Chapter 5

  "As you can see our stocks have almost doubled since we implemented the new workforce. Yes I know some of you think that using indentured workers is a bit to close to slavery. But let me ease your mind. We are doing them a favor instead of them rotting away in a cell for their unpaid debt this way they get a more healthy balance of work and free time and even limited freedom" – A CEO ensuring investors that the companies move to use indentured workers was both legal and moral.

  -2053

  Pushing myself back on to my feet after our little talk I start walking towards the square again following the tracks of what must be a lot of Antithesis i ask out loud "So what do I need for that to become a reality?" Moving out in to an open street and looking around seeing a raised walk way moving parallel to the street I start moving towards it. The street itself was clear of anything moving at least there was trash spread everywhere torn bags broken glass and boards. A long burned out ground car of all things was left along one of the sidewalks.

  Class 1 Bio Sculpting and Class I Bio engineering along with Class I Medical Utilities. I would suggest getting the Class II Medical Utilities but it isn't strictly needed it would just help a lot. I would also recommend that you look in to Class I Moonstalker Technologies as there are a few things in there that can help you as well. But the bare minimum are the two Bio ones and the Medical Utilities that you already got.

  Having reached the raised walkway I look along it "This is quite open.. Is there anyway for me to be able to move across it unseen?" There are some stealth tech catalogs but most of those are out of your budget at the moment. There is however a less advanced option that is within your price range. Class I phantom garments they will be quite useless as armor and won't make you invisible but there are a few things that will make you appear fussy. As if they are looking at a shadow on from a bad surveillance camera. It won't fool any Antithesis that get close but at a distance most single digit's would not consider you anything more then a shadow as long as you don't move to fast. It would cost you 70 points to unlock and then I would recommend the wraiths mantle for 6 points It would drain your current total but should allow you to cross the walk way mostly unnoticed.

  Stopping for a moment and blinking at that. "It would be expensive.. What is that chance that we manage to cross over this walkway without getting noticed without it?"Considering the tracks we have seen and that we have already spotted some model 1's flying about I would say it is close to zero percent chance that you make it a cross without getting spotted and attacked. This walkway as you call it is nothing more then scaffolding without proper safety rails.Taking one last look at the raised walk way and then the street "You drive a hard bargain Fen.. A hard Bargain.. Lets do it."

  Unlocking Class I Phantom garments -70 points

  New Purchase Wraiths Mantle -6 points

  Points renaming:1

  A new box appeared at my feet kneeling down to pull the lid off it only to find a bundle of cloth. One of my eyebrows raised as I felt the bundle soft yet it feel like there was long strands of hair sticking to my fingers as they moved across the fabric. Pulling it out revealed what looked like someone mixed a poncho with a rain coat and cloak before sewing on the tattered remains of an other cloak as long bands of cloth did hang down around the sides. The back of the thing was would reach all the way to the back of my knees and the front half way down my chest. And there was a hood. Pulling it on it felt quite soft and light and its colours most of it black the strips being gray and a mix of soft cyan and a soft white glow. "Whats with the strips of cloth hanging down the sides of this thing and the.. Hairs all over the outside of it?" I asked as I pulled up the hood over my head finding that the front raised up to cover part of my lower face too. I could see a soft shimmering for a moment after pulling the hood up and the glowing bits dimmed.

  The strips are there to help cover your legs when you are standing as for the hairs as you put it are micro fibers connected there to create absorb the light and push it around you to create the fussy effect. Remember move slowly to maintain the effect.

  Nodding slowly I stepped up on to that walk way and slowly started moving towards the corner up a head. On the walkway was narrow at this point but there was a wider platform up a head each step caused the entire thing to move a tiny bit. Hopefully it wouldn't look like more then the wind. As I reached the corner and got to see what was behind it I was stunned. There was a massive swarm moving of Antithesis Mostly model 3 but also a large number of fours along with five model eights.

  "What are they doing.." I whispered mostly to myself and almost jumped when Fenris replied.

  They are gathering up any and all biomass in this area. It would be unwise to engage this group here and now. But look over there away to cross above them. Remember move slowly like a wraith that stalks the night.

  Looking towards the next intersection in the street I could see a bridge made in the same way as this one. And on the side of it was what looked like old pipes secured by some simple looking fabric straps. That gave me an idea a dangerous one but if it worked out. I started moving slow steps each movement causing the scaffolding to shift a bit. Some of the Antithesis would stop what they where doing and look up then go back to what they where doing. Once across the first part I made my way over to the pipes I had spotted and started looking for a way to undo the straps. Cursing my lack of knife to cut it with. I would have to slowly undo the straps the correct way. Heading over to the back of them where the were secured I slowly painfully slowly as to make as little noise as possible started to undo the straps. Once the first one was open I moved to the next only to see that it had been cut or snapped before I even got here. That left the last one. Starting to undo it only to find that it had rusted to the point where moving the leaver mechanism out of the way was no easy task. Pulling as hard as I could it finally snapped open with a somewhat loud click. This caused me to freeze and looking around down below few model fours and threes had started to move closer at the sound. You are lucky there isn't any wind down here at least. Because they are now close enough to pick you up by scent.

  At least this time Fenris decided to whisper or at least keep that volume. Then slowly moving up to the pipes before giving them a hard shove causing them to roll and fall down with almost the same amount of sound that I would have made shooting the damned gun, But it worked the ones below moved closer and those further away ran in towards the noise as I moved the last bit to get of the makeshift bridge and in to one of the taller buildings. The building looked to once have been office space but now did seem to house quite a few people within it. Now however it was empty. I looked behind to see what my little trick had done. And it was chaos. Quite a few had been crushed outright while others had taken bad hits and where un moving or limping. The swarm however was railed up and started running around looking for what ever caused it. And with that I did carefully disappear in to the building.

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  Targets Eliminated

  11x Model three =110 points

  9x Model four =135 points

  New total =246 points

  Once out of the line of sight I sprinted in to the building leaving the chaos and that very much railed up swarm behind. Once I got close to the other side of the building I could hear what sounded like repeated gun fire one building or so over right in front of me. Slowing down again before moving towards a window and looking outside. I saw the building right next to this one was not to far away and there was a fire escape right there.

  That's a bad idea Evan.. You aren't a-..

  warned as I opened the window climbing out and jumping hitting the side of the fire escape hard enough that the impact caused me to drop the this far quite trusty Tunnel sweeper cursing low to myself as I pulled myself over the railing and Fenris went on to yell at me.Oi! Be careful you won't land on your feet if you fall and even if you do.. This is the third floor and right now you'd die. And you just got one life you know.

  Pulling myself over the edge and crouching down looking around to make sure that I wasn't in fact spotted by anything before laughing softly. "Oh.. It wasn't that bad really just gonna have some bruises after this"

  And you need a new weapon too. My recommendation is that you unlock Class I laser weaponry. Class I Railgun weaponry or Class I Subsonic Railgun weaponry. Alternatively Class I particle beam weaponry.

  Moving to the window pushing it open and climbing inside and scanning the room. No movement in the small room that's mostly empty just a bed in one corner and a shelf that's mostly empty as well Sitting down with my back against the wall I'd sigh then ask. "What is the difference between lasers and particle beams?"

  Basically Lasers are concentrated light working mostly with heat sometimes radiation as well but mostly heat. A particle beam is a beam of energized particles that are bound together creating again a fair bit of heat. But they also have a physical impact component and there is the boom factor that you can get with a particle beam. As when they hit some of the particles will separate and fracture casing a small energy release and a bit of shockwave. At class I they might stun or lightly wound some single digit Antithesis. There is also the price point Class I Lasers are 50 points. Class one particle beam weapons is 100 points. They are more comparable to plasma weapons just a bit less effective at class I

  Closing my eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before nodding to myself. "I'm not the best shot I mean I know how to aim a rifle I got some basic rifle use training.." I said then shake my head a bit "Also Jack and David did make sure to train me a bit in aiming. So I'm not hopeless. But I need more then just a weapon I need armor.. And something that can help me speak to you without everyone and their mother hearing me. So tell me about the armor options I got. Before we decide on what weapon to get" I said looking over the room.

  Armor there are a few options that you could look into Class I Light modular armor would be one option. Or Class I stealth systems, there is also Class I medium armor and Class I light armor

  Stealth system is on the expensive side of things. You are also able to combine catalogs once you have them unlocked.

  Narrowing my eyes as I think of that. "Explain that one for me quick. And light armor. Perhaps sticking to the kinetic rifles for now. Is it possible to get a rifle and suppressor with those?"

  You will need a weapon accessory catalog for those. 50 points each same as the weapon ones. And you can your phantom garments catalog with the light armor one you could get the effect of the garments on the armor.. Will you take an Class I kinetic weapons accessory catalog?

  "Light armor and the accessory and I will need weapon and set of armor. The weapon silent if possible" I said as the rifle fire in the distance grew in volume.

  The scout armor got high mobility and padded boots that will lessen the sound you make and a combat half mask. For a total of 60 points 45 for the armor 15 for the mask. As for the rifle the Combat Auto-Rifle Suppressed. Is an integrally suppressed rifle that handles great and short to medium ranges and fires a smaller 4.2mm AP round it comes with 60 round magazine. For an other 50 points.

  "Go for it" I said pulling the Wraiths Mantle off as I waited for the armor

  Unlocking catalogs

  Class I Light Armor -100 points

  Class I Kinetic Weapon Accessories – 50 points

  New Purchases

  High mobility scout armor 45– points

  Light Insulated Combat Half-mask – 15 points

  Combat Auto-Rifle Suppressed – 50 points

  Three boxes appeared in front of me one large square one small and a long one. I went to open the first box inside I found a long black and gray trench coat looking jacket the bottom edge glowing a soft white with flickering Soft Cyan. I picked it up unfolding it revealing it to be thick with straps going on the right side of the chest and buckles on the left, along the side there are simple plates of some kind of hard material with a mat black finish.

  Tossing it on I found that it did fit quite comfortably around my shoulders, pulling it close and pulling the straps through the buckles caused it to quickly close it self up leaving the right side of it to overlap and seal as one of the black plates on the left side slid over to offer full chest protection. I could feel similar plates lining both sides of my back partially covering the spine.

  "Fenris why is this a trench coat?" I'd ask as I looked in to the box finding a face mask with gray straps that would be moved around the back of the head to keep it in place. Picking up and looking at before putting it on. Once on it without me knowing it started to glow in a soft white softly with the edges flickering in an out in a soft cyan colour giving my lower jaw a skeletal appearance

  "And wait a moment the mask.. Why is it named Lich of all things?"

  It might be a bit old fashioned I will admit that, But the trench coat allows for a quite effective semi full body protection without being a full armor set or being to bulky. As for the name of the mask It is quite fitting. But no need to worry about that.

  Opening the smaller box to reveal a simple pair of boots with a self lacing feature sitting down and pulling my old shoes off and slowly taking the boots out one by one and slipping in to them watching as they close themselves. Then getting up to taking one step and barely making any sound.

  Blinks once at that before shrugging and opening the long box inside lays a rifle of fairly standard length for a combat rifle the barrel thicker then normal and ending in a flat point with a skeletal hand guard that that has some white and soft cyan bits glowing and moving around the base of the barrel where it meets the receiver. The receiver is a simple boxy one with a charging handle to the side the stock looks to be one of those marksman type thing with an adjustable cheek rest the pistol grip is warped in a comfortable leathery material. The strange thing is the top of the rifle at the back is an integrated holo sight just behind a vertically mounted magazine. "This.. looks quite amazing." I said before picking the Wraith's mantle and pulling it over my head the hood up again. Then quickly starting to move towards the sound of fighting. "Fen this armor how much damage can it actually take? Should have asked this before I got it but to late now."

  The plates will stop one perhaps two spikes from a model five or a few strikes from a model four. So not the most durable. But better then nothing.

  "And what is a model five?"

  A model five is a bear sized model covered in quills that it can pull out and throw at its enemies. Quite dangerous as the quills carries a neuro-toxin. Quite dangers even to some more experienced vanguard if caught off guard at least.

  "I would hate to run in to one of those without armor." I said as I came to a stop by a window overlooking the Market square and it was pure chaos. Armed humans defending the doors to a large building with the neon sigh saying 'The smoking pipe casino' With half of the letters dark as if they have lost power. At the door stands four people behind a makeshift barricade shooting in to the oncoming tide of enemies. And up in the windows above the door more shoots are fired.