Killing Time OST – 25a – Blast

<< 24c – Remission

I never stormed a castle before. Or tackled an assassination in broad day light. The time of the meeting couldn’t be helped and it probably was for the best. Most of the people responsible for this mess would be present and the deadly alarm systems would be off until someone turned them on.
Objective number one: prevent the army of guards from doing that.
“Cell frequencies jammed,” Vexx said through my communication chip. People couldn’t call the police in a10 miles radius.
I busted through the window next to the revolving door and began shooting. Vexx had uploaded all Merrilyn Tech’s personnel files into my identification program. In an instant, my brain made the security agents in civilian clothes through the sea of panicked innocents. Tranquilizer darts flew with precision and hit the guards in the neck.
They fell, one after the other, while a spider slipped out of my pocket and lodged itself under the welcome desk.
“Automatic alarm deactivated,” Vexx said. “Video feed hacked.”
I spun on my heel a gunned down a scientist who attempted to run out with the civilians. His brains splashed his neighbors when the bullet exited his forehead. The head of biotech researches had just been severed.
To my right, the real threats began to rush in. Tranquilizers wouldn’t work on these guys; they were juiced with tech by-products. I pulled out my Taser. Half of them did the same. I had something they didn’t though; Vexx perfected the electric bullets yesterday.
They circled me, expect for one guy who, after identifying me as Nightshade, turned around. There was a switch for the security systems in the direction he headed for, according to my integrated blue print. No way was I letting him box me in. I short-circuited him with a bullet between the shoulder blades.
The guards froze.
“Yep boys, I’ve got cool toys.” I wanted them to skip the ‘please surrender’ speech and they didn’t disappoint.
The first one who charged caught an electric bullet – Vexx called them ‘sparkies’ – on the shoulder two feet before he reached me. I vaulted out of his falling bulk’s way. A Taser brushed my flank. I spun to kick the hand holding it while my Taser met the bicep of a second guard whose incoming fist I dodged in the same move. I shot the Taser-holder while jumping over a low swiping leg. My heel hit its owner square in the jaw. A sparky killed his implants before he rose.
The group took a step away from me and their four incapacitated coworkers. The first brush had proven I was faster than them – that was bound to happen when one had both a lifetime of training and tech-enhancements. I was only nanoseconds faster but their numbers might not be quite enough to dominate me. The civilians were all gone. The situation required a reassessment. They expected their boss – on a remote location to protect the billions of dollars in brain function enhancers – to propose a revised tactic.
And what did their boss use to communicate with them: cell frequencies.
“All exits of the meeting rooms are locked,” Vexx said through the only channel of remote communication still open. My fishes would go around their bowl until they fried. I only had to get to them.
Standard protocol said to protect Merrilyn Tech’s property unless the threat proved unstoppable without lethal force. The guards were admonished to wait for an authorization before drawing the plasma guns.
I didn’t wait for them to figure out they couldn’t get it.
I sparked two more guards in the blink of an eye. They saw an opening when I dug a hand in a pocket to grab a new magazine. Order or no, some of them initiated a move: three drew their plasma gun while two juniors – not yet implanted for shooting – came at me with their Tasers.
“Now playing Mona Lisa Overdrive by Juno Reactor.”
I rolled out of the incoming wave. The small lounge space behind me melted when plasma hit it. I dived behind the welcome desk – reinforced steel with plasma-proof lining to protect the guard normally sitting behind it. He was conveniently nowhere to be seen. And he had weapons stashed in a compartment under his desk, one of many infiltrated intelligence agents created over the years. This was the only form of support the task force offered me. Too bad they didn’t listen when I said I only used bullets when I killed.
I peered over the desk for a beat and retreated. The targeting chip of these guys was way faster than any other ones I faced. The ones armed with plasma guns took their aim.
They stopped moving to do so. Dumb asses.
A beat was all my targeting chip needed to memorize their position. I aimed over the desk without even looking and three thumps confirmed my hits. I heard three more plasma gun being drawn.
A Taser-armed guard jumped over the desk.  His knees landed on my chest and knocked the wind out of me. I caught his arm an inch before the electric arc hit my body. My gun clattered on the ground and the guard’s free hand twisted my Taser arm.
This wasn’t good.
Instead of attempting to overpower me, he rolled on his back, forcing me on top of him. His legs unfolded with such force, I flew right out of my hidey-hole.
A plasma bullet caught my chest before I hit the ground. I hit the wall, instead.
“Lor!” Vexx yelled inside my skull.
The pain spread across my body, rendered non-lethal by my Kevlar suit and my tech-improvements but excruciating nonetheless. I landed in a ball, wrapped around my middle. Guns cocked around me.
The yelling doesn’t help Vexx.
I was flagged as “bonus if captured alive” in Merrilyn Tech’s database; the shooter would have aimed at my head otherwise.
I looked up. The guard who jumped on me picked up my gun and put it in his belt.
I spit some blood. “Hey, Monkey Wrench! That’s my toy.”
“Not anymore.” This man might be a junior but he had the wits and daring to become an officer. “We will Taser you and take you into custody. Or kill you. Your choice.”
More guards had joined the fun, following the ruckus to investigate why their comms switched off. An army, literally. And I hadn’t been able to train myself for that.
I hesitantly unfolded. Standing was a bit of a challenge but I managed to steady myself as the nanobots coursing in my veins worked double time to soothe my injuries.
“Lor, don’t,” Vexx pleaded. “They’ll expect you to try something.”
Got a better plan?
I opened my arms and stumbled toward my monkey wrench. He smiled and stuck his Taser in my shoulder.
I had never known physical pain before this moment.

25b – Blast >>