by Isaac Hooke
The weak laser rifle scored a hit on the head region, but apparently it didn’t even penetrate the thick skull, because the dinosaur continued running, its step not even faltering.
She kept her head tilted to one side, shielding her good eye from that laser while continuing to run toward the mech.
“Faster, Electron,” Rade said urgently.
Betsy surged forward with a sudden burst of speed, those massive jaws opening up and turning toward him.
Rade fired wildly into the throat as the open jaws rapidly grew near. It didn’t help. He was going to be snatched up.
He was about to jet away when Tahoe’s mech plunged into Betsy’s head from the side; the impact swung Betsy off course so that the dinosaur snapped at the empty air to the left of Electron.
Tahoe’s Hoplite was hanging onto the T-Rex’s neck, and pounding away with the other arm.
The T-Rex leaned toward Tahoe, and then purposely hurled herself toward the ground in mid-stride. Tahoe’s mech rammed into the tall grass as the dinosaur fell; momentum carried Betsy forward, scraping Tahoe away.
The T-Rex rapidly came to a halt, leaving a trail of torn grass in her wake. She clambered to her feet and spun toward Tahoe’s broken mech to finish the job.
“Stop!” Rade ordered Electron.
The Hoplite complied and Rade was slammed against the passenger seat. He started to bring his rifle to bear on the dinosaur, but then Bender leaped at the T-Rex and mounted her with his Hoplite, Juggernaut.
“Here kitty kitty kitty!” Bender said via his external speakers. “Poly want a cracker?”
The cockpit fell open and Bender emerged in his jumpsuit, swinging down to grab the rifle from his storage compartment.
“That’s a good pussy tat.” Bender aimed his rifle at Betsy’s head, but before he could fire the T-Rex rolled to the side once more, forcing Juggernaut and Bender to jet away. The two were nearly crushed by the surprise movement.
As Betsy got up once more, her good eye momentarily came into view: Rade had kept his scope aimed at the huge dinosaur the whole time. He quickly centered the targeting reticle over the eye region and squeezed the trigger.
Betsy’s remaining eye exploded and she shrieked in sheer agony. Rade felt a sudden remorse. Seeing an animal in pain, even one as ferocious as this dinosaur, was never an easy thing, at least for him. But the creature had forced his hand.
No one threatens my brothers.
Tahoe’s mech arose and limped toward Rade. The Hoplite wasn’t as badly damaged as Rade had originally supposed, though the cockpit region was certainly badly dented.
“Tahoe, you alright?” Rade asked. He glanced at the status indicator on his HUD as he spoke. It was green.
“Fine,” Tahoe said.
Bender joined him, storing his weapon in the mech’s leg compartment before swinging inside Juggernaut.
Meanwhile Betsy lashed out at the empty air around her, howling and roaring madly; she was well away from the three Hoplites.
“Should we put her out of her misery?” Tahoe asked.
“Why?” Bender said. “She’s a worthy opponent. Let her live. I’m sure the Elder can heal her eyes.”
“Never expected to see the day you’d grant a bug mercy,” Tahoe said.
“She’s not a bug,” Bender said. “She’s a bird.”
“Let her be,” Rade said, looking away from the howling beast. “We’ve caused enough pain.” He glanced at the incoming T-Rex herd; they were about fifty meters from the opposite side of the conduit. His gaze alighted next on the Argonauts, who had gathered near the forward hole in the glass. The team members had emerged from their cockpits and were firing at the Rexes with their laser rifles while Bright One watched from his transport craft.
“Quickly,” Rade said. “To the opening!”
He clambered down to Electron’s hip and tossed the rifle into the storage compartment in the moving thigh. The panel shut before the weapon could bounce out again.
Rade swung back into the cockpit as Electron ran, and the inner actuators enveloped him. He kept Electron in control of the mech for the time being, as switching over at a run could be disorienting, and he’d probably end up tripping.
“Argonauts, into your cockpits!” Rade said. “It’s time to fly!”
The Argonauts near the entrance promptly stowed their rifles in the storage compartments of their mechs and then entered their cockpits. As the Hoplites sealed up, they dove into the opening in the tunnel and followed Bright One as he took the lead.
After Rade entered the glass tunnel, he resumed full control of the mech and raced away from the jagged gap.
The T-Rex herd arrived. The surviving beasts shadowed the party’s advance, plowing their heads into the glass and cracking the panes. Feathers flew into the air and streaks of blood remained behind on the translucent surface. Sometimes the carnivores hit so hard that the glass shattered and the team had to avoid the incoming jaws.
“Keep running!” Rade said. “Don’t slow down!”
“It’s the attack of the crazy birds!” Bender said.
“The really, really big birds,” Manic said.
“With large teeth,” Fret said.
“Imagine how big their pussies are,” Bender said.
“No, you imagine,” Fret said.
“I already am,” Bender said.
The herd continued following them for at least a kilometer; the carnosaurs bashed the glass less and less, and soon lost interest entirely when a group of herbivores made the mistake of coming too close; the T-Rexes abandoned the mechs for the perceived easier prey.
“I’m back,” Surus announced.
“Took you long enough,” Bender said. “We were busy protecting your fine ass all this time. That deserves a dinner, I think.”
“I managed to throw up a set of walls around my psyche,” Surus said, ignoring the comment. “Hopefully, I won’t be unceremoniously pulled from the battle by another psi attack again.”
“Was it the Phant?” Rade asked. “Or some of the Elders, like Bright One claims?”
“Not the Phant,” Surus said. “The psi-shielding I developed for the jumpsuits would have protected me from a Phant. And our foe is not a Black, remember. Psychic blasts are weak among most other Phant types, having little effect save for against human telepaths. It was definitely an Elder with malevolent intent. Though the psi-shielding helped somewhat, it was not enough.”
“Why didn’t any of us experience the attack?” Rade said.
“Your minds are not compatible,” Surus said. “Even if we encounter an Elder with an immensely powerful mind, the effects of any psi attacks against you will be minimal.”
In a few minutes the team passed through a metallic membrane, leaving behind the dinosaur environment for another cityscape. Haphazardly-placed metal arches with yellow-orange gelatinous substances hanging from the apexes filled the streets.
Text appeared above Bright One’s transport craft. The lifepod area is just ahead.
The transport craft led the party along the perimeter of the city, keeping close to the bulkheads.
Unfortunately, the Argonauts didn’t realize it, but they were about to face yet another attack.
One that would see their future perhaps irreparably altered.
fifteen
There were a lot of the insect-like robots here, Rade noticed: the machines responsible for allowing the consciousnesses of those Elder who had given up their bodies to achieve corporeal form.
The silver-hulled robots roved between the buildings in small bands, as if searching for something.
Three of those groups abruptly abandoned what they were doing to converge upon Rade and his companions.
Words appeared above the transport craft. Don’t be alarmed.
Small weapons turrets unfolded from the heads of the robots as they advanced.
“Um, I think we should be alarmed, boss,” TJ said. “Look.”
Highlighted shapes overlaid Rade’s
vision, located near the center of the city, where the roving gangs of robots had originated. He zoomed in and realized those shapes were the wreckages of transport pods similar to what Bright One piloted. Rade could see the blackened bodies of dead Elder within.
“Argonauts, shields in place!” Rade said. “Surus, Harlequin, protect Bright One!”
Surus and Harlequin positioned themselves between the robots and Bright One’s craft, and swiveled their shields into place.
Rade and the remaining Argonauts deployed their shields and also swung them toward the incoming robots.
“Keep advancing!” Rade said. “Let’s get to the lifepods!” He wasn’t sure how to convey the message to Bright One, given that Harlequin had returned to his cockpit, but the Elder must have understood the urgency because he continued advancing along the perimeter, leading the rest of the party along the outer bulkhead as the robots continued to close.
“We’re taking laser fire!” TJ said.
“Status on shields, Electron,” Rade said.
“Shields are holding across the unit...” the Hoplite’s AI said.
“Do we return fire?” Tahoe asked.
“Hold,” Rade said. He didn’t want to shoot back unless he really had to.
“Laser fire,” Lui said. “That’s actually a relief. I was expecting some sort of particle beam attack, given the tech the Mahasattva used against us during their invasion of Earth. Tech they supposedly stole from the Elder.”
“They did steal it,” Surus said. “But at this point in their history, it seems the Elder haven’t invested much time and energy into weapons technology. That will obviously change in the future.”
“Give them a few million years,” Tahoe said.
Text appeared above Bright One’s craft. This is not possible. These robots are the direct reflection of those of my people who have chosen to inject their consciousness into the nexus. They should not be attacking us.
“Bright Dude, I think your detection tech doesn’t work worth squat,” Bender said. “Obviously the Phant got in.”
“He can’t hear you,” Fret said. “Harlequin’s stopped typing out messages.”
“I know that!” Bender said. “Doofus.”
“Then why say it?” Fret said.
“‘Cuz you’re my bitch?” Bender said.
“Shields are down to fifty percent integrity across the unit,” Electron announced.
“Okay, we’re going to have to return fire,” Rade said. “Argonauts, you know what to do.” Rade held the shield some distance away from his cockpit, to give the hatch room to open. “Electron, you’re in control.”
“Got it,” Electron said. “Good luck out there.”
“I don’t believe in luck,” Rade said as he emerged from the opening cockpit.
He grabbed the laser rifle from the storage compartment and clambered around to the back of the mech via the rungs on the torso. He swung up into the passenger seat above the jumpjets and, staying low, he aimed his rifle over the metal head, past the notch in the top center of the shield.
He scanned the targeting reticle over the street beyond, and one of the robots passed into his line of sight. He knew none of the other Argonauts had acquired the same target because otherwise it would have been highlighted by a dashed blue outline.
He ran the crosshairs over the horned plates of the metal abdomen and thorax, and across the sharp spikes protruding from the joints on the legs, until the reticle was over the head. He aligned it with one of the golden eyes and squeezed the trigger.
The robot dropped.
All too easy.
Other silver-hulled machines in the three approaching groups fell as more Argonauts emerged and opened fire with their rifles.
Bender was humming something. “Robot bugs,” he said over the comm. “Squashing me some robot buggies! Shooting my cum into those golden pussahs!”
The robots continued to return fire, but they became smart and started taking cover. Meanwhile Rade and his Argonauts did likewise, moving their Hoplites behind the closest arch.
One of the robots stepped out into the open.
“Rade Galaal,” the robot announced via hidden speakers.
“I think that one’s trying to talk to you, boss,” Manic said.
“It has to be the Phant,” Rade said. How else would it know his name? “Nobody fire, I got this one.” Rade swiveled down to the storage compartment, retrieved the arcing stun weapon, and hauled himself back into the passenger seat. “Electron, lean past the edge of the building.”
The Hoplite complied, and Rade aimed into the notch on the shield and fired the stun weapon at the robot.
The plasma hit, but did not arc. The robot collapsed. Rade zoomed in, but he saw no sign of Phant possession: the telltale glowing condensation wasn’t present.
Another robot emerged from cover.
“You can’t stop me,” it said.
Rade fired the arcing weapon again, dropping that robot as well.
A third robot stepped from cover. “I have possessed the equivalent of the AI core. Stunning these minions will not harm me. I am inside all of them and none of them.”
“We have to get to that core or nexus or whatever it’s called,” Rade said over the comm to his Argonauts. “Then stun it, and maybe let Surus take over.”
“If we knew where the core was, then yes, we could,” Surus said.
Rade glanced at Harlequin, who was outside his mech like the rest of the party.
“Harlequin, have Bright One share the location of the core with Surus,” Rade said.
Harlequin retrieved the holographic device from the storage compartment of his mech and typed out a quick message.
The response came: I can lead you there. But it will require fighting our way through these robots. But I’m not sure it’s a good idea to stun the nexus. You may damage those of my kind who have uploaded their consciousnesses.
“Once we arrive, I could try wresting control of the nexus away from the Phant directly,” Surus said. “But it won’t be easy.”
“We’re probably going to have to stun the so-called nexus,” Rade said. “But don’t tell Bright One, Harlequin.” Rade saw that the two robots he had hit with the arcing weapon were beginning to recover.
“Terminate the two robots I stunned,” Rade ordered his Argonauts.
He realized that the remaining robots still in cover out there had ceased firing. He decided it might be worth it to engage the Phant, if only to stall the thing while his team moved into position to outflank the robots.
“Harlequin, you’re with me,” Rade said. “Watch my back and protect Bright One. Tahoe, split the rest of the team into two groups. Low-crawl out there and outflank those robots.”
“Will do,” Tahoe said. “But what are you going to do?”
“Talk to it,” Rade said. “Or rather, stall it.”
“Are you sure the Phant isn’t the one that’s stalling you?” Lui asked.
“I guess we’ll find out,” Rade said.
The Hoplites dropped and spread out, the Argonauts secured in the passenger seats. On the overhead map, Rade saw that several more red dots indicating enemy robots were converging on the area, as spotted by his team members. They were all taking cover behind the three areas where the existing robot groups were dug in. The robots were making outflanking them almost too easy. This Phant didn’t appear to have much experience with small unit tactics. Then again, it may have been a ruse to get the Argonauts to separate.
Rade glanced at Harlequin. “Transcribe everything for Bright One. I want him to hear every word.” Then he activated his external speakers and boosted the volume so that his next words sounded like they were spoken over a megaphone. “What do you want?”
“Nothing, and everything,” the robot said. “You probably don’t remember me, but we’ve met before.”
“Oh really?” Rade said. “And when was that?”
“During what you call the First Alien War,” the robot said
.
“I faced a lot of Phants during that war,” Rade said. “They were all faceless, disembodied things. Of course I’m not going to remember you.”
“Oh, but I had a face,” the robot said. “I was the one named ‘The Guide.’ Zhidao.”
“Zhidao,” Rade echoed. The name took a moment to tug at his memory. And then he had it: during the First Alien War, Rade was held captive aboard a Sino-Korean frigate the Phant had commandeered. Zhidao had summoned Rade to his presence on the bridge, and given him a message to share with the rest of humanity: in exchange for the surrender of Earth and all human colonies, Zhidao promised that twenty percent of humankind would be spared if they yielded, while the rest would perish, reduced to geronium feed.
It was not a surrender humanity accepted.
“I remember you well enough,” Rade said. “Tell me, why are you here? How did you know you would find the Elder, sixty-five million years in Earth’s past?”
“Since you will never return to your time period, I suppose it doesn’t matter if I reveal this to you,” Zhidao said. “I spent many years hidden on Earth after the First Alien War. I found myself fascinated by the Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and spent much time organizing digs there. Unfortunately, I never really found anything. But I had certain informants placed throughout the archeology world, and was one of the first to hear of a potentially exciting new find by a team in Texas, roughly three thousand kilometers away from the impact crater.
“I assumed control of the dig by becoming the biggest financial backer. The archeologists had been digging through the thin layer of clay present in the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, a sedimentary layer rich in Iridium deposited by the asteroid that created the Chicxulub impact crater. That boundary also marks the extinction of the ancient organics that walked your planet—the dinosaurs—in what you humans call the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. The archeologists had discovered fossil evidence of a strange creature beneath that layer, unlike any dinosaur they had ever seen before. It was an Elder, of course. The team also exhumed the small transport craft the Elder had been piloting when he died.
