Dead end.
We head back into the first room where the dead biters litter the floor. Again we face the two doors and I step up to open the one on the left, finding it unlocked, but coming face to face with another cave-in.
Henna giggles. "There's something so funny about opening a door that goes nowhere."
I step back, asking, "Could you smash through with your hammer?"
"Not worth the risk," Zen answers. "That pile of rubble might be load-bearing at this point."
"Just five robots," Henna sighs, "and our load-bearing pile of rubble."
"Six robots," I remind her, lifting my left bicep a little.
"Oh, goodness! How could I forget Badeep? Hi there, you cute little tiny baby!"
"Badeep!"
ACE> Turing, I wish Henna would fawn over me like that…
RAZOR> Me too…
Taser is watching the entrance so I whistle and she comes along, whistling back. Badeep mimics the sound. Tune does as well. Then Henna. Then Zenith too.
ACE> *whistles*
All of us machines, making our little sounds.
I love it.
The other door leads to another hallway with a set of ascending stairs halfway down it. Zen drops to a knee and picks the lock on a door just to the right at the bottom of the stairs.
"There's something moving around in here," he says."
Tune announces, "Sensors indicate one MCDU-TP6888 headsmasher beyond the door."
Zenith remarks, "Damn, you're helpful, Tune. Same approach as last time."
"Got it." I give my sheathed sword a spin, left hand gripping the sheath as I lower myself and prepare to draw.
The lock clicks open and I slip between them to slither inside the room. It's a tight square space with barely a few feet to spare in all directions around the headsmasher in the center of it. This one is walking in slow circles around and around, absent of its claw arm.
A promising looking metal crate sits across the room in the corner.
ACE> !!!TREASURE SENSOR!!!
That's incentive enough for me.
Circling around the headsmasher, I keep my eyes locked to it but the thing doesn't notice me at all. I feel… bad for it. Locked away down here, rudimentary mind rotted from neglect, abandoned to rust and erode away. All the more reason to let its decades long nightmare come to an end.
From the far side of the room, I strike without warning. My new Severing overlay tells me to aim for the right leg, just behind the knee. I slash east and a swift zap sparks up the thigh and into the body, causing it to jolt and freeze up.
The poor thing is forced into a reboot.
It crashes limp to the ground.
I know it isn't going to get back up.
We won't let it.
Taser plinks her pins off its armor. I glance up at her and shrug. "I don't know what to tell you about these things. Or what to have you do when they're around. Just keep trying, okay? I love you."
"Prrr…" Her light is a sad blue.
ACE> It's okay Taser, you tried your best!
Henna moves in and drops the hammer. I'm standing much closer this time so the shockwave of its force knocks me back a step as the impact itself rattles in my bones and in the concrete I stand on.
Yeah, it's over. The headsmasher didn't stand a chance.
ACE> Hennaaaaa!!! <3
RAZOR> Amazing.
She huffs, blowing the white hair out of her face and shouldering the weapon with a beautiful grin. "Damn, I hit that one hard!"
"I'm impressed," I tell her, flourishing my sword before sheathing it. Previously, I left the sheath on my hip, but I think I like holding it in my offhand. I could probably use it as a bludgeon, or to deflect and parry incoming attacks.
"I'm impressed too, Razor! You're cutting these things down like a pro!"
ACE> No kidding. You're really good at this.
Blushing a little, I mutter, "Still have a long way to go."
"We all do, don't we? Are you hurt at all? I can heal you up."
"No, nothing has touched me yet. We're killing them too fast for me to be at any risk."
Zen pushes past me to get at the chest. "Things invariably go smoother when Henna's involved."
"I'll say," I respond, gazing up at her. She's a marvel alright. Just having her near makes me feel a lot safer. "Unstoppable force. You're amazing."
She giggles, waving a hand. "Oh, stop it, you!"
ACE> So. Cute.
RAZOR> She's perfect.
Again, she shows me how to butcher another machine, the headsmasher this time. I take detailed notes as I observe, making sure everything is as clearly documented as possible. I'm doing this for me and for the future. Both are good reasons to be keeping track of the best sources of specific materials.
Once the lesson is done, Zenith drags the open chest over. "Henna, Nep, me."
"Oh, hello there," she says, picking up a handful of neon orange vials. Capacitors. Very nice. She plucks one from the handful. "This one's… Invisibility, look at that. Have it, Razor. It's better in your ports than mine."
"Oh, thank you." It's redundant with my IAs, but of course I accept any gifts from Henna. "This doesn't count as my turn, does it?"
"No, no," she snickers. "It's my deferral. Gifts or exchanges don't count."
"Thanks, Henna. Really." I insert the Capacitor into my right forearm port, just to show her I plan to make use of it. When I take a look at our treasure, the choice is obvious. I repeat exactly what she said, "Hello there," and pick up my new weapon.
Inside the flat black metal case is a tanto, a blade designed exactly like my sword except about half the length. To my surprise, it has a similar mechanism too. "Holy shit. This is infused with RedTech. The blade can be superheated for six hours per regen."
"That's incredible," Henna whispers, looking over my shoulder.
ACE> Damn! You get all the good shit!
RAZOR> Should've gone to the bunker.
Staring at my reflection in the titanium, I find names. "My sword is Logos. This is Pathos."
"Consistent," Zen says, taking whatever was left.
"I like that!" Henna smiles. "Now we just need Ethos!"
ACE> You really are sharp as a razor.
RAZOR> I am. Do you like that about me?
ACE> 1. I like that a lot. I like you. A lot…
RAZOR> I like you a lot too. When we get home, we'll talk about… us.
ACE> Yeah. :) Looking forward to it. I've got your back like always.
RAZOR> Thank you. Let's cut our way forward, Ace.
Sheathing the blade, I magnetize it to my right side and head for the door. It's time to see what the rest of this place has to offer me. Though with Logos, Pathos, Ace, and my friends, I think I have everything I need already.
As we move on from that room and go back out into the hallway, I realize something's bothering me about this place. "If this is the Frame Division, why haven't we seen any Frame hardware or other Frames yet?"
"Yet," is all Zen says.
I hum in thought. True. But not helpful.
Henna shrugs, and we keep moving.
At the top of the stairs, Zen steps up and something beeps. A burst of blue light zaps outward and the laser turret beam rotates. The heat splinters the concrete and Zen takes a hit. To my relief it doesn't cut him in half like it did Nep-67, but it clearly hurt.
"Fuck. Walked right into that one."
Dropping back down and to a seated position on the stairs, he winces. He's holding his front, where the vestiges of superheated red glow around a nasty horizontal gash cut across his chest. With a heavy breath he glances at us and half laughs.
"Heads up. There's a trap."
I have no idea what to say or do, frankly stunned.
Henna asks, "Do you need me to treat you?"
"I have it," he grunts, using a Tech Charge.
Some transmitter fluid still leaks from the open wound. He's bleeding.
I lift my elbow. "Badeep, can you get that?"
"Badeep!" She leaps off me and lands on him, crawling up his body to stand above where the wound is. With a soft hiss, she ejects a foaming spray that gels up the transmitter fluid and patches the bleed. "Doot-doo."
"Doot-doo. Good as new," he says, feeling at the repair. "Thanks. Both of you."
I lift my arm again and Badeep crawls back up, latching into place. "Don't mention it. She's not just here to help me. She's a team player, after all."
"So cute," Henna smiles, brushing a finger on the little one's chassis, and receiving a few pleased beeps. Taser thumps into her arm and beeps too, demanding attention.
Tune steps past us, saying, "I will now eradicate the threat. Please stand by." The sound of carnage pounds off the narrow concrete tunnel. After about half a minute she announces, "Turrets disabled. You may now proceed. Thank you for your patience!"
As we keep going Henna cubes them up, mumbling, "Disabled? They're completely wrecked."
"Yes." Blue smiley face.
"Okay then!"
ACE> Tune!!! <3
RAZOR> perfect
Another locked door is ahead and Zen gets to work. I double and triple check my equipment and hardware mods, while making sure the software upgrade is indeed working purely as intended. There hasn't been a single oddity in my code, no overrides have attempted anything, no bypasses either.
ACE> Don't worry. I'm watching it. (ò3-)✧
RAZOR> Oh. Thank you. What is that emoticon???
ACE> LOL I found this panel that has way more elaborate ones (☞^ヮ^))☞
ACE> ヘ（.□°）ヘ
ACE> 〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜
RAZOR> Okay that's enough.
ACE> ( ˘ ³˘) ♡
RAZOR> ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ ♡
ACE> ( ◜_◝ ) ♡
RAZOR> ♡
"Attention! Sensors indicate hostile machinery ahead. There are three total signatures beyond this door. Two MCDU-ED-4938 armrippers, and one unknown machine."
"Unknown," I repeat, turning to her. "What do you mean unknown?"
"Its remote access verification token has been encrypted. Explanation: all machines broadcast a UHF identifier signal for various purposes. However, certain machines possess the ability to encrypt, disable, or fabricate their signals. In this case, the machine has encoded its identifying token to protect it from third parties. Meaning only those with granted access, such as a roster of its assigned cohorts, can determine what machine it is from afar."
"Secure communication channels."
"Correct, Nep."
Zen folds his arms. "It's probably military issue, unlike these construction MIs we've been facing. We should anticipate some serious challenges while engaging."
ACE> Boss fight…
Henna plants the head of her hammer on the floor and sets her hands on its hilt, offering, "It could also be the terraforming company's holdovers. Most corporations will have their own encryption algorithms to protect against espionage and the like."
"Thing is," Zen adds, "MIs don't encrypt anything. They can't. Meaning it's either AI driven, or…"
I draw my sword. "Or it's an SI. A Frame."
Taking a shaky breath, Henna says, "Never thought I'd have to do something like this…"
"Old news for me." He checks his ammo, chambering a round in the assault rifle. "I'd bet it's a neckbreaker. I've fought them before. Watch for their uppercuts. But there are three of us and three of them. The armrippers are the initial priority. Henna, you keep the Frame busy while Nep, Tune, Taser, and I put those down."
"Got it."
I nod. "Tune, stay close to me. Taser, go with Zen for now."
"Tweet-twoo!"
I can hear her. The dead Nep.
"Re–chrrktrr–aim awmwrr–"
The Failsafe signal is just past this door. If I'm going to find her and bring her home, the enemy needs to fall. We'll make them wish they never stood in our way.
Henna lifts her weapon, glancing down at me. "What if it… What if it's another Nep in there?"
The thought deeply disturbs me. "I don't know."
"Whatever it is," Zen declares, "it's feral. Remember that. Whether it is a previous Nep serial or something else, it isn't going to hesitate. Neither should either of you. Show it no mercy, whatever it may be. Even if it's wearing the face of our friend. Or ourselves."
I nod, reactivating the plasma in Logos and drawing Pathos with my offhand, clicking the switch to let the metal start heating up. "If it is me, I'm curious to know how she went feral. Try to avoid damaging the head if you can."
"Yeah," Henna says, "I'll knock her around a bit but wait for you to make the call."
"We don't know if it's a Nep," Zen reminds us, unclicking the safety. "Let's find out. You're first as always, Phantom."
With Tune right behind me I slip by and in through the door to begin the fight.