Winter Harvest

by Dawn Chapman

  I loved to see real crafting in any form, and watching him start to lovingly restore not only the magical properties of the weapon, but the metal too—it did something inside me. Were the bonuses only while I had the sword in hand?

  Yes, if you drop it you lose them, Xirob said. What came next was an eye-opener.

  KENOSI ACTIVATED

  OH, MY GOD. YOU WANTED IT. YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD. PRACTICE WITH THE SWORD, AND YOU’LL LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT THE REAL MAGIC IN THIS WORLD.

  What’s Kenosi? Real Magic? So many questions. It was more than a good few hours later that we left Bo’s place. As we walked out into the night, the cool air felt so beautiful and real. I looked around, absorbing everything that felt and smelt so real. Even the soft rain had a scent.

  “You don’t know where we’re going from here,” I said to Dylan. “What we’re up against.”

  “No, but, I think it’s going to be one hell of an adventure. One I’m willing to help with if there’s a possibility that I can go home.”

  It was his eyes, so deep and full of meaning. Whatever he had back home, he wasn’t letting go. I didn’t want to keep that hope alive if I couldn’t deliver. But I wanted more than anything to do that. To give him what he wanted, to give us all that choice…if we wanted it.

  What if leaving them kills us? Xirob asked.

  For that I had no answer. Just terrible sadness that washed over me.

  That wouldn’t be a choice I wanted to make, after getting to know the both of them inside my mind.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I don’t know why I felt so nervous. I had done everything possible to get ready for this. We were as ready as we could be. Dylan met me, and we went down to the mech training yard together.

  “There’s three levels. They won’t wait for us. They’ll let us out in stages. So we might fight it out there, but there’s going to be a few monsters that we can kill, maybe get an advantage or two?” Dylan said as he walked.

  I mostly listened. I wasn’t sure what kind of approach was going to work best here. If it were just one-on-one fights, we’d probably fail right away. I was sure there would be fighters with much higher levels than ours in there. I matched some of them, but others were way above me in levels and no doubt skills. They’d think they could swat me like a fly. I needed to do as I always had, think smart. Most would want to get in as many advantages and find as much loot as they could for the final fights and levels.

  I sighed. My decision to spend my Quick Points would have to come soon, I was sure. And, it was also why I needed to pick wisely now. My decision to take the right mech mattered.

  I looked them over, Scouts, Striker, Brawlers, Snipers, and Heavy Assault Mechs. The requirements were basic, I presumed, just so I had a chance to pilot one.

  There was a guy at the entrance to the arena this time. Dylan had a pass that covered us both. I walked into the first training hall and looked around at the mechs, noticing a few styles that were green now. I knew what I wanted--to go in and fight but I couldn’t show my hand like that again, not to the newbs in the arena. I needed them to think I was as dumb and new as they were, even if I wasn’t.

  Dylan walked to a mech, and I watched as it responded to his commands. At least I didn’t need to break into anything. We’d be good today, going out there. Striker or Brawler?

  I saw what I wanted, saw its stats pop up.

  MECH MODEL – FC10 – TRAINEE

  Class = Brawler

  OPERATIONAL Level required = 30

  Overall Personal Level required = 60

  Internal AI Chip = NONE DETECTED

  Nanites x 28,819 DETECTED

  Structural Integrity = SILVER, IRON

  Hull Strength = 91

  Mana Core = 97% Strength = 98

  Speed = 100

  Weight = 100 Tonne

  Cockpit Strength = 100

  Heat Tolerance = 200

  Heat Sinks on board = 2

  Weapons =

  Sword

  Machine Gun - fast, short-range - low damage

  Rotating Auto Cannon - Short Bursts - Rapid Fire/ 80% Jam Rate

  Short-Range Missiles - x 10

  Long-Range Missiles x 5

  AMD - Particle Projectile Cannon - Short Bursts - Heat Sinks Needed

  It was labelled as a trainee, but I could really feel this one, basically take all the aggro for Dylan. Take a good few hits while Dylan poked, prodded, and worked out the best way to destroy whoever I was going to be pitted against. He went for a Striker similar to the one I had hacked and better suited for his own level.

  Name - Dylan Brale

  Mech Model = BI 891

  Class - Striker

  Operational overall level required = 30

  Overall Personal Level required = 60

  Internal AI Chip = Class Xz12

  Nanites x 276,198

  Structural Integrity ??

  Hull Strength = 288

  Mana Core = 97%

  Strength = 280

  Speed = 198

  Weight = 70 Tonnes

  Cockpit Strength = 450

  Heat Tolerance = 250s

  Heat Sinks on board = 5

  Yeah, it was going to go down really well. I dropped into the mech and already felt myself start getting used to it and the way it was going to handle. It was clunky as hell compared to the one I’d hacked, but it would have to do. I swallowed. I wouldn’t let it put me off.

  I would let this mech duck and defend as best I could. Maybe if I levelled because of this, it would be good, but I had to fight right. Use my intelligence.

  Stepping out towards the main door, I waited as it opened. A lot of other things were going on outside the rooms. I could see loads of movement, and people I didn’t know who were watching. I pushed back into the mech’s controls. Each foot step felt sure, hardy. I kind of liked him. He would be good for me to test out and learn with.

  I looked up at the shielding around the arena. It was thick. They knew this would be a good test. No sooner had we stepped outside than I saw incoming fire. Two missiles were already heading towards us. Dylan dodged and blocked one, firing up his shield. I pushed back out of the way just in time, or its electric crackle might have sliced me.

  Dylan moved off to try and see where the attack was coming from only to meet a large mech face to face. The two of them drew swords and started to fight, hand to hand. I had to try and take more damage or detect and then deflect any incoming missiles to give Dylan the best chance of taking this one out. I knew I couldn’t. I watched and noted where the next set of missiles came from. The best thing I could do was try and target the mech launching them, take him out, and defend Dylan while he worked on his enemy. I pulled the gun forward, tried to focus. I wasn’t going to get anywhere at this distance; I had to move closer. That meant leaving Dylan open to any other kind of attack. That was sad. I didn’t want him to fail, but right now, I had no way to do both. Or did I?

  Come on, guys?

  Hiroto came back to me first. Drop to the next tree line. I can line a shot from there. Best spot to aim for is always the cockpit. There will be a weak spot, especially if they’ve not concentrated on their build right.

  If you take him out, turn and defend. We can knock Dylan’s guy down from here if he’s hasn’t dispatched him first. Priority is the missile mech.

  I thought about it only for a split second. I knew they wanted to see both performances, how we’d work as individuals but still focussed on the team goals.

  This will work better for us all. Do it.

  I made my way down to the tree line as they’d suggested. I tucked in where I could so that the guy I was against wouldn’t get in any body shots, although they were going to be tough to eliminate.

  I was as low as I could go, pushing myself to the limits of where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. I only hoped it would work.

  Keep me here. I can get it.

  I waited as my screen sectioned just like it had
before, and Hiroto started to line up the shot with a missile. I held my breath.

  MISSILE LOCKED – FAIL RATE – 64%

  Then I had to let my breath out, because that was stupid. I waited, till it was right.

  I pulled the trigger. Hoped!

  And I saw that red dot on my screen go black.

  CRITICAL HIT

  5 – Cray Johan – Level 18 – 14 Kills – Sent to Respawn

  I turned quickly, and Hiroto did exactly what he said he would. With another pull of the trigger, we hit the melee fighter.

  It didn’t go down, but the distraction was enough for Dylan to bring his sword down on its head, severing it and opening the cockpit and ending the life of the pilot in one blow.

  10 – Raina Kārkliņa – Level 18 – 0 Kills – Sent to Respawn

  I grinned and sank back into the grasses. This was a pretty short test.

  Notifications on gaining skills floated on the corner of my view.

  Hiroto?

  Blocked them for now, we can look later.

  Dylan crunched his way over to me, and I looked up at him. “You okay?” he asked.

  I could only nod at him.

  “That was some damned fine shooting. Where’d you pick that up?”

  “I had a good teacher,” I said.

  He looked to the board, and so did I.

  1 – Chris Tanner – 24 Kills

  2 – Alice Main – 21 Kills

  3 – Vix Rolix – 16 Kills

  4 – Jean Bol – 14 Kills

  5 – Silvi Dea – 10 Kills

  6 – Antwon May – 8 Kills

  7 – Dylan Brale – 1 Kill

  8 – Kyle Ranz – 1 Kill

  9 – Cray Johan – 14 Kills – Sent to Respawn

  10 – Raina Kārkliņa – 0 Kills – Sent to Respawn

  “How the hell did they get so many kills already?” I asked. “Monsters, most likely. They’ll count anything killed in here,” Dylan

  replied. “We have three levels to climb. You good to go?”

  I tried to see where he was looking but couldn’t. I needed to push myself up first. In the end, he had to help me. “You look fucking ridiculous.”

  “Maybe I do, but you got the kill. Nice, man!” I grinned at him. “Not gonna be much loot in here, though.” I could almost hear his frown. It was hilarious.

  “No, sadly, but there’s probably gonna be a good payout for us both, remember? We get the numbers in here, we know we’re rich.”

  “What will rich get us?”

  “A mech, something that we own.”

  I was flabbergasted. To own one? I never expected that to be possible, unless I built one myself like Rytin.

  “Yes. Once we’re on their team, we get assigned one, but we could buy one if we wanted to.”

  I wondered how much that would escalate bad feelings at the base here, if we bought one. They were gonna be a pretty penny, I’d bet.

  We wouldn’t be allowed to stay, Hiroto said.

  That would be odd, but I could see why. We’d have too much power against some of the other members.

  Yes, we would.

  I tapped Dylan on the shoulder and realised I was actually a lot stronger, and he almost fell forwards.

  “Sorry!” I said to his laughter.

  Walking forwards, I managed to keep my pace, but he was a lot quicker. Seeing I was slower, he stopped and waited. We were heading up to the next level, and I hoped that it might be a little more of a challenge to me, or at least to us. This wasn’t going to build anyone’s confidence in us being the stronger candidates.

  I looked up, knowing there were a lot more than just the general denti out there watching us.

  You feel it too, don’t you? Xirob asked.

  Yeah, I said. There’s someone watching, someone who isn’t human and has another agenda that maybe isn’t denti either.

  Vrolsh?

  I think so, yes.

  It would explain a lot of things, Hiroto replied. Even if we don’t know their full agenda.

  War is about all they want, just as much as the next person. We hurt them.

  Seems there’s been a lot of hurt all around.

  I don’t see a true way in making any of this all okay, Xirob said.

  The simple thing would be for us to leave and for all of you to regain your own bodies, without being sacrificed to this. I waved into the air, and my mech copied me. I chuckled.

  “Let’s concentrate on the next job, right?”

  “Any thoughts as to what we might be facing next?” Dylan asked.

  I glanced to where the next main set of doors were and cringed. Yeah, it was going to be more against us. I needed my wits about me and my friends with me.

  I looked to Dylan, knowing that there were too many people involved in what I needed to do. It was hard to see, to watch the fights and know at some point things were going to hurt me more than I was used to. Here we had a base to respawn, even if it would kill Xirob, but…

  Out there in space, things are very different. You’d wish there weren’t such a thing as a respawn, because if you lose your life, you can lose the mission, your status, your home. You’re sent to the nearest spawn site they have. There’re no save points, no way to get back.

  That could mean that the whole team was lost. Fuck! This was gonna be shit. I wanted and needed people with me. But I had never had real loss other than—

  I sucked in those thoughts, not really wanting Hiroto and Xirob to be privy to them. Even if Hiroto had been with me a year already.

  I’m sorry, Hiroto said. Any mother is golden. Wait, you’re only eighteen? Xirob asked. A baby?

  It was his baby that pissed me off. I punched the side panel of the base as we reached the next door.

  Dylan looked at me. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Nothing,” I shot back.

  Inside I said almost the same words I’d said to Hiroto earlier. Don’t underestimate this kid.

  I was determined to work around the way this was going. I needed a space to have privacy and also to lock them out if I needed.

  What if Hiroto decided to take over totally? Hack me, so to speak. Ugh. Could he? Yeah. There must be a way to do it. After all, we were essentially just enhanced robotics now. It worried me, and guarding those feelings from them both was difficult as hell. I’m not even sure I did it right, but trying was essential.

  I needed them occupied now, though, while I did what I needed to with the code of the system, my system.

  The next few fights and level we climbed up would have to do. I had to let Hiroto and Xirob win them so I could win the main fight.

  Dylan moved in first, not hanging about either and going for the nearest place he could scout around. “I don’t see anyone in here?”

  “Yeah, that means bad things, right?”

  “It could mean they’ve already moved on—”

  There was a massive roar. I glanced to Dylan, and I could almost sense the fear from him.

  “Any ideas what that is?”

  “No clue, but it’s going to be big.”

  I tried not to laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.” This was going to suck, right?

  I was the tank after all. I saw Dylan hesitate. “Go on!”

  Sucking in a breath, I started forwards. I reached behind me, felt the sword and pulled it down from its resting place. I had a feeling a gun would do nothing for this fight.

  Hiroto’s voice came through next. From scans, I can sense four. There’s code and other things floating around in here, though. It’s making it difficult for me to actually see what and where they’re going.

  I know where they’re going, I said. They’re coming here, for us.

  We need to stand together. As big as they are, they’re going to try and split us up. They have larger numbers, and they’ll be using it to try and wear us down. Hit us hard and fast, burn through our health.

  I saw motion from the corner of my eye. There it was, standing and staring at me. It wasn’t ev
en going to make a run at me. Why? But its eyes were mesmerizing. Fuck. It was huge. A giant, prehistoric cat-like creature. Not just big, but muscle on muscle, too. Its rippling muscles ran down thick front legs into powerful and obviously deadly claws. They glinted in the light of the room. I shivered.

  The second one appeared beside it, smaller, and I knew instantly, female.

  Actually, that’s the male, Xirob said. The Traixic female is larger. You can tell by the curve of her belly. She’s given birth not too long ago, it seems.

  Protecting any young would turn any creature into a sure-fire way to weed us off as new warriors. Something in the back of my mind made me not want to get in the way of these stunning animals. I saw her glare at me. Her thick nostrils flared, and her eyes flashed red. There was magic inside her too.

  As the first fireball started to form before her, I froze.

  “Drop!” Dylan shouted out to me as the spinning ball of flames hurtled towards me.

  I didn’t move. If I had, he would have taken the full force of the blow. I was the tank. I was supposed to take this kind of damage.

  The flames curled up around me, snaking up my arm. I saw notifications flash before me, and I couldn’t see.

  Shit! Xirob said. Blind!

  That was it. I was screwed. Without my sight, they could do exactly what they wanted and bleed us out. But Dylan was still standing.

  “I’m good!” Throwing something at me, he said, “At least the fire died off.”

  But all I could see was red. “I can’t see!”

  “I’ll do my best to direct you, but you’ll have to rely on something other than the tech of the mech.”

  I didn’t know what I could do. The machine was what I was supposed to fight in, right?

  Xirob laughed. Actually, there’s no rules to say you have to fight in the mech?

  The roar that hit my ears next meant business. I didn’t want to see what was coming, but there was only one thing it could be.

  Quickly, I did the one thing I knew I really shouldn’t in here.