>>6328479Extraction is mercifully uneventful. The flatbed operators say nothing on the drive back, but eyes keep drifting to the dolly stacked with crates. Then to the faint specks of blood on your and Harper’s boots. They saw what you saw when they came to help. They’re trying not to imagine the rest.
In contrast, the debrief isn’t. Colonel Estevez reacts exactly within your expected parameters. He’d gone through three cigarettes during your report. The fourth is a breath away from snapping in two between his teeth.
“So. You encountered an active cyberpsycho. You didn’t neutralize it. You gave it medicine and let it go.”
The word <span class="mu-i">it</span> feels like a slap to the face.
“<span class="mu-i">She</span> backed off,” you protest, the words leaving your mouth before your brain can catch up. “Even after Harper shot her. She was…suffering, and wasn’t far enough gone to not understand us-”
“Everyone’s suffering,” the colonel snaps, “Some more than others, but we’re all knee deep in it. You might not’ve been awake for the Cataclysm, but all of us were, Butterfly.”
Your throat tightens. Cold anger and guilt pool behind your ribs.
“She thanked us,” you retort.
“Good for you.” His gaze is unyielding. “But gratitude doesn’t stop a mono-molecular claw from severing your carotid.”
He turns his attention to Harper.
“You were in charge of the run. You should’ve made the call.”
Harper gives him a strange look. “For God’s sake, Miguel, I’m not augmented, and I don't have my own set of Cataphract powered armor. Her subdermal armor barely cooked when I zapped her. My guts would’ve been all over the floor.”
“...fine. What’s done is done. You got supplies we'll put to good use. But I’m putting an indefinite ban on salvaging the Norfolk PRC until that thing is neutralized.”
<span class="mu-i">That</span> gets his attention. “But there’s stockpiles ready for pickup-!”
“I am not risking it. The only team that’s going in there next time is a strike team. And if they don’t come back, I’m going to rain artillery on the PRC until it’s rubble, so help me God. Cyberpsychos are variables neither of us can afford to have running around. Worse if it decides to leave the PRC and go sniffing around for more medicine…”
His gaze turns to you. “…or it comes after <span class="mu-i">you</span>. Thinking you’ve got more. And heaven help you if that happens and you can’t repeat what happened last time.”
>The PRC is off-limits until the Cyberpsycho [Nekomata] has been neutralized.>You have four days until your APC is ready.>>Please choose the next activity:>Explore the settlement. You are curious about seeing other humans, especially civilians. [1 Day]>Join Harper and the 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion in a takedown of a bandit outpost. [2 Days]>Sift through/attempt to repair corrupted data files with the 111th’s netrunner cadre. [1 Day]>Custom option. [Write-in]<span class="mu-s">[VOTE OPEN FOR TWELVE(12) HOURS]</span>
