by Jake Bible
“My brother died in my arms when I was fifteen, asshole.”
“Really? Sorry.”
“No, not really. I’ll get Capreze.”
***
Bisby opened fire with his plasma cannon and the 50mm, taking out the first wave of zombies as they surged towards him.
“Rachel!”
“What Biz?”
“Get your ass here now! I’ve got hundreds of undead coming straight for me! They are too close to take out!”
The swarm overwhelmed Bisby’s weapons and smashed directly into him, the weight of the dead bringing the mighty mech to the ground. Bisby sent a high voltage current through his mech’s exoskeleton, hoping to fry the zombies off, but only the first few were affected, melting a layer of rotten flesh to his mech.
***
“Capreze here. Whatcha need Jespers?”
“Sir, I have confirmation of Ranchers. They have a herd of zombies, maybe fifty, sixty total. Looks like they’re heading for Timson’s Bluff. Shall I pursue?”
“No, let them alone. The UDC’s said that as long as the Cults don’t bother us, we aren’t to bother them.”
“But did they say we couldn’t follow them? I can do some quick recon and mark their base, in case we need to come back.”
“What was that Jespers? You’re breaking up. I didn’t hear a word of what you just said. Copy?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
***
“Are you okay, sir?” Themopolous asked, seeing the worry on Capreze’s face as he severed the com connection with Mathew.
“We’ve got Ranchers out near Timson’s Bluff.”
“Timson’s Bluff? Ranchers aren’t usually that close to us, if I’m not mistaken.”
“You aren’t,” Capreze said, sighing. “But, first thing’s first, I need to know why you didn’t come to me with this.”
Themopolous paused before answering. “I wasn’t sure you could be trusted, sir. I was warned that this is top level UDC.”
“Fair enough. So, now what?” Capreze asked.
“I don’t know,” Themopolous answered. “But we have to stop them.”
***
Bisby struggled against the weight of zombie bodies piling onto his mech, but for every few he was able to crush or toss aside, twice as many replaced them. He could hear cables snapping, hydraulics cracking and his mech groan under the weight.
A hairline crack appeared in his cockpit and he was tempted to say ‘fuck it’ and start firing his sidearm through the windshield at the zombie faces trying to gnash and gnaw their way in.
Suddenly, above the noise of the zombie swarm, Bisby could hear rapid gunfire. The weight on his mech began to lessen quickly.
***
Mathew was able to track the Rancher transport on his sensors and he guessed correctly: they headed straight for Timson’s Bluff.
Unable to get any closer without his mech being observed, Mathew shut down power and climbed from the cockpit, carbine strapped to his shoulder and binocs in hand.
He stood facing the rough, steep surface of the cliff, knowing that it would be a hard climb, but worth the unobstructed, and unobserved, view of the Ranchers’ activities.
“I’m gonna be fucking sore tomorrow,” he sighed.
Walking back to the mech he began unloading climbing gear from a storage compartment.
***
“So how do these nanobots work?” Capreze asked.
“I’m not sure to be honest,” Themopolous replied. “The tech behind it has never been released into public knowledge. In fact, last I heard, the UDC gave up on its success years ago. Either this has been a completely classified project or there was some recent breakthrough I didn’t hear about.”
“Either way, it’s a bit extreme to inject those things into the entire population.”
“UDC population,” Themopolous corrected.
“What?”
“From the info I have seen, none of the wasteland inhabitants have been injected.”
“Hmmmm….,” Capreze mused. “Why only the UDC population?”
***
“Rachel?!? Is that you?” Bisby yelled into his com. “Rachel?!?”
He slammed his fist against the console. “Fucking piece of shit com! Jethro is fucking dead!”
The gunfire continued and zombies were now visibly falling away. He shoved and fought, tossing many aside.
Without warning there was a crack and then searing pain exploded in his right shoulder. “Mother fucker!”
Bisby looked down at the rapidly spreading patch of blood. He abandoned getting his mech upright and cut open his uniform. Tearing into his med kit, he slapped a compression bandage on the wound, hoping it would stop the bleeding.
***
Rachel’s legs burned from the effort of running her mech as hard as possible.
“Biz?!? Come in, Biz! Shit!”
She tried to lock onto his location, but her sensor readings were all over the place.
“Goddammit!” she yelled. “Jethro? What the hell is wrong with my systems?!?” She waited for the reply, but was only met with static. “Jethro? What the fuck?!?”
She knew she was close, but with a lack of proper sensor readings and no com, he could be just over a hill and she’d run right past him.
“This just fucking sucks!” she screamed, filled with frustration.
***
Bisby ignored the pain. Pain was for fucking pussies that didn’t pilot 50-ton war machines. He forced his mech upright and pulled the trigger, laying waste to dozens of zombies still swarming his mech. Fluids and tissue splattered across his cockpit, streaking the windows.
The whirling machine guns clicked empty and came to a halt, barrels smoking. Bisby glanced at the weapons levels. Empty. Everything.
Movement on the horizon: a mech. He wasn’t sure if it was living or dead. Or if it mattered anymore.
All he had was his sidearm and he planned on saving one bullet for himself.
***
“Ready to set camp?” Masters asked over the com.
“As good a place as any,” Jay responded.
The Rookie stared out at the wide-open expanse of wasteland. “Aren’t we a little exposed?”
“No, not really,” Jay answered. “It’s easier to set a security perimeter.” Jay saw the look on the Rookie’s face. “Listen, if you set up against a cliff or hill you have to secure elevation, which means you have gravity working against you. There really isn’t any safe place in the waste. Might as well keep it open and make the zombies cover ground to get to you.”
***
“Fucking hell!” Rachel yelled as she nearly toppled over trying to sidestep the mini-mech that came out of nowhere and screamed past her. She slowed her mech and spun around, having to physically observe the machine since her sensors were still non-operational.
But, the mini-mech was gone. She came to a full stop and turned 360 degrees, trying to spot it again. Nothing.
“JETHRO!!!!”
“What?!? Jeezus, you trying to pop my eardrums?” Jethro answered.
“Thank God the com is back up. Which mini do you have out here?”
“What? I called Two and Four in. They’re almost back to base.”
***
Mathew lay belly down just at the edge of the bluff, peering through his binocs, not believing what he was seeing.
What are the Ranchers doing loading zombies onto UDC transports? he thought.
He scooted away from the edge and back to his climbing gear. He strapped on his repelling harness, tossed the rope off the cliff side and descended.
He debated whether to alert Capreze now or wait until he was secure at base. He had no idea what monitoring tech the UDC transports had. Hell, he had no idea if they already had his mech on their sensors.
***
“Am I just hearing voices or is the com back up?” Bisby asked.
“My com was never down, it must have been just you guys,” Jethro
answered.
“Biz! What’s your location?” Rachel asked. “Wait, never mind, sensors are operational again also. What happened?”
“I don’t know, but it got pretty lonely out here. I’ve got a visual on your mech, Rache. Turn around, I’m five miles behind you,” Bisby said, randomly stomping on the zombies that were still moving.
“Yeah, I got ya. Be there shortly.”
“Don’t bother. I’m doing a little clean up and then I’ll head your way.”
***
The sun set quickly, turning the wasteland into an appropriate blood red landscape.
“Hey, anybody still out here?” Mathew called over an open channel.
“Matty? Why aren’t you at base?” Rachel asked.
“I found something interesting. I’ll fill you in back at base. You okay?”
“I’m fine. Things got weird, but nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“I’m fucking fine too. Thanks for asking,” Bisby grumbled. “Just got shot in the shoulder, that’s all.”
“Damn! You okay?”
“Yeah. We stopped and Rache patched me up.”
“She’s good that way.”
“Yep. I’ll let you two talk in private. See ya back at base.”
***
June was barely conscious when Chunks threw her onto the skin rug. She knew she was in pain, but it seemed so distant, foreign. Shock had taken over hours ago after the fourth or fifth time Riley had raped her. She fought to keep her senses, knowing any bit of information she could retain could save her life.
“We found this one messing with the larder, Boss,” Chunks said.
Two leather boots filled her vision as the Boss stepped closer to examine her.
“What happened, Chunks?”
“Riley couldn’t wait, Boss. He had to have a taste.”
“Call him in here.”
***
Rachel and Mathew walked their mechs through the night, separated by miles, but connected by their com, each listening to the other’s breathing.
A shooting star shot past the horizon.
“Did you see that?” Mathew asked.
“The shooting star?” Rachel responded.
“Yeah. Better make a wish.”
“It already came true.”
“I’m going to be sick,” Bisby interrupted.
“I thought you were going to give us some privacy,” Mathew stated, slightly annoyed.
“Yeah, well I got bored. Although I’m beginning to think boredom is better than nausea.”
Rachel reached out and punched Bisby’s mech sending him stumbling.
“Hey!”
“Sorry. Got bored.”
***
The Rookie was actually grateful when the high-pitched keening woke him. The trip across the waste was bringing up long dead memories, making his sleep fitful. He sat up immediately, grabbing his carbine.
Floodlights from the mechs were triggered and the Rookie had to squint into the light.
“What is it?” the Rookie called out.
“Couple wanderers broke the perimeter,” Masters said, checking readings on his tablet. “All clear now. Go back to sleep.”
“System staying strong?” Jay asked sleepily, still wrapped in his sleeping bag.
“Everything checks out fine.”
“Good…good…,” Jay mumbled, already asleep before he finished speaking.
***
“Boss?” June heard Riley say. She felt searing pain between her legs as her bladder loosed.
“What’s the Law?” the Boss’s voice growled.
“Huh?”
“The Law, Riley.”
“Well, she ain’t no virgin. I checked. I figured you wouldn’t mind if I had some fun.”
Through her hazy vision, June watched the Boss’s boots step away. There was a small metallic sound, a wet gurgle then Riley, throat slashed and gushing, fell next to her, his eyes wide.
“Chunks!”
“Yeah, Boss?”
“Dress this asshole for tomorrow’s lunch.”
“Yes, Boss.”
It was then June saw the various tattoos adorning the Boss’s boots.
Chapter Four
Part One- The Commander & The Boss
“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” Themopolous asked as Capreze stepped into the examination room.
“No. Too much going on,” He answered over a mug of coffee, setting a second down for Themopolous. “I can see you’re in the same boat.”
“I wanted to try to have some answers before the pilot briefing.”
“And?”
“I should know in a couple of minutes.” Themopolous lowered her safety goggles and picked up a rotary bone saw. On the table before her was the zombie head Bisby had retrieved. Flicking the saw on, Themopolos lowered the whirring blade to the zombie’s skull and began to cut.
***
“Wake up sleepy head,” Rachel whispered into Mathew’s ear.
“…huh? Wha?” he dreamily responded.
“Coffee’s all made, the mess is set up. Let’s go for a sunrise stroll.”
“What time is it?” Mathew asked sitting up from his bunk and grabbing his uniform.
“0530.”
“Really? You want to take a mech for a stroll at 0530?”
“No,” Rachel answered coyly, stepping close to Mathew and helping him into his uniform. “I want to take a sunrise stroll with you at 0530. Privately.”
Mathew’s fatigued brain finally caught up. “Oh, well in that case, let me brush my teeth.”
Rachel smiled.
***
Just before sunrise, Jay retrieved the security poles handing them to the Rookie. Several times they had to step past headless zombie corpses, their already rotted bodies quickly decomposing in the constant wasteland heat.
“What the hell happened?” the Rookie asked.
“Specially calibrated sonic frequency. Little something I rigged up a few years back,” Jay responded.
The Rookie blankly stared at him. Jay sighed. “Zombie brain composition is different than ours. I figured out the frequency so that if zombies pass between two poles, their brain is vibrated until ‘POP’. But, it only works on a small scale…so far.”
***
“Jethro? Are you up?” Capreze asked over the com, sipping from his coffee mug while he watched Themopolous work.
“Of course I’m up. With Jay gone I’m on double duty. I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” Jethro answered.
“Good to hear it,” Capreze laughed. “Listen, I want you in the briefing this morning also, so don’t start any huge project you can’t get away from.”
“Sure thing, sir.”
“Also, I need you to get everyone up and let them know the briefing will be early this morning. We have a big day ahead and need to be prepared.”
“Will do, Commander.”
***
Bodies intertwined, trying to become one. Hands grasped, fingers gripped. Two sets of hips interlocked.
“Hey, Rachel? Have you seen Mathew anywhere? I can’t get him on his com,” Jethro’s voice squawked.
“Oh, shit,” Rachel whispered. “Don’t move an inch.”
“You’re the boss,” Mathew responded.
Rachel ground down on him. “Damn right.” She flipped a switch. “Yeah, I have sight of him. He’s taking a walk and a piss.”
“Roger. Wonder why he took his com off?”
“Who knows with that boy. He gets strange ideas in his head.”
Rachel killed the switch, Mathew thrust hard, making her climax immediately.
***
“Looks like Mathew’s on a morning walk,” Jethro said over Capreze’s com.
“Without his com on?” Capreze asked.
“Guess so. You want me to go find him?”
“Yeah, go do that and let Rachel know we are moving the briefing up.”
“Can’t you tell her over her com?” Jethro asked.
“I co
uld,” Capreze responded, a tinge of annoyance touching his voice. “But, I’d hate to interrupt.”
“Interrupt? What do you…? Oh, yeah, right. I’ll go get them right now, sir.”
“Thanks, Jethro. And Jethro?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Don’t let on that I sent you after them.”
Jethro laughed. “Sure thing, sir.”
***
“Hey, Rache?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Why won’t you sleep in the barracks? Why do you stay in your mech all night?”
Rachel uncurled herself from Mathew’s half naked form, stretched in the cramped cockpit and kissed him deeply. He embraced her, answering the kiss equally. Their lips parted and she stroked his cheek, looking into his eyes. She pecked him quickly and re-settled onto his chest.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Nope.”
“Ever going to?”
“Yep. When we are both ready.”
Mathew thought for a second, Rachel looked up at him, he smiled down at her.
“Okay. Take your time.”
“Thank you.”
***
Doctor Themopolous tossed the latex gloves in the incinerator.
“So Doc, what’s the story?” Capreze asked.
Turning, Doctor Themopolous stared straight at the Commander. She did not look well. Commander Caprese waited patiently.
“Memory.”
“Come again?”
“The dead mechs are using the zombie brains for memory. They are like an undead hard drive for the mech’s AI.”
“So what does that mean tactically?” Bisby asked, having just entered the room.
Capreze ignored the interruption, wanting to know the answer as well.
“With their processing speed, the dead mechs are as intelligent, if not more, than humans.”
“Fucking great,” Bisby groaned.
***
“Take your seats, please,” Capreze ordered. “Jethro is joining us today since he may have some insights.”
Jethro gave an exaggerated wave to everyone seated. Capreze rolled his eyes.
“First order of business is to watch some of the vid from Bisby’s encounter with Red Legs yesterday.” Capreze tapped at his tablet and the room went dark as a large vid screen filled with the grainy vid feed from the battle.