Cyberpunk III: 2856A.D. MARS

“Angel, find a way to shut them down, there must be an energy source!” Nero's voice bellowed out in the enclosed space.

Angel dropped the sparking ends of the cables into the spider swarm and was rewarded with more squealing. She pulled the plasma pistol again and began firing as she walked forward.

“This way!” She called the others. She walked deliberately into the swarm where the others’ blasts had cut a path, burning out more mech spiders as they flowed into the gaps.

Follow the cables.

“There should be an energy cluster ahead,” Angel called, laying down more fire, shuddering as the group proceeded farther and farther into the swarm of insects.

There it was. A bulky squarish cover on the wall.

“Cyrus, I could use your help!” Angel called.

Swallowing her fear and depending on the others to keep the spiders off of them she holstered her plasma pistol and began prising off the cover. Between she and Cyrus they should surely be able to find a way to turn the little beasts off.

 

Jack wheeled around in time to bat away one of the foot-long spiders with his forearm. The motion was fast, smooth, and solid, and sent the mech wheeling through the air. His whipped his pistol out of its sheath and brought it up into a two-handed grip. He fired several rounds into the tide of small spiders.

She put a shot into a large plasma conduit, and now had a rather effective improvised weapon. He angled off into a better firing position and continued to fire rounds into the swarm. They needed something big to take this things out. If they could get a large ion pulse charged up from somewhere......

"Sergeant! Request permission to kill the computer!" He yelled, his gun still blazing.

 

Looked like Angel had other ideas.

"Cancel request, sir!" He charged forward, cutting himself a narrow swath to where Angel stood at a large square panel. He helped her tear off the cover. A cluster of red and green diagnostic lights flickered underneath. Jack gave the situation a quick appraisal.

"The manual release has been disabled. We'll have to get down to the iron." He sensed movement out of the corner of his eye. He brought his gun up and fired, killing the spider that had tried to leap at them, and sending it recoiling backwards. Turning back to the panel, he withdrew a small screwdriver from his utility belt and popped off the front panel, revealing a semi-organized heap of electronics.

"Free up the override switch, and we should be in business." A spider latched onto his left arm just below the shoulder. He brought his right hand around and fired twice, shredding the mech.

"If we can find the time, that is..."

 

Angel nodded, a screwdriver between her teeth as she worked at the switch with a small pair of pliers. Corrosion had gunked up the switch so that it was frozen in place.

A spider landed on her arm and she swallowed a scream, glad that the screwdriver didn't follow. Taking one hand off of the pliers she grabbed the screwdriver and swept the spider off, shuddering.

"Almost there..." Angel gave the switch a final tweak and then hit it hard with the handle of the screwdriver.

 

Karasu grabbed the gun at his side and shot the spiders. Karasu got up still calm even after the attack.
"Anyone need a pest exterminator?" Karasu asked.
Jokes like that were never his thing, but he began to shoot any spider he saw. Of course making sure that he didn't shoot people. The strangers spiders made a squealing noise as they were shot, which Karasu felt unpleasant to the ear.

 

"Anyone need a pest exterminator?" Nero heard, as Karasu blasted four more spiders into oblivion.

"Finally!" Nero said, relieved that his comrade had regained his composure. Cyrus and Angel were desperately trying to get the insectoid menace at the core but were being surrounded quickly. He had remembered just a while back Angel had mentioned "Water…if we just had water to run under them"

It was a sound idea, but it wouldn't stop them all. The water might stall them though. He turned and ran the opposite way, into the darkness of the tunnel. Behind him he can hear Karasu screaming "Where are you going!?!"

He arrived at the wrecked Dragonfly transport. Nero ducked under the charred remains, small embers still giving off their orange heat. A tilted steel door kept him and his objective apart. Kicking at the hinge three times, spraining his ankle in the process, the door fell off with a metal creak. Food Rations a sign inside the room read, and Nero grabbed exactly what he needed.

He returned to the horror scene staggering on a leg that flared with pain with every passing step, willing himself not to collapse. He could see Angel and Cyrus were making tons of progress and Karasu had amazingly managed to hold the spiders off alone. This was his only chance.

"Come and get some you ugly motherf***ers" he spat, most of the spiders all of sudden spun to attention, crawling menacingly towards him. Nero grinned.

He heaved a heavy water jug up and over the spiders, and in split seconds had his assault rifle accurately poking holes into it with the rain of bullets. Spitting jets of the clear liquid in all directions.

"This is our chance Alpha, FINISH IT!" he gasped.

 

Ash follows the group from behind, doing her best to keep the mechanical arachnids at bay. "Ok, lets just go left." She turns and fires off a couple more shots, lighting up the cavern in bright flashes. The team continues to search for the entrance and only chance to escape the seemingly endless army of spider drones.

 

Angel got out of Cyrus's way, knowing he would have some way of talking to the computers or directing the power source. In the meantime she saw Nero throw the bottle high over the mechrachs and blow it to smithereens. Water jetted out everywhere, splashing over the scurrying forms and almost without thinking about it Angel drew her stunner baton and in one movement set it to 'full auto' and threw it into the water as it fell, electrocuting many of the spiders as it fell.

 

And all the great ideas fell into place. The Sergeant's water trick had already caused several of the mechanical demons to die horribly when Angel gave the switch a final bash with the butt end of the screwdriver. At once, the spiders convulsed, stayed upright for a moment in suspended animation, then crumbled to the ground.

Jack let out a breath.

"Well, I'm just glad they rigged ALL of these little losers to the override." He holstered his pistol and walked over to one of the dead spiders. He picked it up, examining it closely. Withdrawing the screwdriver, he began to pry open its outer casing and withdrew a small chip. He grabbed another tool from his belt, his e-scope. Advertised as 'the power of an electron microscope in the palm of your hand.'

"Mmm hmm. Simple slave-rigged client. As I thought. I was kinda hoping there'd be some more complex logic that'd tell us where these guys were spawned, but nope. All this thing does is get basic instructions from the server, and uses its little brain to figure out what exactly that means. Run, hide, scare people....that kinda thing." He looked up to see his teammates looking at him questioningly. He tossed the mechanical carcass on the ground.

"Where to now, sir?"

 

Karasu only clucked his tongue. He had hoped for something bigger in the beginning something more complex. A better battle. Karasu wondered what the enemy was thinking. Was the enemy testing them for something bigger? Or was the enemy simply trying to scare them away? Karasu put his pistol back, even though he had an urge to shoot a piece of the spider. But it best to save his rounds. He breathed in deeply.

 

Nero Castillene was stunned. It hadn't even been an hour and he was already in a life-threatning situation. In his entire service, he had to connive and bribe to gain his objective, always staying clear of confrontation. But this, it threw him headfirst into the chaos.

His strategic prowess didn't save him this time, but the quick thinking and the trained expertise of his squad that kept him alive. For once in Castillene's life, he felt like he wasn't up to the job. The thought became just a tiny shadow in his thought a timebomb of doubt, that eventually, might cause something drastic.

"Where to now, sir?" Cyrus spoke, interrupting his chain of thought. He tried not to look like a defeated man and walked over the spasming mecharachnids, still jolting from the overload. He stared at Karasu as he stepped by, who was leaning his back against the tunnel wall as if nothing had happened.

The pain from his leg had caught up to him now, racing up his spine, making him stand stiff straight abruptly. Cyrus and Angel stood almost directly in front him. He couldn't show weakness nor pain to his soldiers. Bringing his hand up over his eye, he made the pain seem as if it were a quick salute.

"Well done Alpha, you do our leaders proud."

With his injury, Nero knew he would slow Alpha down too much. They had to find survivors, or some sort of objective. Castillene refused to become a burden to his squad.

"We have to move out as soon as we can. Lives are at stake, so lets return to the Dragonfly, get our survival kits and proceed with our priority."

 

"Ten four, Alpha Lead! Let's move out." Jack grinned inside. He never had quite gotten used to the whole 'crisp military seriousness' that was supposed to permeate conversations between underlings and overlings. He respected the authority only so far as they knew their business, and did it right. Castillene was one such figure. He knew that he wasn't leading a bunch of children, but that each of them had their place, and their own skills. He deserved the title of leader, unlike those many commanders who couldn't make it far past 'dictator' status. It would be an honor to work for him.

Angel was something of a mystery. A comm tech, but as he had just seen, very cool and level-headed in stress situations, adaptable, and very smart. A hacker in her own way, he guessed. But she was quiet beyond her immediate job. He'd like the chance some time to talk with her over a bottle of beer at mess, rather than over a pile of demented mechanical spiders and a control panel.

Karasu......Jack just didn't know what to think about Karasu. Only time would tell, he guessed. Even, steady, and level-headed, but a fierce fighter. An asset in that regard, but Jack made a mental note to watch him. He wasn't exactly the type of figure to inspire instant trust.

They made their way back to the shuttle, keeping alert and vigilant.

 

When we were assigned the mission I wasn’t to happy to hear I’d be going to the biggest crap hole in the galaxy, it has me beat why they would even want a tank recon officer with them. I guess It would have a little to do with the tech skills I have.

I looked at Flint a corporal that meant no slacking off right? No fag breaks no bickering no snivelling. I wasn’t one to snivel anyway but I liked a little biffo here and there. I’d remember to keep my hands to myself and behave, show the guy I was good at doing what I was told.

I sighed and looked at the ground, so this was team beta two. Two was that it? I didn’t like our chances but hey you gotta earn a living somehow right?

 

Flint grimaced and looked about. Beta was a two man team. Or one man and a woman. He laughed at that muse.
Taking his gun in a two handed grip after wiping the moist from his rebreather mask he looked at Midori and began to lead the way out through the Desert. The red sky was somewhat of an irritation to him at first, Flint guessed he’d have to allow his eyes to adjust to the setting above. Yet with a smile he looked Midori up and down and carried on his gun in both hands and his rebreather pack on his back.

 

I trotted after Flint who had a brisk pace one suiting a man of his military position. He weaved his way silently through the desert and I stared aimlessly at his back. There wasn’t much else to look at. Seemed Flint had the co-ordinates and my training made it so I was obliged to trust him. Yeah I had faith in a man I didn’t even know that’s how they taught me and as far as I’m concerned I was taught well. I felt like asking how far we had to go, then thought better of it. I flanked instead with my shotgun held upon my chest. Force of habit, I guess.

I felt like making conversation I had never liked silence, but what was there to say. Nice day for it corporal? I decide to bite my tongue instead.

 

Flint glared back at his only subordinate.

"Hey cheer up couldda be worse. I mean It couldda been only me that survived that crash." He said lending a soft smile through his visor. He watched the steam from his breath fill up the screen.

He heard movement in the distance.

"Hey we should enter the caverns of were to get inside the Domes. I'm thinking Do yeah reckon any of the others survived this or is it me you and a couple of guns that’s gonna be the dashing heroes."

 

"Hey cheer up couldda be worse. I mean It couldda been only me that survived that crash."

I gave a stupid grin the type I have a reputation for. He was nice that was a start.

"Hey we should enter the caverns of were to get inside the Domes. I'm thinking Do yeah reckon any of the others survived this or is it me you and a couple of guns that’s gonna be the dashing heroes." Flint continued.

“Sure” I replied, “the quicker we get in the more likely we are to pack some heat.” a couple of guns as fun as that sounded I was praying to god that we weren’t the only ones here. “Surely some of the other craft got in as well. If not we‘re gonna need a whole lotta bullets. But your right about the dashing bit.” My grin was getting wider, maybe this rock was going to be fun after all.

“So corporal what‘s your plan?”

 

Angel slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and went to pick up her baton from where it lay in a pool of water, a few mecharachs lying around it. The baton should have disarmed by now but it paid to be careful. She picked it up, double-checked it, and restored it to her belt.

"Well done Alpha, you do our leaders proud."

Angel’s spine straightened and she returned the salute though parade-ground niceties seemed out of place here. Then again, respect was appropriate.

She had not become a communications specialist purely on a whim, however, and noted the pain in Nero’s movement. The man had been hurt in some way. She would watch him but as he didn’t comment she would not either.

At least not yet.

On returning to the wrecked shuttle she grabbed some medical supplies, tucking them into a small pack as they searched for usable items.

 

Lieutenant Ash Pyrrhus leant back against a cavern wall her plasma pistols spent from the attacking spiders. A sigh of relief passing as her life still remained in her hands. It was then when the wall moved and she was gone from Charlie squads sight.

Ash slid down a narrow tunnel been driven down by falling water. She crashed through a small hole and landed in a river of running water with a splash. After kicking about She managed to pull herself together grabbing her weapon she looked about the area. The air was cool here and the oxygen felt fresher. She removed her re-breather. The new cavern was dark and she was waist deep in the running water.

She began to move when she heard movement from behind. Swiftly she moved her Sniper Plasma rifle around keeping it held forwards in a two handed grip.

“Show yourself.” She hollered.

A glint of light made shape to form a humanoid looking straight at her from a ledge above the water. Ash turned the torch of her gun on directing the beam to face the stranger. The first thing that caught her eyes was the metallic spine that moved like a snake with a sharp point ending the thing. It was a tail.
Ash pointed the gun at the stranger the torch lighting up the others face. She was female her hair short and Orange her eyes were as black as beads with no reflection a scar ran down from her left eye while half her face appeared to have been melted at some point probably a plasma burn. Ash moved the torch up and down from the barrel of her Plasma Sniper rifle. The stranger must have been five foot nine in size. The woman wore black carapace armour and used her tail to rise from the ground. The tail curled like a metal snake the warrior dropped in the water facing Ash. Her left arm was completely bionic with parts of flesh stretched from her shoulder in a failed attempt to cover some of the bionics to her elbow while sharp blade talons stuck out from her wrist. Her left leg was also bionic with torn pieces of flesh attached.

“What the frag are you.” Ash called her voice echoing through the new cavern.

The warrior lashed her tail out slamming into Ash and knocking her from her balance with a splash in the water.

“Call me Foxy.” She said.

Ash rose up to fire her rifle. Fox lashed her tail again slamming the pointed tip into Ash who’d backed away in time. Ash fired a shot. The blast landed into the woman’s shoulder pushing her back from the pressure. Ash caught a glimpse into this warriors eyes before she turned and began to leave. Ash noticed the tail went all the way of her back as though her spine had been pulled out and placed on the outside of her flesh running up into the back of her neck. And with the blink of an eye Ash was stood in the water alone again.

“Whatever that was it was some kind of warning.” Thought Ash speaking allowed as Bull Thompson landed by her with a loud splash.

He rose out of the water still waist deep.

Hot Dog and Holly McShayne were left alone before they realised they’d been split up.

 

Bull spat out his chew into the water. "Hate when that s*** happens," he muttered to himself. He tapped his lieutenant on the shoulder. "Try not run off again, ma'am," he said, wading back over to the rock slide. He looked up, knowing there was no way to climb back through it. "McShayne and Hot Dog are still up there with those spiders, ma'am," he shouted to Ash. "We need to regroup ASAP."

 

"SSSHHH, not so loud. I don't think we're alone." Ash's eyes scan around the dark room. The light at the end of her sniper rifle goes from one dark corner to another. Ash says in a whisper "I ran into a woman down here. Her left arm, right hand, left side of the face and left leg were bionic. She also had a cyber tail that moved at incredible speed. She probably could have killed me if she wanted to, but she was just toying with me. She seemed to be waiting for me, so that means we're being watched. We need to look for an exit as quickly as possible and hope we run into Hot Dog and McShayne in the process." She finally spots a small exit to the cave room. "Come on, lets move out."

 

Team 3: Charley

I put the thermo-contact cold-weld tool back in my modified elite fanny pack that holds all my other uber custom equipment. The plan is running better now then it did before it crashed, well, I only have one system running but it is running better then the military issue crap that they put in this baby. I swapped the poly-silicon-flash URAM and then dual linking the processor chip to allow for a quad interface system from the other working boards to make this baby just sing. I walk out of the crashed plan with the only unbroken view screen glowing brightly behind me showing where everyone is located in living color, like is never had in the past.

I feel the need to announce my accomplishment of my greatness to my waiting team members.

"my elite skills rules this stuff"*

I realize the only person even remotely looking at me is Holly, and the way she does not even smile at my awesome accomplished just tells that she is holding back her womanly desires for my manly man-ness. I can see by her slight scowl that she is soo into me.

*(Translated from L33t Speak)

 

"Awesome, a cybernetic cat-woman is trapsing around down here," Bull responded. He took point again, illuminating the way in front of him and the lieutenant. He kept his weapon trained as he aimed at every nook and cranny the cavern had to offer. Once again, they came to a fork. On road went further down and the other went up.

"Since we fell through that wall," he said, "maybe we need to head upwards. But that's your call ma'am."

 

"Lets go up and look for the others. I don't like my team being split up by the enemy." says Ash.

.......That woman, I know I've heard of her before but from where. I think it was when researching the history of Sekki. I'll have to try to figure it out later I guess........

 

Bull nodded at his lieutenant. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and took out his tin of tobacco. He snapped it between his fingers a few times to tighten it up, then opened the tin and took a pinch from it. He tucked the wad into his lip and grabbed his rifle again. He walked quietly, spitting every so often, observing his surroundings. When they came to the top of the slope, Bull quickly pressed against the wall.

"Sentry gun, ma'am."