Chapter 15: The Reactor

Anton got on the radio. "Hey, when you are all finished having fun over there I have incoming here. I have three Groundfighter robots headed for the reactor. I could use some backup."

This was unexpected, but it was also why Anton and his troops were stationed by the reactor. They had indeed not detected a ship. Apparently one which had Groundfighters directed to seize the reactor.

The robots were still out of range and Anton had the advantage of being on top of a small hill. It wouldn't stop these demons, but it would slow them down a little bit. The problem Anton had is that he needed to make certain that the robots' fire did not damage the reactor. His troops had dug trenches to provide cover and those were angled to promote fire away from the reactor. At least they had had a few hours to fortify this spot before the fight.

Before leaving the habitat Anton had briefed his people on the plan, should they have approaching Groundfighters. Like Bert, he wanted his shooters to aim first for the bubble and then for the body. They would begin at a rock outcropping about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from the trench. They would fire their initial volley and then retreat to the next outcropping about 200 meters (660 ft) away. The key was that they had to split up after the first volley. Once they fired their initial shots their orders were to fire when ready. Keep moving and they would make their last stand at the trench. Anton would be placing the mines himself. They had 4 welding robots, which were concealed wherever there was cover on the approach.

Now it was action time. They were waiting in the foremost rock outcropping for the Groundfighters to come into range. Anton hated waiting. It seemed like such a waste. He was anxious to begin and ultimately end the fight. As a Spetsnatz he had endured jungles, swamps, deserts, forests, and even the arctic. The arctic was the closest thing to fighting here on Mars. He wondered what 'nekulturny' (uncultured) vermin had decided to make war on Mars. He would like to give them a 9 mm headache or a 7.62 mm enema for the trouble.

The Groundfighters came into view. Their 2.5 meter (8 ft) height made them very intimidating. Anton had told his troops to wait until the rangefinders indicated that the robots were 500 meters away. With the guns in the colonist's hands it should be possible to take down these robots.

Daria was intently focused. All that filled her senses was the display and the symbols and images on it. It was almost as if she herself was a machine. She switched her system from the main battle view to the reactor view as soon as she heard Anton's message. She saw the location of the welding robots on her display. This would be harder than the last engagement, because of the way the welding robots were randomly positioned. She had to spot for each of them and determine which would be closest and the order in which they would engage the enemy. Furthermore, it was likely at least some of her welding robots would have to approach from the front. This made them vulnerable. At least she had one extra in reserve.

Anton lay prone. He preferred sniping from a prone position, because it gave the enemy so small a target. He had spent many days of his life in just such a position awaiting the approach of this particular enemy. He was at the center and his comrades were on either side. Since they did not have proper rifle sights they had had to improvise. Optical rangefinders were fitted by the colony's fabricators with a video pickup which fed their helmet data systems via a cord. Anton thought, 'How 20th century!'

Good thing there was a certain level of paranoia initially about power going out in the colony. Thus, someone had the presence of mind to send some optical rangefinders and not just the laser ones. The latter would have been easily detected. The video pickup put everything Anton needed in his helmet display.

His plan was simple. He would take the initial shot. All three Groundfighters would focus on his position and concentrate their return fire on it. Of course once he took the shot he would get out of there quickly. This would distract them momentarily and allow the other two to take out their targets. With luck they would destroy all three bubbles in the first round of fire. From succeeding new positions they would then fire at and destroy the enemy. Anton knew that though this sounded simple it never was. His rangefinder showed 510 meters. It was showtime.

Anton carefully and smoothly worked the trigger of his rifle. He took the shot rolled to his feet and ran. Not bad for someone 70 years old he thought. Anton was just clear of his position when return fire arrived.

He ran and placed himself in his second firing position. Looking back at the enemy he saw that his shot had hit home. The center Groundfighter had no bubble. At this moment his troops took their shots and then ran for their next positions. One shot had hit home. The other had damaged the bubble, but not destroyed it. Anton lay prone again, took his shot, and once again moved fast. Looking back he could see there were no more bubbles.

Now the Goundfighters had stopped. They had no sensors, but they clearly knew their attackers were dispersed. Anton also saw glints of silver in the sun as the welding robots came out of their hiding places, attached to the Groundfighters, and began their work.

Next Anton would see whether or not they would make the move he had seen so many times in the war. He was not disappointed. The three robots moved together to a position central shoulder to shoulder in the arc of fire they had experienced. Then they began moving forward sweeping the area with volleys of shots. As they moved forward they also moved apart along separate lines. This steadily increased the area covered by their volleys. The volleys came about 10 seconds apart. Anything in range would be cut down like wheat with a scythe.

Now Anton waited. With the bubbles destroyed there was no need for radio silence. He ordered his troops, "Move back to our fortifications. I will join you shortly. Do not fire unless I order it or I have been killed. Keep an eye on these machines. Remember, if you have to take shots they go to the body." He observed the movement of the robots and used his rangefinder to calculate when they would reach the mines. It looked like he would primarily rely on mines 1, 5, and 8. His current position was well back and they had used wire to connect the controller to the mines. That way if the robots jammed communication they could still set off the mines. Sometimes the old ways were the best ways. Anton had also used his Spetsnatz training to shape the charges.

It seemed like hours, but was really only about 90 seconds before the center robot approached mine number five. When it was about a meter away Anton pressed the button and in milliseconds the explosive device delivered its shockwave and hardened shrapnel to the body of the robot. The Groundfighter was lifted into the air as the shrapnel tore through its armor and the electronics behind it. The force was so great that it also tore off one of the robot's arms and half of a leg. The thing was still to be considered dangerous until they fully ascertained that it was destroyed. It also appeared that the welding robot on its back was destroyed either directly by the mine or the fact that the Groundfighter had landed hard on top of it. At the very least it was no longer an immediate threat and would not be moving forward anymore.

Daria lost the signal from welding robot number two at the reactor. A quick review showed it flying in the air and then darkness. She had a unit in reserve, so she ordered her robot over to start cutting up the Groundfighter.

Since the Groundfighters were moving blind there was no reaction to the destruction of the center robot. The remaining robots continued to move and fire. It had been possible to draw an arc using the three robots. With one out of commission, however, the other two continued as if the arc still had a full curve. Their programmed reaction was to expand their arcs of fire. Anton had intentionally laid the left side mines so that any robot on that side would encounter them soon after the center. This encounter occurred about 120 seconds after the first. Anton pressed the button and the mine unloaded its lethal force. This time the effect was not as theatrical. The robot stopped and simply fell forward. Anton could see through his sight that the torso had been reduced to shredded metal and this time the welding robot was intact and starting to dismembering the Groundfighter. That left one more.

The remaining robot had been on a track that led toward the first mine in Anton's array. Unfortunately, the thing had turned. One or more of the shrapnel bits had probably hit its torso. Though it had no major sensors, the Groundfighters could detect hits to their torsos. Thus, the robot had turned and was headed in a direction that would be between the mines and make those mines ineffective. It was also still firing. Anton thought, 'These things carried an ungodly amount of ammunition.'

"Listen up troops," Anton said. "I want Yehudi to move 15 meters forward and 30 meters to the left. Then, Yehudi, fire your weapon at the robot. Then get out of there. If you are able to hit his torso it should turn him toward mines 2 and 3. Understood?"

Yehudi responded, "Yes sir!" He then made his move.

Anton saw the impact of Yehudi's round on the robots torso. It was somewhat of a glancing blow. It made a small tear in the metal, but it did not penetrate, though when it exploded there was a chance that it sent at least some material into the body.

The tactic worked. The robot turned and was now headed directly for Yehudi's former position, which was right in line with mines 2 and 3. Anton waited almost two minutes. It was nearly unbearable. As the robot came right up to the mines Anton set them off.

There was something pleasing in watching enemies obliterated. For a moment Anton thought that in the next life that would probably be his one-way ticket to Hell. He had used more explosive in his mines than Bert. Both had succeeded, but still Anton's method had obliterated the final Groundfighter. All four limbs had been blown off. In addition, the torso was in pieces and it was very clear that the the internal electronics were shredded. Sometimes it was better to use a sledgehammer than a screwdriver. He didn't see the welding robot.

"I want two more rounds into each torso of the center and left robots," Anton ordered. "We need to make certain that they are good and dead. After that let the welding robots finish cutting them up. Then collect the scrap."

The rush of adrenaline from the fight had been like old times for Anton. He never felt more alive than when he was in danger of an imminent and violent death. Once again he had conquered his enemy. He walked triumphantly back to his troops and then fell on his face.