Грань будущего
Chapter 1
Everymotion,everyfootstepsaidallthatneededtobesaid.
Ourenemymayhaveevolvedtheabilitytorewindtime,buthumanityhadevolvedafewtricksofitsown.TherewerepeoplewhocouldkeepaJacketintip-topcondition,peoplewhocouldconjureupstrategiesandhandlelogistics,peoplewhocouldprovidesupportonthefrontlines,andlastbutnotleast,peoplewhowerenatural-bornkillers.Peoplecouldadaptthemselvestotheirenvironmentandtheirexperiencesinanynumberofways.Anenemythatcouldlookintothefutureandperceivedangerfellvictimtoitsownevolutionaryatrophy.Welearnedfasterthantheycould.
Ihadpassedthroughdeath158timestoemergeatheightsnocreatureonthisplanetcouldaspiretoinasinglelifetime.RitaVrataskihadascendedevenhigher.Westrodeahead,farfromtherestoftheforce,anarmyuntoourselves.OurJacketstracedgracefulclockwisespiralsaswepressedon-ahabitI’dpickedupfromRita.Twitchingmoundsofcarrionwereallweleftinourwake.
Forty-twominutesintothebattle,wefoundit.TheMimicattherootofthewholemotherfuckingloop.Thethreadthatboundus.Ifnotforthisserver,Iwouldneverhavedrownedinmyownblood,watchedmygutsspillontothegrounddozensoftimesover,wanderedaimlesslythroughthisHellwithnowayout.Ifitweren’tforthisserver,IwouldneverhavemetRitaVrataski.
"Thisisit,Keiji.Youhavetobetheonetobringitdown."
"Withpleasure.""Remember:antennafirst,thenthebackups,thentheserver."
