It was an effort in futility, and it wasn't long before the critical functions gave out and shut it down as a defense mechanism.
The AI core would have been undamaged, and if they opened it and plugged it into another mech, it would likely be perfectly capable of taking control and operating at the same capacity as before.
Which was why Hammerhand now called the Knights to a halt as the remainder of Athena's men beat a hasty retreat.
"This isn't the end of it," he said, his voice loud across the plains. "Those who fight for our enemies are not so easily stamped out, but enjoy the victory, my friends. Let it lift your spirits, for there are those who would drag them down and curse you for the effort."
The Knights raised their weapons in response, but there was no cheer. They understood that the battle was far from over and they did what Jessica13 had come to expect from them in these situations. Without a need for orders or discussion, they worked quickly to scavenge what they could, treat those who had been injured, and eat or drink a little as needed.
It was a practiced and efficient routine and although it seemed a little odd in what was essentially a lull in the battle, it was a necessity for them. They needed to renew their strength to keep on fighting and surviving in the Wild but also had to be sure to leave nothing their enemy could use against them.
Those whose mechs had been damaged quickly moved to Tinker to have them attended to. A healthy pilot needed a working mech. Those that could be scavenged from the fallen needed attention since they had been disabled in one way or another, but they would provide valuable resources for future repairs or possibly even become replacements if needed.
Jessica13 helped them quietly. Hammerhand consulted with Tinker before he decided to take those who were still functional and eager for action.
Tinker worked double-time to check that each of the mechs was functional and cleared them for duty while those who waited gathered whatever they could as quickly as possible. The priority was on the former and the latter was a way to fill the time constructively and appease the mechanic’s insistence that nothing be wasted.
She hurried to join the support effort but he stepped in front of her.
"Hammerhand needs a support mech with him," he said.
"I'd be more useful making sure the mechs are up and running," she pointed out, unsure of why she said that. Despite her every instinct telling her to stay, she wanted to keep moving forward and fight with Hammerhand.
"I know, but you're most useful at the front, lassie," Tinker said. "You have skills that will be used best there. Hammerhand said so himself. Get going now. There's no point in being left behind."
Jessica13 nodded and shifted Mini into Bulletfoot mode. They would hopefully be able to spare some of the resources and parts for the folks in Auburn to use for their own defense. Those who manned the Beast would arrive soon and help with the advance, which was doubtless why their leader had insisted it be brought and not left in Auburn. Hammerhand had experience with an operation like this and obviously knew he now needed every available member of his team as well as their stores.
What worried him—and, of course, the other Knights—was that Athena knew him and would be very familiar with his strategies and tactics. None of them mentioned it, but it was something all of them no doubt thought about.
The smoke had grown thicker and hung closer to the landscape as more and more was pushed out by the growing fire. She could almost see the awe and disgust in the posture and attitude of the mechs the Knights Mechanica piloted. Part of it was in the way they slowed to look at the flames that had now grown to the point where they were all that could be seen ahead.
It was almost like she could feel the heat, even from this distance.
"We have no time to ponder the power of evil deeds," Hammerhand said when he noticed the dispirited silence of those around him. "Consider instead how to make them right."
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Jessica13 couldn't begin to imagine the condition of the town. The smoke had built to the point where they couldn't see anything beyond ten yards and it grew denser by the minute.
A conflagration this size would be difficult to contain. It would begin to spread into the wilderness around the town and from there, it could sweep through the whole area.
She sighed and coughed when some of the smoke came through the filters.
"My apologies, Jessica13. I will update the filtering software and elevate the protocols," Mini said and immediately did precisely that while she watched through the HUD.
"Why would someone do something like this?" she asked and shook her head. "What's the point of this kind of wanton destruction?"
There was a pause from his processors and a series of protocols activated. They were from deep inside the AI core where Mini's “personality” was stored. She had seen it activated like that in situations where he contemplated updating his personality software.
He had explained that it was what humans called introspection.
"I cannot say," he said finally and displayed a sad face on the HUD. "My knowledge of human personalities is based almost entirely on my personal interaction with other humans. The people who developed me were the basis and you, of course, have played a substantial part in it, as have the other members of the Knights Mechanica as well as the inhabitants of the Sanctuary Bunker.”
A slight pause followed, accompanied by the hum she now knew meant he was searching through his stored records.
