by Mark Harritt
Luis was busy tucking into the leg of a bird that Sathoni had brought him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, spreading the grease instead of cleaning it off his face. He smiled at Sathoni, and she smiled back at him.
Luis’ smile had a glow that hadn’t been there before they came to the canyons. Sathoni was one of the Contai widows from Althus’ tribe. She was lovely, with soft brown hair, and dark piercing eyes, and an infectious smile that would suddenly appear for no reason. He’d gotten a few jealous glances from some of the Contai men when she’d started following him around.
Sathoni’s smile appeared as she watched him smear grease all over his face. She was dressed in the pervasive charcoal gray fatigues that everybody around here wore. She had been completely naked when they pulled her out of the Turinzoni fortress. After they’d given her the uniform, she refused to wear anything else. Some of the other Contai women had tried to make her new clothes, but she refused to wear them.
Now, she smiled as she leaned in to wipe Luis’ mouth with the sleeve of her utilities. She didn’t say anything as she sat there, looking deep into his eyes.
But, that was the part that broke Luis’ heart. She didn’t talk to anybody, not even him. Her infectious smile, soft touches from her hands, and sometimes even a rib splitting hug were the only ways she communicated. Joan had examined her, but told him that she seemed to be physically okay. They’d been friends. She always made sure he was feed, and liked to spend time with him, but there had never been anything romantic between them.
So he was surprised when she leaned in, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. His eyebrows went up, and he put his hand to his cheek where she’d just kissed him, and smiled. Suddenly aware of what she’d impulsively done, her smile turned shy, and she looked down at the ground. Luis leaned forward, and put his hand under her chin, and tilted her head up so that he could look into her beautiful eyes.
She looked up at him, but then her expression changed from that of shy to alarmed. Her eyes grew wide, and she grabbed his arm with one hand, and then started jabbing at the screen behind him with the index finger of the other.
Luis turned to look, and he immediately started cursing. He stood up and ran out cursing, “Shit, shit, shit,” almost hitting his head on the low door, his meal and Sathoni forgotten.
Behind him, Sathoni sat and watched the orange triangles on the threat display turn red.
----------------------------------------------------
Mike’s eyes flew open. Something woke him, and he didn’t know what it was. He put his hand over on Jennifer’s side of the bed. She wasn’t there. Vaguely, he remembered her getting out of bed, kissing him, and telling him to go back to sleep. Then he remembered that she had to pull guard duty in one of the Mechs. He listened in the dark. He heard something outside. He threw the sheets off of the bed and stood up, trying understand what woke him up. Then he heard it. Someone was standing outside yelling for him.
He heard sounds coming from outside the room, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Whatever was going on outside was loud. It sounded like people running and yelling. That was never a good sign. He walked over to the curtain, and pulled it aside. Outside, in the waning light, he could see people running back and forth. One of the new soldiers was standing there, yelling Mike’s name. As soon as the curtain slid aside, the soldier stopped yelling and then made sure that Mike saw him as he pointed at his ear. Mike nodded, understanding the message. He waved for the soldier to come in, but the soldier shook his head, and took off down the canyon. Mike turned from the door, letting the curtain fall back into place. He walked over to the table, and put his ear bud in.
Luis was yelling, “I don’t know where the fuck they all came from! One second, there was nothing out there, then the next thing I know, my entire fucking board lights up with hostiles across the entire valley.”
Mike’s eyes grew wide as he suddenly understood what was happening, “Okay, Luis, I need to know what’s going on. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
Jen’s words were harsh, “Mike, I don’t have time for Luis to tell you what’s going on. Clear this frequency so that I can rally the defenses.”
Mike smiled, not worried that he’d just been dressed down by his wife, just thankful that someone was in charge, “Roger, Mike out.”
Jen’s voice continued as Mike started throwing on his clothes.
“Luis, are you sure there isn’t some kind of bug in the software?”
“No, Jen, I’m positive it’s not a bug. There’s a hostile force out in front of us. I . . . I don’t know what the hell they are. There’s hundreds of them out there. Here, let me show you this. You see those icons? There’s ten of them, and they’re at least as big as the mechs. There’s a bunch of smaller ones out there also. Their thermal signature is off. They don’t look like living creatures.”
Mike heard Keisha’s voice cut in, “Jen, I have something over here. It’s one of the Contai. My A.I. confirms he’s a friendly by the name of Doengar. He, . . ., well, he’s pretty badly torn up. He’s screaming something! Pointing back in the direction that he just came from. He’s saying that they’re coming for us.” Mike heard a scream, and then Keisha continued, “Oh my God! Something just took him from behind, there’s something coming in! I don’t know what it is, I can barely see it, even in infrared. It looks like some kind of animal. That can’t be right though. The IR says it’s too cold for an animal. It’s backing away now.”
Jen spoke, “Calm down, Keisha. Alright, Luis, paint the picture for the mechs.”
Mike heard a cry, and it wasn’t Jennifer. It was Keisha Williams again, “Oh my God!”
“Keisha, that will be enough of that. Maintain radio discipline.”
“I . . . I’m sorry, Jennifer. I haven’t seen that many hostiles since the swarm came for us. An . . . And it looks like there are more of them.”
Jen’s words weren’t as harsh this time, “It’s okay. Just remember, we’re the only ones that can deal with this right now. More will be coming, but we’re the first line of defense. We have people depending on us. Are the hostiles still advancing on you?”
“Oh, okay. No, not right now. They’ve stopped. They killed that guy, and now they’ve stopped.”
Mike didn’t like what he was hearing. He hurried. He didn’t put on his regular uniform. Instead, he went straight for the body armor. As he started putting on the armor, he cut into the conversation, “Okay, Jen, I’m sorry, but I’m going to cut in here. I don’t know what’s happening out there, but we need all mechs, all security, and all the Contai to get ready to defend. It this is a glitch in software, then so be it, we’ll fix it later. I want a full alert just in case it isn’t.”
As soon as Mike finished, he heard the sirens in the canyon. They’d put in a series of speakers just in case something like this happened. Once the enemy showed up, there wasn’t really any need to be quiet anymore. Luis was running a loop that was giving instructions in three languages. The big voice started speaking, in English, Contai, and the Sjurai trade lingo, “This is not a drill, I say again this is not a drill. Hostiles inbound, Hostiles inbound.” That would repeat every five minutes, cycling through the different languages. The message would cycle continuously for the next thirty minutes until everybody was awake and at their post.
Mike buckled on the last of the armor, and walked over to his helmet. Mike needed to see what was going on out there. He put it on and suddenly, he understood what Luis was concerned about. Mike’s heads up display lit up with a sea of red. Out in the valley, in front of the entrances to the canyons, there were hundreds of hostile markers, enemy icons, literally stacked on top of one another. Mike had never seen that many red icons before. “Holy Jesus,” slipped out of his mouth before he realized he was transmitting.
“Fuck Mike, not you too.”
Chastised, Mike answered, “Sorry, Jen, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Have you heard from Everett or anybody else?”
“No, n
ot yet. I need you to rally the troops. Women and children need to get to the transport, just in case.”
“Roger Mech Leader, Wilco. You are in charge. I’ll rally Spec, Sec, and Tec. I’ll rally the Contai as secondary assets, and move all women and children to the rally point at the transport.”
Mike wanted to point out that she was pregnant, but that would have just distracted her, and gotten his ass kicked as soon as she climbed out of the mech. Plus, she was in a mech, which was probably the safest place for her to be right now. He didn’t like the idea of his pregnant wife on the leading edge of their defenses, but there was nothing he could do about it right now.
Luis’ voice rang out, “Mech Leader, we have movement! They’re moving toward base.”
“Roger, tech, I have movement to the front. Mech Two, and Mech Three, you are free to engage as soon as they enter your field of fire. Weapons hot! I say again, Weapons. Are. Hot.”
Mike picked up his pistol and put it into the holster. He picked up his new rifle and slung it over his shoulder. He walked out of the door, and stepped right into the middle of chaos. Women and children were everywhere. As soon as he stepped out of the door, women started screaming, with the children taking their cues from their mothers, screaming and crying. They didn’t know what was happening, and the sight of Mike in his battle armor was not something they were used to.
“Oh hell!” Quickly, he pulled his helmet off, raising one hand in supplication, and said in Contai, “Sorry, it’s just me. It’s Mike. Nothing to be afraid of!”
A few stared at him for a moment, but then they grabbed their children and hurried past. Mike watched them rush away and was suddenly very glad that he’d insisted on emergency drills.
“Mike! Mike!”
Mike looked around to see Jendi waving at him. Jendi was in his full kit, with his rifle slung across his chest. Balia, Olmla, and Desci were with him. Balia was herding them toward the shuttles. Mike waved back, “Where’s your father?”
Jendi walked over to Mike, “He’s back there!” Jendi pointed back in the direction that he and his family had come from, “He’s at the Junction.”
“Are there a lot of people there?”
Jendi shook his head, looking angry, “I don’t know. Father sent me away with the family.”
Mike put his hand on Jendi’s neck and pulled him close, “He did the right thing. There’s going to be fighting.”
Jendi looked up, anger smoldering in his eyes, “I’m not a child anymore! I’ve proved my right to be in the front, fighting the enemy.”
Mike nodded, “Yes, you’re a good soldier. And you’re going to be a great soldier, maybe even a general one day, and the leader of your people. But right now, your mission is to go with your family, and guard them and all the other women and children. If we fall, you’re their last defense.” Mike motioned toward the women and children streaming by, “Children are our greatest asset. Our children are our future. You have to defend them. Without them, we’re nothing.”
Mike let go. Jendi wasn’t happy, but Mike’s words had gotten through to him.
Mike pushed Jendi towards his mother, “Go!”
Jendi was upset, but there wasn’t time for Mike to do anything else. He turned just as Balia grabbed Jendi’s arm and pulled him away. Mike started walking against the stream of women and children. It wasn’t going to be easy. Most saw him, and moved out of his way, but Mike still had to dodge through the press of bodies as he maneuvered between the earthen lodges.
He stared at the low buildings as he walked past. It was a shame. A little more time and there would have been no more need for the lodges. Everybody would have had their own rooms cut into the cliff face. Mike’s face grew grim as he walked. Then he remembered, the mechs were about to be attacked. He put his helmet back on.
The first voice he heard was Rita Tate, “Jesus, they’re coming into the canyon. I’ve never seen anything move so fast. I’m weapons hot, engaging with rail gun.”
The buzz saw hum of the railgun caused the crowd to slow to a crawl as they looked back over their shoulders in fear. Things were about to go to hell quickly. He clapped his hands together above his head to get their attention. Mike turned on his external speaker, and speaking in Contai, started yelling, “Keep moving! You have to keep moving! Get to your rally point! You have to move out of the way!”
The crowd started moving again, the sound of combat giving speed to their steps. Mike hurried as fast as possible. Mercifully, the crowd started thinning out, and Mike saw the junction. The few people left, mostly Contai soldiers, were all moving in the same direction he was. Then he saw Everett at the junction.
Everett waved at him, “Well, well, I guess you finally decided to make an appearance.”
Mike couldn’t help but grin, “Yeah, I figured you might need some help there, Superman.”
Everett raised his hands, and motioned around him, “Does it look like I need any help?”
“Jesus, they’re coming in too fast!” Keisha yelped.
Everett dropped his hands, “Okay, maybe we need a little bit of help.”
“Who we got?” Mike asked.
“I’m here, and I’ve got six others with me,” Murph replied.
Mike checked his heads up, “Okay, Murph, can you take your men and move down to support Keisha. It sounds like she might have her hands full.”
“You got it, Mike.”
“Caul, you out here?”
“Yes, Mike, I’m here.”
“Okay, the mechs, and the security team are going to be the primary line of defense. You and your guys are going to . . .”
Mike felt the ground shake beneath him.
“Mike, what about us?”
Mike looked over at the two Mechs striding toward the Junction.
“Hey Michelle. You and . . . I’m sorry, who’s in the other Mech?”
“It’s Diane, Mike.”
Mike had to think for a second. Jen was pregnant, but she wasn’t too far along. Michelle was about six or seven months. Mike didn’t know how the hell she was able to climb up the side of the mech. Without thinking it through, he started to ask, “Wait, what? Michelle, you’re pregnan . . .”
“Mike, you better think long and hard before you finish that sentence,” Michelle answered before he even finished his thought. “I’m one of the best mech driver’s you have. Probably the best one you have. You need me in this mech. Plus, I’m pretty safe in here.”
“Hey!”
Michelle replied to Jen, “Jen, you know I’m right. Besides, you have no room to talk. You have two people driving your mech also.”
Mike knew Michelle, and he knew that there was no way he would be able to get her out of the mech. She’d effectively stopped any argument that Jen had. He sure as hell wasn’t going to say anything more about it. He didn’t need two pregnant women pissed off at him right now. Mentally, he retreated from his earlier thought, “Okay, Michelle, you and Diane are going to stay in the junction. Sec and Spec are going to be working in the entrance canyons with the three mechs already out there. If anything gets past the Mechs on point, or the security team, you need to make sure it doesn’t go any further.”
“Roger Mike, you got it.” Michelle replied.
Diane acknowledged with one word, “Wilco.”
Scott, John, Joe, Hank, Will and Billy Zane came running up. They were in full body armor, their icon’s listing them as they came into view.
“Guys, you need to go with Everett, and head down toward Rita’s position. She’s quiet, and she’s never quiet.”
“I heard that, Mike! I’m just busy,” Rita answered
The buzz saw sound of the railgun gave truth to what she’d just said. “So I hear,” Mike replied.
Scott nodded, “You got it, Mike. Everett, you want to take lead?”
Everett replied, “Yeah, Scott, I’ll lead. Okay Mike, I’m on it.” He turned to the new group, “Guys, on me, let’s get out there.”
Mike watc
hed as Everett trotted in the direction of Rita’s mech, with six more in tow behind him.
The sound of railguns firing was coming from all three of the canyons now. Things were starting to get intense.
“Mike! I need some help out here. Some of these things are getting by me!”
Mike looked down the canyon that Jennifer was in. It was clear, but as soon as he looked, he saw three shapes come bounding out of the shadows. Mike cursed when he saw them. He’d seen them before. He raised his rifle, and fired, knowing that he didn’t have to worry about Jen in the Mech armor. More guns joined his. One of them went down, then Michelle and Diane targeted the other two with their rail guns. All three of the incoming hostiles were down.
Mike ran over to make sure that he hadn’t imagined what he’d seen. He knelt down next to one of the hostiles. It was one of the black automatons that they’d seen in the necropolis, “Everybody, we have a new wrinkle in the attack. It’s the same robots that we ran into in the city of the dead.”
Mike heard cursing. It was Mickey and Tom on the net.
Everett confirmed what Mike had seen, “Mike, there are dozens, if not a hundred or more of them down here, trying to bring down the Mech armor. There’s a whole lot more than we saw in the city.”
“Mike! Where do you need us?”
Mike turned and saw Tom and Mickey with the SAWs and the last of the 5.56mm rounds. They were with Ken, Rich, Bill Drapier, and Craig Yee. Mike pointed at the group, “Mickey, Tom, get over to Everett. It sounds like he needs backup. You’ve got the SAWs, and that might help him.”
Mike looked over at Caul, “Caul, make sure that if anything gets past us, you stop it. I need you to split your men to watch the two canyons. Make sure they don’t get to the women and children.”
Caul smiled a cold smile, “Don’t worry, Mike, they won’t get past us.
Mike looked at Matki. He saw the look in Matki’s eyes, and knew he burned to take the fight to the enemy. Mike also knew that Matki was still having problems with his leg, “Matki, you’re the last line of defense. You take your men, go down to the transport, guard the women and children. You have to make sure that we have a line of retreat. There’s no other way out of these mountains, so the transport is our only option.”
