Remember The Council Tower

Electric sparks showered down from the tall frame. An ocean of scientists, stuntlings, mechanics, and anyone who could turn a wrench had been working day and night on it. Overhead, dozens of hover carts buzzed about like worker bees in a colony, bringing or taking away metal, scrap, parts, electronics, and everything the project needed.

Spider stood on a balcony, hands behind his back, watching the progress with a cold steel gaze. He turned slowly and walked off the balcony into the briefing room. Inside the room, a long table with a holographic display straddled the center of the long room. Many people went to and from it, holding papers or devices, talking into their communicators.

As Spider approached, the activity slowed, each person falling silent, gazing at him. Hera was the closest, talking with Anna and Lady Ramirez in a low determined tone, all studying maps of Zion. Hera sighed and pushed herself off the table, turning towards him. To her right, Anna and a man with bright white hair and a medical bandage covering both eyes stood.

“Will it work?” Spider asked softly.

“We have enough professors and acolytes to open direct portals into Zion, so theoretically, yes. But, this plan is damn near suicidal,” The blind professor answered.

“Martian and cannon fodder has always been synonymous,” Anna growled.

“Let’s go over the plan again,” Hera said.

The Lights dimmed as everyone gathered around the table, the battle map of the invasion of Zion on full display.

“Forge Master Spider will pilot his project, emerging from the first portal unto the human level of the citadel. Near Light-bearer academy, he will hold it with the vanguard and establish a strategic hold. Wolf, Eagle, and Bear companies will assault through the portal and establish a beachhead. Once the landing area has been secured, my professors shall come through and establish direct portal lines from inside Zion back to Mars. With any luck, we can establish six portals,” The blind man called.

“Once all six portals are up, two shall be used for infantry, one for armor, and three for aircraft. This will be a slow process, as only one aircraft can go through the portals at a time. The pilots have been instructed to scatter and evade until the entire air wing is through. Once the squadrons are in place, air superiority will become our top priority. If the ground forces can punch through the outer walls, our fighters can enter space and begin attacking other levels from the exterior of the citadel,” Anna said.

“Wolf company has been tasked with breaching these outer walls. My men and I will utilize cover and concealment, utilizing the sewer system and back alleys to reach the outer walls. We will then breach these using explosives or just slamming whatever large vehicle is handy into the airlocks. Regardless, with access to surrounding space, our fighters can begin air raids and sorties,” Hera said.

“The Dark Axium is an amalgamation of mercenaries, terrorists, and killers of opportunity. They may be able to wreak havoc, but only if the enemy is unsuspecting. They are not prepared for peer on peer, static warfare. It will be with fury and steel in hand when we arrive at Zion. We will show no quarter, as we will receive none. The goal is to obtain and hold ladies and gentlemen. This is a battle of attrition, do not waste your momentum charging forward, stretching yourselves thin. So long as those portals stay open, the entire population of Mars can flow through. Commanders, remember that. This is an army of a planet against the hostile occupying force of a space station,” Spider said.

“Questions?” Anna called.

The room shook their heads, baring one man raising his hand.

“Yes?” Hera asked.

“My lords, forgive me, but where are the other vagabonds?” He asked.

The room was silent, and Spider sighed.

“They are away, fighting the Axium elsewhere. As we progress through the levels of Zion, communication equipment will become available. We shall hail them, informing them of our attack. However, understand this, their absence is our advantage. With the rest of the Vagabonds out among the stars, engaging the enemy, the less of the Axium there is holding Zion. We must be thankful for this distraction and honor their bravery by taking the citadel,” Spider said.

The man nodded; his face determined.

“Any other questions?” Anna asked.

The room was silent.

“Very well. Good luck, everyone; remember the council tower,” Spider said firmly.

“Remember the council tower,” The room echoed as the people dispersed.

Spider, Anna, and Hera all left the briefing room, descended the stairs, and emerged on the assembly floor. They looked up at the project in awe. Standing in front of them in the scaffolding and frame was a twenty-foot-tall exoskeleton covered in the bleeding edge of Mar’s technology and armor. The armor was bright red, with Spider’s oath painted on its circular helmet. The suit had six arms, a jet pack with actuators. The hands and feet were spiked and massive. The suite was covered in many closed compartments, undoubtedly carrying a myriad of onboard weapon systems and devices.

Besides the giant suite stood a nine-foot-tall katana, with an empty slot in the center shaped like Spider’s Nodachi. One of the engineers approached Spider as they strolled toward the massive project.

“All is in order, sir. However, we still fail to understand why there is no power supply system on board. It’s just a tall suit of armor,” The old man said worriedly.

“He is the power supply,” Hera said.

“Oh. Of course, well, we await for you to test drive it,” The engineer mumbled, walking away.

Hera looked at Spider.

“Has anyone ever powered technology like this with particle manipulation?” She asked, worried.

“Not to my knowledge, but this may be Mar’s future if this works,” Spider said.

Anna's eye’s widened.

“You can teach people that magic you do, can’t ya?”

“It’s not an easy process; the road is long and hard, but yes.”

Anna and Hera looked up at the suite.

“You fucking mad man. An army of people powering these things?” Anna gasped.

“Mars would be unstoppable,” Hera whispered.

“Let us win this war first before we discuss such probabilities,” Spider sighed.

The scaffolding was torn down, the metal frame hissed as the stuntlings, and engineers removed all cables and plug-ins. The suite’s chest opened wide, revealing a cockpit. Spider’s heart fluttered; this was his dream. His entire life, he had been forced to intertwine his organic mind with machines, but here, it was not so much a mesh or forced intertwinement as it was a friendship. An understanding between flesh and technology.

Spider walked over to the giant katana as the room watched and inserted the Nodachi into the center, filling the empty space. The katana buzzed, the circuits and blade edge tingling with static electricity. Spider smiled, caressing the metal as the two pieces of technology became one. He then walked over to the suite and climbed up into the cockpit. He saw Hera watching from the ground, worried. He smiled, and she mouthed, “good luck.”

As the cockpit closed, the interior was encased in total darkness. Spider ignited his energy. The controls buzzed and whirred, his energy flowing through the machine. Spider’s hands and feet were swallowed by extending machine gloves. A hood-like mesh of electric sensors lowered, covering his head. Spider’s personal vision darkened. A moment passed, a light appeared, and he could see again.

His point of view wasn’t inside the cockpit; it was from the armor’s helmet itself. Spider lifted his left hand. The suit raised its left hand. He looked down and saw all his left arms and hands moving with the slightest thought. Joy, excitement, and surprise-filled him. He forced the hands, the suite pushing itself out from its resting place. This felt just like when he had inserted his hands into the console of the ship magnolia or when the tank and himself had become one. Now, the armor suite and it’s pilot were indeed one.

Everyone in the garage backed away as the suite buzzed with energy, blue fire spitting out from the joints and cracks in the exoskeleton. Spider walked over to the katana and picked it up, twirling it. The room gasped as the twenty-foot warrior wielded the nine-foot-long sword like it was a stick. Spider smiled and looked down at Hera, Anna and Lady Ramirez.

“Engage the portals. We march on Zion,” Spider’s voice boomed from speakers mounted inside the suite.

The women nodded, sending commands. As they ran about, the cargo bay doors on the wall's far side opened. Spider could hear crackling in his mind. A female’s voice groaned. He recognized the voice; he had heard her distant whispers when he had captained the gunboat and driven the super tank.

“Good morning, Magnolia,” Spider thought.

“What is this? Who am I?”

“You are the greatest weapon Mars has ever forged. You are called Magnolia.”

“Magnolia?” The female voice asked sleepily, her words echoing in his mind.

“Do you not like this name?”

The woman giggled.

“I remember you calling me that when we burned those evil men. I miss my tracks; these human limbs feel odd to me.”

“This also feels odd for me. We shall grow together, as equals.”

“I am at your service, Captain Spider,” Magnolia said warmly.

Spider marched forward, his metal feet shaking the ground, the overhead lights flickering. They left the garage, entering into a massive underground bay. Thousands of Martians stood in formation. Wolf company stood proudly in their black armor and orange helmets, with several waving banners bearing a white wolf.

He recognized Bear company, a thousand massive men in green camouflage. They stood ready with their heavy weapons, a red bear sewn into their banners. Besides Wolf and Bear stood Eagle company. Skinny people in grey, hooded combat suits, their faces covered by cloth masks. Long rifles hung by their sides. The rest of the companies were typical soldiers in combat gear and weapons. Behind the infantry stood tanks and armored trucks, all at the ready.

Spider strolled down the center of the massive formation. Ahead, the chamber ended in an enormous wall. Dozens of white hairs were kneeling, their blue energies ignited, forming an electricity chain. The wall disappeared, a massive, blue portal slowly beginning to twist into existence. Spider turned to the army.

“Regiments of Mars! You bled with us when we freed the great city! You reforged this world, its success built with your toil, sweat, and blood. Each of you has fought for the right to be masterless, to choose your own destiny. I was once a slave, a tormented man trapped in a child’s body. I earned my freedom; I paid the price just as you did. Will you stand with me now and earn the freedom of your children? Your children’s children? Will you bleed once more to secure the future of our people? For Mars?!” Spider’s voice boomed from the metal giant.

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The portal formed. The army cheered a great war cry, weapons raised into the air. Spider strolled as close to it as possible, Hera not far behind. She held a bullhorn to her mouth.

“Regiments of Mars, right face!” She called.

As one, thousands of people pivoted, the bone-chilling sound ringing as the combat boots clicked and stomped.

“Ready weapons!” Hera roared.

As thousands of weapons cocked, Spider extended his sword, igniting it into a nine-foot column of pure blue flame that blazed like a furnace. He looked down at Hera.

“May the stars watch over you, my friend,” Spider said.

“And you as well.”

Spider held up the sword with a hand, the other pointing at the portal.

“Charge!”

Spider held the katana with two hands and hurled himself into the portal. The world disappeared, blue light encasing everything he saw. Planets and galaxies whirled past him as he flew. Soon the white outline of the citadel appeared. Zion did not have the same pure white energy Spider had first witnessed when he had arrived to rescue Hera. Its power now was dark, twisted. Smoke rose from each level as they came nearer.

Soon, the human level appeared. Spider held the sword out as the physical ground approached. In a whoosh of wind, he charged out onto the burnt front lawn of the Light Bearer Academy. As he gathered his senses, he saw a dozen or so vectors, a platoon of phasers, and a giant grey scaled beast. They were all aiming at the portal.

The enemy hesitated and almost fled as Spider’s armor rose from a knee. A phaser strolled forward.

“Surrender now, Intruder. You are under arrest for an unauthorized portal and disturbing the peace of Zion!”

The phaser’s eyes widened as a hundred people marched out of the portal. Then another, and another, and another. A few blocks over on the left, another blue portal opened, and tanks began pouring out. A few seconds later, another portal on the right opened another few blocks away. Hundreds of Martians and armored vehicles started storming out. Air raid sirens blared around the city. The greeting party looked up to see two-fight jets scream overhead.

“In the name of the free peoples of the cosmos, we hereby occupy the citadel of Zion until peace is restored,” Spider thundered.

Before the phaser could reply, Spider bolted forward, eviscerating him. The enemy opened fire, and Spider slammed into their ranks, sending vectors and phasers flying. As the Martians opened fire and closed in with hand-to-hand combat, Spider pounced on the Gurgen. The great beast swung with a club, but Spider grabbed it. The armor clamped down on the ogre’s wrists, shattering them. The creature whaled as Spider stabbed it in the gut.

The grey beast fell back, and Martians jumped on top of it, hacking and sawing away until the beast drew still. Spider scanned around.

“Secure that intersection! Put gun teams on that balcony! I want that subway cleared! Captain, establish the perimeter now!”

Spider rattled off commands, and the Martian army poured out of the portals. The men took their positions, and Hera charged out of the portal. She moved with the fury and composure of a great general.

“Anti-air on the way!” She called.

“Good, I will emplace them when they get here,” Spider boomed.

As the battle grew, gunfire and explosions filled the air. Hera grinned up at Spider.

“They call you the stuntling God now,” She called.

Spider chuckled.

“Take care of yourself. I’m taking my boys to the outer walls.”

“You as well, be cautious, Hera.”

“HA!”

Spider watched as Hera led the wolf company down the highway. Spider turned and surveyed the area. Behind them was Light Bearer academy, and around them was the four-lane road; ahead was the long row of apartments and residential buildings that climbed to the sky. Spider walked down the highway, watching the growing army emplace. The Martians were quick and agile; their teams were swift as they took cover in buildings, ditches, bus stops, and anything and anywhere they could find shelter.

Self-propelled gun platforms began clanking out of the portals as the beachhead was secured. Some bore missiles, and others have anti-aircraft cannons. Spider personally directed them, ensuring they had overlapping sectors of fire, ensuring the skies above would be theirs. As the tanks, guns, and infantry flowed out, worry-filled Spider.

Resistance was too light. He had expected more enemies, traps, something. Time passed as the Martians gained a tight hold on the area. As Spider went up and down the lines, he grew restless. He didn’t want to move or chase the enemy, but why were they not harassing the Martian army?

As he paced, a low rumbling reached his ears. Spider turned to see formations of red comets flying through the skyline towards them. Long columns of armored vehicles and trucks were barreling down the highway on the ground. The Martians collectively drew their breaths. Spider grinned as he turned.

“Steel yourselves, my brethren. This battle has but begun!”

The air erupted into a fury of anti-aircraft fire. Several comets went crashing to the ground as the two armies exchanged fire. Spider bore his sword and stood at the front of the lines. As the portals spewed out more allies, the Martian defensive line opened fire. Spider watched with glee as everyone from the standard foot soldier, the vector and phaser, and Gurgen fell throughout the enemy army. It was a cacophony of withering explosives and ballistic prowess.

The Dark Axium horde charged, the explosions and war calls echoing off the tall buildings. They were losing an incredible amount of personnel. The Martians were winning; they just had to hold. Spider targeted several key enemy members, officers, and particle manipulators as the enemy ranks drew closer. Rockets fired out from the armor's pack, whistling through the air, and turning the targets into pink mist.

Movement by his feet caught Spider’s attention, and he looked down to see several stuntlings in thick battle suites pushing a long metal box. He thanked them and attached the sword to the massive magnet-like attachment on his back. With the sword stowed, Spider knelt and ripped the box open. It was an aircraft’s onboard machine gun, several men long, with six barrels. It was specially modified to be handled by the armor, with handles and a finger trigger in the rear. He picked it up, the suite efficiently distributing the weight. The stuntlings attached a long feed belt to the machine gun, which led to a massive ammo crate.

With a deep sense of excitement and happiness, Spider stood on the burning remains of a car and fired the massive machine gun from the hip, the onboard sensors and weight-bearing modules ensuring nearly perfect accuracy. The large weapon spat bullets as a dragon did fire, filling the air with a terrible and ear-piercing roar.

BRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.

The enemy ranks were decimated as Spider swung the gun back and forth from left to right. Thousands of smoking bullet casings fell to the ground. As Spider engaged the enemy, the stuntling mechanic crew danced around him, piling ammo, bringing more boxes, and setting up a shield dome for their forge master. Despite being dawned in thick, orange, complete body bomb suit-like armor, they moved with an inhuman ferocity and speed.

Several comets of bright red flame dove towards Spider. He pulled the gun upward, the rising line of bullets tearing through the enemy, devastating buildings as it climbed, and then hit the comets. As Spider’s gun roared, several self-propelled guns also opened fire. The cacophony of mini gunfire shattered windows, deafening any who did not have ear protection. The enemy air fell from the sky like burning balloons.

“Captain Spider, your commanders wish to open a communication line,” Magnolia chimed.

“Patch them through,” Spider thought.

“This is commander Clarkson; we need reinforcements on Portal two!” A man’s voice echoed from a radio inside the cockpit.

“Help is on the way,” Spider called.

Spider knelt, the cargo arms extending from his back. The stuntlings used their battle forklift to load several crates of ammunition onto the armor’s back, then checked and rechecked for any possible jams and that the feed line was clear. Once satisfied, all but one of the stuntlings backed away. He ran in front of the armor suit and held up two handheld orange aircrew signal lights. As the stuntling’s hands moved furiously, Magnolia began function checks of the jet pack. The onboard engines started to whistle and roar, burning the grass around the suite.

The stuntling waved away, and the suite of armor sprang into the air. Spider cheered, the most excitement he had ever felt in his life coursing through his body. Adrenaline and pride danced like a child inside his chest as he climbed skyward. He rose over the skyline and landed on a tall building top across from the academy. Spider looked down, studying the battle below. It wasn’t good.

The enemy had reconsolidated, hundreds of minor particle manipulators charging the Martian line. Spider looked to the left and saw the enemy rolling artillery unto the field, emplacing in a burning park. Overhead, more comets, and hovercraft gunships were hurtling towards the portals.

“Magnolia, show me the battle map.”

The overhead view of the map flickered to life in front of his eyes. He studied it thoroughly, then clicked on the radio.

“How many birds do we have on deck?” Spider commed.

“Six, my lord.”

“Concentrate fire on the park directly across from subway station fourteen, sending coordinates now.”

“Affirmative.”

“Tank groups one and two, support portals one and three. I will supplement two.”

“Acknowledged.”

Spider locked unto the enemy flying enemy formation barreling towards the weakest Martian portal. The armor suits rocket bays open, and dozens of mini rockets screamed out, spiraling across the airspace. Some missed, but the majority hit their targets, the enemy comets popping like blown lightbulbs in midair. Other missiles hit the hovercraft, cutting them in half or killing the engines, sending the metal hulks burning to the ground. As the enemy lost more and more of their air, the Martian fighter jets skirted around the enemy, flying close to the citadel's outer walls in a tight formation.

Some of the enemy aircraft broke off, trying to intercept the fighters, but anti-air missiles from the Martians' ground forces sprang up. The enemy panicked and scattered under the devastation of the focused Martian fire. The Axium began flying closer to Spider, having not noticed him yet.

Taking advantage of this crucial error, Spider unleashed his minigun. The building shuttered, dust and debris kicking up as Spider emptied his ammunition. The sky became a fire interlaced death zone as comets and aircraft went spiraling to the ground.

Having run out of ammunition, Spider dropped the ammo crates, slung the machine gun, and drew his sword. He leapt off the building top and accelerated over the battlefield. He noticed several black flame comets with four wings flying toward the portal. Spider snarled and sped ahead at full speed. Like Death from above, he smashed down unto the leading black fire comet.

The darktar screamed as Spider ripped a pair of wings off and then punched with every arm. Spider flung his limp and bloody body away, turning the man into a bloody pulp. Below them, the Martians were consolidating as more were flooding out of the portal. Having no air, particle manipulator, or artillery support, the Axium horde faltered as the Martians smashed into their lines.

The three other Darktar circled Spider as he twirled his katana. They spat insults, whirling their energy lines, their batwings flapping in the wind. Spider grinned.

“Magnolia, engage the surprise,” Spider hummed in his mind.

“Activating Surprise protocols,” Magnolia giggled.

A small pod ejected from the suit of armor, spinning the air. Spider instantly cut off his energy, the suite powering off. The pitch black of the cockpit greeted him, his stomach dropping as he could feel the suit drop midair, plummeting towards the ground. Spider counted: Five, four, three, two, one. There was a soft pop. Spider reignited his energy.

The ground was only a few dozen feet away as the engines reengaged. Spider braced the suite, thrusters in the palms and knees igniting, breaking the fall. The suite impacted into the ground in a kneeling position. Then the Darktars all smashed into the ground around the Magnolia, splattering like ketchup packets, their energies entirely out.

“I will mark the ultra emp down as a success,” Magnolia chuckled.

“Make a note for research and development; I would like the suite to be able to withstand the blast next time.”

“Noted, Captain Spider.”

Spider rose and gauged the Martian army as they rallied. They appeared to be in pretty good shape. The battle seemed to be waning. An officer ran up to Spider.

“Sir, the enemy is pulling back.”

“Excellent. That gives us time to dig in. Once the first wave is through the portals, I want the engineering battalions to cross as soon as possible. We must begin digging trenches and establishing interlocking sectors of defense. Tell your men to occupy these buildings; I want every room to become a fortress.”

“Yes, sir!”

The officer scampered away.

“Contact Hera.”

“Establishing a line to General Hera, Captain.”

Heras's face appeared transparently over Spider’s line of sight.

“Where are you?”

“At the airlocks, they had one guard here, can you believe that? We heard the fighting, fucking pissed I missed all of that.”

“Be on your guard; the airlocks are a vital strategic point. Once they are opened, I will send over more men to help hold them.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Hera’s face cut out, and Spider gazed across the battlefield. The skyline was now orange, and air raid sirens blared as the boom of artillery and bombs rang out. The Martians flowed out of the portals like water from a broken dam as more fighter jets screamed overhead. In the distance, Spider saw the park where the enemy artillery had been now ablaze, with several buildings collapsing.

Worry-filled Spider, were where the civilians? The last time they had been here, the citadel was full of life. So far, apart from the enemy, the city was empty. Spider walked down the road, looking inside the cafes and shops. Food still lay on the tables, drinks still about in the bars. He stopped. The ground shook.

“Get down!”

The ground cracked and rumbled as several city blocks erupted.