Chapter 24 as it appeared
Part 3: Evolution Bites
Authors: Gabby, PCat
Acknowledgment: Based on an idea by Ian, Extra input from BD, Kulko and Tarrok
Chapter 24: End Game
Malton +100
"Gabby!" Cat's heart beat fast as Anton's mech vanished into a ball of fire.
"Anton tried to ditch him before he blew. He should be on the ground somewhere," said Bryn hurriedly.
"Right! OK! We search the ground!" Cat clutched onto that hope.
"We're supposed to be holding the gate. It's bad enough that those two went off."
Cat turned to face Bryn, feeling the tears running down her face.
"But Gabby."
"Nothing you can do Cat. Either he survived or he didn't. I need you here with me and Ian needs me blocking the gate."
Cat could hear her own breath coming in ragged gasps while her mind searched for a solution. Find someone else to babysit Bryn. Grab one of the buggies or motorcycles. Get out on the field.
"Wait! I've got him!" said Bryn. "He's babbling away in my head."
"Where is he?"
"On his way back to the gate. Gabby, will you stop jawing, I told you they monitor this frequency," said Bryn. "Maintain radio silence and get up into my cabin when you reach us. Cat'll have a heart attack if she doesn't see you ASAP. Besides, I have a plan."
The one thing Gabby hated having to do was keep quiet. It was a nightmare. But Bryn had explicitly told him to keep quiet. It was hard, too. The nanite radio, or nanocom, as Gabby liked calling it, seemed to pick up random surface thoughts, and broadcast them unless you concentrated on stopping it - he'd already had Bryn tell him several times that she didn't want to know what he was thinking about Cat.
Right now, his brain was quietly swearing and he struggled to suppress it. The government tanks were massing in the fields surrounding the compound, and while Bryn had the entry covered, they saw no problem in simply lobbing shells over the walls. The battlefield was mercifully infantry-free, but he could vaguely hear the thumping of helicopter blades in the distance. Already, the first squads had landed amidst the tanks and were filing through the squat metal vehicles. Gabby crouched and hurried away from the carnage where the mechs had been. The prairie provided no cover, except for long grass and the odd shrub. Gabby made a beeline for one of the shrubs, silently grateful he was thin enough to keep low in the grass. He was mere metres away when a tank trundled into the bush, snapping it before his eyes. There was no more cover on the ground. Between Gabby and Bryn it was all scorched earth. And he could hear voices behind him - the infantry were moving up to the front. With an exasperated "Fuck!", Gabby placed his foot onto the tank-tread while it was still, and launched himself up onto the chassis, just behind the turret. It swivelled over his head, and he ducked.
"This is fucking mental," he murmured. As he grabbed hold of the edge of an armour-plate, the tank lurched forward and began rolling toward the gate. They were only about a hundred meters away, but it felt like much more to Gabby, as he pressed himself flat against the desert-camo painted tank in his dark jeans and leather jacket, hoping that no-one would think to look on top of the tank, and that none of the defenders would go for this one first.
"Gabe, get off now and run straight towards me, I've got you covered," Bryn's voice spoke in his mind. Shaking his head as if to shoo away flies, Gabby released the tank's armour-plating, rolled over, and dropped off the edge of the tank. Instantly, someone shouted out.
"It's an immortal! He's tagged Most Wanted!"
Bullets pinged off the tank's side.
"Hold fire! We want him alive!"
Gabby didn't hear the answer. He was running flat-out across the final stretch, plumes of dust obscuring him from view. As the first tank opened fire directly onto the walls, he reached Bryn's leg. Panting, he climbed up, flinging the hatch open and collapsing into the wire-filled space next to Bryn. Something dropped onto him.
"He needs air, Kate," Bryn said drily.
"How's the gatehouse doing?" asked Bryn.
"They're holding, but we should get back there soon," answered Gabby.
"It shouldn't take long." Bryn closed her eyes and allowed her senses to concentrate on the telemetry coming in from outside.
There were three enemy mechs left on the battlefield. Bryn was pretty sure one of them was BD's, if only because of the faint sense of his presence in the comms network.
"BD where are you?" she asked out into the infosphere.
"Bryn?.... where?... kids!... fight!" His words carried to her, no doubt fighting against the conditioning.
Schematics whirled as she pulled them from the network. "Got him!" she muttered and thundered forwards.
"You ready Cat?" asked Gabby.
"As I ever will be." Cat was perched on her outstretched hand.
They reached BD. As his Mech swung in with a punch, Cat jumped from Bryn's hand and grabbed hold of his.
"Shit!" muttered Gabby. "I hope you two know what you're doing."
"She'll be fine." Bryn lied blithely. Last thing she needed was Gabby in a panic. It had been bad enough when Cat freaked out. When had those two gotten so fond of each other? BD had always sworn it was a passing fling.
Cat was scrambling up, into the cockpit of BD's Mech.
"OK, I'm here!" Her voice echoed over the comms. "I'm going to patch you in Bryn and then we'll try some of the bypass procedures we've come up with."
"I've got incoming aircraft," said Danny.
"Not entirely unexpected," said Ian. "They're probably going to try a surgical strike to disable our ability to launch."
"What I don't understand is whey they haven't just bombed us into the stone age," said Tarrok.
"They want to keep as many of us alive as possible for `harvesting' as they delightfully refer to it. Danny, alert Thom."
"Already done. Can that asteroid sweeper thing really handle aircraft?"
"Thom's made some modifications, I believe."
A long shout echoed over the comms. It sounded like "Yee! Hah!". A fireball appeared on the distant horizon.
Ian smiled quietly. "Great kid! Don't get cocky!"
"Wha?" BD surfaced out of the haze he associated with full operations mode.
"You with me?"
He glanced towards the sound, to realise Cat was squashed into the tiny cabin with him surrounded by wires she seemed to have ripped out of the nearby equipment banks.
"Cat?"
"Hi There Sweetheart!" It was Bryn, somewhere in his head.
"Bryn?"
"Cat patched me through. They've been blocking my transmissions. I only worked it out when I realised how easy it had been talking to Ant."
"Ant?"
"Long story. I'll fill you in later. Can you still access the battlefield schematics?"
BD took a good look. "Hell Yeah! Shit! They're in trouble."
"My thoughts exactly."
BD grinned at Cat who was still staring expectantly at him. "Looks like I'm back," he said.
Cat smiled back at him and awkwardly threw her arms around his body.
"Are we going to do this lover boy?" asked Bryn in his head.
"Just try to stop me! Let's win this battle and get the hell out of here."
Ian was running through the last of the pre-flight checks when Tarrok summoned him on the maximum alert channel.
"Cat's got some intelligence from BD. They've worked out an immobiliser signal. They've been having teething problems with battlefield operations but they've jury-rigged something together. BD reckons it'll be online inside half and hour and then this battle's basically over."
"Immobiliser?"
"You know that immortal drug substitute thing Gabby's been using on the side for years."
"Oh dear! I should have thought of that!"
"That's what Cat said. Can we take off?"
Ian glanced over the controls. "If we have to. I'd prefer to make some more checks but, in principle, we're good to fly."
"I'm sounding the retreat then. We'll leave BD and Bryn as rearguard. They may be immune."
"What about Gabby and Cat?"
Tarrok's voice was blank. "What about them? They know the score."
"Why are they even on the field?" demanded BD.
"Yeah, like you'd have ever let an aunt stop you when you were Robert's age."
"I wouldn't have let our Dad stop me either."
"This is different."
"So you keep saying. Which armoured car?"
"That one! With Joe driving."
BD stomped forwards. "What are you doing out here, son! I want you back in that spaceship now. Didn't you hear the command to withdraw?"
"We're protecting you!" It was Rosie's indignant voice on the radio.
BD laughed. "Sweetheart, I love you both, but right now you're not in any position to protect me or your Mom. Besides it's our job to protect you. Get your asses back in that spaceship if you don't want one of us to pick that itty bitty car of yours up and take it there ourselves."
"But Dad..."
"You don't do as your father says," broke in Bryn's voice, "and you'll have me to deal with. This isn't a conversation, it's an order."
"But Mom..."
"When you grow tentacles and get yourselves hard-wired into a robot then we'll discuss this. Now go!"
"We're heading back," cut in Joe's voice. "Calm down you two, we've done all we can here."
"Fuck's sake, Joe, we can't just leave them!" Robert slammed his fist against the car-door.
"Oh yes we can. There's nothing we can do for them except die horribly. And watch your language. Shit, they've cut us off!"
Three tanks waited in front of the gatehouse, probably for infantry support. The mechs were otherwise occupied - it was all down to Joe, he realised. Hanging on the steering wheel, he turned sharply, hoping to drive around the blockade.
A shell exploded just next to the car, jerking it sideways.
"They've seen us - the tanks are firing!" Rosie yelled. Joe cursed and swerved again, this time in the opposite direction. More shells came in now, all three tanks firing.
"Fuck, they're trying to hem us in!" Robert groaned. The explosions were getting closer and closer to them, rattling the car and its occupants ever harder.
"Kids! Get your heads between your knees and buckle up!"
"We're not ki-" Robert protested.
"Just do it!" Joe snapped, laying his hand on the brake. Gritting his teeth, he pulled hard, bringing the car to a screeching halt. Three simultaneous explosions tore into the ground just ahead of them, knocking the car back, but Joe had already slammed his foot on the accelerator and sent them zipping forwards on a different angle. He smirked - the gunners would have to recalibrate, which would buy them precious seconds.
The smirk was still on his face when a shell exploded just under the back wheels of the car, sending them flying forwards, the car flipping wildly.
"Joe? Are you OK?" Robert's voice sounded like it was coming from miles away. But no, he was just behind him. In the car. The car... but Joe was hanging from his chair, and his head was killing him. There were distant shouts and explosions.
"Jesus, they're coming!"
"Infantry?"
"Yeah! Get Joe up, we need to get out of here!"
"I can't get his seatbelt!"
"We can't leave him!"
The seatbelt was pressing against his chest. Joe tried to get up from the chair, but it simply cut into him. He frowned. There was a sudden cutting sensation, the sound of fabric ripping, and the kids crying out, then Joe fell onto the car-door, the seatbelt hanging loose above him.
"What the fuck was that?" Robert yelled.
"Mutations. Right, kids. We're about a hundred meters from the gate. The government aren't going to let us get that far. I can take them on, you have to run."
"No! Mom and Dad have already done that to us once, fuck doing it again!" Rosie reached for the M-16 rifle lying on the ground in the window.
Joe rolled his eyes. "Listen, is that a smoke grenade on your belt?"
"Chang, Vasquez - approach the vehicle and apprehend the occupants. Shoot to wound, if necessary. Johnson, Marshall, you provide backup."
"Yes, sir!"
The sergeant held his rifle tight against his chest and surveyed the overturned car. They had been lucky - a meter or so forwards, and the shell would have vaporised the passengers. He wasn't relishing fighting against immortals, though. He had heard the stories from the old-timers in the Brankin days. And they said the immortals were mutants now - kill men with just a look, slicing them open.
"Fuckin' freaks," he muttered, wiping a sweaty palm on his body armour and tightening his grip on the rifle. At least they were away from the infrastructure support robots. A whole company had gone up against them, with armoured support, just a couple of hours ago, and by the looks of things, there were no survivors.
Smoke began leaking from the smashed windows of the car.
"Shit! It's gonna blow, get back!" Vasquez cried, backpedalling rapidly. Chang crouched, peering into the wreck. A short burst of rifle fire caught him in the chest and he toppled backwards, his gun falling to the ground. The smoke was now spreading, engulfing the car and Chang's body.
"Smoke grenade! Lay down suppressing fire! 3-second bursts!" The sergeant barked.
"Fuck, they're going to massacre us!" Robert lay flat, the hot barrel of the rifle inches from his face.
"I don't think so." Joe closed his eyes. Instead of going completely dark, however, red blurs danced in his mind. He had noticed this a few weeks back, and taken it to Sy. After some experiments with ice-cubes and matches, they had worked it out. He had some sort of nanite heat-vision in his brain. Right now, there were two large red blobs, Rosie and Robert, next to him, and a third one, more yellow and further away. Joe concentrated on this blob, the need to make him go away. The sensation of his arm extended and elongated. A red line streaked across his vision, and the blur seemed to fall sideways.
"What was that?" Rosie yelled.
"Our secret weapon. Joe opened his eyes - there wasn't much to see - the smoke was still too thick.
"Kids - the compound is that way, OK? Run until you hit the walls, then get to the gatehouse - they'll let you in. I'll cover for you."
"Fucking hell, Joe, we've been through this!"
"No arguments. Are you ready? You'll have to be quick, and be ready to shoot first, OK?" Joe closed his eyes. Red blurs were moving in.
"Where's Joe?" Deadly demanded as they scrambled in through the door he held open. It slammed behind them, and bullets peppered the heavy steel.
"Stayed behind - he said he'd follow us. The infantry caught up with us."
"Fuck." There was a crash inside the compound, and a few curses. They hurried out of the gatehouse. Joe lay on the floor, his clothes in tatters, bleeding from several gashes and minor wounds.
"How did you..."
"Tentacle propulsion. Wouldn't recommend it. Right let's get into the ship."
"You're the last apart from Gabby, Cat and the Mechs," said Deadly. "We're to leave a hatch open for them."
"Will they make it?" asked Rosie.
Deadly shrugged, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Gabby! Snap out of it! Gabby!"
He rose up through the familiar euphoria. "Hi there Bryn. How are we doing?"
"Our troops got into the ship, but only just. Now the government have fired that signal I don't suppose the rocket is going anywhere."
"Hmmm..." Gabby fought his way through the sensations. "Maybe I should fetch Cat."
"Can you move?"
"Yeah! This stuff isn't so bad once you're used to it. Just a little disorienting."
"Well get your ass over there and rescue your girlfriend."
Gabby giggled. "Oh! She is so not going to like that."
"Like I care, now go!"
Gabby managed to focus his eyes on Bryn as he climbed out of the cabin. "What about you?"
"Signal ain't working on me. I've changed too much. I'm going to cover your retreat. Go!"
"'K. Don't leave it too late though. I'm gonna hit that launch button soon as I remember which it is."
Bryn snorted.
Gabby scowled downwards as he walked along Bryn's arm and then jumped for BD. There were people swarming around on the ground. He shrugged and ignored them and enjoyed the sensation of the wind rushing past him. Hitting the side of BD's Mech wasn't so great but still... cool jump!
He clambered inside.
"Thank fuck you're here. I can't get any sense out of Cat," said BD.
Cat giggled. "Gabby."
"Come on Cat. Let's get you out of here. BD, can you get us to the rocket?"
"Nope. Bryn needs my help keeping the infantry at bay. Cat's rig should keep me sane."
Gabby frowned. "I don't understand. How will the two of you...?" Something wasn't making sense but the whole world was a bit too trippy right now to work it out.
"Don't worry about it Gabe. We've got it covered. Now get Cat out of here."
Gabby shrugged and lifted Cat to a standing position. She giggled again and then started kissing him... which was cool. He enjoyed that.
"Will you two stop making out and get the fuck out of here."
Gabby blinked again. "Sorry BD. Hey Cat, not in front of your brother."
"Hmm..." Cat blinked and her eyes almost focused for a moment.
The infantry were hot on their heels and Gabby supposed he should be worried. However BD and Bryn seemed to have things in hand so he concentrated on helping Cat as they wandered hand-in-hand towards the open door of the rocket.
"Pretty," Cat murmured vaguely.
"Yeah," Gabby agreed. Best to get into the rocket. He seemed to recall that was important somehow.
"Stay here love." Gabby strapped Cat into one of the launch seats by the entrance.
He'd shut the door. His mind vaguely pointed out that BD and Bryn wouldn't be able to get in with the door shut. On the other hand they couldn't take off if it was open.
"You sure I should shut the door?" he asked over the nanocomm.
"Yes, you useless fucker!" BD shouted at him. "Now get up to the cockpit and hit the fucking launch button."
"Hey!" Gabby felt indignant. He was doing his best.
"Just do what my lump of a husband says," came Bryn's voice lightly. "You can chew him out for doubting you later.
Gabby shrugged and set off to find Ian.
"How are you doing?" asked Bryn as she threw another tank back across the battlefield.
"As well as can be expected given I'm relying on Gabe to save our kids and Cat," came BD's caustic reply.
"At least this way he's not asking any awkward questions. We're gonna be saved a whole load of speechifying and tears."
There was a rumbling noise somewhere behind them.
"He did it!" BD sounded surprised.
"Told you he would."
"Whaddaya say Bryn? I'm getting bored of this battle. Let's go find ourselves somewhere quiet."
"My thoughts exactly."
The two mechs turned and headed towards the giant thrusters that would lift the rocket away. Flames were already blasting out, scorching the prairie grasses into dust.
"We did all right in the end didn't we?" said BD.
"I reckon. They seem like good kids." Bryn tried to keep the regret out of her voice. She'd fought to make the world a better place for them, she'd just never realised that might mean missing out on them growing up.
"Sure they are. Did you see them on the battlefield?"
"I saw them. Made me proud."
"I wish we could have spent more time together though. Feels like I've spent my whole life missing you." BD's voice wavered slightly.
"What we had was good." Bryn reached out her hand, watching as the clumsy metal fingers tangled in BD's own. She imagined the feel of his flesh against hers as the pressure sensors sent messages into her brain. What they had had was good. They had never wasted a minute and she was happy about that, at least.
"What we had was good," agreed BD. "This is a good end. They all have a future now."
"You're telling me." Bryn gazed upwards as the ship began to lift off. Several alarms were already firing in her synapses, warning about the external heat. "They'll reach the stars and then there will be no stopping them."
"I love you, Bryn."
"Love you too, darlin'"
The warning had become more insistent and her vision was fragged as the external cameras gave up. She could only guess where BD was.
"You still there, lover?" she asked.
"Always."
And then the line filled with static.
Watching from the distance, observers said that in the final moments the two vast machines fell forwards into each others' embrace. Then there was nothing except heat and light.
The immortals had gone, heading into the unknown.