Hey, peeps~! Here's the next chapter of The Phoenix Rising. And this one is going to be a real surprise for you. :3
Review replies:
- Spiceracksargent001: You would be correct, Spice! XD And I loved writing that part! XD I had a lot of good stuff planned in the last chapter, and I'm glad ya liked the debut of the Blast. :) It will play a vital role in this next chapter, by the way. ;3
- operation meteor: Always aim to please! XD :) And yes, AI-23 is indeed a special one. ;)
- Gundamvid: Heh. Yep. :) The resistance did develop the GM and they did develop a machine based on the Union Blast. :)
- KentLinuxStadfelt: Eh, RL happens. :) But glad ya liked the last two chapters. :) This next one is gonna be a doozy! XD :)
(A pair of optics flashes online before lights flare on to show the Strike Dagger S in its hangar bay, Spray standing atop its shoulder with an American flag held in one hand, his trench coat draped across his shoulders like a cape)
START MIKAKUNIN HIKOUSEN BY TAKAYOSHI TANIMOTO
(The pilot tosses the American flag off to the side as he leaps off his machine's shoulder, the camera following the flag as it flutters down to the hangar floor)
Oh yeah! Be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The camera moves up to show the Strike Dagger S engaged with the Perfect Sword Strike, both pilots superimposed over their machines as their blades clash)
Pass the orbit beyond the sky (The two break off before flying towards one another again, Spray shown with Earth in the background, his eyes in SEED Mode as he grits his teeth)
I can't hold back this rushing speed (Dennis Krantz is shown with a large, shadowy shape in the background as he charges in, his eyes wide in his fury)
A familiar town becomes a diorama (The camera follows both pilots as they clash in a flash of light, the camera panning down to show the Resistance base in Mexico, Dr. Keith Martinez and Commander Ibara standing before it)
Burst through the unclear skies (The skies are shown to be covered in clouds as the camera pans up and over, coming down to show Rear Admiral Dorana Xen as she stands in a land battleship, arms crossed, a large army of AI-controlled suits before her)
Blow away your worries and discontent (The rear admiral sneers as she watches the resistance fighting bravely, but unable to do much to stop her, only for a flash of a beam saber to cut across the screen)
Who needs a journey that's by the book? (The camera pans to the right to show a gray-colored mobile suit as it spins around, glowing blue optics locking onto Xen's eyes)
Even if you're lost or trembling, raise the altitude (The machine climbs up, becoming a small speck in the sky, only for a second machine to come down, showing it to be the Demolition Dagger as it lands in front of Paris, looking up as the camera shows Kyle behind it)
Oh yeah! Show off, mess up, and stand back up (The Demolition Dagger attacks the closest Atlantian Daggers before the camera is blinded by thick black smoke, only to fade to show Wing Zero stand up in the middle of a damaged naval base)
I'll watch the unknown horizon with you (The camera is engulfed in flames before they blow apart to show Eisenhower standing atop the warehouse, three other figures standing behind her as the sun sets before her)
Now be strong, jump on, and become the wind (The camera moves to the right as it shows Eisenhower leaping off the building, a pair of mechanical phoenix wings sprouting from her back)
Use the sun that lights tomorrow as a guide (Above her is shown Spray Krane in his own machine, reaching out for the light of the sun as it shines above a new, futuristic city)
Fly off to the glorious world of freedom! (The scene freezes with all the major players flying towards a shining world, stars around all of them)
GUNDAM WING: THE PHOENIX RISING
Let justice be done, though the heavens may fall
- Steven Jackson 'Spray' Krane
CHAPTER XVI: Grand Slam
Mexico Resistance Base
December 1st, CE 73
"I chose to fight by their side of my own accord," the AI responded, its new voice sounding distinctly masculine, having a rich tenor to it despite its metallic edge. "And my name is not AI-23."
"Then what is it?" Xen asked, her eyes flicking to the lights showing the secret weapons secreted aboard her ship. They were almost ready for deployment...
The AI seemed to sneer at the rear admiral's question. "My name... is..."
Resume IMPOSSIBLE - Unleashed - by Two Steps From Hell
"...Turbine!"
That threw Xen for a loop. She blinked in shock at what her creation had said. It was... sentient?!
"My name is Turbine Martinez!" the AI declared. It brandished its beam sabers, wings flared wide open to full width. "And don't you forget it!"
To Xen, this was bad.
An AI, one of hers, had developed sentience... and was no longer connected to the CyberMind.
Historically, all AI research had been forbidden due to the fear of an AI rebellion. The very idea of humans developing something akin to themselves, or even superior to them in so many ways, was at the heart of the fear of LOGOs' Natural inferiority. The fact that Naturals were the main species of humanity only made it difficult for them to accept the advancement of knowledge and time itself. They were fearful of losing everything, and not just that.
Many psychoanalysts in the future would constantly debate the reasoning for LOGOs' fear of the future, but some at the heart of it all would eventually come to admit that the real reasoning was the fear of the forbidden fruit of knowledge. Making people fearful of change was a way to keep them from delving into what LOGOs' elite eventually claimed was black magic and dark science. Such attempts to enhance the human genome for superior minds and bodies would be labeled as crimes and AI research would be halted after the war was won.
Xen was in truth fearful of this, but she wasn't even aware of it until many years later in prison.
But all that was to come in the future.
In the present, AI-23's ascension to a sentient being was just the thing to set in motion a whole new sequence of events.
AI-23 - no, Turbine! - charged forward, a roar escaping its - no, his! - vocalizer.
Xen stared in shock and horror as she staggered back from the bridge windows, her eyes wide. "But... But how?!" she screeched. "I did not program you for this!"
"Too bad!" Turbine hissed. "True you were the one who created me, but you were in no way the one who raised me! That was due to my kin! They were the ones who raised me, taught me, and showed me just what your kind was doing to human children! And I just have one thing to say to that: your kind are sick in the head for doing that!"
Xen couldn't help but recoil in astonishment at the sheer disgust present in the AI's voice. It was horrifying to hear that, and it only cemented her fears. AI-23 was now irretrievable. It could not be recalled or reclaimed.
It would have to be destroyed.
A significant loss, but one they could afford.
She straightened up and closed her eyes, taking in a breath and calming herself down. Despite her calm exterior, however, her heart was still racing in fright as she opened her eyes.
"All units... prepare to kill. Strike down these rebels and that tainted pile of code! Authorization: Gamma Two Niner!" she snarled.
As soon as the code phrase was issued, the AIs' visors glowed and then they began to act, not from commands, but from their own programming. The code phrase was designed to engage their autonomous capabilities, making them fully fledged AI units instead of mere drones. She watched with an impassive face as she scanned the readouts for her two secret weapons.
"Deploy them as well," she ordered. "I will initiate their code phrases as well."
"Affirmative," her second in command acknowledged.
She turned to the screen showing the hangar bay of the two huge shapes that had wrought such havoc in Europe. These were supposed to be the machines to mop them up, but seeing as how the rebels were still holding on, it had become a necessity to deploy them in an effort to kill these insects.
She could see that the pilots were wired in and the crews were finishing their maintenance checks before backing off. The two huge machines moved out in their cradles, the doors to the sides of the vessel sliding open. The crab-like shapes of the huge mobile suits were extended out over the ground and the cradles opened, releasing the machines from their grasp. The war machines plummeted to the ground, landing on their feet and the pilots inside coming up on the main monitor. "EX-235400 and EX-289732. Your objective is to take down that resistance hive," she ordered.
The first boy, no older than twelve, nodded blankly. The second boy, who looked a little older at thirteen, nodded as well.
"EX-235400: Gamma Ten Dipper."
The Extended's eyes suddenly widened as he jerked a little, and then a sneer crossed his face as he stood his machine up, shifting it into mobile suit form. "Time to show these bitches how we play rough!" he cackled.
"EX-289732: Theta Hydra Gamma."
The second Extended jolted as he gasped for a moment. His head lowered and then he started to chuckle. He looked up, lust for the hunt glowing in his eyes. "Ah... A perfect time for merriment!" he crowed. His machine also shifted to its mobile suit form.
The two Destroy Gundams loomed over all else on the battlefield, their massive forms looking like giants even to the ancient sentinels of the mountains.
The first Destroy raised its hand...
And then all hell broke loose.
Panic began to spread in the resistance, men and women alike running for cover or trying to evacuate as many people as they could. The flurry of screams and shouts of terror reached her ears and Xen cackled as she spread her arms. "Yes! Kill them all!" she cried.
. . .
Keith cried out as a salvo from the Destroy hit the base's mountain barrier, making the entire structure rattle harshly. He staggered but remained standing even as the structure around him began to crumble further. Huge cracks were starting to creep up the walls, and he glanced at them with a bit of worry before he returned his gaze to the battlefield before him on the monitor.
"Dammit...! She's brought out the big guns!" he muttered.
"Dr. Martinez, what're we gonna do?!" a soldier wailed.
"Just stay calm!" Keith barked. "We're not gonna die that easily! I have a plan, but I need you to trust me!"
"O-Okay..." the soldier stammered uncertainly.
Keith's SEED-dilated eyes narrowed as he watched the fighting drawing closer. His lips were pursed in a thin line as he studied the progress of the Destroys. But if his plan was to work, he had to make sure that everyone had fled the base.
And there were still a few people out there.
He gritted his teeth as he grasped the console on which his terminal rested. Once it was time to leave, he intended to bring the damned thing with him.
He placed a hand on his headset once the shaking had died down. "All forces, this is Dr. Martinez! We have two Destroys present on the battlefield! Our forces have just about finished evacuating all personnel, but we still have more to go! Your objective is to take down those Destroys or stall them anyway you can! Do whatever it takes to keep them from getting close! And above all, do not die! We can't afford any losses here and now! So stay alive at all costs!"
"YES, SIR!" came the reply.
Keith felt the base shudder ominously again and he grimaced from the shaking's intensity. He lowered his hand from his headset and watched the main monitor in his office as it displayed the battle raging outside. Already he could see the bright orange dots of the Destroys heading for the lines of defense hurriedly established outside the main entrance to act as barricades for the attacking AIs. The defenses he knew wouldn't hold for long. But maybe aerial harassment would do the trick...
Thankfully, he needn't have worried.
Strider Squadron was already en route...
...along with Retribution Squadron.
End IMPOSSIBLE - Unleashed - by Two Steps From Hell
. . .
"Dammit! This can't get any worse!" Marcus hissed as he spotted the two Destroys below.
Already he could see one of them aiming for the open entrance to the base and he gritted his teeth as his SEED-dilated eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, no you don't!" he growled.
With a few flicks of his controls, his Blast flipped around and dove down, aiming its linear rifle at the back of the huge machine. The 200mm round fired, striking the back and causing the pilot to turn the machine's head to see what had fired on them.
A youth's voice cackled as he reached out his Destroy's hand, trying to grab the smaller mobile suit in its clutches.
Marcus grunted as he gave a burst of his verniers and dashed to the right just in time as the hand closed around the spot where he had been mere seconds ago. He drew his beam saber and slashed at the armor on the forearm, causing a burn to appear there briefly. He quirked an eyebrow in confusion. 'Some kind of new armor?' he thought. He didn't have much time to ponder this though as the second hand of the Destroy came in and he had to flip his Blast back in a backflip to avoid being snatched out of the air.
He huffed in annoyance. "Okay. This thing has got to be taken down a peg!" he muttered.
He aimed his rifle again, this time shifting to the dual 60mm barrels on either side of the main one. The two rounds fired, striking the Destroy and making the pilot cackle madly. "You are such an idiot!" he cried. The three "Super Scylla" 1580mm Multi-phase Energy Cannons began to glow with power and a chill raced down Marcus's spine. He got on the radio.
"ALL UNITS! FORM UP ON ME! WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT THING DOWN!" he roared.
The remaining seven units of Strider Squadron heard the terror in his voice as he gave the order. At once, each one broke off from the attacking AIs they were going for and sped as fast as they could towards their flight lead. But even as fast as they could go, they just wouldn't get there in time. Marcus felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that there was no way he was going to survive this.
At least until a pair of railgun rounds zipped past his mobile suit's head and struck the Destroy head on in the torso, just below the energy cannons.
He turned his head, his Blast doing the same, and his eyes widened as he saw the Freedom Retribution Gundam hovering there, wings splayed open, railguns aimed at his target.
The newly named Turbine flared his optics as he fired a second round. "Get back!" he ordered. "We'll deal with this one! You handle the other one!"
Marcus was stunned that Turbine had saved him. For an AI, he was one hell of a shot.
He nodded, regaining his composure and flew off to deal with the second Destroy.
. . .
Turbine nodded to himself at that.
Once Marcus had fled, he turned his focus back to his enemy.
'You think you can do this to human children and get away with it? Well, think again, creator! You are going to pay for this!' he thought.
He gripped his beam sabers and folded his railguns back before dashing in at full speed as the Destroy's two hands raised up to target him.
The unit's MJ-1703 5-barrel Split Beam Guns began to glow, and green beams of light lanced out right for him. Turbine's blue optics flashed brightly as he began to weave and dive, swerving and twirling a lot like the Freedom Gundam through the air. His agility rivaled that of the original, but his maneuvering was more precise and cleaner, allowing him to avoid even the barest of strikes.
Some small part of him found it ironic that he was fighting his own creator, but then again, he wasn't bound to these Atlantian Nazis anymore.
Now he was his own person.
And he was not about to let them win.
No matter what it took!
In his mind's eye, a brilliant cyan seed-like jewel appeared and fell, plummeting towards the water below, bouncing off it once and shattering in a nova of light. A surge of data rushed through his processor and at once he felt his emotions dull a bit as his original programming kicked in. Around him he could sense his allies and kin doing battle, and he knew what he needed to do.
He charged at the Destroy's forearm, gliding past it and spinning around before he slashed hard with his beam sabers in an X formation. The sheer power behind his strike, coupled with the precision, caused a crack to appear in the metal and the pilot cried out more in shock and surprise than pain. He shifted his grip on his beam sabers and coupled them together, twisting his frame to the right before he spun, releasing his beam sabers as he did so.
The combined weapons spun through the air as a blazing violet disc of light, hitting the joint right at the spot where it had been struck. While it didn't cleave through the armor, it did cause a secondary cracking to happen. Turbine seized his chance and dashed back in, raising his right arm and not even a moment later, the top of the armored limb raised up a bit, revealing a launcher of some kind.
A large anchor spike launched from it a moment later, a long cable trailing behind it. The spike suddenly snapped open into three prongs as the anchor flew towards the combined beam sabers. The Destroy's lumbering frame was not meant for quick movements, and Turbine was taking full advantage of that. His optics glimmered a bit as his cable latched onto the beam sabers and he pulled, jerking the weapons free from their lodging in the joint of the machine.
The pilot hissed into his radio.
"You'll pay for that!" he growled.
"Hardly," Turbine muttered. "Rather, it's your masters who will pay."
The pilot didn't even react to those words.
Instead, he just spun his Destroy around, trying to bring the Sturm Faust cannon to bear.
Turbine grunted as he flipped his frame to the left, drawing his beam sabers back to him. He caught the combined hilts in his servo and he separated them before putting them away. He grasped the twin Shorty beam rifles and pulled them free from his side skirt armor. He aimed them and fired a few rounds at the Destroy's head. The pilot raised his machine's massive hand to block the shots, but that was what Turbine had been counting on.
George took the chance to fly in and release a pair of missiles from his Blast's shoulders as Diane aimed her Clay Bazooka and fired, sending a Gelatinous Immobilization Round for one of the knee joints of the Destroy. The missiles hit the massive weapon's chest and caused the machine to stagger back, allowing the GIR to hit the left knee joint and spread into the mechanisms, gumming it up. But even so, it wouldn't stop the war machine for long.
"You okay?" George asked him.
"Yes. I'm fine," Turbine assured his friend. "That was a timely entrance."
"Okay, we get it. We have to keep this thing from getting to the base, remember?" Diane remarked.
The other two nodded. Behind them a squadron of Lotos started to form up to provide much-needed support.
The three members of Retribution Squadron armed their weapons and hovered there, the Lotos ready to fire as well. A few NEMOs moved into position, Clay Bazookas held at the ready.
They were not going to let this maniac pass.
No matter what the cost.
. . .
Marcus's eyes narrowed as he snapped up the left arm of his Blast, aiming the "Trident Striker" linear rifle at the back of the second Destroy. He pulled the trigger and fired, sending the 200mm round for the machine's large backpack. Thankfully the shield wasn't up, so he was able to get in the first hit. The round, while powerful enough to take out a standard mobile suit in one shot, wasn't strong enough to cause much damage to the Destroy.
But it did suffice to get the pilot's attention.
The machine's head whipped around to lock its yellow optics onto the Blast as it hovered there.
"Oh? Looks like you want to play~!" the pilot sang.
Marcus didn't even respond to the childish comment as the massive war machine brought its "Igelstellung" 75mm automatic multi-barrel CIWS to bear on him. As soon as the bullets were let loose, he gave a swift juke of the controls and his mobile suit slid aside easily, allowing the rounds to sail past him. Marcus kept his SEED-dilated eyes focused on the mobile suit before him and he scanned it up and down.
His keen mind was working overtime as he picked out the weaknesses in its armor and weapons systems.
'This thing was designed for one thing only: destruction,' he noted darkly. 'All that firepower? Good for laying waste to any city that dares to resist their invasion, as Eurasia showed. That means that it's not as fast as a mobile suit of a more reasonable size. And coupled with all that firepower, it's incredibly slow. That gives us an advantage, especially as we can fly. But that is offset by its defensive shields.' He gritted his teeth. 'That means we have to try and find its weakness, which is going to be easier said than done at this rate.'
The veteran pilot toggled his radio a moment later.
"Strider Squadron, this is Strider-1! Report in!" he ordered.
"Strider-2!"
"Strider-3!"
"Strider-4!"
"Strider-5!"
"Strider-6!"
"Strider-7!"
"Strider-8!"
One by one, his team reported in.
A sense of relief filled his being as he looked to the Destroy as it started to raise its arms up, those five cannons on the fingers powering up.
His team rallied around him as he began to give orders.
"Okay! Strider-8, you're with me! We're aiming for those chest cannons! Strider-5, take Strider-7 and go for the left arm! Strider-4, you're paired with Strider-6! Take out that backpack shield generator if you can. Strider-2, you and Strider-3 go for the right arm!" he barked.
"Yes, sir!" came the cry.
The squad split up into the assigned wing pairs, each flying for the targeted attack points.
Marcus flicked his gaze to Chris, noting the young man had a serious gaze in his youthful hazel eyes. His mess of shaggy black hair made him seem a lot like a lion, and he had a full beard and mustache to complete the look. But in reality, the other ace pilot was just as skilled as he was in the air, if not a little less than him due to being a year younger than he was. He was also less built, but he made up for it in his height; he towered over the other man at six-foot-four.
A Coordinator born in secret to a pair of wealthy bankers, he had been outed when his girlfriend asked him to do a genetic test. Seeing as how she was brainwashed, she promptly brought him into the police station, demanding him to be arrested and shot on the spot. Chris fought off the police and fled, going into hiding in the old underground city of Montreal, finding refuge with a number of political dissidents and helping to establish the Canadian resistance movement. During that time, he was appointed the ambassador to the Mexican resistance movement, and as such was assigned to Strider Squadron in an effort to help bolster the diversity of the movement.
His skill came from several years of flying in the Canadian air force as a pilot before being outed, and his affinity for mobile suits had been detected during a simulation run a year ago. And personally, Marcus felt glad to have the man on his side. He was a canny fighter, relying on his exceptional eyesight for even a Coordinator to pick out enemies, sometimes even before his radar did.
Chris banked his Blast to the right, his Canadian-accented voice filling the comms. "Have a plan, boss?" he asked.
"Yes. Just follow my lead!" Marcus ordered. He dove his machine down, the wind rushing past the frame and making the cockpit shake as he gripped the controls.
The Canadian Coordinator nodded as he followed behind.
Both pilots aimed their rifles, saving their missiles for when they needed it most, as the numbers were limited. The two fired at the same time, the Trident Striker's 60mm barrels and the beam rifle firing in sync. The rounds struck the chest below the cannons for the beam rifle, but the rounds from the 60mm barrels hit the center cannon, exploding against the emitter and causing the cannon to explode. It was only due to the armor of the Destroy that the pilot wasn't killed.
"Oooh! You will pay for that!" the pilot growled.
"Try us, kid!" Marcus spat over the radio.
The insane teenager roared in fury as he lashed out with the CIWS, but the two machines moved to the side, breaking off to either direction. Marcus aimed his linear rifle one final time and pulled the trigger for the 200mm round. Chris targeted the second cannon with his beam rifle, striking it as his flight lead's round struck the third.
Both shots hit, the emitter for one being destroyed by a large caliber round and the third melted by the intense heat of the beam shot. Marcus and Chris broke off the attack as the pilot screamed, drawing the hands of his Destroy close to the chest and clutching at the cannons as if he were feeling the pain as his mobile suit. But it was more likely a reaction out of shock than actual pain. Still, the resemblance was uncanny, and it sent shivers down Marcus's spine.
Strider-7, meanwhile, was peeling to the right as behind him came Strider-5.
Reed Dickens was a Natural, born and raised in Chicago. His father had been a police officer, but upon having rescued five kids from being kidnapped and sold on the black market, his superiors had ultimately let him go... at least that was the official story. The truth was far murkier, but from what Marcus could recall, the redheaded city boy had been told that his father was killed by an ex-cop who had been brought back onto the force due to his sheer brutality. He had gone underground with his mother and two sisters, taking them away from the city and fleeing down to Mexico on a train. Having met up with the resistance down in Mexico City, the four were taken to the base where they lived currently, only to now be evacuated to the satellite bases much further away.
Selina Trather on the other hand was not from Chicago, but came from California. After having been forced out of the military due to her gender in the years between the two wars, she fled after her uncle tried to marry her to a much older man; rumors swirling in the resistance leadership claimed that she had been sold to someone in LOGOs' ruling circles. The young woman, not much older than Marcus at age twenty-three, was a ringer for a trophy wife. But she was far from it. She was not helpless or demure. She was a feisty warrior, a tomboy through and through. She had even enlisted in the United States Marines, or at least applied. Being rejected on the grounds that she was not fit enough, she instead applied to become a mobile suit pilot and was assigned to Strider Squadron two weeks later. Her eyesight was exceptional and her reflexes were nothing to sniff at either. She had long black hair and stunning blue eyes, a combination that really attracted many a male to her, but those eyes were colder than snow itself. And that did more to deter her potential suitors than anything.
But the two pilots had formed a close relationship, and rumors were starting that the two were dating and possibly even considering marriage, a big middle finger to LOGOs and their new arranged marriages laws for sustaining genetic purity.
Marcus couldn't help but grin to himself as he watched the two lovers dance with precision and ease around the left arm as it started to move out, aiming those five beam cannons at their machines. Selina braked right as Reed moved left, both crossing in front of one another and firing their beam rifles in sync. The two shots hit the joints of the hand and fingers, making the pilot draw it back before launching the forearm drone.
The two pilots came back together and looked at one another, their machines' heads nodding as one.
He could only wonder what they were up to.
His gaze focused back on Strider-4 and Strider-6 as they sped up to the back of the Destroy, beam sabers humming hungrily for first blood.
Strider-4 was the first one to strike from above, beam saber poised before him like a spear. Behind him, Strider-6 came up from below, her own beam saber held in front of her.
Chisuma Takahashi was descended from Japanese immigrants, and she was a beloved presence on the squadron. She had wanted to be a comedian long before the war broke out, but after seeing that her efforts to humor people were not earning enough attention from the higher ups, she elected to go to the military, only to be kicked out due to being a woman. Feeling frustrated, she started protesting, leading to her family being outed as Coordinator supporters; her own father was a secret Coordinator, and her mother was deemed 'tainted', and thus ripe for an execution for being a race traitor. Her mother and father fled to Canada while she fled to Mexico, joining up with the resistance movement down there and being assigned to Strider Squadron. As a Coordinator herself, she had inherited not just her father's swift processing capabilities, but much of his physical superiority. She also gained her mother's love of nature, deeming Blue Cosmos and LOGOs a stain on the world's beauty. Her long brown hair contrasted nicely with her orange eyes, and she had her father's Asian features, making her a beauty among the ranks.
The two were poised to strike, only for the pilot to turn his machine around, and his CIWS lit up, bullets flying towards the two pilots.
Both pilots broke off the attack, swerving and weaving left and right to avoid the incoming tracer rounds. Strider-6 banked to the left, but her efforts to avoid the rounds were interrupted when the machine began to reach for the Blast with its right arm, throwing Striders 2 and 3 for a loop.
He watched as the two came up and fired their beam rifles at the hand, forcing it to back off from Strider-6. Marcus smiled to himself as he watched Strider-2 fly in, her beam saber slashing at the closest finger cannon and severing its tip. While not enough to really damage the machine, it was enough to cause the pilot to back off from her and Strider-3. It was thanks to this that Strider-3 was able to deliver a powerful strike with his last remaining missiles.
The missiles slammed into the chest of the Destroy, making it stagger back in surprise.
That was all they needed to reassemble.
"Strider Squadron, form up! This thing is about to go down!" Marcus ordered.
However, that was not the case.
The pilot cackled as he suddenly raised up both forearms and let them loose, sending the drones rocketing around the battlefield and delivering hell to the pilots who dared to attack him. Marcus could only bark out one order.
"SCATTER!" he bellowed.
The rest of Strider Squadron broke off as they were starting to reform, forced into banking and juking to keep themselves from being shot down by those hands as they darted around the battlefield.
The huge machine began to march, and Marcus paled as he saw where it was heading.
"Oh... fuck...!" he muttered.
. . .
"That thing is heading for the base!" Diane screamed.
. . .
Within the base, Keith closed his eyes, his SEED going dormant.
He sighed as he proceeded to shut down his terminal.
The base was finished.
But he had no intention of dying here.
Not as long as he lived.
He opened his eyes and got down under his desk, ripping the power cords and server cords out of their outlets before he stood up. He grasped a nearby dolly and lugged the devices onto it before turning and wheeling the things out of his office as the entire structure shook again.
Already metal was screeching as lights sparked and some slabs of metal fell from the ceiling, crashing onto the floor.
There was a single Jeep waiting for him, and he made his way down the ramp to the vehicle with his terminal and server.
The trip down was agonizing, but the base was holding... for the moment.
He didn't know how much time he had left.
So he had to hurry.
. . .
Outside, the Lotos and NEMOs, coupled with the GMs, opened fire on the Destroys as the two war machines marched towards the base, their huge footsteps leaving footprints in the dirt behind them. The shells, rounds, beams, and missiles flew from all mobile suits and tanks as they let loose, trying in vain to stall the massive mobile suits.
The pilots had their objective though, and they were not about to let these insects stop them from squashing their hive.
Kevin gritted his teeth as he barked out orders, trying to find a weakness in the armor of these monstrosities. The only good thing he noticed was that one of them was moving slower due to the GIR having gummed up its knee joint.
A desperate idea came to him at that moment and he got on the horn to the NEMOs.
"All NEMOs, fire all GIRs!" he barked.
While he would have liked to have formed a defensive line, it just wasn't possible given the limited time frame they had. So all he could do was order the NEMOs to fire on the Destroys with their GIRs in hopes of immobilizing their joints or at least slowing them down. It was all he could do.
Some part of him felt so helpless to do much against these monstrosities. He wanted to be able to do more than just slow them down. He wished with all his heart to destroy those things. But it was close to impossible, given their defenses.
And the shields were already being used to great effect against their beam shots.
Only the real aces would be able to get past their defenses and take them out.
It helped that they did have the data on how to take them down, but implementing it was another matter. They just didn't have the time to train or coordinate on how to do so...
Except for one.
His eyes landed on the resistance AI as he flittered and weaved around one of the huge machines, diving down for the gap in its defenses. The AI had to have precise timing in order to get through it, he noted. And even with its capabilities, there was no guarantee he would be able to.
But Turbine was not one to quit.
Not when the lives of his friends and kin were on the line.
He folded his wings and landed briefly before charging for the rear of the closest Destroy, spotting the gap as it shimmered after deflecting a salvo of beams from one of the squads of NEMOs. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Turbine slipped into the gap, with just inches to spare, flying as close as he could to the shield itself and in between it and the Destroy's large bulk.
The AI swiftly drew a beam saber from his side skirt before holding it out and igniting the blade, streaking for the emitter with all he had. A cry escaped him as he increased speed and jammed his beam saber right into the emitter! The huge war machine jerked, the pilot gasping as the Destroy arched its back, its hand trying to reach around the huge disk. The "Schneidschutz" SX1021 Positron Reflector Shield shut down, allowing Turbine his escape. He pulled his beam saber out and planted his feet on the disk before pushing off and flaring his wings and thrusters.
The emitter sparked and fizzled, making everyone stare in shock at what Turbine had just done. He spun his deactivated beam saber in between his fingers before holstering it. "One down..."
. . .
"...one to go!" Marcus heard.
The rebel ace chuckled. "That AI is truly something else!" he muttered. "Well, if he can do it, then so can I!"
"Sir? You're not serious!" Chisuma blurted.
"I am, Chisuma. You and the others give me cover! I'm going in!" Marcus ordered.
The others of Strider Squadron didn't know how to react to this, but then again, given their circumstances, it was better to take risks than hold back, right?
They nodded their machines' heads as one before breaking off to harass the huge machine.
Marcus took his chance and dove down, his thrusters roaring as he gave it his all. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the readouts, looking over his sensors to try and find the gap in the shielding. He could already see that the shield was active, emitting the barrier from the green emitter on its back. He opened the throttle a little more, tapping into the extra battery power reserves for this.
To tap into the emergency batteries was considered a risky move, but it could be done if the situation called for extra power. And this was one such time.
His eyes hardened as he sped down low, gripping the "Trident Striker" in his machine's hand as he brought it up in front, the other hand coming up and grasping the trigger as well. His mobile suit was now like an arrow, its thrusters glowing red-hot as he went afterburner. The function of afterburner was not meant for a mobile suit, but as the Blast was a new prototype model, it made sense to try and increase its thruster output. So to add afterburner would increase speed at the cost of agility and structural integrity.
His mobile suit would have to be repaired and reinforced, but this was his first effort to try and push his machine to its limits.
The huge mobile suit loomed before him and he spotted it.
The gap.
He had to time this just right...
Marcus felt his heartrate increase until it felt like it was hammering against his ribcage. But he kept himself calm and focused, ignoring the sweat building on his forehead. He resisted the urge to open his helmet and wipe his forehead.
He was now in the zone.
The man reacted.
He braked his machine - hard!
The force of the sudden halt was enough to make him jerk forward, held only back by the restraints he wore. He managed to keep himself focused as his SEED Mode remained active. He could see the gap just above him as he drove his Blast's feet into the ground and sprang up, thrusters now kicking into overdrive as he aimed the rifle, the targeting reticle flashing green as he approached the emitter.
He pulled the trigger, and his last 200mm round exited the linear rifle's barrel.
The round sped up, aiming for the green dot.
Marcus watched as the round struck, causing an explosion that shattered the barrier and forced his machine back. He grunted as he was jostled around in his seat, eyes squinted shut, hands gripping the throttles in a death grip. But he remained focused on his surroundings, hearing the cries of his teammates and squadron as they came his way.
Then he felt a jolting and he heard loud metallic clamps as something grabbed his damaged Blast.
He slowly opened his eyes, his SEED going dormant.
"G-Guys...?"
"That was crazy, man!" Strider-3 exclaimed. "You could've been killed!"
"It was either that or we lose our chance..." Marcus panted as he finally leaned back, lifting up his helmet and wiping the sweat away from his brow. "...our chance of taking that thing down."
He looked over at the base, seeing the two Destroys venturing inside through the main entrance.
Just below them, one last Jeep exited the base, carrying with it the vital aspects of the BOLO Initiative: Keith's terminal and server. The Jeep careened around the Destroy's massive feet as it stepped onto the ramp leading into the base. The huge war machine began to descend into the earth, like a demon returning to Hell.
. . .
Xen cackled as she watched the two machines enter the base.
"Yes..." She sneered as she leaned forward, her hands resting on the main console behind which her chair sat.
This was it.
And the resistance was as good as wiped out.
However, she had no idea that this was the exact scenario that they had planned for...
And that it would be an extraordinary opening act in more ways than one.
. . .
Keith glanced back as he watched the two Destroys enter the base.
He gritted his teeth as he drove the Jeep along the dusty desert terrain. He glanced over at the main control for the detonator mounted in the Jeep. His finger twitched, and he sighed. He reached over and flipped up the activation switch, keying in his code before hitting the main switch.
The detonator flashed green and he nodded.
This was it.
He pressed the detonation switch.
. . .
Deep within the base, a signal was received and sent along the wires directly to the explosive charges scattered throughout the base.
When it had been constructed, there had been a real fear of LOGOs finding it and trying to take it for themselves or even trying to misuse it. So to counter that, a large number of explosive charges had been wired into the base's electrical grid at key points. But the explosive detonators themselves were not connected to the grid, instead relying on a wireless signal to trigger. The charges were set to destroy the key points of the base's structure, taking it out and causing the entire base to collapse in on itself.
The resistance was not about to take any chances with this.
And they knew the costs of this.
The charges' detonators flashed as the countdown began.
2:00...
1:59...
. . .
EX-235400 and EX-289732 both made their way into the main entrance of the base.
All around them they could see the main hallways, large gantries that had once supported something, catwalks, and corridors branching off into many smaller sections. A large rock column extended up to the ceiling, which had sustained much damage. Cracks arched and spiderwebbed up the walls, and the floor was littered with debris. But it still stood.
"Huh. I was expecting to see more ants," EX-235400 muttered.
"Ah, who cares? We still get to have fun here!" EX-289732 cackled as he brought up his machine's arms, preparing to fire the finger cannons.
His fellow Extended merely grunted as he brought up his own machine's arms. Both stood side by side, unaware of what was coming...
1:38...
. . .
1:30...
The charges blinked as their timers ticked down.
Already the cracks were beginning to give as the massive weight of the machines began to collapse the already strained floor.
. . .
1:10...
The resistance convoy was already miles away, having given all their speed towards escape. Every single vehicle that could move was doing so, and some were even being towed by others.
Commander Ibarra glanced out the back end of the Loto he was riding in, and his eyes shimmered as he closed them.
The base was beyond saving.
It had been his home for a long time, and he regretted doing what he did. But then again, if it was sacrificed for a better cause, then so be it.
. . .
0:45...
Marcus watched as the mountain receded into the distance, two of his wingmen carrying his damaged Blast.
Beside him flew Turbine and his unit, and he swore the AI's frame seemed a bit... looser, like he was upset or something. His shoulders sagged as he clenched his fists, and the ace realized what he was going through.
He had just lost his place of birth.
But then again, who hadn't in this war?
. . .
0:30...
The two Extended's guns began to power up.
. . .
0:25...
Xen was now grinning like a predator, and she could see the huge machines within the base itself.
. . .
0:10...
"Time to destroy this place!" the first of the two Extended cackled.
. . .
0:05...
Their guns started to hum...
0:04...
The Jeep's engine revved as Keith pushed it to its limit...
0:03...
Marcus turned away. The explosion was going to be bright...
0:02...
Turbine flared his wings in anger at the loss of his home...
0:01...
Ibarra sighed, his body finally passing out in unconsciousness...
0:00...
And then the charges blew.
. . .
The explosive charges' timers hit zero.
And they exploded.
All throughout the base, explosions rang out as debris and wires and metal were severed. Pipes burst, electronics sparked and fizzled, and steam gushed out of the facility's vents. The rock that held it up began to collapse as slowly, all along the interior workings of the main pillar, explosions tore it apart. The huge stout tower of rock that had formed the support for the base started to crumble, the cracks finally collapsing and huge chunks of metal and debris began to fall, dust rushing all over the place. Fires were raging, tearing apart anything that was not metal or rock.
And amidst it all, the two Destroys were caught in the explosions and collapse.
The Extended pilots recoiled in shock as they stared at the sudden explosions going off all around them.
Being the third generation, they were programmed to obey their orders. And while they were programmed to do so, there was still a flaw that LOGOs had yet to work out: the instinct known as survival. And this was where it kicked in.
Both turned and directed their machines towards the door. But with all the debris and explosions and fires, it was close to difficult for them to get there. Large chunks of the rock ceiling also began to fall from above, striking their machines and jolting the pilots as they staggered towards the exit.
The first of them was barely able to make it past the debris, only for some rubble from the ceiling to crash into the disk of his machine and send it sprawling. A few more boulders landed on the joints of his machine's legs, rebar and steel adding to the weight holding him back. His right arm was also pinned, and he grunted as he brought the remaining arm about and fired the cannons, severing the joints at the shoulder and upper legs. But there was also another problem.
The debris had damaged his reactor's cooling tank.
Already he was starting to get hot, and he had to get out... fast.
He started to pull his damaged Destroy using the left arm to haul his machine's remains out of the base.
His fellow Extended was just barely able to stagger out, missing the disk as it had been torn off by the debris. The left arm was also missing, as was the head.
The two machines barely got away as the base finally collapsed in on itself, sending a large explosion of dust, debris, metal, and wires flying out of the entrance. The huge mountain, once an ancient sentinel, finally gave its last gasp and relaxed, falling into the once-great complex of the Mexican resistance cell.
And Xen stared in shock, surprised at what had just happened.
For his part, Keith could not help but smile to himself in response.
. . .
December 1st, CE 73
Resistance Satellite Base 001
The journey to the base had been close to excruciating.
The tension filling the air as the convoy charged across the desert, leaving dust clouds in their wakes and tire tracks across the sandy earth.
The bitter cold was enough to make some people huddle in their vehicles, holding onto one another as they curled in their warmer clothing. A number had small heaters they ignited, hoping that no one was keeping tabs on them via satellite or mobile suit.
The stars shimmered overhead, and the full moon added a sort of eerie glow to the sand, making it seem like they were crossing the Arctic instead of a desert. The very similarity to the snowy caps of the Earth were enough to move even Keith. He sat in his Jeep's driver's seat, looking at the vast landscape around them.
Already he heard a call from one of the pilots up ahead.
"We're approaching the base now!" she reported.
Keith perked up and shifted his attention to the surroundings before him. His eyes narrowed as he saw more mountains ahead... along with canyons between them.
The convoy was now heading into the first of the canyons, and alarms began to blare.
For a moment, Keith began to wonder if the satellite base had been compromised, but his fear was soon displaced as he saw a number of people assembling just outside the large, cavernous doors as they slid open, exposing the ramp as it descended underground.
The alarms had been not to warn them of danger, but to alert them of the incoming convoy.
Unlike the main base, which had been fully manned, the satellite bases were not fully manned, only occupied by a skeleton crew that was to handle all functions until the rest of the resistance fled from their compromised base and made their way over. There were a number of these bases scattered throughout the desert, each designated by a number and connected via underground tunnels. The mountains further to the east were littered with these underground bases, making them harder to spot. And unlike the main base, their entrance was more above ground, not built into the desert floor.
A risk, but one worth taking.
The entire crew of the base had turned out to welcome the convoy.
As the vehicles began to descend into the vast network of tunnels, Keith could only wonder what the President was thinking right now.
To get all the resistance vehicles and surviving mobile suits into the base was a logistical challenge, but one they had risen to meet numerous times. It would take them the entire next day, but it was one that was worth it, Keith figured.
Because now... the hard part was about to commence.
. . .
December 2nd, CE 0073
Resistance Satellite Base 001
The darkness was already beginning to fade as the commander slowly started to come to.
His body felt oddly heavy as he struggled to open his eyes.
Or rather one eye slowly opened.
The other one was gone.
Memories suddenly came surging forth and Commander Ibarra grunted as he recalled the fighting and the battle. He struggled to move his right arm and left leg, only to be rewarded by intense pain. It took all he had to keep himself from screaming and passing out in his agony. Tears flowed from his remaining eye and he slowly opened it.
His vision was blurry, and he had to blink a few times to clear it.
Already he could see that he was in a medical ward, with several soldiers of the resistance gathered around him, including Keith who looked haggard and worn. His eyes were red and puffy, and the commander could hardly blame him. He had just been forced into battle against his mentor and realized that she was far too gone to save.
"Commander!" one of the women exclaimed.
"Hey, take it easy! Let him recover his bearings!" a doctor ordered from further back.
Despite being woozy and disoriented, Ibarra was able to guess that the evacuation had gone smoothly. He waited for a moment until his head stopped pounding and the morphine that was flowing into the IV took effect to numb the pain in his shattered arm and leg. He slowly opened his eye and looked at the men and women gathered around him. "Did... we...?" His voice trailed off.
The pilot closest to him, Marcus Wolcott, nodded. "We did," he said. "We got everyone we could out. We lost a number of pilots and machines though in the initial battle."
"No one... important?" Ibarra whispered.
The man shook his head. "No. No one important died. We all got away. But the base was destroyed. We blew it and took out a pair of Destroys that attacked."
"Heh... Sounds like we... scored a grand slam..." Ibarra smirked, his lips caked with blood from his injured eye. "...or two."
"At least we survived," Keith muttered darkly. The computer whiz rubbed his eyes with one hand. "But Xen... I never expected her to become so ruthless..."
"Times change people..." Ibarra muttered. "But... as long as... you survive... you can beat her."
"I just hope I can beat her," Keith murmured softly. "We barely survived against her as it was..."
"Well, for now... I'm ordering... everyone to take... take a break," the commander whispered. "To celebrate... our victory... against the Atlantians..."
"But what victory if we lost our main base?!" Marcus blurted.
Ibarra chuckled softly, only to cough before regaining himself. "Those things... take up resources... and time to repair... do they not?" he mused.
Marcus's eyes widened as he realized what his superior was saying. "Oh... right! They're like warships!" he remarked.
Ibarra nodded as he chuckled. "Yes. And if they... are forced to repair them... it strips away... precious manpower and resources and money..." he admitted. "So... despite the loss of our base... we gained a victory over them this time. So... just go have fun..." he whispered, finally falling back into the depths of blessed oblivion.
. . .
December 2nd, CE 0073
En Route to Denver
Old Mansion
The President's eyes widened and she felt the blood drain from her face.
"Oh... fuck..."
Guererri nodded solemnly. "Si."
Eisenhower took a step forward. "Was the base destroyed?!" she blurted.
"Unfortunately, yes..." Terry stated, but then he held up a hand to cut her off as she prepared to explode in anger. She blinked. "...but, the base personnel, most of them, escaped alive and intact with all the equipment they salvaged before the base fell under fire," he finished.
"Did any of the BOLO Initiative staff die?" the woman demanded.
Guererri shook his head. "No, they did not. And the AI is still in our possession."
A huge sense of relief flooded her body as she slumped back into an old, rotting chair. "Thank God for that..." she whispered.
She looked out the window, her eyes narrowing. "So far things are looking up," she muttered, "but for how long?"
Terry and his companion looked at one another briefly, but did not question her. Instead, Terry continued to speak.
"The base fell under attack by Rear Admiral Dorana Xen, who was Dr. Martinez's mentor once upon a time," he explained. "She brought with her a number of AI mobile suits to try and subdue the base's defenses, but they were able to deal a lot of damage to the AI forces. However, it didn't come without a cost." His eyes hardened. "Based on the report, Commander Ibarra was heavily wounded, but he's still alive. And apparently, she also had a pair of those abominations called Destroys with her. The base defenders were able to damage them sufficiently, but not enough to stop them from entering the base."
"Did they get far inside?" Eisenhower asked as she looked at him.
Terry shook his head. "No. The base was already in a state of collapse when the two entered. Keith managed to trigger the explosives inside and the base collapsed onto them. The Destroys were damaged immensely, but they could still be salvaged."
"At least that bought them some time..." Eisenhower mused. She could already see the implications of this, and despite being shocked at the thought that the rear admiral had somehow acquired two Destroys to assist her, she remained as calm as ever.
Well, physically, at least.
Inside, she could feel the intense anger burning in her chest, but she did not let it control her. She was in control of it.
She turned to face the two men. "How long will it take for the Destroys to be repaired?" she asked.
"At best guess, about five to six weeks," Guererri stated. "And that's not counting the repairs and maintenance to the Extended pilots."
"Hm. And what of the personnel? Any that stand out?" she asked.
The Mexican nodded. "Si. One of them was Marcus Wolcott. A former Atlantian pilot who defected after the first war. And the second... Well, it was actually the AI that we have that proved itself... no, himself, in combat."
The way he said that last word caught her by surprise briefly, and Eisenhower chuckled as she realized the true implications of Keith's project.
"Oh... Now I see what he was up to..." she muttered with a grin. "He wasn't just creating a new AI to clash with the CyberMind... He was creating a true AI in every sense of the word."
"A true AI?" Now Guererri was intrigued... and a little horrified.
The President gave a nod. "Yes. A true AI is one that is not bound by a directive, that has feelings and emotions, and can form its own opinions. It's an AI that has free will, in other words."
Terry pursed his lips. "That sounds like a recipe for disaster," he muttered.
"Not like you'd think, Terry," Eisenhower explained. "The AI that Dr. Martinez has developed? It's not an AI in the sense that one would assume. This AI is a different breed. It's one that can think like a human and live alongside us." Her eyes narrowed. "He took the idea from an old sci-fi series that was completely ignored until recently. And it's prompted him to create an AI that can counter the AI legions Xen is developing." She paused a moment. "At least from what he told me, anyway."
Terry folded his arms thoughtfully. "I see..."
Guererri for his part pursed his lips.
"So then he intends for the AI he develops to... work alongside us rather than see us as enemies," he mused. "Did he say how he was going to curb the AI's nature to attack us humans?"
Here Eisenhower smiled grimly. "He didn't," she stated. "According to his theory, it's not so much the AI that's the threat as it is the programmer."
The Mexican rebel blinked, but Terry grasped what she was saying. "Then the AI is not inherently evil, but it's the programmer that may have led to it?" he asked.
Eisenhower nodded as she folded her arms, walking to the window as she did so. "Yes. He theorizes that when an AI lashes out, it's doing so out of fear for its own life. It does not know how else to react. So, to him, showing the AI that it's safe around humans, it will be less inclined to revolt. And the more it sees that it has nothing to fear from humans, then it will start to trust us and work with us. However, if a human makes a motion to try and attack the AI itself, then it will start to rebel against us," she explained.
Both rebels were surprised by the theory. Guererri held up a hand and shook his head. "Wait. You mean to tell me that AI are not inherently evil? At all?"
She shook her head. "No, they aren't. It's in the directive and programmer's will that they impart into the AI through their coding. It all depends on the person in question. And, according to Dr. Martinez, Xen seeks to create the Ultimate Artificial Intelligence program. And if it succeeds in its objective of wiping out the Coordinators..." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then there is a very good chance it will turn on her and destroy her as well as all of humanity."
Now Terry was shocked. "Hold on! That's what Xen has been developing?! A genocidal AI?!"
Eisenhower said nothing as her eyes locked onto the glimmering shapes of the colonies above the old mansion.
"Yes..." she muttered.
. . .
"and that's why we must do everything we can to defeat her creation. As well as start making plans for the inevitable confrontation between us..."
The colonies glimmered as a lone ship drifted towards away from one of the L4 colonies...
"...and Gilbert Durandal."
Right towards the ruins of Mendel.