(15)
“Incoming priority direct override communication with Orbital tags, Jennifer,” the Centurion informed his pilot.
“That could only be Dad; open a channel please, Dominic,” Jenny replied anxiously turning to face the monitor.
When the comm channel opened, Jenny was surprised to see her father, General McCready presiding over the command position in Orbital Ignition during what seemed to be the final permissive sequence. Seeing the display connect in his peripheral vision, he turned to face the monitor with a grim expression.
“Colonel Temple, I only have another...,” he glances beyond the monitor at a display, “forty-five seconds till ignition and then we may lose this connection indefinitely. Listen to me carefully Colonel, the Tactical communication grids have been attacked and destroyed in Arizona, New Mexico and most of Utah in a series of coordinated Strax assaults. High resolution surveillance confirms major assaults are in progress at those TVS command sites. Colonel Temple, as TVS commanding general, I have the authority to direct you and your Centurion to use
all your resources to engage the Strax full weapons free. I repeat, use
all your resources to engage the Strax full weapons free. Make me proud,” the General said as his image dissolved into snow and an automated, ‘Connection Lost’ message replaced it on the display.
After only a moment’s stunned hesitation, Jenny said decisively, “Dominic, locate an intact Strax pod and maneuver to intercept. Notify all Knights within range that Colonel Temple is initiating project,
Docile and request that they rendezvous to assist.”
“By your command,” Dominic’s deep baritone voice replied as targeting data rolled rapidly across the central display and the drone of fusion engines heterodyned with the rising whine of advanced electric traction motors.
-----------------------
The three heavily armed siege units fan out across the Depot Complex under Magnus’ direction to repel the brazen Strax assault on the Depot. One of the Siege units advances rapidly from cover and destroys a Strax column as it boldly enters the main gate of the Maintenance Depot after encountering no resistance. Another takes up a defensive position outside the Facilities building where it can control all routes leading to and from the parade ground to shield the emergency Tactical transmitter.
The third Siege unit has not been so lucky; taking severe damage to its port track assembly and suffering the destruction of both port side railguns when two Strax pods combined their firepower in an assault. Without the ability to maneuver effectively, one half of the machine’s perimeter was unprotected and the Strax shrewdly approached it via the undefended vector. Ultimately, the repeated hammering at point blank range breeched the siege unit’s hull and destroyed the magazine.
The part of Magnus’ AI resident in the destroyed machine reluctantly withdrew shutting down the fusion engine while promising retribution to those responsible.
With the loss of active feedback and control, the damaged war machine shuddered, lost dynamic tension in its drive assemblies and slumped to the ground motionless.
Even from within the comparative safety of the combat restraint shielded inside the pilot’s compartment of her Cerulean Knight, Lizzy couldn’t help becoming emotionally invested in the three-way adrenaline-charged mechanized battles happening before her eyes in real-time. The view from the embattled siege units competed for Lizzy’s attention in multiple non-stop machine duels that left her sweating and gasping for breath but unable to look away.
Totally absorbed in the heat of the battle, Lizzy was physically shaken and felt like she had suffered the same grievous injury dealt to the siege unit when Magnus closed the active interface connecting him to unit 81925, severed the link and allowed the severely damaged machine to fall.
“You can’t just leave him there like that!” Lizzy cried out within the restraint. “They’ll kill him!”
“My Lady, the persona you sense within that machine was only a reflection of my own while I was resident there, nothing more. Admittedly, a precedent exists for a certain degree of displacement confusion as a result of long-term immersion in an active battle interface, but none so profound as this.”
“What? What did you say, Magnus?” Lizzy said blinking and shaking her head in confusion.
“Are you feeling better now, my Lady?” asked Magnus softly.
“Okay, I guess. Like I just woke up from a bad dream, only now I can’t remember what it was about,” Lizzy said struggling to remember. “Wait..., we were fighting, weren’t we?”
A sudden loud rap on the Knight’s port hull caused Lizzy to jump reflexively until she heard a familiar voice call out, “Hey! Knock, knock. Anybody home? Somebody here order a pizza?”
“That’s Marty!” Lizzy squealed. “Lemme out of this restraint, Magnus.”