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abominations story excerpt
Yesterday marks a year exactly since I first came up with this idea. Well, maybe it's a little over a year now - yesterday is the date I started scribbling some stuff down, anyway. So to mark that, I thought I'd share this snippet. I don't think it'll make it into the finished thing in any form, but it is in the time frame of the original idea, and so it sort of makes sense to share?
Things to bear in mind: this is unedited. It's also not even what I'd call first draft - this is literally what came out of my head onto the page, so there's not much to it description-wise. But eh, it's a thing, I wanted to share, feedback welcome :) I have a tag for that! WHO KNEW I HAD A TAG FOR THAT
~
Notes: Khukri is an AI, and AI always refer to themselves in the plural.
~
An explosion. Another one. This time the ground shook. A third, nearer now. Flames, off to the left. A column of smoke in the air. Heavy footsteps, pounding on the ground. Faltering at the next explosion so close it could almost kill.
Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit
"You are becoming fatigued."
"You don't say."
"We were merely making an observation."
"Khurkri, this is no time for you to be such a--" Shit. Riley was on the ground, too winded to get up again.
"That last strike was close."
"You don't say."
"We detected some irritation in your last statement."
"Can you tell me something useful, Khukri?"
"That depends on what you want to know."
"For crying out loud. We're getting slaughtered and I'm stuck with the most irritating AI in the galaxy."
"We think that is a slight exaggeration."
She gets to her feet again. "Is there anyone nearby? Any survivors?"
She checks her guns for ammunition while awaiting the results.
"Hirsch is ten kilometres from your current position, to your left. Major Richter is nearer, but we suspect he has been killed. His AI is not responding to requests for information."
Adrenaline surges through her. "Which way?"
"To Major Richter?"
"Affirmative."
"Zero point five kilometres ahead from your current position, Lieutenant."
Her feet slam into the ground. It's more open here. If she's lucky, nothing will try to kill her. It doesn't take her long to reach him. Khukri's right, he is dead. From the look of the damage to his armour, no-one could have survived that.
"Can you patch me through to Rhodri?"
"We can try. It is...difficult. Several communication towers have been damaged." After a few moments, "Connecting you now."
"Rhodri, it's Riley. We need to get the fuck out of here."
"Where are you?" He sounds out of breath.
She starts to jog towards cover. "About ten K south of you, according to Khukri. That means the nearest settlement is probably..."
"Avostell."
"Right. Meet me there in thirty. Try to get hold of whoever you can. Anyone that isn't there by then isn't coming."
Another explosion. The ground shakes again.
"Rhodri? Did you get that?"
"Shit. Sure. I mean, yes. It just seems a bit harsh."
"I'm past feeling like being nice. We need to be gone. Avostell. In thirty."
"Yes, ma'am."
And then he's gone. She sets off at a slow jog, gun in hand, hoping she won't have to use it.
"We could check for survivors."
"There isn't time, Khukri."
"You are upset about Major Richter."
"Yes, but I can't think about that now."
"We understand."
Head down, she's into a sprint. And then. There. Not ten feet in front of her. It stands at least seven or eight feet tall, with the build to match. She hasn't seen one this close to. She stops running.
SHIT
It wears full body armour, and she knows from previous experience that it won't go down easily. It turns to face her. Its helmet's visor is raised - a stupid mistake if ever she saw one.
Without thinking, she aims for its hand, and shoots. Without speaking, she asks Khukri to raise her armour's shields.
Her shot has disarmed it. Taken it momentarily by surprise. It looks her straight in the eye. "I will crush you."
Its mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth moves awkwardly, as though controlled by some other force. Its voice sounds peculiar, as though it is not one, but many. Riley assumes it is her ears playing a trick on her after being around so many explosions.
"Yeah? Next time you might not want to stand around chatting about it."
She raises her gun and aims again, this time at its head. Her shots hit it cleanly in the forehead. It falls to the ground with a loud, metallic thud. She doesn't stop to make sure it won't come after her.
By the time she reaches Avostell, Rhodri is already there. And he's alone.
Things to bear in mind: this is unedited. It's also not even what I'd call first draft - this is literally what came out of my head onto the page, so there's not much to it description-wise. But eh, it's a thing, I wanted to share, feedback welcome :) I have a tag for that! WHO KNEW I HAD A TAG FOR THAT
~
Notes: Khukri is an AI, and AI always refer to themselves in the plural.
~
An explosion. Another one. This time the ground shook. A third, nearer now. Flames, off to the left. A column of smoke in the air. Heavy footsteps, pounding on the ground. Faltering at the next explosion so close it could almost kill.
Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit
"You are becoming fatigued."
"You don't say."
"We were merely making an observation."
"Khurkri, this is no time for you to be such a--" Shit. Riley was on the ground, too winded to get up again.
"That last strike was close."
"You don't say."
"We detected some irritation in your last statement."
"Can you tell me something useful, Khukri?"
"That depends on what you want to know."
"For crying out loud. We're getting slaughtered and I'm stuck with the most irritating AI in the galaxy."
"We think that is a slight exaggeration."
She gets to her feet again. "Is there anyone nearby? Any survivors?"
She checks her guns for ammunition while awaiting the results.
"Hirsch is ten kilometres from your current position, to your left. Major Richter is nearer, but we suspect he has been killed. His AI is not responding to requests for information."
Adrenaline surges through her. "Which way?"
"To Major Richter?"
"Affirmative."
"Zero point five kilometres ahead from your current position, Lieutenant."
Her feet slam into the ground. It's more open here. If she's lucky, nothing will try to kill her. It doesn't take her long to reach him. Khukri's right, he is dead. From the look of the damage to his armour, no-one could have survived that.
"Can you patch me through to Rhodri?"
"We can try. It is...difficult. Several communication towers have been damaged." After a few moments, "Connecting you now."
"Rhodri, it's Riley. We need to get the fuck out of here."
"Where are you?" He sounds out of breath.
She starts to jog towards cover. "About ten K south of you, according to Khukri. That means the nearest settlement is probably..."
"Avostell."
"Right. Meet me there in thirty. Try to get hold of whoever you can. Anyone that isn't there by then isn't coming."
Another explosion. The ground shakes again.
"Rhodri? Did you get that?"
"Shit. Sure. I mean, yes. It just seems a bit harsh."
"I'm past feeling like being nice. We need to be gone. Avostell. In thirty."
"Yes, ma'am."
And then he's gone. She sets off at a slow jog, gun in hand, hoping she won't have to use it.
"We could check for survivors."
"There isn't time, Khukri."
"You are upset about Major Richter."
"Yes, but I can't think about that now."
"We understand."
Head down, she's into a sprint. And then. There. Not ten feet in front of her. It stands at least seven or eight feet tall, with the build to match. She hasn't seen one this close to. She stops running.
SHIT
It wears full body armour, and she knows from previous experience that it won't go down easily. It turns to face her. Its helmet's visor is raised - a stupid mistake if ever she saw one.
Without thinking, she aims for its hand, and shoots. Without speaking, she asks Khukri to raise her armour's shields.
Her shot has disarmed it. Taken it momentarily by surprise. It looks her straight in the eye. "I will crush you."
Its mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth moves awkwardly, as though controlled by some other force. Its voice sounds peculiar, as though it is not one, but many. Riley assumes it is her ears playing a trick on her after being around so many explosions.
"Yeah? Next time you might not want to stand around chatting about it."
She raises her gun and aims again, this time at its head. Her shots hit it cleanly in the forehead. It falls to the ground with a loud, metallic thud. She doesn't stop to make sure it won't come after her.
By the time she reaches Avostell, Rhodri is already there. And he's alone.
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This sentence makes me go :D
There's loads I could've done with that last paragraph, but I think going for a punch works way better.
Also thanks for looking and leaving a comment :)
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Anyway! Glad you like it. I have WAY more (16K+ words!) than this, and I'm working on it right now (pretty much any time I use the abominations tag, that's what I'm talking about). I would actually like to get it finished, if not published, because I'm so totally in love with the idea. Also it'd do me good to finish a story for once.