Blood on the Horizon
- Chapter 15 -[]
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Hidden Messenger[]
"One of these things is not like the other," I muttered as I looked closer at the Messenger. "Something is off, externally, it looks like the other two, but it feels like the proportions are all wrong."
The third aerodyne was just chunky, it was thicker in some places and reinforced in ways that seemed odd. If I were just a regular dockworker, I would probably be too busy to give the ship the close inspection that I was giving it now. But I wasn't a regular dockworker, and I had all of the time in the world to get a closer look.
"So let's see what you're hiding," I cycled the airlock and waited until the doors opened before stepping into a spacious corridor.
The Interior of the cargo bay was very similar to that of the Buccaneers that were docked with the Jumpship. But everything else was different. The crew quarters were larger than those on the other two dropships and all had weapons stashed in some hidden compartments. And there was something else off about the internals, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"It's obvious that this isn't the same model as the other two," I looked around the bridge. "But I don't know what else is hidden here."
I sighed and tried to activate some of the computer terminals, only to fail at guessing any of the passwords.
"I'll come back and try again later," I made to leave before I saw the captain's quarters. "But, I haven't checked in there yet."
The door slid open with a hiss as I looked around at the lavishly decorated space.
"Fuckin' nobles," I shook my head at the obvious owner before beginning my search for anything useful or any potential noteputers that might have been left behind. The Closet merely contained some uniforms, while the rest of the quarters seemed to have been cleaned out when the dropship was left behind.
"Ugh," I let myself fall back onto the full bed, the nice sheets and comforter barely softening the feeling of something hard tucked underneath the foam pad that covered the mattress itself.
Pulling the silk sheets off, I pulled the foam pad up enough to see a noteputer stashed underneath, the machine carefully placed so that it wouldn't show from a regular inspection.
I stroked my beard as I grabbed the machine and tucked it into my small pack, I would find out what information was on there later. I needed to get back to working on my way out of here.
Building Frustration[]
Two weeks later…
"Why aren't you working?!" I slammed my fist down on the desk, my gut roiling in rage as I glared at yet another failed simulation."
Standing up, I went to hurl the computer against the wall before I caught myself.
"Deep breaths," I inhaled through my nose and counted to ten before exhaling. "It's just a machine. It's just doing its job."
After some time just breathing, I sat back down and tweaked the runtimes again before standing up and leaving the room. I needed a break from the monotony of programming, and I knew just the way to do it.
Going Wild in the Simulate fights[]
<{"All systems nominal"}> Betty informed me as the simulators began to run.
"Let's go crazy this time!" I grinned, even if this simulation was designed to be impossible, I was going to be having fun this time.
As soon as the drop bay doors opened, I shifted the stock Warhammer to full speed and narrowly evaded a stream of LRMs. An Archer and Longbow radiating heat from where they were perched on a hill.
Squeezing off one of my PPCs, I grinned as the Longbow flinched back, the man-made lightning carving away armor as I cycled and fired my other PPC, the second bolt hitting the joint of the Archer's arm and cutting it away from the heavy 'mech.
Sliding to a stop, I shifted into the trees, throwing off some of the missiles and scattering the rest on my shoulders as the jungle foliage was shifted by the explosions.
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Longbow Assault 'Mech
Peeking out of the trees, I squeezed the trigger on both of the long-range weapons that I had, one of the beams going wide, while the other carved further into the Longbow before finding an ammunition bin, the explosion throwing the Assault 'mech to the ground and marking the machine as 'dead' to my sensors, leaving me to face the more serious opponent of the Archer that had disappeared.
Ducking underneath the battle fist of the other heavy, I twisted my torso and carved away armor with my medium lasers before my SRMs dug into the holes made by the lasers.
Then, with a sharp twist of my sticks, I shoved the barrel of my PPC into the cockpit of the Archer before squeezing the trigger. The head vanished as I tore myself away from the wreckage and spun to face the Atlas II that was waiting for me.
Atlas II Assault 'Mech
The LB-10X slug shattered sections of my armor, while the lasers carved away at my torso, alarms screeching at me until I turned them off.
Ducking underneath one of the massive fists of the 100-tonner, I overrode some safeties and aimed for the delicate knee, the armor covering the limb disappearing as my 'Hammer began to overheat while I cycled my lasers to fire again.
"Got you," I grinned as I shoved the Atlas II back, the knee failing as I stomped my foot into the skull-shaped cockpit.
A Gauss slug then punched its way through what was left of my armor and cored my mech, the lone Highlander standing over me as if taunting me from the grave.
<{"Scenario failed,"}> Betty alerted me.
"I know," I replied, the smile still not leaving my face. "But I still killed an Atlas with a Warhammer. It's a good day."
As I was climbing out of the sim pod, I remembered why I had gotten in. "Whelp, I've had my fun," I sighed. "Might as well see if I can figure out how to finally get those runtimes fixed.