The Reactor Room's holographic map threw a harsh red light on our faces.
Six red dots were moving across Sector 0 wireframe terrain, closing in fast.
"This are gunships", Sarah said after analyzing their flight pattern. "This is a Raven-Class Interceptors. It's heavily armored, armed with plasma missiles. They aren't planning on rescuing anyone. They're doing a 'Scorched Earth' operation, They're bombing any pile of scrap big enough to hide a human".
"They're two minutes away", Glitch said, typing like crazy on the Titan's console. "ARES, what's the status of the main batteries"?
"The main Railguns: are offline", the AI said. "Missile Silos: Are empty. Energy Shielding: 10% capacity".
"We're doomed", Maya whispered.
"No", I said, walking to the front. "We have Point-Defense Cannons".
"PDCs are designed to shoot down missiles, not gunships", Glitch said. "They shoot 30mm kinetic rounds. It won't even scratch the Raven hull armor".
"It will if we aim for the engines", I said. Then i looked at the AI. "ARES, give me control of the PDCs".
"Manual control given to Command Station 1", ARES said.
A joystick and a targeting visor popped out of the console in front of me. I grabbed it and it felt good.
"Glitch, give all extra power to the turrets rotation motors", I said. "I need them spinning fast. Sarah, watch the radar. Call out the targets".
"Got it", Sarah said.
The reactor hummed louder beneath us. Outside, four huge rotary cannons spun to life on the Titan's shoulders, shaking off half a century of dust.
"Here they come", Sarah said. "At the north quadrant, they are coming in low over the scrap".
I looked through the digital visor.
The screen was fuzzy, it was filled with static from the radiation in the air, but I saw them. Six sleek, black shapes cutting through the smog. And their engines were burning with blue ion fire.
They were hunting us.
"Hold fire", I whispered. "Let them get closer".
"They're locking in on us"! Glitch yelled. "They are detecting the reactor signature"!
"Wait..."
The lead gunship dipped down, and a missile bay opened.
"NOW"!
I squeezed the trigger.
BRRRRRRRT.
The sound was deafening, even for us inside the Titan.
Four streams of tracer fire shot from the Titan's cannons. It glowed orange as they tore through the air.
The lead gunship never stood a chance.
The rounds tore through the cockpit, killing the pilot instantly. The ship spun out of control and crashed into a pile of cars, exploding in a fireball.
"Target down"! Glitch yelled.
"They are five left"! Sarah shouted. "They're breaking their formation! They're trying to dodge our attacks"!
The remaining gunships flew around like scared birds, they were moving very fast.
"They know we're here", I said, trying to track the second ship. "ARES, track target Bravo"!
"The targeting sensors are damaged", ARES said calmly. " I Can't lock on target".
"Damn it! I can't hit them when they're moving that fast"!
The gunships circled us, coming at us from all sides. They adapted quickly. they stayed high Above us to avoid the PDCs.
WHOOSH.
Three plasma missiles headed our way.
"Incoming"! Maya screamed.
"ARES, shields"! I yelled.
A blue hexagon shield appeared around the Titan's head.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The missiles hit the shield, shaking the whole place.
WARNING. SHIELD INTEGRITY: 2%.
REACTOR STABILITY: UNSTABLE.
"We can't take another hit like that!" Glitch said. "The shield generator is overheating!"
I looked at the radar. The gunships were lining up for a second round. They were ready to blast us from a long range until our shields broke.
"I can't Aim at them fast enough", I said. "The computer is too old and slow".
I looked at the console, then at the data port.
"I don't need the computer", i said.
"Glitch, patch me in", I ordered.
What?
"Put my neural link directly into the Titan's targeting system. I'll be the CPU".
"Elias, that's crazy! The data load of the warship will fry your brain in seconds! You're a level 9 human, not a quantum processor!"
Just do it!
Glitch cursed but he typed the command. A cable came out of the console, and I plugged it into my wrist-comp.
connection ESTABLISHED.
My vision went white.
Suddenly, I wasn't standing in the reactor room anymore.
I was the Titan.
I could feel the rain hitting my armor plate. I could feel the heat of the reactor in my chest. I could also see the gunships clearly now, with their heat signatures and position to.
Skill: Network Sense (Amplified).
My mind expanded. The Titan was like a giant antenna, boosting my range a thousand times over.
I could see the code of the gunships, even the pilot's heartrate.
Target locked.
I didn't need the joystick. I just willed it the guns to move.
The four turrets snapped into place with speed, moving with perfect synchronization with my thoughts.
"Fire", I thought.
BRRRRT.
The Titan unleashed hell.
The second gunship was cut in half mid-turn.
The third tried to dive, but I knew where it was going. I walked the fire right into its engine, and it blew up.
"He's aiming with his mind", Sarah said, watching the display.
Two ships was left. They started freaking out, realizing they were not just fighting a turret but a monster.
So they turned to run.
"Oh no", I growled, my voice echoing through the Titan speakers. "You don't get to leave".
I reached out, not with bullets, but with my devourer power.
I focused on the closest fleeing ship, it was almost out of range, but the Titan's sensors let me reach it.
Skill: Energy Siphon (Titan-Class).
I pulled.
I didn't drain its battery. I drained the Anti-Gravity stabilizers.
The ship sputtered, the blue flame turning red. It lost its balance and dropped like a rock.
It crashed into the oil lake and sinked in.
The last ship didn't even look back, hitting its afterburners to get away.
I let it go and disconnected the cable.
YANK.
I fell to the floor, gasping and bleeding from my nose. My head felt like it had been split open.
SYSTEM DISENGAGED.
MENTAL STRAIN: CRITICAL.
"Elias!" Maya was the first one in my side, she helped me sit up. "Are you okay? You stopped breathing".
I'm fine, I said, wiping the blood. "Just... a headache".
"That wasn't a headache", Glitch said, looking at the screens. "You just synced with an atlas Destroyer at 98％ efficiency. You turned this thing into an extension of your body".
Sarah looked at the map. The red dots were gone.
"They're backing off", she said. "We won".
For now, I said, standing up. "But now they know.. They know Titan is active".
"Commander", ARES said. The battle Analysis is complete. Ammo reserves at 40%. Reactor fuel is low. To maintain combat readiness, we need more resources.
"What do you need?" I asked.
"Uranium for the core", ARES said. "And a high grade AI Processor to upgrade my targeting logic".
I looked at Glitch.
"Uranium and a Processor", Glitch said. "I know where the uranium is. There's an old nuclear power plant in sector 0, about ten miles east, but it's full of Ferals".
"And the Processor"? I asked.
Sarah stepped forward. "We can get that at the Black Market. If we want high grade tech Without the corp knowing, we have to go back to the Undercity. But we're broke".
I looked at the screen showing the burning gunships.
"We're not broke", I said, pointing to the wreckage.
"Those ships are full of high grade military alloys, weapons part, and plasma batteries. We just have to rip them apart and sell them".
I turned to the team.
"Maya, you're on salvage duty. Cut those ships open with the arm-blade.
Glitch, get the drones working. We need a perimeter.
Sarah, manage the supplies and find a buyer".
"And you?" Sarah asked.
I looked at my hand, it was still shaking from the Titan's power.
"I'm going to rest", I said. "And then... I'm going to level up. Because next time, they won't send gunships. They'll send a Carrier.
My wrist-comp beeped.
quest UPDATE: DEFEND THE BASE (COMPLETE).
REWARD: 2000 XP.
level UP!
YOU ARE NOW level 10.
NEW CLASS FEATURE UNLOCKED: [TECHNO-SYMBIOSIS].
(Description: You can now temporarily merge your consciousness with machines to control them remotely.)
I grinned.
"Level 10", I whispered. "Finally".