“Sharks are still alive in the world thanks to rich billionaires. Domesticated to all hell, but they’re either farmed for shark fin soup or used to add to the evil villain aesthetic of a building because if you’re rich enough, why not have a cat to pet on your lap and a shark in a tank behind you? It’s just win more at that point, but damn it if it isn’t iconic.”
2042, Applesoft VP in a press conference about the company’s success.
I rocketed awake from the nightmare…no, it was just a memory.
Fuck.
Yeah, my life was a goddamn mess. At least there were better things now.
My breathing returned to a regular pace, as I readjusted myself, sitting up slowly and noticing the apparatus on my side that disconnected as I moved.
You are in a heightened state of distress. Is something the matter?
“N-no…nothing for right now.” I shook my head to get the images and fears to leave me alone before beginning to stand up. “I feel a lot better at least.”
That is good. If you weren’t, you would be beating an infinitesimal curve that the Protectors could not predict.
I laughed, and then rolled my shoulders to prepare myself for wakeful activity.
“So, you mentioned that the Stalhas catalogue has stuff in the vein of my nickname. By that, did you mean shark themed or aquatic themed?” I mused as I laid on the floor, mildly dissociating to avoid the sights of the rushing tide of Antithesis around.
Both. The Stalhas are a proud race of shark hybrid people who are incredibly strong, having muscles that rival a normal shark’s bite strength, and weaponry that is well adapted to work underwater and on land to carve through enemies. They also have near unmatched agility underwater due to both their biology and specially created cybernetic enhancements. Their planet is mostly underwater, so they have near uncontested rule over the seas.
“Huh. Combine my marine biology knowledge, and the power of them, and that might not be too bad.”
My thoughts exactly.
“So…how much are biomods or their cybernetics? I’m gonna have to be fighting down in the sea to get anywhere anyway, so I should probably start considering investing.”
Indeed. It would take around 200 points to receive modifications to your respiratory system through Stalhas biomods, but you currently have a method of providing yourself air.
“Not for long if an Antithesis punctures it. Let’s put a pin in that.”
Understood. We are working with lower level catalogs at the moment, so let us move onto cybernetics, of which there is plenty more in the Class I database for Stalhas Technologies. Firstly though, you may need more points. May I recommend something to help clean up as well as clear out the area around the ship? It seems some of our aquatic friends have decided to start boarding while you were out.
“Huh? How long has that been happening?”
For about ten minutes.
“Well, let’s get whatever you have in mind.”
The Mark I Sonar Resonator should do well. It is a device that sends out resonant sonar pulses to clear debris as well as remove Antithesis corpses. It’s 20 points, and is an emplacement that you can keep on the ship to hold it as a relatively safe place.
“Oh. Yeah. Get one please,” I laughed a breathy, much more healthy laugh than I would have been able to produce in recency.
Understood.
New Purchase: Class I Sonar Resonator
Points Reduced to… 77, 1 token
A box dropped next to me, one about the size of my torso. I opened it up to reveal a small radio tower looking structure with a module near the base with one green button, fully open, and one red button that looked like it required a lot more finesse to utilize. I pressed the green button and a sharp, keening noise surrounded the area. I began to hear crackling flesh through the hole in the ship, as well as the crumbling bodies of the creatures around me. I even saw a few Model Ones and Twos outside the viewing area popping.
“Ok. That’s gonna be a fair bit of points. What else can I get now?” I grinned, excited to see the xenos popping like a mosquito on a bug zapper.
May I suggest two things? Weaponry and cybernetics. Let us start with the latter. May I suggest a tail?
“A tail?” I was a bit confused as to why a tail would be directly helpful for movement. Usually tails help the most with balance, unless it’s a whale tail or something like that.
A tail, yes. As you are not fully suited to an underwater environment, something to help provide movement speed and directional assistance would be advantageous. As such, the Stalhas people have cybernetic enhancements for their young to teach the movements necessary to traverse the seas as only they can. A cybernetic tail to provide directional assistance and balance underwater, as well as a system that connects to your spine with the tail that could provide propulsion forward to help you move through the water faster. This would cost 125 points.
“Well, when you put it like that…yeah, that sounds great!” I nodded, excited to hear about the cool new device.
The tail will also be able to accommodate if you ever decide to grow your own, improving your-
“You don’t have to keep selling me on it, I get it. Let’s get the device.”
Understood. You just happened to get the points you needed from the initial burst of the Ones and Twos. However, there are quite a few agitated Threes coming to your location that are particularly peeved about the minor damage they are sustaining.
“Let them come. Can you drop that box while I prepare to fight them off for a bit?”
Gladly.
New Purchase: Mark I Bloodchaser Propulsion System
Points reduced to…0, 1 token
“Metal as hell name.” I muttered as the box dropped next to me.
This propulsion system also has minimal use on land, but do be careful you don’t propel yourself straight into firmament.
I chuckled as I opened the box and saw the apparatus inside. It was a sleek, dark grey piece of metal with pins, and at the end, a big shark-like tail that was a little too thin to be on an actual shark, but a human? Yeah, that’d do it.
“So…how do I get this going?”
It will be able to work through your wetsuit, but you will need to deactivate the locking mechanisms through your augments whenever you need to change clothes. Just place the spinal connector along the middle of your back and it will do the rest.
The sound of metal bending from the hole to the surface of the ship interrupted my analysis of the Bloodchaser as it rang through the area, several sharkhound Threes jumping down into the viewing area a few meters away. I quickly rushed and grabbed my harpoon, tossing it in my hand before the first Three found where the sound’s origin was from.
“Come on then, fuckers, let’s go!” I prepared a stance to strike at the weakened wave of enemies.
The crumbling remains of the Threes were as satisfying to me as the points I got from them.
Targets Eliminated!
Model 3 x 20
Points increased to… 214, 1 token
“The Resonator really did a number on them. Either that, or I’m getting better at this.”
I would say a little of both, with the former being more operative. The weaker single digit models are impacted enough by the Resonator to allow you to make quick work of them with the tools and skills you already have.
“Way to make a girl feel special,” I shook my head with a smirk, kneeling down to grab the Bloodchaser now that the horde had cleared for the moment.
I try my best.
“Alright, sketchy augment time here we goooo,” I cheered sarcastically. Sighing with resignation to the current situation, and placing the metal against the middle of my back. Immediately, I felt a numbness crawl across my body, and I fell over, only to regain feeling again a moment later with an extra limb it seemed. Two arms, check. Two legs…check? Yeah, that definitely felt weird, having the tail. Even if it wasn’t biological, it still felt real. Is it weird to say that it was a little euphoric in a curious way? No idea why. I already went through one transition though, so what’s another life spanning change? The words had just become my mantra at this point.
Feeling better?
“I think? It’s a bit fucky, but honestly also pretty neat.” I swished the tail around a little, finding myself somewhat giggly at the action.
I’m glad. However, I wouldn’t rest on your laurels. Let us move to weaponry. You can buy a new knife and a new harpoon from the Stalhas catalog, but you will need to start making your way back through the ship to get the points required.
“Figures, how many points are we talking about for the upgrades?”
I have a few recommendations that will come in handy for you. Firstly, a Sharktooth Combat Knife would cost 15 points, and is capable of cutting through most flesh and carapace of sub thirty numbered Models like slicing paper, and can slice through many industrial strength metals. This knife actually can be bought with some of the passive points you’ve been accruing. Not many points but I know that you are fine living on the edge of nothing in terms of your total point count.
“Guilty as charged,” I said, starting to walk towards the stairs out of the viewing area.
As for your main weapon, may I recommend the Requiem Piercer?
“May you? Absolutely. Also, please get me that knife for now, I want to get that going. And also, a juice box. That fight tired me out.”
Understood.
New Purchase: Sharktooth Combat Knife
Points Reduced to…201, 1 token
New Purchase: Nutripack Ultra
Points Reduced…196, 1 token
Another two small boxes dropped next to me, opening up as it fell revealing a sharp as hell knife in a sheath made for it and another juice box.
“What’s the sheath made of if it can’t be cut by the knife?” I wondered out loud, grabbing the juice box first and grabbing the straw Kyos included with it to pop the top and taking a sip.
That would be the hide of the only natural predator of the Stalhas people. They still can kill it, it just requires greater effort than their normal hunts.
Holy fuck, how is this juice box the best thing I ever had. It’s juicy, zesty…the power of the Protectors, I guess. I downed the whole thing in seconds. “You know, it’s good to finally have a second to breathe.”
I am glad you are enjoying relative peace. You got distracted from what I was saying, though.
“Yeah…,” I paused, “Stalhas. Hide. Yes. Right.” I papped the sides of my face and focused up,” You left off with the Requiem Piercer before? I’m curious about that one,” I said, strapping the new knife sheath onto my left hip, since I already had my original knife on my right.
Ah yes, my apologies. The Requiem Piercer is a hybrid harpoon and launcher. Monofilament-bladed tip, able to discharge electricity in a small radius around it, around 3 meters, which has a fall off secondary effect of incapacitation of around 8 meters, and when it is launched, it always returns to the launcher after 10 earth seconds unless designated otherwise. The harpoon is also trackable.
“Well shit. How much is that?” I mused, beginning to check my surroundings. Sure enough, the Resonator was putting in work clearing the bodies that I had left in my wake, and a bit extra.
The Requiem Piercer is 100 points.
“One hundred?! How strong is that electricity?” I asked, flabbergasted.
Strong enough to kill humans and kill into the low tens in terms of models. Higher tens and the twenties may face minimal incapacitation but will be able to shrug it off quickly.
“...Yeah. Get it when I can. Can I also get it with the piston function? That is fun,” I looked at my original harpoon on the ground with a sense of nostalgia and admiration…even though it had only been less than a day sinceI had gotten the weapon.
That can be arranged. It will even be able to strike ten times in the span it took to do three. A little extra cost, but I think you will be impressed nonetheless.
I whistled at that.
New Purchase: Requiem Piercer, Model FF (Feeding Frenzy)
Points reduced to… 118, 1 token
“Is everything going to be a shark reference with this?”
Are you mad about it? I can tone it back.
“No no, I’m the one who likes Mako as my nickname, this is warranted. And I just realized that the harpoon is a reference to Requiem sharks. Damn it.” I shook my head with a grin.
There’s the marine biologist I chose.