Interception of the New Weapon Launch
The Heukma reacted the instant it detected the approaching Nexus.
A situational report came through the comms channel.
The next moment, a chaotic warning tone blared as the cockpit bathed in red. Countless lock-on alerts popped up on the forward display. It was an insane speed—at a distance where I couldn't even visually identify it yet.
I calmly detected the incoming missiles.
Kuuuung! The REB accelerated at monstrous speed. Considering relative velocity, it must have felt like they were coming at the speed of light. The missiles weren't properly registering yet, probably because of the distance. Reacting at sensor range would be too late.
So I decided to watch the front via camera feed to spot the missiles.
Soon, the horizon's edge began to glow faintly.
'Now!'
I executed a vertical maneuver, deviating slightly from my original path. Right after, the rain of countless missiles streaked past the Nexus with a slight time lag. I felt a faint pressure on my body and smirked in satisfaction.
'Good, just like that.'
The second and third waves came in succession. Maybe to narrow my evasion window, they flew from every direction and speed. Dodging them all was impossible, but at least the long-range harassment wouldn't blow up the Nexus.
By the time the REB fuel ran dry, I was 2km from the target. Durability was still over 80%, plenty to spare. I jettisoned the spent REB.
An uneasy voice echoed over the comms channel.
The mood on the comms channel turned frantic in an instant. I ignored the chatter and switched to cruise mode to close the remaining short distance.
From the blueprints provided by the client, the armor was too thick for standard Nexus firepower to breach. If I'd brought heavy weapons optimized for destruction, maybe—but right now, my arsenal was insufficient. So I went with the textbook approach.
I pitched up slightly, angling the Nexus upward. Above, a large defensive force waited in formation. Countless gun barrels trained on me, filling the cockpit with blaring warnings.
The upper forces consisted of multiple exo-frame squads and a few fixed emplacements. They all opened fire at once, but the Nexus held.
In just over a minute, I'd cleared the upper defenses and used the large elevator they'd taken to get up there.
Wuuung— The hacking module did its job. As I descended, I recalled the blueprints.
'Heukma's made of 4 units total. Central control room's in the frontmost, Sector 1. This is Sector 2, so...'
The only important spot in Sector 2 was the navigation center—like a bridge. Destroying it wouldn't disable weapons, so no need to bother. Straight to Sector 1.
By the time the elevator reached bottom, nearby defense teams came into view. I fired missiles and slipped away in cruise mode. Explosions boomed, and noise flooded the comms.
Kuung, kuung! Bulkheads slammed shut here and there. I raced down Heukma's corridors toward Sector 1.
'Gotta reach the connector before it's too late.'
Kuung, kuung!! Bulkheads closed like they were chasing me from behind. It made my heart race.
I spotted a few defense teams that hadn't evacuated in time along the way but ignored them, pushing straight ahead. Even in cruise mode, the structure was ridiculously long. I flew at full throttle until energy depletion.
Kuung!! Finally, the last bulkhead closure echoed. With thrust lost, cruise mode terminated forcibly, and the Nexus slowly settled downward.
"Hoo..."
I'd made it to the connector safely. Dimmer lighting made it feel darker than before. Heukma's jolts transmitted through the walls, visible to the eye.
The moment I heard what sounded like internal discord on comms...
Kwaaaa!! A massive burst of heat erupted from behind. I hurriedly moved far from the bulkhead. Sensors detected the bulkhead temperature skyrocketing.
'Purge, huh? Literally burning it out.'
They sealed everything and incinerated the inside. Smart—central control could eliminate threats while preserving the vehicle.
'Everyone inside's ash now.'
I recalled the furious voices on comms, then moved on. Entering Sector 1 from the connector.
I annihilated the defense team that spotted me. Forward, forward, forward.
Tsssk— Panicked voices and static alternated on comms. Clearing Sector 1 like Sector 2, I finally reached the central control room—a small box-like structure hanging from the ceiling above a massive hangar bay.
The moment those words slipped out...
Kwaang! The box housing Heukma's central nerves erupted in red flames, crumbling into black debris.
'Mission complete...'
As I thought that and prepared to exit Heukma...
Whiiiing— Suddenly, the interior flooded red with sirens blaring everywhere. A synthetic announcement broadcast throughout Heukma.
Central control signal lost. Entering emergency protocol. Pre-launch sequence auto-executing. All bulkheads sealing. Repeat: Entering emergency protocol.
I flinched and scanned around. Everyone controlling Heukma was gone. So the machine followed their pre-set protocol. Sensors showed machinery activating everywhere—far more than before. I focused on the changes right here in Sector 1 overhead.
'That's...'
The catapult battery mount. Attacks were auto-launching.
'Client brief was clear...'
Not stopping Heukma's movement—preventing the attack. If that fired, mission failed. I gripped the controls and headed upward.
Weeeing— Tsssk— Steam hissed, gears turned. Bursting through the hatch into the upper weapon control room, a few defenders greeted me. A few submachine gun bursts neutralized them. I checked the ongoing process in the control room.
'Assembling warhead and propellant.'
At the battery's base, near the launcher, machines bustled. A massive warhead adhered to a bizarre propellant tank.
On the red-tinted monitor:
[2:57]
Three minutes to launch. One battery per vehicle, total four. I had to tour all sectors and halt missile procedures within three minutes. First, the one right here—I approached and hacked with the module.
The control system interfered, sparking. Total hack time: 5 seconds.
Pusshuu—
As I watched the missile halt mid-loading into the battery, scanning its warhead made me involuntarily gasp.
'Nuclear warhead...?'
Not just any missile—a nuke. I scrapped any thoughts of just detonating missiles internally in an emergency.
'Detonating a nuke in a sealed space? Brilliant idea.'
With heightened urgency, I headed to the next sectors.
'Sector 2, clear.'
Pusshuu—
A bit late after wrestling sealed bulkheads. Two left. But now I knew Heukma's layout and systems. Remaining time should suffice. Accelerating blindly forward again. Breach bulkhead, reach weapon control.
'Sector 3, clear.'
One left. Clearing defenders, I reached the final sector.
But as the countdown finished, seeing the missile loading bulkhead sealed at the battery base...
I could only stare blankly at the monitor pulsing red.