by M. R. Forbes
The soldier, who couldn't have been more than fifteen, held out a small device that looked like a radio. "Put it up to your ear," he said.
Donovan took it and did.
"Mech One, make your way across 38th. Mech Two, keep them coming. You're doing great."
It was a woman's voice, older and slightly gruff. She fed the orders like she had been doing it her entire life.
"Roger," he heard soon say. "Mech Two bringing bringing them home."
Donovan glanced over at Kroeger, who was laughing like the whole thing was a massive joke.
"Seems we're late to the party, Major," he said. "It looks like our efforts back in good ole Mehico paid off big-time."
"Follow me," the Corporal said, leading them back down a smaller alley.
They moved parallel to the action, toward the city center. Donovan kept the radio to his ear, wondering how the rebels had managed to establish a connection with Ehri and Soon. The whole thing had taken him completely by surprise. They weren't supposed to be so well-equipped, or so able to fight back. Not that he was complaining.
"Mechs One and Two, we're ready for crossover. When you pass in front of one another, get as low as possible."
"Roger," Ehri said.
"Roger," Soon said.
Donovan had no idea what was going to happen, but it seemed the rebel commander had a plan.
The Corporal brought them to another intersection, already filled with smoke from smoldering wreckage. Then he turned to Donovan and smiled, his teeth a sharp contrast to his grime covered face. "We made it just in time for the fireworks," he said.
Donovan looked down the street as Soon and Ehri's mechs crossed one another a few streets apart. They were backing up, taking fire from the enemy as they retreated. He felt a wave of discomfort at seeing them on the defensive, and it only doubled when four of the Dread mechs moved into the same avenue.
"Fire," he heard the rebel commander say.
He lowered the device. He could feel the charge in the air even before the plasma beam reached them, washing past in a streak of heat and fury.
It tore into the Dread mechs, burning them into slag in an instant, cutting them apart like a sword. Within seconds, the four enemy targets were reduced to legs carrying misshapen carapace above them.
"What the hell was that?" Soon said.
He was feeling the same way. That blast was bigger than anything he had ever seen, including the Dread tanks.
"Four targets, four kills," he heard the woman say. "Nice work."
"It looks like the Dread are bugging out," the Corporal said beside him.
Donovan looked down the street. A Dread transport had risen in the distance and was moving away from Austin. Another followed a moment later.
"We won?" Donovan said in disbelief.
"Yes, sir," the Corporal said, laughing. "Welcome to Texas, Major."
FIFTEEN
THE CORPORAL, WHOSE NAME Donovan soon learned was James Wilkins, led him, Kroeger, and Mendez down the same street where the plasma beam had fired, covering nearly a kilometer before reaching the entrance to the rebel stronghold.
It was the entrance to a loop station, a small outbuilding only a few meters across and a few meters wide, resting on a corner and shielded from most sides by the remains of taller buildings. It was immediately obvious to Donovan why the Dread hadn't been able to bombard it from the sky. What wasn't clear was how they had managed to defend it from all sides or where that massive plasma beam had really come from.
"I'm confused, Corporal," he said as they neared the entrance, where three more squads of soldiers were standing guard, already armed with enemy rifles. "I thought we were the only ones fighting back against the Dread and hurting them."
"You were a few weeks ago," Wilkins replied. "I'll let the Colonel fill you in. She'll be pissed if I ruin it for her."
"What about my people outside? The mech pilots?"
"We've got a place they can store their equipment. We might even be able to put the armor back together if we can grab some more salvage. Anyway, don't worry about them."
They entered the station, descending one hundred meters to the waiting area. There were tunnels on either side of it, and a few free-standing shops lining the center. Most of them still had their wares inside, forgotten after the initial Dread invasion.
"You have power," Donovan said.
"Yes, sir. We have even more power now."
"Where's the weapon that fired the plasma beam?"
"On its way home. It did its job."
"Home?"
Donovan was confused until he heard a soft whoosh from one of the tunnels. A loop pod appeared a moment later, coming to rest beside the platform.
"The station is operational?" he said, barely able to believe it.
"It is now," Wilkins said. "And it sure beats the hell out of walking." He led them to the car. "Get in."
Donovan glanced over at Kroeger, whose face was stuck in shocked amusement. The smile hadn't faded since he had joined him outside.
"I never thought I'd see the day," Kroeger said.
"Me neither," Donovan agreed. He climbed into the pod and sat. The textile seats were cracked and worn, but they felt like heaven compared to the Dread mech. He watched as the top of the car closed above him and then smiled like he was a kid again when it began to move.
The ride was short, the pod passing underground, traveling thirty seconds to the next destination. The top swung open to release them, and then Donovan stood and marveled.
This station was four times bigger than the last, with eight tunnels leading away from it, two in each direction. The center island was huge and dotted with nylon tents, piles of equipment, cans of food, and everything else a rebel base required.
"We call it Fort Neverdie," Wilkins said.
Donovan kept turning his head, taking in the sight. He paused when his eyes landed on a large contraption in the corner. It looked like the Dread reactor he had seen inside the transport, hooked up to a what resembled the turret of one of their tanks, nestled in a package that could be deployed anywhere in the city if they threw it into a loop pod or had enough people to heft it on their shoulders.
"That's-"
"Big Bertha," Wilkins replied. "Our magic plasma cannon."
"How?"
"Let me introduce you to the Colonel, Major."
"Good idea."
Wilkins brought them across the platform, weaving around the multitude of tents. They were all empty right now, the soldiers who occupied them out on the streets for the battle. Unlike Mexico, there were no non-fighting women or children to be seen. Were they somewhere else? Or were they not allowed to find refuge here?
At least now he understood why so many had been trying to reach the city before the Dread arrived.
Wilkins brought them to a stop outside of a small space stacked high with so many electronics that they created a room of sorts. Most of the pieces had been opened up and reconfigured in some way, with connections crisscrossing one another and joining other connections, creating a web of colored lines that seemed impossible to decipher. Dozens of wires snaked away from the mess, down the side of the platform and vanishing into one of the tunnels.
A dark-skinned woman was standing in the center of it all. Her head was turned toward one of a dozen monitors mounted to the other equipment. She had a device similar to the one the Corporal was carrying near her face, and she was barking orders to the teams outside.
"Colonel Knight," Wilkins said, getting her attention.
She glanced their way, her eyes narrowing.
"Corporal. Where's Captain Rami?"
"He didn't make it, ma'am," Wilkins replied.
Donovan could see the pain on her face. Judging by the wrinkles, it was an expression she had made far too often.
"Colonel Knight," Donovan said, getting her attention by saluting. "My name is Major Donovan Peters. I'm-"
"I know who you are, Major," she said, putting up her hand and gi
ving him a small smile. "I'm very eager to speak to you, but right now I have to manage my crew."
"Understood, Colonel. Is there anything I can do to help?"
She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes. Actually, there is. Come on in here."
Donovan entered the space. He quickly took in the different displays. It seemed they had gotten cameras hooked up at various places in the city.
"Keep an eye on the screens. You see any Dread, you holler. Okay?"
"Yes, ma'am."
Donovan watched the screens while Colonel Knight returned to sending orders out to the troops. He noticed the volume inside the base grow as more as more of the soldiers returned home. Two hours later, and without another sign of Dread activity, the Colonel finally put down the comm device and looked at him once more.
"You showed up at a good time, Major," she said. "Your squad turned the tide in a hurry. We've been at a standoff for the last three days."
"I'm happy we could help, ma'am," Donovan replied. "Although it seems you're pretty well organized without us."
"We've done okay lately, but we weren't able to capture any heavy equipment. We only have one person who knows how to drive it."
"You have someone who knows how to pilot a Dread mech?"
"Yes. I'll introduce you to her as soon as I can."
Donovan raised his eyebrow. Her? It couldn't be. Could it?
"Where did you get the rifles? And the cannon?"
"I'll answer all of your questions, but let me give you the quick briefing first. Deal?"
"Yes, ma'am. My apologies."
"Major Donovan Peters, you are the biggest war hero this planet has right now. You don't have to apologize to me for anything."
Donovan felt a chill at the words. Him? "I'm just doing my duty, ma'am."
She laughed. "That's what all good heroes say. Come on over to the command tent, I'll give you the quick rundown." She led him out of the area. "You've already gotten the two-cent visual tour, I take it?"
"I looked around a little, yes, ma'am."
"Good. I'll show you more later. This way."
She brought him back into the sea of tents, leading him to a larger one near the corner. There was no way he would have guessed it was the command tent without having it labeled.
They went inside. There was another soldier already there, and he saluted as she entered. "Colonel."
"At ease, Captain," she said. "Captain Omar, this is Major Donovan Peters."
Omar looked at him and then smiled. "It's an honor, Major."
"Thank you," Donovan said, feeling uncomfortable with the greeting.
"Captain, can you go find Juliet and bring her here?"
"Of course, Colonel."
Donovan's heart jumped. "Juliet?"
"Our secret weapon," Colonel Knight said. "She was a Dread slave, but she managed to get free. It's a pretty incredible story, really."
"And her name is Juliet? As in, Juliet St. Martin?"
Colonel Knight furrowed her brow. "Yes. How did you know?"
Donovan felt numb.
"Lucky guess?" he said weakly.
SIXTEEN
"WELL, IT SEEMS WE both might have stories to tell, Major," Colonel Knight said. "I'll go first, and then you can fill me in on what you know about Juliet St. Martin. Unless I need to be concerned about her?"
Donovan overcame his shock, shaking his head. "No, I don't think you need to be concerned. I doubt she's a Dread spy or anything, especially if she's the reason you've managed to get your hands on their technology."
"Good enough. So yes, she is the reason we've managed to staunch the bleeding, so to speak. I've been running things down here since this base was established seventeen years ago. Four weeks ago, we were barely eking out an existence, trying to keep up with the communications from the teams across the globe, and of course especially interested in your work down in Mexico. The transmissions to the space forces have been our lifeline to hope for a long time."
"They were for us as well."
"Then we caught wind of a message your General Rodriguez sent up to General Parker in New York. A transmission about the space forces, and your involvement in not only getting inside a Dread fortress but escaping with one of their weapons. We were on the edge of our seats waiting to hear what had happened to you after that last transmission. Did you make the transfer? Didn't you? I even stood outside and tried to watch the sky, to see if I could get any clues."
"You saw the Magellan?"
"Yeah. I saw it. I damn near cried." She smiled. "Unbelievable. Anyway, two days later, one of our squads is out on routine patrol when this woman shows up. She snuck up on Delta, came up right behind them and they never knew she was there. She was wearing this black cloth." Colonel Knight paused, looking at Donovan. His uniform had been torn during his escape from the mech. "Like that one."
"It's called a gori'shah," Donovan said.
"Yeah, she told us. Anyway, she said her name was Juliet St. Martin, the wife of the General in charge of the space forces. She asked to be brought to see me, so she was. She then proceeded to tell me the craziest story I'd ever heard, about being made into a clone, about reversing her aging, and then about finally escaping from the Dread. She said they had been keeping her in their main research facility in Honduras, and that she stole a transport and headed here because she had heard the message from her husband and knew you would need her help. Of course, we didn't believe her at first, until she showed us the transport and started handing out the weapons inside."
Donovan nodded. Things were starting to make a little bit of sense, anyway. Juliet St. Martin alive? She had said it, and he could still barely believe it.
"A few days after that, the Dread started sweeping the area. They came over in their fighters at first, but they couldn't do much to us from above. These tunnels are too deep, and there are too many stations to hit them all. By the time they close one up, we manage to dig out two more. They had to start sending in foot soldiers, except they didn't know right away that we had been armed.
"Juliet helped us salvage the power source from the transport, along with some of the communication equipment. We hooked it up down here. For the first time in years, we weren't relying on handmade candles and the remains of fifty-year-old batteries that we scavenged from around the city. Even better, it turned out that the loop was still operational. All it needed was a little juice. Before that, we had to walk the tunnels everywhere."
"I get where the rifles came from, and how you've managed to move your resources quickly enough to shore up weak spots in the defenses," Donovan said. "What about the gun? The one Wilkins called Big Bertha?"
"Yeah. So, we had power. We had Dread rifles. Juliet said it wouldn't be enough. They would send mechs to dig us out. They would send clones to come down into the tunnels. We needed more firepower. I couldn't argue with that. We got a broadcast from someplace called Hell; they said that you were on your way to assault a Dread military outpost, and I thought, well hell, if he can do it, why can't we?" She laughed. "There was an outpost fifty klicks east of here. It isn't there anymore."
"You attacked the Dread?"
"And won. They aren't so tough when they aren't invincible. You proved that. We had to leave the mechs, but we did get our hands on one of those tank things, along with a whole bunch of small arms, enough for every soldier in the base, and then some. Anyway, we couldn't fit the tank down here, so we got to work on pulling the cannon off it."
"The one that vaporized those mechs?"
"Yes."
"That was more powerful than any Dread weapon I've seen."
Her smile grew bigger. "Yes. Juliet's quite handy with the Dread weaponry. She replaced some of the conduits with copper wiring instead of that stuff they use, and she was able to triple the strength and duration of the plasma. Boom. Big Bertha was born. What you saw was the first time we fired it at full strength. We didn't want to give anything away if we didn't have to."
"I would
say it was a successful test."
"I would say that, too, Major."
"Does General Parker know about all of this?"
"Yes. In fact, he's on his way here."
Donovan leaned forward. "What?"
"He's on his way here. Two thousand rebels are doing everything they can to get to Austin alive. He left over a week ago."
Donovan sat there in silence for a few moments, considering.
"You want to attack Mexico," he said.
"No, Major. We're going to attack Mexico. It's a given. The only question is when. General Parker isn't the only one on the move. We reached out to as many bases as we could. We told them to come to Austin. I don't know how many troops are incoming. Whatever we have, we'll use. One last push to get the Dread off our planet."
"What about the space forces?"
"I don't know. You made the exchange, but we haven't heard from them since. Did they survive? Are they coming back? We hope so, but we can't pin all of our hope on it. We need to make our own move. If we can coordinate something, we will. Otherwise, we're going in anyway. This is our moment. Our one chance. We can't let it slip away."
Donovan froze again. He couldn't believe it. He had expected to find a half-beaten army here, and instead, he had landed at the center of the rebellion. He felt a new energy flow into him, and the greatest sense of hope he had ever felt in his life.
"You need mechs. And mech pilots."
"Yes, we do," she agreed.
"Do we still have access to the ones you left behind?"
"I don't know for sure. Without pilots, what was the point? Now that you're here, we may need to reconsider."
"I'll go," Donovan said.
"I know. Hold that thought for now. At the moment, I want to hear your story. I want to fill in the gaps between the signals we've been receiving."
Donovan's heart and mind were racing. He could barely calm down. After all, he had been through, all he had lost. They were going to fight back. They were going to hit the Dread city and avenge Renata, Matteo, General Rodriguez, his mother, and all of the others.
