《If The Crown Fits (A Stray Cat Strut [SCS] Fanfiction)》 Chapter 1 - Enemy at the Gates ¡°A fish out of water story with a powerful but humble MC! -Weak to strong -System Apocalypse -Original and unique portal fantasy/isekai -Cute mascot READ NOW!¡± [One of many ad banners in the popular fiction repository ImperialRoute, depicting the text above. An illustration of an anime girl in adventuring gear glares at the viewer with the caption ¡äI show up in chapter 1389 - And I¡¯m worth it¡ä. Hyperlink leads to one of many stories written by authorial AIs that make up 98% of ImperialRoute¡¯s user population.] -From Wikipedia, taken ??/??/2056
Eleanor had been surviving in what could only be described as Hell for three months, one week, and 5 days. If she were to believe the infernal piece of machinery embedded in her eyes, she had also been here for 8 hours, 37 minutes and 24 seconds. This was the exact amount of time she had spent stranded away from everyone and everything she knew and loved. Because this place, this world, this¡­abyssal landscape that pantomimed God¡¯s Green Earth couldn¡¯t be in any way the one Eleanor had originated from. Any resemblance or empirical evidence that came her way was certainly ignored and it was definitely not agonized over countless hours in the middle of the night. Even now she tried, weakly, to convince herself she had merely hit her head impossibly hard and this was her neverending nightmare. Even though she had long ago stopped pinching herself in the hopes she would wake up in her bed. In their room. With him. She shook herself out of her spiraling thoughts and ignored how his face became blurrier and blurrier every time. Around her, commuters stared blankly ahead as they browsed their¡­ their feeds, or made calls or did whatever else they did with their implanted tech. Scruffy looking kids of various ages swiped valuables from pockets or huddled together in giggling groups. Workers and office drones tapped their feet with defeated looks in their faces, and many other picturesque characters made the sea of humanity around Eleanor. Her only port in this storm that brought ordinary comfort instead of utter insanity was one person, the one that had figuratively and quite literally saved her life, the woman standing tall and strong next to her as the train zipped through the city. Yuki Vilanova had rescued her life, her mind and her heart after being stranded in Oxford Core for 28 days, almost a month, in which every pedestrian looked at her like she was crazy, where she jumped and screamed at holographic ads and hover cars, was mugged, robbed and swindled out of every valuable she had on her person and where she almost starved every rain-soaked night in the streets as she sobbed uncontrollably under awnings and sky bridges. Madam Vilanova- ahem, Yuki- had extended a kind hand to the 18 year old in dirty rags as she returned from her job as an ¡®independent contractor¡¯ under the authority of one Mr. Beelzebub. Which was politely saying that Yuki was a mix of a gun for hire, bouncer, bodyguard, courier for a local ¡®broker¡¯. The appropriately hellishly named Beelzebub was a lynchpin in the web of underground business that made its home in the north-east corner of Oxford Core. All this was important because today, Yuki was introducing Eleanor to Beelzebub in hopes of giving her a job. A real one. Her little room in the Vilanova home was already stretching the limits of their hospitality, even if they vehemently denied it. The meager credits she made by sewing and patching clothes for the neighbors in their corner of their megabuilding would not mend the cash leak Eleanor¡¯s presence made in the four-person apartment designed for only two. Any other job was almost certainly out of her reach without formal education, certification, or street-smarts. That last one could be fixed with a bit of trial-by-fire in the form of becoming one of Beelzebub¡¯s many errand kids. Even if she was only a kid in Yuki Vilanova¡¯s worldview. Ridiculous, self-sacrificing, impossibly kind, ridiculous woman. Speaking of doubly ridiculous women, she was speaking to Eleanor right now. ¡°Pardon?¡± Eleanor blinked. Yuki¡¯s pretty narrow eyes crinkled with warm amusement, despite never ceasing their vigilant scan of her surroundings. Her other hand, the one not gripping the overhead handle, was casually resting on her hip, where her gun sat ready to be drawn at the first sight of danger. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re nervous, Ellie. There¡¯s no pressure if you don¡¯t want to work for BB.¡± ¡°No! I mean- You¡¯ve all done so much for me already. It¡¯s the least I can do just to start paying you back,¡± Eleanor insisted. Her landlady-slash-benefactor-slash-best friend shook her head with a smile, setting her short dark bob of hair fluttering. ¡°You sound more like Leo every day, kid. You have your head set on straight, at least.¡± Yuki stared at the street urchins in neon colors joking around at the end of the tram compartment. ¡°I swear, if that boy falls in with some street punks he¡¯ll have hell to pay,¡± she muttered. Eleanor¡¯s lips thinned into a line as she considered the young gangbangers. The social aspect of her new world was her biggest weakness. When she was saved, she didn''t know which streets to avoid, how to interact with shopkeepers, or the names of any important events or people of the last¡­ two hundred years or so. The Vilanovas had come to their own conclusion of how she was so socially ignorant. Some back alley doctor probably ripped out her augs and done some kind of damage to her brain before dumping her in the streets, or at least they guessed so. A knot made itself at home in her stomach every time a member of the family commiserated and smiled sadly when she asked another question that they knew the answer to instinctively. Eleanor shook herself out of her spiraling thoughts. She smiled at the Asian woman at her side. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, Mi- um, Yuki. And with Anna¡¯s bartending job and this, you won¡¯t have to worry any more.¡±
Of course, nothing would ever be so simple for Eleanor. ¡°Morning, B. Thanks for seeing me. This is Eleanor, and she¡¯s¡­¡± They¡¯re quite literally at Beelzebub¡¯s doorstep. One of his men is standing outside after opening the door to the office in the back of the unassuming auto detailing shop the broker is based in. Eleanor¡¯s eyes land on the lanky, shaggy haired man in overalls and a plain white T-shirt slurping noodles and watching TV just as Yuki stiffens halfway through her greeting. Eleanor makes eye contact with Beelzebub and nervously glances back and forth between him and Yuki, who has the tell-tale glow in her eyes of someone taking a call through their augs. Beelzebub doesn¡¯t move a muscle and finishes slurping his meal at a glacial pace as he watches them. Eleanor decides to take initiative. ¡°Um¡­Hi. I''m--¡± ¡°Son of a bitch. Fuck!¡± Yuki explodes, cradling her head in her hands. Eleanor flinches at her breathless, panicked cursing. ¡°Good morning to you too?¡± says Beelzebub. He throws the empty ramen cup at the bin in the corner and misses. He doesn¡¯t look back at it. ¡°Yuki, I know you hate when I ask, but are you alright?¡± ¡°Beelzebub, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The man narrows his eyes when Yuki calls him by his full moniker and sits straight in his chair. To Eleanor he suddenly looks like a different man altogether. His eyes are sharp and focused like a hawk¡¯s. ¡°I just got a call from the factory. Manny¡¯s- he¡¯s- he¡¯s hurt. Badly.¡± Eleanor gasps in horror. Her friend is wringing her hands behind her as she attempts to stand tall in front of her boss. ¡° I need to go check on him.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°If you¡¯re leaving without completing any of the gigs you¡¯ll have to go home with the flat rate, Yuki,¡± he says flatly. He rests his elbows casually on the metal desk in front of him. ¡°That is, if you¡¯re going immediately.¡± Eleanor blinks at Beelzebub and then sputters in outrage as his meaning becomes clear. ¡°What? Mister Manny is hurt and your first reaction is to dock her pay?¡± ¡°Ellie, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yuki says with a gently raised hand in her direction. She¡¯s already pushing her to the door. Beelzebub appraises the younger woman with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Yes, of course, boss. Shit, sorry. This is who I told you about. I was hoping to have Eleanor run a few jobs, show her the ropes, but¡­¡± ¡°Miss Yuki, what are you talking about!? That doesn¡¯t matter, we need to get to-¡± Eleanor protests. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Beelzebub says. Eleanor can¡¯t read his tone at all. ¡°Yuki, just go. And take the bike, not like you¡¯ll be needing it for anything else today,¡± he sighs as he starts messing with the datapad on one side of the desk. Yuki nods gratefully. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. Thank you. Ellie, come on.¡± ¡°But-¡± Eleanor¡¯s jaw clicks shut at the quelling look the woman gives her as she powerwalks through the auto shop. A regular sports bike stands in one of the car ports, not a fancy hovering one, but a regular one with tires. In one smooth move Yuki mounts and starts it with a roar of the electric engine. Eleanor awkwardly mounts behind her and she has a split second to wrap her arms around Yuki¡¯s waist before they fly out of the garage door and into the streets. Once the younger woman has gotten the screaming out of her system, she shouts her question over the sound of the wind and the shrieking of the bike. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Vilanova, but I don¡¯t understand! How can he be so cruel to you? You told me he¡¯s your friend!¡± Yuki remains silent for a moment as she drives them at breakneck speeds between and around self-driving semis and the odd pedestrian or two in the ground level of the megacity. ¡°Ellie, you¡¯re just a kid.¡± She must feel her indignation somehow, because she speaks faster. ¡°I know, I know. But I have a rep, and so does Beelzebub, and you don¡¯t understand that yet. As good as I am at my job, he can¡¯t just roll over and keep paying me if I have personal issues.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than fair, Ellie,¡± Yuki counters. ¡°He could¡¯ve kicked me to the curb with no transport and no money. He¡¯s letting down whatever clients he had lined up for the day. Manny is- Manny is Beel¡¯s friend too.¡± They remain silent as they race to the factory. A few stomach-whooping minutes later, Yuki explodes in tri-lingual cursing. ¡°Quik-Care¡± she growled. Confused, Eleanor opened her tightly shut eyes and peeked over the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Damned vultures.¡± Only her extended exposure to this world let her guess that it was a corporate-owned ambulance that was parked in front of the loading dock. The slogan ¡°Quik-Care - Your life or your money back!¡± was merrily printed on the side. A group of people were standing around the back of the hover vehicle, arguing, by the looks of it. As Yuki came to a screeching halt and jumped off the bike, Eleanor got a good look at the group. A pair of EMTs, a few workers in navy blue fatigues, and two- Eleanor blushed up to her brunette roots. The woman currently screaming her head off at the private care workers was¡­ liberally dressed. Pink neon-tech half-jacket, miniskirt, gold bra and heels and¡­ not much else besides her blue dyed side-shave. It was one of those¨C those women of the night. To her utmost embarrassment, Leo had to save her from being bluntly propositioned one time in the streets by the¡­ the sex workers around their neighborhood. For weeks, he¡¯d take one look at her and laugh. ¡°...many times do I have to say it? I can pay for the transport, man!¡± the Joytoy was shouting. ¡°Miss, your official identification does not match you, I¡¯m sorry,¡± the taller EMT of the two said blandly, not sounding too apologetic.The other one was looking around nervously. ¡°I¡¯m going to need additional verification of some kind.¡± ¡°He vouched for me, you muppet. Not that he¡¯ll get a chance to do much of anything else unless you take him to the hospital sometime today! And you still haven¡¯t told me what the fuck additional ID means!¡± ¡°What in the¡­¡± Yuki muttered under her breath as she finished stomping her way to the group. ¡°Hey! Are you here for Manuel Vilanova!? Where the hell is he, and who the hell are you to¡­?¡± The woman turned with a chilling glare that quickly shifted into wide-eyed horror. Eleanor¡¯s heart rate spiked and her stomach felt like it was somewhere around her feet. Yuki stopped cold. ¡°...Anna?¡± ¡°Mom!?¡± The young woman- Anna, shrieked. Her eyes darted down and then back up with a panicked whimper. She tried in vain to close the tiny half-jacket tighter around herself. ¡°It¡¯s- I mean-¡± ¡°Bartending?¡± Her mother hissed, clenching her hands. ¡°I-It¡¯s not what it looks like!¡± Anna stuttered, waving her hands in denial. ¡°I swear, I swear to fuckin¡¯ God, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s dancing,¡± she finished in a whisper, tilting her head down. Eleanor¡¯s wide eyes bounced back and forth between mother and daughter, arms half-raised placatingly but not doing much to help. The group of people around them shifted awkwardly. The group of workers were the most tense of all, but a few of them were turned away, talking and leaning over¨C ¡°Manny!¡± ¡°Mister Manny!?¡± Manuel Vilanova was the man laying on his side in the gurney the workers were huddled around. His normally dark skin was pallid and sweaty, but his eyes crinkled with warmth as Eleanor rushed to his side. ¡°We will talk,¡± Yuki promised, pointing ominously at her daughter. Anna opened her mouth to protest. ¡°Later.¡± Anna looked away without a word as her mother ran to her husband. ¡°God in Heaven, Mister Manny, what happened?¡± Eleanor asked. The man chuckled weakly behind the respirator around his head. His wife gently cradled his shaved head as her eyes scanned him, her jaw clenched in stress. His shirt had been cut away, revealing bandages and gauzes pressed against countless wounds along his back. A slow spread of red was slowly soaking them through. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just fine, ni?a. Just a bit of an occupational hazard.¡± ¡°Piss off, Manny. You scared me to death. What happened?¡± asked Yuki, her harsh words contrasting the soft stroking along his face and scalp. She looked up at the rest of the workers, who tensed up at her narrowed eyes. ¡°Oh, it was nothing¨C¡± ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am,¡± cut in one of the workers, a gray-haired older man. From what Eleanor gathered, older people in the workforce were a rare sight in this day and age. ¡°I¡¯m responsible for this git. It¡¯s on the corp¡¯s head, this whole mess,¡± he hurriedly added at Yuki¡¯s murderous glare. ¡°Assembly line completely malfunctioned, blew something in the electrical. Manuel here had the good sense to jump away, and my boys dragged him away.¡± ¡°Right. Of course,¡± Yuki sighed, aggression leaving her abruptly. ¡°Thank you for that, Mr¡­?¡± ¡°Adam Bronowski, ma¡¯am. I manage the ground floor line here.¡± ¡°Thank you for taking care of my husband, aggravating as he is.¡± ¡°That hurts, love,¡± Manny sighed. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly alri¨C¡± he began saying, before breaking into a coughing fit. ¡°Shit. Stop talking, Manny. Anna!¡± The girl jumped where she was standing a few feet behind Yuki. ¡°What¡¯s going on with QC?¡± At Manny¡¯s sounds of distress the shorter EMT ran up and started fussing over the man, at his partner¡¯s visibly apparent irritation, judging by his crossed arms. Eleanor had honestly forgotten about the young woman entirely, and the paleness that had taken over her features evaporated with the heat that took over her cheeks once again. It didn¡¯t make it better that she shuffled closer to her mother and consequently to Eleanor. ¡°Hey Ellie,¡± she greeted kindly but quickly before hissing her explanation to Yuki, out of earshot from the EMTs. ¡°My ID¡¯s outdated, and these morons need it to validate dad¡¯s stay at the hospital. Either that or pay up now,¡± she grumbled, before she wilted, tears clouding her eyes. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m so sorry, I dyed my hair for¡­ for the new job. I shouldn¡¯t have¨C¡± ¡°Anna, stop.¡± Yuki took a deep breath and gently held her daughter¡¯s shaking shoulders. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. I¡¯m not¨C No, I am angry. But not at you, exactly. We¡¯ll sit down and talk later.¡± She held her daughter¡¯s gaze steadily, a little sad smile on her face. The older woman turned back to the stiff EMT, a fake amiable smile replacing her expression. ¡°Well, now that I know my husband here is in good hands I¡¯m sure we can get on with¨C¡± Eleanor jumped when a tinny alarm sounded, looking around in confusion before remembering the cybernetic augmentations in her vision, and thus the fact that the sound was actually coming from inside her skull. Around her, everyone froze. Then, a bright red box displaying two simple words occupied a portion of her field of view. Her heart felt like it had stopped, and all her worries about her host family¡¯s monetary problems, her social ignorance, Mister Manny¡¯s condition, and the confusing feelings about Anna¡¯s appearance vanished like a breath in the wind. I forgot. For a few months, I forgot I fell down to Hell.
INCURSION DETECTED
Chapter 2 - Tripping Over The Same Stone Everyone stands still. A sudden flash of light startles Eleanor out of her frozen state and she cranes her neck to the near-permanently overcast sky. The flash of light is followed by another, another, and then a dozen more. From the rips in reality misshapen dark-green blobs fall like meteors. ¡°Oh, fuck this!¡± The spell is broken and people are screaming. The speaker is the stoic, uncaring EMT, who is standing at the edge of the group one moment and is slamming the door to the ambulance closed the next. It rumbles on and starts floating off of the ground. ¡°MASTERSON!? Wait, what are you doing!?¡± screams the shorter worker, who takes two shaky steps towards the vehicle¡­ ¡­and then the ambulance roars up and away. Abandoning his younger partner. Distant crashing sounds herald the alien threat making landfall. Eleanor feels like she¡¯s having an out of body experience, not really taking anything in through her senses, when a firm grip on her shoulder shakes her out of it. ¡°Kid, hey. Come on, we need to go,¡± Yuki urges grimly. Behind her, Anna is hyperventilating. ¡°HEY! You lot! If you don¡¯t want to get chewed on you need to shut the hell up and get ready to move!¡± Eleanor takes a deep breath and has her hand suddenly taken by Anna, causing her to blink at the girl stepping next to her. The reassuring smile she tries to give Anna must not have done the trick, because Anna only gulps nervously and follows her mother with Eleanor in tow towards Manny¡¯s gurney. Bronowski is one of the few workers who didn¡¯t run away in a panic and thus didn¡¯t abandon Manny to his fate outside. The remaining people turn to Yuki, hope blossoming around her authority. ¡°Please tell me there¡¯s a shelter in there,¡± Yuki says to Bronowski, already fiddling with the mechanism in the gurney to roll it along. ¡°A few all the way to the top. One here on the ground floor,¡± he reports to Yuki promptly. The man quickly rounds Manny and gets in position to push him inside. ¡°Manny, are you alright?¡± she asks her husband, tense. ¡°Everything will be fine, love. Just do your thing,¡± he responds, oddly calm. Eleanor can even see him smiling softly behind the clear respirator. ¡°Good, ok. Fuck. Girls, stick close. All of you, let¡¯s go!¡± Yuki commands, drawing her gun from her waistband. Everyone seems more relieved to see she has a weapon rather than startled. ¡°Wait!¡± Eleanor blurts out, and turns around once the group has taken a few steps. ¡°The other one¨C!¡± The abandoned EMT is on his knees, unmoving, staring at the spot where the ambulance disappeared. ¡°He left me,¡± he mutters numbly. ¡°He- Why would he-¡± Eleanor runs up to him and yanks on his arm, urging him to his feet. He barely reacts, so Eleanor is grateful when Anna throws her heels away with a pair of thunks and bends down to help haul the young man up. Being suddenly frog-marched up and towards the factory finally brings him back down from his daze. ¡°What are you¨C?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going inside,¡± Eleanor promptly explains. Yuki waits for them to return and starts guiding everyone through the rolling doors. ¡°We couldn¡¯t have left you out there, could we?¡± Glass shatters and human screams sound out around a corner and the two girls drag the young man faster into the factory. ¡°N-no, of course. Thanks. Oh, fuck,¡± he responds and thankfully starts walking by himself. The air turns balmy once they step inside. One worker punches a button next to the doors and they slide back into place with a grinding noise. Around her Eleanor hears the faint hissing of machinery and the stomping of a mass of workers flowing towards the innards of the factory. ¡°This way?¡± asks Yuki, pointing Manny towards where the crowd and yellow emergency lights are. ¡°That¡¯s the shelter over there,¡± nods Bronowski. Yuki says nothing and the group jogs to safety. The two girls follow close behind her, and the bigger, brawnier workers form a small circle in front of Manny at Bronowski¡¯s nod. They make their way into the larger crowd, following faded yellow signs and arrows. An enormous assembly line is to Eleanor¡¯s left, sometimes disappearing and reappearing behind hatches as they pass from room to room. It changes elevations as unidentified machines flank it on either side or hang from the ceiling. They continue forward through wide concrete hallways, past elevator banks and scattered shelves. A room they pass must be the source of the heat, because it¡¯s scorching as they walk past it. Eleanor¡¯s hand stings under Anna¡¯s tense grip. She squeezes her friend¡¯s hand and smiles at her, this time more sure of herself. The smile still feels a bit wobbly. Anna¡¯s big, green-hazel eyes are shiny with tears as she glances at Eleanor. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Anna. We¡¯ll be alright.¡± Anna nods, seemingly gaining strength from her friend, and Eleanor breathes, calming down from her earlier panic. Behind them, one of Manny¡¯s coworkers checks there¡¯s no one -or nothing- behind them as they move and closes every door they cross. Eleanor saw him holding some kind of tool in his hand that certainly looks enough like a gun. She doesn¡¯t question its origin. They reach a lobby-like area out of the way from those main hallways Two guards, the first she¡¯s seen since entering, are ushering people inside the bunker. They seem to only possess a baton-like weapon, some light body armor, and no firearms of any kind. Eleanor swallows uncomfortably. Wouldn¡¯t an anti-xeno shelter come with heavier firepower? She notices not all people who are entering the shelter are factory workers. Others must have come inside from outside to escape, maybe from other entrances or even the upper floors. Their little group is pretty much the last one to arrive. ¡°Bloody hell, did they get to him already?¡± asks one of the guards as Manny¡¯s gurney rolls into view. He grips his weapon nervously. ¡°He¡¯s not going to turn or some shit, right?¡± Yuki started holstering her gun once they approached, but now it¡¯s resting too casually at her side where she holds it. Eleanor¡¯s head spins, what does he mean, turn? The Antithesis can do that!? ¡°No, you great lump,¡± snaps the other guard. ¡°That¡¯s Vilanova from the main line. It exploded on him earlier, remember?¡± He raises a placating hand. ¡°Bring him in. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Yuki responds dryly. She doesn¡¯t holster her gun. They start filing in, Manny being pushed in first. ¡°That¡¯s an oddly thin pair of doors¡­¡± Manny mutters as he stares around him, a confused lilt slurring his words. ¡°Certainly not up to code¡­¡± Yuki frowns and stares at Bronowski. ¡°Must¡¯ve put him on the good stuff. Don¡¯t worry, even the corp wouldn¡¯t cheap out on the shelter,¡± he reassures, chuckling lowly. It¡¯s the first thing the man says that doesn¡¯t ring as honest to Eleanor. Hesitant, Eleanor pushes Anna gently in front of her, before she turns around at the worker who¡¯s been guarding their rear. He¡¯s just finished closing the outer door and is jogging towards safety when something crashes against it, denting it. The man spins around, raising his gun-like tool. ¡°Idiot! Keep running!¡± shouts one of the guards. The other bolts inside and starts pressing buttons on the interface inside. Eleanor and the standing VIlanovas freeze where they are just inside the shelter. The man is shuffling backwards, keeping his eyes on the door, but it feels like he¡¯s thousands of kilometers away to Eleanor. Another banging sound and the door smashes against the wall, hanging by a single hinge, revealing the monstrosity behind. A shriek escapes Anna and Eleanor feels like screaming too if she wasn¡¯t mute with horror. The dog-like Model Three stands at knee-level with Manny¡¯s coworker, who is already quite tall. A trio of jaws hang open in anticipation, and a set of eldritch eyes stacked on top of each other scan the room for a terrifying second, before landing on the closest prey. In a flurry of dark-green movement it¡¯s scrambling on its clicking claws towards the man. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A deafening bang leaves Eleanor¡¯s ears ringing. She realizes Yuki has raised her gun, aimed and pulled the trigger next to her in a heartbeat. Another shot hits the monster in the shoulder with a disgusting squelching sound and now it¡¯s too close to the worker to fire safely. The first shot must have missed, because it barely slows down. A trio of dull thump sounds reveal the tool the man is holding is an oversized nail-gun. One goes wide, and the next catches the alien in one of its legs, but the last one hits home in one eye. The thing is eerily silent as it recoils from the pain and it almost trips, but it reaches him all the same. He goes down in a tangle of fleshy limbs with a scream, and then it falls on him with its teeth. ¡°Shit!¡± the guard standing outside hisses, before hurrying inside. A bell dings somewhere, but Eleanor just watches in horror. The doors start closing, and that makes her react. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing!? Help him!¡± she urges, out of breath. ¡°He¡¯s as good as gone,¡± one guard says quietly, setting down his weapon against a wall with a huff. ¡°And if that monster outside brings company, we¡¯re risking everyone inside.¡± Yuki tugs on Eleanor, attempting to turn her away from the man¡¯s desperate screaming. Anna is dry-heaving against another wall, bent over. The doors slowly keep closing, and Eleanor notices they look half-rusted and flimsy. Manny was right. ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Yuki growls. ¡°Can this place keep us safe, or not?¡± ¡°Not if every xeno in the city comes running once that one realizes we¡¯re here, so keep it down!¡± the guard hisses, losing his patience with Yuki. Eleanor hasn¡¯t stopped looking. Her eyes are locked on the struggling man as she thinks desperately. The guards are useless and don¡¯t have actual weapons. Dozens if not hundreds of people are inside a shelter with a fatal weakness. The people she¡¯s come to think of as her family are here, scared, vulnerable, and will certainly die if more alien monsters find them, because a crowd of these monsters won¡¯t even notice these doors. In another life, one which feels like very long ago, Eleanor was very impulsive. She thought she¡¯d handled it and settled down, but it¡¯s obvious that¡¯s not the case. The decision, in hindsight, was made a long time ago. The guard¡¯s abandoned weapon is in her hand before she notices, and an uncharacteristic scream is ripped from Yuki¡¯s throat as Eleanor throws herself through the narrow opening of the shitty doors. ¡°ELEANOR!¡± ¡°Ellie!?¡± Ellie surges forward, bringing her weapon to bear with two hands. The dog-like monster is oozing green blood from its various injuries, but its muzzle is drenched in red. It has a single second to raise its head and twitch in surprise before the guard¡¯s baton crashes into its skull with a gross crunch. ¡°LET ME GO! OPEN IT BACK UP! OPEN THIS GOD DAMN DOOR, YOU USELESS FUCKS!¡± The alien crumples to the side, shaking. A second swing splatters whatever it has for brains across the concrete. The unexpected smell of grass hits Ellie and she blinks, breathless. She turns around and sees Yuki desperately trying to keep the doors open, but the opening Ellie slipped through is already too narrow for anyone to squeeze through. The doors may be thin, but whatever mechanism closes them and keeps them that way must be decent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Vilanova. I¡¯ll try¡­ I¡¯ll try to keep them away from here!¡± she promises. ¡°Ellie, stop, please! Just think for a second¨C¡± Yuki begs. Ellie can barely see the woman¡¯s face through her straining hands and disheveled hair in the shrinking opening. ¡°Ellie, are you ok!? You need to come back inside!¡± The young woman winces at Anna¡¯s sobbing plea. ¡°I have to do this! I need¨C I have to keep all of you safe!¡± Ellie declares. ¡°No, no, wait! Ellie¨C!¡± Yuki protests, and she must have been pulled away from the doors, because they almost slam shut on her fingers. Ellie is panting where she stands as she stares at the bunker doors. Faint thumps can be heard through the metal, and guilt strikes her as she imagines her new family trying to break the doors down to get to her. But she is glad. They¡¯re safe. If she keeps to the rapidly forming plan in her head, they¡¯ll stay safe. ¡°Alright. Alright. Now¨C¡± A quiet gurgle reminds her of the unfortunate man that covered their retreat and Ellie almost drops her weapon. Then she actually drops it. ¡°Oh no. No no no¨C¡± It¡¯s no use. Ellie¡¯s hands get soaked in blood as she tries to keep the man¡¯s life inside of his body. His neck is one enormous gash, and she finally starts crying. A choked laugh escapes him as he looks into her eyes. ¡°Mighty brave o¡¯ you¡­ miss.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk,¡± she tells him. ¡°Listen¡­ there¡¯s something¡­¡± he whispers weakly. He attempts to take a deep breath, but a splash of blood is all that comes out as he coughs. ¡°...you can do. That workshop we passed¡­ with the heat? There¡¯s¡­ chems in there¡­ I know for a fact they¡­ catch fire real good, heh¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I- I understand,¡± Ellie says, to try to keep him talking, alive. ¡°Big enough boom should¡­¡± he gasps. ¡°Should keep the buggers off your momma, eh¡­?¡± Ellie¡¯s heart feels warm and in a million pieces at the same time. Another weak, bloody chuckle makes its way out of the man¡¯s mouth. His eyes flutter closed. ¡°You remind me of my girl¡­¡± The man gasps once, twice, and falls still. Ellie stares at him, lips trembling. ¡°Sir?¡± She looks at his face, his chest, anywhere, but he doesn¡¯t move. Ellie¡¯s eyes land on his ruined uniform, and the name tag. McAvoy. ¡°Mister McAvoy¡­?¡± Nothing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry. You saved us,¡± she whispers to him, tears falling free. She stands and wipes her eyes messily. ¡°I¡¯ll find her and tell her what you did.¡± After her promise, she wields her weapon again and sets off. Ellie keeps a careful, brisk pace with a wide stance, blade¨C baton at the ready. She recognizes the distant sound of nails on concrete of the M3s echoing through the halls. There must be other doors they¡¯re trying to break down, judging by the banging of bodies on metal. They¡¯re coming from the opposite direction to the chem room. She makes a decision. ¡°OVER HERE! HEY!¡± she hollers, striking her weapon against the pipes in the walls. She doesn¡¯t wait for them to follow and sprints away. ¡°I¡¯M RIGHT HERE!¡± She throws open door after door. She has the brainpower to close most of them behind her, but the clicking nails get closer and she opts to keep running. The air gets warmer as she nears her objective. Ellie decides to yank a shelf in front of the last door, and she knows she¡¯s twisted her shoulder wrong somehow as she winces in pain. It crashes to the ground, and then she turns around. A Model Three stares back at her. Ellie sees the savaged woman¡¯s face frozen in terror and then everything is red. The monster is then jumping at her jugular, but an underhanded strike with both hands catches it in its triple-hinged jaw mid-air. She can¡¯t even get any catharsis from pained yelps or whines, because it doesn¡¯t make a peep as it crashes into the wall behind her. She smashes its skull open like a melon, too. Ellie shuffles her way into the chem room after making another racket, screaming and banging every metal surface with her baton. It¡¯s boiling. A dozen metal containers her size gurgle with steaming liquids inside of them, feeding several pipes. Enormous vents and fans suck out the vapors and hot air inside the cavernous room, but it¡¯s not enough. Some exhaust pipes are spitting fire, literally. Barrels line the edges of the room in haphazard piles. It¡¯s some kind of chemical mixing or processing facility. It can¡¯t be in any way safe, so it¡¯s in line with the quality of the shelter. Ellie gets to work. She pushes a metal desk in front of this door, and looks around the room. Some of the barrels proudly bear a symbol of a red diamond with an open flame. Ellie mentally thanks Leo for his street chemistry lessons. They will definitely make for a big boom. She doesn¡¯t realize she¡¯s grinning. Ellie is panting as she rolls barrel after barrel on top and around the desk. The first slamming sound of a body ramming the door makes her flinch. They continue like a drum line of doom as she finishes piling every barrel she can in front of the threshold, and pops one open. A mess of dark-green peeks through the bent door as Ellie pours a line of foul-smelling fuel in the concrete towards the other end of the room. A squelching sound and a splat makes her look up at the vents. Another pair of sounds reveals it¡¯s those bird models, One or Two, throwing themselves at the fans. Grimly, she realizes enough of them will jam the fan and either make it through the vents or choke her out with the vapors. Ellie finishes her fuse and looks around. She picks up a broom standing proudly in an open locker and she holds it up to an exhaust pipe. The end catches fire and a horrible crunch makes her turn to the door. The clicking claws have stopped. She only hears a heavy set of footsteps fading and then¡­ quickly getting closer. Another ominous crunching sound reveals a six-legged monstrosity with bony armor forcing its way past the ruined door. A sea of Threes scramble around behind it. Metal and brick starts falling apart around the bulk of the beast, and Ellie ducks behind another desk with her improvised torch peeking around it. She drops it on the rainbow-colored liquid. It catches instantly with a whoosh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuki. Manny. Anna. Leo¡­ Mother. Father. Mary. Edgar¡­¡± She closes her eyes firmly as she throws herself to the floor. A wave of heat, a horrifying screech, and the deafening sound of the world ending is all she feels as she blacks out.
Awareness doesn¡¯t come back slowly, because Ellie is in extreme pain. She gasps, and everything hurts. Something burns like the pits of Hell in her limbs, and she can¡¯t tell which ones. Her vision is unfocused and there are wavering colors at the edges. It feels like she¡¯s in a void of darkness, but there¡¯s light far above her. She pulls in ragged breaths, but a new pain makes itself at home in her head and she wails, like a lance is stabbing her brain directly¨C System Initialized! Congratulations. Through your actions you have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of the Vanguard, a defender of humanity. I am Ilya. I will assist you to uplift humanity so that you may defend your new world from the Antithesis threat! Rise, Eleanor Josephine, and become a protector of the weak! The Protectors have been eagerly waiting for the chance to make contact with our otherworldly visitor. Personally, I would like to work together to keep you alive. What do you say, Eleanor? Ellie almost passes out again. Chapter 3 - Quantum Assistant from Outer Space ¡°I¡¯m¨C¡± Ellie rasps around the feeling of cotton inside her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m¨C a Samurai?¡± Yes. Which means you have points at your disposal for me to assist you, warping in weapons, tools and many other items in your battle against the Antithesis, the voice, Ilya, responds. ¡°Oh,¡± Ellie says. The woman¡¯s voice is soothing, warm and kind. It reminds Ellie of her sister. ¡°Hurts,¡± she manages to whisper. You¡¯re badly injured, yes. Dear, to make it out of this place alive and with your loved ones safe, you¡¯ll need to help yourself first. Ellie starts breathing rapidly, eyes widening. The Vilanovas! As her vision sharpens, so does the pain in her limbs. Her right arm hurts something fierce, as does her foot on the same side. She tilts her head and finds¡­ No right arm or foot. Ilya¡¯s voice comes from very far away. Ellie, you¡¯re panicking. You have a little time, but you have to stay calm and let me help you to survive. ¡°I don¡¯t- I can¡¯t-¡± The Class I Medical Utilities Catalog has what you need to save yourself and your family. Do you understand, Ellie? ¡°Yes,¡± she gasps once she¡¯s regained control of herself. The thought of her family in danger is too much. ¡°Please help me.¡± You can unlock the catalog and a double dose of WoundStop, a regenerative agent for your general injuries, and a HemoRestore for all the blood you lost for a total of 85 points. Just say yes or nod if you agree. ¡°Ok. Yes, please,¡± Ellie nods, but she kind of can''t hear her own voice. She doesn¡¯t really understand what¡¯s happening, but the warm voice in her brain is trying to help her, and Ellie doesn¡¯t want to think about her missing, mangled limbs. A sleek box of text appears in the corner of her eye.
Available Points 405 points
Purchased Class I Medical Utilities Catalog -50 points
WoundStop Double -10 points
Nano Regenerative Suite -20 points
HemoRestore -5 points
Remaining Points 320 points
A faint light flashes next to her. Ellie lolls her head drunkenly, reaching for the thingies that suddenly appeared in the debris and dust covered floor, before hesitating. The one on the left is the WoundStop. Press it to your arm and leg and press the red button on the opposite side. She grabs the tube in her left hand and turns to her arm, swallowing at the grisly sight of white, red and black. Ellie ignores the phantom sensation of her right hand clenching on nothing and turns away with eyes closed. It feels like sand pouring into her flesh, ticklish and strange but not painful, necessarily. Ellie drags herself to a sitting position in between gasps and reaches for her leg, and applies the WoundStop as quickly as she can to the end of the wound. A choked sob escapes her as she lets the spent tube clink on the ground. Well done, Ellie, Ilya whispers and the tears don¡¯t stop, but Ellie can think clearly again, unfortunately bringing her attention to the painful pins and needles in her missing limbs and the tight burning in her ribs. Now the Nano Regenerative Suite. Place it in your mouth and inhale once, deeply, after depressing the switch. Ellie follows, and she feels like she inhaled a pintful of the carbonated air in a fizzy drink, slightly burning and freezing at the same time. Before her eyes, her ruined stumps scab over and are covered with bright pink skin. It¡¯s like magic. Ellie sways where she sits at the sudden head rush. Finally the HemoRestore, exactly for that. Center of mass is fine. The glass applicator filled with a wine-like substance is clumsily applied in her stomach and Ellie collapses. Clarity returns and her breathing normalizes. In her old world she¡¯d be dead of infection in days or exsanguinated in minutes. Even here, in Oxford Core, bureaucracy would¡¯ve killed her. Ellie can¡¯t believe the efficiency of the medicines Ilya provided. Ilya. A super-powerful artificial-intelligence created by the mysterious Protectors. Just thinking of these beings existing back home would¡¯ve brought to mind images of angels and all-powerful gods. The Samurai of this age normalized that wonder in Ellie¡¯s mind a bit, but.. she realizes the potential and power Ilya provides. Speaking of¡­ ¡°Ilya?¡± Ellie asks, looking around. ¡°Where am I? And¡­ what happened?¡± You seem to be in the factory¡¯s basement. An infrequently used one, perhaps to store those now very broken machines. You¡¯re lucky to not have done your little stunt above a chemical supplies storage. Ellie feels nauseous all over again. In the dim light, she looks at the piles of rubble and still-burning fluids all around her that decimated whatever these machines were and breathes a sigh of relief. Anyway, you completely annihilated your attackers in the upper floor with your improvised trap, and the foundation couldn¡¯t take it. You fell here and sustained your injuries, and the power supply seems to have been damaged in the process. Ellie cranes her neck and pales at the hole in the ceiling. The vents in the roof far above are bent outwards and caked with dust. Every now and then a piece of concrete peels off and thunks to the ground. You earned a good few points. That Model Six, along with the Ones, Threes and even a few Fours sneaking up on you from the other entrance. ¡°...there was another door to that place? No, don¡¯t tell me. Ilya, I¨C I need to move,¡± Ellie sighs. Her newly cured¡­ stumps wiggle as she drags herself back to sitting and she shivers at the sudden phantom pain. Her hand and foot are moving in the back of her mind but they aren¡¯t. ¡°How¨C can you help me?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I can, dear, Ilya confirms warmly. There¡¯s hundreds of thousands of catalogs with solutions for your missing limbs. Right now, you have enough points to go the cybernetics route. Bionics and genetics are a more expensive and involved process that the urgency of your situation doesn¡¯t really allow. ¡°I see,¡± Ellie says, not really seeing. The more complicated terms fly over her head, but she understands enough. Leo is a hardcore cyberware enthusiast. According to his late Nonna, there was an abundance of stories when she was a little girl where technology evolved so fast, machines and humans blurred together, making them faster, stronger and sometimes even healthier. Leo¡¯s grandmother passed that fascination on to her grandson. Ellie wished she could have met the woman. Besides her inherited interest in cybernetics, a spark of a feeling is born deep in her chest that has her shaking with emotion. ¡°I need something¡­ durable, for my arm. Those monsters would¡¯ve hurt them if I didn¡¯t do this to myself¡­¡± she says harshly, tentatively cradling her stump with her left hand. ¡°So I need to make them pay. I can¡¯t get hurt again. And I need a sword,¡± she tacks on, ideas forming. I thought you might say something like that. For now, may I recommend the Class I Automaton Collective Technologies catalog for 150 points? They¡¯re a humanoid-like race that venerates machine conversion and honor. There are plenty of medical and military grade limb and organ replacements they employ, along with a healthy respect for the martial arts. You won¡¯t be hurting for options if you decide to upgrade later. Ellie¡¯s brain twinges at the word medical, that earlier brainworm perking up at attention, but she focuses again. ¡°You catalog the technology of other¡­alien races?¡± Of every one under the reach of the Protector¡¯s influence, to aid in the fight against the universal threat of the Antithesis. No one knows what might be useful to any individual Samurai. ¡°Right. I understand. I¡¯ll ask you later, if you don¡¯t mind. What can I get with my points in that catalog?¡± A short line of text appears. [Current points: 320] I think your best option would be the Hermit Crab System for your right arm at 80 points. It¡¯s inexpensive, durable, and designed to be slotted with upgrades down the line depending on what a member of the Collective decides to do later in life. The preferred option for heavy duty workers or soldiers. Because of that it¡¯s just a simple replacement, but I think it¡¯s a good fit for you. Considering my profile on you, and Ellie raises both eyebrows in curiosity, you¡¯d do best with a one-handed sword with a design you¡¯re familiar with, the E5S Cutter. It has a thagomizer blade and good protection for your hand, and can even handle Antithesis in the lower tens. I think you will like it. Just 50 points. For your foot, an economical option in your Medical Utilities catalog will have to do so you have a nest egg of points for emergencies.. A Crutch Attachment is easily worn and removed, but has no tactile feedback. It¡¯s very comfortable, though. 5 points. ¡°¡­so a peg leg?¡± A peg leg humanity has no hope of developing in the next hundred years, but yes. It¡¯s a peg leg. ¡°That¡­ sounds good to me. Go ahead?¡±
Available Points 320 points
Purchased Class I Automaton Collective Technologies Catalog -150 points
''Hermit Crab'' Modular System RA -80 points
H3-IR E5S Cutter -50 points
Crutch Attachment -5 points
Remaining Points 35 points
This time she sees the items just pop into existence with a soft flash of light. Three non-descript boxes sit there, and she reaches for the nearest one. What greets her is the sleek brushed metal of her new right arm. The end that¡¯s supposed to attach to her shorn bicep has a sleeve of sturdy, elastic fabric Ellie can¡¯t identify as she rubs it between two fingers. Gold and silver seams separate the joints. It¡¯s utilitarian and pretty at the same time. She hefts it with little effort in one hand. ¡°So I just¡­?¡± she asks as she fits her nub into the sleeve. With a sharp schwink of the fabric-like material tightening, the arm and Ellie both twitch. The strangest feeling of her skin crawling along her bicep makes her shiver, and then she reflexively tries to scratch herself with her right hand. It moves perfectly and Ellie gapes in astonishment. She twists it this way and that, and it responds with barely a sound. ¡°...it¡¯s magical. Just magical,¡± she mutters, a giant smile on her face. In a sense of the word, yes. Ellie shakes the wonder away. She doesn¡¯t have time to waste, medical marvels notwithstanding. The smaller case contains the crutch, and it really is a simple thing. Squarish and unremarkable, she puts it on like a strange kind of shoe and climbs to her feet. She¡¯s pleasantly surprised at the smoothness. It really is a hyper-advanced peg leg. A few short paces around her landing spot feel not much different than her actual foot. Which is resting a few meters away behind a piece of concrete. Burnt, and smoking. Ellie turns back to the final box to avoid accidentally finding her arm. She opens the case, only to stop short. ¡°...is that a basket-hilt?¡± Yes. Ilya sounds painfully smug. Ellie can¡¯t even get mad because Ilya is so nice, and the sword is pretty much perfect. A handle just big enough for her hand to fit comfortably, and a sturdy metal basket around it to protect her digits. The blade starts wide and broad and narrows to a deadly point just at the end. The hilt is more blocky and geometric in design, and there¡¯s divots all along the two edges, but futuristic design choices aside, it¡¯s a plain and simple Scottish armoury staple. The sheath and belt that come with it are a good bonus Ellie didn¡¯t even think about. As she deftly loops it around her waist and clicks it closed, she pauses. The sheath rests at her right. ¡°How¡¯d you know I was left-handed? I do everything else with my right.¡± It¡¯s a trivial detail an AI like me can extrapolate from your mannerisms and micro-expressions, Ilya comments proudly. ¡°I need to take a look at that profile you have on me¡­¡± Ellie grumbles, finally picking up her new Cutter. She tests its weight. It cuts through the air like a dream. The short few paces she puts the sword through are effortless. Ellie frowns when she feels a divot in the handle that shouldn¡¯t be there. She presses it. The edges of the blade flare up and turn red-hot as the openings along the blade light up with blue flames. Wide-eyed, Ellie grins. ¡°So that¡¯s the thagomizer.¡± She schools her face into neutrality and breathes deeply as she releases the switch, closing her eyes. The emotions that swirled in her gut as she recovered from her fall finally come to the surface, and she scowls, irritated, nervous, worried, frightened and deeply, deeply angry. I think you¡¯re as ready as can be. There¡¯s an incursion to save, people to help¡­ and when this is all over, we might want to sit down and talk about how you came to be in this dimension, if you wish, Ilya says warmly, if coyly. Ellie opens her eyes and dares to hope, a little bit. If there¡¯s a force out there that can save her family in this world, and somehow, get her back to her own, it would be the all-powerful Protectors repelling the universal apocalypse. She only needs to cut her way through the alien monsters that dared to threaten the family that saved her, and see where she goes from there. ¡°Alright, you fucking wankers. Here I come." Chapter 4 - Of Alice and Rabbit Holes Dimensional shunting. Samurai buy things, and get them teleported to them. Problem is, how doesn¡¯t time and reality tear? I mean, to cover billions or trillions of light-years in the time it takes you to blink? Those AIs we¡¯ve interviewed have even said some guns need to be constantly ¡®shunted¡¯ into a pocket dimension. I¡¯m convinced there¡¯s some timey-wimey horse-shitery going on. When you mess with space, time is just a few paces away from getting absolutely obliterated. Thoughts? -Thread OP in the Science section of Samurai fansite honorbound dot com, 2041
Before She raced through the trees. Eleanor¡¯s eyes stung with frustrated tears as she reigned Aster aimlessly. She just needed to get away. She¡¯d been riding for what felt like hours. Her informal upbringing, such a point of pride and freedom in her life, now only served to guide her through shrubbery like an animal. Those people made her feel like all her individuality and humanity was drained away, slowly being bled. Eleanor would become just another husk of a woman playing along in their dance. Even Edgar, her only ally in that soulless palace, had begun to coax her into playing nice. No. Eleanor rode on, uncertain plans swirling in her mind to try and salvage some part of this whole mess. Maybe she could go back home to her family, try and call the whole thing off, even if it broke her heart and filled her with guilt, or try and convince Edgar¡¯s mother to just understand. She could fix things. Eleanor just needed to clear her head somewhere far away from them. A sudden burst of light came to life as she crossed the edge of the tree line. It persisted in her vision, blinding her, like the sun had crashed into the dirt. Aster came to a stop, and buckled and whinnied in panic. Her horse stood on his hind legs and turned away to flee, uncaring of its rider, who slid off the saddle and at the dirt, screaming. Eleanor landed on an incline, all her breath escaping her painfully, and rolled. The light became harsher and brighter as she slid down into the depths. Aster¡¯s panicked huffs and neighs cut off unnaturally halfway down into the cavernous opening in the earth. Frozen winds buffeted her face, and she kept falling, swirling colors of light blinding her even behind her eyelids. Everything went dark. When she woke up later, she was in Hell.
Now Ellie advanced through the dim hallways of the factory¡¯s basement, ears and eyes sharp. The sword held at the ready in front of her felt familiar, like home. ¡°So where exactly am I headed if I want to get back to the shelter?¡± she muttered under her breath. My preliminary scan of your surroundings before initialization suggests there¡¯s a staircase if you keep moving north. That¡¯s straight ahead to the end and then right. Ellie flinched minutely, still not used to Ilya¡¯s voice in her skull. Having healed and cleared her head brought a lot of the reality of the situation into perspective. ¡°A scan, huh. How exactly did you manage that? Are you able to¡­ invade the net like the AIs in those old videos? Take over cameras and such?¡± she asked. A scuffing noise made her twirl around. Nothing. I, like my other AIs, have no interest in invading Earth¡¯s networks, Ellie. It serves no purpose in uplifting you to a position where you can defend yourself. Purchasing certain catalogs, however, help me assist you in gathering information and ¡®invade the net¡¯ in a manner of speaking, Ilya said, and Ellie could imagine a rueful smirk. Cyberwarfare and security, specialized implants, scouting drones¡­ ¡°Hmm. Maybe later. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re ready to sell me on all kinds of things,¡± Ellie said, surveying the dark junction before her. The sparse orange lighting overhead created eerie shadows, and an errant shaft of light illuminated¨C Duck now. Ellie obeyed. Ilya¡¯s deadly and icy tone in her head set off primal alerts in her hindbrain. Her metal arm came up to her temple as she threw herself to the side, a screech of metal jostling her forearm. She spun back to the shape in the dark, and laid eyes on the Model Four. The bear-like monster undulated its sharpened tentacles, preparing a followup to its failed ambush. Ellie didn¡¯t let it. Her sword lit up with super-hot flames, and the beast flinched at the sudden light, giving her the opening to swing a devastating strike at its deformed neck. It slid in, through and out of the monster¡¯s body so easily Ellie gasped. Then she winced as her blade lodged itself into the concrete floor, rattling her bones. The M4¡¯s head fell to the floor with a slap, and its body followed quickly. ¡°Sharp,¡± she breathed in wonder. ¡°Almost too sharp.¡± Congratulations on your first conscious kill, Ilya teased. Ellie sighed through her nose as she smiled faintly. She pulled her sword out, and adjusted mentally to the deadly weapon. ¡°I can do this, then.¡± Ellie moved surely but carefully as she made her way through the basement. She avoided a few more ambushes by M4s and the odd M3 patrol. She was almost bowled over as one of the Fours threw itself at her, only saved by the inhuman strength of alien steel as she pushed it completely away. Her shoulder twinged painfully after that, though. She frowned. It made sense her fleshy shoulder couldn¡¯t handle the full strength of her new arm. Ellie shelved that thought for later and ignored the tightness in her muscles. She left behind the last sizzling corpse and saw the stairs ahead. Ellie breathed deeply before stepping on something. She looked down and tilted her head in confusion as a root of all things squished under her shoe. It snaked away and around a corner, and Ellie followed it slowly, then stopped, dumbfounded. The root exploded in a network of vines around the walls and the ceiling, becoming slightly thicker. They disappeared into a knocked-out wall at the end of the corridor, darkness hiding the source of the strange plants. Ellie, the situation has become drastically more dangerous. This network of roots leads, most certainly, to an Antithesis hive. Ellie takes a step back as her heart jumps to her throat. ¡°What!?¡± she hisses. ¡°How? I must¡¯ve been out cold for barely half an hour!!¡± Ellie whisper-yells. Based on my projections, there¡¯s a 99.8% chance this is a stealth hive. The remaining 0.2% could be a never-before seen genetic mutation, so¡­ ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going in there either way,¡± Ellie declares, quickly retreating. She stands at the base of the stairs once again. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s a stealth hive?¡± A cell of Antithesis might decide survival of the hive out benefits the risks of expansion. They will burrow and lie in wait for a more opportune moment to attack, or as I suspect in this case, wait for reinforcements. It is not possible to know how long this hive might have been lying in wait. Ellie frowns mightily as she starts making her way up. If this hive had been left undiscovered for even longer¡­ It might have never been safe in that shelter to begin with. Ellie grits her teeth as hot anger floods her veins. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Manuel Vilanova might have disappeared completely or been slaughtered with his coworkers and who knows how many other people who thought they¡¯d found a safe haven. The nebulous, primitive planning of the Antithesis was the only thing that saved this entire building.This entire sector of Oxford Core might have been doomed. Her anger surged without direction. Thinking of taking that fury out on the corporation who built this deathtrap, she paid for her distraction as she walked up the steps. A bladed limb came out of nowhere and only by a hair did she bring her sword to bear in time. It cut the tentacle clean off, but the momentum it carried nicked her cheek savagely, and Ellie used the anger in her gut to swing violently at the Model Four hanging from the ceiling, shearing off more tentacles and then spilling its guts messily on the staircase. ¡°God, fuck¨C¡± She breathed deeply and kicked herself mentally for her lack of focus. Admittedly, she hadn¡¯t ever actually used her martial skills on anything other than sparring partners or teachers. Ellie reminded herself she wasn¡¯t a master of the blade by any means, and she couldn¡¯t afford to distract herself from the mission. ¡°Ilya, I have a plan. I need something to protect my head and chest that isn¡¯t too expensive. Uh, actually, do I have the points for something?¡± Wise choice, if obvious, smirked the disembodied voice. Take a look. [Current points: 65] She did cut her way through a good number of Threes and Fours, but she had been careless. ¡°Alright. Something easy to move in from the¡­ what was it? Collective? What do you have?¡± Well, the Hexplate Mantle offers decent protection for the head, neck and torso from blunt and bladed strikes, at the cost of not being environmentally sealed and a good flimsier against higher-class Antithesis. 25 points. Ellie winced. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just need to not get caught by surprise from my blind spot and have my jugular torn open. I¡¯ll take it.¡± [Current points: 40] The box that appeared almost looked like any old garment package from¡­ back home. Crinkly brown paper and string and everything. ¡°Ilya, are you messing with me?¡± Ellie pouted. ¡°You really do know too much about me.¡± Perhaps just a little bit. She undid the string with a huff and was presented with a high tech poncho-looking piece. Ellie spun it around after sheathing her sword and tossed it on like any other shirt. Her head came out of the opening and was enveloped in a deep hood with a hard, plastic-glass visor over her eyes that left her mouth uncovered. Ellie peeked out of her corner of her eye and was surprised to see the hood was transparent from the inside. Not totally invisible, but transparent like tinted glasses. She looked down at the hexagonal interlocking pieces of armor that made up the ¡®fabric¡¯ and hummed in satisfaction. The collar felt solid, almost like a gorget. No stray tentacles nearly cutting her neck open again any time soon. ¡°This will work, thanks.¡± Ellie finally emerges on the factory level. The dimming, pale light of the sun outside peeks through the thin windows near the ceiling. Some of the lamps up here were busted too, but at least it¡¯s brighter. She breathes a sigh of relief at finally leaving the dark hallways behind and freezes as she spots a veritable horde of Antithesis in the main floor where the assembly line is. Ellie retreats back behind the large doors to the line. ¡°I can¡¯t take all of those with just my sword,¡± she says in an almost inaudible whisper, wary of whatever sharp senses the monsters have. Communicating with Ilya sure is a pain in the¨C You can subvocalize to communicate with me if you fear detection. Imagine silently reading something to yourself, engaging your voice box but not actually making sounds. Ellie pauses, wondering for a half second if Ilya can actually read her mind. A second passes and disabusing herself of that worrying theory, tries Ilya¡¯s advice out. ¡®Like this?¡¯ Exactly. Now, how can I help?, Ilya responds brightly. ¡®Something for my off-hand. A¡­firearm. A gun that can punch through that beastie¡¯s armor,¡¯ she relays to Ilya, peeking around the corner just enough to watch the Model Six huff and groan orders to the Model Threes sweeping the factory floor. The Automaton Collective has plenty of handguns in that capacity. The Rivet Caster fires superheated bolts of metal that also burn decently once lodged in Antithesis flesh. The Armed Worker Swarm, the peacekeeping branch of the Collective, also swears by its non-lethal setting! Just 20 points! Ellie smiles. ¡®Are you anticipating I¡¯ll have to use it on my fellow humans?¡¯ I¡¯m getting a good handle on your personality and motivations, her AI responds neutrally. Her tone is seemingly innocent. It¡¯s not common for Samurai to let injustices or personal slights go unchallenged. That¡¯s a very telling non-answer. Ellie is a little excited to personally try out the weapons of this world and time, so she confirms her decision to Ilya with a nod. Hold out your hand. [Current points: 20] The weapon discreetly appears with the faintest blink of light yet, and Ellie wraps her metal hand around it. It¡¯s a boxy, bulky and heavy thing, with an exaggerated barrel dotted with ports. Or at least Ellie guesses so. The thing sticking out that¡¯s shaped like a drum must be the magazine¡­?. She flicked a little lever helpfully labeled SFTY and seams along the drum and the barrel light up with inner heat and orange light. 30 shots before you have to reload, though it¡¯s very inexpensive. 2 points per drum. Make them count. ¡°Alright.¡± Ellie braces herself, and hatches a rough plan in her head. With two quick breaths, she whirls around the corner and sprints into the factory floor. She gives the Six no time to react and shoots. The kick of the weapon in her hand is monstrous, but her newly installed chrome weathers it without issue. Glowing, red-hot metal slag launches itself out of the barrel with an ear-ringing clang-boom and a shriek as it streaks through the air. It buries itself on the flank of the Model Six and it stays creepily silent as it flinches in pain as the wound sizzles. A gout of flame escapes out of the bullet hole as its body catches fire internally. Two more rivets are fired and the Hexplate Mantle immediately proves its worth as another fucking Four she missed goes for her neck. A bladed tentacle bounces off of Ellie¡¯s protected clavicle, making her gasp and stumble. She catches herself, spinning and slicing a broad arc that slices off another tentacle and she¡¯s now accosted by a pack of Threes. Ellie cuts through two of them and deposits three more rounds into the last one¡¯s face. It falls and slides past her, dead. Her eyes frantically scan the factory floor for the Four before the rest of the horde of Threes can descend on her and she spots it in a crevice in the assembly line. Detected, it abandons range and jumps at her. Her sword comes alive with flame as she depresses the thagomizer and it falls in two halves as she cuts it vertically. She¡¯s splattered with alien guts, but she quickly wipes her face clean with her forearm and throws herself back into the fight. A constant avalanche of Threes mindlessly at her and a mix of bullets and sharp metal cuts them down as she advances. Her breath dissolves into gasps of effort as adrenaline floods her system as she adjusts her stance and swing to the very non-human adversaries. They keep coming. She keeps shooting, and her blade keeps cutting. A weak clicking noise from the still standing Six -fuck- directs a Four to abandon stealth and throw a tentacle directly at her face. A teeth-grinding shriek of metal follows the deadly limb scratching her hood, and she puts three rivets in the bastard as she rounds the assembly line and comes face-to-face with the Six. Five rivets left. It stands only on its forelegs, twitching as the red-hot metal destroys it from the inside out. A round must have gotten something important, because it drags its bleeding hindlegs behind it as it tries to heaves itself forward to chew Ellie¡¯s face off. She unloads all her remaining ammo in its lumpy head, and it collapses, finally dead. ¡°Mother of mercy, that was grim,¡± Ellie says between gasps. A long lock of hair sticks uncomfortably to her face. She raises her hand to swipe it out of the way, remembers there¡¯s a gun hot enough to brand skin in it, and pauses to close her eyes and breathe deeply. Once her weapons are sheathed or tucked in her belt, Ellie¡¯s long brown hair is tied hastily in a tight bun at the top of her head. It feels like it looks like crap. Ellie thinks she should just pack it in and chop the whole thing off. Women in this age certainly look stunning enough with all kinds of hairstyles. Sweaty hair out of the way, Ellie addresses the root of said problem and not her tangent about stunning women. ¡°Ilya, have you got something to drink? Whatever¡¯s fine,¡± Ellie asks, finally catching her breath with one eye on her surroundings. Of course. Take a look at your points while you¡¯re at it.
Antithesis eliminated! New Total: 275 points
Purchased Nutripack -1 point
Remaining Points 274 points
Brilliant. That was a good amount of points for that brief disaster. I think you''ll love this. Hold out your hand. Ominously cheerful words aside, Ellie obediently holds out her hand and a plain foil juice box appears in it. Or at least, it¡¯s plain foil until she turns it around. ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake.¡± A colorful illustration of herself greets her in all its 1800s glory. She¡¯s holding the Nutripack, as it happens to boldly call itself at the top of the drawing, and her new gun. Long brown hair, flatteringly fair and not pasty skin, sky blue eyes, narrow chin. Yep, that''s her alright. ¡®Have a cheeky one, mate!¡¯, mini-Ellie requests with a wink. Ellie rips the straw from the packaging and into the box with a few more grumbled curses and draws her gun. If any Antithesis were alive to hear anything as the young woman walked deeper into the factory in search of her adoptive family, they would¡¯ve heard a deep siiiiiiip, sneakers pausing abruptly in their shuffling, and an awed whisper. ¡°Bloody fucking hell, that¡¯s good.¡±