Storyline: 7-Alpha-6 - Point:4

+ Wake Up: Mission Incomplete: Wake Up +

Fuc... what? Noises...

+ Wake Up +

Groggy, need to work my arms and legs. Ears – high pitch whine, in my ears...

+ Move: use Evasion: Reboot: Reminder-Upload +

I struggle to my feet – dust swirling everywhere, and smoke, acrid tasting... Fingers on my right-hand close around the pistol-grip. So, still armed. Good. Stagger a few steps, circle around and scan for whatever I can see. Eyes begin to focus and my brain hauls itself out of its torpor. Hazy recollections and re-plays now – that man I shot in the chest....

That grenade he let slip from his fingers, as my bullets hammered him backwards....

The flash, the concussion wave....

+ Upload Complete: Resume Mission: Standby +

OK Angel.... thank you....

I need to get moving – get somewhere safe, check that this body isn’t about to fail on me and leave me trapped in a useless carcass. I look down at the pistol, safety still off, undamaged and ready to use. My legs are carrying me away from this mess, past the bodies strewn around the floor, none of them a threat. With my mind racing to recall all the relevant segments of the Mission, I know I have to get back on track.

A keepsake flashes into my mind – summer barbecue. I shake my head. Not now. Concentrate.

+ Reminder: Mission Objective within 0.7km: Threat Level: Diminished +

Diminished. Aye, right. Nine now dead, nine who tried to stop me getting this far.

I stumble towards a doorway, the door itself partially open, and Angel helpfully providing a glowing orange direction arrow straight into that part of my brain that’s wired to my eyes. Meant to help, to prompt me, but right now with my ears still ringing and eyes streaming, its really pissing me off.

And then keepsake flashes me a helpful image of some silver tongs flipping hamburgers on a barbecue grill. I crash into the door frame while my head gets reshuffled. Please Angel, make that crap go away – give me clear visuals, and that includes no orange arrows.

+ Readjust: Ocular Display reset: Advise deep memory edit later: Threat Level: Diminished +

Thank you Angel, lets go indoors.

I brace the pistol, one hand supporting the other, scanning left to right and back again, with a kick to open the door wider. That’s the point when Angel mentions my right foot really hurts, and flicks off the pain receptors in my right leg.

I’ve pretty much wrecked this skin, just hope it won’t fall apart any more before End-Mission.