Pax Machina (Mechhaven Book 1)

by Greg Sorber

  “No.” Ajax shook his head. “I hope—I pray—she’ll be all right.”

  Dennis nodded. He had no more words.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Excerpt from Archivist Olivia Houston’s address to the Archivists upon the resumption of the discussion regarding Pax Machina and Mechhaven

  Pax Machina, as a concept, was not broken. Naive, perhaps, but not broken. The concept, and the application of it on Mechhaven, was abused and taken advantage of by rogue elements from within the Imperium. At least that’s the load of horse dung the Imperium would have us believe. I for one will do everything in my power to see this sanctuary better defended and expanded. The history of TexaNova is filled with legends tracing back to Old Terra and the Republic of Texas, of a few brave men and women standing against the odds and making a difference. On Mechhaven, it was a few courageous mechs, as well as some men, women, and even aliens, that fought against the odds and survived. I eagerly wish to learn more about these brave souls.

  Archivist Olivia Houston

  TexaNova

  Dennis pretended he was listening to Therapy’s after-action reports, but his heart wasn’t in it. With Misty in critical condition on board the Light Cruiser Victory, he was in charge of Mechhaven, at least what remained of it. Ajax was overwhelmed trying to repair as many mechs as he could. Several mechanics from the Victory came down to aid him, but they had limited to no experience with mechs, so ended up creating as much work and frustration for him as they relieved. Soldiers from the cruiser scoured the planet for any signs of screevers and destroyed any stragglers they found.

  Dennis and Ajax emerged from the battle relatively unscathed: each received some bumps and bruises, with a few scrapes and cuts, but nothing that wouldn’t heal up in a few days. They worried about Misty, and updates on her condition from the Victory were limited. Angel’s newfound Lightbringer Protocols used nanotechnology to self-repair any of the damage he’d sustained. He stayed with the mechs and worked with Gladius to care for the survivors that didn’t need Ajax’s immediate attention.

  Out of the two-hundred mechs that had called Mechhaven home before the battle, less than half remained. Many of the survivors had sustained major damage and would never be the same. Some haven this world turned out to be.

  “Therapy, any word on Sly?” Dennis asked.

  Therapy glanced up from the report he was working on. If Dennis had known there were going to be so many damned reports to complete, he’d have feigned an injury in order to be flown to the Victory as well. No, that wasn’t true. But sometimes it felt like it.

  Therapy waited for Dennis’s full attention. “There’s no sign of Sly, either alive or dead. My guess is she prefers it that way. I don’t think she’ll show up again until she needs something, or thinks only she can provide something we need.”

  “I know you don’t like her,” Dennis said, “but she helped us out.”

  “It has nothing to do with liking. It’s all about trust. She’s never come out of the shadows and declared Pax Machina like the rest of us. I could work with that. However, she has her own agenda, and until I know what that is, I will keep my ocular sensors on her, since no one else seems to.”

  “You do that,” Dennis said. He said his piece. If everyone else had a different opinion, so be it. He wanted to get back to The Black Hole and start working on the damage it had sustained.

  While the bulk of the attack had targeted the assembled mechs and human, thousands of screevers had bypassed the battle all together and focused on dismantling infrastructure. They were Planet Cleansers, after all. It would be a long time before they could repair all the damage the screevers had caused.

  “So, what’s next?” Dennis asked.

  “Don’t you remember?”

  “Remember what?”

  “The VIP.”

  “What do you mean, the VIP?”

  “Nigel Emcroft entered the system yesterday and is aboard the Victory right now. He requested that we meet with him this afternoon. You agreed, don’t you remember?” Therapy asked.

  “The bureaucrat?”

  “Nigel Emcroft is much more than a bureaucrat. He’s Deputy to the Chief Minister of the Accords Compliance Committee. It’s a well-regarded position, and he has a lot of influence with the other committee members. It’s important that we impress him.”

  Again, for just a moment, he wished he was the one in critical condition aboard the Victory, so he didn’t have to meet with the bureaucrat. He banished the thought and felt guilty. He was such an asshole. If there was ever a time for him to get his shit together, this was it. With Misty out of commission, he would do his best to make her proud.

  “How long do we have until he arrives?”

  “He will arrive in twenty minutes.”

  Dennis groaned. “Twenty minutes?” He buried his face in his hands. “Just shoot me now and get it over with.”

  Ajax hadn’t slept in days. Too many mechs had suffered damage during the battle, and it would take too long for him to fix everyone. He didn’t have enough parts, and he didn’t have enough time. For some he would have to fabricate replacement parts out of scrap. Maybe he could order the correct parts from the core systems and have them shipped in, but he’d die of exhaustion first.

  He ran on a combination of adrenaline and coffee. Not the fake stuff that was sometimes available, but actual Old Terran coffee. That was the one useful contribution the techs from the Victory had made. How they’d come by it, he wasn’t sure. It must be a perk of being stationed on a starship that traveled the galaxy. It’s not that he didn’t appreciate their help. He did. But they were starship mechanics: they knew the basics, but they weren’t mech specialists. They weren’t used to dealing with technology that talked back, yelled at, and could smash them into the floor.

  Ajax now understood why Misty had given everyone nicknames. He hadn’t had time to learn all the techs’ actual names, and since someone in charge thought it was a good idea to rotate the mechanics on and off Mechhaven, to make sure they all received experience, there were always unfamiliar faces in the Repair Module. He’d taken to calling any of the techs Grease and Monkey, or whichever name popped out of his head. The techs didn’t seem to mind. They’d realized the amount of stress he was under, and the mechs he worked on seemed to find it funny. If that were the case, then all the better. Any small comfort he could provide to the damaged mechs was worth it.

  Ajax wished Doc was there to assist him; he’d always known what to do. His experience in combat repair would have been so helpful in the current situation. During the first few days after the battle, triage was the name of the game. Foremost, he needed to make sure any mechs that suffered corrosive damage from the sprayers had the acid neutralized to prevent further damage. Then, he needed to make sure there was no damage to their vital systems. If there was, he had to stabilize them. After that, he needed to get the mechs mobile; he didn’t have the time nor the inclination to load mechs on and off the flat-tread to move them around. Once they were mobile, he needed to repair or reattach damaged arms or legs. When all that was over, he could work on any cosmetic damage. He longed for the day when cosmetic damage was the only thing he had to worry about again.

  Off to the side of the Repair Module, Artie sat propped up on a hydraulic lift. He observed Ajax and conversed with any of the mechs being serviced, providing a much-needed distraction. Ajax felt bad about having to remove Artie’s legs, but there had been no other way. Artie didn’t hold that against him and agreed that was the only option. His sentiment made Ajax feel even worse. He would make it up to the mech, and would replace his legs and make him as good as new. That was, as soon as he could find replacement legs. Larry came around often to keep Artie company and assisted around the Repair Module.

  Ajax worked on reattaching Brutus’s arm, spot welder in hand, and had almost finished, but Brutus kept moving at the wrong time, making it impossible for him to complete the weld. The mech’s sour demeanor hadn’t improved
since the battle, and only Artie’s light banter kept the mood tolerable. Brutus was one of the few that had fought with Zeta IX and survived. He was lucky to be alive.

  Ajax smirked, remembering a rumor he’d heard from Valiant. Some mechs said they’d seen Zeta IX rip off Brutus’s arm and smack him with it before Gladius had sent him off the battlefield. Ajax knew that wasn’t the case, but it was amusing to think of.

  “What’s so funny?” Brutus asked.

  “Oh nothing, just remembering a joke I heard once. I don’t think you’d get it.”

  From his perch behind Brutus, Artie pretended to swing an invisible arm at Larry and smack him in the head. Larry spun around in reaction to the fake blow. They’d guessed at what Ajax was thinking. Ajax had to stifle a laugh.

  “Try me,” Brutus said.

  Ajax tried to come up with another joke on the spot, but his mind was drawing a complete blank. Sigrid saved him by walking in at that moment.

  Since the end of the battle, Sigrid and Chuck had tried scouring the wreckage of the Planet Cleanser to find the parts they needed to fix The Drifter. They were shooed away each time by AOIS soldiers claiming the debris was classified and property of the AOIS. Chuck’s ship had suffered significant damage, crash-landing, right before things got crazy. It had suffered even more damage from screevers that had slipped past the main battle. Chuck’s crew had fought hard to keep the metallic beasts from destroying the entire ship. Chuck’s inventory of weapons had saved a lot of lives during the battle. Without them, the screevers would have overrun them much sooner. Their aid had bought everyone more time.

  “Hey Alejandro,” Sigrid said. “Chuck wants to know if you have a cross-torque binder he can borrow?”

  She used his real first name. He didn’t recall ever telling her that. Where’d she learn that, and why? “Sure, Sigrid. You can check the tool chest over in the corner.”

  She walked over and found the tool she needed. He admired her athletic form as she did. He felt a little guilty, but hey, he was a young guy and just survived a battle and—he felt something metal nudge his back.

  “My arm!” Brutus said. “Focus, human!”

  Ajax blushed a bit as Sigrid turned around. She smiled.

  “I thought you and Chuck would have been out of here already?” Ajax asked. He put the finishing touches on Brutus’s arm. He turned his attention to Brutus. “I need you to avoid using that for a time. Don’t put any stress on it. Please come back tomorrow and I’ll run some scans on the weld and make sure it’s nice and secure.”

  The mech got up and left without saying a word.

  Sigrid walked up and stood close to Ajax, much closer than normal conversational distance. “Mechhaven is on lockdown. We’re in restricted space. As of now, Chuck and I are stuck here until we get authorization to leave. Besides, Chuck says you all still owe him for his ship and weapons, so you can be sure he won’t leave until he figures out how to get paid.”

  “Oh, that.”

  “Yeah, that.” Sigrid patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, he won’t hold any of you responsible. Chuck knows you were in an impossible position. But that won’t stop him from trying to get all he can out of the Alliance, or the Accords Compliance Committee. Apparently, he’s meeting with some VIP today to discuss it.”

  “I hope he triple charges them for everything,” Ajax said, then laughed.

  “Don’t worry, one thing I know about Chuck is that he always gets his money.”

  “Hey Sigrid, since you’ll be here for a while, how about we hang out sometime?”

  Sigrid put her fingers to her chin, acting as if she were thinking hard about it, then she smiled. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

  Ajax beamed. Behind Sigrid, Artie and Larry gave him four enthusiastic thumbs up.

  Dennis and Therapy waited on the Landing Pad for the shuttle from the Victory. As they waited, Angel and Gladius joined them. While he wouldn’t go so far as to call the two of them friends, they had at least gained a grudging respect for each other. It was a promising start. They’d all have to work together to rebuild Mechhaven. That was, unless the ACC closed it down.

  He wasn’t sure when he’d begun worrying about that possibility. Maybe after Therapy had reminded him about the meeting. He’d been blocking it from his mind. They’d failed in their mission to provide a haven for mechs to retire after the war. Instead, they’d armed mechs and violated the Rybeth Accords. Yes, there were extenuating circumstances, but sometimes these bureaucrats followed the laws to the extreme and to their detriment. He knew he had to suck it up and take whatever consequences came their way. It was better that he was there to take the news instead of Misty. If they closed Mechhaven down, it would break her heart.

  “There’s the shuttle now.” Therapy said. The attaché mech pointed to a small craft exiting the cruiser’s landing bay. It didn’t take long for the shuttle to complete its flight and land in the designated zone on the Landing Pad. Its loading ramp descended and two soldiers filed out, checking that the landing zone was secure. A well-groomed man with silver hair and a tailored suit exited the shuttle. He nodded to both guards and adjusted his suit jacket.

  He walked to the assembled group, smiled with a mouthful of impossibly white teeth, and thrust his hand out to Dennis. “Hello there, I’m Nigel Emcroft. You must be Sergeant Greer?”

  “Just Dennis will be fine.” He clasped hands with the bureaucrat.

  Nigel turned to Therapy. “You must be TH3R-0-P?” He extended his hand to the mech.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, sir,” Therapy said. “After communicating across such vast distances for so long, I am pleased to meet you in person. Although, here on Mechhaven, I’m called Therapy.”

  “Likewise, and noted,” Nigel said. He turned and looked up at Angel and Gladius in turn. “You must be ARCH-00013 and ML-12901?”

  The two mechs nodded.

  “Angel and Gladius,” Dennis said.

  “I see. Well-suited names, I’m sure. Do you have a place where we can talk in private?” Nigel said. He looked around at the various cargo modules surrounding the Landing Pad.

  “This way.” Dennis pointed to The Black Hole. “It took more damage in the battle than we expected, but we’ve cleaned it up enough for a meeting.”

  “Very well.”

  Along the way they passed by The Drifter. Chuck and Sigrid were attempting to restore the ship to its pre-battle condition. They both waved. Dennis and the others waved back. “That’s Chuck and Sigrid,” he said. “You might know him better as Chruckariat Metatarsarian. He helped us out during the battle more than you can know, but fair warning, he’s coming after you for the bill and he’s a shrewd negotiator.”

  “Mr. Metatarsarian and I are scheduled for a meeting later today. Thank you for the warning. I’m not unappreciative of his support of you; however, I am also a shrewd negotiator. I’m sure we’ll come to agreeable terms, though not as agreeable as he would like.”

  They entered the hangar and gathered around a wire spool table. The humans and Therapy sat, while Angel and Gladius stood.

  Nigel looked at each in attendance. “Shall we get down to business then?”

  Dennis nodded.

  “There’s an Old Terran saying about discussing the elephant in the room. I never quite understood it, but it seems apt for this situation.”

  Everyone looked confused. What was an elephant?

  Nigel continued. “To put things in simple terms, you violated Pax Machina, and thus, the Rybeth Accords. This is a very serious breach, and two of the prime offenders are here in this room. Though I believe all of you took part, no?” He looked at each of the assembled.

  “Just you wait a minute!” Dennis stood up, pushing his chair back. It clattered away and echoed in the large, open space.

  Nigel raised his hand. “Sit back down and let me finish.” His smile was gone, and his pleasant demeanor with it.

  Dennis retrieved his chair and sat down.

 
“It is obvious from all accounts that the mechs on this world have violated the Pax Machina. Mechs, who vowed never to take up arms again, took up arms and fought,” Nigel said, “that being said, there were provocations and extenuating circumstances. If you read the details and want to get technical, Pax Machina states mechs shall not take up arms against any of the signatories of the Accords. Those who attacked you first were rogue agents from the Imperium and had no right to conduct any affairs in the Imperium’s name, nor the Accords Compliance Committee. The rogue mech, the Planet Cleanser, and the screevers were all forbidden technology and thus not covered under the Accords, so you had every right to defend yourselves against them. In short, none of you will face any legal action for your part in the defense of Mechhaven.”

  Legal action? Dennis was flabbergasted. Everyone else was, too. Nobody said a word. He didn’t know legal action was even a remote possibility. Therapy saved him.

  “Sir, what about the status of Angel? He declared Pax Machina. However, the system rejected his petition.”

  “An administrative oversight. The classified nature of his origin prevented him from having a proper record in the database. A complicated matter, but I am working out all the details. Never fear, the ACC will allow Mister Angel to stay on Mechhaven.”

  Dennis wasn’t good at these details. Again, it hadn’t occurred to him that there was ever a possibility that Angel wouldn’t stay.

  “That brings us to more mundane matters.”

  “Such as?” Dennis asked.

  “Such as Major Durham.”

  “Have you visited her? How is she?”

  “I paid Major Durham a visit when I arrived. As you are no doubt aware, she sustained grave injuries and is still in critical condition. The surgeons on board the Victory have stabilized her, but she needs more specialized treatment. I’ve sent word back to the core systems and requested they send a specialist to help treat her. He should arrive any day.”