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029 “ “Stuck In The Middle With You.”


Gavin had to do something.

The AI tank had closed in on Mech’s unmoving body and was moments away from finishing the job.

He reached for his Seburo and lined up the shot which thanks to the heads-up display could not have been any easier. He made a quick note to himself to thank Sly Martinez for introducing the feature.

He then switched the weapon to projectile mode and immediately felt a tang of concern. It would mark the first time he didn’t use the phaser setting in the field. There was of course no time for hesitation now.

Gavin fired ten rounds in quick succession each one accompanied with a dull bang every time a bullet left the chamber. All bullets found their mark and penetrated the outer casing of the tank. They did not cause the damage he had hoped for. It did however turn to face him.

He began to step backwards, squeezing off another seven rounds. His aim remained true and the effect on the intimidating battle machine was still the same. If anything it made it angry, if that was possible.

The machine set in motion to close in on him, the barrel adjusting to fire.

Gavin turned and ran for his life, fully aware that the AI tank had set out to hunt him down.

He ran along the length of the container and heard the hum of the moving battle machine behind him. His heads-up display “ still superimposed over his vision “ told him that his gun was down to 8 bullets. Not overly experienced with projectile weapons he decided to change magazines, after all 25 sounded a lot better than 8. His thumb found the switch which released the magazine and it clattered to the floor. He reached for his replacement mag and slid it easily into the Super Seven without ever slowing down his pace.

Once he reached the end of the container he had a split second to make a decision. Keep going straight ahead for the exit or make a u-turn. The exit some 100 yards away looked mightily inviting but he’d be entirely exposed. He made the turn for another reason. Gavin was not going to leave Mech behind.

He took the next turn too quickly and slipped on the smooth floor of the warehouse. A moment of panic gripped him when he harshly collided with the ground and his gun slipped out of his hand.

He could hear the tank gaining on him.

He had landed on his left arm and it was now in fiery pain. He knew that a cybernetic limb would have been able to absorb the impact with no difficulty. He had no time to debate the pros of cybernization.

Gavin picked himself up, trying to ignore the throbbing in his bruised arm. He reached for his weapon and within moments was on the run again, continuing alongside the container and back towards Mech. The tank was still on the opposite side but only a few heartbeats behind him.

He cleared the container and found Mech still lying on the floor. Rushing towards her he tried to wake her as he approached. “LT! LT, we got to get out of here.”

He slid to his knees and shook her by the shoulders. Her form-fitting suit was ripped in places but her skin seemed unscratched and Gavin didn’t spot a single droplet of blood.

“LT!”

She opened her eyes. “You should have gotten out while you had the chance,” she said with surprising calm. Her voice sounded calculated even.

“I was not about to leave you behind.”

She smirked. “That’s awfully sweet of you,” she said and then easily stood up.

Gavin looked at her with bewilderment. “I thought you were injured.”

“I’m fine.”

And then he realized his mistake. Mech had only pretended to be injured in order to get closer to the tank. He felt a dull anger rising within him. After all he had just risked his neck to come back and rescue her.

“No time for regrets,” she said as if she had just read his thoughts. “I need you to head down that way now,” she added and pointed into the opposite direction of the exit. “There is another tank in here.”

“What?”

But she already pushed him along. “Go.”

The AI machine that had been following Tank re-emerged from behind the container and that was all the motivation the young operative needed to get moving.

He looked behind him to see Mech having picked up her Glock again, firing at the approaching tank. Then it responded in kind and for a second he feared she would not be able to evade a second blast. But the LT jumped aside with the ease of a circus performer. Then she leaped into the air only to land right on top of the vehicle.

< Turn left at the end of the warehouse. >

Gavin had no idea what she had in mind but he was not going to argue with her now. He did as he was told and after a few moments he was once again surrounded by containers, losing eye contact with Mech.

He felt not unlike a mouse trapped inside a maze. He was surrounded by high walls created by the tall and lengthy containers. Gavin had only the vaguest idea where he was but none whatsoever how to get out.

< Turn left now. >

He decided to trust her. After all it seemed she knew what she was doing which was more than he could say for himself. He turned only to be directed down a long and narrow path.

What was Mech doing and how did she know where he should go?

He was halfway to the other end when something moved in to block the opening. Gavin’s heart stopped. It was an AI tank and it had a clear shot on him now. There would be no cover and no place to go. Mech had led him into a trap.

With no other alternatives available to him he spun around, trying to make it back the way he had come from. He tried hard to ignore the truth of the matter. He didn’t have a prayer to get back to the other end and find cover before that tank opened fire.

And then the unthinkable happened. Another tank slowly moved around the corner to block his only route of escape.

“Shit.”

He raised his gun without a second thought. Effective or no, the only option left to him was to try and blast himself out and hope he would hit a weak spot.

But Gavin froze when he realized that right on top of the machine, sat Mech, riding the tank like Patton in Normandy. She was wearing her data port on her neck and a similar device was attached directly to the tank’s outer casing.

He didn’t know how she’d done it but somehow she had managed to hack the AI and it appeared to follow her every order now.

For just a moment he forgot that there was another deadly tank approaching him from behind.

Mech was kind enough to remind him. “Get down.”

With an inkling of what was about to happen, he flattened himself to the ground. Not a heartbeat later he heard the tank behind him fire. And so did Mech’s.

The temptation to close his eyes was enormous but if he had he would have missed her acrobatic leap off the tank just a moment before it was ripped apart by a massive plasma discharge.

He did shield his eyes and then quickly looked behind him where he heard a similar explosion. The two tanks had obliterated each other.

“Are you alright?”

Gavin stood up slowly and needed a few seconds to notice that her voice had come from above him. Mech stood on top of the container with a somewhat satisfied expression on her face.

“Honestly, I’ve been better,” he said and was not embarrassed to admit to it. “Next time I’d appreciate a heads up.”

“Sorry,” she said and dropped down next to him.

Gavin was not appeased that easily. “You could have told me what you’d planned instead of using me as unknowing bait.”

“I didn’t really have a plan. I was making this up as I went along.”

The rookie agent blanched.

She patted him on the shoulder. “And you did real good. Couldn’t have done it without you,” she said. “Now how about we get out of here?”

Gavin just nodded and they both made their way towards the exit.

He desperately wanted to know how she had managed to do what she had done but his mind was still swarming with one too many near-death scenarios. He had expected to get himself into one or two dangerous situations when he had signed up for CCiD but this he had not foreseen. And he had certainly not expected somebody like Mech, a woman of almost superhuman abilities, at his side.

They crossed into the open warehouse space again and Gavin was still wondering how he had managed to survive the last minutes when Mech stopped cold.

He didn’t need to ask why. Two more tanks had appeared, standing between them and their one and only way out. “Damn, where are these things coming from?” he said. “It’s like they’re preparing for a war.”

“Maybe they are,” said Mech and drew her gun.

“Please tell me you’ve come up with a plan to get us out of here alive,” he said and followed suit, painfully aware that neither of their weapons had proven effective against their resilient opponents.

Mech remained quiet and Gavin swallowed.

The two tanks began their approach.


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