It Rolls Down Hill(5)

 

     
A mech hand crested the newly formed crevice's side,struggling for purchase. The giant alloy fingers dug into the edge,anchoring them fully. With a groan of damaged hydraulics, Bisbypulled himself from the fissure, rolling his mech yards from theopening before standing.
"Stan?...Stan?" he croaked into his com. "Goddammit Stanislaw! Can you hear me?"
He was met with static as his damaged mech swayed itsway over to the smoking debris that was Stanislaw's machine. Hetried to bring up life sensors, but only basic navigation scannersseemed to cooperate.
"Shit!" he yelled, pushing his mech on.
***
Mathew walked back into the mess, nearly running intoCommander Capreze.
"You heading towards the hangar, Mathew?" Caprezeasked.
"No, sir. Wasn't planning on it," Mathewresponded.
"You sure about that," Capreze laughed, handing themech pilot a full mug of steaming hot coffee.
Mathew took the mug, looking at Capreze, puzzled.
"Jay's thirsty … and in a mood. My time is betterspent getting ready for the briefing, don't you think?"
Mathew laughed, "Sure thing, sir. I'll make sure Mr.Grumpy Pants gets his fix."

     
 

     
Capreze clapped Mathew on the shoulder. "Good man. Wayto take one for the team."
***
Bisby was close enough to see the extent of the damageStanislaw's mech had taken. He gulped, prayed and swore at the sametime.
"Stan?!? Come in man!" Silence.
Bisby switched on his loudspeakers, feedback squelchedat ear shattering levels. "FUCK!" Bisby roared, cutting theswitch. His already battle damaged hearing rang and protested.
He stopped and took a deep breath. Grabbing his binocshe peered down at the twisted cockpit below, hoping for signs oflife. After focusing briefly he was rewarded with movement. Stanislawwas alive.
Bisby looked closer and gasped. He pulled the binocsaway, tears welled.
***
"Rookie arrives today," Harlow said over a mouthfulof synth-eggs.
June straightened. "Really? Today?"
"Yep," Masters responded, sitting down with hissecond tray of food.
"Careful, Darling, don't lose that tight bod,"Harlow joked.
"Don't you worry, Babycakes. It's all so I cankeep up with you." He leaned in and kissed her strongly, thenpulled back, licking his lips. "Mmmm … .eggy."

     
 

     
Harlow laughed, sending bits of yellow flying. Janerecoiled.
"Jeezus, you two are fucking gross!" she snapped,getting up from the table and stalking out of the mess hall.
Harlow frowned. "What's up her twat?"
"Nothing, that's the problem."
***
Stanislaw could smell the acid from the fuel cells. Hismech was down hard.
He tried to reach for the strap release, but his rightarm wouldn't cooperate. He didn't want to look, but knew he onlyhad moments to get his ass out.
He pissed himself when he saw his arm two feet away,wedged between hatch brackets.
The cockpit shook violently. The dead mech was on himand Stanislaw wept as he wrenched the pistol from its holster and putthe barrel to his head.
A hulking shadow of death fell over him as he pulled thetrigger.
***
Jay jumped when Mathew sat down next to him. Closing hiseyes, he took two deep breaths. "Don't you pilots have a rec roomto go play in?"
Mathew laughed, offering the mug of coffee. "You wantthis or not?"
"Thanks," Jay sighed, taking a sip from the mug.

     
 

     
Mathew studied the schematics, then pointed at thecoffee ring. "If that works it'll change the entire battlelandscape. The deaders won't stand a chance."
Jay glared at Mathew, daggers for eyes. Mathew drewback. "What? It's fucking genius."
Jay followed Mathew's gaze and saw what he did. It wasgenius.
***
Wrenching at his straps, Bisby tried to free himselffrom his cockpit, hoping he could reach Stanislaw in time.
"Stan! No! It's me! Don't shoot!" he screamed."IT'S ME!!!!!"
The pistol shot rang out, seeming insignificant comparedto the cacophony of battle only minutes before.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Bisby roared, pounding hisfists against his cockpit's frame until they were cracked andbleeding.
Slowly, fearfully, Bisby lifted his binocs, looking downat Stanislaw's wrecked mech. It took him a second to focus, butwhen he did, he wished he hadn't.
Bisby prayed some day he could erase that image from hismemory.
***
Masters and Harlow left the mess hall, grabbing at eachother and laughing. Harlow stumbled, tripping them both up and theycrashed to the hall floor. She quickly took advantage and pinnedMasters, straddling his hips with hers, slowly rocking back andforth.

     
 

     
Masters licked his lips and let out a playful growl.Harlow leaned down, nuzzling against his neck.
"Careful what you start," Masters warned, his breathcoming in short gasps as Harlow nibbled at his ear.
"Think we have time for a quick one before thebriefing?" Harlow asked.
"No. You don't," Capreze said, stepping past themboth.
***
Using all his skill as a mech pilot, Bisby carefullypulled apart Stanislaw's cockpit, exposing the body of his mentorand friend.
The colossal hands lifted Stanislaw's body away fromthe wreckage and into the air. Bringing the body to eye level, Bisbysaid his silent goodbyes, then deposited the corpse in an auxiliarycargo pocket.
Bisby turned his mech 360 degrees, trying to get hisbearings, not trusting the minimal info his navigation scanners weregiving him.
He spotted the ridge and pushed his crippled mech inthat direction. The direction of the mech base. The direction ofhome.
***
"Okay, everyone settle down," Commander Caprezesaid. "Let's get through this as fast as possible and get on ourway."
The mech pilots grabbed a seat, ready for the dailybriefing. Capreze sipped at his coffee, glanced at his tablet thenstarted in.

     
 

     
"Alright …  Only real order for the day is to keep aneye on Balsam Ridge. Harlow noticed some activity out there yesterdayand we should probably keep a watch on it. Harlow?"
"Nothing, really. Just some Rancher movement. Theydidn't engage, so I didn't either, but they watched my ass thewhole time."
"Okay, next quick item … "
***
Bisby pushed his mech as fast as he could without thething falling apart. He knew the damage was bad since he couldn'tengage the motor drive; he was walking the thing in to the base. Evenwith the hydraulics working, the long trek was starting to take itstoll on Bisby's legs.
Off to his right he caught movement. He tried activatingscanners, but they were shot. He was walking blind, a 50-ton targetwith a living meal in the cockpit and a quickly putrefying corpse inthe auxiliary cargo pocket. He raised his binocs.
"Fucking great," he muttered.
***
Downing the last of his coffee, Jay rubbed his eyes andpushed away from his worktable. "That might actually work … " hemuttered. "But first, some real work."
He crossed the hangar to a partially dismantled mech,grabbing a span-hammer on the way. He surveyed the mech, taking inthe wounded behemoth.
Nodding to himself he raised the span-hammer, took aimand whacked the mech in a junction point just above its ankle. Helistened carefully then whacked it again. This time he smiled andtossed the span-hammer aside.

     
 

     
"Jethro! Put this heap back together! Try not to fuckit up!"
***
Bisby watched the wave of zombies crest the hill andswarm towards him. There must have been hundreds.
"Jeezus fuck! Where did they all come from!?!" hecursed aloud.
He tried to outrun them, but his mech was notcooperating. Accepting the inevitable, Bisby double checked hisweapons, turned and made a stand.
When the front of the undead horde was fifty yards outhe fired up the 50mms. Scorching hot lead ripped through dead flesh,painting the wasteland grey and black.
"DIE ALL YOU MOTHER FUCKERS!!!!!" he screamed in hiscockpit.
Row upon row of zombies fell, finally dead.
***
"Need a hand," Jethro asked, his grin filling hisvoice.
Jay struggled with the six cables he had hopelesslytangled around his legs. Jethro just watched him, eyebrows raised,waiting for Jay to give in.
Within seconds, Jay's shoulders slumped in defeat."Yes."
"Yes, what?" Jethro asked enjoying Jay's torture.
"Yes, you can help me," Jay growled.

     
 

     
"What's the magic word?"
Jay whirled on Jethro, intending to throttle him, buthis feet stuck solid and he lost his balance.
Jethro smirked and offered his hand. Jay slapped itaway. Jethro offered it again, unfazed.
Jay gave up and laughed. "Thanks."
***
The right 50mm overheated within minutes. Bisby watchedit redline and swore as the gun froze up, metal fusing. He flippedswitches, sending all available ammunition to the left gun withoutstopping the flow of bullets aimed at the overwhelming zombie massesonly yards away.
Unbelievably a few zombies made it past his onslaught,climbing his mech's legs, fighting to get at the flesh tauntingthem above.
Bisby agilely picked off the zombies, flinging eachagainst the ground, pulverizing them.
Eyes manic, Bisby grinned wickedly, forgetting his lossand remembering why he had always dreamed of being a mech pilot.