Jack Cabe

by Timothy Nguyen

  Alex raised his hand, and jack answered him, “Yes Alex?”

  He smiled as he spoke, “Why don’t we just bide our time and attack when we can steamroll him? We’ve got the numbers advantage, and with the other Districts in on it we definitely have the industrial power. He can’t exactly ship in anything with enough speed for it to matter. As long as we keep our actual capabilities somewhat hidden, we shouldn’t have too hard of a time if we attack him with everything we’ve got sometime down the line. And I think I know just the place to build up our own army.” Alex spoke confidently with a growing smirk on his face.

  “And what might that be?” Jack asked, rather concerned.

  Culloch had been planning this for a while, “Well, the old prison grounds where they kept my family and the original political prisoners would work a charm wouldn’t it? It's out of the way and no one cares about it since it’s mostly destroyed…”

  Jack shrugged, “Well, we can at least look into it. Any other ideas?”

  Stan spoke up now, “I also have an idea, but it will take some time to implement.”

  Jack gestured for him to continue, “And what might that be?”

  The Russian's voice boomed in the quiet room, “We dig tunnels from the forward trenches into the Inner City. If we have time, we can have two crews work to connect the mine with these tunnels as well. Then we can move just about anything we need to the frontline without anyone knowing any better. Though, these trenches will have to be deep, so we don’t collapse the battlefield.”

  Jack shrugged. “I’m approving these ideas because I don’t know any better alternatives. Secret build-up and surprise attack it is, I guess. Val and I will try to handle our public relations and any special missions that might need to happen I guess,” Jack announced, and he rubbed his temples, “You guys have full permission to pursue these avenues of attack and defense. I just want this to be over with soon. Good thing the internet doesn’t exactly exist between here and Earth, otherwise, we’d have way more problems to deal with.” Jack dismissed the leadership, and the work of rebuilding the City began.

  Chapter 51

  One and a half months later.

  Life in the Outer City was noticeably different now that things had calmed down, and that was especially true now that it wasn’t in a frantic battle for its life that required every last person’s contribution. Within weeks, greenhouses and small farms were set up to begin growing food, and these simply expanded on the ones that were already present in the Outer City. The arbitrary national borders were largely dissolved through ignorance, and a rudimentary school system was set in place with Dale as the superintendent. Paper left in the mine that would have been used to file reports began to be used for classwork. Life was turning into something more… Normal.

  The schools themselves were located in any building large enough to fit at least thirty students, and they were usually home to only one class and one teacher. It hearkened back to a much simpler time, a time long before the final frontier was even opened, a time of little one-room schools and boarding houses. But while classes had been in session for a few weeks now, the schools were empty by order of the interim government, headed by Jack, Stan, and Val.

  No one was allowed to leave their houses, and all fighting men and women were to report to their designated places.

  Underneath the Outer City of New Columbia, a massive and final build-up was underway. Newly designed and produced tanks were being loaded, and their crews were ready for action. Weapons fresh off of the factory line were being handed out with enough rounds and batteries to make them last for a week if necessary. Every last scrap of metal, every last machine and every last ounce of supply in the whole of the Outer City had been funneled into this purpose, and no more time could be wasted.

  Simultaneously, Aerotec had been building their forces with what little planetary resources they had left, and the reports that were coming from the few defectors that managed to make it out weren’t good: In the Inner City, fear and demagoguery reigned supreme. Land made periodic speeches about the evils of the resistance and the slow descent into madness they had gone through, death squads of Inquisitors roamed the darkened streets, and gangs of Loyalist citizens terrorized anyone suspected of being a traitor or potential defector. Lynchings were not uncommon, as people who dared to even think about joining the Resistance were ruthlessly hunted down, and a wall had been erected between the once glittering apartments.

  …

  Jack stood in a tunnel with Alex, Stan, and Val, and they went over the final plans. He had called off all civil duties for this very reason; once again, the Resistance was going to war. A thought came to Jack as he stood in the dank confines of the tunnel, surrounded by men and women desperate for freedom: I guess this is it, the Resistance is going to war. Wait, no, not the Resistance. New Columbia. We are together and united against a common foe, and we aren't resisting them anymore. They're resisting us.

  "So, what are we working with exactly?” Jack asked Stan and Alex, who had been the main influencers of this plan.

  Stan spoke first: “See this tunnel we are standing in? It goes all the way past the wall that they’ve erected and into the Inner City by... Oh, about 50 meters or so. There are at least a hundred similar tunnels across the American district, and they can each fit a tank and four men side by side. When everyone is in position, the other districts will attack from their respective borders, and utilize whatever resources they have at their command as best they can. While Aerotec is distracted, the American district will move in through these tunnels and get behind enemy lines. These tunnels separate into smaller tunnels for men to disperse into, most of which open into abandoned dining rooms and whatnot.”

  Jack was surprised at just how organized and professional the entire operation was, especially when he considered they had come from, “So everything went well while you were doing this?”

  Stan smiled, “Extremely well Jack. The skirmishes kept Aerotec busy enough to ignore the fact that we were digging right under them, and the drills work much faster in soil than in solid rock. It took a few days to get it started, but it went at light speed from there.”

  Jack smiled and turned his attention to Alex, who had been giving him continual updates about a new vehicle they were experimenting with, “What about this tank, Alex? I’ve spared my judgement until now since you were so incessant with your reporting.”

  “They're heavily armored and have as big of a main cannon as we could reliably fit on them. Take a tractor, shove a whole lot of scrap and a massive gun on it, and there you go,” Alex spoke proudly since he had personally overseen the construction of a hundred or so of these vehicles, as well as a more secret project made using whatever was left in the mine, “Though I do have some more exciting news.”

  “What might that be? A secret project you hid under my nose?” Jack laughed.

  Culloch spoke with a broad smile on his face, “Actually, yes. TC and I deconstructed some of the smarter Inquisitors in our spare time -mainly deactivated ones that were in the prison- and we were able to make a better version of TC’s rudimentary exoskeleton, with armor and whatnot. Seamus tested them out, and they should function pretty well for our heavier units. I already distributed them, and gave everyone very clear instructions on their use.”

  Jack laughed to himself, Well, whatever floats your boat I suppose, “So Liam and his ruffians get a new toy to play with today. I like it. Now… Any last words before we begin?”

  With no one really offering any other words, Stan smiled and laughed, “Let’s hope that we all make it through alive! Aerotec doesn’t know what’s coming for them.”

  “God be with us then,” Jack muttered, “To your stations. Val, you’re with me.”

  Val chided him, “We haven’t left each other’s sides for a month now, why start now?”

  Alex scoffed, “It is easy to forget that you two are a few years short of being lovesick teenagers." He laughed, but adopted a much more seri
ous tone, "Just don’t let love get in the way of battle. I want to be at your wedding after all," he shed a silent tear, "Let’s make sure that happens.”

  “Let’s,” Jack dismissed and everyone left for their respective battle groups. Jack and Val made their way to the front along with all of the others, and as they walked Jack grabbed the universal communicator from his belt, and with TC's technical help he began broadcasting to all of New Columbia.

  Chapter 52

  Jack’s face flicked to life across every available screen in New Columbia, and every available speaker that was tuned to Resistance and Public frequencies was soon filled with his slow and kind words. Thousands leaned into the screens and radios like it was a fireside chat, thousands of people yearning for freedom, and freedom that the Resistance alone could bring. They were people mourning the loss of friends and family to the Inquisition, both in the Inner and Outer City. They were a people who had suffered under Aerotec, one and all. They were a people who had with one accord risen up to declare a new and better life for themselves.

  “My brothers and sisters in the glorious fight for liberty, today we make our stand. While it may have seemed that we were all too eager to take what we could and leave the Inner City of New Columbia and leave it as is, today we prove that wrong. We have been preparing, planning, and plotting Land’s downfall for months, and these last few weeks have allowed us to fully realize our plans. Starting today, New Columbia will truly be free from tyranny. It may take weeks, but it will be accomplished starting today.

  Take up arms, steel your hearts, and raise our cross high over the dusty plains. Down with the Eagle, and up with the people. Attack now, and make history.”

  ...

  Across the perimeter of the Inner City, thousands of Resistance soldiers -accompanied by squads of tanks and other vehicles- surged against the wall that Aerotec had erected, and they used their tanks as battering rams. The heavy defenses here were mostly comprised of the dumber new-generation Inquisitors, who -despite having had at least a month to prepare- were completely overwhelmed. The true battle was only just beginning, however, as thousands of Inquisitors awaited them in the streets of New Columbia. Snipers, machine gun nests, and untold of hordes of droids and loyalists. New Columbia was a hive of defense now, even if it was sparse thanks to the lack of true Industrial power and the cornucopia of residential housing of New Columbia.

  ...

  Jack and Val grabbed their shields off of the back of their tank and made their way into one of the various underground entrances Stan had dug, and a platoon of men and women followed them. They would be the main prong of the stealthy attack into the Inner City, and they were making their way to the spaceport if they could. They looked out to the other buildings and saw faintly humanoid shapes climbing out onto the tops as well, but those were far from here, at least two buildings away.

  Val nudged Jack’s shoulder, “You know the one thing I hate about this plan?”

  Jack grunted, “The billion and one ways that it could go wrong if an Inquisitor decides to come up top?”

  Val laughed, “No, though I certainly don’t like that prospect, I was going to say the fact that I have to walk across ten stories of open-air on a metal plank.”

  “At least you get a plank, we had to use a ladder. Do you know how hard it is to not fall through a ladder?” Jack nudged her.

  She gasped in fake shock, “You did what?”

  Jack laughed, “Yeah yeah yeah, you can yell at me later honey. We have a battle to win.” They began directing their troops, and the first stages of their plan were underway.

  …

  Alex stepped into the small tunnel and his flag was stowed away safely in a bag. He couldn’t fit it in the tunnel, and it would draw attention where stealth was needed. He chided himself internally, Besides, I probably look ridiculous toting the thing around everywhere I go. The shield will be distinct enough, and I can keep the flag in my bag. He found a ladder leading into a darkened and abandoned bathroom in the Inner City and spoke to the soldiers around him, “Here she is men, let’s get up, organize, then begin the Infiltration. Our spies say aerial drones shouldn’t be a problem, even the small ones, so we should be able to make it all the way to the port and Land’s tower if we’re quiet about it.” He spoke into a microphone tuned to the integrated earbuds of his unit’s helmets. They were all divided into small groups -maybe a large squad each- and each with technology personally crafted by TC and Alex, maybe a large squad each. The plan was to infiltrate the Inner City as far as possible before being spotted, using the chaos of the actual war to hide themselves.

  “Up to the top, then from the top to the very top men, and don’t forget the platform, Tommy.” Alex joked, and let his men ascend the ladder and make their ways to the building’s roof.

  Tommy patted his backpack, and a distinct metal noise came from it, “Well boss, we’d have to jump without it, and I’m scared of heights.” They both laughed and ascended the ladder.

  ...

  Stan stood atop a building with his men, and they looked out on the city that awaited. What had once been a vibrant den of light and flamboyant wealth was dark like something out of 1984. He pulled his trusty rifle off of his back and motioned toward the only building that stood high above the others in the late-morning sun: Land’s Tower.

  His voice rose above the distant din of battle, “See that, men? That is our ultimate goal. But first we make it to the next building, and then the next, and then the one after that. We make it to Land, and we can end all of this madness, right here, right now. We all have something, or someone, that we are fighting for. I have a daughter who’s going to go mad without me, many of you have families. General Culloch is fighting for others. Generals Cabe and Ballew are fighting for the future. Some of us are fighting for the simple freedom to do what we want to do with our lives instead of being told to work in a mine until we die. It doesn’t matter why we are fighting, it only matters that we win, because a victory here is a victory for all mankind. Don’t forget that. Let’s get moving. Robertson, the platform please.”

  Andrew telescoped the metal platform and laid it across the gap between the buildings. For a massive battle, this was going to be a lot of silent walking.

  ...

  On the frontline of the American district, Seamus directed his men with skill and fury. He had lost his youngest to this war already, and he fought with a father’s fury, but it was fury that would not turn into grief. William had given his all for God and Country and had made his father proud because of it. It had been weeks ago anyway, in a skirmish. Willie would want his ‘ol pops to keep trucking on anyway. He’ll be avenged on the robotic bastards today….

  Seamus popped out of his tank as soon as it passed the Glittering Divide, and he pulled out his gun. There was a horde ahead of them, even if it was spread out across New Columbia they’d meet it soon enough. A twin pair of machine gun nests on either side of the road opened fire, forcing Seamus to cover behind the tank, which returned fire with a blast from its cannon and quickly silenced both nests. Or it silenced them long enough for the Inquisitors to get into place and fire from the hole the tank had blown in the side of the building.

  It was going to be a long and hard slog against the bastards, but it would be worth it in the end. “Return fire!”

  ...

  Liam squeezed the fists of the mechanical suit TC had made. Just more armor, I can carry heavier guns… He pulled the chaingun off of the rack on the back of his troops' APC while their tanks pulled up behind them. This’ll pack a damn hard punch… Hell yeah… They all stood above the mutilated shells of the Inquisitors that had offered resistance to them. The Hammer of the Resistance had struck again.

  Liam roared out in his deep and gruff voice, “Alright men! Today we fight, once and for all, and today we conquer! Grab your guns, and rise to the challenge! Scottstown forever!” His legion roared behind him and pulled out their guns just as the Aerotec reinforcements arrived, and a
massive gunfight quickly broke out.

  The Scottstown men ran forward and shoved their shields down, and the hydraulic spikes on their bottom edges planted them in the ground, and they made quick use of their temporary cover. Those twenty that had been blessed with armored suits pulled out machineguns and began mowing down Inquisitors with heavy hails of fire and guttural laughs. The few heavy tanks that the Scottstown men could move forward did so; their heavy guns were all too eager to tear into the more advanced Aerotec tanks.

  As advanced as the Aerotc vehicles were, however, technology can only withstand so much brute force before it breaks. A bullet does nothing to a boulder, and so too did the Aerotec cannons do nothing to the Resistance tanks, so thick was their armor.

  ...

  The story was the same across New Columbia. While Aerotec had not spent its time idly, their trust in sheer numbers and technology was their downfall. Unlike the trenches -where combat could ultimately boil down to who hid their head better- on the streets there was nowhere to hide, and the cut corners in the New Inquisitors’ programming was evident by their similarity to hordes of zombies, trying to overcome through sheer numbers and firepower alone.

  ...

  Land looked out from his balcony, his hair was in a mess, his shirt was unbuttoned, and he appeared like a man who had nearly had enough. His voice was rough as he spoke, “Men, I know what this looks like,” he turned around to face the three holograms behind him, the heads of other companies that Aerotec did business with, or rather, kept away, “But to make a decision at this point would be ill-advised. Even if the rebels take New Columbia, Mars will still be an Aerotec holding, regardless of your opinions. They may win the battle, but they won’t win the war. Purges and curfews are already in place in the other Martian colonies -not that it's needed- and production of an army is well underway, I assure you."