Its evasive tactic worked out for the best, really. She didn’t plan to shoot it directly anyway.
She turned to look where they were going. It wasn't the smartest move and a cloud of dust whipped into her eyes, but she saw all she needed to see. Her focus settled on the side of the group of steel crates around them and she swung the grappler to aim it toward them and counted the seconds down in her head.
It wasn't often that she wished for the calculating powers of an AI but in this situation, she really wished she could run the calculations Mini could.
She would have to call it by sight.
"I hope I'm right," Jessica13 whispered as the countdown ended and she fired.
The dart rocketed forward, powered by the air cannon, and spun to drive into one of the crates above them. When it connected, their speed decreased and she disengaged the magnetic clamp that held the grappler in place.
Once it came free, Mini surged forward and increased speed when the crates began to slide and topple on the Lancers that were closing in pursuit.
The Balthazar saw the danger and pulled back sharply to avoid the steel avalanche, but two of the Lancers weren't so lucky. These were caught entirely unawares and only looked up when the sun was suddenly shadowed around them.
No screams were uttered and no sound could be heard but the roar and clatter of tons and tons of steel. Even inside Mini, Jessica13 felt the ground shudder beneath the force of impact.
Mechs tended to be tough to eliminate, but she doubted anyone would walk away from that.
Well, aside from those that hadn't been struck, but it had at least given them some space and time.
Mini took advantage of it and raced forward at a speed that seemed even faster than they’d achieved when they evaded capture at Sanctuary. She closed the hatch again and wiped the dust from her face as she returned to the pilot compartment.
"Nice work out there," he said as she settled in. "I think I could have performed it if you had told me what you had in mind, though. It was illogical to risk your life."
"You didn't have access to the spare grappler and it would have taken too long to set it up for you," she pointed out and closed everything down behind her. "And it wouldn't have worked if you needed to stop to use the grappler attached to the mech. It needed to be done and it needed to be me."
Mini didn't respond, although Jessica13 had a feeling he knew he was wrong, somehow, and didn't want to discuss it further since it had worked out for the best in the end. She had disabled a couple of the mechs and given them breathing space that would hopefully get them out of the junkyard.
It wasn't over, however, as the remaining Lancers clambered over the fallen crates. The Balthazar elevated once more, still reluctant to risk itself in case she had any more tricks up her sleeve.
She didn't but hopefully, that wouldn't matter.
Mini still increased speed and it seemed that the added power cells gave them more power to work with. There would be downsides. Adding more stress to the mech would make mechanical stress skyrocket in turn, but those were problems for later.
It seemed as though the AI had adapted well to the added weight and the Minato raced out of the junkyard and reached what appeared to be a road before their pursuers could stop them. The Balthazar accelerated dramatically and would overtake them soon, but that was a risk they would have to face.
Jessica13 turned, retrieved the radio again, and keyed the next broadcast. She needed to find the Knights now more than ever, not only for the sake of the folks in the bunker but for her own as well.
A second later, a sharp crackle issued from the radio and a connection was established.
"This is Hammerhand of the Knights Mechanica," said a thick, gravelly voice from the other side of the connection. "Get the hell off the radio before you give your position away to pirates. Are you trying to get yourself killed, over?"
Her eyebrows raised in surprise. She hadn't actually expected anyone to answer, but if they did, it meant they were inside the three to four klick range of the transmission.
"Roger that, Hammerhand," she said as she pressed the control on the radio. "Unfortunately, it's too late for that. If you're able and willing to help, it would really be appreciated, over!"
Mini halted abruptly and the Balthazar and Lancers gained quickly and opened fire on them. They were attacking with more ferocity than before, likely pissed about their comrades being killed and determined to exact revenge. The sight was enough to spur them into motion again.
No answer issued from the radio. She could only hope they wouldn’t ignore her cries for help. It was time the Knights Mechanica proved the truth of their legends or she wouldn’t last much longer.
Chapter Fourteen
The world flashed past as Mini found them open space and Jessica13 almost couldn't believe how quickly they moved. The additional cells she had fitted were being used to their full potential and pushed power into the mech to give Mini everything he needed to sustain the Minato at a speed she would never have believed was possible.
It was terrifying, breathtaking, and almost beautiful to see the mech brought to its full potential, or as close to that as she had ever seen in a mech before. Support mechs weren’t given much attention based on the assumption that the combat mechs needed most of the upgrades.
Adrenaline surged within and brought an entirely new thrill. Her whole body seemed to vibrate with energy as Mini pushed on at a reckless pace. Bullets kicked up the concrete of the road around them but the rounds that did actually impact the mech merely bounced off of the armor.
It wouldn’t last, unfortunately, especially since even at breakneck speed, the Balthazar gained on them slowly and maintained a steady and relentless barrage of fire at them.
They would need help but until then, Jessica13 couldn't help but admire the kind of effort Mini coaxed out the mech.
"Alert, there are mechs ahead of us." The AI sounded calm despite their predicament. "According to your parameters, they are not friendly and are likely to be pirate reinforcements."
"Noted," Jessica13 said. "Is there any way that we can fight back?"
"Not without compromising our escape," Mini replied.
She made a face. "Evasive maneuvers, please."
"Evasive maneuvers starting."
The mech changed direction abruptly while she held on and braced her neck for each impact. She twisted when two rockets were fired at them from the buildings nearby.
The mech’s stride didn’t falter and it surged smoothly into a jump, bounded over to the buildings, and ran a couple of steps along the walls. The buildings themselves looked gutted, with scorch marks that had only begun to be covered by the vines that slowly invaded the rest of the city. Mechs were scattered haphazardly over the destroyed lots and the road, all of them destroyed like they had been at the bunker.
The devastation explained why no one else had settled in the city. This area was a damn war zone and these pirates refused to allow any semblance of life. Even animals avoided this part of the city and any involvement with the monsters who held sway there.
The air around them exploded with bullets and rockets when the pirates sprung their trap. They had obviously hoped to catch Mini and Jessica13 off guard with their attack but had mistimed it and were left to try to keep up with the smaller, faster mech as it raced past them. The Minato repeatedly ran up the walls around them to stay out of the way of the majority of the assaults directed at them.
"Woooo!" Jessica13 couldn't restrain a yell but still braced herself and held on desperately as Mini thrust into a smooth momentum again and raced forward, still ahead of the enemy that continued their pursuit.
To her surprise, Mini trilled with excitement as well like he had when the AI was still dormant. The core itself revealed the kind of activity she had never seen in any of the mechs she’d worked on. It suggested an AI that was fully released and now performed under the harshest of circumstances and reveled in it.
It was someth
ing intriguingly new, and despite the horde of dangers they faced, something within her simply wouldn't let go. She wanted—no, needed—to keep going.
This was what she was born to do, she realized suddenly. It was like this was what she had always wanted to be and yet had always found herself held back somehow. This was where she was meant to be and what she was meant to do. Strike and run, using her brains while the skills of her AI thrived under the pressure as all the dangers of her world threatened her from every side.
This was her world and her destiny. Her future was not to be huddled in a bunker, afraid of the slightest movement or what happened beyond the protective confines that held her in check. She wasn’t made to live in fear of anything that might attack. Maybe this wasn't true for everyone, but it definitely was for her.
It reminded her of the piece of junk armor she'd peeled off one of the pirate mechs that had attacked Sanctuary. At the time, the lettering on it had caught her eye and her imagination. She frowned as she tried to recall the words.
"Live free or die hard, bitches!" she yelled almost before she knew what she wanted to say. The outburst was followed by another excited call from Mini. The road made a sharp curve to the left, which would give them temporary cover from the bullets that continued in an unrelenting fusillade that showed no signs of slowing. A few warning messages displayed when the armor was pierced in a few of the non-essential areas of the mech.
She would take the time to repair it when they got through this.
Not if. When.
Mini approached the curve at high speed and rather than slowing, engaged the legs more forcefully to give them extra traction as he tried to take the curve as sharply as possible. The mech twisted them to the left in response and Jessica13 was shoved into the side of the compartment.
When she straightened, she froze instinctively. The Balthazar had launched a volley of flechettes and a handful were on target with no way to avoid them. They seared through the armor like it was made of soup. The alarms blared inside her compartment to warn her the hydraulics in the left arm were destroyed.
A quarter of a second was all it took to reduce her elation to panic as the Minato lost control of its turn, skidded across the pavement, and tumbled awkwardly. Inertia carried them across the street and into the building that blocked their path.
Jessica13 felt the impact of the mech with the structure and it drove through it almost completely. She looked up as the wall collapsed on top of them and turned the world around her pitch-black.
Chapter Fifteen
It was difficult to immediately recall what had happened. The blackness faded but it was replaced by flashing red lights and the ringing in her ears was swamped by the blaring of at least three different alarms.
She wasn't sure what was going on around her and as she tried to move, every inch of her screamed in pain.
"Fuck," she whispered and sagged with a soft whimper.
"Are you all right?" Mini asked, his voice still as calm and composed as ever.
"I'm alive," Jessica13 groaned. "Very short of all right, though. Ouch…what happened?"
"A building fell on top of us," the AI said. "The Minato appears to be in need of repairs before it can climb out from under the rubble."
"How are we still alive?" she asked.
A short pause followed. "It was a small building."
"Small comfort too," she muttered. "I think I passed out for a while there. How long was I out?"
"Only for seven-point-three-four-seconds," Mini replied. "Which is fortunate. Any longer and you would have required medical attention."
She tried to move again and groaned when her own body fought the effort. "I'd say I need some anyway. Although if what I think is happening around us is correct, medical attention for me might be the very essence of a futile endeavor."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because the pirates are still out there and they likely aren't too happy with us," she pointed out. "I doubt they’ll simply leave us down here."
More processing time passed. "Agreed. Although the hope is still that we survive long enough for someone with the kind of expertise necessary to help you heal arrives."
"I know," Jessica13 replied softly. "I wish I had the time to restore you and the mech to fighting form. You really were magnificent out there."
"Your compliment is appreciated, although tempered by the fact that a stray round managed to sever the hydraulics in my left arm, thus landing us under a falling building instead of making our escape," Mini pointed out.
She shook her head and took a deep breath of the air that was somehow still clear. At least the filters were still functional. "Even with all the processing power of all the most powerful computers in the world, you won't be able to account for a variable known as blind, dumb luck."
A few calculations scrolled across the HUD when he began to run diagnostics on the mech.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"If luck or chance cannot be accounted for as a variable, it stands to reason that a chance still exists of our exiting this situation still functional," the AI pointed out. "In which case, some of my processing power can and should be devoted to helping to fix the Minato. If chance does not favor us, it won't matter."
Jessica13 couldn't really argue with that. A few seconds ticked by as Mini pulled up all the mechanical issues the collision had caused in the Minato. The rubble shifted above them and caught her attention. She wasn't doing that, of course, which could only mean there was someone who wanted to reach them—probably with vengeance on their mind.
She blinked instinctively when sunlight streamed between the chunks of the broken building that were removed one by one. Jessica13 tasted blood in her mouth and now that she had the light, she looked hastily at her body to see what was wrong with it.
Thankfully, nothing appeared to be broken. The pain that came from moving could be the result of a few jolted joints and bruised muscles. Hopefully, that was the extent of her injuries, not that it would matter anyway.
No, Mini was right. As long as they were alive, there was the chance they could remain that way. Despair would do no one any good and she wasn't about to give up yet.
Her eyes adjusted to the light but she couldn't make out who worked to clear the rubble from around them. When she was finally able to squint and focus, however, she looked into the sky and her breath caught reflexively.
The Balthazar hovered, framed in the sunlight, and descended slowly. It seemed to take up the whole of the sky. This close, she could see the details like the ugly yet effective welding job that had attached the jets to the mech's back. As it moved inexorably toward them, one hand grasped one of the assault rifles it had fired at her and held something else in the other.
It looked like one of the chain swords the Lancers had carried. The weapon whirred and spun and she couldn't help but gulp nervously.
The ground vibrated ominously when the jets roared in such close proximity and set the Balthazar onto its two feet before they shut off. Their noise was replaced by a low, annoying whine as the mech climbed on top of the fallen Minato.
The cockpit was framed by reflective glass, which made it impossible to see what or who was inside, but her imagination could fill in the gaps. No doubt, there were teeth missing and the pilot would stink and be absolutely filthy, having been inside the mech for longer than was recommended. Worse, they’d likely had problems with the filter systems in the mech due to gunk buildup.
She stared as it raised the chain sword and aimed it at the Minato, then flinched when a shower of sparks erupted from where it was cutting. It didn't last very long. These pirates had likely taken apart enough mechs to know where to cut when they wanted to reach a particular part of the mech.
A few seconds passed and it reached down into the hole it had cut, grasped and yanked the cockpit cover free, and tossed it aside.
"No…no," Jessica13 protested and tried to fight but there was nothing she could do. The powerful mech
anical hand took hold of her and hauled her out of the Minato, then dragged her down the mountain of rubble she had been buried under for the other pirates to see. She noticed immediately that their numbers had swelled somewhat and assumed he’d gathered additional forces while in pursuit.
The man inside the Balthazar was perfectly audible. The outer speakers were on, and it laughed scornfully, obviously at her.
"Poor little bunker rat!" he declared to the vocal amusement of his comrades. "Caught out in the open with only a tiny little mech to help you. A quick mech, but nothing's too quick that it can't be caught. Ask any other rat you find."
It released her abruptly and she sprawled in the dust while he continued to laugh at her with his pirate cronies.
Jessica13 glared at him, wiped the dirt from her mouth, and attempted to push herself to her feet. Her body rebelled and shrieked in pain at the attempt. Hot tears rushed down her cheeks as she looked at the other mechs.
She wasn't afraid of them, she told herself. They were nothing more than worthless pirates who didn't even know how to put a proper mech together. She refused to be cowed by them.
The Balthazar pilot seemed determined to gloat over her and acted like he thought disabling the Minato was some kind of feat. "Did you think this would be a walk in the park, little rat? You pathetic little piece of shit. Do you think you can take four of us down and live?"
Her scowl turned into a sneer and she gave up the attempt to stand that her body resisted so painfully. Instead, she began to drag herself across the ground toward the Minato. "If I'm such a pathetic little piece of shit and I'm such a bunker rat, what does that make the four I killed, huh? What does that make all of you that you needed luck and so many of you to defeat a fucking support mech?"
She punctuated her angry retort by spitting the blood in her mouth at the Balthazar. Her spittle landed a few meters shy of its feet.
There was a moment of stunned silence among the pirates, but it was ended by another fit of laughter from the apparent leader.
Bulletfoot One Page 17
