[Fanfiction] By The Sword

[Kalenath]

Recruiting

 

They hadn’t had any warning at all. Before the Corpus personnel even knew the Grineer were there, the filthy clones had infiltrated the complex somehow and deactivated the security systems. Then everything was chaos. Shouts, shooting… It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The Grineer were not supposed to be able to attack so quickly and with such devastating force. There hadn’t been time to evacuate the non-combatants. The small team of technicians huddled in their secure bunker, praying as they had been taught. The firing outside had stopped, but no one relaxed. The doze non-combatants all knew their fates if the Grineer broke in. The lucky ones would die, gunned down or beaten down. The unlucky ones would spend the rest of their –probably short- lives working as slaves to manufacture weapons for the Grineer. The sole med tech in the secure room fingered her Spectra pistol reluctantly. She had been trained how to use it of course, but she had never had to fire it. She was not a fighter. She had never…

 

She paused. What was that sound? She stared around at the others who were all kneeling, praying as they had been taught. Begging Profit to send them surcease. But the noise wasn’t them. None of them paused in their prayers. She was more flexible than them. She had been reformed that way during her indoctrination when she had shown a propensity for medical technology. She knew a lot about a lot of things. So she knew just how slim their chances actually were. That the chance of a Corpus ship responding to their plight was remote to say the least. She was trained to protect and heal this group however, so she would. She moved carefully through the chanting crowd, seeking the source of the odd noise. At one wall, she felt something odd. A breeze? She stared down at a tiny hole that appeared in the wall and flinched as something came through it. But…

 

It wasn’t a weapon. It wasn’t anything she had ever seen before. Indeed, it looked like some kind of insect. Odd looking, metallic. Not organic looking at all. The tiny six legged form looked up at her and she could swear that she was being perused in turn, but that was ridiculous, wasn’t it? But then, it jumped impossibly high and she gave a squeak as it landed on the helmet of her space suit. A sharp pain hit her neck and she felt…

 

Wait a moment. How had she gotten on the floor? Why had the chanting stopped? Why were her eyes suddenly seeing many colors? Why…? She was unconscious before she could fathom what had happened.

 

None of the chanting techs heard her cry out. Not that it would have helped them at all as eleven more of the tiny insects had entered the room through the hole. Each unerringly sought out a warm body, found a place to grip, cut through the tough Corpus helmets with no effort and bit down, instantly sedating their victim. In moments, the secure room was silent, twelve space suited forms lay still. Then the wall gave a shudder and something cut through it as if the insanely tough metal was as resistant as tissue paper. Another shriek of tortured metal and part of it was torn from the rest. Then another piece was torn out, then another. Finally, what had been a wall was a large wide opening.

 

A huge armored form entered the room, looking around carefully. It bent down and touched the still med tech. In form, it was humanoid, but… One arm was a long mass of sharp metal. The other had a hand, but the forearm had a large protuberance on it. A whir came from the protuberance as a scanner worked.

 

“All unconscious.” The voice from the armored form was calm and unhurried. “Secure and prepare.” It rose and stepped back as a squad of Grineer entered the room. But…

 

These were not normal Grineer. Instead of helmets, each had an odd fleshy thing over their heads. The bubble like masses only looked flimsy, each was far stronger than steel. Their weapons as well were… different. Instead of Grakata SMGs, Karak or Hind rifles, Ignis flamethrowers or Ogris rocket launchers, these carried small, organic looking weapons that looked toy-like in their hands. But the pistols were anything but toys. Firing darts or stunning beams, they were excellent for taking prisoners, which was the intent here. Each of the soldiers holstered their weapons and started grabbing unconscious techs. But… they were oddly gentle. Each carried one or two of the still forms carefully. After a moment, only the medical tech was left to lie on the floor. The armored form who had come in first picked her up and carried her from what had been a secure room.

 

As it walked, it passed piles of ash. These were the remnants of the Corpus security forces who had tried to defend the small facility. Without the automated defenses however, they hadn’t had a chance. The assault team had tried to take prisoners, and indeed, they had many. But a few of the Elite Crewmen had proved difficult and the assault team had been pressed for time, so…

 

The med tech moaned as regained partial consciousness.

 

“Strong.” The voice of the armored form was unemotional. “You will serve well.”

 

“Grineer…?” The med tech was dazed and confused. “What…?”

 

“No.” The armored form said flatly. It turned and another soldier laid a small, fleshy thing up against the med tech’s skull. She gave out a small noise of pain and slumped unconscious again. “Orders?” The armored form asked as the small force of Grineer entered a Corpus design transport. They had used the ship to gain access to the small facility.

 

Prepare them. The voice of their master was calm and unhurried as always. It came from nowhere and everywhere. That one will serve well.

 

The transport bore little resemblance internally to any Corpus ship anymore. Now, the walls and floor were all carpeted with odd looking flesh. It looked…almost dirty somehow. The machinery was run by organic matrixes. Human brains that had been… harvested and repurposed to serve as living computers. The armored form passed Grineer soldiers securing Corpus personnel into odd cocoon like things. It passed into a larger room as a thrum sounded. The ship had taken off. A rumble sounded and the armored form nodded. They had sent a sizable explosive charge to cover their abductions. The Corpus would find nothing but rubble from that facility. They would likely write off the whole place and all the personnel. Which was the idea.

 

The armored form moved to a specific place and laid the unconscious med tech down on a special pad. Then it stepped back as tentacles came from various places on the ceiling and walls and converged on the med tech. Whirring saws cut the space suit off of her. Then the pad extruded pseudopods that arced over her body, covering her completely. In moments, she was almost totally covered by dirty looking flesh.

 

“This one will do well for us.” The armored form said calmly. “We will need battlefield medicine. She will serve.”

 

The cocoon that the med tech was encased in hardened quickly, leaving only her head free. The armored form watched dispassionately as another tentacle swung down and encased the top of the woman’s head. A crackling sound heralded energy being applied. The med tech’s eyes shot open and she screamed.

 

“Be easy, sister.” The armored form said quietly. “We will tend you. You will serve.”

 

“Hurts…” The med tech’s eyes were not focusing.

 

“It won’t hurt for long.” The armored form reassured her. “Soon you will feel very good.” Indeed, after a moment, the med tech started panting, her face going red.

 

“I… No…” The Corpus tech stammered. “Don’t…” She broke off and gasped, but not in pain. Far from it.

 

“We will use you.” The armored form said with a nod as the Corpus woman shuddered. “Your body will be refurbished and you will serve. You will gain pleasure from healing. From bending souls to the Master’s will.”

 

“No… I… do… serve…” The Corpus tech stammered. “I…”

 

“What is your name, sister?” The armored form asked, its tone kind.

 

“I am… Ginger L89…” The med tech replied. “I… No…” She pleaded. “Don’t…” Her pleading fell on deaf ears.

 

“Mind access… achieved.” The armored form said quietly. “Download commencing.” The Corpus med tech screamed and went limp as energy started playing along the tentacle around her head, sucking her memories out and parsing them at lightspeed. “Ah, you were chastised, punished for failing to detect a trap. You did everything right and were punished for a failure higher up the chain of command. Typical Corpus. Lousy Tenno screwed you as they screwed me. We will get revenge, sister. Relax. Just flow with the pleasure. It won’t hurt.”

 

“I serve… the Corpus…” Ginger L89 said listlessly. “The Corpus…serves me… Don’t…”

 

“Not anymore.” The armored form replied evenly. “Now you serve a higher calling. A noble calling. You will be our medical support. Our Healer. Our Mender.”

 

“No…” Ginger begged and then screamed again and went limp as the organic machine drained her volition completely as well as much of her personality. What was left would be remade in the way that the other had been. Remade to serve unquestioningly. Remade to be strong, to be fast and capable. To be, in essence, the ultimate slave.

 

“There.” The armored form said quietly. “Download complete. We have your memories archived. Now to program you.” Ginger’s body jerked in place as energy flared again. The cocoon fell away and her body was now covered by armor much like the others. “Not long now, sister.” The armored form crooned. After a few moments, the reclining form lay still and the standing one spoke again. “Who are you?”

 

“This one is Mender.” The former Corpus tech said quietly as an armored helmet covered her face, obscuring her voice. “This one will serve.”

 

“Indeed.” The standing form said with a nod. “Status?”

 

“Memory capacity at 35%.” Mender replied. “Medical knowledge unimpaired. Self-volition removed.” She sat up slowly. “Body repairs complete.” She looked down at herself and nodded. “Query: Other recruits will be processed?”

 

“Slower.” The standing form replied. “But we have two who may need your… special touch, sister.” Mender looked at her and the other made a noise of exasperation. “They are stubborn.”

 

“They will serve.” Mender said as she rose. “We serve.”

 

“Indeed we do.” Nemesis replied evenly. “Come, sister. We have work to do.” She held out the hand that was not a sword and Mender took it to rise. Then both walked from the room without a backward glance. Behind them, a Grineer soldier laid another Corpus Crewman down and the machinery started the process again. As they walked, they passed others in various stages of conversion. Some were crying, some were praying. Some were screaming and others were just dull and listless. All would eventually succumb and serve.

 

The pair of armored forms entered another room and paused. Two cocoons lay well away from each other. The occupants were both male from the facial features that could be seen through the clear bio plastic domes that covered their heads.

 

“These will be Tech and Strike.” Nemesis said calmly. “Technician and melee combat specialist, respectively.”

 

“Understood.” Mender replied as she strode towards the closest cocoon. “Ah, Strike. Human baseline.” A series of pseudopods extruded from her arms and extended to touch various parts of the cocoon. “This one is very strong. Conversion may take some time. And…” She paused. “This unit is badly damaged!” She protested. “Suboptimal.”

 

“That unit fought long and hard despite overwhelming force.” Nemesis agreed. “Three stunner hits and it continued to fight. I was forced to subdue it personally.”

 

“Repairs must be done before conversion can occur. They have begun, but the injuries are extensive and will take some time to repair. Physical conversion will aid in recovery, but until done, mental conversion must wait.” Mender said with a hint of exasperation. She retracted her appendages and strode to the other. “Ah, Tech…” She touched this cocoon and nodded. “Less damage. Easy, Brother.” She said as the man woke and started to scream. “Everything will be well.”

 

“Monsters!” The former Corpus combat tech screamed. “Monsters! Get away! Profits save me!”

 

“Your profits cannot help you now.” Mender said quietly. “But I can. Rest easy, Brother.” A pulse of power flared and he went limp. “Selective personality wipe begun. I have him, Sister. Conversion has begun.” She said as the cocoon moved under her touch, bit flattening, other bits enlarging. “What now?”

 

“Now we find more recruits.” Nemesis said quietly. “And then? We kill Tenno.”

 

The ship gave another rumble and Nemesis paused. That one hadn’t been planned, had it? Mender did not look up from her work, but all of the minds aboard were suddenly focused on a new thing.

 

“Grineer Galleon on approach.” Nemesis said flatly. “No communication.”

 

“Query:-“Mender said as she worked on the still form in the cocoon. “Why would Grineer attack?”

 

“The first recruits were Grineer.” Nemesis said quietly. “They may have taken offense.” She did not sound worried. “Crew preparing. We will find more recruits and a new ship to spread the Word.”

 

“The Word must spread.” Mender said and the still form in the cocoon spoke the same words. “Tech is… ready.”

 

“You are efficient, Mender.” Nemesis complimented the other. “Grineer boarding pods approaching. We will allow them to land.” The cocoon in front of them spilt and another armored form rose from it. Without a word, Mender moved to the other cocoon and started working. The newly converted form was armored like the others, but had various protuberances, much like antennae, sprouting from various parts of his body. His armor did not look as extensive as the others, but he was not a front line combatant. “Tech? Can you access the Grineer networks?”

 

“Yes.” Tech replied, his voice a monotone. “Grineer firewalls bypassed. Systems under control. Galleon weapons and drives offline. Other systems will require physical access due to separated networks.”

 

“What are their orders?” Nemesis asked absently. The boarding pods were nearly to their ship.

 

“To determine what happened to the missing Grineer and kill whoever is responsible.” Tech replied, unease filtering into its monotone. “Kela De Thaym is in one of the boarding pods.”

 

“Kela?” Nemesis said softly. “I see. So the Queens know something is wrong. But not what.” She laughed a little maniacally. “I think… I think it will serve them right if we took her.” Tech stared at her and Nemesis shrugged. “If they lose her, they will clone her. It is what they do for all of their leaders except Vor and that moron Hek.” Tech just looked at her and she shook her head. “Personal status?”

 

“Systems online.” Tech reported. “Volition dampened to 15%. Control systems in place and operational. Do you wish to deploy controllers?” The insect pacification systems would render any boarding parties unconscious. They were designed to operate against any foe, armored or not. They would even work against warframes if they took the Tenno by surprise.

 

“No.” Nemesis said after a moment’s silent consultation with her master. “Kela De Thaym was one of the ones who tormented this unit before it’s ascension. She must be punished.”

 

“Personal.” Tech’s voice was still unemotional, but held censure now. ‘Emotions are not rational.”

 

Morale is important tech. This wasn’t from Nemesis. No, this voice came from their master. Nemesis serves well, but she is angry. Deservedly so. She was wronged. She desires vengeance. That will give her some closure. And it will be a good test of her combat capabilities, not all of which have been tested completely.

 

“Concerned.” Tech stated. “But obeying. Deploy controllers to the Galleon?”

 

Do it. The Master’s voice replied. And Nemesis? Have fun.

 

Tech strode to one side of the room and sat in a fleshy chair that extruded from the wall for him. Dozens of displays flickered around him as information flowed back and forth. Nemesis strode from the room silently. She passed the ranks of slave Grineer and the soon to be slave Corpus who were now unconscious in their pods. It was not compassion that put them to sleep, but efficiency. If they thrashed, they would tear delicate membranes and do damage to the conversion mechanisms. It would not stop the conversion process, but it would delay it. And efficiency was everything. With no pesky self-centered emotions, the whole would be far, far greater than the parts. With no egos to get involved, things were so much simpler, as the Origin system was about to discover to its cost.

 

Nemesis strode to a junction that the enemy would have to pass through and waited. She did not have to wait long. Thuds heralded the arrival of the assault pods and Nemesis moved to stand in the shadows near one wall. The wall moved a bit to help conceal her. It was organic despite its metallic look. In moments, she could hear the Grineer fanning out through the parts of the ship they could access and then she could hear their commander.

 

“Where are they?” Kela De Thaym was rarely a quiet person. Now, she wasn’t even trying. “I want to kill something!” A dozen Grineer passed Nemesis without noticing her concealed position. She was not worried. They would be taken down as soon as Nemesis engaged De Thaym. Some would survive to be converted and the others would be…

 

“Commander!” A loud voice called in Grineer. “Something is here!” Nemesis cursed as a rocket slammed into the wall near her. She had been seen before she could spring her ambush. She stepped from the wall to find herself face to face with a Grineer Bombard and Kela De Thaym. “What…?” The Bombard had time to say before Nemesis hurled her sword and it impaled his right arm to the wall. His rocket launcher fell from nerveless fingers as he tried to pull it free. But then he collapsed as the drug she had directed it to inject him with worked its wonder with him. The sword flew back to her hand as De Thaym watched, dispassionate.  

 

“What are you?” The Grineer female demanded as she took aim.

 

“I am the future, Kela De Thaym.” Nemesis declared. “Join us.”

 

“You are a fool!” De Thaym snapped as a pair of rockets spewed from her modified Ogris. She gave a startled cry as Nemesis made a motion and the rockets spun in mid-air to slam into the wall next to her! “So… the fun way…” She holstered her rocket launcher and drew a shock baton.

 

“Fun for some.” Nemesis was unemotional now despite the hate that sang within her. Her personal shield activate and De Thaym paused in her approach as Nemesis’ sword formed again. “You too will serve. I think… Yes, we will need long range firepower. You will do nicely.”

 

“You are delusional!” De Thaym snapped, baton twirling. “I have hundreds of troops with me.”

 

“All of whom are unconscious or dead by now.” Nemesis retorted. “They will serve the Master. As will you.”

 

“Grineer dominance is inevitable.” De Thaym declared as she swung a stupendous blow that hit Nemesis’ shield and rebounded. She backed away, shock on her ruined face. “What?”

 

“Grineer dominance?” Nemesis asked. “No. You will serve. You will serve me. And… just so you know? My name before my ascension… was Valkyrie.” Kela De Thaym paled and took a step back, but Nemesis made a gesture and a force field blocked her exit. “Now, now… Don’t run. We are going to have some fun…” Her sword crackled with electricity as she charged.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Kalenath

[Shadow977]

Goddamn.

[Trenggiling]

too long...

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Spikey844]

Oh...... F***

[DJSeraph]

too long...

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You're delusional! It's fine. :)

It's just the right length!

[FiveHours]

Where do you find the time to write these? It's admirable to see so much writing being put out by one person. Well done on the story, but I must agree that it seems a bit excessive for one chapter.

[Kalenath]

I have a very limited job atm, and no social life. So I have time to write 3000 words or so a day. Waiting for Customs officials to get (or buy) a clue is tedious, to say the least.

 

These are my fun, my relaxation. I write them so that I can put my emotions on the back burner and deal with someone ELSE's for a while. I am glad people enjoy them.

[Stingray97]

too long...

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To short you mean :)

[Temperance000]

As predicted, the biomass has hit the air circulation system.  I'm still thinking those things are Sentients, or at least based on Sentient tech.  Come on Rebecca, let's not keep secrets.  And poor Ginger L89...I remember her from Normal.  The Tenno have their work cut out for them this time...

[FiveHours]

I have a very limited job atm, and no social life. So I have time to write 3000 words or so a day. Waiting for Customs officials to get (or buy) a clue is tedious, to say the least.

 

These are my fun, my relaxation. I write them so that I can put my emotions on the back burner and deal with someone ELSE's for a while. I am glad people enjoy them

Your writing is good, I would think that you must write about some other subject/topic? If you do, links would be appreciated. I hope it gets better, you deserve to get your stories heard outside of the Warframe forums :)

[Vahlak]

Awesome first post.

 

 Also, you kidnapped Prod Man :(

[Kalenath]

Awesome first post.

 

 Also, you kidnapped Prod Man :(

 

Not me...

 

I wouldn't do that. I know better. I might make him mad.

[Vahlak]

Prod Man will FIND you Kale. And when he does, you will regret turning him into Strike!

 

D:<

[Kalenath]

First Test

 

Nemesis was not happy. She was not sad. Indeed, her emotions were dampened so far that it could be argued that she had none. She rarely showed any semblance of them now. Other people? Not so much.

 

“You were not supposed to kill her.” The master’s disapproval sang through every word. With each syllable, pain seared through Nemesis’ body. “You were supposed to take her alive.”

 

“She…was alive…” Nemesis managed to get the words out somehow. “She was alive. Until she…” The pain skyrocketed and she broke off, trembling.

 

“You had her down and defenseless. Restraining her would have been simple. You knew she would grab your sword.” The master countered easily. “You knew she would grab it when you dropped it. You shocked her again and again. Fried her synapses beyond even Mender’s ability to revive.” The pain intensified. “We needed her. You killed her. You disobeyed.”

 

“We didn’t need her.” Nemesis retorted, biting back a scream. “She was uncontrollable.”

 

“That was not your place to judge. To choose.” The master’s rage sang through her now. “You are a useful tool, Nemesis. But in the end, you are just a tool. You can be replaced. Remember that.” With that, he was gone.

 

Nemesis woke to find herself lying on the floor beside the still form that had been Kela De Thaym. It was sort of recognizable. Nemesis had to admit… she had been through in beating the Grineer female until the other hadn’t been able to move, let alone fight. The final bit, dropping the sword to administer the final beating with her hands, hadn’t been thought out. When Kela had grabbed the sword… Nemesis sighed. She had wanted the other dead. Self-deception was impossible in the state she was enhanced into. She had wanted the other dead and Kela grabbing the sword had given her an excuse. Maybe when she face the next clone of Kela De Thaym, Nemesis would do as instructed. No. She would. No maybe about it.

 

“Nemesis?” Mender’s voice was calm but held a hint of worry. They had left the medic’s emotions somewhat intact. Empathy made her a better healer. She was tightly controlled, as all of them were, but she was more empathic than any of the others.

 

“I wanted her dead.” Nemesis said quietly as she rose. She was not surprised that the damage she had taken in the fight with De Thaym was already barely visible on her armor. It self-healed at a prodigious rate. “I didn’t realize it. I wanted her to hurt. I wanted to pay her back for the humiliations, the pain. I should have used the controllers. I need more dampening.”

 

“Let me check.” Mender said quietly as she stepped forward, a pseudopod reaching out to touch the other’s armored helmet. She was making soft noises of pleasure as she worked, probably not aware of it. She had been programed to find enjoyment in healing and bending others to the master’s will. Nemesis did not comment or move. Nemesis staggered as something seemed to slam into her from the inside, but then, she relaxed. “There.” Mender said quietly. “Better?”

 

“Yes.” Nemesis said after a moment of checking herself. “What I did was wrong, but it will not happen again.”

 

“Good.” Mender moved to where the Bombard slumped against the wall. “This one will serve.” She said quietly as she… engulfed his form. It was hard to describe, but in moments, her form had solidified and the Grineer was being carried by several of her tentacles while others clamped onto his helmet. She started off. Nemesis followed, eyes roving. Mender was a priceless asset. The last thing any wanted was for her to be harmed. Her… transformation had been extreme. The armored shell around her was the only thing holding her body in a human shape now. “He… ewww… He was De Thaym’s personal toy. The current one anyway.” She sounded slightly sick now.

 

“I do not want to know.” Nemesis said after a moment. “What little I saw of her was more than enough. We will encounter another clone of her in the future. When we do, I will take her alive for conversion.”

 

“The more we convert, the better.” Mender agreed as she… well, she wasn’t walking, per say. It looked as if she was oozing across the floor, but in actuality, she had hundreds of tiny pseudopods where feet would be on a human. She entered the area where she had been remade and laid the Grineer down on the fleshy pad where she had been transformed. The tentacles came down from the ceiling and started removing pieces of the heavy armor. “Long range specialist?” Mender asked.

 

“Yes.” Nemesis agreed. “Augment eyes, strength and dexterity. Implant linkages for heavy weapons. Full control. We cannot allow such a dangerous form to be left even remotely loose.” A cocoon formed around the Bombard and in moments, only his head was free. Then Mender leaned close, tools flashing. He jerked as his skull was bared and then more than bared. The top of his head was quickly sawn off, but he slept on. Nemesis watched dispassionately as Mender severed the links to the Grineer’s spinal column, replacing them with bio technology. “Any trouble?”

 

“No.” Mender replied. “Tech is going over the data we captured and Strike will be out of his shell in a few minutes. He is… confused.” Her tone might have been an understatement, it might not have been. It was hard to tell.

 

“I will handle it.” Nemesis replied. “The other recruits?”

 

“We have two hundred new recruits.” Tech said from where he sat. Nemesis looked over and nodded. His form had morphed. He no longer sat in the chair, he had become the chair, or it had become him. Screens flashed around him, far faster than a human eye would have been able to follow. Even Nemesis’ advanced optics couldn’t keep up with the specialized flow of information. Then again, she didn’t have to. That was Tech’s purpose. He didn’t need to move to do it. Eventually, his legs would likely be absorbed by his armor and turned into some form of interface. “The ship is undamaged and they were unable to purge the databases. We have the current Grineer codes, but they will be outdated by the end of the day. The ship is fully functional and the crew will be converted within four hours.”

 

“Keep me appraised.” Nemesis said to both Mender and Tech as she strode from the room. The room beyond was the one that Mender had put Strike in. His cocoon as rocking as he woke for his conversion. “Good morning, Strike.” Nemesis said calmly.

 

“You.” The word was calm, but the emotions behind it were anything but. “You did this to me.” The cocoon literally flew apart and the male spun to his feet, his hand morphing. Suddenly, he held a whip that crackled with electricity and dripped poison. “What have you done to me?” He demanded, the whip coiled and ready.

 

“You don’t want to fight me, Strike.” Nemesis said quietly. “You want to kill Tenno. They are the Enemy. Not me.”

 

“I…” Strike seemed to pause and then growled. “No. You hurt me. I will hurt you!” Nemesis sighed at that. Dampening his emotions would render him a less able combatant. But… Since he was pretty much a berserker… Quick as thought, the whip came at her and she caught it on the blade of her sword. It coiled around and she gave a solid yank, pulling Strike off balance. Before he could recover, her blade’s tip was at his throat. He growled and prepared himself, but then paused as she laughed and stepped back. “What?” He demanded.

 

“You want a fight.” Nemesis said with another laugh, a sinister laugh. “Good. I will find you a fight worthy of you.” Strike stared at her, his helmeted head not moving. “You don’t want to fight me, Strike.”

 

“I don’t want to fight you.” Strike sounded unsure. His word were half to Nemesis, half to himself. “I… want to fight. But…” He shook his head and stared at the whip. “This… this is wrong…”

 

“Is it?” Nemesis asked, her voice almost kind. “Is it really, brother?”

 

“You call me… ‘Brother’?” Strike said slowly. “What does that mean?” Nemesis was not surprised. They had done a number on his memory, careful to leave his emotions alone. He was a powerful combatant, so they would keep him under close scrutiny and control. But he was also a mighty asset.

 

“It means you are like me.” Nemesis said evenly. “You are a chosen servant of the Master. Elevated above the rank and file. The Enemy seek to destroy our master.” At that, Strike growled.

 

“Enemy.” Strike sounded more feral than coherent now. “I know that word. Where?” He demanded.

 

“We will find them.” Nemesis said quietly. “And when we do, you will lead us into the fight.” Strike laughed a bit maniacally. “Rest now, Brother.” Strike looked at her, then lay down where the pod had been. Moments later, he was snoring. Nemesis sighed. “I don’t suppose we can do anything about the noise…” Her voice was sour as she rejoined Mender.

 

“We are lucky his lungs work at all after the pounding you gave them.” Mender was blunt. “He okay?”

 

“He wants a fight.” Nemesis said with a nod. “I guess we should find him one. A field test of the team.”

 

“And look for more recruits while you are at it?” Mender slid away from the pod containing the Bombard and nodded to nemesis. “What will we call this one?”

 

“Artillery.” Nemesis said quietly. “That is what he will be. How long?” Mender touched the pod and made a ‘hmmm’ noise.

 

“Repairs are done.” The healer confirmed. “Controls in place. Armor is growing. He will be big.”

 

“Big and strong.” Nemesis agreed. “He will have to be to carry the weapon the master plans for him to.” She strode to where Tech was working and nodded to the specialist. “You should have received a schematic marked ‘Heavy’.” Tech hit a couple of controls and then nodded. A holo appeared of…something. It was obviously a firearm of some kind and had multiple barrels.

 

“I did.” The seated abomination agreed. “It can be fabricated in a few hours. The… power requirements will be steep.”

 

“One reason we need him so strong.” Nemesis said with a soft laugh. “To carry the power cells.” Mender looked at her oddly and Nemesis sighed. “No, I am not unstable anymore. But humor is still present.”

 

“It shouldn’t be.” Mender said after a moment. She nodded towards a pad and Nemesis nodded and lay down. She relaxed as best she could while Mender’s pseudopods touched her helmet and questing pulse of power searched through her skull. “I can find no abnormalities.”

 

“I feel optimal now.” Nemesis stated. “Master?”

 

You are subservient now. The Master’s voice was calm. But control must be maintained. You will remain under scrutiny.

 

“Agreed.” Nemesis replied. “Next step?”

 

We lay a trap.

 

***

 

“Tell me again why we are bothering with this human filth.” Strike was seething with barely controlled impatience. “Just kill them and be done with it.”

 

The tiny human settlement Pluto hadn’t had a chance. Hidden away from both Grineer and Corpus scrutiny, it had relied on its camouflage and distance from the shipping lanes for protection. That did no good at all against the Chosen. Two squads of troops, former Grineer marines all, had surrounded the town and herded most of the residents into the center plaza of the town. There, Nemesis waited with Strike and Artillery.

 

“We will need some of them.” Nemesis said mildly. Getting angry with Strike served no purpose even if she could get emotional. “Mender will need test subjects.”

 

“What for?” Strike demanded, his whip was in hand and flashing to and fro. But he had learned not to push Nemesis. And… The one time he had tried Artillery, the massive former Bombard had simply taken his attack and thrown the smaller form through a metal wall. “And does she need all of them?”

 

“No.” Nemesis replied evenly. “Squad B. Separate adults by gender. Take ten of each to the ship for testing.”

 

“What about our children?” One of the adults cried as she was pulled away by one of the guards.

 

“They will feel no pain.” Nemesis said and the woman subsided as she was dragged away. Nemesis waited until the test subjects were well away before turning to Strike and nodding. “Kill them all.”

 

“But…” One of the adults screamed as Strike laughed and started forward, his whip cracking. “You said…”

 

“The dead feel nothing.” Nemesis countered and turned to Artillery who stood silent. “Destroy the houses.” The huge form nodded and raised his weapon. “Squad A, when he has done that, burn everything.”

 

Screams came from behind her and Strike started laughing, but she ignored them. Some of the humans tried to flee, only to be cut down by precise shots from the guards. Strike cut again and again into the ranks, until finally only steaming piles of meat were left. Artillery fired his weapon and a rocket oared out from it. It hit the side of a house and made a small hole.

 

“That is it?” Strike demanded, his voice shrill with elation and bloodlust. “Some…” Whatever else he was going to say was cut off as the house Artillery had hit exploded in a massive fireball. “Oh.” For a moment, the berserker sounded almost sane.

 

“Thermobaric round.” Nemesis said quietly. “Small hole, big boom.” Strike snorted and started cleaning the gore off his whip. Artillery calmly fired again and again. Then everything stopped as a shrill scream sounded from nearby. Nemesis turned to see a tiny human come running out of somewhere. “Another. Strike…” She commented. The little boy ran to one of the corpses and stopped. Strike stepped forward, his whip up, but then he froze in place. He stared at the boy who glared back, his face contorted by rage. “Strike?” She asked.

 

“I… can’t…” Strike said slowly. “I want to cut him down. But I can’t raise my whip. Stop it!” He declared. “Stop doing…whatever you are doing!”

 

Nemesis looked at the boy curiously. He was pure human, of mixed stock like so many others. There wasn’t any visible reason for Strike not to attack him. The boy looked at her and suddenly… She… She wanted to… She woke to find she was standing beside the boy, almost protectively.

 

He was controlling her somehow! Nemesis lashed out and the boy went flying. He hit the ground with a thud and lay there. Strike snarled and raised his whip, but paused as the Master’s voice sounded.

 

Not that one. We can use that one. The Master sounded elated. A telepath. Rare. So rare. But we can use him. Nemesis, bring him.

 

Nemesis walked to where the boy lay, blood pooling from where she had struck him and gathered him up. Then she started walking towards the ship.

 

“What do I do now?” Strike pouted.

 

“There will be others hiding.” Nemesis said calmly. “Find them. Artillery, squad A, destroy the town. Once all buildings are destroyed, Squad C will come to assist Squad A to collect the biomass. Strike, any other survivors are yours.” Strike made a happy noise and Nemesis nodded. “Happy hunting.”

 

Nemesis ignored the sounds of destruction behind her. She ignored the cries as Strike found hiding humans and did what he did. As she strode into the ship, she saw the humans standing in pens, each had been fitted with a controller and stood quiet. Mender had obviously been through. Each was fitted with bioscanners as well. As she walked, Nemesis saw one of the humans curl over and start to retch. The bio weapons that Mender was testing would likely work fast. Shooting humans was so inefficient. They bred like rabbits, so it would be extermination work.

 

Nemesis laid the boy down on the conversion pad and stepped away as the tentacles came down. Mender sidled up, the many eyes that had grown out on stalks watching.

 

“So young.” Mender sounded… curious. “A telepath? I have no idea how to control a telepath without damaging the ability.”

 

It was very rare. The Master’s voice came easily to both. The ability to speak mind to mind or control other minds was very rare even when Orokin was busy bio engineering themselves into silliness. I am downloading the few records we have of such. The memory center is separate. Wipe him.

 

Mender went still for a moment and then nodded. “As you wish.” She stepped forward and touched the boy on the head. “He will need repairs.” Faint reproof sounded in her voice as she focused on the boy. "His name was Scott.”

 

Now he will be ‘Control’. The Master said firmly. And Nemesis did what she had to.

 

“Yes Master.” Mender said quietly as the tentacles started their work. The boy started crying even in his sleep, but neither of the females was moved. He was, after all, only human and his pain would be short. Soon he would serve and that was a good thing. “The tests are done. The bio weapons are ready.”

 

Seed the colony. The Master commanded. Let none survive. Any who investigate will become carriers of the latent ones if they do not fall prey to the fast acting ones.

 

“Very well.” Nemesis said as she picked up a set of vials that Mender indicated and turned to go. But…

 

Problem, Nemesis? The Master’s voice was cool.

 

“I want to kill Tenno.” Nemesis said sharply. “Not human sheep.” She passed the pens and none of the humans were standing. Indeed, none of them were breathing anymore. Mender was nothing if not thorough. They would be recycled into biomass. The weapons that had been tested on them would not affect any of the Master’s minions. Anyone else? Yuck.

 

You will get your chance. The Master said quietly. For now, you have your orders. Obey them.

 

Yes Master. Nemesis said silently as she walked out of the ship, only to pause. Four guards lay in positions of violent death. She hadn't felt their deaths! A new form stood perusing her. In form, it was humanoid, but…

 

“Tenno!” Nemesis said with glee as she activated her shield. “It’s about time!”

 

The Tenno did not respond in words. Instead, he charged.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Kalenath

[Spikey844]

Dis is gunna be good!

 

And Kal? A child? Really, even for you that is cruel and heartless.

[Kalenath]

Dis is gunna be good!

 

And Kal? A child? Really, even for you that is cruel and heartless.

 

They killed everyone else. And yes, it kind of defines cruel and heartless, doesn't it? Or simply amoral and above such petty things as ethics.

 

And no, they haven't done their worst yet. Not by a LONG shot.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Kalenath

[Spikey844]

And no, they haven't done their worst yet. Not by a LONG shot.

And now I'm scared.

[Kalenath]

And now I'm scared.

 

So am I.

[Temperance000]

So am I.

 

That is worrisome.  Extremely worrisome.

[evafan002]

So am I.

 oh bloody hell imma take my warframes and my weapons and take a holiday in another universe for a few months perhaps one where the Apocalypse is occurring?

its gotta be safer than a universe that has something able to scare kal running around

Edited April 25, 2014 by evafan002

[renleech]

I think i have an idea of the worst they can do...

 Take teenager female colonists, the master doesn' t need them, he(or it) needs only their wombs. Then these twisted wombs will PRODUCE an army of beast-like creatures with hardwired psichopathic tendencies (Master says: "servitude must bring pleasure", even if pleasure means slaughtering the weak).

  I imagine the avatar of the master being an armor made of living civilians still moaning in pain of being stitched together to a biotech frame. (Master says: "To crush the tenno, add insult to injury").

 I imagine the interior of their ships. The ship systems are in truth wetware, their victims and their bodies are biomass after all.(Master says: "we just need to change their bodies enough to suit our needs, let's keep their faces and some body functions on the walls to remind you, my servants, where they came from...")

 

Like these ideas? Better i stop right now...

Edited April 25, 2014 by renleech

[Kalenath]

Cohesion

 

Nemesis thrilled as the Tenno approached, it’s sword upraised. Her own sword came around to strike, but… The Tenno was gone! Somthing hit her armor on the back of the neck and she spun in place, her shield connecting to the Tenno who had somehow managed to get leap around behind her. The ancient warrior was tossed away by the shield slam and she moved to follow up, but the misshapen form managed to land on its feet and charge again.

 

That is an Excalibur warframe. The master’s voice was unexcited. Melee combat is what it was designed for. Do not play its game, Nemesis. This last was both command and warning. We do not have time for this. You need to seed the… Oh Nemesis… The Master’s voice was sour now.

 

Nemesis looked down to see the vials that had fallen out of her hand when it had shifted to a sword crushed under her feet. She had contaminated herself with the bio agents. She would not be affected, and the Tenno likely would not be either. But the plasma wash of the ship taking off would sterilize the area, keep the bio weapons from taking root and denying the area to humans forever. Which might have been the Tenno’s plan.

 

“You…!” Nemesis snarled, and called power to her sword. It crackled with electrical energy as the Tenno slammed into an overhead strike, only to meet the sword as it came around. Somehow the Tenno twisted and managed to avoid the edge, parrying the blow with his much smaller sword but the discharge of energy stunned the warrior and Nemesis followed up on her advantage. She slammed her energy shield into the form, hurling it into the side of the ship. The crash when it hit was thunderous. “I will destroy… you…?” Nemesis’ voice trailed off as the Tenno found his feet and jumped. His jump took him to the top of the spacecraft that they had arrived in and he proceeded to vault away. “No!” She screamed. “Come back so I can kill you!” She demanded shrilly. But the Tenno paid her no mind. “Your death was promised to me!” She hurled insults, but the Tenno was long gone. She…

 

Nemesis… was lost in a gray haze. Everything was gray again. She was… It was… It hurt and she was… But…

 

Nemesis. The voice of the master was… displeased. Wake up.

 

I… Nemesis woke to find herself on one of the fleshy pads. Mender was working nearby, her armor discarded. From the look of things, she had extruded out of it when her body became too fluid to remain in it. “What happened?” She demanded.

 

“You had some kind of breakdown.” Mender said dispassionately. “You stood there screaming until I sedated you.”

 

“Screaming what?” Nemesis asked idly. She could feel…something different, but could not be sure what. “I fought that Tenno and it ran away.” Rage sang in her voice and Mender paused what she was doing and hit a control with a pseudopod. Nemesis felt relaxation seep through her. “I… I was angry…”

 

“Screaming incoherently. You very nearly gave yourself a stroke, Nemesis.” Mender said calmly. “While that is repairable, it would make a mess. Don’t do that.” The amorphous mass of the healer oozed closer and several tentacles reached out to touch Nemesis. The reclining armored form relaxed against her will. Somehow, the healer had sedated her with a touch, right through her armor.

 

“What have you done?” Nemesis asked, idly curious.

 

“Calmed you. We will have to calibrate your settings.” Mender said quietly. “Luckily, we have Control now to ease the process.” She waved the part of her body that held the eyestalks to the side and Nemesis saw…a brain floating inside a pod filled with fluid. Various appendages attached to the brain and it pulsed with energy. “He is doing just fine. Just relax Nemesis. Everything will be okay.” She touched a control and suddenly, Nemesis was engulfed by green protoplasm. It felt… good. “Easy, sister.” Mender said as…

 

“Let me go, you lousy monsters!” Nemesis heard her voice scream screamed at the top of her lungs. “When I get loose I will kill every last… Every last… I…” Her voice trailed off as she sighed and relaxed.

 

“There we go.” Mender said calmly. “A remnant of the previous personality. Odd. I didn’t scan that before. Better?”

 

“I…feel…” Nemesis felt… odd. Odder than usual. She felt as if she were floating. “Strange.”

 

“We will need to remove that remnant, Nemesis.” Mender said quietly. She was panting with eagerness. She had been programmed to get pleasure from warping minds. “Relax. It won’t take long. With Control to relax you, I can go in deep.”

 

“Wait.” Nemesis protested. “The mission… I lost the vials…”

 

“The humans were exterminated.” Mender replied easily. “The mission was not a total success, but not a total failure either. Strike is very unhappy that you got to fight the Tenno and he did not.”

 

“Artillery?” Nemesis asked. “Any strain on his systems? The weapon was larger than I thought.”

 

“Sister.” Mender sounded irate now. “Sleep.” Nemesis was trying to argue when something rolled over her and dragged her down into blackness. But only for a moment.

 

“You are an idiot.” Nemesis swallowed hard as she materialized on a gray surface. She had been here before. The few memories she had of this odd mindscape were… unpleasant. The master sat before her, the huge fleshy mound that served as his throne quivering with his anger. “A simple job. And what do you do? You lose control. You are no better than Strike.” Against her will, Nemesis felt her body kneel in supplication.

 

“It wasn’t my fault.” She heard herself say and quailed. It was. She knew it. Why was she denying it? “That Tenno…” Her words trailed off in a scream of pain as energy tore into her.

 

“You will speak when I command it.” The Master snapped. “You were to draw the Tenno out. You did. But then… you failed to kill it. You broke the bio weapon samples. Mender needed live humans to incubate the samples and all of them but Control were dead by then. And we certainly couldn’t use Control. Tell me why I shouldn’t just destroy you and find another to take the mantle of Nemesis?”

 

“I didn’t fail!” Nemesis protested. “Yes, the vials were broken. Yes I broke them. But I defeated the Tenno.”

 

“Nemesis, Nemesis…” The Master chided. “He was playing with you. One on one, none of you have a chance against a Tenno.” Nemesis felt shock but the Master wasn’t done. “Which is why I built you to lead the team, not to engage in some kind of stupid honor duel.” He shook his head, a human affection although he wasn’t. Not anymore. Nemesis did not know what he was, except scary. “If he had used any of his powers, you would have died right there, idiot girl.”

 

“But… I…” Nemesis stammered, undone by this. “Then what is my purpose if not to slay Tenno?”

 

“That is your purpose.” The Master snapped. “But not alone. The whole idea is to fight as a team, Nemesis. You, Strike, Artillery and whoever else you recruit, backed up by Mender, Tech and now Control. One on one, any Tenno can overmatch you just as the original Tenno slew the original Nemesis. You cannot match them one on one.” Nemesis wilted and one of the Master’s tentacles came down. It nudged her gently. It was oddly comforting. “But… my dear… you don’t have to.”

 

“I don’t understand.” Nemesis nearly wailed.

 

“I know.” The master said kindly. “But you will. Soon.”

 

Nemesis woke to find herself lying on the pad again. Mender was watching her closely.

 

“How bad?” Nemesis asked, feeling calm despite the upsets from before. Despite everything, she was calm now. That was… good.

 

“Your previous personality was a very forceful person.” Mender replied as she oozed closer. “But we wiped it.”

 

“Good.” Nemesis tried to rise and couldn’t. It was as if her body didn’t want to obey her. “What?” She asked idly. “Oh, Control.” She glanced to where the brain sat in it’s pod.

 

“Yes.” Mender said quietly. “I am finishing your scans. Producing the baseline we will use to test from now on. If bits of that personality resurface and they might…” She cautioned the other. “We will know and be able to take action without such deep and invasive probing.”

 

“What is Control’s range?” Nemesis asked, genuinely curious.

 

“He can only affect things inside this room.” Mender said with a human sounding sigh. “He was only four years old. Perhaps with stimulation, the parts of the brain that work the telepathy will strengthen. But for now, he can sedate or control anything in this room and nothing more. I shouldn’t even call him ‘he’ although that is easier than ‘it’ or ‘Control’.”

 

“So…” Nemesis felt the germ of an idea start to form. “If we captured someone and brought them in here for interrogation…”

 

“We could hold them indefinitely no matter how powerful they might be.” Mender agreed. “Why?”

 

“I am supposed to be part of a team. A leader.” Nemesis said after a moment of thought. “So I am thinking about what we have, what we can do. We need more warriors.” She mused. “As the master chastised me, none of us are a match for Tenno one on one.”

 

“That Tenno could not hurt you.” Mender said after a moment. “Its blade did not even dent your armor.

 

“If it was trying to hurt me.” Nemesis countered. “The Master believes it was trying to destroy the bio weapons. Which it did. Then it left.”

 

“That… might be true.” Mender said slowly. “or you may have hurt it when you slammed it into the side of the ship. We cannot know.”

 

“Where are we?” Nemesis asked.

 

“On our way to the second target.” Mender replied. “Another small human colony.”

 

“May I rise?” Nemesis asked. “I will report any abnormalities as soon as I sense them.”

 

“I have a bioscanner attached to your helmet now.” Mender replied. “I can access your implants remotely. If you start to slide, I can counter.” Nemesis stared at her and then snickered. “What?” The healer demanded.

 

“Or if someone tries to take control…” Nemesis said slowly.

 

“I can take control of them through you.” Mender finished with the other and both shared an evil laugh. “I hope they try.” She moved away and Nemesis rose to stand, checking her range of motion. Everything worked as it should and all her readouts were green.

 

“This time…” Nemesis mused. “This time we will do it right. As a team. We will get you prisoners and destroy the colony with no sidetracks.”

 

“We will need some more suitable facilities.” Mender said after a moment. “I would like to have some… longer term experiments running.”

 

“What kind of experiments?” Nemesis asked carefully.

 

“Tenno are evolved from humans, with the application of the Technocyte Virus.” Mender replied. ”I think observing a few of them changing will help my research into the use of bio warfare against Tenno.”

 

“How many?” Nemesis asked after a moment’s thought. Master? She inquired. Is this wise?

 

No. The Master replied. But it is necessary. A few dozen should do for a start. Be very careful, Mender. He cautioned. Keep them secure.

 

You mean we have to build and maintain a zoo for humans…? Nemesis asked, incredulous. The master did not reply. Indeed, his mind vanished from hers.

 

“No need for that.” Mender replied. “Simple storage will work to keep them fresh enough for the virus to take root. Some cells to observe the changes. Nothing more.”

 

“And a store of the Technocyte Virus.” Nemesis snapped. Mender just looked at her. “What?”

 

“Nemesis…” Mender’s voice was kind now. “You were changed by the virus.” Nemesis went still and Mender sighed. “So was I. So were Strike and Artillery. The Master controlled it, kept it from eating us completely, but we were all changed. Evolved. Ascended.”

 

“I… didn’t know that.” Nemesis said after a moment’s thought. “So I have the virus inside me?”

 

“Yes.” Mender agreed. “Get me some test subjects and I can show you.”

 

“I will.” Nemesis felt a new emotion surface for a moment. Anticipation.

 

***

 

Again, the humans had no warning and no chance. But this time, Nemesis stood back with Artillery and Strike, who would not stop complaining. But she ignored him as the troops did as she had outlined. They surrounded the town and searched it, building by building. Mender had provided a selection criteria and the troops were pulling forms from the groups, slapping rudimentary shock collars on them and herding them to the ship. The others were being cordoned in the plaza like the last group (this time by force fields), but none of the troops even bothered to respond to the increasingly upset human’s demands for information.

 

Finally, the search was done and they had all of the specimens that Mender would need, including a pair of twin boys that whose discovery had almost made the medical specialist swoon. The troops withdrew a bit, leaving the humans in the plaza surrounded by the fields.

 

“They are clear.” Nemesis said coldly. “Open fire.” Strike waved the whip that had now become his arm in agitation, but Artillery just raised his massive weapon and fired. Three large shells burst on the plaza in quick sequence, prompting screams from the humans, but nothing else seemed to happen. Until the poison gas reached them that is. Then they collapsed in droves. Nemesis shook her head. Several of the humans had either managed to shield themselves somehow or were immune to the poison, or something. “Strike.” The berserker snorted and dashed toward the plaza. Nemesis ignored the mayhem that sounded from the plaza as she looked around. It was over very quickly. “Collection teams, in. Demo teams, set the charges. Scorch teams, burn everything that doesn’t explode. Artillery, when they are done, leave a few presents.”

 

The massive fire support being nodded slightly and his weapon gave a ‘chunk’ as it loaded the new bio warfare rounds that Mender had come up with. A nasty pathogen that was only inimical to humans. Any other form of life would be unharmed. But any humans investigating the ruined town would sicken and die. But not quickly. If the carrier died too soon, what was the point of making an infectious disease?

 

The body collection teams moved to the plaza, the former Corpus guiding huge wagons that allowed for easy loading and unloading of dead bodies. It made sense to use the former Corpus for this. After all, they all had spacesuits already. It wasn’t as if any of them could complain now, was it? None of them had that much volition left after Mender was done with them. They were workers. The former Grineer were the warriors and the Chosen were the leaders. A perfect hive. United in one purpose. Extermination.

 

“This is no fun!” Strike complained as he followed Nemesis. “I was promised a fight!”

 

“You will get one.” Nemesis said with a shrug as they walked. Behind them, explosions started to sound, followed by the hiss of flamethrowers.

 

“When?” Strike demanded shrilly. “Killing unarmed humans is far too easy. I want a challenge.”

 

“You will get one.” Nemesis said dryly as she ascended the ramp into the ship. She moved to the side as one of the wagons dropped its load of dead onto a conveyor that led to a grinder. It would turn all of them into easily recycled biomass. Nasty, but extremely efficient. Strike pouted and went to where he had a target dummy set up He started hitting it with his whip, his favorite pastime. Nemesis walked to where Mender was working on a pair of pods. “The poison did not work 100%.” Nemesis said uneasily.

 

“Nothing is perfect, sister.” Mender said, her focus on what she was doing. “These… these samples you got for me are marvelous…” She sounded downright eager and Nemesis paused.

 

“What will you do with them?” Nemesis asked. “And why so many?”

 

“Eventually, you will not have to ask such things.” Mender said after a moment. “We are all growing closer in the hive and will eventually share all information equally.” Nemesis shrugged and Mender sighed. “For now… I needed them to test a theory about the Technocyte Virus.”

 

“I thought that was what we were doing with all of them.” Nemesis said, confused.

 

“No.” Mender replied. “Five of the females will serve as incubators for bioweapons. I won’t have to redo the research each time if I have ready incubators.” A pseudopod waved towards a pod that was slowly going opaque. Inside, a human female lay in some kind of thick fluid, half her skull cut away and masses of tendrils attached to the exposed brain matter. Her abdomen was also a mass of tendrils. “I also am converting a couple of humans to serve as medical assistants.” Nemesis looked at her and Mender sighed. “It is getting to be too much for just me. Only two.” She clarified when Nemesis would have protested.

 

“And the twins?” Nemesis asked. The teenagers had been remarkably subdued when taken from their home.

 

“Funny you should ask. Their conversion was quick once I had access.” Mender sounded downright pleased with herself. “We need some means of gaining access to human settlements without force.”

 

“Why?” Nemesis asked. “Our methods work fine.”

 

“For now.” Mender agreed. “But sooner or later our enemies will try and stop us.”

 

“Stress the word ‘try’.” Nemesis replied. “But okay. What did you do to the twins?”

 

“Boys?” Mender said aloud. “You can show yourselves now.” Nemesis jerked as a pair of human forms simply appeared in the middle of the room. Both wore nothing but odd helmets on their head. Both bowed to Nemesis who stepped up to scrutinize them closely.

 

“No armor?” The elder sister asked softly.

 

“Too conspicuous.” Mender replied. “They are growing internal armor but it will take some time. They have full optic camouflage. As well…” She turned two eyestalks to a wall nearby. “Spy One, wall target. Test fire.” One of the humans turned and held up his hands. A bolt of blue energy flew from them to hit the wall. “The power can be adjusted to disable or kill. The perfect spies and assassins.”

 

“I see.” Nemesis said slowly. She laughed coldly. “I see indeed.”

Edited April 26, 2014 by Kalenath

[Temperance000]

Frak.  Somebody needs to hurry up and nuke these guys.  It's only been three chapters, and I already can't stand them.  The fact that Marlena was a total *@##&#036; to begin with and is now somehow almost like-able in comparison to the rest of these things really says a lot.  Kal, you've outdone yourself.  When you finally kill these things, I will sing your praises.  Right after I finish raging at you for the prerequisite literary hell-ride.

[Kalenath]

I think i have an idea of the worst they can do...

 Take teenager female colonists, the master doesn' t need them, he(or it) needs only their wombs. Then these twisted wombs will PRODUCE an army of beast-like creatures with hardwired psichopathic tendencies (Master says: "servitude must bring pleasure", even if pleasure means slaughtering the weak).

  I imagine the avatar of the master being an armor made of living civilians still moaning in pain of being stitched together to a biotech frame. (Master says: "To crush the tenno, add insult to injury").

 I imagine the interior of their ships. The ship systems are in truth wetware, their victims and their bodies are biomass after all.(Master says: "we just need to change their bodies enough to suit our needs, let's keep their faces and some body functions on the walls to remind you, my servants, where they came from...")

 

Like these ideas? Better i stop right now...

 

Mwaahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

You might not want to give the evil ones ideas... Just saying...

 

Frak.  Somebody needs to hurry up and nuke these guys.  It's only been three chapters, and I already can't stand them.  The fact that Marlena was a total $#*(@ to begin with and is now somehow almost like-able in comparison to the rest of these things really says a lot.  Kal, you've outdone yourself.  When you finally kill these things, I will sing your praises.  Right after I finish raging at you for the prerequisite literary hell-ride.

 

They are simply following their programming. Exterminating humanity is not a job for the squeamish.

 

But I agree. Someone is going to have to do something about this.

 

As for what? No comment.

[evafan002]

 

But I agree. Someone is going to have to do something about this.

 

As for what? No comment.

I know!!! NUKE EM FROM ORBIT THEN SEND AN ENTIRE DIVSION WORTH OF TENNO!!! that should keep the little so and so's busy for a while