Robot Wars: Thrown Into the Fray

by Nicholas Haring

  “I must’ve had it on silent,” Lander said, feeling a little embarrassed.

  “You have five minutes to get ready. We’ll drive you to the mustering station.” Corporal Smith said.

  “Sure,” Lander replied.

  Lander went back to his room and hastily put on some clothes. He suspected he put his shirt on backwards, but it was dark and he had to hurry, so he just continued.

  “What’s going on, Chet?” Deborah asked with a worried tone.

  “I don’t know. They’ve called the reserve troops to the mustering station downtown,” Lander said as he was struggling in the dark to tie his shoes. “It’s probably just a drill or something; don’t worry.”

  “It’s an awful odd time for a drill, Chet!” Deborah said with an increasing worried tone.

  “Where are you going, daddy?” Carly asked as she was standing in his doorway.

  “I’m going to the mustering station for a little bit,” Lander said.

  “Mustard station? What’s that?” a confused Carly asked.

  “Carly, dear if you go back to sleep, daddy will bring donuts back for breakfast,” Deborah said as Carly got excited and went back to her room.

  “I’m not sure when I’ll be back, Deb,” Lander said.

  “She’ll probably forget about the donuts anyway,” Deborah responded.

  “Not likely,” Lander said as he kissed Deborah and left the room.

  Chapter 4

  Rex Fischer entered the Officers Club which was strangely empty for a Friday night and spotted Rhodes at the bar with a pitcher of beer to Fischer’s delight.

  “I heard you have a new junior officer, Fish,” Rhodes said. Fischer grabbed a mug and reached for the pitcher.

  “Hey, Fish, this is my beer,” Rhodes said jokingly as Fischer poured himself some.

  “Yeah, a 2nd Lieutenant by the name of Madison Brookes,” Fischer said as he took a drink. “She’s apparently proficient with a 60mm plasma mortar.”

  “Nice. I remember the last guy in my squad to use one of those. Sergeant Jenkins; poor sap, was firing the mortar out of a trench, but he failed to notice the robot above him in his arc of fire,” Rhodes said.

  “Let me guess, the robot got him?” Fischer asked.

  “Sort of. The round Jenkins fired hit the robot square in the chest plate before it was armed, and it fell back into the trench, and well, you get the picture,” Rhodes said.

  “Shit,” Fischer said as he took a long swig. “So have you talked to Carolyn since the divorce?”

  “Sort of. I’ve sent her a couple of texts, but she never replied to any of them. I miss her, Fish, I really do. I can’t believe it’s already been more than four months. I know it’s been hard keeping the long distance thing going, but if we just could have made it a bit longer -- I don’t know,” Rhodes said as he stared into his glass. “It’s this god damned war!” Rhodes slammed his fist on the bar.

  “Hey, Rhodes, you tried everything you could, but it just wasn’t going to work out,” Fischer said.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right, but hey, I still have my health, right?” Rhodes said with a forced grin.

  Rhodes’ face may have been grinning, but his eyes had a deep sadness that Fischer had seen all too many times in so many others in Rhodes’ situation.

  “Just hang-in there, okay? And don’t do anything stupid, you got me?” Fischer demanded, as Rhodes paused for a bit and then nodded.

  “Let’s change the subject, Fish,” Rhodes said.

  Just then, Fischer heard the door to the bar open behind him.

  “Well, I thought I might find you sorry sacks in here,” A voice said as Fischer and Rhodes turned around to see who it was.

  “Larry, scotch on the rocks,” Lieutenant Samantha Harlan demanded as she walked up and sat beside Rhodes.

  “How ya doin’, Rhodes?” Harlan asked as she slapped him on the back.

  “No worse for wear, I guess,” Rhodes chuckled.

  Rhodes stopped chuckling as Harlan started taking the last of his pitcher of beer.

  “Ahh… don’t worry. Next one’s on me,” Harlan said as she held up the empty pitcher. “I’m assuming you guys have already talked to Rayne, right?”

  “Yeah, all three of our units are going to defend Grantsburg,” Fischer said.

  “All except for Captain Hazzard and the Jackboots - lucky bastards,” Harlan said.

  CS-12 “Jackboots” under Captain Thomas Hazzard had been fighting on the Beltway Front, supporting the decimated 3rd Special Forces Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Hale. They were only supposed to be there for a week, but the fluid situation had kept the Jackboots there indefinitely. The Jackboots were known for their skill in capturing robots; even setting an Army record by capturing seventeen Mark Twos and two Mark Threes in one battle alone. Hazzard had been using the robots his unit captured, until they were all confiscated by the UMI. Hazzard was reprimanded by High Command for capturing enemy robots and then sending them out on suicide charges before the UMI could get their hands on them.

  “Not sure I would call them lucky, Harlan,” Rhodes said.

  “They might get more support - being that they’re on the Beltway Front - but that doesn’t mean they have it any easier,” Fischer said.

  “That’s true,” Harlan said as Larry put her scotch in front of her. “But hey, at least we’ll have the three of us working together! It must be the first time in what, two - three months? I just wish my squad could have some more time to refit. We’re pretty beat-up from that last operation.”

  “I take it that the Lookout Mountain Redoubt was pretty hairy then?” Rhodes asked.

  “The first few days were nothing special, just a few hundred Mark Ones every now and then. I think they were just testing our defenses, though I guess I’ll leave that up to the UMI jerks once they analyze my IAR’s. I sure hope it’s not a new bot tactic,” Harlan said; who paused for a moment to down her scotch.

  “Is it liquor before beer or beer before liquor?” Harlan asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  “I believe its liquor before beer, Harlan,” Rhodes responded.

  “Dammit, I always forget,” Harlan said.

  That’s because you always get too drunk to remember after I tell you,” Rhodes said with some indignation.

  Harlan gave Rhodes a look as though she were about to punch him in the nose.

  “Hey, I don’t think it really matters anyway,” Fischer said; trying to prevent Rhodes from receiving another black eye from Harlan.

  “Anyway, I lost two KIA … idiots,” Harlan scoffed.

  “Who were they?” Fischer asked.

  “Privates Royer and Paulson. I told them repeatedly to stay away from any recently knocked-out Mark Threes - because you know - they have those proximity self-destructs when they fall over and can’t right themselves. Well, I guess they got on top of it; I really don’t know why, but long story short, two instant KIAs,” Harlan said as she took a long drink.

  “Are you going to be able to get any replacements before we head-out?” Rhodes asked.

  “Pssh… Yeah right. Rayne had already read my IAR’s before I even got to his office. He chewed me out for not keeping a better eye on those under my command. Typical Major bullshit,” Harlan said.

  “What does he expect? You’re not their goddamn baby sitter,” Rhodes said as he finished off another beer.

  “Yeah, shit like that will happen, Harlan. Those two are dead because they didn’t listen. Maybe your next two replacements will,” Fischer said.

  “Yeah…” Harlan sighed as she signaled for another scotch. “So Fisher, how’s that new junior officer of yours? I hear that she can put a plasma mortar round on target more accurately than most of the dipshits in the mortar brigades.”

  “Yeah, so I hear. I’ll find out tomorrow if she’s as good as they say. After the squad meeting tomorrow, I’ll take her out to the range and maybe fit in a trench warfare simulation,” Fischer said.

  “We
ll, if you decide you don’t want her, I’ll take her,” Harlan said, with a wink.

  “What are you talking about, Harlan? The woman obviously has skills with heavy weapons and explosives, so she should be in my squad; not wearing some stupid red helmet,” Rhodes said, again testing Harlan’s limits.

  “Backpfeifengesicht …” Harlan said under her breath.

  “What did you say?” Rhodes said with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Oh, nothing,” Harlan smiled, and then took a drink.

  The front door to the officer’s club swung open. Fischer turned around to see who it was. It was Brigadier General Olivia Snow and Major Rayne; the entire bar stood to attention.

  “At ease everyone,” Snow said. “Captain Fischer, Captain Rhodes, and Lieutenant Harlan come with me.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said the three in unison.

  Brigadier General Snow had been in the military for forty plus years and was a U.S. Army Lieutenant stationed in Kuwait when the robot attacks started. She was one of the few to make it out of there and back to the states. After the Global Military Unification treaty five years later she was promoted to Major and led the First Global Special Forces Battalion “The Warhawks.” She and her unit took out five robot factories in one month and her unit’s model was used as the template for the 14th Special Forces Brigade, which she now commands.

  Snow and Rayne led the three to the back of the Officer’s Club and into a small briefing room at the rear of the building.

  “Take a seat, please,” Snow said as she turned on a holographic projection of the Grantsburg area. “As you well know by now, Unified Military Intelligence has confirmed that there is indeed a very large HRUO army heading for Grantsburg. They’ve determined the size to be around a million, based on the info they’ve received from the remaining spy satellites and the Instant Action Reports that were forwarded to them by General Williams of the 32nd LRD stationed around Grantsburg. The bulk of the robot army is not supposed to make contact with the forward portions of the Grantsburg area defense for yet another week, according to the UMI; so we’ll see how well that holds up. On the 30th you will rendezvous with General Williams and coordinate the defense of the city, with special focus on the COTAX factories. Are there any questions?”

  Fischer raised his hand.

  “Am I correct in assuming that we’re to receive limited air support, ma’am?”

  “Yes, unfortunately the continued robot offenses on the Beltway, Brandy Station, and Blue Ridge fronts have drained our available air support at the moment. We have allocated a heavy mortar brigade for your support however,” Snow said.

  “Very well, ma’am,” Fischer said.

  “How do we know the robots won’t flank us at Leesville or Sherman, ma’am? It looks like they could just bypass us,” Harlan said.

  “They could flank you, but they won’t. UMI has assured me that Leesville and Sherman are of no real strategic value. The valleys that they sit in are no more than dead ends; they lead nowhere, as you can see. Grantsburg, however, sits in a strategic pass that opens up in to flatter terrain to the north. The robots will be channeled into a bottleneck here, which will greatly help our chances of obliterating them,” Snow said.

  “Will we have adequate supplies? A million robots are going to eat up a lot of ammo, ma’am,” Rhodes said.

  “High Command has been preparing an ammunition stockpile for the Grantsburg defense. I’ve also been told that one of the factories in Grantsburg is a COTAX Systems energy ammo factory. General Williams will keep it running for as long as he can,” Snow said.

  “Are they not evacuating the civilians then, ma’am?” Fischer asked.

  “Yes, high command doesn’t want to start a panic or concede anything more to the robots. All of the non-essential civilians will be kept at the town civic center for their safety,” Snow said.

  “I want the whole battalion ready to go on the 29th. Make sure your units are prepared and everything is ready. Everyone dismissed,” Rayne ordered as the briefing adjourned.

  Chapter 5

  The CS-13 barracks was dark when Brookes opened the door.

  “Where’s the damn light switch?” Brookes said to herself. Brookes stumbled and turned on the lights, which revealed a pretty standard barracks. Regulation bunks, regulation size, all pretty odd for a Special Forces unit. The squad’s personal gear was on the floor in the left corner by the door, but it seemed that none of the bunks were taken yet. Brookes made her way to very back of the barracks and took the top of the nicest bunk she could fine.

  Well, I am an officer after all, Brookes thought. Brookes put her personal effects in the bunk locker and took off her uniform.

  Damn, I could use a shower. I should get one in, while I still have the whole place to myself, Brookes thought.

  *****

  Brookes finished up with her shower and got dressed for bed.

  Where is everyone? It’s already 2300 hours and no one is here, Brookes thought.

  She began to wonder if she even had the right barracks. Just as she was preparing to climb up her bunk; the barracks door opened.

  “I don’t know why the Cap sent us over there! Haggardson - that grizzled bastard - never needs any help, especially when Saunders is there!” Sergeant Hartford complained loudly.

  “Orders are orders, Hartford. We were at least able to find that the front mounted guns of Dark Horse One were malfunctioning. Now, the maintenance section can get them fixed,” Specialist Akiyama said.

  “Bah… they would’ve found that anyway. Oh hey, Aki, it’s the new Lieutenant! There wasn’t any room at the officer’s barracks, Lieutenant?” Hartford asked.

  Brookes was just about to respond to Hartford when Akiyama spoke.

  “Hartford, you’re being rude and informal. Please excuse Sergeant Hartford, Lieutenant Brookes, ma’am. She never learned manners as a child,” Akiyama said.

  “Never needed to,” Hartford said smugly.

  “It’s okay, really, I understand seeing as how I’m new here and all,” Brookes said.

  “Ah… see; me and Brookes are going to get along just fine!” Hartford said as she patted Brookes on the shoulder.

  “Yeah, sure,” Brookes said as Hartford laughed and Akiyama face palmed.

  “I’m Specialist Akiyama Hiromi, the squad sniper and this is Staff Sergeant Anna Hartford, she’s the squad’s second ranking NCO and is in charge of driving the IAC-400,” Akiyama said.

  “Pfft… when we ever get one. The last I-Ack we had got knocked-out by a Mark Two about five months ago. Cheapskate Rayne won’t get us a new one,” Hartford complained.

  “No, it’s because you got it stuck and we had to abandon it,” Akiyama said.

  “Yup, I’m pretty proud of that one. The COTAX guys told me it was impossible to get the thing stuck. Welp, I proved them wrong, ha-ha,” Hartford chuckled as Akiyama rolled her eyes.

  “I hope you’ll avoid getting stuck the next time we get one,” Brookes said.

  “Yeah, I was just trying to prove those COTAX jerks wrong. The next time I get one I’ll be a little more careful; I swear,” Hartford said.

  “Luckily for us, it’ll be a while before Rayne requisitions a new one,” Akiyama said.

  “So, Lieutenant, did the Cap show it to you?” Hartford asked with an inquisitive look on her face.

  “Uhhh…”

  “The Mark Four?”

  “Oh yes, yes he showed it to me. He told me you guys captured it while you were on the Brandy Station Front,” Brookes said.

  “Yeah, it was a pain to bring down, but that wasn’t the tough part,” Hartford said, semi-gloatingly.

  “What was the tough part?” Brookes asked.

  “Getting the damn thing out of a crater; when Jonesy hacked the thing, he accidentally disabled the leg servos causing the whole thing to fall down into a ten-foot muddy blast crater. Took a hundred soldiers, two excavators, and one of those heavy lift Rockaway dropships just to get the damn thing ou
t,” Hartford said.

  “Can you tell me more about them? How have you been handling them?” Brookes asked.

  “They’re extremely dangerous. We found the best strategy for taking them out is for me to disable their point defense lasers, and then wait for them to get close enough for Jones to hack them,” Akiyama said.

  “Yeah, it’s tough waiting for them to get close though. The Mark Fours are usually surrounded by lots of Threes and Twos. And you can’t let those Threes get too close because they have flamethrowers and that proximity self-destruct when they’re disabled. The Twos are being equipped with dual laser pistols more and more, not to mention their rocket launchers,” Hartford said shaking her head.

  “If we had a plasma mortar for close-in-support we could knock out the Twos and Threes before they got too close,” Akiyama said.

  “Actually, I just happened to be somewhat handy with a plasma mortar,” Brookes said.

  Akiyama and Hartford looked at each other and smiled.

  “What did I tell you, Aki? The Lieutenant and I are going to get along just fine!” Hartford said chuckling.

  The barracks door quickly swung open behind the three.

  Dammit, Sanchez, you can’t bring back that much heavy weapons ammo, the Master Blasters are going to have a fit!” Martin yelled as he was carrying in a crate of ammo through the door.

  “Don’t worry, Sarge; I have it under good authority that the Master Blasters have a stockpile in their barracks that will keep them happy for another month,” Sanchez said following Martin through the door.

  Kazir followed in close behind Sanchez with a PM-2 60mm Plasma Mortar. Kazir glanced at Brookes as he came in.

  “The Captain sent word to get you one,” Kazir said as he set it down in front of Brookes. “Now, Kazir go back and get the ammo for it, ma’am,” Kazir left the barracks and headed back to the armory.

  “Oh wow, Lieutenant -- Brookes, right? So you’re gonna use this thing? We hav-” Sanchez said until he was smacked in the back of the head by Martin.

  “Hey, bonehead, don’t bother the new Lieutenant,” Martin said and then turned to face Brookes. “Sorry about that, ma’am.”