Summer Friction: A LitRPG Sci-Fi Adventure (Space Seasons Book 3), page 15
Internal AI chip = X Class
Skin Strength = 56
Blood Capacity = 47
Healing Speed = 58
Overall Personal Level = 370
Strength = 96
Dexterity = 23
Constitution = 152
Intelligence = 84
Wisdom = 38
Charisma = 14
Luck = 13
Quick Points = 1
Mech Warrior Operational Level = 70
Battle Mage - Rank 19
Mech Pilot - Rank 17
Nanite Engineer - Rank 34
Nanite Factory - Rank 68
Human/Machine Interface - Rank 30
Mech Merge - Rank 14
Mech Remote Control - Rank 1
Molecular Insight - Rank 7
Molecular Manipulation - Rank 5
Molecular Acceleration/Deceleration - Rank 8
Molecular Reversion - Rank ??
Vrolsh Coding Learned
CAD Tech - Rank 19
Kiain Language - Rank 6
Shuttle Operator - Rank 16
Freighter Operator - Rank 10
Computer Science - Rank 12
Electronics and Communication - Rank 15
Electrical Engineering - Rank 18
Mechanical Engineering - Rank 21
Information Technology - Rank 24
Foot Soldier - Rank 23
Merc - Rank 14
Sniper - Rank 18
Gun Smith - Rank 13
Shadow Awareness - Maxed Out
Future Insight - Rank 9
Negotiator - Rank 13
Deception - Rank 15
Reconstruction Expertise - Rank 18
Muscle Healing - Rank 24
Viral Fighting - Rank 15
Poison Resistance - Rank 19
Night Sight - Rank 3
Sword Play - Rank 22
Animal Handling - Rank 7
Null Gravity Management - Rank 8
Detective - Rank 1
Special Traits Awarded x 4 – Any extras here do not show on your Stat Sheet Totals.
Healer = Internal AI chip X Class – Crystalline and Silver metal chip with integrated healer nanites led by Nus/Xe - Combined, they are both on the task of healing you now! Lucky!
Intelligence = Internal prototype AI Chip, inserted on 17th birthday, with consciousness of Hiroto.
Knowledge = Direct from Xirob if he freely gives it. Extra skills and training available.
Shade Brain – One in a million, you managed to not only keep your memories, but you can also hide them. Your character sheet is elusive to even the strongest of will. UPGRADED - No one can penetrate your Shade now!
Connection to Faith and Unborn Child of Xirob – Detected
Spells - Active - Minor Healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 5
Spells - Active - Medium healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 20
Spells - Passive - Intensive Healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 50
Spell - Active - Lightning Fury – Requires Kenosi of Rank 20 – Damage increased by 50%
Particle projectile cannon
Uses energy direct from mana reserves
Can store within battery compartments to aid when needed
Special attributes – when inside a mech it will enlarge to the size needed by its soul bonded owner
Name - Yun
Specie - Sitha
Male = Level 56
Health = 98%
Strength = 67
Constitution = 70
Dexterity = 50
Intelligence = 32
Wisdom = 19
Charisma = 22
Luck = 20
Kenosi = Rank 100 – draws from his bonded partner and the denti master.
Special Attributes
Made within the shadows, born of noble blood, all Sitha are sacred creatures to never be harmed. They are loyal to the core, respected by all species. Hurt or maim one, and your life energies will suffer until you can do something to redeem yourself. Chances are, you never will.
Abilities = Skilled Keix = Level 60 = Skilled swordsman. Once kenosi is harnessed, this Sitha is a killer. Nothing can withstand the sharpness of his blade or the strength with which he will wield it in your defence.
Sitha Transformation Complete - Yun is now fully grown
I watched as Jai thought about some of the ramifications. I had done exactly the same, and my thoughts drifted to the last line for Yun. Fully grown? I’d have to ask him this, when I saw him next.
“How is this possible?” Jai asked, bringing my focus back to him.
Xirob spoke to me, and I just repeated it for Jai. “Because I hit over level forty-five in kenosi the original skill, Molecular Insight, breaks off into subsets like other highly specialised skills do.”
“That could be really dangerous, Kyle. You can see that, though.”
He knew I was smart enough to know. “Yeah, I’ll make sure I take it very slow, and Xirob says he’ll talk me through some basics for each. It will help.”
I could see his face and posture tighten though. “Just make sure you keep a note of what he’s teaching. Those seem pretty dangerous skills to have.”
I nodded. He was right. Molecular Anything—gave me the ability to tear things apart. And of course, put them back together. But I wasn’t anywhere near skilled at any of it. I wondered if I ever would be.
You’re already way above some others, so yes, you’re more than capable of doing exactly those things, when you wish. Kyle, with the right training, you’re going to exceed anything I’ve ever been capable of.
Coming from Xirob, it actually meant a lot to me. Thank you.
I started to feel more and more like myself and looked to the door. I need to get back out there.
“Yes, of course, your health has come up a lot, but no more Molecular Insight, okay? You’ve done more than enough with discovering those things. We can take it from here. Seeing what you did, how you reversed the code, it now seems so easy. I wish we’d seen it earlier.”
I was going to start to say something, to defend myself against doing it all quicker.
“You have done more than anyone could have. Sadie has another antidote. Corey and Finn are on their way back with our upgrades. We’re almost ready to pull out.”
Corey and Finn? Oh no. But still it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I let out a breath and physically relaxed a little.
I slid out of bed and put my boots on. Standing, I felt much better.
The glass plate behind Jai shattered, and the echoing boom that reverberated through with it hurt my ears. Jai and I were blasted over my bed and with a thump. I hit my head on the far wall.
Smoke and the smell of burning flesh assaulted my nostrils, but Jai had yanked me to my feet and was dragging me with him out of the room in the opposite direction.
“What the fuck?” I shouted.
I could see Sadie up ahead and some of the med techs as they scrambled for any kind of cover. Incoming gunfire exploded around us.
It was easy to see why Jai was in command right now. Without thought or question he had Sadie and Denn with us, and we were heading out the door.
Comms were going off in my ear, but the side of my head hurt. I couldn’t make out exactly what was going on.
A moment later, I saw Tyto and didn’t just see him. I saw him running. Running in one direction I knew he shouldn’t. Towards the mech.
He can’t, I said. Hiroto, it’s not ready.
He didn’t have a choice though, as more gunfire and explosions hit everywhere around us.
My ears started to come around, and I could hear the orders coming through more now.
“Get Rahan in. We’re leaving.”
“Coming in hot. I have Motaki on my tail.” Rahan’s terse voice came through and I wondered how at first but then telemetry started to pool in my mind as well as Hiroto filtered it through to Jai and Tyto. That guy—he was something else.
But I shivered.
“Did you do it?” I asked, now running alongside Sadie.
She looked at me, reached out, and wiped blood from my face. “Yes, it’s done. They started to distribute the new nanites and antivirus an hour ago.”
“It works, really works!”
Even in the midst of running for our lives, with bullets and explosions, I could see her smile. “Yes!”
But I didn’t want to leave the planet right now. I wanted to see it all work, that their species would be okay. That our job was done well. It didn’t seem right for us to essentially take the mech and not stick around.
As the fire ahead seemed to get worse, Jai pulled us down behind a chunk of what looked like remains from the hospital. I could only hope most of the people on the inside were safe, and that things on the outside for them as a species were too.
“Jai,” I said. “We can’t just leave them, right?”
Jai looked to Sadie and then to Denn.
“They’re going to be okay, Kyle,” Sadie said.
I saw Tyto climb up and into the mech, watching as it encased him. The soft glow surrounded the whole unit as it started up.
Xirob, I said, it’s not going to move. It’s just not.
I know, his reply came. I could see we were stuck right here without his help. We couldn’t move. We couldn’t do anything.
I looked to Jai as the bullets bounced off our shelter, debris smattering Sadie and him.
“Promise lasted all but five minutes,” I simply said and with one push I ran for Tyto with Jai’s cursing and orders to stay put ringing in my ears.
I approached the mech just as a stray bullet connected with my left shoulder. Pain ripped through me, and I dove for cover as best I could between its legs. At least Tyto was well protected.
I really didn’t need the bullet wound. I checked my health, already low.
I’m on it, Hiroto said. Nus has got the nites stopping the bleeding.
Do what you have to, Xirob said.
His tone took me aback a little, I hadn’t expected him to agree with my choice to do this. Especially as low as my health was. As I looked out to Sadie and Jai sheltering behind that chunk of building, I also knew to get us off this planet and somewhat in one piece there was no choice.
I placed my now-bloodied hand to the mech, Instantly connecting with Tyto.
I cringed.
“Kyle!”
“Give me a few. I’ll sort it.”
“How? There’s nothing we can do that will let us pilot this thing.”
I saw it then, not in using my kenosi or in hacking it. We just needed to confuse it.
“Get the cockpit open,” I said.
I felt Tyto’s confusion and knew that me trying to get up there with a mostly limp and bloodied arm wasn’t going to be easy. But as I listened to the incoming fire and now the retaliation, Hiroto started to focus on the patterns. When I say go, I mean go for it.
I waited for his words, and as soon as he said Now! in my ear, I moved. And I moved as fast as I could.
I gripped the spots I needed to haul myself up and pulled with everything I had. Looking up to where I was trying to get, I saw Tyto stick his head out just as the gunfire started up again. He ducked, and I swung for it, managing to catch the top of the mech’s outer shell. Tyto grabbed me, and as awkward as it was, I slid down, facing him. “There really isn’t room in here for the both of us.”
Err, it was more than awkward. “You’re lead. You just need my stats to bump us up. Together we’re stronger.”
It literally was just like we’d tricked the Saole. Accumulated stats gave us a lot more than we had on our own. His body chuckled, and I felt Hiroto shiver inside me. I pushed his thoughts away, moving my legs slightly to snake in and around Tyto. My wounded arm I lifted up and over his right shoulder, and I settled my other one under his left arm. There was some pain, but only a little. I didn’t want Hiroto turning off the pain settings too much, as I needed focus. With pain, I had that. I turned my head in against Tyto’s so he had a much better view. As the head of the mech moulded back into place, I focussed quickly and brought forth my kenosi so at least I could see a little.
Tyto’s body moved against mine as he did what he was trained for. Within seconds the mech was powering up on a totally different level.
I checked the mechs stats against our totals. Thank God.
Overall Personal Level - 568
Mech Warrior Overall Operational Level - 150
“You are something else, Kyle,” Tyto said against my ear. It tickled.
Oh god, if he does that again, I’m going to melt, Hiroto said, and I almost froze.
Hiroto, get me the view he has. And guys—
Okay, you don’t need to ask, Hiroto said. Nites are invading the mech’s systems now.
The view from here was high up. This mech had a ton of inner sight that I’d never experienced before. But the more my focus shifted, the more I saw. I saw what Tyto did.
“Kyle, you know what you’re doing here, right?” Tyto’s voice drifted into my mind.
I actually didn’t.
But Tyto wasn’t fighting me, and neither was the mech.
DUO MERGE COMPLETE
That was a new term. I quickly read the rest of the details with it.
I felt queasy as Tyto did the one thing he knew best. He took control of everything around me, and that included me.
This time though, unlike the mech merge, I knew he acknowledged that there was not just the two of us in here, but the four of us.
“We almost have a full merge with just us, you know.” He laughed, and with one simple thought, he brought the weapons online.
I grinned then as he unleashed pure hell ahead of us. Taking steps forward, he shook off the straps which had been holding it in place. I could see Jai’s reaction on his face as he then looked around the corner. As we approached them, he pulled Sadie to her feet. There was more blood on her face, and she wiped the dust away from her eyes, holding onto Jai with everything she had. Denn ran alongside them.
I wished I could do more for Sadie, for Denn. But this was it. I was a passenger in a full-on killing machine.
Tyto swept the area in one motion, and all incoming fire stopped dead.
I felt the wave of hope spread through him and was instantly worried as his sight drifted to the left. There were three incoming dots.
We have Motaki’s lower scale mechs incoming, Hiroto said to the three of us.
We were much slower than I’d have liked.
What’s the escape plan? I pushed to anyone who heard me.
There was a ping from inside, and I was connected right to Miquel on the bridge. “We’ve been working on it with the Doctor Eiswai and one of her closest military bases. They have incoming support, but we just have to get to it. There’s a way off the planet with the mech. They’re prepping now to get it into space.”
That was something. I was impressed.
“Kyle, we will be forever in your debt,” the doctor said. “The fact you have the mech going is a miracle. Please take it, and if you can take those mechs out on the way past—”
Tyto’s sights shifted. “Don’t you worry, ma’am. They’re not leaving Trilak to come after us.”
Tyto’s frame shifted against me slightly, and I let him take me on the wildest ride I think I ever witnessed.
Tracking his first missiles towards the enemy mechs, he locked on and let loose with everything he had, knowing damned straight they wouldn’t be able to stop them all. They launched antimissiles straight away, but ours got through, taking two of the mechs down to low health.
They didn’t stand a chance against this one, and they knew it. They were already trying to take steps backwards and re-evaluate the situation.
“I don’t know if they’re just going after the mech or us?” Tyto said. "But this is well coordinated and too much of a coincidence, like they’ve been waiting for us to be able to get it moving away from the citizens here.”
“They were waiting for them to die,” I replied, and when his heart sank, I knew I’d been right. They were just going to come and take it.
Hiroto spoke then. No, the whole hospital and the mech were rigged. If they were to go, then the mech would go with them. They weren’t going to let anyone take it.
They’d rigged it to blow?
Yes, very much so. Ro’s actually stopped the countdown just this last hour, when the cure had started to work.
That was lucky too, then. Because as much as I wanted to do the right thing, the thought also had crossed my mind that there would be nothing but pickings to root through.
The planet, as we saw on the way in, is very heavily fortified, yes.
Yeah, correct.
Ro’s voice then came across too. “I think we can deal with the mech’s low health now. Our gunners are one click out. Get your ass to this coordination, and you’ll be lifted out.”
A flag then appeared, and I was glad it wasn’t far. Getting this hunk of amazing metal over there was going to still be some fun. The mech moved beautifully, but inside it was a little hot.
The terrain bounced me about just a bit too much, and the only way I could focus was to see something else. I sent my mind out there into the ether, to connect with Yun.
Kyle, he said. It is good to hear from you.
I felt the panic in his mind though. What’s going on?
I am with Miquel on the bridge. We are watching the enemy ships come for us.
Crap, how many?
There’re two cruisers and one battleship.
Fuck, a battleship.
Miquel sent Finn out to help Corey. He’s on his way back with the parts we need.
Finn? My heart sank. Everything I’d fought for. No! Get them both back now!
I knew Tyto felt me stiffen. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to get back to the ship, faster than you think you can. Get this mech to that flag, now.”
Chapter Fifteen
The missile struck us from the side, and my view of the ground hurtling towards us hit me just as hard. I came out of my funk, and Tyto’s weight crushed me to the front of the mech. He struggled once and pushed himself back up, turning on the enemy.
Skin Strength = 56
Blood Capacity = 47
Healing Speed = 58
Overall Personal Level = 370
Strength = 96
Dexterity = 23
Constitution = 152
Intelligence = 84
Wisdom = 38
Charisma = 14
Luck = 13
Quick Points = 1
Mech Warrior Operational Level = 70
Battle Mage - Rank 19
Mech Pilot - Rank 17
Nanite Engineer - Rank 34
Nanite Factory - Rank 68
Human/Machine Interface - Rank 30
Mech Merge - Rank 14
Mech Remote Control - Rank 1
Molecular Insight - Rank 7
Molecular Manipulation - Rank 5
Molecular Acceleration/Deceleration - Rank 8
Molecular Reversion - Rank ??
Vrolsh Coding Learned
CAD Tech - Rank 19
Kiain Language - Rank 6
Shuttle Operator - Rank 16
Freighter Operator - Rank 10
Computer Science - Rank 12
Electronics and Communication - Rank 15
Electrical Engineering - Rank 18
Mechanical Engineering - Rank 21
Information Technology - Rank 24
Foot Soldier - Rank 23
Merc - Rank 14
Sniper - Rank 18
Gun Smith - Rank 13
Shadow Awareness - Maxed Out
Future Insight - Rank 9
Negotiator - Rank 13
Deception - Rank 15
Reconstruction Expertise - Rank 18
Muscle Healing - Rank 24
Viral Fighting - Rank 15
Poison Resistance - Rank 19
Night Sight - Rank 3
Sword Play - Rank 22
Animal Handling - Rank 7
Null Gravity Management - Rank 8
Detective - Rank 1
Special Traits Awarded x 4 – Any extras here do not show on your Stat Sheet Totals.
Healer = Internal AI chip X Class – Crystalline and Silver metal chip with integrated healer nanites led by Nus/Xe - Combined, they are both on the task of healing you now! Lucky!
Intelligence = Internal prototype AI Chip, inserted on 17th birthday, with consciousness of Hiroto.
Knowledge = Direct from Xirob if he freely gives it. Extra skills and training available.
Shade Brain – One in a million, you managed to not only keep your memories, but you can also hide them. Your character sheet is elusive to even the strongest of will. UPGRADED - No one can penetrate your Shade now!
Connection to Faith and Unborn Child of Xirob – Detected
Spells - Active - Minor Healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 5
Spells - Active - Medium healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 20
Spells - Passive - Intensive Healing = Requires Kenosi of Rank 50
Spell - Active - Lightning Fury – Requires Kenosi of Rank 20 – Damage increased by 50%
Particle projectile cannon
Uses energy direct from mana reserves
Can store within battery compartments to aid when needed
Special attributes – when inside a mech it will enlarge to the size needed by its soul bonded owner
Name - Yun
Specie - Sitha
Male = Level 56
Health = 98%
Strength = 67
Constitution = 70
Dexterity = 50
Intelligence = 32
Wisdom = 19
Charisma = 22
Luck = 20
Kenosi = Rank 100 – draws from his bonded partner and the denti master.
Special Attributes
Made within the shadows, born of noble blood, all Sitha are sacred creatures to never be harmed. They are loyal to the core, respected by all species. Hurt or maim one, and your life energies will suffer until you can do something to redeem yourself. Chances are, you never will.
Abilities = Skilled Keix = Level 60 = Skilled swordsman. Once kenosi is harnessed, this Sitha is a killer. Nothing can withstand the sharpness of his blade or the strength with which he will wield it in your defence.
Sitha Transformation Complete - Yun is now fully grown
I watched as Jai thought about some of the ramifications. I had done exactly the same, and my thoughts drifted to the last line for Yun. Fully grown? I’d have to ask him this, when I saw him next.
“How is this possible?” Jai asked, bringing my focus back to him.
Xirob spoke to me, and I just repeated it for Jai. “Because I hit over level forty-five in kenosi the original skill, Molecular Insight, breaks off into subsets like other highly specialised skills do.”
“That could be really dangerous, Kyle. You can see that, though.”
He knew I was smart enough to know. “Yeah, I’ll make sure I take it very slow, and Xirob says he’ll talk me through some basics for each. It will help.”
I could see his face and posture tighten though. “Just make sure you keep a note of what he’s teaching. Those seem pretty dangerous skills to have.”
I nodded. He was right. Molecular Anything—gave me the ability to tear things apart. And of course, put them back together. But I wasn’t anywhere near skilled at any of it. I wondered if I ever would be.
You’re already way above some others, so yes, you’re more than capable of doing exactly those things, when you wish. Kyle, with the right training, you’re going to exceed anything I’ve ever been capable of.
Coming from Xirob, it actually meant a lot to me. Thank you.
I started to feel more and more like myself and looked to the door. I need to get back out there.
“Yes, of course, your health has come up a lot, but no more Molecular Insight, okay? You’ve done more than enough with discovering those things. We can take it from here. Seeing what you did, how you reversed the code, it now seems so easy. I wish we’d seen it earlier.”
I was going to start to say something, to defend myself against doing it all quicker.
“You have done more than anyone could have. Sadie has another antidote. Corey and Finn are on their way back with our upgrades. We’re almost ready to pull out.”
Corey and Finn? Oh no. But still it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I let out a breath and physically relaxed a little.
I slid out of bed and put my boots on. Standing, I felt much better.
The glass plate behind Jai shattered, and the echoing boom that reverberated through with it hurt my ears. Jai and I were blasted over my bed and with a thump. I hit my head on the far wall.
Smoke and the smell of burning flesh assaulted my nostrils, but Jai had yanked me to my feet and was dragging me with him out of the room in the opposite direction.
“What the fuck?” I shouted.
I could see Sadie up ahead and some of the med techs as they scrambled for any kind of cover. Incoming gunfire exploded around us.
It was easy to see why Jai was in command right now. Without thought or question he had Sadie and Denn with us, and we were heading out the door.
Comms were going off in my ear, but the side of my head hurt. I couldn’t make out exactly what was going on.
A moment later, I saw Tyto and didn’t just see him. I saw him running. Running in one direction I knew he shouldn’t. Towards the mech.
He can’t, I said. Hiroto, it’s not ready.
He didn’t have a choice though, as more gunfire and explosions hit everywhere around us.
My ears started to come around, and I could hear the orders coming through more now.
“Get Rahan in. We’re leaving.”
“Coming in hot. I have Motaki on my tail.” Rahan’s terse voice came through and I wondered how at first but then telemetry started to pool in my mind as well as Hiroto filtered it through to Jai and Tyto. That guy—he was something else.
But I shivered.
“Did you do it?” I asked, now running alongside Sadie.
She looked at me, reached out, and wiped blood from my face. “Yes, it’s done. They started to distribute the new nanites and antivirus an hour ago.”
“It works, really works!”
Even in the midst of running for our lives, with bullets and explosions, I could see her smile. “Yes!”
But I didn’t want to leave the planet right now. I wanted to see it all work, that their species would be okay. That our job was done well. It didn’t seem right for us to essentially take the mech and not stick around.
As the fire ahead seemed to get worse, Jai pulled us down behind a chunk of what looked like remains from the hospital. I could only hope most of the people on the inside were safe, and that things on the outside for them as a species were too.
“Jai,” I said. “We can’t just leave them, right?”
Jai looked to Sadie and then to Denn.
“They’re going to be okay, Kyle,” Sadie said.
I saw Tyto climb up and into the mech, watching as it encased him. The soft glow surrounded the whole unit as it started up.
Xirob, I said, it’s not going to move. It’s just not.
I know, his reply came. I could see we were stuck right here without his help. We couldn’t move. We couldn’t do anything.
I looked to Jai as the bullets bounced off our shelter, debris smattering Sadie and him.
“Promise lasted all but five minutes,” I simply said and with one push I ran for Tyto with Jai’s cursing and orders to stay put ringing in my ears.
I approached the mech just as a stray bullet connected with my left shoulder. Pain ripped through me, and I dove for cover as best I could between its legs. At least Tyto was well protected.
I really didn’t need the bullet wound. I checked my health, already low.
I’m on it, Hiroto said. Nus has got the nites stopping the bleeding.
Do what you have to, Xirob said.
His tone took me aback a little, I hadn’t expected him to agree with my choice to do this. Especially as low as my health was. As I looked out to Sadie and Jai sheltering behind that chunk of building, I also knew to get us off this planet and somewhat in one piece there was no choice.
I placed my now-bloodied hand to the mech, Instantly connecting with Tyto.
I cringed.
“Kyle!”
“Give me a few. I’ll sort it.”
“How? There’s nothing we can do that will let us pilot this thing.”
I saw it then, not in using my kenosi or in hacking it. We just needed to confuse it.
“Get the cockpit open,” I said.
I felt Tyto’s confusion and knew that me trying to get up there with a mostly limp and bloodied arm wasn’t going to be easy. But as I listened to the incoming fire and now the retaliation, Hiroto started to focus on the patterns. When I say go, I mean go for it.
I waited for his words, and as soon as he said Now! in my ear, I moved. And I moved as fast as I could.
I gripped the spots I needed to haul myself up and pulled with everything I had. Looking up to where I was trying to get, I saw Tyto stick his head out just as the gunfire started up again. He ducked, and I swung for it, managing to catch the top of the mech’s outer shell. Tyto grabbed me, and as awkward as it was, I slid down, facing him. “There really isn’t room in here for the both of us.”
Err, it was more than awkward. “You’re lead. You just need my stats to bump us up. Together we’re stronger.”
It literally was just like we’d tricked the Saole. Accumulated stats gave us a lot more than we had on our own. His body chuckled, and I felt Hiroto shiver inside me. I pushed his thoughts away, moving my legs slightly to snake in and around Tyto. My wounded arm I lifted up and over his right shoulder, and I settled my other one under his left arm. There was some pain, but only a little. I didn’t want Hiroto turning off the pain settings too much, as I needed focus. With pain, I had that. I turned my head in against Tyto’s so he had a much better view. As the head of the mech moulded back into place, I focussed quickly and brought forth my kenosi so at least I could see a little.
Tyto’s body moved against mine as he did what he was trained for. Within seconds the mech was powering up on a totally different level.
I checked the mechs stats against our totals. Thank God.
Overall Personal Level - 568
Mech Warrior Overall Operational Level - 150
“You are something else, Kyle,” Tyto said against my ear. It tickled.
Oh god, if he does that again, I’m going to melt, Hiroto said, and I almost froze.
Hiroto, get me the view he has. And guys—
Okay, you don’t need to ask, Hiroto said. Nites are invading the mech’s systems now.
The view from here was high up. This mech had a ton of inner sight that I’d never experienced before. But the more my focus shifted, the more I saw. I saw what Tyto did.
“Kyle, you know what you’re doing here, right?” Tyto’s voice drifted into my mind.
I actually didn’t.
But Tyto wasn’t fighting me, and neither was the mech.
DUO MERGE COMPLETE
That was a new term. I quickly read the rest of the details with it.
I felt queasy as Tyto did the one thing he knew best. He took control of everything around me, and that included me.
This time though, unlike the mech merge, I knew he acknowledged that there was not just the two of us in here, but the four of us.
“We almost have a full merge with just us, you know.” He laughed, and with one simple thought, he brought the weapons online.
I grinned then as he unleashed pure hell ahead of us. Taking steps forward, he shook off the straps which had been holding it in place. I could see Jai’s reaction on his face as he then looked around the corner. As we approached them, he pulled Sadie to her feet. There was more blood on her face, and she wiped the dust away from her eyes, holding onto Jai with everything she had. Denn ran alongside them.
I wished I could do more for Sadie, for Denn. But this was it. I was a passenger in a full-on killing machine.
Tyto swept the area in one motion, and all incoming fire stopped dead.
I felt the wave of hope spread through him and was instantly worried as his sight drifted to the left. There were three incoming dots.
We have Motaki’s lower scale mechs incoming, Hiroto said to the three of us.
We were much slower than I’d have liked.
What’s the escape plan? I pushed to anyone who heard me.
There was a ping from inside, and I was connected right to Miquel on the bridge. “We’ve been working on it with the Doctor Eiswai and one of her closest military bases. They have incoming support, but we just have to get to it. There’s a way off the planet with the mech. They’re prepping now to get it into space.”
That was something. I was impressed.
“Kyle, we will be forever in your debt,” the doctor said. “The fact you have the mech going is a miracle. Please take it, and if you can take those mechs out on the way past—”
Tyto’s sights shifted. “Don’t you worry, ma’am. They’re not leaving Trilak to come after us.”
Tyto’s frame shifted against me slightly, and I let him take me on the wildest ride I think I ever witnessed.
Tracking his first missiles towards the enemy mechs, he locked on and let loose with everything he had, knowing damned straight they wouldn’t be able to stop them all. They launched antimissiles straight away, but ours got through, taking two of the mechs down to low health.
They didn’t stand a chance against this one, and they knew it. They were already trying to take steps backwards and re-evaluate the situation.
“I don’t know if they’re just going after the mech or us?” Tyto said. "But this is well coordinated and too much of a coincidence, like they’ve been waiting for us to be able to get it moving away from the citizens here.”
“They were waiting for them to die,” I replied, and when his heart sank, I knew I’d been right. They were just going to come and take it.
Hiroto spoke then. No, the whole hospital and the mech were rigged. If they were to go, then the mech would go with them. They weren’t going to let anyone take it.
They’d rigged it to blow?
Yes, very much so. Ro’s actually stopped the countdown just this last hour, when the cure had started to work.
That was lucky too, then. Because as much as I wanted to do the right thing, the thought also had crossed my mind that there would be nothing but pickings to root through.
The planet, as we saw on the way in, is very heavily fortified, yes.
Yeah, correct.
Ro’s voice then came across too. “I think we can deal with the mech’s low health now. Our gunners are one click out. Get your ass to this coordination, and you’ll be lifted out.”
A flag then appeared, and I was glad it wasn’t far. Getting this hunk of amazing metal over there was going to still be some fun. The mech moved beautifully, but inside it was a little hot.
The terrain bounced me about just a bit too much, and the only way I could focus was to see something else. I sent my mind out there into the ether, to connect with Yun.
Kyle, he said. It is good to hear from you.
I felt the panic in his mind though. What’s going on?
I am with Miquel on the bridge. We are watching the enemy ships come for us.
Crap, how many?
There’re two cruisers and one battleship.
Fuck, a battleship.
Miquel sent Finn out to help Corey. He’s on his way back with the parts we need.
Finn? My heart sank. Everything I’d fought for. No! Get them both back now!
I knew Tyto felt me stiffen. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to get back to the ship, faster than you think you can. Get this mech to that flag, now.”
Chapter Fifteen
The missile struck us from the side, and my view of the ground hurtling towards us hit me just as hard. I came out of my funk, and Tyto’s weight crushed me to the front of the mech. He struggled once and pushed himself back up, turning on the enemy.
