“You’re telling me that we only are bringing in five of us to help with the coastline of Seattle? What do you mean that the rest got requisitioned by another squad? And we’re only able to get a single extra? What do you mean, bears?”
2056, Geryon-Beta, communications to Family headquarters as she was flying in on helicopter with the other Geryons, Titanbreak, and Spiralite two days in the future
There are many, many options for getting the drones that you want. Of course, before you go ahead with this, I need to remind you of-
“Yeah, degree of separation. As much as I like the idea of one-woman-armying this though, I don’t have the points for that, nor the strength,” I waved my hand, brushing off Kyos as I ascended the stairs to the deck of the ship. I paused halfway up the stairwell.
“Actually, I had another thought, completely unconnected. It’s going to be difficult for me to speak to you down there, any chance I could get something that could help me with that?”
That can also be arranged. Normally, I would ask you to subvocalize, but there is a more efficient and less difficult option available for you with your catalogs. For 100 points, the Stalhas Technologies catalog has a cybernetic implant that allows you to directly connect to others around you through mental direction. It’s called the Mark I Electrosynaptic Communications Hub - Model O. Or ECHO.
“LIke echolocation. Not a porpoise girl, but it’ll serve nicely,” I quipped. “Let’s get it.”
Understood.
New Purchase: Mark I Electrosynaptic Communications Hub - Model O
Points reduced to…350 and one token
More points from the resonator getting collaterals is nice. Not going to be able to use it for much longer at this rate, though, but it’s doing good work, and maybe it will be able to save the people. Who knows? I didn’t care at this point.
A small box appeared next to me, which I opened to reveal an injector with the symbol of a circuit board on the side and a button at the end away from the injector side.
Please place that up at the base of your skull at the top of your neck and press the button. This will pinch for a moment.
Using an injector at the base of the skull seemed risky…but who was I to tell a Protector about that? They’ve probably calculated any risk and mitigated it yesterday.
“Got it,” I nodded, before following Kyos’ instruction. Sure enough, there was the pinch, and there was… a lot of chatter.
Headache! Headache!
I clutched my head, trying to figure out what was wrong.
You will need to mentally tune out other electromagnetic frequencies, like turning a dial. Kyos’ voice rang through my head.
Dial. Ok, just…turn it down… ok, that did it. Ow.
I thought towards where I felt a signal from Kyos, which was…coming from inside my head. I mean, I knew that Kyos was in there. I just didn’t realize how actually in there she was. “Is this thing on? Hello?”
Yes, this thing is on. Welcome to the next step of communication. We shall improve upon it later if you would like.
“Definitely fucky, but I’m liking where it’s going,” I gave a thumbs up.
Yay! I heard from Kyos with an unusual mirth.
Was moving away from humanity a happy circumstance? I suppose I wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea because humanity wasn’t exactly the best species. But I did at least like some aspects of it…who am I kidding, it was just Nate, and that was a like, not a love. He’s great and all, but he was my best friend, not my crush.
Reject humanity, return to ocean. Let’s see how far we can dive down.
Now, let’s get back to the drones. While you were fiddling with your ECHO, I did some looking around. Currently, you lack ranged firepower. Let us rectify that, shall we? We can workshop various types of drones to fit your needs in the future, but for now, you will only have the points for one weaker one.
“So, what kind of catalogs are we getting now?”
Not that many new ones, actually. Just two. The Stalhas Technologies catalog gives a base for the drone, but you require munitions that are greater than it could provide on its own. Firstly, the Class I Esoteric Single-Use Explosives Catalog for 50 points will provide you with a strong base to strike your enemies, as well as lay traps. The Class I Stalhas Equipment Adaptation Catalog for around 100 points will allow any gear that you create to be modified to deal with varying climates and pressures. Firearms will require more points to improve. In terms you’d understand, the explosives would be able to reach their full potential, even while stifled underwater. The drone itself would only cost around 150 points and would be able to rip through the flesh of even early double-digit Antithesis.
“Why are firearms an extra cost for the adaptation thing?”
Have you ever tried to shoot a gun underwater?
“Fair enough.”
That, and the Class II catalog for that, will allow for such things to happen without difficulty, as well as keeping the supercavitation that can occur.
“You know, I studied so much biology, yet I never really learned physics. Things to work on.”
There is a dream learning course for that if you would like.
“Dream learning…,” I wondered. That could be interesting. “Let’s put a pin in that. Drone first.”
Yes, though I would recommend allowing it to appear in the water with you when you enter. It would be a shame to leave it on the deck of the ship.
…Right.
“Yeah, let’s do that. Can you actually stop putting things in boxes when I get in the water? Seems like it would be a hassle mid-xenoswarm.”
That can be arranged, yes. You have about one minute before the bottom of the ship breaches.
“Then let’s save some people.” I cracked my neck and walked back a few meters from the guardrails of the ship. I got in position, prepared my legs for the jump, moved my harpoon around in my hand to get a good feeling for it, and then sprinted forward, my tail pulling up behind me to not get clipped by the rail. I brought the harpoon up for a strike as I leapt up and dove towards the water.
And then, I clicked a button on the side of my harpoon, and the spear end shot forward out of the shaft of the harpoon and stabbed into the side of an antithesis about a meter below the surface.
Good luck, Macy. Time for your feeding frenzy.
I was greeted by the water’s surface and the electrical arcing lights beneath, as a splash announced my entry.
Points increased to…450 and one token.