“Outstanding,” replied Taylor.
“Lastly, this little gem.”
Reiter pulled out an implement that was almost a metre long and resembled a Roman Gladius, more than anything else.
“You wanted the ability to fight in close combat when such occasions arise. This is essentially a cutting torch with its own power pack. It’ll charge off your suit when sheathed in the sheath designed for it.”
Reiter handed it to Taylor, who looked at the odd looking device with a puzzled expression.
“This will really work?” he asked doubtfully.
Reiter looked up to his assistants and gestured for them to lower the next piece; a chest plate from a Mech’s armour.
“I am calling this device the assegai, after the fearsome Zulu short fighting spear. When the device is drawn from the sheath, and grasped by the hand, it is active. If it is sheathed, or released from your grip, it immediately powers down.”
Reiter nodded for Taylor to pull the weapon from its sheath. It weighed almost ten kilos and was a clumsy object without the power of the exoskeleton suits. He drew the assegai from its sheath, and the tubular blade was glowing and emanating enough heat for his chin to feel rather warm. Reiter pointed for him to test the weapon on the plate of armour that had been lowered down beside the truck. He turned to Chandra and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
“Go on, try it,” pressed Reiter.
Taylor took a few steps up to the armour and pushed the assegai forward with force. To his surprise, he met almost no resistance and was taken off balance as the blade drove through the armour and up to its hilt.
“Christ,” cried Taylor.
“I don’t doubt that the assegai will be most effective at such ranges, but better it be you than me that has to do as such,” claimed Reiter.
“You’ve done a damn fine job here. Does General Schulz know of this new gear?”
“I have told him that it is being tested…”
“Not by whom, I assume?”
Reiter smiled in response to the question she already knew the answer.
“Lastly.”
“Not more? How do you find the time for all of this?” she asked.
“My dear, Major, few of my ideas are new. They are pet projects I have toyed with my entire life, or borrowed from by gone ages.”
“What else have you got?”
“These flying enemy soldiers, I hear about. You most probably know that man-portable jet packs are not a new idea. No, no, in fact they have existed for hundreds of years. However, they always faced one major flaw, the age-old problem of power and fuel to weight ratio. Any device with enough power and fuel to be useful was too large and bulky. Anything compact enough, could only allow minimal flight.”
“Go on,” replied Chandra.
I have added on a booster pack to all of the suits I have returned to you. In addition to the aerial decent thrusters that you have used previously, you will now be able to make jumps of approximately a kilometre. The suit will have enough power for perhaps two or three of these.”
“You mean we can fly?” asked Chandra in shock.
“Precisely, but only for those short periods, and you will need cooling off for up to ten minutes.”
“And if we run out of power?” asked Taylor.
“Anymore than two jumps before charging the suit, which would require cable charging or a day in sunlight, and the suit will be a dead weight.”
“You mean it’ll stop completely?”
“Precisely.”
“Shit, that’s something to remember,” Taylor muttered.
“Anyone else got these exo suits and guns yet?” asked Chandra.
General White has issued the first sets to Ranger and Delta units, I believe, as well as a select number of marines and others. They should be seeing use about now.”
“Good to know, finally kicking some ass on the home front,” replied Taylor.
“Now you must excuse me. This fighting stuff isn’t for me, and I have plenty more work to do.”
Chandra looked up at the eccentric scientist with a smile. She was fully aware he had gone above and beyond the call of duty to assist them.
“We won’t forget this.”
Reiter turned back one last time before he climbed onto the truck.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing, all of you, and good luck!”
The two officers turned and looked in amazement at the masses of equipment left for them, and that the troops were already eagerly rooting through. Chandra turned to Taylor.
“This big push through Ramstein, if they’d been able to do it weeks ago, they would have.”
“You’re thinking they’ve thrown in everything they’ve got?” asked Taylor.
“Yep, one big push to try and break our armies. If you can stop them here, we may just pull victory out of the hat.”
“It’s a tall order,” he replied.
“Tell me a single stage in this war that’s been simple? This enemy underestimated us. They underestimated our ability to adapt and overcome. I believe they are starting to see the possibility for failure.”
“Then let’s make sure they do.”
The fighting had raged on in the distance and gradually closed on the troops of the 2 nd Inter-Allied. They had watched as the wounded poured back towards peaceful lands. For once they were eagerly awaiting their foes. Taylor looked down and admired the new equipment he wore. He knew in his head it weighed more than he could ever manage, but it felt less of a burden than the gear he’d become so accustomed to in the corps.
“You know if it wasn’t for Reiter, we’d probably be dying here?” asked Chandra.
Taylor nodded at the grim realisation that hadn’t struck his mind.
“Let’s not fear for what could have been. We’re here now, and ready to make those bastards pay.”
“You know back in Ramstein, Jones was sent back to us the day we broke you out?”
“What of it?”
“He should never have been cleared for duty. You should have seen him out at the trenches. He wanted to die. He stood up in plain view of their fire and wanted to die.”
“And yet he’s still here?” replied Taylor.
“Not of his own accord. Silva dragged him from danger.”
Taylor sighed. He had not seen Jones since that frightful experience at the prison. But it was enough for him to understand that no man could go through what he had and come out the same. It was the horror of being left behind he had so feared and been saved from. Morbid curiosity made him wonder all the time what terrors Jones experienced at the hands of the enemy. But every time Taylor thought of it, his stomach churned at the idea of being stuck in the situation himself.
“What do you suggest we do?” he asked.
“I didn’t say I had an answer. You just needed to know.”
“I am not sure any of us will come out of this sane, but he’s alive and with us. Surely that’s enough, right now?”
“Enough for what? Enough that he keeps pulling the trigger and knocking the Mechs down? Jones is worth more than that to all of us, you know that?”
Jones turned to Chandra with a scornful look.
“How dare you question that? I gave up everything for Charlie…”
Taylor’s voice faded off as he looked around, checking none of the others could hear their discussion. Before he could continue, an explosion erupted just a few metres away. The two officers cowered down in their trench as they were showered in mud and clay. They looked up to see the remnants of the forward units retreating back towards them under fire.
“This has got to stop. Those alien scum don’t get past this trench, do you hear me?” yelled Chandra.
Taylor looked around to see everyone’s concern. The retreat did not help their spirits, but they were strong in the face of it all. As the retreating troops reached their trenches, Chandra stood up tall on the edge and called to them.
“Rally on us! Rally and fight with the Immortals!”
The hundreds of fleeing troops were mostly Polish and Czech forces. They looked in surprise at the Major’s heavy load out of equipment. They had all heard of the Immortals and their daring victories. Many slowed and began to listen.