“General, these factories are predominately civilian firms that are used to working to deadlines in months and years.”
“I fully appreciate the problems, Major. We are getting production moving domestically, but it’s all taking time.”
“Any news on the enemy’s manufacturing progress?”
“Not much. What we do know, is whatever they are doing, it’s big. Our armies are suffering enough at the hands of these bastards. We cannot afford for the enemy to gain an even greater advantage.”
“I don’t see we can do much about it, Sir. Our armies can barely hold the Mechs back as it is.”
The General turned to listen to news that was being handed to him. He was heavily distracted until he looked up at the other officers in the room with a morbid expression.
“Gentlemen, we have reports of substantial forces having left Tartaros and heading for the coast of Florida at high speed. The invasion of the United States has begun.”
White turned to the Major.
“Mitch, we’re going to do everything we can to fight on our shoreline. The armies in Europe have shown remarkable resolve, but let us not be under any illusions. At present, we are losing this war. Whatever the enemy is building will almost certainly be a game changer. You are well placed to do something about it, and have the best equipment available to you.”
Taylor shook his head. They were being driven back on an almost daily basis. Yet the General was asking him to pursue a major operation behind enemy lines. He knew it had to be done, but he could not help but feel that it was suicidal.
“Get hold of Brigadier Dupont, he will provide you with intel and resources. Do whatever you have to, Major.”
Jones lay flat on the small prison bed. He appeared so relaxed anyone would think there wasn’t a war on. Private Walker stood grasping the bars of the door of the barred cell. They could both hear Becker’s tanks roaring in the distance and enemy gunfire pounding the city.
“We’re finished,” said Walker.
Jones didn’t respond. He was in a daze.
“How can you just lie there like that?” screamed Walker.
The Captain could not believe that his undoing had been caused by his own race. His hatred of the enemy had been surpassed by that of the Mayor and his supporters. In the distance, he could hear the town being bombarded, but he had no sympathy. Not only had the population been ignorant and stupid, they had aided the enemy.
“What are you gonna do? How are we going to get out of here? Captain! Wake up!”
“I’m here,” he replied dryly.
“How can you just lie there?”
“What else is there to do?”
“We have to find a way out of here!”
“These cells were built to keep people secure. We have no weapons, no tools and no allies, so what do you suggest we do?”
“Something…anything!”
Jones sat up on the bed and leaned back against the wall as he looked at the stricken Private.
“This station is empty, the police have gone and we’re the only ones in holding. There is no way out, not unless a lucky shell blasts a way out.”
“So we just sit here and hope?”
“Not like there’s any another choice, we’ve been left here to die.”
“The Major will come for us. She won’t leave us behind.”
The Captain sighed. He knew the Private must know they were lost, but he didn’t want to accept it.
“I am sure Major Chandra will have done everything in her power to help us, but the fact remains that this town is being overrun. What can the remains of our Company do against an army?”
Walker rested back against the bars, collapsing down to the ground until he lay back against the door. His shoulders sagged, and he was starting to realise how desperate their situation was.
“We’re going to die in here, aren’t we? No food, no water, and no hope of rescue.”
“It’s entirely possible, but I wouldn’t give up all hope just yet. There’s always a chance.”
The man dropped his head in sadness as he imagined the prolonged and unheroic deaths facing them. The two men sat silently listening to the onslaught rage on in the streets around them. They knew that many of the civilians would not escape Amiens, but they no longer cared. The two men straightened as they heard the doors of the precinct being blown off.
The police station was relatively small, and they were only thirty metres from the entrance. Walker leapt to his feet as Jones leant forward on the bed. They both listened intently.
“Think that’s the Major coming for us?” asked Walker.
Jones knew that it was highly unlikely, but he didn’t want to dash the Private’s hopes. Then over the explosions they realised the heavy footsteps of Mechs were approaching. Walker turned back to the Captain with a grim and lost expression. He wanted to do nothing but run, but he was trapped like a beast awaiting the hunter.
“How did it come to this?”
“We gave them hell, Private. Our comrades fight on, we did not falter.”
“And yet we will die for some idiot that doesn’t deserve to live?”
The Captain nodded, and he could not disagree. He stood up slowly to meet his enemy standing up. All they could hear were the heavy footsteps of several Mechs pacing steadily down the corridor towards them. A second later the door to the cells block erupted as it was struck by an energy pulse. The door flew off its hinges and smashed into the bars of the adjacent cell.
The two soldiers barely flinched at the impact as they had already come to accept their fate. They stood in the centre of their cell staring at the gaping hole where the door used to stand. A Mech came through it. They had always been a frightful and imposing enemy, but without a weapon in hand they were now terrifying.
“Don’t show any fear,” said Jones.
It stepped closer as a second entered the room although neither showed any signs of firing. They circled around the cell as a third joined them. He was instantly recognisable as being different and more important. He wore the same armour as the others, but it was lavishly decorated with etching and symbols that were not recognisable to the human eye. Whereas the other Mechs had a flat glass-like section to protect their head, this soldier wore an actual helmet. It was made out to look like some kind of aggressive animal, like a bull’s head with spiralling horns.
The two normal Mechs separated to allow this new enemy to come forward in the cell. Jones watched in fascination as he had quickly realised that this was one of their leaders. For a moment the two groups glared at each other, studying the other intently. Jones and Walker knew they were at the enemy’s mercy and therefore did nothing but watch them. Suddenly the lead Mech grasped the bars of the cell and ripped the door from the cage, throwing it aside as if it was nothing.
The door was off, but the three enemy soldiers stood in their way. Both men knew it was suicide to make a break for it, but they still considered it. The leader tapped a few devices on the left arm of his suit and then righted himself. A fine mist burst from the suit as several seals were released and sections of the armour hinged open.
Jones could do nothing but stand and watch as the creature within the suit was revealed to them. He couldn’t understand how the two of them were still alive. The mist cleared and they could make out the shape of the beast within. It stepped out from the suit. It stood a head taller than Jones.
The creature wore a close fitting type of compression suit. Its waist was as narrow as the Captain’s, but its chest and shoulders were broad. It’s dark blue skin almost blending in to the charcoal gray suit that it wore. Despite the creature resembling a human in basic design, every element was individually different.
“What do you want with us?”
“I doubt it speaks English, Sir.”
The creature shot a glance at the Private and turned back to the Captain. The two men expected to die at
