News from the front
Asunción raised her head from the holographic dials floating around her, a worried look on her face.
She sighed.
It was hard to concentrate on parsing through the data they retrieved from the ODC when she knew some of her friends could be facing mortal danger. Horqueta had insisted she stayed at the camp, to try and figure out what Brutus was planning, while her and Agatha entered the Caligo Hexadrome right from the front door: their attached correspondent from Arachne's DoxArt Network had managed to secure a collaboration with Sixth Sense News to report on the AI's forces gathering around the arena, and their squad was presented as the "security detail" for the journalists.
She had given command of the operation to Luka, one of the three Taskmasters that had asked to join the platoon after Durgama. He was a good soldier, used to managing the chaotic common areas of Bakunin, and she trusted he would keep safe the small grey remote they got from Sixth Sense news, an old biped model, short and stumpy, that they labeled "CameRaccoon".
Just as the Custodier was about to get back to work, a status report communication blinked on her comlog's interface:
"Press Security" units entered active combat. Hostile JSA forces engaging from Caligo Hexadrome premises.
She straightened on the chair, opening both DoxArt and Sixth Sense live channels on an holoscreen beside her. The squad's geists were continuing to update the SitRep, transmitted through 404's long range encrypted communication channel.
Cenobite Adeline is engaging combat. Target matches mercenary operative Yojimbo.
WARNING: multiple impacts registered from Daiyokai overwatch, vital signs altered. Seeking cover.
Cenobite Lavinia is engaging combat. Three rockets fired. Enemy Missile Launcher neutralized.
HMG Moira is taking point. Tanko units suppressed. One confirmed kill.
Meanwhile, the Sixth Sense stream was a wobbly view of the street outside the Hexadrome, the camera zigzagging towards a serious-looking japanese man. Erin O'Nealz's lively voice was commentating over the footage:
"And here we see Aristeia star Mushashi Miyamoto has joined the JSA forces! He had a match scheduled for today against Wild Bill, guess he doesn't really appreciate the hectic situation that's developing - Don't forget to check out our exclusive interview with him on the channel!
Now it looks like our Nomad bodyguards are actually using poor CameRaccoon as a meat shield - pardon, metal shield - and our honourable Mushashi doesn't want to risk shooting on him! You can see he's under fire from that Taskmaster, what an unfair tactic! Aaand he's down, ladies and gentlemen! There, in the distance, a Rui-Shi has also been dismantled by these ruthless Bakunians, and we have what looks like an artificial body - is that Robin Hook? - stealing from the Japanese supplies! She found a really big gun, Bob, do you think she can use it?"
"I think we're going to find out, Erin, look, that Aragoto has sighted her! Oh, my, we're lucky that's coolant fluid and not blood, or that would have been too graphic to show on our channel! One less rogue AI in New Hypatia, am I right?"
"You are, Bob, even though I don't think that's the only body she has around... Oh no! Looks like CameRaccoon has ended up in a cloud of smoke! I hope that morlock is fired for that, doesn't she realize that she's ruining our report?"
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Asunción's attention went back to the orange textual dial, where more lines were quickly being transmitted.
WARNING: Proximity alert to Taskmaster unit - CrazyKoala detonation registered, no target found.
WARNING: Taskmaster is being engaged by -
TASKMASTER ARMOUR - NO VITAL SIGNS.
CONNECTION LOST.
She gasped, eyes wide, as the communication abruptly stopped. What had happened? Was Luka just... dead? No, that was impossible, it had to be a network issue. She switched over to DoxArt, where the slightly red and panicked face of Matthew, their embedded correspondent, occupied most of the screen.
"... and now we have lost commlink with our commanding officer, the situation is starting to look dire. We still don't know what happened exactly but... wait, I'm receiving a short range transmission from... Oh... Oh no. It looks like Lieutenant Luka has been killed in action by Shinobu Kitsune. I repeat, our security detail has lost its commanding officer - the assailant has been downed by Clara, the brave morlock girl we were speaking to earlier - but at this point the Nomad forces must be in disarray..."
The sound of gunfire covered his words, and the camera panned to the side, where another morlock was bleeding out from a gaping wound. The journalist then peeked from the side of his cover, framing Adeline, charging towards the Daiyokai in a hail of bullets, her scream barely audible in the distance. She was immediately thrown backwards, her cracked and bloody armour visible even from that distance.
On the other channel, Erin was continuing to speak merrily
"We are finally out of the smoke! Good job CameRaccoon! Let's see, what... Oh, wow! That morlock girl is really going for it, running in the open towards the Aragoto! Very good trigger discipline on his spitfire, wouldn't you say Bob?"
"Yes Erin, a real professional. He hit her once... no, twice! But she's still running, what the hell?"
"That's really impressive, she's pushing forward despite her wounds! That's gonna win her some favours with the audience, I'm sure - they do love heroic gestures like that. Someone will add some epic music to the clip, and we'll see her all over Maya in an hour or two! Well, I just think she's so full of drugs she would keep running even with a hole in the brain... Speaking of which, looks like she's got one now!"
"And that is the end of her rampage, I'm afraid. She gave the Aragoto a run for her money though, that's for sure. Now we hear shooting from inside the Hexadrome, looks like the battle is spreading there too. I hope it doesn't reach our good friend Wild Bill, I think he's still in his changing room."
Asunción repressed the urge to mute the audio feed, angry tears welling at the corner of her eyes. She wanted to strangle that woman, that joked and laughed over the deaths of brave people as if it was some kind of sick show. She bit the inside of her cheek, forcefully enough to taste blood. She should have been there with them.
Then, the secure channel blinked to life again:
CONNECTION REESTABLISHED - PROVISIONAL COMMANDING OFFICER: MOTHER AGATHA WABARA
Situation is critical. Further confirmed casualties:
Cenobite Adeline - hit by Daiyokai unit, pierced lung. Enemy heavy armour is lightly damaged.
Zero Anna - hit by Keisotsu infantry, concussion. Detected scanning by media operator.
Zero Simon - hit by Tanko unit, multiple haemorrhages. However, enemy threat has been neutralized.
A loud noise came from DoxArt audio feed, a motorcycle bursting into view with a deafening roar. The frame was swinging wildly, as Matthew tried desperately to get out of the way, but it looked like Yojimbo had his eyes set on Freya, the Chimera, that was swarmed by a cloud of glittering nanites. Now the video showed just a still image of the sky, as the journalist had probably fallen over, but gunshots continued echoing over the dangerously close humming of the bike's engine and the man's shallow breaths.
"... Oh my God, that was... that was close - thank you Lavinia, you saved my life there." he shouted, while the frame movement indicated he was trying to get back on his feet "We almost got run over by an hostile vehicle, but luckily our Observance friends on the Hexadrome stands managed to stop it in its tracks. It looks like Freya's doing fine too."
The Chimera appeared back into view, smiling mischievously and sending a kiss to the camera.
Meanwhile, the sounds of fighting continued, and, following them, the Daiyokai appeared again on screen, hunkered behind the wreck of a bus, with explosions and bullets bouncing off his heavy armour to seemingly no effect. Freya started running howling towards him, but a Domaru jumped out from behind a corner of the wall, blasting her with his chain rifle. Ignoring the shrapnel piercing her flesh, she turned and leaped on him, slashing the air with her neurotoxin-spiked chains.
On Sixth Sense News, instead, the action was still frantic, judging by Erin's excited screams.
"Go for it CameRaccoon! Bash him in the head! HA! He's toast, ladies and gentlemen! We found a VissioRama reporter trying to steal our scoop, but it looks like our very own favourite remote cameramen put him in the dirt! Look at that guy Bob, he can't even get up!"
"Indeed, Erin, it looks like the superior show has the superior fighting skills too! We knew PanOceanian warcors were a bunch of wusses! In the meantime, it looks like one of the Nomad remotes stole even more supplies, these space robbers really have no dignity. But look, our hero Aragoto is coming to put it in its place... No! He's been stunned! What a shame!"
"Don't worry Bob, Keisotsus are coming to the rescue. Here they are, all three of them, they are shooting a bunch into that REM! Oh, no! With the remote downed, another VissioRama idiot is running to interview Wild Bill! That was supposed to be our exclusive you piece of..."
Disgusted, Asunción turned off the feed, while the secure channel informed her that their forces had started to retreat. She signalled the infirmary to ready up for their arrival, while the status report was closed with a message from Mother Agatha:
Wabara here, Brutus really has sizable strength in the Hexadrome, and I think we managed to show well enough to everyone that it is a real threat. However, we suffered heavy losses - cubevac and casevac have been performed where possible. Both journalist that came with us are fine, we'll meet back at base camp ASAP for detailed debriefing.
END OF TRANSMISSION.
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