Somnus Deus Ex – Chapter Four

Somnus Deus Ex – Chapter Four

Separating herself from the soldiers was almost hard.

They didn’t want her to leave.

It almost came to blows, because Daisy decided that if these grown-ass men needed a little girl to protect them so much, then maybe they didn’t deserve to be on the front lines after all. She was testing her grip on her pistol when reason, and order from above, finally came through and they let her leave.

“How many?” she asked.

You have nine hundred and twelve points.

For an hour’s work, that wasn’t too bad. It was mostly from little models, and a few shots she took at some fliers. Her firepower didn’t add too much to what the wall could handle, really. But the soldiers seemed to enjoy the bright actinic flashes of her gun going off and frying aliens from afar.

Now she was on the other side of the wall, out in the open.

Daisy glanced up over her shoulder and at the wall itself. The soldiers up there were almost impossible to see, especially with the strong lights in front of them.

She narrowed her eyes, then took off jogging towards a nearby building.

These first few minutes were where she’d be the most vulnerable. “Okay. Here’s the order of things. I need armour. Something light and that’ll let me move.”

An armoured skinsuit?

“Sure,” she said. “Make sure it has some pockets.”

Noted.

“Next. Guns. Bigger ones… Actually, scratch that. Can we do cybernetics?”

Of course. What are you thinking about?

“I want better eyes. I’ll need better lungs. And I want something to heal in case I get hit,” Daisy said. “In that order.”

That’ll start to cost a lot. Especially if you still want weapons and armour.

She considered it, then nodded. “Eyes first. And… can we do something to let me control things with my mind?”

Yes. That’ll be costly, however, but I’m certain we can fit it into your budget. Perhaps wait on the lungs?

“Alright,” Daisy said as she slipped into a building. It was some sort of office space, with the walls torn off the front which gave her plenty of access to the interior. She crouched a little as she ran. The first washroom she found past the lobby was good enough, she figured, even if the lights were off within. The emergency light over the door cast everything in a deep, unsightly red, but it was enough to see by.

Alright! Let’s start with that suit. Here are some options.

Daisy found herself looking at a small screen with several suits on it. A flick down of her eyes let her scroll down, and down… and down. “How many are here?” she asked. Each suit looked like a form-fitting uniform. Some looked like they were painted on… specifically, painted on a very precise image of herself.

She glanced down at her belly. She was thin. She took all the meds to stay that way, and her extracurriculars were generally pretty physically demanding, enough to keep her fit. Her diet was pretty careful too… except for on Sundays.

There was a tiny bit of a ponch on her belly, one that she’d never been that self-conscious about until she had to look at a thousand images of herself in a suit of armour that made diving suits look baggy.

“Maybe something a little bit armoured?” she asked.

The images instantly changed. Still skinsuits, but this time with slightly segmented armour over the chest and legs and shoulders, with gritty pads over the knees and elbows. The added armour filled her out a little, and hid things some more.

“Alright, how many variations are here?” she asked.

Nineteen million, and counting.

“And counting?”

I’m designing more as I notice the parts that you react positively to.

Daisy blinked. “You pick, then,” she said.

The screen flicked up a final time, then stopped on a suit of armour. It was pure, startling white, with some red highlights next to pale-grey armoured plates. It cut a… heroic figure. And more importantly, came with an armoured helmet, with a visor across the front and a mask.

The helmet is upgraded to have a filtration unit, and a low-light vision system as well as a targeting system. It’s slight, but should be helpful. The overall suit should be resistant to low-calibre weapons. Not proof, but resistant. The armoured sections are bullet-proof, at least up to smaller rifle calibre rounds.

“Alright,” Daisy said. “Get it.”

Catalogue unlocked: Light Armours
Points reduced to: 812

Here, I think this will be suitable for you.

Armour unlock: Lightly armoured skinsuit ‘Rose Petal’

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it’s taken without the author’s consent. Report it.
Points reduced to: 662

The suit appeared in a box. She started to put it on, tossing aside her clothes as she went. It wasn’t her PJs, but it wasn’t uncomfortable either.