by Jake Bible
The Commander spun about, his halogen piercing the wasteland darkness. Nothing. He watched for a moment then turned back to the camp and began to activate his com when the hands grabbed his arms and covered his mouth.
He struggled in vain as he was pulled into the inky blackness of the wasteland.
***
Mathew looked from the dead mech to One and back again. The dead mech pushed the mini-mech forward and One clomped over to Mathew’s mech. It reached down and yanked the cockpit hatch off, tossing it into the Windy City rubble.
Mathew stayed perfectly still as One moved back to the dead mech’s side. The deader’s cockpit opened and it reached it’s massive fist inside, pointing to the zombie pilot then at Mathew and back to the zombie pilot.
Mathew narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. “I’m not dead, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m not a zombie yet.”
***
Bisby stared at the empty storage compartment. “Hey Jethro?”
“Yeah, Biz?”
“Where are the perimeter poles?”
“The Commander decided to take a walk and set them up himself.”
“Huh,” Bisby mused. He looked out into the darkness of the wasteland night. “Are they active?”
“Yeah, I switched the perimeter on the second he gave me the go ahead.”
Bisby started walking about the camp, his eyes still focused on the wasteland. “Okay, so if the perimeter is active and the Commander set up the perimeter then where is the Commander?”
“Um, that’s a good question…”
“Yeah, ya think?” Bisby snapped.
***
The dead mech pointed to its zombie pilot and back at Mathew again. Mathew shook his head.
“I don’t understand what you want,” Mathew said. “Your pilot is dead, it’s a freakin’ zombie, there isn’t anything I can do.”
The deader stomped its massive foot, shaking Mathew about in his demolished mech’s cockpit. It moved closer, grabbing a stray piece of Mathew’s mech, shaking the junked part then tossing it aside. It pointed to Mathew again and waited.
“My mech is broken? Is that it?”
The deader pointed to its pilot and then at itself.
Mathew stared then realization dawned.
***
“I’m getting nothing, Biz,” Jethro said from the transport. “I’ve got sensors at full capacity and nothing. However, the geothermal pocket below us could be messing up the readings.”
“Could be?” Bisby barked. “You don’t get paid for ‘could be’, Jethro!”
“I don’t get paid at all, asshole!” Jethro snapped back.
Bisby growled and surveyed the darkness once again. “He can’t have just disappeared! We’ve barely broken camp!”
“What’s up, Biz?” Rachel asked stepping up behind Bisby.
“Oh, Rache… I, um, didn’t hear you come up,” Bisby stuttered.
Rachel eyed Biz for a moment. “What’s going on?”
Bisby looked away.
***
Mathew’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You want to be my replacement mech? You want me to get in you?”
To Mathew it looked like the dead mech nodded, but that was crazy. Of course, talking to a deader was crazy also. Not to mention the fact the deader wasn’t ripping him apart and feeding him bit by bit to its zombie pilot.
“You already have a pilot,” Mathew said. And almost before the words had fully left Mathew’s mouth, the dead mech reached in, ripping out the zombie pilot from its cockpit. It bent down, shoving the corpse towards Mathew.
***
Harlow uncoupled her schlong from the transport, trying to ignore the banging and growling noises coming from the storage compartment.
“Shut the fuck up, you deader fucks!” she yelled, kicking the storage hatch. “Hey? Is this racket bothering anyone else?”
“It’s bothering me,” Themopolous said. “I’d like to sedate the creatures so I can study their new physiology, but I can’t seem to find the Commander for his approval. Have you seen him?”
Harlow looked about the camp. “Actually, no, I haven’t.” She tapped her com. “Has anyone seen the Commander?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out!” Bisby responded.
***
“What do you mean ‘trying to figure out’?” Rachel demanded, her eyes narrowing. “Where is my father?”
“How the fuck should I know?” Bisby barked. “It’s not my job to keep tabs on the commanding officer, is it? I was just as busy powering up my mech as you were with yours.”
“When did he go missing?” Rachel asked.
“After I activated the perimeter,” Jethro responded.
Rachel glared at Bisby. “I thought that was your duty?”
“He decided to take it on himself. I didn’t know a thing about it. So back the fuck OFF!”
“Everybody calm down,” Harlow interjected.
***
Shiner pushed its expired zombie pilot towards the living mech pilot. The dense human wasn’t understanding his request and Shiner didn’t have much time left. He could feel the mental breakdown beginning already. He could last another hour, maybe. He calculated quickly and realized he didn’t even have that much time.
“I don’t think you understand how this ‘pilot and mech’ relationship works,” the living mech pilot said. “You’re a deader, I’m not. End of story.”
Shiner grew frustrated yet again and tossed the zombie corpse aside, its desiccated form breaking apart as it impacted against the Windy City rubble.
***
Mathew flinched and scooted back from the dead mech. “Whoa, calm down! No need to start tossing bodies about.”
The dead mech pointed to its empty cockpit again.
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s possible. I’m pretty sure you’d fry my brain.”
The dead mech stomped the ground with its foot, shaking Mathew about. It leaned in close, over Mathew, both massive fists set on either side of him.
“G-g-g-g-g… Get… I-i-i-innnnn…” the deader’s loudspeakers crackled.
Mathew did everything in his power to keep from pissing himself. The dead mech quickly stood, powering up its plasma cannon. “O-o-o-orrrr… D-d-d-die…”
***
“Are you sure you can’t pick him up on the scanners?” Rachel asked Jethro.
“Um, yeah, I’m pretty fucking sure since that’s my FUCKING JOB!” Jethro shouted over the com.
“Hey!” Harlow barked. “Everyone shut the fuck up!” She turned about then walked to her mech.
“Where are you going?” Bisby asked.
“Well, seeing as it’s nighttime and pitch fucking dark out there…” She grabbed a hold of her mech’s leg and started to climb. “…I figured we should light this place up a bit more.”
Rachel and Bisby looked at each other then sprinted to their mechs, climbing also.
***
Shiner’s sensors, though growing weaker, picked up the movement immediately. Coming directly at their position were hundreds upon hundreds of the undead humans.
Shiner struggled to power up all of its weapons systems. Connections were becoming difficult. He recalculated and realized the mental deterioration was happening exponentially. He would cease to exist in a matter of minutes.
The human pilot held up his hands and Shiner could see the fear. “Hey, no need to blast me, okay? Let’s talk this out a bit more.”
Shiner pushed One. The mini-mech sprang into action, running past the human and into the rubble.
***
“Whoa whoa WHOA!” Jethro yelled. “Small lights for the camp is one thing, but you light up those mechs and we’ll be spotted a hundred miles away!”
“Spotted by who?” Bisby yelled back. “You already said we weren’t followed by the Ranchers.”
“Yeah, well, I also lost track of the Commander. So maybe we shouldn’t be relying on me and my tech. Maybe we should slow down a
nd think this through.”
“Jethro’s right,” Themopolous agreed. “There could be other dangers.”
“Like what?” Bisby asked as he and the other pilots lit up the wasteland.
Surrounding them were thousands of zombies.
***
Mathew turned about as One streaked by. He watched the mini-mech leap over debris and dodge around piles of concrete before disappearing into Windy City.
He felt the earth shake and turned back to the dead mech expecting the worst. But, what he found surprised him. The dead mech was down on one knee with one hand placed firmly against the ground. The only description that came to Mathew’s mind was that the thing looked sick.
The dead mech weakly pointed to its cockpit again. Gunfire erupted deep within the burnt out city and Mathew flinched.
Then Mathew heard them.
***
“Let’s light ‘em up!” Bisby yelled his finger on the trigger.
“No! Wait!” Themopolous cried. “Look at them! Look closely!” She ran pointing to the figures that looked like zombies, waving up at the mechs. “Check your screens!”
Harlow zoomed in on part of the horde surrounding them and gasped. “What the fuck?”
“What am I looking at here, Doc?” Bisby asked. “Are those people? Zombies? What are they?”
“They’re our way back home,” Commander Capreze interrupted over the com. “Power down, Pilots. I’ve got some people you need to meet.”
Capreze stepped out from the front of the horde.
***
Shiner heard more gunfire, but didn’t have the capabilities to connect with One anymore. The mini-mech was on its own.
The human began to back away from the city/state until he bumped up against Shiner’s leg. Without turning around, he asked, “Deaders are coming, aren’t they?”
Shiner tapped the ground to get the human’s attention. The pilot turned about and looked at Shiner. It took nearly all of his willpower to point, one last time, at his cockpit.
The human glanced warily at Windy City then back at Shiner.
“Yeah, I think I may be coming around,” the human said.
***
Mathew grabbed a hold of the dead mech’s leg and started to climb. He didn’t have to go far since the thing was doubled over. Mathew strapped in and looked about the cockpit. It was an old one, lacking in a lot of the upgrades and modifications Mathew was used to.
“Okay, now what?” Mathew asked. The cockpit closed and the cerebral integration panel lit up. “Seriously? What’s to stop you from frying my brain?”
The dead mech shook and placed both fists on the ground. The cockpit panels flickered, but held.
Mathew watched One dash from the rubble, firing.
***
“Power down, Pilots! Now!” Capreze ordered.
“Sir, I don’t-” Bisby started.
“I don’t want to hear it, Biz. Shut down your mech and get your ass on the ground. That goes for you too, Pilots Harlow and Capreze.”
“Yes, sir,” the pilots responded, opening their cockpits and descending from their mechs.
“Jethro? You there?”
“Yes, Commander,” Jethro responded.
“Good. Shut those mech lights off.”
A second passed and the floodlights ceased, returning the camp to its minimally lit state.
“Excellent. Now slowly pull the geothermal cable up. And I mean slowly.”
“Sir?’ Jethro asked, puzzled.
“You heard me, mechanic. Slowly.”
***
Mathew hesitated, closed his eyes then activated the cerebral integration system. His head snapped back for a moment and he could feel the deader’s consciousness meld with his own. And, surprisingly, it wasn’t unpleasant.
Massive bits of data began to stream through his mind, but it was all buffered and controlled by the mech’s AI. The living mech. And its name was Shiner.
“Holy shit,” Mathew gasped. “You’ve got quite a brain. Why do I have the feeling you could open up that data stream and liquefy my mind in a nanosecond?”
“Be-be-because, I c-c-can,” Shiner stuttered into Mathew’s mind.
***
Capreze walked fully into the camp, gesturing behind him. A tall, what looked like a badly disfigured man, stepped forward carrying what was obviously a child. A second man followed carrying another child. A third man carrying a woman was last.
“Doctor?” Capreze called.
“Right here, sir,” Themopolous answered bag in hand, already running towards the Commander. “Are they hurt?”
“Yes. The woman quite badly,” Capreze affirmed. “And it’s our fault.”
“What? Our fault?” Rachel asked running to her father and embracing him strongly.
“Yes, our fault. We’re right on top of a small city of thousands,” the Commander answered.
***
“You m-m-m-must b-b-b-be prep-p-p-pared,” Shiner stuttered in Mathew’s mind, into their mind. “Y-y-you must und-d-d-derstand. You m-m-m-must learn it all.”
One settled next to Shiner and grasped the cable offered, plugging it into its modified data jack, while still continuing to fire in the direction of the approaching zombies.
“Prepared? Understand? What do you mean? I’m not sure I like where this is…” Mathew trailed off as all of Shiner’s recorded memories streamed into his consciousness. And like that, without even a pinch, it was over and Mathew did understand. “Holy shit! You’re the first! You’re the first dead mech!”
***
“You’ve gotta be shitting me?” Bisby barked. “If there were thousands of people out here, we’d know about it!”
Capreze eyed Bisby. “Really, Biz? Why is that? When was the last time you were this deep in the waste?”
“Well, I, um…,” Bisby faltered. “Thousands? Seriously?”
“Yes, Biz, thousands. And we shot a hole and dropped a cable through the middle of them. We’re lucky there weren’t more hurt.”
“Not that lucky,” Themopolous said, checking the injured woman laid out upon a camp table. “She’s in bad shape, sir.” Themopolous looked up at Capreze gravely.
“Do what you can, Doctor.”
***
Mathew felt Shiner lift walls, allowing all data to be shared between the two consciousnesses. The more Mathew absorbed, the more he understood. And he kept understanding until all but one wall was lifted.
Mentally, and physically, Mathew took a deep breath. “What are you hiding?”
“Not now,” Shiner responded, his stutter gone as communication between the two became instantaneous. “We must decide whether to flee or fight?”
Mathew, now connected with every single bit of scanner and sensor data, assessed the numbers and the tactical situation at hand. “Let’s kill ‘em all.”
The new mech stepped into Windy City.
***
Capreze beckoned behind him and a very tall, muscular man stepped forward. The pilots studied him closely. His skin seemed leathery and strange, his eyes set back and the flesh about them separated.
“This is Mastelo. While apparently they do not have a leader, he speaks for them all when they do have to interact topside,” Capreze introduced. The man nodded hello and Harlow gasped.
“Is that skin you’re wearing?” she asked.
Bisby and Rachel both looked closer at the man and at the others behind.
“That’s not just skin… that’s deader skin!” Bisby said.
“Yes, it is,” Mastelo answered.
***
Mathew didn’t need to ready his weapons systems, he didn’t need to check sensors, didn’t need to scan thermals or listen for movement. Thanks to Shiner, he already had. He no longer piloted a mech, but was a mech. The former instantaneous cerebral integration he was used to now seemed like quicksand compared to the full integration he was experiencing.
Shiner/Mathew leapt and dove over the rubble, tucked and rolle
d coming up firing into the horde of undead. The creatures swarmed the mech, but Mathew took full advantage of his new symbiosis, slashing, smashing and blasting the creatures into oblivion.
***
Capreze nodded at Mastelo, gesturing towards the transport. “Let’s speak inside, if you don’t mind. It’ll be more comfortable.” Capreze looked towards Themopolous as she checked the wounded, Harlow right behind her, taking notes and setting up triage supplies. “I guess the only pilot to join us will be my daughter Rachel.”
“Hey, what about me?” Bisby asked.
“I believe you volunteered for first watch, Biz,” Capreze smiled.
“What?!? Are you fucking-?!?” Bisby exploded, but was quickly interrupted by Capreze.
“Calm down, pilot,” Capreze grinned. “I’ll have Jethro mic the meeting and you can listen on your com.”
“Okay. Fine.”
***
Shiner/Mathew barked out orders to One, using the mini-mech to divide and confuse the zombies, herding them into smaller more manageable groups.
The speed and exhilaration Mathew felt was intoxicating and he could tell Shiner was awed by the new sensations, the new depth of power and control they both had.
“Are you digging this or what?” Mathew laughed, decapitating a dozen deaders with one swipe while mowing down another twenty with his 50mm.
Mathew felt Shiner probe his memory for the definition of ‘digging’ before responding. “Emotional responses are very new to me, but yes, I am ‘digging’ this.”
***
Rachel helped the commander set up an impromptu meeting space in the back of the transport complete with collapsible table and folding chairs. They all took their seats as Jethro rolled to the table, setting a conference disc in the middle so Bisby could join.
“First, I cannot apologize enough for the hurt we have caused your people,” Capreze said to Mastelo.
“Thank you, but there was no way you could know,” Mastelo said. He noticed Jethro eyeing his skin and smiled. “You wonder why we wear the dead skin.”
Jethro nodded apologetically.
“It is quite simple, really,” Mastelo began.
***
One became overwhelmed as a wave of zombies overpowered it, knocking the mini-mech to the ground. It struggled against the weight, but the undead were too much and it became pinned to the smoldering earth.
