//------------------------------// // 8: This is War // Story: Melody of the Future // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// By the time X and the others had returned to base, every other Hunter had returned and the result was plain. Signas' head had been blasted to bits by the shot Vile had fired off in a seemingly haphazard manner, leaving sparking circuitry and leaking fluids coming out of his neck, his entire system having suffered a fatal collapse from the shot. The Maverick Hunters were left without a Commander to lead them, and the world looked as though it was about to spiral out of control as Sigma and Vile had started their war, far too soon for anyone to be ready. X quickly took charge of the situation. "We don't have time to mourn," he stated bluntly. "Vile kidnapped Lumine. If he's still working for Sigma - and even if he isn't - there's only one target that makes sense for that." "The Orbital Elevator?" Axl suggested diffidently. "He wants to cut off the escape route for civilians?" "Unlikely," Zero growled out. "Sigma would rather have a clear battle field for this war of his, and Vile would be more interested in just hunting us down. If they do want the Orbital Elevator, it's for something else." "The pre-End Times facility on the Moon," Octavia concluded. "After all...think about what else has been found in such facilities. Think about what the 'relics of the past' have been capable of." She gestured to X, Zero, and Axl. "What if there's something else on the scale of the three of you there? What if Sigma wants that for himself? How dangerous would Sigma become if he could upgrade himself with tech like what the three of you run on utilizes?" One could feel the terror echo through the HQ, as the mental image of Sigma with X, Zero, or Axl's abilities - or all three, or even something stronger - percolated through the minds of all listeners. X quickly snapped everyone back to attention. "Then we need to make certain he doesn't get there. I'm enacting a Code Babel objective. Any Hunter not actively hunting down a Maverick or otherwise engaged on duty here at base is to take up positions in and near the Orbital Elevator. No one gets in or out. If Sigma's forces attempt to take the Elevator by force, they are to be stopped by any means necessary...up to and including the collapse of the Elevator itself. It, and Lumine, are officially collateral damage." He could feel the stunned amazement at that order even as he heard the murmurs of shock and discontent. "We cannot allow Sigma to get his hands on pre-End Times technology, or worse, tech from then that has been self-improving since. We will be making every effort to recover Lumine alive and well...but if it's a choice between saving him or stopping Sigma from reaching the Moon, Sigma gets stopped." While this wasn't a happy directive, everyone was able to see the necessity of it. Once everyone had accepted it, X continued. "All S Rank Hunters are on duty of hunting down any clues to Sigma's activities. All Elevator teams will be led by a GA rank hunter, and no team with a leader below A Rank is to leave Hunter Base on any mission, and Hunter Base numbers are not to drop below 75% manned." With those orders given, he turned to Zero, Axl, and Octavia. "While we're hunting for clues, we stay in pairs. But if we get a lead to follow, we stick together. I'm not running the risk of us getting separated. If Sigma's that determined to get ahold of pre-End Times tech, he doesn't necessarily have to go all the way to the Moon-" "Alert!" CiCi interrupted. "We're getting Maverick activity all across the globe. Several high level Mavericks are running amok and causing destruction, putting civilians in danger and bending all Mechanaloids in the area to their will. They need relief, stat!" "We need to get people out there-" Zero started to say, only for X to cut him off. "How many hot spots, exactly?" X demanded firmly. "Collating reports..." CiCi explained as she went through all the data, her tentacles flashing across numerous panels. She then came to a complete halt. "...eight." "Sigma," everyone present spoke up simultaneously. "Call up information on all eight hot spots," X ordered firmly. "As soon as its all collated, we'll start planning how to deal with each." "Collating..." CiCi confirmed as she began gathering the intel. "...the Helios program at Troia Base has gone haywire. Mavericks are attacking the rocket center in Booster Forest. There's a rebellion of some sort happening at the Metal mine. The environmental control system at the Central White antarctic base has lost power. The Inferno disposal center has lost control. The city management systems of Dynasty, Australia has failed, and several rogue groups of Mechanaloids are taking the city apart. The decommissioned military facility code named 'Pitch Black' has been reactivated and is producing weapons. And the anti-gravity laboratory Primrose has an unexplained tower atop it that is causing interference throughout the area." "Alright team," X stated firmly. "We need to figure out what sort of Mavericks could be rampaging in those areas, and from that determine the most efficient way to deal with them. Whatever we've got, we move out in one hour exactly, no more. Move!" As Hunters scattered to their posts, CiCi continued to collate data, trying to find anything she could give the hunters to help them. However, with one of the command cadre already dead, she had trouble bringing herself to hope that they would all come back in one piece.