Chapter 4: Sgt. Master Salt
(Part two tomorrow with lots of character interactions, enjoy the violence!)
(Long live the Enclave.)
"Yes, I understand everyone would rather shoot everything rather than go back and get my equipment." John attempted to placate the will of his allies. They had successfully dropped the two scouts the rouge bots had sent their way, and were plotting their next move behind a wall that once was the east side of someone's home, the rest of it crumbled around their feet.
"I've been working on a few energy weapons that have the sole purpose of disabling bots. We could get resources from them if we don't blow them to bits, and I think I have a more able test than the obstacle course. We've been discussing having two paths for recruits, a combat power-armor role and a technical corp for medics, technicians that can still fight." John continued, James nodded affirming that John must have grown some kind of trust with these people to reveal sensitive military information. He'd follow his lead until they gave him a reason other wise.
"I have two Gatling lasers set to a frequency to break the feed from their optical sensors, and once they loose those they'll enter into a special delay that was meant to ensure they wouldn't just start firing at American troops. James and Garcia will go in guns blazing, and I'll take Lucy here and we'll get a couple stealth boys and turn these robots into our first real infantry force." Lucy seemed more engaged, and Garcia secretly was giddy over acquiring a heavier weapon. He always had believed in quantity in firepower, it was the BoS way.
"Plus, that Gutsy unit was at Anchorage. They're vets for god sake." John declared, ending his presentation.
"What do you think, boss?" John asked his friend. Apparently the last line had stoked the Colonel's patriotic spirit. He dropped his cigarette and stomped it under his boot.
"Fuck it, let's do it. I wouldn't mind a fleet of robots to thin out superior forces for us, either. If they could kill commie's I'm sure ghouls and scorched won't pose a threat to them." He said as he climbed back into his power armor, and the group set out to re-equip and attack. Garcia had gained a silent observation of their orders, becoming less combative and seemingly impressed with their capabilities. He would of just shot them, which he suspected James most likely would too. Lucy didn't ever reveal much through her mannerisms, cold and silent. John knew things would change soon, gun fights had tended to reveal character and create bonds in his experience.
"All-right kids, according to Sgt. O'Connor here there's a thirty minute period where about half of the bots will be in a maintenance mode. That's in two minutes. Lucy and John will be in stealth providing accurate fire support with their laser pistols, and me and Garcia here will open up on them. They won't be able to touch our armor, so it should be a big deal to try and back them in a choke point in the house. Watch the Master Sgt. Gutsy, someone get him quick. I suspect he's an old tough son of a bitch." James slammed his helmet on, and a familiar feeling rushed through his blood. Garcia readied his weapon to Jame's left, and John and Lucy hit their stealth units and dissipated off into the dark of night to flank their enemies, pistols at the ready.
"Let's do this." James declared, and broke out into a sprint. Garcia followed close behind.
"INTRUDER ALERT, OPEN FIRE." A Gutsy near the firing range indicated to his allies, and before a robot could fire James & Garcia opened up a volley of accurate automatic fire that would make the gates of hell look inviting. One gutsy dropped, then a second. They attempted form and attack and a straight line towards their enemies, their tactical units apparently damaged by what ever made them not identify James & John as members of the U.S. military. A line of four Gutsy's wheeled around the side of the house from the other end of the camp, and John & Lucy revealed themselves and sent accurate fire at their enemies rear. The pushed forward from separate directions to the front door, shooting the hibernating units as they went. James laughed maniacally as he mowed down robots with concentrated fire.
'Man, I love my job.' He thought as they all stacked up on the door, instinctively dividing the armor John stacked up behind James and Lucy did the same behind her friend, all executing without a word.
"Y'all take it." James nodded at Garcia, he pushed in first, immediately getting hit in the chest piece by laser fire from a robot on the stairs. He pushed forward triumphantly, returning fire and disabling it, Lucy using him as mobile cover and taking aim at the two units in the right room. She dropped them in two aimed shots directly at their optical sensors.
"BRING IT ON YOU BASTARDS, NO REDS ARE TAKING ME ALIVE."
'Oh shit.' John thought internally as James pushed through the door and took the left room, recognizing the senior unit that was most likely the most combat capable if their unit was experience difficulties. Not to mention, John knew robots got promotions in the military same as people, by being tough sons of bitches that know how to survive. He left James and Lucy down stairs stalked up behind Garcia and tapped his shoulder plate twice to inform he could move up the stairs with cover. Then it happened.
"JOHN!" James yelled, as he opened fire on a plasma grenade that had been flung out of an office that was going over the railing. Garcia panicked for his ally, but knew James was closer so he moved to the source.
'Don't fuck up. Don't fuck up.' John repeated internally as he turned and drew his revolver with lightning speed in his right hand(the laser pistol in his left), seeing the grenade at the top of it's arc about to fall onto his comrades. Lucy jumped towards James, who took the message and tossed his weapon as side and covered her with his back to the grenade several feet above him. John fired one shot and jumped off the stairs for cover, the grenade ignited in mid air and James braced. The building shook as if an act of God had occured, and you could hear Garcia opening fire on the last enemy. The green light blinded John, was just trying to stop inhaling plasma fumes and dust while hiding behind an apparently very solid stairwell.
"I'll SEEEEE YOU IN HELLLLlll." You could hear the robot defiantly project throughout the building moments later, and James slowly raised up assessing the damage to his pieces through his HUD. Lucy dusted her self off non-nonchalantly, and Garcia came around the corner with his helmet at his side, no weapon. Sweat dripped down his face, and relieve flowed through him as everyone seemed alive.
"So my gun malfunctioned, and that robot is gonna need some body work, sir." Garcia reported. John looked at the other two, who looked at each-other then back at Garcia's cheeky grin.
They all burst into laughter.