The team had stabilized their situation, but only for the moment. The hostiles who had ambushed them had been neutralized in their immediate area, but the convoy itself was still under fire, and these infected seemed to be an indiscriminate threat to everyone. They had a window to get to safety right now, so they had to make sure to act on it.

“Whether or not we’re in the sim ourselves, it would be a poor idea to try and fight what the Object wants to do. It may well be far more capable than either of us know, and it may be fighting for its survival.” Rhia remarked. She had her own views on these Cradle objects, but she did not expect that their behavior when facing destruction would be remarkably different from any other lifeform. If they were an obstacle to its survival, she did not expect it to simply accept death.

Rhia moved her rifle to her off-hand and held it underarm with one hand, continuing to fill the air with bursts of plasma to hold back the infected. At the same time, she drew her pistol and started to fire on those that were moving to flank them. “Yes, the builder retreated underground, without their suit. I spotted a garage and a rail line while I was down there. Does anyone have city schematics to know where it leads?”