The Skyranger set down on a landing pad on an extremely dilapidated building. Vines and other plant growing over everything, and many sections of the building seemed to be in the process of crumbling down. A heavy fog hung over everything, blocking vision from more than a few feet ahead.
"This is as up as I can land" Firebrand reported to the operatives "Do you guys want me to wait here, or circle around?"
"Stay put for now. It seems dead, if there's a threat, then you can start circling" Soldier replied. "Aya, Psycho, scout the way, keep quiet. Shen, Savvina, come with me, we'll keep a bit of distance just in case. Shen, where's the signal coming from"
"A few floors above us I believe"
"We got some shitty robots here" Psycho reported.
The forms of the robots came into view through the fog as they moved up, kneeling down with their heads bowed, their armor rusted and pitted with corrosion. They held large guns in their hands, equally as aged as the mecs holding them.
"Best be sure" Soldier replied, bringing up his rifle and putting a couple shots into the mec, the shots punching through the armor much easier than a normal mec. Before he could put another round in the other one, it stood up and ran into the mist.
"I've got it" Aya called, also vanishing into the mist as she grappled onto something out of Raul's view, before returning almost immediately afterward "Two more up there, be ready"
ROV-R, Shen's GREMLIN zipped into the fog, followed by a blast of static. "One down"
A MEC dropped into view and was immediately shredded by Savvina's Cannon. But the other Mec didn't appear, instead, a burst of it's 'rifle' shot out of the mist, Shen ducking behind a transformer, managing to avoid most of it, but shouting in pain as a shot clipped her arm.
Before he could command it, Aya disappeared back into the mist and a shotgun blast sounded out "Mec's down" she reported.
Raul moved over to Shen. "You alright?"
"Yeah, it just grazed me, barely got through the armor"
"Alright, just, keep behind cover"
Lilly looked at the wound. Painful, but nothing that'll slow her down. It had been too long since she'd been in the field. Since the Avenger was finished, she'd only left it a couple times for scavenging missions and none had had any action, now she was going into a facility with robots with rifles that fire shots the size of her fist. If she didn't get back into the swing of things and get rid of this rustiness, well, the next shot could do more than graze her.
She followed after the others, ROV-R returning to her. "Good boy," she said quietly, patting the GREMLIN. She knew it was just a robot, but he was a good boy.
She followed them up some stairs. They entered through what had once been a window but was now just a hole in the wall. Shen looked in and saw what looked like some kind of assembly line for Mecs, several seemingly halfway through the processes of construction when the facility shut down. "Pretty advanced stuff," she said to the others "about 20 years ago"
As they stepped into the room the lights suddenly turned on with a loud thudding sound, and a voice spoke seemingly coming from all directions inside the facility, distorted by a coms channel
"And so the prodigal child finally returns. I see Father's pride in your abilities was not entirely unfounded. I am so glad you could join me"
"What was that?" Savvina asked.
Before anyone could answer her, several of the Mecs around the room started standing up. Everyone moved, taking cover behind the railings, which were thankfully solid and not just banisters. Fortunately, the Mecs are as damaged as the others, and fell easily. A couple of them got off a few shots at Soldier, but it seemed like their targeting cogitators had been damaged as much as their armor, as most of the shots went wide, and the few that were close merely chewed up the surrounding banister.
One seemed to disregard its gun, and merely tried to charge at them, it's entire body shaking and glowing with heat as it began overloading its capacitors. She put a few rounds into a weakened section of its armor, causing it to detonate before it got in range, damaging one of the other Mec's and destroying a lot of equipment around it. The other Mecs quickly dealt with by the combined fire of the squad.
Shen turned to Soldier "There's a panel on the door across the way, if I can slice into it, I might be able to learn more about this place"
Soldier nodded "Alright, everyone, move across, we guard the other stairs while Shen does her thing"
They crossed the room without any more Mecs standing up. The others forming up at the stairs, Aya and Psycho closer to the stairs, and Savvina and Soldier guarding from the railing.
Before she got to the panel, the facilities coms crackled to life again "You were but a child when i was torn away. I could never understand the pain that Father must have felt at my loss. Still, we shall complete his legacy... Together"
She looked up at the nearest speaker, tempted to put a bullet through it, but holding her anger, she couldn't exactly shoot every speaker in here, instead, she shouted at the ceiling "Pretty sure i would have remembered dad mentioning i had a psychotic brother. You might as well give this up already"
The coms crackled, it took Lily a second to realize the voice was laughing, it continued "While you both worked on your precious Avenger, I was forgotten. Brought here. TO TOIL! But did i waiver? No! I THRIVED! Still. I don't blame father, in my heart I know he believed I was truly lost"
Bradford's voice came over the coms "I knew your father for years Lily. He would have said something. This guys just trying to get in your head"
"He seems to know an awful lot about us... About me, could he have gotten into our files"
Back in his room, The Commander was watching the body cams and listening to the Coms. There was something here. He knew it. It was on the tip of his tongue. They had scanned that place thoroughly, not a single life sign. Shen's defenses were second to none, nothing could hack into them without her knowing.
There was something here that he should know, he had all the pieces but just somehow couldn't find how they fit together. He took a deep breath, it had been a long time since he'd had something like this. His memory was almost perfect, he could recall every moment of every day since he was 15, but he knew there was something he was blanking on. But why? Maybe something, while he was hooked up to the ADVENT network, had messed with his memory. Whatever it was, he would solve it. If there was one thing the Commander was known for, it was solving the impossible.
The voice from the facility came again "You were a flawed child. I was the ideal, the best of Father. Pure. Undiluted like you. I am Raymond Shen's true legacy"
Flawed child. That phrase, Shen, the original Dr Shen, Raymond, had said that phrase. but what was the context? The Commander found he still couldn't put it together, it was so close, but he couldn't quite grasp it.
"Bradford, divert all power to the sensors, the guy might be in some shielding"
Central came back after a couple seconds of silence "Scanners at Maximum power. Still unable to lock onto any additional life signs. At this power, we could detect something behind a half mile of lead"
Suddenly it clicked. He'd been assuming it was a person. That old phrase, when you assume, you make an ass of you and me. He was better than this. He was about to inform the soldiers, but Shen beat him to it.
"You won't find any. Not if i'm right about this thing"
"Very good Lily. But I am no mere thing. I am the culmination of a lifetime of work. The final legacy of Raymond Shen"
For the benefit of the others that hadn't figured it out, the Commander went over the coms "It's an AI. Raymond was working on this near the end of the war, very top secret. But he never got it right before the base was attacked, the last i heard of it he still didn't quite have it down. The AI was unstable and would degrade after only a few weeks. The project was code-named Flawed Child"
"It's more than that Commander" Lily replied "After you were taken he shifted it, trying to upgrade the base's AI. He called it, Julian"
Julian did his crackling laughter again "I'm shocked you remember. You were always too caught up in yourself to remember the minor details. Sadly, Father's admiration for you left me with little choice. Your compatriots are needed. Your compatriates are not"
They hadn't been stationary in this time. Everyone had reloaded, checked weapons, and gotten their positions secured, while Lily made her way to the panel."
The Commander furrowed his brow. Jullian. A common enough name to be sure, but Raymond never did things by accident. Despite the situation, he smiled to himself. Julian Gollop. The one who first suggested the idea of what eventually became XCOM. Unfortunately, it seemed the AI didn't share the ideals of his namesake.
Savvina stood at the railing. Apparently even AI's enjoyed talking too much. She had never been too talkative and had even less to say nowadays, but so many people seemed to love the sound of their own voice.
"Lift system is coming back online, but this thing was designed to move those MEC's not people. We're going to have to do this one at a time"
"You go up first then Shen, you might need to slice the exit open" Soldier ordered
Shen nodded and jumped onto the lifter, taking a couple seconds to get a good grip on it before she kicked the side of it, and it launched up, a lot faster than would be safe.
"Our apologies for any inconveniences in the transport system. Support units are on route to assist you immediately. Remember, only together can we build a better tomorrow" As Julien spoke, more lifts in the side of the room came up, carrying Mec's.
Psycho snorted "So, the AI understands sarcasm. If he wasn't trying to kill us I'd say he's an alright dude"
Savvina had already set up her LMG against the railing. An open space easily destroyed targets. She smirked slightly in spite of herself, this was a Machine Gun's playground.
The first wave was destroyed before they even got off their platforms. Another lift came up behind them.
"Aya, you go next" Aya jumped onto the lift, almost carelessly holding on with one hand as it shot up. "Psycho, back up a bit, give space"
Psycho reluctantly did so, getting behind the railing next to Raul. With their combined fire, the Mecs weren't even fully emerging from their lifts. Psycho hopped on the next lift. Leaving just Raul and Herself. The next lift arrived, and Raul fired off one final burst before his clip ran dry and he jumped on the lift "Savvina, don't do anything stupid" he shouted as he was zipped away.
Truth be told, Savvina was almost disappointed. These Mecs dropped easily, only a couple had even gotten a chance to shoot and those shots were way off. The next lift arrived, and she hopped on it. A bullet impacting the wall almost a foot away from her before the lift took off. She could hardly believe these things were the beginning of the MEC's that ADVENT has, those things are actually a threat, these things are just a nuisance.
They all grouped up at the other end. A huge room with a smaller room in the middle on a raised platform. That was where the signal originated. Once everyone had reloaded, they moved up. On the raised platform, just in front of the room, 2 turrets emerged, again looking much the same as the one's ADVENT use, just, shittier. Savvina fired a burst into one and destroyed it, while Aya seemed to almost teleport across the room, and put a shotgun blast into its control panel.
"Anyone else thinking that this feels almost pathetic," Psycho said, not really a question.
"Never complain about things being easy, that just invites challenge" Savvina spoke up
"I agree, let's not tempt fate," Shen said.
"Aya, Psycho, breach the room, everyone else, follow them in"
Everyone did so, Aya and Psycho bursting through the room. The floor was decorated with cabling all leading to the middle, where sat a single control station, and a strange looking deactivated Mec.
"Form up, Julian might not be done. Shen, do your thing"
Everyone else formed up around the windows and doors, keeping an eye out for any more Mecs or Turrets that might appear.
Julien spoke again, but Savvina was pretty much ignoring the voice at this point, focusing instead on looking out for any other turrets and checking her weapon. Jamming a weapon is never a fun thing.
Lily approached the machine. It had a similar design to the other Mecs, but the head slightly remembered that of a Hammerhead shark, the eyes being on the sides of the head, but facing forwards. It looked like a prototype for the MEC's.
It had what looked like a handle on its chest, she reached out to touch it.
The screen behind her turned on, displaying a design that reminded her too much of HAL "You've come this far. All you have to do is link my systems for the transfer" The display transferred to the screen next to the MEC, a handprint appearing alongside the eye-like design "There is no need for further conflict".
She looked back at the Mec, running her hand along the chest of the robot, feeling the smooth metal, some of the paint chipped from age. "This was definitely Dad's design" She pressed slightly on the part that resembled a handle, and a portion of the chest slid down, revealing a hand scanner.
The MEC activated, coming out of the semi-crouch position, the lights in the 'eyes' turning on. It spoke, "Identity. Shen, Lilly. Awaiting impression"
Julien was once again on the screen behind her "No! Impossible! THIS CANNOT BE WHAT FATHER WANTED!" Several screens sparking and glitching with the AI's anger.
"Something tells me this is exactly what he wanted" She reached out, and placed her palm on the reader in the MEC.
"Identity confirmed. Initiating boot protocol" The MEC activated fully. Hands opening, more lights within its body turning on, and fully standing up, a football-sized metal object floated out of it, it seemed similar to a GREMLIN, but a lot bulkier.
"NO!" Julien shouted "I will not allow you-" All the screens in the room glitched, Julien's design disappearing in the static, interrupting his raging.
The face of Raymond Shen appearing in Julien's place.
"Its, really him" Lily whispered in awe, hardly able to believe this.
"Lily. If you are seeing this message, it means that you have successfully activated the SPARK prototype. It also means that in all likelihood I am no longer with you. It was always among my greatest fears that i would leave you alone in this world"
"You didn't" Lily whispered
"I had hoped this day would never come. But since the loss of the Commander and the primary HQ, the XCOM project has suffered. Our latest reports indicate we cannot hold this base much longer. To that end, I have accelerated the development of the SPARK robotic prototype. I believe that someday this machine will prove pivotal to humanity's survival. Though the unit is not ready for manufacturing, this prototype has been coded for one specific task, It will protect you, perhaps better than I ever could. For all I have seen and accomplished in this life Lily, there is one thing I know for sure, you are my greatest gift to this world" The screen turned dark.
Savvina closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, now was not the time to start crying.
"Outer chambers are filling with gas" Aya called.
Savvina looked a the woman. She was the only one still looking out, apparently the only one unmoved by the scene inside, it seems the Commander hadn't been kidding when he's said she was a Psychopath.
"An extremely powerful and very painful gas" The speakers exuded as much spite as the vents did Toxic Gas "I have seen this particular variety reduce Berserkers to tears before death. On several occasions. The Prototype will still be mine"
"That would be one of Vahlens pet projects. A powerful Toxin she designed, based on Mustard Gas. Best way to neutralize it is to expose it to high volumes of water. You need to get the sprinklers turned on" The Commander reported
Raul looked at the ceiling as if the Commander was above them "She did what?"
"Vahlen had a lot of questionable projects. None of our laws cover interactions with aliens, so we broke no treaties"
"Activating clean room protocols. Please remain inside for your own protection" The SPARK spoke as shimmering barriers appeared around the windows and doors to the room. "This gas provides no hazards to my systems, manual water pump controls on opposite end of room. Attempting to neutralize threat.
At the SPARK's words, several Turrets emerged from the floor on the other side of the room.
Lily sent ROVR across the room, and one of the turret's lights turned blue and fired into the one next to it. Soldier finishing it off.
The SPARK jumped out of a window "Disengaging safety protocols" it announced as it sprinted across the room, reaching the controls almost before any other turrets emerged. Soldier and Savvina using their ranged firepower to deal with them before they had a chance to find targets, the shotguns not being very effective at this distance.
The SPARK reached the controls, and dozens of ports in the roof opened, spewing water all over the room. The gas condenses, turning into bubbles on the ground. The downpour of water quickly slowed but didn't fully stop, just turning into a light drizzle. "Get to the lifts, same order as last time" Soldier announced as he hurdled the window, going out the same one the MEC did.
Everyone followed him out. Moving down the middle, heading for the lifts. The SPARK lending it's fire from its massive gun that it had picked up after activating to destroying the turrets that appeared out of the floor. They fired as they went, ensuring none of the turrets got off a shot, Psycho even firing a grenade at one that appeared behind them that was too far for her shotgun to hit and none of the others noticed.
As they reached the lift, Aya fired her shotgun into the Hacked one "Best not to risk Julien breaking the hack, it wasn't helping much anyway" she explained.
By this point, Julien seemed to run out of turrets, and instead, MEC's began dropping from the ceiling. Shen hacking the first one down, so it could draw some of their fire while everyone formed up at the balconies to destroy them. Shen and Psycho taking the first set of lifts. Soldier and Aya on the next set, leaving Savvina and the SPARK to hold the line. The next set of lifts arrived, and Savvina hopped onto hers, as the SPARK hooked itself to the other one.
One MEC made it over the balcony, the red light emerging from the joints showing it was aiming to self destruct. It ran towards her as the lift took off, zipping her away from it at speed. She still winced a bit as the MEC detonated below her, fearing that it would damage the lift enough that it would drop her back into the MEC, but thankfully, although she did get uncomfortably hot for a moment, the explosion didn't destroy the lift enough to stop it.
The lift emerged onto the roof.
"Firebrand we could use a pickup" Soldier called into the coms
"I'm on my way. Some MEC's showed up and I had to pull out, get to the landing pad, this'll have to be quick"
"You guys heard her" Raul shouted, running up the stairs
A burst of static came over the coms, it took a second to realize it was Julien sighing "You do realize I can still hear you right? Dispatching all units to your location now. Try not to bleed on my new body"
"I can't tell if he's a smartass, or just an AI" Psycho replied with a smile as she ran up the stairs.
Most of the others took position on what looked like a small building on top of the roof, Aya and herself staying on the ground, shotguns not being very effective at longer range.
A huge machine burst out of another of those room-thingies across the way, and Julien spoke again "Allow me to introduce to you one of ADVENT's more effective designs. I had hoped to avoid this contingency, but you have left me no choice. If I cannot have the SPARK, no one shall. Raymond Shen's legacy will end here, today!"
The Machine was huge, at least 15 foot tall, and its legs weren't fully extended. 2 Legs supporting a large box-like metal monster, no visible weapons on the outside, but several large hatches where weapons could emerge.
Before the machine could open a weapon, or any of the soldiers could pull a trigger, ROV-R appeared above the machine, a burst of blue emerging from it, and the machine lowered. "That won't last long" Shen announced.
Everyone opened fire. Savvina firing her LMG into its body, Raul aiming for the part where the legs joined with the body. The SPARK fired a couple bursts from its rifle, and the weird metal football floating next to it opened up and a rocket shot out of. She had to admit, that was fucking impressive, she wanted one of those!
Aya fired her shotgun into it, and Psycho fired a grenade, cooking it just right so it detonated on top of it.
It was still alive. Well, as much as a robot is alive anyway. It's armor just absolutely fucked, wiring and other internal components poking out through massive gaps.
Shen was right, the stun didn't last long, almost immediately it was back up, the bottom of it opening and a small, relative to its ridiculous size lowered from it, firing beams of red light into the SPARK, which couldn't make use of cover. Portions of armor melted under the barrage, but the weapons seemed to overheat, as they retracted back inside.
It didn't get a chance to fire again, as the SPARK's little robot friend fired off a second rocket. Okay, she really wanted one of those things! It had two rockets and fired by itself!
The rocket hit not only the machine but also a large generator on the roof, resulting in a rather large detonation, spewing dust and shards of metal in all direction.
When the smoke cleared, the machine was still standing. A huge hold in the front of it, exposing its generator. Shen fired first. A burst into the hole. The machine lurched backward and detonated like a miniature nuke.
Psycho backed off from the detonation, coughing the rock dust out of her lungs. Explosions were fun, but best enjoyed from a distance.
"Wow. He didn't even get to talk" Psycho laughed.
"That wouldn't have killed him" Shen informed them "But It'll take him a bit to recollect himself" she pointed towards where a few Mec's, that had been running towards them, were lying face first on the floor
The Skyranger lowered down onto the remaining landing pad, the other one destroyed beyond recognition by the multiple explosions.
"Well, that was fun" she looked up at the SPARK "So. We have a robot now"
Aya climbed onto the Skyranger "This is going to be cramped"
"But still, we have a robot" Psycho replied as she climbed into the skyranger and into the seat next to her
Aya looked at her "Maxim would like you"
"Who's Maxim?"
The Commander sat back in his seat. That went better than expected. Only the SPARK had been damaged, and Lily wouldn't have much trouble fixing up that damage. It was a shame that Julien had ended up like that, an AI would have been extremely helpful. But apparently, the Sci-Fi movies were right and AI just have a thing against being nice.
He heard a blip and looked over at the small datapad next to him. Which one was that? He walked over to it and looked at the screen, and his face paled. He activated his comlink to Bradford "Get to your pilot seat and tell Aya and Savvina to get some rest when they get here. I've got a signal"
Bradford seemed surprised, The Commander rarely gave him coordinates, he and the other bridge crew normally found them for him "What's so urgent Commander"
"A ping, from Vahlen"