Before the ruined world.
"014 to 015, target secured, we're ready for evac, over."
"Negative 014, there's no way the evac-carrier can get to you there, you'll need to get somewhere clear. Grab the package and run like the devil's at your heels, cause you don't wanna see what I'm seeing."
"Understood 015, we're heading south toward that big plain we saw earlier, cover us until we get there."
"You've got it 014, and don't forget, if something goes wrong the drinks are on you."
"Tche. You wish. 017! 016! Let's move it!"
The 3 AMCWUs take the nuclear warheads they were sent to recover and move south as AMCWU-015 looks at them from up above, and then shifts his attention.
"AMCWU-015 to command, I have 7 Scarabeus tanks and 6 enemy AMCWUs in my sight, distance: 2.3 kilometers from the col. Permission to engage?"
"Negative 015, we have more urgent matters at hand. Our satelite spotted another enemy group heading for the col from South-south-west."
"Cr*p, our guys will run straight into them!"
"Set off the charges to block the north entrance to the col and get to the south entrance ASAP."
"Affirmative command, 015 out."
015 detonates the explosives and blocks the entrance to the col, that will stop the tanks, however AMCWUs will be able to climb over it, but it should buy the others some time.
AMCWU-015 turns around and runs South-south-west to intercept the approaching enemy units.
...
"015 to command, I'm in position, identified 3 enemy AMCWUs and 3 Scarabeus tanks. Distance: 1.5 km. Please confirm." He says and awaits confirmation.
"Confirmed, you are clear to engage." Responds the command operator.
"Copy that, engaging hostile tagets. Let the games begin..."
AMCWU-015 zooms in on one of the enemy AMCWUs and pulls the trigger. The 200 mm projectile soars through the air, accompanied by a deafening bang.
The projectile lands square in the middle of the AMCWU's chest area and comes out the other side, delivering devastating damage. The pilot-less AMCWU keels over to the sand.
"Scratch one, cockpit destroyed, pilot killed."
Before the other enemies have the chance to figure out what is going on, AMCWU-015 takes aim for another one. Another thunderous bang, another projectile hurtling towards its target. The enemy AMCWU moves to the side, trying to avoid taking the hit. But the shot doesnt miss completely, instead of destroying the cockpit and killing the pilot. The shot severs its left leg, making it lose balance and fall to the ground.
Then unexpectedly, after 2 seconds, its engulfed by flames, and scattered cross the the ground.
"Scratch two, secondary explosion, reduced to smoking wreck."
Before AMCWU-015 can re-aim to fire at the last enemy AMCWU, a shower of bullets and tank shells starts landing all around him.
"Under fire, under fire!"
AMCWU-015 rolls off to the side to get clear, some shots hit and bounce off of the hull, but some penetrate the armor damaging the inside mechanisms, but not enough to stop him. Third shot, destroys the hand-held weapon of the last enemy AMCWU, but also tears off its right arm. The force of the hit is so great that it spins the AMCWU around, revealing its back.
Fourth shot hits the back and seals its fate.
"Scratch three, power-unit and backup destroyed, function ceased." He says, giving the reloading tanks only a once-over.
"The pilot is likely to have survived, do you want them captured for later interogation?"
"Negative, wrap things up with the rest of the enemy forces and signal the evac-carrier to pick you up." Says the operator.
"Understood... launching missiles"
He says, activating a 15 cell shoulder-mounted missile launcher called
The Arbiter and fires 4 multi-system guided missiles. Three for one tank each, and the fourth for the third AMCWU to finish the job.
...
After moving in to search for possible survivors, 015 declares the evac site safe. Then he waits for the others make apperance with the package and tries to ignore the havoc he caused here.
...
The AMCWUs finally arrive with 014 in the front. He takes one good look at the place and says. "Seems we missed quite the party here, eh?"
"Yeah, you missed a bloody carneval, but you were right, nothing went wrong, the drinks tonight are on me." Says 015 and then look at the package. "We shouldnt waste time here, call the evac-carrier and lets get these nukes out of here."
014 laughts and asks. "Scared?"
"Of burning to death in atomic fire? Wait, let me think about it... yes!" He replies and proceeds to take a step back.
...
"015 to command, we have a visual with the evac-carrier, ETA 2 minutes."
Says 015 and looks around. 014 approaches him and says. "Something, bothering you?"
"Its too quiet, I'd be calmer if I heard gunshots than this silence." Replies 015.
"Heh, you're starting to get paranoid."
"I'm telling you, I feel eyes on me, and If I learned anything, its that it usually means nothing good." He says.
014 disbelievingly shakes his head and turns around. "The carrier's here, lets go."
015 turns around and heads for the carrier as well, not knowing that this mistake will cost him dearly.
A loud shot echoes into the night sky, and 015 falls to the ground, with a smoking hole in his back, spasming for a while untill laying completely still.
014 whips around and sees 015 falling to the ground. And then sees a silhouette of an AMCWU in the distance. Not wasting any time, he raises his hand-held weapon and fire back at it. The others are slower to figure out what just happened but soon follow suit.
When the dust, that the bullets, shells and missiles blew into the air, settles, there's no sign of them, as if they just vanished into the thin air they appeared from.
"014 to command we have a man down, I repeat, we have a man down!"
"015 is still transmiting his vital signs, but he will need medical assistance, get him into the carrier, you wont be heading for the Central as planed, we're sending you straight to the Dam." Replies the operator.
"Roger that, 014 out... Just hold on Jack, you're gonna be fine..."
........
Dam City...
"Doctor Zavlovski..."
"Commander..."
The two greet each other with the unnecessary bit of profesionalism and then proceed to sit down over two glasses of firewater. "I take it you've read the report." Says the commander and drains the glass in one go.
The doctor examines his glass for a while and then takes a long sip.
"I have, this incident is very troubling, there are two possibilities here, either the AMCWU that attacked the 0 unit is a new, unknown model that is faster and more agile than our models, or someone has created a cloaking device."
"No, not that, you read what happened to the pilot?" Asks the commander.
"Yes, shot from behind, the energy backlash from the destroyed spinal duplicant module damaged his spinal cord, he's in no imminent threat of life." Says the doctor staring into his glass at the swirling golden liquid.
"The problem is... what do we do about it? He's a very precious resource to the whole 0 unit program." Says the comander, touching the back of his neck, feeling for the old connection port.
"Hmmm..." The doctor thinks for a minute and presents few ideas.
"... We have 3 options.
One: We do nothing, he will wake up after some time and remain paralysed from neck down for the rest of his life.
Two: I can desing an exo-skeleton to help him move, it will use the spinal connection port to comunicate with the part of the spinal cord that is undamaged. But that will leave him dependant on a batery pack, and it will severely hinder him during assignments.
Three: We could use this opportunity to test out the new vitae chamber prototype. According to my analysis, it should be capable of restoring any part of human body from the DNA samples it gathers from its occupant."
When the doctor finishes presenting the options, he drains his glass and sets it back on the table, awaiting commanders decision.
"I dont like option one, and neither do I fancy option two. Are you sure that the new chamber is safe?" Asks the commander.
"All the simulations indicate that its safe, but we havent had a live test, yet." Says the doctor.
"Let me ask differently, are you certain it can help him?" Asks the commander fixing the doctor with a serious look.
"... Yes, I am certain." Says the doctor.
"In that case you have my permission. Dismissed." Says the commamder finishing their small meeting.
...
"Is everything prepared?" Asks doctor Zavlovski as he finishes setting up the vitae chamber.
"Yes doctor, everything is ready." Says an assistant standing behind the control panel.
"Good, put him in." Nods the doctor towards his assistant
"Wait!" Says a man in his late twenties as he rushes into the warehouse of 015's hangar.
"Oh, hello Emmett, what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here today?" Asks the doctor, interested in his sudden intrusion as the 0 unit is supposed to be having a meeting with the commander now.
"I heard that you're going to be putting him inside of that thing, so I came to say goodbye on behalf of the whole unit." Says Emmett giving the opened vitae chamber a once-over, and setting his gaze on the pilots motionless body.
"By all means, of course, but I wouldnt call it a goodbye, I see it as a more of a 'see you later' type of situation." Says the doctor, stepping away to give him some space.
Emmett walks over to the pilot and says. "You better, get better soon, the whole team is gonna be waiting for you, so don't be late. Besides..." Emmett snickers "... I still owe you that drink. See you soon, Jack." With that he steps aside and waits.
"... Alright, lets begin the procedure." Says the doctor and pushes some buttons on the console.
The vitae chamber with the pilot inside closes.
"Injecting bio-liquid..."
The chamber starts flooding with a greyish liquid, consisting of nutritional supplements, nano and bio bots.
"... procedure successful, subject now in hybernative state." Says the doctor.
"What happens now?" Asks Emmett.
The doctor looks at him, as if he forgot that he was there. "Now? Now we wait." Doctor says.
"You're just gonna leave him like that?" Emmett asks surprised.
"The nano and bio bots are programed to repair the damage his body sustained, we can do nothing now, but wait and pray that nothing goes wrong in the meantime." Says the doctor, copying some files from the console.
"With any luck he's having some good dreams right about now." Says the doctor seeing that Emmett looks worried for his friend.
"I sure hope so..." Says Emmett.