Unity by Carl Stubblefield (epub read online books TXT) 📕

Yuki’s alone as far as she knew, was her super ability of Summon. It allowed her to gather an AI to her bestiary and call them forth in future battles once she had defeated them. She quickly scanned the profile of the summon in question:

Jade ‘Banefire’ Phoenix

Acquired: Jaybird Industries, 3/24/2037.

Emerald Ever-flame: This summon fires a plume of emerald flame that lasts five minutes. During this time, the flames are unquenchable, dealing fire elemental damage to the target. Upon using this ability, summon will subsume into the target and is unavailable for other forms of damage.

Not the best at straight up melee, but consistent, unblockable damage on an elemental weakness. It was the right choice. Yuki started the gestures that triggered the summon for the Jade Phoenix, and a conduit of light melted through the evening clouds. The ever-present winds that constantly whipped in every direction stilled and sonorous tones, as if from a heavenly choir, whispered then increased in pitch and intensity as an almond shaped mass descended along the green light like a tractor beam.

When it was a hundred feet overhead, the phoenix unfurled the wings tucked tightly around it and the singing reached a crescendo, air shimmering around the viridian flames that the creature’s wings appeared to be made from. It let forth a triumphant screech, and the Kraken paused in its climb at the appearance of this unexpected foe.

Wasting no time, Yuki ordered it to use its sole ability and like a dam bursting loose, it surged forward. Simultaneously, the dulcet tones disappeared and the wind reappeared with even greater intensity, as if enraged it was forced to subside, albeit briefly. The phoenix dove at the Kraken and a gout of emerald flame basted the surface of the AI.

Coral cracked and exploded as it was super-heated and sublimated away, along with the metal skin beneath, which split and tore like an overcooked sausage. The phoenix plunged into the opening, and never stopped spewing green flames as it burrowed inside the creature, tearing the outer metallic flesh like paper as it pushed its way inside.

Yuki dropped to her knees and covered her ears from the shrieks. They were so intense that she felt her legs becoming numb as the entire rooftop vibrated with the sustained noise. Prying her eyes open, she saw the remaining HP of the creature slowly trickle downward, speeding up as she saw the phoenix do its grim task. The outer surface plumped and tore as the phoenix burrowed.

The Kraken writhed all the more, tentacles flailing and pelting the rooftop with deathapods. Fortunately, no errant tentacle or mob hit Yuki; she couldn’t have dodged if she tried as incapacitating as the death wails were. The Kraken made a last-ditch attempt to push itself back into the water, but its massive girth was too much to move with this much out of the water, and it could not control itself in a coordinated way due to the internal attack.

HP began to drop more precipitously and the intensity of the shriek diminished to the point where she could move again. She got to her feet, knees still trembling, and stared at the Kraken as it shuddered and the last dribbles of life evaporated.

Congratulations, you have defeated the Kraken!

AI added to Summon bestiary.

35,000 XP awarded.

You have reached level 38.

You have reached level 39.

You have reached level 40.

Root access allowed. Do you wish to exit? (Y/N)

Yuki closed her eyes and let the cold wind wash over her. It couldn’t touch her with the leveling euphoria. When the feeling eventually waned, she let out a contented sigh and exited the simulation.

After a brief moment of disorientation as she re-sleeved, Yuki accessed the system and recalled the sentries. She wiped the logs of an incursion and faked invoices to account for the materials that Gus and Aurora had taken. There was a possibility they had lost some or all of the materials in their flight and it would be best to leave no trail.

She searched and found the appropriate prosthetic that Shamus had requested, then her smile widened as she saw a next-gen prototype in the same series already being produced and stockpiled for release in Q1 of next year. Checking the stats, she whistled at the improvements Serif had accomplished in less than a year.

Shamus thought he would be getting what he had lost; well, Christmas would come early this year. Hell, she’d send him both. Never hurt to have a backup. She filed the invoice for immediate delivery. Then she ordered the bots to make dupes to replace the ones Shamus was receiving.

That done, she added herself to the registry. She walked calmly down the halls, the way gravity intended. In minutes, the sentinels returned, zipping past her and finding their charging kiosks and awaiting future activation.

Seeing some kiosks remained empty, she made and masked orders to build replacements to restore the original numbers. Confident she had left the facility so that it would appear nothing had happened, she sat at the loading dock and signaled Tempest to pick her up.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Bicycle Race

Gus and Aurora proceeded to the racks where supplies were kept in large open drawers. Occasionally a transport droid would fly to a bin, and in one deft motion retract the drawer, vacuum out a number of pieces, then replace the drawer and speed off to parts unknown.

Anticipation got his heart pumping as he readied himself to send the building’s security crashing upon him. As Gus pulled open his drawer, the lights illuminating the plastisteel walls went from a bright white to a deep red. Alarms buzzed and panels opened, spilling out sentinels.

Aurora ripped open her drawer as soon as she saw Gus make his move. She scooped out a big swath of components, twisted her bag shut, and dumped it into the compartment behind her seat, and was gone on her psiycle.

Gus shook his head, gathering his own bagful, securing it and taking off, sentries much closer due to his dawdling. He ducked down