by Luis Robles
Arnold dropped his riffle as the images of the explosions appeared before him. The bombs were wiping out everything; entire cities and forests disappeared right before their eyes, leaving nothing behind. The aftermath of the explosions was familiar to them, as it was the world they lived in.
“But amidst the destruction, humanity’s enemy was able to survive, and Earth was left scarred and poisoned. 2118 was the last known recorded event from many of the Olympus facilities, including this one. After the bombs fell, I was put to sleep, never to wake up again until humans arrive at my doorstep,” she said as the light in the large room began to turn on.
The group was shellshocked.
“All of that was not able to do anything to those invaders... What chance do we have? What can we even do against them? We can’t even get rid of worms... We are just humans,” Arnold said, his heart filled with hopelessness.
“Wait, so what happened to all the rest of the Olympus facilities? To all the War Beasts?” Avenn asked.
“Most of the facilities and War Beasts were destroyed during the Great War and the blast. However, this facility, Ares, was a closely kept secret that not many knew about. They went as far as creating a clone of this facility that housed a standard War Beast. By the time the great armies of Earth were destroyed, there was no one left to pilot Deimos. And this facility was put to sleep,” Iris said.
Arnold was only half listening to the voice; the other half of him was absent from the room, wishing someone else had gone in his place. The rest of them felt much the same as Arnold, as it all was too much for them, as what lay ahead was an impossible task.
“What do you mean by a standard War Beast? Is there a difference between them? Also, do you mean that there is still really one of them left?” Avenn asked.
“A standard War Beast was the best machine that humanity was able to build at the time. However, they all have one thing in common—the same strength, the same firepower, and the same defense. But Deimos was known to be the pinnacle of the War Beasts, the last true hope for humanity,” Iris said.
7
The Worms
“You see, Arnold? Not all is lost. We still have a chance, and a good one at that,” Avenn said, trying to cheer Arnold up. “Iris, this Deimos, will we be able to pilot it?”
“That I do not know. It takes a considerable amount of skill to pilot the War Beast according to the old archives. But you are welcome to try it yourself. None of the security rules of the past world apply anymore. According to my prime directive, I should ensure humanity’s survival before anything else,” Iris said.
They stood quiet for a minute, thinking on want to do next. Avenn did not say anything in hopes that Arnold would snap out of it and get back into leadership mode.
“Can you take us to Deimos?” Arnold finally said as he grabbed his rifle and stood up.
“It will be my pleasure. Please, follow the blinking blue lights,” Iris said as she made one of the lights at the end of the center corridor start flashing.
“Hey, is there any food around here? Humans do have to eat, you know,” Clint said as he began walking to the flashing light.
“I do have some nonperishables without expiration date and water that can be consumed. I can check to make sure they haven’t been poisoned by the radiation if you like,” Iris said.
“Oh, great! That’s just great to hear... more cans. Hey, Arnold, what are we gonna do for food around here?” Clint asked.
“After we check out Deimos to see if what Iris is saying is true, we’ll come back here and grab our supplies from the airlock. We’ll regroup and plan for our next move,” Arnold said.
“Alert, alert, red alert! Intruders have been spotted in the premises. Three of them have managed to get past the outer defenses. Ares will be breached in approximately twenty seconds,” Iris said as red lights started flashing everywhere.
As the group looked around to find the intruders, their eyes got fixated on the airlock from which they came in. The noises from within the airlock increased as whatever was trying to get inside banged on the metal door.
“Everyone, get ready! Whatever it is, we’ll get through it together. Don’t waste your ammo!” Arnold shouted, snapping into action.
“Airlock breach in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Air lock breached,” Iris said as three worms entered the room with a brute show of strength.
It was three of them, a large cluster of worms from the desert that had followed the group to Ares, and somehow three of them had gotten past the defenses. Each one of the worms was well capable of killing the group, let alone three of them. But the five stood together and met the enemy head on.
“I got the middle one!” Arnold yelled, and Kenya followed.
“Left!” Avenn yelled.
“What the heck, I got right!” Jordan called out as he ran. Clint ran along with him.
They shot at the intruders, concentrating all the fire power at the worms’ head. Avenn was the first one to take his worm down, followed by Jordan and Clint. Arnold and Kenya were taking longer with their worm but not because they were a bad shot, no; the worm they faced was much tougher and larger.
Avenn ran towards the remaining worm, but he knew that he wouldn’t be of much help with an almost empty clip; the same was true for Jordan and Clint. Avenn emptied his remaining bullets at the worm, but it did nothing. Jordan followed and also failed.
“Shit. What the heck, man! This is no use... why do we even bother?” Clint yelled.
“Avenn, get his attention!” Arnold yelled desperately.
Avenn and Jordan began banging their rifle against the floor. Clint only yelled as his rifle was not completely empty. Within seconds, they caught the worm’s attention. It began moving towards them.
“Don’t let it get me first. You know what to do...” Arnold said to Kenya.
Arnold let go of his rifle, took out his knife, and ran towards the worm, jumping on its back. The worm hardly noticed him. Quickly, Arnold reached what could be called the neck of the worm, and using every last bit of strength he had, he planted the nearly 20-centimeter knife into the head of the worm, instantly slaying it.
Arnold ended up on the ground alongside the worm, with his hand stuck underneath it.
“A little help here,” Arnold said as he struggled to get himself free.
The group went to help him. As soon as Arnold was standing up, they all looked towards the broken airlock door. To their surprise, the door was already covered by another, a patch of some sort. Their ears were still ringing from the rifles’ loud shots without their head gear on.
“Hey, Iris, will that hold?” Avenn asked, gesturing towards the door with his head.
“If you’re referring to holding off intruders, then no. The wall patches are only meant to be a temporary solution to an air leakage. However, I have activated all sentinels in the facility, and we are currently fighting off over 125 of the same creatures. The possibilities of being breached once again is at 2%,” Iris calmly said.
“Is there rifles or guns... any weapons in the facility that we could use?” Arnold asked as he retrieved his knife from the worm.
“Negative. This facility was not built as an armory. It was built as a hangar for Deimos the War Beast, and its weapons. You can use that weapon for the preservation of humankind,” Iris said.
The group looked at each other and began running towards the still blinking orange lights at the end of the corridor. Avenn, Jordan, Kenya, and Arnold had all left the rifles behind; the only one still carrying a rifle was Clint, as he was the only one that still had rounds in it.
They ran for nearly half an hour, flashing light after flashing light, corridor after corridor, big room after big room. But when they got near the hangar that kept the dormant War Beast, it was apparent; the walls, roof, and the room floor looked much more heavily reinforced.
“This is the last door. Behind this lies Deimos the War Beast, humanity’s last hope,” Iris said as she opened the last door to
the hangar.
The group stood in total and utter shock in front of the War Beast.
“As an alternative to nuclear weaponry, War Beasts were designed to be the ultimate line of defense against the enemy invaders. One War Beast had as much firepower as an entire army, each of them commanding upwards of 50,000 drones. They were built to match the enemy’s firepower and minimize damage created by conventional weapons,” Iris said as the lights inside the hangar turned on slowly.
Lights began to flash on, revealing the even greater scale of the machine.
“In order to prevent damage to major cities, War Beasts were often deployed from their respective hangars into the neighboring war zone. There were originally only 12 War Beasts. Now, only Deimos remains,” Iris said as the lights finished turning on.
“Will we be able to pilot it?” Avenn asked.
“War Beasts are controlled by one pilot, stationed inside the Central Control Bay. Pilots are equipped with specialized suit that allows them to use extreme interface with the machine. The pilot’s nervous system and the War Beast become one. Meaning, if Deimos gets hurt in any way, the pilot would feel it. If the pilot becomes exhausted, so will the War Beast.”
“What does Deimos mean, anyway?” Arnold asked in a low voice.
“Deimos was a god in Greek mythology, the sole personification of terror. This War Beast was named Deimos, as it would bring terror to those who dared wage war on humanity,” Iris answered.
Deimos was solid in construction, with a tactical military style body, mostly humanoid in form. Deimos was standing on two legs, unlike some of the other War Beasts that did not have a humanoid structure. Its body was large and straight, with heavy armor around its neck and head. It had huge armor plating around its shoulders, and long, thick arms covered in armor, able to carry an exorbitant amount of weight. Two massive cannons were attached to its shoulder blades, and its back held a multitude of rockets and turbines, making it ready for temporary flight. It was anything but ordinary; it was a truly terrifying machine.
As they looked at the War Beast, they couldn’t help but agree that the name fitted well. It was terrifying; it looked solid and intense, ready for battle.
Everything they had ever known was about to change. They had just uncovered the last chance humanity would ever have. An old beast, possibly the biggest and strongest the world had ever seen was there just in front of them, within reach. Cold, solid metal had never felt so warm before. Now, they can take back what was rightfully theirs. Now, they can fight.
The group walked over to the entrance of the machine located on the back of the Deimos’ head. All the while, they admired it, unable to imagine just how such a massive thing would move.
“I’ve detected a slight problem,” Iris said.
“What is it?” Arnold quickly asked.
“I’ve detected large-scale seismic activity seven kilometers south from this location,” Iris said.
The group stood still, and they were able to feel small tremors reverberating on the floor.
“Well, what is it?” Arnold asked.
“It appears to be a group of giant Lumbricina, and they are coming this way. If they continue at the current speed, and if they are indeed coming here, they will reach the areas of the facility within two minutes,” Iris said calmly.
“And what the hell is a Lumbricina?” Arnold asked.
“Remember those giant worms from the dunes? Yeah, I think that’s them...” Avenn said.
“You might know, they are more commonly known as worms,” Iris said.
“That’s what I said... And that’s them, all right,” Avenn said.
“And what about the sentinels around Ares?” Arnold asked.
“Ares’ sentinels are designed to fend off smaller or human weaponry, not anything on this scale. I’m afraid the sentinels will not be of much help in this case. I suggest that you get inside Deimos, as this facility was not built to withstand a large attack through the ground. The door is open, and you may step in. Choose your pilot wisely, as the pilot and Deimos will be synchronized through the suit only once,” Iris explained.
They ran towards the door, but as they got near it, one of them stopped. When they turned to see what was the holdup, they saw Clint pointing his rifle at them.
“All right, show is over. Move aside... this machine is mine,” Clint said while specifically pointing his rifle at Arnold.
“Put that down. You don’t want to do this. We can talk about this later, not now,” Arnold said, holding his arm out.
“Hold on a minute here, little Arnold. I don’t think you know what’s happening here. You don’t seem to get it. You aren’t in charge anymore. I am. So from here on out, you will listen to me,” Clint said.
“You don’t want to do this, man,” Avenn said, taking a step forward towards Clint.
“Stay right where you are, or I will fire! I still have a few rounds left, enough for each and every one of you. So don’t test me with your games, little boy,” Clint snapped and pointed his rifle at Avenn.
“Look, we can talk this over... Put your weapon down, throw it over the bridge, and we will return to the Haven and have the Council vote on the issue if you really think your dad should be in charge, or you for that matter. I’m just trying to get us back home. I’m just trying to keep us alive, nothing more. Then, let’s talk about it. Just calm down... we have to leave soon,” Arnold said.
“So you think I’m stupid? You think I’m dumb? Well, I’m not! The stupid Council has always favored Marcus and his family ever since the Havens were constructed. Look at where that got us... to near starvation! I’m not gonna let this happen anymore. The Havens will survive, and they will survive, thanks to a Williams. I will shoot you, Arnold, and I will shoot you before those worms get here, so step aside now!” Clint said angrily, with his finger on the trigger.
Arnold launched to tackle Clint, but as soon as Clint saw Arnold moving towards him, he fired. The shot hit Arnold on his right arm, near his shoulder.
“I swear to you, if you so much as move, I will kill you. I swea...”
Clint got interrupted by an elbow to the face by Avenn. Avenn then kicked Clint square in the gut, leaving him winded, then punched him near the ear, knocking him out cold.
“Arnold, are you all right?” Kenya said as she aided him.
“We have to keep pressure on the wound,” Jordan said as he neared.
Arnold didn’t say a single word; instead, he just looked at Kenya and closed his eyes. He wanted her face to be the last thing he would remember. He was knocked out.
“Don’t you dare give up on me!” Kenya wept.
Avenn grabbed Clint’s rifle and threw it over the bridge and down the silo. He then grabbed Clint’s arm and carried him.
“Deimos is equipped with a fully functioning medical room on the lower deck.”
“Let’s go... We have to go,” Avenn said, suggesting them to carry Arnold inside.
“Ares has been breached. Five large worms are detected within the facility premises,” Iris said.
They felt the tremors throughout the facility getting stronger and stronger, so they ran inside as fast as they could. The door behind them closed instantly and the tremors stopped. Deimos was cold inside but smelled brand-new, a scent that they were not used to.
Deimos began to wake up from his long slumber. Machinery roared back to life; screens and messages lit up all around them. The god had been awakened.
8
Flight
“Why would you bring him back in here? You should have let him out there to die. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone of us,” Kenya said.
“But he did hesitate. That’s why Arnold got shot in the shoulder and not in the head. And if we did that, just leaving him out there to die to get eaten by the worms, that wouldn’t make us any different from them, from the amphibians. At the end, we are humans, and we are all the same. If we can’t fight for each other, then what are we fighting for? Even when
they are wrong, we have to show them what is right,” Avenn said.
“Arnold, stay with me,” Kenya turned her attention towards Arnold.
“Iris, are you still there?” Avenn asked.
“Fortunately yes, my prime mind had always been a part Deimos. I was speaking to you from within him. Is there anything else I can assist you with?” Iris said.
“Can you point them to the medical room?” Avenn asked.
“Right away. Just follow the orange flashing lights on the floor,” Iris said as lights on the floor turned on and off and led to a nearby corridor.
When Kenya and Jordan saw the lights, they grabbed Arnold and carried him towards the medical room. As they walked, they felt a small tremor within Deimos. They stopped to looked around.
“The risk of the worms penetrating Deimos is minimum, you should not worry. But we should hurry to launch and get out of the facility as fast as we can, so that we can save most of Deimos’ drones,” Iris said.
“Do you have any idea where we could put him and restrain him? He won’t be out for long, and I need him not to be a problem anymore,” Avenn said as he was left alone with Clint.
“Of course. Just follow the red path marked on the floor,” Iris said.
“I hope it’s not too far... this guy is freaking heavy...” Avenn said as he struggled with Clint’s weight.
It took Avenn nearly five tries to get to the area where Iris had designated in order to restrain Clint. By the time they got there, he was sweating and out of breath. It was a storage compartment on the second deck that had never been used before. As Avenn was putting Clint inside, there was a loud thump against Deimos.
“It looks like our visitor friends are growing anxious,” Iris said to Avenn, making sure he was the only one hearing her.
“Can you take me to the medical room where they took Arnold?” Avenn asked while looking at the ceiling.