SSV: Project STATIC Part 3: Game Over

Chapter 15

Jake, Pam, and Ashley sat in the back of the truck that Anders had stolen. It had been nearly twenty minutes since their encounter with Ingrid and her monster character, and Anders hadn’t stopped driving since they fled the scene. Pam laid in the bed of the truck, and tried not to let herself get thrown around. Jake had stayed close by to ensure that she wasn’t getting jostled too much. Ashley was on the other side of Pam, but she was scanning the streets for any signs of threats that might be lurking around the corner. None of them had any idea what Ingrid was planning, or where her monster might appear next. All that they knew was that they needed to gear up for the upcoming assault.

“We’re safe,” Pam spoke up, feeling some of her energy return as she sat up, “I created a shield around the truck that will prevent Ingrid from tracking us. As for her creation, I can’t sense it. I don’t know where she sent it, but it isn’t chasing us right now.”

“You can sense that thing?” Ashley asked, turning her attention to Pam, “What exactly is going on with you, Pam?”

Pam shook her head as she admitted, “I’m not entirely sure, Ashley. Whatever this is, it’s similar to my powers outside of this system, but it’s also so different. I can see strands of Ingrid’s work, and I can pull and manipulate it. Unlike the real world, I can’t conjure and cast other powers and manifestations. I never lost my ability to sense emotions and feelings, but I can feel the power emanating from things like whatever that thing is. It gives off a signature that’s similar to what’s coming from the Brunswick Tower. That is another reason I believe that is where we need to go to escape this madhouse.”

“Admin and root control,” Jake remarked, starting to piece together a theory, “This is a long shot, but it’s as close to a guess as I could wager right now. I doubt that Ingrid takes magic seriously, and I bet that she didn’t account for what your powers could do if they started interfacing with the game. Maybe the longer you’re here and exposed, the deeper into the actual framework your mind is getting. You might be connecting with the root levels of her code, and that could be why you’re able to do the stuff that you’ve been doing. Being able to rewrite Anders, manipulating the areas, seeing the signals coming from key locations, teleporting and fast traveling, and being able to hide us from Ingrid. It’s probably driving her mad.”

“This would drive Beth up the wall,” Pam chuckled, thinking about her little lover, “She’s always found it infuriating when I pick up a game and take to it naturally.”

“She’s never been a graceful loser,” Jake smirked, remembering times when he had beat Beth at one of her favorite games, “Something tells me, she’d be fine with it in this case.”

“I miss her,” Pam sighed, feeling a sense of longing as she pictured one of Beth’s pouts, “We have to get out of here.”

The truck swerved to a stop outside of a shop in another section of the city that was rundown and dilapidated. Anders opened the back window and called out, “First stop, we’re here, kids. You ready, Raven?”

“Ready as I can be,” Jake replied, “What are we here for?”

“I need a rifle, sniper preferably, and as much ammo as we can haul,” Anders answered, “Grab whatever you want, and whatever you can carry for yourselves, but I need that rifle. I got a plan in the works, and we are gonna need that weapon. Ladies, you got any preferences for this little shopping trip?”

“Bigger guns, ones that…wait,” Pam started, frowning as she sensed something inside the shop, “Downstairs, basement level, there’s a safe that has something inside of it. It’s not money, it’s something unique. Whatever it is, I want it. Find it, grab it, and bring it back here to me.”

“I should be skeptical, but after the shit I’ve already seen tonight, I’m inclined to take you at your word, Pam,” Anders shook his head, “Alright, so break into the safe downstairs and grab what we need. How about you, Ashley?”

“Explosives,” Ashley replied, “Thrown, planted, I don’t give a damn, just load up as much as you can. I wouldn’t turn down another melee weapon either.”

“Girls have expensive taste,” Anders sighed, looking back at Jake, “Alright, we got our orders, kid. Lock and load, and let’s see what you can do under pressure.”

“Alright, let’s do this,” Jake nodded, putting aside his reservations in favor of getting out, saving his friend, and reuniting her with Pam.

Jake hopped over the edge of the bed as Anders got out of the driver’s seat. Anders rolled his neck and grabbed his pistol from his holster. He offered it to Jake, but Jake declined, wanting to stick to what he knew best. It would work better if he could move freely and Anders handled the shooting. He still had the pistol that Pam had given him anyways if things got bad enough. The storefront they were walking into was rundown, and it reminded Jake of one of the pawnshops scattered around Metropolis. Ingrid had probably taken the design from one of them, if he had to guess. They walked together into the glass doors with bars resting behind the glass.

Jake looked around the shop to get a lay of the land. Glass cases containing different devices, needles, explosives, and small firearms acted as counters in the area. A single man stood at the far edge of the countertops behind a cash register. There were several racks holding different guns varying in size and caliber behind the cases. A door was behind the man in the back, and Jake was willing to wager a guess that was the entryway to the basement. One man standing guard, but there could have been more down below. Jake walked deeper into the store and studied the items in the cases.

“What do you two want?” the old man behind the counter asked in a hateful tone, “Get your shit and get out, and don’t waste my time, shitheads.”

“Charming old asshole, love it,” Anders muttered, subtly locking the door as he walked down the opposite side of Jake, “Looking around, old-timer, needing some decent iron for a job we got in the works.”

“Fucking mercs,” the old man grumbled, “Wasteful and selfish pricks, make it quick.”

Anders shot Jake a look as they got closer to the register. Jake didn’t like it, but he knew what Anders was trying to say with that look. They needed to get to work, and Jake knew that they didn’t have a lot of time. Jake glanced over at the shopkeeper, but his well-meaning heart caused him to falter as he got close. Aged, disgruntled, and weathered, this man was innocent. Despite the fact that he wasn't real, Jake hesitated as he got closer. He knew he needed to put his moral compass aside to focus on saving his friend, but abandoning something he'd carried for so long was more difficult than he cared to admit.

Anders seemed to sense his hesitation, and the rogue NPC took it upon himself to act. Jake watched as Anders quickened his pace to approach the old man. "Need something, merc?" the old shopkeep asked.

Anders grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it against the glass case. His pistol was out and the barrel was pressed against the back of his skull before he could react. "Need access to your back room, old timer," Anders explained, "No sudden moves, just tell us where the keys are. Or, you can be a dumbass, and I can waste what's left of your life here and now. Your choice, old man, what's it gonna be?"

Jake watched the exchange with clenched fists and gritted teeth. This was robbery, and he hated being a part of it. However, it was necessary if they were going to get out of here. Right and wrong, black and white, those lines didn't exist in this world. Besides, none of this was real. He had to remember that this world, and everyone in it, was simply the brainchild of Ingrid. If he couldn't separate himself from that, they'd inevitably fail in their quest for freedom.

"Ack, sorry excuses for men!" the shopkeeper growled, "Picking on an old man in his last days, it's pathetic! Go ahead, you reckless little shit, pull the damn trigger."

"Your funeral, pops," Anders rolled his eyes and squeezed the trigger.

Jake didn't have time to react before the shopkeeper was dead and gone. The bullet blew his head open, and Jake couldn't only stand there in disbelief as his blood ran over the glass. "You…you didn't have to do that," he shook his head as Anders hopped over the counter.

"We don't have time to talk someone into cooperating, kid," Anders shrugged, checking the dead man's pockets, "Girls are waiting, we've got a monster chasing us down, and you three don't have a lot of time to spare. People are counting on you, and that means you've got to make hard choices in the moment."

Jake hated to admit it, but Anders was right. They didn't have a lot of time, and sometimes the options available weren't ideal. "Getting coached by an AI, that's a first," Jake sighed, steeling himself as Anders walked around to select a rifle, "Couldn't you have just knocked him out, though?"

"Maybe, but he made his choice and I made mine," Anders shrugged, walking past a number of rifles until he found one that met his liking, "Can't change it now, and there's no sense holding onto regrets, kid. One thing I learned a long time ago is that regret is just a weight to drag you down."

"You're not even real, though," Jake scoffed, walking towards the case containing the explosives, "How can you say something like that when you know you're just a program?"

"My memories are real to me," Anders sighed, grabbing a large caliber sniper rifle and checking the scope, "My sister, my brothers in arms, the jobs, the fires in the jungle, all of it is real to me, kid. Maybe it is just a figment of this crazy chick's imagination, but it doesn't change what the stuff means to me. You said you don't believe in higher powers and shit, right?"

"That's right," Jake replied, smashing the glass and stuffing what he could into his pockets.

"Well guess what?" Anders asked, grabbing two duffle bags and throwing one at Jake, "We ain't got everything figured out, Jake, but that don't matter. Whether this is or isn't one, it doesn't change who you are, what you've done, and what you remember. Maybe there is, maybe there ain't, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day. All that matters is what you do with your life."

"Profound for a guy that just found out he's a mess of code," Jake said, stuffing everything he could into the bag.

"Fuck you, smart ass," Anders chuckled, tossing Jake a shotgun from the racks, "Look, you're missing the point. At the end of the day, your choices are still your own. I know that now, and I'm choosing to give my creator the middle finger by helping you three. Maybe she wasn't always a bitch, hell maybe she ain't one now, but she took my sister from me. Real, fake, who gives a fuck? Erin was all I had left in this shit city, and I'll make that girl pay for fucking with her. Come on, let's go find that safe."

Jake shook his head and sighed as leapt over the counters. He hadn't expected a philosophical debate when he'd gotten out of the truck, but nothing about any of this had been expected. Anders took the lead and kicked the door into the back room. Jake checked their backs before following him downstairs. As crazy as it sounded, Anders had made a few good points. He knew how heavy regret could be; he still remembered Rebecca, Courtney, and Ashley all too clearly. Anchors from his past that often kept him awake at night wondering what he could have done differently. How much time had he wasted on those thoughts? Enough to make him think that listening to a rogue string of code was a good idea, clearly.

They reached the end of the stairwell, but Anders shoved Jake back as they rounded the corner. Gunshots filled the air for a second. "What the fuck?!" Anders shouted, pressing himself against the wall, "Why the fuck are there chromers down here?! Old coot didn't call 'em, and I doubt they're working protection."

"Pam said that the safe had something unique in it," Jake shrugged, grabbing the shotgun, "It might be that they're here to protect it, but they don't know why. Ingrid could have placed them here as a security measure."

"I like this girl less and less every time you three talk about her," Anders grumbled, glancing back at Jake, "Gimme a flash and frag, kid. Here's the plan. I'm gonna stun 'em, and then toss a frag into their mix. Once the second boom sounds, we move out and take out the stragglers. Watch that shotty, though. Recoil on that mother fucker is a bitch. Should be loaded with six slugs, so you've got six chances to fuck someone up. Just make sure you don't blast me in the mix, got it?"

Jake nodded as he handed Anders the grenades he'd asked for. He might have been a figment of code, but Ingrid had given him a tactful mind. In a few ways, he reminded Jake of Beth. Brash, harsh, cunning, and quick on his feet. Maybe Ingrid had used Beth as an inspiration for him. He had no way of knowing for sure, but he was glad that he was on their side. Jake sat the bag down on the steps behind him and waited for Anders to get to work. The moments following were tense as Jake hugged the shotgun against his chest.

Anders tossed the first grenade into the room. It clattered for a second before a loud bang and a blinding light filled the room. He pulled the pin and lobbed the second one in without a word. Jake counted down the seconds as Anders readied the rifle he'd picked up. Was he really going to try to use that thing in this close of quarters? The fiery explosion and the sound of screaming filled the air seconds later. Anders was out first, and he crouched down as he shouldered his rifle. Jake quickly followed behind him, and he scanned the room for any signs of movement. Kill or be killed, that was the only choice before them.

Anders fired a shot that was nearly deafening as one of the chrome headed goons tried to find cover. He was already scouting his second shot when another one popped up to try to squeeze a few rounds off. Anders took him down with pinpoint precision and a well placed shot to his head. Jake saw one of them trying to flank from the left with a blade jutting out of his arm like Ingrid’s character model. He took a deep breath as he raised the shotgun and opened fire as they got close. The slug found a home in his chest, and the thug was sent flying backwards from the forceful impact. Jake swore under his breath from the painful pushback from the shot. Anders hadn't been kidding about the recoil.

"Move!" Anders barked, getting up and pivoting as two more of the chromed thugs tried to catch them off guard.

Jake didn't wait to see what Anders was doing as he took off in a sprint across the room. The basement was fairly plain and almost empty. A desk, a few support beams, a handful of boxes and racks, but that was about all that was down here besides dust and dirt. Jake spotted the safe in question near the desk in the corner. He rushed towards the safe as one of the chromed thugs raised their rifle. Jake frowned as he shifted into a slide to avoid a string of bullets aimed at his head. He raised his shotgun and caught the bastard between the legs mid slide. Surprisingly, the recoil stopped his momentum. Two shots out of six, and Jake was stuck laying in the middle of the floor. It wasn't ideal, but it got worse when he heard a metallic battle cry above him.

Jake looked up as another chromed psycho approached. They'd jumped into the air with one of those terrifying blades extended, and were poised to run Jake through with it. Thinking quickly, Jake rolled himself backwards and flipped back to his feet as they landed where he'd been. He tried to get a shot off before they could recover, but the chromed freak spun around and roundhouse kicked the barrel of the shotgun as Jake squeezed the trigger. His third slug hit the safe, but Jake was able to recover and block an incoming slice with the shotgun. It was like using an awkward staff, but Jake had used weapons far more unwieldy than this before.

He pushed back to knock the blade away, and spun the butt of the shotgun up to try to knock them in the jaw. The thug shifted to the side to dodge, and they tried to kick Jake's knee to bring him down. Jake saw it coming, though, and he caught their shin with his boot to check them. He tried a leaping front kick, but again the thug managed to dodge. This time they spun around him, and they extended their bladed arm out to try to cut him across the back. Jake rolled forward, but not before the cloth of his shirt was sliced open. His skin wasn't broken, but it had been closer than he would have liked. He spun around and raised the gun as the thug leapt at him. He squeezed the trigger and put a hole in his chest before he could impale Jake. His body was sent flying backwards and crashed into the safe.

"Not bad, kid," Anders remarked as he got up and scanned the room, "That's all of them. Pretty slick moves for someone scared of a little blood."

Jake relaxed and stood up, "Not afraid of blood, just not a fan of killing. Full disclosure, I hadn't shot a gun until we got sent here."

"And my dumbass gave you a shotgun," Anders laughed, moving past him and towards the safe, "Guess I'm lucky you weren't shooting over me. You'd have peppered my back. You know how to reload that beauty?"

"Honestly, no clue," Jake admitted as he looked at the shotgun in his hands, "Wait, peppered?"

"The spread on a slug," Anders shrugged, pointing at the shotgun, "Take your slugs, and slide them into that slot there. Push them in until it's full. That baby holds six, and you got four shots off."

"So, four shells," Jake nodded, heading back to the bag and grabbing a few, "Hold on, what's the difference in the colors?"

Anders was looking over the safe, trying to figure out how to open it. "Bring 'em over, and I'll tell ya," he replied, waiting until Jake was close to make sure he was right, "Ah, you got a few options here. The oranges are incendiary shots, dragon's breath is what it's called. Shoots out a ball of fucking flame in a small cone. Looks fucking awesome, and it'll fuck up someone's day in a tight space. The greens are corrosive; good for taking down any mechanical pains in the ass. You know, turrets, mechs, drones, or melting someone's face off; whatever floats your boat. Lastly, the red are standard slugs. Point, shoot, watch the spread and bodies fall."

"Shit," Jake said, looking at the shells in his hand, "Do you have the keys to that safe?"

Anders tried the keys that he'd grabbed from the shopkeeper, but it seemed none of them fit. "Shit, no luck," he sighed, "Let's check the bodies for a key. You said something about this Ingrid chick putting them here as guards, so maybe they've got something usable on them."

Jake shook his head as he walked to check the various corpses that now littered the basement. Anders followed suit, checking the ones off in the distance. They spent a few minutes rummaging through their pockets, but they didn't find any keys. More ammunition, some drugs, and a few healing items, but nothing that might unlock the safe. Anders pocketed the drugs, remarking about possibly using them against Ingrid’s monster. Jake shot him a skeptical look, but the digital veteran stared him down.

"They gave us this shit in the war, kid," he explained, holding up a vial with blue liquid in it, "Told us it was vitamins and caffeine, but it's a stimulant that's designed to amp you up and heighten your reflexes. Dangerous as shit, but my platoon got doses daily. Black ops and wet work meant we needed to be sharp at all times. Bastard ass corps, got my buddy Johnny addicted to the shit. Crazy fuck got back, started a band, and moved out west. Last I heard, he was responsible for bombing a corpo tower. Heh, guess I'm right there with ya, Johnny-boy."

Jake frowned, "Real original there, Ingrid."

"What's that?" Anders asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Jake replied, not wanting to reveal that Ingrid had taken a backstory from a different game and used it for Anders' memories, "I was just thinking about the safe. What if we brought Pam down here?"

Anders snapped his fingers and grinned, "You're thinking she could crack into it. You might be a shit shot, kid, but you've got a sharp mind and quick reflexes. Head up and grab her. She's not squeamish, is she?"

"Ha, that's a good one," Jake laughed, thinking about everything he'd seen Pam do, "No, she's far from that. Hell, if you'd have seen half the stuff Beth has done, you wouldn't be asking that. I've only heard stories, but they're not pretty. Combined with what I have seen Pam do, she's not gonna freak over anything here."

"Tch, sounds like your friend would've fit in well here," Anders scoffed, "Go grab Pam, and hurry it up. We've wasted enough time on these shit birds down here."

Jake nodded and hurried back up the stairs. He grabbed the duffle bags on the way up; deciding to grab both women to kill two birds with one stone. He unlocked the store and pushed the door open to motion for them to come in. Ashley and Pam exchanged a look, but they hopped over the bed and hurried inside. "What is taking so long?" Ashley asked, locking the door behind her.

"Ran into some trouble downstairs," Jake replied, handing Ashley one of the bags and looking at Pam, "We found the safe, but we don't have a way to open it. We figured that maybe you could break through it with your new abilities."

"And the bag?" Ashley asked, holding it up.

"Figured you could do some shopping while we crack a few codes," Jake replied, "Pam, think you can help us out?"

"We need whatever is in that safe," Pam answered, "If I have to dismantle it from the inside out, we're getting whatever is in there."

"How do you know we need it?" Jake asked, leading them towards the basement, "Ash, grab whatever you like. The, uh, shopkeeper is on a permanent vacation."

"I can see that," Ashley rolled her eyes, having spotted the dead man lying over the counter, "I'll just help myself and keep watch while you three finish up. I'll be down once I've filled my bag."

"Sounds good," Jake said, leading Pam towards the basement.

"In answer to your question," Pam started, following behind Jake as they walked down the steps, "Whatever is in there is giving off a signature similar to the creature Ingrid keeps sending after us. It could be a gun, a password, a knife, it doesn't matter. Hell, it could be a toy for all we know, but I bet we can use it to erase that thing. Everything we've tried has been met with failure, but this could be the advantage that we need."

"That would explain why it was heavily guarded," Jake shrugged, stepping to the side as they entered the dinghy bottom level, "We were ambushed by a group of those same metal heads we saw at the bar when we first arrived. I doubt they had any real purpose here other than to kill anyone that got close to this thing."

"Chromers only interest is gutting anyone that moves and torturing people," Anders added, "They wouldn't be here to help the old coot, I can promise you that."

"Then Ingrid doesn't want us, or anyone, touching whatever this is," Pam said, walking up to the safe, "Interesting, it's giving off a different color than the rest of the world."

"What?" Anders frowned.

"Everything here has a signature to it," Pam explained, running her hand over the top of the safe, "Most people are green, as is the environment, but some things I've seen have been red, orange, purple, or even silver. This thing, though, it's shifting colors rapidly. It's like some sort of prism."

"Kind of small for a prison, unless you're really tiny," Anders said.

"Prism, not prison, genius," Pam rolled her eyes, "It means it's multi-colored. Give me a few minutes, and I'll see if I can't break through whatever defenses this has on it."

Jake stood to the side and watched as Pam closed her eyes and focused. It started slowly, but he saw a faint glow start to surround her body. It started at her feet, but it moved upward quickly as the lights above began to flicker. A small gust of wind shot out of her, and Jake took a step back out of surprise. She was getting better, stronger, and more confident in what she could do here. It was different than watching her cast spells in their world, but it was just as impressive to watch. Her hair slowly rose up as the lights flickered once more. Then, the room began to shake as she put her hands on the top of the safe.

"The fuck is happening?" Anders asked, looking around the room, "Are you gonna bring the whole place down?"

"If I must," Pam replied, still keeping her eyes shut, "You'll be fine, probably."

"Oh, that's comforting," Anders scoffed, looking over at Jake, "Is this normal?"

"Sadly, yes," Jake sighed, "Trust her, she hasn't screwed us yet."

"Buried under a shit shop, not how I pictured myself going out," Anders grumbled, bracing himself.

"Don't be a baby," Pam chided, "Stop talking, and let me work."

Anders kept his mouth shut as Pam tried to finish her task. Jake watched as the safe slowly started to shake and vibrate. The vibrations in the room stopped as the safe began trembling. Jake stared at it and narrowed his eyes. The safe was large, black as the abyss, and had a fine gold trim around it. The longer Pam focused on it, the more it began to almost pulsate. The tarnished black steel began to glow, and he and Anders could begin to see the prism colors that Pam had mentioned. A humming noise began to fill the room as it changed again. Jake's mouth fell open as he saw the string of ones and zeroes that made up the safe start to take shape. They were moving and buzzing around it, but he could see them making the shape of the container.

Ashley ran back down the stairs and stopped beside Jake. She stared alongside Jake with equal fascination, "Impressive, isn't it?"

"How is she doing this?" Jake asked, unable to take his eyes away as Pam pushed her palm into the code.

"Your theory seems to be the most rational explanation," Ashley shrugged, "The girl's systems aren't equipped to deal with the mind of a mage, let alone an empathic one. Pam is a unique case when it comes to magic, but she shares the same facets of all mages. She sees the world differently, and her mind is open to many more possibilities."

"You're talking about the percentage of the brain most people use," Jake said, marveling as Pam started to reshape the safe into what she wanted, "So, magic comes from tapping into the other percentage?"

"Not entirely, but it helps people access the fabric of it," Ashley explained, "Pam has had you studying this for some time now. Magic is all around us, Jake. The air we breathe, the earth you walk upon, and in the makeup of every man, woman, and child in our world. Women have an easier time tapping into this than men, but it's not unheard of. However, most men don't use their minds to their full potential."

"Feeling a little insulted here," Jake remarked, glancing at Ashley.

"If you didn't think with your dick so much, you wouldn't have fallen prey to so many malicious women in the past," Ashley shrugged, "Ingrid, Alexis, Megan, Amelia, the witch, myself-"

"I get it, I get it," Jake cut her off.

Ashley grinned and crossed her arms, "The point is, Pam has an ability to separate herself from the physical standpoint and see beyond it. When you brought up your theory, it gave her an added layer of confidence here. We talked about it while you two were on your little killing spree. This world is different, but the magic just takes the form of, what do you keep calling it? Code, source, or whatever it is you've been saying. Once you mentioned that, it clicked for her. This world is all fabricated by someone else, and Pam is taking the groundwork already laid and molding it to what she wants."

"You two are making my fucking head hurt," Anders said, "None of this shit makes sense."

Pam suddenly pulled her hand back, and the safe returned to its natural state. However, the door was now open and its contents exposed. "All of that to open a door?" Jake asked.

"It was locked behind a myriad of different mechanisms and unseen failsafes," Pam said, exhaling and letting herself recharge, "She didn't want anyone getting ahold of this."

"That's great, what the fuck is it?" Anders asked, walking around and frowning as he saw what was inside of it, "A fucking rope, really?!"

"No, that's not all it is," Pam said, reaching in and grabbing the strand.

Jake walked around and frowned in confusion. Pam was holding a strand of orange code. It dangled from her hand, but it was glowing and the numbers were swirling around it. "What is that?" he asked.

"Whatever you want it to be," Pam replied.

"That's not answering my question," Jake said, "If anything it's raising more."

"This is a raw piece of her world," Pam explained, holding the source code up, "I'm guessing she had to store it somewhere inconspicuous to keep people from finding it. Concentrate on what you need, and it will take the form of it. Try it, Jake."

Pam tossed the strand to Jake, and he shrugged as he caught it. One of the things that he'd been hoping to find since they'd arrived was the spear that Alexis had given him. Something so simple that he'd made good use of. He could see it in his mind as clear as day. The elongated length of rope, the razor-sharp edge of the blade, and the familiar weight in his hands. To his shock, the source code morphed and turned into exactly what he'd been picturing. The head of the spear glowed the same shade of orange as the strand had seconds ago. He could see the code coursing through it as he looked down at it.

"That is how we fight back against her little monster," Pam nodded at the weapon, "That should be able to cut through and stop whatever protection she's put on it. Between that, and my new talents, we might actually stand a chance at getting out of here."

"There's no might," Anders spoke up, "We're getting you three back to your world. Storming the Tower is gonna be a fight, but I'll provide you some on the way in and up. Think you can use those nonsensical powers of yours to bring me in once you three are out of range?"

"When I rewrote you, I made sure I could locate you," Pam replied, "I can easily lock onto you and bring you to us."

"Then we're as good as we can be," Anders said, shouldering his rifle, "Let's grab everything we can here and get ready. That thing might not be affected by bullets and bombs, but there's plenty of security that will be. Luckily, the old man had a pretty stellar selection here. Load up, and get ready, we've got a hell of a party to get to."