While we were still observing the battle on the ground, some ominous messages popped up on the HANAF network.

3rd mortar battalion: “SHOCKS, fire mission complete. Requesting new targets.

…

“SHOCKS? Please respond!”

1st infantry brigade: “SHOCKS, we are under heavy pressure from light Mack units near Saxe Point. Requesting support by MG units, preferably some that are good at house to house combat. SHOCKS? Anyone there?”

Now I started to worry. “Elya, what can you tell me about any communications breakdowns?

Regular communication between HANAF and SHOCKS broke down nine minutes ago. HANAF units are talking to each other just fine, but SHOCKS have gone dark.

There is still some highly encrypted data traffic present that possibly belongs to Advent communication systems. As you instructed me a year ago, I have not aggressively tried to break into those communications.

While I was still racking my head about what to do, I heard frantic hammering on the shelter door. As I checked the security camera I saw it was Longhorn, team leader of the Battle Bugs. Behind her were all the other team members, their body language showing barely suppressed anxiety.

As I opened the door and stood aside to let them in, Longhorn entered and visibly composed herself and stated “We have lost contact with our operators and SHOCKS in general. I hope there is some wonder tech in your arsenal that could help. I’m sorry to impose like this, but I feel we don’t have a choice.”

“Let’s see. Elya, send a Spectracopter to the SHOCKS control tower and have a look through the windows. If that brings us no clue, would you recommend additional cyberwar software to try and get into the SHOCKS network?”

Elya answered from the entertainment system.

For fast results your Class I Network Intrusion Utilities catalog offers the DFuzz 666 distributed intrusion package for fifty points. Its strategy is hijacking lots of computers connected to the network the target is in, then have the entire digital horde pry into potential weak points. The approach is anything but subtle and will probably be noticed.

Ladybug interjected “Who is Elya?”

I realized that I had not told the Battle Bugs everything about Elya, so I took the time for a short explanation.

“Elya is my AI companion, and she is pretty smart. A lot more than I have let on before. B.S.O.D. knows the full story. For now let’s just say I have Elya in place of an operator. With access to things a SHOCKS operator can only dream of.”

While we were still debating the pros and cons of a blatant hacking attempt, the Spectracopter arrived at the superstructure of the stranded Advent weapons platform, where the SHOCKS headquarters were located. Elya guided it along the windows and gave us a look inside.

Inside the command center we saw a bloodbath. I recognized the bodies of some SHOCKS personnel I had worked with before, the remains of a shredded Mack MG aka Type 42 and some human MGs arguing about something.

“Elya, can you make out what they are saying?” I hoped Elya had some skills at lip reading.

They are making references to an abduction and B.S.O.D. But I’m not getting more details.

“Fuck. We can’t have SHOCKS’ master strategist fall into the hands of the Macks. Elya, I’ll buy the DFuzz and you try to get whatever information you can get about this abduction. Random data loot is welcome, but the abduction and B.S.O.D’s whereabouts have priority.

“Start with the man-made part of the SHOCKS network. If you don’t get the desired data there, proceed to the Advent systems.”

Accessing the SHOCKS network, human part… that was easy. Footage from the security cameras shows B.S.O.D. being tranquilized and abducted by Mack MGs.

Elya showed us two Mack MGs dragging away a barely conscious B.S.O.D. One of them was visibly damaged and limping, with a ripped up leg from which machine parts stuck out.

Accessing the Advent network… I’m in but the Advent AI has noticed my presence. I’m grabbing what I can and trying to conceal from where I hacked in.

Seconds later: I’ve got something from the sensors of the Advent’s weapons platform.

An unknown aircraft docked at SHOCKS headquarters minutes before the abduction. Later it departed towards an eastward direction and at a time that coincided with B.S.O.D’s abduction.

“Any further info about where it went?”

Sadly no. Neither our drones nor any HANAF assets have tracking data.

I started to suspect that we had been fighting the Macks’ trash tier so far. A rescue mission for B.S.O.D. might pit us against tougher opposition.

“I guess we’ll have to go after her. But I want to bring as many reinforcements as I can. Do you think you can get HANAF to lend us a helicopter? Because I doubt I have that much pull.”

“Not without hours of bickering.” Longhorn dejectedly replied.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“We’ll have to do it on our own, I guess. Elya, fly the Explorer to our doorstep, we’ll use that. I also want some more air power to attack ground targets. What can you recommend that could be printed quickly?”

In your newly acquired Class I Attack drones catalog, there is the Bonsai Bombardier Mk II. Slightly larger than the Dragonfly, it is specialized in dropping small glide bombs. The blueprint price is 1000 points, blueprint for a multipurpose glide bomb included. Additional designs can be purchased separately.

At this point, I was sure Elya was trolling me with the unit names. Bonsai Bombardier, really? But I did not have time for bickering over names. So I just said “Yes I’ll take the blueprint, and please start an ongoing production at Vanguard Enterprises.”

Minutes later, we were in the air and flying eastwards, surrounded by a swarm of Dragonfly drones. I was wearing my armor with the Mack-zapper pauldrons and had brought my Shiv. The three Battlecats that happened to be available at the shelter were wedged in the back, together with most of Team Battle Bug. Longhorn was sitting beside me and looking worried. Wendy had stayed back at the shelter, making spare parts for Arina and keeping her company.

A bunch of Spectracopters were flying ahead and spreading out over the waters of the Haro Strait, without regard for their maximum range. I was willing to sacrifice those as one-way, one-time reconnaissance assets. Back at Vanguard Enterprises, the fabbers were spitting out Bombardiers and glide bombs.

Soon one of the Spectracopters detected activity on San Juan Island, near the Mack base we had raided before in search of Amanda aka Shaver Bitch. Apparently, the metal pests were not willing to give up their base so easily.

As I sent the little drone closer, the activity turned out to be two girl-shaped units dragging another one along. This third person was resisting, but one of the two hit her with some tool and she collapsed, only weakly stirring after that. The little group continued to move, with one of the kidnappers apparently having trouble with her leg.

“Here they are. Elya, recall those Spectracopters that still have the range to return to Vanguard Enterprises. Also, send the first ten Bombardiers, we might be in a fight any moment.”

“Only ten?” Longhorn asked,

“They don’t have unlimited loiter time, so I’d rather deploy them in shifts. When these ten are nearing the end of their endurance, I’ll call the next ten and send the first ones home for recharging. As production goes on, we will have larger numbers at our disposal.”

As we were talking, the two Mack MGs were disappearing into a tunnel entrance with their captive. I ordered my one nearby Spectracopter to scan the surroundings and ordered four fresh ones from Vanguard Enterprises.

Moments later, the Spectracopter discovered the aircraft the abductors had used. It apparently used some chameleon-like tech to blend in with its background. Overall, the stealth was almost as good as that of a Spectracopter, only the larger size kept it from hiding from my eyes. Elya had of course no such problems and highlighted the stealth craft long before I could spot it without help.

I waited another minute to let the Bombardiers catch up and for the Spactracopter to complete at least one round over the enemy base, then I made a rapid descent and landed next to the tunnel entrance. Behind me Ladybug was screaming at the roller-coaster-like maneuver.

Once down, we quickly got out and took formation for our assault on the base. Around us, the base came alive with mechanical monstrosities. Two Twenty-Ones bore down on us like enraged freight trains, while the Type Twenty-Eight sniper units started forming a circle around the tunnel.

“Into the tunnel” Longhorn snapped.

I fully concurred with her assessment of the situation. But while running behind her, I ordered the Bombardiers to unload their deadly cargo on the Macks. Deafening detonations rang out, and a large piece of shrapnel zipped past my ear.

Before me, the Battle Bugs and two of my Battlecats pushed ahead, behind me, the third Battlecat served as rearguard. Already, some smaller Macks poured into the tunnel and it was mostly thanks to that rearguard that we were not hit in the back. At my command, Elya displayed a map from outside the tunnel. Both Twenty-Ones appeared out of commission, but mostly in one piece, while most of the Twenty-Eights were shredded far more thoroughly. At the edge of the map I could see the Bombardiers disappearing back towards their base.

To the left and right I could see new facilities that were not there on our last visit. The Macks were seriously expanding the base, and most of it was crawling with construction drones. We left those alone unless they approached us, and proceeded through the tunnels of the base.

As we neared the lab where Amanda had her mind extracted, a horde of Mack combat units blocked our way. Among them was one of the Mack MGs, who already called out “Flame Arrow!”.

I did not know from where they got the stupid habit of calling out their attacks. But it gave Pink Orchid the moment she needed to bring up her pushback field. The flaming ray of death was bent back in a sharp curve and hit one of the enemy Battlecats, burning through its head and killing it.

The next moment, Ladybug exclaimed “Thunderbolt!”, and the tunnel became an inferno of zigzagging lightning. Mack electronics burned out in sparks or started to smolder, giving off an acrid stench. Some other Macks simply froze as the discharge temporarily scrambled their electric brains. Elya did not need my encouragement to hack into those and set them upon their brethren. From the sides, my Battlecats added their deadly projectiles.

Longhorn and Mantis rushed ahead to attack. Longhorn wielded a new spear with a wide blade that was also useful for slashing, and she cut off Mack limbs and tentacles left and right. Mantis, however, was immediately attacked by the Mack MG who had produced a huge battleaxe from nowhere.

As the axe came down on her, Mantis barely managed to deflect it away from her head. But she still received a nasty cut on her arm. I ordered one of my battlecats to attack the Mack MG and supported that effort with lightning from my Mack-zappers. As in previous encounters, that alone did not stop the machine girl. But Mantis did. She quickly recovered from the shock of the injury and beheaded the Mack with a mighty swing of her bat'leth-like melee weapon.

Looking to the left, I saw that my other Battlecat had been badly mauled by two Mack Battlecats, but it could still hobble along on three legs and its gun seemed functional. Except for Mantis, the Battle Bugs appeared unharmed.

We stopped for a moment so Pink Orchid, the team medic, could patch up Mantis. She ordered “Walter, QuikClot!”, then she facepalmed and grumbled “Damn, comms are still out!”

Fortunately, I had a QuikClot on me. I handed the dispenser to her, and she squeezed the pink content into the wound, where it expanded on contact with the blood and quickly sealed the wound. Pink Orchid further attended to the injury with a bandage, and we were off again. Mantis still went easy on the arm, but she seemed combat capable again.

As we approached the lab, I lifted my Shiv and peeked around the corner. In the lab yet another Mack MG was busy mounting B.S.O.D’s head in a metal halo, assisted by an unfamiliar type of drone. In the background the horror of the mind uploading machine waited for our friend. I banished a fleeting impulse to save that particular Mack girl and executed her with a railgun bullet through the head.

Without further discussion, the Battle Bugs split up. Longhorn and Ladybug were guarding the door, while Pink Orchid and Mantis went to retrieve B.S.O.D. They quickly got her out of the halo, but she was barely conscious.

“Guess we’ll have to carry her” Mantis said. With a grunt she lifted B.S.O.D. on her shoulders. Longhorn grabbed Mantis’ bat'leth knock-off and we started jogging towards the Explorer. As we passed the beheaded Mack MG, I grabbed the head by its fake hair and took it with me.