If a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he is not fit to live.
-Martin Luther King Jr.-
>
Peenemunde Marine Base, Germany
Earth, Sol
1947, 29JUN2092
Heinz Falkenhorst
The rattle, scratch of the servos as the tech went through them was annoying, it sounded like rats and he hated rats. The storeroom had one dim strip light along the far wall, the small tech would hold a servo up to that light every now and then to check the numbers.
J-150, J-150, Come on where are you, J-151, close, he thought briefly of cutting off one of the small brackets and forcing it to work.
╥Ah, there you are little fella.╙ He found it and hurried off to install it in one of the training walkers. He was not suppose to reuse parts with this many hours on them, but he was selling over half of the new allotment they got to a Pakistani woman in town. The servo controlled a back up lift engine activator for the port side lifter on a sixty-seven ton Puma heavy walker. FNG╒s usually don╒t try the weird stuff with lifts, the tech comforted himself with the thought. That was what he had overheard two instructors say last year. He had no way of knowing that for sure, after all he was only a technician not a pilot.
>
0830, 1JUL2092
╥Power up.╙ The command was given and ten walkers went to full power.
╥When the command is given, you will engage the opposite team in a meeting engagement.╙ A disembodied voice from the Command Center said.
╥Not engage, eliminate, erase, eradicate.╙ the pilot was about to add another word to the list when he was interrupted by his RIO.
╥Don╒t get too cocky or you might end up with those words being applied to your performance.╙ Amayiko, Amy, was trying to make sure her always over confident and boastful partner did not get out of control. She had been teamed with Heinz for the last month, since she had been eliminated from Pilot Training. She was glad to be his RIO, this young German was the best pilot she had ever seen or even heard of. He could move a Puma thru tough terrain the way another pilot would walk across a room. Besides he was cute, blond hair, ice blue eyes and a outgoing show off personality that made friends for him where ever he went.
╥Yes Frau Tanaka, I won╒t get my feet wet.╙ He smiled at her as he went into the full linkage. Cadet Heinz Falkenhorst was in command of this exercise, and Amy knew he liked it that way.
>FALKENHORST<, ╙Ok people, nothing subtle, we are going straight in and smash anything that we see.╙ Henson liked to dance around a lot and pick people off one at a time. The other members of his Training Company began to check in with him.
>TIMMONS<, ╥Ready Heinz.╙
>HARDESON<, ╥Good to go.╙
>NORTEN<, ╥Lets go already.╙
>MALINKE<, ╥Huh?╙
>COMMAND<, ╥All weapons are now set to training levels, in this exercise, physical contact will not be allowed, good luck, begin.╙ The command bunker AI sent the final message that began all of the mock battles. Both forces moved out at top speed. Falkenhorst╒s Company went straight for the high ground in the middle of the testing grounds. While Hensons Company angled off to the south trying to get to the trees there first, he knew those woods had been used by Heinz twice before to humiliate an opponent.
>>ROMMEL<<, ╥In coming message from Cadet Henson, do you want it Heinz?╙ Rommel was Falkenhorst╒s AI, the complex program that ran the computer and walker.
>FALKENHORST<, ╥Let me talk to him, and see if you can weasel into his com.╙ His RIO knew he liked Sean Henson but that would not keep him from a little cheat.
>HENSON<, ╥So Hitler old chum, want to give up now?╙
>FALKENHORST<, ╥Where are you Sean.╙
>HENSON<, ╥Germany, why do you ask?╙
>>ROMMEL<<, ╥The raid was less than successful, Heinz.╙
>FALKENHORST<, ╥Good talking with you, goodbye Henson.╙
>FALKENHORST<, ╥Well, what happened?╙
>>ROMMEL<<, ╥Ra was waiting for it, you may be getting a tad predictable.╙ Ra was Cadet Hensons AI.
>FALKENHORST<, ╥Give me the full combat set up Herr Field Marshall.╙ the world around him and Amy came alive with information that the sensors brought in. Falkenhorst was a pilot that both fought and maneuvered his walker, which is very rare. A pilot has to be very good to be able to handle the information overload that comes from the piloting sensors as well as the weapons sensors. Most allow their RIO╒s to operate the weapons systems while they pilot and maintain over all command.
>
Henson╒s group reached the trees and came found firing positions in the thick foliage.
╥Where the bloody hell are they Emma?╙ Cadet Henson asked his RIO.
╥Nothing to our front on visuals, permission to go to radar?╙
╥Go.╙
╥Radar functioning, nothing to our front out to three klicks.╙ Emma grimaced as she reported.
>GARLAND<, ╥Contact, eight o╒clock heading this way fast.╙ Henson╒s light walker pilot reported.
>
>FALKENHORST<, ╥This is it people, tear them apart.╙ His message went out on com-lasers to the other walkers in his company, who were attacking in a skirmish formation down hill toward the enemy.
╥Amy prepare for a lift.╙ Heinz said grinning.
>>ROMMEL<<, ╥I do not recommend that, Heinz our forward moment...╙ The AI failed to complete the observation because the walker went into flight which rendered the warning moot.
>
The primary fueling circuit failed on the left two GE Turbo-Jets. The 67 ton walker reached the top of it╒s arc, the right engines cut back to come down. The left engines kept going at full over-thrust. The small servo which controlled the amount of fuel fed to them remained wide open.
>>Rommel<<, ╥Ejection order countermanded, it will put us into the ground.╙ The AI reported smoothly, not from some programing magic but because he was at his best in tight situations.
>>Rommel<<, Impact at, 0837, 1JUL2092,
>>OFF LINE<<
>
╥Its beautiful Heinz, look at those plasma cannon╒s, mother of Buddha, two of them.╙ Second Lieutenant Amy Tanaka said. Heinz knew she was trying to get a good response from him.
╥It does not have the thermal dumps to use them.╙ He replied with his new voice, six months and he still had not got use to sounding like a computer. It was nothing he could really pin down, it was almost too perfect, even in the imperfections he tried to make.
╥It could be fun trying.╙ Since he had left the hospital Amy had assumed his old role as the adventurer. He knew she missed the old Heinz and fought to change him back.
╥Not likely.╙ He answered to both things. The electronics in him signaled his brain that it was time to go meet the new commander, Swede Johansen. He had seen the trideo of him firing into the armory in Texas, the huge fire ball, and the big mans walker standing back up and walking slowly out. Heinz knew the walk was not because of damage but from disdain of danger, I was like that he thought. He signaled Amy and they headed for the Battalion CQ.
>
Fort Hood, Texas
Earth, Sol
1724, 28DEC2093
John Cortez
The Academy was a good place for the rich boys, Cortez decided, but he was glad to be finished with it. Graduation was over now, and he stood in his dress blues feeling like a toy soldier, watching well-dressed families hug their equally well-dressed sons and daughters. It was winter in South Texas, and they had just graduated as second lieutenants into the Dominion Marines. He watched several groups of them walk by, going into Houston for dinner somewhere expensive and good. He had no family, no plans. He walked back to the cramped dormitory room he occupied with two other cadets. The place was littered with laundry, stacks of personal effects, and boxes. They had three days to vacate it for the next class.
He could have gone with Thompson and his family to Houston but turned the invite down. Thompson was his best friend here, the only one of them he╒d trusted. Andy Thompson was the one thing he╒d miss about the Hood. His other roommate, Steve Erickson, he╒d not miss at all. Erickson found it distasteful to room with a dark-skinned street kid. Erickson╒s dad, it seemed, owned everything. Once, the rich boy had tried to throw that weight around with Cortez, and had ended up with a couple of teeth kicked out. Cortez had gotten out of that one because Major Washington hadn╒t liked the rich shit either.
He unbuttoned the dress tunic and laid it out on his bed. He slipped the dress saber, the gleaming boots, and the rest of the uniform off and dressed again in Levis, a pullover Phillies t-shirt, and his engineer boots. He hung the dress blues quickly with the rest of his uniforms, and zipped up the travel bag. Besides it, and his notebook-sized trideo unit, he had two ratty gym bags for luggage. He went to the bathroom and ran a comb through his slightly curly black hair. His face was a light caramel shade, belonging to no race in particular, but owing to a mix of at least three. His own dark green eyes stared back at him from the mirror. His black, slightly curly hair was high and tight, and he didn╒t mind. At one time, it had flowed shoulder-length.
He had nothing to do, but had fifty creds he╒d won in a poker game, so he decided to go into town for a few beers and a few racks of pool. He locked the room, then walked toward town.
>
A few families still lingered, taking video of the momentous occasion. He bet some of these guys had their whole existence chronicled on video. He was at the main gate when the major caught sight of him. Major Washington was a very huge, very black man from Mississippi. Washington had a fake leg where his walker had gone down in a counterinsurgency raid. Brown had been pinned inside for
sixteen hours until they got to him, and the leg was ruined. Now, he trained pilots.
╥Where you goin╒, Cortez.╙ He shouted.
Cortez saluted and braced. This was the common reaction when a superior officer addressed you here. ╥Sir, I am going to get drunk and hopefully find loose women, Sir.╙ He shot back.
Washington laughed, and hobbled over. ╥There ain╒t a one that loose, city boy.╙ He was grinning ear to ear. The two now walked side by side down the sidewalk in front of the academy grounds. In two weeks a new class would enter. Like Cortez╒s class, less than half of them would graduate as pilots. Most of those who did not would go to RIO school, and others would pursue alternative careers. ╥You got your orders yet?╙
╥Not yet, but I guess they post the rest tomorrow.╙
╥Yeah, guess so. Cortez, for a complete fuckup you did okay.╙
╥Okay? If it weren╒t for╤.╙
╥Shut up and listen to me now. You got here you had nothin. What you got now?╙
Cortez thought of the two gym bags full of his only belongings. ╥Oh I got oil wells and a huge portfolio, sir. I got real estate holdings and a house in Barbados.╙
Washington stopped walking. ╥You got more than that, Lieutenant. You got a commission. You got an education even though both of us know Thompson did the academic work for both of you. But I look at you now and I see a guy who maybe has a little pride in the Marines.╙
╥Semper Fi.╙ Cortez mouthed in an attempt to be sarcastic, but he knew it was the truth. The Marines had been his first real home and his second and only family. In Philly-NY, he╒d had an older brother named Vinnie who had been convicted of armed robbery and attempted murder when he, John, was thirteen. Vinnie had put three rounds into his victim╒s chest and shoulder, but the man had lived. His brother was sent first to Attica, and then involed╤involuntarily colonized╤to one of the frontier worlds. Cortez had not heard of or from him again.
Cortez had avoided the same fate because he was never a violent criminal. He specialized in burglary, pickpocketing, stuff like that. He robbed hundreds of apartments, stores, and individuals in his career, but never used a gun on anyone. He╒d had to use his hands a few times to escape, but he never seriously hurt anybody. Plus, he╒d never indulged in the many drugs that were around. Not even the free heroin they provided at state clinics. He knew if you were a repeat violent offender╤like Vinnie was╤they would eventually decide to invol you, and that meant landing ass-first on some hellhole world and trying to farm or hunt or whatever it took to live there. Involuntary colonists was basically a codeword for slave.
John had been arrested twenty nine times, and convicted seven. The first six had been probation and time served in those famous two-minute Philly trials. the criminal justice system was overflowing with violent types, and the state of Pennsylvania had no time or resources to jail or invol a petty thief. But that twenty ninth time, he╒d drawn a hardass judge named Phillip Ramey who had a rep for involing. Cortez had decided if he were involed, he╒d disappear. There were nearly thirty million in the Philly-NY megalopolis, and he could blend in easily. Now way, he╒d invol.
At the arraignment, Ramey peered over his computer screen at Cortez. there were two dozen cases in line behind this one, and he expected the usual, either a lack of compelling evidence and no trial, or a trial upstairs tomorrow and a speedy, meaningless conviction. Cortez stood in front of the bench trying not to look bored and maybe piss the guy off.
╥You finished high school, Mr. Cortez.╙ He said softly.
╥Yeah.╙ John replied. Truth was, they gave you lunch in high school and he had needed the meal. He╒d hated the class work and flunked several subjects. But the few that interested him, he╒d aced effortlessly. It wasn╒t something he put a lot of work into.
╥And you have what, six convictions here. Mostly larceny, one assault.╙
╥Yeah, but that assault one was╤.╙
Ramey interrupted, ╥Don╒t. You also have some test scores here, John. You have an IQ higher than mine. You have a modicum of education. So tell me, why haven╒t you done anything with yourself?╙
This was not how it usually went. Generally, there was a one or two minute review of the case, and it was judged fit or unfit to try. What was the old man leading up to? ╥Um, I, yeah. There ain╒t no jobs out there, sir. I looked.╙
╥Bailiff take Mr. Cortez to my chambers. Leave him manacled.╙ The judge╒s office was a run-down room in a run down city building. The walls were covered in an ancient gray paint job. They were covered with his degrees, one from Penn State and his Law degree from Temple. There were pictures of Ramey and some woman Cortez assumed was his wife.
Ramey sat in a battered chair behind his battered desk. ╥Mr. Cortez, I see a hundred guys like you a day. You come from he streets here, and you tell me there╒s no jobs. So you steal for your living. But there is honest work if you look for it. Says here you╒re on the dole.╙
╥Yeah. I get a few bucks. It don╒t cover half my rent.╙
╥So the State of Pennsylvania spends a few thousand a year on a guy who has a high IQ, his diploma, and looks to be drug free╤not even the legal ones they give out at the DHS office. Plus, you end up here, taking my valuable time.╙ Ramey lit a pipe. ╥I╒m sick of it Cortez. I╒m sick of passing asshole's like you through the system.╙
Shit, he╒s gonna do it, Cortez thought. I╒m gonna be involed. His stomach was turning.
╥Please, your honor...╙
╥Silence. Did I give you permission to speak, Cortez? No. I have no patience anymore. I╒m an old man. My son is a voluntary colonist, getting rich. And my wife died years ago so I don╒t have much of a family anymore. A daughter in Atlanta, but I see her only during the holidays. You might call me bitter.╙
╥So here╒s what you╒re going to do. I am not going to put you in a lockup. They╒d just kick you in a couple of months, if that. If I kick you, then I don╒t sleep so well tonight. Maybe in my old age I╒m developing a conscious. So you╒re going to join the Dominion Marines, Cortez. They╒ll either kill you or turn you into something useful. Either way, you╒re out of my hair.╙ Ramey had a friend in the Marines that could get Cortez enlisted within an hour. In his youth, Ramey had been a strict adherent to the constitution. Now, as the document was invalidated by the Dominion, he missed it. But the New Articles gave him broad powers, and he would use them to do a little good when he could. ╥Or I can have you involed by dusk, Cortez. Flash-frozen, stuffed in a tuna can, and on your way. You decide.╙
It was no choice. ╥Marines, I╒ll take the Marines.╙
╥I knew you would.╙ Ramey replied. He had his bailiff take Cortez to the holding cell, then told his computer to call Captain McHendry. He and Mac had been undergrads at Illinois together, and Mac could have this Cortez kid enlisted today.
>
When he took his physical, John figured to be infantry. A combat grunt. He was shocked when they told him he╒d be going to heavy mechanized armor school in Texas. It was a chance to be an officer. ╥Our tests show that you got what it takes to be a pilot.╙ the sergeant told him. ╥You just gotta get through the academy.╙
Which would be a problem, he knew. The Academy was more than a school on how to pilot a fifty-two ton walker. It also required college level academic work, though in very specialized areas. You had to know a lot of things, physics, navigation, stuff like that. He was smart enough, but he╒d never been a serious student. He scraped through academically, but excelled militarily and athletically. He was captain of the school╒s kickboxing squad. They won the Southwest regionals as a team, and Cortez had placed fourth individually in the Marine Western Hemisphere tournament.
The physical training was even more grueling than the Marine basic he╒d gone through at Paris Island in California. Legg pilots had to have unbelievable reflexes, and everyone here did, but they honed those reflexes with a daily series of drills that left you drained and sore as hell. Plus there was the daily ten mile runs, the obstacle courses, the specialized weight training. For the first year, it was sixteen hour days, not to mention a serious dose of hazing by the upperclassmen. Most of the people here could be Olympic athletes and consider it a break. Cortez had only thought he was in shape when he╒d enrolled.
Now, he was an officer of the Dominion Marines. If someone had told him this three years ago, he╒d never have believed it. Best of all, he╒d make 1500 creds a month.
╥Semper Fi.╙ Washington said with conviction. Cortez grinned.
╥I guess you know I cheated my ass off in class, sir.╙
╥Know? Son, I got tapes of you cheating.╙ Washington knew Cortez had worked himself harder than any cadet there to get up to speed academically.
And the main thing was, how would he drive a Panther in combat. When a dozen white smoke trails of LAW╒s were homing in, and it sounded like rain because so many bullets were bouncing off the armor, and his RIO was screaming for reinforcements, and his commander╒s gone down, how would he react? Washington knew men who simply froze, men who went apeshit and shot up everything╤including their own guys, and men who abandoned their company. Cortez had spent his entire life coping with violence. His area of Philadelphia was a densely populated slum with as many burned out buildings as good ones. The cops there didn╒t answer calls without thirty men in riot armor. Cortez had seen people die, had been shot once himself. Washington didn╒t think he╒d crack under pressure. And the boy could really move the metal. He wasn╒t the best pilot in his class, but Washington could count his betters on one hand. If things in the Marines weren╒t so damned political, Cortez would be given a plum assignment. But rich boys like Erickson got those, while guys like Cortez got stuck in a jungle or a desert somewhere. It was the way things were, and Washington himself was in similar circumstances fifteen years ago. Washington walked him as far as the parking lot. He slipped into his car and offered Cortez a ride, which was declined. Cortez played pool for a couple of hours, slamming one beer after another. He tried to connect with several women, but got no takers. He was quite drunk by midnight, and hammered by 3 a.m., when he stumbled back into his quarters and fell into bed.
He awoke around eleven, and neither of his roommates were in. In all likelihood, they wouldn╒t be until this evening, to get their orders and pack. His stuff, what little he had, was ready to go.
He ate lunch at the D-Fac, wolfing down two cheeseburgers and a basket of fries. He╒d be shipping out in three days, to whatever departure point he was assigned. He bought three trideo novels, a pack of chewing gum, then left. It was three o╒clock before he went to base command to receive his orders.
When they handed him the disk, he inserted it into his Cyber-CPU belt pack to read, his hands shook as he fumbled with the disk.
Calm down, shit, its gonna be what it is why am I so nervous, he wondered. Discipline kicked in, something the Corp had taught him, his emotions no longer could control him. Now that he was in control the disk easily inserted.
The document, his orders, then appeared on the inside of his skull;
>MISSION ORDERS<
DOMINION MARINE COMMAND
From: MarDCom
To: 2nd Lt. John Cortez
Matter: Reassignment
Report To: Peenemunde Marine Base, Germany, Pad 1015
Departure Date: 15JAN94
On-Arrival
Regarding: Report to CO Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 78th Marine Walker Regiment.
Security Verification: 193152020~192015145
Command: Pilot - Bravo Company, 1st Battalion of the 78th Regiment
TO&E: 1-Panther Medium Walker
Commanding Officer: Capt. Lars Johansen
╥1st of the 78th, Shit, that's first line.╙ John quickly checked the notes he had made, on what units were getting the new generation of walkers.
He was bumped by someone moving past him, reality came back to him then, and he left the building. He reviewed the orders as he walked back to his quarters.
╥Swede Johansen, sonofabitch, he╒s the crazy bastard who blew up the Legion Armory in Austin.╙ He murmured to himself as he walked.
╥A fuckin╒ Panther, Yes.╙ The new officer said loudly. He walked as fast, or a little faster than decorum allowed, back to his room, he was about to leave a little early.
>
Peenemunde Marine Base, Germany
Earth, Sol
1105, 5JAN2094
Stanicek Ryanski
╥Are you crazy?╙
╥What he is ma╒am is damned lucky.╙ Collin Blythstone said to Bravo╒s mechanics as Stanicek continued to walk around his new toy. He had just asked if he could have a spike welded to the bow of his new walker.
Ryanski was, in fact, the luckiest man Collin knew. Since meeting the 1st Lieutenant three years before in Hamburg. He had not known of anyone who managed to have things go his way so consistently.
╥It is better to be lucky than skilled pal.╙
╥Amen.╙ Blythstone confirmed his pilots words. This all went unheard by Stanicek Ryanski. He was completely absorbed in the deadly beauty of his new machine.
It was not that he took chances to tempt fate, Ryanski was a reasonable man. If asked he would consider himself a realist. Anyone else who knew him would say he was a careful optimist. He knew his limitations and was often successful at pushing those limits to the extreme.
Stanicek Alexander Ryanski was born twenty years before to Nadia and Stanislov Ryanski, just outside of Gdansk, Poland. His father owned a good portion of the shipping at Gdansk╒s port. Loading and unloading ships both sea and space going, storage and distribution were primary aspects of the job that Stanicek and his brother Peter, older by three years, were quick to learn.
By the time he was fifteen, Stanicek knew how to operate every machine his father owned, especially the power loaders. While Peter had become more involved in the administrative side of the business. Stanicek enjoyed the physical labor and satisfaction of a job well done.
Three years before, his father bragged to anyone who would listen that Stanicek could tie the shoes of a toddler with the lifter. A certain Colonel Korcheven, in Gdansk, came to oversee the receipt of some ╘special equipment╒, told his commander about the young Ryanski, stating in his report that the young man could have performed with the Warsaw Ballet in his machine, then pick up the roses that were thrown to him without losing a petal.
One week later a letter arrived from the Dominion Marine Training Command. He had been offered a slot at Marine OCS Europe located outside the City of Fulda, Germany. But best of all to Stanicek, was the chance to pilot a walker, a real Marine line walker.
The invitation was due both to his ability to operate the machinery and his families status. The Dominion reserved the openings in the Marines for the best of the world. Very few children of poor or middle class families made it into the Marines.
Another young cadet, Collin Blythstone was assigned to Ryanski to familiarize him with legg operations. He was the oldest son of a highly placed British politician. Collin was well liked by his classmates, for this reason he was chosen to help the new guy. Upon meeting the two got along like long lost brothers, this began a life long friendship.
Korcheven was curious as to the young Ryanski╒s ability to apply his talents to a walker. The Colonel was impressed. Stanicek was urged to sign the papers, and that day became a Dominion Marine.
>
Six months later came the war games. After all of the studies and hardships of OCS, the big payoff for Stanicek was here. Stanicek and Collin participated in the games successfully, with Ryanski performing a maneuver where he brought the bow of his Lion medium walker up under the front of a wounded opponent, disabling the other and gaining the nick name Rhino for himself.
>
Peenemunde Marine Base, Germany
Earth, Sol
1102, 5JAN2094
Lars ╥Swede╙ Johansen
╥God help me, but your beautiful.╙ He gently patted the leg of the fifty two ton war machine.
╥Thanks, but I don╒t fraternize with my fellow officers... much.╙ Kraken said finally, she had snuck up on her preoccupied company commander.
╥Not you. The legg.╙ He did not jump as he answered, she was impressed.
╥Yeah, it does look lethal doesn╒t it?╙
╥It?╙
╥You know, the walker.╙ Sarcasm dripped from her words. ╥Great he╒s losing it,╙ she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
╥SHE, she╒s a she.╙ He said as if to a three year old. Captain Lars Johansen patted the gigantic armored leg as if it could feel his affection.
╥Well, SHE, isn╒t going to put out, no matter whether you baby it or call it princess. Men, sheeesh.╙ Kraken shook her head as she walked around to the entry hatch.
He frowned as she left, then looked up at the walker towering above him, ╥you╒ll put out won╒t you baby?╙ Lars whispered.
The new members of his company were looking over their machines as well, from what he could see they were as pleased as he was. He knew the whole thing in Austin had been popular with the brass, but this? It was far more than he had ever hopped for. Especially when you consider I wasn╒t the one who fired, he thought. He still remembered the shocked look on Kraken╒s face when the HOL fired. His RIO, the AI, Newman, nor he had done anything. There had been a radio signal beamed at his Lion, then bang the Excalibur high output laser or HOL, fired. That armory went off like a bomb, he remembered maneuvering away from the fire at a walk. That was because he had still been stunned by events, I sure wasn╒t trying to be cool, he smiled at the memory. It had gotten him a lot of fans though, quite a few of them attractive women.
╥OH BABY, I LOVE YOU TOO.╙ Blasted across the tarmac of the staging area.
Swede Johansen jumped with a start, I╒m going to kill her, he decided.
╥Stow it Kraken. Act a little professionally, will you?╙
╥Aye Kiptin, Shields up.╙ This time her voice broadcast at normal levels from the PA system, mounted high up on the Panther╒s flank.
Swede looked around at the others, they were all doing their best to concentrate on anything but him. With the exception of Lt. Falkenhorst, who actually seemed to be inspecting a lower leg access port. Time to put a stop to this, he went around the gigantic foot , to the cockpit ladder and climbed aboard.
╥Sweet gott...╙ He could only stare at the control space. He had of course seen it on the computer specifications, but this was far better. It was easily twice as big on the inside as the old Lion╒s.
╥Wonderful, is it not?╙ Kraken asked. He now understood her mood, it was if he had died and gone to heaven.
╥It╒s clean, and... smells new.╙ He closed his eye╒s and just savored the essence.
╥No one has pissed themselves in this one.╙ She giggled.
╥There╒s something we╒ll count as a plus.╙ He laughed too. She was right about the smell, all the walkers he had been in smelled like a cesspool. It was a combination of all the smells of fear from everyone who had ever operated it.
╥When will Newman be hooked in. He will love this.╙
╥Tomorrow, when we give them the test run. And we have a slot at the range, the end of this week.╙
╥It will feel good to dance this one.╙ She ran her hand across the horse shoe control panel that almost surrounded the two crew seats. Lars heard the love in her voice, she likes it as much as I do, he thought. No matter how much trouble she gives me.
╥You got battery power over there?╙ He asked as he slipped into his command seat.
╥Yes, my Kiptin.╙ Kraken slipped from the edge of the padded console down into her seat, it was slightly lower and behind his.
╥Let╒s start her up. By the way that is still the worst Chekhov I╒ve ever heard.╙ He strapped himself into the chair. Old habits got to be that way because they helped you to survive long enough to make them old.
╥Whose this Chekhov fellow?╙ She asked with a straight face. The two of them had been watching TurnerCom remakes of old SciFi for years now.
Power came up. All nine monitors glowed to life. Showing systems status and sensor feeds. The main screen was set in default mode, a view straight forward as it it were a window. It was six feet long and covered the whole forward bulkhead.
╥Bringing up targeting.╙ Kraken reported.
╥WARNING, WARNING, NO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODULE IS AVAILABLE TO UNIT 5725T6. SAFETY CHECK LISTS MUST BE MANUALLY CONDUCTED. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELVES.╙ The mechanical voice blared.
╥Goddamnit. Computer, voder level reduce 50%.╙ Lars snapped.
╥PLEASE IDENTIFY.╙
╥Here. For the love of god here. Damned piece of...╙ Lars said slipping the cyber-link into the connection just behind his right ear.
╥Thank you Captain Johansen. Voder levels reset.╙ The computer said in a normal speaking level.
╥Jesus. I hate these genius systems, they╒re so dumb.╙ Kraken cursed. Neither of them noticed that they now cursed part of the very thing they had loved a moment before.
╥They just don╒t sound right do they?╙
╥You got that right pal. I get spooked every time that thing talks.╙ Kraken shivered, but continued to run through the check lists. Normally the walkers AI would keep these under constant supervision. But he was not installed yet, so they did it with the back up mainframes help.
╥You know they could make it sound more human, but don╒t so we know for sure when its Newman or not.╙ Lars said as he finished his half of the list.
╥Figures. The Corps ╘would╒ find a way to get something done that╒s as uncomfortable for us as possible.╙ she said finishing the last of her list too.
╥Hook up. We╒ll check out the link.╙
>>SWEDE<< ╥You up?╙
>>KRAKEN<< ╥Up.╙ A small window opened along the lower left edge of his vision, his RIO╒s computer generated image appeared there. Not that it was necessary when he could just look over at her next to him. But that would take his attention from the all around sensors, a grave risk in combat.
>>SWEDE<< ╥Why was that damned voder set so loud?╙
>>KRAKEN<< ╥I bet the workers at the factory do it just to piss us off.╙ This was a big guess on her part, as she had never even seen a new walker before.
>>FALKENHORST<< ╥Bravo Four reporting.╙
╥How╒d he know we were up.╙ Kraken asked with her voice rather than the links think-comm.
╥I╒ll ask.╙ Swede answered with a shrug.
>>SWEDE<< ╥Very good lieutenant. How is it you knew just now that we were linked.╙
>>FALKENHORST<< ╥My sensors detected the EM spike.╙
If he had not reported it in so factual a voice, Swede might have thought him lying. But the big Deutchlander did not seem the lying type, now that Rhino character could, he knew.
>>KRAKEN<< ╥That is a very small spike Heinz.╙ Kraken spoke with a familiarity that was forced. Johansen knew she wanted them working as a close nit team as much as he did. All of the rank and formality left on the link, you need friends, not some junior officer worried about saying sir or ma╒am.
>>FALKENHORST<< ╥Yes ma╒am it was.╙ The same factual matter agreed.
>>SWEDE<< ╥Good work. How╒s everything over there?╙ Swede asked in a friendly tone.
>>AIM<< ╥Fine and dandy sir. Can we kill something?╙ Amayiko Tanaka, Falkenhorst╒s RIO came back. Johansen noticed that Tanaka had changed her call sign ID tag from her last name to one of her own choosing. It was the first thing that most crews went to work on. Since the Marine Command preferred the use of last names, it was a kind of initiation to figure out how to change yours. This and his overly formal tone bothered Swede, Falkenhorst would need to be watched. His psych profile said he was okay. Returning to a walker, it said, was needed for healing. Swede╒s felt sorry for the man but this was his first command and he had no desire to let it be screwed up by Falkenhorst or anyone else.
>>SWEDE<< ╥Maybe later. For now do a quick run through, see if anything major is knuckled up.╙
>>RHINO<< ╥Knuckledup? What the hell is that?╙ The new company executive officer asked as he came up on the link.
>>SWEDE<< ╥That is an old Swedish saying.╙
>>KRAKEN<< ╥From Texas.╙
>>RHINO<< ╥Well nothing is ╘Knuckledup╒ aboard Bravo Five.╙
>>CORTEZ<< ╥Bravo... uh Three, is good to go sir.╙ Cortez sounded distracted. But it was hard for Johansen to tell the backup computer didn╒t simulate the actual person╒s tones or image as well as Newman would.
>>GRAFTON<< ╥Confirming that sir, Bravo Three is ready and able.╙
>>KRAKEN<< ╥Only one of you need report, why don╒t you take turns.╙ The computer let some of Swede╒s laugh at her comment slip in to the transmission. He knew how hard it usually was to get use to a new Pilot-RIO team up.
>>SWEDE<< ╥Bravo Two. How╒s it going over there?╙ He asked checking on his companies Wildcat recon walker.
>>DEUCE<< ╥Fine Captain. Bravo Deuce is locked and loaded.╙ >>SWEDE<< ╥Very good. And congratulations Miss Christensen.╙ He realized she had scanned the programing and found the ID tag on the fly. This as they checked all the other systems for readiness, pretty good for a rookie, he thought.
>>DEUCE<< ╥Thank you sir.╙
>>AL'HUSSEIN<< ╥Bravo Alfa reports readiness check complete. Awaiting orders.╙ Swede could tell the young Arab did not like being ╘attached╒, which is what Alfa stood for , to Bravo Company. But he did not care what the young man liked, Swede was just grateful for an extra second generation machine.
They newest line company of the Dominion Marine Corps enjoyed there new vehicles for another hour, familiarizing themselves with the new design. It was more play than work, but the work would come soon enough.
