Bertrand
09-04-2008, 06:23 PM
The (Useless) Writer's Note: So this is a story that I thought up off the top of my head this very morning. How did it pop up into my mind? Well, it started with breakfast when one of my seven cats sat on my lap and just stared at me while I ate my cereal... and then... I really don't know what actually inspired the story in my mind. Lolz!
But I love cats. =^.^= Mew!!!
Anywhos--thanks to a most inspiring bowl of cereal and my favorite cat's staring contest of creepy-but-cute-ness... I have a story to write!!!
ParaDOScom
Prologue
Planet Arturos Prime
Fher'rim Federation Territories: The Border Rim
Aboard the Dropship FMSN Rome's Harbinger
3202 AD
Lieutenant Chris Gilliam fiddled with the chain necklace he had around his neck. It had been three years now since he had last seen his girlfriend--three years that he had been away from home. And quite frankly he was getting tired of being away.
Not that he could do anything about it, but it made him feel better when he complained about it in his mind.
He frowned as he fiddled with the necklace--the silver star pendant on it was worn and tarnished. It was only going to look worse and worse now. But it was from his girlfriend--that was all that mattered. It didn't matter how worn-out it looked.
Then he sighed to himself--it wasn't like he didn't keep in touch with his family and loved ones. He always sent and received mail, always made calls whenever possible. But it didn't help how he felt about being so far away from home. He was literally four parsecs away from his home planet!
There would be more time to think about that. But now... he had work to do.
Gilliam stuffed the necklace back into his SE-suit as he keyed in the ignition sequence to his DOS mech.
DOS—the Dawn-Overdrive Suit—a twelve meter tall humanoid mech war machine of the Fher'rim Federation Military. Armed with a wide array of weapons ranging from assault rifles, laser cannons, missile packs, and even mech-blades—these were the military's ultimate machines.
Fitting on the control sleeves, grabbing the control rods, and placing his feet on the guide-pedals, Gilliam steered his mech out of the hangar and towards the bay doors. Following up behind him was Corporal Mantel Han and Lance Corporal Uber Vince, both were fellow DOS pilots as well as good friends.
"Two hundred creds I score three more than the both of you," Lance Corporal Vince barked over the squad channel.
"You really want to try that?" Han said in his usual almost-monotone drone.
"Nah, I don't even have two hundred to bet right now," Vince chuckled.
"How about whoever gets the least kills buys us all drinks tonight?" Gilliam suggested, smirking.
"Sounds good," both Vince and Han said almost at the same time.
Squad Gilliam, prepare for deployment! a computerized female voice came over the squad channel. Mazandari forces have been confirmed. Ground forces have engaged hostile forces. You are to reinforce the 51st Armored Battalion and the 112th Infantry Regiment. Reaching combat zone in t-minus fifty and counting...
"Never trust that woman of electricity and silicon microchips..." Vince muttered. "She never knows what's actually down there."
"MIA is our military's latest in artificial intelligence," Han droned. "Have some faith in our technology for once."
"Heh, if our technology would let me install a custom hot chocolate dispenser in my bloody cockpit!"
All three pilots chuckled. They all knew Vince had an insane sweet tooth.
Suddenly the bay doors opened revealing an 800-meter drop into a city-turned-battlefield. Mazandari tanks and Element Suit mechs were busily engaged with the Fher'rim Armor and Infantry--however, the Mazandari were gaining the upper hand very quickly.
"Let's make some noise, gents!" Gilliam shouted over the squad channel as he shouldered his DOS mech's 55mm Assault Rifle.
"Hooo-ha!" Vince cheered as he readied his 55mm Anti-Mech Mag-Rail Sniper Cannon.
"Yay, I guess," Han droned as he armed his missile packs and loaded a large clip into his 55mm Assault Rifle.
Gilliam pushed on the pedals and his DOS leapt forward, plummeting towards the battle below, followed by Vince and Han's DOS mechs.
He engaged the DOS's boosters, slowing his descent as he brought up a display screen on his HUD showing the video feedback from his underside camera. Things were looking bad for the Fher'rim forces. The Mazandari Element Suit mechs were making quick work of the Fher'rim 51st Armored Battalion, and the infantry didn't really have much of a chance without the heavy armor.
Suddenly Vince's Sniper Cannon barked once, firing a 55mm slug through the chest-cockpit of a Mazandari Element Suit--there was very little left of the pilot save for a dirty red stain on the hull panels of the Element Suit.
"Nice," Han said over the squad channel.
"Who's the best DOS pilot in the world? Come on, you can say it, Han!" Vince chuckled.
"It'll be at the world's end when you're the BEST, Lance Corporal," Han droned.
"Aw, now that hurts..." Vince said as he fired another round, scoring a hit on another Element Suit.
Gilliam armed his DOS's missile packs as the mech's weapon systems began locking-on to multiple targets.
"Ah, if only I had two hundred creds to bet on this battle..." Vince sighed as he fired another round, sending a round tearing straight through a tank's armored hull before igniting the munitions inside. The tank exploded, sending shrapnel and debris in every direction.
"Just wait until we reach the ground," Han began. "You've seen nothing yet."
"For three YEARS I've seen nothing yet!" Vince laughed.
"Cocky idiot..." Han muttered.
Gilliam chuckled at his two comrades as he watched the final lock-on bracket glow red. He pulled the trigger on both control rods and forty-eight high-powered warheads fired from both shoulder-mounted missile packs on Gilliam's DOS.
Like two great hands of wispy smoke--the missile storm raked the Mazandari lines.
"Ooooo nice one, Gill," Vince whistled.
"Good one," Han droned in his nearly-emotionless voice.
"And we haven't even hit the ground yet," Gilliam grinned.
"Ten seconds to landing!" Vince cheered.
As soon as his DOS made landing, Gilliam gunned the boosters and his DOS zoomed forwards towards the enemy lines. "Make some noise, boys!"
Vince's sniper cannon barked again as his DOS barely landed without tripping over its own feet. "Oh--blast! Oops... right, Gill!!" He fired another round, scoring another hit on a Mazandari tank--the 55mm slug tearing straight through the front and out the back of the tank.
Han pulled the triggers and unleashed a barrage of missiles into a dug-in line of Mazandari tanks before his DOS landed a street off from where Gilliam and Vince had landed. He then gunned his boosters to catch up with Gilliam. Vince, as the squad sniper, stayed back to pick off priority targets.
Gilliam fired his assault rifle on full auto, sending a stream of high-velocity rounds into an Element Suit as he blazed past it. He pivoted his mech to the left as he then slammed the butt of his assault rifle into the head of another Element Suit that was turning to aim straight at him. The Element Suit fell back into the side of a half-destroyed building, tearing more of the building down with its weight.
Gilliam aimed and fired a three-round burst into the chest-cockpit of the Element Suit, killing the pilot inside instantly.
Suddenly his DOS shuddered as a tank round bounced off of his DOS's armored side.
"Really," Gilliam muttered as he aimed and fired a three-round burst into the lone Mazandari tank that dared to take on a heavily-armed DOS mech. The tank exploded as its munitions ignited within, killing the crew instantly and sending high-speed shrapnel everywhere.
Another Element Suit appeared from behind one of the structures ahead--but it was different from the others. It had an Anti-Mech Minicannon.
"Oh bloody hell!" Gilliam quickly spun his DOS around the corner of a building, using the structure as cover as the Element Suit unleashed a storm of armor-piercing rounds at a thousand rounds per minute. "Vince! Knock it out!"
"I'm kinda busy taking cover myself, Gill!" Vince called back over the squad channel.
"Han?"
"I'm under heavy fire from two Element Suits... I'll be there in a moment," Han droned as heavy fire could be heard from his side of the squad channel.
Gilliam grimaced.
"MIA you are a sucky Artificial Intelligence!!" Vince suddenly yelled over the squad channel. "Didn't tell us crap about the enemy!"
"Shush, I'm trying to concentrate on blowing things up..." Han droned as more cannon fire came across the squad channel.
Gilliam loaded a fresh clip into his mech's assault rifle. He leaned over and fired a blind three-round burst at the enemy who was still firing in his direction. "How much ammo does he have!?"
"About 803 rounds last I checked," Vince said tersely.
"....what?" Both Gilliam and Han asked at the same time.
"654...." Vince said in an almost absent-minded tone.
"You can count all of those rounds?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow.
"341..."
"A nice talent..." Gilliam shrugged.
Suddenly the firing stopped.
"Yep, he's out," Vince said.
Just as Gilliam swung his DOS around the corner to fire, the Element Suit's chest-cockpit exploded as a 55mm Mag-Rail Sniper round tore straight through it.
Enemy forces retreating... Squad Gilliam is to return to the Dropship... MIA's electronic voice came across the squad channel.
"Oh yeah, who's the best DOS pilot in the world?" Vince cheered as he made his mech do as much of a dance as it was capable of.
Han's DOS walked over to Vince's DOS, giving it a light punch in the shoulder.
"Aw, c'mon! You know you want to say it, Han! Who's the best?" Vince laughed.
Gilliam boosted his DOS over to his squad mates, grinning to himself. Once again, his squad finished its mission with barely a scratch.
...and then everything...
Everything fell apart.
Suddenly Vince's chest-cockpit exploded outward as a bright crimson beam punched through the back of his DOS.
For a moment, Vince's DOS remained standing, its hands twitching as if struggling to stay alive... it teetered and fell back, crashing into the ground with a thunderous clang.
"Vince..." Han said, just barely outside of monotonous. "Oh no..."
"Where the bloody heck..." Gilliam readied his assault rifle as he scanned the surrounding area. "It came from somewhere behind Vince!"
Then it came.
It wasn't an Element, nor was it a DOS, but it was definitely a mech. A sleek-design, painted jet-black, equipped with two arm-mounted weapon pods, a shoulder-mounted laser cannon, and twin mech-blades--it boosted itself across the battlefield, straight towards the remnants of Squad Gilliam.
Han turned his mech to bring his weapons to bear. "Now I'm pissed..." Han droned as he emptied the last of his missile packs, firing his assault rifle on full-auto.
Gilliam had already used up his missile reserves, however he still had his assault rifle--he fired his weapon on full-auto as well.
The enemy strafed, rose and dove, and dodged as missiles exploded all around it, as bullets zipped by and some ricocheting off its armored hull.
Gilliam loaded another clip into his assault rifle and began firing again.
Then it got too close...
In a flourish of movements, the enemy mech twisted and swung an arm outwards in a wide arc towards Han's DOS.
Han's DOS fell in two from the waist across as an arm-mounted charged mech-blade sliced straight through it like a knife through butter.
Gilliam roared as he emptied his last clip into the enemy mech at point-blank. It hadn't paid enough attention to Gilliam when it went after Han.
The enemy mech collapsed and folded on itself as Gilliam continued firing 55mm rounds into it.
Whether it was a reactor failure or a munitions ignition, the enemy mech exploded in a flaming pillar of fire, smoke, debris, and shrapnel.
Gilliam blinked once... twice... and then he closed his eyes, sighing.
What began as a good day... just became Hell.
His good friends were dead...
Suddenly his motion sensor detected further movement... behind him.
Gilliam jammed his feet on the guide-pedals, turning to face the enemy. He pulled the triggers on his control rods to fire...
Click-chak... He was empty.
And all he saw was the blinding flash of a searing plasma beam as it engulfed him and his DOS.
[Welcome to ParaDOScom_]
[End Transmission_]
Random Writer's Note of Bottom-Of-The-Page-Ness:
Yay!! Now to make some fried noodles... =^.^=
But I love cats. =^.^= Mew!!!
Anywhos--thanks to a most inspiring bowl of cereal and my favorite cat's staring contest of creepy-but-cute-ness... I have a story to write!!!
ParaDOScom
Prologue
Planet Arturos Prime
Fher'rim Federation Territories: The Border Rim
Aboard the Dropship FMSN Rome's Harbinger
3202 AD
Lieutenant Chris Gilliam fiddled with the chain necklace he had around his neck. It had been three years now since he had last seen his girlfriend--three years that he had been away from home. And quite frankly he was getting tired of being away.
Not that he could do anything about it, but it made him feel better when he complained about it in his mind.
He frowned as he fiddled with the necklace--the silver star pendant on it was worn and tarnished. It was only going to look worse and worse now. But it was from his girlfriend--that was all that mattered. It didn't matter how worn-out it looked.
Then he sighed to himself--it wasn't like he didn't keep in touch with his family and loved ones. He always sent and received mail, always made calls whenever possible. But it didn't help how he felt about being so far away from home. He was literally four parsecs away from his home planet!
There would be more time to think about that. But now... he had work to do.
Gilliam stuffed the necklace back into his SE-suit as he keyed in the ignition sequence to his DOS mech.
DOS—the Dawn-Overdrive Suit—a twelve meter tall humanoid mech war machine of the Fher'rim Federation Military. Armed with a wide array of weapons ranging from assault rifles, laser cannons, missile packs, and even mech-blades—these were the military's ultimate machines.
Fitting on the control sleeves, grabbing the control rods, and placing his feet on the guide-pedals, Gilliam steered his mech out of the hangar and towards the bay doors. Following up behind him was Corporal Mantel Han and Lance Corporal Uber Vince, both were fellow DOS pilots as well as good friends.
"Two hundred creds I score three more than the both of you," Lance Corporal Vince barked over the squad channel.
"You really want to try that?" Han said in his usual almost-monotone drone.
"Nah, I don't even have two hundred to bet right now," Vince chuckled.
"How about whoever gets the least kills buys us all drinks tonight?" Gilliam suggested, smirking.
"Sounds good," both Vince and Han said almost at the same time.
Squad Gilliam, prepare for deployment! a computerized female voice came over the squad channel. Mazandari forces have been confirmed. Ground forces have engaged hostile forces. You are to reinforce the 51st Armored Battalion and the 112th Infantry Regiment. Reaching combat zone in t-minus fifty and counting...
"Never trust that woman of electricity and silicon microchips..." Vince muttered. "She never knows what's actually down there."
"MIA is our military's latest in artificial intelligence," Han droned. "Have some faith in our technology for once."
"Heh, if our technology would let me install a custom hot chocolate dispenser in my bloody cockpit!"
All three pilots chuckled. They all knew Vince had an insane sweet tooth.
Suddenly the bay doors opened revealing an 800-meter drop into a city-turned-battlefield. Mazandari tanks and Element Suit mechs were busily engaged with the Fher'rim Armor and Infantry--however, the Mazandari were gaining the upper hand very quickly.
"Let's make some noise, gents!" Gilliam shouted over the squad channel as he shouldered his DOS mech's 55mm Assault Rifle.
"Hooo-ha!" Vince cheered as he readied his 55mm Anti-Mech Mag-Rail Sniper Cannon.
"Yay, I guess," Han droned as he armed his missile packs and loaded a large clip into his 55mm Assault Rifle.
Gilliam pushed on the pedals and his DOS leapt forward, plummeting towards the battle below, followed by Vince and Han's DOS mechs.
He engaged the DOS's boosters, slowing his descent as he brought up a display screen on his HUD showing the video feedback from his underside camera. Things were looking bad for the Fher'rim forces. The Mazandari Element Suit mechs were making quick work of the Fher'rim 51st Armored Battalion, and the infantry didn't really have much of a chance without the heavy armor.
Suddenly Vince's Sniper Cannon barked once, firing a 55mm slug through the chest-cockpit of a Mazandari Element Suit--there was very little left of the pilot save for a dirty red stain on the hull panels of the Element Suit.
"Nice," Han said over the squad channel.
"Who's the best DOS pilot in the world? Come on, you can say it, Han!" Vince chuckled.
"It'll be at the world's end when you're the BEST, Lance Corporal," Han droned.
"Aw, now that hurts..." Vince said as he fired another round, scoring a hit on another Element Suit.
Gilliam armed his DOS's missile packs as the mech's weapon systems began locking-on to multiple targets.
"Ah, if only I had two hundred creds to bet on this battle..." Vince sighed as he fired another round, sending a round tearing straight through a tank's armored hull before igniting the munitions inside. The tank exploded, sending shrapnel and debris in every direction.
"Just wait until we reach the ground," Han began. "You've seen nothing yet."
"For three YEARS I've seen nothing yet!" Vince laughed.
"Cocky idiot..." Han muttered.
Gilliam chuckled at his two comrades as he watched the final lock-on bracket glow red. He pulled the trigger on both control rods and forty-eight high-powered warheads fired from both shoulder-mounted missile packs on Gilliam's DOS.
Like two great hands of wispy smoke--the missile storm raked the Mazandari lines.
"Ooooo nice one, Gill," Vince whistled.
"Good one," Han droned in his nearly-emotionless voice.
"And we haven't even hit the ground yet," Gilliam grinned.
"Ten seconds to landing!" Vince cheered.
As soon as his DOS made landing, Gilliam gunned the boosters and his DOS zoomed forwards towards the enemy lines. "Make some noise, boys!"
Vince's sniper cannon barked again as his DOS barely landed without tripping over its own feet. "Oh--blast! Oops... right, Gill!!" He fired another round, scoring another hit on a Mazandari tank--the 55mm slug tearing straight through the front and out the back of the tank.
Han pulled the triggers and unleashed a barrage of missiles into a dug-in line of Mazandari tanks before his DOS landed a street off from where Gilliam and Vince had landed. He then gunned his boosters to catch up with Gilliam. Vince, as the squad sniper, stayed back to pick off priority targets.
Gilliam fired his assault rifle on full auto, sending a stream of high-velocity rounds into an Element Suit as he blazed past it. He pivoted his mech to the left as he then slammed the butt of his assault rifle into the head of another Element Suit that was turning to aim straight at him. The Element Suit fell back into the side of a half-destroyed building, tearing more of the building down with its weight.
Gilliam aimed and fired a three-round burst into the chest-cockpit of the Element Suit, killing the pilot inside instantly.
Suddenly his DOS shuddered as a tank round bounced off of his DOS's armored side.
"Really," Gilliam muttered as he aimed and fired a three-round burst into the lone Mazandari tank that dared to take on a heavily-armed DOS mech. The tank exploded as its munitions ignited within, killing the crew instantly and sending high-speed shrapnel everywhere.
Another Element Suit appeared from behind one of the structures ahead--but it was different from the others. It had an Anti-Mech Minicannon.
"Oh bloody hell!" Gilliam quickly spun his DOS around the corner of a building, using the structure as cover as the Element Suit unleashed a storm of armor-piercing rounds at a thousand rounds per minute. "Vince! Knock it out!"
"I'm kinda busy taking cover myself, Gill!" Vince called back over the squad channel.
"Han?"
"I'm under heavy fire from two Element Suits... I'll be there in a moment," Han droned as heavy fire could be heard from his side of the squad channel.
Gilliam grimaced.
"MIA you are a sucky Artificial Intelligence!!" Vince suddenly yelled over the squad channel. "Didn't tell us crap about the enemy!"
"Shush, I'm trying to concentrate on blowing things up..." Han droned as more cannon fire came across the squad channel.
Gilliam loaded a fresh clip into his mech's assault rifle. He leaned over and fired a blind three-round burst at the enemy who was still firing in his direction. "How much ammo does he have!?"
"About 803 rounds last I checked," Vince said tersely.
"....what?" Both Gilliam and Han asked at the same time.
"654...." Vince said in an almost absent-minded tone.
"You can count all of those rounds?" Han asked, raising an eyebrow.
"341..."
"A nice talent..." Gilliam shrugged.
Suddenly the firing stopped.
"Yep, he's out," Vince said.
Just as Gilliam swung his DOS around the corner to fire, the Element Suit's chest-cockpit exploded as a 55mm Mag-Rail Sniper round tore straight through it.
Enemy forces retreating... Squad Gilliam is to return to the Dropship... MIA's electronic voice came across the squad channel.
"Oh yeah, who's the best DOS pilot in the world?" Vince cheered as he made his mech do as much of a dance as it was capable of.
Han's DOS walked over to Vince's DOS, giving it a light punch in the shoulder.
"Aw, c'mon! You know you want to say it, Han! Who's the best?" Vince laughed.
Gilliam boosted his DOS over to his squad mates, grinning to himself. Once again, his squad finished its mission with barely a scratch.
...and then everything...
Everything fell apart.
Suddenly Vince's chest-cockpit exploded outward as a bright crimson beam punched through the back of his DOS.
For a moment, Vince's DOS remained standing, its hands twitching as if struggling to stay alive... it teetered and fell back, crashing into the ground with a thunderous clang.
"Vince..." Han said, just barely outside of monotonous. "Oh no..."
"Where the bloody heck..." Gilliam readied his assault rifle as he scanned the surrounding area. "It came from somewhere behind Vince!"
Then it came.
It wasn't an Element, nor was it a DOS, but it was definitely a mech. A sleek-design, painted jet-black, equipped with two arm-mounted weapon pods, a shoulder-mounted laser cannon, and twin mech-blades--it boosted itself across the battlefield, straight towards the remnants of Squad Gilliam.
Han turned his mech to bring his weapons to bear. "Now I'm pissed..." Han droned as he emptied the last of his missile packs, firing his assault rifle on full-auto.
Gilliam had already used up his missile reserves, however he still had his assault rifle--he fired his weapon on full-auto as well.
The enemy strafed, rose and dove, and dodged as missiles exploded all around it, as bullets zipped by and some ricocheting off its armored hull.
Gilliam loaded another clip into his assault rifle and began firing again.
Then it got too close...
In a flourish of movements, the enemy mech twisted and swung an arm outwards in a wide arc towards Han's DOS.
Han's DOS fell in two from the waist across as an arm-mounted charged mech-blade sliced straight through it like a knife through butter.
Gilliam roared as he emptied his last clip into the enemy mech at point-blank. It hadn't paid enough attention to Gilliam when it went after Han.
The enemy mech collapsed and folded on itself as Gilliam continued firing 55mm rounds into it.
Whether it was a reactor failure or a munitions ignition, the enemy mech exploded in a flaming pillar of fire, smoke, debris, and shrapnel.
Gilliam blinked once... twice... and then he closed his eyes, sighing.
What began as a good day... just became Hell.
His good friends were dead...
Suddenly his motion sensor detected further movement... behind him.
Gilliam jammed his feet on the guide-pedals, turning to face the enemy. He pulled the triggers on his control rods to fire...
Click-chak... He was empty.
And all he saw was the blinding flash of a searing plasma beam as it engulfed him and his DOS.
[Welcome to ParaDOScom_]
[End Transmission_]
Random Writer's Note of Bottom-Of-The-Page-Ness:
Yay!! Now to make some fried noodles... =^.^=