5) Becoming Human - part 3
I wanted to look at everything around me - everything was new, familiar but new. From the cover of the larger building, the command center I suppose, I could see crumbled highways, rusted hulks of vehicles, and broken down heavy equipment. It was amazing. It was also depressing. All these things were a testament to the greatness and failure of humanity all at once.
"We need to get to that ship, hurry!" Ghost was virtually pulling me further into the building.
"What happened?" I was still entranced by the massively morbid scene.
"The collapse? It was essentially an extinction event, or nearly so. I'll tell you more later, just get moving. We need that ship - we need to get to the Tower." Ghost chirped fearfully.
"You really are scared." I chided him.
"Only because I know the danger." Ghost fired back.
We made our way through rooms that were rough husks, burned and rusted out computers and equipment filled the way, broken windows and faded walls gave way to corridors of the same. Sadly hopeful murals on the wall only made the walk more gloomy.
"How much further, Ghost?"
"Two rooms, but this looks bad. I have the energy signatures of a dozen Fallen ahead, and some are Captain class enemies. I don't know that you are ready. Do me a favor, see if you can harness any light energy in your hands - perhaps you can generate enough energy to use as a weapon."
I looked at Ghost skeptically, "How?"
"Just think about it - you did it earlier when you fought the first Dreg - you manifested a dagger without even thinking. Now, try to make something that makes a bang of some sort." Ghost explained. "It is something that comes...naturally to guardians more or less - there is training, but you have the abilities already inside you."
"Yeah, great, and what if I blow myself up?" I was not happy with his answer.
"Well, practice makes perfect." Ghost was far too cheery for my liking, but I gave his suggestion a try anyhow. A dull golden light began to coalesce in my hand but disappeared nearly as quickly as it formed.
"That's not going to do at all." Ghost was disappointed.
"Nope, but if we are in such a hurry, we will have to just go ahead."
We rounded a corner and looked ahead. Through broken out windows we saw them - there were two Shanks, three Dregs, and one Vandal all pacing the room as though they were waiting for someone, waiting for us. The room was small for them - one small explosion would have blown them all up at once, but there was no telling what it would have done to the room. I didn't have any explosives yet anyhow. My left hand flexed unconsciously, and before I knew it, there was something glowing there.
"Oh!" Ghost's exclamation woke me to what was in my hand. Unfortunately it also alerted the goons ahead of us to our presence and presently they came running and howling. I tossed the bomb in my left hand at the closest devil and ducked backward behind a beaten up control panel. The result was spectacular - upon contact, the glowing ball of light attached itself to the unprepared Dreg before exploding with a screaming flash. The closest three enemies disintegrated in the flash and one of the Shanks howled in terror and pain while floating away quickly, Vandal in tow. My rifle came up and took out the remaining Shank. It was time to pursue the remaining pirates, but I was hesitant.
"There are a half dozen more in the next room - it looks like an ambush." Ghost warned.
"Do you see another way around?" I needed that ship, but I didn't feel like dying for it.
"There!" Ghost floated up the stairway into the room the devils had been occupying and over to the right-side wall. "There's a back stairwell."
Now killing lower-class Fallen is a straightforward proposition. Though they may be armed in different ways and pose different threats at melee distance, Vandals and Dregs are no match for a bullet in the face. Their body armor is tough for a couple shots but fails quickly afterward. Captains are a different matter. Captains typically are more heavily armed, have reactive energy shields, and many can teleport short distances in combat. I didn't quite understand the threat as Ghost tried to explain - I was about to find out in person though.
My approach from the side served as a flanking maneuver and I took out the lower-rank devils in a barrage of fire, but the captain was quick to teleport at an angle to the formation as I began firing. Soon I was the one flanked and running as my own shields were peppered with shards of energy-imbued metal. I dove behind pillars and old machinery as I tried to fire back.
"Ghost!" I yelled..
"Yes?" His reply was far too casual and it irked me.
"Didn't we pick up something heavier from one of those Vandals earlier?" I weaved around a pillar and shot one-handed around it.
"Yes, an XP class rocket launcher, anti-personnel, light vehicle and light armor effective."
"Uh, gimme." I was even more irritated
"No ammo." Ghost said blandly.
"Are you blind!" I was yelling by this point as I ran. I had spotted some heavy class ammunition crated in the corner of the large room.
"I don't have eyes, per se." Ghost's reply was a bit surly. "Here." He transmatted the heavy weapon into my hands shortly after I had put the rifle on my back. I dashed for the corner, dove and rolled up right at the ammo box as the heavy metal rounds tugged at my cloak. Luckily for me, loading the weapon was a snap - I leapt upward as quickly as I could - the Captain was enraged and his shots were coming at a furious pace. The arc of my jump carried me to the top of a broken pillar where I fired, reloaded and fired again. The first shot was off, but the explosion temporarily disabled the Captain's shield. The second shot took him full in chest and sent him to the afterlife.
The room was even larger than I thought. A quick slide of a mobile divider revealed that the room was the size of an aircraft hanger. And there, hanging from various chains, a small, ragged ship. It was rusted, partly covered by a moth-eaten canvas, and I was sure some rats had been nesting in it. It was beautiful. Ghost began his work with haste.
"We probably woke the whole Fallen fleet with that last blast." he snorted.
"Then you better be quick." I retorted.
He was quick, but it almost wasn't quick enough. As the engines fired and I slid into the seat a horrible wailing came from a hole in the wall. Where there once was a huge ventilation fan, there now crawled a massive insect-like being. It was larger and more heavily armored than a Captain, and it's shield seemed to burn the air around it.
"An Archon!" The alarm in Ghost's voice was more than enough for me. I punched the engines to full and blasted through the open roof.
"What was that?" I was aghast.
"One of death's many forms." Ghost had calmed himself. "Let's head for the city."
TS
"We need to get to that ship, hurry!" Ghost was virtually pulling me further into the building.
"What happened?" I was still entranced by the massively morbid scene.
"The collapse? It was essentially an extinction event, or nearly so. I'll tell you more later, just get moving. We need that ship - we need to get to the Tower." Ghost chirped fearfully.
"You really are scared." I chided him.
"Only because I know the danger." Ghost fired back.
We made our way through rooms that were rough husks, burned and rusted out computers and equipment filled the way, broken windows and faded walls gave way to corridors of the same. Sadly hopeful murals on the wall only made the walk more gloomy.
"How much further, Ghost?"
"Two rooms, but this looks bad. I have the energy signatures of a dozen Fallen ahead, and some are Captain class enemies. I don't know that you are ready. Do me a favor, see if you can harness any light energy in your hands - perhaps you can generate enough energy to use as a weapon."
I looked at Ghost skeptically, "How?"
"Just think about it - you did it earlier when you fought the first Dreg - you manifested a dagger without even thinking. Now, try to make something that makes a bang of some sort." Ghost explained. "It is something that comes...naturally to guardians more or less - there is training, but you have the abilities already inside you."
"Yeah, great, and what if I blow myself up?" I was not happy with his answer.
"Well, practice makes perfect." Ghost was far too cheery for my liking, but I gave his suggestion a try anyhow. A dull golden light began to coalesce in my hand but disappeared nearly as quickly as it formed.
"That's not going to do at all." Ghost was disappointed.
"Nope, but if we are in such a hurry, we will have to just go ahead."
We rounded a corner and looked ahead. Through broken out windows we saw them - there were two Shanks, three Dregs, and one Vandal all pacing the room as though they were waiting for someone, waiting for us. The room was small for them - one small explosion would have blown them all up at once, but there was no telling what it would have done to the room. I didn't have any explosives yet anyhow. My left hand flexed unconsciously, and before I knew it, there was something glowing there.
"Oh!" Ghost's exclamation woke me to what was in my hand. Unfortunately it also alerted the goons ahead of us to our presence and presently they came running and howling. I tossed the bomb in my left hand at the closest devil and ducked backward behind a beaten up control panel. The result was spectacular - upon contact, the glowing ball of light attached itself to the unprepared Dreg before exploding with a screaming flash. The closest three enemies disintegrated in the flash and one of the Shanks howled in terror and pain while floating away quickly, Vandal in tow. My rifle came up and took out the remaining Shank. It was time to pursue the remaining pirates, but I was hesitant.
"There are a half dozen more in the next room - it looks like an ambush." Ghost warned.
"Do you see another way around?" I needed that ship, but I didn't feel like dying for it.
"There!" Ghost floated up the stairway into the room the devils had been occupying and over to the right-side wall. "There's a back stairwell."
Now killing lower-class Fallen is a straightforward proposition. Though they may be armed in different ways and pose different threats at melee distance, Vandals and Dregs are no match for a bullet in the face. Their body armor is tough for a couple shots but fails quickly afterward. Captains are a different matter. Captains typically are more heavily armed, have reactive energy shields, and many can teleport short distances in combat. I didn't quite understand the threat as Ghost tried to explain - I was about to find out in person though.
My approach from the side served as a flanking maneuver and I took out the lower-rank devils in a barrage of fire, but the captain was quick to teleport at an angle to the formation as I began firing. Soon I was the one flanked and running as my own shields were peppered with shards of energy-imbued metal. I dove behind pillars and old machinery as I tried to fire back.
"Ghost!" I yelled..
"Yes?" His reply was far too casual and it irked me.
"Didn't we pick up something heavier from one of those Vandals earlier?" I weaved around a pillar and shot one-handed around it.
"Yes, an XP class rocket launcher, anti-personnel, light vehicle and light armor effective."
"Uh, gimme." I was even more irritated
"No ammo." Ghost said blandly.
"Are you blind!" I was yelling by this point as I ran. I had spotted some heavy class ammunition crated in the corner of the large room.
"I don't have eyes, per se." Ghost's reply was a bit surly. "Here." He transmatted the heavy weapon into my hands shortly after I had put the rifle on my back. I dashed for the corner, dove and rolled up right at the ammo box as the heavy metal rounds tugged at my cloak. Luckily for me, loading the weapon was a snap - I leapt upward as quickly as I could - the Captain was enraged and his shots were coming at a furious pace. The arc of my jump carried me to the top of a broken pillar where I fired, reloaded and fired again. The first shot was off, but the explosion temporarily disabled the Captain's shield. The second shot took him full in chest and sent him to the afterlife.
The room was even larger than I thought. A quick slide of a mobile divider revealed that the room was the size of an aircraft hanger. And there, hanging from various chains, a small, ragged ship. It was rusted, partly covered by a moth-eaten canvas, and I was sure some rats had been nesting in it. It was beautiful. Ghost began his work with haste.
"We probably woke the whole Fallen fleet with that last blast." he snorted.
"Then you better be quick." I retorted.
He was quick, but it almost wasn't quick enough. As the engines fired and I slid into the seat a horrible wailing came from a hole in the wall. Where there once was a huge ventilation fan, there now crawled a massive insect-like being. It was larger and more heavily armored than a Captain, and it's shield seemed to burn the air around it.
"An Archon!" The alarm in Ghost's voice was more than enough for me. I punched the engines to full and blasted through the open roof.
"What was that?" I was aghast.
"One of death's many forms." Ghost had calmed himself. "Let's head for the city."
TS