ID: GARVEK (GIGATIGER FORM)
DESCRIPTION: ACTING COMMANDER OF MEKANIC EARTH INVASION FLEET. DISREGARDS FREE WILL PRINCIPLE. ASSHOLE.
ENERGY: 99999
KNOWN ABILITIES: ???
WEAKNESSES: ???
NOTES: UNSTOPPABLE MELEE FORCE. LIMITED SPEED. AVOID DIRECT ENGAGEMENT.
OBJECTIVE: FREE ALLIES AND ESCAPE.
A pounding electronic beat with synthesizers, straight out of some historical video, started beating in my ears.
What's that?
MUSIC. IT HELPS ME FOCUS UNDER STRESS.
Well, I couldn't argue with that. I looked at the blocks of words. Garvek, while faster than he looked, was still slow compared to us. We could counter him with speed. Would any of the abilities help? I glanced back up at the table of abilities. Tele step? But what about Staccato?
I doubted I could outrun Staccato straight up, just like I couldn't match Garvek with brute force. And simply running was too passive. So strength and speed were out.
What else was there? Better defense? Sonic Shield? EM Shield? What was the difference? They might help me, but that wouldn't save the girls, not to mention breaking out of the airbase. Turtling wasn't an option.
I guessed that the Destroyer specialization went all out on offense, but there was no way I could go toe-to-toe with Garvek. No matter what strategy I chose, Garvek or Staccato would likely be better at it. Not to mention that I barely had any energy.
I needed something different that could handle both Staccato and Garvek. Something more versatile.
Is there anything else? I can't figure out how any of these abilities would help enough.
Don't forget. You can choose two abilities.
A combo? Even with two choices, I couldn't see any way forward. Resonance Scan? Would that reveal an enemy's weaknesses? But even if I knew more about them, I'd still have to do something. That would leave one ability, and I doubted I could handle both.
I cringed as a sharp pain stabbed my eyes.
Dustin, hurry! The hypermind!
ZOE'S RIGHT. YOUR MIND CAN'T SUSTAIN THE HYPERMIND MUCH LONGER. CAN I MAKE A SUGGESTION?
Yes, please!
YOUR NATIVE ABILITIES WILL WEAKER THAN STACCATO OR GARVEK UNTIL YOU FURTHER EVOLVE. HOWEVER, COPYING A TARGET'S ABILITY WOULD GUARANTEE THAT YOU MATCH THEM. THE SIMULACRUM SPECIALIZATION LETS YOU MIMIC THE FORM AND ABILITIES OF A TARGET.
You mean Staccato? I can copy him?
YES. A FULL RESONANCE SCAN IS A PREREQUISITE FOR THE SIMULACRUM SPECIALIZATION.
Vikki was right. The only way to match them was to copy them. But even if I copied their abilities, I wouldn't have much energy left. I would have to plan this out exactly. There was no room for error. The problem was that I needed more information.
Can we hypermind again after this?
NOT A GOOD IDEA. YOU SHOULD WAIT AT LEAST A DAY.
Just briefly? Vikki and Zoe would already know what I was thinking.
There was a pause.
OKAY. BUT IT MAY HURT.
Go for it. Choose Resonance Scan and Simulacrum. As soon as we break the hypermind, I'm going to hit Staccato and Garvek with Resonance Scans.
I already knew most of Mia and Julie's abilities, and I didn't want to waste a drop of energy.
UNDERSTOOD. ABILITIES SELECTED.
I wished I could have stayed in the hypermind forever, frozen here in safety. But the others were counting on me. I tried to calm my nerves.
Vikki, one more thing. You can rename the abilities?
YES, BUT HURRY, DUSTIN!
I can't really pronounce Simulacrum. I'm going to call it Copycat instead.
GOT IT! GET READY! ENDING HYPERMIND IN THREE, TWO, ONE…
Shrill screams of pain raked my ears, but this time they didn't stop.
Dustin! Above!
I rolled to the right as Garvek's metal paw crashed down. I tilted my head up to take in the huge form towering above us. Resonance Scan.
Words scrolled down my vision, but I didn't bother reading them, trusting Zoe or Vikki to handle it. I dashed around Garvek, turning a tight corner around his massive leg. As I ran past his bulk, I spotted Staccato again, still crouched over Mia with his arms penetrating her back.
I activated Resonance Scan on Staccato. Vikki! Do it!
I was in mid-stride, leaning hard as I turned. The world froze.
HYPERMIND ACTIVE. HURRY!
ENERGY: 270/1600
I need their abilities and weaknesses. I didn't have to ask for a summary this time, as Vikki knew what I wanted.
ID: STACCATO
SCANNED ABILITIES:
MARK PREY, 5 ENERGY
FLEE, 10 ENERGY
PARALYZE PREY, 20 ENERGY
VORPAL STRIKE, 30 ENERGY
BLEEDING STRIKE, 40 ENERGY
WEAKNESSES: MENTAL INSTABILITY DETECTED. LOYALTIES OPEN TO MANIPULATION.
ID: GARVEK (GIGATIGER FORM)
SCANNED ABILITIES: ???
WEAKNESSES: RECENT SIDELOAD DETECTED. GIGATIGER SYNCHRONIZATION INCOMPLETE.
There wasn't much I could use from Garvek. I hadn't even been sure if I could take any of his abilities, but I had been hoping for a weakness, anything. Disappointed, I focused on Staccato.
He was crazy, and Vikki confirmed what Zoe had advised before. He was open to being played, but there was no time for that now.
Vorpal Strike. What's that one?
VORPAL STRIKE. TWO SECONDS OF CHARGED BLADES THAT CAN CUT THROUGH ANY KNOWN SUBSTANCE.
That was crazy powerful. We could even chop up Garvek, maybe, but we needed something to get out of here. And the energy cost was steep.
We can breach the hull with that.
Good point, Zoe.
THE COPYCAT ABILITY WILL ALSO COST 100 ENERGY.
I would be left with 170. One Vorpal Strike and I'd be down to 140. Shit. So that was the downside of using Copycat on someone stronger than me. I wouldn't be able to use the more powerful abilities like Staccato could with his huge energy pool. Especially starting from a weakened state.
The pain in my head returned.
Dustin! Hurry!
TH$ H@PERMIND IS BRE*K;NG.
The scene before me shifted, barely, but I spotted the movement. The world had changed. My body fell forward with its momentum, a fraction of an inch as if suspended in a thick molasses. It was clear that we couldn't keep up the hypermind much longer.
So 140 energy to cut through the hull. Then, what? Staccato's Flee ability—what was that?
FL#E. A N(AR-INS$ANT TRAN!LOCA)ION.
Fuck! I tried to focus my thoughts as the pain mounted. This was Staccato's speed ability? He was using a defensive move this whole time? I grimaced mentally, my thoughts growing sluggish as the world around me sped up. I would have enough energy to spam Flee a bunch of times, along with Vorpal Strike to breach the hull.
That's it! Copycat Staccato!
Vikki didn't spare any time to acknowledge me, but my body twisted and morphed as the hypermind ended.
I tumbled as I adjusted to the unfamiliar body shape and posture. I wasn't used to having two arms and four legs. I tried to walk forward, but ended up waving my two front arms instead. It took me a second to adjust. Staccato swung his head in my direction.
I raised my bladed forearms and charged. I had no doubt Staccato could kick my ass in a direct fight, but I needed to get him away from Mia.