The Final Push, A Pilot’s Story By Carlos Hicks ID# 905078

Novum Delorum

Captain Carlos and his squad were maintaining Security outside of the Financial District. Security was a combination of tedium and wracked nerves. The ultimate roller coaster. Ninety percent of the time was spent just like this. 

Sitting in a mecha listening to audio books and news transcript readings. Your crotch having gone numb days ago from the Gee Harness, to the point you had to remember every few hours to check and see if you needed to “drop a Bio.” Sweat trickling down the ridge of your spine and pooling in the bottom of your briefs, head and eye aches from staring at H.U.D. read outs, trying to eke any possible knowledge out of the sensors for possible activity.

Because if you aren’t, you aren’t going to be ready for that other ten percent of the time. That’s when they hit. The Stalkers have been using a two pronged attack recently. The ground opens up in front of you as a large wave froths out. The ground shakes and your mecha’s leg servos groan with the sudden change in footing.

Then the second prong hits. Bigger, plumper Stalkers fall from the trees, grabbing the tops of your mechas and pulling them forward. The combination tilts your mecha head first into a pit where the Stalkers then can pry the pilot out of his armor and abscond with him. It’s been told by survivors that it’s a terrifying chain of events.

But if you’re lucky, and you catch the signs, you will get to kill wave upon wave of the enemy and live to talk about it. Then you get to sit through the tedium of waiting for the next wave to come for you.

“Attention all Asylum Units: Rendezvous on the Gateway Control Nexus in ten. You will be briefed in eleven.”
“Sir, yes sir!”

As if they were of one mind, the jungle foliage erupts with fire and metal. Sixteen Squads of mechas burst forth on jump jets and servos, all going in the same arc. Camouflage an stealth a thing of the past, all units strived to make the Rendezvous. Carlos felt the excitement, same as the others. There had been something different in the comptroller’s voice when they made the announcement. Something like elation.

In the tree line on the outskirts of the Gateway Control Nexus, you could see several square miles of warehouse and factory district. As a main switch hub, may companies kept holding facilities as well as production facilities on hand to ease the cost of shipping. In front of them stood the mighty Fext of Admiral F.J. Bros, one of the leaders of the Dragon Clans.

“Word got out on the wire that some lone pilot for the Heroes found some suspicious activity in here. When he went to investigate, he ran into several waves of viral mechas being serviced by Stalkers. The enemy is planning something big and soon. And it looks like we just found the staging grounds. We’ll be working in concert with all of the mercenary clans to bring this to an end today, so get those engines primed and lets get ready to light it up.”

All was quiet on the edge of the District. Then tight clusters of birds took flight, rustling the trees in their wake. It was quiet again, but a spilt second later, all the noise and utter cacophony possible out of thousands of exhaust ports erupted at once as the Mercenary Clans all sprang into life, leaping forth on legs of metal and rockets of fire.

Buildings erupted with the sudden onslaught. Entire blocks exploded in flames while others turned to ice, crumbling under the weight.

Gorax’s forces had been caught completely unawares. Row upon row of mecha and Stalker alike erupted into pieces under the monstrous effects of the charging waves of the clans. From back on the ridge, it looked like the city was crumbling in on itself, in an ever tightening circle. Tiny figurines were thrown into the air with each explosion. For the pilots and all they’ve been through this past year, there’s a price to be paid, and they’ll take their payment in flesh.

After an hour of wading in and laying waste, there was a call on the com.

“We got him! We got him! Gorax has been captured at Secton 45, Bldg. 30. Dolorum Security, make for the sector to take prisoner off of our hands. Clan Forces, continue with cleanup operation, but now try to ease up on property damage if you can. The Mad Doctor has finally been caught!”

Carlos let his head bow to his chest for a brief respite as the communication sunk in. So many good men and women lost to the virus. So many to the Stalkers.

Finally, they can put this horror to rest.