intelligence. live studio
Crazy Clive adjusts his suit and turns his chair so he faces the camera.
The audience's applause gradually subsided.
Crazy Clive: Today we’re talking about aliens. Oh yes, boys, girls and others. We've all seen what assholes look like. We wish they were little green men, but nope, the aliens that kill us are big green monsters. But killing you isn't the worst. ha! Just wait! We're going to show you exclusive footage of what happens when these bastards snap your pretty little neck! Just after these ads from today’s sponsor… AdamsCo
p!
The camera pans away from Crazy Clive, who smiles at the camera. The audience burst into applause and cheered.
-- Edited episode The True Words of Mad Clive. September 2027.
***
I run. No, I'm not just running, I'm sprinting.
I felt as light as a feather, as if every gasp filled my lungs with a hundred times more air than before. Every nerve in my skin tingles, every scent I smell tells a story, every twitch of my eye shows me the world, much of it I've never seen before details.
When Myalis says Ult
a When hormone drugs are addictive, I think the chemistry is what it is. We had received warnings about drugs at the orphanage - kids who took drugs were harder to adopt, and the orphanage's insurance costs were tight when they inevitably took drugs - so I learned a bit about chemical addiction.
This is not that. Or maybe it is. I have no idea. I do not care.
I forced myself to run a little faster, and even though I was only halfway through the museum, the runner's excitement was almost at a fever pitch. "Oh, shit," I said.
I also have to be a little cautious. Although you may feel fine, the medication mainly suppresses your body's response to the injury. Your health is still very low.
"Yes, yes," I said.
I heard the scream again. Many of them came from the corridor where the shelter was located.
My tattered sneakers squeaked against the faux marble floor and I lunged forward. I tightened my grip on the Hummingbird, my finger hovering over the trigger. I am ready. I also feel like I could bang against a cement wall for an hour and still be energized.
That little nugget of knowledge still buzzes in the back of my mind, ringing alarm bells about how foolishly dangerous it all was. Still, as much as I'm concerned about the medications I'm already taking, it's too late to do anything about it and I need this boost now.
The corridor stretched before me, long and, to my horror, stained with blood.
The first was the body of one of the adults, dismembered, mutilated, and rotting on one side. Even from a dozen meters away, I could smell the smell of flesh, blood and feces.
The second thing is Alien, Model Three. It was stalking ahead, blood dripping from its split chin. Something, probably my damn shoes, alerted it to my presence, and it turned and stared at me.
I held up the hummingbird.
The reticle in my HUD was jerked upwards, and I could actually see the framerate drop as the little computer in my rig tried to keep up with the way my arm was popping up. Then the reticle is on the alien. It turned red.
I pulled the trigger. The bullets fired like lightning and I couldn't see them at all. On the other hand, the thin smoke trails they leave behind are easy to follow even as they swirl through the air.
I pulled the trigger and frowned as the loud buzz of four projectiles echoed through the narrow passage.
The Type 3 lay on the ground with four holes, no bigger than a disposable pen, buried in its head, scorched around the edges where they had entered.
Target eliminated!
Reward...10 points
"What kind of bullet is that?" I asked.
The Hummingbird fires in bursts of four projectiles. Each projectile (essentially a tiny missile) follows a precalculated trajectory toward its target. Once inside the target, the remaining rocket fuel passes through the target's skin. It then detonates together with the projectile's warhead.
I stared at the boxy gun—was it really a gun? ——Then he looked at the dead alien. I can live with it. I originally thought being a samurai might be unappealing, but if this was a big toy I could get for ten points, I could believe all the stories about older, more experienced samurai. strength!
The screams grew louder and the panic grew.
I lowered the Hummingbird to my side, quickened my pace, and sprinted past the dead Car Three toward the still-open vault.
What a nightmare.
Three aliens were scattered across the room, one of them was attacking a man on the ground, and the other two were surrounding all the children and some adults at the back of the room.
Some children were holding chairs, and some were holding wet floor sign plastic buckets in front of them, as if this would ward off monsters for more than a second.
The Type 3 car broke the man's neck on the ground, raised his bloody head and roared towards the children.
I saw the despairing expressions on the children's faces with a clarity I could never imagine with one eye. Some - especially those dressed in simple all-black uniforms with crosses hanging on their chests - had their eyes closed and whispered prayers.
Lucy moved closer to the front, her cane pointed at the beast, the kittens huddled behind her. Her eyes flickered to me. "Run!" she screamed.
My lovely hummingbird is ready to go! necessary.
The monster is between me and the kids. If any of these little missiles miss...
The three crosshairs will flash red.
I pulled the trigger, and again and again.
Twelve streams of steam flow across the room, ending up on the sides and back of Model Three.
Two fell down, dead. The third roared and spun, one leg trailing behind.
Four more lobes struck it in the chest and head. I even heard the clear sound of the shell exploding in the beast's head. It fell down before it could scream!
Target eliminated!
Reward... 30 points
here you go!
I put down the hummingbird and saw the still horrified looks on all the children's faces. "It'll be okay," I said. "It'll be okay."
Save humanity:
Add 32 points
New total: 62
"What?" I asked.
As a vanguard, your role is to fight and protect humanity. There are many ways to do this, but I believe I can help you find the path that is right for you. Of course, your efforts will always pay off.
"Cat!" Lucy stumbled forward, then began running around the room on crutches until she was a mane of shiny brown hair and ran into my arms crying.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Not really," I muttered. I had to be careful holding the weapon, but I did my best. "I'm glad you're alive," I said. If my voice got a little choked up, she didn't comment much.
