The Recruitment: Rise of the Free Fleet

by Michael Chatfield

  “Help me get that damned thing down.” He said to a group of Kuruvians and humans who grabbed grav carts floating beside the armour as Shrift directed them as they released it from its clamp and brought it to the floor. I was keenly aware how they watched me as I approached it keying it open as I took off my weapons—handing them to a waiting Shrift. He put the sword on my back as he helped me get into my Mecha.

  It still smelt of dried blood and sweat I found as my nerve ports connected and the armoured panels closed around me. It felt like dull electricity ran through my veins from the Mecha.

  “You’re first on the list for the new Mechas.” Shrift said as he attached my pistol and holster to my leg a human passing him a rifle which he secured in place too.

  “Now bring back the damned decoration. You don’t know what a ribbing I got from Eddie about not melting it down.”

  “I will.” I said with a grin as my headset chirruped, a monocle extending from the unit—informing me it was Rick calling. My helmet being as smashed as it was would only hinder me, meaning I would have to rely on the communications device and its tiny monocle. I made a displeased sound as I opened the channel.

  “Sir we have brought the human Mecha representatives onboard I have placed them in a vacant bay.” Rick paused as I could see there was something else he wasn’t sure whether to say or not.

  “What is it Rick?”

  “Well these people didn’t have your rules when they were training and they were even younger.”

  Dread filled me as my voice became hollow.

  “How old are they?”

  “Between the ages of seven and fifteen”, my face changed to ash as my worst fears plagued me. There had been a few squads that hadn’t played with any rules for a while. They were wilder than the rest of us and barely trusted anyone. Though if they had no rules at all and they were younger so they didn’t know any better…

  “Get Henry on standby. I will meet them myself.” I said pushing my dread away.

  “Sir, they could kill you just to try and become commander, they’ve already broken into brawls several times after seeing one another to gain more control. They’re like animals.” Rick warned as I squared my shoulders.

  “Sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns.” I said with confidence I didn’t feel. The armoury door opened behind me, I turned, seeing two silhouettes in the doorway each with their own customized armour.

  “Plus I have all the backup I need right here.” My grin went feral the other two silhouetted Mechas doing the same, one twirling a heavy metal staff and the other wearing a miniskirt tipped with plasmid and carrying dual heavy caliber sub machine guns.

  “Sir?”

  “I’ll be there in five minutes.” My monocle showing a blue ball to guide me to the bay.

  “Good luck James.” Shrift said.

  “Keep up the good work and I want you to look at the quickest docks to set up, as well as the longest lasting.”

  “Sir, isn’t that Eddie’s department or Min Hae’s and Felix’s?” He asked puzzled.

  “You deal with exoskeletons all the time, complicated machines that last for a time. Also you’ve already adapted your work to a factory line which shows me you’re willing to adapt to new methods of working to produce something faster.”

  “I can see where you’re coming from now.” Shrift said thoughtfully scratching his chin before grinning.

  “On the eve of a possible battle you’re getting me to look into making a dock. How many steps ahead are you really?”

  I shrugged, better to let them guess how many than actually know how many ways I was behind in most things as I walked out of the armoury towards my date with the human representatives. I hugged my two companions, our armour coming together in a clang before we began moving, talking and for the first time in a long time I relaxed—even though I knew it was only going to get more difficult.

  Chapter Mechas without rules

  “So where is this great commander Salchar?” The biggest of the representatives bellowed, he was massive, in a line man sort of way, with a wide set body which made him look short even though he was a bit taller than me. At this point all of the enhancing meals and training we’d gone through had made the AMC’s look like Greek statues.

  The man in the secure room in front of me however, looked like a human tank. He’d obviously become the alpha of the group by the way that the others responded to him. He was in a better state than them wearing a mostly complete battle suit. It seemed a constant among most of them that they were disheveled, most of them looking like they hadn’t showered in weeks and with wounds ranging from a few hours old to a few weeks.

  The biggest thing that separated them from my Mechas was the haunted look in their eyes the way they looked at one another, looking for weaknesses to exploit and watching if another would attack them. They reminded me as much of a pack of dogs as they did humans. Disgusted I walked into the room my two companions walking with me.

  “You’re actually Salchar!” One of the representatives said their eyes widening at me and my companions. “Mad monk and Crazy cheerleader.” His voice shocked as he pointed to us as he said our names. Another representative smacked the talker with a savage blow knocking him down before she jumped on the talker with a sneer on her face and a wild expression in her eyes.

  “Monk.” Monk moved from my side his robes swishing as he launched himself, he wore less armour than anyone else and had faster servos to add to his blinding speed as he paused next to the attacker putting his staff underneath her, tossing her against a far bulkhead. It was so fast that the attacker didn’t know Monk had moved until she made contact with the far bulkhead.

  He twirled his staff so it was vertical as he took a knee next to the one that had been talking. With a shrug his hand whipped out with hell fire injecting the speaker and then backing off.

  “FUUUUUUUCK!” The man screamed his body arching, as his voice was cut off. I could see his skin, bones and muscles pulling together as his surface wounds sealed giving them a glossy look.

  He laid there looking at the ceiling for a few seconds as everyone was staring at him.

  The woman that had hit the wall was just getting up, obviously dazed as she looked around the room. She found Monk, giving him a stare that could kill as Monk lifted his visor so the man on the ground could see his face.

  “Sorry about that, I wasn’t sure if you had internal injuries so I applied it as quickly as possible. It does live up to its name of being hell fire.” Monk said apologetically to the other man, his face serene as always as if he hadn’t thrown someone thirty feet with a big piece of heavy duty rebar.

  “That fucking hurt!” He said as he picked himself a look of interest coming over his face as he rolled his shoulder and moved about. “Damn that healed my shoulder up too. Where can I get some more of that?” He asked with renewed mobility from old wounds being restored allowed him to move more freely.

  Monk smiled happily putting a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “All things come with time.” He said and then jumped again landing next to the woman whose eyes went wide with panic as she tried to run. Monk caught her with a vice like grip before injecting her as she dropped to the floor and went as stiff as every person that had, used hell fire did. He didn’t spare her another glance, walking back to me and Cheerleader, his face calm and peaceful.

  Monk wasn’t a violent man, but he knew how to use force in the best way to create the biggest effect, he didn’t want others to suffer, which was as terrifying as it was kind when thinking he was a fully trained Commando.

  “The next person to attack someone in this room will be tried according to the Free Fleet’s code of conduct.” I said my voice brooking no argument. I didn’t need to tell them that I hadn’t even begun to make such a code but it had the desired effect as they snarled but didn’t move to inflict damage on anyone else.

  “Good, moving on. My name is Commander Salchar of the Free Fleet.”

 
; “Not for long.” The large man said a dark look in his eyes.

  “Oh reaaally.” I said—these people just loved to interrupt me.

  “I challenge you to a duel for the title of commander. Weakling.” Dark snarls appeared on the representatives faces like hungry hyenas.

  I stomped over to him coming into the full light of the room, my scarred face, missing arm and battle scarred Mecha having quite an impression I found.

  “Now I might be a lot of things, but a coward is not one of them. You are cowards.” I said gesturing to them with my arm. “You stopped being humans when you turned on one another for the whims of the people that commanded you. You gave up your beliefs to survive—this I understand. Yet you then used the power you found to intimidate, bully and force others to do as you wanted. You think you’re big and bad and I should be scared of you?” I said in a babying tone. “I’m more scared of one of my commandos with no limbs. Commandos have drive, they have a purpose, and they will see it through till the end. You, you just have greed.”

  “Nice words still don’t make any difference.” The large one said again as I looked in his eyes. In bare seconds he looked away. He looked ashamed, and young, very young. I thought sadly as I realized I had two choices. Either I face the large child, accelerated into adulthood, who was the apex of their system and win, replacing him. Or I try the peaceful route, with no guarantees. I needed some control over them before I could help them, leaving me with the displeasing first option.

  “Fine.” I said tossing my hand up in the air. “What’re your rules?”

  “No armour, weapons or clothes.” He said already stripping down.

  “Or fist.” I muttered as I turned away from the human representatives.

  While getting undressed was the last thing I wanted to do in this room, but I needed to win fairly. I took off my gauntlet attaching it to my Mecha and began unbuttoning and releasing the clasps that held me in the Mecha.

  “Aish, never could let a fight go.” In Sook said helping me out of the Mecha as Monk watched over us.

  “You know me.” I said with a winning smile feeling the scar across my face from the pirate’s blade becoming tight as I turned on the representatives their eyes going wide as I uncompressed my battle suit folding it and handing it to In Sook.

  “Joo Mi” She said in a sad tone as I gave it to her as she looked over the scars that dotted my body from small nicks from monomolecular and plasmid weaponry to the ragged hole in my stomach a hole in my shoulder and lower left leg where rounds had made it through my Mechas armour.

  “Don’t worry I’ll get them removed when I have an opportunity.”

  I rolled my arms limbering up as I looked at the giant of a man. He sported his own scars his faint marks of finger nails and one from what must’ve been an improvised shiv.

  I nodded appreciatively. “Ready to go pretty boy.” I said grinning as I rolled my neck the scar across my face turning my grin into something savage.

  He growled throwing his own battle suit at a representative as he smashed his fists together his muscles bulging.

  “Monk?”

  “I would say to fight according to the James Accords, but I don’t believe that you will. “Monk said sadness creeping into his voice. “Don’t kill him please.”

  “Don’t kill him? I’ll string him up as a trophy to show what happens when someone challenges Bregend.”

  “I wasn’t talking to you Bregend.”

  “Bregend, seriously, your parents called you Bregend.” I said unable to hold it in as I looked at the man again now with pity, that had to have been an interesting upbringing.

  Monk shrugged raising his staff.

  “Let the duel begin!” He said slamming his staff into the ground. Bregend came at me charging. Before this would’ve left me stunned as what had to be near three hundred pounds of muscle charged at me now I ran at him a smile on my face. He opened his arms to wrap me up as he got closer; I jumped planting my foot in his face and turning as I landed a savage elbow on the back of his neck I hit the ground rolling and turning to face him again. He shook his head dazed from my elbow. I rushed back in clapping one of his ears as I forgot about my missing hand. I realized too late when his fist caught me on the chin lifting me off of my feet, my reflexes took over as I rolled and turned to face him. It felt as if I’d been in a car accident. I spat blood and a chipped tooth slipped out, as I pulled back my hair which had come loose.

  Bregend slowed, taking up a brawler’s stance. This worried me as people that thought about attacking before they did so were vastly more effective.

  “Are we dancing or fighting?” I asked as his eyes flashed. His strike could not be more predictable as he lined up his body, moving his foot into position as his shoulder rotated before he drove his fist forward.

  I swerved under his grip, holding the muscle of his triceps and a few nerve points as he yelled out as I turned my back to him and planted my foot in his knee, causing him to buckle.

  He punched with his free hand, catching a rib I felt it snap, my left side started burn as if it were on fire. I needed to put him down and fast, I could feel my ribs grating against one another each movement eliciting pain. I released his arm and punched him in the face before jumping out of his reach.

  He picked himself up slowly, a satisfied grin on his face. My vision went red as I launched at him ignoring the pain in my side as I punched and kicked, using my half-arm to defend. My fist and feet snapped out, each hitting a pressure point as he cried out in agony his muscle not providing the protection a good layer of fat would’ve.

  I used everything from sleep training on how to make the other feel pain. He was feeling it as I moved around him searching out for nice dense groupings of nerves. He howled as I kept hitting, he fell to the ground as I paused seeing if he would give up. His foot lashed out, I only had time to take the impact in my gut instead of my side as I fell back. I felt nearly as bad as it would’ve been to take hell fire.

  I’d been organizing a takeover in my dressing gown just a bare four hours ago and now I was fighting a human gorilla in my birthday suit. The universe sure is a strange thing. When you’re fighting there are a lot of strange thoughts you have, well I do at least.

  He’d learned his lesson from before he rushed to his feet, I swung a foot at his head. He hardly flinched, his hands grabbing my foot, he grinned as I wrapped my other leg round his arms. I pulled myself in bringing my elbow down viciously on his head. He released punching my hips before he grabbed my sides. I screamed as I felt my ribs puncture something.

  I needed to end this fight now I knew as I felt myself coughing. I grabbed his fingers breaking them as I twisted him away from me releasing them as he looked to me, cradling his hand.

  I pivoted on my left foot, snapping out my right, connecting with his head that snapped back like a door slamming. He fell to the floor tonelessly, his mouth open as if not understanding what had happened.

  I picked myself up breathing heavily and coughing up blood with my breaths.

  “Shit looks like I punctured the lung.” I said lightly as monk was already stabbing a needle into my arm. I held in the curses barely as I went rigid, all of the bones grating back in place. A few seconds later I let out a shaky breath. I took the syringe from Monk stabbing it into Bregend.

  “Now sit down.” I growled to the other human representatives.

  “Or I’ll beat you senseless too with only one damned arm.” The one that had been talking took a seat first. Another looked to be taking the one beside them but hit the talker in the chest hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Leaving him on the ground gasping as he took his seat, a sneer on his face as he looked at me challengingly.

  I grabbed my communicator I had stored in my Mecha before entering the room and put it in my ear as it formed to me.

  “He’s not fit to serve with the armoured Marine Commandos.” I said into it.

  “Yes sir.” Two battle scarred Mechas like mine Monk’s an
d Cheerleaders entered the room. Their weapons slung as they moved with purpose.

  “What the hell is this?” The man that had struck the other demanded as they walked to the table.

  “I told you, anyone that does not follow the code of the free fleet can expect to be punished to the full extent you will have a trial to determine the length of your service term. Though you will never step inside a Mecha or be a Commando, instead you will work with the syndicate scum that owned your ship and this station to serve hard labor.”

  “What!”

  “For the rest of you it might be a good idea to think of this, striking another Mecha of the same rank and lower without prior permission or under extreme circumstances will result in one term of service.”

  “How long is a service term?”

  “One Earth year.” The assaulter threw their chair at the first mecha raising their fist. Emotionlessly one of the mechas raised a rail gun pistol which barked the assaulter dropping to the floor.