by Jason Luthor
After taking a long look away, he finally looks her in the eyes again. “However, I will not tell them not to fight for you. The clans may look to me for leadership, but I am no general of a fortress, no president of a country.” He looks at me. “Did I tell you not to go searching for the Tank when you heard about her? Did I order you not to go, or order your clan to stay in the Wild Forest?”
I shake my head. “No. You let me do as I please. I respected you the more for it.”
“Then the same it will be here,” he says as he looks at the Angel. “Every man and woman has a conscience to live by. I may have never believed as much in the idea of the Sha’b as some of my fellow chiefs, but I had one thing in common with the Tank. You fight for what you believe in. If any of my people choose to fight for you, then so be it. The rest I will lead back with me, to the north. If you win this battle, prove that you truly are committed to the good of the Sha’b . . . Well, then we can discuss alliances in the future.”
The Angel nods. “Thank you.”
And just like that, old man Daniel pulls away from the table and walks out of the room, leaving the five of us there. After a second of awkward silence, I heave out and slap the table. “Well, that’s a loss. Daniel had some of the finest fighters in all of the zone.”
Marc puts his glass to his lips and takes a deep drink before looking over at Ashanti. “You still intend to follow this person? This stranger who’s been accused of being a monster?”
She bows her head. “I am. My people have suffered the most at the hands of Fort Silence, being so close to it. We found a refuge here in the zone, and we may never get another chance to earn freedom from General Suliman.”
He looks my way. “I’ll throw in, then. I’ve always given Ashanti’s people a home in my territories whenever they’ve needed a home. As she goes, I go. But that’s not a secret.”
The Angel nods to the both of them. “Thank you. Every person who fights with us is a big help. We’ll need every person we can get to breach the walls of Fort Silence.” Her eyes slowly move to Neddy. “And are you still going to fight with us? Are you going to stand by what you said at the Panzer?”
Ned sits there a long time, his hand over his mouth as he rests his elbow on the table. After a while, we start to wonder if he’s going to say anything at all. Finally, after a minute or two, he takes a deep breath and speaks up. “My father always told me that he believed the only way forward for all of us, for humanity, was by finding ways to work alongside one another. It’s why he was such a strong ally to Central, even when Nikola Dravic was president of the city. He never trusted the man though. My father said you should be cautious of anyone who strongly desires power, because they are the least likely to be deserving of it.
“When I brought my people south, I slowly earned the loyalty of surrounding clans by being fair in all my decisions. By the time the Tank arrived, I’d earned the loyalty of tens of thousands spread from Zone Delaware north to the bay separating the Deadlands from Central Freedom. Perhaps I never trusted her, but I believed in bringing our people together. I opened the zone to her because I wanted the clans to have one place they could call home, a Central Freedom of their own.”
He pauses for a second as he looks at her. “The Tank was driven by revenge. Nikola Dravic was a man obsessed with power for the sake of it. I don’t know what drives General Yousef, but he’s willing to destroy anyone who disagrees with him. But you . . . I believe you truly wish for the good of all people. So tell me,” he says as he leans in, “If we followed you . . . If we went to war with you . . . What do you want when peace finally comes to the Deadlands? Where would you go and what role would you take on?”
“Peace in the Deadlands,” she repeats. “That’s easy. I’ve said the same thing to everyone who’s ever asked me that question.”
“And that answer is?”
She takes a long, slow breath before saying anything else. “I want to have a small home where I can tend a garden, like my mother. I want a place where I can play baseball, like my father taught me. I want a place where I can live out my days in peace.”
Neddy looks a little surprised as he leans back into his chair. “That’s it?”
“I never wanted to be a fighter. I definitely don’t want to lead any cities or countries. When all of this is over, I don’t want anything else to do with war or politics. But, as long as I have the power to change things, to make life better for everyone else . . . Yes. Then I’ll lead. That’s the only reason I want to take this fight to Yousef, because there are people living in Central and here in Zone Delaware that deserve a chance to live their lives in peace.”
“Well said,” he tells her as he looks away.
I smile. “The lady here’s got her heart in the right place, I can say as much.”
“I thought so.” He taps the table. “I’ll rally my people.”
She nods to him. “Thank you, Neddy.”
“And are we to simply keep calling you the Angel, then?”
She smiles at him and takes a deep breath, her hand moving to her neck. “No. If you’re going to fight with me, then you should at least know who I am.” I see her finger press at a button below her jaw, and a second later, the helmet around her face is vanishing into blue light. When it’s gone, I’m frankly amazed at the girl underneath. Not to be insulting, it’s just that she’s . . . young. Young compared to me, at the very least. For a second, she runs a hand through those waves of dense hair before saying anything else. “My name is Jackie Coleman. Thank you for trusting me and fighting with me. Now let’s finally finish this war.”
THE DARK ANGEL
Jackie’s Recording 38
I can hear Erin’s voice even if I can’t see him. “What’s it like, plugged in that way?”
“Basically? Insanity,” I tell him as I raise my hand. When I do, I can feel the metal plates under my feet vibrating. “The arm’s moving.”
“I could’ve told you that much.”
“You can see it?”
“I’m looking right at it. You’ve got the arm raised just about to the Panzer’s face. Speaking of which, would you kindly lower it? It’s making me just a bit nervous.”
“Oh, sorry,” I say as I lower my arm again. A second later, my connection to the Panzer cuts off, and I’m able to take the interface helmet off. “It’s just like working with my armor. The neural connection basically responds to whatever you’re thinking or want. There’s basically no lag between when I raise my arm and the robot raises its arm, and when I want to disconnect, the interface does it automatically.”
“What’s it actually look like when you’re plugged in?”
“I can’t really see anything, because we haven’t finished repairs on the face plate. It’s kind of like seeing with radar. I get a lot of images that look like the city, but everything’s in energy readouts, like I see the shapes of buildings in heat and electricity, but I’m not really seeing anything.”
“Interesting. So, I’m assuming that when you want to move, the Panzer just . . . does it?”
“Yeah. I think all I have to do is think for the legs to move, but to use the arms, I’ve actually got to swing my own arms around.”
“Interesting design choice. I’m assuming that’s because they thought it’d be intuitive that way. Or are you even sure you need to move your arms? Maybe you’re just doing that instinctually, but the armor would move them for you either way. I don’t recall seeing Ishara moving her arms.”
“Erin, I really don’t know. Anyway, how’re repairs on the faceplate?”
“Shouldn’t be long now. Turns out the only thing wrong with it was some parts were burnt out. Engineers are doing their bit now. We should be able to raise the face once they’re all done.”
“Good. I’d rather not think about walking into Fort Silence without all the protection we can get.”
“Speaking of the fort, we’ve got visitors for you.”
“Yes?”
“That friend of yours, the one
walking around with a scary bunch of power armor jockeys. Devleena Kumar, if I’m remembering correctly.”
“Kali.” It brings a smile to my face. “It’s nice to know she’ll be on our side.”
“You’re telling me. At any rate, shall we be heading below decks to meet with them?”
“Yeah, let’s not keep her waiting too long.”
The service elevator that leads down through the center of the Panzer is honestly terrifying. It’s narrow, so there’s not a lot of space. Then you have to unload and take a second service elevator down the leg. I get the feeling these were mostly supposed to be used by engineers who knew more about how to get around the thing. You can see panels where it looks like you could go in and out, but honestly, it’s not something I really want to try. There’s nothing quite like the thought of getting stuck inside the belly of a giant robot to make you feel nervous.
When we finally unload back on ground level, Kali’s already there with her helmet tucked under her arm. She looks my way with a smile. “Heavy Metal. Just wanted to check in with you. You’ve been really busy since you got back.”
“Kali.” I smile back. “Sorry if I haven’t had time to catch up. I know it’s a lot to ask you to come out here and fight with us when we’ve barely talked more than a few times.”
“It’s really not a big deal. I was just trying to figure out what’s coming up next. Ned helped us repair our suits, but the guys are getting antsy waiting on what’s coming next.”
“Well, we still can’t leave for a few days. We’re waiting for the rest of the raiders to arrive tonight, when they can move in the dark. Then we’ll need to do some organizing, but we’ll be leaving at nighttime.”
“I get it. Makes it a little easier to keep this operation a secret.”
“Pretty much. Once this robot starts walking, Fort Silence is going to know we’re heading their way. I’d like to keep that from happening for as long as possible.”
She nods. “Understood.” Then, for a second, she looks back at her people before looking my way again. “Listen, there was something I did want to know . . . How are you going to want to use us, exactly?”
I look past her to the crowd of DEC troopers that are huddled together in bunches, talking with one another. “You guys are wearing some of the most advanced power armor in the Deadlands.”
“Only person with better tech is you,” she says with a smile. “Ned may be about as tough as us, but he’s the only raider wearing any power armor like that.”
“Right, suits as big as what you guys wear aren’t exactly common. Well, I have been thinking about it, and the Sulimans had this thing they called their vanguard, the group at the head of all the action. They were the tip of the spear and the old general’s personal protectors.”
“So what’s that mean for us?”
“I want you to be my vanguard too. Nobody on the ground’s going to have the kind of power your team and I do, so let’s make that into something. You’ll lead the way in until I have a chance to link up with you, then we move in on Yousef together.”
“Entry force. I got it. We bust down the walls and let the flood in.”
“Does that work for you?”
“It doesn’t really matter what I think, sir. You tell us to do it, we’ll do it.”
I shift a little when she says that. “Look, I get how that works. I understand that you’ve got to have discipline and all. You’re not just some grunt though. You brought these guys out here, so you’re in charge of them. These are your people’s lives. If I tell you something but you’ve got a better idea, then you need to let me know. Alright?”
She nods again, except this time she’s the one who looks uncomfortable. “Sorry, sir. I’m still getting used to all this myself. It’s the first time we’ve fought for anyone that wasn’t the general. I’m used to making tough calls, but asking them to give up everything they’ve known . . .”
“Hey, it’s fine. Actually, I kind of understand where you’re coming from. I still remember when my friends made the stupid decision to follow me out into the Deadlands. That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“I’m just glad you understand where I’m coming from.”
“Listen. I’m serious about you bringing up a problem with me if there is one.”
“Alright, but serious question time.”
“Yeah?”
“Can we actually call ourselves that? We’ve called ourselves Metal Heads for so long, but calling ourselves the Vanguard just sounds so much more kickass.”
I just blink at her for a second as we’re standing there. “Uh, sure. I guess we could . . . even put that into the official list of call codes.”
“That’s incredible. Let’s do that,” she says with a point of her gigantic metal finger.
Erin leans in between us, his eyes on me. “Pardon my interruption, but speaking of the war effort, I’ve already sent out orders. It’s all well and good to say you want your new Vanguard leading the way, but where do you actually want them? You know, when you’ve actually got this army marching.”
I look at him. “With the central column moving to the gate. We’ll have support north and south to draw fire away from the center while the Panzer provides cover fire.”
Kali raises her hand. “Any standard air support?”
“Not like what you guys have. Yousef lost a lot of Talons trying to take the Panzer, but he’ll have more. The Panzer’s going to try and keep the air clear, but I’m sure Yousef’s going to point the Dynamis at us pretty early in the fight. You will have Suiciders supporting you, so there’s that. They’re not as fast or powerful as a Talon, but they’re a hell of a lot more maneuverable, and that’ll count for something with most of the fighting happening in the city streets.”
Erin looks over to Kali. “Now that we’re getting all this on the table, you’re the one turning traitor on Fort Silence. Anything else you might be able to offer about taking out the general?”
“Well, the first problems the main gate into Fort Silence.” She looks at me. “You’ve been there.”
“Yeah, I have. It’s a pretty thick gate.”
“That’s not the only thing. The walls and the gate are made of a special ablative material. The impact from shells disperses pretty evenly, and energy fire just kind of fizzles out across the surface.”
“So, the gate can take blunt hits from tank shells and energy rounds.”
“Yeah.”
“I noticed you didn’t say whether it could be cut open,” I tell her with a smile. For a second, she looks confused, until finally it clicks in her head.
“Wait. You’re going to try and cut through the gate with your sword?”
“Right. I’m not sure if you know how the tech in your gauntlets work, but it’s almost identical to how my sword works. The sword’s not sharp because of the edge. It displaces matter around it because it generates this tiny Pocket Space field along the surface. It’ll cut through almost anything that isn’t designed to protect against that field. That’s why you leave breaking down the gate to me, since I think Yousef’s going to focus most of his defenses toward the front. Our attacks from the north and south will just have to use old fashioned tank shells to hit those walls until they crumble.”
“Got it.”
“What else do you know about Yousef’s forces?”
“I know he’s got a lot of hardware, and he’ll try to choke the streets once he realizes what’s happening. Until we break through the city and onto Victory Field, it’s going to be ugly. Really ugly. We could lose a lot of people fighting street to street like that. Unless we can respond to them faster than they can to us, it’s going to be hard.”
I point to Erin. “We’ll have Baby Boys in the air, right?”
He nods. “Wouldn’t dream of going in without them, but that still leaves us with too much ground to cover. Coordinating something that large . . . Even doing all we can, it’s going to be the devil trying to stay ahead of Yousef’s army.”<
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“No, it won’t. All of the Baby Boys are supposed to send their transmissions and information to one place. All we have to do is have all of them send the vide to the Panzer.”
“Even if we made the Panzer our command center, there’s still a natural delay between when the information is captured, transmitted, and then orders given out.”
“But we can get rid of that delay if we process all that information without a dozen people trying to figure out who’s where.”
Kali raises an eyebrow. “I’m going on record right now as not understanding how the hell you plan on managing that.”
“Right, well, my plan is to send all the video feeds and information through the Panzer’s neural interface. I’ll coordinate everything so that we don’t have huge delays between when we get information and when we respond.”
“Can you . . . Is that even humanly possible?”
“No, it’s not, but I’m not exactly a normal human. The Creep cells inside of me let me think faster than your average person. Remember when I saved your team?”
“It’s hard to forget someone raining down holy hell across a city block.”
“Well, bringing down all that firepower, I realized I can . . . I don’t know. My brain can work fast enough to coordinate a lot of information. I had to be able to bring in those bombs while also pinpointing where I wanted them to land. It’s hard to describe what that felt like, but my point is that it’s doable. Besides, I’m not going to have to do it for the whole fight. I just have to keep from letting my brain get friend until the Panzer’s in firing range of Fort Silence.”
Erin looks my way, his arms crossed as he scowls. “Not that you’re asking my opinion, but that’s crazy, Angel. I don’t doubt you already know that though. So, assuming we go through with this plan. What if you make the wrong call while you’re trying to get all our people into position?”
“No matter what we do, it’s going to be a mess out there. We’re going to run risks even if we use a normal command structure. Besides, you’ll be there to make sure that everything’s going the way we need them to.”