Robot Wars: Thrown Into the Fray

by Nicholas Haring

  “Shit, I’m sorry, Lieutenant. The Cap told me to keep this under wraps,” Jones said as he covered his face with his hands.

  “So, we don’t have the stop codes for tomorrow?” Brookes asked.

  Jones shook his head and went back to his computer. Brookes glared at him for a little as he went about listening to the codes, like he had been doing before she interrupted him. She glanced over to her left at Cross, who was still asleep, or at least pretending to be. Brookes thought it was probably best to let Jones work, no use in harassing him about the codes. She stood up from the chair and walked out of the bunker. Jones, buried in his work probably didn’t notice.

  *****

  “Okay, Sanchez, set up the AR launcher on the left flank and then get some shut-eye,” Fischer told Sanchez who hustled down the left side of the trench and then disappeared from sight.

  Brookes approached Fischer from behind as he was looking at a map on his PCC with Hartford.

  “Captain Fischer, sir, do you have a moment to talk?” Brookes asked.

  Hartford looked up from the map, but Fischer didn’t.

  “What is it, Lieutenant? I’m kinda busy right now,” Fischer said still not looking up from his PCC.

  “Sir, do you think I can have a moment to speak with you … in private?” Brookes asked as she glanced at Hartford.

  “Well, this looks important. I’m gonna see if Sanchez needs any help setting up the AR Launcher, sir,” Hartford said as she made a beeline down the left flank of the trench and disappeared from sight.

  Brookes looked around and saw that Fischer and she were alone. She looked back at Fischer who was looking up from his PCC. It was obvious that he was waiting for Brookes to say something.

  “Captain Fischer, sir, I was just talking with Jones and he told me that our stop codes for the HROU army is no longer valid. What’s going on? How come you haven’t told anyone?” Brookes asked.

  “Dammit, Jones. Okay, listen, Lieutenant Brookes, the only reason we know about this -- is because Jones committed a court martial-able offense. He intercepted a transmission from the UMI to General Williams and General Snow,” Fischer said as he turned-off his PCC and motioned Brookes to follow him to a more secluded part of the line.

  “Why would he do that?” Brookes asked.

  “It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we know about it and that we hope that High Command tells us and then we can fallback. In the meantime I’m trying to make sure that at least our little part of the line doesn’t completely disintegrate once the attack starts tomorrow. We’re going to receive the full brunt of the HRUO army all at once,” Fischer said.

  “We have to tell everyone, sir, and let the Regs know,” Brookes said.

  “Can’t. If we inform everyone, then everyone will think something is up. High Command will surely want to know how we knew about this in the first place. And if they find out, then Jones’ ass is canned and I’m likely to catch a lot of heat too,” Fischer said as he crossed his arms in front of him.

  “Captain, if it is as you say, then the court martial stuff won’t matter anyway, because we’ll all be dead! At least tell the rest of the squad so that they’re ready,” Brookes pleaded.

  Fischer looked down and shook his head. Brookes couldn’t believe this. Was this really the same man who did all those heroic things that she read about as a kid and while she was at the Academy? Would that Fischer sit on his hands and wait to get slaughtered? She couldn’t believe that the man in front of her was the same heroic man that she read about for all those years. How was everything so wrong?

  “I don’t want you tell anyone else about this, Lieutenant. We’re going to prepare and hope that High Command or Williams sends down word for us to withdrawal,” Fischer said as he looked up and cracked his neck, the popping sounded as loud as firecrackers.

  Brookes, still taken back stood there in disbelief for a moment. She gave Fischer a half-hearted salute and then walked back to the mortar pit.

  *****

  Brookes entered the mortar pit. Samson was still sleeping though he was now wrapped-up into the thermal blanket like a cocoon. She sat down on the freezing ammo boxes and blankly stared at Samson. For a split second she thought about waking him up and telling him -- telling everyone, but at this point would it do any good? Certainly no one would believe her, and Fischer would maybe deny it. She hoped, as did Fischer, that High Command would make the call, and soon.

  The electric hum grew in intensity. It was louder than what it was before the battle started yesterday.

  Surely, someone must notice that and figure it out, Brookes thought as she looked down at the ground.

  All of this didn’t make any sense to her. If High Command and Williams knew about what was going on, then why wouldn’t they withdrawal us now? Why keep us here? There were just too many questions floating around in her head. The whole situation was just so illogical. She closed her eyes and tried to not think about it and before she knew it, she was asleep.

  Chapter 30

  “How’s it going, Paul?” Lander asked as he entered the darkened front bunker.

  Thompson, alone in the bunker, was using some night vision binoculars as he peered through the firing slit that ran the length of the bunker. The electric hum was echoing throughout the small twenty-by-twenty space.

  “I told Kazir I would help keep an eye out. I can’t get to sleep anyway, not with that damn hum. What’s up with you? Get tired of sitting up there on the observation tower with the sniper?” Thompson asked.

  “Nah, I’m like you; the damn hum is keeping me awake. Couldn’t sleep so I figured I would head down here and see what was going on. It was weird; on my way here I passed Lieutenant Brookes. She looked like she had seen a ghost; it kinda freaked me out,” Lander said.

  “Heh… maybe she did see a ghost, or she was one,” Thompson said as he set the binoculars down inside the firing slit and looked back at Lander.

  “Nothing out there, is there?” Lander said.

  “Yeah, nothing but a nightmarish landscape and that damn glow on the horizon,” Thompson said, half-jokingly. “I think something is going on, Chet. That damn hum is getting louder and louder by the minute and that glow on the horizon is getting brighter as well. Do you think Captain Fischer knows something is up and he’s not telling us?”

  “Well, these Commandos have seen it all before. Heck, most of them are sleeping right now. I think if Captain Fischer knew something was strange he would tell us or High Command would order us back,” Lander said, though not very confidently.

  “I’m not so sure, Chet. I was thinking - before you came in - that while I was scanning the horizon, everyone was getting out of Dodge, and I would turn around and find myself left behind, like some asshole,” Thompson said.

  “Heh… couldn’t leave you behind, Paul, that wouldn’t be fair to the robots,” Lander chuckled.

  “Yeah… yeah, but seriously, Chet, I think Captain Fischer knows something; he’s got too, no way the intensity of that hum is normal,” Thompson said.

  “You’re just being paranoid. Remember how you thought they were going to use us as human shields? But we got new camo and they paired us up, and we got through the first day just fine,” Lander said even though he wasn’t certain if he even really believed it.

  “Yeah, well, we’re still here, so we’re not out of the woods yet, Chet,” Thompson said as he picked the binoculars back up and looked through the firing slit.

  “I thought I heard you two in here,” a voice behind Lander said.

  Lander spun around and saw Porter walking in.

  “You guys can’t sleep either, I take it?” Porter asked as she walked over to a concrete bench on the right wall and sat down.

  Lander and Thompson said “Yeah” almost simultaneously.

  “Yup, that’s what I thought. I tried using my music to drown out the noise, but it was always subtly in the background, like it’s coming through your skull or something,” Porter said
.

  “Yeah, I never remembered the hum ever being this bad,” Thompson said as he kept scanning.

  “I did a story once on a New Omaha University study about the psychological effects of long-term exposure to the electric hum; never made it on the air; they shelved it,” Porter said with an undertone of frustration.

  “What did the study show?” Lander asked.

  “That prolonged exposure to the hum causes a bunch of terrible side effects, but mostly just depression and PTSD. I also did a story on the VO Hospitals and the poor state of their mental and physical health care. That report was trashed too,” Porter said as she lay down on the bench and stared up at the bunker ceiling.

  “Did you film anything that didn’t get tossed?” Thompson asked.

  Porter didn’t respond for a moment. “Thinking back on it; I can’t believe I put up with that shit for so long. Fuckers…”

  “No way to post your stories on the net?” Lander asked.

  “Ha! If somehow I made it through the IP tracers and the content filters, they would still know whose report it was, and I would’ve been fired, or arrested - more likely. Reports of a sensitive nature have to pass through the military censure boards at the networks, before they can be distributed for viewing. Not like it matters anyway, probably only get a few hundred views before it was taken down,” Porter said with an increasingly frustrated tone.

  Lander always knew the news was filtered through the military’s lens, but he really never knew to what extent until Porter had told him.

  “You know it’s funny. I kept thinking during the entire battle yesterday, about how I wished I had my camera on me. There were so many great shots! When Jones ran out to hack the Mark Four; that was just video gold,” Porter said, ending with a sigh of disappointment.

  “Heh… gold to be thrown away,” Thompson said.

  “Yeah…” Porter sighed. “Well, I’m gonna try to sleep.”

  Porter rolled over on the bench and propped her head on her pack. Lander walked back over to Thompson and stood next to him as he continued to scan through the firing slit.

  “Do you need a break, Paul?” Lander asked.

  “Yeah, I probably should. The night vision is starting to strain my eyes,” Thompson said as he set down the binoculars and rubbed his eyes. “So have you heard anything from your family, Chet?”

  “No, I haven’t seen or heard from them since I left the house on Saturday. I hope she and Carly are doing all right. I’m not sure if they’re at home or at the shelter,” Lander said.

  “They’re probably in the shelter by now. I’m sure the MPs have everyone in town rounded-up there, since there’s hardly anyone watching the checkpoints out of town,” Thompson said.

  “They’re probably safer there, anyway. I just hope they’re doing patrols for looters too,” Lander said.

  Lander tried to get his mind off his family for the moment. It was driving him mad knowing he couldn’t check-in on them. Just a simple five-minute phone call would be enough to satisfy him. He just needed to know if they were okay and that they were safe. With all the military hardware he saw being displayed in the days prior. It struck him as odd that no-one thought of letting the reservists talk with their families. Why wouldn’t they? It didn’t make sense to him. It just seemed like a no-brainer for morale.

  Lander picked up the night vision binoculars and peered through them. The view was obviously different from the tower, but the green glow on the horizon was noticeably brighter than earlier. Lander could only wonder how much brighter it would be from on top of the observation tower.

  “Hey, Chet, I think I spotted something off to the left,” Thompson said.

  Lander scanned to the left but didn’t see anything unusual.

  “I don’t see anything, Paul. Where?” Lander asked.

  “Lemme see the binoculars real quick,” Thompson said as he grabbed them from Lander. “Shit, yeah there is something moving out on the horizon. Here take a look, one o’clock on the horizon towards the hill out there.”

  Lander looked through the binoculars and at first didn’t see anything out of the ordinary and then he adjusted the focus and could make out some faint greenish dots moving about. They seemed to be blending in somewhat with green glow on the horizon.

  “Paul, you should go get Captain Fischer. He should probably take a look at this,” Lander said as he looked at Thompson.

  “Wait… why me? I don’t even know where he is,” Thompson objected.

  “Just go, Paul, that’s an order. He’s in the hideaway bunker -- I think,” Lander said.

  “Great,” Thompson said sarcastically and then ran out of the bunker.

  Lander looked closely at the dots as they looked to be getting slightly larger and larger. More and more of them were popping up.

  Son of a … Lander thought.

  Chapter 31

  “Tell me you have some good news, Jones,” Fischer said as he entered the hideaway bunker.

  Martin was there, standing behind Jones, and watching over his shoulder as he worked. Martin turned to look at Fischer as he came down the steps. The look on Martin’s face told him that he already knew what was going on with the stop-codes. Jones was working frantically on his PCC, but he looked as though he were on the verge of giving up. Cross was curled-up in the far left corner of the room, sleeping - or at least pretending too.

  “I wish you would’ve told me about the stop codes, Cap,” Martin said; he sounded more tired than disappointed.

  “Sorry, Martin, I was hoping we would’ve been pulled out of here by now,” Fischer said as he came up to where Martin and Jones were. “So what’s the story so far?” Fischer asked Martin as Jones was busy.

  “It’s not good, Cap. Jones has only gotten half of the code; he thinks,” Martin said.

  Fischer looked over Jones shoulder and could see his notepad that he had been scribbling on. It was filled with number sequences, all of it gibberish to Fischer.

  Jones set down his PCC and took off his headphones.

  “We’re doomed,” Jones said under his breath.

  “What?” Fischer asked.

  “I said we’re doomed, sir. We need to contact Williams and tell him we need to withdraw - now,” Jones said, his eyes were wide.

  “Get ahold of yourself, Jones. You know we can’t do that,” Fischer said.

  “I don’t care if they court martial me, sir. We can’t stay here! We’ll be lucky to last more than a couple of minutes!” Jones said as he slammed his headphones on the table.

  The bang woke up Cross who looked around wanting to know what was going on. Fischer motioned for her to head outside. Cross picked herself up, yawned, and then walked out of the bunker.

  “Jones, calm down. That’s an order, you hear me?” Fischer said.

  Jones took a deep breath and nodded. “I’m sorry, sir. Listen, I’ll call HQ and let them know. It will all be on me. You can deny everything. We have to retreat now. I only have half of the stop code for those -- things out there,” Jones said anxiously.

  “No, what I want you to do is put me in contact with Williams and I’ll ask him myself,” Fischer said.

  Jones nodded, quickly adjusted his R-99, and then tried for General Williams, but shook his head when he couldn’t get through.

  “Keep trying, Jones,” Fischer said. “Martin, can I talk with you for a minute?”

  The two walked over to the stairs at the entrance of the bunker.

  “Sorry, about earlier, Martin, but we have to keep this under wraps. If word gets out then we’re in some hot water,” Fischer said.

  “Sir, I know, but there has to be ways we can let all the units on the Front know without tipping everyone off on how we got the intel, right?” Martin said.

  “No, the best we can do is just prepare and hope that either the intel is wrong or that High Command will have enough sense to pull us back,” Fischer said.

  Just then an out-of-breath Thompson came running up to Martin and Fisc
her.

  “Whoa, slow down, Corporal. Someone is going to get hurt if …”

  “Captain Fischer, sir,” Thompson puffed out, trying to catch his breath. “There’s something you need to see over at the front bunker.”

  “What is it?” Fischer asked.

  “I don’t know, sir, but you need to come take a look,” Thompson said still breathing heavily.

  “Martin, stay here and let me know when Jones has Williams on the horn. Okay, Thompson, let’s go,” Fischer said as he and Thompson headed for the front bunker.

  *****

  “Sergeant Lander, shouldn’t you be in the tower with Akiyama?” Fischer asked as he entered the front bunker with Thompson.

  “Yes, sir,” Lander gulped. “I just thought I’d check on things down here. Akiyama looked as though she needed a few minutes alone.”

  Fischer grabbed the night vision binoculars from Lander.

  “I need you up on the tower, Sergeant,” Fischer said as he gave a precursory look through the firing slit and then glanced back at Lander who then beat a hasty retreat out of the bunker.

  Fischer peered through the binoculars and couldn’t see much of anything. The bright glow on the horizon would be unusual any other time, but he had seen it several hours before and hadn’t looked to have changed too much.

  “I don’t see anything unusual, Corporal. Can you point it out to me?” Fischer said, looking up from the binoculars.

  “See that small hill or rise on the horizon. About one o’clock I believe, sir,” Thompson said as he pointed vaguely in that direction.

  Fischer looked through for a second time toward the small rise. Fischer didn’t see anything at first; the brightness of the glow was making viewing difficult. Just then, he caught some movement and then more. His eyes began to focus on the moving shapes. There was a pattern to their movement, almost as though they were walking.

  The hill was only two-thousand meters away. No way, they could get that close and be undetected, Fischer thought. Fischer slowly realized, however, that with the bright glow on the horizon, and the darker than usual conditions; they more than likely could have. The loud electric hum was probably hiding the noise of their movements, Fischer thought.