Metal and Ash (Apex Trilogy) (50 page)

She received the acknowledgement she was looking for and flipped a switch, arming all missiles. Each of the Railers took careful aim, making sure the targets were far enough away from a friendly mech as possible.

But the chaos of war is not one of perfection.

***

“Incoming!” Harlow shouted as she dove to her right, splattering a few dozen techno-zombies, as a missile impacted just a few yards from her. Her mech shuddered from the explosion and from the impact of the transport that was just obliterated. “Looks like Railers are up and firing!”

“We are,” Marin confirmed. “So keep eyes open, people!”

“You get too close to me,” Bisby warned. “And your people will end up with an oversized mech boot in their asses. Got that?”

“Same team, Biz,” Masters said as he grappled with a Can. He brought up his knee, expected the mech to counter, which it did, and then used the Can’s momentum to flip the machine over onto its back. “Dial down the threats.”

Masters put an RPG directly into the Can’s cockpit. He couldn’t help but notice the look of terror on the pilot’s face. He didn’t care, though. That’s what they get for being rookies trying to fight in a real mech pilot’s war.

“Sucker bitch,” Masters said as he spun and fired into a Can closing on his back. The explosion sent him onto his ass, but sent the Can into ten different directions. “Looks like the ‘blow them to shit so they can’t repair’ plan is working. Hell, yeah!”

“Shut the fuck up, Masters,” Bisby said. “We don’t need your play by play. ”

“Hey, Biz,” Masters laughed. “Remember when the Rookie kicked your ass that first day he showed up? That was great. Loooooved it!”

“Fuck you,” Bisby snarled as he ripped the arm off a Can and swept its legs out from under it with it. “When we’re done here let’s see who’s still standing.”

“The only thing worse than fucking girl drama is listening to you two bicker,” Harlow said. “How about you put your tiny dicks back in your pants and just fight. Sound good?”

“Hey, baby,” Masters replied. “Maybe instead of me fighting Biz, you and I can go out and paint the wasteland red? Maybe reconnect? Maybe?”

“How about you go out into the wasteland by yourself and let me know how it goes,” Harlow suggested. “Try not to chafe too much. Be sure and bring your lotion.”

“Okay,” Bisby laughed. “If that’s gonna be the chatter then I’m all for it. Keep on talking, Mitch. Can’t wait to hear what she says next.”

“You guys suck,” Masters responded as his legs were taken out by a transport. He lashed out with a fist and ripped through the transport’s hull. He snagged about ten troopers in his fist and crushed them into pulp. “I die today you’re going to wish you were nicer.”

“Don’t hold your breath,” Bisby smirked.

***

The techno-zombies swarmed up Stomper’s exoskeleton, threatening to topple him. He grabbed at them, flung them into the ground, stomped them, ripped their limbs off, but they kept coming. As fast as he could destroy a group, another group would attack. Then the first group he’d destroyed would reform and join the attack.

It was wave after wave of the same techno-zombies; a relentless cycle of reanimated violence.

“Coming in to help,” Styles 15 announced. “Looks like the tide is turning.”

Styles 15 was right. The techno-zombies, Cans, and transports had gotten over their shock of the brutal abilities of the attacking mechs. Now they were on the offensive, pushing forward with everything they had.

BTT after BTT materialized in the air above the battle, their cannons aimed at the massive swarm of techno-zombies. As one they opened fire and row after row of marching undead fell. The other mechs had to watch their movements carefully, no longer able to wildly attack, otherwise they’d catch the hell that was raining down on the enemy.

“Close shave, guys,” Harlow said as bullets ripped into zombie troopers by her feet. “Make sure not to nick me. It stings when I moisturize my legs.”

“You just hold tight, little lady,” Styles 39 laughed. “This ain’t the first time I’ve gotten this close to a pretty woman. I’ll have you smooth as can be in no time.”

“You’re lucky that accent you have is charming,” Harlow said. “Or I’d have to make you eat those words when we’re done.”

“Darlin’, I’d eat anything you gave me,” Styles 39 replied. “And then go back for more.”

“Hey!” Masters shouted. “Not cool, man.”

“Hey, bud,” Styles 39 said. “From what I’ve heard you ain’t got no brand on that heifer no more.”

“Okay, I don’t know what a heifer is,” Harlow growled. “But I’m not taking that as a compliment. You just blew your chance, airboy.”

“Ha!” Masters yelled. “In your face, cloney!”

“Shut up, Mitch,” Harlow grumbled.

“You keep telling me to shut up, but all I hear is ‘I love you, Mitch’,” Masters said.

“You need to have your ears checked,” Harlow responded as she put her fist through a Can and ripped the pilot right from his seat.

“Don’t need to,” Masters replied, almost mirroring the same move. “Because all I hear is the sweet sound of an angel in this com.”

Harlow couldn’t help but smile. “I fucking hate you.”

“Oh!” Masters exclaimed. “It’s like an angel from above is sitting in my cockpit! Glory hallelujah!”

***

Missiles fell, the BTTs were relentless, the mechs pushed on, yet the army that came at them never waned. It was an unyielding onslaught of sheer numbers.

“Jay,” Marin called over the com. “How’s it coming? Our folks are losing ground. They’ll be to you shortly.”

“I’m working as fast as I can,” Jay grumbled as he dropped and set another relay. “Ain’t those nanobots working? That should slow them, down?”

“They are working,” Marin said. “Less and less of the undead troopers are self-repairing. But there’s just too many of them! You’ve got to hurry!”

“I ain’t fucking playing cards here, Marin!” Jay snapped.

“Jay Rind! Don’t take that damn tone with me, you old ass!” Marin barked back. “Our people won’t last much longer. Get your shit together and get that system up and running!”

“Jeezus, Jeezus,” Jay replied. “Don’t need to bite my head off. I’m almost ready.”

He ran a few more yards and set another relay. He checked all readings and readied the environmental containment shield.

“Time to get the fuck out of there!” Jay shouted over the full com. “I can activate as soon as you are clear and the Styleses blow themselves to shit!”

He heard confirmation from everyone except Murphy’s team. He checked his scans and realized the Hybrid was no longer showing up. He didn’t have time to wonder where the hell they had gone. They were professionals and could handle themselves.

***

The RPG slammed into Bisby’s cockpit, but he was able to turn in time, letting the impact roll off of him. But the explosion was close enough that every warning claxon in his cockpit blared and he watched as systems failed one after the other.

“Fuck!” he shouted. “Can’t I get a mech that doesn’t fucking break down during every single mother fucking battle? Is that too much to fucking ask for?”

“I got him,” Mathew said as he rolled under heavy caliber fire and came up blasting, sending two Cans falling to the battlefield. He ran at Bisby, but barely made it half way when the two Cans were back up on their feet and firing at him. “Fuck! This BC bullshit sucks!”

Mathew tried to work his way to Bisby, but he was cut off by another Can. He had to make a choice of staying alive or rescuing Bisby. It was a hard choice, but one with a clear answer.

“Biz, I’m sorry man!” Mathew shouted as he took several hits to his right knee. The hydraulics whined and he had to switch systems to keep from blowing the lines. “I can’t get over there!”

“Are you people listening?” Jay roared over the com. “Get the fuck out! I’m watching the numbers and we’ve barely made a dent! We need to nuke this shit before they can march to the Stronghold!”

“He’s right,” Styles 43 said. “We are setting our drives to critical. Only need about ten of us, though. That’ll wipe them out. Y’all better book it or you’ll get caught in the blast radius.”

“You heard the clone!” Jay shouted. “I ain’t fucking around! We have a very small window!”

“Harlow! On your right!” Masters shouted, but she didn’t see the attack.

Three transports converged on Harlow and unloaded their missiles at once. Harlow was able to duck a couple, catch and toss two back at the transports, but three hit her dead center. Her mech flew through the air in pieces as the missiles detonated.

“HARLOW!” Masters screamed.

Stomper ran past Masters and scooped up what was left of Harlow’s cockpit. “I have her, Pilot Masters. She is unconscious, but shows signs of life.”

“Get out of here, Stomper!” Masters yelled. “Get her to the train!”

“Yes, that is what I will do,” Stomper said as he turned and ran.

“We all have to get gone!” Masters shouted. “Can anyone get to Bisby?”

Masters tried to make his way to the downed pilot, but he was swarmed by hundreds of techno-zombies, their rifles sending automatic fire at his hydraulics’ junctions.

“Fuck!” Masters cried. “Anyone?”

“Leave me, Mitch!” Bisby shouted as he pulled his sidearm and kicked his cockpit open. Techno-zombies came at him and he put six down and leapt from his mech. He picked up a dropped rifle and turned and fired, emptying the rifle in seconds. He grabbed another and fired more, but he was surrounded. He backed up against his mech and tried to find an escape, but there was nowhere to go. “FUCK ALL YOU MOTHER FUCK-!”

“Biz?” Mathew shouted. “BIZ!”

There was no response.

***

“We must fall back also,” Hollow Eye ordered. “The humans are outmatched.”

“We can take these things,” Thunk said. “We can crush them all.”

“Hollow Eye is correct,” Shiner said. His mech took a direct RPG and he stumbled back, but was able to stay upright. Systems were critical, but nothing failed outright. “We are outmatched also.”

“I will not retreat,” Bad Shell said. He lifted a transport and tossed it into the air. He would have smiled if he could at the look on the transport driver’s face. As the transport tumbled through the air, Bad Shell took aim and blasted it apart sending fiery shrapnel raining down on two other transports and a hundred techno-zombies. One of the transports exploded in a fire ball that sent the machine flying straight up in the air. “I am doing fine.”

“I am not!” Awl Good called out as he was surrounded by six Cans. The Canadian mechs took aim and fired everything they had. Awl Good tried to duck under and roll, but he was caught by a Can and tossed back in the center. “Save yourselves! Live so that my final death can be worth something!”

The Cans surrounding Awl Good took friendly fire from each other, but their mechs just kept repairing. Awl Good was torn apart by heavy caliber gun fire. Slowly he was whittled down to scrap, his parts twitching until their energy was drained and spent.

“Retreat is cowardly,” Thunk said. “But final death is permanent.”

The mech turned and fought his way out of the battle, heading for the ridge and cover.

“You will never see glory!” Bad Shell called after him. “Coward!”

A missile hit the mech square in the back and his cockpit exploded outward, spraying the techno-zombies around him with hot metal. Most were taken out as the nanobots did their job, but some still repaired and kept marching and fighting.

“A waste of a good mech,” Shiner said. “We should not waste ourselves also.”

He turned and followed Thunk. Hollow Eye was right behind him.

“We are leaving the field,” Hollow Eye announced. “End this battle.”

***

Jay watched as several BTTs started their doomed descent to the battlefield. He was so transfixed by the sight of the willing sacrifice that he didn’t notice the proximity alarms until it was almost too late.

“Oh, fuck!” Jay shouted as barely dodged an incoming RPG. He spun his mech about and faced three Cans, their guns hot and firing at him. “Double fuck!”

Jay was able to roll to the side and return the fire, but his worst nightmare happened before he could do anything to stop it.

Three relays exploded as they were hit with RPGs.

“God dammit!” Jay shouted as he fought for his life. “The shield relays are down! Repeat! THEY ARE DOWN! Do not nuke the field! We can’t hold back the blasts!”

All but one of the BTTs was able to pull up and abort the attack.

“I’m too far critical!” Styles 27 said. “All controls are fried!”

There was a blinding flash and a second later Jay felt his mech lifted into the air. He could hear the cries of the others, but had no idea who had gotten clear or not. As his mech skidded across the wasteland dirt he saw all systems shut down.

The EMP had taken out his mech. He just hoped it took out the enemy as well.

Fifty-Five

“Well we just lost all visual and audio on the mechs up north,” the Mayor said over the com. “That isn’t good.”

“Should we split and send some cyces back?” Dog asked as he sped across the wasteland towards the Three’s forces. “We can spare a few.”

“No point,” the Mayor said. “I’m guessing an EMP took out the surveillance. That means all machines will be down, even the enemy’s. There’s just the undead roaming wild up there now. I hope those pilots have some good rifles and ammo or they won’t be walking out of there anytime soon.”

“Fine,” Dog replied. “Then we push on as planned.” He checked the scans on his visor readout and noted how close the Three’s HAVs were. “Agnatha? Time to split and send your hundred to the left. Immy? I need you to the right. I’m going dead on.”

“Hey, cuz?” Immy asked. “You see the little blip?”

Dog double checked his visor and did see the blip he’d missed before. “That’s a small vehicle. What’s it doing out front of the others?”

“You’ll be finding out soon,” Agnatha said as she and her cyces peeled off from the pack. “Good hunting.”