The cadence of the following week was all over the place. Time seemed to slow to a standstill when I was at work or trying to fall asleep. Then when I visited Wyrmpulse the hours flew by to the point I barely felt I had walked in the door before I had to leave again. This vicious cycle of waiting, anticipating, and fast-forwarding repeated again and again.
The good news was Wyrmpulse was becoming more functional by the day. Her black “blood” restored her mobility, allowing her to move about the farmhouse at the cost of making sounds similar to cargo containers being thrown into a giant blender in the middle of a tornado. She certainly wouldn’t be relying on stealth any time soon. For her part, Wyrmpulse was thrilled to be no longer confined to a prone position on the ground. I just wish it hadn’t come at the cost of nearly all the raw materials I’d built up. Only a tenth of my reserves remained when I brought the subject up on a Friday five weeks after the crash.
“This is the very last of it,” I announced as I moved aluminum beams several inches thick and several feet long from my ATV’s cart to the last remaining pile in the farmhouse. “Once you eat these we’re officially out of funds and materials. At this point I either have to clue someone at the scrap yards in and hope they’ll allow me to pay with favors, or we have to ask the military for help.”
Wyrmpulse was seated in the middle of the space next to my toolchest and the cart on which my laptop sat. Her golden irises glowed as they studied me and she stated, [ I do not believe alerting the military to my presence is a wise idea. Nor do I think it is safe to trust someone that runs a scrap yard with our secret. From what I’ve read they tend to be the type of person that would sell their own mother for even a cent of profit. ]
“Eh, I don’t think they’d be that bad, but I see your point,” I replied as I set the last beam down and wiped my forehead. “Short of selling my house, I can’t do much more for you. Even selling my Camaro only delayed the inevitable. How far along are we anyways? Still at about 50%?”
[ 53.4% functionality, ] Wyrmpulse informed me. [ At best I can manage a ten minute flight or a single discharge from my electromagnetic launcher. ]
“I’m sorry, your what?”
Wyrmpulse held up her right arm, which then split open to allow two long rails to emerge. Both rails were wedged-shaped, with the flat parts facing inwards towards Wyrmpulse’s body. The peaks of the wedges met in the middle facing outwards, while golden braces formed at regular intervals along the base. The edges of the weapon glowed as energy crackled along the produced barrel’s length.
“Holy… that’s a railgun!” I exclaimed as I rushed over from the scrap pile to get a better look. “I heard stories years ago that some of the Navy’s ships were going to be outfitted with railguns, but I never imagined one could be mounted on an aircraft!”
Wyrmpulse allowed me to circle her several times, only warning me off once when I got a little too close. Throughout the presentation she grinned. [ This is an Archlight model EML. It takes approximately 24.8 seconds to fully charge but I am able to fire three rounds consecutively per charge. With each shot I can fine-tune the alignment of the barrel and the angle of attack to become significantly more accurate. This is crucial as the projectiles travel at hypersonic velocities over Mach 10. ]
Whistling, I replied, “So you can fire that once. Got it. Is that your only weapon?”
The railgun began to recede and stow itself as Wyrmpulse answered, [ I possess data on multipurpose, homing micro-missiles and dual anti-surface/anti-air pulse lasers, but lack the energy and material reserves to produce either. The only reason the EML can be used is because a single projectile was already loaded prior to my crash. ]
I finished pacing around Wyrmpulse and angled for my laptop. Once there I added this newest revelation to the meticulous notes I had been taking since starting this new project. “I wonder why you had just the one loaded. Did you fire the other two? Or maybe something you were chasing only required a single shot to take down?”
[ I am unable to speculate without further data, ] Wyrmpulse answered with a shrug. [ I have cautiously searched the internet for any clues as to how I ended up here to no avail. The only related articles I found indicated derechos and lightning strikes have been responsible for the crash of several aircraft over the years. However, this does not explain how I became so damaged. ]
“A mystery then. And speaking of storms, looks like we’re due for one tonight in about an hour or so.”
I motioned at the laptop screen despite the fact that Wyrmpulse was linked to it wirelessly now. She still turned her head to look, which I interpreted as a very human gesture.
[ You live in a rather hazardous area, ] she commented while eyeing the radar maps I’d pulled up. [ That storm front is capable of creating F3 tornadoes and dumping over 8 inches of rain in a short period of time. ]
“Guess I’d better start tying down tarps and securing equipment then,” I said as I stepped back. “Mind helping me?”
By working together we were able to get the farmhouse in order before the first gust of wind blew in through all the holes in the walls and the rumble of thunder met our ears. In mere minutes a torrent of rain was unleashed from the heavens as lightning crashed in rapid succession. Nearly every surface, including Wyrmpulse and I, was slick and dripping with moisture. Aside from that the storm wasn’t so bad. At least, it wasn’t until Wyrmpulse’s head suddenly shifted to look west.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
[ Something is coming. Something from the storm, ] she said quickly.
She might have been audible over the storm at her normal volume level, but I had to shout over the wind and rain to be heard. “Easy now! You might be jumping at sensor ghosts!”
[ This is no sensor ghost. Confirming Air-Core energy reading. Designation: UTH-68 Silverfoot Helicopter. Approaching from the WNW at 120 knots. ETA: 5 minutes. ]
My heart skipped a few beats as I asked, “Do you think whomever it is is coming after you? Your crash site should be overgrown by now but there’s still a chance someone could notice it from the sky. Not to mention your own Air-Core has to be putting out some kind of reading. Any idea if this UTH-68 can sense yours?”
[ Unknown. My ambulatory systems may produce far too much noise in their current state, but the shielding around my reactor should be sufficient to avoid detection. I am built for stealth, after all. I am more concerned about your heat signature. ]
“Then let’s play it safe. Power down as far as you can and I’ll hide in your cockpit to mask my thermals. Keep your EML out in case we need to use it, but with any luck this UTH-68 will have terrible sensors.”
[ A reasonable proposal, ] replies Wyrmpulse. [ However, I must indicate that my cockpit is currently inoperable. ]
“Well I can’t hide under you and still have your EML ready to go,” I sighed exasperatedly.
[ Then we will have to hope luck is on our side, as you say. ]
Wyrmpulse rotated her body to face the ground with her upper half propped up slightly by her elbows. The cavity that formed between and beneath her coolant systems did not leave much wiggle room, but I couldn’t afford to hesitate. I dove in and waited.
Minutes felt like hours. Every boom of thunder, every sudden gust of wind kept me tense and on edge. I kept straining my ears to try and hear the incoming helicopter over the rain. Though it wasn’t until it passed directly over the farmhouse that I could hear its rotors over the storm.
I held my breath and offered a prayer to whatever higher power that would listen. Please, just let it move on. Don’t let it notice us. That’s when I heard the helicopter speak from far overhead:
{ Unable to locate the target. Initial assessment indicates the target moved away from the crash site on their own power. Direction and speed unknown. Storm impeding functionality. Awaiting further directives. }
My cellphone vibrated in my pocket, almost causing me to squeak in alarm. I dug it out to see Wyrmpulse had sent me a text message. [ The UTH-68 is directly overhead. I could attempt to destroy it. ]
I quickly typed back, “Okay ignoring the fact you hacked into my smartphone …and added yourself to my contacts… how do you plan on doing that?”
[ I can turn my EML into a lightning rod. This would have the added benefit of partially bolstering energy reserves. However, you would be in danger. There is a 13% chance that you will be injured. You should make the decision. ]
Every moment I hesitated was another moment the UTH-68 could find us. Adrenaline pumping through my veins, I told Wyrmpulse, “Do it. Give me a countdown so I have time to dive out and under a tarp.”
[ Acknowledged. Beginning countdown.]
A timer appeared on my phone screen. Right as it reached 5, I dove out from my hiding pocket and scrambled to get under the nearest tarp. I could feel the static energy building in the air as Wyrmpulse produced her EML and angled it skywards. Then, right as the timer hit 0, there was a blinding flash of light.
My eyes and ears were rendered useless from the proximity of the lightning strike. Half a minute passed before I could see straight and hear anything but a loud ringing. I hoped that there was no long term damage but was more concerned with the sounds of a helicopter crashing outside the farmhouse.
[ Operation complete, ] Wyrmpulse announced verbally. [ Enemy unit was able to transmit that they were struck by lightning before crashing. Updating my kill count to 1. Also confirming a 10% rise in power reserves. Are you alright, Ivan? ]
“Fine for now,” I replied as I stepped out from the tarp to stare up at the new, charred hole in the roof. “The rain should put out any fires quickly, but I have no idea where to begin scraping an Air-Core unit like this UTH-68. Guess it’s a good thing you’re mobile, otherwise I’d have to pray the waterproof case on my phone was rated for this typhoon.”
[ Recent Amazon reviews are favorable in that regard, ] she joked back. [ But yes, to the crash site. ]
The two of us found the UTH-68 50 meters from the farmhouse. Unlike Wyrmpulse’s, this crash was one that wouldn't be walked away from. The UTH-68’s snake-like body was split open right through its shattered Air-Core. Its limbs were bent at strange angles, and its main rotor had torn itself to pieces when it collided with the ground. The impact had also shorn off the unit’s tail, which lay broken nearby. All of the UTH-68’s internals were scorched.
“No insignia like the Air Force or the Navy,” I shouted up at Wyrmpulse against the wind. “Unless this is a classified allied recon unit that doesn’t have such markings, I think we’re in the clear.”
Wyrmpulse took a knee next to the wreckage. In that moment I was reminded just how large she was compared to me as she scanned back and forth. I wasn’t even half her size, while she was just slightly larger than the UTH-68.
[ I believe I can consume and repurpose this wreck to make up for 30% of the materials we require, ] Wyrmpulse announced over the storm. [ However, it is not a process you will wish to observe. ]
I put two and two together after seeing how she had crunched on metal sheets like they were saltine crackers. “Can you do it before the storm blows itself out? Or do we need to move it inside?”
[ There is insufficient time to handle this in the field. We will need to drag it inside. ]
“Got it. Let’s just hope we don’t drown by then.”