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Description
This story takes place in the Angel Falls setting

as part of and 's INVASION storyline. [link]

Original render by the amazing , visit his page for more great art.

Text by

*********************************

Angel Falls. The city had a different beauty at night. The lights of the skyscrapers on Eden Island or in the city center, the moonlight reflecting off the waters of Arcadia Bay, the lights of the ships at the docks; they all combined to show off the city’s nocturnal beauty. Technomancer loved the view from above the city at night. And flying above it like this, without a plane or helicopter was still a thrill for her. To soar like a bird, using no mechanical means touched something primal inside her and she found herself envying the superhumans who had the ability to do so. Still, by harnessing the magical element Orichalcum and using the magical spells encoded into her suit’s mini-computer she could duplicate the super-power and soar like a bird.

She had been testing the suit for nearly two months now. It was only in the past two weeks that Sam and O.D.I.N. had agreed to let her leave the confines of the testing labs and venture out into the real world with the suit. Getting the hang of flying was great fun, barring a few unfortunate and mildly amusing mishaps. Her husband and her artificial intelligence O.D.I.N. had insisted she use an invisibility spell whenever she was out. It had seemed like a sensible precaution but had led to a few difficulties of its own. While cloaked by the invisibility spell, she was indeed invisible to everyone and everything. They had discovered that included wildlife like seagulls and pigeons. Several times she had unwittingly flown into the path of flocks of each of those. It was hard to say who was more flustered; Technomancer as she was pummeled by numerous bird strikes or the birds as they ran into a seemingly solid patch of sky. Since then, O.D.I.N. had made sure either Hugin or Munin was scouting ahead of her to provide extra warning. The robotic ravens each contained advanced sensor that made them perfectly suited for reconnaissance and surveillance. The data they sent back was filtered by O.D.I.N. and made available to her displays. The advanced artificial intelligence sent the data to be projected onto the special contact lenses she wore, like a heads-up display that was always in her field of view when desired.

Tonight she was out practicing her aerial maneuvering when her evening was interrupted by the developing crisis in the city. The first thing she saw was numerous fires and plumes of smoke. That was followed by sirens and flashing lights as the city’s law enforcement and emergency response agencies sprang into action.

“We have a developing situation, Claire. There are reports of assaults, attacks, and fires from all over the city. The 911 system is swamped and AFPD has recalled all off duty officers,” O.D.I.N. reported. “There are reports of creatures and monsters in several areas of the city. Nova-Gen and Universal Omnitech have placed their security forces on full alert.”

Technomancer watched as O.D.I.N. displayed news footage from several different stations. It was clear chaos was beginning to spread in the affected areas. “What about us? Is the arcology secure? What about our other facilities?” she asked.

“Sam is at the corporate headquarters on Eden Island. He is coordinating the security forces now. We have opened the gates at the Pinter Street factory and allowing civilians inside. All our forces are mobilizing now. The arcology is secure, most of the activity seems to be to the south.”

As she listened to O.D.I.N.’s report, she could see a large group of police cars in one area. Pausing to hover she could hear intense gun fire coming from the area. “Have Hugin and Munin check out that disturbance on Tide Street near the old tannery building. Something big is happening there.”

Ahead of her the two robotic ravens flew towards the cluster of police cars. Their eyes glowed with a faint blue light as their powerful sensors swept the area. The video feeds from the birds showed the crisis unfolding in the Old Port area. Skeletons moving on their own were emerging from the waters around the docks and beaches of the Old Port area. The walking undead emerged from the waters, often covered in seaweed and barnacles to form into a large group. They were attacking anyone they could reach, moving with an unnatural quickness. They make a clacking sound as they broke into shops and dwellings in search of victims. Some were armed with rusting or makeshift weapons; others would simply use bony claws and teeth to dismember their victims.

A large contingent of police had been trying to halt the advance of the horde but was having little success in doing so. The officers’ weapons spat out bullet after bullet but the undead skeletons had no flesh to hit. If a bullet did strike a bone, its effect was minimal. A few officers had attempted to use their police cruisers as weapons. The skeletons’ quickness and their use of humans as living shields made these tactics largely unsuccessful. The police kept trying to form a line but were constantly being overrun and forced to fall back. Technomancer watched the displays her ravens were sending to her. Frowning as she watched several police officers pulled down by the advancing skeletons, she increased her speed as she flew towards the skirmish line.

“Claire, what are you doing?” asked O.D.I.N. the A.I.’s voice sounded concerned as he monitored her progress.

“Those officers are being overrun and picked apart. I have to do something!” she replied angrily.

“Your suit hasn’t been tested in real battle yet. Sam and I still want to verify the Orichalcum conduits can take the stress at full load!”

“No time like the present. We need to stop those things, and the police can use the help. I am going to combat mode.” Under the spell of invisibility the power lines of her armor suit glowed more brightly as the suit came up to full power. A mix of cutting edge high technology and specialized magic-handling systems were installed inside the duralloy armor. Clutching her fighting staff, she descended towards the line of police officers.

“Claire, those officers are on edge and under fire. If you suddenly appear without warning they are likely to fire at you. I am monitoring AFPD radio bands. I will contact area commanders to let them know to expect magical assistance.” O.D.I.N. advised. “Prepare your contingency spells now.”

Techomancer touched the control panel on her bracer. A list of spells came up across her field of vision as her contact lenses lit up with the information. She went over the list, selecting spells to cast on herself as she prepared to join the fray.

<<>>

She felt the computer run the magical formulae for the spells, using the suit’s supply of the precious element Orichalcum as fuel for the magic. Her muscles tingled with arcane power as her skin seemed to shimmer with inner light.

The computer displayed her power levels.
<<< Orichalcum Reserves 92.6%>>>

Technomancer watched as the police drew back, firing steadily at the advancing horde of skeletons. “Let’s give the police a bit of a rest, slow those skeletons down a bit.” The computer responded to her commands as she selected another spell.

<<< Web >>>

Magical energy flared to life as the computer executed the spell. The space between the beleaguered police officers and the skeletons what suddenly filling with thousands of large sticky webs, like some gigantic spider web. The skeletons attacked the webs, attempting to cut through to get to their intended targets. Technomancer’s invisibility was disrupted by the attack spell, her body suddenly materializing as she landed behind the police line.

A captain in the AFPD ran up to her. “Do we have you to thank for that?” he asked warily.

She nodded. “Yes. The name is Technomancer. I am here to give you a hand. It looks like you were trying to stop them from getting any further into the city.”

The captain held out his hand for her to shake. “Captain Heathcock, E.S.U. Yeah, we’ve been trying, but these things are hard to put down, and we are almost out of bullets. They have no bodies to aim at, most of our bullets just pass between the bones. You have bought us some time with… with whatever you did there,” the flustered captain replied.

Technomancer watched as the police took advantage of the temporary respite to reload their weapons and catch their breaths. “Captain, I don’t think more bullets are the answer here. Your guns aren’t doing enough damage fast enough, they will just keep overrunning you.”

“Well what do you suggest? We tried ramming them but it’s too dangerous. They pull civilians into the crowd.”

“Do your men have riot shields? I think we need to go low tech here. Shields and batons, smash them to bits. I can try to thin their numbers a bit first. What do you think?” she asked the police commander.

Captain Heathcock looked over the situation. Nodding, he began to issue orders to his troops. The police officers formed up into a skirmish line as the skeletons continued to hack and tear at the webs blocking the street. “They are almost through your barrier.”

“Captain, do you have a flash-bang? Throw it into the web and we will start on thinning the horde.”

The captain looked puzzled but ordered one of his officers to do so. The stun grenade landed in the middle of the webs and detonated with a sharp explosion. The flash of the grenade ignited the flammable webs. The police officers watched as bright orange flames ran along the sticky strands. Skeletons entangled in the webs and those too close to escape the sudden heat crumbled as their animated bones were cooked to ash. Everyone watched as the flames shot up into the air and lit up the night. The conflagration was sudden and intense, but started to die out quickly. “Get ready, here they come!” he shouted to his officers.

To be continued ……

Description
This story takes place in the Angel Falls setting

as part of and 's INVASION storyline. [link]

Original render by the amazing , visit his page for more great art.

Text by

*********************************

Angel Falls. The city had a different beauty at night. The lights of the skyscrapers on Eden Island or in the city center, the moonlight reflecting off the waters of Arcadia Bay, the lights of the ships at the docks; they all combined to show off the city’s nocturnal beauty. Technomancer loved the view from above the city at night. And flying above it like this, without a plane or helicopter was still a thrill for her. To soar like a bird, using no mechanical means touched something primal inside her and she found herself envying the superhumans who had the ability to do so. Still, by harnessing the magical element Orichalcum and using the magical spells encoded into her suit’s mini-computer she could duplicate the super-power and soar like a bird.

She had been testing the suit for nearly two months now. It was only in the past two weeks that Sam and O.D.I.N. had agreed to let her leave the confines of the testing labs and venture out into the real world with the suit. Getting the hang of flying was great fun, barring a few unfortunate and mildly amusing mishaps. Her husband and her artificial intelligence O.D.I.N. had insisted she use an invisibility spell whenever she was out. It had seemed like a sensible precaution but had led to a few difficulties of its own. While cloaked by the invisibility spell, she was indeed invisible to everyone and everything. They had discovered that included wildlife like seagulls and pigeons. Several times she had unwittingly flown into the path of flocks of each of those. It was hard to say who was more flustered; Technomancer as she was pummeled by numerous bird strikes or the birds as they ran into a seemingly solid patch of sky. Since then, O.D.I.N. had made sure either Hugin or Munin was scouting ahead of her to provide extra warning. The robotic ravens each contained advanced sensor that made them perfectly suited for reconnaissance and surveillance. The data they sent back was filtered by O.D.I.N. and made available to her displays. The advanced artificial intelligence sent the data to be projected onto the special contact lenses she wore, like a heads-up display that was always in her field of view when desired.

Tonight she was out practicing her aerial maneuvering when her evening was interrupted by the developing crisis in the city. The first thing she saw was numerous fires and plumes of smoke. That was followed by sirens and flashing lights as the city’s law enforcement and emergency response agencies sprang into action.

“We have a developing situation, Claire. There are reports of assaults, attacks, and fires from all over the city. The 911 system is swamped and AFPD has recalled all off duty officers,” O.D.I.N. reported. “There are reports of creatures and monsters in several areas of the city. Nova-Gen and Universal Omnitech have placed their security forces on full alert.”

Technomancer watched as O.D.I.N. displayed news footage from several different stations. It was clear chaos was beginning to spread in the affected areas. “What about us? Is the arcology secure? What about our other facilities?” she asked.

“Sam is at the corporate headquarters on Eden Island. He is coordinating the security forces now. We have opened the gates at the Pinter Street factory and allowing civilians inside. All our forces are mobilizing now. The arcology is secure, most of the activity seems to be to the south.”

As she listened to O.D.I.N.’s report, she could see a large group of police cars in one area. Pausing to hover she could hear intense gun fire coming from the area. “Have Hugin and Munin check out that disturbance on Tide Street near the old tannery building. Something big is happening there.”

Ahead of her the two robotic ravens flew towards the cluster of police cars. Their eyes glowed with a faint blue light as their powerful sensors swept the area. The video feeds from the birds showed the crisis unfolding in the Old Port area. Skeletons moving on their own were emerging from the waters around the docks and beaches of the Old Port area. The walking undead emerged from the waters, often covered in seaweed and barnacles to form into a large group. They were attacking anyone they could reach, moving with an unnatural quickness. They make a clacking sound as they broke into shops and dwellings in search of victims. Some were armed with rusting or makeshift weapons; others would simply use bony claws and teeth to dismember their victims.

A large contingent of police had been trying to halt the advance of the horde but was having little success in doing so. The officers’ weapons spat out bullet after bullet but the undead skeletons had no flesh to hit. If a bullet did strike a bone, its effect was minimal. A few officers had attempted to use their police cruisers as weapons. The skeletons’ quickness and their use of humans as living shields made these tactics largely unsuccessful. The police kept trying to form a line but were constantly being overrun and forced to fall back. Technomancer watched the displays her ravens were sending to her. Frowning as she watched several police officers pulled down by the advancing skeletons, she increased her speed as she flew towards the skirmish line.

“Claire, what are you doing?” asked O.D.I.N. the A.I.’s voice sounded concerned as he monitored her progress.

“Those officers are being overrun and picked apart. I have to do something!” she replied angrily.

“Your suit hasn’t been tested in real battle yet. Sam and I still want to verify the Orichalcum conduits can take the stress at full load!”

“No time like the present. We need to stop those things, and the police can use the help. I am going to combat mode.” Under the spell of invisibility the power lines of her armor suit glowed more brightly as the suit came up to full power. A mix of cutting edge high technology and specialized magic-handling systems were installed inside the duralloy armor. Clutching her fighting staff, she descended towards the line of police officers.

“Claire, those officers are on edge and under fire. If you suddenly appear without warning they are likely to fire at you. I am monitoring AFPD radio bands. I will contact area commanders to let them know to expect magical assistance.” O.D.I.N. advised. “Prepare your contingency spells now.”

Techomancer touched the control panel on her bracer. A list of spells came up across her field of vision as her contact lenses lit up with the information. She went over the list, selecting spells to cast on herself as she prepared to join the fray.

<<>>

She felt the computer run the magical formulae for the spells, using the suit’s supply of the precious element Orichalcum as fuel for the magic. Her muscles tingled with arcane power as her skin seemed to shimmer with inner light.

The computer displayed her power levels.
<<< Orichalcum Reserves 92.6%>>>

Technomancer watched as the police drew back, firing steadily at the advancing horde of skeletons. “Let’s give the police a bit of a rest, slow those skeletons down a bit.” The computer responded to her commands as she selected another spell.

<<< Web >>>

Magical energy flared to life as the computer executed the spell. The space between the beleaguered police officers and the skeletons what suddenly filling with thousands of large sticky webs, like some gigantic spider web. The skeletons attacked the webs, attempting to cut through to get to their intended targets. Technomancer’s invisibility was disrupted by the attack spell, her body suddenly materializing as she landed behind the police line.

A captain in the AFPD ran up to her. “Do we have you to thank for that?” he asked warily.

She nodded. “Yes. The name is Technomancer. I am here to give you a hand. It looks like you were trying to stop them from getting any further into the city.”

The captain held out his hand for her to shake. “Captain Heathcock, E.S.U. Yeah, we’ve been trying, but these things are hard to put down, and we are almost out of bullets. They have no bodies to aim at, most of our bullets just pass between the bones. You have bought us some time with… with whatever you did there,” the flustered captain replied.

Technomancer watched as the police took advantage of the temporary respite to reload their weapons and catch their breaths. “Captain, I don’t think more bullets are the answer here. Your guns aren’t doing enough damage fast enough, they will just keep overrunning you.”

“Well what do you suggest? We tried ramming them but it’s too dangerous. They pull civilians into the crowd.”

“Do your men have riot shields? I think we need to go low tech here. Shields and batons, smash them to bits. I can try to thin their numbers a bit first. What do you think?” she asked the police commander.

Captain Heathcock looked over the situation. Nodding, he began to issue orders to his troops. The police officers formed up into a skirmish line as the skeletons continued to hack and tear at the webs blocking the street. “They are almost through your barrier.”

“Captain, do you have a flash-bang? Throw it into the web and we will start on thinning the horde.”

The captain looked puzzled but ordered one of his officers to do so. The stun grenade landed in the middle of the webs and detonated with a sharp explosion. The flash of the grenade ignited the flammable webs. The police officers watched as bright orange flames ran along the sticky strands. Skeletons entangled in the webs and those too close to escape the sudden heat crumbled as their animated bones were cooked to ash. Everyone watched as the flames shot up into the air and lit up the night. The conflagration was sudden and intense, but started to die out quickly. “Get ready, here they come!” he shouted to his officers.

To be continued ……