Deus Ex Machina Chapter 4

I hopped over the boxes and embraced Travis "Maverick" Mercury. He held me tight in return. I was elated to see an old friend from the IMC, but he reeked of oil and gasoline. I hid the repugnance from my face but Travis did not.

"Krout, old sport, did your retarded mother dress you in that terrible green today? Or do I surmise the worst possibility?"

"Maverick, there is no more IMC. Spyglass decimated it. You probably should have figured that out."

The familiar scowl of my hot-blooded friend came back again. "Oh no, I didn't happen to notice because for the past month or so I have been living in Spyglass's butthole in the garage. I've just been swimming in oil and grease to keep my heat signature undetected by the Spectre patrols—but now to see an old mate in Militia green? I think I have now had too much."

Before I could respond, Private Shy interrupted. "The Militia are the only ones willing to fight back against Spyglass. It is trying to force mankind into extinction."

Maverick glanced at me for moment as if he wanted to say, who invited this biddy into the debate? Finally, he said to her, "I pieced that together too, pumpkin. I'm not the only person on this ship. But I'm part of the few that survived because the Spectre patrols methodically executed everything that thought about breathing."

At this I noticed the toll the life of a missing soldier took on Maverick. His eyes shifted more, constantly alert and nervous. Deep creases occupied around his the restless eyes. The muscles of his neck and shoulders looked haggard and worn from being drenched in inhospitable liquids for days on end.

"Anyways," Maverick shrugged, "I was at least hoping to get a little bonus on my next paycheck for surviving against all odds. But since the owners bit the dust I guess I am unemployed now."

"Come with us. Besides, we are the only way off this island."

"Yeah, though it doesn't look like I have a choice; unless I just want to live off of sick dreams and coconuts."

Fortunately, 8th squad was the pilots to hook up with us. Unfortunately, Sarah was in the lead with the four brutes at her flanks. The rage grew silently in Sarah's face as I saw them approach, 8th squad looked very relieved to see someone in the familiar fatigues of silver and grey.

"You have a lot to answer to—Autto. We are behind mission timer now. Get that weapon off that stowaway and let's move out." Sarah growled and moved through us as if we weren't there. That hitch before my name probably occurred because she had forgotten my name unless Ira Jagjit was there to remind her.

A man in the black pilot uniform with arms bigger than my legs came up to Travis and held out his hand. "Come on, merc, you heard the lady. Cough up the gun."

I saw Maverick instinctively pull away. A pilot didn't easily part with their weapon, but it was an insult to call an IMC soldier a merc, short for mercenary. That comment even got under my skin quite easily, but I could keep my anger in check much better than my friend.

"You can have this gun shoved where the sun don't shine right before I pull the trigger—ya dumb savage."

Sarah's guardsman stepped up and had big backup too. Of course Maverick wouldn't think of the bad odds until he dead in a ditch down country. That's just the way he was.

"I'll flatten your smug face you little—", growled the guardsman as he stepped forward but I sidled in between them and put my hand on the barrel of Maverick's C.A.R.

"Alright Mav, it's been a long war today. Give up the gun and you can take a break, we will take care of this."

Fury flew into Maverick's eyes and not for the first time, did I think he would strike me and then cause an all-out brawl on the beach. Since we could only see each other, I pleaded at him with a wink. I wear their uniform, but you know where my heart is, brother crow.

Maverick seemed to understand but he still shoved the submachine gun into my chest. I turned around and the gun was roughly taken from my hand. Sarah's guardsman probably would have spit tobacco juice in my eyes if we didn't have helmet faceplates. He mumbled phrases about us being weak-hearted cowards. I was just glad that Travis Mercury of the former IMC didn't hear that.

Pilots usually spread out on the battlefield and wreak havoc across God's green earth. Except in the close quarters of this fallen IMC ship we stayed close together. I activated my Active Radar Pulse whenever I could so no robots could get the jump on us. Maverick was in my left pocket to the inside of the formation and Private Kelly Shy remained in my right pocket. I saw my girlfriend Alice with the sniper scout but we just curtly nodded to each other. We were on the clock, as the IMC would phrase it.

Now that Sarah was stuck with all of us, she micromanaged all of our movements in the ship. She constantly berated the leader of Charlie Squad about keeping everyone in formation and frosty. I almost wondered if she might hate a newly recruited squad of pilots more than the former IMC squad. I was wrong.

A private message popped up on my HUD and I pressed the button on my collar and kept it to a whisper. "Go ahead."

"Autto," Jagjit, 8th squad's leader sounded frustrated and tired suddenly. He was moving with Sarah to the bridge while the rest of us had been split to cover the engine room and the armory. Maverick and Shy were still with me, I also had Chrisopherson with a R-97 Compact. The two other men with us were from Charlie Squad, tough looking dudes despite barely getting their feet wet for the first time. I was glad not to already be babysitting even more soldiers. Jagjit may have taken pity on me when he doled out who was going where. Now though, he didn't sound happy.

"A little heads up, I don't know you very well but you seem alright. I saw what happened on the jump. Anyways, Sarah is mumbling about a court-martial for you or some sort of punishment, however they do it in the Militia."

"Thanks, sir. No more mistakes." I whispered back. Being next to the honcho himself, I knew the risk that Jagjit took by letting me know. I knew for sure now this man was worth fighting hard for.

Our search of the ship was almost complete when a heavy sigh came out of Maverick. He had just watched us gun down the last Spectre survivors of the crash with his hands in his pockets.

"So your CO is looking in the ship database to find why this big thing crashed, right?"

I nodded to Maverick. He shook his head. "Come on, man. It was me, Ulysses, and Yon-Li. We severed the rudder controls and the bots couldn't fix it in time before the ship broke atmosphere. At which point they gave up and stuck to walls to the least amount of damage to their frames. Did anybody think of asking us?"

"Where are the other two then?"

"Ulysses got fried in the wires like a roast chicken. I don't know about Yon-Li though, we split up when the bots came after us."

The rest of my group looked at me. "Alright," I said, "let's get back to the entrance. We've cleared enough to wrap up this mission."

In all honesty, we sauntered back to the return rally point. The soldiers in my command maintained enough discipline to not get jumped but we didn't impose any hustle. Maverick looked even glummer than when I had first met him. He constantly itched at his beard. He mumbled to me that he couldn't wait to get the thing off of him. It made me realize that he was still only eighteen or somewhere around there. He was very, very young to be a certified combat pilot but the IMC had seen something in him. I did too. He was a remarkable fighter and quick on his fists and feet, even if his ideas were not the brightest.

"You know," I leaned into Maverick for confidence. "They might court-martial me after this run."

Maverick flinched back like I had struck him. "No way!? You're telling me that by-the-book Krout is going to get a demotion?"

He made a whistle and my new shadow, Private Kelly Shy, looked our way.

"Not so loud," I hissed.

"Either way mate, it shows one more reason the Militia is a buncha savages." Maverick smiled at me then, "they don't respect the work of real professionals."

"That might be. You may not know it but the 8th Squad is made entirely of former IMC pilots, except Private Shy."

"You mean that fine piece?" and Maverick ostentatiously pointed at her from behind; I was glad that she was not looking. "I guess the Militia has one thing going for them." He looked up at the roof of the hall we were walking and folded his hands in prayer. "Forgive me, oh Lord, for I knew not green pants had such excellent booty!"

It took all of my power to stifle the laugh. Maverick patted me on the back, "I missed you, mate. But the minute I get some grub and this facial hair off, I'm skipping this planet for the farthest reach of the Frontier. Hell, I'll go beyond it."

"Maverick, the Militia could use a guy like you. We need fighters against Spyglass."

"You don't get it, man. The whole Frontier is going to burn." He swept his hand to encompass the horizon of our vision. His words rang ominous in my mind, especially the way he said burn. Seriousness just seemed uncharacteristic of him. My mind then recalled the memory of the black wave of Spectres caving over that Export town sent shivers to the marrow of my bones.

"The thing is," Maverick continued, "We tapped into their communications line at one point. Robots talk really fast to each other but Yon-Li picked up that they were manufacturing this 'Divination' thing. Sounds like a big weapon to me."

I did not reply. I actually did not know what the word meant and would ask Alice as soon as I saw her, she would know.

The comms lit up with a mass message to every pilot. Sarah's face showed up in the upper left hand corner of our HUDs. "Pilots! Report to the ship's exit immediately, dropships are waiting for us. On the double!"

Christopherson shot a cocky grin my way and said, "oy boss, something tells me the miss is upset."

I whirled my finger around to get everyone's attention before I said, "you're right Sergeant, now everyone head to the rally point—stat. Keep checking your corners but don't be last. The miss looks like she wants to pulverize somebody today."

I wish I had known that person about to be pulverized was me.

We skipped over the bullet-riddled bodies of Spectres and with no more incidents boarded the waiting dropships. Charlie squad with their first mission under their belt and no casualties boarded one while we jumped on the next. I had just made sure that everyone was on as the jets fired and we left a swirl of sand behind us on the beach. I turned as the side door to the dropship closed to look for Alice. I wanted to ask her what 'divination' meant. Instead, I came face to face once again with a very angry Sarah.

Her lips curled up into a snarl and shifted the headset she wore. The smell of impatient sweat boiled into my nostrils. She may have been incredibly angry but she was indeed a very attractive woman. An irrational, stupid man side of me felt very excited to have her right up into my chin but I pushed the feeling away like radiation candy.

"You worthless, dirty-rotten scum-bag merc. If we weren't already late to getting back to Firebase Sanjo Avon, I would be personally throwing your carcass into that shark infested sea. I would deploy a raft down there with just me in it so I could watch either drown or be eaten alive."

"Sir, I—" I tried to say but she cut me off.

"Don't you try your polite boloney with me you IMC rat. I still know who you are. I still know what this whole squad is—a disgrace. A disgrace that I have to associate with you all and make this mission late while my friends are currently under assault. You are a disgraced IMC that only killed for money and created a new war with Spyglass burning innocent civilians. Not only that, but I pick up two more mouthy IMC mercs."

"With this next engagement, soldier, you do so much as breathe in my direction or mess up an order again, you will live the rest of your days in a pit with bars on top. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir."

She turned around and marched to the cockpit as to not be sunk into the filth that was the former IMC 8th Squad. I saw Alice stand up without her Spitfire LMG but instead her even more dangerous clenched fists. I waved her down. Of course Sarah had her four massive bodyguards in a tight box around her. Sarah could lip-off to us all she wanted as long as the big brutes were around her. I understood that she had incredibly bad blood with the IMC. I had seen it when she had interrogated Maverick and I back on Axon II. But this chick better watch her back before a frag grenade rolled into her cover.

The strain of standing straight exited my body and took all of my will as well. I glanced over and Christopherson made a fake gun, aimed at the back of Sarah's head, and his fingers bucked back from the recoil. His lips making a quiet, "pow" sound amidst the roar of the engines. Someone chuckled but everyone else looked serious and straight ahead. Christopherson looked the most sincere. I made a tiny wave of my hand as if to say it was alright. It even occurred to me in a funny way that Sarah had forgotten my name and had called me, "soldier" in the lecture. I think that was twice this day.

I sat down next to me girlfriend and she grabbed my hand hard. "I can't believe she talked to you that way! You saved Private Shy's life."

"You did, sir, I am so sorry about all this." Kelly Shy whispered. She was true blue Militia too, so that made the irony sting a little. Only a little.

"Don't worry," I said, "she is just worried her Militia friends won't know how to fend off an attack."

I thought that only Alice had heard me but I did not know that the entire 8th Squad was riveted to my next words. They all burst out laughing, even squad leader Jagjit let a smile flash across his face. Unfortunately, Sarah turned around stomped back a couple of steps. The laughing ceased immediately. She stood there for a few moments with her chest pumping, her eyes sliding all over us like a venomous cobra. Sarah scoffed and whirled back around and went up into the cockpit. A few more moments of silence passed on the ship. A few giggles came out but we did not venture again to laugh outright. Besides, another battle was on its way.