Fall of Terra Nova

by Michael G. Thomas

  “Charge!” shouted Gun, and then he vanished into the middle of the horde along with his personal guard. Khan, upon seeing his commander in action also cried out and surged ahead, and the entire company chased after him. Spartan flicked the bayonet toggle in his suit, and two large blades extended from his mechanical arms.

  “Vanguards, create a breach!” he shouted and stomped forward. The entrance to the Palace was already a mass of warriors, each shooting or hacking away with an assortment of butcher’s weapons. For every dead Jötnar or Vanguard, he found five dead Biomechs. He pushed on, reaching the back of Gun’s bodyguard unit as they hacked a trail of destruction through the enemy. Two large Biomechs jumped towards him, and a dozen more of the small ones rushed past to attack his comrades. In the close confines of battle, and with friends all around, he was forced to control his gunfire for fear of hitting the Jötnar. The first Biomech swung a heavy mace-type weapon. Spartan dropped down to avoid the strike and stepped in to grab the creature’s extending arm. With his right arm held low, he delivered a savage uppercut that pushed his blade up through its throat and into its brain.

  “To me!” he shouted, sensing he might be quickly overwhelmed. It wasn’t a moment too soon, as the second Biomech threw itself on him only to be smashed aside by Sergeant Lovett. The creature fell to the floor and was shot to pieces by three following Vanguards. Spartan threw his enemy to the ground and stepped on towards the doorway. More Biomechs rushed in from two smaller doors to the right, but this time they moved right into the path of Spartan and a dozen Vanguards. With a terrible cry, the unit unleashed hundreds of rounds that shattered their bodies and left blood and flesh across the marbled floor. Spartan looked back to see Commander Gun and his group disappear inside the structure. The battle still raged on outside.

  “Khan, bring a squad with me. Gun’s gonna get cut off!” he called out on his radio.

  A small Biomech was thrown in the air, and Spartan quickly spotted Khan as he swung his weapons into the surviving Biomechs. If he wasn’t mistaken, it looked like the Jötnar warrior was enjoying himself. Spartan moved on, shooting or slashing at any stray Biomech that approached him until reached the side of the warrior.

  “Khan, did you hear me?” he snapped.

  Khan broke the neck of the small Biomech he was holding in both arms and turned to Spartan. Blood dripped from his armour and at his feet lay the corpses of five or six Biomechs.

  “What?” he grunted.

  Spartan struck him in the shoulder and pointed to the doorway. It looked like a scene from hell as dozens of warriors hacked and stabbed. The Assault Battalion were winning, but the casualties were starting to tell.

  “Gun is inside, and we need to stay with him.”

  Khan nodded and roared to his comrades to follow. Spartan sent the signal to the rest of the Vanguards, and with a final push they surged to the door. At least half became bogged down in the fighting, but Spartan and Khan managed to hack through the line of Biomechs and into the darkness of the Palace. As Spartan staggered into the large open space, it felt empty and cold, as if it had been deserted. He spun about to see only a handful of Jötnar had made it through as well as Sergeant Lovett.

  “Is this it?” he asked in dismay.

  Sergeant Lovett nodded.

  “Yeah, they’ll break through but not yet. We can go back and help?” he asked.

  “No, we have a job to do. The Major will be here with the rest of the battalion to help with mopping up. We need to shut this place down.”

  He checked his schematic of the Palace and the data on the energy levels.

  “We need to get down to the second sub-level. Let’s go!”

  The eight warriors moved off along the grand entrance and towards a split-level staircase. A body of a large Biomech was split in half and bleeding out on the floor. Khan laughed as he passed it.

  “Gun’s work!”

  Spartan allowed himself a brief smile, but he was interrupted by noise ahead. Khan must have heard the same as he stopped and looked over to Spartan.

  “You hear that?” he asked.

  Khan nodded.

  “Come on!”

  Spartan moved ahead first, and the rest followed as quickly as they could. The lower staircase was far less grand than the main one. As they travelled further down, the sound of battle became louder. Spartan’s audio system crackled with the muffled sound of fighting.

  “Spartan, Daniels here. Yorkdale is on the ground. We’re through the outer wall and pushing in to the main Palace ground...”

  Massed gunfire obliterated most of the audio before the officer’s voice returned.

  “I’ve sent two shuttles of reinforcements to your position to assist. Recon indicated a guards unit moving from a barracks to your north, so expect trouble.”

  “Understood. We have broken inside and are working down to the location pinpointed by the engineers.”

  “Excellent, keep moving. Time isn’t on our side.”

  “Sir.”

  They took the last few steps and dropped down into a huge hall that was decked out with massive floor to ceiling stone columns. They must have been easily thirty metres tall. A number of large alcoves ran down both sides with bodies of numerous warriors littering the floor. In the middle of the fight a small group of Jötnar were surrounded and trapped. They were blasting away with their guns and cutting down any Biomechs that strayed too close.

  Flashes of light glinted in the distance, but it was too dark to see properly. Spartan switched to thermal imaging. The display changed to a kaleidoscope of colour. There were at least thirty people and all wore exotic armour. They were formed up into two long lines and seemed to be protecting the entrance at the end of the hall.

  “Zealots,” he muttered.

  “This way!” he cried and surged forward. His group soon reached the maelstrom of the battle and were forced to shoot a path ahead. Khan broke through first and reached Gun. More enemy forces surged in from the left, so Spartan was forced to stop moving and turn his guns on them. He held down his trigger until all four guns were empty. He must have killed forty or more, yet they kept coming. Sergeant Lovett did the same, and the Jötnar carrying Gatling guns added their own fire. It was a deadly storm of metal, and in just over a minute of gunfire the Biomechs started to waver. Spartan stepped over to Gun who had dropped to one knee.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Gun smiled at him, but there was something about his face that suggested otherwise. He looked down to see three deep slashes across his side and his left leg. The armour had been ripped away and he was bleeding profusely.

  “You crazy bastard, you had to go on alone, didn’t you?”

  Khan moved up and threw down one of his axes to help support Gun’s weight. With great effort, Gun managed to lift himself up onto one leg and lean onto Khan.

  “We need to get to the end. Look,” said Spartan. He pointed towards the line of Zealots. Even though the battle had been raging for some time, the Zealots hadn’t moved a millimetre. They stood with precision and discipline, each upright as though on parade.

  “Spartan!” called Sergeant Lovett.

  Spartan followed the direction he pointed to and saw a group moving from the right towards the Zealots. With a quick tap, the visor zoomed in to the tallest of the group.

  “Typhon, you bastard!”

  “That’s him?” asked Sergeant Lovett.

  “Yeah, and it looks like he has people with him.”

  “Teresa?”

  Spartan shrugged, but he was unable to identify individuals as the group had moved past the lines of warriors. He looked back to the three and was almost distracted by the continuing battle around them. Khan kept firing even though Gun’s weight was slowing him down.

  “Whatever we are looking for, it’s in there. Let’s go!” he said.

  The centre of the hall contained just a few dozen Biomechs who were locked in a violent hand-to-hand battle with the remaining Jötnar. One broke th
rough and charged towards their little group. Sergeant Lovett lifted his arms but nothing happened, either his guns were empty or they had malfunctioned. Sensing danger, Spartan pushed in front and took the impact head on. He flexed back and slid across the floor with the thing on his front. Lights flashed in the suit as the creature struck wildly at any exposed parts.

  “Stay down!” Khan called out.

  Trusting in his comrade, Spartan dropped back and kept as low as his suit would allow. With a howling roar, a stream of bullets from Khan’s Gatling gun tore the thing into pieces. Sergeant Lovett jumped next to him and helped the blood-splattered Spartan to his feet. Only a handful of Biomechs remained. One turned and withdrew to the cover of the broken columns, and the others soon followed. Seeing this was their chance, Spartan moved along the hall with the others closely behind him. Khan started to lag behind, but two of the other Jötnar helped with Gun, freeing him up to join Spartan in the rush.

  As the group reached end of the hall, the target became clear, resplendent in all its glory. They were now at the base of a tower and a large object, much like a series of cylindrical tubes. Each was full of a metallic looking liquid. Light burst through from above and penetrated the top of the cylinders. It gave a glistening and brilliant look to the whole thing. The twin lines of Zealot warriors stood in silence at the bottom of the short flight of steps, blocking the path. It was a good ten metres wide, as was each of the steps, but there was no way to the object without passing the Zealots.

  Five men, all dressed in ceremonial robes and armour, stepped out into the light at the top of the steps. The light bounced from the gold colouring of their robes, so they almost stunned Spartan with the glow. The man at the centre raised his arms into the air and shouted. As one, the lines of Zealots brought their rifles up to their shoulders and aimed them directly at Spartan, Khan and the rest of the small band of warriors.

  “Welcome to the heart of the Union. These are my brothers, all Sons of the League,” said the man.

  Spartan instantly knew it was Typhon, but the others meant nothing to him.

  “You!” he shouted and took another step closer to the Zealots.

  “Stand your ground, Lieutenant Spartan, unless you want to see your woman butchered at this altar.”

  It was the only thing he could have said to stay Spartan’s hand. He halted as quickly as if he had run directly into a wall.

  “Your Admiral made a brave sacrifice, but it was in vain. She may have destroyed the station, even my ships, but I still have my fleet and the Legions of the Union. You have come here to destroy the Core, have you not?”

  Spartan said nothing, but Commander Gun had just arrived and with help managed to stand next to Spartan and face his enemy for the first time.

  “Ah, the leader of the Confederate Biomechs. It is interesting that here, at the end, you meet your maker.”

  “What?” Gun snapped.

  Typhon turned and pointed at the structure behind him.

  “The Core. It is responsible for everything. I could never have started this little war without its help. It is odd, but without the defeat of the League, I could never have achieved what I have.”

  He looked down with disappointment at the confused expressions.

  “The League?” asked Gun as he looked at Spartan.

  “This is the best you have to offer, two humans and half-breed synthetics? The League was the defeated faction in the Great War. This structure was created in secret to protect the knowledge, ideas and intellects of their greatest heroes.”

  Spartan pressed a button that released a small thermal explosive charge. He removed it with his left arm and held it out in front of him. Six of the Zealots towards the rear of the group stepped back and formed a protective line in front of Typhon. They shielded him with their bodies.

  “Why don’t you cut the history lesson? I can just blow this place to hell, then what happens to your victory?”

  Typhon shrugged and lifted up his hands.

  “Go ahead, I have already achieved far more than my father ever could,” he said as he turned and looked back at the tanks. He put his hand on one of the glass tanks and looked back to Spartan.

  “They fought and lost generations ago. I have inflicted more damage and created more stability than they could have dreamt possible.”

  He then pointed at the Core.

  “Destroy me, or them, it will make no difference. The ships and the Biomechs are programmed to fight. The Zealots on board are loyal, and you will still lose.”

  “So we have nothing to lose then?” said Sergeant Lovett in despair.

  “Oh, hardly, my young marine,” Typhon laughed.

  “Your bravery is unquestioned, and you have made it this far. Yield to me, and you can join our crusade at the head of our armies.”

  As they continued speaking, Spartan flicked several switches to activate his distress flare system. It was used for rescue or target acquisition and could be used just once. It was his only remaining ranged weapon.

  “Typhon,” he said quietly.

  “Yes?” he replied optimistically.

  “Why don’t you just die?” replied Spartan with a growl. He dropped to one knee and twisted his shoulder so that the release mechanism pointed directly at the hated man’s face. Without hesitating, he tapped the launch button and ignited the flare. It blasted away with a whooshing sound. The shot was perfectly aimed and flew straight. Two of the Zealots pushed into its path and with a blinding flashed were struck. Screaming in pain, the two dropped to the ground, each writhing in agony. Typhon pulled a long, curved sword from his belt and stared with cold eyes at Spartan. Two slashes and the men were put out of their misery. He held the sword out and towards Spartan, the blade still dripping with blood.

  “That was a mistake, Spartan. What will you do now?”

  Khan lifted his Gatling gun up towards Typhon and sneered at him.

  “Why don’t I just kill you and your machine?” he said simply.

  “Do it? We don’t need it anymore. You can kill us all. Do you think we’re the only Sons of the League left? The Biomechs have been created thanks to their hard work and the knowledge and ideas learnt from the Core,” he pointed behind him again.

  “The orders for the war have already been given, so there is nothing you can do about that now. Even as we stand here, my Brothers have ten legions of Biomechs waiting to move through the Spacebridge, and your fleet is non-existent. You have worn yourselves out to fight this struggle, and now it is time for you to stop.”

  Part of the wall ripped apart and the burning wreckage of a Confederate assault shuttle smashed to the ground. It spun wildly and then slammed into the three columns. Chunks of stone and masonry dropped down and crushed its wing. A group of eight Zealots stepped away and marched forward to examine it. Typhon turned from the steps and looked towards the Core as if to speak to it, or examine it more closely. A high-pitched scream erupted from the shuttle, and one of the side doors blew apart in a display of dust and broken metal. From the gap game a dozen Vanguards, blasting away with their arm-mounted weapons. A number of the Zealots fell from the gunfire before they realised what was happening.

  “Stop them!” shouted Typhon. He vanished out of sight at the top of the steps. Four Biomechs, each at least the size of the Jötnar, waited patiently with their weapons held high.

  The Zealots were unlike any of the warriors Spartan had seen before. They moved quickly and spun their glaive-type weapons with speed and precision. They were each the match of a Vanguard. Spartan pushed to the step and Khan followed with him. Sergeant Lovett tried to help, but two Zealots jumped in front of him and blocked his path. The first cut down and managed to disable the servomotors on his left arm, but he was able to force the second to the floor. He stamped down on the man’s head with the heavy metal foot of the Vanguard armour.

  Spartan reached the top first and threw himself at the four Biomechs. Two fell down along with him. Khan, in the meantime, jumped up and
swung his axes. One embedded in the first Biomech’s head and smashed it to the floor.

  “Spartan, Major Daniels here. You’re on your own, old friend. More troops have arrived. We’re pinned down in the courtyards, you must...” he was cut off by the sound of automatic cannon fire.

  “Khan, destroy the Core!” Spartan shouted as one of the Biomechs tried to crush him. Alarms triggered inside as systems in the suit started to fail. Another of Gun’s bodyguards made it to the top, but the waiting Biomechs cut him down and then turned on the fallen Spartan. He struggled under the weight, but the sight of Typhon running for one of the side doors with several others, enraged him. With all his remaining effort, he threw off the one Biomech and then slammed his armoured fist into the second one’s head. It staggered back bleeding. He lifted himself to his feet, and he saw Teresa. She was being dragged along by three cloaked figures.

  “Stop you cowards!” he snapped at them as they tried to escape.

  The figure at the rear turned around and Spartan could see it was Captain Hobbs, the traitor and person responsible for Teresa’s fate. Beside her were Misaki and two other Zealots who were dragging the dulled and probably drugged woman. More alarms flashed inside the suit, and the left knee crunched as he dropped down to the floor.

  “Typhon!” he roared.

  The man stopped and turned back, making sure Hobbs and Misaki were in front. Spartan was down on one knee and sparks flashed along the suit as it started to fail. Typhon laughed at him, enjoying the moment of satisfaction as his enemy’s armour failed and risked potentially killing him inside it. The surviving Biomechs both grabbed Khan and pinned him to the wall, but he struggled fiercely. At the bottom of the steps, the Zealots, Vanguards, Biomechs and Jötnar fought their last bloody battle. None were able to come to the rescue of the fallen Spartan. Typhon looked about the area carefully, ever wary of a trap. His four brothers, as he called them, approached and stood nearby. Their robes and golden armour looked exquisite compared to the functional metal of the Jötnar and Vanguards.