by Jake Bible
“He is attempting a scan,” Shiner warned.
“Let him,” Mathew responded. “He should know what he’s up against.”
***
“You okay, Papa Bear?” Rachel asked over the com.
“Fine,” Capreze grunted.
“You sure? Because I need to know your head is in the game,” Rachel said.
“Who’s the Commander here?” Capreze asked. “Me or you?”
“Well, sounds like it’s me right now. Unless you plan on shoving that hurt down deep and getting your ass ready to fight,” Rachel replied.
Capreze sighed to himself. “I’m amazed at how well you turned out and frightened at the same time. You are the perfect mech pilot.”
“Yeah, well you’re the perfect Commander and Father. How about you start acting like it?”
***
“Olivia raised me. Pissed the Boss off, a woman raising his son,” the Rookie said quietly, seated next June. “He always hated her filling my head with things larger than the next fight.”
“How old were you when she helped you escape?” June asked.
“Eleven? Twelve, maybe? I don’t know. I never knew my birthday and the doctors at Foggy Bottom could only approximate,” the Rookie laughed. “Olivia would be horrified to know I escaped fighting in the pit to end up fighting in a cage.”
“Just be thankful you escaped at all,” June said looking at the sleeping boy.
***
Harlow keyed in the command and waited for acknowledgement. In a matter of seconds, Four pinged back and Harlow smiled. “Now I have a plan,” she said aloud.
Her smile quickly faded as warning alarms sounded. “Fuck,” she cursed, watching as the UDC transports locked their missiles onto the mech transport. Without stopping to think, Harlow launched all RPGs and the last few missiles preemptively, hoping to throw the other transports’ attack off.
She yanked the controls and turned the transport perpendicular with the others and tried to coax more power from the throttle. “Come on you piece of shit!”
***
“I feel the mech trying to bypass my security,” Johnson boomed. “It will not succeed.”
“He may be correct,” Shiner said. “There are complexities of code that I am unfamiliar with. It appears that the Outsider has created his own language, reprogramming the UDC mainframe to run only on his commands.”
“Which means?” Mathew asked.
“It means that if we destroy Dr. Johnson the mainframe will start to break down within the hour. All stored data, all of your humanity’s collected history and information, would be lost. You will be left with only memories.”
“Back to square one,” Mathew responded.
***
Zombies flew up over the front of the mech transport as Harlow plowed through the massive horde. Rotted limbs, putrid torsos and badly decomposed heads smashed into the windshield, obscuring her view, making her rely more on the vid screens than what was right in front of her.
“Come on, little guy, bust ass and get here,” she said.
An explosion, then another rocked the transport. Her readings told her all systems were online and functioning, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the missiles hit home.
Gunfire erupted and several more explosions shook the wasteland.
***
“I have visual!” Nguyen yelled. “ETA ten minutes before we are swarmed by deaders.”
“Okay folks,” Lieutenant Murphy shouted. “You have your positions. Dig in and don’t stop firing until you are empty. If you can draw a transport close enough to try to overtake then do so. If we can get in one of those fuckers then we stand a helluva lot better chance of survival.”
“This is the real shit, huh, sir?” Specialist Kafar asked over the com.
“Yes, Specialist, it is,” Murphy answered. “You ready for this?”
“Born ready, sir,” Kafar responded.
“We all were,” Sol affirmed.
***
“You hear them chattering away as if they stand a chance?” Johnson laughed, his semi-human, semi-synthesized voice cackling madly. “Little ants to be stepped on.”
“This guy is really starting to bug the shit out of me,” Mathew said.
“I agree with the bug shit,” Shiner said. “But, I believe I almost have access.”
Mathew watched with anticipation, but quickly despaired as a massive plate slid down in front of the stronghold entrance, adding yet another layer of protection against breach.
“Our cerebral integration must be off because I have a distinctly different definition of access,” Mathew grumbled to Shiner.
***
Themopolous rounded the corner, nearly colliding with the Rookie.
“Sorry, Doc. My fault,” the Rookie apologized. “How’s Biz?”
“He’s as pissed off as ever,” Themopolous said, exasperated. “He wants me to let him ride up in the engine control room so he can help with tactical.”
“What about his arm?”
“I saved enough nerves that he should be compatible for a full prosthetic,” she answered. “You and June have a good talk?”
“Good? I don’t know about that, but June knows she isn’t alone anymore.” The Rookie sighed. “We now have a lot more in common than I thought possible.”
***
Four kept on firing its 50mm gun, annihilating the UDC missiles as they sped towards the mech transport. Its first objective accomplished, the mini-mech turned on the transports themselves, its plasma cannon glowing red.
Dodging cannon fire, it headed straight at the transports. A shell exploded feet from the mini-mech, the concussion knocking it to the ground. Barely missing a step, Four righted itself and continued on its direct path towards the transports.
When only a couple yards away it let loose a barrage of plasma bursts, aiming not for the windshields, but for the armored wheel wells and axles.
***
Harlow watched the vid screen as she put as much distance between herself and the UDC deaders as possible. The mini-mech was holding up better than she’d hoped and she hated what she would have to do.
“Okay, little guy, turn them around,” she said.
Four crippled several transports. Those still functioning pursued the mini-mech as it led them back into the zombie masses.
Harlow checked her readings, calculated the distance and set her hand above the large red button on the mini-mech control console.
When certain she was as clear as she could get, she slammed the button home.
***
The pile of deader corpses that Harlow left in the wasteland shuddered, the repaired undead re-animating, coming back to unlife. Hands and claws scratched and ripped their way through their unaffected brethren, tearing through carcasses to gain access to mobility once again.
Several got to their unsteady feet, their slashed open skulls knitting back together as they lurched upright. The signal in their inoculated, tech modified brains told them to march, to keep moving towards Him.
The wasteland turned white and all things, dead, undead, re-undead disappeared in a blast of heat that boiled then vaporized rotted flesh and bone.
***
The Skinner cavern collapsed as the ground above was scorched clean. Chunks of rock crushed the undead and the living by the dozens. Then all was dark and silent.
Those that survived the deader attack, that survived the collapse, that had hidden themselves and loved ones, had hidden from the terror their society had so carefully tried to avoid, that waited in the blackness, waited for the world to stop quaking and for the chaos to settle, wept as the moans and hisses of the creatures that wouldn’t die drifted to their ears, knowing they had brought this on themselves.
***
Harlow felt the end of the transport lift and she watched as every gauge on the control panel red lined. She gripped her chair as if death itself was trying to rip her from its fabric, which in essence it was.
Harlow
counted out the seconds, waiting for her world to flip end over end. She refused to close her eyes, choosing to face her fate head on as she did with everything in life.
By the time she had counted to sixty she realized the heat shielding was holding and that systems were still online. She was still alive.
***
The Outsider roared, its mutated voice crashing and reverberating off the rock surrounding the UDC stronghold.
“I will dismantle you piece by piece as I listen to your cries for mercy and laugh!”
“What the fuck is he talking about?” Mathew asked Shiner.
“I am unsure,” Shiner responded.
“They are mine! I made them, I control them! They are not meant to die ever! EVER!” Johnson roared.
“I’m guessing something happened out in the waste,” Mathew said over the loudspeaker. “I’m also guessing some of my people may have put a wrench in your great and powerful deader army plans.”
***
“Long range scanners have detected a detonation corresponding with the last known location of the mech personnel and Railers,” Stomper said.
Masters grunted in response.
“Do you not care that your friends and allies may be harmed?”
“No,” Masters stated. “They’re big kids, they can take care of themselves.”
“Should we not turn back and see if they need assistance? Some may have been injured.”
“No, we aren’t turning back!” Masters yelled. “Nothing matters except putting a bullet in the Outsider’s head. If the fucker has a head. If it doesn’t, I don’t care, it’s getting a bullet in something.”
***
Warning alarms sounded in the train engine control room. Jenny and Marin immediately checked all scanners.
“Wow, something just made a very big bang back there,” Marin said. “And I mean big.”
Timson stepped up behind and checked the readings for himself. “That’s not normal ordinance. That is way too large a detonation.”
“Readings are starting to clear,” Jenny said. “Holy fuck! That entire deader army is gone. Things are still a bit fuzzy, but I don’t have any movement on the scope.”
“Well, whatever it was looks like we now have one less problem to deal with,” Marin said.
***
“That was Four!” Jay shouted over the com.
“Are you sure?” Capreze asked.
“Yeah, I know when my tech goes boom,” Jay said. “I always add a little something extra making the blast signature unique. It’s part of the Jay Rind service agreement.”
“You know what Jay?” Rachel asked.
“What’s that?”
“When this is all over we need to get you laid,” she laughed. “You’ve got way too much tech in that head and you need to let it go.”
“Don’t I know it!” Jay laughed as well.
“It’s statements like that Rache that do a Father proud,” Capreze sighed.
***
“Sir, should I cut them off or cut them in half?” Specialist Austin asked.
“Wait until you can crush as many as possible,” Lieutenant Murphy answered. “Maximum damage is key, but if you can stop them or slow them then do so.”
“Roger that,” Austin responded, his finger on the detonator.
The Special Ops team watched the deader army march slowly towards them, transports leading. Even with their training, the sight of a sea of zombies was unnerving.
“That’s a lot of deaders,” Specialist Grendetti said.
“Amen to that, man,” Specialist Kafar agreed.
Austin waited patiently then depressed the button.
***
The earth shook under Shiner/Mathew’s feet as Austin’s charges detonated. Shiner/Mathew checked its readings and Mathew smiled.
“Well, looks like the ants are bringing the walls down around your great army,” Mathew smirked. “Best laid plans and all that shit, huh?”
Silence.
“Not talking now? Ah, come on, don’t be such a sore loser.”
“Missile locks confirmed,” Shiner said. “All transports capable have targeted us.”
“Just us?”
“Yes, it appears so.”
“Well, that’s not fair, now is it?”
“No, but we are the biggest threat,” Shiner responded.
“Well, we’d better live up to that threat,” Mathew grinned, checking weapons systems.
***
“Don’t think, do,” were the last words Mathew thought as a separate consciousness. He let his mind go and become a single unit with Shiner.
The mech assessed the readings, plotted all counter measures and charged the oncoming transports.
More explosions occurred as Austin detonated the second round of charges and Shiner/Mathew responded instantly adjusting as needed to the rocking terrain.
The mech dove under the first wave of missiles, letting them rocket past then came up firing. Shiner/Mathew watched the scope as the missiles changed course, doubling back on the mech.
Shiner/Mathew double pumped its massive legs and leapt.
***
“Jeezus Christ made of gravy,” Grendetti swore as he watched the mech twist in the air, one arm firing plasma bursts back at the encroaching missiles and the other arm unleashing hot 50mm lead upon the UDC transports below it.
The sniper turned his head away from the eyepiece as the first of the missiles were destroyed. Once the flash was gone he returned his attention to the mech and gasped as the battle machine came down atop a transport, crushing the hull, but was back on its feet in a blink, continuing its assault.
“Hot damn,” the sniper said.
***
Still firing, Shiner/Mathew executed a backflip off the crushed transport, landing feet first behind the machines. It ducked down as the missiles intended for it slammed into the vehicles that had fired them.
The concussion sent Shiner/Mathew rolling, but the mech was soon back up, grabbing the aft ends of two more transports. It swung them around like children’s toys, tossing the transports high into the air above the mass of zombies. Two well placed plasma blasts ripped the transports apart sending hot shrapnel down on the undead, thinning their numbers considerably, while the rest of the zombie horde charged.
***
“Open fire goddammit!” Murphy yelled. “Stop gawking and start killing! Those things are gonna overwhelm that mech!”
The Special Ops team did as ordered and truly began their assault on the deader army.
“Remember, head shots are no longer permanent on the inoculated! Take out the legs first, try to immobilize them!” the Lieutenant shouted. “Steady fire! Controlled bursts!”
“This ain’t our first dance, sir,” Specialist Kafar responded over the com. “You can save your breath for when we’re really slacking!”
“If you’re ever really slacking I’ll save my breath and use my boot, don’t you worry, Kafar!” Murphy promised.
***
Shiner/Mathew began to quickly back away from the first wave of zombies, dropping plasma charges in its wake. Once row upon row of attacking zombies covered the charges, Shiner/Mathew lit them up, the detonations shooting body parts into the air like undead geysers.
The mech mowed down another three rows with a non-stop onslaught from its 50mms, stopping only to let the guns cool so they wouldn’t overheat and jam. Alarms warned that power was draining from its plasma cannon, so the mech launched all of its RPGs into the horde painting the landscape with even more limbs and offal.
***
“Shit! Here they come!” Specialist Sol yelled as many zombies turned their attention from the mech and onto the other sources of gunfire. “Get ready people!”
Dozens of undead scrambled up the rocky slope towards Sol and he slowed his breathing, making every trigger pull count, going for head shots just to buy some time. He yanked a fractal grenade from his belt, pulled the pin with his teeth and tossed it be
low. He continued to fire while counting to four then ducked his head as the grenade exploded on the fifth second.
“Fuck yeah! Bring it you deader fucks!”
***
Specialist Kafar took out as many of the undead as he could before a dozen were on him. He fought like a mad man, punching and kicking anything that was within his reach.
Deader hands clawed at the Specialists body armor, trying to get at the flesh beneath. Jaws clamped down on his arms, but the teeth merely broke off in their rotted gums, unable to penetrate the material.
“Yeah, how do you like that tech, mother fuckers?!?” Kafar screamed freeing an arm and yanking a steel baton from his belt. He extended the collapsible weapon and set to work.
***
Knowing he was unable to re-load in time, Specialist Austin had tossed aside his carbine and already had his batons extended. With brutal grace he crushed undead skulls, shattered knees, femurs, forearms and anything else unlucky enough to come within his reach.
He kicked out, knocking zombie into zombie, creating a space of death around him. The deaders began to pull back, circling the Specialist, looking for an opening.
“Well, look at y’all learning,” Austin said. “You’re a little faster on the uptake than your average deader, ain’t you?”
The zombies growled and hissed, their dead eyes filled with rage.
***
The deader tackled Lieutenant Murphy about the waste, knocking her to the ground.
“Fuck!” she swore, thankful for the protective helmet as the zombie’s jaw tried to clamp down on the tinted face plate.
More deaders piled on top of her and the weight threatened to crush her chest, squeezing all the air from her lungs. “A little help!” she yelled over her com.
Within a second, the deaders began to fall as one by one their heads exploded, coating her face plate until the world was a grey red blur.
“How’s that, sir?” Grendetti’s voice asked.
“Perfect, Specialist. Thanks.”
***
Nguyen screamed when his back twisted and snapped as three deaders hit the back of his legs and several more rammed his chest, nearly tearing him in two. “Oh, God, no!” he called out.
“Nguyen!” Sol shouted, desperately trying to fight his way to his teammate.
“Sol! Please! Oh, God, I can’t feel my legs anymore, man! Someone help!”