Mech 3

by Isaac Hooke

  The aliens reached the starship. Scotts had told Rade he’d have to wait for an alien sally to exit the ship, but with the arrival of the fleeing Subversions, the vessel began to rumble, and a layer of rock near the base broke away; a ramp appeared, lowering to allow the Subversions entry. Meanwhile, more of the aliens flowed out between them, on an intercept course with the mechs.

  When the last of the aliens emerged, and the upper portion of the ramp became clear above them, Rade sent: “Jumpjets!”

  He wanted to get inside now to destroy the AI core as soon as possible; his platoon could clean up the remaining aliens later.

  He and the others activated their jumpjets and arced over the incoming Subversions. The mechs landed past the aliens on the clear upper section of the ramp, which was already closing, and they rushed inside. Behind them, the ramp ceased retracting, allowing the Subversions to reverse and give chase.

  “Kicker, seal the entrance!” Rade ordered.

  On drag, Kicker ripped away the foam bomb he had strapped to his torso and threw it into the corridor behind him, which was just inside the entrance. The bomb exploded, filling the passageway with foam that hardened instantly. Rade heard the thudding as the aliens repeatedly slammed their claws into the exterior surface of that foam.

  Kicker threw a couple more bombs after it to thoroughly block off the corridor, and then rejoined the platoon on drag.

  Equipped with a Grid weapon, Lui led the way through those twisting, ribbed corridors. Cackling softly, Bender followed just behind him, obviously eager for the next encounter. The other members of the platoon followed in single file, with Rade and Tahoe located near the center of the formation.

  The horizontal troughs carved into the ribs emitted a dull green that lit the way just like the last time his team was here. The only difference between the previous time and the present moment, well other than the aliens giving chase, was that there were no wreckages of mechs or other combat robots littering the deck. The AI had cleaned those up, and reincorporated the metals into its hull.

  There were other Subversions ahead that intercepted them—perhaps some were part of the group that had fled the colony. The members of Alpha platoon shot them down.

  Lui paused next to those compartments that branched off to clear them. Sometimes Subversions awaited inside, so he’d fire his Grid, and then let Bender finish them. Bender laughed every time.

  “What’s with the maniacal laughter?” Manic asked Bender at one point. “I don’t remember you ever behaving this way before.”

  “Bugs, bugs, bugs,” Bender said. “Gonna kill me some bugs. Squash them all.” He giggled.

  “He’s lost it,” Fret commented.

  The platoon reached the vaulted room containing the black metal containers the original Subversions had used for hibernation. They made their way between the shelves formed by those open containers until they reached the far side of the compartment, where a doorway led into a ribbed corridor. They took it.

  Unlike the first time Rade had ventured through these passageways, he had a complete map of the ship, all the way to the AI core. So, he knew precisely where to go from here. He had shared the map with the others, along with the route they had to take.

  They encountered breach seals along the way, but Lui stepped back to allow Bender to burn through them with his stingray. They also experienced further resistance in the form of limited Subversion attacks, but the platoon members fought their way through them and emerged relatively unscathed. The alien tech Waldo had shared gave them the advantage.

  They passed by a large compartment whose lengths were lined with glass tanks spaced in neat rows. Those tanks were filled with liquid, and inside were aliens that could only be Subversions, judging from the shapes, though smaller, partially developed versions. An alien gestation area of sorts.

  “Permission to roast these fuckers?” Bender asked.

  “Target the tanks only,” Rade replied.

  Bender unleashed his stingray at those tanks. Other members of the team did likewise. Holes melted into the glass, and the tanks shattered, causing the partially developed creatures to flow out. Across the room the aliens writhed on the floor, like fish tossed onto the deck of a boat. Bender giggled the whole time.

  Finally, the Subversions ceased all movements.

  “Forward,” Rade said.

  The team left the compartment behind and made their way toward the target, which was very close now.

  They reached a sealed hatch.

  “All right,” Rade said. “Behind this hatch is the AI core. There will be energy turrets in the ceiling and flanking walls, according to Waldo. Stingrays, prepare to take them out.”

  Those with Stingrays moved to the front of the group, and formed up on either side of the hatch. The others meanwhile pressed themselves into the bordering bulkheads, so as to remove themselves from the line of fire.

  Bender fired his stingray into the hatch, turning it from red hot to white, until it melted away. Then he immediately dodged to the side, behind the edge of the hatch, in anticipation of the energy turrets targeting his position.

  But no incoming fire came.

  Bender hesitantly shoved his stingray past the edge, and scanned the compartment beyond with his scope.

  Rade accessed the weapon’s viewpoint and saw a long but relatively empty compartment. Near the entrance was a familiar glass tube filled with yellow mist, while on the far side was a matching tube. These were the same communication devices Waldo had utilized on the K’ree homeworld.

  Next to the farther tube was the AI core, appearing precisely as Waldo had described it. Inside a cylindrical, translucent case, resided an organic-looking stand that resembled an alien arm. At the top, a taloned hand reached upward with five “fingers,” and between them a cube floated, slowly rotating. Sparks occasionally traveled from the tips of those fingers to the cube.

  According to Waldo, the cylindrical case was made of a glass composite linked to the Interstitial Grid. To destroy the AI core, they had to first fire a Grid weapon at the case, and follow up with at least three stingrays. Both would have to be unleashed at point blank range. A lone 5-way could be used in place of the three stingrays, though it would have to fire from a similar distance. The resultant impacts would penetrate the case, and destroy the cube containing the AI’s consciousness at the same time.

  Lui scanned the bare overhead and bulkheads through his scope.

  “There are no energy turrets…” Lui said.

  “They may have retracted,” Rade said. “Enter slowly…”

  Lui moved passed the edge of the hatch, and stepped inside. Rade kept expecting weapons to fold out, but the room remained motionless. Lui kept searching the walls, perhaps looking for seams, or other signs of hidden panels. That was what Rade would have been doing, if he were on point.

  “Bender, go,” Rade said.

  The others remained inside, guarding the rear. Rade wasn’t going to commit his entire platoon to that compartment, not when two men could finish the job.

  Bender and Lui passed near the closer tube that was filled with yellow mist. On the far side of the room, sparkles appeared in the tube next to the AI core.

  “Valjean, translate,” Rade said.

  “Welcome, Craldon scum,” Valjean translated.

  “Lui, have your mech tell it we’re not Craldon,” Rade said.

  Lui’s mech touched the surface of the closer communications tube and issued the response.

  “Continue forward,” Rade ordered.

  Lui did so, cautiously advancing with Bender. More sparkles appeared in the distant tube.

  “I don’t believe you,” Valjean translated. “Your race is known for its treachery. You will all die.”

  “Ignore it,” Rade told Lui and Bender.

  But then white foam flooded the compartment from nozzles hidden in the walls. It reached to their waists. The foam also similarly filled the corridor outside, where Rade and the others were deployed. Be
fore they could react, it flowed and hardened around their lower bodies, trapping their feet, and the hands and weapons of those that were slower to respond.

  Rade was encased to his waist, but both arms were still free. He couldn’t move his lower body at all, however.

  “The hell is this!” Bender said. His right arm was still free. Lui also had his Grid weapon unencumbered.

  “Bender, Lui, open fire!” Rade ordered.

  Lui fired the Grid at the cylindrical case that covered the AI core, while Bender followed up with his stingray and 5-ways. No effect. The range was too far.

  Four energy turrets dropped from the ceiling. Two inside the compartment, and two in the corridor outside. Bender and Lui froze. The rest of the team kept their weapons pointed down as well, knowing that one shot from those turrets would likely incinerate a mech at this range.

  Flashes appeared in the farther communications tube.

  “Does this foam look familiar?” Valjean translated. “I have been studying the newer technology of your kind. I have learned from you, my enemies, and employed your tactics against you. But one thing I have not yet determined, and that is how are you interfering with the Interstitial Grid. You will reveal this to me immediately.”

  Although embedded in the hardened foam, Lui’s Falcon was still close to the first comm tube. “What do you want my mech to say? Considering we have no idea how these weapons work…”

  It was true. Waldo had simply given them the tech; to the platoon, the weapons were essentially black boxes.

  “Tell it we’ll be happy to,” Rade said. “But first he has to release some of us, as a show of good faith.”

  He kept his gaze on those energy turrets while Lui answered; Rade hoped against hope those turrets wouldn’t strike. His platoon would strike back if the enemy fired, though the losses would be great.

  No glimmers appeared on the farther tube in response.

  “What’s it doing?” Snakeoil said. “Thinking?”

  “No,” Skullcracker said. “It’s a machine. It already came up with a response the instant after it heard ours. It’s purposely dragging this out, wanting us to suffer doubt and indecision. Don’t let it get to you.”

  Finally, sparkles took shape in the tube next to the AI core. “How about this. Instead of releasing any of you, as a show of good faith, I will allow you to choose which of you will be the first to die. You may pick between two. This one.” A turret in the corridor outside swiveled toward Jiang. “Or this one.” The second turret turned toward Tahoe. “Which do you want to die?”

  27

  Rade’s heart was racing. He didn’t know what to do. It was times like this that he dreaded. Having to pick between two people he loved. An impossible choice.

  He made up his mind.

  He would die.

  His left arm was free, but the 5-way was currently equipped. He swiveled the weapon away and began to unfold the ballistic shield instead. The movement drew the attention of both turrets, and they swung toward him.

  The shield opened completely. Because the hardened foam reached to his waist, he had to angle the ballistic device to fit above the surface. He held it horizontally toward the turrets.

  “Fire at the turrets!” Rade shouted. “Shield yourself if you can!”

  The weapons released plasma, not pure energy. That was good. Because it meant he stood a chance.

  His shield turned white hot on its two sides, and dissolved entirely.

  But the others were already returning fire. Plasma bolts slammed into the turrets, melting through them. The mechs closer to the entrance unleashed hell into the compartment beyond, attacking the inner turrets that yet targeted Bender and Lui. Bender and Lui themselves fired at the inner turrets—like Rade, they’d deployed their shields, but the surfaces were burned away. They also had some plasma damage; Bender had a hole eaten through to his cockpit, while Lui’s right arm hung disabled at his side.

  In seconds, all four turrets were destroyed.

  Rade aimed his stingray down into the foam at his feet and began melting it. When he had loosened it enough, he pulled himself onto the surface. Other mechs were similarly freeing themselves beside him. He retracted his shield and swiveled away his weapon, freeing up his hands so that he could crawl his mech on hands and knees through the open hatch and into the compartment; inside, Bender and Lui fired into their own foam trammels in an effort to release themselves.

  “Chief, where are you going?” Kicker said. “Let one of us handle this. There could be more defenses.”

  “I’ll handle it myself,” Rade said. “I’m through risking your lives.”

  “Chief, Kicker is right!” Tahoe said. “You don’t even have a shield anymore. Let me go, at least.”

  “Cover me,” Rade said in response. He was too furious at what the AI core had just attempted to even consider someone else. He wanted to personally destroy the entity. “Watch the bulkheads.”

  He continued crawling forward on that hardened foam, which enclosed the lower portion of the cylindrical case that harbored the rotating cube. Apparently, the AI couldn’t launch any more of that foam—it had probably clogged up the release nozzles.

  In the communication tube next to the AI core, glimmers appeared frantically, but Rade ignored them.

  He reached the translucent case and swiveled the 5-way into his left hand, and the Grid weapon into his right. He pressed the Grid into the surface and fired. An aura appeared around it, and sunk inside, absorbing into the rotating cube. The sparks traveling from the “fingers” that held up the artificial consciousness seemed to increase in intensity, and the cube rotated faster.

  Rade interpreted it as fright on the AI’s part.

  Smiling grimly, he touched his 5-way to the cylinder, and squeezed the trigger. Lightning bolts tore through the composite case, and into the cube. It shattered, as did the container.

  Rade was hit by the fragments, but they bounced away harmlessly from his mech.

  He slumped slightly.

  It was done.

  “All right, it’s time to clean up the remaining Subversions,” Rade announced.

  He crawled through the compartment toward the opening; Kicker, Tahoe and Pyro had joined Bender and Lui in the room, and they waited for Rade to exit in front of them. He rejoined the rest of the platoon that waited in the corridor beyond. He glanced over the mechs, and noticed immediately that Jiang was gone.

  “Where’s Jiang?” His gaze shifted to his overhead map. Her indicator remained frozen in the corridor where she had last been standing.

  He hurried to where she had been encased in foam. At the bottom of the cast made by her mech in the hardened material, the deck was ripped open, as if a Subversion had torn through and hauled her into the floor directly below.

  “Why didn’t she say anything?” Manic said. “Or fight back?”

  “Maybe she tried,” TJ said. “But it looks like her comm node was damaged before she could raise the alarm.”

  “But her helmet comm node would take over if that was the case…” Manic said.

  “Yes, but it’s possible things happened too fast, and she was dragged down before she realized what was happening,” TJ said. “By then, she would have already been on the floor below; her helmet comm node wouldn’t have been strong enough to penetrate the deck.”

  “We pursue,” Rade said. He was about to leap down, but Tahoe rested a halting hand on his mech.

  “Not you,” Tahoe said. “You’re our chief.”

  Rade bit down a sudden anger. He wanted to follow Jiang immediately. Perhaps irrationally so, he realized. There was something to be said about not allowing lovers on the same team…

  “Pyro, lead the way,” Rade ordered.

  Pyro leaped into the hole that had been torn in the deck beneath the foam, and the other mechs dropped down after him in single file. Rade and Tahoe joined them, taking a position in the middle of the platoon. Bomb followed on drag.

  They had only gone a few
meters when the deck began to vibrate.

  “Do you feel that?” Pyro said. “Feels like the ship is taking off again…”

  “The AI core must have issued some final launch instructions before going down,” TJ said.

  “How is that even possible?” Manic asked.

  “If it’s anything like a United Systems ship,” TJ replied. “Autonomous subsystems will still be operating independently of the core, allowing the vessel to continue functioning even if the main AI goes offline.”

  “Guess we’re all headed toward another galaxy,” Fret said.

  “No,” Rade said. “This is where you all leave.”

  “We’re not leaving you, boss,” Bender said.

  “Yes, you are,” Rade said. “That’s an order. I’m going to find Jiang, and then I’m getting out.”

  “Let one of us do it instead of you,” Snakeoil said. “You’re our chief…”

  “The mission is essentially over,” Rade said. “She’s my responsibility. I don’t want any of you risking your lives for her.” In truth, he wanted to be the one to save her. Her white knight. To show his love for her or some such notion, however misplaced it might be. “I’ll be right behind you. Cyclone, you’re in charge. Now go!”

  “At least let one of us come with you…” Bomb said.

  “Go!” Rade repeated, somewhat angrily, and darted forward.

  Tahoe joined him.

  “You’re disobeying a direct order, Cyclone?” Rade said.

  “Buddy system,” Tahoe replied. “I put TJ in command.”

  On the overhead map, Rade was pleased to see the remainder of Alpha retreating at least. Rade knew the only way to stop Tahoe from coming with him was to physically subdue him, but if he did that, there was a good chance he’d damage Tahoe’s mech, potentially preventing him from safely leaving the starship. The only thing Rade could reasonably do was grin and bear it, that and get a letter of reprimand issued against Tahoe when this was done. The latter wasn’t something he felt inclined to do anytime soon. Besides, he might get his own letter when the lieutenant commander reviewed his video logs. Assuming Rade survived.