Spartan looked confused. It wasn’t just the fact that Marcus was talking to him about dig sites; it was more than this old warrior was speaking of the Director as if he’d known him for years. The history of Marcus was clearly a complex one, and his knowledge of internal affairs suggested he was a deeply embedded operative of some kind in the Alliance organization. It was that part that intrigued him the most.
“Digs? Like the one on Hyperion?”
Marcus smiled.
“You really haven’t been paying much attention, have you?”
Spartan raised a single eyebrow.
“Come on, then, tell me.”
Marcus smiled for the first time in nearly two decades.
“There are sites throughout Alliance territory; the Bone Mill on Prime, the Anomaly, the remains on Hades in T’Karan. There are more though. Research at the ruins on Hyperion gave us details of many more sites, as well as scattered information on this group known as the Twelve.
Spartan quickly worked out what he was getting at.
“This refinery, there’s a reason they’ve been digging down so far, isn’t there?”
Marcus nodded.
“We found this symbol, one that shows twelve mechanical legs in a circle, like a twelve-pointed star with the feet all pointing in the same direction. Once the signal was sent, the Director sent me a message telling me these machines might try and break into the dig site and recover their comrades. My team was given orders to collapse the entire site before they could get here."
"Dig site?" asked Moneaux.
But Spartan was more interested in Marcus' connection with Johnson.
"Johnson? What team are you talking about?"
It was clear they would move no further until some explanation was forthcoming. Marcus appeared frustrated and eventually relented, but only in front of Spartan and Khan. He demanded the Earthsec operatives watched for signs of the enemy while he spoke.
"Look, I've been here as a freelancer for, well, let's just say a long time.”
"How long?"
"Long. Now, Johnson sent over coordinates for the archaeological excavations over a year ago. Earthsec thought it was to do with the first failed colony, from way back. They made it to the bottom when they made contact. Alliance moved in and took over. That was two weeks ago. As soon as we cleared the artifacts, the machines came through the Rift."
He leaned against the wall, a look of tired desperation on his face.
"There were a number of blasts down there, and when I made it to the shaft, everything had gone. I mean everything. Whatever was down there, either it left or they took it."
Spartan wanted to know more, but the sound of shouting from far into the distance cut short the conversation.
"Come on, that sounds like our people. We’ll come back to this later."
His interest in the mysteries of Mars paled in to significance when compared to the lives of around three hundred innocents, as well as however many of the assault team still remained. There was also the issue of over three hundred thousand citizens that were scattered throughout Mars, and all of them would be at the mercy of these machines.
"Where does this go?" he asked Marcus.
"Fifty meters and then up the access ladder to the security station. We can reach the water towers from there. That entire area is triple layered in case of quakes or drilling ruptures. It's the strongest and most secure part of the entire facility."
“And right next to the shaft you had them digging. Didn’t any of you have the guts to tell them what they might find?”
It was a weak argument, and even Spartan knew this kind of information was best kept private. Worse than that, he knew deep down that if the information had been made public, the Biomechs would have arrived earlier, and the losses could have been even greater. It didn’t make him feel any better though.
“Give me a hand up.”
Khan held out his hands and hurled Spartan out through the hatch in the ceiling. Spartan could have climbed it, but his new limb was still causing him a little trouble. Spartan was the first of the small party to make his way into the large compartment immediately below the security station. He had to lift his hand to ensure he didn’t strike the ceiling while reaching for the nearest grab rail. He staggered but quickly regained his balance and looked back to Khan.
“I said a hand up, not a throw me up!”
Containers and crates had been piled high near the doors, but the burn marks and bullet holes showed there had been some major fighting in the last few hours. It was large enough to park two or three land cars inside, and the tracks on the floor suggested a tracked vehicle had been parked there at some time recently. Spartan looked down to the others but stopped to look at Marcus.
“I thought you said this place was secure. There’s damage up here.”
“Any blood?” asked Marcus.
Spartan look back around and noted with interest that although there were marks on the walls and floor, there was nothing to indicate any of the survivors had been hurt or killed in the fighting.
Strange, he thought.
It wasn't so much that there was no blood to be found. It was that Marcus had asked that as his first question.
It's like he never expected there to be blood.
Khan was next, and the ladder groaned under his weight as he squeezed his way up. To all of their surprise he made it through after much groaning and complaining. This particular section of the refinery was at least tall enough for him to stand without stooping. He moved to the damaged sections of the wall and looked at the burn marks.
“These aren’t ours. They're Biomech weapons.”
Marcus was next but before another could follow a massive boom shook the structure. Dust and dirt filled the air and drifted about in a dirty cloud. Each of them waited for the sound to fade, but instead of becoming quiet, it increased in volume and was then joined by loud banging sounds.
“Sounds like machines.”
Then came a sound none of them expected to hear. It was a booming voice, machine like, and completely artificial. The words were alien and meant nothing to any of them, yet there was something that astounded them all. They were angry words and being shouted out. Another powerful shockwave struck the walls, and something howled out in pain.
“They must have reached the survivors. Come on, we have to stop this!” said Khan without thinking.
Spartan tried to hold his friend back, but either from lack of action or perhaps just boredom, Khan had no interest in staying back any longer. He moved in front of the doorway and smashed his shoulder against it. The door burst open and revealed a cavernous structure with a tall ceiling supported by thick columns, each one spaced apart at very wide intervals. Large water towers extended up from the floor up into the ceiling, and gantries ran along the upper levels. He looked left then right, and stopped in his tracks.
"What is it?" called out Spartan.
The sound of a major fight in the distance made keeping quiet almost irrelevant, and the entire group moved out and took up cover behind one of the massive water towers. All of them watched on in awe at the sight before them. To the right were a large number of people, most of whom wore the overalls and helmets of the refinery workers. Some hid behind the towers while others had climbed the gantries and were firing their few weapons at the fight below.
"What the hell!" cried Operative Darwin Moneaux.
A dozen shattered metal arachnids lay smashed about the floor, but that wasn't what had drawn their attention. It was the sight of two Biomech warriors, each nearly twice the size of Khan. They were great robotic monsters, heavily armored, beautifully constructed, and covered in marks, cuts, and scratches. The one machine was faded red and instantly brought Spartan back to his time as a prisoner.
"Biomechs!" hissed Khan.
Spartan grabbed his friend and pointed to the other machine. Its armor was devoid of paint and instead just a rusted steel color. On the legs and shoulders were the markings of t
he twelve machine arms.
"The Twelve," said Marcus, as though it was some great revelation.
The two massive machines fought like a pair of medieval wrestlers, but they were not the only part of the battle. At the end of the open space, a hole had been torn through the wall. It was easily large enough to squeeze one of the Biomechs through. Dozens of the bipedal warriors came from the gap, and almost half were armed with firearms. The largest group moved in on the humans while the rest ran at the faded and battered looking Biomech.
“Drop them!” snapped Khan.
Spartan, Khan, and the small group of Earthsec operatives took careful aim and then sent down a volley of gunfire. It cut down five of the creatures in as many seconds. The shooting continued, but now a few had turned and began to shoot back.
“Use the cover. Your armor is useless!” said Spartan.
Marcus was already staying well back behind the base of one of the towers, so was Operative Moneaux, who seemed to have finally accepted the authority and knowledge of Spartan and Khan. The others still stayed out and blasted away, taking two more of the enemy apart with automatic fire.
“We can end this if we stay together!” said the oldest of the group.
Spartan did his best to cover them, but the creatures quickly isolated the small group of operatives and put down considerable gunfire in their direction. Worse was the fact that the red machine had hurtled the other machine to the ground and turned its attention on the operatives.
“Run!” screamed the nearest, but it was too little, too late.
The machine laughed something in its own tongue and then sent a ball of energy toward them, vaporizing the little group and sending their fused remains in all directions.
“Bastard!” roared Spartan, and he lurched around the corner and blasted away. Khan did exactly the same, but apart from adding a series of dents and marks in the metal, they achieved little. The smaller warriors scattered with only a few making their way toward Spartan. Two made it close enough to attack with their edged weapons but were torn apart by gunfire from the battered looking Biomech. It shouted something and then threw itself back at the red machine.
“Finish them off!” cried Khan, and this time he ran from cover and into the small remaining group of the enemy. He crashed into the first and sent it to the floor, and then chased after the rest who turned and made for the breached wall. Even the civilians shouted and cheered; a small number even joining in with whatever weapons they’d salvaged.
“Get the machine!” said Spartan.
He moved out along with Marcus and Operative Moneaux. The three of them put down ineffective fire on the machine, but it did achieve one thing, it caught the attention of the thing. At one point it paused and look back, only for its opponent to deliver a final massive strike. The rusted looking machine slammed its right arm up in a savage uppercut that sent the other robotic monster flying through the air to crash into a lifeless heap on the ground. It turned about to face Spartan and Khan, lowering its arms as if to say it meant them no harm. A few gunshots from the gantries bounced from its armor, but it chose to ignore them.
"Cease fire!" Spartan shouted.
He looked back to the cover he’d so recently vacated and then again to the machine. Khan and Marcus followed him out, and they moved in a widely space line toward the huge machine. Operative Moneaux was close behind them. Those in the gantries finally stopped their fire upon seeing the machine begin to walk toward the newcomers, but without threatening them. Then it stopped and lifted one arm to point at them.
"Uh, Spartan?" said Khan.
The three stopped, but no one wanted to lift a weapon for fear of drawing the ire of the massive machine. A multi-barreled weapon with a short set of barrels began to glow, and then a blast of blue energy tore past the group and vaporized a metal shape just a few meters behind Khan. Two more shapes moved out, and this time they could see what they were.
"Take cover!" cried Spartan.
Both he and Marcus rushed to the first piece of cover, but Khan refused. He aimed at them both with his arms and blasted away, even as they moved in to within a meter. The closest leapt up, its front legs extended like spears. Khan beat aside the first and then threw himself at its body. In one moment, they turned to a brutal melee on the ground; Khan punching and kicking while the robotic warrior did its best to embed its bladed legs into his flesh.
"Drop it!" said Spartan, firing single shots with his weapon for fear of hitting Khan.
"Get back!" said the Biomech that had moved closer to Spartan.
Spartan looked at the thing, speechless as it grabbed the leg of the machine and tore it from Khan. With a single flick, it cast the machine to the wall and aimed its left arm at the robot. Once more the blue glow engulfed it, and half of the machine vanished in a spray of molten metal. Marcus moved from the safety of the column and approached the Biomech, stopping three meters from its feet.
"I'm Agent Marcus Keller, Alliance Special Intelligence Division."
Spartan and Khan looked equally surprised as Marcus explained his rank and position. Even stranger was that he was announcing it to the machine. It seemed to look at him, but then turned its attention to Khan and Spartan. Spartan was still on his feet, but he helped his comrade stand before they all moved to face off against the battered and rusted looking metal monster. Spartan opened his mouth to speak, but the machine beat him to it.
"Spartan and Khan, warriors of Hyperion. I am Z'Kanthu, warlord of the Twelve and one of the Steersmen.”
The small group of humans said nothing. Every one of them waited in shock as it continued to speak in crystal clear English.
“The long sleep is over. It is time for us to direct the end of this war, once and for all."
Spartan looked to Marcus, noticing even he looked surprised at the words coming from his mouth.
"Us?" was about all he could muster.
"Yes," answered the machine, "The Twelve will finish what we started. We are the Steersmen, and we direct the flow of life.”
Spartan stepped a little closer, lowered his weapon, and stared directly at the head of the machine. He shook his head slowly.
“Prove it.”
* * *
The last few arachnid warriors had long vanished into the gloom, and the area of the refinery occupied by the small band of humans was safe, at least for now. The odd sound of movement and very occasional gunfire continued far into the distance, as some of the refinery workers shot at anything that seemed to come closer to this part of the refinery.
"Shall we follow them? Spartan asked, "Those machines are falling back into the refinery. When they are deep enough inside, they will regroup and then reassess their plan. These machines never, ever back down."
"Spartan is correct," said the machine in a perfect, slightly clipped accent.
"The enemy, the ones you call the Biomechs, is already deploying their forces from their crashed vessels. They will be back within the hour."
Marcus looked to Spartan and could already see the question forming on his face. He looked back to the machine and pointed into the darkness of the refinery.
“The enemy?”
“Yes,” answered the machine, “we are known as Kybernetes in your languages. Steersmen, I believe, the people that would steer a ship through water. We are the last of our great people that once ruled the stars. All of us are now entombed inside these machine bodies or inside our Cores.”
Khan wasn’t in the least bit interested in a background tale of woe and pushed past Spartan to speak.
"Who cares? So, your people are dying. If you ask me, that can only be a good thing. Now tell us, how many of them are there on Mars?"
The machine either already knew or simply performed a quick calculation.
“There is just one other Steersman, and she is now gone.”
He looked back at the machine.
“No. That’s a stupid name. We haven’t been fighting for years against an enemy called the Stee
rsmen or Kyber whatever you said.” replied Khan, “We call you Biomechs, and that’s the way it will stay.”
The machine concentrated its attention on Khan.
"As you will. In answer to your query, six landing vessels made it to the surface, as well as a command lander carrying one of my…Biomech brothers."
The machine lowered its head solemnly, nodding toward the shattered machine that was already oozing some unrecognizable fluid on the ground.
“That was Dersna, one of the few that was trapped in this part of space before our exile. We have been sworn enemies since the War. She led a force of seven ships in the past, but your sensor log shows only three made it through into this system before the Rift collapsed and destroyed the other four.”
“So?”
"I estimate approximately six bandon, assuming they are using the old way."
Khan raised his shoulder in confusion.
"Bandon?"
The machine looked at him for a moment and pointed its arm at him. An image flickered and then settled that showed a schematic of a Bioray landing ship.
"Bandon is the word we use for a force of warriors. One steersman, no, one Biomech normally commands a force of five or more bandon.”
Spartan looked to Khan and shrugged. The machine already had access to an impressive level of vocabulary and had no problem in understanding this particular gesture.
“It is true. For over a thousand years our people, what you call Biomechs, have made use of these ground forces made up of our machines. The standard complement is three Eques heavy walkers, ten Decurion assault machines, and a cohort of eighty Milites foot soldiers.”
Spartan walked to one of the shattered foot soldiers and pulled its iron colored form up the height of his waist. The eyes had already faded from the red glow they had seen earlier.
“So this is one of your Milites?”
“Yes.”
Spartan shook the warrior, but it did nothing. With a mutter of disgust, he cast it back to the ground.
Star Crusades Nexus: Book 06 - Call to Arms Page 19
