෴Raz෴

Raz slipped into the room. Looking at the dim silent room sparked unpleasant memories. He shivered, reliving the first shocking meeting with Braithwaite.

No! No time to think about that. Sia—Hex, said he’s dead. I don’t need to worry about him anymore. Shake that shit off. Bee, tell me if I’m being a dumbass.

He pulled the door closed. It moved halfway shut and ground to a halt. Raz looked and realized it was bent on the hinges, closing any further wasn't going to happen.

Ok, I’ve banked a lot on this. I hope that recall and recording is as accurate as it needs to be. We’re back where it all really started.

He stepped around the edge of the room toward the unmarked panel, unconsciously giving both of the restraint systems a wide berth.

He positioned himself where Braithwaite had stood, mimicking the location and position.

“Ok, he did it with one hand, so it has to be something that can be activated with just one hand.” he muttered softly.

[You’re being a dumbass.]

[Stop talking to yourself outloud.]

Well, that's a new level of attitude. Point taken though. Bad habit that has to go.

He rewound and reviewed the recorded memory several times before realizing that the hand that was doing nothing, had been resting against his side carrying the clipboard.

Raz quickly searched the room. Finally he found it tucked into a high cabinet sitting on top of a slim aluminum sided briefcase. He grabbed the clipboard and returned to the safe.

I guess I really do catch a break once in a while. At least, if this works.

Standing in the same spot, he held the clipboard in his left hand and traced his right fingertips along the edge as he’d seen Braithwaite do.

The metal lip popped open with a tiny click. Raz successfully suppressed a verbal outburst of elation.

Ok, 10 digit combination, we’re missing one digit.

[Probably 10 digits. You weren't at your most lucid when he keyed it in.]

I only recall seeing 9 more digits, and we have the recordings of the pattern, his movements, and the combo in the mirror.

[We should consider what might happen if a wrong passcode is entered.]

Are you… Are you managing my expectations? This isn’t a customer service situation. Don’t bother walking it back or whatever you’re trying to do.

Raz stopped talking to himself and willed the recording to play. He slowed it down into a super slow motion playback.

Ok, standard 10 key number pad, no labels, but the 3x3 grid with one on the bottom is fairly standard. So the code is something, then 412438623.

He leaned on the wall to ponder the problem.

Braithwaite was way too slow and careful punching this code in. I have a bad feeling this isn’t the kind of situation where I get a few tries to enter it in right.

[Analyzing his body language while entering that code, you’re probably right.]

A series of points on Braithwaite’s body in the recorded footage highlighted in light blue.

[These are all physical manifestations of tension.]

[The guy was pissed at you, but it wouldn’t explain this type of constrained care during this moment, and only this moment.]

That’s pretty much what I said. Ugh. Why couldn't this clipboard have some paper and a pencil? I could use something to work this out on.

[Try this.]

A spot in the air directly ahead of him, roughly at the level of his solar plexus darkened slightly. The digits appeared on the imaginary screen.

Ok, I’m not going to sugar coat this. That is cool. What else can it do?

[A lot.]

[None of it is relevant for you as you are, here and now.]

[It displays what you want it to, text, memories, images, yes, even those kinds of images, though preferably you’ll wait for a safer location to experiment with anything distracting].

Raz imagined a 10 key combination pad like the wall had. The screen instantly displayed one. He mapped the motions of Braithewaite’s hand and double checked the pathing on the keypad against the pauses and pressing motions.

?412438623

He lost himself in mathematical formulas on the screen trying to reverse engineer the sequence for several minutes.

Damnit. This doesn't look like any kind of sequence I’ve ever seen or thought of. Hutch is still somewhere in the building. I can’t believe I’m so close and going to lose out.

[You’re assuming there is a logical progression or code of some sort in the passkey.]

Hoping more like. Why are you asking me things and restating things that you already know I’m thinking?

[You solve problems best by talking through them with someone else.]

[I’m your fake sounding board.]

Knowing it’s fake will probably mean it doesn’t help. Sure feels like I could use some upgrades in the grok suite right about now. If I can just look at it the right way, maybe I can get it in one try. That feels important.

Raz watched the playback one more time.

“Holy shit of course!”

Oops, inner voice, I know. Look at it the right way! We’re looking at a reflection!

He cleared the display and entered a new series of numbers. 623618421 He looked at the numbers, and reversed them. 1,2,4,8,16,32,6.

Oh fuck yeah. No way is this a coincidence.

He leaned over the keypad, then pulled off the gauntlets.

Bad time to literally fatfinger a passkey.

Raz punched in 4623618421 with confidence. The featureless panel above the keypad opened up into the concealed safe he’d come for.

He pumped his fist in silent glee. A thought crossed his mind and Raz spun around to look at the door.

Ok, just paranoid. I totally had the thought that the second I got into this thing, Hutch would be standing right behind me.

As if in answer to his thought, a loud crash sounded from the hallway. It didn’t sound close, but it wasn’t nearly far enough away.

He set the gauntlets on the exam table, and turned to survey the contents of the safe. A stack of cash bound with a thick rubber band. The bundle of cash went into his back pocket.

This solves the cash resources issue for the moment at least. Must have been his emergency exit strategy. I could swear I remember there being a lot more cash here.

Several unusual handguns were in the safe. Raz resisted the urge to investigate the odd looking sidearms and focussed on the real prize.

There’s less of it here than I remember. I’m pretty sure I saw at least two rows of five.

[There were five bundles of cash and several more racks of catalyst vials. Also, none of them were broken. The injector gun is also missing.]

So someone's been here already.

He looked over the empty racks that had held vials of catalyst. Besides the bare vial holder, was a clear plastic padded container that held five small vials of the amber colored viscous liquid. One broken vial lay against the back of the shallow hidden safe. The shards of glass surrounded by a pool of thick gold liquid.

Raz picked up the container carrying the five vials and held it up into the dim light of the facility emergency lighting. The container felt sticky. He rubbed his fingers across the surface and realized the vial wasn’t sticky, it was as though it were trying to stick to him.

That’s weird. It’s like, magnetism?

He set the observation aside and tucked the container into his front left pocket.

Alright. Mission accomplished.

[We’re not out of here yet.]

Raz ignored Bee and looked at the weapons. He leaned his right elbow on the shelf to study the three devices. Looking at them closer, devices seemed like a better term for them than pistols.

Certainly made to look like pistols. A grip to hold it. A trigg—well, a button to fire it. Nowhere to add ammo. The muzzle end isn’t a barrel. What the hell are they? Not gonna test what might be a weapon here. Putting what might be a gun in my pocket without a holster might not be the dumbest thing I’ve done today, but it would be up there.

He looked around the room for something he could use to carry them in. His gaze landed on the slim metal sided case.

The case was filled with a foam insert, cut away perfectly to carry all three devices, and a series of round cutouts that looked just the right size to hold the vials of catalyst. Sitting loose in one of the device cutouts was a small thumb drive.

This is suspiciously convenient.

He leaned up against the safe again and placed each of the devices into the padded recesses for it. The thumb drive he slipped into one of the holes next to the device cutouts. After a moment’s consideration, he moved the plastic container from his pocket to the case. Wedged into the spot where the vials might have fit, the case was a bit of a struggle to close. The case closed with a solid sounding click.

He let the case hang in his left hand and glanced over the room again.

[Unclassified upgrade datastream material detected. Absorb?]

Wait what? Did those devices do something when I touched them?

[Negative.]

[Source is localized to your right forearm, spreading along the anterior surface.]

Raz parsed that message and then jumped away from the shelf. The aluminum case fell from his grip to the floor with a hollow clank.

What the fuck, how did it get on me?

His forearm started to itch. He tried to wipe the stuff off onto his shirt. The liquid stuck to his skin, flowing through the fabric as though it wasn't there. The itching increased. It didn’t hurt, but the stuff seemed stuck there. Raz tucked his arm in tight against his side and wiped his forearm hard against the plastic reinforced nylon edge of his chest plate carrier vest. Most of the gelatinous fluid was scraped off onto the strap.

Ok, gotta cut this plate carrier thing off me along with that stuff.

[No you don’t.]

Raz reached for his knife then stopped.

Oh right, quick release buckles. Good call.

[Unclassified upgrade datastream material detected. Absorb?]

Shit again? Where?

[Right forearm, anterior surface. Upper thoracic region, right hand side.]

Raz made inarticulate grunting sounds and scratched at the side of his chest.

His chest started to itch and burn.

[Stop!]

[You’re just freaking out.]

It burns!

[It’s not real!]

Raz started to unbuckle the vest off then stopped. He struggled to be calm and ignore the itching burning feeling coming from his chest and arm. His breath started coming fast and shallow.

Explain.

[You’re panicking about getting catalyst on your skin.]

[Catalyst is what you came for.]

[Don’t let this room and your history in it cloud your judgement.]

[You aren’t itching, and it doesn’t burn, you’re just having a stress reaction.]

I can FEEL IT!

[You didn’t feel anything until I told you about it.]

[You have great power over your own perceptions now.]

[Power that can harm a careless wielder.]

[No actual sensations of discomfort are originating from either location, aside from the very minor abrasions you’ve caused.]

[STOP FREAKING OUT]

[Also, you are being a dumbass again.]

Raz made a concerted effort to relax.

Ok, maybe he’s right. Don't panic.

[Unclassified upgrade datastream material detected. Absorb?]

Raz agreed.

[Absorption complete, analysis and integration will take an unknown time due to condition.]

Raz kept taking deep breaths. He finally felt his heart rate return to normal.

So that’s it? It just absorbs?

[So much better than shoving it into your veins and hoping you don’t die.]

Raz agreed, but looked at the shelf with confusion. The broken glass shards from the vial sat in the right hand corner of the shelf. The devices and cash had been on the left side of the shelf. The pool of thick gold liquid sat on the middle of the shelf, where his elbow had been.

I did not just plop my elbow down in a puddle of that goop. I wonder.

He put his hand on the shelf a few inches from the liquid. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, almost as if he were tilting the shelf, the liquid began to slowly flow toward his hand.

This stuff can't hurt me, right?

[It absolutely can kill you.]

[If you inject it.]

The gel flowed onto his hand and began vanishing into his skin with a speed that reminded him of gelified isopropyl alcohol evaporating.

[Contact absorption is considered a very safe, if somewhat slower, exposure method.]

[Ingestion is faster, though more lossy. Both methods are safe from accidental .]

Then why the hell does everyone act like injecting it is the way to go?

[My hypothesis is that without the requisite knowledge to apply to skin or ingest, while desiring absorption, has led human medicine to fall back on tried and true methods of deli—]

A chimera poked its nose through the door. It looked at Raz and snarled. Raz scrambled for his gloves, knocking them onto the floor on the other side of the table.

The chimera made an odd cackling sound and jumped up onto the table next to Raz.

Raz fumbled with the long-barreled pistol and then gave up, drawing the knife instead with his left hand. The wire-haired chimera had a long rat tail and flat three-toed clawed feet. It gathered its haunches and sprang at him.

Time seemed to slow down for an instant, but then instantly resumed its normal speed.

[Insufficient resources for perception overdrive.]

Raz already had the big knife swinging through the air on an intercept path with the chimera’s body.

The blade bit deep, cutting into the chimera and sending a spray of blood across Raz’s arm. The chimera slammed into the wall next to him with an echoing clang.

A HUD update message flashed at the edge of his vision.

Raz glanced at his holster as he tried again, successfully drawing the long pistol. He looked up just time to see and feel the chimera latch onto and clamp down on the inside of his left calf.

[Structural limb damage received.]

[HP: 80/100]

[Energy 40/100]

He kicked at the creature once but stopped when the kick shot blades of agony up through his leg.

[It’s about to cripple you!]

[HP: 60/100]

He stabbed at it with the knife, it bit down harder.

Raz left the knife embedded in the chimera and placed the end of the pistol suppressor up against its head and pulled the trigger, hoping the ballistic projection line was right about the bullet’s exit trajectory.

The loud clicking of the action cycling was matched by the wet schlucking sound of the contents of the chimera’s skull exploding out the exit wound.

Without a brain, the taloned chimera went limp and fell away from where it had latched onto his leg. Blood flowed freely from the wound. The inside of his boot sloshed wetly.

[Rapid blood loss must be stopped!]

No shit.

[HP: 50/100]

Raz scanned the room, sure another one was on its way. Nothing showed itself. He reached back where Hex had loaded up the back of his plate carrier with a medical kit. There was nothing there but the straps it had connected to. He had no idea when it had gone missing.

Fuck. Improvised it is.

He wiped the blade off and cut through the last strands of the sweatshirt holding the front together. He kept flicking his eyes to the door while he cut and ripped the sweatshirt. Wrapping the wound tight, he tried to stand up. The injured leg couldn’t hold him.

[Structural damage will need to be repaired before walking.]

Turn off the pain so I can get out of here!

[No, structural damage will need to be repaired before walking.]

TURN OFF the PAIN now!

[This is not an injury you can ignore. You cannot ‘walk it off’.]

[If you take a full step on this leg, your Achilles tendon will go from damaged to severely torn.]

[A few steps and it will simply be severed.]

[You cannot walk with a detached Achilles tendon regardless of how it feels.]

[We will not make it out like that.]

No! I will not die like this. I will not fucking die in this room. Is it possible to focus all that active recovery ability on the wound?

[Rapid recovery can be used for targeted, non-systemic injuries.]

Do it.

[Targeted Rapid recovery engaged.]

[Warning, host is—]

Raz got rid of the message.

Don’t care.

[Structure being rebuilt.]

[HP: 51/100]

[Energy: 35/100]

Warmth and more pain erupted from his aching calf. He gritted his teeth and tried to bear it. Without realizing it, he started to let out a low moan of agony.

[You need to care! You are in—]

Raz ditched the message.

[Structure being rebuilt.]

[HP: 53/100]

[Energy: 30/100]

Raz dismissed each warning message. Searing, crawling pain dug into his leg. It was all he could do to keep his hands from tearing at the wound to somehow, someway, maybe, make it stop.

A new sort of message appeared. It couldn’t be dismissed without being read. Raz had to read it and acknowledge it.

[Imminent host death conditions met.]

[If you run out of energy you’ll fall asleep.]

[With condition you’ll never wake up!]

[Falling asleep in here will result in a near 100% chance of host death.]

He didn’t think it was possible. The pain got worse. Something felt wrong, his leg was about to fall off! His vision grayed out at the edges.

DON'T LET ME PASS OUT!

The pain somehow sharpened further, but his alertness returned to normal. He tried and failed to keep himself from panting loudly. His chest tightened and he couldn’t get enough air.

[Structure being rebuilt.]

[HP: 54/100]

[Energy: 25/100]

Keep… Going!

[Structure being rebuilt.]

[HP: 56/100]

[Energy: 20/100]

Somewhere else in the building he heard a heavy impact. A reminder that Hutch was coming.

[Structure being rebuilt.]

[HP: 57/100]

[Energy: 15/100]

Raz carefully tested his weight on the injured leg. It held, but he knew he’d be limping heavily.

[Structure sufficiently rebuilt.]

[Be careful.]

[HP: 59/100]

[Energy: 10/100]

He shut down the recovery ability and nearly collapsed again. After what felt like a long time breathing hard, he was able to straighten up and take in his surroundings again.

Thank god. Even one more of those little fuckers and I’d be dead.

He cautiously hobbled around the table to get his gauntlets. Pulling the first one on nearly caused him to throw up.

[These items require more energy to equip.]

[Take it off!]

He tucked them awkwardly into the plate carrier’s front main pocket.

What about the armor then?

[If you had a place to do it, you should take it o—]

He spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. A glowing-eyed apparition looked in on from the door. He raised the pistol in a shaking hand before realizing it was a Hex aspect with night vision on.

“Hey, long time no see,” he grunted and tried to keep the pain out of his voice.

Another aspect appeared next to him and looked him up and down. “Where are you hurt? How bad is it?”

“Left calf. I think I can walk, or limp at least.”

“Sit down.”

He leaned on the wall and let himself slide to the floor. Sitting felt way too good.

She stripped off his makeshift blood-soaked bandage. “This wound looks weird. What happened?”

“It’s a long story.” He looked at the dead chimera. “Oh, actually it’s not. It bit me, and I blew its brains out.”

She grunted in what might have been laughter, or effort as she replaced his bloody strips of sweatshirt with a professional-looking field dressing in a rapid series of practiced motions.

[Unclassified upgrade datastream material detected. Absorb?]

Why not, I guess?

“Let me help you up.” Another aspect appeared beside him.

Between the two of them, she helped him to his feet, frowning at the sight of his other hand gripping the aluminum case. “Is that what we came for?”

He shook his head. “Yes, and no. I’m hoping it’s a bonus. I don’t suppose you can take some of this stuff to the van?”

Her expression was hard to read behind the night vision face mask, but she nodded and took it from him before vanishing. The aspect by the door kept scanning the hall. “We need to hurry. I think he’s realized I’ve been diverting him. He’s already in the main corridor that leads this way.”

Raz limped over to the door and they started down the hall.

Walking was like stabbing blades of ice into his savaged calf muscle with each ginger step.

A few turns later, daylight became visible. Hex lifted the nightvision away from her face.

“We got this. Just keep going” she urged him.

The pain had become almost unbearable. Just the raw sensation itself seemed to exhaust him. He stopped and leaned against the wall, breathing hard.

“No! You can't stop! He’s right behind us. He smelled your blood in that room and he’s moving faster now.”

Raz became aware of a rhythmic pounding on the floor he could feel through his boots. He tried to pick up the pace. Another Hex aspect appeared. She was wearing a mid-length black dress and an old-fashioned black veil. In a burst of light, the funeral clothing fell to the ground. The other aspects were all but carrying him now. The pounding through the floor felt much closer now.

A rasping scream erupted from behind them. Raz spun and drew the pistol. It was here. He looked over his shoulder. They were less than 10 meters from the door, but somehow he could tell that Hutch would be on them in less than two if he turned to try to stagger away.

The group took a half step back. The Hutch-monstrosity lurched forward several meters.

“Stay here” she whispered in his ear as she thrust something into his hands. The KS-12T shotgun. All four aspects fanned out beside him with stubby bullpup shotguns raised. He leaned against the wall to keep off his bad leg.

Raz lifted the shotgun. It was so very heavy. He laboriously got it on target and put fire downrange. From Hex, a hail of fire and acrid smoke erupted. The shapeshifter withered under the barrage of incendiary fire. One of them clicked empty. In a flash, her clothing and gear fell to the ground.

Remote Access!

[Designated consciousness ‘Hutch” present.]

[Interface corrupted, no usable interface detected.]

[Distributed consciousness “Hex” present. 3/3 nodes.]

[Energy per node: 60/50]

Another series of bright flashes. They were all gone.

They’d left him behind.

Raz raised the suddenly infinitely heavier shotgun and fired several more times into the shapeshifter as fast as he could. A part of him noted that he wasn’t missing, but as fast as he could, just wasn’t very fast right now.

This is not how I saw this ending.

He clicked empty and dropped the shotgun. The Hutchstrosity quickly recovered and lumbered toward him as he drew the pistol that now seemed pathetically inadequate.

It spoke in a voice like gears grinding. “End of the line boy. I’ve wanted to eat you ever since you bored the shit out of me in that interrogation room.”

Raz took a stumbling step back.

“Oh no. There’s no running away now. I’ll catch up with that bitch some other time. Right now it’s just me, eating you.” It raised its arms and carved deep furrows on either side of the 12-foot wide hall. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it very slow.”

Not getting eaten!

Raz pointed the pistol at his own head, or tried to. The suppressor made it too long to aim at himself. “Shit.”

The shapeshifter threw its monstrous head back and laughed.

[Consciousness “Hex” present.]

[Target Energy: 175/50]

“Whew, just in time, am I right?” she wrapped her hands around his neck. Raz noticed she was naked.

“Sorry about this,” she whispered in his ear. And then a nauseating eternal instant later they were somewhere else.

End of Incursions: Infiltration, Act 1