“No serious damage,” the Bolo reported. “Have taken one plasma blast to the forward hull. Six Kallibatt Toros are spread out in an arc directly in front of us with massed infantry as well as artillery support.”
Sean looked at the myriad of dots on the tactical screen, some large, many smaller and knew that each represented an enemy vehicle. So many in a defensive formation, he thought. Could the Bolo really handle them all at once? He felt Turkey wheel to the right and increase speed.
“Engaging counter-grav projectors,” Turkey announced, then began a mad sprint towards the enemy at just under two hundred kilometers per hour.
Now the Bolo’s mortars were in full play and Sean was mesmerized by the devastation he witnessed on the viewscreen. In almost precise regular intervals he saw eight enemy vehicles destroyed, exploding in brilliant fireballs, one after the other like a well-timed fireworks display. Some of the wreckage which was showering down after the blasts was heavily spotted with what registered as organic matter. God, he thought to himself. Those last two must have been personnel carriers. “Poor bastards,” he said out loud.
“What’s the matter, Fish-Boy?” General Cho queried. “Ain’t got the guts for this? They’re trying to do that to you right now.”
“You’re right, General. It’s just that—”
“I know, son. Puked myself first time I crawled out of my Bolo and saw the piles of mush that used to be Melconians we had just been fighting. There’s a barf-bag in the right side pocket in your chair. I’d appreciate you using it. No sense in sliming up a brand-new Bolo.”
Petrik had drilled often with this model Bolo but never dreamed it could be so effective in actual combat. The mortars fired again and another half-dozen enemy targets vanished in flames. But two remained intact and returned fire. Turkey was rocked by the impact, then launched another salvo from the mortars. The two vehicles were completely annihilated.
“Shouldn’t have missed those two the first time, Turkey,” the general chided.
“I am sorry, General. There is a problem with the targeting mechanism. I have made adjustments and recalibrated.”
“I hope your calibrations are up to scratch because we’re gonna need them real bad in about two seconds.” Cho was staring at the screen and bracing for impact.
An enormous blast jarred Petrik and he bruised his wrist against the console. “Nuclear plasma discharge,” Cho commented to his junior officer. Then he smiled. “At least we know the lateral stabilizers are working.” The viewscreen showed a huge vehicle, hull-down, with what looked like giant bull’s horns curving up in the front.
“A Kallibatt!” Petrik cried. “God, what a monster! Were you hurt bad in that blast Turkey?”
The lieutenant heard the roar and felt the vibration of what he realized was the Bolo’s reply to both him and the enemy. Both Hellbores fired simultaneously. The Kallibatt must have just been ready to launch another nuke when Turkey’s Hellbores hit it. At first they didn’t seem to have much effect, then, in an instant, the whole thing was just a blinding flash. The Kallibatt’s own nuke must have detonated as well.
He found himself cheering with exhilaration at the virtual disintegration of such a powerful enemy vehicle. “That’s the toughest thing they have! I knew nothing here could stand up against a Bolo!”
More violent jarring shook the lieutenant back to concentrating on the battle and Turkey continued his report. “Lost use of starboard-aft mortar and associated repeaters.”
“How about coming in behind that rock pile in delta three?” Cho suggested. “At least it’ll keep the damn nuclear cannons off us for a while.”
Sean heard more mortars firing and Turkey wheeled again and answered the general. “I believe they have anticipated that move and have heavily mined that route.”
“So blow the damn things up!” Cho yelled. “You waiting for an invitation?”
“I have already launched a spread of ground-busters.”
The viewscreen showed huge explosions throwing hill-sized clumps of ground hundreds of meters into the air, turning the sky black for a moment directly ahead as the mortars hit the hidden mines. Then Sean saw two more Kallibatts. Wham! Wham! Two more nukes rocked the Bolo which again answered with the Hellbores. It took longer this time but both the enemy vehicles were fried, their armor and cannon barrels actually melting. Neither went as spectacularly as the first one but it was still exhilarating to watch. Before he got a chance to savor the moment he heard Turkey launching a salvo of missiles.
“Have targeted the nuclear cannon emplacements,” the Bolo stated. “As soon as they are neutralized I believe that the remaining resistance will fall without difficulty.”
Petrik watched the tactical screen and saw the dots representing the enemy artillery wink out, one by one. “That’s it, General,” he said as he leaned back in his chair. “Just a mop-up from here. Good job, Turkey.”
“Report coming in, General,” announced Turkey. “DRT-998 has hit a mine. Has lost mobility and is under assault from superior forces.”
“A mine?” Sean cried. “But why didn’t they . . .”
“JHI-377 reporting that LLB-444 has also hit a mine. Power plant exploded. It is believed that LLB-444 is destroyed!”
General Cho started to shout. “Order all units to break off attack! Use same path as advance. Repeat general retreat! Return to base line and defend.” Then he turned to Sean. “The bastards had hidden mines besides the ones we detected.”
Petrik was in shock. “Retreat? But . . . ”
His words were cut off by a blast that lifted the entire port side of the Bolo in the air and threw him violently against the arm of his chair. A searing pain in his side told him that he must have cracked a few ribs. Sparks showered down on his head from the circuit panel above him and the whole lighting system flickered on and off.
“Turkey, report!” he screamed.
“We hit a mine. All systems and weapons on port side destroyed. Seventy-six percent loss of mobility.”
Petrik turned to speak to the general but saw the old man lying limp in his chair. He also became aware of the sound of screaming gears and loud music playing and felt his Bolo careening around in a circle. “Turkey, what the hell is that noise?”
“It is the second movement of Nabatoff’s Fifth Symphony; the Battle March.”
“Why are you playing it? Turn it off!”
“I like it. No.”
Sean realized that the logic circuits of the Bolo must have been damaged by the explosion. “Activate override series Q3GK9-alpha.”
“I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but General Cho anticipated your actions. He programmed in an anti-override, override that stays in effect until he stops breathing.”
“You mean he—”
“Is still alive.”
“But his last orders were to retreat!”
There was a tremendous crashing sound and he felt the whole world tilting. He clung to arms of his chair and realized that the Bolo was on its side with no apparent power except the dim red emergency lights. “Turkey, are you all right?”
The silence that followed was answer enough. Sean felt sick. All his life he wanted to be part of the Dinochrome Brigade, to fight in a Bolo. Now here he was and he had helped to destroy a Mark XXXIV, the newest, most powerful Bolo of all time, on its maiden battle. Poor Turkey. Poor general. He unsnapped himself from the straps and managed to climb and crawl over to the general’s chair. There was a faint, thready pulse and slight breath. The general was still alive. He had to get him out and carry him back to the base. The Kezdai took no prisoners. He carefully unsnapped the general and gently lowered him to the floor, which used to be the wall. His damaged ribs gave him so much pain that he almost lost consciousness. Then he remembered the emergency first aid kit that contained pain killers and steroid boosters. If he was going to carry the general for kilometers, he’d need them. He was in the process of planning his climb to the compartment where the pills where when the Bolo started to vibrate. Then shook violently.
This is it, he thought, the final attack. They’ve come to finish us off.
Then Turkey spoke. “We just destroyed five enemy vehicles, Lieutenant Petrik.”
Sean was amazed. “Turkey, you’re all right? But how?”
“No, sir, I have suffered extensive damage. But I still have a functional Hellrail. In this position I am able to deploy it to sweep the battlefield and it destroys anything it hits. Fortunately, most of our units have already retreated and I am able to hit the enemy in the flanks. Prepare for another shot.”
The lieutenant held the general as the Bolo shook once more.
“Three more kills, sir. I’m afraid they know where the fire is coming from now. After the first shot they must have thought we somehow had an air strike called in. Many of their weapons are turning toward us. You will notice that I have placed our damaged side beneath us so we should be able to destroy many more of them before they get us.”