"This is racist." Xanthiana was hip deep in mud, she hadn't intended on being hip deep in mud, but after slipping off a cliff up above she and the mud had become quite well acquainted.
"I don't see how this task is racist Xan it needs doing." Xanthiana and Max had been assigned to draw off a mutant force so as to allow the Ryan's and Lewis to secure him and another couple ark hunters. What that meant for Xanthiana and Max once they drew the enemy away was anyones guess, certainly not Lewis who told her that was her problem.
"Because you were an AI constructed by humans, to you having Votan's be the only ones split up and set on seperate tasks makes sense."
"It does make sense, both you and Max have optimal skill sets for individual assignments. Operator Lewis and the Ryan's are more team oriented and have a better make up for the extraction team." The mud had already gotten into her boots, she could feel it with each step, she cursed the luck of things. She also found herself hoping it really was mud and not excrement, she had seen a herd of Pows earlier.
"And as I said earlier Elly, that's your human bias talking, Votan's know that human are still trying to kill us. Take christmas music, its so incessant and annoying, and yet humans prefer to keep playing it at high volume during your 'holiday season' in clear hatred of the Votanis people." Xanthiana found a way out of the mud, and made sure it was indeed mud before continuing on to where the map in her head was directing her, a small outpost nearby.
"You don't like Christmas either?" The EGO's voice almost sounded sad.
"The holiday is nice enough, the music is horrifying, all about watchful people and promises of punishment, shouldn't holidays be something nice or festive?" The outpost looked sparsely defended, but it did supposedly have communications which would in theory bring more mutants should it come under attack. Xanthiana tried to make the case they should involve the earth forces stationed nearby, but Lewis overrode her saying that VBI did not need the authorities involved. Xanthiana did not see how a group who had arrived on an air carrier sought to avoid the authorities, but Lewis was insistent and outranked her in the organization so she followed his orders, for now.
"You're just a grinch."
"I don't even know what that is Elly, but I'll take it as a compliment. How is Max doing?"
"Max has already assaulted his outpost, his ego device informs me he's having a good time." Xanthiana smiled, at least someone was having a good time.
"And the extraction team?"
"Already in position, awaiting your distraction."
"Right lets get to it." Xanthiana had aquired a rifle from the Ryan's, it was semi auto, but had a decent magazine and the scope looked to be aligned properly. She took aim at the first mutant, its ugly face looked like an allergic reaction gone bad, and pulled the trigger. The scope was true and the mutants brain splattered against the wall behind him, she fired a couple more times before the alarm went up.
"I believe they are sufficiently agitated Xan."
"Well best to not wait around and find out how agigitated they are." Xanthiana made her way back to the ATV. She couldn't hear the mutants before she took off, but Elly assured her they were following. Xanthiana didn't know all of the ground ahead of her, but she had a route cobbled together from other Ark Hunters Elly was talking to and so she knew the basic areas she should go. Within a few minutes Elly reported the mutants were now off her trail.
"Xan I'm getting a report from the extraction team."
"Go ahead." She sighed she knew what Elly was going to say but didn't want to hear it.
"They are in need of assistance, could we possibly come to their aid?"
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Its Good To Have Friends
"I recommend distracting them." The Mutant's numbers weren't insurmountable, no more than thirty of them. Odds Xanthiana herself had fought off in the war, though during those times she had better equipment and ground than she currently occupied.
"With what? A strip show?"
"Mutants are largely male you have a large bust it might actually work." Elly had a computer's mind on things.
"I'm not taking my top off!" Xanthiana was not normally a modest person, but the idea of surviving by showing her breasts seemed insulting in so many ways, she'd rather die. The other operative apparently decided discretion was the better part of valor and laid down his arm. Xanthiana felt a bit of superiority, Votan's generally never surrendered to humans even when it was certain death otherwise, and today would be no different for her, better to die on her feet than to live on her knees. Xanthiana stood on as the mutants aimed their rifles.
"Put weapon down." The one standing out front with a pistol that looked like it had seen better decades ordered one final time.
"Go fuck yourself." She punctuated her statement by spitting and pulling up her pistol. The shot hit the mutant in the chest, the rest of his squad turned to fire and then they were enveloped in fire. Xanthiana had not heard the mortar shot fired by Max until a second later, but she saw its devastating result. The sniper siblings finished off the mutants not killed in the blast. Xanthiana had a smile on her face even though she'd written off the group she had arrived with as dead.
"Nice to see you Roeyka." Max was the first to congratulate her, the sniper's looked after the operative, she wanted to pretend it wasn't racism, but she knew deep down votans will always look after votans and humans after humans.
"Got here a bit late didn't you Max?"
"Actually Xan he arrived precisely when he told me he would." Elly still did not understand the basic nature of ribbing.
"You know what they say about artillery, we aren't the first to arrive but we'll be the first you'll hear."
"I have literally never heard that before." The big sensoth put one of his massive arms over her head and drug her back to the rest of the group. She was happy things had worked out for everyone so far, but she knew the nature of conflict, everyone could be dead tomorrow.
"Glad you can join us Roeyka we have to plan." The operative who's name turned out be Tyrone Lewis, was already arranging the supplies the Ryan's had managed to scrounge up since the last conflict.
"For what?" Xanthiana did not like Lewis, he was too much about the objective and not enough about the people from what little she'd seen of his management style.
"To rescue Mr. Von Bach."
"Oh right that I forgot who is he again?"
"With what? A strip show?"
"Mutants are largely male you have a large bust it might actually work." Elly had a computer's mind on things.
"I'm not taking my top off!" Xanthiana was not normally a modest person, but the idea of surviving by showing her breasts seemed insulting in so many ways, she'd rather die. The other operative apparently decided discretion was the better part of valor and laid down his arm. Xanthiana felt a bit of superiority, Votan's generally never surrendered to humans even when it was certain death otherwise, and today would be no different for her, better to die on her feet than to live on her knees. Xanthiana stood on as the mutants aimed their rifles.
"Put weapon down." The one standing out front with a pistol that looked like it had seen better decades ordered one final time.
"Go fuck yourself." She punctuated her statement by spitting and pulling up her pistol. The shot hit the mutant in the chest, the rest of his squad turned to fire and then they were enveloped in fire. Xanthiana had not heard the mortar shot fired by Max until a second later, but she saw its devastating result. The sniper siblings finished off the mutants not killed in the blast. Xanthiana had a smile on her face even though she'd written off the group she had arrived with as dead.
"Nice to see you Roeyka." Max was the first to congratulate her, the sniper's looked after the operative, she wanted to pretend it wasn't racism, but she knew deep down votans will always look after votans and humans after humans.
"Got here a bit late didn't you Max?"
"Actually Xan he arrived precisely when he told me he would." Elly still did not understand the basic nature of ribbing.
"You know what they say about artillery, we aren't the first to arrive but we'll be the first you'll hear."
"I have literally never heard that before." The big sensoth put one of his massive arms over her head and drug her back to the rest of the group. She was happy things had worked out for everyone so far, but she knew the nature of conflict, everyone could be dead tomorrow.
"Glad you can join us Roeyka we have to plan." The operative who's name turned out be Tyrone Lewis, was already arranging the supplies the Ryan's had managed to scrounge up since the last conflict.
"For what?" Xanthiana did not like Lewis, he was too much about the objective and not enough about the people from what little she'd seen of his management style.
"To rescue Mr. Von Bach."
"Oh right that I forgot who is he again?"
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Hellbug Matricide
"There are no identifiable weak points or stress fractures in her hide, simply put I don't think we have the fire power to even give her a bad rash let alone kill the creature."
"Elly you are full of delightful helpful information."
"The scent from the hellbug shit is also wearing off Xan, she's about to see us."
"Shit." Xanthiana knew that when it rained it poured, but it seemed like the shower she was in never relented. The operative apparently also recieved the same bad news as he charged forward firing with his rifle. Shocking to Xanthiana none of the other hellbugs seemed to have become aware of their precense immeadiately, she didn't hear a rumble of the adults and other nasties coming to aid their matriarch, it was just the defeaning shriek of the beast as the rifle slugs made an impact but no identifiable mark on its hard hide. Xanthiana not willing to be the only person fighting futilely opened fire herslef, she dropped an entire magazine into what appeared to be the "head" of the creature with no actual effect.
"I told you Xan you can not harm the creature with your weapons." Xanthiana dodged the matriarch as it came charging forward on one of its hundreds of legs, it was like a huge wrecking ball with teeth. She figured as long as the rest of the nest did not come to aid the creature her and the other operative might be able to at least avoid it to escape. That thought died when a blast of electricity emitted from the hide and shocked the crap out of her.
"Did not warn me about static electricity powers." Xanthiana felt all of her muscles spasming and her head hurt, it did not surprise her that Elly seemed also equally taken offline. Xanthiana saw things happening in a slideshow, she almost missed that the operative had managed to avoid getting zapped and exited before the matriarch slammed after him causing the cave above them to shake with her impact.
"Sorry Xan was not aware it had electricity powers, I'll update my files accordingly, the other operative said thank you before he left."
"Yeah I'm so glad I saved his ass for him to leave me behind." The Matriarch appeared stuck in the exit for the time being, which was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it meant it wasn't trying to actively eat her, a curse because the creature was freaking out causing big arcing currents of electricity to smash around the room and potentially bring down the whole cave structure on top of Xanthiana.
"Xanthiana the structural integrity of this cave has been severely damaged by the matriarch, if she keeps at her current..."
"I got it I got it I'll be crushed." Xanthiana knew she was running out of time, she also didn't have a way of killing the creature with her pistol directly, but she did see some fairly large stalagtites hanging above the beast that would prove lethal if they came down. She fired with her pistol and thankfully between the bullets and the shaking they came crashing down impaling the matriarch and stopping the cave temporarily from collapsing. Unfortunately whatever was preventing the rest of the hive from intervening had come to a halt, Xanthiana could hear behind her a tremendous sound of angry hungry hellbugs looking to kill whatever had just killed their mama. Xanthiana scrambled over the fresh corpse of the matriach, she could see a little bit of daylight between the top of the bug and the cave. The creature smelled horrible, its blood a sticky ooze that clinged to her, as she slipped down to her exit the matriach suddenly sprang to life, its horrific mouth grabbing a hold of her boot. Xanthiana acted fast, firing once again above the creature and bringing a final cavern nail into its body causing the creature to let her go and its screeching death wail to finish the rest of the cave in.
"Yeah fuck you too." She said as she slipped out of the cave and into the daylight beyond. Unfortunately the mutants had also apparently known about this exit as she could see the operative had already been recaptured and their guns turned to her as she emerged.
"Xanthiana I believe they want us to surrender."
"Well ain't that kind of them."
"Elly you are full of delightful helpful information."
"The scent from the hellbug shit is also wearing off Xan, she's about to see us."
"Shit." Xanthiana knew that when it rained it poured, but it seemed like the shower she was in never relented. The operative apparently also recieved the same bad news as he charged forward firing with his rifle. Shocking to Xanthiana none of the other hellbugs seemed to have become aware of their precense immeadiately, she didn't hear a rumble of the adults and other nasties coming to aid their matriarch, it was just the defeaning shriek of the beast as the rifle slugs made an impact but no identifiable mark on its hard hide. Xanthiana not willing to be the only person fighting futilely opened fire herslef, she dropped an entire magazine into what appeared to be the "head" of the creature with no actual effect.
"I told you Xan you can not harm the creature with your weapons." Xanthiana dodged the matriarch as it came charging forward on one of its hundreds of legs, it was like a huge wrecking ball with teeth. She figured as long as the rest of the nest did not come to aid the creature her and the other operative might be able to at least avoid it to escape. That thought died when a blast of electricity emitted from the hide and shocked the crap out of her.
"Did not warn me about static electricity powers." Xanthiana felt all of her muscles spasming and her head hurt, it did not surprise her that Elly seemed also equally taken offline. Xanthiana saw things happening in a slideshow, she almost missed that the operative had managed to avoid getting zapped and exited before the matriarch slammed after him causing the cave above them to shake with her impact.
"Sorry Xan was not aware it had electricity powers, I'll update my files accordingly, the other operative said thank you before he left."
"Yeah I'm so glad I saved his ass for him to leave me behind." The Matriarch appeared stuck in the exit for the time being, which was a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it meant it wasn't trying to actively eat her, a curse because the creature was freaking out causing big arcing currents of electricity to smash around the room and potentially bring down the whole cave structure on top of Xanthiana.
"Xanthiana the structural integrity of this cave has been severely damaged by the matriarch, if she keeps at her current..."
"I got it I got it I'll be crushed." Xanthiana knew she was running out of time, she also didn't have a way of killing the creature with her pistol directly, but she did see some fairly large stalagtites hanging above the beast that would prove lethal if they came down. She fired with her pistol and thankfully between the bullets and the shaking they came crashing down impaling the matriarch and stopping the cave temporarily from collapsing. Unfortunately whatever was preventing the rest of the hive from intervening had come to a halt, Xanthiana could hear behind her a tremendous sound of angry hungry hellbugs looking to kill whatever had just killed their mama. Xanthiana scrambled over the fresh corpse of the matriach, she could see a little bit of daylight between the top of the bug and the cave. The creature smelled horrible, its blood a sticky ooze that clinged to her, as she slipped down to her exit the matriach suddenly sprang to life, its horrific mouth grabbing a hold of her boot. Xanthiana acted fast, firing once again above the creature and bringing a final cavern nail into its body causing the creature to let her go and its screeching death wail to finish the rest of the cave in.
"Yeah fuck you too." She said as she slipped out of the cave and into the daylight beyond. Unfortunately the mutants had also apparently known about this exit as she could see the operative had already been recaptured and their guns turned to her as she emerged.
"Xanthiana I believe they want us to surrender."
"Well ain't that kind of them."
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Hellacious Bugs
"Why aren't they attacking?" Xanthiana was covered in Hellbug shit, the smell was so awful she could hardly breathe. The hellbugs which were all over had not attacked her or the other operative yet.
"They are smell hunters Xan, you smell like their excrement they do not see you."
"Well great now I feel better for smelling like shit." The operative got up and started to walk forward very slowly.
"He's not going to talk for fear of alerting the bugs, but he suggest we move forward at a rapid pace." Xanthiana herself got to her feet and followed his lead, though she still wasn't exactly trusting the shit scent mask.
"Well I'm certainly all broken up by the lack of company." The bugs seemed mildly content to just mull about in their caves. In a way it was interesting to just watch the monsters in their native enviroment and not lunging for her neck, Xanthiana could almost forget the creatures sucked the bone marrow from peoples bodies, almost. They continued past the smaller drones and started to be near the larger adults, Xanthiana hoped they wouldn't wake up and notice she was there, because it would be all over, but the sickening sound of her entrails being eaten.
"Keep going this way, the maps say there should be a secondary exit around here." Xanthiana was glad Elly said something she was beginning to wonder if they were just going deeper into hellbug land for nothing. The operative had already skipped ahead of her, she figured he was leaving her behind it seemed to be in his dickish nature.
"I really hope he's not leaving us behind Elly."
"Officially he's scouting ahead for trouble."
"Unofficially?"
"He's totally leaving us behind." Xanthiana picked up her pace even if it meant upsetting the bugs, she didn't know how long the shit mask would work on her and didn't want the operative up ahead to some how piss off the bugs and get her eaten. She was moving so fast she didn't realize he was standing right in front of her until she bumped into him. She was about to curse him out for just standing there like an idiot when she looked up and saw a hellbug matriarch, or what she could assume was a hellbug matriarch since she'd never actually seen one before.
"That's a hellbug matriarch."
"Correct Xan."
"And its standing in the way to the exit of this cave."
"Correct Xan."
"We are completely fucked aren't we?"
"Correct Xan."
"I hate being right."
"They are smell hunters Xan, you smell like their excrement they do not see you."
"Well great now I feel better for smelling like shit." The operative got up and started to walk forward very slowly.
"He's not going to talk for fear of alerting the bugs, but he suggest we move forward at a rapid pace." Xanthiana herself got to her feet and followed his lead, though she still wasn't exactly trusting the shit scent mask.
"Well I'm certainly all broken up by the lack of company." The bugs seemed mildly content to just mull about in their caves. In a way it was interesting to just watch the monsters in their native enviroment and not lunging for her neck, Xanthiana could almost forget the creatures sucked the bone marrow from peoples bodies, almost. They continued past the smaller drones and started to be near the larger adults, Xanthiana hoped they wouldn't wake up and notice she was there, because it would be all over, but the sickening sound of her entrails being eaten.
"Keep going this way, the maps say there should be a secondary exit around here." Xanthiana was glad Elly said something she was beginning to wonder if they were just going deeper into hellbug land for nothing. The operative had already skipped ahead of her, she figured he was leaving her behind it seemed to be in his dickish nature.
"I really hope he's not leaving us behind Elly."
"Officially he's scouting ahead for trouble."
"Unofficially?"
"He's totally leaving us behind." Xanthiana picked up her pace even if it meant upsetting the bugs, she didn't know how long the shit mask would work on her and didn't want the operative up ahead to some how piss off the bugs and get her eaten. She was moving so fast she didn't realize he was standing right in front of her until she bumped into him. She was about to curse him out for just standing there like an idiot when she looked up and saw a hellbug matriarch, or what she could assume was a hellbug matriarch since she'd never actually seen one before.
"That's a hellbug matriarch."
"Correct Xan."
"And its standing in the way to the exit of this cave."
"Correct Xan."
"We are completely fucked aren't we?"
"Correct Xan."
"I hate being right."
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