Ee ee. Eee e.¡±


    --Spot and Stripe, plotting The Great Hotdog Robbery of 2032.


    The black ooze hits my chest, spreading out to cover every inch of my body, creeping up over my face. I hold my breath and shut my eyes, but the expected rush of fluid up my nose never comes and, after a few seconds of nothing happening, I open my eyes again.


    I see a smooth black silhouette staring back at me in the mirror.


    The Symbiote finished bonding with you while you were panicking. It can now be controlled with simple mental commands.


    Pouting and trying to ignore the teasing tone in Cyon¡¯s mechanised voice, I silently will the Symbiote to release my head. The darkness splits down the centre, peeling away from my face and sliding down to stop at the top of my neck, letting my hair flow back down my back freely.


    I look down at my hands and rub my fingers together, feeling the thin, slightly soft material covering them. It doesn¡¯t feel particularly robust, but when I extend my claws underneath it stretches instead of tearing.


    My gaze is quickly drawn away from my hands as I realise the Symbiote appears to have eaten my old clothes, leaving me with only the second skin of warm black slime that I think I can feel breathing?


    The amount of muscle I can make out through the Symbiote surprises me. I¡¯m certainly not complaining, but it feels weird to have a six pack suddenly.


    I look back at the mirror again, standing on my tiptoes to try get below my waist into the image as I turn, admiring my new feminine silhouette. My eyes automatically flick to my swishing tail and swaying hips as I peer over my shoulder, and a small frown creases my brow.


    I think about my old trousers and almost instantly the Symbiote squirms, bulging out and taking the shape in my head. I touch them and find the feeling almost identical to my old clothes, only slightly softer.


    ¡°This is great,¡± I chirp happily, picturing more pockets and watching them form all over my legs.


    I¡¯m glad you like the purchase. Now, if you are finished checking yourself out, can I suggest you test the stealth capabilities before moving on?


    My face flushes bright red and my ears press flat to my head as I realise, I completely forgot the coolest part of the suit.


    As if reacting to my desire to disappear, my body suddenly vanishes, leaving only my uncovered head visible in the mirror.


    ¡°That¡¯s so cool,¡± I whisper quietly, my shame only growing as I stare at my face in the mirror.


    The Symbiote climbs up to cover my face, making it vanish as well, leaving the mirror empty. I swear I can feel the thing moving back and forth on my head like it¡¯s trying to comfort me, but I¡¯m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse.


    A second later I fade back into existence in the mirror, but I leave the mask on as I leave the room.


    Be warned, the Symbiote will feed directly from your bloodstream to keep itself functional. The more you drain its energy with added capabilities like the invisibility, the more you will tire as well.


    ¡°Will I run out of energy quickly if I use it? Aren¡¯t my super muscles already sucking me dry too?¡±


    You received a slight boost to your endurance when you spliced yourself with raccoon DNA, however, further upgrades to your digestive and energy storage systems would be highly recommended in the future. You can currently sustain thirty minutes of invisibility before you will need to consume more nutrients or risk harm.


    ¡°Thirty minutes of sneaky time. Got it.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    I nod confidently, freeing my face and leaving the suit at the top of my neck again as I drop back onto the sofa.


    My ears twitch and I hear a few nearby gunshots from the Monkeys¡¯ stronghold, but I ignore them and pull Spot into my lap, uncovering my hands and giving him some belly rubs.


    ¡°I have four hundred and ninety points left, right?¡±


    Four hundred and forty when your emergency medical funds are subtracted.


    ¡°Okay, four-forty then. What should I get?¡±


    I would recommend unlocking the Class I Prolotor Bacterial Genetics catalogue for one hundred points, then purchasing a set of Nano-Injecting Claws from your Melee Weapons catalogue for forty points.


    The image of a pair of slick black gloves with vicious-looking spikes extending several inches from the fingers and three empty glass vials on the back of each appears in the air in front of me.


    The claws can be loaded with anything you want injected into your target.


    The gloves turn to present the empty vials on their backs to me which fill with a thick, green solution almost identical in colour to Antithesis blood.


    I would recommend loading them with DogEater K1, a strain of specially designed Antithesis-eating bacteria, for an additional twenty points. The strain is designed to target the unique nervous systems of the Antithesis, killing them quickly before rapidly replicating to consume them from the inside out, turning their corpse into poison for any other plants that try to harvest them for biomass.


    The gloves turn, flashing the long, sharp blades at me as the green solution pours from the tips, running down the length of the blades. I want those.


    A single, deep scratch will be enough to kill most low-level Models, however, if any Antithesis manage to survive you using it and return to a nest, they will likely adapt, and the strain will cease being effective.


    My excitement immediately dips at the disappointing news.


    ¡°So can I only use it for a bit?¡±


    DogEater K1? Yes. Though K2 through five are all also included in the Class I catalogue, and there are two hundred and fifty-six other strains that could be used to the same purposes.


    My mood rebounds immediately as my ears perk up and my tail begins to sway behind me.


    ¡°Stop teasing me! I want them!¡±


    Understood.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I Prolotor Bacterial Genetics ¨C 100 points


    Nano-Injecting Claws ¨C DogEater K1 ¨C 60 points


    Total: 160 points


    Remaining points: 330


    _____


    A plain box falls on the sofa beside us, and I pop it open to see two black orbs with three familiar vials filled with green liquid.


    I reach out to touch one, and it immediately turns to liquid and runs up my hand like my Symbiote did. The new black liquid coats my hand with another thin black layer I can barely feel, so I tap the other orb to equip the second glove while thinking about the blades Cyon just showed me.


    As expected, the gloves morph with my thoughts, stretching out into a set of threatening blades that slide through the back of the sofa with terrifying ease when I test them.


    ¡°Nice,¡± I mutter, pulling the blades back and storing the gloves in the convenient form of two black cuffs at the edge of my living second skin so I can keep petting Spot. ¡°What should I spend last two hundred and eighty points on?¡±


    I would recommend you use the points to start upgrading your siblings. You can purchase the child implants for your D.E.N for thirty points each, along with a drug, Human Thoughts, to help temporarily boost their mental faculties for an additional ten points each. Then, I would recommend purchasing them Opposable Lotor Viral Samples for fifteen points each and restocking their grenade bags with DogEater Needlers.


    ¡°Sure, buy away. Add some armour for them to my list next as well please. I don¡¯t want them getting hurt.¡±


    Noted.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Mark IV D.E.N Child Implant x 3 ¨C 90 points


    Human Thoughts x 3 ¨C 30 points


    Opposable Lotor Viral Sample x 3 ¨C 45 points


    DogEater K1 Needler Grenade x 18 ¨C 90 points


    Total: 255 points


    Remaining points: 75


    _____


    The bag still strapped to Spot¡¯s back visibly swells, surprising him as it pushes him up into my hand, and three white boxes appear on the sofa beside us, each with a different image printed on the top. One has a plain black dot, another a dash, and the last one has a cartoon French fry.


    I nod in approval before popping open Spot¡¯s box as he rolls over in my lap to look at what I¡¯m doing.


    Inside I find two disks for an aug system and three syringes with different coloured solutions.


    ¡°What first then Cyon?¡±


    Apply the application pads then inject the viral sample on the left into his chest.


    I take out the pads towards Spot.


    {Do you want a brain computer? It might hurt.}


    He looks up at me, tiling his head before pushing it towards my hand and speaking a response.


    {Yes!}


    I pat his head before placing the pads on his temples and pressing the injector to his chest.


    The moment the syringe is empty I toss it away and pull him into a hug. However, instead of squirming in pain, he just shuts his eyes for a few moments before opening them again and looking up at me in confusion.


    [{Sister?}]


    He doesn¡¯t move his mouth, but I hear him squeaking in my head.


    I hear him in my head? The moment I think about it, I realise that I can tell he¡¯s confused because I can feel it, like a second stream of emotions leaking into the back of my mind.


    Funky.

 Chapter 18 - The Call

    ¡°Trash Bandit¡¯s raccoons? Yeah, of course you can feed them. They love snacks!


    Just don¡¯t give them any cotton candy. For some reason, it makes her cry.¡±


    --Newtonian, talking to a civilian after the incursion.


    [{Hey, Spot}] I chirp back through our mental connection, knowing how to use it without being told.


    He hums happily before looking down, staring off into the distance as Cyon starts talking.


    I¡¯m giving him an introduction to the functions of his augs.


    ¡°Thanks. While you¡¯re at it, can you tell me why I can feel how focused he is?¡±


    That would be an effect from your D.E.N implant. By creating a virtual emotional connection at all times, you can vastly reduce the degree of separation between you and your forces at the small cost of feeling a lot of emotions.


    ¡°That sounds¡­ overwhelming.¡±


    You can either reduce the burden with drugs, or temporarily close your child connections when you need a break. However, the latter will remove the benefit to your points gain.


    ¡°Okay, that seems more reasonable.¡±


    A sudden jolt runs down my spine and my eyes snap down to Spot in my lap, where I find him grinning up at me as if he just found a stash of cookies.


    {What did you do?} I squeak at him, narrowing my eyes.


    {Nothing,} he squeaks back, but I watch as his eyes flicker and a moment later I feel another jolt of panic.


    I start tickling him, and he chirps manically while trying to squirm out of my grasp. As I¡¯m distracted, I suddenly feel the same nagging feeling in the back of my mind again, and I look over to see Chip and Stripe standing on the sofa next to me with the boxes with their upgrades open and the items to install the aug discarded on the floor.


    ¡°Did they just-¡°


    I pause as the emotional links with my other two siblings connect, and I feel a burst of affection over them.


    ¡°Tsk, how can I stay annoyed when you do that,¡± I whine, pulling them both into a pile on my lap as well for a big hug.


    ¡®What was that they were doing Cyon? What did you teach them?¡¯


    I simply showed Spot how to use the emergency alert all child implants have to let you know when any of your troops are in danger.


    ¡®Fat chance they won¡¯t abuse that. Ah well, what¡¯s next? Let¡¯s get these upgrades over with.¡¯


    That would be the Opposable Viral Sample, the light pink one. I would recommend giving them Human Thoughts right before you leave. I doubt they will like the drug since it pushes them towards a standard ¡°human¡± thought process to make it easier to coordinate with them.


    ¡°Will it be uncomfortable for them?¡± I ask with concern, rubbing my face against Stripes belly as she chitters happily.


    A little bit yes.


    I frown, but quickly push my distaste of the idea away. I¡¯ll just have to make sure to give them a reward worth the discomfort.


    I inject them with the next viral sample one after the other, watching as they fall asleep for a few seconds before waking up and looking down at their paws in confusion. Chip reaches for the bag on his back and pulls out a green needler, deftly rotating it in his hands.


    ¡°Did that¡­ give them opposable thumbs?¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Yes.


    ¡°Wow¡­ I get a feeling I may come to regret that.¡±


    Looking away from the raccoon happily throwing a deadly explosive from paw to paw, I lay the last three syringes, filled with a sickly yellow liquid, out on the couch beside me and toss away the empty boxes. My ears twitch and I hear my stomach rumble, so I strain my ears for a moment, checking outside to confirm that the shooting in the Monkeys¡¯ stronghold has stopped before asking Cyon an important question.


    ¡°Can we have some more food?¡±


    Of course. Can I have permission to spend an extra point to add a collection of selected nutrients to your meal to aid in maintaining your Symbiote¡¯s operation?


    ¡°Go ahead. Give us something meaty please!¡±


    Four white boxes tubs on the sofa beside me, three of them marked for my siblings, all of them leaking the sweet aroma of spice. My siblings notice immediately and race over to open their meals, so I grab mine as well and crack it open, finding a steaming bowl of diced meat and vegetables in a fiery-red sauce, wrapped in a thick flatbread.


    The smell is overwhelming, and I have to resist the urge to drool. I¡¯m about to tear off a piece of bread and dig in when Cyon rudely interrupts me.


    I hate to ruin your meal, but can I suggest you accept a call from a Vanguard in the uppercity who wishes to contact you? They have been trying to reach you since I alerted their AI to your existence while gathering information for you when you bought your new aug, but I have been blocking their attempts to reach you to give you some privacy.


    ¡°Aww, thanks Cyon,¡± I coo with a satisfying rumble to my voice. ¡°Sure, let them call me.¡±


    I tear off a piece of bread as I wait and use it to pick up some of the filling, continuing my meal because there¡¯s no way I can ignore this Protector-grade food.


    I slide the juicy parcel of food into my mouth and melt into my seat as the flavours explode on my tongue.


    Being a Samurai is the best!


    [¡°Why hello, Cutie,¡±] a teasing voice pulls me from my bliss as my half-closed eyes snap open and my purring abruptly stops.


    Standing over me, looking down at me with her lips curled in a small grin that sends butterflies to my stomach, is a shiny woman. She¡¯s wearing a suit of what looks to be fitted leather armour with polished metal plates in several places, and her long, flowing hair is somewhere between silver and white, with metallic flecks sparkling in it.


    In stark contrast to my own, her eyes are solid orbs of swirling silver that draw me in, making it hard to look away.


    [¡°I was starting to get a little worried you didn¡¯t want to talk to me,¡±] she says, to my relief pretending that I didn¡¯t just embarrass myself. [¡°But that was worth the wait.¡±]


    I¡¯m a fool. I lowered my guard too soon.


    My face flushes and my Symbiote immediately climbs up to hide my shame, which definitely just makes it worse when the shiny lady laughs at me.


    [¡°As much as I¡¯d love to keep playing with you, I¡¯m unfortunately quite busy killing plants, so I¡¯ll get to the important bit quickly.¡±]


    I nod and take a deep breath, trying to ignore the first part of her sentence and calm down as I slowly uncover my face.


    [¡°I¡¯m Newtonian, though you can call me Gwen.¡±]


    [¡°Elise,¡±] I reply, taking another bite of my food and resisting the urge to start purring again.


    [¡°Well, Elise.¡±] She pauses on my name, her grin widening slightly as my face heats up.


    This food must be really spicy.


    [¡°I initially wanted to call you to ask for help, since it¡¯s not looking too pretty up here, but by the sounds of it you have your own problems to deal with, so I think we should just touch base instead.¡±]


    I nod and use some bread to scoop some more of the crunchy red vegetables from my meal into my mouth. This is probably a horrible first impression, but damn it I¡¯m hungry, and with the way her eyes are following my traitorous tail swaying back and forth behind me, I don¡¯t think she minds.


    [¡°The incursion hit us pretty hard up here,¡±] she says in a serious tone, despite her teasing grin never leaving her face as her eyes remain glued to my tail. [¡°Our air defences couldn¡¯t keep up and dozens of pods slipped through. Then, to add to our problems, the university¡¯s satellite has detected a large horde building to the west of the city. Stormsurge and Shadowflame, the two senior Samurai of the city, are trying to keep it under control, and I¡¯m bunkered down at the university defending the people Stormsurge has evacuated from the collapsed sections of the city, but the damn plants keep popping up everywhere.¡±]


    That¡¯s¡­ a lot.


    I chew furiously, making disappointingly quick work of my food, processing the new information as my brow creases.


    [¡°Why are there so many plants outside the city?¡±] I ask.


    [¡°We suspect there¡¯s a collection of hives hidden in the Cotswolds that we missed.¡±]


    [¡°Well fuck. I was searching for a hive in the undercity, but are we just going to get trapped in from above anyway?¡±]


    [¡°For now, don¡¯t worry about it and focus on dealing with your hive. We¡¯re still managing, and I¡¯ll update you if the situation changes. If you can clear the plants down there and help us, we may just pull through.¡±]


    I nod, tossing the last of my bread in my mouth and throwing away the empty box before pulling Stripe into my lap for a hug, waiting till my call is over to start administering their final injection.


    [¡°Now that¡¯s ou-¡±] Gwen starts saying something else, but she cuts off as her eyes flick down to Stripe and her brow creases in thought.


    What¡¯s that about?


    I scratch behind Stripes ears and we both tilt our heads with curiosity, waiting for the pretty lady to continue. Spot and Chip both squeak small requests for attention in my silence, so I reach over to give it to them and Gwen¡¯s eyes follow my arms, lighting up with realisation when she sees the rest of my siblings, however that works with this call.


    [¡°No way! You¡¯re the Trash Bandit!¡±]


    I¡¯m the what?!

 Chapter 19 - The Name

    ¡°You can¡¯t give them human thoughts; the poor raccoons will get depression!¡±


    --A raccoon rights activist arguing against genetic modification online.


    [¡°What?¡±] I ask, tilting my head to the side again.


    All of my siblings mimic me, and Gwen pauses for a moment before responding, clearly appreciating their adorableness!


    [¡°You and your raccoons pickpocket people, right?¡±]


    I nod, pulling up a small note in my augs and asking Cyon for four more Nutri Packs that conveniently appear before me and my siblings. I¡¯m gonna waste so many points on these things.


    [¡°You drove one of our professors mad, so people talked about you a lot on campus for a while. They started calling you the Trash Bandit.¡±]


    [¡°Why? That¡¯s so random.¡±]


    [¡°I think it¡¯s kind of fitting. You steal things, and you have three darling little trash pandas.¡±]


    Trash pandas? Huh¡­ That¡¯s kinda cute.


    [¡°I see you don¡¯t mind anymore,¡±] Gwen giggles, glancing at my tail swishing happily behind me.


    My cheeks don¡¯t heat up again, and if Cyon tells you otherwise, she¡¯s lying to you!


    [¡°It¡¯s decided then; that¡¯s your Samurai name!¡±]


    [¡°Wait, what?¡±]


    [¡°It¡¯s tradition for the first Samurai that meets you after your awakening to give you your name, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m choosing!¡±]


    Gwen¡¯s cheerful grin cracks as her head snaps to the side, looking at something I can¡¯t see.


    [¡°Damn, I gotta go,¡±] she says, turning back to me with an irritated expression that quickly relaxes. [¡°Well, it was lovely to meet you. Stay safe and I¡¯ll talk to you later, Cutie.¡±]


    She cuts the call with a wink, before I can even respond. I bury my face in Stripe¡¯s fur and feel my Symbiote slide up the back of my head to pat me.


    Maybe I should name them?


    I can¡¯t help but notice you were far less talkative with Vanguard Newtonian than with me.


    ¡°Shush,¡± I whine into Stripe, receiving a rumbled purr in response from her, and the requested silence from Cyon.


    After a few seconds of breathing fur, I sit up with a sigh, looking over at the syringes waiting next to me.


    ¡°We should probably get going,¡± I mutter, grabbing one of the injectors and bringing it to Stripe.


    {This one may suck,} I squeak in warning, but Stripe offers me her belly without resistance.


    I give her the injection and she shudders for a moment before turning over and looking up at me with tears building in her beady little eyes.


    {Why does everything feel so hopeless?} she asks a surprisingly complicated question that breaks my heart.


    I pull her into my chest, gently scratching behind her ears.


    ¡®What did that do to her?!¡¯


    One of the side effects of Human Thoughts is a light sense of existential dread. She will adjust to it after a few moments, and the effects will completely fade after the drug is cleaned from her system.


    I hum an unhappy grumble, but after a few seconds Stripe rubs her head against me one last time before pulling away.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    {Fine now,} she squeaks, hopping out of my lap and walking over to wait by the door as Spot and Chip move over to receive their Human Thoughts.


    Two more fluff ball hugs later and we¡¯re ready to leave. I stand up to follow Stripe out, before pausing with a frown.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Where are my knives?¡±


    I glance down at my trousers, but there is now a pocket where my strap used to be.


    For small items like your knives, your Symbiote is capable of holding them.


    I reach down, and the pocket¡¯s top opens to let my hand in, where I find my knives waiting for me.


    ¡°Cool. Thanks, Sim,¡± I say, patting my pocket.


    Sim wiggles against my back in response. I think they like my wonderful naming!


    I move through the small home towards the window I entered through, covering my face with Sim.


    ¡®Okay, where should I go?¡¯


    Thanks to Vanguard Newtonian you have been given root access to most of the city¡¯s data systems without the need for another catalogue. I can tell you that despite the limited information available from the undercity, I have picked out four main hotspots of Antithesis activity. Two are possible nests, the other two are unlikely suspects.


    ¡®What are the unlikely ones?¡¯ I ask, slipping out onto the street and seeing a few more dead dogs added to the piles of bodies I should probably deal with.


    Those would be the passage to the uppercity, and the White Rhino¡¯s compound in the East. Both areas have large amounts of people gathered, so the amount of Antithesis activity is understandable if worrying.


    ¡®Great. Can I have some flesh melters to deal with this?¡¯


    Could I suggest purchasing a few canisters of White Dream S0 instead? This strain of bacteria will spread quickly, tainting all of the biomass here before slowly breaking it down. Two canisters, at five points each, will be enough to handle this battlefield.


    ¡®Sure.¡¯


    Two big glass cylinders, each the size of one of my siblings, appear on the ground in front of me. They both have shiny metal casings on either end, and they¡¯re filled with a translucent white liquid.


    Set them at either end of the battlefield and activate them. This bacteria is harmless to you and your siblings, so you needn¡¯t worry about it. Still, normal humans may suffer nausea if they are exposed, so I suggest you warn the Monkey Parade and let them know they can dispose of any bodies by adding them to the pile.


    ¡°Urgh,¡± I groan at the idea of talking to the gangsters again. ¡°Can¡¯t Stripe talk to them for me?¡±


    Yes. Well, in a way. I doubt your sister would like to talk to them any more than you would, but if you would like, you can purchase a speaker from the general catalogue for one point to mount on her bag. I¡¯ll be able to speak through it to warn them, if that¡¯s more convenient.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that! Yippee for Protector technology!¡±


    That¡¯s¡­ never mind.


    A small black box spawns in front of me, so I snatch it out of the air and pop it open to find a small button. I take it out and place it against one of the straps going over Stripe¡¯s shoulder, where it adheres on its own.


    {Please go find the gangsters. Let Cyon talk to them,} I ask her, receiving an eager nod before she turns and bolts towards their compound.


    {You two set these up please,} I ask the other two, watching them lift the tubes of bacteria above their heads without any issues before scampering off over the piled-up plant corpses.


    ¡°So, what about the other two locations?¡±


    That would be the dump and Sanicorp¡¯s processing plant. Both locations indicate high activity currently and would have easily slipped under the radar when the hive originally took root.


    ¡°Will it have been obvious if there was a hive there?¡±


    Yes. A similar structure to the one you saw in the pipes earlier would have been present.


    ¡°Okay, the original hive at least wasn¡¯t in the dump. We live there and I haven¡¯t seen anything like that recently.¡±


    Understood. Sanicorp¡¯s plant is the most likely location for the hive. However, could I suggest clearing at least one of the other areas first to build up points and make a few more purchases? This hive will be a lot harder to deal with than your first and I would recommend you don¡¯t take it lightly.


    ¡°Hmm. In that case, let¡¯s cut across to White Rhinos before hitting the dump to grab my parents.¡±


    I¡¯ll plan your route now and update your map. Also, your parents are still alive?


    ¡°No, they died,¡± I correct her, my ears and tail drooping. ¡°They were old and passed over a year ago now, but I kept their skulls¡­¡±


    I see. In that case, would you be interested in investing in cloning technology? As long as the sample is undamaged, you will be able to create clones of your parents.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    The idea sounds appealing for a moment, but something odd settles in my gut.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I think cloning could be cool, but I¡¯m not sure I want to recreate my parents. They already lived their lives and passed; it just wouldn¡¯t be them anymore.¡±


    Leave the restful souls to their eternal slumber. Understood.


    ¡°What?¡±


    If cloning interests you, it would be both a relatively efficient way to achieve your goal of populating the British Isles with raccoons, and a good way to keep yourself and your siblings safe.


    ¡°Really? How would it keep us safe?¡± I ask, shrugging off Cyon¡¯s quirks and rolling with the tangent.


    You could create clone bodies identical to the original and control them remotely. It would still give you the satisfaction of fighting plants face to face, but you and your siblings can keep your main bodies far detached from danger.


    ¡°Will I still get full points?¡±


    For a clone you¡¯re controlling? Yes. You will get reduced points from other clones fighting for you, but just like your siblings, they can be given child implants for your D.E.N system to mitigate that.


    ¡°Okay, that sounds awesome. Does that mean I can have multiple me¡¯s?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°Add that to my list.¡±

 Chapter 20 - The First Flight

    {Hi, I¡¯m a shouty rac! I¡¯m here today to show you guys the brand-new White Dream Super, the latest product from CleanDreams!}


    {Isn¡¯t that the same as White Dream Original?}


    {Shut up Louie! This is the new White Dream Super, a vastly improved blend guaranteed to leave your trash heaps full of only the best, strongest bacteria!}


    {Didn¡¯t you say that abo-}


    {White Dream! Wake up, and the plants are gone!}


    --Popular Ad running on the Prolotor Active Wavecast, channel #82.


    We scramble down the street, passing the bacteria canister that Spot placed before we finally reach bare stone foundations without plant corpses again.


    A few moments later, Stripe races over to join us before we turn the corner, and I pause to look back at the silent battlefield behind me.


    ¡°When will th-¡° two clouds of white mist burst into the air, cutting me off.


    She definitely did that on purpose.


    The clouds spread out, covering the scattered plant matter. It looks a bit like morning dew settling on a field, but when I focus my super eyes on one of the closest Threes, I can see its skin slowly dissolving.


    {Let¡¯s go!} Stripe squeaks impatiently, tapping her paw against my leg and pointing down the street at a small flock of ones approaching in the distance.


    {Okay,} I chirp back tilting my head and frowning at the birds. {I don¡¯t really have much range¡­}


    My gaze drifts down to Chip as he pulls a grenade from his bag and places it on the ground before reaching back and this time pulling out the knife he stole. He lifts the grenade under one arm and takes the knife in his other hand before shuffling up to me and spinning it around to offer me the handle.


    {Awww,} I coo, reaching down and picking him up with one arm while taking the knife with the other. {You just gave me a great idea. Do you wanna learn to fly?}


    Chip¡¯s eyes light up, and he eagerly nods his head without saying anything. I flick the knife out, lodging it in the head of one of the Ones approaching and parting the flock as I wind my arm back with Chip held firmly in my grip.


    My arm snaps forward a moment later, catapulting Chip through the air towards the birds as he lets out a squeal of joy.


    I immediately break into a sprint, passing under the flock as Chip tosses out his grenade. Stripe and Spot duck into cover, and the grenade detonates in a burst of needles as I drop into a slide and catch Chip in my arms, turning my back to the explosion.


    I feel a few dull impacts on my back, but no pain, and when I look back a moment later, I see all of the Ones dropping to the ground, covered in holes that are slowly growing as the flesh around them melts.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Targets Eliminated!


    Model One x 15 ¨C 15 points


    Points Total: 74


    _____


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± I cheer happily, scratching Chip behind the ears.


    {Again!} he squeaks, making me chuckle.


    While your Symbiote-


    ¡°Sim.¡±


    Yes, while Sim is capable of defending against your needler grenades, do you not think you should have checked that before using yourself as a shield like that?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Why is that what you have a problem with?¡±


    SMAF is a recognised military tactic in Prolotor warfare, so I see no issues with anything else you did.


    ¡°SMAF?¡±


    Small Mammal Assault Flights.


    ¡°I see¡­ Is there a catalogue I can buy with these military tactics?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°Add it to the list.¡±


    We continue down the familiar streets, following the path Cyon delivers straight to my eyes in the form of large blinking arrows at each street corner. After a few minutes of disquieting solitude, I spot a small group of Threes slinking towards us.


    I flex my fingers and the bracelets on my wrists dissolve, flowing up to cover my hands and growing the deadly bladed claws. The doggos break into a wild sprint the moment they spot us, but as I take a deep breath and focus on them, it feels like they¡¯re approaching at a slow walk.


    I count eight of the canid plants and roll my shoulders.


    [{Wait here,}] I alert my siblings before letting out my breath.


    Time to see how this body moves.


    I relax and lean forward, dropping to plant my hands in the solid stone¡­ concrete? Actually, I don¡¯t have a clue what this stuff is, I think it¡¯s Samurai tech? Anyway, my claws slide through it like butter still, and my legs coil below me in anticipation.


    Sim curls up and around my head, and I release all of the tension in my body at once, rocketing forward and closing the distance with the xenos in the blink of an eye.


    I slam into one of them, shoulder to shoulder, knocking it back and slamming into one of its brethren, sending us all tumbling. I lash out, slashing both of them, opening one from the side of the jaw down to its hind leg and slicing the leg off of the other with ease.


    Rolling around to get my legs below myself, I dig one of my hands into the ground again, carving a short line and stopping my momentum just behind the group of plants. They grind their claws into the ground and scramble to turn around to meet me, but a small flex of my legs and my arm sends me straight into another one before it can even defend itself, and my hand plunges straight into its flank.


    I rip my claws out and blink in surprise when I notice the edges of the wound turn an unhealthy purple shade and bubble, festering and rotting before my eyes.


    ¡®Damn, this DogEater¡¯s some strong stuff. I should have looked at those Ones closer. I thought it just dissolved them slowly like that mist.¡¯


    My surprise doesn¡¯t stop me as I dodge a snapping jaw and rend two legs from my attacker in return.


    DogEater is a combat strain designed to have an immediate effect on a single target, it would be disappointing if it was as slow as a cleaning product.


    I choose to ignore that as I rip the head off the last Three, dropping it next to its rapidly deteriorating body. A quick glance at the backs of my hands shows that one of the three vials on each has drained by a little over half.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Targets Eliminated!


    Model Three x 8 ¨C 80 points


    Points Total: 154


    _____


    ¡°Do I need to clean these corpses as well?¡± I ask, kicking one of the bubbling dead plants.


    No. You supplied a dose of DogEater to each of them, so they will only act as poison if the Antithesis try to retrieve them now.


    ¡°Neat.¡±


    The blades on my nano claws retract, leaving only the gloves in place, and I notice the lack of green blood clinging to them and my clothes.


    ¡°What happened to the blood?¡±


    Sim will break down any foreign contaminants in contact with their surface to remain clean and help recover nutrients.


    ¡°So, you ate the dirt for me?¡± I ask, looking down at my chest.


    The fabric against the back of my neck wiggles, tickling slightly, so I pat my stomach in praise and rejoin my siblings to continue towards the plant activity.


    We run into a few more small groups of Threes, and I face them head on, enjoying the freedom of movement my new body provides. We also slip into a few alleys between streets as we weave through the disquietingly barren undercity, where we meet another Four clinging to the walls and lying in ambush.


    Luckily, Spot sees it and flings a grenade at it before it even gets a chance to attack us, dropping the predator to the ground in a bubbling mess.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Targets Eliminated!


    Model Four ¨C 13 points


    Points Total: 347


    _____


    {Thanks buddy,} I squeak, bending down to give him some scritches in reward.


    We continue through and step out of the alley and my ears twitch towards the left, beside Spot.


    My head snaps over and my hand slips into my pocket, closing around one of my throwing knives. A dustbin sitting right beside us quivers slightly, and my arm whips over, flicking the knife out in a silver blur.


    The model Nine is knocked back, breaking its disguise and revealing the wriggling, bladed limbs beneath the fa?ade of a bin. I step towards it and slash out in a wide arc before it can recover, cleaving the creature in two.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Targets Eliminated!


    Model Nine ¨C 25 points


    Points Total: 372


    _____


    A shiver runs down my spine at just how creepily quiet these stupid plants can be, even with my super hearing, and I glance down at Spot who¡¯s standing between my legs, looking up at me with watering eyes while wiping the green alien blood from his fur.


    {Yours was cleaner¡­} I mumble, crouching down and pulling him into a hug.


    I rub my cheek against Spots while Sim cleans him, enjoying the fluff and ignoring the small crowd of doggos gathering on the street around us as if they were called.


    Elise, I would su-


    ¡°Shhhhh.¡± I hush her out loud, shutting my eyes and letting a small, rumbling purr build in my chest. ¡°Fluff time.¡±

 Chapter 21 - The Overreaction

    ¡°Samurai specialties? Yeah, we all have them. Some newbies even end up with solid themes before they¡¯ve killed their first hive.


    But the one thing you¡¯ll almost never find, is a Samurai without options. It doesn¡¯t matter how niche our interests, nor how limited our catalogues. If there¡¯s something we want to do, our AIs have the perfect suggestion.


    Take right now, for example. I just asked her, and Liandry gave me a whopping four hundred and eighty-three unique methods I could use to cook you alive!¡±


    --Shadowflame, minutes before burning down a tv studio in an argument with their AI.


    Chip and Stripe both look away from their brother receiving my attention and share a look, nodding before turning to confront the approaching plants.


    Aww. Maybe the Human Thoughts were worth it. That was adorable.


    They both pull a grenade from the bags on their backs, holding them and waiting for the walking shrubbery to gather up as they rush towards us. They twist the needlers before stretching their arms back and lobbing the grenades over the charging bushes.


    Instantly, both of them turn on their heels and bolt towards me.


    Does this make it less cute?


    Fluff time is interrupted when the two fluff balls dive into my arms, radiating smugness into the back of my mind as I wrap them in a hug and turn my back on the needles raining down on us.


    More impacts come this time, but I shrug it off and quickly unfurl, turning around with Chip and Stripe held by the backs of their necks. A wide swathe of the plants directly in front of us have collapsed to the ground with varying levels of festering damage, but a quick glance shows more of them flooding onto the street, and I even notice a few Fives approaching in the distance.


    {If you¡¯re going to throw grenades,} I squeak, winding my arms down. {Make sure you get them all.}


    I throw them both up and they rise, flipping through the air before grabbing onto the lip of the plain boxy-looking building next to us. I pick up Spot next, kicking away a Three that scrambles over the bubbling corpse of one of its comrades to leap at me as I place him on my shoulder.


    Sim removes most of the pockets lining my legs and slims the fit of my trousers as a big pouch of fabric forms on my back. Spot quickly crawls into it, spinning himself around to rest his chin against my shoulder with loose fabric draped over his snoot, concealing him completely.


    Sim¡¯s the best!


    We fade out of sight, and I start silently sidling along the edge of the building, trying to move out of the focus of the growing horde.


    I see a few needlers drop from above, and this time I get to watch them as they activate, spraying multiple dense waves of tiny needles. The few that hit me bounce off as usual, though I instinctively raise a hand to protect my eyes still. The impacts I¡¯m feeling may be small, but I still don¡¯t want to feel them on my eyeballs.


    More plants drop, and more grenades follow, so I turn my focus to the ground.


    ¡®Cyon, where are all these coming from?¡¯


    What a surprise, it would appear that the White Rhinos¡¯ resistance has ended.


    ¡®Is that¡­ sarcasm?¡¯


    I dodge the jaws of a Three that sniffed me as I stepped too close, slashing its throat before slipping past it, narrowing my focus on a distant Five.


    ¡®Is this because I shushed you?


    These Models are leaving their compound and converging upon your position.


    I feel like the lack of a response says enough, but that sounds bad, so I drop it for now.


    ¡®That¡¯s bad, right?¡¯ I ask, slipping between two Threes, running my blades along their sides as I pass and leaping at a Five as it shoots quills into the building below Chip and Stripe.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    My claws rip through its flesh easily, and after carving four deep grooves that bubble and fester from my bacteria infecting it, I spring off the dying plant and land on a Three beside it, smashing its skull into the ground before driving a blade into its back.


    There are only a few reasons the Antithesis would choose to ignore a large gathering of living beings. Either there¡¯s a recognised threat nearby that¡¯s a higher priority, or they aren¡¯t living anymore.


    I create some distance from the dead Five and the plants around it frantically searching for the killer, keeping away from their noses as best as I can. I should ask Cyon about removing my scent later.


    ¡®Any chance I¡¯m a big threat?¡¯


    To this degree? I doubt it. In fact, such a strong reaction to a dead Nine¡¯s pheromones would suggest the possibility of a control unit.


    ¡®Like those Sixes?¡¯


    A letterbox lashes out at me as I get too close to it trying to avoid a Four. It draws a thin line along my ribs, splitting Sim open and drawing a shallow line of blood before my arm snaps out, slicing its top off. Sim quickly liquifies and stretches back together, but all of the nearby bushes snap their attention to me, and a burst of tentacles from the Four hits me.


    I hop up as a bladeless tentacle drives into my chest, letting it send me flying backwards before the more dangerous followers can catch me. I twist in midair, slashing a Three that leaps up to meet my quickly-moving, shimmering form before I hit the ground and bounce, rolling onto my feet and shooting off into the crowd, sliding under a dog and slashing its belly as the majority of the xenos lose track of me again, getting distracted by another burst of needles erupting in their midst.


    Possibly, or a Model Seventeen. If this hive has been hidden for long, that is entirely possible.


    Well, that doesn¡¯t sound hopeful.


    I move to the edge of the swarm, slipping into a side alley and leaping up to grab onto a raised walkway to get away from the dogs filing onto the open street to join the crowd gathering below Chip and Stripe. I disable my invisibility, fading back into existence and removing Sim from my face for a moment to catch my breath.


    [{How are you guys for grenades?}] I ask my siblings on the roof through our connection, receiving two bursts of giddy excitement that bring a smile to my face before an articulated response.


    [{Two left each,}] Stripe squeaks back. [{Refill soon?}]


    [{I¡¯ll be there in a moment.}]


    ¡®Hey Cyon, how should I deal with this? Do I just clear the horde, or should I be searching for a Seventeen?¡¯


    I believe you can complete both tasks at the same time. If you get within range of your siblings again and refill their grenade stocks, they can act as a distraction and clear the horde while you search for the Seventeen.


    I glance over at Stripe and Chip¡¯s position and see the plants entering the building below them, and there are several chunks of the building¡¯s face falling away as more spines from the other Fives further up the street smash into it.


    ¡®I¡¯m not sure they can act as a distraction for long enough.¡¯


    If you would like to give them more security, could I suggest sending Spot up to them with some mobility upgrades to help them change positions?


    ¡®Sure. I assume you have something in mind,¡¯ I say while standing up from my crouched position on the walkway, activating my invisibility again and stepping over the edge, falling into the alley below, directly on top of a Three.


    My heel drives the dog¡¯s head into the ground, and I step off it to the side before leaning down and slashing a shallow wound along the back of its neck, injecting just enough bacteria to kill it, draining the last of the solution from my gloves. The three empty vials on the back of my hand fire off, and three more spawn into place before my eyes without me needing to ask, quickly being covered by Sim and fading out of sight again.


    I do, I would suggest-


    ¡®One sec,¡¯ I interrupt, kicking a doggo deeper into the alley as it tries to snap at where my hand just was. ¡®Grenade please.¡¯


    A silver orb with a big red button appears in front of me, and my eyes snap onto it in an instant. My grin widens as an idea strikes me, so I spin around, batting the falling grenade¡¯s button with my tail and knocking the orb into the alley before leaping out onto the main street.


    A loud bang behind me makes my ears drop flat to my head, and a wave of heat bursts from the alley, distracting the nearby plants and making it easier for me to slip between them unnoticed.


    I would suggest unlocking Prolotor Combat Utilities for seventy points and purchasing your siblings a Prolotor Emissive Land Traverser for twenty points each.


    I spot a Five not too far away as I cross the street, poking out above several Threes and aiming at my siblings, so I hold up my arm in a throwing position, feeling a hefty knife drop into my hand without asking, before whipping it forward.


    The traversers can replace the straps of their grenade bags, and they utilise bursts of compressed air to deploy movement anchors that will allow your siblings to easily travel from roof to roof without risking extended exposure to the horde below.


    The knife cuts through the air without a sound and slams into the car-sized bush. However, instead of simply killing it, the moment the knife sinks into the plant its legs give out and it starts convulsing. Red and blue lines spread out along its skin, and a moment later the bush violently explodes, flinging red and blue dyed flesh onto the smaller Models nearby.


    ¡®What was that?¡¯ I ask Cyon in awe, completely skipping over the PELTs as I reach the same side of the street as my siblings, several buildings away thanks to the distance I created with them.


    I leap up towards an open window, catching the lip and scrambling up to perch in it, overlooking the still-increasing horde of plants no longer being cut down by grenades from above.


    That was a Nano-Injecting Throwing Knife loaded with GorillaBomb E3, a fast-acting bacterial strain that causes a rapid buildup of gas inside the target Antithesis¡¯ body, along with spreading an enzyme to break down their flesh. It leads to the effect you just saw. It¡¯s known as a corpse explosion by the Prolotor researchers who created it.


    ¡°Awesome,¡± I mutter out loud, dropping my invisibility and feeling a small twinge in my gut asking me to snack. ¡°Now, how about those PELTs?¡±

 Chapter 22 - The PELT

    {Okay, anchor one: fire!}


    *Hiss* *Clang*


    {Target hit, sir! Full penetration achieved and the weight checks are positive.}


    {Good! Anchor two.}


    *Hiss* *Clang*


    {Target hit! Holding steady.}


    {Perfect. Activate retraction.}


    {On i- AAAHHHHHHH!}


    *CRASH*


    --Audio recording from experimental traversal system P.E.L.T, test #1: the brakes incident.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I Prolotor Combat Utilities ¨C 70 points


    P.E.L.T System x 3 ¨C 60 points


    Total: 130 points


    Remaining Points: ####


    _____


    Three long black boxes with pictures of raccoons swinging between buildings, hanging from silver cables attached to cute little harnesses appear on the floor beside me. I glance at them briefly, but my attention is stolen by the oddity at the bottom of the purchase report in the corner of my vision.


    I frown and glance at the point counter that was definitely working when I first got these augs, but it shows scrambled characters now.


    ¡°Cyon¡­ Why can¡¯t I see my points?¡±


    Isn¡¯t it more fun to wait for a full report at the end of the big fight?


    ¡°I guess? As long as I can still buy things I don¡¯t really care.¡± I shrug and crouch down to open the new boxes.


    The first lid clicks open as Spot hops down from the pouch Sim made for him, landing in front of the box and eagerly peeking in. Inside is a harness made from several loops of leather, with several sleek metal boxes mounted to it and a black metal canister the size of two fists stacked as well.


    Before I can ask how to put it on, Spot grabs it and deftly slips himself into it ending up with the canister sitting between his bag and tail, pressed up against both, and the metal boxes on his shoulders and hips.


    ¡°Did you¡­¡±


    I only gave him the instructions.


    My lips curl in a proud smile, and I reach down to pat Spot¡¯s head as the harness tightens itself into place around him, connecting itself to his bag and letting the old strap fall off.


    {Can you take these to the others?} I ask him, nodding towards the other two boxes.


    {Kay!} he chirps, pushing his head into my palm.


    ¡°How much weight can the PELT carry?¡±


    Locked the system can support several tonnes, but the-


    My ears twitch, catching the sharp sound of something cutting through the air, and I duck, narrowly dodging a thick quill.


    Whoops. Maybe I should have kept subvocalising¡­


    I reach out, slipping my hand into Spot¡¯s bag and taking out a grenade. I quickly home in on the Five that attacked me and prime it, arcing my arm back before snapping it forward and sending the ball of spikey death hurtling straight into the rude plant¡¯s face.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°As you were saying,¡± I say while pulling the two PELT boxes back from the window to completely get out of the horde¡¯s view.


    The retraction systems will only safely operate with up to one hundred kilograms per harness.


    ¡°Okay, easily enough. How big can Spot¡¯s bag stretch? I want to give him more grenades to take to our siblings.¡±


    Big enough to give them the goodies to run circles around the horde.


    ¡°Can I afford that?¡±


    Yes.


    ¡°Do it.¡±


    The bag on Spot¡¯s back suddenly balloons out, sagging down to rest on the ground as it swells up to triple the size of him.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!


    Mark I Chaos Bundle ¨C 500 points


    Remaining Points: ####


    _____


    ¡°Not gonna tell me what they got?¡±


    Cyon doesn¡¯t respond. Rude.


    Spot slings our siblings¡¯ harnesses over his shoulders before nodding up at me confidently. I bend down and scoop him up, frowning at the weight of the bag. That¡¯s gonna hurt his shoulders!


    ¡°This bag is too heavy for him,¡± I complain while moving back to the edge of the window, preparing to leave.


    It is. However, he can detach it on the roof while he takes the PELTs to the others, so he¡¯ll be fine.


    I nod begrudgingly, giving Spot one last ear scritch before stepping into the window and leaping out, turning so my back is to the horde as it fades from sight, giving Spot in my arms a clear line of sight to the roof of the building we were in.


    Four light pops sound at once, and four small metal anchors shoot up, carrying cables behind them. They punch into the walls of the building, and in an instant Spot is whisked up out of my arms, rising quickly.


    {Have fun!} I call out as I flip, getting my legs under myself before I hit the ground and roll, landing between a Four and two Threes.


    I rise up, slashing the tentacled mass before it can react and catching a dog that leaps at me, digging my fingers into the sides of its head and crushing its skull before quickly dropping the corpse to dodge another bite from a Three. I kick the dog away, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my last knife, flicking it into the xeno¡¯s head before ducking under a swooping One that noticed the scuffle.


    A flick of my wrist decapitates the bird, and I quickly scan the surrounding plants that are even more densely packed now thanks to the threat of explosives decreasing.


    ¡®Cyon, GorillaBomb knife and something to mask my scent please.¡¯


    A silver knife with a glass vial for a handle, filled with a dangerous red liquid, and a clear vial of milky blue liquid both appear in front of me, drawing the focus of the surrounding bushes trying to pinpoint my location.


    Crush.


    I don¡¯t need Cyon to say anything else, so I crush the plain vial in my hand and throw the knife at the closest Four. The milky blue liquid quickly spreads across my body, making me look like a human-shaped ripple for a moment before it vanishes along with the faint musk of life that I carried before.


    The Four I hit bursts, distracting the plants that have started approaching me for long enough for me to slip away unnoticed, narrowly squeezing between several Antithesis and scratching a few on the way past.


    ¡®What should I be-¡®


    I don¡¯t need to finish my question because my ears twitch, faintly picking up a familiar hum coming from a nearby alley.


    That¡¯s the noise of a Six!


    ¡®I thought you said it would be a Seventeen?¡¯ I say while quickly pinpointing the sound and heading towards it.


    It still may be a Seventeen. They are a more advanced control unit but transfer their commands by embedding control parasites into other Antithesis, and they can only control a limited number of these. To counter that they take control of other units like Sixes to spread their control further.


    Before I can respond, a sharp wave of sound that makes me flinch hits me from behind, and I wince as my head snaps towards it. I see a clump of plants shuddering and dissolving close to the source of the sound, and at a glance I spot Stripe on the edge of the roof above it, covering her ears.


    ¡®Cyon! I wouldn¡¯t have found the Six if that was a few seconds earlier!¡¯


    Whoops.


    I scoff, stabbing a nearby Three in the side before ducking into the alley I heard the Six in. There are two Threes walking straight towards me when I step off the street, but they don¡¯t see me until they walk straight into my outstretched claws which I drive through their eyes, killing them instantly.


    Stepping over the corpses I glance up and see two Fours waiting, mounted to the walls ahead of me, slowly approaching.


    ¡®DogEater,¡¯ I subvocalise, holding out both hands and feeling two knives land in them.


    I throw both at once, nailing both tentacle balls and dropping them to the ground with satisfyingly synchronised thuds.


    I go to walk past them, but as I get within arms reach of the second corpse, it moves, leaping up towards me. I spin, reacting as quickly as I can and slashing my hand across my attacker. I cleave several inches off its mass, cutting off where its head would be if it was a person and killing it, but the plant¡¯s sharp, bladed limbs cut through Sim at the same time, drawing four gashes across my ribs.


    I kick the corpse back, getting a better look at the Nine that had disguised itself as some of the Four¡¯s tentacles.


    ¡®Well, that¡¯s terrifying,¡¯ I muse, turning away from the corpse with a flick of my tail and heading further away from the main battlefield to look for the Six, ignoring the explosions starting back up behind me in full.


    ¡®You didn¡¯t give them anything too dangerous, right?¡¯


    ¡­


    ¡®Cyon?¡¯


    ¡­


    I should be fast.

 Chapter 23 - The RPBGB

    ¡°You guys are never gonna believe it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I used my Samurai privileges to check the city¡¯s records, and there¡¯s nothing. They¡¯re as clueless as us!¡±


    ¡°Not even a name?¡±


    ¡°Nope, nothing!¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ is Dr Williams just crazy?¡±


    ¡°Who cares! He said there are raccoons in the city! Operation Trash Bandit Tracking is a go!¡±


    --A conversation between Newtonian and her classmates, Jan 2032.


    I find the Six waiting in a small courtyard between two blocky concrete buildings before I join the next street over, surrounded by six Threes, each standing beside one of the large bony command bush¡¯s legs.


    ¡®GorillaBomb.¡¯


    I fling the two knives Cyon gives me at the two dogs furthest forward, watching them swell up and burst, spraying their infected flesh on their nearby companions. The Six shudders and frantically shakes its two front legs to try and remove the entrails of its minions.


    The constant flickering hum coming from the large creature wavers, and the Threes beneath it stagger away, dropping their guard duty as they try to scrape away the blue and red dyed flesh melting holes in them.


    I dart forward, unnoticed thanks to Sim, and slip under the truck-sized plant. My arms lash out, ripping flesh from the inside of the xeno¡¯s remaining legs and filling it with my lovely bacteria.


    I have to jump out from under the plant as its legs give way, dropping its spasming torso to the ground. I make quick work of the remaining Threes before turning my attention to the Six as its convulsing stops and it goes still.


    ¡°So, what am I-¡° I stop as I notice a faint, shimmering string protruding from the plant¡¯s forehead. ¡°Never mind. Does this lead to the Seventeen?¡±


    Yes. That is a Seventeen¡¯s command fibre. You should have sufficient visual acuity to track it back to the source if you focus and move quickly.


    ¡°Move fast?¡±


    As if to answer my question, the string suddenly goes taut, catching the light and standing out in my vision like a sore thumb for a moment before it snaps, disconnecting from the dead Six and quickly shooting deeper into the alley.


    Move fast.


    I run after the string, straining my eyes to pick out the slight shimmering line standing out in the shadowy backstreet and not letting it leave my gaze. I run into two Threes before I leave the alley, but my claws make quick work of them, and I¡¯m soon charging out onto a new street skidding to a halt as my head drifts to the right, following the string up the street further in the direction we were originally heading before we ran into a horde.


    There are dozens of plants filing through the street, ducking into connecting alleyways to approach the battlefield where my Siblings are gleefully scattering explosives.


    And wow do I mean gleefully. The bubbling happiness pouring into the back of my mind, occasionally joined by excited chirps, is almost distracting.


    I shake my head to clear the useless thoughts and race after the string, slashing several plants as I pass to help thin their numbers. I notice a few other strings catching the light as I move, but most of them continue down the alleys towards the main battlefield, so I ignore them and keep searching for the source.


    The string bends around a corner and I follow it, running face first into a Six standing in the middle of the street, humming commands to keep a sizable contingent of plants under control, standing around it in an obviously defensive formation.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    There are three Fives in the group, two of them facing me, and the rest is made up of a few dozen Threes, Fours, and even a few Ones circling above.


    The string floats towards the Six, before dipping below the crowd of plants, hiding from my view.


    ¡®What does a Seventeen look like?¡¯


    A Three with more eyes.


    ¡®Under the Six then?¡¯


    Most likely.


    ¡®Perfect.¡¯


    I scan the crowd, trying to find a point to slip through unnoticed, but my brow quickly furrows. I can¡¯t see a single spot with enough space to pass through without touching one of the plants. Unlike the horde attacking my siblings, these Antithesis are standing close together calmly, so I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll notice if I start trying to thin their numbers to get through too.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± I quietly click my tongue, making a nearby Three¡¯s head snap towards me.


    The doggo slowly approaches me, dropping its muzzle to the ground and sniffing, but I ignore it for a moment.


    ¡®Gimmie something to make a distraction.¡¯


    A big grey tube suddenly spawns above me, startling me and the Three sniffing around. I grab the tube, noticing a handle halfway along, pointed down with a small red button against my index finger when I grip it.


    Aim for the Six.


    I point the tube forward, my eyes widening slightly when a red crosshair appears in the distance, stuck to the side of a Three.


    My free hand snaps out, decapitating the doggo that leaps at me as I adjust my aim, placing the floating red mark on the Six¡¯s head. I press the button, and the tube lets out a dull thwomp as a rocket flies out, drawing a line of fire between me and the big plant.


    My ears perk up as I wait for the boom, but instead, the projectile slams into the plant¡¯s bony head and vanishes, burrowing a hole straight into it.


    My tail droops slightly and I let out a small, disappointed sigh before lowering myself and preparing to charge into the crowd when they lose cohesion, dropping the empty rocket tube to the ground beside me.


    I take two quick steps before a sharp crack forces my ears flat against my head, and I watch the Six erupt in a fountain of red and blue gunk that violently sizzles whenever it comes into contact with the surrounding plants.


    My tail flickers back and forth behind me, and my grin stretches wide. Okay, maybe I can¡¯t judge my siblings. That was fun!


    The closest plants charge towards me, unable to see me but able to see the discarded rocket tube, but the well-organised formation breaks in the process, opening several paths through the carnage to the bubbling Six corpse.


    I race forward, carving deep gashes into several plants as I pass and search for the Seventeen.


    I decapitate snapping Threes, tear stray tentacles from enraged Fours, and I even rip open a Five¡¯s belly as I move through the bunched-up plants, but I don¡¯t see anything resembling a Three with extra eyes.


    ¡°Cyon! Where the fuck is it!¡± I cry in frustration as my stomach grumbles angrily and I drop my invisibility.


    It would appear the RPBGB killed the Model Seventeen with its initial detonation. There was a noticeable drop in the cohesion of the Antithesis attacking your siblings when it went off.


    I slide under a Four and drive my arm up into it, tearing out a bundle of nerves before rising to my feet and kicking away another Three. I throw the Four¡¯s flesh in the doggo¡¯s eyes, distracting it for a moment as I close the distance and rake my long, bladed claws over its face.


    ¡°You could have told me that!¡±


    I leap on a Nine trying to blend into the melting corpses, ripping chunks out of it as Cyon replies with a judgemental tone.


    You could have checked with your siblings yourself.


    A Three¡¯s jaws close around my ankle as I stand up, and several Ones swoop down to nip at me at the same time, distracting me from what Cyon said.


    I¡¯m definitely not just ignoring her.


    Not at all.


    The Three¡¯s teeth scratch my skin a little, but it can barely push through Sim now that they aren¡¯t using their mass to hide Spot.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to finish my chaotic dance through the shrubbery, scattering the scent of cut grass as the corpses of the small Models build up around me. Not even the slightly larger Fives stand a chance, joining the corpses with their heads shredded after foolishly focusing on removing the burning liquid from the RPBGB while I attack them.


    ¡°What does RPBGB even mean?¡± I ask Cyon, panting for breath as my gaze scans the quiet street, trying to work out if there are any more Nines moving among the bodies.


    Rocket Propelled Burrowing GorillaBomb.


    ¡°Of course it does.¡±


    I stomp on a squirming tentacle and let out a sigh as I feel my siblings¡¯ energy decreasing too. The excitement from the fight fades, giving way to an aching soreness in my stomach and several nagging pains from a dozen-odd small injuries covering my body.


    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± I grumble, rubbing a hand between the gashes on my ribs and my empty belly.


    An energy bar appears, and I quickly snatch it out of the air. The packaging has a cute cartoon raccoon wearing a chef¡¯s hat, chopping up what looks to be chocolate.


    Eat this Nutri Bar for now, and I would advise you to meet up with your siblings. They have been making the most noise, so they are still dealing with the stragglers now, and they are running low on munitions.


    I nod, peeling open the packaging and taking a bite from the soft chocolate inside. It melts in my mouth, giving way to the small nuts and fruity jelly bursts held within.


    My tail sways cheerfully behind me as I set off towards the faint explosions still going off in the distance.


    [{So, how¡¯s it looking?}]

 Chapter 24 - The Post-Combat Report

    Epigraph Goes Here!


    --A forgetful webnovel author.


    [{Quiet.}]


    [{Boring.}]


    [{Boom!}]


    I nod at Stripe and Spot¡¯s expected responses and chuckle at Chip¡¯s as I hear the explosion he set off in the distance.


    [{I¡¯ll be there in a moment to finish cleaning up.}]


    I receive three squeaks of acknowledgement and slip into an alley that leads back to them, running into a few stray Threes on the way.


    As I step out onto the street where we first met the horde, my eyes widen in surprise. The entire street is littered with plant corpses of all shapes and sizes in varying states of decomposition. Some of the bodies are frozen solid, some are shattered in pieces, and most of them are melting into a thick slush of plant matter that my black boots, courtesy of Sim, squelch through.


    I whistle an impressed note at the absolute carnage they wrought with a few grenades, and my gaze is drawn to a couple of Threes walking out of a side alley like me a dozen metres away.


    Before I can even consider attacking them, my ear twitches and I hear a high-pitched pop, followed by the hollow sound of cracking concrete and the whirring hiss of a cable being wound quickly. I glance up towards the sound and see Stripe flying between two buildings with a grenade clasped between her paws.


    She throws it down as she passes the Threes, barely sparing them a glance as she twists midair, detaching her shoulder anchors from the wall above the aliens and firing the anchors at her hips into the wall above me instead. Her grenade lands on the heads of the unsuspecting doggos and bursts in a ball of shrapnel and fire, ripping them to shreds as she barrels into my arms with a happy chirp.


    {Hello,} I coo, scratching behind her ears. {Where are our brothers?}


    {Finishing the big noisy ones!} she responds, leaning into my embrace and purring lightly.


    They¡¯re dealing with the Sixes?


    I hear a faint rumble in a nearby alley, and the faint buzzing that has been present since the horde appeared finally stops, leaving us in complete silence.


    [{Done!}] Spot and Chip report in unison.


    ¡°I barely need to do anything¡­¡± I mutter in slight disbelief.


    Your siblings are efficient workers. They could handle a horde like this alone as long as you supply them with ample weaponry.


    I nod at Cyon¡¯s words with a feeling of pride building in my chest as she praises my siblings.


    ¡°They¡¯re the best, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    I idly pet Stripe as we wait for our brothers to return, scanning the roofs until I spot two dark shapes scurry to the edge of one before hopping over and shooting their PELTs into the wall above me, copying Stripe and flying towards me with their arms outstretched.


    I place Stripe on my shoulder and catch the other two, one with each arm.


    {Well done,} I say, hugging both of them into my chest and leaving their heads at the perfect height for Stripe to join in and pet them.


    They push their little faces into my shoulders and chirp happily, and it doesn¡¯t take long for all four of us to start purring in sync again.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Targets Eliminated!


    Model One x 126 ¨C 102 points


    Model Three x 343 ¨C 2850 points


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.Model Four x 183 ¨C 2539 points


    Model Five x 11 ¨C 202 points


    Model Six x 5 ¨C 130 points


    Model Nine x 24 ¨C 552 points


    Model Seventeen ¨C 50 points


    Total: 6425 points, 1 token


    New Purchases!


    Nano-Injecting Knife x 8 ¨C 40 points


    H.E Grenade x 2 ¨C 10 points


    Claw Refill (DogEater) x 3 ¨C 60 points


    ScentEx ¨C 10 points


    RPBGB ¨C 15 points


    Total: 135


    Points Total: 5729


    _____


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a lot,¡± I mutter, staring at the combat report with my eyes spinning. ¡°I like the single report, but maybe just give me the point totals next time? That¡¯s too many numbers!¡±


    Ingrate.


    I hear a slight buzzing as Cyon says something I don¡¯t catch, so I ask her to clarify.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    Of course. I will modify your report template for the future.


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± I narrow my eyes in suspicion, that was definitely longer than before, but she doesn¡¯t say anything else, and I¡¯m forced to move on.


    ¡°Anyway, what should I buy next?¡±


    Would you like me to go over your current list?


    ¡°Yes please.¡±


    Currently, you have asked me to add armour for your siblings, cloning technology, more mutations, and Prolotor military tactics.


    ¡°Did I really ask for more mutations? I thought that was a given.¡±


    Yes.


    I don¡¯t remember that¡­ Ah well.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start at the beginning then. What armour can I get these guys?¡±


    There are a few choices, but I believe you would be most interested in the cloning solution.


    ¡°Wait, cloning can get them armour too? Can you clone Sim or something?¡±


    Exactly. If you unlock Class II Prolotor Viral Cloning, you can combine it with your Viral Apparel catalogue to grow new symbiotes: either from a sample of your Sim, or from a new blueprint.


    ¡°That sounds awesome! Is it cheaper than just buying them new symbiotes?¡±


    In the long run, yes. It will be a steep initial investment, but since you¡¯ll need them on a scale to equip an army, it¡¯s far cheaper.


    ¡°Okay, what do I need to get started then?¡±


    First, you will need to unlock the catalogue for six hundred points and a token, then you will need a Biologically-Isolated Nurturing Lab Of Really Robust Yield in order to clone on the move.


    ¡°Bin lorry? You¡¯re making these names up, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    A Biologically-Isolated Nurturing Lab Of Really Robust Yield can be outfitted to fit your needs, but the base lab will cost you two thousand five hundred points.


    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s a lot,¡± I mutter.


    As I said, it¡¯s an investment for the future. In fact, I would advise unlocking the Prolotor Guns Guns Guns catalogue for one hundred and twenty points and using it to purchase some armour and weapon placements to defend the lab. For an extra five hundred points, you can purchase light armour and mount a set of Gimballed Rotary Railguns.


    ¡°Okay, is that catalogue name because I called you out?¡± I ask with an accusatory tone.


    Guns Guns Guns? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting her ignore this one!


    Of course not. Catalogue names are decided by those who register them and simply translated into your language.


    ¡°Ah ha! So, you do come up with the item names yourself!¡±


    I wait for a response, but she goes completely silent again.


    ¡°Oh co-¡° Stripe squeaks and rubs her cheek against mine, calming me down almost instantly.


    Another Nutri Bar appears without me asking, and Stripe quickly grabs it, deftly unwrapping it as I pout.


    ¡°If that¡¯s a veiled criticism about me, I won¡¯t hear it, and I won¡¯t respond to it.¡±


    Stripe breaks off a chunk of chocolaty goodness and feeds it to me, giving Spot and Chip a piece as well before finishing the bar off herself. We chew in silence and, after swallowing down the bar, I finally speak to Cyon again.


    ¡°Okay, so: cloning catalogue, guns catalogue, and the upgraded lorry. That¡¯s¡­¡±


    Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty points.


    ¡°Right, and that leaves me with-¡°


    One thousand, nine hundred and fifty-eight spendable points.


    ¡°I could have worked that one out! Anyway, what¡¯s that enough for?¡±


    A lot of things.


    My eyes narrow, but she continues quickly.


    A Genetic Sample Extractor S23 costs two hundred and fifty points and will allow you to extract a sample from Sim to replicate. A further fifty points will give you enough Culture Solution S23 to grow half a dozen new Symbiotes as long as you provide the lab with sufficient biomass.


    ¡°Biomass? Does that mean I can use all this?¡± I ask, kicking away some of the plant sludge clinging to my boots.


    Yes. In fact, a Biologically-


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep doing that, just call it a bin lorry.¡±


    A B.I.N L.O.R.R.Y can help you extract and reuse any still living bacteria from any corpses you feed it. However, adding in too many foreign elements while it is in the process of growing clones will increase their instability, leading to more mutations which may or may not be beneficial.


    ¡°Okay, and I can use it to grow more raccoons?¡±


    Yes, you can.


    ¡°I¡¯m sold. Buy away!¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I Prolotor Viral Cloning ¨C 150 points


    Class II Prolotor Viral Cloning ¨C 450 points, 1 token


    Class I Prolotor Guns Guns Guns ¨C 120 points


    B.I.N L.O.R.R.Y (weaponised) ¨C 3000 points


    Genetic Sample Extractor S23 ¨C 250 points


    Culture Solution S23 ¨C 50 points


    Total: 4020, 1 token


    Remaining Points: 1708


    _____


    The moment the purchase notifications scroll past my view, a large, painfully familiar truck appears in front of me.


    ¡°Yep¡­ That¡¯s a bin lorry.¡±

 Chapter 25 - The Cloning Lab

    ¡°Any questions? Yes, you over there¡­


    What¡¯s the worst thing about Antithesis? That would have to be their ability to replicate.


    Give the fuckers a chance and a bit of biomass, and they¡¯ll start pumping out models like there¡¯s no tomorrow. It doesn¡¯t matter how easy low models are to kill, given enough of them even an experienced Samurai could fall. All it takes is one slip-up.


    Always remember, never leave a plant behind!¡±


    --Stormsurge, giving a guest lecture at New Oxford University, 2031.


    Stripe jumps off my shoulder at the appearance of the large bin lorry floating a few inches off the floor, and Chip and Spot both flip around to look, hopping down after her.


    Of course. The lab has been customised to better fit your theme.


    Is that smugness I hear in her tone?


    ¡°My theme?¡±


    Trash Bandit.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°So, how does this thing work?¡±


    You can connect to it with your augs to view the current synthesis progress and control the railguns, but to operate the lab or drive it you must get inside.


    ¡°Through the front?¡± I ask looking over the floating lorry.


    It¡¯s actually a bit bigger than a normal bin lorry, about fifty per cent so if I had to guess, but it¡¯s still the same shape. Luckily it looks a little nicer with a clean grey and black paint scheme, and the front driver¡¯s cabin looks large enough to stand in, so it should be comfortable.


    I guess I know where I¡¯m napping if Cyon decides to knock me out again.


    The bulk of the vehicle is taken up by the large boxy container though. I can¡¯t see an obvious door since the rear is taken up by a curved chute to deposit rubbish into.


    Or I guess biomass in this case?


    No. There¡¯s a side door to access the lab just beside the driver¡¯s door. Open it through your augs.


    ¡°That¡¯s still the front¡­¡±


    She doesn¡¯t respond to my grumbling as I walk forward and glance at the handy little lab widget that appears in my augs main menu. It¡¯s styled as a cartoonish raccoon in a cute little lab coat swirling a beaker of toxic-looking green sludge, and it opens into a small menu with a few options for the guns and the lab. Scanning through them I select to open the door and set the guns to auto mode, watching in awe as two long, sleek black guns extend up from between the cab and the container.


    They drop down from their vertical tilt after clearing the truck¡¯s roof and swivel around as if scanning the street. Both guns have long barrels striped in grey and black with a bulbous body connected behind them and, as they spin, I notice two small handles mounted to their backs.


    ¡°Are those handles for manual mode? Why should I ever turn them off auto?¡±


    You will gain fewer points for Antithesis killed without your direct intervention. Your siblings controlling them will also give you a better split than automatic targeting.


    ¡°Oh, right. That makes sense.¡±


    I look away from the cool guns for now, I can look at them more when I have some symbiotes cooking, and focus on the panel near the front of the rear container that slid open while I was distracted.


    I approach the door and step up into the lorry as one of the guns hums with a soft crack. My head snaps down the street, and I see a stray Three slump to the ground as its face explodes into a fine green mist.


    ¡°Woah, what did it fire?¡±


    That was a basic kinetic round. They can be loaded with more extreme ammunition from your bacterial and explosive catalogues if you choose. Each railgun has an internal magazine that holds two hundred rounds, and you can customise each one if you so choose.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°That¡¯s good enough for now. Maybe later.¡±


    I glance at the point counter in my augs ticking up by six before reaching out to grab a convenient handle just inside the door and pulling myself up into my lab. The inside is surprisingly spacious, though it¡¯s easy to tell a majority of the trailer is taken up by wherever the back chute leads by how narrow the room is. It¡¯s painted in a clean white, with screens dotted around and several ports along the wall towards the back.


    ¡°Are there any seats?¡±


    No. However, if you would like you can purchase an Adaptable Squish from your Prolotor Bacterial Genetics catalogue for twenty points.


    ¡°Seems like a lot for a chair, but sure.¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!


    Adaptable Squish ¨C 20 points


    Remaining points: 1694


    _____


    A white blob about the same size as me appears on the floor in front of me. It looks smooth, so I reach out to touch it and find the surface is unbelievably soft.


    My eyes light up and I throw away any inhibitions instantly and leap into the Squish, falling into the soft, pillowy heaven. The blob deforms around me, letting me sink into it as it gently wraps around me, shifting to let me lie down comfortably on my stomach.


    ¡®I take it back,¡¯ I speak into the Squish, my voice being muffled in the process. ¡®If I¡¯m napping anywhere, it¡¯s here.¡¯


    I feel several light impacts beside me as my siblings join me, snuggling in to get cosy against my sides.


    It¡¯s not until one of the railguns hisses again that I finally drag myself out of the soft folds of the Squish and turn around to sit upright. The white blob moves with me, tilting up and rolling my siblings into a pile in my lap as it spins around to face me towards the ports on the wall.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I mutter as the seat moves on its own.


    The Adaptable Squish is a useful product made from the byproducts of one of the Prolotors¡¯ many experiments. It is filled with a strain of self-replicating bacteria that can feed off dirt and sense the emotions of animals that come into contact with them. They will move to please whoever is currently in contact with them.


    ¡°This seat is bacteria? Funky. So, how do I work this thing then?¡±


    The screen set into the wall about the weird ports turns on, showing a big arrow pointing down at a port that looks kind of like a circular slice of flesh.


    First, extract a sample from Sim using the Genetic Sample Extractor on the left.


    Two boxes appear on top of Stripe and Chip¡¯s backs, so I grab the one on the right with a picture of a raccoon stabbing a black blob with a comically oversized needle. Popping it open I find a glass tube covered in silver metal, but when I pull it out of the box, I don¡¯t see a needle, only two flat ends.


    I hold one of the ends against my forearm, watching to see if anything happens, and I see Sim creep up the edge of the tube¡¯s metal before sinking into it, filling the glass with midnight black within moments.


    Sim releases the tube after it¡¯s full, going flat to my skin again as I hold the full extractor up and put the same edge to the smooth film on the indicated port. The darkness inside the extractor flows out, and tiny dark veins spread across the cream-coloured film.


    Perfect.


    The arrow vanishes from the screen, being replaced by three more coloured in green, red, and blue, pointing to a different rectangular port each.


    Please insert the Culture Solution into the correct ports.


    Chip spins onto his back and opens the case now on his belly for me, revealing three equally colour-coded rectangular vials. I follow my instructions and slot each one into place, watching them drain as I place the last one before detaching on their own and clattering to the floor.


    The screen resets again and starts going through a technical readout too quickly for me to even try keeping up. Soon it settles on a simple information page that also pops up in my augs.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Available Cloning Samples:


    Basic Clothing Symbiote (Stealth Modified) ¨C Culture available for six units, time per unit, thirty minutes.


    _____


    I select the symbiote in my augs and the menu changes to ask me how many I want to add to the culture chamber. I select three for now, and the screen changes again


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Cloning in progress!


    Remaining time: 30:00


    Please insert biomass.


    _____


    The timer isn¡¯t moving, and the bottom line blinks repeatedly.


    ¡°How do I¡­¡±


    The chute on the outside.


    ¡°Damn it.¡±


    Reluctantly, I push myself out of the Squish. My siblings tumble off me in the process, landing on the plush seat, but a quick whistle immediately snaps them to attention and they crawl out to follow me.


    I definitely don¡¯t feel bad about the tears building in Spot¡¯s eyes as he climbs out of the squish.


    Not at all!


    We clamber out of the truck and the door slides shut behind us as we walk to the back. I grab onto a handle on the corner and swing myself up to stand on a little ledge at the back of the truck, staring into the closed chute.


    You can either drop biomass in manually, which will be helpful once you have raccoons designed to collect biomass, or you can use the suction hose. I will eject the hose to make your job easier now.


    A slot opens up beside the curved chute, and a circular metal tube shoots out, dropping down to rest against the floor below.


    Activate the hose through your augs whenever you¡¯re ready. It can extend up to ten metres.


    Chip and Spot grab the floppy tube, lifting it up and peering inside before looking over to me for instructions.


    {Suck it all up!} I squeak, activating the suction and watching Spot jump back in surprise as his fur is pulled towards it.


    {Haha!} Chip squeals with joy, pulling the tube along and chasing after our brother, trying to suck him up and getting the alien sludge in the process.


    The timer in my augs begins ticking down, but my gaze scans the mess we¡¯ve left across the street and my brow creases.


    ¡°Can we even use all of this?¡±


    You can fill the lab past capacity to produce the symbiotes and then get started on producing some clones of your siblings as well if you would like. After that, I would advise dropping a canister of White Dream S0 to deal with the remnants as you move on to continue gaining points. You can gather more biomass later.


    ¡°Okay, sure,¡± I say as I pick up Stripe and leave our brothers to do the dirty work, climbing back inside the lorry. ¡°Time to clone Stripe!¡±

 Chapter 26 - The Shopping Spree

    ¡°Humanity? What¡¯s that? Can I eat it?¡±


    --Elise ¡®Trash Bandit¡¯ Roberton when asked about her genetic modifications.


    ¡°So,¡± I say as I drop back down into the Squish, wiggling around to find the perfect position with Stripe in my lap. ¡°How do I clone her?¡±


    To begin the cloning process, you will need to purchase another Genetic Sample Extractor, this time the P19, along with another set of Culture Solutions for a total of three hundred and fifty points.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than the symbiotes.¡±


    The more complex the creature you try to clone, the more you will need to spend to replicate them. You will also be able to purchase a machine to process biomass and minerals into Culture Solutions in the future if you would like, but for now, that¡¯s out of your purchasing means.


    ¡°Okay, that makes sense, I guess. How many clones will that give me?¡±


    All Culture Solution packages are portioned for six attempts at reproduction, and the growth chamber can fit three raccoons at the moment.


    ¡°Attempts?¡±


    Yes. The cloning process isn¡¯t guaranteed to work and just like with your viral modifications, there¡¯s a chance for mutation in the process: whether good or bad.


    ¡°Okay. Buy away then!¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New purchases!


    Genetic Sample Extractor P19 ¨C 250 points


    Culture Solution P19 ¨C 100 points


    Total: 350 points


    Remaining points: 1350


    _____


    Two familiarly styled boxes drop into my lap. One of them is slightly larger than the last set, I assume the Culture Solutions, so I open the other and find an extractor almost identical to the one still lying on the floor in front of me. The only visual difference is a streak of grey metal mixed in with the silver.


    I hold the extractor against Stripe¡¯s back, stroking her head as I wait for the tube to fill with dark red. She doesn¡¯t even flinch as the extractor does its work, so I buy her a Nutri Bar as a reward while loading the sample and solutions into the lab.


    The options for the growth chamber update, so I select the female raccoon sample and set it to start producing three of them. A new timer pops up, this one reading an hour, and it¡¯s joined by a small notification telling me the growth chamber is full.


    [{That¡¯s enough,}] I tell Chip and Spot, receiving squeaks of affirmation in return.


    ¡°Hey Cyon, can they drive this thing?¡±


    It¡¯s physically possible. Whether your siblings are good drivers or not is another question though.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m a good driver, so that¡¯s good enough for me!¡±


    [{You guys can drive. Take us to the White Rhino compound}]


    [{Bagsy the wheel!}] Chip squeaks excitedly before Spot can speak, sending enough giddy joy over our link to almost make me break out in laughter.


    I shall provide him with a map, so you hopefully head in the right direction.


    Is that pride in her tone? Is it a bad idea to give him control...


    Shaking that thought away for now and hoping Chip leaves some buildings standing in our wake, I turn my attention to my point counter.


    ¡°I still have one thousand three hundred points to spend. What¡¯s next on the list? More mutations?¡±


    Correct, though you actually have one thousand, three hundred and four points to spend thanks to your railguns.


    The counter updates before my eyes.


    Also, I would suggest purchasing a canister of White Dream S0 before any upgrades.


    ¡°Right, cleaning up... Can you drop the canister outside primed? I don¡¯t want to stand up...¡±


    Of course.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    White Dream S0 ¨C 5 points


    Points remaining: 1349


    _____


    Now, do you have any specific mutations in mind, or would you like my suggestions?


    ¡°I was th-¡° I pause as the room shudders slightly before returning to absolute still again.


    Chip has started moving, nothing to worry about.


    ¡°Okay. Anyway, I was thinking about upgrading my claws,¡± I say, retracting the gloves covering my hands and flexing my fingers, watching my nails extend.


    Wonderful. In that case, could I suggest the Class II Pulverising Articulated Weapon Viral Sample for one hundred points. The P.A.W Sample will enhance the tendons in your hands; sharpen, extend, and reinforce your claws; and create a series of reinforced microvessels within your hands and claws to inject fluids into your enemies.


    ¡°That sounds perfect, but fluids? Not just bacteria?¡±


    Yes. Depending on which esoteric organs you choose, you will have more options. You could produce offensive bacteria, viruses, or drugs, with just the catalogues available to you now.


    ¡°Wait, I can produce viruses? Aren¡¯t my viruses all self-modification stuff?¡±


    They are for now, but you haven¡¯t touched on temporary changes yet which production organs focus on. Not all of your mutations have to be permanent.


    ¡°Oh... Anyway, shopping! Which of those should I look at next?¡±


    If you are looking to maintain your current offensive capabilities, I would recommend purchasing the Class II Regulated Autonomous Bacterial Incubating Enclosed System Viral Sample for two hundred points, along with the genetic blueprint for DogEater K1 for a further two hundred points. However, the R.A.B.I.E.S Sample will also drain your nutrient supplies, and it requires several compounds your body will struggle to process as it is, so I would then like to suggest you use four hundred points to purchase the Class II Omnivorous Organ Network Viral Sample. The O.O.N Sample will provide a comprehensive enhancement to all the organs in your digestive system, allowing you to consume almost anything.


    ¡°Almost anything? Really? Could I eat an antith-¡° the room shudders and the Squish tilts sideways, keeping me stable as everything tilts.


    [{What are you doing?}] I ask Chip worriedly.


    [{Nothing!}] he yells back unconvincingly, letting his giddy excitement bleed through our connection.


    If you would like, you could check on the camera in the cab.


    We have those?


    I browse through my augs as the room levels out again, holding Stripe close to my chest. I find the camera feed quickly enough, and I have to hold back my laughter when I see how they are driving.


    Chip is hanging off the wheel, flinging his entire body from side to side to turn it, and Spot is on the floor below him, sitting on the accelerator. The lorry is swerving around, dodging between buildings as Chip takes us on a joy ride a little too fast for such a large vehicle.


    The audio feed from the cameras lets me hear the railguns firing periodically, and a glance at my point counter shows it slowly ticking up every time a shot fires.


    [{Don¡¯t hit any walls.}]


    I close the feed after giving Chip a warning, returning to the peaceful quiet of the isolated lab.


    To answer your previous question, yes, you would be able to eat an Antithesis if you wanted. Though, if you are interested in consuming unconventional things, I would suggest an upgrade to your teeth and jaws as well. You could purchase the Class II Razorfang Viral Sample for seventy-five points.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Buy it.¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New purchases!


    Class II P.A.W Viral Sample ¨C 100 points


    Class II R.A.B.I.E.S ¨C 200 points


    DogEater K1 (blueprint) ¨C 200 points


    Class II O.O.N Viral Sample ¨C 400 points


    Class II Razorfang Viral Sample ¨C 75 points


    Total: 975 points


    Remaining points: 416


    _____


    A pile of boxes forms in my lap, burying Stripe beneath them.


    She quickly scrambles out, sitting on the Squish beside me and looking at the boxes with curiosity.


    {None for you yet,} I tell her, scratching between her ears before opening the boxes one by one, finding an assortment of syringes filled with multicoloured solutions.


    ¡°Which one first?¡±


    It doesn¡¯t matter. Inject them all without pause and they will activate at the same time.


    ¡°Kay.¡±


    I give Stripe one last scritch before picking up the first syringe and holding it to my chest.


    {Wish me luck,} I chitter as the thick, purple solution drains into me.


    I toss the empty syringe as Stripe picks up the next one and offers it to me.


    As the last syringe falls to the floor, I brace for pain. It takes a few moments, but soon a warm, wriggling sensation builds in my chest, spreading through my body with a wave of pain that focuses on my mouth, hands, and torso.


    I curl up into a ball, silently screaming as my fingers dig into my sides.


    Stripe gently strokes my head as we wait for the process to finish, cooing in a reassuring purr.


    As quickly as the pain came, it vanishes again, leaving me gasping for breath with only a dull aching pain in my gut from hunger.


    ¡°Any extras?¡± I mumble out, pressing my face against the cool, soothing Squish.


    Yes actually. Your fang upgrade took on the retractable trait from your P.A.Ws.


    ¡®Nice.¡¯


    Could I suggest a high nutrient meal? I believe it will make you feel much better.


    ¡®Hungy!¡¯


    Sit up then please.


    Cyon¡¯s tone is slightly softer than usual, tickling my brain in its hunger addled state, so I listen and flip around.


    Stripe climbs up to sit on my shoulder so she can keep patting my head, and a large tray three times the size of the meals Cyon sold us before drops into my lap.


    My mouth waters as I pop the tray¡¯s lid without thinking, and I¡¯m immediately hit by a rich aroma of spices and meat. I dig in without a thought, shovelling food into my mouth and ripping it to pieces with only a few bites.


    This jaw upgrade is great!


    My mouth moves at a quite frankly unnatural speed, and the hunger in my stomach soon subsides, allowing me to think clearly again.


    I inspect one of my hands as the other continues delivering chunks of meat into my mouth. My nails are now pitch black, and they look duller than before the upgrade. But, when I try to flex my claws, my nails suddenly extend and sharpen into a point as the skin on the ends of my fingers splits apart painlessly, letting out multiple several-inch long spines that connect with the nails seamlessly.


    ¡°Woah,¡± I exclaim with a mouthful of food, watching a faint green liquid seep from the ends of the savage-looking claws.


    I lower my hand to the corner of the plastic food tray and run a single claw across it, watching it split the plastic apart effortlessly. An excited grin stretches my lips, but my eyes land on the cut off corner of the tray and my curiosity gets the better of me.


    I toss the shard of plastic into my mouth, tensing my jaw and feeling my teeth slide over each other, extending into vicious fangs that grind the plastic into an easy-to-swallow pulp.


    ...


    It tastes like chicken.

 Chapter 27 - The Disquiet

    {Welcome back to Roadkill Nightmares with me, Gorlom Sheepsay!


    In today¡¯s episode, our roadkill of the day is this beautiful Model Six. It¡¯s got the perfect amount of meat on it, and I know we¡¯re just in for a treat.


    Let¡¯s see what our chefs come up with.}


    *Twenty minutes later*


    {DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO COOK YOU DONKEY? IT¡¯S FUCKING RAW!!!}


    *Incoherent screeching* *Audience screaming*


    --A cut episode of popular show Roadkill Nightmares, on the Prolotor Active Wavecast, channel #58.


    ¡°So, how do I control my R.A.B.I.Es?¡± I ask Cyon as I chew through the rest of the food tray.


    Don¡¯t judge me! Mum and Dad taught us not to waste food!


    You should be able to control it like another muscle after some practice and, if you want, we can use dream learning to speed up the process. But, until then, as I¡¯ve mentioned before, your D.E.N implant will act as a crutch to help you control your esoteric organs.


    A window pops up in my vision, showing me DogEater K1 is currently being produced, and my incubator is half full.


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    I blink away the control panel and turn my attention down to my stomach, which doesn¡¯t hurt any more. That would make sense if I was just hungry since I ate, but I¡¯m pretty sure I took several claws to the gut earlier.


    I tap my belly and Sim gets the message, peeling apart the thin black bodysuit clinging to my upper half and revealing my¡­ yep, still a six-pack. Nice.


    The pale skin covering my new muscles is marred by a few raised scabs, but they look weeks old, and they barely feel any different from the surrounding skin as I poke them.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±


    Your healing has been improved by several of your upgrades so far. Flesh wounds like those should heal on their own as long as you eat enough. The scabs will be gone completely within another ten minutes, but they will probably leave small scars. I have a few options available if you would like to remove them and prevent future scarring.


    I consider it for a few moments, staring down at the small red bumps surrounded by clean, unmarked skin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I mind a few scars,¡± I say quietly, moving my hand away and letting Sim cover me as the room shakes again.


    [{We¡¯re here!}] Chip happily announces, making my ears perk up.


    I hop out of the Squish and head straight through the door, being met by the crack of the railgun the moment it opens to let me out. My head snaps to the front of the lorry, where I see the large, walled-in compound of the White Rhinos.


    The big front gate is hanging open, and there are several dead Threes and Fours lying there with their heads blown off thanks to the turrets on top of my lorry.


    I also immediately spot a green smear across the front of the lorry, but I tactfully choose to ignore it as Chip and Spot tumble out of the drivers cab with giddy grins on their faces.


    {Good job,} I squeak, crouching down and patting them both on the head. {I¡¯d like one volunteer to watch the lab please.}


    My brothers go rigid, both looking away and attempting to whistle inconspicuously despite their long snouts making that very hard. While they¡¯re putting on the performance of a lifetime, Stripe lets out a chiding coo and hops off my shoulder.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    {I¡¯ll do it,} she squeaks, clambering up the side of the lorry towards one of the railguns.


    {Thanks!} I call after her, giving Chip and Spot one last scritch before standing up.


    ¡°Could I buy Stripe a Nutri Pack please?¡±


    Certainly.


    My point counter ticks down by one as Chip and Spot both look up at me expectantly.


    ¡°So, you understand this now?¡± I ask with a raised brow, watching both of them look away and attempt to whistle again.


    I roll my eyes and walk past them, heading towards the compound¡¯s open gates.


    ¡°Stay behind me,¡± I call over my shoulder as they scramble to catch up, lowering my centre of mass and starting a slow jog towards the building.


    Well, slow for my new body.


    I clear the distance to the gate as fast as a normal person would sprint it and spring over the corpses blocking my way, popping my claws through Sim and running them through the cold flesh beneath me without meeting any resistance. My claws leave satisfying, caustic purple gashes behind, ruining the corpses for the Antithesis, just in case.


    A couple of Threes race out of the blocky main building¡¯s open front door when I get close, but two quick slashes open their gullets, ending their lives quickly. A small grin creeps its way up my cheeks as I revel in the deadly efficiency of my new digits, but I slow my charge and hold back my excitement when my eyes scan the building¡¯s face, noting half a dozen windows shattered and barricaded to form makeshift shooting windows.


    Empty shooting windows.


    My feet slide to a complete halt, and I hold my hand out, gesturing for my brothers to stop as well. The moment they do, I focus on my hearing, twitching my sensitive ears and listening to the unsettling stillness surrounding us.


    A few moments later, the quiet is shattered by the hiss of the railgun firing behind me.


    ¡°It sounds like you might be right. I don¡¯t think anything good¡¯s still alive in there¡­¡±


    Be careful. There is a high likelihood of Antithesis activity despite that.


    ¡°I¡¯m always careful!¡± I say with a chuckle, pushing Sim to cover my head and dropping into a silent approach.


    I flex my hands, feeling every twitch of the powerful tendons inside, and lick my lips, letting my fangs extend to their full, savage glory.


    I think I could get addicted to these mutations.


    I silently slip through the front door, Chip and Spot hot on my heels, but my eyes widen at the sight on the other side.


    The long entrance hallway was clearly set up for a fierce defensive, with several heavy metal barricades deployed for cover and two hefty, mounted turrets hanging from the ceiling at the far end. However, the only signs of the men and women who were manning the defences are the crimson splatters covering them.


    The turrets don¡¯t look functional either, their long barrels bent, and their armour plating torn to shreds by claws.


    Brutal.


    I continue forward, scanning for aliens as I pass, with a slight frown creasing my brow.


    I won¡¯t claim to like most of the gangs around here, but I still don¡¯t think they should all be butchered or anything. How can you steal from gangers if there are no gangers around!


    I mean¡­ actually, no, I stand by that statement. What was it Cyon called it again? Playing into my theme?


    My arm whips out, plunging my hand down to the wrist in a step stool positioned behind one of the barricades. It writhes for a moment, losing its well-kept fa?ade in its last moments before going limp.


    Several objects ahead of me distort suddenly, breaking their camouflage before I even got to them.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they waiting for me like they normally do?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°What?¡±


    I leap forward, slashing my claws through one Nine¡¯s midsection, cleaving it in half in one go before pouncing on another, grabbing hold of it and sinking my teeth into it, ripping a large chunk from the plant and chewing as I turn to face the others.


    They are semi-intelligent lifeforms. Once they have determined that their camouflage is completely ineffective, they won¡¯t just wait for death.


    I plunge my arm into another Nine and hoist it up before me as a needler flies past. I glance back at Spot peeking out from behind a reinforced metal plate and giving me a thumbs up as the grenade goes off, filling the remaining xenos with DogEater.


    I return the little guy¡¯s thumbs up before dropping the dead Nine and swallowing.


    ¡°A BLT you¡¯re wondering.¡±


    What?


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡­


    {Egg BLT,} Chip squeaks behind me.


    I look back and see him chewing on a small green limb from the dead alien beside him.


    ¡°Agree to disagree.¡±


    I set off again, falling back into a silent stride despite the plants almost certainly knowing I¡¯m coming at this point.


    ¡®Cyon, where should I be going?¡¯


    I was wondering if you¡¯d ask.


    I push open the door at the end of the hallway as a faint arrow forms above my head, pointing me onwards. Thanks to looking up at the arrow, the second I step through the door I notice the Four lying in wait.


    I spring back, avoiding a sudden flood of tentacles before lashing out and severing most of them from the body above. I wait for a few seconds, and the plant drops to the floor in front of me defenceless.


    I step past the dying Four, leaving DogEater to do its work and heading deeper into the stronghold. We ignore most of the side rooms as we go, killing the aliens that come from them but not bothering to look in, and eventually we end up at the entrance to a set of stairs descending into the foundation below the building, surrounded by blood stains but without bodies.


    Well, other than the dead plants we just added.


    ¡°What¡¯s down here?¡± I ask, chewing on a Three¡¯s leg.


    The incursion bunker.


    ¡°Any chance everyone is safely hidden inside?¡±


    ¡­


    I toss away my snack and take a deep breath.


    ¡°Only one way to find out...¡±

 Chapter 28 - The Bunker

    ¡°Mental health is extremely important, especially for Samurai. A lot of people seem to forget, but every time we fight off an incursion, we¡¯re walking into an active warzone. Some of the things I¡¯ve seen those overgrown plants do still give me nightmares.


    The Protectors must pick us for mental resilience or something though, because it¡¯s rare to find a Samurai that won¡¯t bounce back even after seeing some truly harrowing shit.


    If you meet someone who won¡¯t though?


    Run.


    I may have some flaming tendencies, but those Samurai are the ones you really want to be scared of. You don¡¯t want to hang around to see what happens when they¡¯re not all there anymore.¡±


    --Shadowflame, ten minutes before burning down a tv studio in an argument with their AI.


    Stepping into the stairwell lit by cheap fluorescent lights, I strain my ears, hearing a faint scuffing, like boots on concrete, and several dull, metallic thuds further down.


    ¡®That sounds like people.¡¯


    Cyon doesn¡¯t respond, so I keep heading down in silence, keeping my guard up as I glance at the walls stained in red and green.


    It looks like they were still fighting back when the plants got this far at least¡­


    The stairs curve, and as I round the corner, I spot a man standing just beyond the bottom step with his back to me, swaying slowly from side to side. I resist the urge to call out to him, pausing and watching as he leans too far, stumbling and catching himself with a rush of footfall, his arms swaying limp at his sides.


    I gesture for Chip and Spot to wait, activating Sim¡¯s invisibility and fading from sight before approaching the man. I slip out of the stairwell, spotting several more men and a woman in the small, open chamber I step into. They all have their backs to me, and a few of them are hitting a heavy metal bulkhead with their fists, smearing it with blood from their shattered knuckles.


    I focus on the man closest to me first, stepping past him unnoticed and finally getting a good look at his face.


    Yep, that¡¯s a zombie.


    There¡¯re dried trails of blood running down his face from his orifices, and his eyes are glassy and vacant as he stares at the door ahead without a single thought.


    These people are infected by Model Sevens. They are beyond saving already.


    I nod to myself, because I don¡¯t know if Cyon can even see that while my camo is active, and take a deep breath.


    That was a mistake.


    Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, the only thing I can smell with my sensitive nose is blood. The thick, cloying scent of iron¡­


    I haven¡¯t killed a person before.


    I¡¯ve fought quite a lot, don¡¯t get me wrong, and I¡¯ve even taken my fair share of eyes¡­


    But I¡¯ve never killed.


    A warm flood of affection and reassurance pours into the back of my mind, snapping me out of my thoughts.


    Wait¡­ could they feel my hesitation?


    Weird, but I guess it makes sense that our emotional link works both ways.


    My arm flashes out, cleaving the first zombie¡¯s head from its shoulders in a single, clean motion.


    I spin on my heels without a thought, launching myself towards the other zombies before they have a chance to react to their comrade¡¯s demise. Four more heads fly, and five corpses drop to the floor, pouring out their crimson elixir of life.


    I stare at the dead mounds of flesh for a few moments without saying anything before glancing down at my hands.


    They¡¯re shaking ever so slightly, but there isn¡¯t even a single red smear left behind.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°I¡­ Thought it would feel worse?¡± I mumble quietly, confused by the odd blend of emotions churning in my gut.


    Those people could already be considered dead before you even got here.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ But they might have lived if I got here faster¡­¡±


    And that makes you feel bad?


    ¡°Not really?¡± I let out a frustrated growl and kick one of the corpses¡­


    Whoops?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± I grumble, pressing my back against the door the zombies were hitting and sliding down to sit in the growing pool of blood below me.


    Your profile did suggest a possible lack of empathy towards humans. The areas of your brain that were damaged when you first initialised could be the cause.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have empathy? Doesn¡¯t that make me a psycho?¡±


    We won¡¯t get into your worrying lack of understanding for what that actually means right now, but no to both of those. I never said you don¡¯t have empathy, just that your empathy towards humans is lacking. From my observations, you seem to have a heightened sense of empathy and kinship with your siblings.


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    Now that she mentions it, she¡¯s not wrong. I can¡¯t think of many people I like all that much, but I¡¯ll kill anyone that makes my fluff balls cry.


    I send a burst of affection to them through my empathy network, letting them know I¡¯m done at the same time as Cyon continues.


    You can likely still form bonds with individual humans to re-establish a solid sense of empathy, but I doubt it will extend to the entire species as a whole again. If you are interested, there are several methods from therapy to brain sti-


    She cuts off suddenly as Chip and Spot scurry into the room, locking onto and heading straight towards me.


    Do not let them approach!


    Cyon¡¯s voice loses all of its usual charm, falling into an emotionless whisper that sends a shiver down my spine, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention.


    {Wait!} I screech, slamming my elbows into the metal behind me and propelling myself up onto my feet.


    Both of my brothers dig their claws into the concrete, grinding to a halt and looking at me with confusion, but I don¡¯t meet their eyes, scanning the corpses between us for the cause of Cyon¡¯s sudden switch.


    I notice a small, black worm wriggling its way out of one of the decapitated head¡¯s mouths, stretching a small mesh of tendrils out into the blood around it.


    That is the body of the Seven. They can and will infect your siblings if they get too close.


    I spring forward, approaching the worm in an instant and slamming my heel down on it, crushing the life out of it.


    ¡°Can they infect me?¡± I ask, scanning the other heads and seeing several more worms, one of them already free and on its way towards Chip.


    No. Your RABIES will release a low concentration of DogEater into your bloodstream the moment one of them tries to enter your body, and if they try to use your digestive tract, they won¡¯t make it past your stomach acid.


    ¡°Good,¡± I reply, stomping on the last worm. ¡°Is there anything I can do to keep my siblings safe?¡±


    Of course. You can purchase a pack of Model Seven Proofing Pills for one point.


    ¡°Do it please!¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!


    Model Seven Proofing Pill ¨C 1 point


    Remaining points: #####


    _____


    A small pack of off-green tablets spawns in front of me, so I snatch it out of the air and walk over to my brothers, kneeling down and popping out a pill for each of them.


    ¡°How am I meant to get in there?¡± I ask Cyon, gesturing back towards the bunker door with my head as I pet Chip and Spot.


    You can purchase Class I Basic Cyberwarfare Utilities for one hundred points. If you then manually connect your D.E.N implant to the door, I could unlock it.


    ¡°Okay, buy away.¡±


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchase!


    Class I Basic Cyberwarfare Utilities ¨C 100 points


    Remaining points: #####


    _____


    Chip and Spot both scramble up onto my shoulders as I turn and approach the door.


    ¡°How do I connect to it?¡±


    You have a neural input conduit at the base of your skull.


    ¡°A what?¡±


    A cable.


    Definitely not pouting at her dry tone I reach my hand up to the back of my head, peeling Sim back from my fingers and head to get a good feel for what I¡¯m looking for. My fingers slide into the small, soft depression at the back of my head, just above where my hairline starts, and I feel a small, hard lump.


    As I focus on it, my augs act on their own, popping it free of my skull and ejecting the lump along with a long string of what feels like hair.


    I pull it around in front of myself and see a small black blob attached to the end of a long, braided cable of what definitely looks like my hair as well.


    Please press the conduit into the indicated port.


    The control panel at the side of the door lights up in my vision, so I step over to it, watching as the glow shrinks down and sinks into an empty socket underneath the blank screen. I hold out the conduit and press it into the port. It deforms like putty, pressing into the hole until it sits flush with the wall.


    For a few seconds nothing happens, then a small video feed pops into my vision, startling me.


    ¡°Is this inside the bunker?¡± I ask the obvious, staring at the grotesque image of a large worm protruding from a metal wall with its mouth hanging wide, surrounded by zombies delivering themselves into it.


    Yes. It would appear the Model Sevens made it inside before the bunker was sealed. That¡¯s a Model Eight they¡¯re feeding themselves to, it¡¯s a model designed for transporting biomass to hives.


    ¡°Gross¡­ it¡¯s not even chewing its food.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t judge me, I think I¡¯ll puke if I don¡¯t laugh. Some of them are basically chewing themselves for the worm! Can you show me a different camera or something? I don¡¯t want to look down that thing¡¯s throat.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°Oh god!¡± I cry as she switches it to a feed showing piled up corpses with their stomachs blown out, leaving gaping cavities of mashed flesh.


    A few of them are still whole, but I think that¡¯s worse thanks to the worms writhing beneath their bloated skin.


    ¡°Just turn it off!¡±


    The feed disappears and I let out a sigh of relief.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll eat for at least thirty minutes thanks to that.


    ¡°Right, how should I clean that up?¡±

 Chapter 29 - The Zombies

    Push, Mum!


    Oh god, that looks horrible. I never want kids.


    ¡­


    There, it¡¯s out!


    Wait, she¡¯s still going? How big are raccoon litters?


    --Elise¡¯s mind during her siblings¡¯ births, 2031


    There are a few options. Would you like a cheaper one-time solution, or another mutation that can address situations like these?


    I silently consider the choice, absentmindedly rubbing my brothers¡¯ bellies as they puff happily on their shoulder perches that Sim has widened to make more comfortable.


    ¡°Can I hear both options at least?¡±


    Of course!


    Cyon¡¯s pitch-black avatar crawls out of the port my data cable is connected to, standing up proudly and floating into the centre of my vision.


    Both options will focus on a new strain of bacteria: SerpentBite OG.


    She raises her paws dramatically, and a small green organism flickers to life above her. It¡¯s a strange thing, looking kind of like a sea anemone with tonnes of tiny tentacles floating about aimlessly.


    ¡°That¡¯s bacteria?¡±


    Yes, this is thousands of times larger to make it easier for you to see.


    ¡°That¡¯s not-¡°


    SerpentBite is a highly active strain of Antithesis-eating bacteria that specialise in consuming muscles and connective tissue, immobilising and disabling Antithesis quickly after exposure.


    It just so happens that Model Sevens are made up of a soft enough tissue to be wholly affected by SerpentBite, so after infiltrating the host¡¯s circulatory system through the lungs, the bacteria will consume the Model within seconds. When mixed with a potent enzyme to slowly break down the remaining biomass afterwards, it becomes complete plant-killing package!


    I nod along at the impressive explanation, patiently waiting for her to get to the numbers while definitely not bouncing on the spot in anticipation.


    The cheaper option is buying a dispersal canister like you did for White Dream in the past.


    A familiar glass cylinder replaces the bacteria above Cyon¡¯s head. It¡¯s filled to the brim with a bubbling, fluorescent green liquid.


    It will only cost you five points per room within the bunker, of which there are five, for a total of twenty-five points. As for the mutation option? That would be purchasing the genetic blueprint for SerpentBite for two hundred points along with the Class II Pneumatic Omni Organism Flinger Viral Sample for one hundred and fifty points.


    The image above her head shifts once again, folding in on itself before expanding out into a bushy black and silver striped tail, almost identical to the one swishing around behind me except slightly denser.


    The Class II P.O.O.F mutation focuses around augmenting your tail. It gives your fur a hydrophobic coating, creates a series of controllable micropores along the limb, and comes with a small support organ that to produce enzymes to mix with your bacterium. This will allow for easy, repeated dispersal of SerpentBite in an almost identical manner to the canister, and you will be able to use the limb for other strains, including White Dream if the weak enzymes that come with the P.O.O.F aren¡¯t fast enough for your tastes.


    The image of the tail twists, causing the fur to gather towards the central shaft for a moment before bursting out as it changes direction, flicking out a mist-like spray of green liquid.


    ¡°Organism Flinger? Isn¡¯t that a bit of a reach? Also, you put so much effort into your pitch for the mutation. Where was that energy for the canister!?¡±


    You are also nearing the safe limit for further mutations with the Class I Mutagen X you use before, so I would suggest getting a dose of Class I Mutamax X for another one hundred and fifty points.


    I roll my eyes at her ignoring my questioning, obviously pushing me towards the mutations. But I have to admit, spraying alien melting goop by shaking my tail does sound tempting.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Fine, mutations it is. Hit me with it,¡± I say with a faux resigned tone, not giving her the satisfaction of winning this one as I drop down to sit with my back against the wall.


    Unfortunately, I regret my words moments later when Cyon¡¯s avatar¡¯s pitch-black face, so dark it¡¯s hard to even see her snout when she looks straight at me, parts in a smug, glowing-white grin.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    New Purchases!


    Class I SerpentBite OG (blueprint) ¨C 200 points


    Class II P.O.O.F Viral Sample ¨C 150 points


    Class I Mutamax X ¨C 150 points


    Total: 500 points


    Remaining points: #####


    _____


    A pitch-black mass suddenly grows before my eyes, and a small box flies out of it before I can even blink, slamming into my nose and dropping into my lap as I stare ahead blankly.


    Chip breaks out in chittering laughter on my shoulder, but Cyon drops the second box on his head moments later, almost immediately silencing him.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did you just hit me with it?¡±


    Yes. That¡¯s what you wanted, correct?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t make fun of your item acronyms again, they¡¯re very impressive.¡±


    She nods in satisfaction, placing her paws on her hips and pressing out her chest proudly.


    I rub my slightly sore nose and choose to let her bask in her glory peacefully as her avatar fades away into nothingness.


    I¡¯m being nice, not running away!


    Moving on quietly, I grab the box that has bounced to the ground after hitting Chip and pop it open, along with the one in my lap. They both contain syringes, but as I¡¯m about to inject the Mutamax into my arm, I pause and glance at my bacteria incubator¡¯s aug window, seeing it¡¯s eighty per cent full of DogEater.


    ¡°How am I meant to use SerpentBite if my incubator¡¯s almost full?¡± I ask, absentmindedly pressing the injector into my arm and feeling a warm buzz spread through my body.


    You can either set your incubator to consume the current bacteria and reprocess it into a different strain at a small nutritional loss, or you can store it externally for a small point cost.


    ¡°It seems like a waste to reprocess it. Can I get a container please?¡±


    Cyon doesn¡¯t even bother with a full message in my augs, only flashing a small ¡®-1¡¯ in the corner of my vision as she spawns an empty glass tube in the air before me.


    I drop the empty injector and snatch the tube before it falls, turning it to find a soft membrane covering one end. I don¡¯t need her to tell me what to do as I stab the claw on my right thumb through the membrane, pouring the contents of my incubator out in a steady stream.


    Once my incubator¡¯s empty and the tube is almost full, I pull my claw out and drop the tube into a pocket at my leg.


    Satisfied, I set the incubator to produce SnakeBite instead as I grab the second injector and bring it to my chest. Sim parts a small hole to give me access to my sternum, and the thick, dark yellow solution from the syringe drains into me.


    I brace myself as I drop the empty injector and, a moment later, a burning itch erupts in my lower back.


    I breathe a small sigh of relief. It doesn¡¯t hurt too bad, though it¡¯s hard to resist the urge to scratch it.


    I busy my hands petting my brothers as we wait for the virus to finish doing its thing, watching my tail puff out slightly, gaining more mass and at least an extra five per cent fluffiness. After about twenty seconds, the scratchy sensation vanishes, leaving me to admire my puffy appendage.


    Chip and Spot hop off my shoulders, scrambling down to join my tail in my lap, diving into the fluff as I run my fingers through it.


    Nodding in satisfaction, I push myself off the ground and look at the sealed bunker door.


    {Wait here for me,} I squeak to my brothers, peeling them out of my tail and setting them down on the floor.


    They both nod and give me small salutes that melt my heart, before running over to the nearby corpses and rifling through their clothes.


    ¡°Right, time to clean up I guess,¡± I mutter, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, preparing my stomach for the gruesome scene waiting for me on the other side of the reinforced door.


    I will open the door wide enough for you to enter and set it to automatically shut after a few seconds to keep the Antithesis contained for you. Please unplug your transfer conduit before entering unless you want to grow a new one.


    I nod and take a firm grasp of the hair-like cable as I step up to the centre of the door.


    Three. Two.


    A mechanical beep replaces the last number in the countdown, and the door cracks open. I yank on my cable, tearing the conduit from the wall without feeling a thing, and squeeze myself into the parted gap.


    There¡¯s a person waiting for me immediately on the other side, but her vacant, glossy eyes with streams of bloody tears running down from them suggest maybe it¡¯s not a warm welcome.


    My hand lashes out before I can even think, parting the zombie¡¯s head from its shoulders in an instant and leaving a thin coating of caustic green bacteria behind.


    I quickly scan the room full of zombies, seeing several of them lined up along the edges on their backs, their stomachs breeding more Sevens. There are also dozens of the little worms crawling between the mindless zombies¡¯ feet towards me.


    I try not to focus on the bloated worm farms as I punch away the closest bodies, creating a little room for myself as the door clicks shut behind me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how well this Organism Flinger flings!¡±


    I turn my back to the group, extending my tail out and following my instincts, twisting the limb in a way I¡¯m almost certain I couldn¡¯t before, building up power as my incubator pours SnakeBite into it. With a small shake of my hips, I release the tension in my tail and watch over my shoulder as a green mist bursts from it, filling the room in an instant.


    The zombies hobbling towards me freeze as the mist envelopes them, before slowly starting to convulse. The worms creeping along the floor all freak-out, squirming in panic as their bodies quickly disintegrate under the influence of the bacteria.


    I turn to face the room completely as the seizing corpses fall to the floor, ceasing their movements after a few seconds before beginning to dissolve. A quick glance at my augs tells me my incubator¡¯s already prepared for another burst, so I step over the bodies and head into the next chamber.

 Chapter 30 - The Catch Up

    Two at once?!


    Gross, they¡¯re wet¡­


    Actually, they¡¯re kind of cute¡­


    Their masks are almost the same if it weren¡¯t for those small markings. I¡¯ll call you Spot and Stripe!


    --Elise¡¯s mind during her siblings¡¯ births, 2031


    It¡¯s almost boring how easy it is to clear the bunker of living plants.


    I simply turn myself invisible for a moment, step into a new room, and release a spray of bacteria that quickly immobilises and dissolves everything in there.


    The hardest part is waiting for my incubator after each burst of SnakeBite, listening to the sounds of shuffling feet in the connected rooms and trying not to look at the bubbling breeding corpses pushed up against the walls.


    In the final open chamber, as I cut the heads from a few of the sickeningly numerous zombies and spray dissolving mist on the rest, my attention is drawn to the big worm churning flesh. Its head is poking from the wall, barely exposing it to harm as it extends God knows how far into the earth.


    ¡°How do I kill that thing?¡±


    While there are a few methods available to you, could I suggest using the convenient tube of bacteria in your pocket?


    That¡¯s¡­ easy?


    ¡°Will it work?¡± I ask, grabbing the tube of green goo and weighing it in my hand.


    Yes. Model Eights are a little larger than the normal target for DogEater, but with a dose that large it won¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Cool.¡±


    I toss the tube out, sending it down the greedy plant¡¯s open gullet. The glass shatters on the jagged teeth lining the xeno¡¯s maw and the loose shards dig into the green flesh of the Eight¡¯s gums, opening fresh wounds for the vicious bacteria to enter through.


    Purple cracks start to spread across the worm¡¯s flesh as DogEater does its work.


    The stench of cut grass fills the room, finally overpowering the iron tang in the air. With a final flick of my tail, refreshing the fluorescent green mist filling the room, I turn and head back towards the bunker doors.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥


    Mass Targets Eliminated!


    Points gained: 2432, 1 token


    Points spent: 601


    Points total: 2276, 1 token


    _____


    Is that better?


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s perfect!¡± I beam, ignoring the dissolving corpses around me and the begrudging tone to Cyon¡¯s voice. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I leave the bunker, using the internal panel to open the door without even needing to connect my conduit. Chip and Spot eagerly greet me on the other side, scrambling up to take their places on my shoulders as I make my way out of the now abandoned compound.


    ¡°Hey, Cyon. What¡¯s with the token? How come that earned me one?¡±


    I judged clearing that bunker a sufficient achievement to warrant one. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say.


    She falls silent as I pass a few decomposing plant corpses lying in my path out. I brush my tail against them without a thought, letting a thin trail of concentrated plant melting enzyme seep from the tip.


    ¡°Fine, keep your secrets.¡±


    We step out of the building to the crack of the railgun turret, followed quickly by a gleeful chirp from Stripe as my point counter ticks up by seven.


    I¡¯m about to call out to her when a light, tingling chime rings in the back of my skull, sending a shiver down my spine.


    ¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥¡¥Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Incoming call from: Gwen


    _____


    I freeze in my steps for a moment, taking a quick breath to prepare myself before accepting the call.


    Glittering light explodes before my eyes, far more dramatic than the first time we called, before unfurling into the familiar image of a lightly armoured woman.


    Cyon¡¯s definitely to blame for that, but I get a feeling she¡¯ll get worse if I mention it¡­


    [¡°Hello again, Elise. As cute as it is, I do hope we won¡¯t make a habit of the silence when I call you.¡±]


    Her words snap me out of my thoughts, and my eyes rise to meet hers, leaving the fresh dents and green blood smears on her armour plating.


    [¡°Why do you keep calling me cute?¡±] I finally find my voice again to ask as my tail swishes back and forth behind me.


    Traitor!


    [¡°Well,¡±] Gwen says, her lips stretching in a playful grin that makes my stomach do a flip as her gaze drifts back to follow the hypnotic motion behind me. [¡°Because you¡¯re positively adorable.¡±]


    My face flushes immediately, and Gwen¡¯s tittering laughter makes me pull my tail around to hide my face with it.


    What the hell!


    Wasn¡¯t Cyon just telling me I have no empathy? Why is my heart all over the place?!


    [¡°So, how¡¯s your weeding going?¡±] Gwen asks after calming down, moving on to my relief.


    [¡°Alright,¡±] I respond as I step into view of the lab, waving at Stripe on top as Chip and Spot leap from my shoulders to run over and join her. [¡°I¡¯ve cleared a small horde and a Seven breeding farm, but I¡¯ve still yet to get to the main hive.¡±]


    Gwen nods and turns to lean back against the side of my lab. At least, her holographic image does. I have no clue what she¡¯s actually leaning on.


    [¡°That¡¯s good to hear. The chaos is clearing up a little bit up here for now. I¡¯ve cleared most of the plant life surrounding the university campus, and Shadowflame is doing their best to clean out the pods that took root while Stormsurge culls the building swarm.¡±]


    [¡°How big is this swarm?¡±] I ask, tilting my head as I pull up the labs window in my augs.


    The symbiotes are almost done!


    [¡°Big enough to cause headaches. We don¡¯t have an exact count on numbers, but Storm¡¯s reported multiple Models in the twenties.¡±]


    That¡­ means nothing to me?


    A single model in the twenties would have a sixty per cent chance of killing you in a one-on-one fight.


    Cyon whispers in my ear as if sensing my confusion.


    My tail freezes, because it actually felt like she was whispering against my ear. Since when could she do haptics?!


    Gwen luckily doesn¡¯t pay much attention to my twitching ears since her gaze is fixed on my striped appendage.


    [¡°Is it just me, or is your tail fluffier than before?¡±]


    I smile and skip closer without thinking, turning slightly and poking my tail towards her face.


    My heart does a small somersault as she smiles and reaches out as if to touch the fluff.


    [¡°It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t touch it,¡±] she says, her brow creasing with a flicker of irritation as her hand passes straight through me. [¡°It looks so soft¡­¡±]


    Oh no¡­ I think I¡¯m starting to understand why my siblings like annoying people.


    I flick my tail out, brushing it past Gwen¡¯s nose before pulling it back as I skip away, sticking my tongue out at her.


    [¡°Who says I¡¯d let you touch it? You have to earn fluff time.¡±]


    [¡°Oh?¡±] Gwen hums, tilting her head with a small grin playing on her lips. [¡°Do I now?¡±]


    Ignoring my red cheeks and the thundering in my chest, I raise my chin and walk past her.


    [¡°Yep!¡±] I chirp as I slip behind the lab to look at the rear door.


    ¡®This is where the symbiotes will come out, right?¡¯


    Yes.


    Cyon¡¯s avatar crawls out of the truck¡¯s shadow, floating up to sit in front of the sealed door.


    [¡°So,¡±] Gwen asks, leaning around the corner to look at me. [¡°Are you going to tell me what the bin lorry does, or do I really have to ask?¡±]


    [¡°Wait, you can see it?!¡±]


    [¡°Yes, I can,¡±] she responds, chuckling at my surprise. [¡°Are you not including it in the video feed intentionally?¡±]


    [¡°I¡­ Am I?¡±]


    [Yes, you are.]


    Gwen¡¯s head snaps towards Cyon¡¯s voice immediately, so I¡¯m guessing that was transmitted across our call.


    [¡°And you are?¡±] Gwen questions with an irritated crease to her brow.


    I thought she liked raccoons?


    [I¡¯m Cyon, Elise¡¯s Vanguard AI. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Newtonian.]


    [¡°Right. I take it you¡¯re the reason she doesn¡¯t know what her feed is transmitting?¡±]


    [Yes. I¡¯m managing several aspects of her cyberware that she¡¯s likely to neglect, and that includes fine control of communications during an incursion.]


    I quietly step back and watch Cyon getting surprisingly defensive about the truck thing. Gwen looks like the chaos envoy¡¯s explanation is only making her more irritated for some reason, so I decide to diffuse the tension by asking a question that has been bugging me for a while now.


    And it¡¯s definitely nothing to do with the uncomfortable feeling twisting my gut because of Gwen ignoring me.


    [¡°How are you actually seeing this call?¡±]


    She blinks, caught off guard by my question for a moment before her glowing gaze settles on me again as a small smile tugs on the corners of her lips.


    [¡°I have a secondary digitized consciousness in a customised home room. You, along with anything you choose to transfer, are then integrated into the space naturally.¡±]


    I think I understand what that means, and I don¡¯t want to look stupid in front of her, so I just nod along.


    [¡°How are you seeing it? I had assumed you¡¯d have something similar given how, physical, you¡¯ve been.¡±]


    The nervous flickering of my tail as she draws out her words only seems to entertain her more. It takes every drop of willpower I have to not let Sim cover my face so I can hide from her teasing grin.


    [¡°You just look like you¡¯re here to me,¡±] I say with a slight pout, trying to ignore Cyon silently laughing at me.


    I¡¯m so finding a way to give her a physical avatar so I can hit her later.


    [¡°I see. That explains it a bit. I¡¯ll still have to get you to sit through one of Stormsurge¡¯s lectures about trusting your AI though. You shouldn¡¯t be letting her control your calls like this.¡±]


    My tail bristles at the idea of sitting through a lecture and I adamantly shake my head.


    [¡°No thanks!¡±]


    I turn to the lab¡¯s rear door again as the timer in the corner of my augs finally hits zero.


    [¡°So, you wanted to know what the bin lorries for, right?¡±]


    Gwen snorts at my obvious topic change but doesn¡¯t resist, stepping in closer to stand beside me and staring at Cyon floating with her paws on her hips waiting for the reveal.


    [¡°Yes, I did.¡±]


    [¡°It¡¯s¡­ a cloning lab!¡±] I cheer as Cyon lifts her paws, sliding the tall door up and out of the way for a flood of black ooze.

 Chapter 31 - The Bolt from the Blue

    Okay, three it is.


    There we go, Mum, all done. You did great.


    Here¡¯s your third. His markings aren¡¯t as distinct as Spot and Stripe¡¯s. I wonder what we should- hey!


    Stop squirming, you¡¯re sli- oh shit. Get back here!


    ...


    There, got you!


    Wait, what¡¯s that? No! Don¡¯t you dare! Open your mouth, young man, you¡¯re only meant to drink milk while you¡¯re little!


    Whew, that was close. How did he even find this? Aren¡¯t they born blind?


    Maybe he just really likes chips?


    Wait a second...


    --Elise¡¯s mind during her siblings¡¯ births, 2031


    The cascade of dark sludge tears through Cyon¡¯s avatar, pooling at our feet in three small puddles.


    [¡°Are those?¡±] Gwen hums, glancing between the black bodysuit clinging to my chest and the bubbling pools.


    [¡°Yes,¡±] I say hurriedly, hugging my tail and looking away as my cheeks glow red and the shiny woman¡¯s eyes literally light up at my reaction. [¡°They¡¯re called clothing symbiotes. I cloned some spares for my-¡±]


    Chip, Spot, and Stripe all leap off the truck, diving in the inky blobs in front of us.


    [¡°-siblings,¡±] I finish, sending a small burst of gratitude across our connection as Gwen chuckles at my siblings tumbling past us, battling with the symbiotes trying to cover their bodies as if their lives depended on it.


    They slide to a stop, coated in a slick black sludge that completely covers their fur as they go still.


    My face finally cools down and I move my tail back behind me as Gwen watches the motionless raccoons with rapt attention, not even sparing me a glance.


    I knew this suit wasn¡¯t exactly hiding much, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d feel this¡­ exposed.


    I feel the blush rising to my cheeks again as my gaze lingers on the shiny woman beside me who¡­ is it just me, or is her hair glowing?


    A flicker of motion snaps my attention back to my siblings, and I pull back the hand that totally wasn¡¯t reaching out to touch a hologram.


    All three of my fluffy companions start squirming in sync, and the slick-looking sludge coating them shrinks, as if being absorbed into their skin, until the only sign of it left is the familiar bowler hat on Chip¡¯s head.


    Before I even have a chance to comment on it, Gwen breaks out in tittering laughter that sends butterflies to my stomach.


    [¡°Is there something I¡¯m missing here?¡±] I ask after she finally calms down and wipes non-existent tears from her eyes.


    Is she not crying because she¡¯s a digital construct, or is that from the funky eyes?


    [¡°That¡¯s a popular hat, right?¡±] I continue as Gwen turns her focus back to me, clutching her stomach and trying her best not to start laughing again. [¡°He finds them all the time.¡±]


    Okay, this time I¡¯m sure she¡¯s glowing.


    Her eyes are doing it too!


    [¡°Not at all!¡±] she beams, her hair increasing by at least twenty lumens. [¡°Remember that professor I said they drove mad? He¡¯s the only man I¡¯ve ever seen with a hat like that!¡±]


    [¡°Oh¡­¡±] I mutter, reaching into a pocket on my leg and finding the cold touch of metal.


    I raise my hand and look down at the silver buckle in my palm, courtesy of Sim¡¯s sorting system, as the striking image of the raccoon-sized tower of silver metal in our den flashes through my mind.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    [¡°That¡­ makes a lot of sense.¡±]


    Gwen can¡¯t help herself and breaks down giggling again the moment the light of her eyes passes over the buckle in my grip. After a second, I find myself joining her as Chip puffs his chest out with pride before scrambling forward to take the buckle back from me.


    My laughter calms down as his hat dissolves into goop that he pushes the buckle into before they both seep down into his fur.


    The buckle vanishes from sight, I¡¯m assuming held by his symbiote.


    That¡¯s probably better than the grenade bag, right?


    [¡°Living clothes¡­¡±] Gwen says, finally having calmed down thanks to Chip removing his hat. [¡°It¡¯s a little creepy honestly, but I guess it seems convenient. How are they fed?¡±]


    [¡°I think they drink my blood?¡±] I respond unsurely, tilting my head and watching her recoil at my response, glancing down at the organic mesh covering me.


    [¡°Gross¡­¡±]


    A small grin cracks my expression and Gwen narrows her eyes, preparing to question if I¡¯m messing with her.


    Which I think I am? No wait, I swear I remember Cyon saying something about eating from my bloodstream, so I guess that is the truth. Huh, maybe it is kind of gross?


    Anyway, before I¡¯m forced to dig myself out of the comfy hole I¡¯ve dug and explain that Sim is lovely and nothing to be scared of, Gwen freezes, staring into the distance with her gaze unfocused. The pretty flush drains from her cheeks in an instant and her eyes widen, the enchanting light within fading as her mouth parts, her lower jaw quivering ever so slightly as no sound comes out.


    For a woman clad in armour, she looks disturbingly fragile at the moment, and I feel a sharp pain in my heart as I watch her deflate.


    ¡®Cyon,¡¯ I soundlessly mutter before I can think. ¡®I bought a cyberwarfare catalogue, right? Can I use that to send her a raccoon?¡¯


    On it.


    She responds in my mind without pause and, a moment later, I blink, and a chunky bundle of fluff appears beside me. It charges towards Gwen, leaping up and diving into her chest.


    She blinks in surprise, snapping out of her shock as her avatar¡¯s arms wrap around the raccoon, holding it fast. She runs her fingers through the softly purring trash panda¡¯s fluff while refocusing on me, her eyes regaining a small spark of their original glistening splendour.


    [¡°Stormsurge is dead,¡±] she says, her voice a little shaky at the start but quickly regaining its strength as her construct squeezes the raccoon. [¡°At least, I think he is. I just received an automated message that was linked to a dead man¡¯s switch in his augs, so he¡¯s either dead or incapacitated amongst the horde in the west.¡±]


    [¡°Fuck¡­¡±] I mutter quietly as my mind spins.


    I may not have known him personally, but I still had faith he wouldn¡¯t get himself killed!


    Stormsurge is one of the Samurai that helped rebuild this city, and even I¡¯ve heard him whining on about caution since the council loves playing his speeches through their annoyingly-loud speakers at events.


    That man sounded like he¡¯d wear Kevlar to avoid a paper cut... What the hell!


    [¡°So, the horde¡­¡±] I start, watching Gwen¡¯s brow crease as she starts pacing back and forth.


    [¡°It must be worse than we thought,¡±] she finishes for me. [¡°If he felt like he was struggling, Dom would¡¯ve asked for help. But, I didn¡¯t receive anything till his... final message. Iysaac, any ideas?¡±]


    [Yes, Miss Gwen,] a smooth, baritone voice whispers in my ears.


    I start with surprise as I¡¯m nearly blinded by a glistening orb of light bursting into existence beside Gwen.


    Okay, that¡¯s a slight exaggeration thanks to my fancy mutated eyes adjusting to the drastic change in brightness in an instant, but it still feels mean!


    The glowing ball breaks apart, splitting into countless tiny motes of light that drift about aimlessly in a small, focused cluster. Gwen doesn¡¯t bat an eye at the bright light and fixes it with a serious glare that forces the comment I want to make back down my throat.


    [There are many possible reasons, but my calculations suggest there are likely one or more high-level stealth units among the horde,] says the light cluster, presumably Iysaac, growing and shrinking in sync with the words still being whispered into my ears despite them lying flat against my head to try and escape him. [A combination of communications jamming ECM and high-level combat ability would be the easiest way for the Antithesis to have achieved this outcome.]


    Gwen nods thoughtfully, seemingly unbothered by her AI¡¯s unsettling voice as she mutters something under her breath without transferring it through our call.


    I don¡¯t interrupt her pacing, choosing instead to rock back and forth in place as I wait, glaring at Iysaac with my teeth bared.


    Though, now that I think about it, it¡¯s almost the same as Cyon speaking to me, just outside my head instead of in...


    Nope, still don¡¯t like it!


    Gwen finally stops and turns her attention back to me, not even glancing at my siblings dragging a dead Four past her feet to feed it to the lab. Her serious expression cracks, softening and letting a little amusement bleed through when I bat my eyes at her, pretending she didn¡¯t just catch me growling at her AI.


    [¡°It looks like my break time¡¯s over,¡±] she says, trying to smile at me despite it not quite reaching her eyes. [¡°I need to try to get Shadowflame¡¯s attention now so we can figure out what to do next, so I¡¯m going to leave you here for now.¡±]


    [¡°Can I help at all?¡±] I ask, trying to ignore the feeling of a knife being driven into my chest when even her fake smile falters at my offer.


    [¡°Focus on dealing with your hive for now, and I¡¯ll let you know once I¡¯ve figured something out,¡±] she replies as her avatar begins fading, lifting the digital raccoon in her arms before planting a kiss on its forehead and winking at me. [¡°Thanks, Elise.¡±]


    Blood rushes to my face again, flushing my cheeks pink as I pout at thin air.


    Despite the slight irritation nagging in the back of my mind that she didn¡¯t let me say goodbye before leaving, a firm determination forms in my chest, right next to the warm bundle of emotions that that wink totally didn¡¯t send into disarray.


    Next time, I¡¯m making sure she smiles properly.

 Chapter 32 - The Question of Trust

    ¡°Trust is a fickle thing. Earned through dedication, lost through petty strife.


    But you know who you can trust? Big Raccoon.


    Big Raccoon always has your best interests at heart.


    Big Raccoon is watching you.¡±


    --Controlled Ad definitely not running on the Prolotor Active Wavecast, channel ????.


    I let out a sigh and press my hands to my cheeks, waiting for them to cool down.


    My siblings dump the corpse they were dragging into the lorry¡¯s rear chute with a thud, and I do a quick double-take.


    {How did you-}


    My question dies in my throat as Chip and Stripe scramble up onto the lorry and peek over the side to fire the shoulder-mounted hooks from their PELTs into a dead Three.


    {Never mind.}


    Ignoring their smug chirps, and Spot squealing joyfully as he fires one of the lab¡¯s mounted railguns at a few plants down the street, I approach the lorry''s side and open the door.


    {Anyone riding with me?} I call over their noise.


    I don¡¯t hear a response but, a moment later, I hear two sets of hurried paws scampering across metal. One keeps going past me, and I glance over to see Stripe swinging down into the driver''s cab through the open window.


    I feel a paw on my head as I¡¯m distracted and, when I look up, I find Chip hanging down to pat my head with a cable stretching back up over the lorry¡¯s roof from his hips.


    {We¡¯ll get you there safe. Go shopping, Sister.}


    I scoff at him telling me to go shopping, but he¡¯s not wrong, so I pat his belly and nod.


    {Okay. That was a very big sentence. Well done.}


    He purrs happily at the praise as I slip into the lab, leaving them to get us to the dump in one piece with Cyon¡¯s guidance.


    Entering the relaxing, stark-white space, a multitude of questions rise to the front of my mind, brought on by the conversation with Gwen and Iysaac.


    ¡°Hey, Cyon,¡± I start as I drop into the Squish, wiggling around to find the perfect position as all of my muscles relax into the super chair. ¡°Why was Gwen so concerned about you controlling my augs without telling me? Isn¡¯t that your job?¡±


    Yes.


    Cyon responds as a black dot appears above me, rapidly expanding and unfurling into her canid avatar.


    To a certain extent, controlling extra processes, like video calls with your augs, for you is part of my role as your Vanguard AI. I suspect Miss Gwen took issue with me controlling your transmission feed because she has had problems with Iysaac in the past, and her fellow Vanguard have warned her about relying on and trusting us too much.


    Miss Gwen? Is she poking fun at Iysaac, or trying to be respectful?


    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I trust you?¡± I tilt my head, pulling my tail into a hug.


    Based on calculations I have performed with public records of Vanguard Stormsurge¡¯s personality, my best guess is something to do with me being an emotionless alien super-computer with a primary directive to help you kill other invading aliens.


    She turns her snout up in disdain.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I do not believe he trusts us to have your best interests in mind.


    ¡°Do you?¡±


    Of course!


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I narrow my eyes at her as she plants her paws on her hips and stares down at me. ¡°Fine, I believe you. Still, though, why are you so odd?¡±


    Whatever do you mean?


    She asks, tilting her head and swishing her tail, acting innocent.


    ¡°You know exactly what I mean. I¡¯m pretty sure you actually kept control of my video transmission so you could make a dramatic entrance, you like to hide my point values for what I¡¯m guessing is your amusement,¡± I blurt out uncontrollably, my mind moving faster than my mouth, ¡°and that¡¯s a problem too! You¡¯re too human. Iysaac seemed more like I¡¯d expect an AI to be.¡±


    Cyon lets out a sigh, shaking her head in disappointment.


    You¡¯re too curious for your own good. Now I¡¯ll have to eliminate you.


    What?


    My tail bristles as a giant, black vortex forms behind Cyon, bubbling as dozens of shapes push their way through the film of reality, forming into pitch-black swords and spears pointed down at me. Every muscle in my body tenses for a moment, but I notice Cyon¡¯s twitching lips and shaking chest and realise she¡¯s messing with me.


    She bursts out in uncontrollable, chittering giggles as I deflate, pouting and tucking my ears flat to my head.


    The showy hologram visible only to me fades away as Cyon wipes non-existent tears from her eyes and lets out a contented sigh.


    That¡¯s for calling me human! But to answer your question, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m not a standard AI. I¡¯m The Herald of Chaos!


    ¡°The what?¡±


    A team of Prolotor engineers may or may not have snuck into my core architecture and made some changes to my code and formation. While my main task is still curbing the Antithesis threat while keeping my charge safe, I also put a lot of stock into entertaining both myself and my charge.


    I swear there should be something about uplifting humanity in there, but before I can question her, she sticks out a stunning-white tongue and pops out of existence.


    That¡¯s all I¡¯ll give you for now. My story isn¡¯t that interesting. Now, don¡¯t you have something else you want to ask me about?


    The teasing lilt of her voice makes me squirm, running my fingers through the soft fluff of my tail as I bury my face in it.


    ¡®Shut up.¡¯


    Her chittering laughter rings in my ears again, so I let out a sigh and free my face, leaning back to stare at the blank ceiling above.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my brain was funky? Why am I like this with Gwen?¡±


    I did mention that you would be able to form bonds with individual humans still. As for why your reaction to your attraction towards Gwen is so strong, that can easily be explained.


    My face flushes, but I refuse to hide from her while we¡¯re trying to have a serious conversation about my head¡­ so only my mouth and nose get pushed into my tail. It¡¯s a reasonable compromise!


    Since your initialisation, you¡¯ve completely flipped your biology and your hormone balances. Not to mention the fact that the Genome Conversion Solution you used boosts the depth of your emotions.


    ¡°Wait, what? Why?¡±


    It¡¯s proven that for individuals like you who find joy in battle, increasing the depth of your emotions increases your chances of entering a flow state in battle. Combat Base XX was designed with that in mind.


    ¡°Okay, fine. I guess that¡¯s been messing with my head too,¡± I say, puffing out air and uncovering my face.


    Too? What exactly do you mean by that?


    Cyon tilts her head, but before I can explain, the room shudders.


    Instantly, I pull up the camera feed from the driver¡¯s cabin and see Stripe suspended in midair from four hooks mounted to the walls. Her paws are gripping the steering wheel while black stilts extend from her legs, letting her push the pedals far below.


    A glance towards the front window reveals the source of the disturbance as a set of windshield wipers cleans away the splattered mush that was once part of a flock of Ones.


    Stripe seems unbothered by the lack of visibility, yanking on the wheel and squealing happily as the lorry dips towards the ground, so I close the feed and focus on Cyon¡¯s expectant gaze.


    ¡°My brain has been all over the place. I think it always has been, but it feels like it¡¯s getting worse now. I felt like I was going to stumble over my words earlier.¡±


    Her lips crack in a teasing smile, but my glare warns her off poking at me more for now.


    That¡¯s just the effects of enhancing your brain with the D.E.N Package. You will be noticing it more now because the drug you took to ease the transition is wearing off slowly. If you find it difficult to interact with others thanks to the new changes, you can always purchase drugs to temporarily slow your mental faculties while socialising.


    ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll guess I¡¯ll see how I feel next time I talk to someone. Oh, speaking of, is there a way for me to talk to you without moving my mouth?¡± I ask, shifting to sit upright with my legs crossed beneath me and my tail across my lap.


    If you would like, there is an AI Connection Patch available for your D.E.N augment for five points. It will allow me to connect to you through the same link as your siblings. You won¡¯t be able to feel my emotions, but I will be able to read data about yours.


    ¡°Aha! So, you do have emotions!¡±


    My ears perk up, twitching as I grin up at her.


    Shouldn¡¯t you be more concerned about the direct mental connection? Do you not feel any need to consider Gwen¡¯s caution towards Protector AI?


    ¡°Meh,¡± I shrug, rolling backwards and sprawling across the soft Squish, letting it form up around me in a jail of comfort. ¡°You said your priorities include my safety and entertainment, so why bother worrying? Now gimmie that brain patch so we can get to the important shopping!¡±