“To hell with you. We’ll see how far your plans go if I stay right here.”
Moving beside her father’s image, Phyllis shook her head. “That would be a mistake, Jake. Every cat in the tournament has a tracker-box installed on it. As I’m sure you suspect, the box contains more than just a tracker. It also contains a forty-kilo tunnel-mine. That’s powerful enough to burn through the armor of a Kraken, force field and all. I’m afraid your poor little Casey’s Macron UHAAV wouldn’t stand a chance if we set off the one on her back, which we’ll do if you don’t start heading for the upper deck right now.”
Concern for Casey had been tearing at Jake’s guts ever since he’d left her. His fear came roaring to the surface. “You leave Casey out of this.” He was tempted to fire some more rounds at both Gegormas, but logic forced his finger to stay off the M63’s trigger. “How do I know you won’t set the mine off even if I do go up?”
A smile returned to Creao Gegorma’s face. “You don’t, Jake, but I can assure you we will set it off if you don’t leave right now and head upstairs.” He glanced at something to his right that wasn’t in the freighter’s bay. “In fact, I’ve got a feeling she won’t last much longer even if you do head upstairs. Commander Donalis has her cornered with his Leviathan. I’m afraid your sweet little lieutenant isn’t going to live much longer unless you help her, Jake. You need to go to her now. I’d hurry if I were you.”
“Oh,” said Phyllis. “In case you’re hoping Maggie can hack into the freighter’s gun turret and use it to rescue your Casey, don’t. Our technicians unhooked the network connections to every turret in the harbor section. They’re manual only now.” She gave a smile that was almost as evil as that of her father’s. “The only hope for your lieutenant is if you go on deck and save her yourself.”
A series of blasts sounded from outside the freighter’s metal skin. Jake no longer heard the Paladin’s 75mm phase autocannon.
The old man laughed. “Your friends are running out of ammo, Jake. You’d best decide what you’re going to do. I’ll give you until the count of ten, then I’m setting off the tunnel-mine on the Macron.”
Before the older Gegorma could begin counting, Jake spun and ran out the open hatch, heading back the way he’d come. The freighter shook as something large exploded against the ship’s hull.
That was Casey’s mortar. She’s alive. She’s still putting up a fight.
He glanced at the M63 lightweight plasma assault rifle in his hand. What am I supposed to do against a Leviathan with this pea shooter?
He didn’t have an answer.
Chapter 32 – Heavy Firepower
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Jake jumped over the bodies of the four men he’d killed in the corridor on his way to free the hostages. He continued toward two more bodies near the open hatch that led to the alcove with the ladder. Past the hatch, he could just make out the bodies of the other three pirates he’d killed with his grenade.
There was a set of stairs past the hatch. It’s the obvious way to go, but is it? He pictured the schematic of the ship Maggie had shown him. From what he could remember, it was four floors to the deck with two more stories above that to the bridge. Even the shortest route would consist of a bunch of twists and turns.
The pirate’s probably have ambushes set up in the halls. If I have to take the time to fight my way to the bridge, Casey and the others could be dead before I get outside. There’s gotta be a faster way.
His left hand brushed against his belt, catching on the small rectangular device Casey had given him. A hope blossomed inside him. The anti-grav unit. That’s my ticket topside.
Running to the open hatch, Jake stepped inside the alcove. Instead of grabbing hold of the ladder, he activated his anti-grav belt. All sense of weight disappeared as he floated up. One deck, two decks, then four, then six. The ladder ended in a crowded room with a large gun turret crammed inside. The end of the cannon’s stubby barrel was just shy of the fake bridge’s metal wall. A gunner’s seat was attached to the side of the cannon’s plasma generator along with some type of control panel. Two clear, half-meter-wide tubes coming out of the generator ran down into a hole in the deck. Computer cases and screens with flashing lights were bolted to various parts of the deck. The floor of the room appeared to be built on some type of rotatable disk.
Phyllis said the techs unhooked the gun from the network. If I’m going to use it, I’ll have to do it manually.
Wasting no time, he jumped into the gunner’s seat and took a quick look at the controls. He’d never fired anything the size of a 50 gigawatt plasma cannon before. He tried to find some instructions.
A large explosion sounded from outside, shaking the entire room.
I’ve gotta hurry. A weapon’s a weapon. All I’ve gotta do is figure out how to shoot it.
A button on the control panel marked ‘POWER’ was the obvious place to start. When he pressed it, the gunner’s seat vibrated as a bass-like hum filled the room. A computer screen on the control panel lit up. Small icons appeared on the left side of the screen as a stream of numbers began scrolling down the right half. He noticed a red icon with the label ‘CHARGE WEAPON.’ With no other ideas, he touched the icon with his right index finger.
The clear tubes from the deck to the cannon’s generator filled with red gas. The ‘CHARGE WEAPON’ icon on the control panel changed from red to green.
The sound of a mini-gun opening up somewhere outside the ship was accompanied by the unmistakable sound of missiles leaving their launchers.
This is taking too long. Casey and Maggie need me.
He spotted another icon with the label ‘LOWER SIDES’ and pressed it.
Sections of the bridge’s walls fell away, revealing the scene outside the ship. Scores of pirate infantry were stationed along the ship’s railing, firing their weapons at a four-legged Macron with gray-and-black camouflage paint that had fallen onto its side. The rear of the downed Macron was toward the ship, and dark smoke poured out the back. The barrel of the cat’s 400 millimeter phase mortar was plainly visible through the smoke. A six-legged Leviathan stood between the downed Macron and the freighter, firing every weapon at the helpless UHAAV. The wall of energy that was the Macron’s force field began flickering.
Casey’s shield’s giving way. I’m not going to let her die.
Scanning the cannon’s control screen for the anything helpful, Jake noticed an icon labeled ‘ACQUIRE TARGET.’ He pressed it. A panel below the control screen slid open. A toggle-stick popped out next to the panel. A crosshair appeared in the center of the control screen along with an image of the warehouse where the cannon’s barrel was pointing. Grabbing the toggle-stick with his right hand, Jake tilted it to the left. The barrel of the cannon rotated left. The image behind the crosshair changed as the pirates’ cat came into view. He centered the crosshair at a point on the rear of the Leviathan where he hoped its force field would be weakest.
Before he could figure out how to fire, two beams of green energy passed to his left as a couple of the pirate infantry became aware of his presence. Ignoring the pirates’ fire, Jake searched the control panel for the last thing he needed. He found an icon labeled ‘FIRE WEAPON’ and punched the icon with his left index finger.
Boom!
The entire freighter rocked as a 50 gigawatt blast of plasma energy shot out the end of the cannon, striking the force field that protected the rear of the pirates’ Leviathan. The shimmering wall of energy surrounding the cat disappeared, but the Leviathan itself was undamaged.
Jake punched the ‘FIRE WEAPON’ icon again. Nothing happened. A flashing label under the icon read ‘CHARGING.’
Movement from the dock caught his eye as the Leviathan leaned back on its two rear legs and spun around incredibly fast for such a machine. Inside the cat’s cockpit, Jake saw the figures of a man and a woman. He recognized the man as Commander Donalis.
The pirate looked at him and grinned as the twin cannons on the Leviathan
’s back rotated toward the bridge. The insignia of the skull with blazing red eyes and gold nose ring painted below the cat’s cockpit seemed to foretell the coming death of its soon-to-be victim.
In desperation, Jake pressed the ‘FIRE WEAPON’ icon again and again. Nothing happened. The word CHARGING continued to flash on the computer screen.
As the Leviathan’s twin plasma cannons zeroed in on him, Jake glanced at the downed Macron, hoping to get one last look at Casey. Although the Macron was on its side, he could see her through the cracked windscreen, strapped into the pilot’s seat and fumbling at the panel on the chair’s armrest. She looked out the windscreen long enough to catch his eye and seemed to smile before pressing something on the armrest.
Boom!
A 400-millimeter-wide ball of brerellium-steel, creallium, and red phase energy shot out the barrel of the Macron’s mortar and slammed into the unprotected rear of the Leviathan. The six-legged cat was thrown head over heels, landing upside down with its rear legs on the freighter’s deck and its front legs still on the dock. A score of pirates firing from the freighter’s railing were smashed to a bloody pulp under the cat’s weight. Fire and smoke poured out the rear of the Leviathan as well as the broken windscreen of the big cat’s cockpit.
Two Long Cat medium UHAAVs came running around the corner of the nearest warehouse and fired at Casey’s Macron.
Something flashed on the phase cannon’s control panel, catching Jake’s eye. He noticed the word ‘CHARGING’ had changed to ‘CHARGED.’ Grabbing hold of the cannon’s control toggle, he centered the crosshair on the chest of the nearest Long Cat and punched the ‘FIRE WEAPON’ icon.
Boom!
A 50 gigawatt beam of red energy obliterated the force field protecting the nearest Long Cat. The medium UHAAV was knocked back into its companion. Both Long Cats went down as they exploded in blasts of red and green energy.
Beams of green plasma energy scorched the sides of the gun turret as the pirate infantry on the deck turned their attention to the turret. A ball of energy smashed into the cannon’s firing display, shattering the screen into little pieces.
Diving out of the gunner’s seat, Jake took cover behind the cannon’s barrel as the pirate infantry sent a flurry of red and green plasma energy in his direction. He raised his M63 over the top of the cannon’s barrel and pulled the rifle’s trigger without bothering to aim. Although he knew the odds hitting anything were low, he also knew it was all he could do without getting shot. Before he could think of anything else to do, a roar similar to a dozen buzz-saws filled the air. Hundreds of streaks of red tore into the freighter, sweeping the deck from one end to the other. Jake crawled on the floor of the bridge and took cover behind the turret’s generator.
That’s a 20mm Gatling gun. It’s gotta be Maggie.
He risked a glance around the corner of the generator. The Paladin was standing next to the freighter. The 05 painted on her chest never looked better. A steady stream of red tracer rounds from the Gatling gun clutched in the Paladin’s left claw swept the pirates off the ship’s deck in a manner similar to the way a miner might use a high-pressure water hose to clear ore tailings from a mine’s entrance. After ten seconds, the only thing alive on top of the freighter was Jake.
Black smoke pouring out of the downed Macron drew Jake’s attention. With Casey in mind, he activated his anti-grav belt and leaped over the side of the bridge, landing on the dock ten meters below. He ran past the upside down Leviathan. Two smoldering bodies hung half out of the cockpit’s shattered windscreen, barely visible within the swirling smoke.
That’s for my dad, Jake thought.
Flames coming out of the Macron’s rear drove out all thoughts of revenge. Only Casey mattered. Smoke poured out around the mortar on the cat’s back. Dense smoke was also coming from the Macron’s cockpit through the open emergency hatch. He spotted Casey pulling a limp body with blonde hair out through the hatch. Running up, Jake grabbed hold of the body and shoved Casey out of the way. Picking the limp form up in his arms, he ran in the direction of a second body lying on the dock ten meters away. Glancing at the bloody face of the woman he carried, he nearly stumbled. It was Freeta. He laid her next to the body of her sister, Dresh.
Boom!
Fire, smoke, and phase energy shot out the back of the Macron as the barrel of its mortar flew into the side of the freighter, caving in the thin metal of the ship’s hull. As pieces of debris fell from the sky, Jake dove on top of Casey, using his body to shield the woman he knew he loved more than life itself. A two-meter-square hunk of jagged metal landed barely two meters away.
Casey struggled free of Jake’s grasp and crawled on all fours to the limp bodies of her cousins. She knelt over them and cradled their heads in her lap before looking at Jake. Tears flowed from her eyes. “They trusted me to keep them safe. I…we had to come back.” She wiped some of her tears away, but more appeared as soon as her hand left her face. “I couldn’t let you die. I just couldn’t.”
The sound of metal hitting the cement dock came from behind Jake. He glanced over his shoulder to see the Paladin walk up and stand over the two of them. A black Warcat scout UHAAV followed the Paladin. Jake could just make out the features of the Covian major behind the Warcat’s faceplate. A beam of light shot out the top of the Warcat. The form of Creao Gegorma stood on the dock within the beam.
“Jake,” said the hologram. “You disappoint me. This is not how I planned for this to work. Now I’ve got to come up with another way to force Maggie to complete her emotional bond.”
Two white and black Tomcat scout UHAAVs walked around a stack of containers on the dock along with half-a-hundred pirates with plasma rifles at the ready.
Jake heard Casey draw her sidearm behind him and saw the Paladin’s left gun claw point the 20mm Gatling gun at the pirates. Jake did the same with his M63.
“Now, now,” said Creao Gegorma. “We’ll have none of that. Don’t forget the tunnel-mine on Maggie’s back. I’d hate to destroy the Paladin, but I think Maggie’s processor could survive the explosion. The two of you would be close enough to the blast that I doubt either of you would live. Are you prepared to take that risk?”
Jake glanced at the pirates’ weapons pointed at Casey and him. He glanced at Maksim’s Warcat. The four-barreled plasma rifle attached to the cat’s left arm was pointing directly at Casey.
A series of explosions sounded overhead. Jake glanced up. Faint bursts of red, green, and orange could be seen in the upper atmosphere.
The hologram of Creao Gegorma looked up. “Ah. I see Lieutenant Casey’s uncle has arrived. Too bad it won’t do either of you any good. It’ll take a full week of bombardment from the Trecorian fleet before the shield around Lastreo fails. Maggie will be under my control well before then.”
A flickering image of Maggie appeared next to Jake. “Never.”
The old man laughed. “You’ll have no choice, my dear Maggie. I helped develop part of your original programing. You volunteered to let us modify you to see if gas-based entities could be given emotions. I know what needs to be done. Once you complete your emotional link with my young friend here, I’ll be in a position to take his place. When he’s dead and your memory is erased, you’ll link with me willingly enough. I’ve got big plans for the two of us, Maggie. Big plans.”
More explosions sounded overhead. The upper atmosphere took on a pinkish hue.
Jake glanced at Gegorma. “Why don’t you just kill me now and be done with it? I know why you don’t. It’s too soon, isn’t it? Maggie and I haven’t completed our link yet.” He raised his M63. “What if I force you to kill me now and ruin all of your well-laid plans?”
The old man shrugged. “You can try. I think just seeing you killed might be enough to bring out the last of Maggie’s emotions. I’d prefer trying a different approach just to be sure, but you do what you think’s best. It’s your choice.”
Jake looked at Casey. He could almost sense her finger tightening on th
e trigger of her pistol. She’s going to fire if I don’t do something. But what? He decided to try stalling for time. “You’re going to kill both of us anyway?”
The elder Gegorma smiled. “Oh, you have to die, no doubt about that. The only question is how and when.” The old man’s hologram pointed at Casey. “Your friend, on the other hand, can live. She’s nothing to me. The Trecorians are already here. Nothing she tells them will change anything now.”
Casey let her cousins’ heads slide gently off her lap, onto the dock. She stood up, still gripping her pistol. “Do you think I’d want to live after you killed Jake? I’d prefer to die with him.” She pointed her blaster at the nearest pirate.
“What about the others?” asked the old man, suddenly sounding nervous. “If you pull that trigger, you’ll be killing the rest of your party as well.” He pointed at Jake. “And what about your mechanics? Are you going to throw their lives away too?”
Jake rose and stood next to Casey. He wrapped his fingers around the barrel of her phase pistol and gently took it out of her hand. He dropped the blaster to the dock along with his M63.
Casey looked into his yes. “Are you sure that’s the way you want it?”
Jake wasn’t sure of anything, but he nodded anyway.
“Jake?” said Maggie. The Gatling gun in the Paladin’s left claw raised a little. “I can—”
“No,” Jake said. “Now’s not the time. While we’re alive, there’s still hope. We’ve gotta play the cards we’ve been dealt. There’ll be time enough to gamble later. Lower your weapon. That’s an order.”
Maggie’s eyes turned a deep green as the Paladin’s Gatling gun lowered.
Steel Apocalypse Page 25
