by Mark Wandrey
"You come back to help us or bitch about my interior decorating?"
"Bots!" Aaron yelled from across the hall and he opened fire with his beamcaster. Minu jumped to her feet and staggered to the door. Somewhere she'd lost one of her guns so she drew the other. A crab-bot was scuttling toward Aaron. He fired at a pair of centipedes racing along the ceiling. She shot the crab-bot which exploded into a dozen pieces just as another flight of dragonflies came down the hall. She got off one shot before they split into two groups and soared into both rooms and began shedding a storm of tiny roach-bots.
Minu screamed and tried to spin away from the deadly little machines, two of them landed on her anyway. One hit her left upper arm, the other caught in her hair. Instantly she felt flesh tear on her arm as the single minded machine dug in, its only intent to do as much damage as possible. She'd read about them in Pip’s pirated files. A terror weapon banned by Concordia Law. Pain burned in her arm as the bot burrowed into her flesh. Great, now I'm going to lose the other arm!
As she hit the floor and rolled to try and dislodge the one in her hair she saw a turtle-bot enter the doorway and level its turret at her. Gregg and his shield was at least five meters away firing the beamcaster at a swarm of roaches coming at him across the floor. Realization set in, she was about to die.
The eternity between realization and death stretched out and continued to stretch. The turtle never fired. The roach in her hair stopped trying to get at her head, and the one burrowed into her arm stopped digging into her flesh. Minu didn't hesitate, she snatched the little mechanical beast from her hair with her right hand, some of her long red hair pulling out in the process. Heedless of the pain, ultra-powerful micro servos whined as her cybernetic hand crushed the immobilized bot into junk. Gregg was picking a path through the still roaches toward her.
"Are you okay?" he asked in the stunned silence.
"I will be," she said and looked down at her left bicep where blood pumped steadily through a ragged wound inside which a tiny metallic glint was visible. She took a calming breath and with her three fingered mechanical hand dug into the wound. "Aahhh, shit!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
Gregg grimaced and shook his head.
With a wrench and a grunting scream she tore the second roach-bot from her arm and looked at it. Its mechanical pincers held little chucks of her flesh and blood now freely poured from the wound. As she crunched it in her hand like a walnut, Gregg was there to staunch to blood with a bandage.
"Are you okay?" Aaron said, lithely dodging across the hall and around the immobilized turtle-bot crowding the door. He covered the hall in the direction of the courtyard, holding his fire as he ran. "There are a shit load of bots just standing around down there," he said once he was clear of the hall. Terry came right behind him being sure to keep within their shared shield. "What the hell happened?"
Pip was laughing like he'd just heard the best joke ever and slapping his knee. He did a little dance in a circle and almost dropped the tablet/radio he'd been carrying, juggling it and catching a hold again just before it hit the floor. He wasn't laughing anymore and his face turned pale.
"I take it that is the reason we're still alive?" Minu asked and pointed at the device. She glanced at her bloody bicep as Gregg finished the bandage.
"You betcha," he said and showed it to her. "I Call it Pip's Universal Frequency Fracturer."
"PUFF?" Gregg said and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Pip asked, looking offended.
"A song my mother taught me when I was a little boy on the trading route. Puff the Magic Dragon."
"What's a dragon?" Terry asked.
"Not now," Minu interrupted, “we're a little short on time! It's a frequency jammer?"
"No, jammers just cut off a frequency with junk. This is a fracturer." Minu just stared at him. "It catches a frequency, in this case the ones used to control those bots, and it fractures it into harmonics. Makes it impossible for the controller and bot to find a new channel."
"Sounds like a jammer to me," Aaron said. Everyone nodded in agreement and Pip rolled his eyes.
"How long will it last?" Minu asked.
"As long as this computer keeps running, every bot in range is out of business."
"There are so many of them," Gregg said as he reloaded handguns. Even with the large quantity of ammo he and Aaron brought they were still running low.
Minu found her other gun and checked it. She was down to one extra clip each. "Even with the bots down we don't have enough bullets to shoot them all. Keep an eye on the door," she ordered Gregg and searched for personal tablet among all the debris in the room. At least the concrete dust was settling. When she finally found it, there was a split down the center of the screen, its brain toasted. She rubbed her forehead and tossed the dead tablet aside with a sigh. Pip handed her an extra. As usual, he had plenty. "Thanks," she said and he nodded.
Aaron was examining her arm. The dressing was already bleeding through. Gregg was no better, the dressing she'd placed on his wound was torn free and so much blood had run down his back that his pants were soaked. They all looked like they'd been through the meat grinder. Except Pip of course, he looked like he was ready for lunch. Considering what he'd brought to the fight, Minu decided he deserved a pass.
Minu quickly logged into the Chosen network through the new tablet. The network recognized her and the computer became hers, files were backed up and her personal settings recreated. Just like before, the building controls and status popped up. She could see that teams downstairs under Jacob were faring much better. Though the Rasa had breached the field there too, the larger number of Chosen were managing to hold them at bay. She checked for status of other portals and saw they were all under attack, even Tranquility. The Rasa attack at the Tranquility Portal was massive and the defenses there were in disarray. The only news was now from civilian sources. There was no word from the Chosen. One news agency had a camera on the roof of a high rise which showed large parts of the city in flames.
"Oh my God," Aaron said when he saw the image. "We're really at war."
"We're not ready for this," Terry moaned. "I'm an engineer, not a soldier!"
"Even the scouts aren't trained for this nightmare," said Gregg from the door. He didn't take his eyes off the hallway. A reptilian head popped up several doors down and he fired instantly. The shot went wide and they continued their waiting game.
"At least these guns are something," Minu said, admiring the hand cannons with some affection. She stood to stretch, considering how to proceed. The loss to the Rasa of their bots wouldn't stop them forever. Before long they would come again, and in force. And how long would they hold then? She considered the enemy crab-bots, maybe turn them against their former masters. Then she remembered Pip's new PUFF. Of course it worked both ways. What to do?
"I just wish we had time to make more of these,” Aaron said as he stood next to her and reloaded his hand cannon, “maybe build a mini factory?"
"What did you say?" Minu said, turning to face him.
"I said I wish was more time. You know, to make more of these guns."
Minu stared at him in slack jawed shock. So simple, why hadn't she thought of it months ago? "I've got a plan," she announced.
"Does it involve us all dying?" Pip asked.
"Maybe," she admitted. He blanched. "But if it works, a shit load of Rasa are going to die first."
"I'm in," Gregg said.
"Me too," Aaron agreed.
"If I don't go along I'm toast anyway," Terry said.
"Bring the jammer and lets go," Minu told Pip.
"It's not a jammer," he complained and followed anyway.
Chapter 6
Julast 13th, 518 AE – 14:03
Science Branch, Chosen Headquarters, Steven’s Pass
"What's the plan?" Gregg asked as they moved through the connecting corridor toward the science hub.
"We can teach, or we can do," she said, "what's your choice?"
"Lead on boss."
Minu used her tablet to leave the fields deactivated between the hubs. Pip spent a few seconds with the deactivated turtle-bot and promised a surprise for the Rasa when they tried to open it up. "We won't have a lot of time in the lab," Pip warned.
"We won't need long. How many of the Shock Rifles are assembled?"
"One hundred twenty nine, but they won't work at all without those computers,” he reminded her. “I haven't even got that prototype finished."
"No problem," she said and turned into their lab. Gregg and Aaron took up the rear, watching for Rasa pursuit. For now the enemy appeared confused by the sudden failure of their bot shock force. True to Pip's word, there were case after case of the nearly finished Shock Rifles packed in the common cylindrical packing crates. "Other than the computers they're ready?"
"Yeah," Pip said again, "there are even a couple power units for each one in the crates. But I don't-"
"Everyone grab a crate," she said and went to the lab's small window. Using her new tablet she deactivated the field on that wall.
"Chosen Alma, you have deactivated an exterior field," came the facility coordinator from deep underground.
"I realize that," she replied.
"High command is requesting an explanation."
"Equipment vital to our victory is outside, in the warehouses," she said as she went to Gregg and took his beamcaster. He surrendered it with a curious look. "I'm requesting the discretion to pursue this strategy."
"Minu, this is Dram."
"Glad to hear you're still alive."
"A little chewed up, but still here. Bastards were using roach-bots, then they suddenly stopped."
"Yeah, we know. Thank Pip for pulling their bots out of action."
"We all thank him. Can you explain why we need to open the door to let them out of the complex? Containment is our only hope at this point."
"I can't easily explain. You've seen the news, they're tearing Tranquility apart."
"We have."
"Trust me Dram, please? You have so far."
There was a pregnant pause and Minu prayed she'd done enough to earn that trust. "Good luck, Minu," he said finally.
"Hope you know what you're doing," Pip told her as he struggled to lift one of the crates.
"So do I," she said and dialed up the beamcaster to full power. "Fire in the hole!" She triggered the gun and a massive section of wall exploded outward, just like in Bjorn's office. She fired twice more and when the debris stopped falling there was a two meter wide hole with fresh air blowing through. It felt good after the crazy half hour of fighting in dusty, ozone laden air. Had it really been only a half an hour? "How tough are these crates?" she asked Pip.
"Pretty tough," he said. Minu dragged one over and slid it out the hole, and three stories to the ground below. Pip's jaw dropped as she leaned out to watch it slam into the ground. One bounce and it came to a rest, apparently none the worse for wear.
"Yep, pretty tough," she agreed. The boys laughed and tossed their crates out as well.
“I get to blow out the next wall,” Gregg chuckled.
“You'll have to wrestle me for it,” Aaron disagreed.
“Would you two knock it off,” Terry said as Minu took climbing rope from her field kit and secured one end to a heavy bench.
“What can I say,” Gregg said as he turned to salvage a couple EPC suitable for recharge of their beamcasters and helped Terry work the transfer. Pip just watched them work and cradled the all-important PUFF. As Minu finished the rope she glanced at Pip again. His face showed worry, not fear. Once again she wished she'd not thrown him out of her room all those months ago. How would a relationship have gone with him instead of Christian. She looked over a shoulder to where Aaron stood and kept careful guard. Sometimes life was too complicated.
"You could at least carry a gun," Aaron said to Pip after their guns were recharged, holding out one of his massive guns.
Pip made a face at it and shook his head. "Big brains don't need big guns."
"Okay, big brain," Minu said after making sure the line was safe, "you and your PUFF are first." Pip eyed the rope skeptically. "Just like the Trials," she said and patted him on the back. He handed her the PUFF and nodded. Wrapping the rope around an arm, he hesitantly backed out the ragged hole, tearing his uniform and cursing. Minu leaned out to watch him slowly descend, then the entire building was rocked with a violent explosion from back where they'd been fighting. Pip yelled and lost his grip, falling almost two stories straight down. She saw him land wrong and go rolling away grabbing at his left leg.
"What the fuck was that?" she asked no one in particular.
"Must have been Pip's improvised bot tinkering," Terry guessed, "I saw him screwing around with their power supplies."
"He's hurt," she told them. Minu tucked the PUFF into her backpack, grabbed the rope with her right arm and leaped out the window. She spun after leaving the hole, her legs absorbing the impact and cybernetic arm playing out rope. Just before impact she squeezed harder than any human could have managed. Where cybernetics met biotic her shoulder cried out in protest. She slowed just enough to let her legs take up the impact. A small curl of smoke came from her hand and she ignored the searing pain. "Fake pain anyway," she growled and went to check Pip.
"Damn," Terry said from above.
"She's more machine now than man," Gregg said in a strange, nasal voice.
"Twisted and evil," Aaron finished the line. Terry looked from one to the other in confusion. “Star Wars,” Aaron volunteered, “you know, Obi wan Kenobi?”
“You two are crazy, you know that?”
“Right,” Aaron gave up, “your next then," he effected a little bow and gestured to the hole.
Outside Minu dropped to her knees next to Pip who was in a fetal position holding his ankle. He was making mewing noises and rocking back and forth. "Talk to me, buddy," she said, trying to pull his hands apart, "how bad is it?"
"I felt it snap when I hit," Pip managed through clenched teeth. His face was white and the tendons in his neck were standing out.
Minu stood up and turned to see Terry at the edge, his back to her as he prepared to start down. There was a loud crack and his back exploded in blood and gore. With terrible slow motion he fell backwards, a puppet with its strings cut. "No!" Minu screamed and ran, some crazy idea of catching him in her mind. He hit the ground head first with a sickening thud a half second before she could get there.
Aaron and Gregg spun at the shot, both firing their own beamcasters at nearly point blank range, Gregg's still turned to full power. On impact the Rasa soldier in the lab doorway exploded like a meat bomb. With nothing more to do, Aaron and then Gregg grabbed the rope and did their best imitation of Minu's repelling job from earlier, both with mixed results. Neither of them broke any bones, though they ended up in a tangled heap next to Terry's smoldering body.
Minu finished checking him for a pulse and was waiting as they landed, both her guns out and pointed at the hole to cover them. Aaron rolled over painfully to check Terry. "Don't bother,” she said, “he's dead, Shot went right through his heart."
Gregg pounded the ground with a hand and struggled to his feet. "What about Pip?" he asked.
"Broken ankle, I think. We need to move, and fast," she said as a shadow moved across the hole three stories above. "You get the crates and Pip moving, I'll cover you."
Gregg grabbed Pip and pulled one of his arms over his shoulder, hauling him to his feet. He cried out and begged to be put down. "Come on," Gregg growled, "we need to go."
Aaron slid his beamcaster onto its sling and over his back. With a heave he grabbed two of the cases by the handles and got them up, one on each shoulder. Minu was impressed, they had to weigh fifty kilos each. "Where we going?"
"Warehouses," Minu said and started backing in the direction of the distant buildings. The first Rasa appeared and she fired both guns, scoring two clean hits and throwing it back into the lab.
The strange procession moved back around the corner of the building. Three cases of guns stayed where they'd fallen. Minu hissed in anger at leaving them there, but if her plan worked it wouldn't matter. She paused at the edge of the building, peaking around the corner.
A pair of Rasa were using the rope the humans left behind. It was startling how well they repelled. The two took up defensive positions and five more came down in quick succession. "Come on," Minu willed, "follow us." One, apparently a leader, first looked at the three cases then in the direction the humans retreated. It's tongue flicked out as it weighed the options. After a moment it skittered over to the nearest crate. "Damn it," Minu cursed. She popped around the corner and fired both weapons once, twice, three times.
Almost a hundred meters was a hard shot with the short barreled hand cannons and she still scored two hits out of six. Their leader took one and another soldier the second.
The Rasa all dodged, diving behind the crates for cover of just dropping flat on the ground. They carried a mixed bag of beamcasters and flechette guns, all of which began firing at her. As Minu dodged back for cover she wasn't worried about the beamcasters so much, this was exactly the sort of situation for which they were so unsuitable. Those shots went wide. One of the other Rasa let fly with a long burst of flechette that stitched along the wall toward her as she spun away. Minu felt a horrible tearing sear into her left calf as she rolled behind cover. She came up limping and knew she'd lost a piece of her calf. Her team were already disappearing around the corner of the squat top of the buried HERT. She ran as fast as the dull throbbing in her left leg would allow. She could hear the Rasa racing after her. "At least my hearing is coming back."
Even half helping, half carrying poor Pip, Gregg managed to have a gun out and help Minu pull off a shoot-and-scoot fall back as they worked around the HERT toward the warehouses. The hard part would be from the back of the HERT to the first warehouse, better than a hundred meters of open space. Just like the first open stretch, the others went first while Minu walked backwards with a gun in each hand, each step doubly difficult because her left leg kept trying to fold under her. She'd just reloaded the guns with her last two magazines and was halfway across the open space when an entire squad of Rasa came tearing around the corner of the HERT. One dropped to all fours and sniffed the ground, following her bleeding leg like a kloth tracking a wounded tuck. As the one on all four looked up she fired once, nearly blowing his head clean off.