Freyr studied the pamphlet in her mind’s eye while Vreta talked. “I really should’ve packed shorts. Maybe I'll ask the quartermaster if there are any spare pairs aboard.” She mused upon hearing more about the climate. “It may be worth asking the senior staff if the soldiers have cooling tech in their suits ready for this trip? It sounds like something they’d have as standard, but really I have no idea. If not, provided they’re given enough time, I'm sure they could add this functionality in the ship’s auto-factories. My team could also use a civilian version. As for the anti-rad shots, is that something we could synthesize on the ship? We do have a state of the art bio-chem lab available.” She grinned. “As silly as it sounds, I can appreciate some people would find it easier to take their jabs from Human medics onboard, rather than on Rothia.”
Cath
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So this is what
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Recent Statuses
4 yrs ago
Need two more people for our Fantasy + Sci-fi roleplay - we have angry burning trees!
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4 yrs ago
New interest check is live, check it outttt
4 yrs ago
If i could go back now, i wouldn't change a thing
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4 yrs ago
You've got red on you
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4 yrs ago
Its just me, you, a pile of Chinese food and a couple of f**k off spreadsheets.
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Bio
New roleplay: https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/189457-the-eye-of-the-needle-where-fantasy-and-sci-fi-collide/ooc
Hey, I'm Catharyn! I joined the Roleplayer Guild on 2nd Feb 2011, then rejoined on the 17th Jan 2014 after Guildfall.
I was active every day until late 2015, accruing (i think) around 7k posts across dozens of roleplays. Then, I started working and had to gradually slow down my RP schedule. In 2017, I officially went on hiatus when other commitments got fully in the way of roleplaying.
This continued until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, when I suddenly realised I had a lot more free time in lockdown! So in mid-2020, I returned to the Guild with a vengeance. I also managed to get The Cradle 1x1 off the ground - a story i've had percolating for almost a decade.
My posting schedule has slowed down a bit now that the world has opened up again. I still love science fiction, fantasy and espionage themes, and generally aim for around 300 words per post.
Hey, I'm Catharyn! I joined the Roleplayer Guild on 2nd Feb 2011, then rejoined on the 17th Jan 2014 after Guildfall.
I was active every day until late 2015, accruing (i think) around 7k posts across dozens of roleplays. Then, I started working and had to gradually slow down my RP schedule. In 2017, I officially went on hiatus when other commitments got fully in the way of roleplaying.
This continued until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, when I suddenly realised I had a lot more free time in lockdown! So in mid-2020, I returned to the Guild with a vengeance. I also managed to get The Cradle 1x1 off the ground - a story i've had percolating for almost a decade.
My posting schedule has slowed down a bit now that the world has opened up again. I still love science fiction, fantasy and espionage themes, and generally aim for around 300 words per post.
Most Recent Posts
Freyr laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not sure the water even goes that deep!” She edged further into the gently lapping pool, enjoying the feeling of submerged sand on her feet. She got about two metres away from the shore before the water reached her knees and rolled-up trousers. "See? I think you're safe." She put her hands under the water and gently swished them around, watching the ripples spreading across the pool. “So…” She began, looking up at Vreta as he came a little closer. “What ideas did you have for ‘priming’ us tourists?”
Freyr seized gratefully on the legitimate excuse to bring training to a close. As much as she’d enjoyed the session, she’d already been at the range for close to two hours. Even on a weekend, a little string at the back of her mind was pulling Freyr back to her team and all the work that needed to be done.
“Ah yeah, i totally forgot. I actually think I've been on the range enough for today, so let's run through your ideas. The beach sounds good, as i think it’s on the way back to the lab? Perhaps we can go again tomorrow…?” Freyr directed the last sentence at the black-clad agent still cradling a heavy assault rifle, but tailed off when she realised she still didn’t know her real name.
595 looked slightly crestfallen when it became clear Freyr was done, but perked up slightly on a promise of a rematch. “Alright, i’ll allow it. You kids have fun.” She gave Freyr a pointed look before resuming the target shooting simulation. Her rifle began firing at full tilt even before Vreta and Freyr had even filed out of the box. Glancing back to see her gracefully covering all vectors, Freyr could at least say she was pleased the agent was tasked with protecting her. She wouldn’t want to be enemies with her.
They exchanged small talk on the short trip from the combat simulation area to ‘Beach Leisure B35’. Freyr couldn’t help but smile upon seeing what lay behind the blast doors. The first thing she noticed was the ceiling, which had for all intents and purposes had an exact replica of Outremer’s sun beaming down from it. The sky was hologrammed in too, with tiny fluffy clouds gathering in the corners of the room. Freyr instantly felt a sense of open space and could see the benefits of this kind of facility.
The beach was equally delightful. An L shaped bank of sand with tropical trees and bushes gathered against the walls led down to a pool of azure water. Waves gently lapped onto the beach. The only human structures were the deckchairs arranged along the beach and a small lifeguards hut. As it was still not even lunchtime, there were only a few dozen sailors hanging out to enjoy the heat.
Freyr couldn’t resist. She rushed to a deckchair and took off her shoes, socks and jumper. Leaving them by the chair, she rolled up her trouser legs and headed straight to the water’s edge. The water was warm and inviting. She turned back to Vreta. “It’s lovely! Are you comfortable with water?”
“Ah yeah, i totally forgot. I actually think I've been on the range enough for today, so let's run through your ideas. The beach sounds good, as i think it’s on the way back to the lab? Perhaps we can go again tomorrow…?” Freyr directed the last sentence at the black-clad agent still cradling a heavy assault rifle, but tailed off when she realised she still didn’t know her real name.
595 looked slightly crestfallen when it became clear Freyr was done, but perked up slightly on a promise of a rematch. “Alright, i’ll allow it. You kids have fun.” She gave Freyr a pointed look before resuming the target shooting simulation. Her rifle began firing at full tilt even before Vreta and Freyr had even filed out of the box. Glancing back to see her gracefully covering all vectors, Freyr could at least say she was pleased the agent was tasked with protecting her. She wouldn’t want to be enemies with her.
They exchanged small talk on the short trip from the combat simulation area to ‘Beach Leisure B35’. Freyr couldn’t help but smile upon seeing what lay behind the blast doors. The first thing she noticed was the ceiling, which had for all intents and purposes had an exact replica of Outremer’s sun beaming down from it. The sky was hologrammed in too, with tiny fluffy clouds gathering in the corners of the room. Freyr instantly felt a sense of open space and could see the benefits of this kind of facility.
The beach was equally delightful. An L shaped bank of sand with tropical trees and bushes gathered against the walls led down to a pool of azure water. Waves gently lapped onto the beach. The only human structures were the deckchairs arranged along the beach and a small lifeguards hut. As it was still not even lunchtime, there were only a few dozen sailors hanging out to enjoy the heat.
Freyr couldn’t resist. She rushed to a deckchair and took off her shoes, socks and jumper. Leaving them by the chair, she rolled up her trouser legs and headed straight to the water’s edge. The water was warm and inviting. She turned back to Vreta. “It’s lovely! Are you comfortable with water?”
“Yes. And in a situation like this, you must always look out for your teammates. Or someone could come and stab them in the back!” 595 added, pivoting to shoot two incoming targets on the periphery of Freyr’s vision. Freyr would’ve responded to these words of encouragement, had she not been solely focused on hitting targets. She could only keep up with the fast pace of action for about thirty seconds before two simultaneous thrusts by the floating shapes made contact with her.
A klaxon sounded and the targets abruptly stopped moving. “Oh, bad luck!” 595 patted Freyr on the shoulder, her rifle pointing up at the ceiling. “I’d say you have promise. Keep practicing and we’ll make a warrior of you yet. I can teach you all sorts of moves if you’re interested?” Freyr hadn’t been sure what to expect when she’d entered the shooting range. But she actually found it quite exhilarating. It kept her mind off what might be happening back home, while also sharpening a skill that could keep her alive in hostile environments.
Freyr nodded. “I’d really appreciate some tips. Despite letting the team down I quite enjoyed that; thank you both.” 595 grinned, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. “How exciting! I think this will be a real bonding experience for both of us. I’ve also been put in charge of keeping you safe at all times - that’s actually what I came to tell you before we started shooting. So we'll be seeing a lot more of each other.” Freyr hesitantly returned the agent’s smile. “Isn’t that what all these soldiers are here for?” She asked.
“Well, yes. They’ll be protecting you too. But the Director-General wanted someone who has the relevant experience with Cradle-tech to be your last line of defence.” The pretty lady replied before spreading her piercing gaze between Freyr and Vreta. “Do you want to run another simulation? You can choose this time, big guy.”
A klaxon sounded and the targets abruptly stopped moving. “Oh, bad luck!” 595 patted Freyr on the shoulder, her rifle pointing up at the ceiling. “I’d say you have promise. Keep practicing and we’ll make a warrior of you yet. I can teach you all sorts of moves if you’re interested?” Freyr hadn’t been sure what to expect when she’d entered the shooting range. But she actually found it quite exhilarating. It kept her mind off what might be happening back home, while also sharpening a skill that could keep her alive in hostile environments.
Freyr nodded. “I’d really appreciate some tips. Despite letting the team down I quite enjoyed that; thank you both.” 595 grinned, bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet. “How exciting! I think this will be a real bonding experience for both of us. I’ve also been put in charge of keeping you safe at all times - that’s actually what I came to tell you before we started shooting. So we'll be seeing a lot more of each other.” Freyr hesitantly returned the agent’s smile. “Isn’t that what all these soldiers are here for?” She asked.
“Well, yes. They’ll be protecting you too. But the Director-General wanted someone who has the relevant experience with Cradle-tech to be your last line of defence.” The pretty lady replied before spreading her piercing gaze between Freyr and Vreta. “Do you want to run another simulation? You can choose this time, big guy.”
Even with covering fire, Tar’s shield rippled and broke during her run for cover. Some of the Human combatants were only a few metres away and basically couldn’t miss the Sangheili sprinting toward them. A bullet pinged off Tar’s shoulder plate as she slid into a prone position behind a row of three crates. She grabbed up the Mauler she’d kicked across earlier just as a grenade bounced off her headpiece and landed by her free hand. She quickly picked the grenade up and chucked it back over the crates behind her back. She swore in her mother tongue when the reddish Spartan broadcast he was chucking a grenade too. This could get messy.
Her shields still recharging, Tar braced against the crates milliseconds before the grenades went off. The deafening chain explosion, paired with what sounded like a plasma grenade, savagely pushed the crates and Tar’s prone form several metres across the slick Forerunner floor. For a split-second, Tar was suspended in mid-air as the explosion sent shockwaves through the floor. As Tar opened her eyes and took her hands from her ears, half a Human body landed in front of her. Reaching out, she pulled the corpse toward her before relieving it of the pistol from it’s chest holster.
Clambering to her feet, Tar was confronted with a hellscape of bloody scraps and dismembered bodies. One kneeling, screaming URF rebel patted wildly at her body that was aflame with blue plasma. Holstering her Mauler to hold the pistol in a defensive stance, Tar put a round through the woman’s head. The Brutes further back had taken cover for the explosion, but were now re-appearing to spray them. “Advancing!” Tar roared, setting off on a diagonal run across the combat zone. She kept up fire with her pistol held out in front of her to suppress a golden armoured Brute who was behind a Forerunner column by the edge of the platform.
After taking a few hits to her shield, Tar slid back into cover close by her target. The mere sight of a weakened enemy in such proximity was enough to lure the hefty golden armoured Brute away from cover. What Tar hadn’t accounted for is the fact that he’d been keeping a Brute Shot hidden behind the column. Pulling it out, the Brute fired at the crates she was behind, scattering most. Tar quickly placed her pistol between two mandibles, freeing both her hands to grab one of the larger metal boxes and hold it in front of her. The Brute, sensing he had the upper hand, walked forward while firing shots at Tar, quickly shredding the box. "Taking heavy fire!" Tar shouted, her feet scraping backwards along the floor with every impact from the Brute Shot.
Her shields still recharging, Tar braced against the crates milliseconds before the grenades went off. The deafening chain explosion, paired with what sounded like a plasma grenade, savagely pushed the crates and Tar’s prone form several metres across the slick Forerunner floor. For a split-second, Tar was suspended in mid-air as the explosion sent shockwaves through the floor. As Tar opened her eyes and took her hands from her ears, half a Human body landed in front of her. Reaching out, she pulled the corpse toward her before relieving it of the pistol from it’s chest holster.
Clambering to her feet, Tar was confronted with a hellscape of bloody scraps and dismembered bodies. One kneeling, screaming URF rebel patted wildly at her body that was aflame with blue plasma. Holstering her Mauler to hold the pistol in a defensive stance, Tar put a round through the woman’s head. The Brutes further back had taken cover for the explosion, but were now re-appearing to spray them. “Advancing!” Tar roared, setting off on a diagonal run across the combat zone. She kept up fire with her pistol held out in front of her to suppress a golden armoured Brute who was behind a Forerunner column by the edge of the platform.
After taking a few hits to her shield, Tar slid back into cover close by her target. The mere sight of a weakened enemy in such proximity was enough to lure the hefty golden armoured Brute away from cover. What Tar hadn’t accounted for is the fact that he’d been keeping a Brute Shot hidden behind the column. Pulling it out, the Brute fired at the crates she was behind, scattering most. Tar quickly placed her pistol between two mandibles, freeing both her hands to grab one of the larger metal boxes and hold it in front of her. The Brute, sensing he had the upper hand, walked forward while firing shots at Tar, quickly shredding the box. "Taking heavy fire!" Tar shouted, her feet scraping backwards along the floor with every impact from the Brute Shot.
“The instructor offered to update my suite to put some kind of crosshair in my view. I turned it down, although i think i can see the use of it now…” Freyr replied, shooting and failing again to hit a speeding target. “Actually, Instructor, can you give me the crosshair please?” she called into the open air. Immediately after, she could feel something interfacing with her general purpose communications implant. A small red + appeared superimposed on her vision, and moved around as she waved her pistol.
“You would benefit from a dedicated combat module. This crosshair is using resources from a multi-purpose civilian implant, which-” Freyr bade the Instructor be quiet, and aimed at the fast-moving targets. She found that with a little bit of practice, she could co-ordinate her hand and eye to track them much better. Freyr cheered out loud despite herself after stringing together three hits in a row. “Well done, Dr Lang!” 595 exclaimed. “Shall we introduce a new challenge? How about a 360 degree attack vector? Instructor, switch it up!”
All the details of the shooting range disappeared, replaced by a pure black background that soaked up the light from above. A pulsing X marked the spot where the three of them should stand, backs to each other. Targets appeared all around them. “Don’t let the targets touch you, or you’re out!” 595 gushed, effortlessly disconnecting her used rifle battery and kicking it away in favour of a fresh one. Freyr gulped and tried to steady her hand as the targets began moving side to side at lightning speed. Something registered in the corner of her vision and she moved mainly on instinct and shot a target about a metre from her leg. 595’s assault rifle began firing at full pelt, filling the sim-box with crackling energy noise again. "They're going slightly fast!" Freyr shouted over the din, shooting another.
“You would benefit from a dedicated combat module. This crosshair is using resources from a multi-purpose civilian implant, which-” Freyr bade the Instructor be quiet, and aimed at the fast-moving targets. She found that with a little bit of practice, she could co-ordinate her hand and eye to track them much better. Freyr cheered out loud despite herself after stringing together three hits in a row. “Well done, Dr Lang!” 595 exclaimed. “Shall we introduce a new challenge? How about a 360 degree attack vector? Instructor, switch it up!”
All the details of the shooting range disappeared, replaced by a pure black background that soaked up the light from above. A pulsing X marked the spot where the three of them should stand, backs to each other. Targets appeared all around them. “Don’t let the targets touch you, or you’re out!” 595 gushed, effortlessly disconnecting her used rifle battery and kicking it away in favour of a fresh one. Freyr gulped and tried to steady her hand as the targets began moving side to side at lightning speed. Something registered in the corner of her vision and she moved mainly on instinct and shot a target about a metre from her leg. 595’s assault rifle began firing at full pelt, filling the sim-box with crackling energy noise again. "They're going slightly fast!" Freyr shouted over the din, shooting another.
Freyr didn’t know what to think when Vreta addressed her. If what 595 had said was true, part of her hated both of them for getting her involved in this skulduggery; frankly she wanted no part in it. There was also a part of her that simply didn’t believe 595’s narrative. Freyr didn’t know anything about her, or the mysterious Director-General who was apparently was in charge of them both. Their evident commitment to the Cradle appeared to dwarf even hers, and she wasn’t clear why yet. She vaguely remembered claims of assassination being flung around in that fateful meeting a few months ago. But here 595 and Vreta’Sori both stood, being perfectly cordial with each other. She just couldn’t make sense of it.
For now, she just had to focus on getting through this conversation without slipping up. Freyr partially returned to her senses when Vreta said something about her not being a soldier. “Yeah, I umm, I wanted to learn how to defend myself. Seemed appropriate, considering everything that’s happened.” She glanced at the time, she’d been here a while already, but couldn’t think of any good reason to leave, so she nodded. “I can carry on..” She looked at 595, who nodded strenuously.
“I’m not going anywhere - this is far too much fun. Shall we make things a bit more interesting?” She fiddled with the interface for a few seconds and the targets began moving quickly in all directions downrange. Freyr's eyes grew wide when she saw the speeds the targets were moving at “Err...this is my first time on the range, i’m not sure i’ll be able to-”
“You’ll be fine! They won’t bite you, just watch their path and try to anticipate where they’ll be when you fire.” 595 chirped, heading back to her booth before raising her massive assault rifle and laying waste to half a dozen targets at once. The noise was deafening, which made it all the harder for Freyr to focus on shooting her own targets. “I hope our feeble selection of Human weapons doesn’t disappoint your Rothian sensibilities, Vreta?” 595 asked in the short pause after her gun stopped to cool down.
For now, she just had to focus on getting through this conversation without slipping up. Freyr partially returned to her senses when Vreta said something about her not being a soldier. “Yeah, I umm, I wanted to learn how to defend myself. Seemed appropriate, considering everything that’s happened.” She glanced at the time, she’d been here a while already, but couldn’t think of any good reason to leave, so she nodded. “I can carry on..” She looked at 595, who nodded strenuously.
“I’m not going anywhere - this is far too much fun. Shall we make things a bit more interesting?” She fiddled with the interface for a few seconds and the targets began moving quickly in all directions downrange. Freyr's eyes grew wide when she saw the speeds the targets were moving at “Err...this is my first time on the range, i’m not sure i’ll be able to-”
“You’ll be fine! They won’t bite you, just watch their path and try to anticipate where they’ll be when you fire.” 595 chirped, heading back to her booth before raising her massive assault rifle and laying waste to half a dozen targets at once. The noise was deafening, which made it all the harder for Freyr to focus on shooting her own targets. “I hope our feeble selection of Human weapons doesn’t disappoint your Rothian sensibilities, Vreta?” 595 asked in the short pause after her gun stopped to cool down.
“Do you not think it strange that Vreta was at an abandoned facility, snooping around a crime scene when those things attacked? And now, he’s miraculously been appointed as a liaison on our top secret mission to investigate Cradle activity on Rothia. The alien can’t stay away from you, and I'm sorry to say it’s not because of your sparkling personality. It’s because you’re one of our top scientists working on the Cradle.”
Freyr looked into the agent’s beautiful grey eyes, dumbfounded and slightly angered by what she was saying. “Vreta’Sori is a spy, Dr Lang. All of the Rothians covet our most precious asset. And now our own administration has given them direct access to it.” 595 spat the last few words with such vitriol that Freyr involuntarily took a step away from her.
“But...Vreta said he was selling Rothian components to human companies to test in the Cradle. That’s why he was there...and at the meeting the Ambassador said-”
“Freyr, for fuck’s sake open your eyes! The whole Rothian establishment is in on it. They’d say just about anything to protect their agent. Just like we’d do anything to stop the Cradle falling into the wrong hands.” 595 moved toward Freyr, assault rifle cradled under one arm. "Vreta'Sori isn't your friend. The lines are going to continue to blur, I can't stop that. But that doesn't mean we should forget who we both work for. I apologise for my delivery, but I need to make sure you understand."
Before Freyr could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of Vreta entering the booth. "Vreta'Sori! We were just talking about you." 595 smiled sweetly, taking the lead. "How are you?"
Freyr looked into the agent’s beautiful grey eyes, dumbfounded and slightly angered by what she was saying. “Vreta’Sori is a spy, Dr Lang. All of the Rothians covet our most precious asset. And now our own administration has given them direct access to it.” 595 spat the last few words with such vitriol that Freyr involuntarily took a step away from her.
“But...Vreta said he was selling Rothian components to human companies to test in the Cradle. That’s why he was there...and at the meeting the Ambassador said-”
“Freyr, for fuck’s sake open your eyes! The whole Rothian establishment is in on it. They’d say just about anything to protect their agent. Just like we’d do anything to stop the Cradle falling into the wrong hands.” 595 moved toward Freyr, assault rifle cradled under one arm. "Vreta'Sori isn't your friend. The lines are going to continue to blur, I can't stop that. But that doesn't mean we should forget who we both work for. I apologise for my delivery, but I need to make sure you understand."
Before Freyr could answer, they were interrupted by the sound of Vreta entering the booth. "Vreta'Sori! We were just talking about you." 595 smiled sweetly, taking the lead. "How are you?"
Freyr followed the man along the width of the room, past soldiers in combat with each other or against AI. He finally stopped in front of a set of smaller, empty, rectangular boxes in the corner of the room. The guy hit a few settings on the interface before turning to her. “Okay, Doc. This one is easy; target shooting. There’ll be a rack of standard issue weapons in there - choose one and the instructor will walk you through firing it safely. Enjoy.” He gave Freyr a wink and started the simulation before walking away again.
Freyr stepped inside the box and her surroundings totally changed. She was now in what she could only describe as a firing range. A row of booths looked out on a long empty space with targets at the end. Behind the booths, a dizzying array of weapons sat on a rack. After quite a lot of deliberation, Freyr asked the instructor what weapon a civilian might carry. The AI directed her to a small, plain pistol. She decided to try that.
The calm instructor's voice told her how to check the weapon was ready to fire, how to stand and how to aim. It also politely informed her that she was eligible for an upgrade to her implant network that would allow a superimposed crosshair. Apparently it increased lifetime accuracy by 35% on average. Freyr politely declined and began shooting. The pistol spat tiny bolts of energy down range, but very few hit their target. The instructor soon generated a physical avatar that adjusted Freyr’s posture and she started hitting a couple more.
Freyr quite enjoyed the satisfying thud her bolts made as they impacted the back stop. For a while it was just her, the targets and her pistol. That is until a message came through on comms. Freyr supposed it could be one of her team requesting her presence, but it wasn’t. It was from Vreta, asking to run a few thoughts by her. She answered in the affirmative and pinged her location over. She was about to resume shooting when a nearby voice made her jump. “Who was that?”
Freyr whirled round and found Agent 595 leaning against the back wall of the sim-box. “The person you were messaging. Was it Vreta’Sori?” Freyr hesitated, caught completely off guard. “Hi.” 595 smiled. “It seems you and he are firm friends now. That’s nice. May I join you?” Freyr nodded. The agent selected a heavy assault rifle from the rack and walked into the booth next to her. “Sorry i missed you yesterday. There was still a lot to organise and I gather you got an early night.” The targets began disappearing all along the width of the firing range as 595 hit them; a deafening staccato of energy pulses filled the box.
“You’re his mark, Freyr. We’re certain of that now.” Freyr stopped shooting, lowering her pistol. “What do you mean?” She asked, confused. 595’s head poked around the side of the booth, a grave look on her face.
Freyr stepped inside the box and her surroundings totally changed. She was now in what she could only describe as a firing range. A row of booths looked out on a long empty space with targets at the end. Behind the booths, a dizzying array of weapons sat on a rack. After quite a lot of deliberation, Freyr asked the instructor what weapon a civilian might carry. The AI directed her to a small, plain pistol. She decided to try that.
The calm instructor's voice told her how to check the weapon was ready to fire, how to stand and how to aim. It also politely informed her that she was eligible for an upgrade to her implant network that would allow a superimposed crosshair. Apparently it increased lifetime accuracy by 35% on average. Freyr politely declined and began shooting. The pistol spat tiny bolts of energy down range, but very few hit their target. The instructor soon generated a physical avatar that adjusted Freyr’s posture and she started hitting a couple more.
Freyr quite enjoyed the satisfying thud her bolts made as they impacted the back stop. For a while it was just her, the targets and her pistol. That is until a message came through on comms. Freyr supposed it could be one of her team requesting her presence, but it wasn’t. It was from Vreta, asking to run a few thoughts by her. She answered in the affirmative and pinged her location over. She was about to resume shooting when a nearby voice made her jump. “Who was that?”
Freyr whirled round and found Agent 595 leaning against the back wall of the sim-box. “The person you were messaging. Was it Vreta’Sori?” Freyr hesitated, caught completely off guard. “Hi.” 595 smiled. “It seems you and he are firm friends now. That’s nice. May I join you?” Freyr nodded. The agent selected a heavy assault rifle from the rack and walked into the booth next to her. “Sorry i missed you yesterday. There was still a lot to organise and I gather you got an early night.” The targets began disappearing all along the width of the firing range as 595 hit them; a deafening staccato of energy pulses filled the box.
“You’re his mark, Freyr. We’re certain of that now.” Freyr stopped shooting, lowering her pistol. “What do you mean?” She asked, confused. 595’s head poked around the side of the booth, a grave look on her face.
Freyr said good night and made her way to the cabin she’d dropped her luggage in. As far as she knew, all the sleeping quarters were identical; she had a small bunk, a dining/sitting area, an all-purpose entertainment system and an ensuite bathroom to herself. It was small but cosy. Freyr collapsed on the bed, despite her instinct to unpack and have a shower first. She projected holo-pictures and videos of her family into the air via the entertainment system. They circled above her head like a mobile until she eventually fell asleep.
She woke in a dark clearing. Spindly, dead trees presented an impenetrable barrier all around her. Familiar blue-purple veins slashed the sky. A sickly orange light illuminated the clearing from above, revealing two people she recognised instantly. David and Amy, her husband and daughter. Laughing and crying with relief, she ran toward them.
As she drew closer, David’s body suddenly changed. She could now see a giant insectoid carapace connected to his face. His eyes were pitch black and his mouth was bent into an unnatural, U-shaped smile with too many teeth. A purple tendil, shaped into a serrated blade at the end, circled around her motionless daughter and pressed against her bare throat. She skidded to a halt mid-run.
“Please…” She pleaded, holding her hands out in front of her. “Don’t hurt my daughter.” Other-David tilted his head to the side, moving close to Amy. “You must bring her to me!” His voice was deep and wet, like seabed boulders crashing together. She paused, confused. “What do you mean? I don’t know where she is!” She sobbed.
David growled and the tendril-knife pressed against Amy’s jugular drew back as if to stab the girl through the heart. “No!” she yelled, leaping forward.
In the blink of an eye Amy was in front of her, but instead of hugging her mother she fell to the floor, a sanguine patch spreading across the front of her white dress. She looked down and saw a long dagger in her hand, stained with blood. She screamed with no sound, dropping the dagger to grab her daughter but her legs wouldn’t move and-
Freyr woke up instantly upon thudding onto the floor. She quickly rose to her knees, heart pounding, and looked around her cabin. The light suggested it was morning. She couldn’t quite remember what she felt so bad about as she massaged her bruised eye socket.
Freyr washed, got dressed and left her cabin to find everyone was already up. Most of the team had already eaten breakfast and were testing out the new lab. She put on a smile and joined them, temporarily sharing their excitement. She logged into the division’s shared workspace, but couldn’t concentrate at all. After answering a few messages and trying unsuccessfully to focus for about half an hour, she got up and left the lab.
At first, Freyr had no idea where she was walking. To begin with it just felt good to stretch her legs. After a little while she opened her map of the ship, and one relatively accessible area caught her eye. Setting a waypoint, she descended a few levels and traversed the maze of corridors until she was greeted with a set of blast doors labelled ‘Combat Simulation C-53’.
It was loud inside. Freyr discovered it was a large open space, subdivided into many clearly partitioned boxes. Inside the occupied boxes, she could see a variety of simulations running, from hand to hand fighting to field hacking.
“You lost, Doc?” A muscled soldier asked after turning from the knife-fight he was spectating. “No, I erm...I want to learn how to shoot.” Freyr responded. The man chuckled. “Right you are then, Doc. Come with me.”
She woke in a dark clearing. Spindly, dead trees presented an impenetrable barrier all around her. Familiar blue-purple veins slashed the sky. A sickly orange light illuminated the clearing from above, revealing two people she recognised instantly. David and Amy, her husband and daughter. Laughing and crying with relief, she ran toward them.
As she drew closer, David’s body suddenly changed. She could now see a giant insectoid carapace connected to his face. His eyes were pitch black and his mouth was bent into an unnatural, U-shaped smile with too many teeth. A purple tendil, shaped into a serrated blade at the end, circled around her motionless daughter and pressed against her bare throat. She skidded to a halt mid-run.
“Please…” She pleaded, holding her hands out in front of her. “Don’t hurt my daughter.” Other-David tilted his head to the side, moving close to Amy. “You must bring her to me!” His voice was deep and wet, like seabed boulders crashing together. She paused, confused. “What do you mean? I don’t know where she is!” She sobbed.
David growled and the tendril-knife pressed against Amy’s jugular drew back as if to stab the girl through the heart. “No!” she yelled, leaping forward.
In the blink of an eye Amy was in front of her, but instead of hugging her mother she fell to the floor, a sanguine patch spreading across the front of her white dress. She looked down and saw a long dagger in her hand, stained with blood. She screamed with no sound, dropping the dagger to grab her daughter but her legs wouldn’t move and-
Freyr woke up instantly upon thudding onto the floor. She quickly rose to her knees, heart pounding, and looked around her cabin. The light suggested it was morning. She couldn’t quite remember what she felt so bad about as she massaged her bruised eye socket.
Freyr washed, got dressed and left her cabin to find everyone was already up. Most of the team had already eaten breakfast and were testing out the new lab. She put on a smile and joined them, temporarily sharing their excitement. She logged into the division’s shared workspace, but couldn’t concentrate at all. After answering a few messages and trying unsuccessfully to focus for about half an hour, she got up and left the lab.
At first, Freyr had no idea where she was walking. To begin with it just felt good to stretch her legs. After a little while she opened her map of the ship, and one relatively accessible area caught her eye. Setting a waypoint, she descended a few levels and traversed the maze of corridors until she was greeted with a set of blast doors labelled ‘Combat Simulation C-53’.
It was loud inside. Freyr discovered it was a large open space, subdivided into many clearly partitioned boxes. Inside the occupied boxes, she could see a variety of simulations running, from hand to hand fighting to field hacking.
“You lost, Doc?” A muscled soldier asked after turning from the knife-fight he was spectating. “No, I erm...I want to learn how to shoot.” Freyr responded. The man chuckled. “Right you are then, Doc. Come with me.”
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