The group disbanded and went their separate ways. Nick and Miki walked outside of the hotel, and they sat on what was once the front porch of the Hyatt. They looked over the devastation that was Chicago. Miki placed her head on Nick’s shoulder. “Look at the city. This is a city that we fought to save. What are the cities that we are headed to next going to look like? The cities where the robots have had days to destroy them and slaughter the people there?”
Nick placed his arm around Miki’s waist and hugged her. “We have to keep our focus on the future. We know that it’s going to be bad as we move from city to city, but we need to think about what life can be like on this planet later. When we jump out of the TR-3B later on today, we won’t be fighting for the cities of today. We will be fighting for whoever is still alive and the cities that they can build tomorrow.” He turned Miki’s head toward him. “For me, it’s even more personal than that. I am going to be fighting for you. I am going to be fighting for our future together. I finally have a relationship with the woman I love. For the first time in my life, I also feel like I have a place in this world. I always saw myself as a freak, a monster, who would forever be known as the kaiju that killed thousands of people when I first changed into Leviathan. Now I see myself as not only having a chance at redemption by saving as many people as possible, but also as someone who can be an integral part of society. It almost seems horrible to say as we stare at all of this death and devastation, but I am right on the precipice of finally having everything that I want in life and no dammed robots are going to keep me from that.”
Miki leaned in and kissed him. “I know exactly what you mean. I finally feel as though I am washing the blood off my hands from those people I killed at the lake when I first became Chagon. I never even dreamed of a future outside of continually training with the Horsemen. As horrible as this war is, it has brought me both a purpose in life and it has brought me you. I have gotten a taste of what I want in life, and we both know that in order to hold onto it, we have to win this war. Like you, I had always felt disconnected from humanity so fighting to save it always seemed like a well-intentioned but hollow concept to me. The short time that I have spent with you since revealing my feelings has not only brought me joy but it has shown me what all of the other people in the world have. Being loved and loving someone else is the greatest experience I can ever imagine. There is no way that I am allowing these robots to take that feeling away from everyone on this planet. We are going to win this war, Nick, we are going to love each other, and we are going to see what remains of the human race rise from the ashes of this war and build a new society based on the love they have for each other. In the next few hours, we will have a chance to earn our place in that society, and I can’t think of a greater cause to fight for.” She gently kissed Nick once more and then the two of them spent the last of their time together holding onto each other as a reminder of what they for fighting for.
Chapter 18
Cleveland
It was just after 10am when the four TR-3Bs with the updated weaponry of sonic cannons and magnetic missiles were flying over the decimated city of Cleveland. The squadron was led by Captain Larry Richards. As the pilots flew over the city, they were unable to see a single standing building. The entire city of Cleveland had been reduced to rubble.
Cleveland had been one of the first cities to have an EMP dropped on it which kept the number of robots made in the city to a minimum. There were only two robots rummaging through the debris of the city. The two robots were constructed from plane parts. One of them was given the designation Airbus and the second robot was given the designation Boeing. Both of the robots had an overall humanoid appearance with some enhancements due to their construction from airliners. The robots had wings on their arms and legs as well as propulsion systems attached to their backs. Aside from their airliner-like appendages, both of the mechs appeared to be the typical kill-and-collect robots. The early bombing of the city had prevented the Signal from constructing any of the so-called battle robots in Cleveland.
As the pilot who was designated the leader of the squadron, it was up to Richards to initiate the attack. Richards gritted his teeth and then flew by Airbus, designating the robot as the first target for the squadron. The pilots had discussed their strategy prior to leaving from Chicago, and as soon at the lead TR-3B flew past Airbus, the two craft that were trailing Richards fired magnetic missiles at the robot, hitting it in the chest and left leg. Airbus’s chest and left leg immediately condensed into themselves, crushing the robot’s upper body and leg. Airbus fell to the ground, and as soon as it hit the street, the fourth TR-3B in the squad flew in low and blasted what remained of Airbus with its sonic cannon, reducing the robot to a twisted pile of scrap metal.
Captain Richards circled around and flew toward Boeing. As Richards flew past Boeing, the propulsion system on the robot’s back ignited. The mech leapt into the air and took off after the lead TR-3B. Richards had not expected the mech to be capable of flight, and as a result, the mech was nearly able to reach the TR-3B before the pilot realized that he was being pursued. Richards quickly increased his speed and put some distance between himself and the mech. While Boeing was capable of flight, the mech’s commercial airline parts were no match for the speed and maneuverability of a TR-3B. Richards made a wide circle and the mech mirrored the maneuver in pursuit of him. As Boeing was halfway through completing its circle, it flew directly into the flight path of two of the other TR-3Bs who utilized their machine guns to destroy the mech’s propulsion system. With its ability to fly taken from it, Boeing fell to the ground. It slid along the blood-soaked streets of Cleveland until it crashed into the remains of a destroyed building. As soon as the robot stopped sliding, it grabbed two handfuls of concrete in its hands, stood up, and threw them at the TR-3Bs flying above it. The TR-3Bs were easily able to avoid the debris. The crafts circled around the robot, shooting it with machine guns which caused damage the robot’s outer hull and decreased its stability. After the TR-3Bs had riddled Boeing with bullets, the lead craft dove toward the robot and hit it with a sonic blast that shattered the damaged mech.
With the mechs destroyed, and the city now free of giant robots, the TR-3Bs slowly drifted over Cleveland, playing a recording that instructed anyone who was still alive in the city to come out of hiding and to organize themselves in a similar fashion to the way that the people of Chicago had on the previous day. The message ended by saying that the members of the benevolent group known as the Horsemen were making their way to the city from Chicago and that they would help anyone who was alive to acclimate to the new world in which they would live in. The TR-3Bs circled the city a few times, replaying the message until they saw people climbing out of subway tunnels and other shelters. Once the pilots were satisfied that the citizens of Cleveland were following their directions, they set course for Toronto.
In the state-of-the-art TR-3Bs, the flight from Cleveland to Toronto only took a few minutes. As the squadron approached Toronto, Richards could see the utter devastation that the robots had wrought upon the city. Not a single building was left standing in Toronto. Every single structure within what had once been one of Canada’s greatest cities had been reduced to rubble. Even with the city destroyed, the three robots who had attacked it were still rummaging through its remains, looking for survivors. Two of the robots in the Toronto had a humanoid shape and were constructed from car parts. The first robot was a huge black robot with red stripes on its sides. These robots were made out of parts from the experimental Ford GT, and in his mind, Richards labeled them as GT1 and GT2.
The third robot was the battle robot. It was obvious to Richards that the battle robot was constructed from some manner of farming machinery. The battle robot had a thick rectangular body with three legs on either side of it and a series of large spinning blades attached to both its front and rear flanks. Richards had designated the robot as Reaper. Richards planned to use the same attack pattern against these robots as he had
used on the mechs in Cleveland. He turned toward Reaper to fly by the robot and designate it as the first target. Richards went into a dive when something suddenly caught his eye to his left. He turned his head to see a dozen battle drones flying toward him. Richards cursed. “Damn it! They must have found some drones that were clear of the EMP drop zones!”
Richards quickly swerved toward the drones to engage them while the craft directly behind Richards maintained his attack path toward the battle robot. The second that Richards had altered his flight path, Reaper and the drones initiated their coordinated attack.
Reaper fired two of his spinning blades at the oncoming TR-3B. The pilot who was diving toward Reaper at full speed did not have time to alter his course. The huge spinning blades embed themselves into the TR-3B, destroying several of its vital systems, including navigation. The pilot could do little else but scream as his TR-3B continued its dive and crashed into the ground behind Reaper.
Captain Richards cursed when he saw the TR-3B explode in a ball of flames when it hit the ground. He knew from the briefing in Chicago that the robots were in contact with each other across the world. He concluded that the machines must have relayed the information on his attack in Cleveland to the robots in Toronto. When the robots saw him engage in the same attack pattern that he had used only moments ago in a different city, they immediately employed a counterattack that it had taken them only microseconds to develop. The drones were merely a distraction. As deadly as the drones were, they were no match for the maneuverability and weaponry of the TR-3Bs, but the drones had served their purpose. They had allowed Reaper to destroy one of the TR-3Bs. Richards was well aware that this was a war of attrition, and his failure to anticipate the robots adapting to his attack plan had just cost the human race one of their most powerful weapons and one of their few remaining pilots.
Richards quickly pushed his thoughts of self-doubt aside and refocused on the task at hand. He flew his TR-3B into attack formation to lead the squadron against the drones. As the other TR-3Bs fell into position behind Richards, the drones unleashed a barrage of missiles. Richards responded by firing his sonic cannon which destroyed not only the missiles that were heading toward him but also two of the attacking drones. The other TR-3Bs followed Richards’ lead and used their sonic cannons to destroy the oncoming missiles as well several of the drones who had fired them. With the use of their sonic cannons, the TR-3Bs had managed to destroy eight of the twelve original drones within seconds of engaging them.
The reaming four drones converged into a diamond formation, descended in altitude, and flew over the city. Richards saw one of his three remaining TR-3Bs go into a sharp dive to pursue the drones. The moment that he saw the TR-3B go after the drones, he screamed, “No!” but with his communication system disconnected, his warning went unheeded by the other pilot. The TR-3B chased the drones low above the city where he used his sonic cannon to destroy them. The TR-3B had no sooner destroyed the drones then it was struck and destroyed by a large chunk of debris tossed by GT2.
Captain Richards cursed; he had now lost half of the TR-3Bs that were under his command in the battle for Toronto. He flew his craft near the last TR-3B that remained under his command. Richards dipped his wings from side to side, indicating that he was ready to reinitiate an attack on the robots. The other craft responded in kind indicating that he understood Richards’ communication. Richards flew in a tight circle then he headed directly for Reaper. The battle robot lifted the front of its body into the air and then fired another set of spinning blades at Richards which both he and his wingman were easily able to avoid. Richards responded by hitting the robot with one of his magnetic missiles. The missile caused the front half of Reaper to implode. Rather than finishing off Reaper, Richards pulled up, causing his craft to rapidly increase in altitude. Richard’s wingman followed his lead, causing a chunk of debris thrown by GT1 to narrowly miss his TR-3B.
Richards looked down in disdain GT1. “You are not the only one who can change tactics in the middle of a battle.” Richards turned to the left and dove toward GT2. As Richards suspected, GT2 was attempting to attack him while he was seemingly distracted by GT1. There was a piece of a building flying directly at Richards, but this time, he was ready for it. Richards turned on his sonic cannon which reduced the concrete projectile to dust. Richards flew through the cloud of dust and then fired his sonic cannon at GT2, hitting the robot in its torso. The blast tore a hole right through the center of the robot, destroying its CPU and ending its existence.
Richards looked to his right to see his wingman blasting out GT1’s torso with his own sonic cannon. With GT1’s defeat ensured, Richards turned his attention toward the still-functioning Reaper. With the front half of its body crushed, the mech’s maneuverability was greatly reduced, but it was still far from helpless. Reaper was turning his back toward Richards’ wingman in preparation to fire another series of blades at him. Richards quickly switched his sonic cannon’s controls to continuous fire. The pilot screamed as he sent a steady barrage of sonic blasts towards Reaper, reducing the mech to little more than shards of metal.
After they had defeated the robots, Richards and the other remaining TR-3B began flying over the city and broadcasting directions for any survivors to head toward the lake where representatives from the Horsemen would meet them shortly. Given that every building in the city was destroyed, Richards didn’t see any reason to ask medical professionals to report to the nearest hospital.
As Richards looked down at the acres of rubble that had once been Toronto, he doubted that there would be many survivors to hear his directions. Richards completed four sweeps over the city, and he was able to count little more than two hundred people who crawled out of ruins to start heading to the shoreline.
Several thoughts crossed Richards’ mind as he looked down at the minute amount of survivors walking through the rubble. The first thought that popped into his head was if two hundred people were worth the cost of two TR-3Bs. His second thought contradicted his first as he reminded himself, that given the current state of the human race, that every life he could save made a difference. The last thought that Richards had shook him to the very core of his being. Richards was a lifelong military man. He had gone from high school to the Airforce, and after distinguishing himself there, the Horsemen recruited him. He had flown countless missions which brought small victories to whatever cause he was fighting for, and no matter how small the victory, he always felt that his efforts were worthwhile. With only two hundred some people left alive in Toronto, and the majority of the East Coast still under siege by robots, he wondered how many survivors were still out there for him to fight for.
Richards did his best to push any doubts out of his mind. He flew by the last remaining TR-3B and tipped his wings, indicating that it was time to move on to the next city. The pilot positioned his craft next to Richards’ TR-3B and then they flew toward Baltimore as Richards prayed that there were still people alive there for them to rescue.
Chapter 20
Philadelphia
The flight to Philadelphia was a quick one in the TR-3B, giving the Kaiju Corps only a short time to discuss their strategy for attacking the robots there. Jerome did his best to come up with a strategy that would best utilize the team member’s individual skills. “Leviathan will attack Carrier head on while Bearadon and Chagon wait for hit-and-run opportunities to strike. I want the two of you to try and take out a leg and ground that big mech. Once it is on the ground, its size and weight will work against it.” He turned to Nick. “I know that I am asking a lot of you. Leviathan is the strongest and heaviest kaiju that we have. I have faith that you will be able to hold your own against that giant until the girls can find an opportunity to strike.”
Nick nodded. “I am ready. I can keep Carrier busy for as long as we need.” He reached over to Miki who was sitting next to him and grabbed her hand for support.
Michelle said, “I am going to help Nick engage Carrier directly. In my Beara
don form, I have the strength and mass to fight that thing with Leviathan’s help. Chagon should wait in the rubble and look for a chance to wrap herself around a leg and crush it.”
Jerome shook his head. “I don’t think that’s our best option. I think you should hit and run with Chagon. It’s the best way to ensure that we ground Carrier as quickly as possible.”
Michelle’s voice became defiant. “Chagon has a slender body that is designed for quick strikes, so it makes sense for her to operate in an ambush fashion. I am a big heavy monster who is not overly quick. I am more likely to accidently step in Chagon’s way while she is trying to attack then I am to be a help to her. Clarissa said that three of us need to attack this robot head on. While I agree with your idea of Chagon using stealth to attack, I need to be engaged in a frontal assault with Leviathan.” She glared at Jerome. “I am still the second physically strongest kaiju on this team. A few days ago, you would have had me attacking head on with Leviathan. Don’t let what happened last night change your approach to how to best utilize Bearadon in the field.”
Nick and Miki both had quizzical looks on their faces. “What do you mean about last night? Was there some kind of meeting that we missed?”
Jerome was trying to think of what to say when Michelle stood. “Jerome and I had sex last night.” She could immediately see the stunned looks on the faces of the newly involved couple. She shrugged. “There is no reason to hide this from you anymore. The Instructors have known from the start of this war that it was going to last longer than our lifetime. This is a war that will take generations to win. Even if we are successful at stopping the production of giant robots across the world, the humans of the future are going to need a Kaiju Corps to protect them from the thousands of robots that are currently on the planet. With the Horsemen facilities around the world destroyed, they can’t genetically engineer new Kaiju Corps members like they did with us. Which means the only way that there can be a new generation of Kaiju Corps members in the future is for us to give birth to them.”
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