Chapter 1.02 Awakening to a Surprise
Whelp, this could be worse
Awakening to a Surprise 1.02
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Location: Unknown
Date: Unknown
The third and final time I woke up from a shock came from twin howls. I found myself trying to get the ringing out of my ears as I tried and remembered why I passed out. I look up only to see the ceiling of the hanger. However, the ringing in my ears faded. I could hear the sound of metal being torn apart to my left. I look to see the canine Zoids tearing apart those two Locusts. A quick look around shows the spot that the flickering lights had hidden from my view. There are many metal scraps and pieces everywhere there that had to be days worth of scapes. How long have they been active? I wonder as I watch them work.
They place what they tore off in two different piles. The farthest away from the bigger pile are intact weapons in one scrap bank. I could tell from several boxes with two to ten holes. From my Battletech knowledge, the two, four, and six must be SRM, and the five and ten LRM. I didn't see any three, seven, and nine, so no MML. So before 3068, they hadn't run into any mech or vehicle with it. Several smaller glass lens objects are connected to a tube and many wirings. Next to those were two larger ones. I guess lasers are for them, but some are odd with an extra attachment. A chemical laser? Weren't they toxic before the Clans, or were they a game thing from Mechwarrior 5?
Of course, I didn't have to guess several sets of one weapon. Who wouldn't know the appearance of a machine gun? But there is one that looks like the arm of a mech. Well, calling it an arm is being generous. It seems like cannon attached to a swirl. I guess several ammo crates near each weapon need them.
The second pile is filled with everything that can be considered scrap metal. The Zoids already tore into some Bug mechs, but I did notice some vehicles. , If you count, cars ripped apart wheels, damaged tank tracks here and there, and damaged circle-like objects. There are more battlemech, too, in a pile, but not too many. I think I see another locust and the army helmet of a Javelin. Finally, there is a dome that looks like an old-style trash can…I hope it's not my beloved Urbanmech… it probably is.
I sighed before looking more closely at the second pile and noticed it had covered a wet (hopefully, it's water) orb. An orb next to a larger, stone-colored zoid. 'Oh no,' I thought as I looked at the iconic for my generation, Liger. The Shield Liger. "What happened to him," I shouted as the canine Zoids finished separating their…meal?
I felt sadness from both Zoids before the HoundSoldier laid down and opened his cockpit hatch. I picked up my rifle, no reason to leave a loaded gun on the ground, and climbed up to the cockpit. Not being super fit, I first slipped up before heading inside the cockpit. The second I sat down in the pilot seat, the cockpit seal and the computer monitor in front of me lit up. On-screen, a symbol appeared before quickly disappearing.
Red lights flashed for a moment as the screen brought up an outline of the Zoid before all warnings turned off. Finally, one screen was just one with the words "log" on it.
I touched the screen on the first one to see what had happened to these Zoids before I appeared. Unfortunately, its memory bank started even worst than when I woke up. Then again, this Zoid had damages that I need to figure out how to fix.
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I watched as the screen display startup. Finally, the top left corner showed up.
Core: Functional
Weapon: Online
Sensors: Online
Location: Unknown
Date: Unknown: Marking Day 1
Armor integrity: 100%
Structural integrity: 100%
The screen showed the Houndsolider's view as he shook the head, probably his body too, and looked at the pristine Shield Liger looking back at him. However, the Command Wolf was not active when he turned his head left. Instead, machines in the mech bay added more armor and attached the rocket launchers.
A low growl had the canine viewpoint return to the Liger, who headed towards the lit tunnel. A screen pops up with the directive, "Protect the area for the arrival of the Warrior."
This message was followed by another screen showing what weapons were available without a Warrior. Access to the 3-Barreled Burst Cannon, missile pods, and Cross Lances was on. Still, the Hound Buster Cannon was labeled Warrior/Alpha restricted. This screen then showed all green on armor integrity and its natural weapon.
The Liger began moving as the Houndsoldier's vision moved behind it. More Systems appear green from its Power Connector Port and Active Radar System. After that mini-map appeared on the lower center of the canine zoid view, it looked like the kind of map seen in classic mech games and shows. They were showing outlines of what is directly around the Zoid.
The view shows the Zoids exit the tunnel but doesn't show where they exited from. They began to speed up to 120 km/h as the map expanded and marked a distance up to 3km away. A forest marker and several small craters appeared on the screen as the two Zoids moved 10 km from the tunnel. Then they stopped and started running around the tunnel at 200km/h. I realized they did it at a 10km radius with the hanger they came from at the center. I watched as the mapping of the area became much more prominent at 5km as they nearly completed their first circle patrol.
The view screen was mostly a blur of trees. Their image cleared as their speed dropped suddenly. A design for what seemed to be a building appeared on the mini-map. More buildings appeared on the mini before they appeared in the HoundSoldier view screen. They entirely stopped within a forest with what I guess was 2 km away… no, wait, it said 3km on the screen, changed to a zoomed view with distance. It showed people working daily life. Most were dressed in a futuristic miner outfits, while others were dressed in mixed clothes. Nearby was a mountain, so that explains the miners.
However, I could tell they might have noticed something as the people in the viewscreen moved buildings at speed. The Zoids watched from afar as the citizens sought shelter away from their view.
The HoundSoldier whined slightly to the Liger, who responded with a light growl. The Liger began to turn back to the patrol route when the radar pinged an energy source activation from the town. One, two, four, and then a total of six energy sources appeared within the town. It took a while, but the signs showed those energy sources moving toward them. I was surprised the Zoids didn't return to the tunnel right there and then.
Two energy sources registered a small beginning that quickly came into view as odd (to the HoundSoldier) box-shaped things. Both were surprisingly 10 tons on the sensors. To me, they were some kind of tank or APC. Not sure which model, tho. What followed was a humanoid mech with a cannon on its left shoulder. The sensor indicated the weight of the mech as 50 tons. It looked pretty challenging but still had industrial equipment on it. It seems to have the rifle mounted on it recently. Next, the mech had two smaller humanoid models with only drills on both hands. On those two small mechs was a massive drill on the right and a smaller one on the left. I recognized those two as RCL-1 Dig King. They appeared as 30-ton unknowns to the Hound's sensor. It was funny that the 5 tons difference looks odd comparing the tanks to those dig kings. I could see the Hound's view go back and forth between the smaller tanks and the Dig Kings.
The last mech to show up shocked me since I knew it wasn't canon to Battletech games since there was controversy over it. However, it was LoaderKing industrial mech. Sixty-five tons of industrial might were typically used for loading work and as a close-range fighter. The crane was rolled up, and there were marks where it seemed like Machine guns, like the ones I saw earlier, slapped onto both arms with one in the head. Plus, a sizeable cannon-like weapon.
As audio communication equipment picked up the slightly garbled message, those mechs stopped less than 1km from the town.
I didn't even have to listen to the message as I could already guess the demands. It was enough for the leading Shield Liger to turn and move back to the patrol route at max speed with the Houndsoldier's view right behind him. The sensor expanded to 10 km as the Zoids moved to finish the last 5 km on the obvious circle perimeter from the base.
I paid attention to the sensor to see that the two vehicles tried to catch up, but those Zoids had left them in the dust at 250 km/h with slight speed drops from more giant trees they avoided. Eventually, the vehicles gave up the chase as the sensors had them moving back after a kilometer and a half chase.
Both Zoids return to the tunnel inside the mountain. Not too high either. It seems to be two or three times the height of the Zoids. At least from the Hound's POV.
Time skipped to the next time they went out on patrol. They patrolled a few times in intervals of four hours each. Nothing new, except the town tends to be on high alert every time the Zoids got close but didn't send out all their mechs and vehicles. Only the LoaderKing and industrial mech had that one giant cannon.
I felt sorry for those guys, but it didn't answer my question about why the Shield Liger died.
I hit the second recording when the fifth one lit up and played. I guess the Hound figured out I wanted to see the reason. I'm beginning to think something will happen to that town they found if they show it to me before turning on this one.
"Hmm, hey, Houndsolider, do you have any MRE here?" I asked. I just realized it had been a few hours since I woke up, and while I could go a day or two without eating, the stress of all this made me hungry.
A hatch was next to where I had placed the anti-Zoid rifle open with a sealed brown plastic bag. I opened it to see another bag containing meal bars and a water flask.
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I took a quick break and hopped out of the Zoid to freshen up. I walked back up to the HoundSoldier, whose injuries seemed to heal slightly with some light scratches on the internal armor, but the heavier damages were still there. The Command Wolf was helping with grabbing metal that the other canine was munching on. I waited a bit as Hound ate his final pieces of battle mech armor (hard to miss seeing the half-eaten dome).
Hound lowered his head again and opened up for me to hop back in. I prepared myself to watch as many logs, seven total, to find out what happened before I appeared when the fourth one lit up. On it, the patrol reports were timestamped, unlike the first log. I saw all six subsections and felt more sorry for the town's defense force. I almost silently prayed to any higher power that those townspeople managed to get some sleep. Until I remembered that it might have been the same power that forced me here and stop—no need to temp Murphy.
I looked down at the option and saw that the fifth log had a star next to it. I tapped it, and a bar dropped saying "Battle Report." I knew something had happened then, I hoped it wasn't the town that ambushed the Zoids, but they didn't seem to have to force to unless the planet's government got involved.
The black screen appears as the image of a forest rushing by comes into view.
Core: Functional
Weapons: Online
Sensors: Online
Location: Unknown-10km from the base
Time: Unknown - Nearing Sunset
Armor Integrity: 100%
Structure Integrity: 100%
I glanced down where the speed tended to be and saw that Hound was at full sprint—heading toward the town at 330km/h. I didn't even wonder why as the screen sounded the coms chatter. "This is Brook Esposito of Little Rock township. Calling any militia, mercenary, or Coalition forces for help. We are under attack from pirate forces. Please help. We are losing our defenses fast."
I saw another screen open up and zoom in on the LoaderKing in the distance, firing all its weapon at several tanks, who returned fire with lasers, missiles, and machine guns. Then, finally, I could see the remnants of one of the Dig Kings off to the side with a limping humanoid mech moving away from the second industrial mech that was trying to smash the bug with its drill.
Suddenly I heard simulations roars from Hound and the Liger. The map started glowing as red dots began to appear. I saw eight red dots on the map, each with weights marking them. The four vehicles attacking the LoaderKing were two 60-ton tanks, a 35-ton truck with missile boxes, and a fast-moving missile vehicle at 25 tons. The heavier tanks had visible damage, but the two lighter vehicles kept getting away from the LoaderKing's fire.
However, the twin roars cause the faster, lighter one to pause long enough for the shot inside the town to fly out and destroy its backside.
The coms pick up both sides' communications as shouts of surprise from them, with a little fear from the pirates (I think). However, the two larger but light objects on the map quickly pounced on the Dig King. I recognized both as Javelins from the months of playing Mechwarrior 5 and Battletech. I wanted to blast them but then remembered that this was a recording. Grumbling, I watched as one of them was removed from two missiles. They flew past Hound and took the head off the missile-carrying Javelin. The death of the first light mech causes the second one with a laser loadout to fire his four emerald beams over the Dig King and into the woods to Hound's left.
The primary monitor opens a secondary screen with a damage report from Shield Liger, Armor Integrity: 99%, damaged location Left Foreleg 96%. I heard a crash and non-coms scream of fear as I looked back up to the main screen and saw the Javelin-10F skewed on the Hound's Right lance. Speared on the left lance was the mech the Dig King was chasing. I still didn't recognize it, but it had to be a mech not included in the video games. It didn't matter much as Hound kept running at an angle to curve right back into the forest while still heading at full speed.
"Hey, wait," The man, Brook, I believe, called out as Hound rounded back into the forest with the Liger somewhere. I wanted to see what Brook wanted to say and where the Liger was when I heard a muffled growl next to Hound. The screen pan to the right and saw Liger with one of those 60-ton tanks in its jaw. The Zoids growled at each other while the pilot of the LoaderKingwas thanking them for their intervention and for their Comstar bank routing number to transfer funds. Then, funnily enough, a younger voice from the industrial mech inside the town asked about salvage rights.
I wanted to laugh as the younger voice got scolded by the LoaderKing pilot when I noticed a bar filling up with the words downloading above it.
I let the voices fade into the background as the bar slowly fills up. I wondered where the data was coming from. Then, I noticed an arc of electricity appeared on the screen in the mouth of the Liger. It wasn't hard to put two plus two and realized it was stealing…. err, procuring data from the tank.
Once the bar hits hundred percent, the screen turns off for a split second before reopening with new data.
Core: Functional
Weapons: Online
Sensors: Online
Location: Katinka, Little Rock
Time: August 19, 3021, 20:45
Armor Integrity: 95%
Structure Integrity: 100%
I felt my stomach drop. While I didn't know the planet I was on, I knew the date and thought back to what Brook had said during his SOS. 'This is Brook Esposito of Little Rock township. Calling any militia, mercenary, or Coalition forces for help.'
The only Coalition I knew about was the Aurigan Coalition. But, unfortunately, the year placed me several months before the Directorate took over. So I didn't realize I was cursing up a storm when I heard a noise that made me look and say, "What, that whining noise?"
I noticed the main Buster Cannon charging up and wondered how since it was restricted. I paused the log and backed up the video by a minute, then two, and saw the permission for use by Alpha permission. I took another rewind to see why Hound wanted permission and saw a potential gold mine for the people here.
The HoundSolider's advanced sensor had detected a large carven in the mountain these people were digging at from the data taken from the pirates. Pirates came to raid the planet for food, people, and potential SLDF caches. The attack was to check if anything of worth was here. Fortunately, there was, but it hadn't been discovered yet. I guess it has since Hound was about to blast it open. The sensor had picked up several objects ranging from 35 to 55 tons. Unfortunately, the 50 meters of rock and earth prevented the town from finding them.
I let the log play out and heard the shouts from the town's defenders asking why the Zoids were charging up. I watched as the bright beam of yellow flashed out from the bottom and piece into the mountain for several seconds before it stopped. At the end of those several seconds, a shot from the Buster, finally ID, thanks to the data, hit Hound before a loud command from Brook stopped it and the rest of the defenders.
I noticed the shot had damaged the Buster Cannon but luckily didn't destroy it. However, the picture did show that it was inoperable until repaired. So I was a little pissed about that before hearing the comms flare up with thank you and apologies.
I focused on the Lance commander (as I marked him), Brook. "I'm sorry for my men shooting at you just now." He said with a tint of regret. "You two haven't responded to any of our messages. Then you go blasting the area next to the mine. Some of my people thought you were destroying our livelihood, so can you forgive us for reacting like that? I'll have the one who shot at you punished."
I watched as the two Zoids growled and whined to each other before they decided, and I saw the screen go to an uploading bar. I wondered what these two were doing as they began to walk away from the town. All I knew was that clean-up between what these Zoids had done over the past week before I showed up would be a pain in the ass.
The Zoids sped up and headed straight for the base at high speed. I watched as the status of both Zoids appeared and hist at the damages the Shield Liger had taken. The damages mainly focused on the side where one shield flap was. It seemed like the tank had managed to shoot the Liger before the Zoid could crush it in its mouth.
The damages show heavy damage to that part and several pockets on the external armor. But, overall, both Zoids did great without pilots and full access to what they were fighting against. The loss of the Buster Cannon to friendly fire sucked, but its auto repair function turned on.
I watched as the log ended with the tank and the two destroyed mechs being thrown to the corner of the hanger, where the future pile of scraps would be. The only thing I had on my mind was getting some rest and figuring out what could have caused the Liger to die.
"Hey, boys," I yawned as I realized it must be late, checking the clock showing 00:16. "Let me out so I can rest. You need to recover fast, as I can see the damages here." The status showed that the armor integrity was less than half, and several places had structural damage.
The Hound's cockpit opened up, and I saw Command Wolf picking up a bin of missiles with its mouth, which scared me to move it to the mech or zoid bay area. So instead, I grabbed the rifle and hopped out of the cockpit. I managed to land without stumbling but man, how did those anime characters do it all the time? That was a freaking two-meter drop, and it hurt a bit on the knee.
I tried to ignore it as I looked up to where the scapes were. I couldn't believe there were that many pirates attacking the town. Yawning, I walked back toward the locker room to rest on the bench when something caught my eye. If I remember correctly, Pirate colors tend to be red with either black or white. However, this one mech with a big hole in the middle, which I recognized as a Vindicator, had a green color scheme.
'Why the hell are the Capellans here?'