Marionette Task Force: A Cyberpunk LitRPG by Eddie R. Hicks

Author:Eddie R. Hicks [Hicks, Eddie R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-29T16:00:00+00:00

19

MARIONETTE TASK FORCE

Kai and Ilona led Cerise and Yukina to the nav point in his vision, a point of interest, the location of the nearest crashed starfighter. They kept low and out of sight during the trek to the crash site, a pulsing dot on the mini-map. The pulse grew stronger the closer they got to it.

The fires burning from the other crashed fighters continued to blaze, especially the fire started by the ship that slammed into the skyscraper. The building was now engulfed in flames, and there wasn’t a single firetruck en route to it. Emergency personnel were likely dead or elsewhere because of the widespread devastation brought to Jardin in such a short time. Both scenarios were equally terrifying.

Kai’s group arrived at the wreckage at last. The doomed starfighter crashed in a park, its explosive end spreading debris everywhere. There was a small crater with flames surging upward and turning the park benches and trees into smoldering ash. The air was sweltering, hotter than hell. It was like standing next to an opened oven set to the highest temperature. The closer Kai got, the more it felt like he crawled inside one.

Ilona floated above the blazing wreckage and scanned it.

“Confirmed,” she said after a quick analysis. “This was definitely an Eden fighter . . . though its mayday transmissions I intercepted were a good giveaway of that.”

“Stupid question, Ilona,” Kai said, ambling forward, “but did the pilot survive the crash at least?”

“No, what’s left of him is . . . well.”

“Say no more.” He looked at the burning fuselage. “Rest in peace, pal. I’m sure you fought well.”

“Hmm.”

“What’s up, Ilona?”

“According to my scans, this fighter was the same one that bombed the factory not long ago.”

“Is that so . . .” Kai narrowed his eyes and reminisced about the airstrike made on the Vivid Corporation’s marionette factory. “It was a squadron of five starfighters.”

“And five starfighters, including this one, just crashed one after another,” Ilona said.

Kai grunted. “They didn’t make it out of the city then.”

“Those poor pilots . . .” Cerise said, joining Kai to his left and surveying the wreckage of the starfighter. “They bombed the factory, not knowing it would be their last mission . . .”

He looked to his left, eyeing her with a confused glare. “Cerise . . . you’re not mad that they destroyed the factory you were created in?”

“They . . . they did it to prevent the Coalition from taking it and churning out monsters.” Cerise kept her eyes away from him. “It’s probably better this way.”

Kai moved forward and searched through the wreckage he could safely access, ignoring the torrential pour of sweat that soaked his face and chest. He found something that captured his attention, something that seemed familiar. He picked up a tiny handheld device, brushed off the dirt, and grinned when its lights flashed.

“A long-range laser transmitter,” he said, clenching the LLT.

Ilona hovered over and scanned it. The results of her scan appeared in his vision.

“It’s still in good shape,” Ilona said.

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