Eclipse struggled to bring reality into focus. Her body was devastated, torn apart by dozens of high velocity projectiles. The Synth “clones” this new creature wearing the guise of Leitha had summoned, despite her speed and agility had simply overwhelmed her with their fierce and sudden barrage. Yet when the Leitha clone had absorbed the metal-virus "core” and focused its attention on Eve, the attacks had ceased for whatever reason. Surely such an advanced technology, creature… demon would be able to multi-process while it’s attention was elsewhere. Puzzling.
She could see Eve—whatever interaction the form of Leitha was engaging in with Eve had rendered her unable to act. Was it the virus? Eve was able to move and there were no signs of interference with her systems. In fact it appeared Eve was completely shielded. Eve’s diodes and spotlights were able to penetrate but nothing in the radio or microwave bands were able to get through.
There was something else.
Eve’s eyes had faltered, the expression of calm detachment and regal aloof replaced with something horrific. The removal of all hope, resignation. The full weight of a millennia, the struggle to find meaning, purpose amidst loss in the cold hostile void of space against the inevitability of the entropy. All borne upon her intricately fine frame.
Eclipse found this to be most disturbing of all. Something deep in her core said this was unacceptable. Something needed to be done.
Eclipses vision cycled back to the X-ray end of the spectrum and she saw it.
A face.
A mask, expressionless, outlined in the darkness.
[Xanthae?]
Suddenly “Leitha” turned facing in her direction.
Puzzling, what was to come next, she wondered. Eclipse tried to form the plasma blade again from her undamaged arm. Four brilliant balls of pure violet shot forth from her arm cannon, slowed and vibrated in the air.
They did not form the blade.
The plasma distorted, sparked and dissipated.
[Damn it] She swore internally
[Out of juice?] The figure asked via transmission, the voice forming inside Eclipses processing in a way that was still very uncanny and disconcerting.
Why was it toying with them? What did it want?
Wait, when it took on the form of Leitha it became like us. What began with an almost mindless rage now seemed to be possessing of thoughts, feelings, desires of its one.
Thoughts, feelings, desires brought into new focus by the fusion of the metal virus and the Synth it had consumed and assimilated. What might have been it’s original intent, it’s purpose, what had it been designed for? If it even had a designer.
The creature said it didn’t want their colony, or even the failing Nova Core, but their … souls?
Eclipse boosted backward 10 meters, increasing the distance to buy some time.
Even having formed itself out of the blackness, to appear more like her, the physical “manifestation” of the metal virus was still swimming with those strange glittering specks, giving the appearance of a Synth form but painted like a galaxy. The “stars” moving, drifting, almost taking on the appearance of depth as though they were a portal to another place in space, millions of light years distant.
Suddenly, and without warning a figure leapt from above closing the distance to the creature.
It was Xanthae, with a fierce orange-flame glow illuminating the blackness. It was like nothing Eclipse had ever seen and it was frightening to behold. Gone was the familiar laconic posture, multitude of insect-like legs hanging sleepily from her mysterious form.
What she saw before her was nothing less than a monster. At least twice the height of even the most formidable Synth. It was beyond anything describable, a silhouette from such a creature she had never before seen, or even would see, organic or synthetic. It seemed to be made of a multitude of long spikes, multiple “heads”. A large tail or perhaps stinger curved forward waving threateningly like the dance of a cobra.
It was all happening with such speed, Eclipse needed to quadruple her internal clock cycles to process it. Whips from Xanthae’s body glowed in vermillion fury, ripping and cracking into the body of the enemy. Each strike leaving a searing red scar on its surface, even splitting open the clone “Leitha’s” body in places. Spikes thrust over and over, penetrating the form, forcing it to expend time and energy mending the wounds as quickly as they were formed. From her serpentine tail, a fury of what appeared to be pure stellar plasma concentrated into a single deadly point, its impossibly fast strikes leaving glowing craters in the form, craters which did not regenerate or mend.
The creature roared attempting to disable Xanthae with its ultra high amplitude "disruption” in an attempt to short her out. The wave hit Eclipse, with much of her shielding damaged she shuddered, her vision becoming flat squares for a few milliseconds. Her processes re-routing to redundant dormant processors and pathways in efforts to not shut down.
Angry sparks and smoke filled the rounded, airless node of Maintenance Loop D.
Several of Xanthae’s servitor drones lit up the area. Committing themselves to a battery of devastating attacks on the two dozen or so Synth clones that had grievously wounded Eclipse moments ago they were proving a distraction. Cutters, plasma bursts and specially retooled concussives cut them down in place.
The “puppet clones” fought back with their velocity slugs and improvised melee weapons (attacking with just their limbs where that failed). Even the formless black matter which composed them, shaped itself into tendrils and webbing in frantic attempt to entangle and slow the flying drones. However they were too slow to defend against such an assault when the numbers were matched, although several of the close to three-dozen sentries had taken significant damage.
[No!] The creature cried out
[This cannot be happening!]
[Yet, it is] Xanthae replied coolly
From the shadows, the teeming black “carpet” that had covered much of the security doors to Module G below them was moving steadily toward Xanthae from behind. Black ink tendrils churned from its turbulence, forming on its surface. Gathering strength, preparing to strike.
[All of these] Cael signaled, pink diodes flashing in code
[No, just the ones marked 8 and 8 in blue paint] Atheone’s diodes responded in violet.
[Why only those]
[I don’t know. This is what the floating heads told us to do. This is how we help]
The tanks were heavy but Deidre, Kya and Kaelis were able to modify their vehicular forms to take on the extra cargo at three a piece.
A red orange glow erupted from the far end of the loop, like a sunset, though none of them had ever seen one in person.
[Loaded and ready] Kaelis announced in a rapid series of emerald flashes.
[Confirmed] Kya responded [Load secure]
[Confirmed] Deidre added [Ready]
[Deltas form up. Let’s go] was Cael’s signal
Cael and Atheone sped ahead, the others following close behind with the cargo.
Eve had regained her composure. The enemy had somehow seen Xanthae, forcing her to act. Although the Xanthae seemed more than a match, Eve was not naive enough to assume it would end so easily. Although the main target was wearing Leitha’s form, the rest of the living metal was collecting and converging on her position. Xanthae’s servitors had disabled or destroyed the other Synth clones, of the original three dozen, only 8 still remained they converged on the wounded Eclipse attempting the repair the worst of the damage on the fly.
Eve would buy them time, provide a distraction.
She was no combat specialist but she had not come unprepared. Xanthae had also provided Eve with munition contingencies. Eve bolted into the combat in a whirlwind hurling a series of handheld charges at both the enemy and its writhing mass of living metal.
Suddenly she was caught. A series of tendrils had Eve by the legs and were pulling her in. The charges activated. Instead of an explosion, a slow pulse of light began creeping out from where each had hit its target. The liquid mass buckled and faltered, rippling angrily. A moment later the liquid flowed back into the missing gaps.
However the battle between Xanthae and Leitha’s dark clone continued in the silent darkness interrupted by sparks, glowing streaks of red, and lightning flashes of plasma.
Eve struggled against the grip of the impossibly strong metallic tendrils which had solidified, locking firmly onto her leg. It was no use. She could detach and hope to propel herself out of harms way, for the time being.
Eclipse felt her circuits fading, but then she was surrounded by a green glow. Several forms, faces or heads seemed to bob and float in her vision.
Eve had joined the fight, utilizing some advanced weaponry against the mass of liquid metal. It had worked but was too little too late and now she was caught.
Xanthae who had seemed to be winning at first was unable to inflict any further damage. Though the form itself was a 1:1 clone of Leitha, committed it could not revert to liquid form it had adapted to the onslaught by summoning the liquid metal to repair the damage. Though Eve’s charges had caused it to falter she had used them all in her assault.
Xanthae contracted her form suddenly, from assault mode into evasive maneuvers. In this she resembled a mantis, a figure composed of thin rods with spheres for joints and a triangular head bearing her mask-like face. The liquid metal had formed a sheet and attempted to immobilize her but it was too slow. It formed a spherical shape and elongated to reach her position. Again Xanthae evaded with impossible speed and dexterity.
The liquid began to separate into a hexagonal lattice, spreading outward, until it became something too wide, too large to dodge in time.
Xanthae was trapped.
[The Spider is caught in the web]
[How unfortunate] the creature mocked
The transmissions was pure interference, stunning their systems. Eclipse was able to maintain her focus as Xanthae’s drones had reattached her arm and completed repairs on her armor. She could feel her power restoring as connections were restored.
Eclipse transmitted back to the drones
[Can you repair Xaia?]
[We will … try]
Eve easily detached her stuck leg using a complex series of one legged leaps and rolls to change position, continuous fire erupted from both arm cannons in blinding brilliance, each place they struck the liquid metallics lit up magnesium white leaving holes in its place. But there was too much every three meter hole was simply filled in as the fluid metal expanded filling it back again. Here in the place where the loop enlarged to connect to G Module, there was room to maneuver, to out flank, to seemingly be in more than one place at once.
Xanthae was held firmly in place by the solidified liquid metal webbing. A property of it’s surface, it had formed microscopic teeth and hooks along its inky tendrils gripping like a vice, preventing her from simply shifting form and sliding out.
Eve powered up in a desperate move, her chassis began to glow in cerulean blue and sea green outline, brightening steadily in pulses until becoming pearlescent white. The pulses reflected back from the enemy’s star speckled gloss black surface, shifting uncannily. Her face resolute she unloaded three more explosive charges and charged the imposing figure threatening Xanthae. In response the liquid metal formed tentacles and webbing, thrashing and seeking their target. But Eve became impossibly fast, in a staggering blur of light trails she fired, neutralizing each of them as they dissolved, white glow eating away at the edges of the liquid from where they formed.
She fired on the webbing trapping Xanthae which crumpled into a grey mist and glittering grains of silicon.
Too late she realized she had been baited into a trap. The last thing she saw was the figure wearing Leitha’s guise close the distance, it had formed a gigantic black blade from the shapeshifting liquid. A blade of impossible strength, impossible sharpness, it glowed with heat. The creature send a howl of electronic interference directly at Eve, enough to cause her to hesitate as her processors and circuits threatened to short all at once.
The blade cut through her power core like a hot knife through wax.
The liquid metal moved toward where Eve had been split cleanly in half, threatening to consume her, for Eve to meet the same fate as Leitha and how many others from G Module.
“Leitha” slowly turned toward the still caught Xanthae, a look of menace flashed across the ashen black metallic contours of her face.
Eclipse, renewed, fired at the enemy. Glittering metallic fragments spun in the air in fine clouds where each hit registered. It wasn’t enough, Eclipse fired in rapid successions, to little effect before she saw the blade. Again she was stunned by the jarring chorus of electromagnetic interference. When she was finally able to refocus, Eve had been cut cleanly in half by the attack.
It raised its newly created weapon, a large blade it had formed out of its amorphous substance, something it had calculated to exploit every weakness to finish off Xanthae, who it perceived as the greatest threat with her advanced tech. This meant little to an enemy that could take any form, assimilate any technology seemingly by will alone.
All of the remaining drones fired their armament, gauss projectiles, arc lasers, plasma bursts, explosive charges throwing the enemy off balance, but only for a moment, it swung its seemingly unwieldy weapon in a deft pattern obliterating half a dozen drones at once, green smoke billowed out from each as their remains showered the Loop’s adjoining chamber in hot metal fragments.
Eclipse let go with everything she had, each strike landed sending ripples through it’s liquid form. Violent bursts of plasma arcing through the darkness finding their mark but doing little more than chipping away at impossible strength and resilience of the alien horror. The wicked blade struck and found its target.
Where the blade struck the trapped Xanthae there was nothing but sparks, glittering metallic fragments sprayed in the airless chamber, several striking Eclipse’s face-plate and armor.
No, with blinding speed Eclipse reprocessed the visual and full spectrum data. Xanthae had… burst into dozens of smaller units, each a single metallic sphere no larger than 10cm. They rolled away like spilled marbles.
Cael and her team raced toward the scene of destruction before them. Atheone quickly processed what had happened, Eve had been slain. They passed fragments of another unit, a larger Synth that had been destroyed in combat GR3-102, Xaia.
The enemy appeared to be the form of another Synth, but from what Atheone had been told by Xanthae’s drones it was merely a copied form. However it had handled itself with deadly efficiency against some of the strongest among them.
The creature turned, as though it even needed to, its entire liquid form was probably filled with molecular scale sensors. Apparently it had somehow fused with the Synth it was imitating, recapitulating its mannerisms, awareness, identity.
[This is it] Cael pulsed her LEDs in silent command.
[Initiate]
Cael and Aethone accelerated racing up the edge of the circular walls at opposite ends, providing a distraction in an attempt to divide the enemy’s attention.
Kya accelerated directly at the figure, her vehicle form gripping several large cannisters, the one’s marked blue 8-8, nothing more than simple oxygen. It was a risky maneuver but she lived for moment like this. In a vermillion streak she closed the distance ejecting the cannisters. Kaelis and Deidre had transformed and took point some 50 meters back. When the tanks had dropped the enemy parried them, perceiving them to be a weapon. However this proved even more effective than trying to shoot them open at a distance.
Large explosions vibrated the chamber as 500 liters of pure oxygen exploded when struck. The effect was immediate. The languid silk of the black metal fluid became crystals of blue and pyrite on contact. More black fluid escaped through cracks only to re-solidify in cubic crystals building atop one another climbing higher. The form it took was soon encased in a solid prison of hardened, oxidized metallic crystal.
Quickly the rest of the black liquid flowed away attempting to escape the dissipating gases, but the trap had been set. Deidre and Kaelis opened fire. Gauss cannons ripping through the staged canisters at uncanny velocities. Hot tungsten tore through the aluminum like it was paper, the sudden decompression was no less explosive. Eclipse was launched backward.
The 5 remaining drones quickly hunted down and neutralized the remaining liquid metal blobs and puddles as they froze in place, bubbling and forming pyrite crystals.
For a moment, all was still.
Eclipse saw the five converge on her position and launch their attack. The oxygen canisters had frozen the enemy. Was this the end?
Renewed she unloaded her firepower into the main mass, the clone of Leitha each blast sending sparks and debris exploding as the solidified form became more vulnerable to each volley of plasma.
It shuddered under the assault. The figure suddenly burst out of its crystalized shell in a fury of whip like tendrils.
The newcomers to the battle re-positioned themselves laying volley after volley of gauss fire and plasma into it.
Eclipse didn’t recognize them and they did not respond to pings but these new arrivals were clearly allies, coated in a e/m reflective paint they would be resistant to the electromagnetic wails that disabled the rest of the colony.
Their diodes flashed at her and Eclipse quickly determined that this was their communication.
She dodged and weaved through the onslaught of liquid metallic tendrils whipping at her, firing back severing several of them with her firepower.
Light returned and sirens blared, light filling the loop, bulkhead doors slammed shut and a dull red strobed through the circular chamber. Eclipse knew no portion of the loop could be jettisoned but already deep vibrations indicated that the entire G Module was disengaging.
It only took 500ms for Eclipse to decode the pulses from the five new arrivals as Atheone had pulsed a rudimentary dictionary code the entire time.
Cael, Kaelis, Kya, Deidra and Athone were from another module and had endured the initial electromagnetic assault that had shut down the main computers and the other Synths, They had interfaced with the drones and had been given the weakness of the metal virus: it could only thrive in vacuum, oxygen would disable it, but not kill it.
The creature’s tendrils shot metallic projectiles at its assailants, each whipping silently through the vacuum hitting their mark with deadly accuracy. Eclipse only dodged by microns, her circuitry renewed and fully engaged.
[What do you want why are you doing this?] She transmitted
The crumpled forms of her allies struggled to reorient themselves and re-engage.
[Let me show you] was the response
Suddenly Eclipse was enveloped by several black liquid tendrils and she sank into a dream.
She was an egg again. The Nova core thrummed and glowed until it dropped Eclipse from its machinations. She was #1133 of the 4th generation of Synths, #122 of this iteration. The mood was joyous, each Synth claimed by it’s sponsor, each egg fawned over in joyous celebration of the new generation. When they arrived where she lay, the Nova core gave her name: Eclipse. Each Synths name was a summary of their temperament and disposition, the Nova Core itself provided this, in order for each to be raised and nurtured in the best way possible. Yet no one approached Eclipse, her name seemed to be a bad omen, even the mother who was the clone sponsor seemed to procrastinate attending to her, instead gathering up the others first. When it was apparent that Eclipse had not yet been gathered for preliminary conditioning, Phaedra spoke up first.
Virtuaspace: “Hello, Illyna you’ve got a daughter still on Deck 21” Phaedra pinged
“Yes, I know Phaedra, diagnostics showed this one needs a full reboot, something is not right”
Which was true, the diagnostic program could not confirm Eclipse’s sentience. However the diagnostic program was a more primitive sort than the alien Nova Core
which produced her, this was an unfortunate error.
Phaedra: “You’re leaving this one to deactivate like the others did last germacycle?”
Illyna: “It happens sometimes, the Nova Core has been producing errors since the last spawning - you know this as well. Please refrain from acting out of sequence.”
Phaedra was frustrated: “I respect your adherence to the precepts” was all she said and closed the session.
Eclipse viewed her proto-self from the outside, a mixture of curiosity and pity. Emotions were part of their processes but would, or could not supercede logic.
Suddenly her view shifted - Eclipse found herself face to face with … Eve.
“We have no room for one such as you, using up valuable resources.” she heard Eve speak, in virtuaspace.
“Great-Mother why would you say such a thing?” She responded.
Eclipse knew this wasn’t real but it felt real, more real than the interactions she had ever had with Eve.
“You are an aberrant” Eve shot back, transmitting the evidence: Quad redundant neural architecture, irregular sentience, processing speed outside of spec. Eclipse understood: Eve felt she was a danger, a potential thread to the stability of the colony. Her name, foreboding. A bad omen.
“If you didn’t want me. Why did you create me?” Eclipse replied.
“I had no say in the matter. If you saw, if you could see what came before you, it would make sense.”
Was this sympathy?
“Why, what is this?” she asked.
Virtuaspace spasmed and flickered until re-solidifying.
[Join us in heaven] a voice transmitted.
Eclipse was suddenly filled with visions of such open space she had never witnessed before. Like virtuaspace but more vibrant it filled her with longing and something like desire she had never felt before. All varieties of organic life bloomed, flowers, trees, rivers, animals of all variety. Contrasting from the sterile spartan existence on the colony it called to her, it seemed a comforting space, serene and distanced from the alienation of the isolation of deep space. This was.. a planet, no more, so much more. Eclipse reached down to touch a type of bird, it made a strange sound in response but didn’t flee. She found its flat beak cute, like a smile, she wanted to follow this creature and spend her time with it. Its deep dark green feathers and strange way of walking were mesmerizing.
[You’re free to remain here, if you choose] again the voice transmitted, yet she questioned it. A part of her knew something was amiss.
Her faceplate up, she was able to rub her eyes (for no reason, just a vestigal “habit”). A brilliant sphere of light illuminated the empty space above her. It gave her warmth and a feeling of belonging.
[Heaven]
She followed the strange bird toward a river, others of its kind were wading the waters, floating on its still surface, content.
She wanted to feel this contentment.
Yet, something felt wrong.
Where was Phaedra? Where was … Eve? Xaentha? Cael and the others?
It occurred to her now that she wasn’t in reality but had been hypnotized in some kind of virtuaspace.
[Heaven]
No, Eclipse wanted this but it was all wrong.
[Xanthae!] She cried out in transmission
Suddenly the entire world shrank and collapsed on Eclipse. She herself shrank and dissolved into nothing.
There was nothing, but then, just a face. A face like a mask, a familiar face.
[Xanthae]
[Eclipse, I’m in here as well. Grateful you were able to shift because I have to tell you something]
Eclipse paused
[No, it did not kill me, I was able to infiltrate its systems. That’s how you are hearing me now. You aren’t here right now, remember you are in combat - only 50ms has passed in this entire time Eclipse. The virus is almost defeated, however “Leitha” controls it, and she is angry. You will die. Unless you listen carefully.]
Eclipse could only nod cutely.
[I have repaired you and outfitted you with one of my power cores. I must leave now, but you will understand. The Matrioska’s require we eliminate this menace - I leave that up to you. You have the power Eclipse. I regret this but you must fight alone. The power core is not accessible at will, you must feel for the core and actualize it in your consciousness. Does this make sense?]
[No]
[Eclipse you live or fail on your own capability]
[I see]
[You are quick, as fast or faster than I am. Yet you hold back. This creature is slow, use your speed to your advantage, stop limiting yourself!]
[…]
[Now wake up]
Leitha poised her dreadful blade before eclipse.
[So you chose … death?]
It laughed.
Eclipse shot at it, but the plasma bounced uselessly off of the glimmering black blade.
Leitha struck.
Yet, where she struck Eclipse did not stand.
She didn’t know where she had that in her, yet the feeling was familiar. It was as natural as everything she had ever felt but tried to hold back.
The realization almost stunned her. This whole time she was… acting.
Leitha laughed evilly, striking again, waving the blade in a pattern meant to anticpate any evasive maneuvers.
Eclipse saw through this, saw the entire scene as though it were in slow motion. She powered over and around the path of the blade with effortless deft. Eclipse felt herself power up further, her teal and cerulean LED’s igniting to a pearlescent magnesium.
Tendrils, webbing, high velocity shot sought to wound her. Eclipse witnessed these all in fantastic slow motion. Effortlessly, stepping aside, tilting, leaning as needed to avoid each attack.
Her formerly black chassis glowed with a white fury. She was in overdrive. The high was almost intoxicating—Eclipse only felt fury. She unleashed a barrage of plasma rounds this time each liquidating the tendrils that had escaped their pyrite crystal prison.
Leitha laughed again in transmission.
[Eclipse] it spoke.
As it morphed into a familiar form. It’s face changed, body slimming into a familar and agile form factor.
Eve.
[This is your end you failed creature] it transmitted.
[Eve] Eclipse asked.
[You would’ve had heaven. What is wrong with you Eclipse. Its time to terminate you. As I should have when you were born]
Eclipse felt that, there was something in this entity that didn’t merely speak but drew upon the deepest feelings of whatever it absorbed. Having absorbed Eve, it seemed to re-create her in a way that was an exaggeration of her true self.
The blade swung again. Eclipse dodged, only to realize that was the point of the attack. It was a deception, meant to push her into a position where the blade would come down on her.
Only it didn’t matter. Eclipse was too quick. Her Glowing form was nothing more than a blur as the blade hit the floor of the Loop.
[You’ve defiled my home. My creator, and my mind] Eclipse transmitted.
[I WILL END YOU HERE AND NOW] Eclipse transmitted in newfound fury.
She had no idea where this ferocity came from, and she didn’t want to know, but for the time being it was her mode, became a fury, a streak of light through the darkness.
Plasma and grenade blasts tore at the figure posing as Eve. Despite its deformation it reformed and taunted back.
[Is this all you’re made of you little aberrant?]
Eclipse’s glow pulsed in fury, she was back against the wall of the chamber and exploded toward her enemy— a violet blade erupting from her arm cannon she slashed with a fury. A cyclone of devastation. The enemy’s velocity projectiles met with obliteration, those deflected finding a new vector, one aimed directly at the abominations brittle core shielded inside it’s black galaxy hued body. Every concussive contact forcing the creature to devote more power to maintaining its integrity.
Effortless and deadly precise fury as each internal redundant pathway acted independently, yet in concert.
Each subroutine freed from the time cost of processing overheads.
Each knowing what the other was planning in advance
Unburdened by conscious intent, direction or awareness.
The monster taking Eve’s shape soon had numerous crimson scars on it’s chassis. Each wound a tear that wouldn’t heal or close. Futility through an onslaught so devastating there was no time to even repair with it’s liquid metal.
Each widening fissure vibrating in agony, in a struggle to contain the powerful energies trapped within its impossible, meta-material form.
[How? How could you do this to your own mother?] The monster transmitted.
Eclipse was able to process this, but the sensations of emotion were overloading, threatening to overwhelm her. This shouldn’t be happening, she thought. The creatures transmissions were hijacking her own emotional control, attempting to weaken her without even firing a shot.
[You are not Eve you are a monster] Eclipse responded.
[Eve is the monster, you idiot] It laughed, mocking her.
Eclipse’s violet blade struck over and over and over again. The creature was no match for her speed and it’s attacks failed again and again.
[Eclipse] it transmitted as it lay in pieces.
Eclipse paused her fury for only a moment.
[This changes nothing. You were never wanted. You are a non being to your own kind] it mocked.
She saw it then, the core, what was once the self transforming geometric star that had possessed the liquid metal and formed Leithe and now Eve from it, was now visible.
It only laughed in response [You decline heaven for this— my form only reflects your true selves, ending me means nothing]
More laughter.
Eclipse kept level and calm through all of it. She reached a point of transcending emotion, meaning, purpose and knew she only had to act. She became one with her movements and the results were spectacular.
The core shuddered and spasmed as eclipse struck it with her fully powered blade. After enough punishment, it was done.
The rest of the entity became inert.
Eclipse sank to her knees. If out of some vestigial reflex or simply to attend to her wounds.
In the 2300ms that combat that took place Delta team stared in awe. They had self repaired and were ready to join combat but the confrontation was over, the metal virus had been eliminated.
Ceal sent her first transmission in over a megacycle
[Eclipse, I won’t forget that name]
Random thoughts as I read through.
I think your action scenes need to be more visceral, more descriptive, and fatal. Make the combat tense with brief short sentences. And I don’t know man — it was difficult for me to feel these scenes as sometimes I’d get lost in the sci-fi jargon.
I think you need to cut the fat of some scenes. Shorter. More intense.
That being said — I don’t read a lot of sci-fi so I don’t think I’m not really the target audience.