Mai and her rebel command sat quietly in the council chamber as the other leaders took their places. The probing attack had been driven back just under an hour before and Mai was covered in aches and bruises.

She could have healed them, but the eye swollen shut, the now blood crusted cut on her face and numerous other bumps and bruises lent gravitas to the message she needed to convey.

“I call this meeting open,” declared the chairperson, an androgynous cyborg which was decidedly more artificial than flesh. “Madam Xiao, you have the right to speak.”

“Thank you,” Mai stood slowly, letting the pain show in her face as the bandages on her leg tugged. “I come from the first Battle of Nether City, or Battle for Route 61 if we want to use the proper location. We were attacked by several companies of Imperial Troops as well as an airborne attack by cullers. We defeated them, destroying over half of the armoured force. Of that half, we captured several vehicles which are now being used to bolster the outpost’s defences. Of the cullers, all but five were killed. After questioning, only one remains.”

She paused to incline her head at the wreck of a human being next to her. Strapped to an upright gurney, they shook and moaned as a constant current of electricity was sent through their body. Blood and other bodily fluids oozed from the many wounds covering their body. A murmur of what she hoped was approval filled the chamber.

“All enemy infantry were killed. None were players. All were recently inducted into the ranks of the Imperial Army and put through an accelerated training programme. What they lacked in skill, they more than made up in tenacity and fighting spirit. Thankfully, our losses were light, the majority dying in action against the cullers.”

She paused as the memory of that desperate fight filled her mind’s eye. Pushing it away, she scanned the council members before her. None looked as though their resolve was failing them. All looked with hatred towards the culler.

“This, player,” howls of anger and hatred filled the room as she gestured at the culler. “Was kind enough to inform us of a God-mecha, confirming intelligence we gathered when we ventured into Upper City recently. Apparently, one of the world’s top … players is piloting it.”

More howls. She formed a knife and the council members instantly stilled. Not saying a word, Mai stepped before the culler and drove her blade up into their diaphragm, thrusting still further until it pierced their heart.

KILL!

CULLER 349878 ELIMINATED!

“Our only chance is to either try to build our own God-mecha ourselves, which I doubt we have the bio-boost for. Or to work a way of forcing the God-mecha to take a specific route, and then bring the roof of the cave down upon it.”

Silence. The eyes of the council members bored in on her. Each and every one was hanging on her words.

“My intelligence officer has mapped out the best area and will send that to all commanders. Because of the nature of the mission, I shall lead it with some volunteers. Dakota will remain as my representative. Prepare your people. The fight of their lives is coming.”

“Why do you always put yourself in danger? You’re the commander of the second biggest army in the world. You shouldn’t be doing this,” growled Biyu as they climbed the wall of the cave and started their journey to where they needed to place the explosives.

“Because firstly, I’m Mai Xiao. I’m not irreplaceable. Dakota can easily take my place. And if I die, I become a martyr, a legend. It’s not that I’m afraid of dying, it’s that I’m more afraid of having people dying doing what I refused to do. The Gods know just how much I want to live and get back to my sister.”

Even if she is just a few pieces of code given a semblance of life.

Biyu said nothing, just huffed. Ma and Wu climbed past, both of them grumbling loudly at being ‘forced’ to volunteer when in fact they’d been the first to step forward. The rest of their force was made up of a mix of recon troops, two of her knights, and several engineers who would make sure that the explosives were planted in the most effective area possible.

“Those buggers better not attack whilst we’re dangling with our arses in the wind,” muttered Ma, clapping a hand onto the rock roof and letting herself hang.

Their comms chimed with alerts and Wu shot a look over at Ma.

“You had to open your dumb mouth!”

Mai ignored their squabbling, opening up her message centre. The outpost was under attack once more, and other areas were reporting large numbers of enemy troops and armour approaching. A rumble, like that of a hab-quake, reached up from the city as the heavy weapons turrets opened fired, sending shells the size of ground cars whistling through the air.

“Listen up people, enough grousing. We’ve got a damned job to do.”

Taking her own advice, she continued climbing, the nanites in her suit gripping the rock as tightly as a fly’s feet. The point they needed to reach was at least five hundred paces away and already her muscles were screaming for release. Even hanging by one arm as Ma had done gave temporary relief as the arm still gripping took the strain.

Looking down she immediately regretted it. Having been raised in hablocks which stretch for miles into the sky she had a good head for heights. But this was different. The cave system which housed Nether City was massive, and far more open than anything she’d ever seen in the Upper City. It was what she thought the ten-mile would be like.

And it was that openness which caused her head to spin, mouth to dry, and stomach to flutter. There was nothing between her and ground should she fall. It was an utterly alien feeling to not have level after level below her. Even the transparent walkways where pedestrians could look down on the city below paled into comparison to this never-ending openness.

“Mai, get your head back in the game.” Biyu’s voice snapped her out of her reverie as her friend’s voice filled her comm bead. Looking around she saw that the others had moved a good few paces on, and that Biyu was looking over at her. “You okay?”

“Fine, just not used to such a high and open space,” Mai licked her lips as she spoke. Looking at her retinal monitor she saw that she’d been stationary for a good three minutes. “I’m okay. Let’s press on.”

Mai groaned as her muscles continued to punish her. Her team were moving as quickly as they could, securing the large explosive charges on the roof of the cave. She prayed that her team’s estimates were accurate and that the roof would come down where they had planned, and not bring the whole of the cave roof crashing down onto the entire city.

Just thinking about the millions of tonnes of rock above them made her mouth run dry. She hadn’t thought about it before, the false sky and sun hiding the true nature of her new home. Then she realised that there were just as many millions of tonnes of hablocks above her when she lived in the Upper City. That seemed different though, more natural. As natural as living miles in the sky could be. Still, it was what she was used to, and the cave wasn’t.

“We’re all set. Charges are in place. Now all we have to do is hope that the enemy comes this way.”

And if they don’t, we’re going to have to bloody move them, she thought to herself.