Chapter 93: Apparatus Bellicus Prime

James stepped back as the War Engineers got to work. This involved moving into a circle around the War Hound and raising their Mechanicus tools, each of which was distinct yet formed in the shape of a complex metallic wand. Eight Engineers got into position, and then Jessica completed the circle and raised her own.

Almost James expected her to begin an incantation, for a wind to pick up and blow her hair, but instead her Mechanicus began to glow with a fierce, blinding light. The silence ached until the batteries began to thrum, a deep, powerful sound accompanied by steady flickering as they responded to Jessica’s will.

The sheer amount of power being channeled here was stunning. One Aeviternum could blast a city block with holy power. Jessica was conducting almost eight hundred points into her construct, and the effort showed.

She leaned forward, jaw clenched, arm shaking as she held her tool aloft, and then her eyes began to glow. Soon they blazed like her Mechanicus, resplendent with a rich golden fire, and then everything reached a threshold and the light in the batteries surged up the power cables into the Hound.

The war machine came to life. It didn’t move, but suddenly it felt vital and began to give off heat. The air trembled with divine power, and James felt it in his heart, his lungs, as if a deep, inaudible bass beat were now playing.

The Hound’s ruby eyes kindled to life, a mesmerizing liquid crimson glow, and the perforated exhaust pipes that rose from its rear - its shoulders - began to vent expended divine power into the air in the form of a ghostly blue glow.

James waited. Everyone waited.

But the Hound didn’t move.

Jessica’s eyes had reverted to normal, her Mechanicus lost its glow. She lowered her arms, stepped back, blinked. “It’s done.”

“That’s…” James couldn’t find the words. “That’s incredible. How do we control it?”

“I don’t know,” said Jessica. “I’d hoped it would come to life like an Animus. War Hound?”

No response. The huge machine remained still.

“Canis Bello?” Still it didn’t respond. Jessica frowned, raised her Mechanicus and focused. A moment later she lowered it. “Everything is as it should be.”

“Huh.” James scratched his beard. “Maybe it needs to detect a demon to activate?”

“That would be less than ideal,” said Jessica. “We’re not about to invite Nem3’s in here.”

James looked back. “Any thoughts, Jelly?”

Jessica looked back at them. “Jelly?”

“Don’t ask.”

Jelly flew forward to flit around the War Hound, hovering here, hovering there, examining the massive machine.

It’s ready.

For what?

For animation. Alone it is but a vessel. It needs a pilot.

A pilot? How so?

In response Jelly pulsed brightly, and for the first time the War Hound responded. It shivered and James heard the sound of mechanical parts deep within it sliding and engaging.

“What happened?” asked Jessica, alarmed.

“Hold on.” James turned, took three steps, then leaped to grab the edge of the upper floor. He hauled himself up and then turned to look.

The top of the War Hound had split open revealing its mechanical interior and a golden cradle that size of a magnum bottle of champagne. This cradle had lifted up and split open.

“That’s Anima shaped,” said James quietly.

Correct. The War Hound requires an invested Anima to operate.

James shivered with excitement. “What are you saying, Jelly? Someone needs to die and pour their soul into their Anima?”

No, said Jelly. Though that is optimum and results in the greatest bond. Anyone can transfer their soul into the Anima temporarily. That Anima then inserts itself into the Canis Bello which allows the soul to control it as the pilot.

“James?” Jessica was staring up at him. “Update?”

“The, ah, War Hound requires a pilot. Jelly’s telling me that anyone can drive it if they put their soul in their Anima and then insert it into the Hound.”

Silence. The crowd of some thirty Fabricators went completely silent. The War Hound continued to rumble like a parked muscle car.

“You can do this?”

“Jelly?”

Yes, James. We can do this. In a sense, this is one of my secondary functions. I see that now. Not my primary, but key to my overall utility.

What’s your primary function?

I don’t know that yet.

James let out a shaky breath. “Yeah. Jelly says we can do that.”

“What happens to you if the War Hound’s destroyed while you’re piloting?”

If I am destroyed while invested, your soul will return to your body. The strength of your Arete will determine how long it will take you to awaken from the resultant coma.

How long could that last?

I don’t know.

James relayed that information.

Jessica frowned at him. “And Jelly says this is how this is supposed to work?”

“Yes.” James turned his gaze to the massive war machine. Fifteen feet tall, ponderous and huge, it looked amazing, indestructible. The desire to control it was sudden and unstoppable. James couldn’t imagine what it would be like to enter battle inside something like that, but he couldn’t wait to find out.

“I’m going in,” he called out. Jelly, let’s do this.

Holy shit! said Jelly.

What’s wrong?

Nothing. That is now my favored joyful exclamation. Place your body somewhere comfortable, James. When you invest your soul in me you will lose control of it.

Can I return to it at will?

Tricky. Distance plays a factor. Leaving me when you are too far away will result in a temporary coma as you return to yourself.

Huh. James pondered this, then pushed the danger away.

“James wait.” Jessica glanced to one side. “I’m coming up. We need to discuss this. Don’t do anything without me.”

“There’s nothing to discuss,” said James. “With gloria and the highest Arete, it makes sense that I take the first stab at this. You said everything was as it should be. Jelly said the same. The Fourth Wave is going to hit in a few hours. I’ll meet it from inside the Hound.”

Jessica hesitated. “What about your team?”

“They can support me from Wings.” James gave a firm nod. “I’m going in.” He turned, moved to a cement column, and sat against it. Let’s go, Jelly.

Close your eyes. Focus on my energy. Push yourself toward me. I will do the rest.

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James did as he was bid. In the warm, velvety darkness behind his eyelids he sensed Jelly hovering before him, a glowing star of gold and silver. He reached for it, yearned for that light, which blazed and grew massive like a sun going nova.

Investing James Kelly in Sola Anima

Investiture Complete

The sensation was simple, easy, and James felt his sense of self slip forward, unmoored from his body and flying up into the light. A moment later he was hovering within a realm of golden clouds, warm and secure and utterly without body.

We are now invested, said Jelly, his voice coming from all around. If you wish, you can choose to view the world through my central eye.

James didn’t know how to do that but formed the desire and it became so. Half of the golden clouds disappeared to become a fish-eye lens view of the world, the edges distorted, the central area sharply focused. James sensed the ability to take control of Kelly, much as a hand within a glove can choose to form into a fist at a moment’s notice, but the view was changing already.

Jelly flew down to the War Hound and closed into his teardrop shape, then slotted himself neatly into the golden cradle, which retracted as it closed around them, locking them in place.

They slid into the center of the Hound’s corpus and James sensed more than saw the hull close overhead. The loss of light didn’t impact Jelly’s view, which became a night-vision blue of the complex iron plates and golden circuitry all around them.

Here we go, said Jelly. Have fun, James.

His vision blanked out. Everything turned white, the golden clouds, the fish-eye lens. James felt a great rushing roar as a vibration through the essence of his being, felt as if he were falling into an endless hole, and then his world expanded violently and everything was changed.

Imbuing Canis Bello

Gloria Detected

Canis Bello imbued at Gloria Immanence 1

James blinked. He was staring straight ahead now, his field of vision encompassing a 180-degree arc. He was high up, head level with the first floor, and his vision was subtly different; surfaces swam subtly as if energy rippled beneath the skin of the world. Colors were over-saturated, and dark corners and shadows gradated to the same blue night-vision he’d experienced with Jelly.

Words scrolled to one side of his sight:

Canis Bello (Glorium)

Apparatus Bellicus Prime

Dimensions: (LxBxH) 12 x 12 x 16 feet

Tonnage: 9 tons

Speed Class: 2 cruise / 5 hard-burn

Aeviternum Pool: 728/729

Pilot and Passenger Capacity: 1/1

Armaments: Empyreal Gun, Double-barreled Vault Cannon

Armor: Shaped Adamantino Divinum plates encased in Angelus Steel

Aura: Bronze

Aura Strength: 1

Traits: Vanguard, Intimidating, Gloria Enhancement, Fuel Efficient

Strength: 155

Stamina: 17

Speed: 40

Agility: 25

Power: 90

“Holy shit,” said James, and his voice echoed throughout the parking structure, filtered through the Hound’s grill, sounding still distinctly like himself but with reverb and deep rumble like summer lightning to underscore his words.

The Fabricators flinched and several jerked back in alarm.

“James?” Jessica moved to stand before him. “You in there?”

James could feel the entirety of the Hound. He wasthe Hound. Its body was his body. His legs, his arms, his bulky mass. A sensation of terrible might filled him, a grave and ponderous strength that nothing could stop. He raised and lowered his arms experimentally; they had limited range of movement, swiveling his weapons about so that they could target anything in the 180-degree arc before him. To track something as it moved behind him, he’d have to swivel on his hips.

He did so, and the upper chassis rotated smoothly, his legs remaining still, his upper half turning to face directly behind him. Realization hit James: he could simply spin and move in the opposite direction without having to turn his legs around. This enhancement to the Hound’s mobility was huge.

“James?”

“One second,” he said, his voice booming again throughout the enclosed space, mechanical and echoing.

Jelly, you there?

I’m here, James. Apologies. I’ve been screaming silently with joy since we merged with the Hound.

How do I figure out what these different things on the Hound’s sheet do?

Focus on them. I’ll provide an explanation.

James scanned the sheet. Empyreal Gun?

The Empyreal Gun unleashes a stream of superheated Aeviternum in a twenty-yard plume, making it effective against swarms and massed enemies. The intensity of this blast is of sufficient strength to be useful against elite demons up to C-grade, overwhelming Infernum auras and compromising armor. The plume’s range can be adjusted so that it can be unleashed in a short, melee-range, or up to its full extent of twenty-yards.

Hold up. C-grade demons?

That’s what I’m understanding. It seems Nemesis is a category, not a grade. Hmm. Yes. Nemesis demons are those released before the opening of the Pits, and range from F to D. Nemesis 1 and 2 are considered F grade, while Nemesis 3 is E.

James let that sink in. Nem3’s were only E grade? What the fuck would an A grade demon look like?

Then he thought of the Monitors. There was no comparing them to a Nem3, and from his conversations with Meladrix had given him the impression that there were far stronger entities at play.

So it goes from F to A?

No, James. There are A-grade demons, but I’m getting the impression that there are higher ranks than even that.

Well shit. James frowned, mind spinning, then forced himself to focus. So the Gun runs on Aeviternum. How quickly will I blow through my reserves if I use it?

It depends on the intensity of your attack. Full range will consume Aeviternum at four times the speed of melee-range. You will have to calibrate usage as you go.

Fine. And the Double-barreled Vault Cannon?

The Double-Barreled Vault Canon is a formidable weapon that fires Gloria-enhanced Smite 30 mm caliber rounds at 4,000 rounds per minute when in maximum mode, and 1,000 rounds per minute when in limited mode. Maximum mode is effective against demons up to E-Grade and can be sustained for thirty seconds before needing a thirty second cool-down, while limited mode doubles the armor-piercing power of the round making it effective against demons up to C-Grade and requires no cool-down. The Vault Canon is fueled by the Hound’s ambient divine power pool, which when depleted taps an Aeviternum to be replenished. Essentially this weapon benefits from the Eternal Fire Benediction.

Fuckin’ A. So the Gun is a high-intensity flame thrower that can hurt even C-grade demons, while the Canon can fire forever in limited mode or for a minute in max?

That’s right, James. Fuckin’ A.

All right, all right. Let’s see. Hard Burn?

You can tap an Aeviternum to quadruple movement speed and double jumping range for twenty-seconds.

And I do that how?

You merely need think it, and I will make it so. I am your interface with the Hound and will implement your desires as you think them.

Sweet. What about these Traits? Vanguard?

That’s a carry-over from your own title and means that your War Hound gains a 20% damage bonus whenever you are on the forefront of the line of battle.

I don’t plan on hiding in the back. Great. Intimidating?

F-grade demons will flee your War Hound automatically, while E-grade demons will break and run if they suffer too many losses. ‘Too many’ is contingent upon a host of numerical and environmental factors. D-grade demons will not break but will either avoid you if their number lies below a certain threshold or swarm you if not. C-grade demons and up are unaffected.

Gotcha. Gloria Enhancement?

That’s a general upgrade, much like I received upon being Imbued. It raises your stats and makes your Vault Cannon far more lethal than regular Smite bullets. It also gives you Fuel Efficient, which means the Aeviternum in the Hound’s reserve pool will be twice as efficient as other Hound’s fuel.

Fuck yeah. And can I still drop Heavenly Assaults?

Yes, James. Those can be fueled by either your own reserves or drawn from the War Hound’s pool.

James froze. I’ve got access to over 700 Aeviternum?

Yes James. Fuckin’ A holy shit you do.

“James?” Jessica’s concern was growing. “Please talk to me.”

“Jessica?” James swiveled back around, the garage rotating smoothly by, and then lowered the huge Hound’s head to stare right at her. He felt light-headed, euphoric, almost giddy. “You might want to sit down. This thing’s gonna turn the tide of battle.”

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