The communications network started to degrade long before we hit the outskirts of Okotoks. Since I didn’t know how bad the interference was going to get, I made sure the rabbits were set to follow me prior to entering the town. Having my backup disconnect from the command network and default to patrolling or retreating back to the shelter was absolutely the last thing I needed right now.

  Once we got close enough, I headed over to the monitor mounted in the back of the Kodiak and accessed the exterior cameras.

  It was as I feared.

  The flickering light I’d seen from the outskirts, had been caused by dozens of uncontrolled fires all around the town center. Black smoke billowed out of the area, obscuring my view of the area, but every once in a while I could make out a large shadow stalking down the street or sporadic gunfire.

  “Want me to intervene?” Bob asked quietly. “I could jump from here and determine the situation.”

  I shook my head. “I want you to stick close to me until I can determine what’s causing the interference; I might need your help to get rid of it.”

  Leaning forward, I tapped the driver on the shoulder.

  “Put us down in the intersection!” I yelled. Although I still had a connection to the bears within the Kodiak, the signal was sketchy. Reaching any troops more than ten feet away was nearly impossible and I’d have to rely upon voice commands in order to get anything done.

  As we descended through the smoke, I got my first look at just how bad things were. The streets were filled with overturned cars, smashed storefronts, and fire. It looked like a warzone.

  If the number of Antithesis standing out in the street was any indication, they were winning too.

  They rushed the Kodiaks before we could even touch down. Flocks of Model Ones and packs of Model Fives harassed the armored vehicles, while the rest of the monsters silently massed around our landing zone.

  “It seems like the Antithesis have arranged a warm welcome for us,” I muttered. “It would be impolite if we didn’t reciprocate.”

  Turning slightly, I looked at the big bear impatiently shifting from one foot to the other by the door. “Bob, please go introduce yourself. Concentrate on the big boys while you’re down there. Heavy and the Rabbits can sweep the small stuff. And don’t wander too far!”

  Bob immediately perked up. He slammed the open ramp button, then climbed over the slowly opening door. The last thing I saw was him slipping over the side, headfirst.

  I sighed. It was very unlikely that anything out there could harm him, but still… I would have preferred if he exercised the tiniest bit of caution.

  “Heavy, once the ramp is fully open, can you please take your rotary laser cannon and head down there to give that doofus some cover? I’d appreciate it if you could also clear the landing site a little.”

  The chunky polar bear just nodded. He shouldered the oversized generator, plugged it into his massive cannon, then casually plodded to the back of the vehicle and jumped off.

  I didn’t even need to look at the monitor to know what was going on. The rapid red flashes reflecting off the back of the Kodiak told me enough.

  It took another twenty seconds for the IVFs to touch down and their guns opened up on the remaining Antithesis as I stepped out to assess the situation. The entire area was a complete mess. The Antithesis had somehow spread through every building in sight. Bob and Heavy had cleared up most of the immediate area, mostly occupied by what I’d consider the ‘standard’ models, but there were a couple of Fourteen and Fifteen bodies scattered around too.

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  “Nyx, can you tell if the Antithesis warnings went out before this shit hit?” I asked.

  “I can’t tell if the wireless signal went out, but the analog alarms appear to have been activated.”

  I turned towards Nyx’s avatar, eyebrow raised. “Analog…?”

  “When the Antithesis first landed, a lot of Earth’s technology was exceptionally weak against their ECM, so existing warning systems were deemed insufficient. A lot of towns implemented air-raid sirens as backups. Many of these were retired as human technology progressed, but apparently not all of them. If you listen carefully, you can hear the alarms sounding from the town shelter sites.”

  There was a faint, high-pitched whine, just barely audible over the crackling fires around me now that I was listening for it. If the sirens were sounding from the shelters, the nearest one couldn’t be close. At least the people had SOME sort of warning. I couldn’t imagine how bad the casualties would have been without the sirens.

  “So, I think the first thing we need to do is establish communications. Nyx, do you have any options that are within my means?”

  “Now we’re at the heart of the town, and we know how strong the jamming is I think I can find you a couple of options. My recommendation would be to invest in the Class I and Class II Adaptive ECCM Technology catalogs,” Nyx explained.

  “ECCM…?”

  “Electronic-Counter-CounterMeasures systems.”

  I stared at Nyx’s avatar for a minute. “You’re making that up.”

  “They’re a real thing. Technology specialized in analyzing and countering electronic countermeasures. The reason I recommend this specific catalog is twofold. First, it’s not designed to counter any specific model or frequency but attempts to adapt to whatever ECM is being deployed. It might take a minute to get results, but it can handle a much wider range of disruptions.”

  “And the second?”

  “The Class II catalog has an implant that can connect to both your augs and command network implant and clean up some of the interference. The implant won't be enough to get a signal out of town, but it should extend your control range.”

  “Why didn’t you start with that?” I grumbled. “Let’s do it.”

  “The catalogs will cost…” Nyx started.

  “Stop, stop, stop. Does it have something that’ll let me send a signal out of the town? And do I have the points for both that and the implant?” I asked.

  “Yes, I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise,” Nyx replied.

  “Then just do it. Put the communication hub in the back of my Kodiak, and give me whatever I need to install the implant.

  Purchased - Class I Adaptive ECCM Technology Catalog - 500 points

  Purchased - Class II Adaptive ECCM Technology Catalog - 1500 points

  Purchased - Mark VII ‘Clear Mind’ ECCM Neural Network Node - 550 points

  Purchased - ‘Clear Skies’ High powered ECCM Radio System - 450 points

  Points remaining: 48018

  I snatched the small box that appeared at my feet and immediately headed towards the back of the Kodiak.

  It looked like the new ECCM system had been installed seamlessly into the Kodiak’s existing systems. The left side of the passenger compartment monitor, which had previously been a small gap that was too small for the bears to pass through but allowed you to see the pilot, had been replaced by a wall of electronics.

  “How do I use it?” I yelled out to Nyx’s avatar.

  “Connect to it with your Augs, and give it commands. It has a rudimentary AI system,” came the faint reply.

  I hesitantly sent feelers into the device and gave it a test command.

  [Send out the Antithesis warning signal to the entire town, on repeat, until the emergency is dealt with.]

  Annoyingly, my augs immediately filled with the Antithesis warning, forcing me to dismiss it before moving on.

  [Second, send a signal to The Family HQ. Message is as follows: Okotoks under siege, unknown antithesis ECM deployed, bears crippled. Help required. Repeat every minute for the next half hour, or until you receive some sort of acknowledgement.]

  I received a rudimentary ‘success’ notification from the system. Guess the AI was focused entirely upon performing orders and dealing with the signal.

  [Final signal. To all bears in Okotoks, the perimeter has been penetrated. Abandon defensive positions. Odd-numbered teams, report to the nearest shelter and establish defensive positions. Even-numbered teams gather into kill teams and sweep major streets. If any bear knows or sees the point of entry, send a messenger to my position immediately. Deadbeat and Bandit, take whatever troops you need and find me that entry point!]

  As soon as I finished sending the notification, I immediately disconnected from the system. Stepping away from the console, I gently opened the box in my hands to take a look at what I was dealing with. I’d half expected a handful of disks like when I did the original upgrade, but instead it was a thin band of metal. There was an image of someone putting it behind their head and hooking the end over their ears, so I quickly shucked my helmet and slid it into place.

  There was a moment of disorientation, which was nowhere near as bad as installing new augs or the command network. The sound of white noise echoed through my brain.

  After a couple seconds the noise quieted down, and I felt the system connect to the surrounding bears and rabbits. I couldn’t tell how far the signal penetrated--there weren’t any other bears in the area, but it was enough to connect to my impromptu team.

  Throwing my helmet back on and storming out of the back of Kodiak, I looked over my small force. “Enough sitting around,” I shouted. “Time to get to work!”

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