Chapter 50
User 456: Dammit! I can't work like this! Half the systems are down and I can't use the coffee machine!
User 897: Well, our monitoring systems are still operational. The food synthesizers still work. Short-range communications are still functioning. We can still use some of the electronics that ain't tied to the main systems.
User 908: Some of the guys and I manage to override the emergency lock-downs and got the ships up and running.
User 799: I also found out that not just the teleportation matrix on Halo is down, but the entire solar system.
User 671: How is that possible? I just did a systems check and it said that only our local teleportations are down.
User 897: He and I checked and found somethings in our software. Turns out that we were hacked and sabotaged.
User 456: But how? BICORN is part organic and even says so in its name so it is next to impossible to hack our AI.
User 897: What if the hack CAME from BICORN? What if there is some line of code that the benefactors created when shipping BICORN?
User 671: A little farfetched if you ask me.
User 799: Maybe it is a little project that the ADMIN came up with and never told anyone about it and is taking effect. Like right now.
User 456: Sounds likely. I mean the ADMIN has been acting weird lately. Ever since he got BICORN, his attitude has been...I don't know. More eccentric than ever?
User 908: That does sound likely. But let's get the hell out of here first.
User 799: Should we do a systems purge before heading out.
User 456: Leave it. The stuff we got isn't really that important and the anti-spaceship defenses are still up so it is next to impossible for anyone to leave. Which includes Salem if she ever finds out.
User 908: Hang on! If he really was leading the sabotage, does that mean he's gonna destroy this place and collect the insurance? Plus we also signed that insurance policy that for ever person that has died, which also means that if we die, he gets money from the government. At least that's what I read.
Everyone: ...Uh-oh!
User 456: Oh come on! He would never do such a thing. ...right?
Adam and his group flew towards the city ruins where the Huntsmen of Remnant have gotten some of their spell tomes and other such magical oddities before their teleporters went dead. After many long hours, as the sun sets over at the western horizon, they finally made it. Hazel and Dr. Watts land their crafts close to the library where the Albain Brothers saw Team RWBY and their family members went into. Everyone hops out of the aerial vehicles and go inside to inspect the place.
"Are you sure about this?" Tock asks the twins.
"We're pretty sure." Fennec responds. "Although it was a long time ago." He looks at Tock as he continues to explain, "They all head inside this building and-" Fennec stops as he realizes something.
Tock looks back at Fennec, "What?"
"Your teeth!" Fennec freaks out. "They've changed!"
Tock touches her teeth, "What are you-" The sharp metal teeth that she had is no longer there. Instead, she has normal teeth but are sharp and pointy yet normal size. "What the-? What happened to my teeth?!"
Dr. Watts takes a closer look, "Now that is quite peculiar." He examines them, "It seems your prosthetics have disappeared and been replaced by the teeth you once had."
"Actually, this is my second set of teeth before I got my prosthetics." Tock explains.
Hazel looks at everyone, "Can we please focus on the task at hand?"
Everyone went inside the library and found the place in disarray. Books that are ruined are scattered about, a bunch of junk at the door, many shelves thrown about or falling apart, and they notice a large dirt column holding up the roof above while there are also some cargo containers all about.
"What happened to this place?" Dr. Watts says as he picks-up a few ruined books. "It's like a hurricane came through here."
Adam takes a closer look at the dirt blocks, "And what is up with this column? It looks like it was made of pixelated dirt." He touches the column and everyone's implants started to go haywire for a few seconds.
"What just happened?" Tock asks.
Corsac explains, "Well, last time we were here, our implants started to react to some of the things we touch and we ended-up getting some new crafting recipes, new skills we get to unlock, and some new things."
Hazel opens up his implant and sees a new icon in a shape of a cube. He presses it and sees that he can now use Minecraft items.
"Let's get back to the task at hand." Adam says. "We'll split up into groups of three and search this place from top to bottom. The Albain Brothers and I will search the right side of the building. Hazel. You, Dr. Watts, and Tock will search the left side."
"Understood." Hazel gives an emotionless response and nodded.
It is night time with Hazel and his group search the left side of the building starting at the top. They search for anything that is out of the ordinary like something technological that doesn't fit with the medieval fantasy area that they are in.
Dr. Watts looks at some of the books, "This is a tragedy." He laments about the books, "So much knowledge lost to the sands of time that have corroded."
"I'm not much of a book person, but yeah, things like this is a tragedy." Tock says.
Hazel keeps searching and doesn't say a thing.
"Say," Tock says to Hazel, "did Salem had any proteges back on Remnant after I died? Should we be worried about that?"
"I do think so." Dr. Watts says. "I think...the person's...name... Huh?" Dr. Watts is drawing a blank on remembering a protege that Salem had. "That's strange. I can't remember." He then looks at Hazel, "Do you remember, Hazel?"
"I think it was... I think it was... Now that is strange." Hazel says as he scratches the back of his head. "I can't remember either. But I think that person has two friends name...name... I don't recall their names for some reason."
"Over here!" Adam shouts. "Up on the second floor!"
Hazel's group went up to where Adam's group is and they see them examining some sort of techno-device on the floor.
Adam looks at Hazel's group, "I think we found something."
Everyone take a closer look on the device.
Tock asks, "What is it?"
Dr. Watts points at something, "There is a power button." Then he presses it but nothing happens. "Hmm. Now that is odd."
"Out of power or something?" Corsac asks.
"There doesn't seem to be any sort of power source, brother." Fennec examines the device more. He picks it up and takes a closer look. "Doesn't look like there is a place for any sort of battery or power cell or something like that."
Corsac then takes it back, "Then how does this thing work?"
"Just put it down." Adam orders. He looks outside and see that night has come. "It is night time. We should get moving and keep an eye out for any lights in the air."
Before they head out, they hear a lot of moaning and groaning outside the library.
"The hell is going on?" Fennec and Corsac asks in unison.
Adam pulls out his sword, "Trouble."
Everyone pull out their weapons with Hazel pulling out an Acheronian War-Axe and a steel heater shield. Arthur Watts pulls out his dragonbone bow and has explosive arrows. Tock pulls out her twin cutlasses, Fennec and Corsac pull out their daggers, while Adam is armed with both his Wilt and Blush. They look out from the second floor and notice a small number of shambling figures coming in through the front door. They prepare for whatever horror that comes in through the busted door. When the figures slowly come into the building with the Minecraft torches lighting the entire library, they can see what they are: zombies.
"Bloody hell!" Tock says, "Motherfucking zombies! I didn't sign-up to take on zombies!"
"Well fuck me." Adam says to himself. "I was not expecting this." Adam looks at his group, "Sorry guys. Of all the things I would've expected, I was not prepared for infectious undead."
"That would be alright." Dr. Watts says as he looks down. "Although, I would like to know what on this planet would create the undead. I have seen them in those ghastly movies yet I was not expecting to see the real thing. I'm quite fascinated on how could a corpse move. Can't be a virus, because that is just laughable."
"Stick to your machines, Dr. Watts." Hazel says as he stands next to him while looking down at the main floor. "Yet I can't deny the problem down there."
Dr. Watts prepares to fire, "I'll incinerate some of these creatures. Tock, prepare to make an opening."
"Right. And why?"
"Because of your semblance, my dear."
"Oh..." Tock looks down at the horde of zombies below and is a little scared, "Right."
"1...2...3!" Dr. Watts fires two explosive arrows at the horde below and made them explode into pieces. Although, he did catch some of the junk on fire and the doors.
Everyone jumps down as Tock activates her semblance right before charging at them by spinning her around with her cutlasses as she aims for their heads which ultimately opened a path towards the air crafts that everyone runs up to. They all got on board their crafts and take off before things get worse. The reason, some of the zombies from 7 Days to Die started to run up towards them with some of the bloated green cops starting to use their projectile vomit at them yet misses. They flew towards the west and escaped.
Not long after that, they started to see some lights not too far at the coast as they drive their VTOLs as close as they could to the settlement glowing in the night.
Over at the tavern, Gretel is sitting at a table as she swirls her glass of apple juice with Neopolitan sitting with her.
Neo uses her semblance to make a sign, 'Is something wrong?'
Gretel notices the sign, "Huh? Oh, yeah. Well...kind of." Gretel looks at her glass again, "You see, I have a brother. Have or had depending on what happened to him here or back on Remnant. He was very protective of me. Always worrying about my well-being and try to tell me not to be a Huntress. Yet he and I always enjoy some apple juice together when we were kids. He used to make some apple juice by hand before we got older just to be a show-off."
Neo pulls out another sign, 'Sounds like you two are close.'
"We were or still are. I don't know. From what Ozpin told me, he blames him for my death." She looks at Neo, "But hey, it is my life. I decide what I want to do with my life and if I fail, I do so by staring death in the face and tell it to choke on it."
Neo looks like she giggle a little while holding onto another sign, 'But you cannot just go choke death. Hehe.'
"Oh yeah? If death ever comes close to me, I'll rip his ribcage off."
Neo pulls out another sign, 'HA HA HA!'
Over at another table, Pyrrha is having a conversation with her mother. "So, how are you handling things?"
Pyrrha's mother, name Lilly Nikos, is wearing her Argus outfit along with having the same glasses. "I'm doing alright. But I have to say, I am a little surprise by the whole situation. Yet I am glad that you're okay." Lilly gives her daughter a pat on the head.
"Yeah. Jaune and I are getting along." Pyrrha takes a sip of her tea.
Lilly does a smirk, "Don't you mean your team?"
Pyrrha's eyes widen as she stops drinking her tea and nervously puts down her cup. She clears her throat, "I-I mean, uh, I, um, yes."
Lilly giggles a little before pinching Pyrrha's left cheek, "Aw. Ain't that adorable. My little sweety is getting closer to her crush."
Pyrrha feels embarrass as she gently smacks her mother's hand, "Mom! Stop it!"
Then Caboose enters the tavern and goes, "Hey, uh, everyone!" Everyone in the tavern looks at Caboose. "Freckles says that he is detecting two uninflatable air crafts on their way!"
"Don't you mean unaffiliated?" Alpha Church says.
"That too!"
Everyone stops what they are doing and run out the door. Once outside, they can see the shadowy silhouettes of the hornet and falcon VTOL's coming their way. The two crafts land in the ranch which is the only place to land them with everyone else having their weapons aim at them. Once they land, the people in them (or on them) come out with their hands up.
Blake notices Adam and is surprised to see him...and a little scared as she hides behind her teammates.
Sienna approaches and recognizes Adam, "Adam? Is that you?"
Adam just remains silent as he nods.
"What happened to your eye? It's...normal."
Gretel moves up and is astonished by the person who comes out of the hornet. "Brother?"
Hazel slowly lowers his hands and is in total shock to see his sister alive as he just stands there with his eyes wide open and mouth gawking. Gretel runs up to him and gives him a hug. Hazel is still in shock as he just slowly hugs his sister, who is sobbing a little. While doing that some tears stream down from his face. But all of a sudden, he got upper cut by his sister on the jaw, which causes him to let go.
"That's for not letting me do what I want to do with my life!" Gretel says in a little passive aggressive tone of voice, but her body language speaks different.
Hazel rubs his jaw and does a monotone yet painful, "Ow."
Then Gretel smacks him in the gut.
"Oof!"
"That is for blaming Ozpin for my death!" Then Gretel kicks him in the nuts, which causes him to fall down on his back. "And that is for joining some evil forces!"
"I...deserve...that..." Hazel says in a weak tone of voice right before Gretel hugs him.
"But I'm glad to see you again."
Ironwood notices Arthur Watts in the Falcon, "Dr. Watts?"
The doctor sighs, "Yes. But I'll explain more once we settle in."
"Hold it right there!" says Older Maria who is aiming her staff at Tock with Younger Maria holding her Life and Death.
Tock recognize both versions of Maria and is a little surprise and confuse at the situation. "Seriously? Two versions of yourself? Is this some sick joke?"
"Says the woman who gloated about making me blind." Younger Maria said.
Tock looks at Older Maria, "But it looks like you got your eyes back." She smiles to reveal her teeth.
"What happened to your teeth?" Older Maria sees that Tock's prosthetics are gone. "You had a bad set of dental work last time I saw you."
"I have no idea. Guessing it's the same with your own prosthetics?"
"Yep."
Back over at where Salem is, she continues her conquest of Mordor and the Exiled Lands with little opposition. She has conquered every single part of these two lands. She was hoping to capture Conan, but he has disappeared. Never to be seen again. With her army of Uruks, trolls, thralls, beasts, Minions, and undead. Not to mention some of her new powers from the Nazgul, including Isildur's ability to summon ghosts. And the Witch-King's own abilities, including being able to use the Angmar Faction from Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth 2. So now she can use units and powers from a strategy game with a little help from the Palantir from Minas Ithil after wiping out what was left of the Gondorian Army. She uses the Palantir to also find the REPCONN test site, where the rockets are stored.
But first, she has to conquer the Caesar's Legion in the Scorched Earth area for not only taking care of some of their members, but also capture a few more creatures from the prehistoric/semi-fantasy section of this planets bestiary. Once that is finished, she will decimate everything in her path and seize control of the Halo ring. Then, gets to kill Ozpin...or Ozma.
AN: Hey everyone! I got some more news for ya'! Turns out that my travels have been cancelled due some...complications. One of those complications is that one of my co-workers died in an elevator. I don't exactly know the person since that person works for the higher ups directly. The reason why I said person is because the person was a hermaphrodite and got crushed due to some unexpected malfunctions. The second is that some of the systems went haywire and that may have been the reason why the elevator crashed so some of our files and stuff gotten corrupted. So most of the expenses for my travels are being used for repairs and a funeral. Yeah, life sorta sucks. But hey, bad stuff happens. So expect more chapters in summer rather than coming out at random unless I have some news. See ya' later!
Also, does everyone hate the new system that we have to put up with in order to login to Fanfiction? Because this is shit.