Battle Earth: 11 Read Free

he hadn’t even noticed. She was in full battle attire and had clearly got in on the fight. He knew she shouldn’t have, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her that.
    “They don’t care about the individual. To their leaders, the Mechs are just machines. Much like we see them. Mindless and soulless, a commodity to be used.”
    “And they keep doing as they’re told? Why would they keep doing it? Why do they carry on going to their deaths?”
    Kelly took a deep breath and sighed. Clearly, she had no understanding of the enemy they faced.
    “Another day like this, and you’ll stop asking why and simply stop caring,” he replied.
    “But they can’t like this? They can’t like going mindlessly about, dying at the wish of whoever leads them? Maybe they can be reasoned with, shown a different way.”
    Kelly laughed.
    “One day, in a hundred years, and if the human race still exists, sure.”
    “But Taylor did it, didn’t he? Everyone knows he did.”
    “Yeah, how did the Colonel manage it?” Reynolds joined in.
    Kelly sighed once again. “Maybe it was a one in a million. Maybe there was some exceptional circumstance. Maybe Taylor is just one unique son of a bitch.”
    “Is? You think he’s alive?”
    “More and more everyday.”
    Kelly changed the magazine on his rifle and laid it in line with the others. He sat down with them. It felt remarkably comfortable, despite being a concrete floor. Nobody said a word now. They simply waited for the next assault. After a few minutes, they heard a call ring out.
    “Hold your fire!” someone along the line ordered.
    Kelly leapt up to look out through the slit. At first, he could see nothing and desperately looked in every direction to identify the source of the ruckus. Finally, he noticed a figure stagger into view from the north. It was human and walked as if either injured or having almost loss the will to keep going forward. His clothing was cut up and his head bare. The character’s face was black from dirt and debris stuck to the skin. Finally, he stopped and looked up, and Kelly recognised Becker’s face instantly.
    “My god, he’s alive!”
    Kelly rushed out of the room and towards the main entrance. He hit the switch to open the blast doors, without even thinking of the dangers of doing so. He sprinted out to Becker and stopped just before him. He had expected the Captain to drop dead where he stood. He was covered in blood, but not much seemed to be his own. His face was burnt on one side and his uniform barely recognisable through the dirt and grime. Metal shards were embedded in his body armour.
      “Are you okay?”
    Becker looked at him with a blank expression.
    “Are you hurt?”
    Still nothing.
    “Where is your platoon?”
    He was silent for a few moments, then slowly opened his mouth and spoke in a croaky, dry voice.
    “I have no platoon.”
    Kelly wrapped his arm around the Captain and led him inside the bunker where they were met by a medic. Kelly passed him over to the man who was joined by a woman helping out. As he was led away, Becker stopped and stared at Kelly.
    “It’s not enough, you know.”
    “What isn’t?”
    “To have to be killing them, as it's all we have to live for…there has to be more.”
    He turned and carried on, leaving Kelly with his chilling words. The Commander went back to the room where he had left Engel and Reynolds.
    “Is he okay?” Reynolds asked.
    “Looks like he has been through hell.”
    “We all have, Engel,” said Reynolds.
    Kelly didn't say a word, thinking more of what Becker had told him.
    “How much longer do we have?” Engel asked, “Until they come again?”
    Kelly finally snapped back to reality, his instincts cutting in. They needed a leader, and he knew he had to be the one.
    “Not long now. That first wave was probably just a hunting party, enough to set a trap for Becker and discover our location. Now they’ll send more.”
    “How many more?”
    Kelly rubbed his chin, desperately