Dead Mech (10 page)

But, Capreze had made a decision years ago
to
not
be that Commander. He commanded by trust, he had to
if his own daughter was going to be one of his pilots.

He watched for a few moments then
transferred back to internal vids.

I wonder…
, he thought.

Capreze switched feeds to Themopolous’s
quarters, but the room was empty.

The doctor wasn’t in.

***

“What’d Capreze say?” Themopolous asked,
tossing her med kit into the back of the ATV as Mathew fired it
up.

“Um, yeah, we haven’t told him yet.”

“What?!?” she yelled. “Why not?”

A sheepish grin spread across Mathew’s face
and he avoided the Doctor’s glare. “Well, there may have been some
‘shine involved.”

“Sweet Jeezus! Did Steve drink also?”

“Oh, he drank…”

“Goddamit! What are you waiting for?!? Get
us out there! His blood’ll be thinned by the alcohol. It could
already be too late.”

Mathew mashed the accelerator.

Hidden in the hangar’s shadows, June watched
the ATV speed away.

***

“Doctor?” Capreze called on the com, puzzled
as to where she would be at 0200. There was no response.

The Commander scanned Themopolous’s quarters
making sure he wasn’t missing anything in the dark room. A quick
search told him he wasn’t.

“Doctor? This is Capreze.” Again, no
response.

Capreze started to set his tablet down, but
thought of something first. He switched on the audio feed.

“Doctor? Doc-,” he quickly stopped, hearing
the tiny buzzing of Themopolous’s ear com. He zoomed in on the side
table, easily finding the minute com.

Capreze narrowed his eyes and strode from
his quarters.

***

“So, you want to tell me what happened?”
Themopolous asked as the ATV came to a halt a few feet from Steve’s
prone form. Rachel squatted over him, her hands pressed firmly
against his thigh.

“Not a clue,” Mathew responded, handing the
doctor her med kit as she stepped from the ATV.

“Keep that pressure!” Themopolous ordered
Rachel as she moved in to examine Steve. “I need light!”

Mathew sprinted to the ATV and retrieved a
halogen. He shone the powerful beam down on Steve’s wound.

“Keep that pressure dammit!” Themopolous
yelled as she cut Steve’s blood soaked uniform open.

***

When Capreze checked base stats he knew
immediately where he needed to go: the hangar.

He didn’t know what was going on, but his
gut told him things were off. When he stepped into the hangar his
feelings were confirmed.

“Pilot Lang! What the hell are you doing?!?”
he yelled up at June just as she shut her mech’s cockpit.
“Godammit!”

The Commander clicked his com. “June, you
had better have a good explanation for this!”

Refusing to respond, June finished her start
up procedure. Capreze dashed to the initiation console, but he was
too late.

June was already moving.

***

“Where’s everybody?” the Rookie asked,
blinking blearily at the fire.

“Over there…Steve’s dying,” Jay mumbled,
splayed out on the dirt.

“Dying? Shit…should we help?”

“Help? With what?”

“I don’t fucking know. Just thought we
should…”

“You go ahead…I ain’t helping with
shit.”

The Rookie pushed himself to his feet and
staggered away from the fire pit. He could see a bright light
shining just a few yards away.

“Hey! Yous guys need some help?”

“No! Just sit down and stay put!” he heard
someone yell back at him.

The Rookie swayed. “Gotcha! Sitting down and
staying put!”

***

“Alright, careful, careful…” Themopolous
commanded as Mathew and Rachel set Steve on the collapsible
stretcher retrieved from the ATV. “I said careful!”

“Jeezus Doc, were trying!” Mathew yelled
back.

“He’s stable for now, but he needs blood
ASAP. If that wound re-opens before I get him in the OR he won’t
make it.”

“Yeah, I know Doc! Careful, got it.”

Rachel and Mathew walked Steve to the ATV
and
carefully
set the stretcher down and strapped it
securely to the back. They all climbed in and Mathew slowly set out
for the base.

“Okay, Mathew now…”

“I know, Doc.
Careful
…”

***

June wiped the tears from her eyes.

“This is it for me. Everything is over,” she
said to herself. “No turning back now.”

June walked the mech from the hangar,
ignoring the figure of Commander Capreze waving for her to
stop.

She pushed the sensors to full and scanned
the night. She had no idea where she was going or what she was
going to do, but she had to leave, had to get away from the base,
from Mathew, from everyone.

Ignoring the motor drive she engaged her
legs and took off at a full run into the night.

***

Mathew swerved to avoid the mech coming
right at them.

“Jeezus fuck!” Mathew yelled. He tapped his
com, trying to hail June.

“She’s won’t pick up!” Rachel yelled, having
tried her com also. “Where does she think she’s going? We can track
her.”

“I don’t know, but she won’t get far. Jethro
was working on her mech. It isn’t fully functional.”

Mathew pulled the ATV into the hangar,
barely missing Commander Capreze.

Capreze turned his attention from June’s
mech onto the ATV. Mathew and Rachel both blanched under his
glare.

“Shit,” Rachel said. “Let me handle
this.”

“Gladly,” Mathew complied.

***

“Holy fuck! Is that a mech?!?” the Rookie
yelled.

“What?!? Where?!?” Jay sat up quickly and
looked out towards the pitch-blackness of the wasteland.

“Right there! Coming from the hangar!” The
Rookie pointed and Jay turned around.

“Shit! That’s June’s mech. Oh, well, she
ain’t going far…” Jay yawned, curling up to the fire.

“Should we do something? Call the
Commander?”

“Sure, Rookie, you do that,” Jay laughed
sleepily.

“But…” the Rookie trailed off.

“Buts are for asses, boy. Buts are for
asses,” Jay slurred before nodding off.

The Rookie watched the shape of the mech
fade into the night.

***

“Okay, just listen…” Rachel started, but
Capreze ignored her, moving quickly to the stretcher.

“How bad, Doc?” he asked.

“Bad,” she said, jumping from the ATV.

Mathew rushed to the med cart and gurney
stationed against the wall, expertly maneuvering both to the
ATV.

“Grab that end,” Mathew barked. The
Commander’s eyebrows raised but he didn’t hesitate. “One, two,
three!”

They lifted the stretcher, placing it on the
gurney.

“What’ll you need, Doc?” Capreze asked.

“I’ll need Harlow to assist and anyone
that’s O- to be ready to give blood.”

“I’m on it!” Rachel said, heading off to the
barracks.

***

“How long are we supposed to stay here for?”
the Rookie asked. All he got in response was the sound of Jay’s
snores. He kicked out with his boot, connecting with Jay’s
thigh.

“Ow! What the fuck?!?” Jay yelled.

“Are they coming back for us?” the Rookie
said, irritated.

“Probably not,” Jay responded, rolling over
and going back to sleep. The Rookie gave him a shove.

“Hey man, I’m new here. What are we supposed
to do?”

“I’m going to sleep. I don’t give a
Rancher’s tit what you do. Just throw another log on the fire if
you go.”

***

“What?” Harlow groaned as Rachel shook
her.

“Steve’s hurt. Themopolous needs you in the
OR,” Rachel whispered.

Harlow sat upright and grabbed for her
uniform. Rachel handed it to her helping the sleepy pilot get her
arms in the sleeves.

“Thanks,” Harlow muttered. “Is there
coffee?”

“Shit. No. I’ll do that next and bring a
thermos to the infirmary.”

Harlow shook her head, trying to get rid of
the fuzziness. “How bad is he?’

“He’s bleeding from his thigh. It won’t
stop.”

Harlow’s eyes went wide. “That could be an
artery.”

She pushed past Rachel and sprinted from the
barracks.

***

“Get some sleep,” Capreze ordered Rachel and
Mathew, both starting to protest. “Sleep. Now. We’ll talk about all
of this during the briefing.”

The pilots looked from each other to the
Commander, Mathew finally shrugging and moving off towards the
barracks.

“I’m going to clean up first,” he said
looking at his blood and dirt stained uniform.

“Fine idea,” Capreze nodded, watching
Rachel.

“I’ll be there in a sec,” Rachel said as
Mathew walked off. She turned to her father, but the look on
Capreze’s face stopped her words dead.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he said. Rachel
nodded and followed Mathew.

***

“I know you’re all tired,” Capreze started
the briefing, his gaze hardening on Rachel and Mathew. “But life
goes on.”

Mathew started to speak, Capreze held up his
hand. “This is my briefing, Pilot Jespers. Hold your questions
until I’m done.”

Mathew nodded and glanced at Rachel. She
avoided his eyes, choosing to keep hers firmly on her father.

“Now,” Capreze began. “Harlow won’t be
joining us since she was in surgery until an hour ago. Which means
we are only missing one person. Anyone know where the Rookie
is?”

Rachel’s eyes widened and she risked a
glance at Mathew.

***

Jay kicked the sleeping Rookie. “I’m pretty
sure you’re missing your morning briefing.”

The Rookie groaned, tried to open his eyes,
but thought better and sat up with his lids firmly shut. “What time
is it?”

“Fuck if I know,” Jay said, unzipping his
fly and pissing on the barely smoldering coals in the fire pit. A
steam cloud of urine wafted over the Rookie making him gag and
fight to keep from vomiting. “But, you better get moving if you
plan on living past today.”

The Rookie groaned again, this time opening
his eyes and braving the bright agony.

***

“Um, no sir. With all the confusion last
night we figured he’d come back with Jay,” Mathew said.

“Quite an assumption. But, that wasn’t your
responsibility, Mathew, was it?”

“No, sir, it was mine,” Rachel spoke up.

“Yes, it was pilot. We’ll speak later. Let’s
move on.”

Capreze lifted his tablet and scanned the
screen. “Steve is going to be fine, but it may be a couple weeks
before he’s up to speed. Until then…” Capreze smiled. “Rachel,
Mathew, the two of you will be in charge of the kitchen.”

Masters and Bisby sat up. “No!” they yelled
in unison.

***

Jay tapped at his tablet and the slight
crackling that the Rookie had thought all night was part fire
suddenly ceased.

“What was that?” the Rookie asked.

“Security containment field,” Jay answered
pointing out small metal rods stationed several yards out.
“Anything without an active Reaper chip crosses that field and
every single external light on this base goes up. Not to mention
auto-cannons, smart mines and a really, really loud alarm. You
didn’t think we’d be outside all night without protection, did
you?”

“I didn’t really think about it,” the Rookie
replied.

“You’re a strange kid, kid,” Jay
laughed.

***

“Those two? Cooking? Please, sir, you can’t
be serious? Why punish us?” Masters complained.

“If it’s any consolation, I’ll be punishing
myself, also,” Capreze said.

“Hey, I’m not that bad of a cook,” Mathew
said.

Rachel reached over and patted his hand.
“Yes, you are Matty. So am I. Sorry everybody.”

“Okay, we are all going to be shitting our
brains out. Got it. Can we move on to the important shit, now? Like
who is going to go look for June?”

“That would be Mathew. Unless you have some
objections, Pilot Jespers?”

“Um, no, sir,” Mathew responded. “Glad
to.”

***

“So… How much trouble are we in?” the Rookie
asked with apprehension.

“Us? I’m not in any trouble. You? Well, you
are in a world of shit,” Jay laughed. He tapped at his tablet:
Rookie with me. Bringing him in. Don’t be too hard on him.
Good
kid
. He sent the message to Capreze and
waited.

Within seconds Capreze responded:
Figured. Make him sweat, he’s yours today. I want to see you
both in my office ASAP.

Jay smiled. “Looks like the Commander has
given me your ass for the day. You’re gonna learn how shit really
works around here.”

***

Capreze set his tablet aside. “Alright, I’m
done holding hands. Bisby, you’re on patrol. Masters, you’re on
escort duty.”

“Escort duty, sir?” Masters asked.

“That’s what I said. I need you to shadow
Jay and the Rookie to Foggy Bottom. Doctor Themopolous put in a med
supply req this morning after surgery. I guess we are dangerously
low on essentials.”

Masters nodded.

“Mathew, you need to get out there and find
June. Regular reports.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Pilot Capreze,” the Commander turned his
gaze on Rachel. “I’m pretty sure you have a kitchen to run. If that
isn’t too much responsibility.”

***

Jay and the Rookie walked into the hangar,
both glad to get out of the morning sun. Jethro looked up from his
work and started laughing.

“Well, don’t you two make a cute couple.
Have fun last night?”

“Fuck you, Jethro,” Jay growled.

“Commander told me you two need to skip
cleaning up and see him right away.”

“Skip cleaning up?” the Rookie asked,
shocked. “Man, I could really use a shower first.”

“That’s tough shit, Rookie,” Jethro said,
returning to the circuit board he was working on.

“Come on,” Jay said, walking away.