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Chapter 33 (YEAR 2052)
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Games of Invictus Chapter 34 (YEAR 2052)
Eleven. Eleven mechs. That was the exact number of enemies I had just made. Eleven pilots from different factions, all determined to cut my escape short. They were bigger, angrier and more powerful than I was, but I had one saving grace. I was faster than all of them. Bullets peppered the air around me and plasma nipped at my heels. The Prototype careened through the industrial park, narrowly avoiding buildings as it did so. "Lucas!" I shouted. A missile barrage impacted the building next to me, vaporizing three floors in a single blast and pelting my mech with a hail of stone. I tapped my comm headset with one hand, making sure it was working. A blast from a howitzer cannon disintegrated an abandoned car near me, sending glass and metal soaring. "Lucas, for crying out loud," I tried again, "answer the comm before I get turned into slag!" My comms hissed, and a moment later I was nearly deafened by a shout. "I have half a mind to let them waste you, Quinn!" Lucas roared, his an
Games of Invictus Chapter 35 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Quinn The interior of Dropship 13. Russian airspace. The rough metal tread of the hangar bay floor dug into my knees as I landed, gasping for breath. You never notice how suffocating it is inside a mech until you're outside once again. I stood shakily, slick with sweat, and laughed, raising my arms and enjoying the cool air on my skin. Below me hung the Prototype. The mech's once-smooth armour was scuffed and chipped, pitted with dents from bullets and other projectiles. One plasma cannon hung from the mech's side, its long, bulbous frame scratched and bent. The launcher on the opposite side of the mech, however, was much worse for wear. A twisted hunk of metal hung limp, emitting an occasional spark as power ran uselessly through the crippled unit. Lucas wouldn't be pleased. The interior of Dropship 13 was a dim, vast space filled with mechs that hung down from mechanical arms like sleeping bats. Reddish-brown metal grates lined the walls as well as the floor, doubling a
Games of Invictus Chapter 36 (YEAR 2052)
Report: Quinn Just off the coast of Nova Scotia. Canada. Prototype tactical launch platform. Designation: "The Firmament" Despite its stark exterior, the Firmament's interior was nothing short of beautiful. The interior of the half-kilometre-tall station was hollow, occupied by platforms of varying sizes ringing its interior circumference. Railings, elevators and bridges snaked throughout at random, connecting each ring of platforms like the arteries of some massive being. A glass dome built into the base's top allowed sunlight to shine on the higher platforms, while the lower levels were illuminated by a network of LED lights. At the base's bottom sat the beating heart of the Firmament, an enormous hexagonal shape strung up with an uncountable number of wires. The nuclear reactor core hummed within its insulated prison, generating enough energy to power the entire facility for the foreseeable future. The core sat on the very lowest platform in the entire base, held just above t
Games of Invictus Chapter 37 (YEAR 2052)
"Two weeks," Dan insisted. "You're out of your mind!" I shot back. "The Prowler came back in one piece. That is not worth two weeks of running errands for you." "Mostly in one piece," Lucas interjected. "Sixteen days," Dan added. "That's longer than two weeks!" I snapped. "This is a terrible negotiation!" "It's not a negotiation," Dan replied, "it's a hostage situation." "It doesn't matter if Dan tells her," Lucas interjected. "Mallet probably knows already." "Three weeks," Dan continued. "Three and I won't tell her." The elevator drifted to a stop, mechanical brakes locking it firmly in place. The moment the elevator doors slid open I was greeted by a thunderous howl. "Jackson Quinn, get the hell in here!" "Something wicked this way comes," Dan hissed. "See you after General Mallet decides how to tan your hide," Lucas chuckled. "The deal is off!" I insisted. "No deal!" Two pairs of rough hands pushed me out of the elevator and the doors sealed behind me. The Stonewood twi
Games of Invictus Chapter 38 (YEAR 2052)
"Wait," Lucas grinned, "exactly how many demotions did you get?" My face burned as I plopped down on my cot with a huff. The metal bed frame groaned in protest, echoing my sigh. Lucas grinned and took a seat in the bunk opposite mine. I leaned backwards into my pillow and let out another deep sigh. "Let's just say I won't have clearance to the bridge for a while," I replied. "It's still better than being discharged, so I suppose there's that." Despite being so large, sleeping arrangements on the Firmament were tight. The bunks occupied a single floor at the very top of the tower, as close to the dome as possible. In a large, near-windowless structure such as this sunlight was a commodity-keeping us close to the sky kept morals up. If anything, the provided pyjamas were comfortable-two-piece, grey linen sleepwear that was warmer than it looked. Rooms of two double bunks were standard unless you were ranked as a commanding officer or higher. Lucas and I had been assigned together be
Games of Invictus Chapter 39 (YEAR 2052)
"Alright, listen up pilots!" Mallet was in her element, standing at the front of the crowded briefing room. To call it a briefing room was generous. The open-air auditorium was, in fact, merely a ramshackle collection of chairs and tables pulled together in the corner of one of the dropship landing platforms. My seat was close to the platform's railing. I could see the Firmament's uppermost dome high above and could almost make out the bulky shape of the reactor core far below. The morning was muggy and smelled of ocean salt and oil. Sixteen dropships of various sizes occupied the space directly behind us. Crews bustled about the space, loading mechs and making final preparations. The mechanical din was only overwhelmed by the din of thirty mech pilots chattering nervously. "Grayson, shut up," Mallet snapped. A specific, loud voice quickly stopped talking and the rest of the room soon followed suit. General Marissa Mallet swung her hawk-like gaze to the front of the platform, w
Games of Invictus Chapter 40 (YEAR 2052)
Warm sunlight filtered through the dome overhead, flooding the platform with golden beams of light. The briefing was long over and the Firmament was filled with the sounds of pilots preparing for battle. However, no matter the noise, nothing was as loud as Taewi Park. "You think she isn't telling us something?" Taewi exclaimed, loud enough for a few pilots to turn their heads. Dan glared at him. "I don't know what I think," I hissed, "but I know that you need to keep your voice down!" "Why," Taewi laughed, "afraid Hurricane Mallet will give you more demotions?" Dan, Lucas, Taewi and I weaved through scores of pilots and technicians all hurriedly preparing for battle. I'd informed them of my concerns surrounding Mallet shortly after the briefing had concluded. "Okay," Dan sighed, "Lucas and I are going to go get ready. I'll warm up the dropship for you." He clapped me on the shoulder and the two of them left, Lucas chuckling quietly about Taewi's hurricane comment. I stopped wa
Games of Invictus Chapter 41 (YEAR 2052)
"To answer your first inevitable question, I lost it about seven years ago flying a dropship prototype," Martin stated. His voice took on a bored tone as he wiggled the fingers of his prosthetic. He had clearly shared this information many times before. Martin's left arm gestured toward his temple. His head turned, just slightly, to the left, and I could see something I hadn't noticed before. A small patch of Martin's blonde crew cut had been shaved bald, clearing space for an IRON chip. The chip itself was clearly modified-spliced apart to serve a new purpose-and was mounted far from its usual location on the back of the neck. "You control your arm with an IRON chip?" I inquired. "That's amazing! I thought they could only tap into the cerebellum." At this Martin's smile returned. He pulled down his sleeve with a steady motion and nodded at me. "With a little work," he corrected, "the IRON chip can be so much more than a weapon. It just needs the right owner." A loud electronic c
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Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: FiskA few hundred meters beneath Rome.Italy.Centro di produzione TMC, divisione di Roma.(TMC production center, Roman division.)"Can't be too careful," Carl smiled.My heart skipped a beat. Did he know?I'd seen Jackson duck behind the Punisher-T from when I'd entered. I assumed Karen was behind it, too. I had to keep Carl away from my allies long enough for them to escape.It dawned on my how ironic this was. A few weeks ago I would've been furious to learn how unobservant and arrogent Carl was. Now? I was happy. His ego would be our saving grace. I just had to keep him talking."So when do I hear about this Exodus," I said, sweeping my arm around Carl and leading him away from the computer. "I'd like to hear all about it."Carl looked enthused, a beaming grin spreading across his face, and he turned towards me. I followed his lead as we marched a few dozen feet away towards a large tarp, and stopped."Well," he said, "everyone loves rapid-fire rocket weapons. You have y
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
The hallway smelled of oil and cleaner, burning my nose as I marched, boots squeaking against the steel floor. The hallway was cold and dimly lit, with only a few eerie orange lights for decoration. Beyond this hall was the factory floor and our goal.Karen and I moved quickly, and I couldn't shake the feeling we were being pursued. I knew almost nothing about the layout of the underground factory, we were unarmed, and we had no disguise of any kind. I was just grateful that the guards were busy dealing with the riots on the surface. If I listened closely I could still hear the dull roar of the crowds, even through the massive steel doors.Those doors hadn't been a problem- only those guarding them. We'd selected an entrance on the opposite side of the city, as far away from the riots as possible. Surveillance was lax there, with only two guards. The TMC soldiers I'd seen looked identical to the men and women Draco had been with at Yamantau- black body armor and powerful rifles.Fortu
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: QuinnThe bustling city of Rome.Italy.The Via Claudia.Temperature: 25° Celsius (77°F)Rome. City of marble and ruins. Rome's ancient history, once the life of so many a historian, was that of dominance, failure and reinvention. Just like the city of old, the Roman capital had fallen to civil war shortly before the Third World War. Rebellion ravaged Italy's capital, with it's citizens taking a stand against their complacent government. Although Italy's political superiors refused to partake in the World War, they knew they would not be safe for long.When the warheads were launched, many cities were targeted, Rome included. But despite the accusations of its citizens, the Italian government had been preparing. In a joint effort with China, two massive energy shields were deployed over Shenzhen and Rome, sparing them from the nuclear fire that consumed so much of the rest of the world.The OMEGA Horizon Shield, known by the locals as the 'scudo orizzonte', saved their lives.
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
Report: QuinnThe bustling city of Rome.Italy.Outside the Colosseum.Temperature: 27° Celsius (81°F)Something behind me shattered, spraying my back, legs and neck with bits of rubble as I ran. The hot sun beat against my face as my pursuers grew closer.I didn't know if it was a person or the robot who fired, but seconds later something warm and bright zipped past my head and struck a decorative statue in front of my, shattering an outstretched arm. The plaster sprayed my face as I ran, and a moment later my head was warm. I stepped around a group of fleeing pedestrians and glanced back, seeing the ball cap laying in the center of the street, hooked around the statue's stony fingers.Oh, well. The hat didn't matter.After all, the contents of the tablet in my pocket were much more important.I tapped my right ear, triggering the hearing-aid that doubled as my comms earpiece."Karen," I shouted, "do you copy?"A gasping, flushed voice crackled over the comms. Gunfire I heard in my l
Games of Invictus Special Chapter (YEAR 2042)
In war, your greatest enemy is often yourself. We all begin war pure, fighting for righteousness' sake, but then the ego steps in, the hubris and the greed, and you feel invincible. But eventually you'll wake up and realize that you're not fighting for righteousness' sake anymore, you're not invincible, and that you're a long way from home. Looking back at everything that happened, I would say that this applies to myself, as well. I would be lying if I didn't say I had regrets. It's over now, I suppose. All is said and done. I never wanted to become a War Robot pilot, you know. I never expected it. When the first War Robot was built I was too young to know what I wanted to be when I was older. Before I knew it, the Iron War consumed my freedom to choose my fate. I joined the Chinese-Canadian Alliance on my own free will, sure, but the very fact that this was a choice I felt compelled to make illustrates my point. Every day the Iron War takes. It takes lives, yes, as do all wars, but
Games of Invictus Chapter 124: END (YEAR 2052)
Report: Park Just off the coast of Nova Scotia. Canada. The remains of an Alliance base. Former designation: "The Firmament" Six hours later... Powerful halogen floodlights scanned the ocean surface, making the water shine. The blinding glow traced along the sides of the tower, across the film of oil and over floating debris. The fires that had consumed the Firmament were almost gone, leaving charred metal and burning oil in their wake. The flames provided little to see by-even the moon was hidden by clouds, so the searchlight was necessary. I stood in the cockpit of the dropship, staring down at the water as the vessel scanned the detritus. If something useful was found, the ship's mechanical arm system would target it, snatching it from the oil slick and pulling it inside. It had continued like this for over ten minutes, with little more than scraps discovered. "We have to go, Taewi," the dropship's pilot demanded. Her eyes were wide with worry, and her hands were a tan blu
Games of Invictus Chapter 123 (YEAR 2052)
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing, sacrificing my mech?"A blur of motion swept past the Firmament, snatching the Exodus out of the sky.A dropship."Laura?" I exclaimed. "You came back!""Looks like I got here just in time, too!" Laura replied. "I've got your friend-get the hell out of here! Rendezvous in Shenzhen!""But Mallet-" Alyx began."-can take care of herself!" Laura shot back. "Trust in her, she's your General for a reason! We need to go!""We're out!" Lucas called. The dropship lurched forward.The remaining Zephyrus, distracted by Kedrick's disappearance, didn't see our ship slip by them. We were out of their range in moments.My comms crackled, fading in and out."We're losing close-range radio," Dan informed me."I'll see you guys in China!" Kedrick shouted. He had to fight for his voice to be audible over the encroaching static. "Stay strong!"The comms cut out in a burst of static, and I slumped into a nearby seat.Kedrick was safe, but everything else was
Games of Invictus Chapter 122 (YEAR 2052)
After a moment of catching our breath, Dan, Draco, Alyx and I gathered ourselves and jogged into the cockpit where Lucas sat, fingers dancing across the controls."Strap the hell in!" he bellowed. Everyone scrambled to get to their seats."No!" Lucas glared, gesturing at Draco, "not you. Zip-tie yourself to that seat or you'd better hope you can fly!"Draco frowned, but did as he was told, taking a new pair of the plastic ties from Lucas' outstretched hand and latching himself to a seat.The dropship leapt into the air, soaring away from the battle."We're here to grab you when you need it, Kedrick," Lucas stated.Our forces, sensing this was a losing battle, had begun to retreat. Around us, the Zephyrus swarmed in unison, moving as if at the will of some invisible puppet master. Instead of shooting down the mechs as they were picked up, we watched in horror as they began to fly directly into the path of dropships, bringing them down."The hell?" Draco screamed. "This is suicide! This
Games of Invictus Chapter 121 (YEAR 2052)
The Firmament was built to function at a high altitude, but that didn't necessarily mean that its inhabitants were.The massive tower was well above the height that command capsules could safely travel, as the winds were so strong that they would be blown off course.The second issue was the fact that the entire upper dome of the ship was swarming with Zephyrus.Having breached the glass dome that took up most of the tower's roof, the winged mechs were using the remainder of the surface as a staging ground, gathering up top before descending into the tower to wreak havoc. With the dome gone, the surface area of the Firmament's highest point was about the same as an interior level-a large, circular platform with a gaping hole in its centre.Alyx, Draco and I stood in an emergency airlock on the top level of the Firmament, staring across the open surface of the tower.In its past life as a launch platform, the Firmament's upper deck had been where satellite and weather systems were loca
