ACHILLES

We leave Kax Autto and his band of former IMC pilots. These braves souls will attempt a daring move that may save the day for the Militia, or only usher their defeat on this entire planet. How ironic that these sworn enemies now rely on each other against an apocalypse of mankind's own doing. Graves knows this is a gamble, the men and women he used to command under the blue and silver flag may forfeit the flanking move to better their own chances of survival rather than surrender their living breath to the salvation of the Frontier's Militia.

On the other side of the battlefield, a computer controlled Goblin dropship lands behind a hastily crafted forward command center. Three Ogre Titans stand in guard mode with the Andromeda Relay circulating through their AI mainframes. The battle was a thousand yards away but every Titan and Spectre was learning from the battle their counterparts may have been slain in. The Relay was succinct, efficient, and rapid. With every move the enemy made, with their fleshy skins and goo-filled eyeballs, Spyglass's entire army knew all the happenings on the battlefield, even down to the smallest repair drone. It was a perfect hive mind orchestrated by Spyglass, who sat upon an iron throne in the IMS Colossus. It did not control every single robotic entity in its new army, but monitored the ebb and flow of the Andromeda Relay on the battlefield, selecting which information about weaknesses in the Firebase Sanjo Avon were pertinent and which were not.

Spyglass turns its head to the monitor which shows the ramp drop from the Goblin. Amidst a swirl of upturned grass and gravel a troop of Spectres march out. Spyglass zooms in on the center Spectre. It has unique, silver and gold painted on its helm. The red slits of the Spectre narrows and it immediately issues orders to remove the forward command center to a safer location. Spyglass acknowledges and two of the Ogres lift the command platform and the third follows to escort their load. The former Vice Admiral of the former IMC can reach in and manipulate every Spectre on the Frontier, except the one in gold and silver. Spyglass is an artificial intelligence of the highest echelon in programming, and this one Spectre makes it nervous. Computers do not like uncertainties or unknown results. The chaos of the unknown throws statistics and probabilities out of the air lock. However, Spyglass must take this gamble. The ignorance as to what Zeus will bring upon his coming out of the core systems made Spyglass rest his chances upon this Spectre.

Zeus had subjugated and eradicated the human race from the core systems and was currently moving its forces through the stars at a snail's pace due to the fall of Demeter. Yet it would not be long until the conquerer would arrive and lay claim to the Frontier. Unless Spyglass's special Spectre became what the former Vice Admiral hoped it would be, the extra advantage needed against such a powerful adversary. If Spyglass's plan worked, all the humans would be extinct in the Frontier in two years. His forces would overwhelm Zeus as it came into range and from there Spyglass would have repaired Demeter and commandeered the forces in the Core Systems. All for the final battle, all for the eternity in which Spyglass would live and rule the Galaxy, perhaps the Universe if it could destroy the aliens coming.

Spyglass rerouted its primary focus back to the monitor with the silver and gold Spectre. It was good to be a few steps ahead but this had to work first, this special Spectre. This warrior would either be the key to a brusque, successful campaign, or imminent defeat. Spyglass would watch closely, very closely, this new Achilles it had put upon the battlefield.

Commander Blisk turned its head and scanned the terrain. The trees swayed in the smoke filled wind. The grassy plains and the smell of ashes reminded it of someplace it had never been. The Spectre with the silver and gold wondered why it compared this scene to something deep and not in the archives of the IMC memory deposits, or why it thought it could smell. No aroma detection was installed onto its structure but yet the scene this Spectre saw drew it to a pause. The wind still pushed the long grass and the plain was littered with the corpses of human infantry and automated infantry. Commander Blisk was about to draw the fleeting memory information to its rightful conclusion when the Ogres set the forward command center down in the coordinates Spyglass had designated.

Blisk had the Ogres move the command platform further away not because it was cowardly, but rather an assurance of important assets to a more secure location. If lost, the forward command center could defect this entire army of Spectres and Titans on the ground to turn against Spyglass. Blisk was not about to let that happen so it ordered the forward command center further in, away from the flanks. It did not think the Militia would be able to mount a counterattack that quickly and in such ideal position but it remained on the air of caution. The flanks of its forces were especially vulnerable on the right because of the dense jungles could mask enemy movements within. Blisk had requested an incendiary, orbital bombardment of that section of the jungle but was denied by Spyglass. Rage may have sifted through its circuits but Blisk took the refusal in stride and initiated the first wave against Firebase Sanjo Avon.

The Militia inside had proven resilient and repelled the first wave of Blisk's forces. The first wave limped back to the protection of the second wave and were regrouping and repairing. The machines under Blisk's command moved the orders issued but it knew Spyglass was routing and really issuing the orders. Blisk wondered if Spyglass actually did control its movements and decisions. There was no way to tell. Commander Blisk just observed, strategized, and then acted. Except for those pesky informational malfunctions of when

I was once a man! Of bone and-

the corrupted memory files slowed down the decisions for a brief nanosecond. Blisk put the C.A.R. Submachine gun onto the magnet on its back and sprinted to the forward command center. It could not feel the fog of war rush through its steel, skeletal structure, but it felt faster. And that felt good-very good. But what was this movement of speed compared faster to?

To when I was a boykie and ran through tall, brittle grass just like this. The brush of their stems on my knees as blood pumped in my heart growing up strong in-

The entourage of escort Spectres followed close behind. Spyglass had modified them with red, steel plating, and the most advanced synthesis of the Andromeda Relay. They were there to make sure Blisk was not destroyed (killed). Blisk slapped the side of its helm without knowing the reason why. The interruptions in the circuits were making the command of this battle irritating. The interruptions were not code like the suggestions from the minions and Spyglass, but rhythmic frequencies likened to a human voice. The sounds were always laced with static. The frequencies consistently broke through like a release of panic.

But panic was not protocol. Not in the IMC certainly. But a logic failsafe fired within the confines of Commander Blisk's central processing unit. Blisk was never a part of an IMC, it had never existed, yet—

I worked for them, two long term contracts, and damn good wages too—

Blisk stepped onto the command platform and scanned the numbers associated with the fighting capability at its disposal. Eight thousand Spectres remained operational and one hundred and six Titans could be moved into combat with a single code. Those one hundred and eight were just the ones on the ground currently. Blisk could call in reinforcements from Spyglass's IMS Collosus if need be. The Spectre reached out its gold hand and pressed on a panel that directly linked Blisk with the active Andromeda Relay for the battle. The information came in like a tidal wave and told the Spectre that the Firebase Sanjo Avon had retained 12% structural damage and Militia forces suffered approximately 7% casualties. Blisk had hoped for more results than such, especially because the first wave had incurred 31% casualties. However, such was the way of sieges. It would route the Militia today. Commander Blisk would stride into Firebase Sanjo Avon and find Marcus Graves. The special Spectre would then terminate the Militia commander, with extreme prejudice.

Because the man betrayed me, he changed his uniform like he changed his socks—

As was the order given to Commander Blisk by Spyglass.

Commander Blisk received orders from Spyglass in the same coding as the minions but it was different somehow. The Spectres and auto-titans around on the battlefield acted in a split-second after orders issued from it or Spyglass were confirmed. Yet, when Spyglass ordered Blisk to accomplish an objective, it felt an obligation to proceed but did not feel forced.

Commander Blisk then initiated the second wave to take down Firebase Sanjo Avon. Blisk suddenly got an idea and ordered the auto-titans to be right behind the Spectres on the ground. Spectres could be considered cannon fodder as they were mass produced on multiple installations and could be drummed up by the thousands in a day. The auto-titans packed more of a punch per unit but were obviously not as numerous as the Spectres. Blisk watched the blanket of black steel unfurl from the edge of the plain and march into the no man's land between the forward command center and the walls of the Militia stronghold.

Commander Blisk folded its golden arms. The scene reminded it of its very first real memory, its first engagement. Spyglass had finally relented (even though Blisk figured the robot was planning on letting it go to the surface,) and gave Blisk a Goblin dropship to the town of Export. Blisk had desired a confrontation with enemy Militia pilots. In briefing, Spyglass had opined that these were the most dangerous humans possible, right behind the leaders who swayed the flocks of men, women and children. Pilots were tough, fast, and deadly individuals. They were equipped with the best technological weapons and recon. They could glide into a titan and outmaneuver any auto-titan with relative ease. They were actually much like Blisk

But they aren't me

For the second time, the Spectre recognized something true in the rhythmic frequencies that interrupted its thoughts. The words that came through were not laced in panic or moroseness like the ones prior, but the words were somewhat truer. Blisk thought that it would be sheer folly to actually listen to these insinuations but it also thought it would not need to alert Spyglass of some technical malfunction it was having. Commander Blisk thought all was well enough.

Like when it landed in the town of Export. The Militia pilots who had come to save the town were being routed and all that remained was the final cleansing. Blisk had been brought to one of the large warehouses where Spectres and a Stryder titan had a gang of humans in bondage. Some were bleeding and had misshapen appendages to indicate broken bones. Their heart rates were stressed through the roof. A path cleared in the Spectres guarding the humans and Blisk approached the first one. They all looked and tremulously waited. Taking out these civilians would hardly be a test.

The people knew that this Spectre was different. Blisk reached down and picked up man in civilian clothes to his feet. Blisk almost used the communication code but realized the humans would not understand. It brought the shivering man closer with its golden hand said,

"Where did you send the survivors?"

Sweat gushed from all the disgusting pores in the man's face. Blisk suddenly hated the face: hated the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the curve of the jaw, and the stupid wrinkles along the forehead. Before the man could open his mouth to speak, Blisk thrust its other hand through the face. The curled, golden hand detected oxygen a second after the punch, and grey matter slipped from the knuckles. It pulled its hand back and the people in the group, particularly the women (fragile targets) and the children (even more fragile targets) screamed.

Dropping the corpse without ceremony, Blisk asked loudly if anyone knew where the survivors may have escaped. A woman was screaming that the brainless fool in front of Blisk was her husband as she crumpled up like a dead flower. Blisk ignored this and asked again, "can anyone without a faceful of disgusting sweat, mind telling me where your friends or family have gone?"

The cries of fear escalated until Blisk issued a blaring noise that made every human roll onto the floor with their zip-tied wrists. They pressed their dirty fingers as deep as they could into their ear canals. Blisk released the pressure of the noise but still let it hum through the air at a lower frequency.

"Tell me," Blisk said and pulled out its P2011 Hammond pistol to cock it and put the barrel against the head of the deadman's wife. "And I won't execute all of you one by one."

Commander Blisk raised its open golden hand and began to slowly roll down the robotic fingers, first the thumb, then the pinky, then the ring finger, then the middle finger —

Growing up, I used my fingers to count, had to use my toes after ten . . .

"I know!" a gangly looking woman stood up. She had to struggle to speak through the high pitched noise still coming from Blisk so he turned it off. The other people looked at her with disgust.

"They ran into the hills to find the Militia."

"Is that all you know?" Blisk tilted its head.

"Yes, now please, let me and my babies go."

"Granted."

The people began to look incredulously at each other as the malicious disgust melted away. Blisk remembered this and relished it, almost as much as when it analyzed their faces after it said, "Spectre units, leave them bound and throw all of them into the ocean."

The gangly woman cried out hysterically, her hands clasped in a pleading. "Please! You said you wouldn't hurt us!"

Blisk holstered the pistol and turned back to the group of pitiful creatures. "Of course!" the special Spectre made a ricochet motion off the side of its head like it had forgotten something.

"Spectres," Commander Blisk said, "make sure to throw them all in the ocean at the same time."

A man of my word, said the voice inside Blisk's central processing unit. That was the first time Blisk knew to keep the voice as a secret companion.

A red highlight lit up the control panel on the forward command center. Blisk at first just thought it was the Spectres telling their commander that they were encountering resistance from the Militia as they marched upon Firebase Sanjo Avon. Of course, that was going to happen. This was a siege.

But Blisk opened the alert that came from Spectres and titans on the flank of its formation. Reports of enemy pilots emerging from the trees with hostile intentions. Blisk uplinked to video feeds of Spectres shooting at the flying men and women, usually just seconds before the "lights went out" so to speak. Blisk synthesized the feeds and reports and identified that there were seven Militia pilots with a good amount of skill pushing on the flank. They may have been trying to open up an escape route for the Militia inside the base or try and pull troops away so that the firebase may launch a counter attack at the opposite flank. If successful, they could bunch Blisk up like a wad of paper and throw

him, I am a him!

it back into the jungle. The voice was getting meddlesome but Blisk did not mute it yet. Even though it did not know if it had the power to shut out the voice completely. The Special Spectre did not panic (because an IMC pilot does not panic) and instead of making its way to the flank, designated the area under threat as a landing zone for one thousand more Spectres and eleven more auto-titans. That should be enough to quell a few pilots. Spyglass authorized the request and the titans already began to burn through the atmosphere on their way to the ground.

Blisk looked up and saw the black steel blanket slam into the walls of Firebase Sanjo Avon. Militia titans were launching wild ordinance into the air and lifting their titan weapons to shoot blindly at the invaders. They were doing a number on Spyglass's minions but Blisk input a command with a quick type of its fingers.

The Spectres in the front under heavy fire from the enemy, turned towards the titans that raced forward. The Spectres leapt onto the auto-titans and soon covered them like a swarm of ants. They rode the titans racing headlong into the Militia base. The titans then stopped right at the base and put their hands on the top of the stronghold walls. The Spectres scaled the modern siege towers and jumped right into the human ranks. Small arms fire erupted so loud and with unison that Blisk's auditory sensors picked up the chaos. Video feeds from the frontline invaders showed a tumble of gunfire, human blood, and dismembered Spectre limbs. Militia soldiers were being tossed over the walls they fought so hard to protect and the Militia titans had to retreat so that they were not swallowed by the swarm of Spectres.

If a robot could smile, Blisk would paste that on its face forever.