March, Thursday 19th, 2048

20:15

There is another Emergence, mostly to the west of here.

Time to see how good my plans for the fire depot really were. The way across the parking lot still looked free, so I grabbed the old party box I had loaded with sounds of frightened people and stuffed it into the trash container at the other side of the parking lot.

Back in the depot, I grabbed my armor, a bunch of extra ammo and my three remaining EMP grenades. I made my way to the roof and made sure that the Avian Eliminator was online. A short test showed that I could control the party box from up here. Then I waited.

On the security forces network reports from all over the southwest of Victoria came in. Braemar Heights, Glenlake and Luxton had active Macks. I hoped Roger and his guys would be OK. And the girl of course, I had come to like Ellen.

A Type One was sniffing around between the houses to the west. It was time to set up my trap. Subvocalized: “Elya, activate”.

The trash container started to emit sounds of human distress and fear. The Type One searched the vicinity of the container, found nothing, then tried to climb into the container. Without success, its legs were not made for the climb. It tried to scramble up the container for a bit, then it gave up and returned where it had come from. Soon it returned with a whole crowd of other Macks, mostly Type Ones but also three Fours.

My compilation of screams from old horror films must have been pretty convincing, this was a larger audience than I had expected. I pressed the button on one of my EMP grenades and threw it into the middle of the crowd.

BANG

Elya knew the drill from Hatley Castle, she hacked as many as she could and marked the successfully hacked ones on my augs as green. Some collapsed, some resisted, but five switched their loyalties. Including one of the Type Four mecha squids.

“Elya, move the captured ones to the other side of the parking lot. I don’t want them to get the full pulse next time.”

The tamed Macks obediently moved, while I readied the next grenade.

BANG

This time another three Ones defected, as well as a second Type Four. This left a handful of dead, disoriented or still hostile ones, in particular the last Type Four. But they could not see a path up to my position, which seemed to leave them a bit clueless. It was time to use my rifle, and my first shot went through the eye of the Four. It dropped dead.

It would have been like shooting fish in a barrel, if I had been inclined to expend more ammunition. Instead I instructed my new minions to kill the remaining enemy Macks. Those did not understand that their erstwhile comrades were now enemies. They died quickly to the spikes and sharp feet of the traitors.

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I was now the proud commander of two Type Four mecha squids and seven six-legged, doglike Type One Macks. That had to qualify as a squad. Perhaps I could call myself Sergeant MacCallan now?

But the job was not done yet. Two Mack sniper units of Type 28 had dug in at the crossing Sooke Road / Veteran Memorial Parkway and given the HANAF soldiers who tried to advance from the east trouble. I had to do something about it, but without being shot myself. It was time to lead from the rear.

“Elya, I want those Type Fours reprogrammed some more. They need to take out the Twenty-Eights for us. I’m banking on their inability to recognize subverted units. Can you program them accordingly?”

Certainly. There is, of course, always the risk they will be destroyed by friendly fire.

“Cannot be helped if it happens. But perhaps we can convince HANAF we are friendlies. Can you give me active access to the security forces net?”

Done. You are on the battalion level net of the HANAF unit to the west of your objective. These are the ones most likely to shoot you by accident.

I set out along Allandale Road towards the northwest. The Ones deployed to the west to scout for more Macks, with the order to come back and signal with blinking eyes if something unpleasant approached. I sent the Fours about forty meters ahead of me. In case someone saw them and shot at them, I hoped to avoid becoming collateral damage by keeping my distance.

At this point, I could no longer resist. Also, a small fight on the ground might cause less of a ruckus than artillery. On the battalion net I announced myself with “This is Sergeant MacCallan of Vanguard Command. We are attacking enemy units at the crossing Sooke Road and Veteran Memorial Parkway with experimental robots of our own. Do not interfere.”

From the net came the answer “Get off this channel, unauthorized unit!”

I replied “Just don’t shoot our units when they attack the Twenty-Eights and we will be fine!”

By then, my Fours had stopped behind the last building before the crossing as ordered. I sneaked up to them and peeked around the corner. Only fifty meters down the road, two pony-sized, weevil-shaped robots were sitting behind bushes and aiming their proboscis-like barrels north- and eastwards.

Time for the attack. “Elya, instruct the Fours to cross the road, come up to the Twenty-Eights from behind and poke out their eyes!”

Yes, Sergeant!

My loyal minions advanced. The tension was nerve-wracking, with potential threats from all sides. Friendly fire from HANAF to the east. An attack from Macks from the west. Bombardment by Magical Girls. And less dangerous to me, but still annoying, the possibility someone would shoot at my Fours.

Eventually my mecha squids had reached the Mack sniper units, sidled up to them and rammed their spikes into the eyes of the enemy. Smashing sounds rang through the night. Again and again. After what felt like an eternity but could have only been seconds, my units disengaged and returned the same way.

“Elya, I’d like to retrieve the Ones from the east. Could you instruct one of the Fours to go over and collect them? Meeting point corner Allendale - Wishale.”

Orders given.

With the second Type Four in tow, I retreated along Allendale Road. Halfway back to the shelter, I could see two Magical Girls running past the intersection behind me. They seemed not to notice me, but they noticed the Four I had sent to collect my lesser units. I could hear excited battlecries. I was not worried about the girls, as Elya had reprogrammed my units to never attack humans. But losing the Four still smarted. Which was a bit irrational, as I could print new ones now.

All of the Ones rendezvoused with me as planned and we returned to the shelter. I even took the time to drag the scrap off the parking lot. Tomorrow I would feed the dead Macks into the recycler. Before going to bed, I had one more question for Elya: “What is my total balance of points and tokens now?”

One Token and 549 points. Forty of those are for the Type 28s.