Battle Earth VII (2 page)

"Run!" one replied as the others laughed in response.

"You'd like to, wouldn't you? And every part of your brain should be telling you to do so. You'd have to be crazy, absolutely insane to stand your ground, or, a marine!"

Several nearby the student who had cried out slapped him as he cowered down in shame, and others laughed at him. It was a stage, and he was pandering to a crowd.

How did I ever get this job?

He put down the rifle and picked up an Assegai.

"A stick! Run!" one of them yelled.

"That's an Assegai, idiot!" another replied.

Good, they're starting to learn.

"When you're up close and personal with a Mech, you'll be glad of one of these."

He powered it up and stepped over to the Mech that was still smouldering from the rounds he had put through it. With his other hand, he knocked on the armour. It barely echoed at all and emitted a low drone showing just how substantial it was. He held up the Assegai for all to behold, and then thrust it forward into the Mech armour. It drove through with little resistance and ran up to the hilt. He ripped it back out, and a blue liquid spewed out with the weapon.

He knew it wasn't real alien blood, but the crowd didn't, and they loved the spectacle. He carried on talking for another twenty minutes, with Jafar standing beside him, looking thoroughly dismayed and bored while he talked them through what it was to be a marine and face the enemy they had come to know so well. Finally, it was coming to a close, and Jafar's moment to join the spectacle. Taylor picked up a shield and an unpowered training Assegai before turning back to his audience.

"The Mech enemy is big, powerful, and stronger than any human. But through the innovation of Reitech Industries, we've evened up the score. With this equipment, we can move faster, hit harder, and take more punishment. Even so, we must use our biggest assets to our advantage, speed, agility, and raw willpower. The enemy may have changed, but the essence of what is important to being a marine has always remained the same!"

He pointed towards Jafar and beckoned for his mock enemy to come forward. He taunted the alien, which excited the crowd further.

"Come on, you big metal bastard!" he yelled.

Jafar suddenly moved from his statue-like position he had held since coming on stage. He took a fighting stance and approached Taylor. They both knew a Mech would have a gun in hand, but that wasn't what Weaver wanted in his display. Jafar took up an almost boxing style of pose. It was familiar to the audience and provided plenty of entertainment. Taylor could hardly be enthusiastic about it, but he knew Jafar would at least punish him if he were lazy. He lifted his shield and circled his opponent with caution.

Jafar leapt forward with just a little more speed than a Mech really would. He was supposed to try and simulate the speed, agility, and intelligence of a typical alien warrior, but clearly he had either forgotten, or more likely wanted a bit of a challenge. Taylor lifted his shield, and the brunt of the blow impacted on it before sliding off. Taylor spun off to the side to avoid being crushed by the seemingly charging bull.

The crowd were quiet as they watched in amazement. Taylor rushed forward with his shield held before him, but Jafar grabbed it with both hands and launched him into the air. Taylor made a wild swing with his weapon, but he was already being projected through the air and missed by a long shot. He landed hard and rolled across the floor. Jafar threw down the shield in mock distain that further enthralled the crowd. They booed as if watching a wrestling match.

Taylor knew otherwise. Jafar was his friend, but that didn't mean he was going to go easy on him. He got to his feet and rushed at Jafar, appearing to be doing so through rage. But as Jafar swung for him with the clumsy heavy arms of the Mech suit, he ducked under and rolled. Back on his feet, he evaded a back fist swing and thrust the Assegai up into the Mech chest armour. The electrified tip sent a quick pulse of energy through the suit, causing it to spasm before shutting down.

 
 
The crowd cheered in sheer ecstasy, and a hail of comments hurled forward in praise of the Colonel. He sighed in relief as Jafar smiled back at him from the immobilised suit.

"Almost had me there," he jested.

"You're slowing down."

"Yeah, thanks."

Taylor lifted his leg and kicked the centre of the Mech suit. It toppled over onto its back and landed with a satisfying crash to once and for all show defeat. The crowd loved it, and he knew that scene alone would ensure recruitment of many of the young men and women there. It made him feel a little sick, for they were presenting war with the Mechs as an adventure, which it never had been for any of them.

Never mind,
maybe they'll never have to face the invaders.

But he knew in his heart that it would not be so.

"Well, well, what a great display from our very own hero, Colonel Mitch Taylor!" yelled Weaver, as he got up from his seat and approached the stage between the centre of the audience. They fell silent and looked at the civilian clothed man in a suit with suspicion.

"Let's see him kick some more ass!" one of them yelled.

Several others hollered in agreement.

"Taylor, Taylor, Taylor!" they began to shout and stamp their feet.

Weaver leapt onto the stage with a huge grin on his face and lifted his arms up to call for silence. He didn't get it. Turning to Taylor, he asked for assistance. It pleased the Colonel to know who held the power. He lifted up his palm, and the room instantly went still.

"You've heard from one of our country’s great heroes, and you've seen the weapons our brave Marine Corps use. You've even seen a friendly demonstration of them in use, but what would you say to see those skills and weapons being put to the test against a living and breathing enemy? How would you like to see it done for real?"

They went wild with excitement, as Weaver turned back to Taylor with a smirk.

"What are you doing?" Taylor asked. He was suspicious of the man.

"Only giving the people what they want."

"You're a real fucking humanitarian."

"What's the matter, afraid of a little danger?"

"In your dreams. You can try your metal against me any time, and the result will always be the same."

"Not me, Colonel. One of them."

He lifted a small remote controller and pressed a button. The divider at the back of the stage split and slid open. Taylor was appalled to see a Mech. A huge hydraulic column restrained it, and he could already see where this was going.

"You're not serious? Have you lost your mind?"

The crowd died down as they watched and waited. Taylor paced over to Weaver because he could no longer talk across the stage without everyone in the room hearing.

"This is insane. You've brought a live Mech warrior here?"

"It's not armed."

"Armed? Christ, you're a fucking idiot! Millions fought and died fighting those bastards so those at home would never have to see them," he whispered.

"And neither do they have to. But look at these fine men and women, the future of the Corps. They want to follow in the valiant footsteps of Colonel Taylor, the legend," he replied with a sleazy smile. "Now, you can either play along with this and do what you are trained and paid to do, or suffer the humiliation that you are simply too scared. We made you the nation’s hero, and we can take it away just as easily."

 
Taylor shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, but he looked out to his enthusiastic audience and knew he had no choice.

"Can't believe you sprung this shit on me in the middle of a talk," he muttered.

"Maybe if you ever turned up for the discussion on these matters, you might be better informed."

He knew that was bullshit because he'd never have agreed to it had it been mentioned to him.

I wonder if Weaver is pushing for an audience response or just trying to make me suffer, but it doesn't matter now.

"Goddamn you, Weaver."

He paced past to address the eager crowd.

"So here is the real deal, a Mech, one of their very own who was sent to this world to destroy the human race. You might have heard of the exploits of 2nd Inter-Allied and how we dealt with these monsters, but now it's time to see it firsthand!"

He stepped towards the rifle; the clip had been removed. He looked up to Weaver to see him holding it.

"Not like that, Colonel. They want a spectacle," he replied, gesturing towards the live Assegai he had so recently used to show its penetration against the Mech armour.

Doesn't get any better,
he thought to himself.

As he stepped over and took up the weapon, he noticed Jafar getting to his feet, having recovered from the energy pulse sent through his armour.

"You hear what he wants?" Taylor asked him.

"Yes."

"Crazy."

Jafar grunted casually, as if he didn't agree.

"What, you think this is smart?"

"Your skills haven't been tested in years."

"You don't think I've done enough to prove my ability?"

"Yes, but now you must maintain that reputation, and be ready for when you need to use those skills again."

"So there is no end to the fighting? War is over, but we have to keep fighting to be ready for the next one?"

Jafar nodded in agreement.

"Great."

Weaver continued playing to the crowd. "Let's hear it for the great Colonel Taylor as he takes on a Mech single-handed in a no rules, no holes barred fight to the death!"

The excitement that ensued was electrifying. Taylor wasn't scared of having to fight, but it seemed futile and stupid to risk his life for a little entertainment, and he could not help but feel it made light of the danger posed by the Mechs.

These aren't to be toyed with
.

With a faked enthusiasm, he paced over and lifted his shield from the ground where it had lain since Jafar launched him through the air. As he knelt down, he felt his knee give way slightly and his flank go rigid. He must have landed harder than he had realised. He sucked it up and hid the impediment. Looking back to his audience, he lifted the shield and Assegai as a crowd pleaser that spurred them on further. He turned back to his opponent.

"Don't fuck this up now," whispered Weaver, as he strolled passed with an even more despicable sleazy grin than usual.

"Not him you gotta worry about. It’s me after this is over. Should never have been allowed."

"We'll see," he said and turned to the crowd after passing beyond the barriers. Only Jafar remained inside with the two of them, and he was unarmed just as the Mech was.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the battle begin!" Weaver shouted.

He lifted a controller and pressed a button; the restraints on the Mech released. He leaned in against the barrier and glared at Jafar.

"It's Taylor's fight now. Not a move."

Jafar grunted, and they both knew he wouldn't listen to the command.

The enemy Mech looked up and around the stage suspiciously, as if expecting a trap of some kind. It was right to be suspicious. The whole situation was ridiculous, but Taylor was powerless to stop it except through vanquishing his foe. The creature’s attention turned to him once it was satisfied there was not a trick afoot. It leapt into action and rushed Taylor like a raging bull. He narrowly avoided the beast by turning off to one side. It came at him again, and as he lifted his shield and stepped off to his right side, he felt his knee weaken, and he couldn't move quickly enough. The huge Mech thundered into his shield and launched him off his feet. Taylor hit the clear shielding around what had become their cage and slumped down to the floor.

His head ached, but the helmet had saved him from any major injury. Jafar lifted himself as if to intervene, but Weaver hit another control that cut all power to his suit and locked him inside like a statue. He looked over to Weaver with a piercing glare they both knew had deadly intent behind it.