Rebels of the dead hills.
Time passed - 70 hours
Distance traveled - 346 km.
"It took us longer than expected." Says Electra.
"I told you already, we're running on low power mode to avoid detection and conserve the fuel cells. I'd rather not run out juice in case we get into a fight." Jack responds to her remark.
"Even so, why did we need to stop for so long back there?" Asks Electra.
"I needed some rest, hey you should know that, you're the 'I know it all machine'" Says Jack, who thought that it was obvious.
"It is impossible to know everything, for example, if Eden knew where these rebels are hiding, they would have been exterminated a long time ago." Says Electra.
"That's not what I meant, but fair enough you are right, it was wrong to assume that you know everything. So let me spell it out for you. Although I am very much a professional pilot, I still need to rest, because of the stress, that controling this moving hulk puts on my brain. Do you get it?" He says, as he feels another headache coming up. "Oh... just great, the headache stage is kicking in." He growls.
"Should we stop again?" Asks Electra as the 015 crosses over a hill.
"Oh, for the love of god, forget the headache, what happened here?" Jack asks as he sees a field of destroyed AAMCWUs and deep craters.
"We have arrived at one of the ambush sights, the one of the last ambush is about 7 kilometers further." Says Electra.
"We dont need to be at the last ambush site. Make use of your AI abilities, use the coordinates of all the known ambush sites in your database and calculate where is their center point, with any luck they'll ambush us on the way there, if not, they'll ambush us after we get there, either way we get what we want a nice and good chat with them." Jack says.
"And what if they'll not want to chat?" Asks Electra.
"Then.... I'll just beat the scrap out of them until they'll want to chat." Jack answers the question and reaches to a keypad. "Lets step on the gas a little. Full power mode!" He says.
"Reactor online, power output at 100%, all systems active." Says PAI.
As the power flow is restored to maximum, the AMCWU starts to move quicker and the sensors start scanning the surroundings for hostiles and potential hazards. This also means that their energy signature is more easilly detectable. And that is exactlly what Jack is aiming for, to make them a big and loud target, with a nasty surprise awaiting for anyone who falls for it.
.....
About 20 minutes pass and nothing happens, its only dead silence interrupted only by 015's movement. But then, Jack's visor indicators go absolutely crazy, like they dont know what to focus on, they just jump all over they place.
"We are being sensor-jammed, PAI turn off all sensors before they get fried, visual identification only." Jack quickly says and raises 015's hand-held weapon to a 'ready for battle' posistion.
"Sensors offline, visual identification only, missiles as well as the 40 mm support weapon will now track only laser designated targets." Says PAI.
015 stands still, although they are being jammed, nothing has moved since. And to make things worse Jack's headache is getting more and more painful.
The hostiles dont take long to make their apperance, something hits 015 from behind, but the impact isnt enough to push them off balance. 015 turns around and Jack is baffled to see what has come to attack them.
An 65 ton Grasshopper AMWU model outfitted with four, 40 mm autocannons, is rushing 015 head on.
"This is a joke, right?" He says and shoots 3 warning shots at Grasshoppers feet, the Grasshopper starts zigzagging left and right and continues to fire at 015.
"A Grasshopper?! Seriously?! I'm disappointed..." He says, and this time intents to land a shot. But just as he pulls the trigger a bigger shot hits him from behind and pushes him to the side a little, so misses.
And before long another shot hits from the left side and then another and another. 015 is taking fire from all sides and Jack cant see anything, whoever is firirng at them made sure to have good cover.
Expect the Grasshopper that is running around him and continuously peppering him with 40 mm.
"Alright, change of plan!" He says and fires a laser guided missile towards the Grasshopper, it misses but lands near, and the shock wave pushes it to the side a little, only a little towards 015, but enough for 015 to stick out its foot and trip the Grasshopper into falling flat on its face.
Before the Grasshopper can get up again, 015 has it already grabbed by one of its legs, and lifts it into the air, then Jack raises the hand-held weapon to aim straing at the Grasshopper's torso.
It is safe to say that a single shot from this distance would render the armed AMWU inoperable, and erase the pilot from existence.
Jack slowly turns 015 to all sides until the hidden guns go silent.
"Okay, thats good..." He says with aspeaker that is put on maximum volume so that they can hear him. "... but it could be better, I wanna have a little face to face with whoever is in charge here." There is no response for a while.
But just as he is about to repeat himself, a big 120 ton Golem model AMWU crosses the hill and approaches 015 cautiously. Its left excavator arm has been replaced by what looks like 90 mm cannon platform. And in its right is something resembling a big boxy baseball bat.
"Alright, thats close enough, no tricks or this little guy gets vaporised." Jack says and looks the Golem in the face. But before he can ask him anything the Golem looks at his chestplate and asks, in a stern tone.
"Where did you get that mech?"
This catches Jack off guard. He didnt expect the Golem's pilot to be interested in this. But it did manage to catch his own interest.
"Why do you ask?" Asks Jack.
"That number, 015, it belonged to my old friend. I'll ask you one last time where did you get that mech!?" The Golem's pilot asks.
But Jack is not intimidated, he now knows who he's dealing with, although it has been 25 years and he sound a little different, its definitely him.
"Are your by any chance the number 14 of the 0 unit?" Jack asks, a mischievous grin slowly spreading over his face.
"Yeah, who asks, and how do you know? The 0 unit nolonger exists." Asks Emmett.
"Lets just say that I have or rather I had some affiliations with the 0s, back in the days. Close affiliations." Says Jack, deciding to let him figure it out himself.
"Close affiliations? Don't try to fool me! To commandeer a military mech, you need a pilot ID and a unique password, so how in the existence did you get those?! Since..." The Golems pilot doesnt manage to finish because Jack jumps in.
"Since the passwords are wiped from the database after being issued to the pilot, to avoid hijacking." Jack says.
"... Exactly... how do you know so much about this?" Asks the Golems pilot sounding almost unsure of what to do.
"I told you, I had affiliations with the 0s, and as to your other question. I got the ID and the password when this AMCWU was issued to me as a replacement to my 2. generation Tortoise." Says Jack, expecting the other pilot's brain to finaly catch on.
"Wait a minute... The only one of us, who ever had a Tortoise was... Jack?" Says the Golem's pilot.
"You called?" Jack asks not trying much to hide laughter.
"Nononono, you cant be him, you do sound a lot alike but... there is no chance that he's still alive." Says the Golem's pilot sounding shocked.
"Well, that's where you're wrong Emmett. Its been a long time, almost 25 years to be a little more exact, but I'm still alive."