Somnus Deus Ex - Chapter Six

Somnus Deus Ex - Chapter Six

Somnus Deus Ex - Chapter Six

Daisy very rapidly discovered that she had no talent for sussing out aliens who weren't charging at her headlong. She watched from a slight rise in the ruins as the soldiers gathered up the civilians that could still walk into a single group. There was a heart-warming amount of camaraderie. The stronger helped to carry the weaker. Stretchers were made from spare coats and clothes and some boards or rebar. They probably wouldn't last, but they didn't need to.

More were carried on backs or given a shoulder to lean on before the entire group started to shamble off.

They were moving at a slow, shuffling speed that made Daisy's teeth grind. "I can't decide what's worse. Not seeing the enemy, or seeing so many injured moving around like that."

I would hope that it's the latter.

Daisy considered it, then nodded. The injured bothered her more. She felt a tiny inkling of guilt at not being able to help more. Worse, she had made them move on, which meant that some people that could have been saved wouldn't be, all because of her order.

She decided not to dwell on it. If she killed the aliens, then real help could arrive. The injured and stuck would have to wait, just a little while. "Lynus, can you contact the soldier's... commanders?"

I can.

"Tell them that we need more people here. And to meet the evacuees mid-way. Also, tell them that some of them might be infected with model sevens. I expect quarantine before any other solution."

She'd heard stories about entire groups being gunned down because there wasn't time to discover who was infected and who wasn't.

"Alright," Daisy said as she shook off her stray thoughts. She had managed to kill a couple of weaker aliens, and her point total was... not looking great, but not awful at the same time. "I need to find that model seventeen. Lynus, I think it's time for a drone."

Understood. What are you looking for?

"Just something that can see for me. Its vision can be relayed back to me. Something that can fly?"

I see. If you're going to invest in that direction, then a small very specialised catalogue might not be a poor idea. It will unlock a good selection for you to pick from.

She frowned, but nodded. Her goal had been to upgrade her gun next. The Pillowfriend wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. As a secondary option it would probably be fine, but she needed something... better as a primary.

Still, needs must, and she wasn't going to beat around the bush with this. She went over her options with Lynus, dismissing some ideas quickly before falling on a drone she wanted and a catalogue that could provide it for cheap.

Catalogue unlocked: Light Data-Gathering Drones

Points reduced to: 20

Drone unlock: Sleepy Eye Drone

Daisy took in the scene in an instant, already aware of who was where thanks to her drone. Then she started firing.

A dozen shots later, and the aliens were dead. There wasn't any fanfare. The survivors, panting, bleeding, looking as if they weren't at their best, turned to her like a saviour.

She pointed them back the way she came. "I'm here on a hunt," she said as she walked over to one of the alien corpses. "You're all alive. You'll stay that way if you get out of the area."

"C-can't you help us?" one of them asked.

"No," she said.

Right now, she had no points to spare, and stopping to help them get to safety would mean putting others at risk. The math was simple. Getting stronger now meant better results which meant more lives saved.

She didn't like the looks she received, so she moved on, but not before stopping at one of the corpses. "How can I tell if this is a controlled alien?"

Look for an incision at the back of the model three's head, under its carapace.

She tilted the alien's head forward with a boot, then frowned. There was a cut there. A shot from her Pillowfriend opened it up, revealing a long worm, its body split apart to send tiny root-like feelers through the alien's skull.

"So, that's the model seventeen's worm?"

Yes. It's well planted as well. At a guess, this model three was infected some two to three hours ago.

Daisy looked about, both with her own eyes and the drone above. "So, where's the alien, then?"

If you keep moving and keep killing, it will find you.

"I don't like the way you phrased that," she replied. "I want to find it, not the other way around."

With your current tools, that might be difficult. The model seventeen will certainly create an ambush for you if you're disruptive enough, however. I... am uncertain of your chances in case of a strong ambush.

Daisy didn't like it.

If she was going to fight, then she wanted it to be on her terms.

But then... if she knew that she was going to be ambushed, and prepared for it, then there wasn't that much of a difference, was there? "Let's keep moving, and keep preparing. By the time that ambush starts, we'll be ready for it."

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