“Damn it!”
Chandra pulled the trigger once again, but nothing happened.
“I think they have a recharge rate, Major!” shouted Monty.
She shot a disdainful glance at the man. She knew he was right, but she was in a panic and didn’t appreciate the obvious comment. She heard a click from the weapon and so turned back and fired. The blast ripped into the structure of the tank, burning a hole through its hull, but it seemed to make little difference.
The tank came to a halt and immediately began to unfold and expand across the river that had kept them safe. She fired again as cannon shells continued to pound the vehicle, but it was too late. The thick metal ramp struck across to south side. Mechs rushed out from between the wreckage of the burning tanks and sprang towards them in their daunting armoured suits.
“Monty, take the gun!”
Chandra lifted her rifle and quickly took aim. The bridge erupted into a cloud of fire and smoke as rifle, cannon and grenade fire combined to ravage the oncoming charge. Pieces of Mech armour blasted out into the air and off the side of the bridge, but more burst through the dust behind them. An energy pulse ripped into one of Becker’s tanks and it burst into flames. The sound was deafening as the vehicle rocked and shards of the turret smashed into the wall beside the Major. She ducked down for cover before quickly leaping up to the battlements once more.
The Major looked down to the trenches below and could see a dozen Mechs within a few metres of their positions. One had managed to get into hand-to-hand combat and crushed one of the soldiers. This is over, thought Chandra.
She looked across the street at the devastation before her, dozens of their troops lay dead or dying, and half of the tanks were belching black smoke.
“Major, we have to get out of here!” shouted Green.
She froze there for just a moment, unable to look away from the vicious scene. Never could she have imagined she would see such dire days. She had read about such total war but had never been able to comprehend how it would feel. She turned to him.
“Get word to the Commander. We need to retreat east immediately!”
Green nodded. He was as much relieved as he was in shock that they once more had to take flight. She lifted her rifle from the wall and rushed to the stairs, and the others quickly followed suit. She shouted her command up the stairway to the rest before heading for the street. The road was barely recognisable any longer as it was covered in bricks, dust, bodies and blood. The guns of Becker’s tanks continued to bellow. She leapt onto the roof of his vehicle and huddled beside it, knocking on the lid.
The confident German appeared at the hatch, doing his best to hide the despair he was clearly feeling. Chandra could feel heat rush out from the hatch combined with the smell of sweat and sulphur. He looked out across the bridge. The first enemy rush had been halted, but it was clear they were preparing for a second push in greater numbers.
“Captain, we’re done here.”
Becker nodded, relieved to finally have the command.
“We’d sure appreciate a lift out of this hell hole.”
“You got it, Major.”
She leapt from the tank as a yellow signal flare blasted out from the vehicle, signalling the retreat to the Captain’s remaining crew. Chandra ran along the lines, shouting for the troops to climb aboard. The dead were scattered among the living; there were few wounded.
“Onto the vehicles! Move out!”
Gunfire continued in an irregular pattern as the troops laid down fire to keep the bridge clear. Only six of Becker’s tanks were still running, one with its turret torn off. They reversed back out of their hull down dugouts and onto the debris strewn road. The street erupted into a frenzy of movement as the remaining troops clambered onto the vehicles. It was a desperate retreat, and the only relief for the survivors.
It was clear to Chandra that the enemy had only been temporarily halted, and it wouldn’t be long before they swarmed across the river. She leapt up onto Becker’s vehicle as Lieutenant Green appeared. She offered out her hand and hauled him up beside the turret.
“Major, the Mech forces are engulfing the city, much longer and we’ll be cut off.”
“What are the Commander’s orders?”
“Retreat, all forces retreat east, and with all haste!”
She gasped as she looked back across the bridge. It’s over; the only city we held has fallen. Chandra tapped on the hatch, calling up Becker.
“Get us out of here, Captain!” she shouted.
The vehicle turned and lurched forward as two more men were hoisted aboard. She watched as the last few troops were helped up as the vehicles got underway. Through the smoke of the flare and debris from the battle, she could already make out the intimidating silhouettes of the invaders advancing across the river. Is there any hope?
Chapter 6
“Major Taylor, your presence is requested in the conference room.”
He leaned down and unclipped the last straps of the exoskeleton he had been testing. It was a relief to see equipment that could change the course of the war, but he could not help but think of his friends in Paris. Mitch followed one of the staff into the room. It was thirty metres long with vast screens set up displaying General White and several other high ranking officers of other militaries.
“Major, we are all eager to hear your report on the new equipment, but sadly we do not have time. All we need to know, is will it work? Will it make our troops fight better?”
Fight Better? Mitch thought, if only the brass had to face the enemy in combat, it was all just statistics to them.
“Our troops are fighting the best they can, but this new hardware would go some way to even the odds. Right now we only stand a chance when we substantially outnumber the Mech soldiers and armour.”
“That brings us to our next problem,” exclaimed White.
“Sir?”
“I’d like you to take a look at these surveillance images, Major.”
A screen below the General’s transmission lit up displaying overhead video surveillance. Taylor studied it intently for a few moments. It looked alien and was a vast structure on land with hundreds of creatures moving about between it.
“What do you think that is, Major?”
“Looks like some kind of construction, Sir.”
“Indeed. That video was taken this morning from the south of France. Our experts believe that the aliens are building manufacturing plants.”
“Or a weapon.”
White nodded. “Indeed. So far it would seem the enemy’s endgame is the extinction of the human race.”
“Then why wouldn’t they use something more substantial, something planet destroying?”
“All the weapons we have ever developed that can kill on such a vast scale also cause unspeakable damage to our habitat. We can only imagine that they want this planet as their own. Over the past day our troops on the ground have begun to come up against an increasing number of drones, which we believe are being manufactured on Earth soil.”
“Sir, if I wanted to take a planet as my own from billions of creatures, I’d find a more efficient way to do the job.”
“You think they are developing some sort of weapon of mass destruction?”
“I would. They must need time and resources to build it, so I don’t think you’re wrong about the factory, General. I just believe they’ll be pursuing both strategies.”
The General sighed. It was not the answer he was hoping for, but he knew it was likely to be true.
“Right now our armies are slowing their progress, but it’s a rough ride as I am sure you are aware, Major. Even with this new tech in full scale production, we still have a real battle on our hands, and it’s one for our very existence. If they can either build a weapon that can kill on a mass scale, or increase production of drones and equipment, we may well become utterly overwhelmed.”