The Biomass Denial Catalog had a ton of ways to destroy Antithesis bodies. Burning, acids, nano swarms, petrifiers, all sorts of things that would give me nightmares if they were used on humans. I picked the nanos, something called the flesh-melter grenades, and spent a few minutes dissolving the fourteen. Turns out the thing was MUCH rger thaher Sharron or I expected. I had to use three greraveling further and further down the slurry filled tuo clear out more. Once again, I was very thankful for my bandana.

  “Before we leave Nyx, how do I stop my bots from getting turned off again? I don’t want them to freeze up during an important fight agaiime it could end up fatal for either Sharron or myself.”

  That be dohe Css I Robotiviroal Hardening Catalog has modules to give them resistao the ECM effect of some Antithesis.

  “Do it, a my boys equipped with armor now and a css II upgrade for Bandit. I may mass produce more bots ter, I just don’t want to lose these ones.”

  Got it.

  Purchased - Css I Robotiviroal Hardening catalog - 50 points

  Purchased - Css I ECM hardening Module x 5 - 100 points

  Purchased - Css II Autonomous bat unit upgrade - 100 points

  Purchased - Css I Autonomous bat bot armor x 5 - 250 points

  Points remaining - 3127

  A single capsule my feet. I waited a beat for the rest, nothing happened. “Nyx?”

  The armor was installed directly os, and because it urchased at the same time as the ECM I just ied the shielding directly.

  “Got it.” Bandit walked right up to me and stuck out its arm and I ied the upgrade.

  Sharron was still settling bato her suit, the cockpit was still open. “So, we’re going to the factory ?”

  I nodded, “That’s the pn, although… don’t you find this tunnel system odd? We did find the Fourteen here, but it was like it was set up in ambush. That attack probably would have killed any number of Samurai, we’re just lucky you and your suit was first.”

  “You worry too much. The Antithesis aren’t that smart, they a instinct.”

  “Tell that to the people at the prect,” I grumbled.

  She paused, “Ok, point taken. So you don’t want to go to the factory?”

  I hmmm’d. “Yeah, we should probably check it out either way. Even if we find another of these fuckers it’ll probably be worth clearing out.”

  She nodded, her cockpit closed, and the suit powered up once again. “Shall we go?”

  This time I led the way out of the tunnels, winding through the maze of tunnels until we emerged ba the now deserted street.

  As we made our way towards the factory I noticed it was quiet, almost too quiet. Sharron and I shared a look. “Of course the majority of Antithesis would be gathered in the areas with higher biomass”, she said. I nodded, not sure if I actually believed that or not.

  The industrial district, where the factory was located, sisted almost entirely of giant blocky factories that took advantage of the insanely low cost of bour in the uy to make low cost goods. It started on the south side of Sector Eleven, then tinued across the southern al taking up nearly the ey of Sector Twenty Two. Those that volunteered to work in the factories were practically iured servants, but for a lot of people it was better thaernative, which was starving to death.

  The facility the Antithesis were using covered several city blocks, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what it used to produce. Most pces had minor iives t in new workers, I don't think I knew a single person that worked here. Suspicious.

  “Nyx, where did the model twelves gather?” I asked as we walked the perimeter.

  “West side, by the loading docks.”

  My eyes flicked to that area, there was indeed a score of Model Threes and Fours hanging around there. A lot less than I would have expected to proteything important. I could see a single Model Sixteen direg the smaller models, I could swear it gnced in our dire before disappearing inside.

  “I have a bad feeling about this”, I said.

  “I believe you. What the hell is going on?”

  I was about to turn away when I heard gunshots, an automatic on. The remaining Antithesis flooded into the factory.

  Humboldt sprang to her feet, “Fuck, it must be survivors. The Antithesis must have ered them earlier and have been trying to get in ever since.”

  She took off across the lot, and I followed a few steps behind. As roached the open loading dock we got our first look at the cavernous interior. It was filled with automated assembly lines, robotic arms, the interior wasn’t just but pristihis was not a standard factory, at least not for the uy.

  Sharron put a finger up to her lips, or as close as she could with the suit in the way. I hen we pulled ourselves onto the low nding. As we worked our way through the veyor belts the first thing I noticed was there was still power. Dozens of dark red status lights covered the various maes, giving the area a hellish glow. The sed was at the back of the factory floor was a broken security door, and the area around it was coated in dead Antithesis.

  I grabbed Humboldt’s arm, which thankfully she noticed. I poi my bears, then made a running motion with two fingers, and poi the door. She nodded.

  I took and of Heavy through my Augs, walked him right up to the door and looked in. It was a ste room, lock boxes pletely filled the walls. At the back stood three shapes, tall and square, maybe lockers? I couldn’t get a good look in the gloom. As soon as he passed the door’s threshold warning lights fshed. A deep voice echoed out.

  [INTRUDER DETECTED - YOU HAVE ENTERED A SECURE AREA - LETHAL FORCE HAS BEEN AUTHORISED]

  A momehe shapes in the back shifted to the side, revealing heavy ons which opened up. Their bined weight of fire caught Heavy and literally threw him from the room.