I've kept this to myself for a month or so, but now I will reveal that my partner of some 7 weeks died after a short fall, down the stairs onto a complete set of steak knives. In keeping with my wishes, and entirely ignoring hers, she's buried at 6 locations scattered across Wales. She (I forget her name, it's probably on the receipt.) hated Wales. Almost as much as I hated her. She had her good points, they were on the tips of those steak knives. She will be missed. Her parents are already asking questions. I don't answer them because how do you explain the fact she fell downstairs, took a sharp right, rolled twelve feet into the kitchen, landing backwards on said knives before dismembering herself as she struggled to climb out of the cutlery drawer. That's not something any parent should have to hear. It's for their own good. God knows what could happen should they discover her true fate. I'm pretty sure they'd be dead within hours or even seconds, depending on how far I'd have to travel. So ladies, I'm a single man again. Please form an orderly queue. Oh and I can really recommend the Victorinox Rosewood 6 piece steak knife set. These babies can cut through bone. They are that good.
(The copyright to this image is the property of Cutlery and More.)
Not a trace of panic in her voice. Kaisha might be injured, but she was still moving fast. Dodging and weaving erratically to throw the targeting systems off. The mech, unable to track her, turned back to Jake and Daisy. He thought he might be safe here. Struggling with the Matriarch as she wriggled beneath him. Three cyborgs were running in his direction though. Oh no. What was she doing now? Kaisha had stopped evading the now nonexistent pursuit. Instead she turned round and came at that mechanoid, her weapon drawn and at the ready. Firing without aiming. To distract the damn thing. Its computer brain hadn't been programmed for anything like this. The laboratory having absolutely no relationship with the real world situation. Several rounds ricocheted randomly of its armor. It wavered and dithered as the software attempted to adapt. Failing miserably. The shield sister was within range. A well aimed shot could cripple that machine. It was still mostly aimed at him though. Instead of taking the safe option she was taking the certain one.
Conflicting data, badly written code and a lack of any real combat experience caused the thing to seize up for a couple valuable seconds. Kaisha leaped onto it, forcing the barrel of her assault rifle in between two plates of metal. She fired into the gap sending sparks flying. Damn that was impressive. Crap, Chaska was pinned down by two more cyborgs. Pip busy trying to spoof them with her box of tricks, while still tracking every other dot on her screens. The mechanical killer toppled as its assailant heaved at her rifle trying to free it. It was almost horizontal when she did. There was no time for her to jump free. It crashed to the ground, rolling onto her. She was stuck. It was still operational. One of its weapon arms raising itself as she sent two more rounds into the part hosting the remains of a human brain. It died with a metallic groan.
He couldn't move. Daisy was still fighting against him. They'd thought she might be resistant, but this was beyond anything they'd considered. It was as though he were kidnapping her. Jake was rapidly headed up shit creek. Enemy units converging from all directions. Pip informing him they were now massing between him and the safety of the ship. More drones were deploying and six fighter aircraft had been launched from Debara's capital airship. meanwhile all the other parties were looking on. For some reason none of them would act. Either waiting to see what happened or because there was some custom they couldn't ignore. Chaska had dealt with the 2 cyborgs. Both of which were scrap and shreds of meat. Five more were on the way to meet her. So far he'd done fuck all. Now Jake had to get his shit together. Holding Daisy's wrists in his hand and immobilizing them above her head he pressed his mouth to her ear.
"Don't fight me. I'm trying to help you." He pleaded. An ear splitting scream was all he received. Right the time to act had already passed. "Well, you asked for it."
He punched her hard. Enough to make her eyes roll in her head. A medistrip sedative to her neck so she was conscious but helpless. He pushed himself up into a low crouch. Too late. Unable to free herself in time Chaska was a sitting duck for the cyborgs within a few meters of her. Quick as he was Jake wouldn't be able to save her.
"It's been an honor." She declared pulling out a grenade then arming it.
Her arm drew back to throw the powerful fragmentation device. That would take out her as well as the cyborgs. His heart lurched. His eyes misted. The cyborg nearest the prone shield maiden split from shoulder to groin. Blood and sparks flying. The other one blinked before it was blown in half. Fetu reached down to pull Chaska to her feet.
"Where the hell did you come from?" Jake exploded in disbelief.
"Walkabout." Fetu responded firing to left and right.
"Ah. That explains everything." The Wanderer replied ironically. He looked down at the dazed Daisy. He looked up at his comrades. Chaska was holding her own against increasing odds. Cyborgs and mechs littered the area around her. The anger bloomed within him. Ice and fire was the cliche used for moments like this. Not what he felt. This was the chill of steal piercing him through his entire being, crowned by the agony of expected loss. "The time for fucking about is over." He declared. "Fetu, clear the path for Kaisha to get Daisy out of here. Picking up Chaska on the way. How you holding up?"
"Surprisingly well." The first officer responded. "These cyborgs are as dumb as shit. We won't be able to reach the ship. What's your plan?" She sent two combatants to their doom, then moved with stunning speed and grace. Back towards the others.
"I'm going to take the fight to them. You and Chaska take care of the Matriarch. Fetu, you do what you do best. Kick the shit out of everyone in your way. I'm going to make a house call."
He stood slowly. Head down. Inside that head the images cascaded through his consciousness.
"Jake?" Pip's voice was full of concern. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Yes. I'm going to fuck them up, because no one else will. I do have a plan. It's risky." He explained it to her.
"That could bite you on the ass real bad. there's no knowing what will happen."
"Can you do it though?"
There was a silence. That seemed to last for hours.
"It would be temporary. Only last a few minutes." Another pregnant pause. "There is a way though. Check in your combats. Right thigh."
He reached into the pocket. His hand finding something familiar.
"Is this...?"
"No. It's a replica. I got the schematics, but I wasn't able to make all the parts with the correct materials. It'll work. I'm not sure for how long. Is it really worth the risk?"
"No way of knowing until after the fact."
"Right you prick. The target is in your tactical display. If you're determined to do this, I'm deploying the sphere. No arguments. I can thin out the opposition between here and the others. they might be able to get Daisy to the ship. And just so you're aware the welcoming party are heading back to the camp. Debara is not best pleased."
"Good. Now I'm going to make his day even worse, by pissing all over it."
The intensity of weapon fire grew. He took a deep breath.
"Good luck." Came over his communicator. "We have the Matriarch."
"Cool. Tell Kaisha if she goes all heroic again I will... Tell her the aim is to survive and that's it." He opened up a widecast channel, knowing everyone would hear what he said. "Debara." Jake yelled. "You lily livered, chicken shit, coward. I'm coming for you mother fucker. So you'd better run and hide like the spineless coward you really are."
That ought to get a reaction out of him.
A reaction it did get. More and more units were converging on him. At first in one's and two's. Then in squads. He'd touched a nerve. Now it was time to jam a blade into it and dig as deep as he could. Pip advised him she'd deployed the Pantovian sphere. That almost a third of the T'nanga forces were now heading his way. He stood motionless. His head still down. Apparently staring at the ground a few meters n front of him. Jake threw open his coat. Arms by his side. Hands open. Completely relaxed. At ease with the situation. While rage boiled within. Hotter and hotter until the brightness filled him.
"Red mist and turbo please Hermes. While you're at it, throw in everything else you've got. If we're going out, we're going out with a bang that'll set the world afire and shake it to its foundations."
The drones high above swirled around before diving down. Where the multiple missiles Pip launched reduced them to motes of dust. Three more exploded into nothing as the assets moved closer and closer. Time expanded. Everything slowed. The sluggish, bovine cyborgs prepared to open fire on his position. As they did, he was gone. Skipping out of their line of fire his arms swinging up. The crack of his pistols filled his ears with music as he began to thin their herd. Curiously, although he was reacting with immense speed his actual pace across the ground seemed measured. Almost casual as he advanced in the direction of where Debara was holed up. The clone would come out to meet him. There was nothing else it could do, without loosing face. Jake had faced down more than his share of lunatics and cyborgs. They were always predictably unpredictable. More importantly, they were always delicately balanced on the precipice of homicidal rage.
He used his pistols exclusively. They didn't have the stopping power of the rifle, but they illustrated the contempt he had for what was arrayed against him. His arms looked to be waving. Rounds fired in every direction. Behind and over his shoulder. Not even looking at what he was hitting with every single shot fired. Their repulsors were useless against him. Set wide angle he brushed them off. Set narrow he side stepped and dodged. Knowing when and where they'd fire before they did. Pip was meeting stiff resistance herself. Shortly after she'd teleported the sphere outside the ship its presence had been detected. Now she to was having more forces thrown against the sphere while she was also piling them up in front of her. It wouldn't be long before they understood what she was doing. Especially now she couldn't devote as much attention to the electronic countermeasures.
A little over 150 meters away, Debara stormed into the camp where Taini, Pengelly, Ydrie and Scarlet were now being held. They were forced to their knees before the patriarch of clan T'nanga. The brother and sister terrified, bewildered and stunned. Unaware of what was happening to their quiet little idyll. Pengelly and Scarlet had heir hands behind their heads. Debara brought his fist crashing down on a bench. It split in two. He snatched a tablet from one of his followers pushing it into the faces of the cowering siblings.
"This one? Who is he? Where did he come from?" He screeched.
A still image of Jake, snatched from a cyborg a millisecond before a high explosive armor piercing round blew its head apart, glimmered on the display. Ydrie and Taini peered at it. Confused and intimidated beyond anything they had known. Taini blinked rapidly.
"I do not know his name. He is an idiot. A simpleton."
Debara backhanded her across the face. The power of his blow crushing bones. Sending her spinning across the ground. Her limbs twitched and trembled.
"Liar." He screamed as Ydrie sobbed. "That simpleton and his fellows is destroying my forces. Now tell me everything or you will join her in death. The brother first, then the other woman. If you lie to me, I will crush your skulls until your eyes burst."