Machine Gods (Star Crusades Nexus, Book 2)

by Michael G. Thomas

  Hmm, is it me, or is this place designed to train marines to fight on the territory of Gun and the Jötnar?

  Next to his parents, there was no group of people Jack trusted more than his friends on Hyperion. The Jötnar had become family to him, especially during his troublesome childhood. He would have stayed in the APS Corporation if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of his Jötnar friend Wictred, who after taking part in battle for the first time had developed a taste for combat. He looked up into the trees and thought back to the hunting trips he’d taken with him and his kin.

  Yes, the trees. That is where they will go.

  Wictred, the son of the famous Jötnar commander known as Khan, and Hunn, the Champion of Hyperion, were the first Jötnar to pass the entry requirements that so far had managed to block access to his kin. In theory, the Jötnar were allowed to join the Corps, the same as any other citizen of the Alliance. In reality, however, Jack was convinced the increased language and technical skills requirements had been put in place to ensure no Jötnar would be able to pass the tests to enter the Corps. It had taken a great deal of coaching by Jack to get them both in, but they’d succeeded against all the odds. The sight of a multi-legged machine interrupted his thought of his friends. It reminded him of the things he’d seen nearly two years ago.

  Machines!

  His first reaction was to open fire, but he remembered his training and the voices of their instructors. The sight of a single enemy was not an offering by the gods. It was frequently used as bait, or might simply be a scout. Intelligence was the key, and he needed more information before he pulled the trigger.

  “Over here,” he said quietly and then twisted to indicate for the two cadets to get down as low as they could. Thai Qiu-Li didn’t hesitate, but the second, a feisty woman in her late twenties from Kerberos, refused to listen. Her name was Karen, and they’d ended up arguing more and more over the last few months, neither accepting the authority of the other. Instead of staying down, she ran past him and vanished into the undergrowth.

  “What the hell is she doing?” Jack murmured to the remaining cadet. She shrugged in reply, lifting up her rifle in case of any surprise visitors. Almost on cue, there were shouts in the distance, followed by a burst of gunfire.

  “Damn it, come on!” he snapped, and the two lifted up from their hiding place and followed Karen’s trail into the wooded area. Jack had spent many years tracking and hunting with the Jötnar and had no trouble following the route she’d used. They came to the edge of a clearing, and he automatically stopped and took cover, ever wary of the dangers presented by such a location.

  “What is it?” Thai Qiu-Li asked.

  Jack examined the surroundings and the ground out in front of them. He nodded to the lightly trampled ground. The plants had been flattened, but there were no more footsteps moving out to the other side of the clearing. There was a single empty magazine discarded on the ground from an L48 rifle. Jack could see from where he stood that it still contained ammunition. It must have been knocked from her weapon rather than her needing more ammunition. That meant it could be only one thing.

  “An ambush!”

  He twisted his head around, instantly wishing he had Wictred or Hunn with him. Their senses were incredibly attuned, and there was little chance of any creature or machine ever sneaking up on them.

  We have to keep on though. We’re on a tight schedule, he thought, remembering the priority for the mission was to secure the communications array within the allotted time. Points would be deducted for losses, but not meeting the main objective would result in a failure of the final test.

  “Jack,” Thai Qiu-Li said as she moved around the clearing. She was quiet and stealthy, much better than Jack actually. She made it half way around before stopping. She froze as if something had just been pumped into her veins. Jack looked at her with a confused expression, but spotted her slowly lifting up her rifle and taking careful aim. Jack knew what was going to happen and turned his head a fraction, just in time to see the shape appear behind him. Jack saw it with his peripheral vision as his head was still pointing to the side of the clearing. He rolled over to his side, lifted up his rifle, and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion. The muzzle flash from the training rounds was impressive, yet it took half a magazine before the multi-limbed training drone dropped to the ground lifelessly. Images of the machines he’d fought aboard the medical ship a long time before came rushing back to him. Worse were the memories of the torn and mutilated bodies.

  “Stay down!” he cried, still suspicious of what was happening.

  The briefing had been to locate a missing team at the communications relay inside the jungle area, and these machines must have been sent out as scouts. Now that he had used his weapon, he had announced their arrival. They had two other three-man teams on the same mission, yet Jack was the only one with any kind of field experience in the jungle. While the others were undoubtedly scanning the ground, Jack knew full well that the real dangers lurked in the trees. As if on cue, Thai Qiu-Li called out to him.

  “Up there!”

  The young cadet pointed her rifle up and opened fire, hitting another of the machines square in its center-mass. The training rounds were actually low velocity, rubberized projectiles that struck with a dull thud. The machine must have been waiting patiently in the lower branches for them to pass by underneath. For a second, Jack wondered how it could do that without causing injury to the cadets, but then remembering this was the final test. It wasn’t unusual for cadets to leave with broken bones and limbs. There were rumors that occasionally cadets were even killed in this part of the test. He doubted that, but he didn’t want to find out by having the thing landing on him.

  “Good job,” he said calmly.

  The device flashed several times and fell to the ground, its sensor suit registering the hits from the weapon and mock smoke pumping from its flanks, as if it had sustained major internal damage. Jack remembered how they were destroyed in reality and recalled that the things were capable of fighting on, even after sustaining heavy damage.

  “So, Jack, what now? Where is she?” asked Thai Qiu-Li.

  Jack looked around their position but could see no more signs of the machines. He was tempted to stay and look for their missing cadet, but he knew the mission was the priority.

  “She’s trained for this. Right now, we have four minutes left to reach the objective, or the mission is lost. We finish the mission, and then we go back for her.”

  “What?” Thai Qiu-Li snapped.

  “You heard me. This mission would be critical to a colony. Remember, the communications array is the only way we have of sending out a distress signal to the passing ship. If we fail, then every single marine and civilian on this rock will die. We are all expendable for this one.”

  Thai Qiu-Li shook her head in disagreement.

  “We can still do this and save her. You think you’ll pass by abandoning half your crew. Didn’t your father do that on Euryale back in the Uprising?”

  Jack had always had a tough time with his father. In the last few years, he’d started to appreciate the man had faced a tough time, yet the stories he heard continued to rankle him. It was true, his father had left his unit, but only when the battle was won, and because the rest of the military was abandoning a Jötnar unit who were still aboard an enemy vessel. Spartan had saved their lives and won the loyalty and admiration of every single Jötnar.

  “Not cool, Thai, not cool at all. Now, get off your ass and follow me!” he growled viciously.

  He instantly regretted his anger. It was something he could only assume came from his father’s side, as his mother seemed far better at controlling her emotions than Spartan ever had. He moved around the clearing, moving quickly but always checking his peripheral vision for possible signs of the enemy. Ideally, he’d be using a sensor package to look for possible mines and traps, but they both lacked the time or equipment for such niceties. The only gear either of them had was the
ir rifles and two spare magazines. Neither wore armor or carried any kind of communications gear. Jack surmised it was to ensure the test came down to the skills, training, and aptitude of the cadets. After all, they’d be trained to improvise, adapt, and to overcome any and all obstacles that lay in their way.

  It can’t be much further, he thought, as he pushed through the thick undergrowth.

  He lacked a map or any navigation gear, but from the briefing an hour earlier, he was convinced they should have been much closer to the target than they appeared to be. But just two more steps, and he moved from the cover and into a sparsely covered area that lay directly in front of a dark gray tower. Around the eight-meter tall structure were a number of low walls with sandbags all around them. The tower contained no windows, but the highest level brimmed with antennae and some form of pintle-mounted weapon.

  Thai Qiu-Li narrowly avoided crashing into him, dropping to one knee as she examined the site.

  “This is it, right?” she asked, looking for confirmation.

  Jack nodded slowly and checked his watch. It was the only other gear they were allowed and gave him nothing useful other than to know how long was left until the end of the mission.

  “How much time is left?” she asked nervously, as if she expected they were already too late.

  “Ninety seconds, it’s gonna be close.”

  “Let’s do this, then!” she said resolutely, but unlike their missing comrade, she didn’t rush off and instead waited to see what Jack advised.

  “Follow me and stay close, okay?”

  With a quick nod, the two covered the open ground, twisting and turning as they checked for signs of trouble. Jack ducked down in front of the first wall while Thai Qiu-Li move onward to the tower. It was a simple cover and move technique but with just two of them, their options were limited. She moved to the doorway and peered in. Jack couldn’t see inside, but he did see her lean around the corner and give him a hand signal to follow. In one swift motion, he leapt over the wall and landed down next to her.

  “You could just have easily walked around it, you know?”

  Jack smiled.

  “Where’s the fun in that?”

  He pushed past her and entered the tower, not before checking the frame and floor for signs of tampering. Thai Qiu-Li moved in behind him, stopping as she passed through the door. Jack sensed trouble and moved sideway while lifting up his rifle. A man stood behind her with a mock blade held to her throat. It was a rubber imitation of the combat knives used by the marines, but the blade on this one crackled with electricity.

  Damn, a stunner! Jack thought angrily.

  It was a special type of training weapon that could deliver a powerful electric shock to whomever it was used against. They both had already been exposed to the weapon, and the effect had not been appreciated. It left red marks and usually knocked out the cadet cold.

  “Stop, move inside and I’ll gut her!” said the man firmly.

  Jack recognized his face. He was one of the assistant instructors from the previous day. He wore camouflaged pants and a thin green top. His face and bare arms were covered in a greasy paint, making him look as though he’d been sleeping in the jungle for weeks. As Jack watched him carefully, another man appeared in exactly the same style of clothing. This one carried an L48 rifle, one that looked suspiciously like the one taken from his fellow cadet.

  We need to finish this very fast, unless I want to repeat the course!

  He glanced briefly at his watch.

  Thirty-six seconds!

  He’d heard rumors about cadets that failed the final test. Recruitment levels were high and the Corps was able to be very choosy about their new warriors. He wouldn’t be kicked out, but he would likely have the chance to enter at the rank of corporal, or even worse, he might end up in an administrative role. He looked at the two men and considered what he’d heard.

  “Five seconds! Put down the gun!” said the man, his tone raised.

  Jack’s mind was firmly on the mission though, and he did not want to lose. There’d been rumors that cadets would have to retake the tests and courses with major career penalties. What really irked him was that he knew he’d been through tougher times. Yes, he’d been out on hunting expeditions with Wictred and even involved in a few clandestine operations with the Jötnar. But it had been his six months with APS Corp that really opened up his eyes to the kind of viciousness that still remained beneath the surface in the Alliance. He’d met and encountered it on multiple occasions, and each time he’d made it back in one piece.

  There’s only one thing to do!

  He moved the barrel down and slightly to the right. As he did so, the other two men relaxed a little, enjoying his surrender to their superiority. Then he opened fire. The rifle kicked with each shot as he shot into Thai Qiu-Li and the man. The first round struck her left upper arm and twisted her about. With that small window of opportunity, he unleashed scores of rounds that hammered home into the fronts of the two men and knocked them both back. The clothing of the two men flashed to indicate they were out of the scenario, and they stumbled to the ground. Thai Qiu-Li was wounded but not dead. She slumped down, nursing her bruised arm.

  “Get up there!” she barked as he edged away.

  Jack needed no further encouragement and leapt to the narrow spiral staircase, pulling himself up as quickly as he could. By the time he reached the highest level, he could see the counter on his watch had just ticked down to single figures.

  Damn, this is gonna be close!

  He looked around and found a raised pedestal in the middle of the floor. It was about waist height and contained a single button in its center. Jack didn’t hesitate and jumped forward to strike the button. A loud klaxon hailed through the undergrowth as he and Thai Qiu-Li completed the task allotted to them. Jack leaned against the wall and sighed. It had been hard work, but he was still surprised at how few people they’d encountered on the test. He’d heard stories of desperate last stands and all kinds of weird endgames that often took place. It was then that Thai Qiu-Li appeared at the top of the staircase, still holding her arm.

  “Well, did we lose?” she asked disappointedly.

  Jack lifted his head slightly in confusion.

  “No, didn’t you hear the klaxon?”

  “Of course,” she answered indignantly, “but that isn’t the end of the scenario. Remember the briefing?”

  Jack was annoyed at being called out, but the mere suggestion they were not finished sent a chill through him. He’d rushed up without checking the area around the tower and was now starting to feel vulnerable in this high tower. He thought back to the parade of cadets and the mission briefing.

  “Uh, the map showed the landing pad and the communications tower with the relay. The operation is for the Marine units to send out the distress signal. We’ve done that.”

  Thai Qiu-Li raised her eyebrow in a questioning look.

  “Really? Don’t you remember the last part? You know, the bit that pays the big money?”

  Jack looked at her with a confused look before she reached into her pocket and withdrew a small metal object. She placed it on the plinth next to the transmission button. He examined it carefully before feeling incredibly stupid for forgetting the final stage. He banged his fist onto the metal plating of the tower. The undergrowth around their position shook, and he was sure he could see metal shapes in amongst the foliage.

  “We have to hold the transmission tower until rescue arrives.” He then pointed at the object.

  “The bonus is to keep the object at this point until rescued,” he said so slowly that it made him sound slow witted. He then looked back at the jungle.

  “Wait, isn’t that the part of the test that no cadet has ever been won before?”

  Thai Qiu-Li shrugged. A gentle crackle interrupted them from somewhere in the tower. It was the voice of the commander of the training exercise, a harsh instructor known as Captain Blucher who had been called in to run a special
series of tests.

  “Primary objectives have been completed. Stay alive and wait for the pickup. Rescue cobras are en route in fifteen minutes. Good luck. Out.”

  It was a brief message, and Jack wondered if he’d done enough. He recalled hearing about this part of the test. Survival was a key part and wasn’t required for completion to pass, but he had no interest in half measures. He thought of his father and the stories he’d told him of his battle throughout the Uprising; battles against machines, monsters, and religious fanatics. Jack looked to his comrade-in-arms and then out to the jungle once more.

  We can do this! he thought resolutely, and to the surprise of Thai Qiu-Li, he shouted as loudly as his lungs would allow him.

  “Marines! Fall back to the tower!”

  He then moved to the tower-mounted weapon and checked it over. He looked at it carefully, quickly identifying it as an early twin mounted L48 rifle with box magazine and long-range optical sight. He lifted the handles and checked the mechanism before looking back to Thai Qiu-Li.

  “It all looks good. Can you operate the weapon mount?”

  She nodded quickly.

  “Good, you provide top cover, and I’ll watch the main entrance. We can do this.”

  With those few words, he ran down a number of steps, turned back, and called up to her.

  “Your weapon, you have any spare ammo?”

  Thai Qiu-Li shook her head as she pulled the clips from her jacket and tossed them down. She turned back to the weapon, and after checking the magazines for dummy rounds; he went back down the steps and to the ground floor. He noticed the bodies of the two men had vanished.

  Okay, that’s a little disconcerting, he thought, before remembering it was nothing more than an exercise.

  They’d probably just packed up and left once their job was done. Even so, their firearms lay on the ground in a neat bundle. That was when the jungle appeared to come alive. Mechanical arms flayed as two of the machines lurched from the cover and made for the doorway. Jack got a good look at them and could see they were far less menacing than the war machines he’d faced in real combat. Even so, they still moved quickly and made it halfway before the dummy rounds from the top gun mount struck them. Both were eliminated less than four meters from the doorway.