Bulletfoot One

by Marshall Rust

  "Yes, because every little boy dreams of being thought of as a massive mechanical insect."

  "Well, if you aren't interested in any of my special furs, I think I might have another something you might want," Caysom said. "And I’ll provide this one to you for free if you're willing to hear it."

  "I'm always interested in something offered for free," Windchime assured him.

  "Well, the word has spread that you and your Knights want to know any information that might be collected on a place called Citta del Mar."

  Jessica13 could see the almost instant reaction from her teammate as he turned fully to stare at the man. The response was a little exaggerated by the mech itself.

  "What…what do you know about that?" he asked and tried to keep his voice from betraying his true feelings.

  "Ah, well, it's not really much that I know," the townsman admitted, a little surprised by the reaction he’d received. "We get peddlers in and out of here every couple of months, and they always have chat and gossip about what's happening in the world at large. Anyway, the talk is there's a man out in the Wastes who has received a fair amount of attention over the past few years. He calls himself The Prophet."

  She narrowed her eyes, a little suspicious. If there was talk about the man out in the Wilderness, the Knights hadn't heard it. He seemed the type Hammerhand would react to. Not many folks in the world at large had the balls to call themselves a prophet, much less The Prophet.

  "Anyway, this Prophet has apparently gathered himself one hell of a following," Caysom continued. "The kind who would kill a man who so much as looked at their leader wrong. They are religious zealots and very fervent in their beliefs, and if the talk is to be believed, quite violent about it as well."

  "I haven't heard of the like before," Windchime said. "He has to be stupid or something special to call himself something like The Prophet."

  "That's what I thought," the other man said. "He has all kinds of talk about the Above, and how Skyfall is his god sending judgment on the earth, that kind of crock, but you hear a few things here or there that stick. One of those things I heard talked about was Citta del Mar. He talked about it like was some kind of land that is promised and where he'll lead his true believers to when the time is right."

  "He sounds like a nut," her teammate said bluntly. "Worse still, the dangerous kind of nut—one with power. I have the feeling that if Hammerhand were to run across this character, he would make The Prophet prove his connection to whatever god by entreating them to keep him from being crushed by his hammer."

  "No doubt," Caysom said. "But I thought it was interesting that they looked for this place that you are looking for too. Maybe they might know a thing or two about it, come time to go looking."

  Windchime nodded. They could mention it to Hammerhand later.

  He turned suddenly to Jessica13. "Get in your mech."

  "What's the issue?" she asked, already on her feet and headed toward Mini.

  "Hammerhand has word he wants to share over the comms."

  She nodded, scrambled into the Minato, and closed the hatch before she inserted the open comm line onto her HUD and listened carefully.

  "All Knights Mechanica, hear me," their leader said and his voice boomed into the confines of her cockpit. "Athena and her entourage have been seen approaching a small town about half a day's march from our position. While she is likely supported by highly competent fighters, this is about as exposed as she'll ever be and therefore, this is our chance to strike at her while she does not expect us to attack."

  Her heart pounded violently. To attack an unsuspecting supply train was one thing, but a group of attack mechs that were ready for a fight, including a damn Excalibur, was something altogether different. She wouldn’t have the luxury of ignoring orders like she had with Windchime or the relative safety of smaller numbers.

  "Rally to the Beast. Marching orders will be handed out," Hammerhand continued. "We move at noon."

  Jessica13 looked at Windchime, who was already moving toward the Beast to the surprise of Caysom, who hadn't heard any of the conversation. She gestured a hasty apology to the man, who simply shrugged and nodded. "Do you think Hammerhand will make me give up my rifle?"

  He looked at her and shook his head. "I doubt it. You have some skill with it, although I can't tell how much is you and how much is your AI. Either way, skills like that can't be wasted. Even if you take a support role, there's always an opening for folks who can hit from a long way off. So keep that damn rifle handy. You might need it."

  That was good advice. She took a deep breath as they picked up the pace and hurried to where the Beast had been stopped. Already, all the Knight mechs had begun to leave the city and gravitate to the bunker. When Hammerhand wanted them to rally, they rallied, and they did it as quickly as possible.

  Besides, if there was a chance to defeat Athena before she returned to the safety of her bunker, their whole situation would take far less time to resolve.

  Hammerhand moved out, already in his mech. He looked over the town and his Knights, hefted his hammer, and positioned it over his shoulder.

  He was excited too, she realized.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  It was decided that the Beast would follow with a small guard, even though they trusted the good folks of Auburn not to steal from them. Hammerhand wanted to move quickly, and while his Excalibur was only fast over short distances, it still moved faster than the Beast.

  The Knights formed up quickly and those who had been selected to follow more slowly weren’t happy about the arrangement.

  Or maybe they were and simply feigned anger so they wouldn’t appear weak in front of their fearless leader. Jessica13 wasn't sure why they would be happier about heading into the thick of the fighting. Maybe they enjoyed the battles or maybe they simply didn't want to be left out of it.

  To watch their brothers and fellow Knights move into danger while they trundled behind to tend to their home on tracks and wheels had to be a little disappointing, she finally had to admit. It was only when she felt a tingle of excitement at the fact that she was among those selected to head into the thick of it that she understood.

  They set off at a brisk pace and pushed deeper into the land that was controlled by Athena. As they moved beyond the now reasonably familiar territory around Auburn, the landscape changed. Instead of the dry grasslands that struggled to survive, everything became greener and lusher the farther they moved.

  The trees were still twisted and fairly small, but they were covered in green leaves and the grass itself now grew thicker and taller. The soil also transformed, now darker and with more nutrients.

  "It’s still shit soil," Windchime said as they walked in formation. "It looks like this area has far more rain and water than the rest, but all it can grow is tall grass and a couple of dry trees."

  "It wouldn’t take much to make it good soil again, though," Tinker said and studied their surroundings with genuine interest. "It only needs a little effort, is all. Turn the soil again and direct the water to flow with a purpose. It only gets occasional rain and it's already much richer for it."

  His teammate shook his head. "It’s still shit soil. You only think about how to improve this land, and you're right. I'm talking about it as it is now."

  "Fair enough." The other man shrugged in the comically exaggerated way the mech's tended to mimic the motions of their pilots.

  "Have you ever heard of someone called The Prophet?" Windchime asked to break the silence.

  Tinker looked at him and his eyes narrowed. He walked with his head out of the open hatch of the top of his mech. "The Prophet? Capital P?"

  "That's right. I heard about him from one of the townsfolk in Auburn. The man specifically mentioned that The Prophet had gathered a group of zealots and believers through talk about finding a land that was promised."

  "Citta del Mar?" Tinker asked, sensing where the conversation was going.

  "That was how we approached the conve
rsation in the first place," Windchime said. "I asked around like Hammerhand told me to, and the man started talking about this Prophet character and mentioned how they ruled out in the Wild and spread word about whatever god they have chosen to follow."

  "What is your concern?" the other man asked. "Aside from their knowledge about Citta del Mar, of course."

  "I'm worried, is all," he said with a deep sigh. "We're dealing with Athena here, but who knows what might spawn elsewhere in this land? What if this Prophet is much, much worse than Athena and is already raising an army without people like the Knights to keep them in check?"

  Tinker nodded. "It is a valid concern, I'll grant ya. We do need to keep our focus on Athena for the moment, though, and can't afford distractions. When we're done, I'll make sure Hammerhand hears about this Prophet and we’ll see if we can spare the resources to head in and find out more."

  "That's all I could ask for, then," Windchime said.

  She had a feeling he would have far more to say, but perhaps he’d decided to save it for when they had the time and weren't being rushed quite so much by Hammerhand.

  Their leader was single-minded in his hunt for Athena, and he pushed them at a rapid pace in the direction in which he was most likely to find her given the information they had on her latest actions. She had seen determination in the man previously, but he now seemed driven by something far more powerful than merely resolution or tenacity.

  It was both determination and a need to rid the world of a problem, she realized. Perhaps Hammerhand thought Athena was a problem of his making, a mistake he needed to correct personally before she caused suffering and hardship to anyone else in the world.

  He was wrong if he thought that since he was in no way responsible for the actions of someone else, especially as he had attempted to curb her before and it had only made things worse. At the same time, she could understand why he would feel personally responsible for her behavior and want to address it before it became even worse.

  "Do you think we should go on ahead to see if there's something that might be a problem for us?" Jessica13 asked. "You know, scout and make sure there's nothing ahead that might be able to ambush us?"

  "Not if you plan to rush in there and kill anyone you run into," Windchime said and laughed. "I won’t race in after you to save your ass a second time."

  "Once was enough," she agreed. "I think I would be able to keep myself far enough away from the fighting, though, even if I do engage in it. I know to keep my distance."

  "Don't think you're dealing with silly pirates here, lassie," Tinker warned. "And it’s unlikely that the rearguards will snooze through a long march or those on watch will simply assume that no one would attack them and so not pay attention. Athena likes to surround herself with the best of the best, men and women of skill and ability who will not be easy to face. Remember, these are hardened fighters. They were Knights once and know how to handle combat. And there will be Athena herself, of course. You've seen how Hammerhand fights. Don't think his counterpart is any less protected, skilled, or effective, and believe me when I say she will not hesitate to cut you down."

  She scowled and felt she was being lectured like she had been in the learning hall at Sanctuary. He hadn’t said anything she didn't already know and hadn't considered and maybe even overthought during their entire march. It wasn't like she didn’t know they would likely face Athena and her elite fighters along with her.

  Of course she knew it. It was merely that it seemed necessary to keep her spirits up through a little banter with Windchime, especially since she would soon face an unfamiliar threat. Worse, it would be in a small and admittedly fast and agile but still vulnerable support mech and she’d be expected to do precisely that—support.

  In the light of that, an attempt to buoy her mood didn't seem too bad, yet Tinker thought she needed a lecture about what they might face. She wanted to tell him he was wrong and should rather encourage her good mood but realized that his lecture was probably prompted by his concern for her. The point of it was that she wouldn’t head into the battle with unrealistic expectations that might prove dangerous.

  While she could respect that and appreciated that he was looking out for her, she still didn't like it. She wouldn’t voice her complaint, though, and chose instead to keep her head down, power forward, and make the most of the knowledge he had tried to impart. Despite her good intentions, she did wonder when—or even if—he would stop regarding her like the baby of the family.

  "What made you talk about scouting ahead ?" Windchime asked as if he sensed the tension between the two and tried to defuse it somewhat.

  "Huh?" Jessica13 asked and snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, I only thought we might want to move closer to investigate that column of smoke rising up in the direction we're heading in."

  Both men turned to look at the horizon ahead of them and the very obvious smoke that billowed like a beacon or a warning.

  "Fuck me." Tinker grunted annoyance. "How did I miss that?"

  "We were bantering, that's how," the other man countered.

  Hammerhand hadn't missed it, however, and he had already circled and ordered the Knights into a battle formation. He issued orders while he swung his hammer above his head to draw the attention of the group so they focused on him.

  It was how he tended to fight. He used his Hammer, the shield, and his armor to soak up as much damage as possible and hold the attention of the enemy, which left the other Knights free to act with little resistance.

  Windchime and a Balthazar took their positions immediately behind their leader and slightly to the side to create the V-formation they used so effectively. Two Lancers formed the rear of the battle line. Taylor, in his Sherlock, had already moved toward the flank, likely in anticipation of a hard, centralized fight that would allow him to cut in if things became too focused. His faithful Watson followed, ready to support him.

  The main line, however, was centered around Hammerhand and the others. It was impressive, especially when taking into account the fact that there were so few of them. She had been with them for a while now but was still impressed by how powerful they looked when they advanced in formation like this. Not only that, she’d never seen them practice it and assumed the AIs simply stepped in and directed them into the positions where they would be the most effective or they were so accustomed to fighting together that they needed no orders.

  "Jessica13, report in," Hammerhand called over a private comm line.

  "Reporting in," she replied. "Where do you need me?"

  "It’s time to use the mobility your mech is getting known for," he said in the kind of voice she couldn't help but be inspired by. "Head out and ahead. I need you to travel along our left flank. Stay out of the fight as much as you can and alert Tinker if you see any attempts to circle us. Use that rifle of yours when you can but keep moving if you do. Don't let them get a bead on you."

  Jessica13 nodded. "Understood. I’ll head out now."

  It was logical that she would report anything she learned to Tinker since he fulfilled the support role. He didn't like to be in the middle of the fight and would stay as far away as possible, but that didn't mean he wasn’t involved and wouldn’t help from that position.

  In many ways, his role in the battle was much like a field general.

  She did as she was ordered, settled onto all fours, and let Mini take over to drive them into the position Hammerhand wanted her to cover. A small hill ran along the left side of the line almost a half klick away from the main force, which pushed forward consistently.

  The sun had begun its descent and the source of the smoke was now visible. A large building was ablaze and hungry tongues of flame climbed into the smoke it generated. The sky had darkened around it, both from the sun’s slow journey toward the west but also because the smoke created a thick cloud. Despite the fact that it was infused with a dull red light, it seemed to drape itself over the landscape as if to shield it in shadow.

  Jessica13
recalled the views she had seen from the top of Sanctuary and how they had filled her with a sense of wonder and excitement about what the world around her held.

  All she could feel from what she could see now was dread, however, even before Athena's men came into clear view.

  These definitely weren’t indolent or tired troops and no one seemed careless or unfocused. While the mechs had obviously been repaired using various spares and parts they had collected from others, the work wasn’t incompetent or roughshod to the point where she couldn't even tell what kind they were. They were a group of well-maintained mechs that now assumed a defensive formation ahead of the Knights that advanced toward them.

  "What kind of numbers are we looking at?" she asked.

  "It's difficult to tell," Mini said, highlighting the group she was looking at. "As far as I can tell, almost forty of Athena's knights now stand ready to face the Knights Mechanica, but a few more groups have begun to march out from the town behind them. The heat signatures are distorted by the fire and the smoke so I can't make out how many of them there are."

  "I guess there are many who would rally behind someone who rules with a literal iron fist." She scowled, pulled out of Bulletfoot mode, and settled them into the position Hammerhand had directed them to before she took her rifle from her back. "Especially if they're offered effective mechs and a large group for protection to perpetuate Athena's rule. Is that the town on fire behind them?"

  "I suppose that's true, and I'm afraid so," he confirmed and activated the aiming software as she looked through the scope of the rifle.

  "Tinker, do you read me?" Jessica13 called over the comm line.

  "I read you, lassie. What are you looking at?" Tinker replied.

  "There is a large group ready to engage us before we reach the burning town," she said. "I estimate about three dozen of them in a defensive formation, with a couple more groups heading in from behind them."

  "Noted," he said. "Keep an eye out for any changes in their position. And try to take any shots you can without being detected."