BetaMountain
2086-06-28
"...leave the knife in place and try to cut off the head immediately with another one." The voice sounded harsh. The face of the new one showed no expression.
Why is this necessary? asked Niko herself. Why has he to teach us how to kill someone like him?
"Remember: You won't have much time to react. The body regenerates at incredible speed. Nerves will regenerate and reconnect the brain bypassing the blade. If mental access to the body is reestablished, an ST will simply stand up and finish his work. That means: You'll die."
"What, if we just shoot you down?"
"It will take no effect, Ranger Hartford." Gooseman smiled grimly. "The bio defenses are trained to handle it. Unless your weapon delivers an amount of energy great enough to disintegrate more than half of the body in less than a tenth of a second."
"Only ship cannons are that strong," said Fox.
"And I won't be outside the vessel, Sir."
"If your bio defenses are active... if you are prepared to battle, a knife won't cut in?"
The ST nodded. "You won't have a chance." Directly looking at Niko: "Maybe except you."
"Seems, he at least likes women, if nobody else," chuckled Doc.
"That's not the point. I don't have defenses against her powers. If they are strong enough... I can't tell for sure."
"So we have to bring you down before you start to attack us." The Captain summarized. "We have to separate brain from body by dividing the spinal marrow followed by a decapitation. Energy weapons won't be useful except of very strong ones not included in the standard equipment. Correct?" His face had an odd expression while he mustered the tall blonde man in front of them. Zachary cursed under his breath. This was making the start for his team so difficult. Nobody likes to tell his fundamental weaknesses to others, especially not a Super Trooper.
Goose nodded, confirming Zach's statement.
The Captain let out a large sigh. "Any other possibilities?" He felt somewhat disgusted to be asking. To actually have to act out this horror-show scenario was a possibility he didn't want to consider.
"Plasmafire will do it, too." The answer came dryly. "'cause it can't be stopped by normal matter. I'm unable to produce magnetic fields strong enough to withstand it."
"At least, he has his limits..." Doc attempted to joke, interrupting the silent hall.
"Yes, I have!" Gooseman spun around, hissing at Doc. "And I am commanded to tell them to all of you!" He growled with showed fangs. "But be sure, you aren't going to need them. I don't want to be frosted like all the others."
"Nobody of us asked for this, Gooseman." Zach assured calmly.
"I know." It took him a visible effort to calm down. Only icy coldness in his eyes remained as he managed a cynical grin. "At least, I'm not told to give you practical exerxises."
Behind one of the mirror-windows Senator Eric Wheiner turned to Commander Walsh and the brain unit of Prof. Negata: "You won. This time. But someday, he will fail, Walsh. And then this whole thing is over, once and for all!" Leaving the room he murmured to himself: "At least. he mentioned a way to kill him, I didn't know before."
=You have a very dangerous enemy, Joseph.= Nagata said after Wheiner had left. =I wonder, why he wants Goose in ice so badly, and why he wants you to resign.=
"Because we both know too much about something he wants to bury." Walsh turned to the window. "Please stop asking, old friend." He looked down into the hall, watching the Series-5 Rangers leave to charge their implants for the first time...