60 Book 4 - Chapter 118 (2/2)
The stealth suits played havoc with the Digger's keen sensors even at this close range. It must have been within fifteen metres of the operatives as the cave in was due in mere seconds.
Digger 002 first opened a vertical tunnel aimed behind the operatives breach into the sentry gun network. Instead of compacting the fill it was banking up behind the machine and on its mark if fell the two metres into the newly formed operative tunnel with several tonnes of sandy gravel behind it. Digger 002 pushed its way south, away from the operatives and began destroying the roof bringing down more material.
It had effectively trapped most of the operatives on the other side when it was attacked by some who were not caught in its trap. The massive mining drone was made of the most durable compounds and was designed to survive collapses of material up to ten tonnes in mass and with a significant force of up to 100kN.
As soon as it came under fire Myrmidon directed it to tunnel upwards dropping debris behind it while utilising gravity to assist its escape.
Meanwhile, Daedo and Mace had six operatives trapped on their side. They both began firing before the plasma cutter broke through the last few centimetres of tunnel sealant.
”Can a railgun round penetrate the plasma?” Mace asked.
”We are about to find out,” Daedo replied.
The pair began to fire blindly into the thin layer hoping to surprise their opponents. The railgun round easily perforated the sandy gravel and what followed was a satisfying screech of metal. Without intimate knowledge of the plasma cutters design, they had to presume that a circle of incredibly hot plasma preceded the machine generating it, burning everything in its part.
Substances reacted differently when they met the ultra hot substance. Sand would normally turn to glass, however, at extreme heat, it would turn into a gas and float away. The heat transfer had to be regulated so it would not turn the material it was cutting through into plasma itself.
A ventilation system would then extract the gas and disperse it behind the cutter far and wide enough for it to dissipate safely. Moments after the resounding cracks of the railgun rounds impacting on the cutter were heard, the plasma front end appeared. And with it a dark gas which indicated the ventilation system had been compromised.
The pair kept firing into the cutter, where the high-velocity rounds over-penetrated the lightly armoured stealth suits, they were piercing the plasma cutter ferociously. The machine groaned in protest as round after round sliced through its body before finally succumbing.
The plasma leaked onto the ground, its magnetic shield inoperable, it began to burn a hole which it sunk into. More black gas escaped.
No operatives appeared from behind the cutter, it was offering them some protection, and it was probably far too dangerous to attempt to pass it between the railgun rounds and the leaking plasma.
”If we penetrate its power core it will explode,” Daedo stated as he continued to fire upon the dying machine.
”Given the distance, cover, our shielding and armour we should be safe,” Mace replied.
Daedo grunted. It would mean certain death for the operatives.
He fired one last time as the explosion engulfed the tunnel. They both ducked, but it was a mental reaction, no one had quick enough reflexes to beat the first shockwave. The cover which was meant to protect them from return fire ended up protecting them from the blast of an exploding plasma cutter.
Daedo looked at Mace. Her shield had been breached, and her armour was marked with black streaks. But otherwise, she was fine.
”Give the reactor ten seconds to charge and then restart your shield,” he requested.
Mace nodded as she stood scanning the corridor in front of her. She laid one of her small spiderbots on the ground, and it crawled forward through the debris. She shared its feed with Daedo.
It was difficult to make out body parts from blasted equipment and earth, everything was black and exuding plumes of smoke, although one thing was certain, there were no survivors.
”Digger 002 was under fire from the other side. A couple of operatives weren't caught in the trap,” Daedo stated.
Mace studied the map that Myrmidon and AEMO were continually updating. Tunnels being added, blocked, last known positions of operatives and their plasma cutters.
”We should swing around and take out my parent's plasma cutter,” Mace offered, and Daedo nodded.
Daedo: Myrmidon can you provide us with a route to this position
A virtual three-dimensional display was generated for the pair and the AIs to discuss tactics in the dark tunnel.
Myrmidon: Digger 003 and 004 will create a new access tunnel from here, to underneath the foreign equipment and drop it down when you are ready.
As Myrmidon spoke, the new tunnel lines appeared.
Daedo and Mace went about their grim business, it was not the same as an Academy match. It lacked the banter from the positive Vannier, irreverent Kang, the upbeat Axelzero and the back and forth between Picard and Barran. Not to mention, no one died at the Academy.
They destroyed the second plasma cutter without challenge. Daedo turned to Mace, ”Two on the map, what do you think?”
She looked thoughtful, there would be resistance from each, and they would be expecting an attack now.
”Death from above?” She asked.
”The jumpjets use a lot of power,” Daedo replied. ”We can't maintain them, shields and life support for a length of time and especially during an engagement.”
”We should lie in wait then like we did the first time,” Mace suggested.
”It won't be predictable?” Daedo asked. ”You know these people better than I do.”
”I don't. I only dealt with my parents; they were my trainers and my handlers,” Mace replied.
”The Mechs are holding out of range of the sentry guns,” Daedo stated changing the subject, and after another moment's contemplation, he concluded. ”We will intercept them again. Its imperative they take down the power in order to get the mechs or any other reinforcements here. We will use that to our advantage.”
”That's the Daedo I know,” Mace replied with a brief and rare smile.
They moved off immediately towards the network of tunnels servicing the sentry guns and reactors.
Daedo: close the tunnel behind us. We will move to intercept from the sentry gun network again.
Myrmidon: we are tracking as best we can. The two plasma cutters are moving cautiously and working together now check your map.
Daedo: we've lost track of most of the operatives.
Myrmidon: we don't have the capability to track them, and without more data, I cannot predict their movements with acceptable accuracy.
Daedo: Understood.
A noise alerted Daedo moments before the impact. It was a whistling sound and made him immediately imaging something large flying through the air.
”Move,” Mace yelled as she pushed herself backwards firing her jumpjets.
Daedo was not as quick, and he was suddenly fighting against an energized net pulling him to the ground. It consisted of thousands of tiny squares which carried a current, which was probably designed to short circuit his exo, but his shield nullified its impact. However, there were four or more drones pulling the net downwards and him with it.
As soon as he came to his senses he fired his jumpjets reversing the moment, he then grabbed the net with both hands and attempted to through it off.
If the net had been successful in deactivating his exo, none of this power would be available to him, but Daedo was fortunate that the shield was an unknown addition to his exo and extremely useful one acting as an insulator in this circumstance.
Mace expertly began to pick off the drones pulling the net.
”Focus on the operatives!” Daedo called, he was winning the tug of war with the drones and was about to swing the net back down the corridor.
The operatives fired gas and attempted to hit him between his armour segments with tranq darts. There was no chance the darts would penetrate the mesh underlay, not unless they had a burrowing capability, which they did not. The presumed sleeping gas was also useless when they were using life support.
As Daedo threw the net off himself and down the corridor, he noticed that some of the operatives were firing live rounds at Mace. They were only attempting to take him alive. This fact gave him the fortitude to bring his grenade launcher to bear and fire on their position using the closed spaces against them even when they had taken cover.
An explosion in a closed space was considerably more damaging than one in an open area. Their current frag grenade consisted of both shock and compound fragments designed to cut through exo armour. The shockwave had significant force alone and could kill, however with a heavily armoured exo the compound fragments were necessary to breakdown an opponents defences.
To operatives wearing lightly armoured stealth suits, the grenades were devastatingly effective.
Within seconds the operatives were dead with the exception of two which were not caught in the initial blasts and had escaped at full speed as soon as they realised their predicament.
The net had not worked. The cadet's armour was almost impenetrable to their weapons. Gas did not work. If they were wise, the stealth operatives would avoid the cadets after their third skirmish.
”Six more down,” Mace said showing no emotion.
Daedo nodded sadly.
Without another word, they moved to protect the sentry gun emplacements. With the sentry guns intact holding reinforcements at bay and the stealth infiltrators being outclassed and outgunned the organisation had been thwarted thus far.
As Mace focused on their immediate area in case there was another surprise attack, Daedo's brain was working in overdrive theorycrafting a way to break the deadlock.
The pair arrived at the central junction near the outlying reactor and began to create lines of fire, barricades and traps utilising drones designed for prospecting.
They had moved and worked in silence for fifteen minutes before Daedo asked, ”I have to make a call, can you create a secure connection to the net?”