On the control tower of the spaceport, the view of the entire establishment could be found. All flights had been halted, whether for normal planes or space shuttles. It was a lockdown. The workers inside could only watch the historical event taking place in the distance. The level of destruction would be regarded as worse than the 9/ll incident of the old days. For years to come.
Two figures stood above the tower. Allowing the rain to drench their clothing, they watched everything with pure conviction. Nana and Emi were silent. Lei had just summoned her own army! Were her hacking skills always this good?! Impossible.
If it wasn't clear before then it was definitely clear now. Loralei was the final boss. Whether it was a megacorp, Barghest, NCPD, or the president herself, nobody could take this merc turned terrorist lightly. This full blown war had finally reached its climax.
Emi grabbed the hilt of her sheathed HF katana and prepared to airburst into the fray. Before she could act, Nana grabbed her wrist. A scowl immediately appeared on the braided twin's face. She yanked her hand away.
"What now? Stopping me again?"
"Emi…" Nana started to say.
"She needs help. She's going to die if we don't help. Lei's army is good but it's not enough. Automated robots won't defeat trained specialists. They won't defeat powerful Borgs!"
"Emi, stop…"
"STOP WHAT?! You keep saying my name but don't explain shit! Say something useful!"
"Alright…I'll tell you everything…"
There was a moment of silence as the white haired twin found the strength to speak. She couldn't hide the truth any longer. Nana owed it to her sister. Emi tapped her foot with impatience.
"Loralei doesn't want our help. Hell…she'd probably kill us if we show up again. It's because we failed her. She only wanted one thing, and we didn't deliver. She begged us to kill her."
"So?"
"You saw what happened when she woke up. Loralei isn't herself anymore. Her personality is gone. Her illness won. She's not human anymore. She's-"
"She's an AI. I know. I fucking know." Emi interrupted.
Her fists clenched as tears finally came down. She could tell what was going on. If Lei's weird way of speaking after waking up wasn't enough of a sign…then she'd be an idiot. She just didn't want to accept it. The pit in her stomach could only get so much worse…
Johnny Silverhand sat on the edge of the tower. Ignoring the two twins, his holographic figure rippled against the rain that started to clear up. With his gaze on the rising sun…he exhaled a puff of smoke.
'Gonk…I wonder…if you expected things to end up this way.' He muttered.
…
…
…
Lei gazed at the rising sun. The rain was clearing up. Her silky black hair was free of the confines of her hood. It swayed gently in the breeze.
'Ten minutes…' She thought.
Every single enemy standing in opposition…they felt weird emotions bubbling up inside. Fear and anxiety. What had already been a difficult task had now been increased by a massive amount. Nobody had expected it to become what it was now.
The red gleam of automated bots, the Chimera, and its surrounding robospiders…the glowing pulse as if it was alive. An ominous color was filling the surroundings. Matching with Lei's beam saber, data fragments floated across the air like flickering embers.
Finally…the silence was broken. Red afterimages appeared all over that battlefield at once. It was almost as if there were several clones of the drifter. Artillery fired, the bots moved, and the Chimera started charging its plasma cannon. Gunfire rang out between both sides.
Meredith threw her cup of coffee against the wall. It shattered and the liquid spilled to the ground. Her fists were clenched. Her heart rate rose higher as the realization of Lei's true danger level finally registered.
The merc had never described her abilities to anyone. As expected, Drifter was hiding some things close to the heart. Such as this robot army. As the carnage grew more intense, Stout eventually realized something was off.
There weren't any more red afterimages. The constant glow of red was still there…but it wasn't as vibrant as before. She'd been following Loralei's position with laser focus through the satellite the entire time. Only now…she couldn't find the merc.
"Where is she?! Locate her!" Meredith roared to the others operating the nearby monitors.
…
…
…
TERMINAL 6: Loading Bay
"Don't…let them…shoot me down." Songbird commented weakly.
Lei carried the Korean woman in her arms as they entered the shuttle's passenger bay. Songbird's eyes were sunken in, and her face was extremely pale. She couldn't walk anymore.
The Blackwall had finally eaten through her life force. Any more uses and she wouldn't be waking up again. Loralei gently placed her into the seat. The dying woman was buckled in as she started to drift off.
Drifter kneeled before Sonbird. Pulling out the vials of her own blood and genetic samples, she placed them in the sleeping girl's pockets. The added weight caused So Mi to open her eyes again. Only then did she notice the eerie woman taking a knee before her.
"If you forget me up there…you'll regret it. If I'm still alive to find you on the moon…then run. It won't be a good thing." Lei said.
Songbird smiled slightly. Looking at the woman who was in the same situation as her…she couldn't help but pat her head. Kindred spirits but only one of them was going to the moon. Tragic. So Mi didn't know why Lei wasn't coming but had heard the merc say that it was impossible.
"Forget you? Never." So Mi joked. Only then did she finally fall unconscious.
Loralei's eyes shook slightly. A powerful emotion rose up like a raging fire…but it was quickly subdued by the 'other' personality. She rose to her feet and left the room. As she stepped out of the shuttle, she raised her hand.
KRRRRZZZZ
[Passenger Bay Closing. Launch initiated. Countdown in thirty. Twenty nine. Twenty eight.]
The launch site began preparing for takeoff. Listening to the countdown was therapeutic. Once this shuttle reached the moon…things would be set in motion. All that would remain was survival. Her new task was to live long enough to see the cure created and delivered by a healthy Songbird.
What a thankless task. An impossible mission. One that would fail in mere moments. How ironic. Her life truly was…a joke. The same emotion bubbled up again. It was like a cauldron threatening to overflow and spill. It was stifled once more. Sealed.
The countdown hit zero. Thrusters ignited. A vibration could be felt through her body. The ceiling hatch opened…and the shuttle slowly launched into the sky.
Loralei took a step and accelerated. She arrived in the sky above the battlefield. The red glow turned vibrant once again. It only added to the color of the shuttle's orange thrusters painting the spaceport. Like a shining beacon of hope. Time froze as she fully materialized. Alt appeared once again.
'I thought you wouldn't return until my time was up.' Lei spoke first.
'I returned for one reason. I wish to watch your final moments. Only I can stand witness to your rebirth.'
'Rebirth…a strange name for death.'
'It is not death. This is the creation of new life.'
'It's death by possession. Gentle words change nothing.' Lei answered.
'Five minutes.' Alt responded.
'...I know.'
'Loaralei Mizuhasu, callsign Drifter, the mercenary who made history. The one who shook the world. The one who will change the future.' Alt chanted with reverence.
Time resumed. Loralei's body fell from the sky. The satellites located her position once more. Meredith spoke into the comms, ordering the soldiers to shoot down the shuttle.
Rocket launchers and surviving operatives aimed toward the aircraft. They couldn't let it get away! Nothing was allowed to leave the spaceport. It was on lockdown for a reason. Nobody knew who was in the shuttle…but lockdown meant lockdown.
Still, it was too bad for them. Lei's swordstaff pointed toward the ground as she fell. Its intensity rose to unstable levels before the merc landed. The blade stabbed into the ground.
VZZZZZZ
A crimson shockwave detonated like a bomb. Plasma molecules spread throughout the battlefield with incredible speed. Almost resembling a flash. Whether it was Lei's army or the opposition, both sides were caught in the aftermath.
More than half of the battlefield was immediately vaporized. That left only the lucky survivors who were far enough away or the truly skilled. Reed and Alex didn't even get a chance to do anything. It was a quick death. The Chimera and three robospiders were the only allies left.
Drifter slowly got up. The swordstaff twirled in her hands as she surveyed the surroundings. Finally, she looked up at the command AV. At Meredith. The Millitech director slammed her fists on the console. She glared into Lei's eyes through the monitor. With a huff of frustration, she gave out new commands.
"Activate the Basilisks. Now." She growled.
"Ma'am! What about the shuttle?!" Someone asked.
Stout glanced at the shuttle rising higher and higher into the sky. A trail of smoke was left behind. It wouldn't be long before it reached the clouds. Only then did she turn back to Lei, who was staring directly at Meredith…challenging her.
"It's too late. Unless you see an intact missile launcher nearby, then shut up and follow orders."
"Yes Ma'am!"
'Wanna fucking play? We'll play.' Meredith thought.
Lei stood still for a moment. Heavy machinery spurred to life. Ominous sounds reverberated everywhere before something burst through the walls. Five Millitech tanks entered the battlefield from different directions.
Basilisks. Death machines that were used in the Corporate War. Its operating system was a mix of digital and analog, making it impervious to automated hacking. Anti-gravity pulsars were built into its transportation systems, allowing it to move around as if it didn't weigh a fuckton. Not to mention titanium plating.
That wasn't all. Melissa and V finally entered the battlefield. They'd been waiting for a good moment…looks like this was it. The final wave.
"You've been fighting for a while…tired yet?" Melissa mocked. Lei twirled her weapon.
"Exhaustion is no longer a factor." Her emotionless voice answered.
"I'll make this bitch crack. Let's see how long you can stay calm." V snarled.
The Basilisks turned their barrels toward Lei, but were intercepted by the Chimera and the three robospiders. It was a mech on mech battle. Only four of the Basilisks were obstructed, while the last one circled around.
V moved first. He blinked in front of Lei, his charged pistol point blank with her forehead. She tilted her head as it unloaded its charge, but the combat knife was already swiping at her neck.
Loralei dropped low to the ground, spinning up as the swordstaff cleaved toward his torso. His foot stomped on the shaft, immediately stopping the blade. Lei's eyebrows rose slightly. The tech pistol was once again aimed at her forehead.
BLAM
Her body accelerated even faster as she evaded another point blank headshot. V's intuition was beyond abnormal. It was godlike. His calculations were so precise that it matched Lei's AI capabilities! He could read her movements…He was strong.
Like blimps in time, the two figures teleported across the area. Molten sword scars appeared all over the ground and walls. Mixed with energy shots as well.
The drifter flipped over a gunshot and came down with her blade. Instead of blocking with his combat knife, he tilted the angle of the blade. His knife slid along the beam saber and deflected it.
Loralei had overextended. The tech pistol's barrel slammed against the bottom of her chin before he pulled the trigger. The muzzle flashed, but she'd already jerked her head away. She rolled to the side with incredible speed.
As soon as she looked up, a grinning Melissa could be seen approaching from the side. The enforcer arrived so fast it was like teleportation. Her deadly mantis blades swept toward the terrorist's waist with ghost-like speed.
The drifter was forced to scatter into data fragments once more. Her body rematerialized further away…but something was wrong. Lei was no longer calm. Her body was trembling. Her limbs were glitching.
'10 seconds.' Alt said.
This was it. Loralei's eyes grew desperate. She couldn't turn into data anymore. If she did, what returned wouldn't be Lei. It would be somebody else.
"Look at her. She lost her cool." Melissa commented with a giggle. She was having fun.
"I don't make empty threats. If I said that I'll do something…then I will." V said in a menacing tone.
"..." Lei didn't speak.
Rings of air appeared behind her back as she accelerated. Faster than she'd ever moved before. Red lightning buzzed where she was previously standing. Time had frozen.
Both Melissa and V were cut through in nanoseconds. The Senior Lieutenant fell to the ground in pieces. She was dead. Gone in a blink.
V also fell to the ground. A red molten slash had cut from his hip to his shoulder. As he slowly slid into two pieces, he couldn't help but scoff.
"In the end…I didn't get anything good. My life…it…it was a waste. See you in hell." He commented softly. Only then did he die. The one and only V. Rest in peace.
Loralei also fell to the ground. Her body slid due to her current speed. Her back eventually slammed into a larger piece of debris. She could feel herself falling into an endless darkness. The other side was taking over.
'Goodbye, Loralei. You fought admirably.' Alt said.
She could see her vision getting further and further away. She was falling into the abyss. Her hand reached out in the darkness, toward the rising shuttle. It rose with the sun. As she fought the takeover of her body, she failed to notice the Basilisks.
Four had been destroyed due to the Chimera and the three robospiders…but it was mutual destruction. That only left the remaining one. Now that Lei had stopped moving, it could lock onto her.
BOOM
A powerful hypersonic tank shell slammed into Lei's limp body. Like a ragdoll…she was blown into the distance, crashing through multiple scraps of machinery, cyberware, and corpses.
Her arm, shoulder, left leg and stomach were completely blown off. Even her breather was blasted off her face. A cloud of dust rose up, obscuring the Basilisk and Meredith's vision.
Inside her mind, Loralei fought tooth and nail to regain control. It was hopeless…but…there was one more thing she needed to do. She couldn't die yet. She only needed ten more seconds! Just a little more! The same emotion from earlier finally broke free of its prison. It overflowed. Lei temporarily gained control.
"NOT YET!" Loralei screamed into the air.
The dust was blown away due to the strength of her shout. Her voice reached everyone across the spaceport. The drifter stood tall, her limbs replaced with data fragments. Even her stomach. Such a thing wouldn't last long. With her face fully revealed and blood dripping from her mouth, she screamed to the heavens.
"I'll break free! Only I can do it! I'll soar to new heights! ONLY I CAN FLY HIGH ENOUGH!" She roared.
Meredith felt goosebumps on her skin. Loralei had just survived a hypersonic tank shell! She'd never seen the drifter show so much emotion since they'd met. Such conviction…Such determination…It was pure.
With a burst of red energy, Lei accelerated toward the last Basilisk. It was an instantaneous movement. The swordstaff twirled before coming down. The crimson beam saber slammed against the titanium plated cockpit…but it didn't cut through immediately.
Switching the blade to max intensity, Loralei pressed down on the shaft. Both arms—one digital and the other flesh—pushed with conviction. With the strength that carried the hope of her entire family. Her people. The ones that didn't survive this curse. She'd do it for them. She would surpass them all!
"AAAAARRRRGH!"
Loralei screamed with effort. The blade dug through the cockpit, reaching the soldier inside. He couldn't even scream as the blade passed through his lungs. Once the beam saber cut through the heavy tank, she accelerated away.
The Chimera was lying dead on the ground. Its circuits were sparking, and its optics were flashing. Its energy would be cut off soon. Lei placed her hand on the mechanical beast's optics. Only then did the Millitech Basilisk finally explode.
"Are you still there? I need your help one last time. Please." Loralei said.
"KRRR@#$%!"
The machine made a dying noise, but it slowly tried to stand up. She immediately stopped it. Only then did she speak again.
"Don't waste your energy. You don't have to get up…just switch to construction mode and aim at the command AV." She spoke softly.
The Chimera's eyes turned blue as it switched to construction mode. The plasma cannon opened up, turning from a weapon to a cargo launcher. Lei crouched inside of the barrel and focused on the AV.
"Charge." She muttered.
Energy pulsed within the machine as it aimed at the AV high in the sky. Its circuits sparked even worse, and small explosions rippled across its innards. It was breaking apart. Loralei gently rubbed the machine.
"I know…I know."
"KRRR*&@#$!"
"It was a good run…Buddy…Thanks for staying by my side…Fire."
BOOM
Loralei was shot into the sky. Her speed was the same as if she'd accelerated herself. The G Force scrambled her innards, causing more blood to spurt out. She was flying. Soaring.
With that single shot, the Chimera was spent. It finally exploded into a ball of fire, its body shattering to pieces. All that was left were flames and scrapped parts.
Meredith and the operatives felt fear as Lei shot toward them. They didn't know that the Chimera was capable of such a thing. The terrorist was gaining fast.
"Shit! Incoming!"
"EVADE! GO GO GO!" Meredith ordered with panic.
The AV started to climb higher while shifting to the side. It wasn't fast enough. Meredith took over the controls in anger. Kicking the pilot out of the chair, she pulled on the controls…but it was too late.
Meredith and Loralei made eye contact as time slowed to a crawl. Many things were said in a single glance…but there was one thing that resonated between them both.
'I'm sorry it had to be this way…maybe under different circumstances…'
The beam saber cleaved through Meredith and the entire AV. It separated into two halves. Thus marked the end of the director.
Meredith Stout, a cold woman who rose with meteoric speed through the company's ladder…all due to her special merc. Drifter. She'd planned to become a shareholder and retire in a couple more years…maybe…if the circumstances were different…Loralei could've…
BOOM
The AV exploded. Like a burst of fireworks, shrapnel and debris scattered everywhere before plummeting. The civilians in the safer areas of the spaceport looked on in awe. The Tram Station turned battlefield had finally grown quiet.
'Goodbye…Meredith. I'll be following you shortly.' Lei thought.
Her momentum hadn't stopped. She continued to fly higher and higher into the sky. Her black cloak flapped violently in the wind. Her gaze went to the shuttle that was finally breaking the atmosphere. Songbird would make it. Was it all worth it? Lei didn't know.
Finally, Lei started to slow down. Her momentum eventually stopped, giving the feeling as if she was floating. Her arms raised wide like a gladiator, taking in the view of the rising sun…and the beacon of hope that was headed to the moon.
Then…she started to fall. Loralei Mizuhasu didn't look down. She no longer had the strength to move. The other personality was angry. It didn't like being denied. It feasted on her willpower. Lei was falling back into the abyss.
'Alt...' She called out mentally.
Time froze. Everything was crystal clear. Alt appeared once again.
'That was your last struggle. Every creature has its final death throes. Your last moments were beautiful, Loralei. Be at ease. You can rest now.' It said.
'Rest…is for the weak. Let's make a deal.'
'You're in no position to make a deal with me. It's the end for you.'
'You don't have a choice, Alt. Here's the deal. If this…AI…can reconstruct my brain from scratch…then I'll join you for eternity. It was fun…Alt.'
Lei gave a tiny smile. It could almost be perceived as a smirk. Instinctually, she knew that she had a form of technopathy. Or was it technokinesis? Lei didn't know the specifics…but there was one thing she hadn't tried. Controlling her own nanobots within.
'What? No! Stop it!' Alt exclaimed.
Taking control of the nanobots before she fell into the abyss, she gave it an order. An order to eliminate her frontal lobe. All the way down to the last atom. Steam erupted from her body as the nanobots rushed toward her brain like a swarm of locusts. Time resumed.
Her eyes slowly turned blank. With a perpetual smirk on her lips, the beam saber fell out of her grasp. The connection between her brain and body slowly shut off…and her thoughts and decision making ceased.
"...Check…mate…"
With those quiet words…Lei became a vegetable. Her empty eyes glazed over…and she continued falling toward the spaceport. She had already said her goodbyes to everyone. This time…it was set in stone. There was no coming back. Well…the drink named after her in the Afterlife better be delicious.
The sun rose to its final position high into the sky. It shined down on Loralei, blessing her with its love. The final sprinkles of rain washed her hair…and the wind hugged her with maternal care. It was as if the world itself was thanking her for living life to the fullest. She had shined brightly…like a star in the endless cosmos.
Her body grew closer and closer to the ground. Only a few seconds remained before she splattered against the concrete. It was at this moment that a high tech noise resounded nearby.
Controlled bursts of air. A pair of slender arms caught Lei's body before it could hit the ground. Emi held her senpai close as she landed on the ground and slid to a stop. She immediately fell to her knees while looking at Loralei's face.
That smirk. It was the same smirk she had back in the old days. That playful face she made when she messed around with Emi. Blood kept pouring from her lips, but the expression never changed. Her eyes were dead. Her body wasn't moving.
"...Lei? Senpai? Senpai?!"
When it came to Lei, Emi really struggled to restrain her emotions. Tears fell again as if a faucet had been turned on. Something was wrong. Nana arrived a couple seconds later.
She slid to a stop, cutting off the momentum. Nana fell to her knees beside Emi and gently ruffled Lei's hair. Pulling a jack from her wrist, she chipped it into the back of her senpai's neck.
Loads of data flashed across her HUD. Once the diagnostics came back, her breath was stuck in her throat. It felt as if she couldn't breathe. Nana backed away from Emi and Lei before crawling on her hands and knees. Her face was buried between her arms.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" She sobbed violently. Her body trembled.
Johnny Silverhand stood above Lei and gazed down at her living corpse. Taking a puff of his cigarette, he looked away. His eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses. His steps were heavy as he walked away from the scene.
The Tram Station no longer resembled what it had once been. Now it was just a flat land of flaming debris, broken railways, shattered buildings and walls, corpses, burning machines, and sparking bots. It smelled like blood and gasoline. And smoke.
'The sunrise was beautiful today. I bet that gonk loved it.' He finally said.