by Jake Bible
Themopolous set her tablet aside and looked at June. “Has he chosen a name yet?”
June smiled and looked at the boy, affectionately tousling his hair. “Yeah, he has.” She turned to the Doctor and beamed. “Stan. He wants to be called Stan.”
***
“See,” June said, Stan’s hand in hers. “Doctor Themopolous promised not to take any blood today. It wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Stan shook his head and smiled up at June.
“Hey, you two,” Capreze called out, coming around the corner, two empty mugs in hand.
“Hello, Commander,” June greeted. “Going for a second cup?”
Capreze frowned. “I don’t think anyone in this place is brave enough for that.” He knelt down and offered his hand to Stan. “I hear you’ve chosen a name. Welcome home, Stan.”
“Is that what this is?” June asked. “Home?”
“For now, yes,” Capreze answered.
***
“I am the glory, I am the glory, I am the glory, I am the glory,” the Archbishop repeated over and over, weeks lost in the wasteland having taken its toll on his already questionable sanity.
A proximity alarm beeped and Wyble glanced at it, not really comprehending the sound anymore. A shadow fell over the windshield of the Rancher transport and the Archbishop turned away from the control panel lazily.
Panic kicked in when he saw the mech coming at him and he slammed on the brakes.
“Lord, hear my prayer! Please deliver me from this one armed Demon!”
***
Masters brought the transport to a halt on the ridge overlooking the barren valley below.
“Well, you were right,” Masters said to Bisby seated next to him. “The thing has staked its territory.”
Bisby stared out the windshield at One Arm far below.
“You sure you want this one?” Masters asked.
“What’s better than a one armed mech for a one armed mech pilot?” Bisby grinned. “I’m gonna make it my bitch.”
“Okay,” Masters said. “I mean, Jay can build you-.”
“Nope, I want that one and that one only. I made a promise to myself and Stanislaw,” Bisby insisted.
***
“Will you speak to Masters soon?” Stomper asked Harlow as they descended into the barren valley ahead of the mech transport, taking the lead.
“Yeah, some day,” Harlow responded casually. “I want him to squirm a little more though.”
“What he did was wrong so he has to be punished?”
“Well, he has to learn his lesson,” Harlow answered. “Mech pilots don’t fall apart when things get tough. Even when those close die.”
“You are breaking his heart,” Stomper said sadly.
“Did he tell you to say that?” Harlow asked suspiciously.
Stomper was silent.
“Stomper?”
“Yes, he did.”
Harlow smiled.
***
One Arm jammed the last of the Archbishop’s body into its cockpit, the zombie pilot greedily stuffing as much flesh into its rotted mouth as fast as possible.
The dead mech watched the mech transport and Hill Stomper approach, sizing up its attackers.
One Arm reached out and ripped a long support strut from the Rancher transport, wielding it like a club. It could see the mech transport pick up speed and its cannons turn towards it.
The deader raised the strut, pointed at the transport then at the Hill Stomper and charged, all ready for battle.
One Arm roared.
About The Author:
Jake Bible lives in Asheville, NC with his wife and two kids. He is the author of many published short stories and the creator of a new literary form: the Drabble Novel. DEAD MECH represents the introduction to the world of the Drabble Novel, a novel written 100 words at a time. He has many stories available as ebooks, including the collection, Bethany And The Zombie Jesus: A Novelette And 11 Other Tales Of Horror And Grotesquery.
Learn more about Jake and his work at www.jakebible.com. Links to his Facebook fan page, Twitter and his forum can be found there, as well as his weekly drabble release, Friday Night Drabble Party, and his weekly free audio fiction podcast.
