Dead Mech (39 page)

“And your Commander, will he agree to this?”
Timson asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Jay responded.
“You’re gonna have to let us contact him.”

“Won’t the transmission be overheard?” Jenny
asked.

“Please, give me some credit,” Jay
smirked.

***

“Okay. You get me in touch with your
Commander and he agrees that this-” Timson shook the blueprints in
his hands. “-is just the beginning, that more tech and resources,
are coming in the future, then, and only then, will we have a
deal.”

Jay extended his hand. “Deal.”

The two men shook and Timson smiled. “Now
what?”

“Well,” Jay said. “Masters will start
clearing debris. Marin can coordinate the team that we’ll need to
get the disc assembled and mounted. The Rookie can sit his ass
down. And you can come with me. You have a meeting to attend.”

***

Jethro wiped away more blood from his nose.
Doctor Themopolous had been on him about a full scan, but he
couldn’t spare the time. He was starting to wonder if he could
spare any more blood.

“Jethro! Come in you lazy bastard!” Jay’s
voice squawked over the com. Jethro tossed the bloody towel aside
and tapped at his tablet.

“Jay? Jay! Holy shit, man! You’re fucking
alive!” Jethro nearly bounced in his seat. “What’s wrong with your
voice?”

“Nothin’, just a couple broken teeth and
broken nose.”

“What about Masters and the Rookie?”

“They’re just fine. Is the Commander
handy?”

***

“Jay? This is Capreze. It’s good to hear
your voice. Jethro said Masters and the Rookie are with you, that
right?”

“Yes, sir,” Jay said into the com. “The
Rookie is banged up a bit, but Masters is of course unscathed.”

“Yeah, figures,” Capreze joked. “Listen Jay,
I’m pretty sure we’re being monitored, so…”

“Please! Don’t insult me! I have enough
encryption on this transmission to keep the most powerful AI busy
for at least half a day.”

“Excellent. Now, where the fuck are
you?”

“Well, sir,” Jay said. “Long story. But, the
short story is we have some help.”

***

“Help?” the Commander asked over the com.
“What kind of help?”

“The mobile kind,” Jay answered, glancing at
Timson. “Listen, I need to be out helping get a few things ready,
but there’s someone here that would like to speak with you.” Jay
stood from the control chair and let Timson take his place.

Timson cleared his throat. “Commander
Capreze? This is Crawford Timson.”

“Timson? Railers’ Timson?”

“Yes, Commander. My folks were able to help
out your folks and vice versa and now it looks like we may be able
to help each other further.”

“I’m listening, Timson,” Capreze said.

***

Jay had no stomach for negotiations or
politics and decided to step outside and let the two leaders hash
things out. When he emerged from the train’s engine his jaw
dropped.

He watched Railers being directed by Marin,
scrambling about for gear and supplies. He saw the Rookie
protesting to Jenny that he didn’t need a Railer medic’s help.

But, the truly astounding sight was Stomper.
The giant mech was methodically and carefully disassembling wrecked
train cars. Placing pieces into organized piles.

“Isn’t that just the cutest fucking thing
you’ve ever seen?” Masters beamed.

Jay laughed and shook his head.

***

“You know,” Masters said to Jay. “I was
thinking that Stomper there could use some work.”

“How so?” Jay asked, eyeing the pilot
curiously.

“Well, he’s huge, but those joints and that
mid-section are just a little too exposed for my taste,” Masters
grinned. “And seeing as there is now a ton of scrap metal…”

“You’d like me to design some plating to
shield those exposed joints and that mid-section,” Jay
finished.

“If it isn’t too much bother,” Master
grinned wider. Jay slapped the pilot on the back and walked away
towards Marin.

“Hey, Marin! I need six skilled
welders!”

***

“That all sounds very reasonable to me, Mr.
Timson,” Capreze said.

“Crawford, please,” Timson responded.

“Of course. Crawford. I’m James,” Capreze
said. “I don’t think we have much of a choice
but
to band
together. Otherwise what is left of humanity will be under Rancher
control. And whatever this ‘Outsider’ is. How soon can you get
here?”

“Jay has assured me that we’ll be ready
first thing in the morning. At full throttle, it’ll be a day,
depending on what we run into.”

“Okay, hopefully we won’t need you before
then,” Capreze said.

“We’ll move as fast as we can.”

***

Jenny saw her father step from the train and
rushed to meet him.

“Well? What’s going on?” she asked.

“Looks like we’re going to war,” Timson
answered, his face tired and worried. “I really hope these mechies
know what they’re doing or I’ve just committed us all to our
deaths.”

“Marin insists Jay is the best. And that
Masters sure doesn’t lack in confidence,” Jenny responded. She
watched the Rookie shove away another medic. “Idiot.”

Timson smiled, studying his daughter’s face.
“You learn his name yet?”

Jenny frowned. “Huh? What? The Boiler? No. I
mean, who cares?”

“Right,” Timson chuckled.

***

Crawford Timson stepped away from the chaos
and walked around his train’s engine. He traced the lines of the
sleek, powerful machine with his hand, almost caressing it. He was
glad to get to the other side and out of the glare of the
halogens.

Staring at the blackness of the wasteland,
he took a couple deep breaths. He reached down and grabbed a
handful of dirt, rubbing it between his fingers.

“Railers will have to learn to stop the
train,” he said to himself, tossing the dirt aside and walking back
around to watch his people prepare for war.

“Get in the car!” Jimmy shouted at
Michelle.

“But, what about-?”

“Get in the goddamn car, Michelle!”

Michelle opened the back door and placed
baby Rachel into her secure seat and then strapped herself into the
passenger seat.

Jimmy hit the accelerator and tore out of
their parking garage. Right into gridlock Hell as every other
citizen was attempting to get out of the city.

Jimmy hit the horn over and over. “Move!
Move!”

Rachel started to cry. “Jimmy, baby, stop
yelling. Just stop!”

Jimmy turned on Michelle. “Don’t tell me
what to do, goddamn it! We don’t have time!”

***

Rachel watched her father sleep, knowing he
was dreaming from his twitching hands and facial features.

“Mastelo is here with his people,” Bisby
said quietly. “Should we wake him?”

“No, let him sleep. He’s not as young as he
used to be,” Rachel answered. “We can handle the training.”

Bisby watched the Commander’s face contort
and frown. “You sure we shouldn’t wake him? He doesn’t look like
he’s having much fun in there.”

“He’s been like that my whole life,” Rachel
said, standing and placing a kiss on her father’s forehead. “I
don’t think he knows how to sleep peacefully.”

***

Jimmy swerved around two cars that had
collided, their drivers screaming at each other. He cut off three
other cars attempting to do the same and their horns blared.

“Jeezus, Jimmy, be careful!” Michelle cried.
“You’re going… to get… us…” She trailed off, looking past him and
out the window.

“I’m a fucking mech pilot, Michelle! I
think...” he stopped, seeing her face, and turned to look out his
window. His jaw dropped as he watched the dead mech stomp down a
side street right at them, crushing cars and people as if they were
paper.

“Oh, god…” he whispered.

***

Rachel, Bisby and Harlow stood shoulder to
shoulder, frowning at the Skinners before them.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, Mastelo,
but that’s only forty men by my count,” Rachel said.

“I apologize, Pilot Capreze, but,
unfortunately, that is all that will accompany me,” Mastelo
replied. “Again, my apologies.”

“Great,” Bisby huffed. “Inexperienced and
short handed.”

A soft thunk sounded and Bisby glanced down
to see a knife sticking from the ground between his feet. “Who
fucking threw that?!?”

“No offense, Pilot Bisby,” Mastelo said.
“But, we are only inexperienced with your firearms. Some weapons we
are quite good with.”

***

“Get out of the car! Now!” Jimmy screamed.
“I’ve got Rachel! GO!”

Michelle threw open the car door and got
out, but was immediately knocked to the ground by several people
rushing by.

“Michelle!” Jimmy called.

“I’m fine, just get Rachel!”

Jimmy reached back and unlatched the secure
seat, pulling the entire unit out. He grabbed the diaper bag and
slung it over his shoulder, shoving his car door open into the
rushing crowd. He dashed to the other side of the car, but Michelle
was gone.

“Jimmy!” he heard her call and spotted her
trapped in the panicked throng.

***

Bisby shouldered his auto-carbine, took aim
and fired, the report echoing in the early morning darkness of the
wasteland. A can, thirty yards off flew into the air and Bisby hit
it three more times before it touched ground. He turned and pushed
the carbine into Mastelo’s hands. “
All
weapons, I’m good
with.”

Rachel rolled her eyes and shoved Bisby out
of the way. “Let me take over.” She showed Mastelo the basics of
the carbine’s features then stood behind him, guiding his arms and
helping him aim. He slowly pulled the trigger and the can
jumped.

“Nice,” she said.

***

The dead mech slammed its fist into the
pavement, crushing dozens of screaming citizens.

“Jimmy!” Michelle cried, being carried away
with the crowd. “Jimmy!”

“Michelle!” Capreze cried back. “Just hold
on! I’ll-” But he never finished as a massive shadow flew over him.
He risked a glance up and saw the dead mech leaping over his and
the other cars. His stomach jolted and his blood ran cold as he
watched the rampaging machine land in the middle of the escaping
masses. Landing right on top of Michelle.

Jimmy heard a hundred choked off screams,
thinking every one was Michelle’s.

***

Capreze sat bolt upright, the sounds of
screams echoing in his head and the sounds of carbine fire echoing
in his ears.

Themopolous sat across from him in the
transport, her eyes red with fatigue. “Well, at least you got a few
more minutes than I did,” she yawned, setting a cup of coffee in
front of the Commander. She stood and walked to the transport door.
“But, I’m pretty sure my sleep was a little more restful.”

Capreze ran his hand down his face and
picked up the coffee. “I’m fine, Doc.”

Themopolous pursed her lips. “Sure you
are.”

***

Mathew’s eyes shot open, instantly awake,
and he immediately checked his control panel for malfunctions. “Why
are we stopped?” he asked Shiner.

“We needed to hard line with One,” Shiner
responded and Mathew looked out of the cockpit to the cable running
from Shiner to the mini-mech.

“What are you doing?” Mathew asked, but
didn’t wait for an answer as he mentally checked the process being
performed. “Whistle commands? Well that’s old school.”

“Yes, it was the way many working animals
were trained hundreds of years ago, with great results,” Shiner
responded. “It allows us to guide One without detection.”

***

Olivia nudged June as gently as possible,
but the mech pilot still awoke with a start, arm pulled back and
fist clenched.

“Hold on! It’s just me!” Olivia whispered
harshly. “Calm down.”

June lowered her fist and rubbed at her
eyes. “Sorry. Combat reflexes.”

“We call it survivor instinct,” Olivia said.
“Either way, the sun’s almost up and we should get moving.”

June stepped from the cramped ATV and
stretched, walking a few steps away before dropping her trousers to
pee. As she squatted she caught site of movement and light out of
the corner of her eye.

Another ATV.

***

Shiner/Mathew ran One through several
communication drills before they were satisfied.

“Outstanding,” Mathew said.

Shiner/Mathew whistled one more quick
command, sending One to the top of a close by ridge then whistled
another command to bring the mini-mech back. But, One didn’t budge,
it remained at the top of the ridge, facing away from
Shiner/Mathew.

“Did we break him?” Mathew asked.

“No,” Shiner responded. “Its systems appear
normal.”

The mech crested the ridge and came to rest
beside One. Below them, in the twilight dawn, they could see tens
of thousands of walking undead with dozens of transports flanking
them.

***

“Did they see us?” Olivia whispered.

“I don’t know,” June responded quietly,
watching the headlights of the other ATV in the distance. The ATV
came to a stop and June held her breath. They watched and waited,
praying the ATV would pass them by. Then the ATV’s lights went out
and June sprang to her feet.

“Shit! Strap in! We’ve got to move!” June
cried.

“Why?” Olivia asked. “They turned their
lights off. Doesn’t that mean they aren’t coming after us?”

“No!” June said. “It means they
are
coming after us, they just don’t want us to see them coming!”

***

“Man, it’s a good thing you thought to bring
my mech,” Jay said sitting down next to Masters, handing him a cup
of coffee. “I couldn’t have built the sonic disc without those
parts Legit got for us.”

“At least he was worth something,” Masters
responded taking a sip of the coffee and immediately spitting it
out. “What the fuck is this?!? It tastes like a zombie shit in
mouth then fucked my mouth and shot its undead load in my already
shit filled mouth!”