Koko Takes a Holiday Read Free

the two fallen were so serene inside their helmets, if it weren’t for the blood and pulverized bone you’d swear they were catching a few Zs. Poor bastards never knew what hit them. One minute you’re dittybopping around, collecting operational data and sucking down your morning’s paste rations, the next you’re lit up and deep-fried.
    Delacompte saw Koko looking at the bodies and slapped Koko’s arm.
    “You see that tower structure there?”
    Koko turned her head and peeked over the mound of broken debris in front of them.
    “You mean the one leaning just to the right of the enemy’s position?”
    Delacompte nodded. The condensation in her helmet’s screen made her look almost faceless, like a ghost. “Yeah, that’s the one. Totally weakened base on that sucker. We’re going to discharge everything we got at the foot of that tower and hope she’ll topple right over in front of the Kongercats.”
    “Everything we’ve got?”
    “Yup.”
    “But we’ll be defenseless.”
    “That’s the idea,” Delacompte said confidently. “These de-civs have to believe we’re desperate. Unloading on them full bore like that will convey a sense of panic. If they think we’ve unloaded everything, then maybe they’ll take the opportunity to launch an all-out counter-offensive. If they do, the plan is to have Davidson’s and Kamiński’s crews out-flank them. If we’re lucky and we lure the Kongercats out, only a few of them will be left standing when the smoke clears.”
    Koko motioned to the dead bodies behind them.
    “And what? We just hope they don’t cut us to pieces like these two?”
    Delacompte didn’t waste a look on the dead mercs. Instead she squatted down closer to Koko to make her point clear.
    “Look, Martstellar,” Delacompte said. “I’m real sorry about these two. Hell, when ElektroCorp does our wash-up, I’ll even take the heat, let them dock my credits for their expense. The truth is we can’t wait this out. No way, no how. Those Kongercats are going to make their move, and they’re going to make it soon.”
    Koko dipped her helmet. The rush from the amphetamine chew kicked in just then, and Koko felt the chemical heat burning up her blood.
    “God, I hate this,” she griped. “Why can’t these obstructionist de-civs roll over for initiatives like everybody else?”
    Delacompte laughed. “Hundreds of years of tested living, that’s why. Global contagions, a few centuries of smartwars, all the environmental and geopolitical ruin… like anyone, these pains in the butt are just trying to make their way in the world. Not to mention this is your job, soldier, so quit complaining. This works out and we go one-on-one with these de-civs? You’re going to impress the hell out of them with your moves.”
    Koko grinned. “Didn’t know flattery was part of my compensation package, Big D.”
    “Martstellar, you’re a shit-hot hand-to-hand fighter, and you know it.”
    Koko couldn’t help but feel a small flash of pride.
    Screw it
, Koko thought. She cranked the levels on her weapon and armed every last pulse grenade on her rack. Koko then attached a grenade launcher to her own KRISS F9 pulse rifle and fed the grenades into the weapon’s breech. Meanwhile, Delacompte patched the orders to Davidson and Kamiński’s bricks via her own ocular. After some confirmation static, a synchronized countdown began on Delacompte’s mark.
    “You ready?” Delacompte asked.
    Koko sucked in a deep breath. Exhaled.
    “Born and bred, boss.”
    “Then let’s do this.”
    * * *
    Turns out, Delacompte’s plan that day worked out just as she described it. It was as though Delacompte had foreseen every single one of the Kongercats’ useless tactics. Their group didn’t lose another specialist, and none of the Kongercat de-civ militants were left alive. Gutsy-as-hell move was what ElektroCorp called it. Gutsy-as-hell and bonus credits were awarded all around.
    So, yeah, Koko thinks. Portia Delacompte has