When attacking a hive the only real time you need precision is when you are smacking the hive itself. After that you need guns. LOTS of guns.
-PMC marketing spokesperson 2039
***
Eager Eagle let out a loud squawk as I gave his ass a small slap as I went by. Sure his armor blocked him from feeling it but the surprise at least snapped him out of his barrel shock. I know the barrel was long, thick, and packed a punch but he was still staring at it as I jogged by him.
Had to snap him out of his stupor somehow. That, and his armor did his ass a number of favors.
Also, that feather tail is now confirmed real.
Anyway, I jog to the front line and look at the massive line of tanks, turrets, soldiers and more just firing into a massive horde of plants. Enough to make those old photos of the rainforest seem like a nicely manicured lawn. There were far too many to even begin to count! Not that I was good with numbers anyway. That was what we had accounting departments for.
“Byllona. What do I have that could help do some brush clearing? A mobile machine gun platform would probably be the best for this situation.”
~You do not have as many options due to the stationary nature of your catalogue. However, they do have one line of heavy mobility that you would probably enjoy.~
“What is it?”
~You humans refer to them as “walkers.” They do not share the humanoid forms of what you call “mecha” but they do have a wide range of these mobile gun platforms. Perhaps a sand stomper to start with?~
I watched as a 3d model appeared in front of me. A beautiful thing that I actually reached up to try to grab even though it was just visible thanks to my augs.
I NEEED IIIIT.
But first: I had a theme going.
“Paint it olive drab, give it the pretty star, brass covers for the rotaries to make it look like a normal water cooled machine gun, make the belt covers skeleton and shiny metal going to the backpack so the belt is visible, legs a bit thicker, and make the main body more round than angular.” I requested. “What are the things at the top?” I asked, motioning to what looked like two sets of four tubes.
~Light mortar systems. Your species’ modern vehicles use them for smoke and chaff deployment.~
I thought for a bit before a nasty smile grew on my face. “Can they shoot gas?”
~Yes. Exotic explosives catalogue available.~
“Buy it and let's do it.”
~Alright. Buyi-~
“Spawn it in a big old school wooden crate. The boys in the trenches could use the wood and I want to make an entrance.”
~But it has such a nice box! Fine.~ Byllona grumped in my ear as a huge old school wooden box appeared. Slamming into the ground a bit behind the trenches causing some of the nearby soldiers to jump.
I couldn’t help but laugh a bit at her dropping it like a petulant child.
~I can hear your thoughts, you know.~ She hissed into my mind.
“And I don’t mind you know.”
I countered as I used a small door in the back of the crate to slip inside. I paused and lifted up my mask to take a nice long sniff. It was as wonderful as I imagined. The smell of fresh wood mixing with fresh grease and oil. All with the faint aroma of new walker smell.
Even in the dim light I could make out the sexy curves of my new toy’s main body in that beautiful olive drab. On its side were two short arms that ended in those heavy rotary guns with those shrouds making it look just like a brutal old school machine gun. Belts led to a huge backpack that was undoubtedly full of nothing but sweet copper jacketed death.
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Its lower body was stubby with legs as tall as me but so thick it would make someone perpetually in the mesh blush. Huge feet that looked like they would give a bulldozer a run for its money all attached to a turreted waist so that the walker could turn its upper body.
I saw the 8 tubes on top, but my eyes quickly went to the front. A long slit that hid a whole sensor suite with a gap clearly meant for someone inside to just look out. All above the wide red and white of shark jaws.
~I know you love me, so less talk and more killing.~
I grinned and hopped into the walker and started booting it up. I had played way too many hours in mech simulators in the mesh, so everything was already familiar to me thanks to what was clearly some creative re-arranging by my lovely assistant. I sighed and shivered in pure delight as I felt the mech raise up.
~For the record. The tubes were added due to me swapping out the inertial dampeners for them. I figured you would want to feel it.~
“You. Are. The. Best. Byllona.” I cooed as I leaned back and got ready.
“Can you play this on both internal and external speakers?” I asked as an idea formed. “I want to make an entrance.”
~This song is clearly decades beyond the look you are going for.~
“Thus perfect due to my name.” I countered. “Besides. The chorus is perfect.”
~Alright. I will play it just for you.~
I moved the walker carefully in the crate getting ready as the base line started to play. I hoped the noises would warn those outside to get the FUCK out of my way.
I took a deep breath and waited. Then it dropped.
“We are the prodigy”
I punched it.
The crate exploded around me as I charged and jumped clear over the trenchline between the soldiers and the wave.
“Invaders must die!”
My mortars joined in the song first with their own percussive beat.
THMP-THMP-THMP-THMP-THMP-THMP-THMP-THMP
Then when I saw the lethal gas slowly start to billow out I let the main star rock out. I flipped the covers off the triggers and held them down. Slowly moving the arms back and forth in a brutal crossfire. The song almost drowned out by the most beautiful spine tingling noise in military history:
Twin.
High caliber.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT
And if one listened closely, those who could still hear of course, would hear something. Something faint and magical. A sound of pure whimsey and glee. A sound that could only be described as ‘happy gas mask noises.’
I strode proudly towards the wave that was being shredded by my twin guns. Plant, gore, earth, everything was ripped apart in my crossfire. Tracers showing the deadly arcs of my twin guns as I swept them back and forth with pauses only to focus fire on the occasionally thicker or more armored bastard. Soon even those were easier as those that had been in the gas field stumbled forth looking very melted and coughing up whatever was inside of them before my guns “helped” clear their bodies out.
It's cleared out if their insides become outsides right?
Soon though a few of the model 3s got smart and went low, dashing under the hail of hell to try to get me.
Instead they met foot.
I shivered feeling the walker shuddered as I stomped down knowing that whatever antithesis was below was well and truly planted in the ground now. Probably self-watering as well with how juicy that squish felt.
I didn’t want to risk any getting through to the lines behind me however and I squatted a bit to get the firing line lower to the ground. The next few that tried to duck low were soon shredded just like the rest with the lower firing angle helping to slow down the wave even more. I watched as the taller ones fell forward with their legs cut apart by one sweep only for their bodies to be torn apart during the next sweep. If they were not crushed by countless others trying to get closer to the machine of death in front.
As I went I let Byllona handle spawning and reloading. The THMPS of my mortars now aimed towards the areas outside of my guns’ arcs to soften them up, literally, for those in the trenches. I could hear cheers from the trenches before they adjusted. Moving well down the line to reinforce other areas as it was crystal clear nothing was getting anywhere near close to the trench line with me in front.
I didn’t care about points. No. I was in heaven. I was finally fighting against the threat on the front line and doing my part. Helping out and keeping others safe rather than just stare at a screen all day.
And I never felt so ALIVE!