Battle Earth X

Chapter 11

Taylor stood before the armoured suit of a Juggernaut. It was suspended from a hoist normally used for the engines of aircraft. A pool of blood lay on the deck beneath it, expanding as the thick blue substance still dripped from the armour. It was clear the creature’s corpse was still inside. He couldn’t help but just stand and stare at it. He’d never gotten the opportunity to actually look at the details.

In combat, all Taylor saw was a figure as he focused on the centre body mass and used peripheral vision. To him the Juggernaut was just a larger Mech suit. But now up close, he could see it was something quite different. Its leg joints were set differently, and there appeared to be no power source for the suit like the normal Mech models.

“What is it?” he asked Jafar who stood beside him.

“I believe it is a Boga.”

“A what?”

“A primitive creature. Much like your apes are to humans. They share some genetic material and evolutionary path with my kind, but they are crude and simple.”

“But big and strong.”

“Yes, far stronger than we are, but they are wild animals.”

“Don’t look wild to me. They are armoured and came at us in a determined fashion. How do you explain that?”

“I cannot.”

“Modules attached to the brain,” Reiter said, walking past behind them.

He stopped between the two of them and looked at the armour with the same fascination Taylor had been doing.

“Yes, the creature itself is a rather primitive beast, but clad in this armour and with a simple control algorithm.”

“What algorithm?”

“Very simple really. The Mech armours transmit identification for friendly forces through sound. These Juggernauts are programmed to attack and kill any living creature that does not emit their code, and is punished by electric shocks if they step within a metre of one who does.”

“So they’re little more than a crazed beast they let loose to raise hell?”

“As you like,” replied Reiter.

Taylor moved along to the next creature suspended from another crane. Its arm was severed and hanging from a chain beside it. He could see it was the one he and Jafar had taken down together.

“They are formidable things, these Boga, or whatever they are. In open ground, where we could bring heavier weapons to bear, they wouldn’t be so much an issue. But aboard these ships in the corridors and confines, they’re like bulls in a china shop, and we’re the china.”

He turned and looked at Reiter.

“What answer have you got to this problem? How can we take them down?”

Reiter shook his head. “I am not sure yet. I need your ideas. You have fought them.”

“Yes, we have, and we paid for it dearly.”

“I am working on ideas, Colonel, but you are the soldier, not I.”

“Marine.”

“Yes, that, too.”

Taylor looked back to the creatures.

“Their armour? It’s far thicker than anything we have had to deal with. The Reitech ammo barely touches it.”

“It is nothing technologically impressive. It is the same armour the soldiers wear, but three times the thickness. They are like walking armoured vehicles.”

“Then maybe that is the answer. Stop treating them like infantry, and start treating them like tanks. Maybe it is that simple. Their armour is three times thicker. Fine, we just need weapons that pack three times the punch?”

“Easier said than done, Colonel. Those weapons are already formidable pieces of hardware. If I were to increase the calibre and power of the ammunition used, the equivalent weapon would be so large you would likely not even be able to lift it. They would in fact be just like some of the Reitech vehicular mounted devices.”

“That sounds good.”

“You don’t understand me, Colonel. The weapons I developed far outweigh anything used in the past. The rifles you carry today are of an equivalent weight to heavy machine guns of by gone years. They are…come with me.”

He led them around some containers to an armaments rack for the fighter and support craft of the Washington. He pointed at a gun that was two metres long, and resembled little more than a thick pipe with a box receiver and feed for ammunition.

“That is the kind of weapon you speak of. Lift it.”

Taylor looked at him as if he were a fool.

“Go on, try and lift it. With your suit on,” he said, pointing to a rack of the exo-skeletons opposite.

He climbed into the suit and then confidently walked up to the rack of weaponry. Never before had he struggled with strength in his suit, so he did not doubt its abilities.

“The Reitech 50CMG, commonly fitted with coaxial weapons on main battle tanks and as close support and ground attack craft. A marvel, I might add. Now try and lift it,” said Reiter.

Taylor stepped up to the rack and got a solid grip on the weapon before hauling it upwards in a deadlift fashion. He strained to do so and got upright with it in his hands. He tried to raise it and turn his body as if to aim it, but felt his body shake. It was the feeling of weakness he had all but forgotten. He clumsily lowered it back down, and it slammed into the rack and echoed out across the hangar bay.

“I can’t use that!” he yelled.

Reiter nodded. “As I said. The 50CMG weighs almost four hundred kilograms. Even with the power of your suit, it is unusable in a combat situation in any manner, except a fixed point on a vehicle or emplacement.”

“That’s no good to me, Doc. I need something we can use on the move. Have you nothing else?”

“Give me time, Colonel. I understand your requirements. Though I’m not sure how much more portable I can make the kind of weapon you require.”

“Just do what you can, Doc.”

Taylor pulled off the armour and strode off with Jafar at his side.

“Those things are sons of a bitches. We need to find a better way to take them out. You got any ideas?”

“I fight with the weapons I am given. I am not an engineer.”

“Yeah, well join the club.”

* * *

“Okay, people, this is our biggest one yet,” said Kelly.

He looked out across the operations table and they all looked to him. Twenty personnel, including all of the key officers involved.

“Every single day a convoy of vehicles travels back and forth along this road,” he said, as he pointed to a map.

“That is, twelve vehicles in total.”

“These are wheeled vehicles?” Oster asked.

“Yes.”

“Why are they using wheeled vehicles when they have so many aircraft?”

“You got me. If we understood everything they did, then perhaps we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in today. We know they used land-based vehicles throughout the war. They were far more susceptible to our heavy guns, and maybe that’s why we didn’t see so many of them back then. But they think they’ve won. They think they own this country now. Own this world. So they’re moving freely without worry. Maybe they are cutting costs by travelling by road, or maybe they’re staying under the radar of remaining Earth air forces.”

“Yeah, right. Can’t be any left,” replied Oster.

“I can speculate till the World ends, and you can be a cynical idiot till that time, too, but it isn’t going to get the job done.”

Oster didn’t say another word.

“Okay, so here’s how it’s gonna happen. We know the route they take, and we know roughly the time they make it each day. During the night, we are going to move four of the main battle tanks into dugout hull down positions overlooking the road here, and here. That will have to be done in complete blackout conditions. You okay with that, Captain?” he asked Becker.

“Shouldn’t be a problem. We start early at sundown so we can let the engines tick over most of the way. We shouldn’t attract any attention.”

“Okay, the plan is simple. The road at this point crosses from one side of the valley to the other. That’s half a klick. We position two tanks in well-concealed positions at either side of the valley and near the roadside. Additionally, we establish trenches with fifty men here, and another twenty in reserve here,” he said, pointing to the map.

“It certainly is a simple plan, think it can work?” Decker asked.

“I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think so.”

“Remember,” Kelly said, “The three priorities here in order are, maintain the safety of this facility, get back alive, and kill the enemy. Those are your priorities at all times. If we have to abandon those tanks, we do so. If we have to kill the wounded, or else have them captured by the enemy, we do so. Do you all understand?”

It was a grim outlook, but they agreed anyway.

“All right then, we move at nightfall. Dismissed.”

The group split up, and only Becker remained sitting opposite Kelly.

“So this is it, first big one?”

“No,” said Kelly, “Merely an escalation of what we have already been doing. And you’d do well to ensure your people know that, or else they’ll have doubts as to our success.”

“And do you not have doubts?”

“Of course I have doubts. If I did not, I would either be foolish or insane.”

“Do we have any idea what is aboard those vehicles?”

“No, and we have no way of doing so. Except to track them to their source. And I have no desire to go anywhere near the cities or their bases. Are you okay with this plan? You can back out or question it at any time.”

Becker took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment.

“No, I am as confident as I can be.”

Becker pulled out a hip flask and took a drink before passing it over to Kelly.

“No, not tonight. Not until I have seen this through.”

Becker didn’t mind and took the drink for him.

“Okay. I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said as he got up and left. Kelly swivelled around in his chair to see Reynolds waiting at the door for him.

“Something you want to talk about, Captain?”

“Not really.”

“Then what can I do for you?”

“Just be yourself, Sir. We have a few hours before all this kicks off, can we not get a coffee and chat like it were old times?”

Kelly smiled and nodded. “Of course.”

He would say anything to calm the nerves of his people, but this time he actually welcomed the proposal to sit with old friends before it all began. They headed for the canteen where they found over a hundred personnel sat about socialising. They took a seat and soon found Corporal Berlin heading for them.

“May I sit with you, Sir?”

“You don’t need to ask. The old rank structure is not what it was. I lead because I am good at it, but not for any other reason. You treat me as your equal.”

It was clear she didn’t see his point of view and responded, “Thank you, Sir.” She sat down opposite him.

“What can I do for you, Corporal…”

“Berlin, Sir.”

“I know that is your family name. But what is the name you choose to go by, what do your friends call you?” he asked.

“My name is Letta, Sir, and that is what they call me.”

“And am I a friend? Would you have me call you Letta?”

“If that is your preference, Sir.”

Kelly shook his head. He opened his mouth to respond but decided he wasn’t going to get anywhere and stopped.

“Sir, what I wanted to ask you is what many here are asking. What are you doing in Germany? You are colonists of the Moon. Why come to Germany?”

Kelly laughed. “It wasn’t by choice, I can tell you. Not that I had anything against the country, but I knew little of Earth, except for what I learnt at school. We were placed here by the UEN. They chose the spot. We just went where they told us.”

“And that was okay with you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? You are born some place that isn’t of your choosing and you learn to get on with it, and hopefully like it. So we got another place that wasn’t of our choosing, and we got on fine here, too. I’d certainly appreciate a warmer climate in winter, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

* * *

A day had passed and Taylor and Jafar stood before Reiter once again.

“One day, Taylor? One day? Do you know how long it takes to develop an idea and experiment and trial? I’ve barely begun to draw up some ideas.”

“Come on, Doc, you work fast. You’re famous for it. We need a solution; you must have a few ideas. Throw them at us.”

He shook his head, muttering under his breath, but went over to a display console and activated it so that a projection displayed before them.

“I have thoroughly tested the 50CMG against these new armours and have come to the conclusion that they possess the appropriate operational requirements.”

“No shit, Doc, they’re fucking cannons. That ain’t the problem.”

“No,” he replied, “We have the right weapon. I cannot at present substantially reduce the weight of the weapon, without compromising its effectiveness. And so we are left with just one choice; to find diverse ways of making it operationally viable to men and women like yourself in the field.”

“Okay,” Taylor replied. He sounded suspicious, “But we already decided it isn’t viable to use as a personal weapon in combat.”

“No, it is not. So then we must surely stop looking for complicated solutions to our problem, and start looking to far more primitive and proven ones.”

“A retrograde step?”

“Not exactly, Colonel. Think of the weapon you carry on your side that you now know as your Assegai. It is a useful weapon in combat, yes?”

He nodded. “More than useful.”

“And yet for all the technological marvel contained in that weapon, it is for all intents and purposes little more than a sword or small spear, is it not?”

“Yes, Doc, but come on; stop talking in riddles.”

“Riddles? This is no riddle. I am merely trying to make your simple minds understand some simple logic.”

Taylor looked carefully at the plans projected before him. The principal image showed a simple metal tripod with the gun mounted atop it.

“What is this primitive crap?”

“A tripod. A simple device yes, but one that enables the use of heavy weapons by mobile infantry forces in the field. This is not my invention. It is nothing new or revolutionary. But why reinvent the wheel? You need the ability to take heavy ordnance into combat by foot. Using a three-weapon fireteam, where two men carry the weapon from shoulder to shoulder and another carries the tripod, you have your solution.”

Taylor rubbed his chin as he thought it over.

“There are surely other ways to solve your problem, but they will take time, and resources we may not even have. This method will enable you to make use of current weaponry. Tripods are an elegantly simple solution to a big problem. I can have a handful of prototypes built within a day, and full production within a week. It requires nothing more than steel and simple machinery.

“This is your answer? You have nothing more?”

“Overall, I think this is the best solution to your problem. However, I am working on a revision to your shields that would enable them to be used as rests for the 50CMG and allow quick deployment in close quarter battle.”

“Go on.”

He walked across the room to where a shield lay clamped in a work unit. At the top, a section had been cut out in a U shape, approximately thirty centimetres wide and deep.

“This simple modification will allow the wielder to deploy a rest for the 50CMG that will make it immediately combat effective.”

Taylor laughed. “A shield with a barrel shape cut in the top? Doc you really are working on some primitive levels here.”

“Yes I am, Colonel. Time is of the essence, more important than anything else. I want you to have a useable means of operating these weapons and defeating these hideous monsters before you have to face them again. You keep us all alive, protect us all, Colonel. I am well aware of that fact. I would not recommend second-rate equipment. This is my recommendation to get the best kit into the field as quickly as is possible.”

Taylor nodded his head, thinking about it a little longer. He thought of the Juggernauts and how vicious they were. He remembered how much he would give to have had an effective way to take them down.

“Do it,” he stated.

“You are sure you want to proceed? You have not sounded too keen, Colonel?”

“If this is the only way we can get it done right now, then very well. I want three of your tripods and three of these modified shields by morning, can you do that?”

“I believe so.”

“Then do it, and we shall find out if your old ideas still work in today’s war.”

* * *

Once again Kelly found he was in a dug out. The snow had begun to settle, and the temperatures seemed to be dropping every day. He had sat there for hours and was starting to feel numb.

“We’ve been here for too long, Kelly. This doesn’t feel right,” said Becker.

The Captain sat next to him.

“I’m surprised you aren’t in one of those tanks,” he replied.

“I command tank platoons, but now I must do it from here. Would I rather be in a comfy commander’s seat than slumming it our here with you? Damn right I would.”

“And yet here you are.”

“Don’t rub it in.”

“Here they come!” Berlin shouted.

They grabbed their rifles and took up positions. Kelly raised his rifle to use the scope to look ahead for the enemy. They could see nothing beyond the thick tree line. It was their greatest asset in almost every situation. But now he could feel his heart pounding as he waited for the enemy to come into view. He told himself they knew what was coming because they had observed it for days, but he also knew there was plenty of room for variables they did not understand. He tried with all his will to slow his breathing and calm his heart rate.

The first vehicle finally rolled into view. It was a six-wheeled vehicle that was fully enclosed. It looked of heavyweight construction but without substantial ammo to its payload.

‘What do you think they’re carrying?” Becker asked.

“Who knows? Looks like your average transport, maybe some kind of fuel or ammunition. But they seem to move everything by air. The only land vehicles we see are heavy tanks and the like.”

“What are you saying?”

“That I don’t like this.”

“What do you mean, we’re seconds away from hitting these fuckers?”

“Think about it, Captain. We barely ever see a land vehicle, and then we start seeing them on a set schedule and route within twenty klicks of where we have been hitting them?”

“Why are you questioning this now when we’re just about to hit them?”

“But I’m not sure. I’m not sure this is safe.”

“Too late, Kelly. We came here to waste these sons of bitches, and we’re gonna do it. We’re seconds away from sending them to hell!”

Becker raised his rifle and took aim at the lead vehicle. He knew he probably couldn’t damage the armour, but it was the signal for his tank crews to engage the enemy.

“Becker, no, you could kill us all!” Kelly pleaded.

It was too late. Becker squeezed the trigger, and two shots glanced off the lead vehicle.

Oh, God! Kelly thought.

A moment later they heard the thunder of two of the tanks opening fire, and the lead enemy truck ignited into a ball of flames. It veered off the road and crashed into an embankment.

“Yeah!” Becker shouted.

They watched in horror as a dozen Mechs spilled out of the burning wreck and came out shooting. Becker ducked back down for cover as pulses smashed into their position.

“I told you not to do this!”

“This was your mission, Kelly!”

Kelly couldn’t think of any words to say as he ducked back in the trench for cover. Finally, he decided he had no choice now but to get up and join in the battle. He put his rifle on the edge of the trench and took aim at the nearest Mech. He fired two shots that met their target, but ducked down as pulses smashed into the top of the trench where he had been moments before.

As the fire settled down, he looked back over the trench. Their tanks continued to fire and strike the vehicles in the column, but he could see more than thirty Mechs advancing up the hill to their position.

“We can’t stay here!”

“We have to complete the mission!”

“No, Captain, we have to survive to fight another day!”

They heard an explosion and looked over the embankment. One of their tanks was engulfed in flames, and they all knew the crew could not have survived. A moment later, three pulses struck their position from a fighter strafing them, and Kelly saw at least a few of their people be engulfed in their fire.

“Goddamn it!” Becker swore and slumped back down into the trench, throwing down is rifle, ‘This is fucked!”

“Yes it is!” Kelly replied, “It is, and remember out strategy. We are compromised, so let’s get the hell out of here!”

As he said it, a fighter strafed their position, and they ducked down for cover. Pulses smashed into their position, and Kelly felt the burn of fragments from one of them embed in his shoulder. He cried out in pain but told himself it wasn’t there. He knew whatever injury he had must wait.

Kelly climbed up to the edge of the trench and could see another of their tanks was burning now, and more than fifty Mechs were approaching up the hill.

“If we stay here, we die!”

“I won’t leave my people!” Becker screamed.

Kelly smacked him across the jaw, which hurt him as much as Becker.

“They die whether we go or not,” he added, cradling his shoulder and wincing in pain.

Becker didn’t know how to respond. He looked to Berlin who was the only soldier he seemed to trust.

“We have to go, Sir. We fight at a place and time of our choosing. This is their ambush, their time. We stay here and we lose.”

Becker shook his head. “Our greatest fucking victory is actually our greatest fucking embarrassment. Go!”

Berlin grabbed Kelly and hauled him out of the trench while Becker relayed the command across the comms. Breaking radio silence was a last resort, and Kelly at least appreciated that Becker was now taking the situation seriously. They rushed out of the trench and back down the other side of the hill giving them cover from the advancing enemy. Fifty metres of running, and they reached the line of vehicles they had positioned for their return journey. They never expected them to be needed so soon. Kelly climbed into the driving seat of his truck.

“You think you can drive with that shoulder?” Berlin asked.

“I can drive a lot better than I can I can hold a rifle, right now.”

She understood and climbed into the back of the vehicle. He fired up the engine as Becker leapt aboard, and he put his foot to the floor. The wheels spun as the vehicle roared forward, and those behind them quickly followed suit.

They tore through the forest road at a rapid rate, and it wasn’t long before they saw enemy vessels overhead tracking their position. They fired randomly through the canopy of the forest but could not accurately pinpoint the location of the vehicles.

“Get on that gun!” Kelly hollered.

Berlin was quick to respond and climbed into the seat of the anti-aircraft gun that had been reinstalled on his vehicle.

‘It’s fucked,” Becker said, “It’s all fucked.”

Berlin ignored him and squeezed the trigger on the guns. Their roar was deafening as shots pierced the canopy and riddled the enemy vessels with fire. The first blew and scattered into flaming pieces as the others broke off their pursuit. She finally took her finger of the trigger and looked back to Becker. He was a mess.

“Kelly, stop the truck!” he yelled, “Stop the truck!”

Kelly hit the brakes, and the vehicle slid to a halt. The others in the convoy were forced to do the same. He got out and stood beside the bed. He saw that Becker couldn’t even move through the shock.

“We have to go back. Those are my people,” he cried.

“Remember what I told you, Captain. The individual counts for nothing. They must make their own way home now, or not at all.”

Becker shook his head. “And if those were your people out there? What about you? What if it was you we left out there?”

“Then I’d expect you to put a bullet in my head before you left, to ensure I told the enemy nothing.”

Becker nodded in agreement. He knew it was the case, but it was still painful to accept.

“They saw our every move here, Kelly,” he finally said.

“Yes they did, and all that means is we have to be smarter. We have to predict their next move.”

“And if we can’t?”

“What do you mean can’t? We can do whatever we put our minds to. Even better, we can outthink them, and do you know why?”

Becker shook his head.

“Because they aren’t that smart.”

It brought a smile to Becker’s face, and that was enough. Kelly climbed back into the driver’s seat and continued on.