"Hey, what's up?" he said, calling Rachel's com.
"Mech. Can't tell if it's a deader or not … Youwatching me again?"
"Busted. I'm off shift until after the Rookie getshere."
***
June walked into the rec room, hoping Jay had downloadedthe new batch of vids. She grabbed some couch and flicked on thewall-sized monitor. She scanned the menu, seeing the same shows shehad seen a million times. She clicked off the monitor, depressed.
Shewondered where Mathew was. Probablywatching heragain,she thought bitterly. Spoiledlittle mech brat …
Junestood up, anger and jealousy suddenly motivating her. Fuckthis,she thought.
She stomped out of the rec room, determined to findMathew and tell him how she felt. Determined to make him feel thesame about her.
***
The bay doors opened wide, allowing Masters' mech toexit the hangar.
"Watch yourself out there," Harlow buzzed overMasters' com.
"Don't worry, sugar. I'm good to go."
"Not worried about you, I'm worried about yourpartner today."
"Rachel? Why?" Masters asked.
"She only sleeps in her mech! A, that's just weird.B, no one can get a good night's sleep in one of those cockpits. Ifshe's fatigued, then she may hesitate when she shouldn't. Justwatch yourself."
"Notto worry, baby. Islept fine last night. Rested and ready to wipe the wasteland cleanof the deader menace!"
***
"It was personal," Doctor Themopolous said, stillavoiding Capreze's gaze.
It was Capreze's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Personal?You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?"
The doctor considered what to tell Capreze; theCommander waited.
"I was looking to transfer. To get away from" – shegestured about the office, indicating the entire base- "all ofthis."
"Any particular reason?" Capreze asked kindly.
"No single reason. It's just, well … "
"The isolation, the fear, the violence, thedesolation, the lack of any socialization beyond a bunch of mechpilots half out of their minds?"
Themopolous laughed, smiling weakly.
***
Mathew climbed the spiral stairs to the tower, havinggrabbed his binocs from his locker, preferring the exertion of thesteps to the static hum of the lift. He clicked his com. "Anything?"
"Nope, still too far out for a decent scan,"Rachel's voice buzzed in his ear. "Did you get your binocs?"
"Yah, I'm almost to the- Oh, um, hey June … "
"What's she doing there?" Rachel asked, a hint ofjealousy marking her words.
"Hello, Matty," June said, her voice shaking.
"Hey Rache, I'll get back to you, okay?"
"Make it quick … Mathew."
"Ahh, come on, don't be like that … "
***
"That still doesn't explain why it was coded … ,"Capreze led. Themopolous' smile faded quickly, darkness cloudingher eyes.
"It was from an old colleague of mine. He's ChiefMedical Officer for Foggy Bottom … ," she trailed off.
Capreze waited patiently. "And … ?"
"And? Well, he has been seeing some issues with theReaper chips. Some very alarming issues."
"He's reported these ‘issues' to the UDC?"
"Well, that's complicated … "
Claxons blared, the base sent into full alarm.
Capreze jumped from his seat. "We'll continue thislater, Doctor."
"Of course, Commander."
Capreze tapped his com. "Full alert folks, all staffto stations. Be ready."
***
"Approaching mech, this is Pilot Capreze, pleaserespond," Rachel waited, but there was no answer. "Son of abitch … "
Rachel fired up all systems and triple checked herweapons. She slammed her hand on the console, initiating the base'salarm and defense systems then started towards the approaching mech.Her com crackled and Commander Capreze buzzed in her ear.
"Whatcha got Baby Girl?" her father's voice asked.
"Not sure. Incoming mech, but can't tell if it'sfriend or not. It's not responding to my hail. Scanners say it'spretty banged up and power levels are low."
"Be careful."
"Will do."
***
"Listen Matty, there is something I want to say,"June said sheepishly. "Something I've been meaning to say for awhile."
"Um, can this wait, June? Rache has an incoming mechand I'm her eyes on this."
"No! It can't wait for Rachel!"
Mathew stepped back at the force of June's words."Whoa, whoa, take it easy. Fine, what is it you need to say?"
Junetook a deep breath, she couldn't help glancing out the window, downat the mech, down at her.She let out the breath and turned back to Mathew.
Before she could speak, claxons blared.
***
"I wish it was more than meets the eye! Then thispiece of shit could transform into a mech that worked!" Jay yelledat Jethro.
"How'd you get those vids anyway?" asked Jethro,handing Jay the span-driver he hadn't asked for yet.
"Thanks... Some chick I was banging before the deadmechs. Her dad was new media and had a HUGE vid library."
"Wow. Did he have that one with the talking dog andthose kids? Shabby Sue, I think?"
"Huh... Don't know that one."
"Nevermi-"
Proximity klaxons shook the hangar bay.
"Shit, hope that's one of ours," Jay mumbled.
***
Masters settled his mech next to Rachel's. "What yagot?"
"Mech. Heading straight for us. Looks damaged,"Rachel replied, engaging the drive gear. "I'm gonna head outthere and intercept. If my dad sends more pilots out, then you comejoin me. Otherwise, stay back and cover the base."
"Will do," Masters responded, checking his weaponssystems and firing up long-range sensors.
Rachel started to walk her mech away from the base. Hercom crackled loudly.
"Hey! Where you going all by yourself?" Mathewasked, not bothering to hide his concern.
"I'm on intercept."
Mathew grumbled, Rachel smiled at this.
***
"Fucking piece of shit!" Bisby swore, smashing hisfist against the com controls. Far off he could see the mech base,two mechs standing out front, just dots in the distance.
Having a landmark in sight, he adjusted his course,heading for the funeral pyre where he would deposit Stanislaw'sbody. Regardless of the state of the body, all corpses were depositedat the pyre to be dealt with immediately.
It had taken him a couple hours to walk several miles,but the last mile to the pyre was the hardest.
Bisby could feel the fatigue creep into his soul.
***
With the motor drive in gear, Rachel took theopportunity to stretch her legs as much as she could in the tightspace of the cockpit. She wanted to be plenty limber if she had tobe.
The terrain in the general area of the mech base wassmoothed and maintained, allowing the mechs to move fast when theyneeded to. Rachel kept an eye on her scanners as she approached themystery mech.
Within seconds here computer chimed, letting her know itwas Bisby's mech she was seeing.
"Biz? Come in Biz!" she hailed, hoping he couldstill hear.
***
Bisby struggled to keep his mech going towards thefuneral pyre. The hydraulics were quickly breaking down; he wasn'tsure if he would make it to the pyre and back into base.
Bisby saw a mech approaching fast, but couldn't tellwhose it was. He could give a shit who came to greet him, as long asthey stayed out of his way.
In seconds the mech was close enough for Bisby to see itwas Rachel coming to intercept him. He immediately launched threeflairs. Red, blue, red. The signal that he was alive, but his com wasdown.
***
Rachel walked her mech right up to Bisby's so theycould hear each other. She opened her cockpit and motioned for Bisbyto do the same. He was slow in responding, but eventually he did.
"Where's Stan?" Rachel called out.
It was all Bisby could do to keep his tears in check. Hewasn't going to cry in front of another pilot, especially one thathe taught himself.
"Biz! Where is Stan?" Rachel called again.
Bisby pointed down towards the auxiliary cargo pocketholding his dead mentor's body.
Rachel's eyes swept down and then she squeezed themclosed, quickly understanding.
***
Rachel hailed Capreze, trying desperately to hold backthe sobs, but the second her father's voice came on the com, shelost all control.
"Rachel?!? What's going on out there? Whose mech isthat?" Capreze asked, struggling to keep his voice professional.
Rachel couldn't answer. Blinded by tears and rackedwith despair, she stopped her mech, letting Bisby hobble on withouther. Her chest felt empty yet unbelievably heavy at the same time.
"It's okay, Baby Girl," Capreze soothed, allthoughts of protocol lost. "Let it out, let it all out."
"St-st-stan..."
"You're with Stan?"
"St-st-stan's gone, Daddy!" Rachel wailed.
***
Despite the massive damage his mech had sustained, Bisbywas able to retrieve Stanislaw's body from the auxiliary cargo andplace it gently upon the concrete pyre.
He stood there, man and machine, man as machine, staringat a corpse that was no longer his friend, but just so much flesh tobe burned, to be turned to ash.
Bisby let a tear fall from his right eye, but wiped itaway quickly. He switched his gaze to the direction he had come from,making himself a promise he would find One Arm.
And destroy the deader or die trying.
***
Watching Bisby approach, Rachel gave him a thumbs up andmotioned towards the base. She hoped she was far enough away that hecouldn't see her grief ravaged face. Bisby's mech returned thethumbs up, the metal protesting.