Post by Zoidmagnite on Apr 1, 2008 20:04:45 GMT -5
I'm not real good at short stories, but have a go at it. It's first draft.
Lieutenant Matt Kansas sat amidst the haze of burnt circuit boards and half operating controls. His Elephander walked westward through the southern Minhos Canyon.
Three and a half steps at a time, the Phander's pace was slow. The left front leg servo controls had been severed from the lower limb actuators. The lower left leg had failed, the result of a well placed Dibison attack.
Not even a spark flashed amidst the massive metal armor and structure. The lower left limb was little more than a metal beam. With each strained stride, the upper left leg servos were overheating. The balancing computers were continuously adjusting the actuators to keep the Zoid upright.
Matt encouraged his massive metal friend to hold steady. He looked at the chronometer. It had been nearly an hour since the last halt. The breaks the Zoid needed were increasing. Half hour segments were lossed each time. Matt figured the Zoid would make two miles before he'd lock the legs in an upright position.
Phander's trunk groaned as it floated left to right; another part of the balancing computer's arsenal. Elephander was big. Elephander was also heavy.
The trunk weapon was long gone, the Gordosaur with Gojulas Cannons made sure of that. Not even the shield of an Elephander can withstand that frontal assault. That Zoid had cost Matt his squad; two trophies for the war. Two Elephanders were not coming home today.
The shock of the alarms going off barely shook Lieutenant Kansas. He looked at the status screen, already knowing what it displayed. The Left upper servos were failing, ten miles short of his hope. Elephander came to a halt and Matt set the controls to lock the legs in position.
Matt slumped amidst the smokey haze and smell of hot silicon. He wouldn't leave the cockpit and prepared to shut down the core. His friend was fading fast and he stopped the Zoid's systems from draining any more, but it was too late. The core's levels were dropping slowly and without an injection of another core the Zoic would fail.
Lieutenant Kansas smashed his fist against the cockpit chair arms. He muttered a saying he had heard long ago. Wars weren't good for any body . . . living metal, or living flesh. And Kansas new his metal friend was becoming another trophy for the war. He cursed the war. He cursed the Gordosaur, the Dibision, the president of the Republic and finally with hesitation, Matt cursed the Royal Family of Guylos. It did him little relief as his situation grew grim.
Matt eyed the self-destruct button laying beneath the clear protective door. He couldn't remember what he was thinking as the communication boards chirped a signal. Matt looked through the long range scope mounted to the right of his chair.
On the horizon was a plume of dust and Matt could barely make out the lines. At the center of the plume Matt recognized the outline of the front end of the Gustav approaching directly toward him.
He sighed and his thoughts chided him. Today the war was denied two trophies. Today, we will live my friend. Matt brought the remaining systems off line and relieved the core of the remaining load.
Lieutenant Matt Kansas sat amidst the haze of burnt circuit boards and half operating controls. His Elephander walked westward through the southern Minhos Canyon.
Three and a half steps at a time, the Phander's pace was slow. The left front leg servo controls had been severed from the lower limb actuators. The lower left leg had failed, the result of a well placed Dibison attack.
Not even a spark flashed amidst the massive metal armor and structure. The lower left limb was little more than a metal beam. With each strained stride, the upper left leg servos were overheating. The balancing computers were continuously adjusting the actuators to keep the Zoid upright.
Matt encouraged his massive metal friend to hold steady. He looked at the chronometer. It had been nearly an hour since the last halt. The breaks the Zoid needed were increasing. Half hour segments were lossed each time. Matt figured the Zoid would make two miles before he'd lock the legs in an upright position.
Phander's trunk groaned as it floated left to right; another part of the balancing computer's arsenal. Elephander was big. Elephander was also heavy.
The trunk weapon was long gone, the Gordosaur with Gojulas Cannons made sure of that. Not even the shield of an Elephander can withstand that frontal assault. That Zoid had cost Matt his squad; two trophies for the war. Two Elephanders were not coming home today.
The shock of the alarms going off barely shook Lieutenant Kansas. He looked at the status screen, already knowing what it displayed. The Left upper servos were failing, ten miles short of his hope. Elephander came to a halt and Matt set the controls to lock the legs in position.
Matt slumped amidst the smokey haze and smell of hot silicon. He wouldn't leave the cockpit and prepared to shut down the core. His friend was fading fast and he stopped the Zoid's systems from draining any more, but it was too late. The core's levels were dropping slowly and without an injection of another core the Zoic would fail.
Lieutenant Kansas smashed his fist against the cockpit chair arms. He muttered a saying he had heard long ago. Wars weren't good for any body . . . living metal, or living flesh. And Kansas new his metal friend was becoming another trophy for the war. He cursed the war. He cursed the Gordosaur, the Dibision, the president of the Republic and finally with hesitation, Matt cursed the Royal Family of Guylos. It did him little relief as his situation grew grim.
Matt eyed the self-destruct button laying beneath the clear protective door. He couldn't remember what he was thinking as the communication boards chirped a signal. Matt looked through the long range scope mounted to the right of his chair.
On the horizon was a plume of dust and Matt could barely make out the lines. At the center of the plume Matt recognized the outline of the front end of the Gustav approaching directly toward him.
He sighed and his thoughts chided him. Today the war was denied two trophies. Today, we will live my friend. Matt brought the remaining systems off line and relieved the core of the remaining load.
