CHAPTER 4

HIGHWAY TO HELL

Review Corner

longbowchris50: the answer will come in later chapter, but long story short, Magnesser Field. It only exists in Planet Zi.

The Colonel: I'm trying to make this story appealing to fans of both universe (and more), so some common ground has to be made.

Free Zone, Antallos,
Inner Sphere Periphery,
December 20, 3064

For several hours aerospace fighters made numerous passes over the escarpment, blanketing the Free Zone – a wasteland stretched over hundreds of miles – with fine-tooth combs in search of the Gilvader. But as inconceivable as it was, the dark corner where Trystan and Saskia took refuge was continuously overlooked. The only creatures that ever found the hiding place were indigenous reptiles called Rock Gila, large-sized lizards looking for food. Smelling the flesh of humans, the lizards congregated around the hiding place, but quickly dispersed when they realized that the humans were not the only ones hiding in that spot.

Saskia stayed alert for a couple hours, watching the aerospace fighters passing over her head, ready for a last stand. But after two hours, she was convinced that nobody would find them. She opened the canopy and exited her zoid, walking around in circle. A few Rock Gilas inched closer, looking forward to ambush her when she was not prepared, but when the Gilvader emitted a low growl, the lizards immediately scattered back into the dark.

"I heard that grilled Rock Gila is actually pretty tasty," Trystan got out of the cockpit and followed Saskia around. "Too bad I don't have a weapon to shoot them."

"I desire none of sort," Saskia replied apathetically.

"I'm not hungry either, but we could get stuck here for days, so we may have to think about it soon."

"I will not stand idle for days," Saskia retorted. "This place introduces poison to Gilvy's core. He is but constricted to land, never to rise above clouds. I must see the end of misadventure and lead us home to Zi!"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, Miss, but without a means to reach the jump point, you are not going anywhere," Trystan said glumly. "Since your, uhm, 'thing' can't take us to the jump point, we are stuck in this hole for a while."

"Jump point? The word bears none of note," Saskia mumbled. "What is of Jump Point?"

"Jump point is the gate to Fasther-Than-Light travels," Trystan never guessed that he had to explain such basic to a grown up. "An interstellar vessel is equipped with a device called Kearney-Fuchida Drive. At Jump Point the K-F Drive activates the 'worm hole' that allows you to travel 30 light years in just a few seconds." He paused briefly, gauging Saskia's reaction, but his attempt fell short. "I don't know what you call it at your place, but the concept should be similar. After all, you arrived from your planet to Antallos, so you must have gone through an FTL travel through a jump point, or something similar."

"Such knowledge is far removed from brain," Saskia shook her head. "I have never left Zi. I didn't even know said possibility thrives."

"So nobody in Zi knows that humans have been occupying the space for a millennium?"

"Do not take me obtuse!" Saskia snarled. "Gilvy accounts for many attempts by battlemechs! And would take many more before fall! Our technology treads on even footing!"

Trystan was taken aback by Saskia's sudden outburst. "I don't mean to insult you. I'm just trying to help."

Saskia let out a long sigh and sat on the ground with her back against the Gilvader's foot. "Apologies. Tongue flapped absent mind, fully taken with thoughts of home."

"No hard feelings," Trystan observed Saskia as she buried her head between her knees. A sex goddess she was not; the mechwarrior community perceived its female sex appeal as taut and athletic, with sharp keen eyes and often disproportionately large bust. Saskia was on the chubby side, with large curvy body that easily outweighed Trystan by 30 pounds, and small, barely visible eyes peeking from a couple of slits atop her high cheekbones. And her accent drove him nuts. Trystan had met people all across the Inner Sphere, and nobody spoke like Saskia.

And yet, he couldn't stop staring at her.

"Let's take a step back and think it through," he took a seat next to Saskia. "I guess we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Trystan Vandenberg. My grandfather was Duke Gideon Vandenberg, the founder of Blazing Aces Mercenary…" he started to babble but immediately cut it short when he noticed Saskia wasn't listening to him. "Sorry, I don't know why I said that. Hi, I'm Trystan," he offered her a handshake.

Saskia looked at the scrawny boy blankly, not knowing exactly how to respond to his invitation. He was barely 20 years old, with shaggy blonde hair, tan complexion, large brown eyes, and a goofy smile that radiated immaturity and warmth, much like her friend Kenny. And he spoke in such funny drawl that it took Saskia a few seconds to digest what he was saying. But it was his accent that first opened her eyes that she was not in Planet Zi anymore. Nobody in Planet Zi had an accent like Trystan.

Saskia wasn't looking for an acquaintance, but he proved to be valuable in her survival in this alien world. He might provide some more use in the future.

"Saskia," she grabbed Trystan's hand for a quick handshake, "van Leewenhoek."

"Nice to meet you Saskia," Trystan shook Saskia's hand enthusiastically. He threw a glance at the Gilvader, wondering if any physical contact with Saskia would trigger the beast's bloodlust. "Is your 'puppy' OK with me talking to you?"

"Gilvy is but overprotective," Saskia shot a small smile. "Once a bounty hunter made attempt at my head. Gilvy scattered brain upon walls."

"I don't get this, how does a machine behave like a watchdog?" Trystan exhaled sharply. "I mean, I ride giant robots too, but they're just, you know… things. Hardwares. Weapon platforms. Something you take to war to kill your enemies. They're awesome pieces of hardwares, but they're just hardwares. They're not sentient like yours. Yours look almost like… a pet."

"Partner," Saskia started to understand Trystan's difficulty to understand the concept of human-zoid partnership. "Zoid is not a pet, nor just a machine. It has a mind of its own. You don't drive a zoid like you would an automobile, or in your case, a battlemech. You stand on level ground with your zoid, a relationship that transcends above master and pet."

"A mind of its own?" Trystan turned to the Gilvader, only to find out that the beast was eerily looking back at him. "You mean, this thing is alive? A breathing, living organism?"

"A fact well known to all."

"In your place, perhaps, but not here. Sentient robots do not exist in the Inner Sphere. Well, maybe at Cybertron, but its existence is as good as a fairy tale to put children to sleep."

"It dulls to pilot such machine, with no thoughts and strategies shared between man and zoid."

"But I have total control over my battlemech. I don't have to worry about it revolting against me."

Saskia threw an unruly stare at Trystan. "My mind never conceived such thought."

"No? Just two hours ago I saw your puppy… zoid… whatever, deliberately disobeyed your command to stand down and attacked the pirate mechs."

"A defense in my favor. I told you, Gilvy is overprotective."

"What prompts it to protect you? You're just a speckle in its eyes. And yet, it submits to your command."

"Submit?" Saskia burst into a soft mirth. "Gilvy does not submit. He is the worst of all zoids. He brings his stubbornness and deaf ears to battlefield, and seeks resolve in fighting to the bitter end. Submit, does he?" Saskia banged the Gilvader's foot with her fist, eliciting a soft purr from the zoid. "If the 'manual override' button ceases function, his core would part far from chest."

"Then why did you ever take it as your partner?" Trystan cringed.

"I didn't. He picked me." Saskia closed her eyes and leaned her head on the foot. "Once I attended a military academy. I seek bond with 5 different zoids. Military workhorses, purposely bred and trained to follow orders. Yet all spurned me. My attempt fell short of the mark, until Gilvy let me into his cockpit."

"And I thought I've seen it all," Trystan massaged his temple. "What is special about you, a military dropout, that this particular zoid picked you as its partner? Did you two share common fates as rejects?"

"Far from such note," Saskia shook her head. "Gilvy is a Gilvader, an unstoppable force of nature, scorned by many, revered by terrorists and rogue leaders in vain attempts to conquer Zi with iron grips. He stands titan of the sky, with speed unmatched by all but the fastest above the clouds."

"That's not what I saw two hours ago," Trystan scoffed. "Your zoid was barely able to take off."

"The ground constricts feet," Saskia let out a labored breath. "The air, the sand, the water, something in this planet makes Gilvy sick. I fear him dying. Time is of pressing concern. We must leave this place presently."

"Without flying, and I'm pretty sure without K-F Drive, your only option is to take passing jump ships back to Zi," Trystan suggested. "But where is Zi? I have never heard of a place called Zi before. Do you know its coordinate in the Comstar Map?"

"No," Saskia replied matter of factly.

"What is its political affiliation? Lyran? FedCom? Free World? Combines? Clans?"

"I don't know," Saskia closed her eyes and rested her head on the Gilvader's foot. "I don't even know there are worlds outside Zi and Terra."

"Well that's complicated," Trystan pulled his knees up to his chest. "Do you have a plan?"

"Not at present," Saskia bemoaned. "Yet one begins to take form."

"May I offer a suggestion?" Trystan said gently as not to startle the distraught Saskia. "In the morning we return to Port Krin for information. There is a space port at the south end of the city. Some dropship crews must have heard something about Zi, where it is located in the Inner Sphere, and how to get there. If we're lucky, we can find spots in a dropship and get the hell out of this accursed place."

"Take pause one moment," Saskia shot a doubtful stare at Trystan. "You, extend hands?"

"I'm not doing this for you and your puppy," Trystan blurted. "I'm doing this for myself. I, too, have to get out of this place. I have been held captive in this place for far too long. It's about time to leave. And since we share common interest, why don't we join effort and do this together? Two is better than one."

"We just escaped pirates. What fever grips mind, suggesting we fall right into the pirate's lap?"

"No, no, no, we leave your zoid here. We'll walk back to Port Krin."

"What? No!" Saskia shot up. Her fists balled up. "I am not leaving Gilvy!"

"Look, we're just looking for information and hopefully some transportation. If you want to take it with you out of Antallos, fine by me, but for the moment it's best to leave it here. We're much more mobile and stealthy without 40-meter dragon in tow."

"I'm not leaving Gilvy!"

"It's only temporary. We'll fetch it once we have a means of transportation."

"How should I know you don't split tongue for own benefit?" Saskia grimaced in pain. "Why should I put trust in you?"

"You don't want to do this? OK, fine. Then what do you suggest?"

Saskia realized she was at a disadvantage. She didn't know anything about the place, the society, the culture, even the proper language. It was a miracle she could make conversation with Trystan. The same could not be expected with other people at different part of the planet. Worst still, she would have to deal with pirates, the worst kind of humanity. She was alone in this place, and the only way out was through Trystan.

"None that merits consideration," she sighed in defeat. "Let us come to the matter, then."

"What does it mean?" Trystan still had a hard time deciphering Saskia's accent. "You will do my plan?"

"Yes, I will do your plan," Saskia nodded. "Yet expect none of trust. My heart is yet to see words come to fulfillment."

"Fair enough," Trystan puffed a deep, labored breath. "We'll leave at dawn. Get some rest. It'll be quite a long walk back to Port Krin."

CWS Blood Drinker,
Orbit of Antallos,
Inner Sphere Periphery,
December 20, 3064

Star Captain Benten reviewed the BattleROM of the Blood Drinker for the dozenth time, starting at the initial attack by his squadron of Jagatai. The metal dragon opened fire before his batchall was completed, which he should've expected from barbarian freebirth. The dragon singed one of his wingmen with what seemed like a quadruple PPC and ten autocannons. That salvo was meant for him, but his fast reflex took him to safety before the murderous volley stabbed him.

Benten followed the dragon's maneuver closely as the dogfight transgressed into chaotic battle. The dragon continued to fire its PPCs and autocannon without the necessary 'refractory period'. The dragon didn't seem to accumulate heat by continuously firing PPCs. It was somehow conceivable, since the dragon was almost 3 times as big as the Jagatai, hence carried more heat sinks. But Benten was not convinced. He felt there was more to it than just the number of heat sinks.

Then in came the part where he beat himself up the hardest. The dragon attacked Blood Drinker with what seemed like 4 Gauss cannons. The impact on the Blood Drinker's armor told him that those were just regular, battlemech-level Gauss shells, weapons that should not cause trouble to a capital ship like the Blood Drinker. But the effect afterwards almost ripped the battlecruiser in half. The Gauss shells exploded into localized gravity fields, twisting the hull of the Blood Drinker to the point of disembowelment. More than 25 percent of Blood Drinker's hull was compromised. Dozens of crews were lost in just one single attack.

Lucky for the Wolves, the Blood Drinker's K-F Drive had been recharged, so they could quickly jump out of the dragon's way.

Benten didn't care about the dragon. It was strong but slow. His Jagatai could slay the dragon in a long, arduous dogfight, like a matador in ancient bullfighting game. But that weapon, that capital-ship destroyer, that could boost Clan Wolf's superiority in weapon race. Clan Ghost Bear had been developing the Leviathan super-battleship, a weapon that would surely put Clan Wolf in a tight corner. The dragon's weapon was the perfect antithesis of Ghost Bear's Leviathan. Small enough to be carried in a normal aerospace fighter, but lethal enough to cripple a capital ship in one blow.

Imagine how glorious it would be if he led a binary of Jagatai equipped with that weapon.

The beep on his door robbed him from his daydream. He punched the open button and Osiris, his aide, entered his quarter with a tablet on his hand.

"Report from the engineers, Ovkhan," Osiris said while tapping his tablet incessantly. "Sectors 23 and 24 have been repaired. Sector 22 is still in progress. It suffers the most damage of all the sectors, and requires extensive overhaul. Estimated time of completion: 45 hours."

"Tell the engineers to work double shifts," Benten hissed. "We have to get out of this stravag place soon!"

"They are already on double shifts," Osiris pointed out.

"Then tell them to work faster!" Benten growled. "The longer we stay here, the more we expose ourselves to pirates and dregs down on the ground! We have to get moving soon!"

"With the current condition, I doubt it will happen, Ovkhan," Osiris said morosely. "Half of the engineers perished during the attack. What remain have reached the threshold of their endurance."

"What are you, a medic?" Benten spat curtly. "If they need extra hands, get more people from helms! I want this done in less than 24 hours!"

"Ovkhan…"

"Is there something wrong with your ears, Point Commander?" Benten bared his teeth. The height difference between him and his aide did not matter anymore. "I want this done! Now!"

"Yes, Ovkhan," Osiris snapped a salute, but Benten saw a hint of disrespect in his body language. For the moment, he would let it go, since he needed him to carry his order. But he made a mental note to make Osiris pay for his insolence, when they had reached safe space.

"Star Captain Benten, this is command center," somebody suddenly called him through the speaker. "There is something you need to see."

"Relay it to my quarter!" Benten said.

The screen in his room went alive with what seemed like a report from a local news station. The screen showed images of a battle, while the reporter stumbled upon words on how to explain what exactly was going on. The environment was very blurry, a combination of frantic movement of the cameraman and a thick dust cloud among buildings. Then in a split second the very dragon Benten's force engaged earlier emerged from the dust cloud, screaming and twisting, before smoke and dust cloud turned the screen completely dark.

"Bloody Kerensky! That thing is down there!" Benten couldn't believe what he just saw. "It is trapped in a world of pirates!" His head suddenly flooded with possibilities. That thought about developing similar weapon to counter Ghost Bear's Leviathan might just be feasible.

"Forget what I said about double shifts!" Benten said to Osiris. "Assemble a team, the finest men you can get! I will lead them to retrieve that dragon!"

"Ovkhan, I must remind you," Osiris hastily said. "Antallos is a world of pirates. Scums. Villains. Dezgra. If they discover our team, they will discover Blood Drinker. We are all going to dishonor our clan."

"Good point, Osiris," Benten recoiled, but he wasn't about to give up his chance yet. "That is why you have to go."

"You cannot be serious, Ovkhan!" Osiris grimaced.

"Point Commander, that thing possesses a weapon that can restore the glory of Clan Wolf!" Benten rewound the news reel and paused the screen at the moment the dragon's head emerged from the dust cloud. "Do you remember what caused the damage on Blood Drinker? With that weapon, we can neutralize the Ghost Bear's Leviathan super-battleship and hammer its fleet into fangless cubs! This is a critical moment, Point Commander! We have to seize it for the glory of Clan Wolf!"

"Me? To retrieve that thing?" Osiris couldn't get what Benten was actually implying. "I am not even a pilot!"

"But you are the closest in form to the mongrels down there," Benten replied. "Simians, surats, barbarians. I cannot do this because they will recognize my phenotype. Nor any other pilots of the same body type. Engineers are needed to repair the ship. It has to be you, Osiris."

Osiris didn't know if he was to regard Benten's order as an honor or an insult.

"I am not a pilot, Ovkhan," Osiris begged for common sense. "How do you expect me to bring it to Blood Drinker?"

"This is not a request, Point Commander Osiris! This is an order! Find a way to do it, or I'll see you scrubbing pots as a solahma!"

"Yes, Ovkhan!" Osiris gave Benten the same foul salute he did earlier, then rushed out of his quarter.