The Elder Statesman
It was almost over. Just shy of 3 decades of colossal devastation; have left earth a little frayed at the edges. For what seems like a lifetime for most, this war has been fought, and now peace is on the horizon.
One. Last. Push.
Total annihilation.
2057;174;17:57 (Year; Day of year; time) Is a date that will be an historic one and an infamous one. Total Victory.
One. Last. Push.
"Is that 'really' one coming this way?", called out Raffik from atop Adel's shoulders. Everyone's optics, and head mounts swiveled to take a look.
There he/she/it/they were. Beautiful is the wrong word to describe this specter. But 'it' was beautiful to them.
'Them' is "The Army Corp of Fire and Brimstone" (yes, their real name TACOFAB). They are, as of now, the most advanced single driven 'enhancement suite' of personal body armor and weapons systems. Tech's call them, 'Bio mechanical enhanced weapon systems'. They refuse to call them human anymore. Cyborg has become "foul language" because of their pending "species allocation" event.
To 'Them' it was beautiful. It was difficult to see, at first, it was just a black blob on the horizon... it looked like it was bouncing. It was not. It was running. Each step covered 20 meters. boom boom boom BOOM BOOM! Was all you could hear. When it finally arrived at 'Forward Base Alpha 1' and TACOFAB's present location, only seconds had passed.
There it was, a real 'Gen 1'. All Black. Gunmetal black. Raffik had heard a million stories, both before and after 'integration' with his weapon system. He believed every one of them. 'Gen 1's' are all, all black. No exceptions. 'Gen 1's' are bigger than almost all other models. They are bigger than anything still on the battle field, although there may have been prototypes or unseen enemy machines; as far as Raffik knew, he was looking at the baddest mother fucker in the valley of death... and it feared nothing.
"Hey... I hear you guys don't talk, like, ever..?.. So, I could stand here and talk shit about you all day and you wouldn't stop me?", spat Adel.
The 'Gen 1' leaned forward and looked down on Raffik and Adel, slowly extending it's right arm toward the pair. As if for a hand shake, between a bear and a squirrel, but a handshake nonetheless. It was at almost the exact instant that Raffik wondered if the 'Gen 1' knew whether he or Adel had spoke, that the 'Gen 1' flicked his index finger forward and sent Raffik flying, like and insect that had been whipped by a horses tail, Raffik flew.
"Well", he thought aloud, while waiting to land, "that answers that question".
He could hear Adels comms and his robust laughter. It was actually hard to get a 'Gen 10' like Adel to laugh. Every single driven 'enhancement suite' after 'Gen 6' had put a huge strain on the (what used to be called 'driver' or 'pilot') volunteer symbiote's ability to process emotions. As in, they don't have any anymore. Even though he was about a kilometer away, after touchdown, Raffik could see them all fine. If asked at that moment if the 'Gen 1' was smiling Raffik would have said 'yes'. It was doubtful, however, the 'Gen 1' could augment, 3 tonnes of iron/carbontubes and titanium armor, into a smile.
By the time Raffik made it back to the squad, they were already over this jocularity and making ready for war.
Adel was in the war room and comms were off. Strangely, at least to Raffik, the 'Gen 1' wasn't in the war room. Instead, it was at the perimeter of the Forward Base (FB) closest to the last of the enemy. Silent. Staring at the horizon, or so it seemed. The 'Gen 1' was in 'at ease' mode. One knee down and both fists on the ground. This position was often used for rest for the pilot/driver/volunteer symbiote, or for maintenance, when balance is an issue.
Raffik ambled up beside the leviathan and fell into an 'at ease' stance. The two looked posed. It would look like Father and Infant if Raffik weren't bright white with orange identity markings. Well, that, and he was only as big as it's foot. Raffik couldn't believe how quiet it was. Not just the hulking machine, but the world. He had never known an earth without war... and the sounds that she brings. At any moment in this 'volunteer's' life this silence would have been eerie and caused him to be scared. Well, before his 'Gen 10' suit was fitted, he would have been scared. Since his fitting Raffik has lost most of his emotional 'alertness' you might say. He can still remember the sensations of emotions, although not vividly. Now, emotions are a conclusion, drawn from a data set that ticks the appropriate boxes. His empathy is not gone, it's just shy and not paying attention.
"NO"!!!
The ground shook Raffiks Heads Up Display (HUD) awake and it started spitting data at him, his mech suit gave off an aura or glow for a split second while it engaged it's 'anti energy weapon' defense grid. Raffik took up a shooters pose just ahead of the 'Gen 1', both arms up all weapons engaged and hot, targeting search on. He was perfectly still while his sensors did a 360 sweep.
"NO"!!!
"OH CRAP MY VOLUME"!!
"Sorry, TACOFAB. The answer to your question is... no." The metallic voice pattern he remembered from the recruitment adds.
Raffik's head was spinning. What the actual fuck. "Sir, yes sir" fell out of his mouth and was broadcast by his exterior sonic generators. His BioVital screen kept popping up. Increased heart rate. Speedy respiration while at rest. Feet and hands experiencing increased rate of fluid excretion... What the hell?
Excited... Ha! He was excited. Ha ha! "This is great", Raffik thought. "Kinda surprised I remember this one... Glad I do though."
"We don't talk TACOFAB, haven't for years. Even vowed that we wouldn't.. Well. Not until it was finally over that is." Boomed the Gen 1
boom boom boom BOOM BOOM!
Raffiks sensors caught the vibrations before he heard the sounds. 3 more incoming. All friendly... All black... boom boom boom BOOM BOOM!
In what seemed like moments he was surrounded by the four of them. That was all of them. There are only 4 'Gen 1's' in existence and they were all within throwing distance to him. His BioVital popped up again and he just closed it. Whatever it wanted to tell him he was sure his response would be "no shit" so he didn't really need the check boxes. He just stayed put and enjoyed it.
The 'Gen 1's' fell into an 'at ease' formation where they faced each other. Because of the defensive position that Raffik had taken in front of the first 'Gen 1', he was now in the centre of their formation.
He was sure they were communicating. Although there were no visible signs of it. As Raffik's emotions subsided his 'battle ready checklist' popped up with a query, it was having trouble identifying one 'Gen 1' from another. Raffik moved about the formation looking for obvious markings while his scanners did their thing. He could digest scanner data almost as quick as his own biological sensors (sight/smell etc) and everything was coming up goose eggs.
There it was. Near the centre of the sole of the upturned foot on each 'Gen 1'... a name. Not a number, a name. The one that spoke to Raffik was 'Jinsen', to the right of him was 'Teggers' to the right again, 'Balls' and the fourth had some dirt on it. Raffik knew that he was not going to be considered a 'threat', so he went over and scraped off the dirt. He took a few steps back. He couldn't believe it. He focused and re-focused. He was sure it said what it said, but it was impossible...
His comms squelched in his ear, "Raffik get in here." said Adel's voice and went silent again.
Raffik stood and stared a moment longer. 'Master'. That's what the last 'Gen 1' was called. It was the first of the first. This bot is a legend. They all were, but, Master was what/who everyone who joined wanted to be.
He spun on his heel and made his way to the war room. His HUD displayed more medical data telling him that he was in awe. Raffik already knew.
The guards at HQ moved aside as Raffik approached the war room. As soon as he was past the 'sound barrier' (electronic scrambling interference) he said aloud, "Do you know who is out there?", to no-one in particular. Only then did he notice the specter on the vid screens across the front of the room.
"I am." said Master.
"Sir, yes sir." Fell out of Raffik before he could even think.
Master. Bot 1 of Gen 1 controlled by Soldier #1. Master was the beginning of the end of the enemy. He/it was the first 'Gen 1' to "take" to his bot. There was nothing that he/it couldn't do. He, single handedly, fought the enemy to a standstill near Mount Fuji, giving the allies enough time to find the right infrastructure to continue the 'Gen' series of fighters. He/it fought for 13 days straight. This battle set precedents that are still in place, on both sides of the war. During that 13 days it became apparent that nuclear weapons were of no use, unless you wanted to ruin the ground you were trying to win. During that 13 days 'flesh units' were retired from active service. Although dexterous and nimble, 'flesh units' were far too fragile to wage war against mechs. That 13 days changed the war and swung the pendulum of outcome back in the right direction.
"Raffik, you have been chosen." said Master. "You will accompany the four 'Gen 1' units to the front line. You will reconnoiter the enemy positions with 'Jinsen' and report back to me."
"Sir, yes sir" Raffik bellowed. He did a perfect 'about face' and left the war room. He heard 'radio silence' re-establish as soon as he left. He was awestruck. He knew he didn't have emotions anymore, and was a little concerned about how extremely jacked he felt! 'Fuck yeah' he said to himself and smiled, inside his headgear. What ever was about to happen, it will be historic, and he'll be in the middle of it. Dead centre.
That's when it struck him. 'Me? Why me?' He paused on his way to the 'Gen 1' formation. Adel was right there, in the war room, so he knew. Raffik wondered, if he broke radio silence to talk to his superior... No, that would be dumb. 'Why me?' he thought as he made his way to the black giant circle.
As always. I'll continue if anyone's interested :)
ROK