Bulletfoot One

by Marshall Rust

  "It was war," the AI pointed out. "We still don't know what the invaders hoped to gain when they attacked. It was possibly resources or maybe they merely saw humans as a threat. Either way, records indicate that they had no plans that involved humans surviving."

  "I wonder if we might have simply talked to them and found a way to communicate," she said, unwilling to believe there hadn’t been another solution. "Kind of like…well, like I managed to finally get the Minato working and then you. It wasn't an immediate thing. It took work and a great deal of fiddling, but it worked in the end."

  "It's hard to describe the kind of fear that comes from the unknown," Mini said. "I certainly don't know how to explain it as it's a uniquely human emotion. Maybe it applies to some animals and possibly even the invaders, but it’s not one I experience."

  Jessica13 nodded and forced a small smile. "Well…it’s ancient history now, I suppose. We should keep moving. It shouldn't be long before we're in range to transmit to the Knights Mechanica."

  "It’s odd but I don't have any resources regarding the name," the AI informed her. "Knights are fairly obvious and Mechanica, I suppose, indicates that they use mechs, but the combination holds no meaning."

  "It’s hard to say what they are exactly," she agreed. "I suppose the bunkers closer to the City-That-Was would know about them but the peddlers have talked about them. They're apparently a group of mechslingers who have worked in the Outlands. The stories mostly involve how they helped bunkers in need, peddlers who were attacked, and handed out supplies that were needed when they were needed. Which is why the bunker was trying to call them for help."

  "That could be a reference to the old legends of the wandering gunslingers of times past," Mini commented. "Are you sure they even exist? As a group, I mean, because it could be that there are people who helped others and have thus been elevated to the status of a Knight Mechanica."

  She thought about it for a moment and tried to recall the various snippets she’d heard during her life in Sanctuary. "I suppose it is possible but I don't think so. Outside, you wouldn't see too many people living alone and helping people like that. They might not be called the Knights Mechanica but there is a group out here that helps people. There…has to be."

  Mini understood and gave her a thumbs-up on the HUD screen as they continued to move across the landscape, still in Bulletfoot mode. The trees began to thin and gave way to thick grasslands that were a little easier to traverse. It also provided a good view of the smaller buildings that indicated they were now inside the city.

  "Do you think we should try to connect with the Knights?" Jessica13 asked as they moved between the walls that had crumbled for years and were already overgrown by plants and vines.

  "The CO at the bunker said to be sparing with the use of the radio," Mini replied. "I don't think it was because he was afraid we would break it."

  She nodded. "He was afraid someone else might listen in. Pirates are in these parts, and if they hear a random message sent out, they'll see the opportunity for an easy score. It’s best to only send the message out when we're sure it'll reach someone we want it to get to."

  "How will we know that?"

  "Honestly? I have no idea. I guess we'll know it when we see it."

  That wasn’t even remotely reassuring but it was the best she could think of. The closer they got to the city, the taller the buildings became and to her, it felt like they had stepped into another forest. There weren't too many trees and the concrete structures and ground appeared to be relatively intact. Relatively was the operative word, as there were cracks from which grass and smaller trees sprouted.

  Most of the foliage appeared to be from vines that climbed all the buildings as well as the steel light fixtures that looked to have been there forever.

  Animals could be seen moving across the open spaces. They moved quickly in groups to keep from being targeted by the birds of prey she could see circling in the sky above them. Despite everything and all the terrifying horrors that had destroyed the human population in the area, the plants and animals had survived and, by the looks of it, thrived.

  She'd never seen any of these creatures in person but some, like the deer and even a few rats and marmots here and there, she had seen before in the instructional vids that had been shown to her when she was a child.

  Most of them, she hadn't seen before. Many of the birds displayed bright yellow and red plumage and chirped and chattered as if in conversation with each other up in the buildings. It created a somewhat confusing kind of harmony. The oddest creature she saw looked like a smaller-sized dog but with a finer snout, bright red fur, and a bushy tail that was tipped with white.

  "Do you have anything in the databanks regarding that?" Jessica13 asked as she watched it run into the sanctuary of a building close by.

  "That is a quadruped known as the red fox, or Vulpes Vulpes, common to these parts," Mini replied.

  "You know that explains almost nothing, right?"

  A pause followed while the AI tried to correlate it in a way that she would understand. "Think of it like a creature with dog hardware but running on cat software."

  "What's a cat?"

  "That is a difficult question to answer, honestly. These are the pictures in my databanks."

  Jessica13 leaned forward and narrowed her eyes to study the ginger-colored creature with soft white stripes, diamond-shaped ears, a lithe frame, and a long, thin tail. It stared at the camera that took the picture with large, slitted eyes.

  "Did we used to keep those creatures as pets too?" she asked.

  "Well, the question remains as to whether humans kept them as pets or if they kept humans as pets, although a compromise would conclude that it was a symbiotic relationship where humans provided the cats with shelter and food and the cats kept smaller pests away from the humans' food.” A few more images of cats displayed, including what looked like a carving of the creature into yellowish rock. "There are also reports of humans worshiping cats as deities, although whether the worship was directed toward a deity who was a cat or if all cats were deities is hard to determine."

  "Huh." She scrunched her face in distaste. "I don't think I could ever worship a creature that was an eighth of my size. I like the symbiotic relationship."

  "Affirmative," Mini said. "That is the more likely scenario."

  "And these foxes were like cats, then?" Jessica asked as they approached a small structure placed in a clearing in the middle of the buildings that rounded out into a circular wall about as tall as her knee, an open space, and then a taller, more elaborate structure in the center.

  "They were comparable, but foxes were never domesticated by humans or, at least, not to the extent cats were," Mini continued as they came to a halt. "Although that wouldn't have explained much if you don't know how cats behaved."

  "Well, they were creatures with similar characteristics," she said. "I've seen a fox and I can assume that cats would have acted in a similar fashion."

  "That is an interesting assumption." Jessica13 pushed the doors of the mech open and stepped outside. "What are you doing?"

  "Well, it's around the time I would normally indulge in a midday meal," she said. "As long as you keep your sensors alert to any potential threats, I would like to eat outside the mech."

  "There are dangers I would not be able to see from a distance," Mini pointed out. "An attacking mech, for instance, would be able to fire rockets from a distance. Or one of those Sherlock mechs could pick us off using their long-range rifles."

  "And if we were attacked by either one of those, what benefit would there be if they hit us from a distance?" she asked, chose some of the rations from the mech, and sat on the small wall.

  "If they missed, we would be able to escape with more alacrity," the AI pointed out.

  "Well, be that as it may, I think I need a little fresh air anyway. We've moved almost without a break for the past twenty hours and I need time to stretch my legs. I don't think I've spent that much time
in a mech before."

  "Given our situation, getting used to being inside the mech is likely something to consider," he said as Jessica13 began her meal.

  Once again, it wasn't great but it was from a different bunker and that made it taste different. It was more savory, she realized, like someone had prepared the rations with more spices. That would have been considered an unnecessary waste of resources and time in Sanctuary.

  All it really did was add a touch more flavor to the otherwise almost tasteless stew mixed with protein patty that she'd eaten her entire life.

  "So," Jessica13 said, still chewing. "What is this? One of those theaters you talked about?"

  Mini didn't answer for a few seconds and she wondered if he hadn't heard her. Or maybe he was sulking again.

  "My records indicate that this is a popular social area, maintained outside to encourage other humans to interact with each other on a larger scale," the AI said. "The most common name for it would be a fountain. The location would have water running from the central structure to fill the outside ring, which would then force the water down into a couple of pipes and back into the spout."

  "Huh." She frowned and tried to picture what it would look like. "Did they use any covering over it?"

  Mini paused again. "My records indicate no."

  Jessica13 scowled. "How did they keep the water from evaporating and being lost into the air?"

  "It would appear that letting the water be lost to the atmosphere wasn't that great a concern back then."

  That was reasonable, of course, but she couldn't help but scowl at the small bottle of water she had for herself. It was a wonder that people could be so wasteful, even people who lived over a hundred years before. Folks living in a time of plenty never quite imagined that their situation could change so drastically.

  "I wonder what it must have been like," she said softly, finished her food, and packed everything into the mech before she climbed in.

  "Being that wasteful?" Mini asked.

  "I wonder what it must have been like to be around so many people simply…well, enjoying themselves. Not having to worry about things like wasting evaporating water. Is that crazy?"

  "I can assure you that your wondering does not classify as a mental illness," he replied as they began to move again.

  "That's not quite what I meant, but I guess it still answers the question." Jessica13 turned and retrieved the radio. "Do you think you could get us to a higher point? I think I'll be able to manage a focused comm burst to reach the second bunker to tell them I'm here in the city."

  "Hold on." The AI reverted the mech to Bulletfoot mode, settled onto the ground, and ran quickly to one of the smaller buildings that looked more or less intact. A few calculations crossed the HUD before the grappler fired to enable them to climb to the top. A host of birds flew up from inside the building, startled by the sound, but settled slowly when the mech began to clamber up the side of the building.

  "Sorry," she said softly, not wanting to disrupt their lives any more than was necessary.

  Once they reached the roof, Mini maintained the connection with the cable. The building didn't appear to be that stable, to begin with, and adding the full weight of the mech in the wrong place could bring the structure crumbling down.

  "I’m calling up a location for the second bunker now and giving you the most direct connection," the AI said and brought more computations up on the screen to run them through a variety of different algorithms. Jessica13 could comprehend most of them and thought she could probably make them herself but nowhere near as quickly as Mini performed them. In under a minute, a comm line was opened.

  "This is Jessica13," she said into the mic. "Can anyone hear me on this frequency, over?"

  A moment passed before a soft crackle and hiss was heard over the line and finally, a voice. "We read you, Jessica13. How goes the search for Hammerhand, over?"

  "I've just reached the city," she said. "It's mostly deserted, over."

  "You might…find the industrial complex on the western end of the city," the voice said but crackled severely with the interference and distance. "Knights Mechanica…defenses up in the area. Advice…short-range bursts over general comm channels…should respond, over."

  She nodded and thought she’d at least understood the general idea behind what was said. "Roger that. How are you guys doing there, over?"

  More crackling. "…better if we…the Knights are coming. Still rebuilding otherwise, over. You should send the communication…head on back, over."

  "Well, I'll get back to you once I know more. Out," Jessica13 said and cut the communication.

  "Connections over that kind of distance are probably what burnt the disruptors in the radio the first time," Mini said. "Ours are currently well above recommended heat settings."

  "We probably shouldn't contact them again until we have good news to share." She studied the wiring behind her. "Anyway, can you put out a short-range, general burst?"

  "I’m connecting with as many channels as possible," the AI said and activated the radio transmitter. "You're connected."

  "Connecting to Hammerhand of the Knights Mechanica," Jessica13 said. "Repeat, connecting to Hammerhand of the Knights Mechanica. Your help is desperately requested."

  She cut the connection quickly.

  "Is that all?" Mini asked.

  "If you can send that message on a loop with five-minute intervals as we move through the city, they will be able to receive it once we come inside their connection range," she replied. "That way, the word that we're looking for Hammerhand will reach them while we still continue to move so no one can triangulate our position."

  "Preparing the connection."

  "Great, and I'll get us down from here," she said and quickly let them down from their position at the top of the building which, while good for sending messages, also made it very obvious where they were.

  "Loop and intervals set," Mini said after a minute or so.

  "Then we should push on to the industrial complex on the western side of the city." She smiled. "I’m not sure what an industrial complex is supposed to be, but I have the feeling we'll know it when we see it."

  Moving through the ruined streets of the city revealed exactly how much life had spread into what had been a mostly human domain. She remembered thinking about how the cities must have been a wasteland, barely habitable by the humans who had once lived there and who now scavenged for parts and riches left by those who had come before.

  From what she could see, animals and plants were what had benefitted from the absence of the people who had built all this.

  Mini took control of the mech to move them more quickly and glided smoothly over the ruins using Bulletfoot mode. She sent out the message every five minutes as they progressed. It was quicker to move in the city than it had been in the forest, and with the roads cutting clearly through the land, they were able to reach the industrial complex the CO at the bunker had mentioned.

  And, as Jessica13 had predicted, she knew it when she saw it. Massive steel crates made up what looked like a small city inside the city and took up as much land as Sanctuary did fifteen times over, at least. The crates were the largest pieces of the landscape, stacked on top of each other and sometimes taller than the buildings in the city itself, but the ground was littered with piles and piles of mechanical junk.

  Her heart almost skipped a beat as they headed between the heaps of scrap and pieces and parts of thousands, if not tens of thousands of mechs scattered across the kilometers and kilometers of space.

  "I have the feeling this isn't what the industrial complex looked like when there were humans aplenty," Jessica13 said and studied a few of the mechs that were the most interesting.

  "It would have been a little more organized," Mini said. "This was where most of the mechs that were made in the factories a little farther inside the city were brought for testing, organizing, and shipping. Back when they built hundreds of thousands of mechs every year and s
ent them out to prepare for the Invasion, this was a hub of activity."

  "I can’t imagine what it must have been like to work with everything all new and shiny and still in perfect condition. I suppose it has appeal but…well, they didn't know what they were missing." She brought them to a halt in front of a larger pile of mechs that had been discarded, likely by scavengers who had no idea what they were looking at and had tossed them aside, thinking they had taken all that was worth anything.

  "Back then, people had no reason to do what you do. They had everything of the best and besides that, they didn't even think to pick up the pieces others had discarded. They would simply make replacements."

  Jessica13 shrugged, pushed the mech open, and stepped out. "Again, they didn't know what they were missing. There aren’t many better feelings in the world than being able to pick things apart, find out how they work, and put them together to make something others would simply throw away work again."

  "It sounds like a kind of revenge against the people who threw it away in the first place."

  "Possibly, but in the end, all that matters is making something work." She shook her head and gestured at the closest mech. "For instance, whoever scavenged from this took most of the chest plate armor and probably thought that since it was thicker, it was better, but ignored the shoulder pads made from steel titanium-alloy. They are cut and bunched together to not only be effective armor against even the highest-caliber rounds but also good at absorbing explosives. Basically, it's about knowing what are the best while not being the obvious pieces. Hold on."

  She climbed into the Minato, retrieved her tools, and chose those she needed before she scrambled out and set to work on the shoulder pads. She wasn't sure when she would have the opportunity to install them, but they would still work as functional armor until then.

  "While you're looking around there, I don't suppose you would be able to find proper power cells to work with?" Mini asked.

  "Oh." Jessica13 grunted in surprise and turned to look at the mech. "What's the matter with the ones you have now?"