Spring Changes, page 6
We stopped in the centre of the hangar. The three mech bays to my left were in semi good condition, the three to my right were not.
“Reminds me of a certain hangar bay that we fixed up many moons ago.” I glanced at Tyto.
“That took some time too, but look at how far Artemis has come now.”
“Exactly,” I said. “I can see the potential here, and for us.”
“I am glad you do,” Xirob said. “I was unsure if you wanted this kind of challenge.”
“There’s going to be no better challenge than doing this, becoming the best we can. And taking on Edward at his own game.”
“I will be watching, as I’m sure Ohara will too.”
“You’re wanting our first meal out, already!” I laughed. “We’ve got this, let’s get it settled. Artemis can provide meals on wheels till we’re fully up and running; it’s a trek to the mess hangars from here, I’m sure. Be much easier with a mess hall for us here. Till we rejoin the main one.”
Xirob raised an eyebrow at me. “You think it’s a good idea?”
“Edward will learn then, when we’re ready.”
He almost frowned, but he shook it off. Edward wouldn’t get away with what he had done. It was for me to decide the when, though, and it wasn’t right now. We had enough to do.
“Yes, we can get shuttle buses to take you to the mess hall, then. I will organise them when you’re ready.”
“That will work out, give us the time to get this up and running, our mechs down, and for us to sort out a few kinks.”
Kyle, Xirob has given me access to the hangar’s secure network, and the other buildings. They are in a bad way, but if I get the power on, the doors open . . . we’re on our way to at least cleaning out the local animals.
There are animals here?
Might need to take a few of the guys out and do some hunting if I can’t get rid of them.
Be some good sport for them, I’m sure.
Just another job to add to the list. Let’s get this one up and running first. The others we can do systematically, as we need them. Drafting in other mech teams will help—they can also then clear their own units out and bring them up to spec.
I felt the shuttle outside lift off, the hangar vibrating around us, debris falling from the roof. I looked up and couldn’t see where it was coming from.
“Let’s get the building investigated first. Then we’ll take it from there,” I said. “Don’t want it falling down around us.”
Tyto shielded his eyes from the extra dust, and I sneezed this time. The doors at the far end opened, and the breeze through also stirred up more dust.
“We might be better with breathers too, at the moment.” I coughed and sneezed again.
Lights popped on overhead, illuminating the whole area and each mech station. Xe appeared before me in a 3D image, and I almost jumped backwards. “Wow, you just did all that?”
“The system is older, but in fully functioning order,” she said. “In fact, they’re all online, all six hangars.”
With the flick of her wrist, she brought up a map for us. “This is the surrounding area. We’re here. These are the other hangar locations.”
It was neat to see them, a nice semicircle around one larger training ground. Xirob pointed then. “If you get the mechs to help clear the grounds, you can open up this whole area.”
“Watch,” Xe said.
The lights and power dulled around us, but the image she had of the surrounding area popped. A shield enveloped the whole area.
“We can still be shielded from sight?”
“Yes! Fully functioning as well!”
The lights flickered again.
Naylar and Denn walked back over. “Power draw is a lot, though. But I think we can upgrade the generators that are running the place.” Denn grinned. Sparks blew out above us, and the power went out.
Xe’s image frowned. “Oops. Cutting power to the shield, at least for now.”
“Come with us,” Denn said. “We’ll get this up and running better.”
I smiled at her. “Go. I’m going to have enough around here to get organised.” There was a cough on the inside. “Okay, we’re going to have enough.”
That’s better, Hiroto said. You concentrate on the mechs, we’ll get everything else running.
“What about a dedicated medical area?” Tyto asked. He pointed towards Paul who walked towards us, cradling his arm.
I quickly rushed over to him, noting there were two fallen mechs outside. He said simply, “Fell outside, trying to get up to the first mech’s cockpit. Slipped. It’s broken.”
“You broke it from a fall? That doesn’t seem possible. They’re flat out?”
“It does when there’s a frigging big hole to the left of it, and it’s a good fifteen-foot drop.”
“Oh shit, really?”
Xirob stood by the fallen mech. “Natural sinkhole. We can get it fixed.”
I looked around as my team gathered. “No further accidents,” I said.
“I’ll heal,” Paul said. “Nites are already on it.”
“Yeah, that’s not the point.” I looked out at the grounds before us. I wanted to see the mechs too, though they were obviously dead. It was easier to see the semicircle this side, and the surrounding hangars just glinted in between trees. “We’ve quite the bit of fixing to do. Let’s get our mechs here. Get the grounds and surrounding area cleared as first priority. Then at least we know we’ll be safer.”
“Think we can draft in Doctor Herin?”
Xirob frowned. “I’m not so sure of that, but the doctor Jai mentioned might be up to the task.”
“I thought they were just psych?” Paul asked.
“Just because someone specialises doesn’t mean they’re not broadly trained, just they didn’t want to be on the front line as some of ours are.”
“Let’s see if we can get them here first, then ask. This could be too much to take on if they don’t want front line fighting.”
“I know there’s at least a couple of people who would want to join us,” Xe said.
“I can’t take Trin unless Herin’s alright with it, but Trin and Luke would be amazing here.”
“Someone mention my name?” came a soft female voice from behind us. I turned to see Trin and Luke. Luke went straight to Paul and scanned over his arm with care. I could clearly see the break from here, using Molecular Insight. Luke gave Paul an injection, and I watched as his internal nites immediately started to knit the bone back together. Fascinating.
6
“How did you—” I asked. “Oh, Frenk.”
“He said you’d be in some secret location. It only took a message to Hiroto and he passed it over,” Trin said.
Hiroto! I said to him. You could have said.
Kyle, I’m already organising everything we need in here. You think I can tell you every tiny detail?
You’re doing what?
Transport’s on its way back from Artemis already with the cleaner bots. The mechs are on their way over from our original hangar, and we can get those left on Artemis on the way down in the next few. We’ll have supplies running for a while, but once the mechs are here and we can clear the ground, we’ll be able to move around outside without worry and start storing and stacking things.
You’re on the ball.
Of course. Would you expect anything else?
I’ll leave that in your capable hands. I looked at Tyto and cocked my head towards the mech bays on the left. “Come on, let’s take a look.”
“I thought you’d never ask!” He grinned, and we walked away from the others.
Tyto was careful as he approached the bay, and so was I. They were all just dusty, but the inner mechanism where the mechs would sit was lit up okay. “They look good. With this, we can . . .” He looked outside.
“You think we can get one of those up?”
“I think that’s what Paul was trying to do, maybe?”
I grinned. “You know how to bait someone good, don’t you?”
“You already thought about it.” He laughed. “I’m just making you do it.”
I laughed. With everyone else talking, organising things, Tyto and I slipped outside and into the grasses which surrounded the two mechs on the grounds. “I wonder what happened here?”
I stopped before the foot of the mech and wiped the green algae from it. The metal underneath was dull and had several different shades of greys, silvers. It needed a good clean. It was cold to the touch, so cold it stung. It made me think about why, the shade? Sparking kenosi, I allowed my energy to flow through and into the mech.
“Wait,” Tyto said. “You going to use Molecular Insight?”
“Why not?” I asked. “It looks pretty harmless so far?”
“You have no idea what might be affecting them,” he said. “Or what happened.”
“I can tell you what happened,” Xirob said behind him. “You can look deeper in a minute.”
I let the kenosi disperse. “What did happen, then?”
“This base was attacked, when the first training facilities were built. There were many people who said we were too close to the rift that without the right back up and protection, this planet would be first to go if the rift fell.”
“You lost the area?”
“We did, once. It was also one of the reasons we knew we were running out of time for me, for our joining.”
Tyto glanced from me, to Xirob, not privy to that conversation.
“We trusted the routine of the rift, the way things worked and around it. The fact we almost lost the whole area was enough to push me. We lost most of the hangars and the trainees with it. They fought—of course they did—and eventually our forces pushed the enemy back, and we have held ever since.”
“So the mechs?”
“They belonged to some of our best. They would have served them well.”
I was sorry they’d almost lost the area. But the fact was, the mechs had been tainted more than they’d fought at the rift. I sparked my kenosi again and placed both hands to the surface.
“How old are they?”
“They’re our first models, a few hundred years,” Xirob said.
I winked at Tyto. “Okay, well, I’ll soon see.”
As the energy pooled on the surface, I initiated Molecular Insight and followed along for the ride inside the mech.
You’re not going in there without me, a voice said at my side.
Wouldn’t dream of it, Xe, I said. Keep reporting to me what you can.
On it!
The mech didn’t respond like all the others, but there was something here; there was life inside it still. It seemed to want something. I flexed my kenosi draw, almost to full capacity, and allowed what was on the inside to take it. The metal moved, and I focussed more. It rippled beneath me, almost like liquid. I thought I was going to fall inside it, but I didn’t. I did, however, almost slip off when the whole mech moved beneath me. Crap, I was gonna end up down the same hole as Paul if I didn’t watch it. With a little push, I slid off the side, keeping my focus on the connection I had to it.
“You hack it?” Tyto said somewhere behind me.
“No,” I said. “But there’s something in here that’s very strong.”
I heard other voices and talking, but I couldn’t listen to what they were saying. I needed to concentrate on this guy.
The mech’s fingers flexed when I moved mine.
“I’ve got him,” I said and looked directly to Xirob. “This connection is very different. Why did you stop using this?”
“The connection was also what got all of our trainees killed.”
I swallowed. Flexed my fingers more, feeling dirt underneath them. With my mind, I looked down, and could feel knees buried in the ground. Feel the mud around me.
Statistics? I asked.
In my view flashed up a 3D image of me, the mech. I read quickly. The health was low, really low. Structure and hull compromised. But the memory on the inside, the energy in here was fully intact.
Kyle, there’s nites in here, Xe’s voice came back. I’m talking to them now. Your energy brought them back around. They’ve been in suspended animation, waiting.
You can do that?
I guess so, though I didn’t know it was possible. You brought them back, Kyle. That energy you have around you is powerful shit.
I laughed. No kidding. I swirled all around me.
Tyto leaned in towards me. “You’d better ease off on the draw, or you might alert some of the others that there’s an event they need to investigate going on.”
I looked up, the ambient energy everywhere around us. My team stood watching.
But the mech before me, as I ordered it to, stood. From my inside view, soil, grass and even a tree moved as it did. Remote Control was the weirdest skill. As we watched and followed it upwards, we all could see the sheer size of it. I was extremely impressed.
I looked at Xirob. “You brought us here for this, didn’t you?”
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t. The tech is outdated; the mech’s connection has lots of issues. But there’s several here, some in the other hangars. If you can use these as well as your own . . .”
I grinned at him and then glanced over my shoulder to the others. “Get back to work. We have hangar space to clear, and I want these two—and any others out here, or in the additional hangars—settled back in their docks and moving, today. No one else is going to know they’re here. Just like they’re not going to know we’re here, for now.”
Hiroto?
Yes, Kyle.
Get that shield running and the area secure as fast as you can.
Shuttles are already coming in for first landings, Los and Quill have the cleaning bots working, then the others can land with the rest, he replied. It will take a few hours to get them all offloaded and working. The equipment Denn’s asked for to help with the power and generators is on the third shuttle in.
With a thought, I moved the mech’s left leg forwards, the creak of metal on metal screeching through my ears, and I saw everyone raise their hands to their ears. That sucked. But with one step, the metal on metal eased. I took the right leg forwards and even though it also complained, it didn’t on the next step. Everyone scattered out of the way, and I took the mech inside the hangar doors, leaving it standing upright.
“Come on,” I said and indicated the hangar.
Everyone moved this time, and they scattered into the area, the tech guys making sure they moved towards the other door and then out. I could just make out the shuttle on the pad.
Xirob stood next to me. “I have to go,” he said.
I looked at him, and frowned. “Keep in touch,” I said, holding my hand out for him.
There was a small knock on my internal. “This is my personal comms chat,” he said. “You can text or talk to me, anytime.”
I shook his hand firmly. “I’m glad you’re with us,” I said.
“I am too. Thank you for giving me that chance.”
“No.” I let go of his hand. “Thank you for being honest with me.”
Xirob held his hand out for Tyto and they shook too.
“An honour,” Tyto said.
The cleaner bots came in, flittering here, there, and everywhere. Sucking up dust and debris, then taking it to a dumpster outside. Xirob left.
“I think we need to get out of the way.” I laughed. “As much as I want to play with the mech, let’s go check out the bunks, and where’s best we can set up our command post.”
“Sounds good.” Tyto started coughing. Huge waves of dust were blown our way.
Quill approached. “I return to Artemis for supplies and you have all the fun. How come there are mechs here?”
“Long story,” Tyto said. “Walk with us to the bunkers, and I’ll fill you in.”
“The cleaning bots will do a good job, but they need a few hours for a place this big. Once they’ve been in here, they’ll move to the bunks. We all need those clean to sleep later.”
“Can we get some more replicated?”
“Artemis is on it. There will be several more sets with each shuttle that lands.”
He reached behind his back. “Here, if we’re going where there’s more dust . . .”
I took the offered nose piece and looked at it. Tyto took it off me. “Watch.”
He placed the piece over his nose, and then it seemed to click. There was a slight shimmer of something around Tyto’s face.
“Works pretty much like the oh-two suits. They’re there, but not visible. Like a shield.”
“Thanks,” I said, slipping the nose piece on. Breathing suddenly got a lot easier.
“Better?” Quill asked.
I nodded. Hiroto, can you direct us as best you can around the grounds?
You mean without falling through into any underground potholes?
Yes, of course.
“Yes, I’ve used images from the shuttles as we’ve come in and scanned the area using Artemis. I’ve got all the holes flagged. No one should fall into anything untoward.”
That was good.
There was another internal ping. Oh, Pious is on his way. You have around an hour before he’ll arrive. He’s bringing a shuttle with medical equipment.
You told him our full plan?
Yes. I know he’s scheduled for talking to us all, but I thought I’d start off on the right foot and explain what we were going to be doing and how.
Oh, that’s good, thank you.
He’s bringing someone else with him, he said. A lady by the name of Morgan. She’s retired, but he said she’s well versed on front line tech and medical.
Okay, I’m not looking forward to this, I admitted.
You’re not the only one. This, and all the work we have here, will make the next few weeks very hard.
I paused then, sucked in a breath. We can do this though, right?
I hope so, he replied and then he was gone. Back to sorting things in my head. I could still see the numbers floating everywhere. Then I noted a few names on the next shuttle. You’ve got Stan and Abi coming down?
Yes. We’re borrowing a few others from Artemis. They can stay for a shift and they have to leave. Ohara’s agreed to it at the moment, but as soon as you’re out and on the base, we have to stop all transport to and from Artemis; we can’t put them at risk. So we have to be a hundred percent ready for that.
