Violent Heritage
Vagabond
Legion
Territory
Dragon Back Ridge
Astrokaszy
25 March 3064
The
Astrokaszy Sun was well on its way to setting. Shining brightly in the light
blue sky, it cast shallow shadows between the rocks and desert plants of the
Dragon Back foothills. Casey’s Griffin
pounded over the uneven terrain in triple time, gliding along as if it were on
an open plain.
He
enjoyed the smooth ride.
Suddenly
motion alarms beeped for attention. On the panoramic monitor, the HUD painted an
aerial contrail streaking through the atmosphere. Seconds later, other bits of
data appeared around it. A meteor was falling in broad daylight.
Casey
brought his ’Mech to a halt and turned the head so he could see it with his own
eyes. In seconds, it vanished over the horizon. Shortly after, seismic alarms
sounded and the ground shook. A cloud of dust, dirt and smoke rose into the
air.
“Judging
by trajectory, that one was close,” Al said. Casey glanced at Al’s Warhammer. It, too, had halted nearby. “If the readings were right, there might be enough
left to take a souvenir.”
Casey’s
awe and joviality disappeared.
“I
don’t see what’s so special about a chunk of asteroid,” he replied. “If you
want a space rock that bad, we can always stop and snag one on the way to our
next mission.”
“Casey,
it’s not every day a meteorite touches down right in front of you. Rare
occurrences deserve something to remember them by. You can continue the patrol
if you want. It’s only a couple clicks out. Won’t take me long.”
Casey
sighed in disgust. Al had identified the truth behind his argument. He didn’t
really want to loiter any longer than necessary.
Al
always volunteered for this patrol, and he always seemed to find odd readings in
this area. Each time ended uneventfully. However, Casey feared Al would find trouble, sooner or later. While he was a
capable warrior, there was always the possibility Al might end up in a
situation beyond his limits. Casey
didn’t feel he would be back-up enough for that kind of event.
He
went against his better judgment.
“I’ll
wait here. Don’t take too long.”
“Thanks,
Case.”
Al’s
Warhammer broke into a run. It was a new ’Mech, but looked no different
from his old ride. However, this version didn’t have a bright thermal signature
while it ate up ground at a pace on the higher end of human-equivalent
performance. The old one would have needed to run hot to get the same speed.
The
’Mech quickly shrank, finally disappearing in the direction of the smoke plume.
* *
*
Casey stepped out
of the conference room into the hall. Stopping, he turned to Al. “So, let’s see
that meteorite.”
Al
reached into a large front pocket on his olive colored vest and revealed a
large chunk of rock. It had once been part of something bigger, evidenced by
its thin, curved profile. One side was black where the rock had been heated by
extreme temperatures. It appeared cracked in places, like really dried skin. The other side was a splotchy brownish gray, and smooth except for the jagged
edges.
“There
were pieces everywhere,” Al said. “Looks like it shattered on impact.”
Casey
gestured at the smooth inner surface. “That probably was a chondrule that
evaporated.”
“Chondrule?”
Al looked momentarily puzzled. “You surprise me, Mister Putnam. Never took you
for a meteorite expert.”
“Not
completely. I just know enough. And, you, Mister Cad’ver, never struck me as a
rock collector.”
“Not
a rock collector. I just appreciate unique things.”
Casey
pointed to the rock fragment. “Chondrite.
Stone Meteorite. Nothing really special about that.”
“Okay. So, the meteorite might be nothing special. But! I did find a plant at
the bottom of the impact crater. Surprisingly, it was still rooted and looked
alive. What’s even stranger is that it didn’t look anything like what I’ve seen
around here. If that’s not unique -”
“A
plant, you say?” Javier asked.
Casey
was startled at the interruption. He and Al reported to their senior member on
return from patrol. The briefing was over, but Jav had stuck around and
listened in.
“Pretty
unique for a plant to survive that kind of trauma,” Javier continued. “You say
you didn’t recognize it.”
“Not
from the local life I’ve seen, no,” Al said. Think it’s something new?”
“I
don’t know. It could be a rare breed.”
“And
it might not be anything special,” Casey said. “Plants can take some time to
show they died. It’s possible it didn’t survive the impact, and in a few days
you’ll find a dead husk.”
“Maybe,”
Javier said. “Maybe not. Maybe it’s a new genus. Maybe it’s native to another
region and somehow made its way here. Come. Tell me what it looked like and I
might be able to identify it.”
Javier
reached up and guided Al by the shoulder toward the mess. Casey decided to keep
up, curious about Javier’s sudden interest in a mundane vegetable. Thoughts of
potentially making money off a brand new species flitted through his mind. He
suppressed them, not wanting to have false hopes dashed by reality.
“Well,”
Al said, “what really made it stand out was the fact that it wasn’t burnt or
crumpled. That’s why I think it’s still alive, though Casey could be right. It’s almost like it grew there after the impact. But, it would have had to’ve
done it in only a few minutes.”
“What
kind of plant? Cactus? Tree?”
“Nah. More like a small ivy or fern. It had two broad leaves connecting to thin
stalks. The leaves were serrated unevenly.”
Javier
came to a dead stop. What had been idle curiosity written on his face turned to
something more serious. The others halted and looked at him.
“What
color was it?” he asked flatly.
“Green,
mostly,” Al answered. “Though, the edges on the leaves had purple splotches.”
“Are
you certain?”
“Yeah,”
Casey said. “That doesn’t sound like a desert plant.”
“I
know,” Al said, brightening. “That’s what I thought. There’s no way something
like that should have survived unharmed. But, it did.”
“I
want to see it.”
Al
and Casey exchanged puzzled looks. Javier looked alarmed. They didn’t
understand why.
“It’ll
be dark in a few minutes. Can it wait until tomorrow?” Al asked.
Javier
studied them both for a moment. The worried look vanished. He nodded.
“Yes. It can wait until dawn. Then you’ll take me?”
“Sure,”
Al said.
Javier
started toward the mess again. Casey tagged along, followed by Al.
“As
a gear-head, I never thought of you as someone interested in botany,” Casey
said.
“My
family makes its fortune in deforestation,” Javier said. “As civilization
expands, we pave the way, cleansing countless worlds of their native wilds. I grew up around plants, studying them and ways to kill them. More often than
not, fire is the best means.
“On
my planet, there is a particularly… persistent weed. We’ll burn it off hectares
of new land only to find it growing back weeks later, mixed among our crops and
starving them of nutrients. There are more vicious, deadlier plants and animals
where I’m from, but that one causes the most trouble. Chemicals. Poisons. Engineered pests and plague. None of those keep it at bay for long. And, if
what you tell me is true,” he glanced at Al, “then it has just taken root on
Astrokaszy.”
“Wait,”
Casey said, bemused. “You think it rode in on an asteroid?”
“No. Most likely someone brought it here and its spawn got out into the wild.”
“Its
seeds can’t survive exposure and re-entry, can they?” Al asked.
“I’ve
never seen or heard of it on any other planet,” Javier said. “So, it’s unlikely it’s that easy
to transplant. However, we’ve studied it for generations and have yet to
discover how it reproduces. Expeditions
into the wilds generally never return unless they’re heavily protected.
Anything is possible. Which is why I want to see it for myself.
“It
may be nothing. But, it could also be a link and a clue to fighting the scourge
at home.”
* *
*
The
sun was peaking over the Dragon Back Mountains
when Al’s hovercar settled to the ground. They were on a wide open plain with a
few patches of cactus and desert trees. Near the far western end, still in
shadow, was a tall ragged ridge. The three men walked past rocks and rubble, sure signs
of an explosion.
“You
didn’t mention a grove,” Casey said. He pointed to the green plants that lined
the upper portion of the rise.
“Those
weren’t here the other day,” Al said. “This was all barren.”
Once
they reached the top, Casey got a better look at the plants. They were exactly
as Al had described. Over two decameters tall, each plant had two broad, green
leaves with splotchy purple serrated edges attached to a narrow stem.
Casey reached down to touch one.
“I
wouldn’t,” Javier warned. “They have tiny spines which burn and itch for
hours.”
“Like 'Itch Weed',” Al said.
“Itch
Weed?” Javier looked confused.
“Stinging
Nettle. Rather prevalent in the untamed brush of North America.”
“You’re
sure? This is what’s on your world?” Casey asked.
“It’s
the one,” Javier said, grim.
Deterred
from close scrutiny, Casey looked into the crater and gaped.
Oblong,
it stretched out well over three hundred meters. At the far end it was nearly
thirty meters deep. Plants filled it brim to brim. Not just the strange ivy, it
was populated with vines, huge grape clusters, and some large white flowers.
“The
way you were talking, Al, it sounded like a small pit with a plant at the
bottom,” Casey said. “This is huge!”
“That’s
what made it so remarkable,” Al said. “I found one of these, all alone, in the
bottom of this crater.” He toed one with a boot for emphasis. “None of these
others were here. Found it right about where that big cabbage is.” He pointed
to the far deep end.
Casey
spotted the plant and nodded at the description. He couldn’t miss it, standing
nearly fifteen meters above the rest of the field. It was the only one of its
kind in the crater, a mass of leaves wrapped around each other. Fruit poked
through, catching the sunlight with their translucent skins, shining like gems.
“Hierba Morada Maligna,” Javier
muttered. “Enredadera Entrampadora Fatalmente. Flora Perretidora. Bomba
Sofocormente. They’re all here. Unbelievable.”
“Interesting
names,” Al said. “Evil Purple Weed. Deadly Tangle Vines. Melting Flowers, and
Choke Bombs. Am I right?”
Javier
eyed Al appreciably for a moment then nodded. “Close enough.”
“Are
those the scientific names?” Casey asked.
“No. Scientific names give them far more dignity than they deserve. Too many lives
and livelihoods consumed by these things.”
“What
do you call the Cabbage Patch Kid in the middle, there?” Al asked.
“That
one I’ve never seen before. I don’t doubt we might find more like it on my
world, deep in the wilds.”
“Are
any of them edible?” Casey asked, gesturing at the weeds and vines and
grape-melons nearby.
“They
are all quite poisonous.”
“That’s
too bad.”
“Yeah. My family could have made its fortunes solving the universe’s food problems if
they were.”
“Casey,”
Al said, warily. He pointed. “You might want to move.”
Startled
by the sudden warning, Casey whipped his head around. He found a giant grape
next to his foot that wasn’t there a moment before. It pulsed as it grew wider
and wider, like a balloon filling with breaths of air. Too much air. It looked
like it was about to explode.
Casey
hurriedly backed away. Then the balloon popped, spraying a cloud of gray gas
into the air.
“Crap,”
Al exclaimed.
“Padre
de Blake,” Javier muttered.
All
around them, more gas balloons were growing at an alarming rate. Then, Casey
saw the vines growing. He couldn’t believe his eyes. However, after rubbing
them, the image persisted. The plants were reacting to their presence. There
was no other way to describe it.
“Get
to the car,” Al shouted.
Wasting
no more time, Casey ran, escaping a few more popping melons. In seconds, he was
down the hill and at the car, opening the gull-wing door. Around him, vines and
grape bombs grew, chasing him. Ducking inside, he plopped down and slammed the
door shut. A bomb blew up, just missing him.
The
car was sealed. The gas couldn’t get to him. Casey was safe. But, for how long?
Looking out the window, he saw vines climbing up the side.
A
bomb exploded on the other side of the car, catching Javier. The Spanish curses
flew thickly before he spluttered into a fit of coughing.
Al
grabbed him and dragged him, stumbling, to the vehicle. After opening the other
door and shoving Javier in the back, he was in and the door closed. The car was
quickly in the air. Vines vanished from the hull as it sped away at top
acceleration.
“It
looks like they stopped,” Casey said, voicing his observation as he watched the
crater and plants shrink with distance.
“Do
they normally grow that fast?” Al asked.
“Javier
gagged and coughed before replying. “Not that I’ve seen.”
* *
*
Vagabond Legion Compound
Dragon Back Ridge
Astrokaszy
26 March 3064
The
Vagabond Legion of Dispossessed occupied an old abandoned mining complex. The
main building was nothing more than a two-story dormitory built into the side
of a steep cliff. Out front was a giant landing field for DropShips, slowly
being reclaimed by the desert. Remains of the ore pit and conveyor were all but
gone. A flat portion was blackened and blown clean, signs of recent use.
The
only hint at the hidden mine was the giant metal garage door opening directly
into the cliff. Tall enough for most MiningMechs, and BattleMechs, it opened
into a square-cut tunnel which led to a matching door and into a giant service
bay. From there, mine tunnels led further underground, but they were closed off
with tall ferrocrete and steel barriers.
The
place was far away from any major population centers. Sealed from the
Astrokaszy heat, it was also a good place to store and work on BattleMechs. It
was no secret among the Legion or Damien’s mercs that he had a working deal.
The Legion let him house his unit here between missions. They got to man any
working salvage he brought back, giving each dispossessed pilot a chance to
reclaim their former glory.
He
had a base of operations with integral defense, and people to man his empty
machines.
The
building made a great office and housing space. Two rooms were set aside as
briefing and document rooms. Damien had a reserved office. So, too, did the
Doctor.
After
being exposed to the gas, Casey and Al ushered Javier to the Doc’s infirmary
under protest. Javier asserted that he knew the potency of the Bomba
Sofocormente, and that he’d be fine. The other two didn’t want to take any
chances.
Hours
later, Javier arrived in the mess hall, scratching at a rash that covered most
of his face and his right arm. He inhaled sharply and barked a dry cough. Casey
imagined Jav looked better than he felt.
“So,
what’d the doc say?” Al asked.
“I’m
not poisoned, and as long as I check in daily, I’m not going to die.” He
gestured to the rash. “These symptoms are exactly what happen to someone
exposed to Bomba gas. A rash on exposed skin, and pneumonia like cold until the
lungs heal. It should go away in a few weeks. Good thing we weren’t in a patch.
Too much of the gas can kill a person right away.”
He
looked at Al. “I’m surprised you weren’t also affected.”
“I
held my breath,” Al said. “Besides, I wasn’t in the cloud. Still, some people
develop symptoms faster than others, right?”
“Bomba
gas is rather quick to act.”
“Then,
I guess I got lucky.”
“And,
let’s make sure it happens to no one else. Get mounted up. We’re going back.”
“What?”
Casey and Al both asked.
“We’re
going to burn the infestation from this planet before it can spread.”
“Do
we have to?” Al asked. “I’m sure many locals wouldn’t mind a green Astrokaszy.”
“They
would if the plants reacted violently to trespassing like those do. They’re not
edible, and they’ll exterminate or starve out anything that is. At the rate
it’s spreading, the planet could be covered in a year.
“No.
We need to nip this thing in the bud. Today!”
“Too
bad those things aren’t more widespread,” Al muttered, absently. “Maybe people
wouldn’t be fighting each other if they were busy fighting the evil plant
kingdom.”
Javier
studied Al for a moment. Casey thought he saw something of an appraisal on
Jav’s face. It was almost as if he changed his mind about Al on something.
“Who’s
fighting what, now?” Logan
asked around a lit cigar as he walked into the mess at the wrong end of the
discussion.
Javier
lit up and clapped the ex-Fed Outbacker on the shoulder with his good hand.
“Excellent
timing! How would you like to earn some extra pay today?”
“Uh,
sure.” Logan
looked more confused.
“Then
have your tech load your Wolverine with a full bin of Inferno munitions
from my surplus stock. Come find me when you’re ready. I have a mission for
you.”
“All
right.”
“Have
you seen our two Omni pilots? I’ll want them as well.”
“Can’t
say that I have.”
Javier
grunted. Turning back to Casey and Al, he said, “You saw what they can do. I’ll
pay you for your services. I’d like your heavy firepower.”
“I’ll
go,” Al said, standing. “Free of charge, too.”
Casey
bit back his protest that they were just plants. Anything with flamers would do
the job just fine. Bailey’s BattleArmor squad could do it on their own.
However,
he was still dismayed at the speed with which mere plants had attacked.
“I
have seen what they can do,” Al continued. “And, you’re right. They
can’t be allowed to spread any further.”
* *
*
Infested Crater
Legion
Territory
Dragon Back Ridge
Astrokaszy
26 March 3064
Perry
and Down almost refused. Like most
Legionnaires, the two Omni pilots were less interested in pay and more into
potential salvage. However, when Javier threatened to let someone else pilot
the Avatar and Perseus, they quickly changed their tune.
“This
is as far as we go, for now,” Down said. “We’ll offer support if things get out
of hand. However, there’s no honor in burning plants.”
Casey
rolled his eyes.
Good
on their word, at the bottom of the nearest foothill, the Avatar and Perseus
came to a halt. There, Bailey and her Bouncers dismounted. They, like Casey,
had taken Javier’s offer for extra pay. Jetting into the air, the four BattleArmor
troopers tried to keep pace while the four other mercenary BattleMechs marched
to the edge of the crater.
“That’s
good,” Al replied. “Keep an eye out for any unexpected guests, while the rest
of us do some gardening.”
It
was another beautiful Astrokaszy day. The sun was high in the sky. The shadows
cast by the plants on the ledge of the crater were a deep green mixed with some
purple.
“Is
it just me, or are some of those things growing?” Logan drawled.
From
his place between Logan’s
Wolverine and Al’s Warhammer, Casey watched the explosive gas
bombs grow. At first he attributed it to the steady march forward. However, the
scale was off. Last time he saw them, they were only the size of melons.
Now,
they covered the entire rim of the depression, and the ones closest to his Griffin were the
size of a car. As his ’Mech came to a halt in front of them, some still grew.
“Yup,”
Al said. “They’re growing. So, how do we go about this Jav?”
Javier
sounded strained when he replied. “We slash and burn as many as we can. Steady
progression.”
“All
right,” Logan
said. “Let’s do this.”
To
Casey’s left, Logan
launched a flight of missiles. They exploded over a patch of gas bombs, spreading flaming inferno gelatin over a thirty meter area. Seconds
after catching fire, the bombs detonated.
Casey
triggered his PPC, selecting a wide spread. The big bombs didn’t explode, like
he expected, after the beam passed over them. They didn’t even catch fire. To
Casey’s right, Al’s PPC beams fared no better. Neither did Logan’s laser and autocannon fire.
“The
bigger ones are tougher,” Al said. “Try for a cascading explosion. Target a
really big one. Jav, is there a problem? You haven’t fired your flamers.”
Javier
answered with a bout of coughing. “Rash. Bothering me more than I thought.” Another cough. “I should be fine in a little while.”
Casey
glanced at Javier’s Firestarter standing just beyond Al. Then he noticed
the purple weeds growing rapidly between the Griffin and Warhammer.
“Al. Check your left. Plants are reacting to us.”
“I
see them.”
“What’s
the worry? They haven’t done anything to us yet,” Logan said.
Casey
didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to jinx an easy mission by pointing out
Murphy’s Law. Finding the largest, juiciest bomb he could find, he dropped his
cross-hairs over it and triggered his PPC.
The
blue beam burned into the pale purple flesh. Detonating, the bomb triggered
some of the nearby orbs, but not all. Fresh whitish ones survived. Casey felt a
flare of panic and agitation from the vegetation’s persistence.
However,
the new orbs unfolded into giant white flowers. The volatile bombs were
replaced by very sturdy blooms. Casey realized his attack did exactly as he
intended. Understanding calmed him.
His
success wasn’t solitary. Across the rim, melons disappeared in autocannon,
laser and PPC barrages. Others vanished
in flame and smoke where Javier and Logan brought fire.
Streams
of clear liquid shot from between wide open petals, soaking the Griffin and Wolverine. These flowers were far from passive. Concerned, Casey looked at the damage
monitor. Nothing changed.
“That’s
not water, is it?” he asked.
“Acid,”
Javier answered, sounding normal. “Not strong enough to hurt most heavy
military hardware. Melts through skin on contact, though, so be careful when
getting out.”
“Dandy,”
Al said.
Out
of the small blooms, four continued to grow during the verbal exchange. By the
time weapons recycled, each one now stood as tall as a ’Mech and squirted a
larger, focused stream. Two went to the Wolverine and the others to the Griffin.
That
was their only shot. The groves vanished in sweeps of slicing energy beams. The
big flowers toppled to the ground, cut from their stems. Only one remained,
surviving the burns and tears from Logan’s
direct fire.
“Do
they normally get so large?” Al continued without pause.
“Not
that I’ve seen,” Javier replied. “Interesting. Another new breed.”
Shrouded
in flames, Javier’s Firestarter stared into the crater. Laboriously, it
started walking into the vast depression. In that moment, beams of focused
light lit its surface, piercing through the smoke.
They
came from three new flowers. Dwarfing everything around them, they looked
nothing like the acid blooms. Shiny petals caught light from the sun, reflecting
it onto one upraised petal and through a gem-tipped stamen. The beams followed
the Firestarter for a few seconds before the flowers started to morph.
Then,
Casey noticed the cabbage. The only thing larger than the new flowers, its
large leaves coiled skyward, towering thirty meters above the bottom of the
crater. More gem fruit poked out from between them. When he looked at one, he
felt like something was looking back at him.
It
was monstrous and easily visible from beyond the crater’s edge. Casey had seen
it but paid no attention to its massive size on arrival. Now, with the speed
with which the plants were growing and reacting, he wondered if bigger was better,
and tried not to imagine what attacks it might have waiting for anyone who got
too close.
A
damage alarm beeped. The damage monitor showed armor degrading slowly on the
’Mech’s left torso, right where one of the large flowers had sprayed the Griffin.
“I
thought you said the acid couldn’t hurt military gear,” Casey said.
“Casey,”
Al interrupted. “Vines at your feet.”
“Crap!”
The
weeds had steadily grown around his ’Mech while he wasn’t looking. The patch
was expanding behind Logan,
too. From between the purple-tipped leaves, gray vines grew, trying to crawl up
the Griffin’s
broad, square feet.
Throttled
into a run, his ’Mech ripped free, bounding to a halt at the top of the lip.
There, Casey faced a new grove of acid blooms. He targeted the area with a new
beam solution.
“It
shouldn’t hurt your ’Mech,” Javier said, regarding the acid.
“Well,
it is!”
“We’ve
gotcha covered, Case,” Bailey said overtop Javier.
Her
squad flew out of the air on Casey’s right. Once landed, they poured into the
flowers with jets of flame. Fire danced across petals and leaves. Casey’s PPC
followed, cutting blackened and curled husks to pieces. The flames spread
through the weed patch with the carnage.
“Impossible!”
Drawn
by Javier’s sudden curse, Casey looked to the Firestarter. A red laser
beam vanished from between it and one of the reflecting flowers, which now
looked unnatural. Shiny petals splayed out along the ground. Focused sunlight shined
on the large gem topping the stamen. The
beam came from the gem. It was directly matched by its siblings.
Javier’s
’Mech staggered a few seconds before halting in a precarious, wide stance. “One
of them hit my gyro,” he said. “They’re getting stronger as they grow.”
“How
strong?” Casey asked. He eyed his damage monitor. The plate on the left breast
was slowly, steadily getting weaker. How long would the acid burn his armor?
“Not
that strong,” Logan
said. “One tried to get me, too. It owes me some paint! But, that’s all.”
“Keep
to the fire,” Al said. “Nothing’s grown there since it started.”
The
Warhammer strolled into the flames lit by Javier. Casey eyed the inferno
at its feet, then the burning grove next to his Griffin. Nothing stirred. Behind him,
the vines continued growing.
Without
protest, Casey followed Al’s advice. As Bailey’s squad jetted out of sight, he
and Logan walked their machines into the fire. Once settled, he looked into the
crater for a new target. Logan
had dispatched the last of the large acid blooms. Amidst the red glow and gray
smoke, he spotted an untouched flower grove. He triggered his PPC on the patch,
all while listening as Al explained a theory.
“This
isn’t random, guys. Check those new flowers at the back. That was a patch of
bombs. They withered, then morphed into laser flowers.”
On
the far edge of the crater, behind the giant cabbage, three new laser flowers
matured. The speed was astounding for their size. The petals slowly sank to the
ground as they grew, covering withered brown fruit. The stalks supporting the
beam gem grew five to six meters, with a corresponding girth to hold the
weight. They were now duplicates of the flowers in the pit. However, the older
ones grew taller yet, their gems remarkably larger.
“Something’s
directing these plants,” Al continued. “And, I think it’s the really big one.”
Two
blue beams and one red shot out from the Warhammer, as if to point out
the culprit. A leaf and fruit fell away from the giant cabbage, glowing along
the sliced edges. The plant didn’t visibly react.
Casey
tore his eyes away from the spectacle when his PPC fired. His target grove
exploded with leafy detritus. Fire rained down from six aerial explosions, Logan’s SRMs, consuming
the remains. Save for the laser flowers, the inferno on this side of the giant
cabbage was now complete.
Down
in the glowing shroud of smoke, two jets of flame from Javier's Firestarter licked at different laser flowers. Dark purple skin browned but didn’t char.
“My
flamers aren’t working on these big ones,” Javier said. “They’re getting
tougher, too.”
“How
you holding up?” Logan
asked. “Those beams look stronger.”
“Structural
damage is minor. At best, they’re like small lasers. That first shot was just
lucky. Let’s see how these like inferno gel.”
“Casey. The big one. It’s regenerating,” Al said.
Any
doubt Casey had about the huge plant vanished. A new gem fruit grew from the
burnt stalk. The leaf resumed its old form.
Behind
it, the three distant laser flowers matured into direct imitations of their
older kin.
“I’m
telling you, Cabbage Head, here, is the brain,” Al finished.
“You
think the other plants will quit growing if we kill it?” Casey asked.
“Let’s
find out.”
Casey
triggered a solution, adding his LRMs from their launcher next to his cockpit. They needed to overwhelm the plant’s
regeneration to kill it. The extra explosive firepower might help.
“You
do what you want. I’ll get more of the small stuff,” Logan said before his Wolverine
marched away along the rim.
“Hahah!”
Javier barked jubilantly. “I knew you weren’t -”
Six
laser beams lanced down from glowing red gems, burning into the smoke and
focusing on the Firestarter. Light damage on the right leg and arm,
painted yellow by the HUD, quickly turned red. New yellow sections bloomed
across the chest. The plant lasers were more powerful, and the light ’Mech
toppled under the assault. The right arm’s plate mangled further as it absorbed
the brunt of the fall.
Two
flowers were now thoroughly soaked in flame, but that seemed a weak
retribution.
“Crap. I’m going in,” Al said. “Jav! Get out of there.”
“Good
idea,” Javier replied, shaken.
The
Warhammer worked its way into the pit.
“Logan! Light up the
cabbage,” Al ordered. “We’re not gaining enough ground on it. Maybe fire will
stop it.”
Casey
surveyed the giant plant while selecting a good place for his weapons, and
frowned in disappointment. Damage from three PPCs and twenty LRMs disappeared. Signs of an excellent missile spread, each one contacting and doing damage,
were gone in seconds. All that work undone.
Bemused,
he squeezed triggers, picking a fresh leaf. Solution set, the weapons wouldn’t
fire until recharged and reloaded. Concern turned Casey’s attention to Javier
during the wait.
The
Firestarter carefully stood and shakily marched away from the bottom of
the pit. Both it and the Warhammer caused ripples in the roiling smoke
as they crossed paths. Suddenly, the smoke cleared directly in front of and
behind the wounded BattleMech. Water geysered from the ground in three places,
dousing flames. Plants healed and started growing.
“Jav,”
Casey warned. “Watch yourself!”
It
was too late. At an unprecedented speed, two acid flowers and a patch of vines
grew in front of and behind Javier. Broad leaves supported the massive flowers
as they towered over the ten-meter tall BattleMech. Streams of acid
sprayed out from a single bloom, dousing the whole ’Mech. The other followed up
with gallons more.
Javier’s retribution
fire against the flower in front proved ineffectual. The flowers had the same
resistance as the huge laser blooms. Javier finished by flinging SRMs at the
vines. The inferno gel lit, but the spread wasn’t enough to completely stop the
growth. A vine the size of a tree grew nearly thirty meters skyward before
toppling heavily and landing on the Jav’s ’Mech.
Stumbling
away from the impact, the Firestarter steadied and lifted lazily out of the
crater on jets of steam. Landing well behind Casey and the weeds, it staggered
again, but kept its footing.
“The
acid is eating armor all over me,” Javier said. “Unbelievable. Some of it got
under the armor and is dissolving my left torso from inside!”
“Some
got under the armor?” Casey blurted.
“It
hadn’t been touched.”
Casey
momentarily eyed his armor diagram again. The plate was still weakening. When
would it stop?
With
bigger issues to concern him, he ignored the acid.
Survey
of the cabbage revealed an inferno. Combined fire from Al, Logan and Casey
dropped entire leaves to the ground. The carnage revealed a mass of stalks
topped by gem fruit. Some were snapped or cut in half. The plant healed, but not
as fast as before.
The fire was having an effect. However, Casey wasn’t sure about the damage. As much as they had done, nearly
half the plant remained. If it was the brain, the effects of damage were
dubious. The plant had slowed its regeneration, but how quickly would it
recover? Would it recover? Could they get away with merely letting it burn?
Around
him, no new plants grew at stunning speeds to assault him, Logan or Al. No
geysers erupted to douse the flames. The only thing attacking were the laser
blooms.
Logan’s Wolverine
rolled with three beams pumped into him from afar.
Al’s
Warhammer took a beam square on the chest before stomping over the
petals to crush the attacker’s stalk with a solid kick. The two burning flowers
didn’t act, sparing Al from two more shots. He was safe, but for how long?
While
questions raced through Casey’s mind, he studied the large plant again,
reflexively triggering a full solution. It was slow, but it was regenerating. Certain that fire alone wouldn’t kill it, he resolved to pour on as much damage
as he could, not stopping until the last little green bit no longer grew.
His
PPC and LRMs joined Logan’s
autocannon and laser, and Al’s conservative laser barrage. More missiles, beams
and cannon shells flew in unexpectedly from behind. The Avatar and Perseus
marched forward to join in.
“What’s
this about no honor in killing plants?” Casey quipped.
“One
of our comrades has been dishonorably abused,” Down said flatly.
“These
aren’t plants. They deceived us,” Perry added.
Casey
grunted. His verbal jab failed. The two women were predictable that way.
The
cabbage’s demise was much more satisfying. Any remaining leaves and stalks
toppled, evaporated, and exploded in shredded green chunks. Underneath it all
lay a gelatinous core. The uncanny resemblance to a brain raised hackles on
Casey’s shaven neck.
At
the end of the carnage, Bailey’s Bouncers descended on steaming jets, landing
next to the remains. They finished the assault with long sweeping streams from
their flamers. The mass swelled and exploded juicily.
In
the seconds that followed, before weapons could recycle, something new grew. A
sprout quickly morphed into a massive flower out of the mess at the bottom of
the crater. Sensors beeped, warning of a massive magnetic signature building at
its heart. Energy coalesced around its enlarging stamen then vanished. A
shockwave cleared away the smoke. Electronics momentarily malfunctioned. Then
the flower quickly withered, browning and falling over before it was ripped and
shredded and burned by weapons fire.
“What
the hell was that?” Casey blurted. “Is it over?”
“The
plants aren’t responding,” Bailey said, her deep voice ragged form exertion.
Casey
looked to the laser plants. They didn’t move or grow or fire. They just stood
there, soaking up the sun. All of the remaining plants simply sat where they
were, only swaying with the hot desert wind. Seconds passed by serenely.
“Looks
like you were right, Al,” Casey said. “The big one was the brain.”
Casey
realized this also meant the plant had been intelligent. If Javier’s reaction
was an indicator, there was at least one more on an inhabited world. God only
knew how many other worlds harbored a giant plant brain.
How
quickly were they spreading across the universe? Was this a random event, or
was it an attempt at colonization?
Glancing
at the Warhammer in the crater, he opened his mouth to voice his
observations. It stood motionless, powered down. Casey smiled. He could share
the good news later.
“It’s
not over,” Javier said. “We can’t take any chances. Burn every last plant to
ash. From here on out, this place gets patrolled daily, to make sure nothing
ever comes back.”
Casey
heard damage warnings beeping amidst Jav’s speech. He glanced at the damage
monitor. The acid still ate at the armor.
“Leave
it to us,” Bailey said. “You get your ’Mech looked at, boss. Before the acid
dissolves it completely.”
Vagabond Legion Compound
Dragon Back Ridge
Astrokaszy
26 March 3064
Al
plopped down next to Casey in the mess hall. Setting down a tray full of the
cook’s specially prepared lizard meat, he grabbed his fork and stabbed a
morsel.
“I
see your ’Mech didn’t completely melt apart,” he said before taking a bite.
Casey
chuckled. “You should’ve heard the techs. They weren’t pleased at all. Everything burnt by the acid is as good as scrap. Nijam’s not happy that we had
to waste so much water decontaminating everything. What’s more, we all have an
‘I Owe You’ from Javier.”
“What?
I thought he had enough to cover you.”
“He
says he does.”
“Can’t
access it,” Logan
said. Cigar in mouth he joined the two warriors at their table.
“The
HPG is on the Fritz,” Javier said from the entrance to the hall. He, too, sat
down at the shared table. “So, is it done?”
“There’s
nothing left but black ash,” Al said. “I’ll run patrol tomorrow, check to see
if anything’s there.”
“Good. I suppose you’ll want your cut, as well?”
“No. I said ‘free of charge’. I mean it.”
“Any
idea when the HPG will be back up?” Casey asked.
“You’ll
know as soon as I do,” Javier said.
“Y’know,”
Logan said,
pulling his cigar out of his mouth. “That final plant has me thinking. Its
attack, or whatever it did, kinda reminds me of an HPG pulse.”
“HPG
pulse? Didn’t think they could be seen. Think plants can communicate across the
stars?” Casey asked flatly.
“I’m
not sure. Did a patrol near a compound, once. The burst did screw up my
electronics. Anyway, that might explain why the HPG is suddenly not working.”
“Actually,
it could be something else remotely related,” Javier said. “Rumor has it among
tech circles that there’s a device predating the Star League that could
communicate via subspace. Too much use of this device had repercussions
however, and once HPGs were developed, it was dropped. One of the effects was
interfering with the HPG message package, which is why it was dropped
completely and no development went into tandem operations.”
“So,
it emitted a subspace pulse,” Logan
concluded.
“It
could have simply been an EMP,” Casey said.
“Maybe,”
Javier said. “However, I don’t see the purpose. Knowing the plant’s history,
all its attacks were suited for killing biological entities. EMP and subspace
don’t effect living things directly. I can’t see that kind of pulse as an
attack.
“You
seem to be right about the brain controlling everything, Al. That means the
plant was intelligent. That last one seemed to be a last ditch effort
before it died.”
“So,
you think it sent a message,” Casey concluded.
“A
warning,” Logan
added.
“Or
a beacon,” Javier finished.
“So,
more might be on their way,” Casey said, uneasy.
“And
they might be stronger. It fired off a lot of energy. Who knows what it said,
and how far the message will get.”
Logan barked a short
laugh. “Careful when you go back home, Jav.”
Infested Crater
Legion Territory
Dragon Back Ridge
Astrokaszy
28 March 3064
Its first eye opened, seeing
everything around, all at once. The protective leaves were developing steadily. Beyond them lay blackened ruins of its former life. The hard-skinned beasts
which destroyed everything had not returned.
No indicators hinted at why they
attacked so violently and thoroughly. No precedence existed to establish their
habits, save the change in their attack. The increasing focus on the former self
while neglecting the defenses was a clue. They recognized intelligent behavior,
evidence of their own intellect.
Safety was not guaranteed. New
defensive measures would be required for survival. The eye sat motionless,
watching everything for signs of their return.
The sun peeked over the crater lip,
bright and hot. Energy coursed through the leaves. They flattened out to
maximize collection. Restoring the depleted reserves would be a long, long
process.
A shadow fell, dampening the heat. However, no cloud covered the sun. The light still remained, bright and warm.
Confusion!
Incomprehension!
The light morphed, coalescing into
the form of a man. As he knelt, he gained color and definition. The sun
reappeared above his head, but the light in him never completely vanished. He
glowed.
Without comprehension, it understood
everything about the man; that he was called a man, that he was male, and that
he went by many names.
When his lips moved, it felt sound
vibrations on its leaves and through the stalk supporting its eye. Though it
lacked the apparatuses to decipher the pulses, it knew he was communicating. It
understood him.
“I thought I’d find you here. Didn’t
know how long you’d wait to emerge. Good thing you didn’t wait much longer. I
have a contract coming up, and someone else would be patrolling out here. If
they saw you, Javi’d be back to torch you again.”
He looked around momentarily before
studying it again.
“Can’t leave you here. Let’s see if
I can’t transplant you.” He started to reach out, but hesitated. He muttered,
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”
It wasn’t afraid. A primal
familiarity of this man kept it from reacting. He couldn’t, and shouldn’t, be
harmed. He offered salvation. Unfathomably, it understood all this.
Non-vital roots pushed its necessary
organs out of the soil.
About to reach into the sand around
the leaves, the man paused. An earthy colored eyebrow shot up. “You understand
me.”
Carefully, haltingly, he reached out
and cupped its bulbous body in his hands. As he lifted, the supporting roots
disconnected and fell away to die.
No grove would grow here again for a
long time.
Cradling it in his arm, the man
climbed out of the crater. Outside, he walked quickly to the hills, heading up
into the high rocky mountains. Soon, they were high enough to get a good look
at the valley and a full view of the blackened crater.
Here, one of the hard-skinned titans
waited for them. It stood silent and motionless. The long cylindrical forearms and
dark blue color marked this one as the first to attack the former self.
Leaves rustled, voicing uncertainty
and fear, before curling defensively around the eye.
He paused, looking at the hidden
eye. “It scares you, huh? You remember. Should’ve guessed. You’re probably a
direct copy of the original, and that includes memories. Well, don’t be
alarmed. That’s a machine. Without someone like me, it’s completely harmless. Much like one of your minions.”
As they neared, the titan did not
stir.
“This is our ride to your new home,”
he said.
* *
*
Though alarming at first, the ride
had become quite fascinating. The man manipulated various titan organs, forcing
the titan to do his bidding. Watching brought new ideas for future strains.
Once the titan halted, they emerged
from its dark interior into twilight. The new home was a deep, sandy crevasse
with a narrow roof. Inside, four more titans stood, motionless. They didn’t
hum and tickle with strong magnetic fields like those emitted by the ride. They
were asleep.
“Its south-facing, so you should get
decent sun most of the year.”
Walking to the wide opening, he
gently set the bulbous root in the sand.
Controlled root growth pushed the
new self to a centralized position before burrowing. Once settled the leaves
spread to begin soaking up sunlight.
“While I really can’t stop you from
doing what you want, I have a request.” He looked at the four inert titans. “Not only are they harmless without someone like me in them, they’re also helpless. Others like me will try to take them if they’re found.”
He looked directly into the eye. “Protect them. Defend them until I come back to retrieve them.”
He stared expectantly for a few
seconds, then turned toward his ride. “I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
Leaves rustled. Pausing, he looked
back.
Whether he knew or not, it had a
deep understanding of the events surrounding them. Without him, the second life
would have been short. This was not a mere probability. It had seen that
reality.
He had given it time it rightly did
not have.
It was capable of gratitude.
Tapping into collected energy, roots
pushed toward him unseen. At his feet, a sprout popped through the surface. Quickly it grew and budded and turned into a bright bloom, dark blue and gray.
Significant colors, specifically chosen. The stalk grew into a round bulb, the
bottom half withering away, dropping the flower to the ground.
Reaching down, the man picked up his
gift. After looking it over, he said, “Thank you.”
It was a special gift that would
never die, an everlasting symbol of understanding and acceptance. Wherever he
went, he was now part of the kingdom.
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