“Shit!” I whispered as I gnced bato the street. Even though the bot and I had killed a veritable mountain of Antithesis in the alley, there was already another pack ba the street. “I’m never going to get home to che the kids at this rate.”

  ’t you just call? I am deteg proper work enabled augments within your head. Although they’re quite out of date.

  I paused. I’d often fotten that I had augs, sihey were so old they didn’t even have a datalink. Very few pces above ground still supported their protocols anymore, and here in the uy ce otty at best. I normally muted them because I received more work errors than messages. As soon as I turned off the mute I wihat was a shit ton of missed calls.

  I skimmed the call log briefly before dismissing it, I had an important call to make.

  The straroniging noise echoed through my head, a on far lohan I was fortable with until the call ected.

  [Teddy? Did you finally remember you have the ability to call home?] the voi the other side said dryly.

  [Stuff it An, this is important,] I shouted at my adopted brother. [Is the door barred right now? Is the pce secure?]

  There was a momentary pause. [Of course it is, I’m not stupid. Why?] An asked.

  [Because that Antithesis warning, it wasn’t fug garbage like usual. It’s real. The streets are swarming,] I told him. [Who’s home?]

  [It’s just me, Issi and Eddie,] An replied, his previously haughty tone repced with mild fear. [Marcus took Jennifer out for training, and Jane’s on a job.]

  [Fuck! Alright, I’m heading your way.]

  [No fug way,] An snapped. [You sold most of your tools st week to feed the kids, what are you going to do? Swear the aliens to death.] I sidered telling him I’d bee a samurai, but before I could An tinued. [Besides, the burrow is hidden from the streets, and has that hatch you and Marcus put together. Solid steel. Even the aliens would have trouble getting through that. You just stay where you are, and stay safe.]

  I chewed on my lip for a minute, before g. [Fine, you’re right. Our pce is probably one of the safest in the area. Just keep the door closed until Jane, Marcus or I tell you otherwise.]

  An snorted. [I’m not stupid, I know the procedures.] He paused for a moment. [I’m more worried about you and the others. Stay safe out there,] An said quietly.

  [Don’t worry, I won’t let those fug pnts anywhere near me. Talk to you ter,] I replied equally subdued. We didn’t need any other words, so I cut the e.

  Once I’d fihe call I brought up the call log again. There was one message from Jane, nothing from Marcus or Jeniffer. Probably not a good sign. I made a quick call to Marcus but it didn’t ect. Half the district didn’t have ce, so that wasn’t a huge surprise. Being in an area without service was better thaernative.

  I pulled up Jane’s message, to try and keep my mind off the situation. It was just a single line. [Stu Terminal. Building filled with Antithesis, but I’m safe for now. Don’t do anything stupid Teddy, stay safe. Jane.]

  “Fuck!” I whispered as I disected from the system. I jogged to the end of the alley, pulled out my CAR, and unloaded half a clip upoithesis ireet. As soon as they dropped, I started to run.

  Is there a problem?

  “There are only a half dozehat could realistically put up any sort of resistao the Antithesis around here,” I expined as I bolted dowreet. “There’s the prect. As you imagihe cops aren’t popur around here, they pretty muly e when there’s a murder to iigate. They take civilians in during incursions, and the cops are better armed than the gangs. Not worried about them.” I paused as I came to an interse, cheg both dires before I took off again. "Then there are the gang strongholds. Most are structed out of a hodgepodge of scrap metal and duct tape, but they’re still better than the buildings around here. Most of them would protect the locals, if only to eheir profit didn’t drop. I’d check them, but the majority of them would probably shoot me before I got close at this point.” I slowed to a walk, breathing heavily. I was in fairly good shape, but carrying around this fug rifle was killing me.

  I quickly checked the area, making sure nothing was sneaking up on me, but Spooky was much faster. The bot cut down every Antithesis in the area before I even spotted them.

  “Finally we have the terminal. The uy supposedly had a w traiwork at oime, way back, before it became the slum that it is now. Supplies came down the main lift and were shipped out on trams to where they were needed.” I expined, as I recovered my breath. “It was shut down long before I was born, but the tral station is still there. It’s a huge crete block, multiple levels, only ways ihrough the tracks, which have heavy duty steel security doors, and heavy security doors on the upper level. The Brokers took it over years ago, it’s sort of a trading hub where people buy topside odities,” I said as I took off running again.

  Then why are you ed?

  “The building has massive metal shutters at eatrance, which the Brokers close during emergehe fact that the Antithesis are INSIDE, means somethi seriously wrong,” I huffed. “The pce is a massive market, so there should have been hundreds, if not thousands of people inside when the incursion started. The Brokers aren’t pushovers, they bring ons down from the upper city, so they should have been able to hold their own stronghold. Something must have gone pletely fug sideway for them to be pushed back. Whatever the reason, Jane’s noed ih who knows how many other people. I o iigate."

  The buildings blurred by as I pushed my body, Spooky’s feet thudded behind me.

  I was doing my best to make good time through the mostly empty street, and I admit, I got a little reckless. And I paid for it.

  One sed I was running my heart out, and the I felt immense pain as something swept my legs out from under me, throwing me face down onto the street. I was vaguely aware of Spooky firing at something. It was hard to tell, darkness crept into the er of my vision.

  …lyn, Evelyn, listen to me. You o listen to me, you o get off the street or you’re not going to survive long enough to treat your injury.

  That didn’t make sense, “What injury?” I mumbled.

  Model four, you’re lucky it only got you in the leg. Spooky killed it, but the spike is still stu y. You o get off the street, the Antithesis will smell the blood.

  There was an immense weight on my right leg, which prevented me from flipping over. I had to push myself off the ground and twist at the waist to see the problem. A Model Four y at the entrance of the alley I had just tried to pass, a sientacle extended out into the street. Following the offending limb I found what could only be described as a barbed bone harpoon. I could see the first three inches of it, unfortuhat meant the remaining nine inches of it went right through my calf and out the other side. The sight made me nauseous, my eyes watered.

  trate, time is of the essence. First, I reend severing that spike aing you mobile. It could be doh a bonesaw out of the Css I medical utilities, but I wouldn’t reend it. A faster option would be a thermal bde from the Css I thermal melee ons that’ll cost you 100 points total.

  The pain was excruciating, why was Nyx making me make decisiht now? “Just do it!” I screamed.

  A package materialized in my outstretched hands, nearly as big as my gun. I quickly popped off the lid and exposed something I hadn’t expected.

  “Is this a fug fire-ax?” I snarled.

  Not fire, Thermal axe, it’ll cut through that spike easily.

  “Like hell it will,” I replied through gritted teeth. Darkness roag the er of my vision, and I had to fight to keep scious. “How am I supposed to swing this from this position?”

  You don’t, I’ve got you an assistant.

  Before I could react Spooky pulled the axe out of my hands, the bde started to glow a bright red. It took a step to the left and, in a single fluid motion, brought the axe down. There was a brief sizzling hen my leg pulled free of the model four that had been anch me.

  Barely a sed ter the bot stuck its arms under my shoulders, dragged me up the nearby stairs, kicked open someone’s door, and unceremoniously dumped my butt into the nding.

  Now, I reend you unlock the Css I medical utilities for 50 points. Buy a pain blocker for 5 points, a woundstop for 5 points, a Css I naneive suite for 15 points and, just in case, a wake-up booster for another 5. 80 points total.

  “All at once?” I asked groggily.

  Yes, I hate to tell you this, but I doubt yoing to be in the right state of mind to do this all by yourself. Time is of the essence.

  “Just do it then,” I muttered. A half dozen packages materialized o me, set in a line.

  Take the first package, the pain blocker, and i it just above the spike.

  My hands shook violently as I followed the instrus, almost immediately the pain dulled, though didn’t dissipate entirely.

  Now take a deep breath in, try not to scream.

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked suspiciously. As I watched Spooky k down, put one hand on my shoulder, the other oip of the spike emerging from the inner part of my calf, and wrehe spike pulling it fully through my leg. The pain was excruciating, even with the pain killer.

  I may have bcked out for a moment, it was hard to tell, I was faintly aware of Spooky stig various medical boosters into my wound. The st ior was stabbed into my chest, and I immediately went from semi scious to fully aware in an instant. The pain in my leg was still there, but dulled somewhat.

  Now, all better, ish. I’m gd Spooky was around to be my hands, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have been able to do that yourself.

  “That was horrible,” I gasped. “Never again.”

  Good, we’ll chalk that up to a learning experienow ba your feet.

  “Seriously? I just had something ripped THROUGH my leg. I’m in no position to mht now,” I said.

  The naneor is fixing the wound right up. You might not be able to run right away, but give it a few minutes.

  I stood, unsteady, but the leg held. Hobbling the first dozen steps, walking more fidently with each step. As I scooped up my CAR and the axe I marveled at how effit the nanites were, I could really feel them w.

  “So, where are my points at? I wasn’t sure I’d even have the points for all that stuff when you started throwing prices at me,” I asked as I tested my leg. Not quite good as new, but surprisingly stable, and feelier every sed.

  With all the random packs you entered you mao get the total up to 319. The emergency medical care puts you back down to 139.

  “Reload Spooky. I want to build up a reserve, maybe 100 points in case something like that happens again, but as soon as I build up enough points get me another bot. Too useful,” I expined as I rested my hand on Spooky’s shoulder. “Yrowing ohanks bud.”

  He did nothing.