Nemesis (The MechaVerse Trilogy Book 2)

by Jeremy Cunkle

  The gruff mechanic grunted and then pulled her into a crushing bear hug, covering her formerly pristine uniform in grease, grime, and grit. Neither of them cared. Before they could get emotional, he pulled away from her and then held her at arm’s length. “Normally, I would say that you’re bat-shit insane taking a Mech armor out into a major combat operation without knowing a damn thing about it, especially one as ridiculously advanced as this. However, Starkindler is different, and there isn’t a better pilot I can think of who is more capable of pulling off this daft scheme. Onboard the unit itself is, a quantum computer as well as a super computer. Aurora utilizes both for you, giving her the capability of full autonomy; you will not have to touch a thing except when you want to. Because Aurora is part of the Mech itself, it will feel like being back in a trainer with an experienced pilot telling you what to do so that you don’t get yourself killed. Aurora can pilot for you, or control the weapons, or both. My suggestion is that you pick one and let her help by controlling the other, which was what Mikkhael always did. By default, she automatically controls the defensive systems. The option to disable that was never installed.”

  He wobbled a bit on his feet, looking pale and unsteady. His face screwed up into a grimace as he forced himself to continue, through sheer force of will. “Oh and, for what it’s worth, you have the biggest set of balls of anyone in this damn place for doing this shit. Good luck kid, I mean it. Kick some serious ass for me and then do us all a favor and come back alive. No one knows what Mikkhael would do if something were to happen to you, especially when you’re covering for him like this, but none of us want to find out, especially while he is piloting that demon.”

  Eve had remained silent up until now, listening and still trying to come to terms with the fact that this was really happening. That she was about to pilot Starkindler, the most feared Mech armor to ever exist in the rebellion arsenal. It was only as an afterthought that she realized the Chief had referred to her as “kid.” Ever since she had known the Chief, he had always referred to her as “kid,” no matter how far up the ranks she climbed through pure skill. She never once relied on her father’s rank to get her anywhere. If anything, she felt her father’s importance handicapped her, especially after, in his official capacity, he grounded her from ever piloting again. Being referred to as “kid” had always irked her. She grew up believing the stigma associated with the nickname was a challenge she had to overcome; as if she had to prove to everyone she could hang with boys, doing everything better than them in order to show that she was not being given anything just because she was the daughter of the base commander. The bar representing success had always been higher for her than anyone else, and still she had managed to excel until one mistake saw ten people under her command killed, destroyed the original Starkindler, and nearly killed Mikkhael. A mistake that under no circumstances could she ever allow to happen again.

  This time though, when Chief Thorsten had called her kid, the moniker rang with a sense of rightness about it. She was doing this not just for Mikkhael, or her dad, or because she believed that it was the right thing to do. She was doing this to protect her family, the mountain she had called home for most of her life, and all of the people living inside the mountain who made it important to her. Chief Thorsten, Dr. Hesken, Colonel Mathias, Jack Lu, Captain Cartwright, and countless others had watched every step she took after becoming a part of her father’s faction. Then they did something no one expected. They took the idea of a faction and turned it into something else, something more, forming it into a family, a very large family. Now it was her turn to repay the debt she owed them for raising her. She would use Starkindler to defend them, to protect those she cared about, proving once and for all that she deserved to be here as much as any of them.

  As Eve stared at the oversized Mech armor in front of her, the shaking in her hands finally stopped, a sense of complete calm and rightness settling over her. For the first time in a long time, she was at peace with herself and prepared to find out what the future held for her.

  Chief Thorsten and his teams of engineers had spent days, without sleep, putting the final touches on the rebuilt Starkindler. During the time when Mikkhael was unconscious in the medical bay, she had lost herself in assisting them, spending every waking moment alongside them as she once again found a purpose for her existence. In the process, she had become intimately aware of Starkindler as a whole, learning its nuances and how to operate the technology superior Mech armor. Her nerves calmed as she donned the advanced flight suit required when piloting Starkindler. The sheer capability of the machine would kill her faster than anything without the protection of the custom flight suit. Even the helmet was special, augmented with cameras and sensors embedded in it, giving her the illusion of not wearing a helmet at all.

  With no other excuses to make and no desire to stall, Eve walked to the feet of the massive white Mech armor, towering over her, and placed her foot in the single stirrup dangling down from the center of the unit, engaging the harness to lift her into the armored cockpit. At ground level, she was barely head level above the Mech’s ankle. The ride to the cockpit was nearly forty-five feet. Upon arrival, she stepped onto the waiting platform and then settled herself into the pilot’s chair. As Eve began mentally steeling herself for the challenges she was about to face, Chief Thorsten’s voice came over the intercom one last time.

  “You ready kid?” He asked somberly.

  Eve hoped her reply was not as shaky as it felt. She willed herself to project strength, hoping that if she pretended long enough it would become true. “My name is Eve Ultor, and I’m the pilot of Starkindler. I was born ready!”

  As if by command, the cockpit closed around her, the interior of the cabin momentarily becoming a suffocating black. Then Aurora’s hologram appeared to her right, lit by a small projector built into the display console. The light green coalescing pixels of her self-representation gathered into a much smaller version than the one that had appeared to them in the isolation ward. The hologram flashed her a wolfish grin as the initiation sequence began.

  The reactor went from its hibernation state to full output in seconds as Aurora kicked it into gear. The re-born armored titan that had single handedly defied three PDF Mech armor divisions thrummed with vitality, coming alive around her. The feeling of raw power was like nothing Eve had ever experienced; Starkindler was on a completely different level than the Fury she was used to piloting. The consoles began glowing green and blue as electricity surged through the machine, the pitch of the reactor beginning to sing deeper notes as its power continued increasing with each cycle.

  The HUD activated, mimicking the effect of the helmet. Camera’s and sensors imbedded throughout the armor gave the impression she was sitting high in the air with nothing around her, only held in place by the pilot’s chair that conformed to her diminutive size, gently encasing her in its protective embrace. Testing her vision, Eve rotated her head forty-five degrees to the right, the cameras adjusting perfectly as they perfectly displayed anywhere she looked. The HUD rendered her vision more perfectly than twenty-twenty, displaying her surroundings with crystal clarity as Aurora began feeding cues for her to notice.

  Eve placed her hands through the wrist enclosures at the end of the armrests to hold them in place. Aurora automatically tightened the wrist enclosures for her as she gripped the handles inside, feeling the buttons under each finger that she could macro to any command she desired. Buckles began snapping into place as a harness automatically wrapped around her, holding her snugly in place. Eve placed her feet on the pedals that had automatically adjusted to her size, and the stirrups automatically tightened around her boots. Starkindler’s shields and weapons began charging. The HUD morphed to display the results of a self-diagnosis as Eve received the order to release the safety hold from the maintenance bay in which the titan now stood.

  Hoses and bindings fell away as Aurora assisted Eve with detaching from the maintenance bay. The sound of Starkindl
er’s mammoth feet plodding heavily across the hangar floor were completely muffled by the armor encasing her. Eve walked Starkindler over to the Launchpad, her movements fluid and natural. Teams of engineers ran to the hangar’s observation deck. They wanted to watch the fruition of their hard labor come to life from the best vantage point possible.

  Sirens inside the hangar blared warnings as the atmosphere inside the hangar was vaccumed back into the rest of the mountain. The sirens changed in pitch, announcing that both sets of doors comprising the airlock at the end of the Launchpad began opening as Aurora guided Starkindler into the stirrups of the Launchpad. In less than a minute, Starkindler stood proudly, ready to enter the combat raging just outside the mountains walls.

  Eve forced everything else from her mind, desperately fighting the urge to hyperventilate. Knowing that waiting any longer would have disastrous consequences on her willingness to go through with the madness of what she attempting, she instead screamed at full volume, “Eve Ultor, launching Starkindler!” Her voice carried through the hangar over the P.A. system, echoing off the walls of the hangar.

  Aurora briefly modified the top left corner of the HUD to display a camera view of the observation deck. As one, the engineers led by Chief Thorsten, saluted her. Commanded by Aurora, Starkindler’s reactor took on a new level of unbelievable intensity, roaring with vitality as the energy shields engaged, charging quickly to full power. Electrical current raced through and charged the weapons, preparing them for imminent combat. Starkindler’s engines ignited, twin vortexes of flame and exhaust exploded violently behind her, threatening to overwhelm the blast shield with their raw power as the afterburners engaged. The doors of the airlock-finished opening as the wings on the back of Starkindler’s shoulders automatically deployed. Outside, beyond the airlock, the sky was dark and murky from the epic clash taking place.

  The titan standing on the Launchpad veritably trembled with eagerness at being released, yearning to break free from the restraints holding it in place. A timer appeared on the HUD, counting down from 3…2…1… and then suddenly with a violent scream of metal tearing loose, Starkindler hurtled out into the open as Eve and war machine alike screamed with the sound of vengeance.

  * * * * *

  Kurtis was the first to notice. Part of his role as the information specialist for the Omnos squad required him to fulfill the role of battlefield monitor, utilizing NightHawk’s advanced radar and sensors. Its powerful sensor arrays were also capable of piggybacking off those around the mountain, massively amplifying their data gathering abilities. Argos worked in the background, meshing all of the incoming data streams, collating them before populating the HUD with the results.

  NightHawk and the company of Salvatore models now under Kurtis’ command had moved towards one of the higher elevations on the side of the mountain. They were occupying a series of bunkers and hardened positions that had been left vacant as the original defenders manning the positions had been sent as reinforcements to the valley floor. Currently, the Salvatore’s’ job was to counter the threat from airborne drones and eliminate any enemy Mech armor that Chimeras dropped behind the main line of defense. Theirs was to guard the mountain itself from any breaches. However, now that Aurora had awakened, activating additional hidden turrets and automated weapons, as well as interrupting the communication signals the drones needed to close on the mountain, Kurtis’ company of advanced Mech armor was suddenly out of a job.

  The situation provided Kurtis an opportunity to evaluate the entire flow of battle, preparing to send his company to assist wherever they were needed. With Aurora returned in full glory and Argos staving off the worst of the cyber-attacks, the pair of AI’s had regained control of some observation satellites as well as activated one of the last Iris satellites brought from Earth, transmitting the data to NightHawk in large tranches before disseminating it to the rest of the StormCrows. With the remainder of the Omnos squad moving into critical positions, Kurtis temporarily reverted to his role of information specialist, directing strategy and prioritizing the kill orders of the Salvatore brigade under the Omnos’ control.

  The wealth of information present for Kurtis to use was incredibly detailed, the envy of every General throughout history. Maps that were updated in real time could be adjusted to display friendly and hostile forces as desired. The opposing sides of the conflict were depicted in standard red and blue, with his company of Salvatore escorts depicted in green. Above each marker filling his HUD was a small text box that contained identifying information, filled with symbols designating the type of unit and the presence of energy shields, active weapons, and level of heat signatures. Small arrows in front of each marker displayed which direction each marker was moving as well as their speed of travel. If he so desired, Kurtis could enlarge any of the text boxes and read more detailed information just by moving his eyes towards a specific marker, or series of them, and holding his gaze steady for at least a second. The information displayed on the HUD adjusted dynamically according to how many units were present in the field of view to avoid screen clutter.

  Between the arrivals of the Omnos squad, their supporting brigade of Salvatores, and Aurora’s awakening, the current PDF attack had been stopped in its tracks. In the distance, an enormous wedge of heavily armored drones and Mech armor was forming, preparing for the next attack, but for now there was a momentary lull as the last of the attackers in range were eliminated. The lull allowed Kurtis to tactically view the field of battle as a whole, searching where his company would be most useful.

  So when a new marker appeared on his HUD, one that had never before been activated on NightHawk’s HUD, Kurtis stopped what he was doing and stared in disbelief. A shining white symbol glowing as brilliantly as a bright star on a clear night rocketed out of the western side of Mount Olympus.

  Argos adjusted one of his sub monitors to zoom in on the new marker. Despite what he knew to be true, Kurtis could not believe what he was seeing as he pulled up more information on the new symbol, unconsciously holding his breath in anticipation as he watched the new marker emerge and then take flight.

  Kurtis keyed a quick command, opening an audio channel to the white marker as well as mirroring its existence on each of the Omnos squad monitors.

  * * * * *

  Starkindler launched out of the hangar at maximum velocity, twin vortexes of flame roiling violently in its wake, wings engaged in flight mode, weapons at the ready, prepared for anything. Eve was astounded by the ease with which the incredibly advanced titan she was encased in responded to her commands. The control systems were incredibly intuitive and any problems she encountered were compensated for by Aurora.

  The hangar Starkindler had been in, exited from the western side of the mountain and was miles from the main battle. The terrain under her flight path was harsh and nearly impassable at ground level, consisting of small, steeply sloped hills frequently broken by shallow ravines filled with the ever-present dust that acted like quicksand back on Earth. It was capable of swallowing a Mech armor or vehicle, forever entombing it thereafter. The challenging terrain made it difficult for Mech armor to traverse and nearly impossible for tracked vehicles, a far cry from the nearly flat plain on the lee side of the mountain.

  All of which made it even more surprising that upon exiting the hangar, Eve immediately came face-to-face with a regiment of PDF mechanized infantry, medium tanks, and supporting vehicles slowly picking their way across the harsh terrain. The regiment was in a wide flanking maneuver, far beyond the support of the main force, clearly attempting to bleed defenders from the main lines that had proven to be more stubborn than anticipated. Except that there were no defenders that could be spared to fend off the approaching PDF on this side of the mountain, they were all focused on holding off the horde to the east. In a matter of hours, the regiment would have, almost certainly, forced entrance into the very hangar she had just exited, taking the StormCrows by lethal surprise as the PDF bypassed the lines of defense altogether
. It was only due to the harsh terrain that the regiment had not already breached the airlock.

  Starkindler’s sudden appearance caught the mechanized infantry by surprise. They had watched with eager anticipation as the hangar airlock doors opened, waiting to ambush whatever left the safety of the nearly impregnable mountain. However, upon seeing the infamous Starkindler, their morale was instantly shattered by its reputation before even a single projectile had even been fired, their weapons not suited for combat against the advanced Mech armor.

  Eve instantly reacted to the threat the regiment posed. With Aurora’s help, she wasted no time turning the expectations of her enemies into reality. Aurora cut the afterburners, banking the dull white Mech armor in a brutal turn, bleeding momentum as they flew over the formation of armored vehicles at 70% engine output. Eve used Starkindler’s weapons to deadly effect as they passed overhead. Cannon fire ripped apart the medium tanks while grenades and small rockets tore the armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles to shreds. Guided by Aurora, Starkindler’s sub cannons fired thousands of rounds, mowing down infantry carrying heavy weapons and rocket launchers. In mere moments, the regiment that was equipped to skirmish inside of the mountain all but ceased to exist, powerless to defend themselves against Starkindler’s righteous vengeance raining down on them from above.