Dead Mech (26 page)

“Copy that, Commander,” Harlow responded
checking her time display. “We’ll keep our eyes peeled for a
suitable campsite in a few hours.”

“Excellent. All pilots on board with that?”
Capreze asked.

“Yep,” Bisby responded.

“Yes, sir,” Rachel answered.

“Good. In the meantime I’d suggest you do a
full running diagnostic on your systems.”

***

“Your Grace? UDC troops report the base is
empty,” Deacon Montoya said, approaching Bishop Wyble as he lounged
in an ornate and well padded chair under an oversized umbrella. The
Bishop lazily set his drink down on an equally ornate side table
next to his chair.

“That is splendid, Deacon. Are you sure the
troops are correct?”

Montoya looked at the platoon of UDC
troopers and couldn’t help but shiver. “Yes, Your Grace. They may
no longer be…as they were, but their training appears to be intact,
if not heightened.”

“Very well then it is time for the
Blessing.”

***

“Are we close, Rookie?” Masters asked over
the com.

“Yeah. See those two mesas on the horizon?”
the Rookie responded. “The cavern is just on the other side of the
left mesa.”

“Gotcha. Shouldn’t take us more than… Hey
Jay, are you reading what I’m reading?”

Jay glanced at his scanner. “Shit! How’d
that guy sneak up on us? I’m losing my touch.”

“What? What is it?” the Rookie asked.

“Deader. Big fucker. Must have been using
those hills as cover. Still don’t know why it didn’t set off the
alarms though,” Jay responded activating the salvage mech’s weapons
systems.

***

Masters checked and double checked his
scanner readings. “Shit. That’s not a battle mech is it?”

“No, it’s not,” Jay responded over the com.
“Looks like a Hill Stomper.”

“A what?” the Rookie asked.

“Didn’t you learn anything before signing
up?” Masters mocked. “A fucking Hill Stomper. Construction mech.
Quadruple the size of our mechs and built to punch holes through
mountains and take a beating like nothing else.”

“They can handle up to 1000 tons of pressure
before their hydraulics give out. The Earth itself can’t crush
them,” Jay added.

“Oh, that’s just great,” the Rookie sighed.
“Just great…”

***

“Oh Blessed Father! Cleanse this base of the
heathen influence and poison,” Bishop Wyble intoned as he entered
the mech hangar, incense in hand, robes adorning his shoulders. The
Deacons flanked the Bishop, hands near their sidearms as the rest
of the Ranchers followed behind, eyes to the heavens, hands clasped
to each other, mutterings of ‘Amen’ and ‘Glory Be’ escaping their
devout lips.

“Take the evil that permeates this facility
and cast it out. Cast it far from here and let this base be filled
with the Spirit! Let the vileness and wanton lust be forever purged
from here!”

***

“Oh, you got to see this!” Jethro said.
“Shooting the feed over to everyone.”

Capreze, Themopolous and the pilots all
focused on the images Jethro shot them.

“What the fuck am I looking at, Jethro?”
Bisby asked. “Is that guy wearing a dress?”

“Robes, Pilot,” Capreze corrected. “And that
‘guy’ is Bishop Wyble himself. And where Bishop Wyble is…”

“The Archbishop isn’t far behind,” Rachel
finished for her father.

“What are they playing at?” Harlow asked.
“Is there any sound with this?”

“Yeah, hold on,” Jethro responded tapping
commands into his tablet. “There.”

“
And as God has commanded, there
shall…
”

***

“…there shall be no other Faith than the
True Faith. Let God’s children and Disciples, learn from their time
here, this Purgatory on Earth. Let them all learn to fear God, to
worship God, to be his servant and warrior for Eternity. In the
name of the Father, the Son and the True Disciple, Amen,” Bishop
Wyble finished.

“Amen,” the Ranchers echoed.

The Bishop turned to his fellow Ranchers.
“Now, who shall be the sacrifice to complete the Blessing?” The
Bishop looked amongst his people and smiled, pointing to a petite
woman. “Sister Amanda shall have the honor of Sacrifice.”

***

“Where’s this feed coming from?” Bisby
asked.

“I have Two powered down. Only audio/visual
and basic sensors are operational,” Jethro answered. “Four is
following us acting as a relay.”

“Good thinking,” Bisby said.

“Well, already lost two mini-mechs, so
figured I’d get the most of what was left,” Jethro said, his jaw
tightening in pain.

“Jethro? What is it?” Themopolous asked as
she got up from her seat and rushed to the mechanic’s side.

“Nothing, Doc. Just a headache.”

Themopolous handed Jethro two pills. “Take
these.” Jethro did so and smiled weakly.

“Um, guys? What’s that woman doing?” Rachel
asked.

***

Sister Amanda removed her uniform and
stepped naked before the Rancher congregation. “I am honored to be
chosen as the Sacrifice for this Blessing,” she announced, bringing
her arms above her head, fingers splayed wide. “I pray, Father,
that you see fit to make me a True Disciple. But, if I am not
worthy, do not let that be reason for withholding your
Blessing!”

Amens rang out from the Ranchers and Bishop
Wyble grinned widely as he stepped forward, handing Sister Amanda a
long, ornate knife. “God has heard you, my child.”

Sister Amanda put the knife to her
throat.

***

“Dear God,” Themopolous gasped as they all
watched Sister Amanda bring the blade of the knife across her
throat and collapse to the hangar floor while blood gushed from the
slit.

“God has nothing to do with it, Doctor. Not
where Ranchers are concerned,” Capreze growled. “They may play the
part, but God doesn’t look down on those freaks with favor.”

“I wouldn’t have figured you a religious
man, Commander,” Harlow said.

“I’m not, Pilot. But Faith and religion are
two different things. As each of you have learned out here in the
waste.”

“Amen to that,” Bisby chimed in.

***

The Bishop and Ranchers stared at the still
form of Sister Amanda as dark blood continued to pool about her
naked body. It took less than a minute before her eyes opened and
what used to be Sister Amanda sprang into a crouch, a guttural
growl coming from the open wound in her neck.

Bishop Wyble sighed, withdrawing a long rod,
adorned with jewels, from beneath his robe. The Bishop flicked a
switch and the rod hummed to life. He stepped forward and before
the zombie Sister could pounce he jabbed her, sending 10,000 volts
coursing through her undead body.

***

“So is the fucking thing following us or
not?’ Masters asked.

“Can’t tell until it makes a move,” Jay
answered over the com.

“Yeah, well I’d prefer it didn’t make a
move,” Masters said, watching his scanner closely. “I may be an
amazing mech pilot, but I don’t know if I’m that good.”

“And modest, too,” the Rookie joked.

“Hey, Rookie, my sweet moves kept your ass
alive,” Masters said.

“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I can ever get
that image from my mind. Mechs shouldn’t dance, man, that’s just
wrong.”

“So wrong, it’s right!” Masters laughed.

“No. Just wrong.”

***

Capreze watched the Bishop angrily.

“Put her with the rest of the Disciples,”
Wyble said. Two Ranchers stepped forward and dragged the stunned
zombie from the hangar. “And cleanse that.” The Bishop walked away
from the pool of blood. Another Rancher stepped forward with a
flame thrower and proceeded to burn the blood from the hangar
floor.

Capreze shook his head.

“Are you okay, Commander?” Themopolous
asked, no longer watching the vid feed.

“No, Doctor,” Capreze answered. “I’m not
fine. I’m not fine with that hypocritical psycho spilling blood in
my base while I have to tuck tail and run.”

***

“I’ve never heard of a Hill Stomper,” the
Rookie said.

“Well before your time, kid,” Jay responded.
“They’re what built most of the city/states and cleared a path of
civilization through the wasteland. When the Reaper chip came
online they only outfitted four of them for full cerebral piloting.
Good thing, too.”

“I thought Stanislaw took out the last one
years ago,” Masters joined in. “Why haven’t we seen this one until
now?”

“Don’t know and don’t really care right
now,” Jay answered. “Let’s just steer clear of the thing and get
some cover. That storm is almost on us.”

***

The two mechs rounded the mesa and the
Rookie pointed to a shadow in the cliff face. “Right there.”

“That?” Jay said. “Kid, we can’t fit two
mechs in there.”

“Trust me, it looks smaller than it is. We
can crawl them in. And it’s deep enough. Should keep the storm
debris from doing any damage.”

“If you say so,” Jay responded doubtfully.
“You get that Masters?”

“Yeah, I got it,” Masters answered over the
com. “You two crawl in first. I’m staying out here until I know for
sure the Stomper has passed by.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

***

“You’ll wanna brace yourself, kid, I haven’t
had to crawl a mech in quite a while,” Jay said piloting the
salvage mech carefully into the gap in the mesa.

“And yet, on your knees is your favorite
position. Ironic, huh?” Masters laughed.

“Hardy-fucking-har,” Jay said. He powered up
the mech’s halogens and illuminated the inside of the cavern. Wide
lines of bright reds and oranges and browns glittered with minerals
as Jay stood the salvage mech upright. “Holy shit…”

“Pretty cool, huh?” the Rookie smiled. “I
lived here for a while…”

Jay turned to look at the Rookie. “Lived
here?”

***

Alarms blared in Masters’ cockpit. “Shit!
Fuck fuck fuck!” Masters cursed. “Hey guys? Looks like big and ugly
found us!”

“Get in here, Masters!” Jay shouted over the
com. “You can’t take that thing on!”

“Too late! It already saw me!” Masters
yelled, powering up all weapons. “You two stay put!”

“What are you going to do?” the Rookie
asked.

“Well, luckily Hill Stompers aren’t armed.
And their joints aren’t blast shielded,” Masters responded, taking
a deep breath. “With concentrated fire and some well placed hits, I
think I can take the thing down.”

Master turned to face the Stomper.

***

Jay studied the inside of the cavern,
noticing several smaller caves leading off the main one. “You lived
here, huh? Don’t worry, I don’t want details… yet.”

“Yeah, for a year,” the Rookie answered.

“A year?!? Are you fucking…? Never mind. So,
where do those lead?” Jay asked pointing to the caves.

“Most are dead ends. Some lead deeper into
the mesa, some lead further down.”

“Any of them a way out if we need it?”

“Out? No…well, maybe.”

Jay raised his eyebrows, waiting. “Okay,
what do you mean by ‘maybe’?”

“There’s an underground river. It comes out
somewhere.”

***

Masters watched as the Stomper lifted a
boulder that was easily half the size of Masters’ mech. “Whatcha
gonna do with that?”

The Stomper pulled its colossal arm back
then threw the boulder straight at Masters.

“FuckingJeezusfuckshitfuck!” Masters yelled,
barely piloting out of the way. The boulder flew past him and
collided with the mesa, shearing part of the cliff face right
off.

“What the fuck is going on out there?!?” Jay
hollered over the com.

“I think this one is a thinker!” Masters
yelled. “It’s trying to play dodgeball with me.”

The Stomper found another boulder and took
aim.

***

“About that way out?” Jay yelled as the mech
shook and shuddered.

“I don’t really know if it is a way out,”
the Rookie said.

“Which cave is it?” Jay insisted.

The Rookie eyed the cavern wall then pointed
to a lower cave. “I think it’s that one.”

Jay piloted the mech over, settling into a
crouch so the cockpit was level with the cave mouth. The cavern
shuddered again. “Masters?” Silence. “Masters?!? Come in!” Silence.
“Shit!” Jay yelled.

“Maybe his com is down,” the Rookie
offered.

Jay turned on the Rookie. “You sure are
optimistic for a brutal killer.”

***

“Jay?!? JAY?!?” Masters screamed into his
com, but was met with only static. Masters tried to right his mech
after the last boulder clipped his leg, knocking him to the
wasteland dirt. “FUCK!”

The Stomper bore down on Masters and was on
him in seconds. Masters opened up on the colossal mech with his
plasma cannons. The Stomper stumbled back, but quickly regained its
ground, reaching down and lifting Master’s mech into the air.

Masters was shaken about in his cockpit,
stunned. He fought the grogginess and launched a missile directly
into the Stomper’s mid-section. Metal and fire exploded
outward.

***

Jay undid the Rookie’s straps and opened the
mech’s cockpit.

“Why’re we getting out of the mech?” the
Rookie asked.

“Because if this place collapses then we are
trapped. I’d like to start heading for the way out, real or not,
before being buried. Plus, as strong as the mech is, it’s also
holding several kilotons of explosives. I really don’t want to be
inside if the thing goes boom.”

“Okay. Works for me,” the Rookie responded,
letting Jay help him out of the mech and onto the cave floor. Jay
tossed two packs after him and grabbed his carbine.

***

The Stomper stumbled back, flinging Masters’
mech away.

Masters watched the mesa get closer and
closer as he and his mech tumbled through the air. The impact was
enormous. Alarms blared, claxons rang and every warning light in
the mech’s cockpit lit up as Masters hit the ground.