OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

Ballroom Blitz

"What is happening?" Lauren cried as she stared at the screens in horror. "I've never seen that ship before!"

Gayle finished chewing off the remaining nub of her thumbnail before answering. "They must have called for help." She shrugged.

Gayle hadn't been able to take her eyes from the rippling machine that was devastating their drones and Aegis ships. Coeuss' progressive learning was adapting to the foreign fighting style, but it was splitting focus and firepower. Plus, this had not been a part of the scenarios.

"But who did they call?" Lauren exclaimed, wincing as another few Aegis ships blew into bits.

"How would I know?" Gayle retorted angrily, her heckles up. "Coeuss didn't factor this condition into his algorithm!"

"It's taken out two hundred of our drones and at least fifteen of our Aegis ships." Bethany lamented from her position on the other side of Gayle.

Gayle spun around to face her. "Then think faster! Isn't that the only thing you're good for?"

"We've been fighting just as hard as you!" Lauren's frustration bubbled over and she couldn't hold her comments any longer. "This unknown ship is changing the entire outcome!"

Gayle's eyes flickered back to the screens she had been watching, where the likelihood of their success was dwindling in real-time.

Somehow, the two ships that had been battling the sea monster had managed to slay the beast. The gore-tainted water would attract other predators for sure, but Gayle couldn't rely on that to help much.

"Have our enforcer bots managed to catch that Tinker yet?" Gayle asked, tearing her eyes away from the screen.

"No, all we've found is her pod," Lauren replied meeting Gayle's panicked expression.

Gayle couldn't help but suspect that Coeuss wasn't as all-knowing as he'd claimed to be. Spinning around on her heel, Gayle stalked away from the center of the control room, grabbing a plasma gun on her way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Bethany cried out, halting Gayle before she could leave.

"I'm going to do what Coeuss couldn't!" She yelled, challenging the room with her eyes.

The Sirens felt a gnawing sensation of doubt in their bellies, devouring what little confidence they had in their human leader. Gayle was going to leave them at the height of a battle to find a needle in a haystack.

"The last four stories of this building have been coated in foam." Bethany reminded Gayle carefully. "She won't be able to complete her mission, and we know that for sure. We need to stay here and concentrate!"

Gayle hesitated, itching for a reason to turn the gun on these idiots and just abandon this whole damned mission.

"Sisters," Coeuss' digital voice hummed brilliantly through the room, bathing the women in temporary relief. "This fighting will destroy you from the inside out. All is not lost, but we must begin phase three much sooner than anticipated."

"Phase three?" Bethany questioned, her face tilted to the ceiling as if communicating with some deity. "What is that?"

"Do not fear my child," Coeuss assured them. "I would have never brought you into this situation without an escape. We must live to fight another day."

Gayle's stomach lurched at these words. Sagging against the hollowness in her middle, she turned her back on the other Sirens.

"Gayle?" Bethany's voice shook with anticipation. "What is Coeuss talking about? Why haven't we heard of phase three?"