Sibylla of Earth

by A. D. Baldwin

  "To where?" Yumiko asked, suddenly lifting in her bed. "Prison?"

  "No," Sibylla said. "Not exactly."

  Yumiko's brow tightened in confusion, then suddenly relaxed as it all became clear to her. "You're going to escape."

  Sibylla's face hardened. "Are you going to tell on me?"

  Yumiko was insulted. "Soldiers don't break bonds."

  Sibylla studied her for a moment, gauging the truth of her words, then decided that she was telling the truth. "I don't have a choice."

  "But we're in the championship match!"

  "A lot of good that'll do me when I'm in chains. Besides, I never wanted this. I only came here because I wanted to save someone. And now…I think that I failed at that too.”

  "I don't believe that," Yumiko said.

  "You don't know me," Sibylla said, unwilling to play into the game of empty talk and spirited coaching.

  "I know enough to know that you don't give up."

  "Fine," Sibylla said. "Even if I did stay to help, Varya's too strong of an opponent. We wouldn't have a chance."

  "We would if you were Platoon Leader."

  Sibylla paused as she stared at the young woman, unsure if she'd heard her correctly. "Are you serious?"

  "Of course, I am," Yumiko said. "You're a better leader than I am. Maybe even better than Varya. But more importantly, the troops look up to you. Besides, becoming Commander would save you from being arrested, right?"

  Sibylla couldn't deny the fact that what she said was true. But could she actually accept Yumiko's offer, especially when she knew how much it meant to her? "But isn't this what you've always wanted?"

  Yumiko bowed her head in silence. "It was, but not anymore. Now, I want something else."

  "And what's that?" Sibylla asked.

  "Redemption," she answered. "For the both of us."

  Sibylla sat in silence, humbled by the woman's wish. She would've never expected her to be so caring, so concerned. But here she was, supportive.

  But what did all of this matter if Sibylla couldn't win? With a sigh, she sat back in her chair, flustered by thoughts of her opponent. "Varya's too strong," Sibylla admitted, her mouth quirking to the side in annoyance. "Too prepared."

  "She's tough," Yumiko agreed. "But we can be tougher."

  "We?" Sibylla asked.

  Yumiko gave her a thin smile. "You think this crap's going to keep me out of the fight? No way. According to that hot nurse outside, the vitamin injections should have me up by tomorrow afternoon."

  She tried to raise her hand in victory, then frowned as something in her chest ached.

  "You might want to take it easy there," Sibylla cautioned.

  "I'll be alright."

  "But what about the rest of the platoon?" Sibylla asked. "Anais? Tayshaun?"

  "I already told you," Yumiko reminded her. "Soldiers do their duty.”

  “How ‘bout us?” Sibylla asked, still plagued by guilt. “Are we good?”

  "What's in the past is in the past," Yumiko said, her gaze turned away as if embarrassed by the sincerity of her words. "I know who I can trust now.”

  Relieved, Sibylla smiled. "Okay then. The match is in two days. We're gonna have to start planning now if we're going to be ready."

  "You're gonna need to start planning," Yumiko said, as she shut her eyes and lied back against her pillow. "I'm gonna go back to sleep.”

  Sibylla snorted, then rose from her seat. Leaving the room, she said goodbye to Nurse Nina who was still standing outside, then took the elevator to the bottom floor where the entrance was empty. When she walked out into the cold night, she was met by a pair of soldiers who were standing at the top of the steps.

  "Where you off to now?" one of the men asked in a mocking tone.

  Sibylla brushed past him without a glance, walking down the steps onto the field. "To prepare.”

  33

  The Final Battle

  The winter morning had dawned over the mountain in a wisp of fog, casting a hazy mist over the battlefield. The cold had come too, and with it, a bone-aching wind that swept across the field, barging through the forest of thin trees where Sibylla and her troops waited for the battle to begin.

  The field was a long patch of dried grass, bookended by a pair of forests. To the left, rising up like a clawed hand, a sharp cliff looked out over a deep chasm, warning of a steep fall.

  Interestingly, there was no artillery. It was as if Williams had decided to force the two armies to face each other out in the open, a decision that would surely result in total annihilation for both sides. Sibylla wasn't surprised.

  "It's already been an hour," Koda said, staring out at the opposite forest across the field. "Maybe she's lost."

  "She's not lost," Yumiko said. She was leaning against one of the trees, her rifle like a cane at her side.

  As successful as her treatment had been, her suffering was still evident in her strained voice and labored breathing. Sibylla worried that she'd come back too soon. But knew that it would be futile to argue with her. “She's messing with us."

  She was right, Sibylla knew. Varya wasn't lost. Far from it. This was a woman who'd been able to find her way back through the snow at the age of five.

  Trekking through a forest to find a field wouldn't be a problem. No. Varya wasn't lost. She was trying to draw Sibylla out, force her to get anxious and make herself vulnerable. But Sibylla had learned much from her time at the Nest, most importantly, patience.

  "We hold," Sibylla said, glancing at the troops behind her. They stood with their backs straight, their heads high, empowered by the steel frames of their exo-suits. It was a huge difference from their first battle when they'd landed off course and were ambushed by Varya and her troops. Now, they were prepared, now they were battle-hardened and ready to face an assault head-on. She wanted to tell them how proud she was of them, how glad she was that they were at her back and nobody else. But the moment quickly vanished as Koda’s voice rang through the air.

  "They're here!" He pointed toward the edge of the forest, and Sibylla saw Varya and her troops marching out in a single column.

  "They move well," he added.

  "Better than we do, at least," Yumiko added.

  Sibylla's stomach turned. It was one thing to prepare for an enemy, a completely different thing to actually see them appear on the battlefield. "I'll be back,” Sibylla said.

  "I'll go with you," Koda offered, reaching for his rifle and taking a step forward.

  Sibylla was about to tell him no when Anais unexpectedly stepped out from the ranks.

  "No," she said. "Let me."

  Koda frowned. "But I'm bigger."

  "Exactly," Anais said, resting a hand on his shoulder—a gesture that showed her appreciation for what he’d done for her in the showers. "But I'm faster. Which is important if we have to sprint back."

  Sibylla moved in between the two, more thankful than she could ever say. "And that's why I'm going by myself."

  "You can't trust her," Anais said.

  "I know that," Sibylla replied. She glanced at Yumiko who was leaning on her rifle. "If things go sideways—”

  "Which they always do," Anais muttered.

  "Yumi will take care of it," Sibylla finished.

  "Damn straight," Yumiko agreed, raising her rifle and grimacing in the process.

  Koda walked out before Sibylla, blocking her path. "You know what you're doing?" he asked.

  "Not really," Sibylla replied. "But I'll give it a shot."

  "It's worked for you so far," Anais joked.

  Sibylla snorted. "I'll see you soon." Taking one last glance at her troops, she met Tayshaun's gaze. He looked away.

  He'd been noticeably withdrawn over the last two days, clearly ashamed of what had happened. He’d spent his free time at the Forge where he lifted weights, grunting in anger as he pushed himself to the limit. While Anais, more somber in her suffering, chose to remain in the barracks, where she lied in her bed staring out of the windows.
They were a far cry from how they used to be; the happiest people in the platoon.

  Could she trust him? Could she rely on him to do his duty even though he hated her and Anais? The thought held her in place for an excruciating moment. But then she thought of what Yumiko had told her in the infirmary, "Soldiers do their duty,” and she set off toward the enemy, alone.

  The field seemed much larger than it looked. And after a few minutes, Sibylla felt as if she was being pulled into an endless ocean, drifting away with every step from the safety of the shore behind her.

  Across from her, Varya approached. She was donned in her exo-suit, cradling her helmet beneath her arm, her black hair flailing just as wildly as the trees behind her. She was the perfect image of danger.

  "I'm impressed," Varya said. "I didn't think you'd come out to face me."

  "I do what I have to," Sibylla answered. "Even when I don't want to."

  Varya arched a brow.

  It was Eagle tradition for the leaders of the two platoons to meet in the center of the field before the final match, a tradition that had been respectfully followed since the start of the program. Ironically, Sibylla suspected that neither she nor Varya cared for it.

  "Tell me," Varya began. "When your father shot himself in the head, who cleaned up his brains? You?"

  Sibylla calmed herself with a breath. She needed to stay controlled. She needed to stay cool.

  "It was, wasn’t it?" Varya continued, a smile curling on her lips. "Of course, it was. Always trying to help. But compassion’s a disease, you know. One that'll get you killed."

  "You're going to lose today," Sibylla said in an even tone.

  "Oh really?" Varya took in the field with a sweeping glance. "And how's that? You have something hidden up your sleeve? Let me guess, electrical grenades in the ground? Hidden soldiers in the forest? Or maybe, you're going to touch the ground and ask the earth for help. Oh, yes," she said with a grin. "I've heard all about you and your…tricks."

  "No," Sibylla said. "Just an old-fashioned ass-kicking."

  Varya laughed. "You can taste it, can't you? The hope that you can beat me?"

  "I don't care about beating you," Sibylla said.

  "Oh no?" Varya asked, seeming genuinely interested. "And why's that?"

  "Because," Sibylla said, "you're just a means to an end."

  Varya’s face grew dark, chasing away whatever amusement that had been in her eyes. "The only end you'll see will be me looking down at you."

  "We'll see about that," Sibylla said.

  The two of them looked to the sky as the sound of helicopters roared overhead and Sibylla saw a squadron of Super Cobras appearing over the forest. Carrying artillery units with thick metal cables, they hovered above the ground as they lowered the metal machines onto the field before leaving.

  Both sides received a single Warhawk jet to take to the sky. But while Sibylla had received her usual two Spider Tanks, Varya had been gifted an Iron Enforcer—no doubt a newer and improved version from the last one Sibylla had faced.

  "See you soon," Varya said with a grin, before running off to join her troops.

  Sibylla needed to hurry. It wouldn't be long before Varya would try to get the upper hand.

  "How'd it go?" Anais asked as she greeted Sibylla.

  "She's a crazy bitch," Sibylla answered, hurrying past her to assemble her troops.

  Anais snorted. "Hell, I could've told you that."

  Yumiko moved through the storm of troops hurrying into position. "You know how's she's going to come at us?" she asked.

  Sibylla adjusted the lip of her helmet, then reached for the blade at her back, drawing it out in a whoosh. "I have an idea: hard and fast."

  "Let me come with you," Yumiko said.

  "No." Sibylla gripped her by the arm. "I need you back here, sniping out as many of them as you can."

  Yumiko nodded with a smirk. "I can do that."

  Across the field, Varya and her troops were already moving. They formed up behind the Iron Enforcer, readying to march behind it. It was a simple tactic, one developed in World War II. Without the availability of cover, troops would form columns behind their tanks, using them as mobile cover as they rolled out across open fields. Sibylla would have to do the same.

  "Stay close," Sibylla ordered. She looked to her right. Anais was already lifting off in her jet, while straight ahead, Koda and Charlie were activating their tanks, bringing the systems online and driving them forward.

  Sibylla looked across the field at Varya. The Iron Enforcer was already coming to life, its eye lighting into a dreadful red as its circuits buzzed to life.

  At over forty-foot tall, the robot was more intimidating than any Spider tank. But there was only one of it. Which meant Sibylla had the upper hand in terms of flexibility.

  "You ready to get payback?" Koda asked, his voice sparking through the com.

  Sibylla tightened her grip on her blade. "As ready as I'm ever going to be."

  Out of her fourteen soldiers, four would be gone: Anais, Koda, Charlie, and Yumiko. Which meant Sibylla would be left with ten to command.

  Breaking them up into two groups; she joined the one that would march behind Charlie, then ordered the other group to move in behind Koda.

  They marched out at a steady pace, their boots trekking up the field's rocky ground, as they headed out to face Varya and her troops.

  Sibylla's stomach was roiling. She needed to win this for her freedom, for Dillon, for the rest of the platoon who'd placed their faith in her.

  Through the soles of her boots, Sibylla could feel the rumble of the ground as the giant machines pounded the earth around her.

  They were mechanical monsters, forged from the factories of the G.P.T.O. and christened by the well-trained soldiers of the Nest. Yet, she’d become a machine as well. They all had. High-powered, energetic vitamins rushing through her blood, fueling the taught muscles of her body. She felt as if she could climb a mountain, as if she was invulnerable.

  Up ahead, the Iron Enforcer was charging at them. It loomed over the field like a rising skyscraper. Its movements were slow and long, but its length was such that, before Sibylla knew it, it was nearly hovering over them.

  It reached behind its back and drew out its rifle, an exact replica of a VK 26, and aimed the barrel down at Sibylla and her troops.

  She barely had time to scream before the blast came. "Incoming!"

  A burst of blue light erupted from the Enforcer's barrel, and Sibylla felt the massive explosion belting the ground before her.

  The spider tank reared back onto its hind legs, barely avoiding the edge of the blast, while soldiers, shaken from the sudden jarring, fell to the ground in a clumsy stumble.

  Sibylla braced herself against the sudden impact, raising a hand to shield herself from the rising wave of dirt that washed over her.

  When it was done, Sibylla looked back at the field and ordered the advance to continue. They didn't have much time. It wouldn't be long before the Enforcer was reloaded. With any luck, they'd reach the enemy troops by then, where they'd be protected from another blast.

  Guns erupted as the two forces met head-on, and Sibylla ordered the tanks to separate. Koda steered his tank to the right, leaving the troops following behind him to join with Sibylla's, while he alone would distract the Enforcer.

  Sibylla watched in fear as the mech careened its massive body to the left, the sound of its hydraulic systems pumping with terrifying focus. It was going to battle Koda one-on-one, just as it had done in the first match.

  Varya quickly adjusted, ordering the rest of her force to concentrate on Sibylla and her troops.

  Overhead, a pair of jets roared by, their bodies spinning in a beautiful roll, as one chased the other.

  For a moment, Sibylla considered logging into the com to make sure that Anais was okay. But the battle was furious, and her focus was instantly drawn to the fighting around her.

  Varya's troops were fast and well trained. They broke
up into groups of three, rounding on the spider tank and using its large torso to their advantage.

  Sibylla ordered Charlie to press the tank forward, hoping to break their formation, but the enemy troops simply moved in unison, able to adjust to the sharp movement.

  They exchanged fire. Bullets hailed into both platoons, hitting troops with such unrelenting surges that they quickly dropped to the ground in excruciating pain.

  One soldier fell with a shudder, his body quickly overcome by the paralysis. Unable to move, he could only watch in terror as the Iron Enforcer backed into his position, eclipsing his entire body with one of its massive feet. Sibylla looked away.

  Varya's troops had bombarded Sibylla's tank with so many charges that it was struggling to move. Its joints squealed with the cramping pain of overloaded systems, malfunctioning circuitry, over-pressurized hydraulics.

  Eventually, with a grinding moan and the hiss of burnt-out pistons, the mechanical spider stuttered to a stop.

  "Hold your positions!" Sibylla screamed.

  The next few seconds passed under a storm of light, as both sides unloaded their clips at each other. Barrels fired. More troops fell. One of Varya's soldiers climbed onto the tank and lifted the hatch, aiming his barrel inside at Charlie. But Sibylla mounted the back and swung her blade in a pair of strikes, knocking the rifle from his hands and belting him in the head. He fell, unconscious, dropping to the ground like a rock.

  In the background, Sibylla could hear the creak of metal as Koda wrestled with the giant mech. They were like mythical titans, monsters of a new age, the stomps of their movements sending mini-shockwaves beneath the soldiers' feet.

  Koda raced at the Enforcer's legs, rising up hard and fast into the robot's knees, trying to knock it off balance. But the Enforcer dropped to a crouching position, planting its hands onto the Spider's shoulders and pressing it back with all of its might.

  Rock and mud lifted where the Spider Tank had dug its feet into the cold earth. And Koda activated the cannons on its back, launching a pair of chargeable projectiles into the Enforcer's face.

  The mech stumbled back in surprise, reaching to tear away the sparking goo from its blinded eye. It was then that Koda moved in for the kill.