The PAC-Wolves Chapters 5 & 6

[Kavid]

WARNING: These chapters deal with death. Only read if you are comfortable with that subject.

Chapter 5
Graveyard

Wow. So that’s what a new Zoid smells like. These new PAC-Wolves weren’t just re-fits, oh no. These were brand-spanking new constructions, new Zoid-cores and everything. They smelled great.
No way! They even had cup-holders!
Katrana’s image popped up on my new HUD—Head’s Up Display. I really could see no relation between her and that ugly--.
“So what do you think of them, Captain?” she asked, smiling.
“What can I say, Private? They’re new Zoids! It doesn’t get much better than this!”
She giggled. I never thought I’d ever hear a Zoid pilot giggle. “These are my father’s babies. He’s been developing the Plasma Armor System for twenty years now. It really is an honor to be a part of his life’s works.” Was she telling me that or making sure I remembered it?
“Well, I’m honored that the Colonel feels so highly of my unit’s piloting skills (except Mansod, dangit). As soon as we reach the outpost tomorrow morning we’ll try to find some time to break these new Wolves in. Kelt out.” I flicked off the switch for the HUD-Comm.
I hadn’t had enough time to think about that yet. We were under such a tight schedule we hadn’t had time to really get the feel for our new Zoids yet. Heck, we hadn’t even been able to read up any info on them yet. I knew that P-A-C stood for Plasma Armored Command, but I didn’t know what exactly that represented. They were ruby-red and black Command Wolves with shiny silver weapons, but what else were they? I was beginning to feel a little edgy, but also a little…hopeful?

Our unit held a staggered formation, with Sifen in the lead, as we steadily followed the new trail over the pass. This trail didn’t exist a week ago, but thanks to the Iron Kong attack, and the work of about four-dozen Spinosappers and Gustavs, it did now. The Helic Republic needed faster access to the Southern Frontier and the new Outpost, now that there was a tunnel through the mountain range. The tunnel had to be caved in for safety reasons, but who’s to say there weren’t more of them?
Cleaning up the Imperial Forces at the other end of the tunnel was said to have been quite a fight. Two Gojulas’ had to be brought in! Man, I wish I could have been there.
Lost in envious thought, I didn’t notice that Sifen had stopped. I almost walked right past him. His wolf was standing stone solid and looking east.
“You see something, Sargeant?” I asked.
“No sir.” He answered. “I smell smoke, sir.”
“Smoke?” I heard Kavid say. It was a surprise to me, too. My new Zoid smelled so April-fresh I wasn’t even paying attention to any other odors.
I filcked my HUD-Comm on to PAC-3. “You see any?” I asked.
“No, sir. New moon tonight. But it’s coming from the east.” He strongly replied.
Katrana’s image popped up next to Sifen’s. “Should we call for back-up?”
Sifen shook his head before I could answer. “Permission to investigate, sir?”
This was one of those times I liked being the guy in charge. “Granted, but I’m going with you.”
I knew this would happen: Kavid’s image popped up and he was in a fit. “No way, Jeremy! I’m not staying out here with nothing to do!”
“Lieutenant, relax.” I said with a grin. “Take a position here with Private Sared and wait for communication from either Sifen or myself. I don’t want us all going in if it is a trap. You’re in charge out here. Out.”
Kavid grumbled, but my usage of the term “you’re in charge” calmed him down. I knew it would.
Katrana was refreshingly quiet.

With Sifen in the lead we took a brisk but careful pace towards the smell. After about five minutes, we saw smoke for the first time against the dark night sky. It was snaking up in streams from behind a group of rather tall trees. I began to sweat.
Forsaking stealth, we sprinted our PAC-Wolves through the trees and neared some enormous bushes. Soon a new curiosity could be sensed: sound. A metallic humming noise grew louder as we grew closer. It was very painful against my cyberphonic eardrums.
Distorted or not, I knew I’d heard that sound before, but I couldn’t remember where. And I was sweating harder.
Sifen was about fifty meters ahead of me and his See-Dub jumped the last set of bushes. He then said something I’ve never heard him say before or since: “Oh my god!”
My Wolf jumped the bushes and I froze. I repeated what Sifen said.
We were standing on the edge of a large, dried-out pond. Many of the trees were destroyed around the edges and on fire. But the shock came from what was in the pond…
Shadow Foxes. Three Units worth of Shadow Foxes. All massacred. Blasted, shredded, ripped apart. Most on fire, some already burned to a crisp. Some were painted Stealth black, others Firefox red. But all were…dead.
I recognized some of the Stealth Unit Foxes. It was the Unit I hoped to join some day. Oh no. That meant…. Teruce, Supey, Rick J. My drinking buddies…
“This had to have happened recently, sir. Many fires are still fresh.”
Who in the world could have?
“I detect no survivors, sir. Human or Zoid.”
Why would anyone do this?
“We should call in Lieutenant Deen and Private Sared, sir.”
And leave them here to burn like trash?
“Should I start a perimeter defense, sir?”
What on Zi?
“Sir?”
“WHAT IS THAT DAMN NOISE?” I screamed.
Searching for that annoying metallic hum, I intended to blow it out of existence.
Until I saw what it was.
A severly damaged Shadow Fox still had its complete weapon’s system. The ammunition-less gattling gun was stuck in a spinning motion, making a hungry hum. The pilot’s thumb must have been stuck on the trigger.
“Sifien. Call in the others and secure the area. I need to get out.”
“Yes, sir.”

[Kavid]

Chapter 6
Tests of Strength

“Are you serious, Commander?” I asked the image of the Mt. Hoploy Operations Commander that was floating on my HUD.
“Completely, Captain. The order comes from Colonel Sared himself.” He replied. I pressed my fingers to my eyes and squeezed my nose.
“Is there anybody coming to remove to casualties?”
“All will be taken care of in due time. Please follow your orders.”
“Due time?” I was pissed. “What about the twelve bodies I have up here? I can’t just leave them!”
The Commander was stern, but seemed uncomfortable. “Again, Captain Kelt, that is not your concern. Please proceed to the Outpost. Base out.” With that, his image disappeared and was replaced with dark orange-tinted mountain scenery.
“Damn.”
When my canopy opened Kavid was waiting for me. I didn’t have to say anything.
“Damn.” He said.

“…and so we’re to continue to the Outpost and abandon our position here.”
“What about the bodies?” asked Katrana.
Sometimes I hated this job. The hell with what base ordered. If they weren’t going to do anything about them, I would.
“We’re gonna bury them.”
“Yes, sir.” They all said.

We were all exhausted. Most of us hadn’t slept in over twenty-three hours. It was very late at night, and we had all just completed very strenuous—both physically and emotionally—work. I ordered everyone to take a quick power nap before we moved on.
I couldn’t sleep. I kept thinking about what had happened today.
As we buried our friends, Sifen had pointed out to me that whatever did the massacre had to have been a low-flying Zoid. The damage to the tops of near-by trees suggested it. That was helpful. There weren’t very many low-flying Zoids. Unfortunately, they were all powerful ones.
Just as I started to doze off, a small orange light started flickering in the corner of my eye. It was the Motion Detector. Something else was out there.
Kavid’s Wolf growled and Sifen opened his Wolf’s missile launchers. Katrana’s Cannons started to glow as they warmed up. Good. Everyone was awake.
I opened and closed my Wolf’s mouth two times. Kavid caught the clue and ran towards the trees. I knew Katrana was confused, but she was new. The rest of us were a team. She’d learn our signals someday.
As soon as PAC-Wolf 2 disappeared into the tree line, a flurry of laser blasts shreiked out. As soon as they stopped, a burning Rev Raptor ran out from the brush and straight into a laser barage from Sifen. It blew to pieces.
“Look out!” cried Katrana.
Another barely visible, burn-black Rev Raptor fell from the new moon sky, smacking hard onto my Zoid. Its claws begain an insane slashing assault. Katrana’s cannons knocked it thirty meters off of me.
Kavid returned from the trees, being chased by three more Raptors.
“Form a defensive position!” I ordered. What was going on?
Our Unit formed a circle and started picking off targets. More and more of the burn-black slasher-Zoids trotted out from the trees and brush. Our cannons were in constant fire, but Sifen was wise in not wasting his missiles on such small targets.
“Where are these things coming from?” asked Katrana.
“Who cares?” replied Kavid. “It’s like shooting fish in a barrell!”
A huge ring of dead Rev Raptors, obviously all sleepers, began piling higher and higher around us. But the Zoids kept coming, crawling over their fallen brethren and quickly adding to the wall’s height. They just wouldn’t stop!
Then, as if on cue, there were no more. They stopped coming. We couldn’t see if there were any more, because the wall obstructed view in any direction.
“What was the point of that?” said Kavid.
No more sounds, save the crackling of burning Rev Raptors could be heard. There weren’t even any wildlife sounds. It was dark. It was quiet. I was starting to feel cold.
“Captain,” said Sifen, making me jump, “should I climb atop the Raptor carcasses and see if there are any more around?”
“Y-yes, Sargeant. Please do.”
But as soon as Sifen took one step, there was a loud thruster roar. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. It stopped instantly and was followed by a loud, metallic thud!
“Sifen, what was that?” asked Kavid.
“I can’t tell, sir. Electrical interference from the burning Rev Raptors is blocking all scanners.”
Suddenly sharp wap! wap! sounds were made, followed by hissing and humming sounds…and it was getting lighter out.
I didn’t need Zoid Basic Training to know what those sounds meant.
“Charged Particle Gun! Move! Move! Move!” I screamed.
Our four PAC-Wolves lept out of the ring of dead Raptors just as a massive sizzling white stream of ionized plasma shot through. The Raptors either erased from existence or erupted in violent explosions. The Wolves were launched into the air.
Sifen and Katrana’s Wolves crashed into the Shadow Fox Graveyard. Kavid flew out over some trees and I smashed down onto a grassy knoll.

Considering how much of a pounding my Wolf took, I found the crash surprisingly non-violent. The PAC-Wolf seemed to absorb a great deal of the kinetic energy from the crash. Was that what the Plasma Armor could do?
Since I still had my senses, I looked out the canopy window and could see nothing but faint orange stars and trees. Rain drops began to patter on the canopy, making my view even worse.
Then a faint red eye flashed, about ninety meters away. It was looking at me. And I could see what it was, now:
Geno Saurer.
My Command Wolf stood up, but difficultly. Its systems were all okay, amazingly. But it was…scared? Sometimes I forget that Zoids are living creatures.
The Saurer crouched down, ducked its head and fired its twin cannons. My Wolf tried to jump, but energy moves faster than reflexes. The shots smacked the Command Wolf hard, knocking it to the dirt and pushing it backwards.
I figured it had to be over for me now, but when I checked the control panel, I was shocked. Absolutely no damage was done. Armor strength was still one hundred percent!
Geno screamed a roar of disapproval, took a step forward and started firing again. The volley of blasts joined the rain in crashing down upon my Zoid. A small crater formed around it from the energy shells that missed.
When the attack stopped, my PAC-Wolf was half-buried in the mud. The Zoid’s metal was so hot the rain drops sizzled into steam as they hit.
I could hear the Geno Saurer’s roars as I layed beneath the cloud of steam. I felt…fine. No damage was done. It didn’t make any sense. How powerful was this Plasma Armor?
But I wasn’t going to push my luck.
“Kavid, cover fire!” I called.
PAC-Wolf 1 lept from the mud and ran towards Kavid’s crash site. I figured that if I was okay, then he was okay. Sure enough, PAC-Wolf 2 emerged from the brush and opened fire on the Geno Saurer.
My Wolf slid to a stop beside Kavid’s and joined the fire on the Geno. The Saurer was really screaming in a confused rage now. Who was piloting that thing?
Then I remembered some priorites.
“Kavid, keep it busy. Don’t let it use its C-P-G! I’m going to find Sifen and Katrana!”
“Uh…no problem, Jeremy.”
I ran my wolf past the Geno Saurer, happy that every one of Kavid’s shots were nailing the head. That guy was good. Sifen’s Wolf ran past me, back towards the Saurer, and was opening its missile panels. Good, Sifen was okay. Even Kavid wasn’t good enough to fight a Geno Saurer by himself.
I found PAC-Wolf 4 lying on its side at the far end of the pond. I flicked on my HUD-Comm and tried to talk calmly.
“Private Sared, can you hear me?”
Missiles launching.
“Katrana, report!”
Explosions. Cannon fire.
“Ugh…Captain? Captain is that you?
Loud stomping. Roaring.
“Yes, Private. Are you able to go into battle?”
Whipping and crashing sounds.
“Huh? Oh…yes. Yes, sir.”
More stomping. Wap, wap.
“Good, I need you to give us cover while we pull back. Understand?”
Crackling sounds. Light.
“Yes, sir! You can count on me!
A weak cry from Kavid.
“Get outta there, Jeremy!”
White.

[darthraider1]

You sure like having your main characters asses kicked!

Nice work...plasma armor sounds cool!

[Kavid]

Don't worry, they're not dead yet.

This story isn't about super-heroes or invincibility. I like my bad-guys to be tough. I don't like easy fights for either side.

The Plasma Armor is tough, really tough, but it's not invincible.

Thanks, Darth.

Anybody else?

[Deadborder]

Kavid said:

Don't worry, they're not dead yet.

This story isn't about super-heroes or invincibility. I like my bad-guys to be tough. I don't like easy fights for either side.

The Plasma Armor is tough, really tough, but it's not invincible.

Cool beans. Great work as allways there, Kavid.

I like the fact that you're keeping the characters and their Zoids at a relaistic level of ability. It's okay for htem to be good pilots and to have powerful Zoids, as long as the Zoids arent all-powerful and hte pilots aren't invincible. That gets boring. You've kept it well on the good side of that, which I like.

As before,. your chracters are well descriibed, your battles relistic and the writing good. Keep at it.

Rick R.

[skatemonkey89]

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiceeeeeeeeeee................. i wish i was as good as u. but ya, i hate boring fights. thats y i hate my 6th chapter. i wasnt in a writing mood. u do a great job of keeping battles fun. but boy did they slaughter those revs

[Fulano]

Wow, if i could describe battle scenes as good as you.... I'd make a fanfic...

[Tilly]

The "excpet Mansod, dangit" in parenthses breaks the flow, I think...I'd have him gripe about that in his head later.

The Fox's gun's a beam weapon, but I liked the noise bit nonetheless-that's something I'd do, be focusing on the annoying hum and trying not to think about the blown up Zoids themselves.

And like Rick said, good balance of pilot abilities-no one's invincible, no one's bad...and they seem to each have specialties. That's good.

[Kavid]

A gattling gun is a beam weapon? That seams odd. I figured it used energy shells. I mean, Zoids can run out of ammo, right? And it shoots at such a high rate of speed. But then, anything can exist in fantasy/sci-fi.

Still, I don't know all the stats and measurements of these weapons and Zoids. I've seen every Zoid cartoon episode more than I care to admit, even Fuzors, and know real military weapons pretty well. I know research is important, but 'll admit I'm mostly going by just what seems to make sense.

I'm trying to be "realistic," but if something just doesn't fit, please let me know.

Thanks, Tilly.

[Tilly]

It's labeled "armor-piercing laser vulcan" *shrugs*...you could always say the power to that half of is was cut. It's a minor thing, really...and the scene's better left that way.