by Greg Sorber
Angel stopped twitching. He stopped moving at all.
“Angel?”
Angel didn’t respond. He lay still on the platform. Ajax didn’t detect any power coming from Angel at all. Oh, dear god, is he...?
Ajax crossed himself and said a prayer. He grabbed a communicator and pressed the contact button for Misty.
“Misty, we have a problem. I may have killed Angel.”
Chapter Twelve
Sub-Archivist Aleena Chan’s testimony on the expulsion of TexaNovan colonists from Feron-1
As the Archivist from TexaNova so astutely pointed out, I was indeed out of the system on Archivist business when said events occurred. However, I have spent my career studying and documenting events in the Feron system. I am just as capable as any other Archivist, and perhaps better than most, at evaluating them. In my testimony, I will propose that labor issues with TexaNovan anti-union zealots spilling over into Imperium colonies led to the expulsion.
Sub-Archivist Aleena Chan
Alliance of Independent Systems (AOIS)
With the help of Flint and Volley, Dennis pushed the empty cable spools that served as tables in The Black Hole to the sides of the hangar. Using caution tape, he created a makeshift queue for the mechs to pass through while they waited for their turn. He wanted to spray the protective coating on as many mechs as he could before the electromagnetic storm arrived. With nearly one hundred mechs crammed into the hangar, it was going to get crowded for the next few days and would be difficult for them to move about.
He planned to apply the coating on the first batch himself, and then Ajax would assist with the rest once he arrived. Dennis tasked Diana and Salacia, former Imperium attaché mechs, and Justice and Nobility, attaché mechs from the Arcturan Monarchies, with using the remaining components to produce another batch that he’d reserve for the Legion. Mechs had already started gathering in the queue. Bastion waited stoically off to the side, but was the largest of them by far, and would take the longest time for his coating to dry.
“Bastion, since you’re the biggest, you’re up first.” Dennis waved for the huge mech to join him.
The giant mech lumbered over to where Dennis was prepping his gear. Dennis looked up at the towering giant. Bastion was three times taller than any of the other mechs, which made him about six times as tall as a human. He was fortunate the hangar was just large enough to accommodate even his massive size.
Bastion shook his head. “Everyone else first, you will protect more that way. When you’re done protecting the others, then you can protect me. I couldn’t live with myself if others perished because of my selfishness.” Bastion tapped his thick-armored forearm. “Besides, my armor is thick enough to survive a little acid.”
“If that’s the way you want it, fine. Just don’t forget to come back when I finish with the others. Your armor may be thick, but acid will still damage you.”
“As you say,” Bastion said. Connie fixed a stern look on Bastion. He shrugged and turned in the other direction.
“Alright, listen up,” Dennis said, raising his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. “Bastion is letting everyone else go first, so line up between the yellow tape. Let’s get this done.”
As mechs filed through the line, Dennis sprayed each, making sure he coated their entire surface. When he finished, they moved off to an area where they waited while they dried. The line seemed as if it would never end. More mechs joined the queue as they arrived after finishing their preparations and rushed to take shelter from the oncoming storm.
At one point the lights flickered. Dennis wasn’t sure if it was the brewing storm or Ajax tinkering with Angel’s power siphons. Either way, he hoped Ajax would come and help relieve him soon. He wondered if he would get to see Angel in action at full power. That would be a sight. It might also be the factor that determined their survival.
“What do you mean, you killed Angel?” Misty asked as she rushed into the Repair Module.
Ajax quickly and concisely relayed the details of the situation to her.
“I don’t think you killed him,” Misty said. “Mechs fight in pitched battles in space, near explosions, radiation, and who knows what else. Angel should be able to survive a simple power surge.”
“I know, but since it’s coming from inside him, maybe it’s different?”
“I don’t know. With the power siphons on, he should be back to a reasonable level.”
“Did you check with Doc?”
“Yes, but he didn’t have any ideas, either.”
“It’s a shame Angel doesn’t have a reset button.”
“Maybe he’s powered down for a reason. If you remove the power siphons now and redirect as much of the power that you siphoned off of him as you can, maybe that will reset his systems to default condition.”
“What if it doesn’t work? What if I cause more damage?” Ajax asked.
“In a day or two, it won’t matter. If he helps us fight, we might survive. Otherwise, we need to know right away so we can make alternative plans.”
Ajax deactivated and removed the third power siphon; Angel didn’t react. He deactivated the fourth and final power siphon. There was still no reaction. He might have to jump-start Angel, similar to the way he’d done with Therapy, only with Angel, he’d need a lot more power.
He gathered all the backup battery banks in the Repair Module and hoped there were enough. He’d already used energy from two to revive Therapy and boost the signal of the backup communications system. He used three of the smaller units for the special projects. There were still four remaining. He set those on a grounded rack and attached power transfer cables to them, which he then attached to Angel. While he had been careful to regulate the power when boosting the communications equipment, this time there was no buffer between the power in the battery banks and Angel. When he activated the switches, allowing the power to flow unrestricted, the lights brightened instead of dimmed, and they stayed bright.
Angel lurched as before, but nothing else happened. His ocular sensors were still dull and lifeless. Ajax checked the levels on the batteries. They showed a noticeable decrease, so Angel’s body had absorbed the energy. He wasn’t sure what else he could do. He had the one battery left that he had used for Therapy. It no longer held a full charge, but maybe it would be enough. He made the connections to attach the last battery to the feed. It only took a few seconds before Angel’s ocular sensors brightened, slowly at first, and then increasing in speed and intensity. Before long, his ocular sensors glowed as bright as the sun. It was then he reached out a hand, signaling for Ajax to stop.
“I’m back,” Angel said.
Relieved that Angel was conscious again, Misty returned to the Command Center. It was empty except for Therapy, who was monitoring consoles and data feeds. He’d returned from his successful mission with Wavelength to set up the Secondary Communications System only a few minutes before and was preparing to shut down all but the most shielded systems for the duration of the storm. He had to make sure the systems would come back online fast once the storm had passed. They’d need information on the Planet Cleanser’s whereabouts right away. If it was still in space, they’d have more time to prepare. If it had already landed, then they’d have to be ready for anything.
“Make it quick, Therapy. We need to get over to The Black Hole. We’ll be able to complete our plans while we’re sheltering together during the storm.”
“I’ve just about completed the shutdown procedures. I’m trying to detect any signals from Chuck. I hope he got away from the Imperium.”
“Chuck will have a few tricks up his sleeve. I’ll bet those losers have never dealt with anyone as slippery as him,” Misty said.
Chuck was a rogue, that much was certain. On top of his official jobs, he had other businesses and side hustles running all the time. Was he a smuggler? Or an arms dealer? She didn’t want to probe too deep into his business, because one never knew when someone like Chuck could come in handy. That
was never truer than with their current predicament.
As if on cue, Therapy received a message. “It’s Chuck. He says The Drifter sustained a bit of damage and is coming in fast. He’s transmitting a list of his inventory. We’re free to use any of it we need as long as he’s fairly compensated and assuming he survives reentry.”
“Tell him to bring it in as gently as possible near The Black Hole. We’ll start equipping mechs during the storm.”
Therapy finished his conversation with Chuck and said, “Misty, Chuck says you might want to step outside to watch his landing—it’s going to be epic.”
“So, how are you feeling?” Ajax asked. Angel was standing, but was more unsteady than Ajax would have preferred. Hopefully, it wasn’t another geospatial compensator problem like Artie experienced. He wasn’t even sure how he’d fix that on Angel.
“I think the expression you humans use is like crap,” Angel said.
“That’s an improvement,” Ajax said. “For a few minutes there, I thought you were dead.”
“My system status shows I was in what you would consider a coma. Not dead, but close. I’m not sure how long I would have been out for, but thanks for bringing me out of it.”
“We should’ve been more careful removing the siphons, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. I was pushing you, so it’s my fault too. Time is of the essence. I didn’t know that would happen either.”
“I’m still noticing major power fluctuations. Is that normal?” Angel asked.
“With most other mechs, I’d say no, definitely not,” Ajax said, “but with you, who can say? Also, I’ve never used that many power siphons before.”
Angel paused, reviewing his internal system data. “In that case, I will hold off testing any of my weapons or defensive systems until my power readings come back into normal ranges.”
“I think that’s for the best. Now that we’ve got you back up and running, let’s get over to The Black Hole. We’ve got a day or two to shelter there before anything else will happen. Maybe by then your power levels will be back to normal.”
“Let’s hope they are,” Angel said. “For all of our sakes.”
After they’d received the signal that Chuck was coming in for a hot landing, Misty, Dennis, Ajax, and most of the Villagers stepped outside to watch his approach. The storm was closing in, but they’d have just enough time to get the ship unloaded before the worst of the storm arrived. Misty hoped that the Planet Cleanser didn’t slip in before the storm. If it had time to land, start collecting resources, and producing more screevers, that would be bad.
From her previous dealings with the Chuck, Misty knew he was prone to exaggeration. His mentioning The Drifter had taken “a bit” of damage was a colossal understatement. The Drifter came in fast—smoke and flames trailed from damaged sections. For a moment Misty worried Chuck was going to overshoot the Landing Pad and plow into The Black Hole, but at the last second, he reversed thrusters and set the ship down within the designated landing zone. Blast marks covered the fuselage of The Drifter, and holes dotted the sides where Imperium projectiles had penetrated the hull. Chuck landed the ship well-enough, but it would take major repairs before it would take off again.
The cargo ramp at the back of the ship lowered and Chuck stormed out, cursing. “Misty, you not only owe me for the weapons and ammunition, but you will have to pay for the repairs on my ship.”
“If we survive the next few days, you can bill me. But Chuck, just tell me one thing…”
“Yes, Misty?”
“Did you get the message out?” Misty asked.
“What do you take me for, an idiot? Of course, I did. Well—I transmitted the message, but they were jamming us, so I’m not sure if it got out,” Chuck said.
“We can only hope.” Misty said. She turned to Dennis and the waiting mechs. “Dennis, start unloading. We don’t have a lot of time.”
“You got it, Misty,” Dennis said. He glanced up from his datapad. His eyes glazed over and he smiled, that goofy smile of his he got when—Misty looked in the direction Dennis had turned, and spotted a woman with short-cropped blond hair in a tight flight suit. She stood at the top of the loading ramp, looking magnificent. At least she had more clothes on than the last time Misty had seen her. It was Sigrid.
Misty cringed. She’d told Chuck to keep her out of sight. Misty knew she was overreacting and would have to interact with Sigrid at some point, but she was hoping it would be a thousand years from now. She didn’t even consider that Chuck and Sigrid might have to shelter with them. Plus, there were two other crew members she didn’t know. They could stay in the ship with Sigrid, couldn’t they? She was about to open her mouth to say something, but held her tongue.
Dennis rushed up the ramp, arms outstretched. “I’m so glad you made it in one piece. I was so worried about you.”
The first smack echoed across the Landing Pad and snapped Dennis’s head to one side. He reached up instinctively to cover his reddening cheek. The second smack was equally loud and spun Dennis’s head back in the other direction. He switched hands, trying to decide which cheek to rub first.
“What was that for?”
Sigrid stared into his eyes and said, “The first one was for Misty.”
Dennis looked away.
“The second one was for me,” Sigrid said. She brushed past Dennis and walked to where Misty was standing, and stopped in front of her.
“You told Chuck it would be best for me to stay out of sight. Listen, I know this won’t make up for anything, but for all it’s worth, I am sorry. I didn’t know. Please accept these as a small token of apology.” She handed Misty a bottle of genuine Old Terran red wine and Old Terran dark chocolate. The cost and logistics necessary to come by those two items were extraordinary. Misty was stunned.
Sigrid turned to Ajax, who was standing nearby, watching the events unfold. “Ajax, can you and the mechs handle the unloading? I need to have a few more words with Dennis.”
“Don’t hurt him too bad,” Misty said, “we need him for the fight.”
“I just want to make sure he’s clear on where things stand.”
“Oh, I think you made that very clear.” Misty laughed. Perhaps Sigrid wasn’t so bad after all.
The electromagnetic storm raged for three days. The first day went by fast. Misty debriefed Chuck on his run-in with the Imperium, and using other data Therapy downloaded from the Beacon before the storm hit, they debated and completed their plans for the upcoming battle. Dennis kept his distance from Sigrid and Misty. Instead, he helped Ajax rearm Artie, Volley, and Larry. Artie and Larry were the most recent mechs besides Angel to arrive on Mechhaven, so Chuck hadn’t yet picked up their weapons systems and ammunition for disposal.
They divided Artie’s weapons and ammunition between him and Volley. Volley was the previous model of Artillery mech before Artie, but their weapons systems were compatible. Ajax and Dennis installed the dual shoulder rocket pods on Artie and the back-mounted cannon on Volley. This way, they each carried half the weight and could move faster once they’d fired their payloads and jettisoned their weapons.
Artie, Larry, and Volley had volunteered to be on the advanced team. Larry was the fastest and reconnaissance was his specialty, so he would deploy to the forward most position to monitor the screevers. Once the screevers were released, he’d race back to Artie and Volley’s position. When the screevers came within range, Artie and Volley would unload all of their munitions in a first strike to destroy as many enemies as possible at the start of the battle. After they’d fired all of their ordinance, they would jettison their rocket pods and cannon and run back to the defensive line.
Misty and Therapy reviewed the eclectic selection of weapons from Chuck’s inventory and matched them up with the mechs whose proficiencies could make the best use of them. They reviewed each mech’s specialties and war records. Chuck kept an ever-watchful eye and tallied all the weapons issued on his own datapad every
time one was withdrawn from his inventory.
Except for the rocket pods and cannon reinstalled on Artie and Volley, the rest of the mechs were going to use non-integrated weapons. These were mech-sized versions of standard assault rifles, disruptors, and stunners. Where the trader got access to so many weapons, she wasn’t sure. They didn’t originate from Mechhaven, although she wasn’t going to complain, as a quarter of the mechs now had something to defend themselves with. If the Legion provided additional low-tech implements of war, then everyone had a fighting chance. Only time would tell if they’d be successful.
Sigrid and Chuck’s other crew members busied themselves working with four high-tech crates, which contained the components of powered armored suits and their accompanying weapons systems. Misty didn’t expect them to take part in the fight, but they planned to defend their ship, their investments, and themselves to the best of their ability. When she asked Chuck about the other crew members, he told her they were his good-for-nothing sons-in-laws, but didn’t bother introducing them.
After the first day of the storm, the initial excitement of preparing for the battle had worn off, and boredom sank in. With little to do, some began getting nervous about the battle. This spread to others and could have been a real morale destroyer, but Lancer stepped in and told humorous stories of his previous adventures. This seemed to put everyone at ease. Later, he and Connie meandered through the gathered mechs and intervened when necessary to keep tempers calm and discipline in order.
By the third day of the storm, everyone’s nerves had gotten the best of them. Mechs were ready to fight each other as well as the yet unseen menace of the screevers. Misty herself intervened several times to keep friends from coming to blows. She worked hard to keep everyone focused on the enemy. At one point, even Dennis and Ajax got into a shouting match. When she confronted the two, neither could give her an exact reason for their conflict. Therapy suggested that everyone switch to standby modes to conserve their energy reserves for the coming battle. It had the added benefit of calming everyone down.
