by Jake Bible
Themopolous leaned close to Jethro. “Jethro, honey? Can you hear me? We’re in the mainframe room. Now what?”
Jethro’s eyes fixed on hers. “Jack me up.”
***
“Jack him up?” Bisby asked. “What the fuck does that mean? And can someone shut these fucking emergency lights off?!? They’re giving me a goddamn headache!”
“I got the lights,” Specialist Grendetti said, moving to a control panel on the wall.
Jay stood before Johnson’s emaciated corpse, reclined in the cerebral integration chair. Themopolous came up behind him and grimaced. “He must have been in that chair for quite awhile after those feeding tubes ran dry.” She stepped past Jay and inspected the equipment. “We can keep Jethro’s body alive indefinitely with this set up. But, what about his mind?”
***
“What do you know about the mainframe’s AI?” Jay asked Murphy.
The Lieutenant furrowed her brow. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Did it interact with base personnel? Did it have a personality of its own? Have there ever been any major issues you know about it? Shit like that.”
“No, issues and it never interacted,” Lieutenant Murphy answered.
“Good, that means the AI is passive and won’t resist when I plug Jethro in,” Jay said.
“Actually, there is one thing,” Sol cautioned. “It’s a permanent job. Once you are hooked up, you can’t unhook, hence the life support set-up.”
***
Jay looked at his protege and friend. “I don’t think Jethro has much choice. And neither do we.”
Themopolus unhooked the tubes and lines from Johnson’s corpse and grabbed her bag, yanking out gauze and antiseptic. “You aren’t hooking him into shit until I get these cleaned off.”
“T MINUS FIVE MINUTES UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION.”
“Somebody help her clean that shit!” Murphy ordered. Sol, Grendetti and Kafar each took a hose and cleaned furiously.
“Can he cancel the self-destruct?” Murphy asked Jay.
“Yes, I know he can,” Jay answered. “What I don’t know is how long the integration process takes.
***
The Rookie stood encircled by dead mechs. Six of the monstrosities surrounded him and the Rookie waited for the first to move.
When it finally did, an ancient battle mech, probably first generation, the Rookie was ready. In a flash he had studied each dead mech down to the tiniest detail. Just as he did back in the fight cage, he knew his opponent’s weaknesses and he meant to exploit them.
The dead mech rushed him and he knelt his mech down, striking a blow directly on the oncoming mech’s left knee, shattering the structure and crippling the deader instantly.
***
Dead mech after dead mech after dead mech tried to get at the meat walking between Stomper’s legs and dead mech after dead mech after dead mech was crushed, ground into the dirt like a tin can.
Masters barely noticed, in fact he was disappointed that he had such an effective bodyguard. He would have welcomed death at any point, knowing he was too much of a coward to take his own life. His lip curled in a sneer as thoughts of self-loathing over took him.
He walked from the battlefield, his giant in tow, and never glanced back once.
***
“We are out of ammunition,” Shiner stated, the plasma cannon refusing to discharge. “We are left to fend off the dead ones with our bare hands.”
Mathew looked down at Rachel’s mech and the woman he loved lying unconscious inside the cockpit. “I’m prepared for that.”
A deader roared behind them and Shiner/Mathew whirled about, landing a kick to the dead mech’s chest, denting the cockpit structure. The deader stumbled back, but recovered quickly, diving at Shiner/Mathew’s legs. Shiner/Mathew brought its right fist down, timing the blow perfectly, smashing the deader deep into the dirt. Shiner/Mathew struck again and again.
***
Timson stared in horror as he watched his people snatched up by the ravenous dead mechs, most of the mechanical beasts not even pausing to open their cockpit hatches, just stuffing the screaming victims through broken windshields and bent supports and into the waiting, starving jaws of the zombie pilots within.
“What have I done? I shouldn’t have brought them here,” he whispered, falling to his knees.
“Dad! What are you doing?” Jenny cried, running to Timson’s side.
“It’s all my fault,” Timson said weakly.
Marin came up beside Jenny. “What the fuck?” Marin slapped Timson hard across the face.
***
The Rookie drove his right leg out like a piston, crushing the knee joints of the three closest deaders. He felt his mech shudder as a dead mech grabbed him from behind. He reached up over his shoulders, snagging the deader by its back support struts, and yanked hard, tossing the dead mech over him and into the others.
He reached out, ripping a deader’s arm out of its coupling and stood, brandishing the massive metal limb like a club.
“You may not have faces, but when I kill you all, I’m wearing something of yours!” the Rookie grinned viciously.
***
“Are you sure this isn’t going to just kill him?” Bisby asked as Themopolous attached the last of the life support hoses to Jethro’s body.
“No, Biz, I’m not sure,” Themopolous barked. “Look around you! Does anyone look fucking sure of anything?”
“Damn, I’m just concerned for Jethro. I mean…”
“You think I’m not concerned?!?” Themopolous shouted. “Why don’t you go sit your one-armed ass over there and get the fuck out of my way?”
Bisby scowled, but didn’t protest.
“Ready, Jay?” Themopolous shouted.
Jay tried to hide his amusement at Bisby’s dressing down. “Yep.”
“Then push the fucking button!”
***
Jethro’s body shuddered and convulsed as the cerebral integration systems activated. The vid screens flashed hundreds of images a second, making most of the Special Ops team turn their eyes away.
“Fuck! That’s worse than the emergency lights,” Bisby complained.
Jethro’s eyes bulged and rolled back up into his head.
“Jethro!” Theopolous cried. “What’s wrong? He’s not connecting, is he?”
Jay closed his eyes. “Fuck, I didn’t think of this.” Jay opened his eyes and looked at everyone. “He doesn’t have a Reaper chip anymore.” The Chief mechanic glanced at Johnson’s corpse. “But, I know where he can get one.”
***
“There is a transport approaching,” Stomper stated.
“Yeah, so fucking what?” Masters replied, not bothering to glance up and out into the wasteland. “Maybe it will run over me.”
“It is a familiar one,” Stomper said. “I recognize the transport’s signature.”
“Good for you,” Masters responded. “I’ll be sure to get you a gold star at some point.” Masters clapped his hands together exaggeratingly, the metal of his pistol slapping against his palm. “Yay for Stomper! He so smart!”
The giant mech stopped. “You have become aggressive and mean. I do not know if I want to go with you.”
***
“T MINUS TWO MINUTES UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“We aren’t going to make it,” Themopolous cried as Sol and Kafar held Jethro upright while she prepped the back of his head for the Reaper chip insertion.
“Bullshit!” Jay scolded, holding up the Reaper chip he had just removed from Johnson’s corpse. “We will make it! Here!” Jay handed the chip over to Specialist Grendetti who carefully cleaned and prepped it before handing it to Themopolous.
“T MINUS ONE MINUTE UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Can someone turn that off!” Themopolous yelled, hands shaking as she took the Reaper chip.
“No, sorry,” Sol apologized.
***
“T MINUS THIRTY SECONDS UNTIL NU
CLEAR DETONATION” The voice echoed across the battlefield.
“Jay?!? Jay, what’s your status? JAY!” Capreze shouted over the com. “Jay, come in Goddammit!”
“T MINUS TWENTY-FIVE SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Shiner says there’s a change in the stronghold’s mainframe AI,” Mathew said, lifting a dead mech up over his head and slamming it into the ground.
“T MINUS TWENTY SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
Shiner/Mathew jumped up and down on the deader until it stopped struggling. “Yeah, stay down you fucking bitch!”
“T MINUS FIFTEEN SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Hey, Commander?”
“Yes, Mathew?”
“Thanks for everything.”
***
“T MINUS TEN SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“No pressure, Doc,” Jay said nervously. “All the time in the world.”
Themopolous ignored him and focused on the last suture. “There! Done!”
Sol and Kafar eased Jethro back and Jay started the cerebral integration process again.
“T MINUS FIVE SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Okay Jethro, don’t fail us buddy. You can do this,” Jay whispered.
“T MINUS FOUR SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Come on you techie pain in the ass,” Bisby said.
“T MINUS THREE SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
“Please work, please work,” Themopolous repeated.
“T MINUS TWO SECONDS UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION
***
“T MINUS ONE SECOND UNTIL NUCLEAR DETONATION”
Capreze closed his eyes, said a quick prayer and waited for the blast that he would never even feel.
Nothing.
“Um, sir? Are we dead?” Mathew asked.
“No, pilot, we aren’t,” Capreze responded.
The stronghold’s gun turrets whirred to life, targeting the dead mechs left on the battlefield. Large caliber rounds flew threw the air, shearing metal from deader frames, obliterating their cockpits.
“What the fuck?!?” Capreze cried.
“Howdy everyone!” Jethro’s voice echoed from the stronghold. “How’s it going? Miss me?”
“MOTHER FUCKING YEAH!” Mathew yelled. “Welcome back you son of a bitch!”
***
“Don’t cheer me yet,” Jethro said. “I’ve got some bad news.”
Capreze sighed. “Of course you do.”
“Now that I’m master of the wasteland, Lord of the stronghold, I have access to some really, really cool tech.”
“Get on with it, Jethro,” Capreze ordered impatiently. “What is the bad news?”
“We’ve got another 38 dead mechs coming from all sides,” Jethro announced apologetically. “First few will be here in ten minutes.”
“Of course they will,” Capreze said. “Have any good news?”
“Funny you should ask. If you get your mech butts inside I can reload your armaments in eight minutes.”
***
“How’s he holding up?” Jay asked, crowding next Themopolous as the doctor checked Jethro’s life support equipment.
Themopolous elbowed Jay away. “Do you mind, Mr. Rind? A little space, please.”
“Sorry, Doc,” Jay apologized. “So?”
“I’m fine Jay,” Jethro’s voice boomed.
“And really fucking loud,” Bisby shouted.
“Sorry about that. This better?”
“Yeah, that’s perfect, mechanic,” Jay said glaring at Bisby.
“What?” Bisby asked innocently.
“How do you feel, Jethro?” the Doctor asked.
“Oh, Doc, you won’t believe what I’m plugged into!” Jethro exclaimed. “The medical knowledge alone will blow you away!”
“Um, so are we safe?” Specialist Grendetti asked.
***
Stomper stood still, refusing to take another step.
“What? So you’re just going to stand there forever and pout? Move!” Masters ordered continuing to walk further into the wasteland.
“No,” Stomper responded. “You are not the nice Masters. You are not the Masters that loves the Harlow. And I am going to tell her so when she gets here.”
Masters stopped. “What did you just say?” he asked, his voice low and menacing.
Stomper pointed towards the transport that was skidding to a halt in front of them. Masters watched as the ramp lowered and a gore smeared Harlow exited.
***
The Rookie ripped off the dead mech’s cockpit and snatched the squirming, raging zombie pilot out, bringing the zombie up close to his own cockpit as he squeezed the deader into a pulp.
“Rookie! Regroup in the stronghold’s staging area! Right now!” Capreze ordered over the com.
The Rookie grinned as the gore squished through his mech’s giant fist.
“Rookie! Do you fucking hear me?”
Capreze marched his mech directly in front of the Rookie’s. “We are on a schedule here! Get your ass inside!”
The Rookie slowly turned his attention to focus on the Commander. “I’m good right here.”
***
“I need help with Rachel!” Mathew called.
Capreze backed his mech away, but kept eye contact with the Rookie. “I’ll deal with you in a minute!”
“You unlocked this beast, Commander,” the Rookie said. “Don’t get mad at me because it ain’t so easy to put back in its cage.”
Capreze stalked off and turned his attention to his daughter’s mech. “Sweet Jeezus Baby Girl…”
“I can’t get out to check on her!” Mathew cried.
“Doctor!” Capreze yelled over the com. “If Jethro can spare you I need you out here now! Rachel’s down!”
Capreze un-strapped and descended his mech.
***
Masters watched the deader skin clad Harlow step from the transport. He lifted his pistol, hoping he had the strength to do what needed to be done, to kill his undead love.
“Are you fucking shitting me, Pilot?” Harlow said. “You once told me I could be covered in pus and open sores and I’d still be fuckable. Are you taking that back?”
Masters blinked several times. “Stomper, did you hear that?”
“I have been trying to tell you,” Stomper replied. “The Harlow is alive.”
Masters dropped his side arm and fell to his knees, his body racked with sobs.
***
Harlow knelt by Masters and lifted his chin. “Are you Mitch Mother Fucking Masters or are you Mitch Cry Baby Masters?”
Masters broke into a smile and hugged Harlow fiercely, attacking her face with kisses. “Fuck, you taste awful!” he cried, spitting into the wasteland dirt.
“I don’t smell so hot, either,” Harlow smiled helping Masters to his feet.
“Fuck if I care!” he responded kissing her passionately. “Stomper, turn around. Mommy and Daddy are gonna get nasty!”
“But, the others?” Stomper asked.
Harlow eyed Masters carefully. “What’d I miss?”
Master sighed. “I kinda freaked out and bailed.”
“YOU WHAT?!?”
Part Two- Firewall
“Mech coming in! Clear a path!” Capreze shouted at the Railers setting up triage stations within the staging area. “Where do you want me Jethro?”
“Follow the flashing red line to the re-load positions on the wall. Just park it, I’ll do the rest,” Jethro’s voice answered. “We’ve got incoming in less than five minutes so you might as well stay in your cockpit.”
“Damn, I gotta piss,” Capreze complained.
“Don’t even fucking start with that,” Mathew said as Shiner reloaded all of his weapons systems across the staging area from Capreze.
“Sorry,” Capreze apologized. “Hey, Doc? How’s my girl?”
***
Themopolous shouted orders to the Railer medics as she rushed from one wounded person
to another.
“Your daughter is still unconscious, Commander,” Themopolous said. “Just like last minute and the minute before that.”
“Sorry, I was just hoping, well, you know,” the Commander said.
“Yes, sir, I do know. She’s stable. Weak, but stable and that’s better than most of the people I need to focus on now. So, can you let me do my job, please?”
“Of course,” Capreze replied. “Let me know if-“
“You’ll be the first to hear if her condition changes.”
“I’m second, Doc,” Mathew insisted.
***
The Rookie stood his mech outside the stronghold, foregoing the weapons system reload. He flexed the mech’s fingers over and over, the itch for battle making him jumpy.
“Hey kid?” Jay’s voice called over the com. “How you holding up?”
“Doin’ fine, Jay,” the Rookie answered.
“Uh-huh,” Jay said. “The Commander says you’ve got a little attitude.”
“Just got my fight face on.”
“Right. How about you take that face off? The Commander wants you out there fighting, not the Razor.”
“Is there a difference anymore?” the Rookie asked.
“There is,” Jay responded. “You know it and I know it.”
***
Capreze watched Shiner/Mathew from across the staging area. He knew that mech and not just from the vid feed of the mini-mechs days ago. Something in his sub-conscious itched at the sight of the former deader.
“How old are you Shiner?” Capreze asked.
The mech didn’t respond.
“He’s running some major diagnostics right now, sir,” Mathew said. “But, from what I can tell he is old, the first dead mech.”
Capreze narrowed his eyes. “The first?”
“Yep. But most of that info is damaged, so I can only access fragments. Why?”
“Just like to know who I’m fighting next to.”
***
“You’ve taken a shine to the Rookie, haven’t you?” Jethro asked as Jay tapped at the mainframe’s control console, double checking system stability, looking for any hidden problems with Jethro’s cerebral integration.
“Don’t worry, Jethro,” Jay laughed. “You’re still my number one pain in the ass.”
