Meltdown (Mech Wars Book 3)
Page 20
The shuttle shuddered and bucked as it entered Thessaly’s atmosphere. “Engage active sensors,” he heard Caine say near the front of the shuttle. “I want to feed the AI as much intel as possible before it suggests a landing site. Limit its range to within five kilometers of the target. And tell our escort of Condor pilots to keep their eyes peeled, in case the radicals scramble fighters of their own.”
The shuttle’s AI would be a weak one; more a collection of advanced interdependent algorithms than a self-aware intelligence. Strong AI was outlawed, but it hadn’t always been that way. Humanity had been on its way to developing strong AI when they’d made first contact with an alien species.
The first Winger Roostship entered Earth orbit and sent down emissaries to tell humanity what had happened when Wingers had almost developed a strong AI—the near destruction of all life in the galaxy. Ever since, galactic law had prohibited their creation.
It turned out it was impossible to control a superintelligence, no matter how meticulous the programming. Go figure.
Humanity had come far, since then. In return for their cooperation in the matter of the AI, the Wingers had offered to help them ascend to the stars, to enter the galactic community. How mighty the Wingers had seemed to Husher’s ancestors.
How things have changed.
Before they departed the shuttle, Sergeant Caine directed Husher toward the small weapons locker near the exit. “Take your pick, and grab an ammo belt. The guns fire Darkstream-issue bullets, Ocharium-enriched, but Captain Keyes refuses to take their smart guns.”
“Dumb guns. Gotcha.” Husher lifted an assault rifle from its rack and checked the action.
“I assume you know how to use one of those?”
“I mean, I completed Basic.”
“Uh huh. I want you in the center squad. Just keep your ego in check and don’t do anything stupid, all right?”
“How do you divide up your platoon?”
“Listen and learn.” Caine started doling out orders, her small frame exuding confidence and authority. “Our mission is to reach the city center and take out the radicals’ base of operations. Davies, your squad’s on point, and I want more responsiveness than I got out of you last time. Trust your gut, and don’t hesitate to keep me informed of potential threats, even if they seem unlikely. I’d much rather get some bogus information with my intel than walk into danger I know nothing about.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Caine’s dark brown ponytail whipped about as she picked out others in the crowd. “Ryerson, bring up our rear. Those Ardent-worshipers know this terrain way better than we do, and they’d like nothing more than to stick it to our ass. Wahlburg, I’m sending your squad roaming. Radio in about anything you stumble on that might interest me.”
Wahlburg was grinning. “So, if I find an Ardent-worshiper who’s your type…”
“Can it, Wahlburg. Watching you try to hit on Davies is more than enough comedy, for my taste.”
The marine platoon produced a chorus of Os, and then Caine raised her arm. “Move out!”
Four squads poured out of the shuttle and deployed according to Caine’s orders, fanning out through the blistering city. Husher stuck close to Caine, feeling far removed from any possibility of actual combat. So much for getting experience…
They huddled near the corner of a building while one of their squad peered up and down the street for signs of danger. Sweat had already begun to build up under Husher’s helmet and slide down his face.
“How am I supposed to curve my shots with this old-fashioned load-out?” Husher whispered to Caine.
“You don’t. The Ocharium repulses the axions in the air behind the bullet, speeds it up, but nothing else.”
“Wow. Feels almost like I’m back in the twenty-first century.”
“It’s a compromise between the old man and Command. He takes their bullets but not their smart guns.”
“Why not, though?”
“Because smart guns can be turned off.”
“Only by Command. Right?”
“Are you always this chatty on a mission? Come on.” Their scout had given the all-clear, and they jogged around the building, holding their weapons at the ready.
Gunfire sounded from up ahead, and Caine’s hand leapt to her helmet. “Davies! Sitrep!”
“They hit hard and quick, ma’am,” Davies answered over a platoon-wide channel. “We’re pinned down, here.”
“How many?”
“My squad’s outnumbered, two-to-one at least.”
“Sit tight. We’re moving up from the south-east to support. Wahlburg, set up a flank from the west. Maintain your rear guard, Ryerson.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Strange,” Caine said as her hand dropped once more to her weapon. “I expected them to engage us from their base. It’s like we flushed them out just by arriving.”
Husher considered for a moment. “I think it’s a fluke that they’re engaging us at all. I bet they got word of our arrival, but not which direction we’re coming from. They moved to flee the area and happened to run into us.”
“If you’re right, they’ll disengage as soon as they can. But it makes no sense for them to give up their base so quickly. It’s within easy reach of at least four Ocharium mining operations, and we know that’s their favorite type of target.” She shook her head. “Anyway, we don’t have time to debate it. Let’s move!”
Husher had some theories about why the radicals might be disengaging, but he favored breathing over talking as he ran. The squad double-timed through the dusty city, and it took everything he had to keep up with Caine and the others.
The streets themselves were empty, as though the locals had developed a sixth sense for danger and knew better than to remain outside. Living in the Bastion Sector, I’m not surprised, Husher thought.
Davies’s voice blared over the short-range radio. “Sergeant, the radicals have disengaged. There was a break in the firing, and it took me a minute to figure out what happened. Looks like they’re headed your way.”
“How soon?” Caine barked.
But Husher didn’t need Davies’s reply to know how soon. The glint of a muzzle from a nearby alley told him everything. He trained his rifle on the radical kneeling in the shadows, just as the man started to fire.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Onslaught
Chapter 1: All Combat Units
Chapter 2: Under Attack
Chapter 3: One Rocket Each
Chapter 4: Swath of Destruction
Chapter 5: The Beast
Chapter 6: Good and Evil
Chapter 7: Sucker Punch
Chapter 8: Phantoms
Chapter 9: Sympathy for O'Toole
Chaper 10: Until I Am Satisfied
Chapter 11: Emergency Bulletin
Chapter 12: A Unified Oneiri
Chapter 13: The Quatro Way
Chapter 14: Without a Spacefaring Enemy
Chapter 15: Sabotage
Chapter 16: Blaring Prophecy
Chapter 17: Avalanche
Chapter 18: The Glades
Chapter 19: Comet Four
Chapter 20: Whirlwind of Metal
Chapter 21: The Gatherers
Chapter 22: Shower of Shrapnel
Chapter 23: Cordage
Chapter 24: Crescendo
Chapter 25: Definitely Fearless
Chapter 26: Peppertree
Chapter 27: Lockdown Mode
Chapter 28: Defeatist
Chapter 29: Cascade Error
Chapter 30: DuGalle
Chapter 31: One-Note Dirge
Chapter 32: Charred Roots
Chapter 33: Simpatico
Chapter 34: Sea of Blades
Chapter 35: The Altar of Expansion
Chapter 36: Scr
atching an Itch
Chapter 37: Data Dump
Chapter 38: The Debt
Chapter 39: Silence
Chapter 40: River Rock Redux
Chapter 41: We Stick Together
Chapter 42: Her New Army
Chapter 43: Vanguard
Chapter 44: Engage Together
Chapter 45: Champion
Chapter 46: Makeshift Gunships
Chapter 47: Concentrated Fire
Chapter 48: Everything at her Disposal
Chapter 49: Instant Headache
Chapter 50: Locked in Combat
Chapter 51: Balance of Power
Chapter 52: Full Potential
Chapter 53: Surge Forward
Chapter 54: Torn Asunder
Epilogue: The Demands of War
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Excerpt from Supercarrier
Chapter 2: Thessaly