Galactic High

Jack grunted as he got up and moved into position, wincing in pain as he once again misjudged his new speed and smacked his shoulder hard into the pillar. He was still able to twist around and aim his plasma rifle though, sending a burst of green fire that barely clipped the lead beast as it dashed ever closer towards them, dodging from side to side to avoid the shots in a manner that seemed far too intelligent for a normal animal.

But it was very clear that these things were far from normal…

In the back of his mind, Jack felt terrible that he had to harm what was once an animal, but he knew it had to be done. Even if they didn’t pose a lethal threat to their group, he had seen the grizzly cybernetic mutilation they had been subjected to. Limbs amputated and replaced with menacing robotics, tubes pumping god knows what chemicals into what remained of the organic creature, and a series of other invasive modifications that forged whatever the animal originally was into a killing machine of pure evil.

Killing them would be a kind mercy.

Jack kept firing, peppering the ‘cyberbeasts’ as the leader made it to the ramp, and was immediately destroyed by a mine Sephy had dropped behind her. Jack lined up a more accurate burst, being able to predict where his target would dodge to now that it was closer, peppering it in the face with several rounds. The beast howled in pain as it continued its relentless charge, but it was moving slower, so Jack switched targets. Dante suddenly ran ahead to the top of the exit ramp and let loose a devastating fork of chain lightning that dropped the bulk of the immediate threat, before yelping and quickly blinking away, just before another sniper shot rang out and melted the ground where he had just been.

“Pyralis!” Alora cried out as she finished her spell, as a snaking beam of fire lanced out of her wand, bending and splitting around her friends, concrete pillars and debris to smack into the pack leaders that were getting closer, causing them to stumble, but not fall. One snarled and bolted straight for the Eladrie and, in a panic, she rushed casting her next spell and fumbled the words…

“Shit!” Jack gasped as he tried to put the barking creature down, missing his snapshot as Alora raised her arm on reflex…

Suddenly, the beast stopped and was lifted into the air, before it was suddenly flung against a nearby concrete pillar with a sickening crack, before dropping to the ground, very dead.

“Thank you Chiyo!” Alora panted, trying to calm down as Nika took out another ‘cyberbeast’ with a blast from her shotgun before another one leapt over the concrete barrier and pinned her down. She had only just brought her shotgun up in a defensive guard, as the beast’s metal maw clamped over it…

‘Oh no you don’t!’ Chiyo thought to herself as she summoned her power, seeing that Jack had started to bring his gun around. Don’t risk shooting her Jack! I’ve got this!

Seeing Jack nod in understanding and return to engaging more of the running creatures, Chiyo launched a powerful ball of water that smacked into the beast with the force of a cannonball, ripping it in half as the water then splashed over the Kizun, who quickly got to her feet.

With a loud bark, Dante summoned another ball of lightning at the base of the ramp leading to the car park, zapping one of the beasts that got too close, forcing the others to back away temporarily.

Finishing the casting of another spell, Alora waved her hands out in front of her, creating several blurry figures of people that quickly took the very shoddy appearances of members of the group. With another motion, the decoys then fanned out and took various positions around the car park, drawing enemy aggro.

“That should buy us some time.” Alora panted in exhaustion, as a heavy blast of plasma from the sniper ripped through a decoy of Nika.

“Sephy? How long?” the Kizun called back as she lobbed a grenade at the beasts that had slowed down and held back away from Dante’s lightning trap, getting back into cover as she took a hit from return fire, which was thankfully tanked by her shields.

“Doing the upper floor, but they’ve got shooters in the opposite building and their sniper really wants to kill me!” the Skritta called back in a panic. “I’ve done about half but it’s getting hot up here!”

“So you definitely need to set the rest?” Alora called back.

“All my instincts are telling me yes; If I don’t there’s a greater risk we botch collapsing the building,” Sephy pointed out. “The Clairvoyance potion should still be affecting me, I just need a clear path to the other pillars, then we need to run.”

“Jack, can you help her?” Alora asked. “You still have the speed.”

“What about you?” Jack pointed out. “We’re barely holding out!”

“We have to take the risk,” Nika retorted. “If we don’t collapse the building and cut them off, we’re straight up dead!”

Jack immediately sprinted for the car ramp that ascended to the next level, where Sephy would be, though immediately cursed as he couldn’t stop his momentum and smacked straight through the concrete wall in a puff of rock dust.

‘Come on!’ Jack angrily thought to himself. ‘Sephy needs you! Stop fucking around and get your dumb ass moving!’

Quickly recovering and returning through the hole he’d just created, Jack was much more cautious as he dashed up the ramp, slowing down enough to turn effectively, and feeling the sting in his palms as he grabbed onto objects and railings on his way to better turn himself around to get where he was going.

He spotted Sephy halfway across the parking lot and sprinted over to her as several blasts of plasma fire tried and failed to hit him. He felt the burn in his legs as he dropped down and skidded along the floor to try and slow himself down, which fortunately worked as he stopped behind the rusted alien car she had hidden behind.

“Well, fancy seeing you here!” Sephy joked.

“You too! Where do I need to plant the bombs?” Jack panted, trying not to panic.

“That row of support pillars down there if you can.” She pointed at a clear section on the opposite end of the ramp he had just come from. “I know there’s no cover, but we need to stick a strong enough bomb at the base of each one, and with luck the whole thing’ll come down. I’ll do this row and move across where I can sneak between cover. You don’t need to press any buttons, just drop them there, but we’ve got to move now!”

“Alright. I’ll do my best.” Jack nodded. “Go!”

With the plan in motion, the two dispersed and made their way to the predetermined weak points as quickly as they could. Jack zigzagged to throw off anyone aiming at him as he moved, taking cover behind the concrete pillars to watch out for any signs of movement outside, making several quick snapshots to try and buy the both of them some more time.

Slapping the last device down at the far end of the car park, Jack was done with his lot of explosives and quickly rushed back, but he could see that Sephy was having trouble further up.

“Shit! This sniper really doesn’t like me!” The Skritta gasped in panic as a heavy blast of plasma took a chunk of concrete out of the pillar she was hiding behind. Palming her final explosive, she prepared to throw it before quickly cursing, diving to the ground as a heavy plasma round then made a hole in the ground. “Can you cover me?” she asked Jack as he quickly skidded to a stop next to her, smacking into an old, abandoned car that rocked with the impact.

“Where are they shooting from?” Jack asked as another shot clipped the pillar. Attempting to answer his own question, he peered over the bonnet, scanning the rooftops he could for any sign of movement, spotting a slight movement of pale, white hair before he ducked. “Alright, I know now, she’s underneath an old billboard. How do you want to do this?”

“She’s after me, but you’re quicker right now.” Sephy reasoned. “Start blasting and they’ll think I’m making a run for it, then I take over blasting, and by the time you’re back I can hold on to you and we make a run for it!”

“Sounds good, let’s go!” Jack growled as he immediately snapped out of his cover and let off several controlled bursts with his plasma rifle at the pale, gaunt figure, who shifted slightly from where they were crouched, but hadn’t been taken down.

“Go now!” Sephy ordered as she brought up her own rifle and started laying down suppressing fire of her own as Jack leapt up and sprinted for the far pillar, getting to it within a few seconds before turning and sprinting back. Several bursts of concrete erupted from all around Sephy as the sniper recklessly tried to take her out, before Jack roughly grabbed the Skritta around the waist and started dashing.

“Are you hit!?” Jack panted as another powerful blast zipped above him, with several weaker, more inaccurate plasma shots passing around them.

“Took some secondary hits, clipped my hip, but I’ll be fine.” Sephy winced. “Holy shit, didn’t think they’d do that - I definitely got them better though! That Clairvoyance potion is really something…”

“Better than the one I had…” Jack grunted, as his feet lost traction with the ground as they descended the ramp to the ground floor, and smacked into the outer wall of the building, Jack carefully angling his body so Sephy wouldn’t take the brunt of the impact.

“Yeah, I kinda agree with you!” Sephy groaned as she tried to get to her feet, before stumbling slightly.

“Almost there,” Jack told her as he picked her up. “Ready to detonate?”

“Yep, I can set it off when I want to with a basic command.” Sephy grinned. “Can’t be jammed at this proximity either, gotta love cybernetics! Well…unless you’re whoever the fuck these assholes are…”

“Let’s work on escaping them first!” Jack grunted as he caught up with the others, who looked like they were just barely holding on. Most of Alora’s illusions had been taken down, Nika was currently pinned in front, Chiyo looked exhausted and Dante had taken hits. Jack could see up ahead that most of the gunmen had held their position, as several of the large cyberzombies plodded forwards, winding up their powerful guns for an attack.

“Guys! Time to pull back!” Sephy told everyone, as she and Jack moved up to give Nika some covering fire, allowing the Kizun to stagger back.

This should give us the boost we need! Chiyo told them as she made a motion with her cane, as all of them felt a sudden surge of energy revitalise them. She then immediately turned and led the way out, quickly followed by Nika, who was staggering slightly as she kept her plasma rifle pointed ahead.

Alora, with a word of power, waved her arms, summoning a wall of fire between them, while Dante barked and closed their eyes, summoning a shield of electricity around them to block incoming fire.

“Get your ass moving Alora, we’re quicker!” Sephy told the Eladrie, who nodded and started moving.

“You too Dante!” Jack ordered the ‘dog’. “Get to the others, we’ll be right behind!”

“Mind carrying me out?” Sephy asked Jack with a grin. “If I do a deep slice into the local matrix I might be able to slow the big ones down if I infect their tech, and maybe get some information.”

“As long as you can set off the bombs!” Jack answered as he saw Alora and Dante clear the building.

“Will do.” Sephy nodded.

“Alright, do your thing! Moving now!” Jack told her as he started running. Sephy went limp in his arms as he held her tight, realising that she was doing something similar to when they robbed the Prefect’s Lockup, focusing completely on what was happening on local cyber networks at the expense of ‘meatspace’. He really hoped the Skritta knew what she was doing…

As Jack sprinted out as fast as he could, he felt his legs grow heavier with each step, as pain began to lance up his leg. Hauling ass out of the car park, past a long-abandoned pay booth he could feel himself begin to stagger despite Chiyo’s enchantments, but he still pushed forward as they all heard a slight cough of electrical static from their commlinks as Sephy activated the bombs.

As one of the ‘cyberzombies’ thundered through the wall of fire without even flinching, a series of concussive blasts rippled through the carpark, shaking the structure hard. The support pillars crumbled, one by one as they caused a domino effect that reverberated through the ground and first floors, causing the main concrete beams to buckle and crack under the explosive force, causing the debris of higher levels to rain down and collapse onto the lower.

In just a few seconds, the multi-storey carpark had completely collapsed, forming a large, chaotic barricade that completely blocked off their pursuers.

“Chiyo! Catch!” Jack gasped as he threw the Skritta into the air before he completely lost his balance, and smacked into what would hopefully be the last wall of the night as the effect of his potion of Quick Retreat finally expired.

Got her! The Ilithii groaned with effort over their mental bond, gently lowering Sephy to the ground.

"She's in cyberspace?" Alora asked Jack curiously. "Why?"

"Something about slowing down the big things and grabbing intel." Jack shrugged, feeling the dull ache in his bones as he got up.

That's smart, as long as she doesn't hurt herself, Chiyo mused. We've cut these guys off for now, but they're very determined to kill us.

"Yeah, we've got to get moving…" Nika began, before Sephy lurched up with a cry of pain, clutching her head.

"Sephy? Are you alright?" Alora asked in a panic, casting a quick healing spell on the Skritta, before moving to the others, making a point of ignoring Jack and Nika trying to wave her off.

"Slowed them down, but they've got some major tech on them that hit me hard. They got the other drone too, but I was able to quickly download the visuals." Sephy groaned.

"Can we all walk? We should get moving," Jack reminded the others, who nodded, and they began to set off. Jack's legs were feeling all sorts of cramped up after using the Quick Retreat potion, slowing him down, but the others had all either taken hits that slowed them down as well or were fatigued.

*****

Gradually they naturally sped up after several healing spells from Alora and some buffs from Chiyo, using her 'ease-of-travel' cane to enable the group to climb up and over a long-collapsed ruin to avoid a wandering group of about ten raggedy-looking guys who were probably bandits. Jack noted how several of that group seemed to be looking for something, peering in old dumpsters or taking a quick peek in a few of the old buildings before moving on.

"How much do you want to bet they were looking for us?" Nika asked.

We don't know for sure, Chiyo reasoned. They could also be scavengers. There are many people who are far more worse off and desperate than us, after all.

"I would still like to avoid other groups if at all possible, especially here," Alora pointed out.

"How far away are we from where we entered?" Jack asked. "That is where we're heading, right?"

"Yeah." Sephy nodded. "Though really fucking carefully. Any sign or sense that it's an ambush, we fuck off elsewhere. It's about twenty minutes away, but after seeing these guys I'm not feeling confident."

"Agreed." Nika nodded. "Though that'll mean at least four more hours in Scraphaven. It's a risk, but I'd rather we get into the safer zones."

"We'll find out soon enough." Alora sighed. "Once we can get a vantage point overlooking the checkpoint we can take a look.”

Sephy, are you able to contact the others and let them know what happened? Chiyo asked.

Sephy shook her head. "Sorry, we're well out of range, but I can write a message to automatically send when we are. Anything in particular you want me to say?"

"Just that we're still alive and may be later than expected. We just don't want them to worry too much or send out a search party," Alora told her.

"Can do." Sephy shrugged.

"Coast is clear," Jack informed them. "Shall we?"

*****

"Either we're in the clear… " Nika informed them. "Or they're very well hidden "

"That doesn't fill me with confidence, Nika," Alora told the Kizun. "They completely blindsided us at the warehouse!"

"Well, there's fewer places for the bastards to hide," Nika pointed out. "The guards at the checkpoint would have blown up any potential cover close to the entrance. Doesn't really make sense giving any potential attackers an advantage."

"But do we go for it?" Jack asked. "We could make a break for it and run for the checkpoint if it's an ambush."

"Unless it's too much to fight through," Sephy pointed out. "I think it's worth the risk though, we've made it so far and we haven't encountered those assholes again."

I agree, Chiyo added. It's highly unlikely that our attackers will have caught up. I think they must have committed everything they had to that ambush.

"Maybe they can't risk being spotted by anyone that can call it in to their higher-ups?" Alora mused. "Let's make our move, but be careful."

Quickly descending the old stairs, Jack led the way as he peered out from cover, almost desperately looking for any sign that they weren't alone.

Nothing.

Dante cocked their head at Jack in confusion, as if questioning his paranoia.

Though he had every right to be paranoid right now.

"Let's go," he whispered to the others.

“Eyes and ears open, everyone…” Alora nervously reminded them all, not that anybody wasn’t giving their surroundings the utmost attention.

“Come on, guys,” Nika muttered as she moved up. “It's just paranoia getting the better of us. We've been through worse than this. All we need to do is get to the checkpoint, then we can go home.”

They cautiously continued, dipping down a dark side-alley, looking for any sign of company in the desolate ruins around them. The sounds of the swirling winds and occasional background noises carrying from far away amplified their sense of unease. More than once Jack had raised his gun at shadows that twisted and danced around them, finding nothing. Every rustle, crunch and crack only set more shivers down their spines as they cautiously approached the security checkpoint.

“Oh shit!” one of the guards called out on seeing them. “You kids actually made it back!”

“We did.” Alora smiled and battered her eyelids at the two guards. “Though regrettably we did not find much. By any chance did anyone else come through here recently?”

“Through here?” One of the guards scoffed. “Not since you asked on your way in.”

“We haven’t had anyone come through here in weeks, not even to scavenge,” the other pointed out. “It’s poor pickings out there, we tried to tell you. How was the job?”

“Job was a bust,” Nika butted in, not wanting to give the guards more information than was necessary.

“Ah, that’s too bad.” The other shrugged. “Anyway, you’re all good to pass. I should probably tell you to scram since it’s past curfew, but there’s nobody to really care and we appreciate the company.”

“Thank you!” Alora smiled, and led the group through to the other side of the checkpoint to sit down on the same bench they had used just before entering, resting for a moment of refuge from the dangers of the urban wasteland beneath a flickering neon sign of a garage that was closed for the night. Chiyo and Alora slumped back, their tired bodies sinking into the unpolished metal, grateful for the chance to catch their breath, while Sephy sat next to them and immediately began typing stuff on her commlink, while stroking the top of Dante’s head, who was panting heavily. Jack and Nika took the opportunity to shuck their gear off and lean their backs against the district wall, relaxing with the weight now lifted from their shoulders.

Jack wiped the sweat off his brow and gave a sigh of relief as he gathered his thoughts. That could have gone far worse than it actually did, though it was still pretty bad. Whoever the guys that had ambushed them were, they were professionals, and had flawlessly lured them in.

Jack wasn’t sure what he was more scared of. The strength of the powerful force they had just managed to escape, or their sheer cunning in their tactics...

He and his friends had however escaped them for now, and had earned themselves a moment’s rest, though he did not allow himself to fully relax, and kept his eyes peeled for anything wrong.

Alora reached into her bag and retrieved a flask, passing it around for each of them to take a grateful swig, as the cool liquid rejuvenated their parched throats. Sephy cupped her hands while Chiyo poured to allow Dante a drink too, with the ‘dog’ taking measured laps of the soothing water.

“Anyone want an energy bar?” Nika asked, quickly throwing one to each of her friends as they all nodded unanimously, each of them clearly desperate as they tore open the packaging and quickly chowed down.

“So Jack,” Sephy asked, trying to lighten the mood. “How does Scraphaven compare to your Deetoilet or Balltymoore?”

“Worse, I suspect.” Jack chuckled. “I’ve never actually visited Detroit or Baltimore, so everything people said about them might be over-exaggerated. They were once prosperous cities, but over time declined into what they are now when the industries left and the local governments messed up, creating high levels of unemployment.”

“That sounds familiar with the history of Scraphaven,” Alora pointed out. “Though I believe it was some kind of war that finished it off. In time as the city expands, perhaps it will be completely razed to the ground for something new to take its place...”

“Well, even though it’s unfortunate, the cities on Earth still find some way to endure, and may one day recover with the right guidance. Unlike Scraphaven for instance, I know Detroit at least has a McDonalds, though it’s covered in bulletproof glass.”

Wait, you can buy food there? Chiyo asked. It does not sound so bad…

“How do you get pizza delivered? With a tank?” Sephy added, as everyone chuckled.

The tension gradually dissipated as they sat there, resting. Nobody wanted to be the one to remind the others that they were still far from home.

“Sorry guys.” Alora sighed as she pushed herself up. “We’ve rested enough. It’s time to move.”

“You’re right.” Nika groaned as she and Jack got to their feet. “Time to go home. At least it should be a safe journey back…”

“Safe? Are you high?” one of the guards called out to them, causing the group to snap their heads round.

“Why? What’s happened?” Alora asked, as Jack sucked in a breath. What now?

“Haven’t you heard?” The other guard responded. “The MegaCorps are going all out tonight! Shaskasaki and Myrodin Corps accused Corvin Enterprises of sabotaging their critical systems and crippling their joint offensives against Nyteskai, and several others are also accusing them of having instigated many of the conflicts in the first place through false-flag attacks! It’s a full-on battlefield out there!”

“All the other conflicts seem to be coming to a head as well,” the first guard added. “The other Megacorps are committing everything they have, and others are stirring shit up as well. Apparently The Redeemer and one of the Regulator Orders have been spotted terrorising some neutral territories, and Commander Cocaine is going apeshit up north…”

“Oh come on…” Alora groaned as she looked out into the city, seeing several buildings on fire in the distance, and now that they listened out, they could hear the sounds of conflict far in the distance.

Their night of hell was far from over…