"The first time I ever saw one of these was on the Lunar Colony. Just one single enemy soldier, and it took a platoon to take it down! Our bullets barely scratched it. They were terrifying war machines, the likes of which we had never seen!"
He lifted up a pistol from the display table beside him and fired two shots at Jafar. One ricocheted off and made a loud crash as it hit a clear shield that lay between him and the audience. It ruined the effect a little now they knew they were sheltered, but they still recoiled in surprise.
"Imagine the day we first stood before these metal monsters. Never seen an alien before. Never been in space before. Years of training for combat and being prepared for the next war, and it was nothing like anyone on Earth could have predicted. Faced with a technologically superior enemy we could barely hurt, we gave it our all. We lost many marines that day, and a great many more in the coming years, and yet today we stand triumphant because of the hard work of the men and women out there, with a rifle in hand. That marine could be you."
An image projected up before him of a press photo of a marine in full Reitech equipment and a corny grin on his face. He couldn't believe anyone would buy into it, but then, after all, he did. He continued.
"The heavily armoured Mech is not as slow as you may think, but they are heavily armoured and present large targets. When the great Marcus Reiter developed a new range of handheld weaponry which could take on this new threat, the war finally began to turn."
He picked up the huge Reitech rifle of which he had become so acquainted and lifted it. As he did so, a Mech suit was wheeled in remotely, propped up like a mannequin. It had several battle scars already that had been patched over for the display. He wondered for a moment if he had met its previous owner and sent it into whatever afterlife the aliens may imagine.
"When you have a relentless enemy coming at you, and all that you have left to rely on is your training and your equipment, pray that it is one of these in your hands!"
He lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired two shots. The muzzles flashed the room in a strobe fashion, and the two rounds punched gaping holes in the armour. The crowd sighed and gasped before laughter followed, as if they were watching the latest outrageously unbelievable action movie.
"Sick!" someone in the crowd yelled out.
Yeah, but not in the way you are thinking, Taylor thought.
"But! The enemy knows no fear! It will rarely stop to take cover or be intimidated by anything you throw at it. And when they are bearing down on you and your magazine runs dry and worse still, you're out of ammo, what do you do?"
"Run!" one replied as the others laughed in response.
"You'd like to, wouldn't you? And every part of your brain should be telling you to do so. You'd have to be crazy, absolutely insane to stand your ground, or, a marine!"
Several nearby the student who had cried out slapped him as he cowered down in shame, and others laughed at him. It was a stage, and he was pandering to a crowd.
How did I ever get this job?
He put down the rifle and picked up an Assegai.
"A stick! Run!" one of them yelled.
"That's an Assegai, idiot!" another replied.
Good, they're starting to learn.
"When you're up close and personal with a Mech, you'll be glad of one of these."
He powered it up and stepped over to the Mech that was still smouldering from the rounds he had put through it. With his other hand, he knocked on the armour. It barely echoed at all and emitted a low drone showing just how substantial it was. He held up the Assegai for all to behold, and then thrust it forward into the Mech armour. It drove through with little resistance and ran up to the hilt. He ripped it back out, and a blue liquid spewed out with the weapon.
He knew it wasn't real alien blood, but the crowd didn't, and they loved the spectacle. He carried on talking for another twenty minutes, with Jafar standing beside him, looking thoroughly dismayed and bored while he talked them through what it was to be a marine and face the enemy they had come to know so well. Finally, it was coming to a close, and Jafar's moment to join the spectacle. Taylor picked up a shield and an unpowered training Assegai before turning back to his audience.
"The Mech enemy is big, powerful, and stronger than any human. But through the innovation of Reitech Industries, we've evened up the score. With this equipment, we can move faster, hit harder, and take more punishment. Even so, we must use our biggest assets to our advantage, speed, agility, and raw willpower. The enemy may have changed, but the essence of what is important to being a marine has always remained the same!"
He pointed towards Jafar and beckoned for his mock enemy to come forward. He taunted the alien, which excited the crowd further.
"Come on, you big metal bastard!" he yelled.
Jafar suddenly moved from his statue-like position he had held since coming on stage. He took a fighting stance and approached Taylor. They both knew a Mech would have a gun in hand, but that wasn't what Weaver wanted in his display. Jafar took up an almost boxing style of pose. It was familiar to the audience and provided plenty of entertainment. Taylor could hardly be enthusiastic about it, but he knew Jafar would at least punish him if he were lazy. He lifted his shield and circled his opponent with caution.
Jafar leapt forward with just a little more speed than a Mech really would. He was supposed to try and simulate the speed, agility, and intelligence of a typical alien warrior, but clearly he had either forgotten, or more likely wanted a bit of a challenge. Taylor lifted his shield, and the brunt of the blow impacted on it before sliding off. Taylor spun off to the side to avoid being crushed by the seemingly charging bull.
The crowd were quiet as they watched in amazement. Taylor rushed forward with his shield held before him, but Jafar grabbed it with both hands and launched him into the air. Taylor made a wild swing with his weapon, but he was already being projected through the air and missed by a long shot. He landed hard and rolled across the floor. Jafar threw down the shield in mock distain that further enthralled the crowd. They booed as if watching a wrestling match.
Taylor knew otherwise. Jafar was his friend, but that didn't mean he was going to go easy on him. He got to his feet and rushed at Jafar, appearing to be doing so through rage. But as Jafar swung for him with the clumsy heavy arms of the Mech suit, he ducked under and rolled. Back on his feet, he evaded a back fist swing and thrust the Assegai up into the Mech chest armour. The electrified tip sent a quick pulse of energy through the suit, causing it to spasm before shutting down.
The crowd cheered in sheer ecstasy, and a hail of comments hurled forward in praise of the Colonel. He sighed in relief as Jafar smiled back at him from the immobilised suit.
"Almost had me there," he jested.
"You're slowing down."
"Yeah, thanks."
Taylor lifted his leg and kicked the centre of the Mech suit. It toppled over onto its back and landed with a satisfying crash to once and for all show defeat. The crowd loved it, and he knew that scene alone would ensure recruitment of many of the young men and women there. It made him feel a little sick, for they were presenting war with the Mechs as an adventure, which it never had been for any of them.
Never mind, maybe they'll never have to face the invaders.
But he knew in his heart that it would not be so.
"Well, well, what a great display from our very own hero, Colonel Mitch Taylor!" yelled Weaver, as he got up from his seat and approached the stage between the centre of the audience. They fell silent and looked at the civilian clothed man in a suit with suspicion.