It's day three of summer break for Rick, Sarah, and Jason, and AK-47 and Dr. Harris have a special trip laid out for the SAInt pilots of the Arx Jericho. Following breakfast, everyone boards a pair of banana boats to head to Bimini Island for a relaxing day at the natural, hot springs.
The boys and girls are divided. Sarah, Opsie, Serena, Joanne, Laurie, and Stephanie are joined by AK-47 and Dr. Harris, while Rick, Jason, Billy, Strudel, Raspberry, Kazuhiro, and Miguel remain by themselves without a male chaperone.
After storing their Lincs away in the locker room shack, Strudel is the last one to join the guys, and he climbs into the pool with his Linc still in the pocket of his swim shorts. He immediately jumps out and starts freaking out, asking Jason for help. All Jason can say is to place it in a bowl of rice, and fortunately, the shack conveniently provides such a snack.
Strudel returns, bummed out that he and Raspberry can't carry out their plan. Raspberry nonchalantly walks off to the locker rooms. At the same time, Jason curiously asks, "What plan?" and he and Rick scrutinize1 Strudel's face to figure out what they hoped Strudel wasn't thinking of. Sure enough, they get him to admit that he and Raspberry were planning to spy on Opsie and Sarah. The two quickly explain that Billy dared them to and that he also wanted them to take pictures of Serena.
Rick isn't thrilled with this news one bit, and he urges Jason to help coax2 Billy into finding out if that's really the truth. Billy, who's been ignoring everyone after last night's fiasco, is loathe to tell the truth, but he can't hide the fact that Strudel and Raspberry are correct. He and Rick get into a verbal scuffle which ends with Billy threatening him, but Rick responds, "When did I ever give you the impression I was scared of you?" Billy replies, "Screw you guys," and leaves, presumably to spy on the girls himself.
Raspberry returns, suspiciously clutching something behind his back. Billy shoves him while walking off, and as Raspberry lands on his butt, his Linc falls to the ground. Rick immediately jumps out of the pool and races3 to grab the Linc before Raspberry can get to it. He realizes it's password-protected and hands it to Jason, while Kazuhiro holds his hand up to Raspberry's forehead to stop him from grabbing the Linc back.
Jason easily hacks4 the Linc and opens up several folders containing pictures of the female pilots. Fortunately, none of them are too revealing, but the latest pictures seem to have been taken last night. Strudel and Raspberry had spied on the girls changing through the window of their beach house. "They really need to find a better hobby," Jason mutters to himself.
Rick confronts Raspberry who breaks down and blames Billy again, "Billy said he'd kick me off the team and beat me up if I didn't deliver pictures of Serena." Rick sternly convinces5 Raspberry that Billy won't kick him off the team or beat him up and that Raspberry should fear Rick's retribution more.
Hormonal Drama at the Hot Springs (The Girls' Side)
Meanwhile, Sarah and the other girls are relaxing and having conversations about boys and trivial things, while AK-47 and Dr. Harris are practically napping with cucumbers over their eyes.
The hot springs are separated by thickets of plants and trees, and Sarah suddenly hears some faint rustling from the nearest bushes. She looks over and sees several birds fly off into the air, but she still hears rustling, which the other girls don't seem to notice. Sarah takes a closer look6 and spots Billy's gleaming eyes and drooling mouth spying on Serena and the girls.
Sarah gets out of the pool, and Opsie asks, "Where are you off to, cuz?" "Oh, I just need to use the restroom," Sarah replies and enters the thicket to sneak7 up behind Billy while grabbing a large branch along the way. Billy doesn't notice Sarah, until she taps him on the shoulder, and he turns around with a shocked expression on his face. "Hey, Billy, what'cha doing?" Sarah asks. "Uh, uh, just looking for my Linc, Sarah. I must've dropped it somewhere."
Billy pretends to look for his Linc, but Sarah catches8 him in a red-faced lie and gets him to tell the truth about his spying. Sarah warns him about what would happen if AK-47 caught him, and Billy's voice quivers, "Y-you wouldn't dare! You're too nice of a person, Sarah." Sarah smiles and replies9, "You know, a loud noise would probably alert them," while tapping the branch onto her other hand.
Billy tries to cover up his motives by saying Strudel and Raspberry dared him to, but Sarah can clearly tell10 he's lying again and responds, "OK, Billy, if it helps you sleep better at night, but you better leave now before the girls find out."
"You're really annoying, you know that?" Billy replies, to which Sarah says, "And I have a big stick." Billy grumbles and walks off, while Sarah goes back to the hot springs and complains about the flies on the way there.
The Calm Before the Storm
13:24
Several hours have passed, and the rice has absorbed most of the water from Strudel's Linc. Strudel checks his Linc and complains to Jason that it's displaying something weird, and Jason sighs, saying, "Probably one of those pictures you took." After enough pestering, Jason grabs the Linc from Strudel and fixes11 it for him.
While the guys chat about football, Rick decides to go find Billy and see what he's up to. "Where are you off to?" Strudel asks. "I'm gonna go find Henderson," Rick replies, and Kazuhiro, who hardly ever says anything, suddenly says, "Good luck, Rick."
"Uh, thanks," Rick replies, and Kazuhiro continues, "No, seriously, good luck. Give him a scolding from me if you do. That guy's a pig."
"Will do," Rick responds and heads off in search of Billy. He starts by walking down the trail toward the camouflaged hangar AK-47 showed them the other day.
About fifteen minutes away from the site, Rick's head starts pounding, and he suddenly hears Serena's voice inside his head. More so, he hears Serena's anxious thoughts and memories, especially the ones involving Dr. Johnson. "Serena?" Rick says aloud but gets no reply save for Serena's strange, muddy thoughts.
Despite the fact that Rick isn't anywhere physically close to Serena, he attempts to read her emotions and discern12 the source of her anxiety. It turns out Serena is still feeling anxious about skipping out on her training to join the pilots on vacation and about Dr. Johnson berating her during her Prophet training at the CRC facility. Every time Rick hears the memory of Dr. Johnson yelling at Serena through the MetaTron, his head hurts more and more.
Rick tries to soothe13 his sister by sending out positive thoughts himself. Rick doesn't know if it's working or not, but he soon stops hearing Serena's thoughts altogether and proceeds to the hangar site.
Seeing movement through the trees, Rick stays hidden and peers14 through to spot Billy confronting the twins, Bala and Lieke, who were undergoing Mendicant training instead of relaxing in the springs. "What are you twerps doing here?" Billy asks, threateningly, to which the twins respond in unison, "We, uh, we can't tell you."
Billy advances on them, and Rick steps out into the clearing and says, "Billy, you can't seem to stop bugging people, can you?"
"Baah!" Billy yells, turning around in surprise, "What are you doing here, twerp?"
"Making sure you aren't doing anything dumb," Rick replies, "Well, dumber than usual."
Billy growls and marches up to Rick with a balled fist.
"Wasn't I just saying how I'm not scared of you, Billy?" Rick calmly asks.
"Yeah, well you don't have your pal Jason to back you up or prevent me from having dinner," Billy says, "Yeah, don't think I forgot about that!"
Rick raises his arms to defend himself, as Billy takes a swing. They exchange several blows15, and Rick blocks all of Billy's punches, though not as gracefully as he intended, until they end up in a complete standstill with both of the twins yelling, "Stop it, stop it, please!"
Billy backs off and grumbles, "Grr, you are SO annoying!"
"The feeling's mutual," Rick replies, and Billy continues, "I don't need you guys, I just wanna be left alone. See you, twerps!"
Rick goes after him, and Billy looks back and says, "Grr, quit following me! Leave me alone!"
"I just wanna make sure you're going back to the boy's side," Rick responds.
Bala and Lieke start tagging along, as they finish off each other's sentences: "Hey, can we go to the springs too? We finished our training as Captain Kasherov instructed. We want to relax a bit too."
"Yeah, I don't see why not," Rick says, but Lieke isn't convinced, "No, we'll get in trouble. We have to stay here." Bala looks at Rick with a puppy dog look on his face.
"AK-47 is more understanding than you might think," Rick says, trying to convince16 them, "I'm sure if you've done all your training for the day, she'll be OK with you having some relaxation time."
Bala and Lieke look at each other and agree to follow Rick. They're roughly twenty minutes away from the hot springs, when a loud BOOM of thunder suddenly shakes the sky and a giant flash of lightning strikes the water between Bimini Island and the coastal city on the mainland. A Wormwood quickly descends to the bottom of the ocean, and a huge tsunami rises over Bimini Island and casts a dark shadow over the shore.
Suit Up and Preparations
At each respective part of the island, the pilots all simultaneously look up at the darkened sky with dreadful expressions plastered over their pale faces. Rick, Sarah, Jason, Serena, Strudel, Opsie, and the twins aren't nearly as shocked as the others, but they're still horrified and anxious that an aquatic, Mayzor invasion is actually happening right then and there.
Rick quickly rallies17 Billy and the twins to go back to the hangar, and Billy doesn't even argue. Rick starts running in the direction of the hot springs.
Jason rallies18 the guys at their location, "Guys! Mayzor attack! Out of the pool. Follow me. Strudel, you know what to do," and Strudel starts hyperventilating. Raspberry and Miguel both respond, "Whaaat?!" but Kazuhiro immediately gets out and stands at attention. He asks Jason where they need to go, and Jason says, "Top secret, underground hangar."
"What hangar?" Raspberry and Miguel both ask.
"No time to explain, let's go!" Strudel finally says, and they all head off.
At the girls' pool, AK-47 gets out and bolts to the hangar. Most of the other females, including Dr. Harris, don't know what's going on, but Sarah gets out and rallies19 them to follow her, "No time to explain, we've gotta go!"
Rick meets everyone halfway and tells AK-47 that Billy and the twins are already on their way to the hangar.
After everyone arrives, AK-47 and Dr. Harris occupy the control room, while the pilots of all three companies help Rick, Sarah, and Jason suit up and get aboard the aquatic prototype SAInts.
Fortunately, they had selected their weapons yesterday and didn't need too much more preparation aside from preliminary checks - making sure the lights, sensors, and propulsion systems were all operational.
Rick's AP SAInt is armed with dual 'Arc Swords and a backup Levic Pistol.
Sarah's AP SAInt is armed with a modified Giant Killer, called a Giant Clam Killer, with an 'Arc Bayonet (Knife) for backup and a modified Sam-A (Aquatic) Shield as her secondary weapon. In addition, Sarah armed the back of her SAInt with a Tiamat Multiple Missile System that fires multiple torpedo missiles but can only be used three times per battle.
Jason armed his AP SAInt with a Rapid Fire Micro Harpoon Gun, a modified RDav Combat Rifle, as his primary weapon and a Supercavitating Torpedo Launcher as his secondary which acts the same as a traditional L-XIV Ultima Rocket Launcher.
AK-47 and Dr. Harris contact the Preservation Forces at HQ, aboard the Arx Jericho, via the MetaTron, and upload images of the coastal city taken by flying, nano bot drones. Unfortunately, there is no military presence or Preservation Forces Robbies to protect the citizens, so it's all up to Rick, Sarah, and Jason. The twins' Mendicant isn't suitable to fight in the water, so they'll be transported to the city to fight off any Locusts and Swarm that make it to shore.
Meanwhile, the information AK-47 and Dr. Harris collect reveal a total of twenty units on the radar, not counting the Wormwood itself. They include: four Cannons surfacing to the top of the water, eight Constrictors swimming to shore underwater, and eight Soldiers being shot out like rockets to shore. They resemble shellfish and are carrying small, protective capsules containing Swarm.
New Locust Types and Mission Objectives
Cannon: A juggernaut variant of Locust resembling a Blue Whale with a high-powered, destructive, energy cannon attached to its snout. The Cannons rise to the surface of the water and prefer to stay back at HB Range with very little movement, acting as stationary, artillery units. They are incapable of attacking at CQ or FA, but the destructive damage from their HB cannons comes with three Boosts.➤ Challenges: Vigor 9, Focus 6. Range CQ N/A, FA N/A, HB +3 Vigor/Boost.
 |
Credits: Misha Polonsky
Concept art that I actually drew myself this time!
I'll do more, as this doesn't look robotic/alien enough, but it works for now. |
Constrictor: Anyone who's seen The Matrix (1999) might wonder whether or not the Mayzor simply ripped the Constrictor's design from a Sentinel, though this Locust variant actually resembles a giant squid. It has multiple eyes, a solid body which is almost indistinguishable from its head, and a plethora of tentacles which serve as its propulsion system and primary weapons. At CQ the tentacles beat, wrap around, and grapple onto objects with vicious prongs, though they can each fire deadly lasers at FA Range, dealing total damage with two Boosts.➤ Challenges: Vigor 7, Focus 7. Range CQ +1 Vigor/Boost, FA +2 Vigor/Boost, HB N/A.
The mission objectives for Rick, Sarah, and Jason are to prevent the Soldiers from landing onto shore and deploying the Swarm and to eliminate all other threats in order to protect the citizens of the coastal city from annihilation.
AK-47 has the rest of the pilots join her and Dr. Harris in the control room, as they isolate the hangar bay and open the gate to flood it and let the AP SAInts swim out.
A Naval Assault
Jason fires a torpedo at High Ballistics (HB) range at the furthest Soldier who's about to hit shore and destroys it. Sarah uses her Tiamat, guided torpedoes to take out the next two, furthest Soldiers, while Rick propels himself with the turbines on the soles of his SAInt's feet and engages the closest, lobser-like Soldier at Close Quarters (CQ) range, popping up behind it with both swords drawn.
Rick slices the Soldier apart into thirds, and the pieces slowly drift away before exploding simultaneously. Sarah fires off another guided torpedo and destroys two more Soldiers right away. "Good job," AK-47 compliments them over the MetaTron, and the other pilots cheer them on. Meanwhile, the citizens of the city are screaming and running away from the shore in pandemonium. Jason reloads his torpedo launcher by taking cover behind Sarah and her Sam-A Shield. He also turns his lights off, momentarily, so that the Locusts can't spot him so easily.
The two, remaining Soldiers release the Swarm they're carrying into the city. The Constrictors continue moving forward, and the four closest to shore begin shooting lasers from their tentacles at the closest buildings at Firearms (FA) range. The four Cannons stay back at HB range and fire off destructive, artillery, laser bursts aimed at the tallest buildings in the city.
Nevertheless, the pilots are all high on Ego, and Sarah propels her SAInt underwater and engages the closest Cannon at CQ range.
"Rick, you got the Soldiers on land?" Jason asks through the MetaTron.
"Yep, I got them," Rick replies.
"Alright, looks like I'll go after these whale things," Jason says.
"Yeah, wail on them!" Rick jests.
"Puns in the middle of combat? Really?" Jason asks rhetorically, as he targets the furthest Cannon away and launches a HB torpedo diagonally across the water. It tears a giant hole through the Cannon and splits it apart, followed by a massive explosion.
Rick engages the two, remaining Soldiers by jumping out of the water and getting in between them. He attacks them both at once, using his dual swords like daggers and whirling them about. He drives his swords through both of them, and they explode simultaneously. AK-47 is greatly impressed.
The Mayzor Swarms continue spreading into the city. The four Constrictors firing lasers reach the shore and start grabbing anything close to them with their tentacles, crushing them and pulling them into the water. The other, four Constrictors begin firing lasers from their tentacles, while the Cannons hardly move but continue destroying the city with their high-impact ballistics.
Sarah attacks the Cannon she engaged with her 'Arc Bayonet and expends all her Ego to break through its defensive shell and deal enough damage to its spout so that when it tries to fire again, it'll simply self-explode.
Jason switches to his harpoon gun and engages the closest Constrictor at FA range.
Six of the Constrictors have reached shore by now; some are still using their tentacles to grapple, while the others are firing their lasers at the boardwalk. The Cannons continue firing high-powered shots and have destroyed almost half of the city by now. The Swarms are still chasing civilians, but with all the Soldiers destroyed, how will they get back to the Wormwood?
"I'm gonna spear me some squids!" Jason says over the MetaTron, as he attacks his target with the harpoon gun. Rapid fire, mini harpoons stick to the head and body of the Constrictor, and its core explodes. Broken tentacles and debris scatter throughout the water. Sarah goes back and engages the nearest Constrictor at FA range, while Rick attacks one of the two closest Constrictors. In an amazing display, he sticks both swords through it and launches it out of the water and over Sarah's SAInt, toward the Cannons. The damaged Constrictor explodes in mid-air. Rick's Ego is still at max, and he's pumped and ready for more.
AK-47 warns the pilots that more Locusts are appearing on the radar and coming out of the Wormwood. Another Cannon rises to the surface of the water, and three more Constrictors swim up to surround it, while six still remain at the shore.
Rick attacks the other Constrictor next to him at CQ range just as it rears its head out of the water. Rick stabs both swords through its multiple eyes and out the back of its head. It uses its tentacles to grip the swords and pry them out, but Rick and his SAInt are much too strong. Jason attacks the next closest Constrictor at FA range with his harpoon gun again in several, short, controlled bursts. The rapid harpoons lodge themselves into the Constrictor's tentacles, breaking them apart, while others go through its eyes and destroys the core in another, bubbling explosion. "Agh, Jason, you're so awesome! That was such a cool shot!" Strudel calls out on the MetaTron from the underground hangar. Sarah targets closest Constrictor at FA range with her Giant Clam Killer and holds down on the trigger while rising upwards in the water. The bullets spread out and tear through the Constrictor's tentacles, ripping them away, before hitting the core and destroying the Locust.
By now, Bala and Lieke finally arrive to the coastal city in their Mendicant, ferried across by a jerry-rigged transport vessel.
At the same time, another BOOM of thunder rips through the air, and a flash of lightning ensues, striking down next to the reinforcement Cannon that has just surfaced. The lightning may look pretty under the water, but it also blinds Sarah and Jason momentarily.
Enter Enki
A new Magnas that no one has ever heard of before lands on top of the Cannon. AK-47 quickly feeds Rick, Sarah, and Jason all the information she has on Enki while shuddering and whispering, "Bozhe moi (My God)," into the MetaTron. As Enki crashes down, a huge tidal wave soars up and washes over it.
Enki's three, bulky heads are topped with a giant crown resembling the tip of a trident. The Magnas stands on two, long legs at almost a hundred fifty feet tall with eight, spindly, jellyfish-like tentacles for wings that can shoot lasers like the Constrictors, and four, massive arms built to fire explosive, high-energy bursts similar to the Cannons. Rather than remain standing atop the Cannon like a surfboard, Enki takes a seat on top of the Cannon's snout weapon and utilizes it as a throne, preferring to remain in one place. A school of robotic, alien, porcelain-plated fish surround the Magnas, acting as its personal shield by jumping above and swimming across and below the water.
Enki (Dominion Rank Magnas)
Challenges: Vigor 14, Focus 10. Structure 14. 4 dice. Range CQ, FA, HB +2 Benefit/Boost.
Special: When attacking at CQ or FA Range, a pilot must pass an Intellect check or be forced to attack Enki's defending fish instead. The pilot may still attack Enki directly after failing their check, but they suffer Setback on their Action. The fish can withstand four attacks before they are fully destroyed. At that point, a pilot must still pass an Intellect check or suffer Setback on their Action due to the water Enki can cause to rise up around him.
Jason immediately takes cover behind Sarah's shield again to reload his torpedo launcher, but they aren't in close proximity, so he needs her to maneuver around to get close enough to him. Meanwhile, Rick orders Bala and Lieke to take care of the Swarm on the main island, while he goes after the three Constrictors still attacking the shore. "I'm gonna clean up over here. I'll join you guys shortly," he tells his teammates over the MetaTron. Sarah and Jason both reply, "Roger," and Rick attacks the closest Constrictor to him at FA range with his Levic Pistol, shredding it to bits. Its metal chunks scatter in all directions and a series of tiny explosions ensues.
Enki temporarily grows stronger, while Bala and Lieke engage the Swarm in the city.
Rick engages the last two Constrictors on shore at CQ range but gets caught between them, in their Threat Range. Their tentacles break through the electromagnetic barriers of Rick's AP SAInt and latch on with their spiny prongs before pulling away the outer layers of the SAInt's protective plate.
Jason launches a torpedo at Enki from HB range, and Sarah lends her support by providing cover fire. The torpedo zooms across the water and soars up to blast Enki's crown clean off its three heads while leaving only a single, damaged head, with a portion of its central cranium missing, in the process. The two only succeed by working together and utilizing their SAInts' Id and their own Ego.
Enki's power returns to normal, and Bala and Lieke continue taking out the Swarm.
Since Rick's AP SAInt took damage, he has to react quickly and figure out what systems are damaged and how to fix them.
Whenever the Aquatic Prototype SAInt takes damage, the pilot must pass an Intellect check or suffer a condition of some sort. The Director may decide what breaks down or stops working or leave it up to chance. The lights could stop working, the sensors could falter, the propulsion systems can fail, the pilot may lose a grip on their SAInt's weapon, etc. If there are no more conditions applicable after the AP SAInt takes damage and the pilot fails an Intellect check, the pilot suffers Setback on their Action if they aren't suffering from Setback already.
Unfortunately for Rick, the heat/sonic/radar/targeting sensors on his AP SAInt stop working, and he has to rely on mere lights and only what he sees through the SAInt's eyes alone to help him. He retaliates and swipes both of his blades down both sets of tentacles before slashing the two Constrictors in the face and sending their heads flying into the air, as they explode. "Get your damn tentacles off me!" Rick yells, as the portion of the tentacles still stuck to his SAInt fall off and get absorbed in the explosion.
Jason acts as team leader again and attempts to engage Enki at FA range with Sarah's assistance, but Enki cuts them off at his Threat Range and fires off a couple of destructive, energy bursts at Jason and Sarah with two of his arm cannons. Sarah's shield prevents some of the damage done to her, but both blasts rip through the AP SAInts' barriers and outer, armor plated shell. After taking damage, neither Jason nor Sarah can prevent the lights on their SAInts from going out, and they're left in pitch darkness underwater with only their sensors to rely upon.
The three Constrictors surrounding Enki start moving toward the coastal city, while the two Cannons left (not counting Enki's throne), continue firing upon the island. They've destroyed over two-thirds of the city by now, but at least most of the citizens are relatively safe, since Bala and Lieke finish off the remaining Swarm.
Jason splits away from Sarah to attack the closest Cannon at FA range, utilizing his SAInt's Id, and lays into it with more, rapid harpoons, hitting its core. The Cannon explodes, and Sarah fires off several more bursts with her Giant Clam Killer at the nearest Constrictor swimming by. She can't physically see it under the water, so she relies on her sonar radar and annihilates it.
Rick knows he should take cover and heal, but he chooses not to. Instead, he dives back under the water and attacks the closest Constrictor swimming to shore at FA range. Rick also utilizes his SAInt's Id and unloads an entire clip of his Levic Pistol at the Constrictor, destroying it under the water with only his SAInt's lights to guide him.
The last Constrictor continues moving toward shore and dives deeper underwater. The Cannon, still in place, continues to fire, and Enki's strength increases once again, as he remains dormant atop his Cannon throne.
Rick finally takes cover behind some reefs to activate his AP SAInt's self-repair system, but it costs all his Ego to do so while trying to avoid Enki's devastating, energy blasts. The SAInt's complex, bio-mechanical nano-machines and digital DNA helps the SAInt regenerate by spinning carbon fibers and filling the gaps in its armor while stitching broken components back together. Unfortunately, the inhuman repair systems comes at a price which cause an increased disassociation between Rick's mind and the SAInt's body. The AP SAInt fully repairs itself in no time, but its at a high risk for Frenzy, as it's maxed out on Id, and Rick's completely out of Ego.
Sarah leads the next attack on Enki and fires off her last set of Tiamat, guided torpedoes at HB range with Jason providing cover this time. The torpedoes tear through the water, past Enki's fishy defenses, and take out six of his eight tentacle wings.
The underwater Constrictor continues moving forward, as the Cannon keeps firing at the city, and Rick shines his lights down at the Constrictor and remains in control of his SAInt for the time being. He empties out another clip at the Locust, shooting bursts through the water, and the Constrictor explodes, momentarily blinding Rick, as debris scatters and smoke rises up to the surface of the water. Sarah and Jason both hear Rick growling on the MetaTron, as his SAInt is fired up to battle Enki. All the other pilots on Bimini Island are cheering Rick and his teammates on, but AK-47 is more reserved and concentrating on only one task - defeating Enki.
"Show them what you got," AK-47 says to Sarah over the MetaTron, as she takes point again. Jason helps her engage Enki at FA range, and they manage to flank him on opposite sides, forcing Enki in a crossfire.
The last remaining Cannon has single-handedly obliterated the last third of the city, but at least Enki's power has returned to normal once again.
Jason takes point this time with Rick and Sarah's assistance, but something suddenly happens to Rick. "Aaaaaaaaaahhh!" Rick's telepathic voice pierces Jason's and Sarah's ears over the MetaTron, as Rick scourges his SAInt's Id by disabling the trauma buffers and neural blocks that keep the SAInt's senses from reaching him unfiltered and transferring some of its bloodthirsty feelings into powerful sensations in order to startle it into submission and obedience. Rick opens his body up as a conduit, sending a powerful blast to his system, mentally and physically, in order to shock the monstrous, robotic suit and prevent it from reaching a potential Frenzy. Rick's neurons misfire, his muscles spasm, and he cries out in intense pain, as his own body sustains injuries, even though he's protected by his suit and the gel he's encased in while piloting the SAInt.
"Rick, no! No no no!" AK-47 shouts over the MetaTron, as the other pilots on Bimini Island are gasping and freaking out over him. Rick can't help it; he loses the last bit of control he has over his SAInt, and it enters an aggressive Frenzy with only a minimal amount of Id at its disposal. "Rick! Rick! Hang in there! We're doing all we can!" AK-47 continues to shout.
Jason and Sarah press on with their attack and successfully get past the defensive fish. Jason destroys Enki's remaining two wings with his harpoon gun, while Sarah lays into it with her Giant Clam Killer.
The final Mayzor Cannon fires off its last shot, before Rick's SAInt automatically rushes forward, enraged, and obliterates it at CQ range which ends the Frenzy. Rick, himself, is nearly unconscious by this point and suffering from Setback.
AK-47, Dr. Harris, and the pilots at Bimini Island watch in anticipation as Sarah takes charge again and leads Jason in another, coordinated attack. She fails to get past its defenses this time, though, and her Giant Clam Killer kills off a bunch of robotic fish, while Jason's harpoons stick through a few more, scattering them in a series of mini explosions.
There are still a lot more fish left, Enki temporarily grows stronger again, Rick is badly hurt and in pain, Jason is tried, and Sarah seems to be the only one fired up and actually having fun.
She takes point one last time and leads a coordinated, team effort with Jason and Rick to finish Enki off. Her Giant Clam Killer blasts its remaining head off, exposing its detonation core at the base of its neck, Jason's harpoons knock out the majority of its arms, and Rick empties out one last clip through both of its knee caps and the throne Cannon which begins an explosive, chain reaction. First, the Cannon explodes, followed by Enki's legs, remaining arms, and most of its protective, outer shell and defensive, fish barrier. Alone and disabled, Enki sinks into the water, as his core starts blinking rapidly.
Sarah helps Rick and Jason get away and holds her shield up to protect them, as Enki self-destructs in a great display of fireworks, sending a final, gargantuan tsunami washing over the SAInts, the shore of Bimini Island, and the remains of the coastal city on the main island.
The sky darkens once more, and a great burst of lightning descends into the ocean to scoop up the empty Wormwood and take it back to Tartarus. Rick, Sarah, and Jason aren't affected by the electricity, as it's too weak to penetrate their SAInts' barriers, even after sustaining some structural damage.
"Yeah! You better run!" Rick yells aloud and through the MetaTron.
The pilots on Bimini Island are cheering loudly for Rick, Sarah, and Jason, aided by AK-47, Dr. Harris, and the twins aboard their Mendicant. There are hardly any buildings left standing in the coastal city, but at least the majority of the citizens are safe, and there aren't as many casualties as there could have been.
End of Summer Break
After Rick, Sarah, and Jason make their way back to the underground hangar, the rest of the pilots scamper over to help them get out of their AP SAInts and suits.
Rick is bleeding from his eyes and nostrils, and Serena rushes over to him, placing his head gently in her hands. Tearing up and hyperventilating, Serena asks Rick if he's OK, and Rick calmly, but painfully, answers, "I'll live." His sister hugs him tightly.
Laurie hugs Jason and gives him a big kiss on the cheek, while Raspberry rushes up to Sarah in awe, and even Opsie is impressed. "You did good out there, cuz," she says sincerely, despite being unable to hide her jealousy and high emotions.
AK-47 addresses Rick, Sarah, and Jason together: "You have all outdone yourselves today. When we get back to the Arx Jericho, we will make sure to have a grand ceremony in your honor. You three have singlehandedly taken out the biggest and most surprising threat any of us have ever faced. You should be more than proud of yourselves. Now go and enjoy the rest of your vacation. You three, above all, deserve some relaxation." AK-47 commends Bala and Lieke for their outstanding, first performance on the field as well, and they all remain on Bimini Island to finish their summer break, while the Preservation Forces and UST military assist the civilians of the Bahamas in evacuation and relief efforts.
Later on, AK-47 checks up on Rick and says: "You were very brave out there Rick. However, I have been thinking. Sarah, she really outdid herself and proved herself extremely capable, especially toward the end. With your upcoming Prophet training, perhaps it was too soon to make you team leader of Alpha Company."
"Uhh, well-" Rick slowly begins, not knowing what to say.
"The thing is, Rick," AK-47 continues, "I don't want you to think of this as a demotion; quite the opposite, in fact. When we get back to the Arx Jericho, it would be most prudent for you to begin your Prophet training with Dr. Johnson. You'll need to spend more time outside the classroom and away from your fellow pilots, as you'll be required to undergo more and more training at the CRC facility to successfully operate the Prophet. As such, I think it's wise to make Sarah the new, team leader of Alpha Company. She'll consistently be there for Alpha Company, but you, Serena, and Opsie may not be for as long as you're with the CRC.
AK-47 clearly has a difficult time delivering Rick the news in light of everything that's happened, and he has a hard time convincing himself that this is the right course of action, but he nods his head and replies, "I understand, Captain."
Shortly afterwards, AK-47 approaches Sarah and delivers the news to her in a more positive, but direct, tone: "I think Rick is ready to pursue his Prophet training with Dr. Johnson at the CRC facility, and I want to officially promote you at the new, team leader of Alpha Company."
Sarah smiles and then asks, "Does that mean I'm gonna have more homework?"
"We may need more training sessions, you and I, yes," AK-47 replies, "You may not have too much fun doing it, but know that you were outstanding today, and this is a great honor bestowed upon you."
"Oh you know, it's easy once you get the combos down and all," Sarah quips.
Commencement and Celebrations
Saturday, August 23rd 2031
A grand feast and ceremony is held aboard the Arx Jericho honoring Rick, Sarah, and Jason for their commendable and outstanding service to the Preservation Forces. Sarah's official promotion to team leader of Alpha Company is made public, and Rick is to take on a great deal more training as a special operative, though no further details are mentioned and any questions are quelled and met with the lackluster response of, "We're forbidden to disclose such information."
At some point, later on, Rick asks Serena if she's heard any voices in her head, specifically his, and Serena turns to him with a pale expression on her face.
"How, how did you know?" she asks, "I mean, every now and then, I- I have heard your thoughts. I keep having strange, vivid nightmares at night, where you're strapped to a cot, and I think Opsie is strapped in one too, next to you. You're somewhere in Germany, based on the signs, and surrounded by masked, CRC scientists, and our fa-" but she stops there, too frightened to say any more.
"Remember, Dr. Johnson wanted you to stay behind and skip the vacation," Rick slowly says, "And he presumably knew what was going to happen; so you have to wonder, why did he want you to stay behind? Why didn't he want you to be there?"
"I, I don't know," Serena replies, "I thought it was because I needed to pursue my Prophet training. Why? Do you think there was some other motive?"
"I think if he knew about the attack, then for some reason he didn't want you to be there," Rick tells her.
"Well, maybe he thought- You remember, we found out from the files that Jason hacked that he wanted to destroy our company by isolating us and pitting us against the two Magnas in New Alamo. Maybe he wanted to divide us up again? Maybe he really wanted you, Jason, and Sarah taken care of, because he knew- You know," Serena struggles to seem as modest as she can, as her eyes swell with tears, "I mean, I know I couldn't save everyone, but I did help save Laurie and Leo back in Chicago. Maybe He was afraid that would happen again or more? Obviously you didn't my help. I don't know."
"Yeah, maybe that's it," Rick responds, but he isn't so sure he believes that, and his sister reads through him like he was made of glass.
"But why else would he?" she asks.
"I don't know, and that's what scares me," Rick grimly says.
"I don't like this," Serena says, crying, "I don't like this one bit, Rick. That was too close a call back there, and I'm scared something's gonna happen to you."
"I'm scared too," Rick confesses, and they share a heartwarming hug, as the scene fades to black.
Next Time
It's the start of the new, school term, but three students are missing on the first day of class, as Rick undergoes his Prophet training, alongside Serena and Opsie, with Dr. Johnson at the CRC facility. Sarah's brother, Allen, is coming for a visit, but she's confronted by masked men who try to kidnap her. Jason and Strudel go on a rescue mission to infiltrate the CRC headquarters, but all is not what it seems. Past revelations become reality, while other revelations turn out to be quite different than what was expected. Tables will turn and heads will roll, as the greatest secret aboard the Arx Jericho will be uncovered.
Stay tuned for the penultimate episode of the first season of Tales of the Arx Jericho.
