Dead Cities and Deader Men all at once

Dead Cities and Deader Men 
Consolidated, original writing as presented in separate installations

November / December 2020

CW Kelson III (Tad) Author

For the first #30DaysOfWritingChallenge on twitter

Droning vibrations permeated the ground vehicle. Outside was a wash of moldy greens and bile blacks, with the incessant rain seeking entry. The ground was plain old rock, slick with mildew and oil that pools up in cracks and runs in streams and rivulets where possible.

 

Thunder cracks and shakes the interior, dimming lights, and making for tense moments at times. The lightning reflects off the interior control console. Glare and flash blindness is a part of the territory.

 

The rotation driver opens the hatchway into the steering compartment. Plops down in the gunner seat and just stares out the main window. “Lovely weather ehh.” Smartass. “No worse than the last month out here.”

Grunts and he looks at the various screens. Gun cameras, tracking radars, surveillance masers with video backups.

 

“Nothing new, least we are over the half way mark.”

 

Hops into the second driver seat, “Got it.”

Get up, stretch, take a moment to double check the screens, “Later.”

 

Close the hatch behind me. If something does penetrate the glass, should be stopped with the heavy steel frame and airtight proofing. If and should being the main thoughts.

 

The dozen some others of us on board are siting in the main common space. All either ignore me or just grunt. Fine, too long stuck in here. At least in The City you have enough room to be alone, with all the dead space not being used inside it. Here just cooped up, no room at all. Claustrophobia has been bred out of our species, still difficult to be this close, this long, to this many others.

 

I make it to the cooking space, grab a half-eaten ration, finish it off. Inconsequential as to who started it. Not going to waste it. Find a spot to crash. Back up in six hours to drive again. Only three drivers, and one of us, don’t care what their name is, is sick with something or another. Back in isolation, sweating it out in blissful alone time, just steel walls and recirculating air for company. Sounds good about now. Hate them, hate them all, with their opinions and inability to be alone for days at a time.

 

Stuck in this recon. Stuck.

 

 

 

“Stop shaking me, I’m up.”

The form goes on to the next bunk, shakes that one, then on to the rest.

Least I slept this time. Often just nightmares and re-living of the prior stint driving.

Just toss some water on the face, my turn to wash is not for a week more, and grab something to chew on as I pass up to the front. The steady thrum and throb of the engines, wheel spikes pulling us along, mixed with the hurricane force winds coming off the distant coast all makes for a comfortable and numbing background noise.

Undog the hatch, spin the wheel, enter the driver compartment. Next to the weapons pods, safest place on the whole damn vessel. The armor is the second thickest, shields will drop auto if something is approaching at any real rate of speed, along with being self-contained and able to detach from the rest of it all. Sometimes think about pulling the plug on the others. Hit the emergency bolts, hear the seals drop and feel the rest of the train drop off the back end, unable to move without me there.

Think about it sometimes, think about it.

Just cannot remember any of the other names. None of them matter to me. Been out here too long, too long, too long to keep any of it straight. Pop into the secondary chair, will slide over once alone in here. Check the displays, huge hunk of radioactive ice is ahead, rocks all around, still steady crawling over it all.

“Got it, see you in six.”

He gets up, look over, some wild eyes going on there. Might be up here lot longer than I think, if he cracked, means two of us three are down and the only one left is me.

“Go eat, sleep, now.”

He staggers out, barely gets the hatch sealed. I double check. No reason for me to die if he blows some hatch in his madness. Great, might lose another one. Great.

 

 

 

 

Review a third time, all looks about quo. Look over the travellog, on track with the planning. Still about 20 full days away from return. Had to detour around some herds, went over an emergent boulder field, and used full spike mode a dozen times. About usual in comparison. All radars, masers, cameras all read clear except for the usual rain and windblown debris.

Shift passes fine, about two thirds done and the hatch opens up. It is the detachment chief. Never heard a name. Sits in the co-driver chair.

“The other driver, the one just off shift. Had to restrain him. Went end, took out a tailgunner, wounded a few other gunners. Tranqed and strapped into the medsection.”

This leaves me alone qual to drive this monstrosity.

“Unhooked a tailgunner, young. Might be able to pick up something, help out.”

“Won’t work. Not wired that way, no training, no reflexes. Just stay up a bit longer than usual. How is Driver One doing?”

“The machines estimate another ten full days before he might be up. Injuries too severe to even wake him yet.”

Time enough to blow the hatches, kill them all, dump them out the chutes and just take my time driving back to The City. Would be easy enough to do. None would fault me at this point. Will still be able to fill it up after I get back.

“Fine, will see how long I last, then will have to stop. This changes the timeframe, heading back early.”

“Fine, fine. We are all ready to be done anyways. Been rough enough already. Lost what a third the complement so far. Not the smooth run it was supposed to be. Do what has to be done.”

He leaves my space, still thinking about the easy course. Will just locate the shortest route. Takes an hour or so, will be past a few active volcanoes, acid lakes, couple known stomping grounds. Likely will make it.

“Primary Gunner, check all weapon stocks. Likely will see some action pretty soon. Changing course back to The City.”

Turn off the comms.

 

 

 

 

Quiet until half way into what would be the next shift of driving. Kept myself going with stims and cafjuice. The Main Gunner came up a few times, seeing on progress. Will take a good ten full sleep cycles to make it back. Not going to be able to stay awake that long. No way to stop the track until we return to The City, coded that way. So will have to nap at some point, have one of them up here against protocol to assist. Might need to look into that spare Tail Gunner, see if it might be up to the task. Could just dump them all, make it back on my own.

Open up the interior comms, “Master Gunner, please come to the drive compartment.”

It takes a little while, then the hatch opens up and someone else comes in. Some other gunner, don’t know any names, comes up.

Young looking kid, male pretty sure, the weapon attachment points prevalent on forearms with ports on his neck.

“Hi, I’m Trale Fiftyseven. I was told that you might need someone to help out:”

Definietly male, totally too young for this. Likely why he is only a Tail Gunner.

“Sit down. Watch that screen there.” Point to the radar

“Radar, maser, feeds from the Main, Side, and Tail Guns along with radio detection and passive detectors. Tell me if you see anything that looks like it is too big to go over, or is moving towards us.”

Simple enough. Anyone should be able to do that much. Slow the speed down to the lowest allowed by the governors and step over behind him.

“So the top overlay is the radar. The sub overlays display the other data corelated to the main radar. The camera feeds are separate and integrated. Shows what is ahead, sides, above and behind. Back there in the Tail I presume you have a similar display slaved to the weapons.”

“Yes Sir, The Shock Cannons are tied into my limbs and the PDW pods to the ports and eyeblink controlled. Been modded to have full autonomous control of my eyes, throat, breathing, heartbeat. So I can speed them all up or stop them as need be. Main Gunners are too old to handle the Side and Tail stresses. That is when they go to the Main Guns and Aux Deployers.”

Never knew about that. Always thought they just grabbed and randomly just plugged away at anything.

 

 

 

 

“So, any questions to start with?”

“No, can I just watch for a while?”

Grunt. Back to the task of making sure nothing eats us or unexpected obstacles to go through or around. That is the major part of driving. Staying awake is a massive part of it also. If this child can keep two eyes open long enough to get a nap or two, will be worth the effort to show him anything at all.

“Look around, ask before you touch, and see what you can figure out.”

Back to monitoring the train and tracks, along with internal diagnostics on the stoves, internal air circulation, monitored sleep patterns and even continuous inventory of the rations and ammunitions. All a constant running status of the entire track and all its systems. Which is really what we Drivers do. Watch the Gunners use up the supplies we sign for, sitting around most of the time sleeping or getting off to each other’s sad comments, while we are in charge of ensuring we never stop moving outside of The City. Not moving is Not Alive. Not Alive is detrimental to the concept of getting too old to be sent and finally be able to find someone to settle down with in the space provided once too old to head out again.

Back to task at hand. Only like ten more days till we can pull into The Garage and this thing can shut down. Until then it will not, cannot stop moving. I cannot stop taking care of it. Now if only the others would just all lie down and do nothing for the rest of the mission, or just plug into their weapon mounts and stay there till needed, would be appreciated.

Check, all security hatches are secure. Could open, vent the air out, let the toxic in, take care of the headaches, then just drive on. Too much paperwork to fill out to explain so much ammo left, so few monsters taken out, more hassle than worth.

“You doing ok there watching the screens, got an idea what you are looking at?” See if Tail Gunner is still with it or not.

“Yes, little more stuff, but making some sense. That rock outside, see on the radar and the gun cameras, see with my eyes. Makes sense.”

“Ok, going to close mine for a few moments. Wake me if anything changes or is large outside.”

Recline the seat, close the eyes.

 

 

 

Suddenly my chair is shaking, “Wake up, wake up, something is happening.”

Sounds a little excitable, or just nervous.

Rub the eyes, check the screens. Cameras are clear, something is moving on the sonar and there are hints on the radar.

“What, looks pretty clear.”

“I saw something on the Main Gun camera, then it disappeared, for just a second.”

Will slew some more lenses that way. See what it was. Might have been some wind devils or the like.

Takes a minute or so, then get it. Looks like a snake, Estimate about twice our length, maybe about 250 meters or so, about a 40 centimeters of armor over the whole thing, little faster than we are, and sloughing off the environment like it was born here, which is was. Not a big threat, if it is alone.

“Just a snake, little one, no big deal. Good eyes though. Good eyes.”

Scan about some more.

“Go get me something to eat and drink, don’t care what it is.”

Might have a future someday as a Driver. Will have to have him tested when we return. They can always retool his implants.

Watching the snake, looks like it slithered away somewhere. Might have the nest close by. Hope not too close. Those things are pack animals when it comes to hunting.

Kid comes back, got hot stuff, that is different. Will be good for a while yet. Time to show him a few more systems.

Brappppppp

PDGs going off, check it and something had got close to us. New thing, all round body about a dozen meters big, thick epidermal armor, rotating fangs in a wide maw right at us.

“Side Gunners, starboard, take it down, single target.”

I feel the chudder of the side guns, see the impacts, watch the ammo feed record the rounds being expended.

The slaved gun cameras record the impacts and the destruction of the thing. Sometimes good, sometimes bad, if it brings other, larger things.

 

“Target taken out, check fire, look alive for secondaries.”

“Hey kid, keep an eye out. Just in case something comes to snack on that thing and it looks at us sideways.”

As a Tail Gunner he gets it. If we get chased it is his job to hold it off. If something gets to us, he could be the first to go.

I rev up the engines and increase speed to half. Going about 32 klicks an hour, as fast as I want to risk it right now. Looks like we might get clear when the kid taps my arm and points to the long range radar. Something big heading our way from the side.

“All Guns Man, all Guns Man.”

Announce and turn us away from the closing monster. Big one, about a hundred meters long I estimate. Close rate means we have maybe three or four minutes before engagement.

“Look over there kid’ I point to a separate side display, “shows status of all Guns. Green is manned, Yellow is manned but not ready, Red means unmanned or disabled. Dead Gunner or Gun or some other mechanical.”

Pause, wait for him to respond back.

“Looks like Main Gun 1 and 2 are Green, all side Guns are Green, both Tail Guns are also Green. All ready to go.”

“Good, we got a few minutes to go. Might have to shoot, might not. There is an aux panel a second Driver can man. It is there below the main drive panel. Pull it out and check it out.”

Back to checking the close rate, it slowed down for some reason, we may get out without a fight.

“Check the Deploy Panel one more time, are the Suits ready.”

“Looks like 5 suits are Green, 3 are Yellow, 2 Red.”

“Likely the Red and Yellow are in the suits, just not fully ready. Keep an eye while you look over the Auxes.”

Trial by fire, semi by fire for this one.

 

 

“All status is Green now.”

Look over, he has the Aux panel lit up. Chaff, Flares, IR Distractors, Strobes, and ChemClaymores all at his disposal. Not what he is used to, but I presume he will be steady.

“Main Guns, target is about one minute out. Do not engage unless point blank. This is a large one out there. Side Guns prep to engage.”

Pick it up with the main Gun Cameras. Big one, like I thought hundred some meters long, segmented body, huge head full of teeth as long as a body, and armor plated. Has a good dozen legs holding it about the height of the track off the ground as it moves towards us.

Still hoping it will pass us by, see something else it is interested in more than us.

It turns slightly, head swinging side to side, then straight on intercept course.

“Main Guns acquire and engage.”

Heavy thumps rock the track as both Main Guns fire. The railguns dim the interior lights as they draw the majority of the electric load to recharge and fire again. Takes a few seconds before discharges. I point to the Main Gun cameras for the kid to see the rounds impact.

The Side Guns kick off. I watch lighting arc out as the plasma projectors pump energy into the target. We can see the armor plating starting to get hot and begin to start running. Not going to make much of a difference. Really up to the Main Guns to do the damage. Both sit on the top of the track, able to target all around or at aerial targets.

It seems to be discouraged by the damage heading its way. Must not be that hungry, otherwise likely would just charge right in.

I see two direct hits on the face of it. Both rounds punch into the skull and it shakes it head like it felt it. These things here do not have nerve endings, so they have no sense of pain. Instead you have to do enough damage to discourage, or hit a vital spot and cause fatal wounds. This one must have felt something because it is turning around and heading out now.

All the weapons cease firing once it shows its tail area. Just in case it changes its mind due to some stray shot.

 

 

 

 

 

“Target moving outbound. Check all fire. Watch for others.”

 

“You can power down the Aux Panel now. It will slip down under the Drive Panel till next time.”

 

Still have us at half speed, will give it a few more minutes then throttle back to quarter speed to continue heading to The City.

 

“Keep watch though. Just in case it wanders back for another try.”

 

I turn back to the Main Drive Panel. Checking ammo stocks and other diagnostics. Glance at the Ready Panel and still Green across the board. Will leave them that way for a little while longer. Sometimes the big ones will come back even if you had hit them pretty hard.

 

A few minutes later, “Sir, what is this on the Radar?”

 

I lean over and check it out. Something really big is heading our way. Not from the same direction the other one headed to. This is a different thing entirely.

 

“Second target, heading in our direction, man all Guns, man all guns. All Suits prep for close combat.”

 

I point at the panel, “This is larger than the last one. Looks a little slower, still a little ways out. We have maybe 5 minutes before in contact range.”

 

He pulls the Aux Panel back out and readies it.

 

I turn away from the target, hoping again it will miss us or decide to attack something else. It had been a quiet patrol so far. Only a few things sighted and fired on. Driver 1 getting injured was a fluke happening and now with Drive 3 down with issues, this all has to come about.

 

After a little while the Cameras pick it up. We are screwed. Looks like it will get us and it is massive. Might be about the largest creature I have ever seen out here. About 200 meters in length, with a huge body, long tail and massive head full of serrated ridged teeth. Has like ten legs holding it aloft and moving it easily through the heavy terrain.

 

“Target is on the left side, prep both Main Guns and all Side Guns. This one is about twice the size of the prior one. Stand by with all Guns.”

 

“Kid, Drivers have control of the missiles the Track has. They are located on the Panel under the Main Driver Side where I am.”

 

I check the Camera feeds, the mouth opens and roars, cannot hear it or feel the vibration here inside our armor, but everything around us must have felt it at least. It has sighted us and definitely changed direction to cut us off.

 

Suddenly the lights dim, and the recoil from the two Main Guns is felt inside. It is just about in range of the Side Guns and then I see the screens go blank with the flare of energy and projectiles. The kid kicks off the IR Distractors and pops Chaff and Smoke at the same time. The Mains fire again and again with constant action on the Sides. All of them are impacting on the thing, but it does not slow down. Not sure if the Mains are even penetrating the thick armored hide on the head.

 

“Beware Missile Preps, beware.”

 

“Suits deploy once missiles away.”

 

I lock on the neck area and launch a dozen streaks of high energy penetrator rounds from the forward turret. Soon as they streak away the Deploy Board sounds off that all Suits are deployed and they start to fan out and lay more fire into the oncoming monstrosity.

 

It is finally close enough, towering over the Track and all Guns are firing as fast as they can. I launch another dozen missiles into the same spot. That seemed to sting, it roared and lurched a little bit. I can see the suits lumbering around and firing their lasers into the legs trying to disable it.

 

A couple good hits from the Main Guns catches its attention and it leans down and clamps its huge maw on the middle of the track. The PDW and PDGs all fire off at the same time scratching off some of the layers of protective hide armor. The main guns fire point blank into the head while the Side Guns closest rake the underside of it.

 

The kid launches Flares and IR Distractors right into its face as well and it starts to increase the bite. I hear the metal creak and moan with the crushing force. The lights dim as the Mains fire again and again. All weapons are still Green, too close for more missiles while it is still trying to eat us. The Point Defense weapons are firing on continuous with it being so close and all the other Guns are landing rounds and energy into the beast.

 

Finally, some of the shots are affecting it. It seems to shake its head making the whole vehicle shake and shudder. I engage the spikes to grip better and keep us moving as much as we can. Tearing and shrieking sounds come from metal being tortured by the giant fangs of the thing grabbing us.

 

I see ichor spraying out finally from multiple high velocity rounds impacting over and over in the same areas. There are gaps in the armor and now the Shock Cannons and Plasma Lightning Guns are penetrating into the slightly softer interior.

 

It leans back and shrieks, the soundwave rocking us and drowning out the engine and weapons sounds. More fire lashes into it and it rears back and this allows us to drive out from under the head and maw. Now the Tail Gunners can get into the firing more than the Side Guns while the Mains continue. I launch a dozen more missiles and it seems to have gotten the hint.

 

Suddenly with another roar it stopped following us and then a few more Main Guns hits in the head convinced it that we were more work than worth.

 

 

 

 

As the monster turns away from the Track, “Check Fire again, heading outbound, no need to maybe piss it off. Check for damage, recall Deployed Suits.”

 

Reach down and slow the Track as much as possible to let the Suits catch up. They should be able to sprint and make it.

 

Look over the inventory, down a little, not as bad as maybe it might have been. Overall been a quiet patrol, this is the most amount of combat the whole time.

 

Look at the kid, he seems calm enough in the aftermath.

“Check the cameras, see if the suits have caught up yet, we are at the slowest speed we can be.”

 

It takes the deployed a little while, but they all remount and once they are secured, confirmed by the kid on the Deploy Panel, increase the speed back to where it was before the sighting and engagement.

 

“Good work kid, nice use of the distractors and other Auxiliaries.”

 

“Thank you, sir.”

 

Guess no need to open up the hull, need them till we get back. Back to checking the route ahead based on maps and radar for any obstacles. Looks pretty clear for a while.

 

“Kid, going to close my eyes, trying to rest a little bit. Can you watch for a while more?”

 

I see him move his head in the affirmative direction. Lean the chair back and close my eyes to the humming of the machinery.

 

I feel a shaking in the chair, eyes open up and can tell that it has been a while that I was asleep. The sun has changed position and checking it has been a good three hours that I slept. Look over and the kid has the Driver Panel out on his side, looks like he has been exploring the various functions. Might have a new Driver on our hands here after some formal training back in The City. Can hardly wait to get back. Only a while longer and then I can sleep as much as I need to.

 

“Kid you in charge, going to go eat something and clean up a bit. That ok?”

 

He motions affirmative and glances at the displays before opening up the hatch.

I hear and feel it close behind me and suddenly I am worried. What if he does not let me back into the Driver Section? What if he takes over, kills us all and just drive back to The City all on his own? There is no way to stop that from back in the main section. I go grab an emergency air pack and carry it with me to the cleaning station. It sit right next to me the entire time I am in there. I grab a couple of rations and take them back up front with me.

 

The door opens when I approach and I step through back into my part of the Track. He didn’t kill me, he didn’t kill us, we are all still alive. Will limit my time out of here as much as I can, will limit it, will limit it.

 

Need more sleep, I think.

 

 

 

Close my eyes again, trust the Kid won’t get us killed before he can wake me and drift off.

I slip into dreams, I know I am sleeping and dreaming and cannot stop what is happening at all.

I see the Track falling into an endless canyon with monsters bouncing us back and forth with their claws and fangs and grabbed with endless amounts of teeth filled with screaming suits of disemboweled uses us all for chew toys like some oversized pets of screaming gods of bowels and gases drowning out all of the torment with the putrid sky leaking vile toxins and poisons filling each set of lungs with blisters and suppurating lesions with eyeballs exploding outward from internal pressures as the track falls into an abyss of black fangs and endless pulsating throats with rending, grinding stomachs

Feel his hand on my shoulder shaking me

“Sir, wake up, you are screaming, wake up sir.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Almost two hours sir.”

Will have to do. More than I figured I would be getting. Time for him to head back for some rest also.

“Ok kid, did good so far. Head back and relax for a few hours. Eat and sleep if you can. When you wake up, come back up here. Got more training to do. You have a good feel for Driving so far so want you back up here with me.”

He smiles and I cycle the doors and he then disappears into the rest of the track.

Read over all the displays, review the inventory and status. No damage to any Suits, weapons are all loaded in case, there is plenty of expendables in the stocks. So far, so good, other than the other two Drivers down hard. Looks like we have a strong option for another Driver overall. Will share that with the other Drivers when we return.

 

 

 

 

 

[Flashback]

Twisting, rending metal all around. Hiss of good air outbound, replaced with influx of deadly chemicals and waste products. Sounds of dying echoed with the stutter of futile small arms fire. The Driver Panels all screamed the story, the Track was dead and all inside were dying in one way or another.

All major systems off line. Movement, detection, internal life support, power, all about to fail. Smack the panel with heel of hand, see if it will jog it back into operation. Nothing working right. Camera relays showing ranks of serrated, rotating circular mouths ripping into the metal skin of the vehicle.

All Guns falling silent. Only movement now is the rocking of the frame under the repeated assaults of native monsters. The Deploy Panel shows no life signs. Obviously wrong, the driver is trapped in his space, unable to affect what is happening.

The power goes out, air circulation ceases, the outside cold starts to seep in past the thick armor and heavy reinforced glass. Nothing but pending death outside or inside.

Through the glass, can see the thing moving away. Somehow, it missed killing everyone, at least by one. So that is something at least.

Give it a while longer, wait for it to head out, then see what there is to salvage. Don the spare suit kept for emergencies. Give it an hour later, route battery power to the doors and they open up. The whole place is open to the local atmosphere.

Everyone is dead back there. There was little hope that anyone survived. None did. Pull up a spare Suit, load it with everything possible in Meds, Stims, Weapons, and Power Cells. Looks like almost enough to make it back to The City. Will have to push hard to make it work. Most things will not even notice something this small as long as they are not shot at first.

 

 

 

[Flashback 2]

 

Takes a few days to make it the rest of the way back to the outskirts. Head over to the main travel routes in case I could flag down a ride. None can back this way this time. Was little chance of that happening. Only good thing about being in a Suit is that it is small enough that the main threats ignore it due to size. Bad thing is that there are lots of smaller monsters than might go for a bite to test it out.

Had one, looks like a centipede but about 4 meters in length. Had a pair of spiral like horns as it ran straight at the Suit. Took a dozen rounds to get the skull to explode bringing the body to a standstill. Nothing of use on the thing. None of the monsters here are of any worth at all. No useful medicines, not edible, no parts that really could contribute. Not even decent skull structures to have as a trophy. Nothing.

Once close enough, turn on the homing signal and wait for a pickup to occur. After a few hours a small track, about 10 meters with an open back area, pulls up and I hop on and it roars back into The City. I had grabbed all the recordings I could to prove my point and case at whatever inquiry is made. Those are safe inside the Suit with me. Nothing to be stripped off when I enter, made sure.

Takes a few more hours, at least I feel safer with the chains on the open back holding the Suit in place at the tiedown locations. All familiar landscape here now. Same main road driven in and out since becoming a Driver. Really dislike the Suit, no idea why anyone would select that as sometime to use out away from The City.

 

Finally, the Track makes it back. Pass under the waiting Guns, into the tunnel, down into the airlocks and then the caverns where the Tracks are all kept at. Home for me.

 

Still quiet up here, while nice to have a potential spare, dislike this much company around. Always looking over my shoulder, wondering what I am doing, why am I doing that, makes a brain wonder what is going on behind the other eyes. Are those actually eyes or are they recorders ready to transmit back to The City Receivers once within range. Have to check the outgoing communications, see if anything has tagged along with the automatic updates the systems send out. Would not do to have extra radio use if not necessary.

Review the internal cameras, none of them back there look like they are doing anything. Just sitting, cleaning weapons, sleeping, exercising alone or with others. Looks routine, but is it really? Check, the new potential is in a bunk, looks crashed. No signs of hand signals or talking, so no worries about that, this moment. Will check again later.

Review inventories, stocks, queue up status reports, after action details with footage to go out if the Track is destroyed, so it makes it back to the planners there. If something needs to be modified on the Tracks for other reconnaissance missions.

A while passes, no idea how long anymore. Without the routine of the next Driver coming up, time has little sense or meaning anymore. Proximity detectors, based on size and air pressure displacement, ping, making it seem like something is sneaking up on the back of The Track. Pull up the Tail Gun cameras, nothing to be seen. Will keep watch.

Radar sweeps show no large targets back there. Keep attention to the front and sides. If there is ever going to be a coordinated attack, not happened yet in all the lifetimes spent here, but always wonder when the locals will decide to work together. Scientists say they are all just brute monsters with no brains in them. I am sure they are right, but someday they will all rise up and wipe us out. Almost have before, why would anyone not think it will happen again.

Close eyes for a few moments, just past blink stage. Alerts are on audio for these few moments.

 

Dreams of The City falling, the dome above cracking, shredding under the claws of a monster unlike any other seen before. An ancient nightmare woken from insensate slumber, driven mad with our presence, wiping us out once and for all. A long time ago, the tracks were for science. Then the monsters came, got bigger, more aggressive, changed, and kept coming. Now the tracks are for keeping them at bay as long as possible.

Still the dream continues, giant unknown shapes ripping off the metal roof, watching the poison and toxins flood down into the open streets, people gasping and dying even as the pieces fall all around. The few survivors holed up in the underground spaces constantly in suits and with weapons to fight off what follows them down below.

Only darkness falling, as a shadow of monstrosity looms over all of us and each succumbs one by one until only the dead and decaying remain.

The alarm sounds, reminding me it was a two-hour sleep allowed. Nothing shows on the radar or any other detection gear. We are in a pretty low traffic location now, having cut the mission short due to personnel issues.

I think I will let the kid rest some more. I am good for a while now. The nap, while not restful, was sleep anyway. Nothing going on out there, nothing happening in here. All is nice and calm and peaceful.

A while goes by, maybe another hour, and the wireless lights up. Can count a dozen some times in all the runs that the thing has come on. Normally emergencies only, or a change in a route sent by the High Office.

It takes a while for the message to come in. No voice, only directions that are decoded by the machinery embedded in it. Finally, it prints out on the strip paper that is used. It is a long message, makes sense why it took a while to come in.

::MSG FOLLOWS:: All Tracks Return to City, shortest route, no delay. Maximum Spd possible. Conserve supplies. Return NLT 5 days from receipt. IMPERATIVE, NLT 5 days from receipt.::

 

5 days to get back. Means full speed the whole way. This is not going to be a good trip. Cannot recall this ever happening before, never heard of it ever. Can’t be good. Brain is spinning.

Get on the internal comm, “Main Guns to Driver Compartment.”

Only takes the four of them to get up here. Must have been right between changes or they woke easily.

I just hand them the message. While they are starting to read it back on the internals, “All gunners and others, speed is being increased due to mission from The City. It will be a rough ride for much of the next five days. Everyone to exercise complete caution when moving around the Track. For the next five days, exercise complete caution at all times.”

“Before you ask, I have no idea why. Normally it would take about 9 days to return from our location. Will have to be at Full Speed pretty much the entire time, including on rough terrain. I will look for a smoother path that might work. The Tail Gunner that has been helping me, is a good Driver Candidate. He will have to help with this if we are to succeed. Any questions?”

They had none and then I sent them back to the main section. Just about then is when the Kid shows up so I share the message with him as well, as telling him I am going to recommend he transfer to Driver Training, if he wanted that. That got a big smile and so I send him back to rest more, since he will have to take over for extended stretches here very soon so I can rest.

With the track up to almost full speed, it is like tossing and turning in your bed time. I have the terrain adjustors in Full Mode, and the telescoping elements keep us moving over most of the obstacles. Time to pull up the maps and see if there is a better route at this speed.

 

Crank up the gain on all radars and contrast on the cameras. Setting the threat detector on high, will generate some false alerts, but that is better than not finding something. The damn thing goes off almost instantly, have to dial it back down a few notches. Still lighting up inanimates and rock formations as potential threats. Will deal with that for the time being.

The biggest risk is running into something too large to go over, or go around easily. At full speed the risk is being disabled in a collision. So have to focus most of my attention to what is in front of us. First review shows we might be able to shave some time off, slight detour, flatter and little wider in space.

We will route that way, no more dangerous creature wise than anywhere else on this planet. Still means we have to be at full speed pretty much the entire time heading back there. This is going to be rough on the track and its systems.

No matter, the orders stand, less than 5 days to return to The City. Would be better if I knew why we have to. The Track does not have the capacity to reach out that far, only narrow range and near direct line of sight is the sum of the communications capacity. Something about the planetary composition and the atmosphere composition, interferes with more long-range stuff. Radars are fine for horizon level work. Beyond that, useless.

Time to just drive as hard and fast as the machinery will allow for, perhaps more. The weak link are the Gunners in the back. One of them gets uppity, out of line going to take them all out. The Track is the only important thing. All that matters is my Track and her safety.

 

 

 

About a day closer to The City. Been smoother than I expected. I had the Kid up here for a better part of a shift. Basically, just letting him do the major stuff, checking feeds and readings, ensuring the ones in back were not making problems, reviewing the upcoming route every few minutes and so on. All pretty routine, for a normal Driver. He being an almost trainee doing On The Drive work, makes it a bit more realistic. Of course, Driver Training is mostly out in the vehicles, as like a fourth or fifth Driver, sitting shifts with different ones. There is some classroom, mostly out here doing the work while learning as much as possible.

He knows as much or more as I do on Medical, definitely more on the Guns and a natural on the Aux Panel. He makes it, does not wash out or stay with Guns, would be willing to Drive with him in the future. No issue there. Most of us as shifted from Track to Track. No reason to get attached to any of the others, in case you need to dump them out without an ability to breath. I check the internal cameras, does not look like they are about to rush the door, so fine at this moment.

“Kid, gonna go sleep for an hour or two ok?”
He grunts, deep into looking at the specs of the vehicle. I take that as a yes and grab a spare breathing device, in case he get cute and tries to take over my spot while I am sleeping. I can hold my breath long enough to wake, use the relief station, and get back into a bunk before having to put it on. He does not know that, so I have that advantage for certain.

Grab a spare half eaten ration, gulp it down, two refilled waters to take back up front and then lay down. Set the personal alarm for a single hour and crash into sleep nearly instantly.

 

The alarm goes off, wander back up front with a spare ration sitting out. Do not see any of the Gunners about. Look into one of the side mounts and found a couple in there, reviewing firing sequences and emergency actions. So guess this is their time to be doing, what ever they do besides sleep and eat. Really have no idea what they do when they are not in the mounts firing when there is something that needs to be driver away. I wonder what else they do?

Stuff to wonder about, only until I am back in my area, then does not matter. Grab another water bottle, stop at the sinks to toss water on face. Forget the last time I scraped the hair off. Grab up a blade and take off the major portions, looks like stubble now is all. Will do, only like four days left to be back. The track is running smooth, no sharp bumps or jarring, so the route is good and the Kid must be ok up there. Take out a few more minutes to clean up a drop more, water to armpits and such.

I liked it a lot better when there were three drivers and I knew when I was supposed to be up there. Now of course in emergencies, all three of us were there just in case. If ever a breach happened, the Drivers are the most important element of the Track Crew. The rest are expendable if necessary. Not us Drivers.

Feel a little less wiped, up to the front. Some of the Gunners are in the main living space. Never bothered to meet any of them. They just all seem to glare at me. Maybe I will purge them all soon as I get up there. I spin my head fast but none of them seem to notice. Good. Will have to increase the gain on the internal cameras and recordings for the remainder of the trip.

So going to sleep as long as I can once we are back.

Buzz and the Kid lets me in. He does not know that we Drivers can override the hatch is necessary. A simple precaution in case someone goes wrong and enters the compartment. Review the record logs real fast, pace is excellent, route smoother than the mapping seemed to imply. Making great time, should be back about half a day before the deadline. All going well.

“Say Kid, you know where there is any skinny wire back there?”

“Yeah, some in the repair kits for the guns and mounts. How much do you need?”

“Only like a few inches worth, got something I need to do to get through the remaining days. Bring it up after you rest ok.”

“Sure, no problem. Looks like the left tracks are wearing a little based on the Track wants to pull that way a degree or so.”

Look over the track and the autopilot and he is right. Definitely Driver material.

“Great catch, Will update the auto to account for it. Nice work kid, you have potential for sure.”

 

 

The communication machinery is working, decoding a second message just as a contact appears on the radar. The one will take a while, so focus on the potential target. Slew all available Cameras in the direction, and it is a monster out there.

Not seen that type before, multilegged, taller than the usual, maybe about five meters in height, with a dozen meters in length. Does not look too armored, that much weight that high in the air, it is likely fast and not so armored. Since the recon and patrol routes I am normally on do not pass this way, it must be more local or native to here.

With it being a lot flatter than most, that might make sense. Still does not feel like a usual run at all. With the illnesses and tap outs, along with a substitute driver, none of it feels like it should.

Check the feeds again, looks like it is turning more in our direction, like an intercept course. Will be about five or so minutes before in range of the Side Guns. Give it a minute or so more before alerting the Gunners.

By the Landing, it looked right into the cameras, no way past it now.

“All Gunners, man weapons. Target inbound approximately three minutes or less. Prepare for Deployment as last resort. This is a ride and shoot instance, no automatic deployment. Repeat ride shoot.”

It only takes a minute for the Kid to get back up here. He sits and pulls out the Aux Panel and preps it for the coming battle. Look over at the Deploy Panel and all Green across the board. Look and the thing has sped up, my estimate was long, going to be in range way sooner.

“Main Guns fire when ready, Side Guns wait till closer. Tail Guns, we plan to just keep going so you will have free fire once behind us.”

The lights dim to almost off when both Main Guns fire at the same time. I can see both rounds hit and the light weight of the monster, compared to many, rocks it back on its legs. I can see and almost hear a roar from it. Rocks about shatter around it from the sonic vibrations and I can see dust raised up from the response.

Suddenly the Side Guns chatter and I see rounds impacting as well. It flinches, in obvious reaction, and I hope we can just drive it off this easily.

Of course, it shrugs and continues to race towards us, and then the Mains hit it again and it is definitely hurt in the exchange. Might this be first one I see actually die from our fire. That would be a difference. Good thing all of this is recorded automatically.

It gets close enough that it roars again and the sounds waves wash over the Track. The whole place shakes and rings from the action. I hear vibrations all over the place. All the Guns open up on it again and I can see gore splatter off from the impacts. The chaff, IR, and other distractors all go off in effectively it’s face and it rears back again.

I can tell we are making a difference and are hurting it. This is perhaps the most damage done in all the fights I have been in on missions. This is almost going to be a success at this rate. I can feel it is going to happen for us this time.

A third and fourth sets of rounds impact from both Main Guns and it is hurting obviously. More Side Gun impacts show up and I contemplate using one of the remaining missiles and decide not to use it. The first message said to conserve supplies as well as the time limit. Doing well enough so far this time.

There is a fifth dimming and at the near point blank range the two Main Guns do the trick. One round inpacts up close to the head, the other one right in the head and the whole thing is envolped in a cloud of ichor and gore. I see parts splatter off and suddenly it stops moving.

All the guns stop firing as one as we all watch the beast stop still, and fall sideways into what I presume will be its death. I have never heard of a large one being killed before. Have taken out the smaller ones, track size or less. Not something this large. A good thing to have happened to us.

I look and the internal cameras show the gunners all cheering. The Kid next to me is speechless. Hopefully the leaders back in The City will be able to analyze and get good intel from the records. We are not slowing down to collect any trophies. That is too dangerous and would use up valuable time.

“Cease fire, guns in standby. I have never seen a big one go down before. Great work to everyone, great work. Remember this day, we beat one of the monsters on its own terrain. We are heading home everyone. Staying at full speed, only a few days left.”

I close the internal communications and about this time the external communications end receiving and decoding and a second message starts to print.

::MSG FOLLOWS:: Priority Concern. All Tracks make all speed. Return NLT 4 days from receipt.  Maximum Spd possible. Conserve supplies. Return NLT 4 days from receipt. IMPERATIVE, NLT 4 days from receipt. This is the final reminder of this imperative. Sent by the City Leaders.::

Just a reminder of the time frame. This speed, and the different route, we have about 3.5 days left, so we have some leeway in the tasking. Must be something really big going on to warrant this. Really big.

 

 

 

It is a shame to have to drive away, without being able to get samples or take image of it and the damage that was caused. Would be good to see which weapons did the most damage. Better for other tracks in case they run into another one like it.

“Hey Kid good work again. Go rest some more, will need you up here more to make the final push through.”

He heads back into the main portion of the Track. Shortly it seems that the terrain gets a bit rougher once we are well past the dead monster. I go back and review the existing maps and perhaps a slight course correction to the left of our present track will yield a smoother path. So far things have gone much better than I anticipated.

Overall, this is much smoother and better than I had hoped out pan out. The next few hours are quiet and we make great time in our current mission. I refine the course a little more. A little farther out from the direct line makes for a smoother ride which means we can be at full speed and actually will shave a few hours off the entire trip.

Dump a few more stims and keep it moving. A bit later the Kid makes it back up to the compartment. He brings along some more rations and water. That is a good thing. I do not plan to leave up here until we get back to The City.

I have decided I need to be awake the entire rest of the trip. I can load up on stimulants, but eventually my eyelids will droop and I might fall asleep. I am going to pin my eyelids open until we get back. Wil need to eyedrop them once in a while. But otherwise, this should keep me from being able to doze off, with them wide open the entire next few days.

So he has the wire I asked for. Grab the spray anesthetic and get the eyelid dosed up. Clean off the lid and the wire with an alcohol swab and gently thread the wire across the skin. Take care to not get my eyeball, that would not do. Once I got both of them done, I take some other wires and pull the lids up, so they are kept open. Not a lot of blood really, use the coagulant to make sure.

Ready to make the final run straight to the City, nonstop, no need to worry about rest or anything like that. The compartment has a relief station, so I can be here the entire time, in charge of the situation.

 

 

 

 

Time is blurring on me. There has been a couple more attacks. One largish one easily driven off and a small pack of somethings, almost swarmed and it if were not for the PDG and PDM along with the ElectricClaymores and just going into full all terrain mode and driving over and through them, the entire Track would have been lost. The Mains were useless, the Sides constantly chattering and the Tail Guns laying down all they could in firepower kept us alive.

The whole rolling pack ball thing was not as fast once a good portion of it was blown away. The exterior is coated in their innards. Smearing and streaking the View Panels and gumming up the cameras. Going to have to have a Suit or two deploy and cling on to clean up some of it.

Will have to be done at Full Speed of course. So manual deployment, clamp on and clamber up on top to work front to back cleaning what they are able to. Not fun, but they have had a quiet time only out in the fray three times total this recon. I have no real sympathy for them at all.

“Main Gunners to the Drivers Compartment please.”

Not too long and two of them show up. Point out that a couple of the Suits need to deploy and they both see and agree with the plan. Will have to slow to one quarter speed just long enough for them to reach the top and then back down to retrieve them. Only a few minutes both ways so will not affect the timetable appreciable. Give them fifteen minutes to get them ready and then will deploy them.

The work is completed and we pick speed back up. No loss of either of the two Suits, so that is a bonus

 

 

Endless hours of monitoring what is happening in front and to the sides of us. Not certain just how log I have been awake at this moment. Should have enough stims in me to make it the rest of the way to The City. Will take some more if I feel the slightest decrease in visual acuity. I have turned off the feeds into the main portion of the track. Too distracting watching them all back there.

The kid is spending lots of time up here with me. Sometimes he naps in the back chair, third Driver chair is the official designation. I turned the Radar gain up a notch more, to make sure nothing will get past it. I have the Missile Panel all Green, waiting for anything that may come even close. Will pop off a few to discourage at range.

I hear noises from outside the track. Will turn on all the exterior lights to discourage the monsters from getting closer. The vast majority of the native live forms here are aversive to bright lights. Have the spots on also just roaming about, to scare off the smaller ones and see the larger ones if they come to investigate.

The route has gotten rougher, more rocks and boulders, the all-terrain mode is working and we are riding over the ones up to a third our size with no real issues. I have to keep myself strapped in the main Driver seat to keep from falling out and potentially being injured.

I cannot stop the Track. My first and only priority is to get it back to the City. My only loyalty is to the Track.

I grab a few bites from the open ration. Cannot even taste it. More water also. The kid is awake and I step into the compartment relief station. I feel the tracks gripping and grabbing the rocks and ground, swaying beneath my feet.

 

 

It takes a few moments to finish up in there. Wash my face a couple more times, then back out into the compartment. During the time I was in the space it turned dark outside. The sky above wheeled and turned for me and I took back over the main position.

 

The Kid was still up there, watching all the screens with the Aux Panel out and all in the Green. The Deploy Panel is in the Red, none of the main weapon systems ready. The floods and spots are all on their highest settings and the area surrounding the path is as bright as it can be.

 

I think we are a few days out from The City still. Should be back in plenty of time. Turn the internal feeds back on and see what the crew is up to at this time. I stare at them back there, ignorant of the weight of driving, of being the one in charge, making all of the decision, of being responsible. Some Drivers crack under the pressure. Make a few recons, pull back, give up the three chairs and disappear from sight into the city. Others run for a while, then pull back just far enough to train and educate, teach basics inside the walls, and never leave the confines again.

 

Others like me, know we shall never get out of our Tracks, unless we are moving into a different one due to damages or maintenance. This is what it truly means to be a Driver.

Back to the internal feeds. Looks like most of the Suits are doing maintenance with the Gunners racked out. Not enough spaces for everyone to sleep at once. We never stop moving, always have at least half of all of a track crew up and ready to engage.

 

 

 

 

I grab up the first message again.

 

::MSG FOLLOWS:: All Tracks Return to City, shortest route, no delay. Maximum Spd possible. Conserve supplies. Return NLT 5 days from receipt. IMPERATIVE, NLT 5 days from receipt.::

Never had something like this before happen in all the runs. Had breaches, main guns ripped out of a mount, dismounted and hiked back to the City, flooded or dealt with landslides. Never had a message directing all Tracks at the same time. Something is happening. Something different. Different is never good, routine is good, consistency is good, different is dangerous.

 

Back to looking at what the Kid is doing. Put some water in my eyes also, they are starting to dry out a lot more than the first day I had them pinned back. I think we will be back in two days, or is it three? Not sure on the timeframe anymore. Check the route, and make a few updates to it. Not saving any more time, just a little flatter than it might be.

 

The Kid has some of the manuals out, looks like he is reviewing the drive train. Good stuff to know, how durable, the speed. How well it can handle rough terrain. All things we Drivers need to know. He knows more about the Guns than most of us ever need to. Which is not a bad thing.

 

Read it over again. Just makes no sense. I feel fine, fingers are tingling and no idea where my toes are. Take my boots off, they are all still there.

“Kid, go get me some socks would you? Maybe a snack or desert ration as well.” He heads into the back and I slide my seat back as far as it will go. Wonder how the other two Drivers are doing. Not talked to them since the Kid came up here. Maybe I don’t need them. Maybe I vent all the air and get them out of my mind.

Cannot do that yet, still need the Gunners in case we run into something too fast or large to evade.

 

 

 

 

Still wish I could just vent all of them besides the Kid. I could sleep then, let him take over for it all for a while. I could sleep. Take another swallow of the stim drink.

“Hey kid,” on the internals, “Bring me up another couple stim drinks would ya too. Thanks.”

I see him look into the camera and nod affirmatively. Good kid, hope he survives the training program and gets his own Track someday.

Check the externals and there might be movement outside of the spots and floods range. Normally the things shy away from out lights. Normally. Not sure. Either something new, or my eyes are pulling tricks on my mind.

Slew the main Gun Cameras in that direction and light off a pair of flares from the Aux Panel. Wait for them to ignite to get a better idea what might be out there. Still not sure what might be stirring. Anything out at night would be bad news at the best of times. Not going to roust them all unless need to.

Swear it looks like there are lights out there as well. Spots dancing all over the place. Different colors, red and blue, green and white ones too. Strange like they are moving in the same or similar direction as we are. Does not look like another track, something else.

I keep watch over in that direction. The stars are out also, can discount those, as they are just stars far far away. The lights all seem to move in what could be random patterns. Never seen anything like this before. Again, this is a new route, one I have not run before. It could be something inherent to this area.

They all fade away just as the Kid makes it back up here. I check all the feeds, the radars show clear as well. Must have been some sort of atmospheric disturbance.

 

 

 

 

No idea what it might have been. Strange things happen all the time out here. New creatures, new sights, landscape changing all too often. Stuff like this happens all the time. Hopefully it was real and was recorded to be analyzed once we get to the City.

I have the kid pull up the secondary Driver panel and go over a few more functions of it. How to look into the onboard systems, check status on primary and secondary systems. Things like that. All intended to help the Driver run and maintain the Track.

I leave him to it and head to the third chair, letting him essentially drive while I sit back and make sure nothing really happens. Drizzle some more water into my eyes, keep them moist, since I cannot close them at all right now.

All scopes and cameras are clear right now. The route looks clear, even better than I had hoped it would be based on the plots and what maps exist for this part of the area. We are going to be back a good half day sooner than required for us to be.

I slot a couple more stim drinks and chew on chunks from the open ration sitting up here with us. I pull up the main panel using the panel here in front of me. All we need to do is drive as fast as I can get us to, straight back to our home just like we were told to do so.

The dancing lights seem to be all over the inside of the compartment. Mostly all white little pinpricks of dancing reflections of somewhere else. Not really sure how it all gets the way it is.

I keep focused as best I can on the panel in front of me. The little spots in front of my eyes finally start to fade. I drizzle some more of the water into my eyes. It helps out a bit more. I should pull the wires, but then I could fall asleep and I have to ensure we are back in time.

Do I dare to pull them out? I would have to just make sure I keep awake. If I fall asleep the kid can vent me out the track. Have to maintain focus, keep awake, keep driving back. Only thing I have to do is get us back.

Check the internals again. Looks like all of the crew is back there.

Do I dare trust the kid at all? Instinct says not to. Doctrine has no guidance at all save to complete the recons and return the Track to The City. Beyond that there is no other overriding concern. The stims are wearing off faster and faster. Soon they will do nothing and then even if I am awake, eyes pinned open, they could get rid of me. Cannot leave the compartment, cannot stop the Track, cannot be late back to the City.

“Hey kid, you want to head back, rest a little while. Then be up here the rest of the way in>”
He grunts something, like a yes. Looking a bit tired, worn out. Not sure how long he was up here, was it twelve or sixteen hours this time. A good double turn it would feel like. No combat, makes it easier to cope at times I think.

He slides out the hatch separating and as I take back over the primary chair, I watch him go straight back and grab a spot to sleep. He totally speaks to no one. No working against me in that. Will leave the vents closed for now. Looks like as many are racked out as is possible. Will drive the rest of the way in myself.

Still dark, I look ahead, wanting to see the lights off the top of the City, to finish guiding me back into the Garage.

 

 

 

Nothing much happens overnight. It does tend to the quieter time when on Reconnaissance. Few times has anything happened, monster wise, in the darkness. Once the Sun is up, then it is a different situation.

The kid shows back up shortly after the shift in the rest of the Gunners and Suits switch out. Looks like he had enough sleep to make it well enough. He brings me a few more stim drinks, water, and an unopened ration. Never seem to get ones that were not already opened and partially eaten.

I can tell we are getting a lot closer. The landscape is a lot flatter and there are signs that there are not many monsters around at all. Likely due to how many tracks go in and out at this point. Not sure just how far to go still. My calculations seem to be off, or we are making much better time than anticipated.

A few more hours of driving and I see the tread marks of other Tracks. Signs that we are very close. No other messages have arrived, I cannot tell how many days it has been since the first one came in. The water is keeping me from going blind and the blood from the wires is totally washed away. The panels are all clear and then it happens.

Finally, see the walls of The City ahead. Only about thirty more kilometers to go now. Almost able to relax, once down the ramps and able to turn the engines off, then I can relax finally. Until it is parked, cannot rest a moment. Another couple of mouthfuls of stim drink to wash down the stim ration bar to make it. Will be there in just about twenty minutes of so, maybe a little less. At this point we are almost in range of the defensive works, almost able to not worry about anything hopping out and ripping the track into shreds.

Almost able to calm down, relax a little, and not have to worry every moment. Even if something happened, could walk in a Suit the rest of the way there. Getting close enough to make it within the time limit. Could make it back actually to pull the Track in even in an emergency.

The closer we get. The higher and higher the outer wall reaches. Eventually it stretches so far up that I cannot see the top of it. That is when I know we are home. Nearly there, nearly.

The kid is amazed. Naturally he has seen it as we pull away on runs. Never with it rising above us. That sight is for us Drivers. This is what it is all about. Bringing a Track back home after a mission.

Turn and head towards the inbound road. Takes us right into the tunnels and down to the garages. Once parked it is all done and can find out what the message really meant.

 

 

 

There it is. The opening to the tunnel. Even wide open, there are so many guns and it will only admit a track in size, The City is perfectly safe. Home. Down into the dark, only the spots and floods to mark the passage. Off the pilot so I can make sure it is driven safely here in the last moments before shutdown.

Pulling into the garage, down to idle, finally just barely moving towards an open bay.

All are open right now, that never happens. So much difference right now. No maintenance crews working, no other tracks heading out, where are all the incoming tracks, what is going on?

Finally see a crew chief, recognizable with his helmet and safety black and yellow vest. Get close enough, external mike, “Where do I put it?”

He looks at me, mask slung on his hip and pistol ready next to it.

“Didn’t you get the last communication. Drive up the ramps, head into the city. Take the track to the landing field, they will direct it. Think you are one of the last ones that are going to make it.”

Points towards the up ramps, never driven on that before. Behind us in the cameras he mounts a small cart and races in front of us and up the ramps. There is no one behind us in the garage. Nothing is moving.

The more I look, the emptier it looks. No carts, no tools, power supply cables, nothing. The lights are dimming behind as we head up.

Into the City. No movement, no one around. It is deserted. All the people are gone. No one is around at all.

Takes another twenty minutes at idle speed to get to the landing strips. The few airborne vehicles are normally parked there. I would look at them from my space in the res center, out of the armored glass windows the few times I am not in a Track. Look out and marvel at the place it all started, when we first arrived. Where people stepped on this planet in reconnaissance.

Finally get to the landing fields and they are packed. All the old landing shuttles, that brought us down from the black, all are on the fields in even rows. Tracks are starting to haul them onto the launch rows, like they are getting ready to leave.

 

We get flagged and directed to pull in alongside dozens of other tracks just sitting there. Another crew member signals to stop and finally I turn the drivetrain to halt.

 

I crack the hatch open and on the internals all the others start to dismount. A couple of med types are flagged and move in to grab the two other Drivers.

 

An officer enters and I open the Compartment Door for her.
She reaches out and hands me some papers. “All drivers report to the launch control. This track will be stripped and loaded up. Departure commences in three hours. All drivers will drive the shuttles up. This is a complete evacuation. The enemy is approaching, we are heading back home for the final defense.”

 

I just stare at her. The kid has no idea what is going on. Neither do I really.

 

 

 

I leave the track, kid in tow, and head towards the largest group of drivers I can spot. Takes like five minutes to walk over there around everything.

I recognize none of them, no surprise. So many of us are out at once. No reason to get close to anyone else. Might make it harder to vent them. Another medic comes up to us two to check us out. She looks at the wires in my eyelids and raises one of her own.

“Couldn’t take a chance on falling asleep on the final run in.”
She just nods and gets a small pulling tool. A little dab of anesthetic and she works and pulls each of the wires out. Once that is done, she does a cursory visual inspection of both the Kid and I before handing us a couple of bottles of something.

“Drink them both, restorative and curative. Will power you both till we are off planet. Once docked and in, you both can crash out for as long as needed. Just need you to drive out of the gravity well. All done.”

Longest time I have ever spent around one of them. Most of the time you either come back fine, or do not come back. Not much use mostly for them. Not for us Tracks.

Not long after the stuff kicks in and feel ready to keep going. Can hear machinery, cutting devices, cranes and other things all working. A long cart comes by and most of us pile on it. Drive towards the edge of the city where the shuttles are kept at.

It drops us off at a small building and inside is a large meeting space.

An old driver, from Training I think, comes in after a while.

“We are leaving. For good. The enemy is heading this way in numbers we could not defeat. Time to retreat back towards the center of our worlds, for a final stand. The displays are similar to the Tracks. You have about an hour or two before the first launches happen. No venting allowed in any circumstance. Need to get everyone and as much as we can off planet before they arrive in a few days it is estimated. One drive up is all that is needed. Once close to the Ship, there will be guidance.”

He turns and leaves with nothing answered.

We all leave and head out to the long cart that takes us out to the shuttles. I make sure the Kid is with me. No way he could do one alone.

So much noise, activity, yet we Drivers are just hauled out and have to climb up into the shuttles ourselves. The interior is a lot like a track, compartment wise.

Strap in, all at an angle. Pull up the Driver Panels and review the differences. No Guns, fewer cameras, more internal controls, along with a totally new Engine Section. Just looking and testing everything while other ones launch on pillars of fire and smoke out of the city, past the walls and into the sky.

Then it is our turn and we get the engines ignited, pull out and up and away into the sky and then into space.

Out of the atmosphere the huge bulk of The Ship is there. No one living has been on it since we got here. Now it is lit up and we are pulling in.

Mission over.