Battle Earth II (11 page)

* * *

Chandra slammed a new magazine into her rifle and leapt up against the sidewall of the balcony. Tracer fire and energy pulses were streaming across the bridge and the open plains either side of the structure. Smoke belched from two of Becker’s tanks, but they’d given as good as they’d got. She took aim at the nearest Mech. She could see that was using the corner of one of their burning tanks as cover. Bullets pinged off the creature’s armour, a few causing it to spasm, but none stopped it. She ducked back down behind cover as pulses smashed into the bank.

“God damn it, we need more firepower!”

Monty was kneeling beside her loading grenades into his launcher. He locked the weapon shut as he turned to the Major.

“This ammunition isn’t going to last forever, Major!”

He leapt up and fired several rounds at the same Mech. The second hit it and exploded on its chest. The creature shattered into hundreds of parts and scattered across the ground.

“Green! We need ammo!” shouted Chandra.

“Incoming!” shouted Blinker.

She turned to see a group of Mechs inbound using their flying packs. Several dropped amongst the troops in the trenches. Monty looked up to see two descending towards their building. He lifted his launcher and fired at one of them. The Mech burst into flames just ten metres above, showering them in hot metal and forcing them to duck for cover.

The floor shook as the surviving Mech landed hard between the group on the cafe terrace. Chandra looked up just in time to see the monster open fire, two of its pulses killing one of the men immediately. Monty hesitated, knowing they couldn’t risk high explosive rounds so close. The Major lifted her rifle and opened up with full automatic fire. She was quickly joined by the other riflemen and gunners.

The Mech twisted and lurched as it was hit by dozens of rounds, unable to bring its weapon to bear. It managed to turn to face them, giving Chandra the opportunity she needed. She stood up and walked towards it as she fired on full auto into its head. The mirror glass section dented and cracked until it was finally punctured.

The Mech collapsed onto its back. The soldiers sighed in relief, but Chandra walked right up to the creature and trained her rifle on the smashed face plate. She opened fire once again; firing a long burst which sent blue blood spewing up onto her rifle and hands and across the deck. She stared down at the lifeless wreck, wondering what the purpose of it all was. Why were they so intent on ending the human race?

Gunfire continued to rage in the street as Chandra snapped out of her daze and rushed to the side of the building. The airborne Mechs that had landed among them had been overwhelmed and were being finished off, but she could see a number of human dead along the lines. She turned back to Green.

“Get us that ammo!”

She looked over the ledge to see a group of Mechs rushing across the bridge. Becker’s tanks roared as they pounded the incoming enemy push. The troops in the trenches had overcome their airborne attackers and were turning their attention to the new threat. A barrage of fire struck the bridge until they could no longer see what they were shooting. Grenades and cannon rounds continued to plough into the smoke cloud engulfing the bridge.

Two Mechs rushed out from the dust and smoke but were quickly cut down by a volley of fire. Seconds later, the bridge let out an almighty creek as its foundations gave out. They couldn’t see the bridge collapsing, but they heard it plunge into the water below. The smoke puffed out into a plume rising into the sky.

The guns went quiet, and they could hear the enemy Mechs shuffling about at the other side of the bridge. The battle was far from over, but they had been given some respite. Chandra turned back to her platoon with a look of sheer relief. She peered down at the lifeless body of the Mech and then to the body of the soldier it had killed.

The man had died instantly, his body torn apart by the viciously powerful energy weapons of the enemy. She speculated for a moment about their casualties, but she knew it would be a figure she wouldn’t like. The Major had seen a number of dead and wounded along the trench lines. Dust filled her nostrils and lungs once again. The constant bombardments and battles meant that she could rarely taste or smell anything but brick dust and throat burning smoke.

“That will have bought us a little time. Blinker, check the hard line. Inform the Commander of the attack and our approximate losses. We need ammunition and re-enforcements.”

An explosion erupted in the sky above them, quickly followed by several others. The combined air forces of Europe continued to battle the enemy in the skies. They fought at such heights that the ground troops could rarely catch a glimpse of them. Every day they’d find wreckage of aircraft, more often than not it was from Earth forces. She stepped to the edge of the building and looked over at the devastation below.

“Captain Jones! Get the dead and wounded back to the aid station! Check your weapons. Get what ammunition you need, and be ready for the next assault!”

It was a grim reality that they could do little more than await the next onslaught. Chandra knew the only reason they had won the skirmish was because they had superior numbers. Soldier for soldier they were still at a huge disadvantage. She turned back to the fallen Mech and walked across to it.

“What do we do with it, Major?” asked Monty.

“Leave it where it fell as a reminder that they are not invincible. They aren’t scary monsters or an unbeatable enemy.”

She knelt down beside the weapon the Mech had dropped. It was almost two metres in length and made entirely of metal component parts. Despite it looking alien in construction, its external design was not so different to some of the heavy machine guns they used on vehicles. She wrapped her arms around it and tried to lift it. She got one end a few centimetres off the ground before realising it was too much for her.

“God damn that’s heavy. You two, give me a hand with this! Monty, you too!”

 The four got a solid hold on the cannon and hauled it up to a standing position.

“Onto that wall over there!”

They hauled it onto the ledge of the thick wall overlooking the fallen bridge.

“You think we can get it working, Major?” asked Monty.

“It’s worth a shot. What do you think the recoil is like on one of these things?”

“Probably pretty minimal, considering its weight.”

He and the Major stared at it as the other two men stood back. She turned and looked back at the fallen Mech. They appeared to have two fingers and a thumb on each hand, a configuration which meant they were not so different to humans in their movement. She turned back to the gun.

“This must be the trigger.”

She placed her hand on the grip and found that her index and middle finger naturally came to rest on what felt like a large button. The grip itself was partially hidden inside the rear body of the weapon. The Mechs carried them with their offhand around the barrel like a heavy gunner would haul his weapon about.

“Major, I think...”

Light pulsed as the weapon fire and an energy surge blasted from their position, hitting a burning vehicle the other side of the bridge. The troops below went silent as they peered up to the bank. Several trained their weapons on the position, half expecting to find an enemy among them. Chandra looked at the weapon in amazement before realising what a shock she had caused.

She looked down over the balcony at the troops who quickly went back to work. They understood little about the enemy’s technology, but she’d take any advantage she could get. She turned to look at Monty who stood still surprised that they’d got the weapon working.

“You’ll man this weapon at the next assault, Private.”

“Ma’am, I’ve got no idea how to operate this weapon. Where’s the ammunition?”

“You’ve got as much knowledge as the rest of us. You just keep it firing until it won’t fire anymore.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

* * *

Taylor stood before a vehicle off-road training course that included all sorts of obstacles intended for tanks. He wore Reiter’s powered suit. He didn’t stand a centimetre taller as it was so slimline. The most noticeable bulk was from the thick armour plates on his torso. He took a deep breath as Reyes watched on with a host of scientists and weapon developers.

The Major held in his hands the new launcher Reiter had designed. He’d lifted it in the lab and found it weighed twice what he’d been used to, but now he barely noticed the difference. The exoskeleton fitted all along his key skeletal structure, extending from his feet to his hands and up his spine. He could feel the device, but it didn’t seem as if he was carrying any weight or was encumbered in any way.

The Major stepped forward at a walking pace. He felt as if he was in a low gravity environment, as he knew he was carrying a hundred kilos but could barely feel it. He gradually increased his speed to a jog. The equipment fitted like a glove and didn’t shake or rattle. It operated with his body as if it were his own joints and muscles.

“Run, Major!” shouted Reiter.

He followed the advice and broke out into a full sprint. It shocked Mitch as he sprung into a rapid pace almost double what he had ever managed on a track wearing no gear at all. Up ahead was a five metre wall. He kept storming towards it, and hit the booster button on the cuff of the device. It sprung him into the air, easily clearing the obstacle and cushioning his landing with a combination of boost and suspended landing of the joints. He felt no serious discomfort in his wounded leg. Taylor took a sharp turn and charged back towards the group, sliding to a halt before them.

“I like it. This armour, you’re sure it’ll stop their weapons?”

“Absolutely, Major, but only up to two or three shots, and you’ll certainly know you’ve taken a hit.”

“Well, that’s an improvement.”

Their current armour did little to protect them against direct fire from the enemy pulse weapons, but it did at least save many from artillery and shrapnel. A voice boomed out from behind the group.

“Let’s get to the range, Major!”

Taylor instantly recognised the commanding roar of Eli. She stepped through the group to stand in front of him.

“What are you doing here, Sergeant?”

“Sergeant Parker was not fit for active duty, and so she was dispatched here to assist you,” said Reyes.

The Major smiled and couldn’t believe his luck. He could do little to hide his relief that she was safe.

“We’ve got a job to do, Sergeant. This equipment could substantially change our odds in combat. We need to know if it’s up to the task ASAP.”

“I’ve already been briefed, Sir.”

“Then let’s get to the range.”

“Major, we’ve set up a temporary weapons testing area for you here.”

He turned to see several Mech armours propped up like manikins at two hundred metres away. His heart pounded in shock. The sight of them on open ground had been a thing to fear for them all in the previous days.

“We’ve been able to salvage a few of their armours for testing.”

Taylor lowered his head in relief. For just a split second, he’d thought their enemy had reached them in Ramstein.

“When you’re ready, Major.”

He nodded and turned back to the Mech armours. He’d never had so much time to stare at them before. The sight of the enemy had always required immediate and decisive action, not careful targeting. He lifted the launcher to his shoulder and took aim. With the straight trajectory that Reiter had promised, he aimed it like a rifle, rather than the elevated indirect firing of the launchers they had become so accustomed to.

The Major squeezed the trigger, and a loud crack rang out as a pulse of energy ignited in the barrel of the weapon, sending a grenade hurtling down the range. The round flew faster than Taylor had seen a grenade fly and struck its target almost instantly. It exploded on impact with a relatively small charge.

“You see, Major, with a more accurate round, we can make the ammunition smaller for more targeted shooting. These should be able to replace the assault rifle in combat usage.”

He turned to Reiter quickly.

“And a round from this will take a Mech down?”

“Like a rifle round against a human? Not necessarily. It has the ability to pierce their armour and deliver severe damage, but we do not yet fully understand the aliens’ constitution.”

“What does that mean in the real world?” Parker asked.

“That if the first round doesn’t put them down, you shoot them again until they do,” snapped Taylor.

“Precisely, Major, let’s go and investigate the results of your shooting.”

Taylor released his grip on the weapon and let it rest on its sling at his side. The suit took up the weight, but it was an unsettling feeling not having the weight to reassure him that it was at his side. As they strolled towards the targets, Taylor took a deep breath of the fresh air. He had wondered what had felt so different since they had arrived and finally he realised. Gone was the sickening smell of a burning city, the taste of dust and sulphur, and the smell of electrical burning and red hot metal.  

He breathed in slowly and heavily, enjoying the cool and clean air, as he knew it would be a luxury he would soon lose again. He looked over at Parker as they strode forward, glad to have her at his side.

“How is the Company?” he asked.

“Heading to defend the bridge where we saved your ass, last time I saw them.”

He smiled. The north had been one of the safest areas of the city up until now. Then he thought back to his near death experience, realising that it was probably no longer the case. They reached the battered Mech armour. A hole over five centimetres wide had been ripped into the chest plate, and it still smouldered. Taylor pulled out his knife and thrust it into the breach to see if it had cleared the armour. The blade met no resistance and ran up to the guard.

“You see, Major. Small projectiles with enough explosive to puncture. These are high velocity, low calibre armour penetrating rounds.”

He turned and looked down at the experimental equipment he was wearing. He thought about it for a moment, and then peered up at the many faces that were waiting for his comment.

“With this equipment a soldier will run faster and for longer, be better protected, and do more damage. It’ll double our combat effectiveness overnight.”

Reiter smiled. He knew the progress they had made was great, but he still loved hearing it. Taylor turned to Reyes.

“You can give the General my approval,” he turned to Reiter.

“Get this into production. I don’t care what you’ve got to do. Get it made, and get it to the front line.”