OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

Seven Seas of Rye

Outside of Arc City Two's rotund structure, the battle raged.

Big Joe had his eyes glued to the screen of his console searching for hidden heat signatures, which was the only way to target the automated drones. A large ship such as the Syracusia couldn't be concealed, making them an easy target for the ships hammering them with firepower.

However, as soon a cannon inside one of the cloaked drones powered up, Big Joe was able to spot the heat signature on his panel and try to hit it with a series of blasts. Spray and pray wasn't exactly the most efficient attack, but Coeuss' swarms were enough to overwhelm. Not even their three large warships, or their legion of fighter pods and drones were enough.

Despite being cloaked, the smaller human-operated Aegis pods were no match for Coeuss' collective intelligence. If Big Joe had a moment to look up, he would have seen hundreds of their own drones exploding into showering balls of fire. But there wasn't time to look up at their dire situation.

Matthias studied the grim scene from her seat in the center of the bridge, wincing as more of their sea bots went down.

Suddenly, the water erupted in an enormous bubble of flames that ballooned out from the Paralus as the room grew eerily quiet. There was no time to stop and mourn the deaths of their colleagues. Admiral Stevens had always told them that the best way to honor fallen comrades was to win the fight.

Captain Matthias and Admiral Stevens were strategizing via hollo-cast at the center of the bridge. They were now down an entire warship, which put them at an even bigger disadvantage. From what he could overhear, Big Joe knew things were dire.

Suddenly, Coeuss flooded the water with a fleet of Aegis ships. Drones may have been troublesome, but these pods were equipped with serious weaponry that could take out an entire craft.

"Pull your drones!" Justin shouted at Big Joe. "We have to stop those ships!"

Big Joe guided his remote drones away from the fight while Justin took over for both of them at his console. With a few swipes of his hand, he'd enlarged his field of vision, his fingers flying over the controls like an adroit pianist. 

Coeuss' Aegis ships were bearing down on their target, taking down anything in their path. Plasma shots were being fired from all sides as they battled for defensive advantage.

Their ship swerved off course abruptly and in his peripheral vision, Big Joe could see the form of a wide, cylindrical beast pummel through the remaining swarm of ships.

The vessels crashed and skidded off of the monster's immense body, most of them too damaged to swim straight. This miscreation's head made up most of its bulk with a menacing beak, brandishing a row of serrated teeth.

It snapped and tore at the Aegis ships as if to swat them away.

Whatever it was, it had heard the commotion in the water and had come to join the fight. Now their support ships would be engaged in evasive maneuvers, and that was going to leave them vulnerable.

"Bring your birds back." Justin spat, trying not to aim his anger at Big Joe. "They're on their own."

"Schiesse!" Big Joe murmured, directing his few remaining drones to follow Justin's orders.

"Lieutenant Commander, status report!" Matthias barked in Big Joe's direction.

"We've sustained damage to the hull and the principal engines," Justin told her. "We're getting our ass' handed to us out here!"

Big Joe turned in surprise to admire the humble man to his left. Never once had Justin thrown his high rank around to get things done, his leadership was as effortless as his friendship. Big Joe had to begrudgingly admit, it was becoming more difficult to hate him.