The Beast

The Beast - Part 24

Pin reported to Aina: "The bombs are planted. We had no losses."

Aina had expected no less: "Taro is already evacuating his troops. Time to leave." They took off, showing Gabriel numerous other ships also leaving next to them. Chip grabbed Gabriel by the armor directing him off the bridge and towards her workstation. She waited for them to leave the bridge before talking: "What did you think when you charged the cannon? It's gonna be days before your tank is battle ready again."

"I didn't think at all. Can I ask you a question: why is nobody else in power armor like I am?" He was admittedly incompetent in combat but was still able to rampage because rarely anything could hurt him.

"The people who built you didn't educate you at all did they? W-"

Gabriel interrupted: "Still not built but continue."

"It's time to choose a backstory. You can't just shoot down all theories while also refusing to explain yourself. It's getting annoying and I don't even care. Where was I....Yes you being dumb. EVERYBODY knows that there was a civilization living in this galaxy long before any of us even evolved, far more advanced than what we are right now. Most intact relics we find are so far ahead we can't even comprehend them but four have been decrypted over the years. The first one was an FTL engine. The second one was an old mining suit that could take commands from the user without needing any connection implants, AI assistance or a tendency to kill the driver on accident. Your armor is a replica of that, and nobody else is wearing it because, A it's expensive and B too big for any non-modified beings and you know that modifying someone to your size makes them too dumb to be effective."

Gabriel was overwhelmed by questions: "What about the other two relics?"

"Boring, ask Tibi." They reached Chip's workplace, "And freeze." She turned two switches on the back off head and the armor shut down, leaving him stuck in an iron tomb. He knew that he could move it for seconds, maybe a few minutes at best but he was too exhausted to prove a point.

"What was that for?"

"Aesthetics." She started to take apart the suit, placing the parts on an empty workbench.

"Zu hasn't seen me in a long time. I better check in on her." Gabriel wasn't in the mood to further dive into Chip's way of thinking.

"I thought Aina told you. She's not here anymore."

Having Aina and Zu in the same thought triggered Gabriel's paranoia. Did Ania dispose of unnecessary waste? His body went into overdrive, wanting to skip Chip's games he lifted his Hand around her neck. The weight alone forced her on her back and him kneeling over her. He noticed that he had overreacted and tried to defuse the situation with a calm voice but his fear shined through what he was about to say: "What did you do to her?"

He did his best not to decapitate Chip but she still sounded like being strangled by a python: "Nothing." He wasn't satisfied with her answer and stayed in the current position, forcing Chip to give him a proper answer, "She was moved to Taro. I swear." A weight fell off his hearth and so he rolled on his back allowing Chip to escape his hold.

"You really got attached to her, didn't you?" Chip didn't stand up yet she just layed next to him waiting for her throat to recover.

"I would kill everybody on this ship if you hurt her." He wasn't lying. Zu was his anchor, keeping him from forgetting that kindness and happiness still existed.

"What makes her that good in bed?" Chip had obviously recovered enough to not take him seriously again.

"Why does everybody think I rape her, can't I just be a nice person?" All the assumptions about him became more anyong with everyday that passed.

"You really are modified." He knew that Chip meant that as an insult to his intelligence.

"Just tell me what I'm missing."

"Why would anybody assume sexual tension between a rescued Hyee and an unknown, giant Man that's capable of rampagning his way through an army. A real puzzle."

"What?!"

"Don't play dumb, even you should be able to fit togerther the pieces." She sat up and disconnected the rest of his armor, "Now go and make sure to die next time you charge into a drilling laser, it would save me a lot of work."

"You said you'd tell me about your arm when we're back." Gabriel had enough time to think about what he just heard later, he wanted to get some answers.

"That was before you almost killed me." She wasn't hiding that the conversation was over now.