First contact (2)

Rex didn't have a single clue when he died because the only thing he remembered was the sound of a very beautiful voice of a lady. Then he felt the dark, cold sleep coming. Everything was completely dark everywhere around him until some rays of light began to show up.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was dumbfounded by the way he had been feeling; all pain that he felt before dying was gone, and even more amazing than this, he was now seeing things perfectly, or even more than that, he could see even the dust falling on the other side of the bar.

But suddenly, the panic came to him when he noticed he couldn't even move a finger, and he could only breathe and move his eyes.

"It seems you are finally awake; I was waiting for you to awaken before I started the system. Give me a second."

Since Rex was unable to even speak, the questions he had on his mind would have to wait, which didn't take that long. He could feel a warmth on his chest while he could hear the sound of various systems going online one after another, like you do when you turn on a PC.

He could also feel how from his ribs area a strong, hot wind was coming out, sending dust flying around on the destroyed bar. The hot air lasted for a few minutes till the air started to come out cold and in less quantity.

["System status all green, host body status all green, initiating activation"]

When he heard those words, the body of Rex jumped a little, and after that, he managed to move itself as usual. He lifted his left arm and looked at it. He could feel that it was heavier and stronger, but what caught more of his attention were the strange black lines around all the visible parts of his skin.

"I know you're impressed by my work, but sadly, it's time to move. The enemies detected the energy used for your activation, and they're on their way. We should leave as soon as possible."

Rex stood there, still in shock. He remembered dying, and there had been a hole in his chest. Now, though, that hole was gone, replaced by a strange, prism-like gem of white light, encased in black lines. Even stranger, his lost leg was back. As he inspected himself, the words of that beautiful voice he'd heard earlier echoed in his mind again.

"Wait, I know your voice... who are you?"

Before he could finish his question, a sound like the flapping of a thousand wings rushed closer. Remembering what the voice had told him, he bolted toward the door of the bar and ran towards the barracks.

He was running at an insane speed, reaching easily 100 km/h. Unused to this newfound power, he slammed right into a mining car, pushing it forward slightly.

"What the... how am I this fast all of a sudden?"

"I suggest you start running again. The enemies are multiplying, thanks to all the noise you're making. You're worse than a newborn Kemplar."

"Ouch. Harsh, ma'am, but technically, I am a newborn... if you think about it."

[...]

Rex just grinned, shrugging it off. He started running again, slower this time, gradually increasing his pace as he got more used to the speed. Before long, he was near the guard headquarters; he was only about 2 km away, but what he saw there sent a chill down his spine

The guard headquarters was under siege by the bugs. Defensive turrets fired non-stop, with missile barrages raining down on the swarming land bugs. The remaining guards fought desperately, trying to keep the flying bugs away from the towers. But from the looks of it, they were on borrowed time, about to be overrun.

"Hey, beautiful voice. Is there any way to get inside the barracks without, you know... dying?"

"There's one way: activate Overdrive. It'll make your body twice as strong as it is now. If we make four or five jumps, we should reach the barracks."

"Uh, Overdrive? What exactly is that?

"No time to explain. Activating Overdrive... please stand by."]

Suddenly, Rex felt a surge of heat through his body. The cool, quiet air that had been seeping from his ribs turned hot and wild. He could feel parts of his body shifting into small propellants opening up in his limbs.

["Overdrive activated. Energy reserves are limited, so you only have 30 seconds. I suggest immediate action."

"Wait—what?! You could've told me that sooner!"

Wasting no more time, Rex launched into his first jump. As soon as he leaped, the propellers on his legs ignited, sending him flying farther than he thought possible. The height was terrifying.

"Oh sh*t! I'm falling! I'm going to die!"

Despite his panic, Rex landed smoothly. The beautiful voice had taken control of his bionic implants, slowing his descent just before he hit the ground. Since his body was now fully bionic, the abrupt deceleration didn't harm him at all.

["Stop yelling and start moving. You've got 18 seconds of Overdrive left."]

Without another word, Rex kept jumping, the beautiful voice guiding him and keeping him from smashing into anything fatal. Finally, they reached the rooftop of the headquarters.

["Overdrive mode has ended. Energy at 8%. Entering energy-saving mode. I suggest the host find an energy source immediately"]

"Hey, I can't keep calling you 'beautiful voice' forever, so... do you have a name?"

[My assembly number is FTR-256.]

"Yeah, no. That's not going to work. From now on, you're Cleo. Seems fitting for someone with such a cute voice."

[...]

Rex felt a little awkward after the silence that followed. No reaction at all. He just shrugged, kept quiet, and opened the rooftop door to head into the headquarters. As he made his way down the stairs, he noticed a large truck blocking the exit.

"Cleo, the exit's blocked. Any bright ideas?"

As soon as he said that, beams of light shot out from his eyes, scanning the vehicle.

[According to my analysis, you're strong enough to push this vehicle without much effort.]

"Cleo, we need to have a long talk about what you've done to my body after this."

[As you wish.]

Rex took a deep breath and started pushing the truck. To his surprise, it moved. Easily. Once there was enough space for him to slip inside the barracks, he got in, then pushed the truck back into place, blocking the stairs again.

He jogged toward the armory at a normal pace, nothing that would draw too much attention if anyone saw him. After reaching his locker, he quickly changed his pants and grabbed a new helmet. Then he made his way over to the weapon racks. He picked up an electric rifle and grabbed eight clips of ammo.

["I recommend the host also grab a melee weapon. Based on my observations, the combat machete over there would be a suitable choice"]

"Good idea. Thanks, Cleo."

["I'm reminding the host to recharge energy. 5% remaining. Once it reaches 1%, the host will enter deep slumber until energy is replenished."]

"Okay, Cleo, so how do I recharge?" Rex asked, sounding a bit worried.

["Please wait. Scanning in progress... Found the closest energy charger. Follow the path I'm displaying toward the power source."]

Small glowing orbs appeared, creating a path for Rex to follow. He walked along until he arrived at one of the main generators of the headquarters.

"Alright, I'm here. Now what?"

["Grab a cable and bite it."]

"...Come again?"

["Activating emergency recharge mode."]

Suddenly, Rex's teeth sharpened, making it easier to bite through the cable.

"Wait, are you sure this is safe? Pretty sure this could kill me."

["Energy at 4%. I suggest the host hurry."]

Rex sighed heavily, his hands trembling. With the same hesitation a kid has before taking bitter medicine, he closed his eyes and bit down on the cable.

The moment his teeth made contact with the copper inside, high voltage surged through his body. But instead of the agonizing pain he'd braced for, it felt more like a mild tingle spreading all over.

["Energy transfer detected. Redirecting power to the central core. Please stand by. Redirection successful. Energy at 6%. Estimated time until fully charged: 30 minutes. Please remain still."]

Thirty long, awkward minutes passed with Rex sitting on the floor, biting the cable like some weird, futuristic vampire.

["Energy at 100%. Please disconnect from the power source to prevent damage to the host."]

Rex quickly spat out the cable, shaking his head and spitting out small bits of insulation stuck in his mouth.

"Ugh, that tastes like crap. Is there seriously no better way to recharge than chewing on cables?"

["To answer the host, there is a more advanced method, but this facility lacks the necessary equipment."]

"Great," Rex muttered. "Alright, let's go find the guard captain. I need answers about what the hell is going on."