Part Two- The Archbishop
The Archbishop, followed closely by Bishop Wyble’s wheeled vid screen, marveled at what would have been the Rookie’s mech.
“It is so huge,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, betraying his adolescence. The Archbishop turned to the Bishop’s smiling face. “I would like it to be mine.” He looked at the Ranchers about him. “Who will show me how to pilot it?”
“Um, I am truly sorry, Your Holiness,” Bishop Wyble said. “You must be equipped with a modified Reaper chip to pilot a mech.” A grin spread across the Bishop’s face. “But, we may be able to attain one.”
***
June glared at the Boss. He tried ignoring her, but the intensity of her stare began to grate on him. “What? You want to kill me, I get that, I even respect it. But, really, get over it.”
“How could you?” June snarled. “She was your mother.”
“Oh, that! You’re mad over that?” the Boss chuckled. “Please, that bitch had it coming for years. You know she stole my son away, right?”
“You mean helped him escape a monster for a father? Yeah, I know. It’s what any decent person would do,” June snapped.
“Shut up!” a Rancher guard barked.
***
“How’s it coming Jethro?” Capreze asked impatiently. “You said 30 minutes and it’s been 30 minutes.”
“Sorry, sir,” Jethro responded, closing his eyes for a second. “Headache is getting in the way.”
“You need me to get Themopolous?” Capreze asked, impatience instantly turning to concern.
“No, don’t do that. She’ll just give me something that’ll dull my senses, which will slow me down more than the pain,” Jethro answered tapping at several tablets at once.
Capreze placed a hand on the mechanic’s shoulder. “Don’t kill yourself. This is just for a tactical advantage and it’s not worth losing you over.”
***
The Boiler boy cringed as the Archbishop stroked his malformed face. “He looks so sad,” the Archbishop said.
“Yes, Your Holiness,” the Bishop responded. “Born into the heathen Hell of the Boilers must have damaged his soul greatly.”
The Archbishop motioned for the boy to be unshackled. “Well, I shall treat him right. He will know the love of God.” The Archbishop continued to stroke the boy’s face. The boy bolted the second he was set free, but the Archbishop reached out and grabbed a hold of the child’s hair, yanking him violently back. “And he will learn to obey.”
***
June and the Boss, rifles jammed into their backs, were shoved forward into the mech hangar.
“Ahhh, the entertainment I promised, Your Holiness,” Bishop Wyble announced. “And an opportunity for you to become the mech pilot you’ve always wanted.”
The Archbishop approached June, dragging the boy by the hand. “She’s a mech pilot?” he asked unimpressed. “She doesn’t look like it.”
June looked from the Archbishop to the boy’s terrified eyes and back. “You better not hurt him,” she stated quietly.
The Archbishop’s eyebrows arched. “You were not asked to speak,” he hissed. “I may take your tongue for that.”
***
“Holy shit!” Jethro exclaimed. “I’ve got a visual on June!”
Capreze leaned over Jethro’s shoulder towards the vid screen. “Jeezus Christ, she looks like Hell.”
“Who is that with her?” Jethro asked.
The Commander frowned. “That’s the Boss. Boiler leader. One crazy cannibal.”
“Um, pretty sure the term ‘cannibal’ implies crazy,” Jethro said.
“Well, then he’s crazier than the rest,” Capreze responded studying the screen. “Can you get her attention?”
“Maybe, I don’t know,” Jethro answered. “She is facing Two.”
“Good. Try not to get noticed.”
“Sorta implied also.”
“How about less lip and more work.”
“Yes, Master,” Jethro quipped.
***
June laughed. “Do you think I give a fuck about your fucked up protocols? How about you take your little boy dick back to your transport and jerk off into a sock and let the adults talk.”
The Archbishop’s face grew red with rage and June felt the butt of a rifle against the back of her head before he even gave the order. She crumpled instantly, lights dancing about her eyes.
“Careful, there,” Bishop Wyble said. “Don’t damage her chip.”
“Chip?” the Boss asked. “You mean her Reaper chip? Oh, that thing is long gone.”
“What?!?” the Archbishop cried.
***
The Archbishop whirled on the Bishop’s vid screen. “You said I could have a Reaper chip!”
Bishop Wyble’s face blanched. “I am truly sorry, Your Holiness. I did not know that the Boiler had had it removed.”
The Archbishop shook with hormonal rage. He turned on the Boiler boy and lashed out, knocking the child to the ground. June pushed her self up and lunged at the Archbishop, but was stricken to the ground immediately. The boy tried to scramble towards June but the Archbishop stomped on his back, smashing him into the concrete.
“Bravo!” the Boss cheered, clapping enthusiastically.
***
“You! You did this!” the Archbishop snarled at the Boss, grinding his red booted heel into the small of the Boiler child’s back.
“Yep, I did,” the Boss replied casually. “Get over it.”
The Archbishop stomped on the boy and the child cried out. “Take this to my quarters!”
Rancher guards grabbed the boy by the ankles and dragged him away. He reached out for June, but a blow to the head stopped all protestations.
“I’ll feed you your balls for that,” June raged.
“She will too,” the Boss laughed. “So, are me and the princess gonna fight or what?”
***
The Archbishop seemed to calm slightly at the suggestion of combat. “Yes, a fight.” The Archbishop raised a hand and his Page stepped forth instantly. “My chair. My blanket and refreshments.”
The Page bowed silently, dashing away. The Archbishop waved at June and Rancher guards pulled her roughly to her feet. “Strip her.”
“What? You sick little freak!” June cried as her soiled and dirty clothes were cut away. She stood before the Archbishop, her black and blue body shaking with anger.
“Now we’re talking,” the Boss leered.
The Archbishop eyed the Boss lasciviously. “Him too.”
“What?” the Boss barked.
***
“We’re ready for the tactical briefing,” Rachel said, stepping into the transport and up to Capreze and Jethro. She gasped at the image on the vid screen. “Shit, is that June?’
“Yeah,” Jethro responded solemnly.
“Jeezus, makes me wish I’d been a little nicer to her,” Rachel said.
“You can apologize when she’s safely out of there,” Capreze responded. “Any progress, Jethro?’
“Gonna try right now, sir,” Jethro answered. “I hope she sees Two move and not the Ranchers. Otherwise we may have to forego subtlety and just start blasting.”
“Do you even know the definition of subtlety?” Rachel joked.
***
The Boss stood in the middle of the mech hangar, bare-assed and fuming. He glared at the Archbishop. “You gettin’ an eyeful, you fucking dress wearing pussy?”
Several Ranchers started forward, but the Archbishop held up his hand. “Leave the cannibal be. He can take his frustrations out on the mech woman.”
The Page returned, dragging a high backed gilded chair, a gold plated cooler and a red blanket. “Here you are, Your Holiness,” the Page puffed.
The Archbishop sat down and twirled his hands, indicating the Ranchers should form a circle with June and the Boss in the center.
***
Jethro made Two’s right fingers drum against the side of its metal body. He watched June carefully, but it was obvious she didn’t notice. He tried again and a couple of the ranchers closest to the mini-mech turned about, but quickly returned their attention to the fight about to start.
“Shit,” Jethro muttered.
“Tap louder,” Rachel said.
“Why not just walk Two over there and tap on her shoulder?” Jethro mocked.
Rachel grinned. “Why not?”
Jethro turned to get Capreze’s reaction, but the Commander wasn’t there. Rachel’s grin widened. “He’s outside talking.”
Jethro slouched in defeat. “What are you thinking?”
***
“Jay? Jay, come in,” Rachel crackled over the com.
“Whatcha need, Rache?” Jay responded.
“What’s your current location?”
Jay checked his readings. “Somewhere in Sector 48-5F. We’re still hours away from you guys.”
“Yeah, but you’re not far from the base, though, are you?”
“Well, with a couple of track switches we’d be at the base in about an hour. It’ll tack on more time getting to you. I thought the base was occupied? What are you thinking?”
“June’s at the base being held by the Ranchers. Think you could swing by and pick her up?”
“Love to,” Jay responded.
***
“Diverting the cavalry?” Capreze asked, overhearing Rachel as he stepped back into the transport. “I’m pretty sure that is a call for the CO to make.”
“You were busy,” Rachel responded. “Plus, we have Mathew on his way. He’ll get here first.”
Jethro quickly turned back to his tablets as Capreze looked away from his daughter.
“What?” Rachel asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“About Mathew,” Capreze said. “He’s heading straight for the UDC stronghold.”
“What?!?” Rachel cried. “Why?!?”
“In case things go south here, we need someone to try and shut them down. And he has the best shot.”
***
June and the Boss stood staring at each other. The Archbishop looked from one to the other then clapped his hands together. “Well… fight!”
“Yeah, I ain’t feeling it,” the Boss said. “Maybe you and bruised titties here should duke it out while I watch.”
The Archbishop snapped his fingers and two Ranchers stepped forward, rifles aimed at the Boss’s crotch. “Fight or you lose your manhood,” the Archbishop snapped.
The Boss lifted his hands. “Hold on, no need to threaten the Little Boss.” He turned to June. “Guess they want a show.”
“Guess we’ll give them one,” she responded.
***
“They have agreed, Your Grace,” Deacon Montoya stated.
The Bishop turned his attention away from the vid feed of the mech hangar, muting the connection. “Have they? Delightful. See, Montoya, what did I tell you? Everyone has their price.”
“Yes, Your Grace was right, as always,” the Deacon agreed. The Bishop waved away the flattery as Montoya continued. “They will have their people in place momentarily. Shall we have them wait for our arrival?’
“Dearest me, no, Deacon! Cripple those mechie heathens now,” Bishop Wyble ordered. “Let them take the casualties, not us.
“Of course, Your Grace,” Deacon Montoya responded.
***
“I apologize, Your Holiness, but I have to step away. Business at hand,” the Bishop said over the vid feed.
“Of course, Bishop Wyble. Do as you must. It is your honor and duty,” the Archbishop said, his attention on June and the Boss as they circled each other, looking for a tactical advantage.
“Thank you, Your Holiness,” the Bishop said, bowing his head slightly. “I shall not fail His Glory.”
“Yes, yes, Bishop. Send them all to Hell and the honor of becoming a True Disciple will surely be bestowed upon you,” the Archbishop praised automatically, dismissing the Bishop.
***
Mastelo stood next to Capreze as half of the Skinner council approached.
“Good morning to you all,” Mastelo greeted them. “I did not expect you to join us.”
The councilors looked to each other and then at Mastelo. “A decision has been made, Mastelo. It is not in our people’s best interest to ally with the mech outcasts,” an older woman stated. “You will return with us and remain in seclusion so as not to impede what has to be done.”
Mastelo’s jaw dropped. “This must be a mistake. Has the entire council agreed to this?”
“Most,” the woman answered.
***
Harlow glanced down from her cockpit at the conversation below. She watched as two council members split away and approached the Skinner fighters. The fighters’ body language instantly changed as the councilors spoke to them. The new body language was something Harlow could read very well. Aggression.
Several of the Skinners glanced in her direction and then at Bisby, who was still on the ground double checking his mech’s hydraulics.
Harlow tapped her com. “Hey, Biz?”
“Yeah?”
“Carefully take a look around. I don’t think the friendlies are so friendly anymore.”
Harlow reached behind her and withdrew two long blades.
***
Out of the corner of his eye Capreze watched Bisby undo the strap on his sidearm indicating the pilot was well aware of the situation. Without drawing attention, the Commander glanced towards Harlow’s mech, seeing her descend quickly, her blades strapped to her back. Capreze loved his people.
“Councilors,” Capreze soothed. “Before anything gets out of hand, let’s sit down and discuss this.”
A shorter man took a step forward. “I am sorry, Commander. But the discussion has ended. You and your people are on the losing side. We cannot afford to be on that side also. I am sorry.”
***
Several Skinner fighters moved to encircle Bisby, their long knives drawn. The mech pilot cracked his knuckles and grinned. “I don’t know what’s going on boys, but don’t do anything you may regret.” He felt lucky right now that the carbines were laid out and disassembled for cleaning. He could dodge blades easier than he could dodge bullets.
“It is not personal, Pilot,” one of the fighters said. “We mean you no dishonor, but our futures are no longer joined with yours.”
“Oh, I can fucking guarantee that your futures are about to be way different than mine,” Bisby sneered.
***
“I’m all set!” Jethro shouted. “Let the Commander know we can start fucking shit up!”
Rachel slapped the mechanic on the shoulder. “Great job, Jethro.” She stepped to the transport door and froze. “Fuck. This doesn’t look good.”
Themopolous, trying to make sense of the nanotech data she had, looked up from her tablet. “What’s wrong?”
Rachel reached out and grabbed an auto-shotgun, placing the butt against her hip as she drew her sidearm. “Start the transport, Jethro,” she ordered. “If you have to, get yourself and the Doc out of here.”
Jethro looked at the external vid feeds. “Shit.”
***
Rachel walked down the transport ramp, her eyes on her father and Mastelo. She could tell by Capreze’s hand gestures that he was trying to calm things down, but the stance of the Skinners told her it wasn’t working.
And then, in the blink of an eye, a skinner councilor moved and Mastelo fell, the hilt of a knife sticking from his throat. Capreze ducked and rolled as two blades whizzed by him. Rachel brought up her shotgun and started firing, dropping three Skinners.
“Fucking go!” she yelled back at Jethro as she dove to the ground her shotgun barking.
***
The Boss landed a powerful right hook against June’s cheek, knocking her head back, making her stumble. “Remember the pit, bitch?” he said, dancing to the side, sizing up the damage he had wrought. “I grew up in that fucking hole. You may be UDC trained, but I’m pit fight tested.”
He lashed out with two quick kicks, connecting with June’s mid-section. The pilot doubled over and tried to catch her breath. Her diaphragm refused to obey and she thought she’d pass out from lack of air.
The Boss grabbed her by the hair, slamming his knee into her face.
***
Harlow didn’t run, she didn’t hurry, she didn’t speak. She just casually pulled her long blades from her back, taking one in each hand and walked towards the onrushing Skinners.
Four came at her immediately once they were within range and four Skinners fell, missing limbs and heads. The others stopped dead in their tracks.
Harlow stayed silent and waited. The Skinners eyed her nervously, looking from her blades to their fallen comrades and back. The mech pilot could smell their fear, see the uncertainty in their eyes. They had her outnumbered, but she had them out-skilled by a longshot.
***
June, choking on the blood pouring into her sinuses, coughed and spat. The Boss jumped back away from the red spray. “Hey now, don’t go wasting the good stuff.”
Shifting his weight to his right side, the Boss lashed out with his left foot, connecting with June’s face, sending her sprawling across the hangar floor. He looked away from the fallen pilot and at the Archbishop. “This’ll be over soon then the two of us should talk. I think we got off on the wrong foot.” The Boss returned his attention to June. “Just give me a minute to finish.”
***
Bisby put two bullets in the heads of each Skinner that charged him. He didn’t bother to reload his pistol when the 18 cartridges were spent, he just flipped it around, the grip now a club.
Eight Skinners stepped over the nine bodies on the ground, each no longer taking the mech pilot for granted. One drew his arm back and threw his knife, aiming for Bisby’s head. With equal agility, Bisby snatched the blade out of the air, expertly grabbing the hilt.
“You think I haven’t practiced that move, you dumb fucks?!?” he sneered, now with blade in hand.
***
Jethro had the transport ramp and door secured before the hostiles could get in. He heard them pounding on the outside, their bloodthirsty calls making him shiver. But, that had to wait as he glanced at the vid screen connected to mini-mech Two.
“Ahh, shit,” he cursed, seeing June take a beating from the Boss. “Fuck!”
Themopolous looked out one of the transport’s portholes and gasped. “We have to do something!”
“Yeah, Doc, I know!” Jethro exclaimed. “June’s in trouble too, so get your ass over here and help!”
Themopolous glanced at Jethro. “What do you need me to do?”
***
The Boss waited for June to catch her breath and get to her feet.
“Kill her!” the Archbishop screeched in his cracking, teenage voice. “Kill her now!”
“Where’s the sport in that?” the Boss asked. “I thought you wanted a show.”
June hocked a gob of bloody mucous onto the floor between the Boss’s feet. “Fuck you, Boiler. You won’t take me.”
“Dear, dear Rachel, haven’t you learned? I’m in charge. Whether in a fight or a nice sit down family dinner, I’m in charge.” He feigned a left jab and June fell for it, never seeing the right connect.
***
Slash. Hand. Slash. Arm. Slash. Head. Thrust. Intestines.
Harlow moved with practiced efficiency, her blades leaving dismembered corpses in her wake.
She ducked easily under and around the knives flying at her and laughed. “You keep throwing away your weapons. Not really the smartest tactic.”
One Skinner had managed to get to the carbines and reassemble one. He brought the gun to his shoulder, but the long blade that pierced his brain prevented him from taking aim. Harlow ran and rolled to the corpse, retrieving her weapon. “See! I took mine back.”
The Skinners now gave her a wide berth.
***
“We’re just going to leave them out there?” Themopolous cried.
“Yes!” Jethro answered. “They’re big kids and can take care of themselves. I need to focus on the base. You need to focus on Two.”
“What?!? I don’t know how to operate a mini-mech!”
Jethro grabbed the Doctor’s hands and placed one on the joystick, the other on the weapons console. “Left, right, forward, back. RPGs, 50mm, flame. Don’t hit the capped red button.”
“Why?”
“It makes everything go boom at once. We don’t want to do that yet.”
“Yet?!?” she exclaimed.
“Yeah, yet,” Jethro responded. “Now, here’s the mic.”
***
“Um, ahem, attention mech base. Please put down all weapons and surrender immediately,” Themopolous’s voice boomed from Two’s loudspeaker. “This is your only warning.”
The Boss, about to deliver the killing blow to June, stopped and looked around. “What the fuck, Archie? Your people playing some joke?”
The Archbishop stood, enraged. “Who dares interrupt? I will have your guts on a spit and force feed them to you!”
The Boss laughed. “Now you’re talkin’!”
Two took a step forward and all eyes fell on the mini-mech. Through swollen eyes, June watched Two raise its guns and she covered her head.
***
The Boss looked from June to the mini-mech and back again. He didn’t waste a second and dropped to the floor just as Themopolous let loose with Two’s 50mms. The gunfire was deafening and the screams of the Ranchers could barely be heard over the percussions, as there bodies were ripped to shreds.
The Archbishop dove behind his chair, but the gaudy piece of furniture was no match for the large caliber slugs. His body shook and writhed as round after round pierced him. He lay twitching as his blood pooled with the other Ranchers’ blood upon the hangar floor.
***
The sound of gunfire echoed down the mech base’s halls and into the control room.
“Get me a visual on the hangar now!” Reverend Heath yelled.
“I can’t, sir,” a Rancher tech responded. “I’m locked out!”
“What?!?” the Reverend exclaimed, shoving the tech out of the way. “Move!”
Heath typed at the tablet, cursing. “By the True Disciple! I won’t let this system be hijacked!”
“Should I check the hangar, sir?” the tech asked.
“If you want to be filled with lead, then be my guest. Those gunshots aren’t from our Believers.”
“But, the Archbishop?”
“He’s in God’s hands now.”
***
“Someone’s got fast fingers,” Jethro said, fighting to keep control of the mech base’s systems. “Mine are faster. How’s our girl doing?”
Jethro kept typing, but when Themopolous didn’t respond he risked a glance her way. The doctor sat stunned, her eyes dazed and brimming with tears.
“Doc? You with me?” Jethro asked concerned.
Themopolous turned her head slowly to look at Jethro. “I killed them, Jethro. I killed them all.”
“Good job, Doc. Now pull it together. Can you see June?”
Themopolous returned to her attention to Two’s vid feed. “She’s moving.”
“Good. Kill anything that comes at her.”
***
The Boss listened for movement in the silence, but only heard the low moans of the Rancher wounded. Satisfied, he sat up glancing around at the destruction. “Whoowee! Now that was something!” He whistled appreciatively, but the whistle was quickly turned into a cry of pain. Agony erupted from his crotch as June’s hand clamped down.
“My turn,” June croaked, squeezing as hard as she could.
The Boss screamed shrilly and, despite his tolerance, passed out from the pain as one of his testicles burst in his scrotum.
June got to her feet and spit on the now unconscious Boiler.
***
“You’re very talented.” Reverend Heath heard Jethro’s voice boom over the loudspeaker in the control room. “But, you’re in my house, bitch.”
“Go to Hell,” the Reverend cried out.
“Hey, that’s my line,” Jethro laughed. “Bye bye now.”
Reverend Heath watched in horror as all vid screens went blank and the room’s door started to shut. He leapt to his feet, but was a second too late as he heard the door latch securely.
Air started to pump from the vents. Hot air.
“It’s about to get very uncomfortable, especially when the temp in there hits over 200,” Jethro taunted.
***
Ranchers across the base watched, confused as they were systematically sealed into whatever room they were unlucky enough to be in at the moment. Jethro remotely cranked the heat in each room, sending the Ranchers to a slow, painful demise.
He brought up the hangar’s vid feed. “Hey there Juney girl.”
He watched June turn about. “Jethro?”
“Yep,” Jethro answered. “Listen, I’m setting the base’s self-destruct. The barracks are clear. Get yourself geared up and get outside. There’s a Railer train heading your way in minutes. Jay, Masters and the Rookie are with it. Get the Hell out of there.”
***
Capreze hadn’t been in combat in years and he was thankful for regular training and workouts as his muscle memory took over. He had his pistol out before he came out of the roll and had dropped two Skinners by the time he was on his feet and running for cover. He wasn’t Bisby or Harlow, dodging and catching knives wasn’t really an option at his age.
He flipped a camp table over in time to hear the thunk-thunk of two knives embedding themselves in the plastic.
“Get out of here!” Capreze yelled into his com.
“No doin’!” Jethro responded.
***
June slammed the stray Rancher into the wall, crushing his nose instantly. She snapped his neck before he had time to cry out.
“How many more are out and about?” she yelled, knowing Jethro was listening.
“Three more, but other side of the base,” Jethro responded isolating the loudspeaker in the barracks as she burst through the door.
She kicked open her locker and grabbed a uniform, yanking it on over her battered body. Dashing to Bisby’s bunk she tossed the pillow aside, grabbing up the 9mm he had stashed underneath. She checked that the clip was full and left.
***
“Jethro, you need to check the vid feeds and find the boy!” she yelled running down the hall.
“Boy? Did you not hear me when I said the train would be there in minutes? Screw the boy! Get the fuck out of there!” Jethro responded.
June came to a halt in the middle of the hall and turned angrily to the nearest vid camera. “Jethro, so help me God, if you don’t find him I will personally make sure you shit in a bag the rest of your life!”
There was silence for a moment. “Capreze’s quarters,” Jethro said finally.
***
“We’ve got to get to the mechs!” Rachel yelled, joining her father behind the camp table, pumping shells into the shotgun. “If more show up we’re fucked!”
“I know!” Capreze said, firing six shots around the side of the table. Four found their mark and more Skinners fell. “But those assholes know that also and are blocking our way.”
Rachel stood suddenly, blasting away with the shotgun until it was empty then dove over the table. She came up swinging the shotgun like a club and beat Skinner after Skinner as she dashed to her mech.
Capreze grinned with pride.
***
“MOTHER FUCKERS!!!” Bisby shouted, taking his rage out on the nearest Skinner, nearly sending his fist completely through the man’s skull. He shoved the corpse to the ground and whirled in time to block a kick aimed for his face. He grabbed the attacker by the leg and brought his elbow down on the man’s knee, shattering it.
He felt the first blade nick his side and another embed in his thigh. Then a pain greater than anything filled his head and he realized his left arm was no longer there.
Clutching at his stump of a shoulder, Bisby fell.
***
Harlow and Rachel saw Bisby fall at the same time.
“I’ve got him!” Harlow yelled. “Get in your mech!”
Rachel nodded, ducking under a knife swipe, coming up, burying the empty shotgun into the soft underside of the Skinner’s chin, jamming the barrel up through the roof of the man’s mouth and into his brain. She shouldered him aside and leapt onto her mech’s leg, clawing hand over hand until she was in her cockpit.
She didn’t bother to strap in, immediately setting to work powering up the machine and readying weapons.
“You’re all going to die!” she cried out.
***
Capreze’s office was like a bake oven as June rushed inside and lifted the boy into her arms. He was burning up and limp, but still breathing.
“How much time do I have?” June yelled.
“None! You need to be on the platform now! One of the mechs will grab you up!” Jethro responded. He happened to glance at the hangar vid feed and blanched. “Oh, fuck…”
“What?” June asked, running down the hall. “Jethro? What’s wrong?”
Jethro watched the undead UDC troops rise and the Rancher corpses become what they worshipped in life: zombies.
“Control tower! Now!” Jethro ordered.
***
“Well ain’t that a sight for sore eyes,” Jay exclaimed as the mech base came into sight.
“No shit, my man,” Masters agreed. “I wish we could stop for a shower and a shave, but duty calls! Smashing duty!”
“Hey Masters!” Jethro interrupted. “Can your mech reach the top of the control tower?”
“My fucking mech can see into the fucking control tower. Why?”
“Change of plans. June’s coming out that way.”
“Huh? Why not out the… front… door…” Masters trailed off as UDC troops emerged from the smashed front of the hangar and began to load into transports. “Oh.”
***
One, two, three, four, five.
The Skinners fell under Harlow’s blades, the steel slicing through flesh and bone like soft butter.
To the casual observer, Harlow’s face would have looked blank, almost calm, but inside a homicidal fire burned brighter and brighter as she fought her way to Bisby, seeing her friend’s life pulsing from what used to be his left arm.
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
They continued to fall. Without realizing it, Harlow began hacking the left arms off of everyone in her way, her subconscious finding an outlet to keep her centered, to keep her from breaking.
***
June felt her legs beginning to give as she took the control tower steps two at a time. She was amazed her body hadn’t given out yet, after the days of abuse it had suffered.
The sound of boots hitting the steps below echoed up the stairwell.
“Jethro! Talk to me!” she called out.
“About a dozen fully armed UDC troops are on your ass!” the mechanic responded.
“Troops? Didn’t their Reaper chips fry their brains when they went down in the hangar?!?”
“Right, you’ve been outta the loop. Yeah, their brains regenerate now. Sorry.”
“Are you fucking shitting me?!?”
***
Harlow heard Rachel’s mech open fire as she gutted and decapitated the last two Skinners in her way.
Dropping her long blades, she knelt and ripped the sleeves from her uniform, using the material to apply pressure to Bisby’s wound.
“Hey there, pretty lady,” Bisby whispered through ashen lips. “I think I cut myself shaving.”
Harlow grinned despite the tears streaming down her face. “Shut up, idiot. Save your strength.”
“You know, I’m sorry,” Bisby continued weakly.
“For what?”
“For busting your balls all these years. I was just jealous you’re a better warrior.”
“Shhhh,” she said choking back sobs.
***
“Great time to try the new sonic disc!” Jay hollered over the com.
The Rookie watched the UDC transports swing about and head straight for the mechs and Railer train. “Yeah, kinda agree with you there.” The Rookie turned to Marin. “Is it powered up?”
“Ready to go, but it takes a minute or two between pulses so make the first one count.”
As the transports rolled into range, the Rookie held his breath and engaged the disc.
A high pitched whine sounded then everyone in the train felt a pressure behind their eyes and like that, it was over.
***
The Boss felt hands grab him and he came to immediately, wasteland instinct overriding the sickening pain in his crotch.
Without looking or thinking he lashed out, knocking the hands away. The resulting hiss and growl told his foggy brain what he was up against.
He pushed himself to his feet and came face to face with the Archbishop. The fourteen year old boy snarled and bared fangs hungry for the Boss’s flesh.
The Boss kicked out, knocking the robed zombie away, but he instantly wished he hadn’t as the pain from his crushed testicle brought him to his knees.
***
June made it to the top of the old control tower and set the boy down. She grabbed up a chair and threw it with all of her strength against the windows. It bounced harmlessly off, clattering to the floor.
“Shit!” June yelled. “Jethro! The windows are blast proof! We’re fucking stuck!”
“Umm, okay, I didn’t think of that,” Jethro responded. “Sorry.”
“Sorry? I will skull fuck you with your goddamn sorry!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down! There’s roof access in the utility closet behind you,” Jethro said.
June picked the boy up again, straining considerably under the child’s weight.
***
The Boss watched helplessly, incapacitated by pain, as the last UDC troops streamed from the hangar and he was left alone with the undead Ranchers.
“Bring it, fuckers,” he grunted.
The Archbishop and the others began to lunge, but froze almost immediately as a high pitched whining filled the air. The Boss felt the beginnings of a headache and then it was gone and each of the Rancher zombies fell to their knees. The Boss barely had time to cover his head with his arms as the zombies’ heads exploded, spraying the hangar with grey-red goo and bits of bone.
***
“Fuck!” Jay shouted. “It didn’t work on the UDC troops!”
“What the hell are you talking about, Rind?” Marin asked. “The transports have stopped and the ground troopers are down.”
“But their heads should have exploded,” Jay insisted. “The nanotech must have altered their brains just enough so the frequency incapacitates them, but doesn’t make ‘em go pop.”
“So fucking what?” Masters joined in. “Down is fucking down.”
Masters/Stomper began to crush the transports under their feet then stepped past, grinding the exposed troops into the dirt. “See?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jay sulked. “But I wanted the heads to pop.”
***
June collapsed upon the control tower roof, the boy draped across her, clinging to her. “Holy fucking shit,” she gasped. “I can’t move another muscle.”
“Well, you better, ‘cause her comes the cavalry!” Master shouted. The tower shook with each massive footstep Stomper took.
June’s eyes went wide at the site of the Hill Stomper reaching a giant fist up to the roof. The boy shook with fear and June held him close. “Don’t worry, baby, the good guys are here.”
It took all her strength but she managed to carry the boy over and climb aboard the offered hand.
***
Jay kept his eyes on the UDC deaders that Masters hadn’t crushed. Some were already beginning to stir.
“Fuck,” Jay swore. “Minutes. It only gives us minutes.”
“It’s fucking better than nothing,” the Rookie said. “If we can slow them down long enough to blast them to Hell then I call it a win.”
Jay shook his head, eyeing the now upright troops. He aimed his plasma cannon and fired, obliterating the deaders in a blast of fiery red. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Oh, come on Rind, you old grouch!” Marin scolded. “Stop being such a perfectionist. The fucking disc works!”
***
“Jethro! Open the ramp now goddamit!” Themopolous shouted. “Bisby’s down!”
“What?!?” Jethro turned his attention from the mech base feeds and slammed his hand on the ramp controls.
Grabbing her med kit, the Doctor sprinted from the transport and was at Bisby’s side immediately.
“Hey Doc,” Bisby whispered. “I think I cut myself shaving.”
“You already used that one, Biz,” Harlow soothed, her pleading eyes meeting Themopolous’.
“Yeah, but… it’s pretty… fucking funny,” Bisby stuttered weakly.
“It is, Biz. It is,” Themopolous played along, pulling the make shift bandages away. Blood squirted from the open wound, making the Doctor wince.
***
Rachel systematically went from Skinner to Skinner and stomped them into pulp. The corpses she couldn’t get to, the ones too close to the transport or the mech personnel, were finished off by the Commander as he put two bullets in each of their skulls.
“I think we got them all, Baby Girl,” Capreze said over the com. “Stay up there though in case there’s another wave. Don’t forget we have thousands of these fuckers below us.”
“You think they’ll attack?’ Rachel asked concerned.
“No,” Capreze responded. “Not all of them, but some might try it.”
“They do, they die,” Rachel promised.
***
“We’re about clear,” Jenny said, checking her readings as the Railer train shot past the mech base. “Blow that shit up!”
“Do we really need to? “Jethro asked over the com. “The troops and Ranchers are all dead, right?”
“Do it, Jethro,” Jay ordered. “There are too many resources that can be used against us here if more UDC show up.”
Jethro sighed and typed in the final command. “Alright, you’ve got sixty seconds to make sure you are out of the blast radius.”
“We’ll be safe in 30,” Jenny responded. “Jethro, right?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Good work with the tech.”
***
“T MINUS 55 SECONDS UNTIL DETONATION,” the automated voice boomed over every single loudspeaker in the base. “Please clear the area immediately.”
The Boss felt the piss trickle between his legs as he dragged himself to an ATV. He grabbed onto the door and pulled himself upright, screaming at the pain between his thighs. It took all of his will to get himself in the ATV and seated.
“T MINUS 50 SECONDS UNTIL DETONATION.”
“I fucking heard you!” The Boss roared pressing the ATV’s ignition button. He put the vehicle in gear and swung it about towards the hangar entrance.
***
“I have lost contact with the mech base, Your Grace,” Deacon Montoya stated reluctantly. “There is no response to my hail.”
“Can you bring up the vid feed?” the Bishop asked, trying not to worry.
“I will try, Your Grace,” Montoya responded, working frantically at his control panel. “Here. It’s hard to make out though.”
Bishop Wyble concentrated on the blurry image, quickly realizing that the vid screen and camera must have toppled over in the mech base hangar.
“Enhance that picture,” the Bishop ordered. The image closed in on a headless corpse dressed in ornate robes.
The Bishop gasped.
***
“T MINUS 10 SECONDS,” the voice echoed from the hangar as the Boss pushed the ATV to full throttle, desperately trying to put as much distance between himself and the impending destruction.
He ticked off the seconds in his head and when he reached 1, he closed his eyes, gripped the steering wheel and prayed for the first time in his life.
There was a blinding flash and the landscape about him went white. He never heard himself shrieking as the resulting heat blast lifted the ATV into the air and flung it like a toy out into the wasteland.
***
The mechs and Railer train shuddered, but stayed steady as the shock wave from the explosion reached them.
Those that could, watched from the train’s windows, shielding their eyes against the near blinding flash.
“Anybody want to say a few words?” Masters asked. “I mean that was our home.”
The com stayed silent.
“Then I will,” Masters continued. “Thank you mech base for providing us with beds, showers, tables, closets, the control tower during a full moon…”
Jenny looked at the Rookie. “What the Hell is he going on about?”
“All the places he and Harlow fucked,” the Rookie grinned.
***
“It was my fault, Doc,” Bisby said quietly.
“What was, Biz?” the Doctor asked, suturing like mad.
“Stanislaw’s death. It was my fault. He… He thought I was the deader,” Bisby coughed and Themopolous swore as several of the minute stitches she had been working on tore.
“Shit! You have to stay still and quiet,” she pleaded.
“He shot himself,” Bisby continued. “Because of me. I just needed… everyone to know that… before… before I die.”
“Shut the fuck up, Bisby! I won’t let you die!” Themopolous looked at Harlow. “Get me a blow torch. We’re getting back to basics.”