War Core 3, Chapter 17.

Sorry we missed War Core Wednesday. There were thunderstorms and our power/internet was out for most of the day. 

Chapter 17.

Hugh wasn’t sure how he was going to cut through the metallic strands of webbing that held the spider’s prey. His plasma rifle could burn through, but it could do more harm than good in this situation. A tentative touch on the webbing showed it was no longer sticky and didn’t bind to his hand. His mech body was powerful, but it didn’t have the strength needed to pull apart the wrappings, which had somehow fused themselves together by whatever process the spider mechs had used to create them. A quick check of the room turned up nothing save for the ruined bodies of the spiders.

That was it, the spider mechs had jagged holes burned into their bodies from the plasma rounds. The jagged edge of a spider mech leg that he had shot off would function well enough as a crude knife, one that he found was barely able to saw through the webbing. It was slow going, but once the first strand parted the next one seemed easier to cut through. Hugh could see the coloring on the webbing changing as he worked on them. Whatever had held them together was weakening now that the spider mechs were destroyed. Had they been powering the strands remotely somehow?

With a pop, most of the metal webbing snapped apart as it degraded further. There, squirming and lying in front of Hugh was another mech, similar to his own, only much more battered and damaged. Bite marks from the spider fangs were seen over various parts of the body and near each bite, the metal had melted away from the acidic venom that the spider mechs had injected inside. A prompt appeared over the mech, identifying the mech’s controller.

Tier 0 Bipedal Soldier Mech H001.

Link established…the combat pod connection is secure.

Operator: Dave Marthman. Military rank, Sergeant.

Functionality: 28%.

Offensive Capabilities:

1. Melee Attack, bludgeoning damage, Tier 0. Due to the damaged nature of this mech, normal melee damage is halved. Repair this unit to return full functionality to all combat processes.

Defenses:

Armor: 0. The structure of this mech is badly damaged. Until repaired, the mech is much more susceptible to critical hits.

Note: This mech is controlled by a human combat pod operator. Unlike other conflicts you have been involved in, the chance for operator termination is set at 100% should this unit be destroyed.

“Sergeant Marthman, can you hear me?” Hugh asked, hoping that the comms channels functioned the same as they did in other battles.

“Major Logan? Sir, is that you?” Marthman asked.

“Roger that, soldier, how long have you been here, and what happened to you?” Hugh asked.

“I don’t know, I just saw the post-battle calculations start, and then it said I was terminated. The GCA gave me the chance to join you for a shot at surviving, so I jumped on it. Where are we?” Marthman asked.

“No idea, but from the way things look, it’s a ship of some kind. Your mech is pretty dinged up, and there are creepy, hostile spider mechs running around, so keep your head on a swivel,” Hugh said.

“On it, sir. Pain feedback is pretty bad, though, that just started up now that I’m free of the web. What’s the deal with the spider mechs? I don’t remember fighting them, I was just, well, I guess I brought here already encased in that thing. All my interface options were kind of shut down, and I could only watch my HUD status until just now,” Marthman said. Hugh could tell his voice was strained from the pain feedback, but the man was tough enough to fight through it.

“Help me get these other guys free, just start hacking on the webs with any sharp debris you can find,” Hugh ordered. Some work might help to keep the sergeant’s mind off the pain. It was easier this time, given that he had some practice and the webs had further decayed, and soon, a second soldier was freed.

Tier 0 Bipedal Soldier Mech H002.

Link established…the combat pod connection is secure.

Operator: Simon Burnette. Military rank, Private.

Functionality: 32%.

Offensive Capabilities:

1. Melee Attack, bludgeoning damage, Tier 0. Due to the damaged nature of this mech, normal melee damage is halved. Repair this unit to return full functionality to all combat processes.

Defenses:

Armor: 0. The structure of this mech is badly damaged. Until repaired, the mech is much more susceptible to critical hits.

Private Burnette wasn’t quite as banged up as the sergeant, but he was a bit more confused. Hugh helped remove the last few strands and ordered the soldier to jump in and help the sergeant free the last spider victim. Moving to the far wall, another hatchway waited, and Hugh wanted his plasma rifle between it and any danger before they set out again.

“Woah, stay back! Sir, we need that weapon over here!” Sergeant Marthman called out. Hugh looked back toward his soldiers, shocked for a moment as the final victim of the spiders turned out to not be another of his soldiers, but instead, he watched as the battered werewolf mech of a Yaelar tried to struggle to its feet.

“Hold up, we were allies in the last fight, but let’s not assume this one is friendly. Hey, can you communicate with us?” Hugh asked the werewolf-like mech, moving his soldiers away while covering the Yaelar with his rifle. He didn’t want a fight with the creature if he could help it.

“The GCA said I was dead, now it says I must complete the trial to return to the pack. I will defeat you if I must,” the Yaelar growled, trying to stand on two legs, but one was too badly damaged to support his weight. It crouched down on all fours, the combat pod operator seemed equally capable of maneuvering the mech in that position, which is how Hugh saw their mechs run during the last battle.

“Hold on, I think we’re supposed to help each other, but even if we’re not, we won’t accomplish much by fighting amongst ourselves. I assume you were in the last battle as well, where we joined forces to defeat the Ssath? Together, we stand a better chance of surviving,” Hugh offered. The Yaelar seemed to think for a moment before replying. Hugh was a bit intimidated by the mech’s claws and teeth, he knew from experience that they could shred armor like it was butter. Of course, the Yaelar didn’t have a plasma rifle, but he did.

“You were in that battle? Were you the human core?” The Yaelar asked.

“Yes, that was me, and just like you, the GCA determined I was to be killed, but it offered the chance to survive if we play their game. So, I don’t think we have a lot of time, you need to decide. Do we fight each other, or do we join forces to have a better chance at survival?” Hugh asked. He didn’t know for sure if there was a time limit on this stage of the game, given that it was supposed to be some kind of tutorial for the trail he was in, but given that this was likely all a game to the GCA, he could see them getting bored if there wasn’t enough action going on.

“I will join, at least for now, if we come across another Yaelar core, that is where my loyalty lies,” the Yaelar said.

“Agreed, I’d not expect you to turn your back on your own people, but if we do find another Yaelar core, hopefully, they’ll join with us. My name is Hugh Logan, and this is Sergeant Marthman and Private Burnette,” Hugh said. The calculations had determined his core was a casualty, despite the astronomical odds against it happening. It would be almost impossible for a second core in the same battle to become a casualty as well, especially one that had the benefit of the victory survival enhancements.

“I am called Pack Monitor Dalven, and though my mech is severely damaged, I’ll fight at your side until we are victorious, or my core comes to join me,” Dalven said. His information populated Hugh’s HUD, joining the other two soldiers under his command.

Tier 0, Yaelar Infantry mech, Y001.

Link established…the combat pod connection is secure.

Operator: Dalven Stouthide. Military rank, Pack Monitor.

Functionality: 25%.

Offensive Capabilities:

1. Melee Attack, Bite, piercing damage, Tier 1. Due to the damaged nature of this mech, normal melee damage is halved. Repair this unit to return full functionality to all combat processes.

2. Melee Attack, Claw, slashing damage, Tier 1. Due to the damaged nature of this mech, normal melee damage is halved. Repair this unit to return full functionality to all combat processes.

Defenses:

Armor: 0. This mech is badly damaged. Until repaired, the mech is much more susceptible to critical hits.

The Yaelar was much stronger in melee, as Hugh already knew, but it was interesting to see it quantified as one tier higher than the mech was rated for. While the mechs they were using for the trial were a bit different than those he normally fought with, he had a feeling the Yaelar, and the Ssath were fighting at least a tier over their class in a melee battle.

“Good, it looks like all three of you have been dumped here with badly damaged mechs, so we’ll take it slow. The only way out is through that door, find something you can fight with, and I’ll lead the way with the plasma rifle,” Hugh said. Dalven didn’t pick up any scrap as a weapon, he didn’t need to, but each of his human soldiers was now wielding the jagged leg of a spider mech. It was a far cry from the firepower his mechs normally had at their command, but it was better than nothing.

The hatch to the next compartment squealed open as loudly as the last one had. Inside this compartment were three more of the spider mechs, this time, without any victims squirming on the floor. Already expecting this, Hugh opened fire immediately while ordering the soldiers gathered around him to back off. His first three shots were on target, smashing a spider mech's head to molten goo. The spider mech’s body dropped to the floor, delaying the other two as they maneuvered over and around their fallen comrade.

It took four hits to drop the next enemy, leaving him with more than enough time to finish off the last one before it could get close enough for a bite. Hugh gathered up the requisition points for his kills and was sad to see there was no bonus loot for these. His ammo count was down to fifty-eight, just about half of what he had started with. There wasn’t anything else of interest in the compartment, other than his two human mechs swapping out the spider legs they were using for weapons with ones that they thought were a bit better.

Like in the other compartments, a single exit hatchway beckoned. This one opened into another long hallway that snaked around for a while in a seemingly random pattern. As they proceeded, Hugh started to see some of the metal webbing sticking to the walls in various places. It wasn’t enough to hide another victim or to conceal a sneaky spider mech, but it kept them all on their toes. After a particularly sharp turn in the hallway, Hugh spotted a smaller hatchway on the right wall. Its door had been stove in as if a giant fist had hit it.

Approaching cautiously, Hugh avoided the few strands of web that were draped over the hatchway. The ones from the dead spider mechs had cut easy enough, but if these were spun by still active mechs, they may cause him some trouble. Just past the collapsed door, Hugh could see another of the logistics interface panels was mounted on the wall. The panel blinked dimly as if it was nearly out of power. Deep gouges in the metal of the wall may have damaged the interface’s power supply in some way. He needed to operate the panel if he wanted any chance at purchasing what they needed to survive, but he couldn’t pay attention to it and watch for any approaching threats at the same time.

“Sergeant, take the plasma rifle and cover us, I need to activate the panel and see if can offer us anything,” Hugh said, detaching the weapon from under his arm and passing it to the sergeant. The mounting points were universal, and Sergeant Marthman had no trouble attaching the weapon to his mech. With Marthman covering them, Hugh stepped into the small compartment and placed his hand on the logistics interface.

Logistics interface panel a122 has been damaged. Purchases are not available. Current interface options are limited to receiving unclaimed items. Do you wish to receive any unclaimed items at this time, Y/N?

Hugh hit yes, and while he would have liked to spend his reward points, having some free items might be just as good. A small panel on the wall opened, and a shelf extended holding several metal cubes on it. Hugh grabbed the items, the system revealing what he had found.

Minor Repair Module x3. These one-time use modules will facilitate minor repairs to a mech in the field when construction drones are not available.

Minor Armor Module x2. Each of these modules contains a small amount of liquid armor.

Plasma Pistol x1. A universal mount, small caliber secondary weapon with a basic ammo loadout.

It wasn’t much, but given the battered condition of his troops, it was a godsend. The only question now was how to best distribute his prizes?