LAND of the FREE

by Michael W. Huard

  They sang a mantra which led them to great hope. All the women would dance, as was a tradition set forth by Paka over the years, to gather as women and become one with sound, song, and love.

  When their mantra and dancing was done, some more combative training came next. Unfortunately, there was no Starigen 6280 on Mars for any of the new recruits or even the older ones. Kanya and Paka were the only ones still with the powerful enhanced ability and recovery substance in their bodies. The two taught footwork, stances, strikes, and parries. Swords, clubs, knives, and rocks were used to simulate a fight and to learn the aspects of combative skill. The prison guards were mostly human and could be fought and defeated. A few were tougher than others; those of a half-human nature were somewhat super-powered and more adept at fighting.

  As prison guards, both the Mystical Slayer ladies knew the complex well. They drafted a plan to hit it when on duty guards were low in numbers and at a time when more havoc and chaos would create prisoner breakouts. All this would hopefully force the warden to call to Earth for help.

  Paka spoke on being a smart fighter, not just a wild one. "To fight without a strategy is not so good," she explained. "If your opponent is bigger and stronger, you must keep space between you, be quicker, and not get into an all-out brawl. Keep your back to a wall if you are outnumbered or can't escape, and always try to make multiple opponents run into one another. If you can hit the head or throat, do it. If not, go for the liver with a blade." She looked about the cave and was so proud of all the people gathered within.

  She then did a technique demonstration with Kanya and everyone paid very close attention. Kanya then added her two cents to the session, "You have to believe in yourself before the fighting even occurs. If you think you can win, you will." She then swung her sword in various fashions, explaining the keys to using different techniques. "With a sword, you need to hit first most of the time. Don't wait to counter; it's too dangerous, especially against a strong opponent. Get up on the ball of the back foot and get in with the first attack, your speed will carry you onto another attack, and then another, before your opponent can react with a solid one of his own."

  All the sisters trained and practiced everything they were taught. Tomorrow would be the biggest day of their lives. No one was expecting to sleep much tonight.

  In the morning a quiet breakfast was served followed by prayer. No one really understood Paka and her ritualistic ways, nor did they understand exactly whom they were praying to or for, but it still felt good. It gave all the women hope, an inner strength to build up more courage, and it felt good, especially on a day like today. The prison possibly had up to two hundred guards living there, some on duty, others on call close by. All of the women eating breakfast knew that some would never make it back to their hidden complex alive.

  The time had arrived. The prison loomed in the distance as all the women made their way to the complex, tracking across the red-rock plains of Mars.

  The women who were going to attack the prison, did so in the name of freedom. They were all sent to Mars for life. Today, they would put their lives on the line for others, not just themselves. For anyone who would be sent here as prisoners, workers, or anything else, today was their chance to give hope to those souls. The sisterhood needed to create a distraction; they needed Y-Wood to respond. The stronghold of the Corporation in Boston, after years and years of planning, would soon come under attack. Any powerful people from Earth who worked for the Corporation, and who would be sent here to help with such an attempted overthrow, would be lending a serious hand to the sisters, as they gave it their all in trying to upend Y-Wood.

  A few watchdog drones flew around the skies above the prison. For years, the entire freedom fighting team, led by the two Mystical Slayer women, had worked on gathering the parts needed to make bazooka-like rocket launchers in order to take them out. No one had any weapons or anything of the sort on Mars, other than Y-Wood. This was to be the first surprise of the evening as the group of women attacked.

  Kanya took the first shot and it landed flush. The flying drone scattered into many pieces. The other shot was Paka's, but it missed on her first attempt. The drone spun on hearing the first explosion of its brother ship, and it traveled fast to get a view of the approaching female army. Its glowing green eyes lit up bright as it shot down a laser beam at the group. This was not just a simple shot, it was a disintegration beam. Several of the ladies took the hit and screamed out in pain. Bodies fell apart, and stray limbs scattered the ground here and there. Kanya and Paka both reloaded just as an alarm started to sound, blaring out from the prison walls. Kanya missed the drone and it again came closer, preparing to shoot once more. This time, Paka got a clean shot right at a closer target and blew the bastard to pieces.

  The ladies all bolted to the prison wall to hide from rooftop guards who had been alerted by the alarm. A small but very strong metal battering ram helped them to bash in a side door, which both Paka and Kanya knew would lead them to a decent attack space inside. The guards in the hallway rushed to stop the intrusion, but as the women had already thought ahead, traps had been set up to slow their progress. Paka had placed trip wires along their route, and also a few explosives to set the guards back. The girls rushed in and beat down the guards who were not already dealing with tripping over one another or getting blown up.

  The entire prison alarm system now rang out at full alert. The important first part of the ladies' mission was complete. They got in with few causalities and had made their way to the prison cell areas. It was here that they planned to let the prisoners run wild. They all saw the only obstacle in their way would be that of two Ruthys, who were guarding said quarters. They were as tough as technology could get and would not be easily defeated.

  The Ruthys were just about to kill them all, but Kanya was not the least bit frightened. She had spent day after day as a guard in this prison, but unknown to the warden or anyone else at Y-Wood, she had also spent a ton of time hacking into their computer system and the only server on planet Mars.

  She knew the codes to most things and these Ruthys were no exception. Using a mobile device, she shut down their power instantly. The powerful killers of V-Net prison stopped moving and slouched down. The women in the pack cheered and rushed past the now dysfunctional main guards. Paka ran beside her friend and offered recognition. "You, my girl, are one hell of a computer genius! You did it, sister." The army of women moved down the corridor with purpose.

  Kanya ran ahead, leading the girls to the prisoners' cells sector. Male guards, humans this time, tried to stop them. The alarm was still shrieking louder and louder, and then more guards rushed in. A fight began with mostly all male guards, but there were also two females, against the pack of freedom resistance fighters led by Paka and Kanya. Weapons slashed and hacked all about.

  Kanya had devised a long rifle which shot a nasty laser beam. She had been keeping it for a special moment. This was it! She blasted at many guards as the fray began. Paka used two swords; guns were very rare for outsiders here on the red planet. The guards, however, did have guns and several of the ladies were shot down; their blood was spilling everywhere. Kanya made every effort to take out the guards shooting laser pistols and she got most of them, but a few took cover and continued to shoot at the pack.

  Both women crouched together behind a thrown over metal table down the hall. Kanya motioned for Paka to get to the remaining few. "Go up close to this side of the wall, I will cover you," Kanya whispered to her friend as she began shooting again. Other fighters used sharp shards of metal made into knives and swords to fight off guards and had some success, but a few more women did fall.

  Paka made her way, back against the wall, down the hall. When she was close enough, she erupted over the table and slashed both her swords at the crouched gun wielders. She cut them hard and both bled out. One grabbed at the remaining half of his bleeding arm, while the other fired out, still trying to kill this black demon who was sud
denly leering over him. She screamed at him, "Rahhhhhhhhh . . . rooooarrrrr."

  He missed his first shot at her, but connected on a second, a third never got off. She threw her left sword directly into his larynx, which hit home and blew his throat wide open. He was dead almost immediately. The other guard, still clutching his arm, tried to reach for his pistol, but Paka was on him and drove a sword hilt into his face. He tumbled backwards from the blow, having never quite reached his weapon. She offered for him to surrender and he took it. Just as she had turned to look at how the rest of the women were doing back down the hall, he went for his laser again. Big mistake. A backhand slash of her sword hit him in the cheek and sent him flying back to the wall. He was still not dead. The Mystical Slayer ran at him with a flying swing of her sword which broke his skull and split his brain apart.

  All the guards were dead, said for a few who had surrendered and kept to their word. There were rebel causalities and certainly no time for celebration. Keys were retrieved and prisoners set free. A few cameras about the halls and rooms had filmed the fight thus far, and the guards who were not yet in this particular sector were more than notified of what was going down. The Slayer women just hoped that the call was being made.

  One guard, The Chump the others all called him, was sitting on his ass through the break in and entire battle. He just watched it all on his screen. He laughed at first; he had figured the two Ruthy guards would demolish all that had entered. He had been wrong. He had sent the notice of alert to the Y-Wood headquarters and locked himself in the camera room.

  The rest of the night, the nineteen remaining freedom fighters, including both Paka and Kanya, fought off pockets of resistance which came from various places within the prison. A few guards and workers tried to call for a stop to the whole break in and prison riot, but they were unable to do anything about it. The on duty cooks and janitors surrendered, a few even found it funny, if not a good thing to see such chaos.

  Many guards at V-Net Prison had so-called homes on the red planet, and more would eventually come to try and stop the girls. Hoping their plan continued to work, the ladies took prisoners and set other prisoners free. Some prisoners even joined them, while others rushed for the exit, hoping to find somewhere else to run to outside the prison walls. There were pockets of life on Mars, but most were right around the prison itself. The escapees would be lucky to survive without guidance. The giant earth worms would soon be due to feast.

  Y-Wood had indeed been notified. Field Commander Purcell and his pet, Galax, were dispatched immediately. It would still take three days to get out there, even with their pre-calculated, lighting fast aircrafts made by the best engineers and astronauts in the galaxy.

  The Martian rebels held the prison for several hours. When they finally knew word had been sent back to Earth by camera watcher, Chump, after Paka had done a bit of sword tip persuasion in his face, the freedom fighters decided to stay the night and probably into the next afternoon. They had to make sure the dispatch of bigwigs was en route, and also make some time for Kanya to dismantle the computer systems to make absolutely sure there could be no more contact to anyone heading this way.

  Paka and Kanya finally congratulated one another on the hit that following afternoon. The straight-haired, dirty-blond computer whiz and markswoman put her arm around Paka. "Let's just hope they send enough to give the others a better chance. We got to get out of here soon," she added. "That was some serious ass kicking though, sister, I'm proud of you!"

  Paka took a deep breath. "I'm sure Raegan and the others are hard at work. Together, all of us have put so much into this, so much to overthrow the Corporation and bring back justice. I'm going to pray for them."

  Kanya smirked. "Pray? Do people still pray in this world?"

  Paka nodded her head. "Well, from everything we have heard about the time capsule, the special Gen-Virus, and what's about to go down, there may be a whole lot more people praying soon enough."

  The women packed all they could for gear, food, and other useful items and took everything from the prison. They would be nowhere in sight when the big dogs from Earth arrived. Unknown to them, it would be the main Field Marshall and his mega robot, Galax.

  They thought themselves lucky to have gotten out when they had the chance. The rebels left with a feeling of satisfaction, giving one another hugs and high fives. They knew it would take a bit to get the prison back up and running. It was what it was, a quick hit, but by no means the end.

  They had been unlucky in the fact that one of the pieces of gear they had taken held a secret tracking device, which would most likely lead the General Commander and his unstoppable bot to their hidden doorstep very soon.

  Chapter 24

  The women continued to follow the plans given to them by Lomax. The traps were avoided and soon enough the duo reached the hall leading up to that one special door. Hopefully, the slice and dice laser beam trap in said hall had also been disarmed. Both made their way forward.

  Omagus stepped out from a side alcove. "I could hear you two coming a mile away," he announced in a calm, clean voice. Both sisters prepared to fight. This robot was unlike any they had ever faced in the world.

  From behind them came three black-clad Ruthy killers, also bent on dealing death to Mahira and Raegan. They knew neither the black bots nor the multi-colored, part hologram super-robot could be harmed much with bullets or laser beams. The ladies drew their weapons, Mahira her double bladed axe, and Raegan, her big sword. These weapons would tear into the metal and not just bounce off like a bullet or laser.

  Luckily, the black machines with their now red-glowing eyes were okay with hand-to-hand combat. Their orders to not fire at pretty girls still stood. Each drew out a sword and a smaller curved knife. They wanted to push the ladies down towards Omagus and one started forward, forcing the action. Omagus held his ground and waited for them down the hall.

  Mahira called for two of them and Raegan charged at the other as the battle began. Raegan's quick attack helped facilitate her only getting the one Ruthy; sword hit sword and the black bot tried to drive his nasty smaller blade into the Q-Jin's liver. Raegan twisted out of the way of the attack. They exchanged more sword strikes, but both the bots missed and hit the wall several times; his small weapon still looking to jab into the flesh of the Mystical Slayer leader’s body. The other bots now had to deal with her gladiator friend.

  Mahira now had two of these wicked programmed assassins to deal with. They both came at her at once. It was to be all about position when two were trying for a single kill. The gladiator maneuvered her body against the wall and made sure each bot remained in her sight. She ducked a first sword swing, and dodged the other's slice from her left. The bots' second weapons she deflected with her axe.

  Now on the offense, she dropped low and swung hard into the robot on the right. His knee joints were her intended target, but the thing jumped up and over her cut to avoid it. The other bot was back on her and swinging at her head. She leaned back just in time to miss having his sword slice through her cheekbone. The three of them battled on.

  Raegan kicked out at her adversary and pushed him back just enough to throw off his timing, which allowed her to get a small step at him and jump up into a flying pommel hit, straight into the thing's eye-socket. The hit rang true and sparks erupted from his eye. Metal man was hurt, and the damage was done.

  Mahira exchanged clanging weapon hits with her opponents, and on the third attempt by one to impale her, she slipped the hit to get behind both of the black steel bots. She twirled her razor sharp, double-headed axe and delivered a neck smashing blow, intent on removing both their heads from their mechanical bodies. One hit landed perfectly and the armor protection around its neck and shoulder area failed to stop the clean removal of its partial upper body. The other bot was lightly hit, but not badly damaged. He swung his sword at Mahira's thighs. The sword made true contact and a deep gash sent blood spraying from her leg.

 
Raegan had her robot blinded in one eye, but the thing showed no signs of slowing down. He barreled himself into the much smaller woman and tried to crush her into the wall. She felt the agony of a possible broken rib as he leaped into her.

  Mahira’s next move had to be quick. Her leg was in trouble and needed treatment. She backed off to set up the ultimate technique. It was "The Showtime Walk". She bolted at an angle and ran up the wall next to the remaining association killer bot. The height and power she generated placed her in midair with her axe raised high. The Ruthy looked up as her axe swung down. It swiped the bots face in half and sent the metal guy swirling in the air and crashing down to the hallway floor. Fire, smoke, and the failing of his mechanical life soon followed. Mahira screamed out, "Yeahhhhhhhhh," as she landed back down on the hallway floor.

  Raegan was now in pain and pushed the bot off her to the side. It attempted again to drive the smaller end of its weapon into her gut. She parried it with her elbow and followed by ducking the other sword she knew was now swinging at her face. Now positioned behind the thing, she leaped on its back. She leveled her sword in front of its neck but had no time to cut. The big robot launched his body in the air driving his back, and Raegan, to the hard floor of the hallway. The blow slammed Raegan into the ground. She cracked her head pretty good on the landing and lost grip of her weapon. She was dazed as the metal death wielder rose up again and prepared a downward sword thrust to deliver a killer, heart piercing blow.

  Mahira was nearby and she saw the black robot preparing to drive home his deadly blow. She flew at the bot and removed both of his arms with on clean sweep of her axe. A third swing narrowly missed chopping him in two, just as something powerful and mighty launched into her. It was the super bot, Omagus.

  Raegan had looked up to see the blade about to descend into her, but Mahira then stepped in just in time. Raegan rolled away and kicked the bots knee out from the ground, yet it still advanced on her. She was unable to get up. The ruthless killer was again looking down at her.