Book 3: Chapter 138: Confrontations

Book 3: Chapter 138: Confrontations

USD: 1 Day after Cadre-S Graduation

Location: Van Biesbroecks star, Meltisar, MIL-1A Elevator

Alex let out an annoyed Grr as she racked her brain for a witty retort to throw back at Tia. However, her mind drew a blank, and Tias sly grin remained in place.

Really, I dont think you needed anything extra to get your girlfriend to notice you more, Tia continued.

Several responses sprang to mind, each more frustrated than the last: Shes not my girlfriend! I didnt make my boobs bigger on purpose! Stop picking on me!

Rachel stepped between them, raising a hand and interrupting Alexs train of thought. Did you notice the announcement stopped? Why are the emergency lights flashing faster?

Alex glanced at the tram tunnel. The screeching metal had intensified from a distant echo to a deafening wail. Its getting louder, too.

Something is wrong, Tia commented, her brow furrowing.

Behind them, the sound of gas escaping an airlock caught their attention. The gangway retracted, and the elevator began its descent. Alex thought she saw someone through the crystal glass of the elevator, frantically waving at them, but even with her enhanced view, the vehicle disappeared too quickly to be sure.

Well, I was right; we saved ourselves a two-day trip, Tia said.

Alex nodded, but as the screeching noise grew louder, she couldnt help but worry about her friend. Nameless, whats causing that noise?

There was an unusual delay; typically, Nameless had an answer for everything.

[Informative: Harmonic analysis predicts a large mass of metal is being kinetically altered by another large mass of metal.]

It took her a moment to decipher that statement.

Tia was quicker to understand. Take cover!

The three of them took refuge behind one of the nearby support columns that connected the transit hub modules ceiling and floor. The thick beams, designed to secure the space elevator to the station, were the sturdiest, and more importantly, closest solid structure available to hide behind.

The trams shrieking reached a fever pitch as it hurtled toward the station. On Alexs HUD, she noticed the volume bar for her hearing rapidly decreasing. Rachel, sandwiched between Tia and Alex, covered her ears with her hands.

The tram burst into the confined space of the station, its mangled metal screeching against the tracks. Only the bullet-shaped front engine and the second car remained of the speeding vehicle. The stations walls seemed to amplify the sound.

Alex saw the rear car glowed red and yellow, spewing smoke while shedding chunks of molten metal that littered the ground behind it. A thick cloud of black smoke trailed behind the vehicle, quickly filling the ceiling of the compartment.

The roof of the second car bulged upwards before a solid black object shot out the back, disappearing into the haze of smoke. Whatever it was, it seemed to provide enough force to derail the damaged vehicle, causing the rear car to fly up into the air and twist sideways.

The passenger car continued tilting until it slammed into one of the main support beams lining the sides of the trams rail groove. The section detached from the front instantly, the strained coupling giving in to the abrupt halt in velocity.

Being a solid chunk of alloy, the beam didnt yield. Instead, the car folded around it like a toy, the rupturing metal unleashing a screeching storm of shrapnel that tore through everything in its path.

Corkscrewing as it kept going, the horizontal motion created by the rear car caused the front end of the tram engine to yaw far enough out of the rail to clip another support beam.

The impact snapped the vehicle in half. A deafening cacophony of destruction echoed throughout the station, and Alex clung to Rachel and the column for support as the entire world around them seemed to shake like they were caught in an earthquake.

The acrid smell of burned metal and electrical components invaded Alexs nostrils, causing her to fit and activate the re-breather on her skinsuit that Rachel had given her. She then reached over and fitted Rachels re-breather, as the other girl remained unwilling or unable to remove her hands from her ears.

Alexs heart raced. While it may not have been the most visceral example of destruction she had ever seen, it brought back memories of the Shrike disintegrating around her over Dedia.

A blue, shimmering cloud surrounded them. Hundreds of thick blue lines digging into the outer edge of the bubble. It took Alex a second to realize that Tia had erected a field of nanites to protect them. The lines began dissolving and making the rest of the cloud denser, and Alex realized they were the remnants of shrapnel pieces flung their way.

Alex wrapped her arms around Rachel, hugging her as the other girl continued shaking with her hands finally off her head. Alex restored her own hearing to normal, but instead of the muted sound of fire and alarms she expected, the air was filled with an angry buzzing that resembled a swarm of furious wasps.

Alex hesitated to admit to the other NAI that she had never done so. Shed used some projective abilities during the boarding, but she hadnt anticipated the ability to create a general-use cloud floating around her.

However...

It wasnt that hard to visualize what she wanted, and she got it on the first try.

Alexs addition made the surrounding field thicken considerably, especially where the two spheres centered on Tia and her overlapped.

A wistful look appeared on the other girls face. Oh, those tingles. Its been a long time since I felt that.

Alex felt confused, as she felt nothing. Huh?

[Informative: A cooperative ongoing algorithm is required to prevent Avatars nanite fields from engaging in a mutual genocidal struggle.]

Tias eyes slid onto her, but Alex felt like the other girl wasnt looking at her for some reason as her smile slide away. Yeah, it tingles, Tia said.

Deciding to suspend that line of discussion for some time when they werent all facing death and the destruction of the world, Alex scanned the area for the yellow and black NAIs combat.

A sudden crack threatened to terminate her eardrums and Alex winced as Rachel fell on her ass, a disoriented look on her face. Tia rushed to her side first, kneeling and placing a hand on Rachels cheek. Alex watched as two lines of nanites spread over a line of blood that had dripped from Rachels ears.

Alex kneeled beside them. What are you doing? she asked.

First aid. Eardrums are ruptured, Tia replied curtly as she focused on the injury.

Alex blinked, recalling they had been taught to open their mouths to prevent that, but she guessed there had been no warning. Her and Tias ears were automatically shielded by their ANUF systems, but Rachel wasnt so lucky.

Explosions and metal shrieks erupted from the other side of the pillar. Alex moved around the column to scan the combat while Tia tended to Rachel, catching another glimpse of the yellow and black forms clashing. The station area they occupied was rapidly becoming collateral damage.

The black one seemed to have the upper hand, constantly pursuing the yellow one across the area. Neither seemed to pay them much attention, and Alex tried to identify a safe route to get Rachel out of harms way.

The problem was that they were in the corner where the elevator arrived, and it had already fled down the gravity well, leaving them no option but to advance out of the cubbyhole and into the station proper.

Returning to the other girls, Alex saw Rachel had seemed to have regained her senses.

Earplugs will allow muted hearing, not as good as real active plugs, but should withstand that kind of pressure wave again, Tia explained.

Rachel nodded and stood up with Tias help. I cant believe you put nanites in my ears, Rachel said.

Youve been sleeping in them every night for months. You should be used to it, Tia quipped.

Rachel gave Tia an alarmed look.

Tia turned to look at Alex. You need to get her out of here, to one of the bunkers, probably. They have escape pod capabilities.

Escape pod? There is a lot of damage, but MIL-1A is massive. It isnt going to be destroyed, Rachel said, her words slightly slower than usual, indicating she wasnt fully recovered.

Tia motioned with her head towards the tunnel. Look.

Alexs heart skipped a beat as she noticed the smoke escaping from the tunnel had ceased, but the black debris left behind wasnt soot. Black tendrils had sprouted in the metal, slowly expanding and growing like the roots of a tree slowly penetrating the soil.

These werent tree roots; they were colonies of rogue nanites that preferred to attach themselves to the stations metal and electronics.

That looks ominous... and the station is connected to the planet? Alex inquired.

Tia spun around, eyes widening. This is worse than I thought.