Chapter 21
"Okay, almost done," said Tirin. "Just a few more neighborhoods."
The mech suit was flying far above the forum, using a GPS to track remaining houses. The suit's features were a great aid. LM had worked wonders modifying the device.
Tirin's stomach growled. He was low on energy, and Ciflit's house had neither milk or cookies. He glanced at one of the rear-view cameras. "I'll be cutting it pretty close," said Tirin. Dawn was approaching.
Something wasn't right. Tirin looked at the camera again, and saw a bright flash. The whole suit shook, and Tirin was thrusted forward as he heard an explosion. The camera screen went black and an alarm began blaring.
"Engine 3 non-functional. Stabilizing mech."
"Fuel tank 3 severe leaking. Severing line."
Tirin grabbed the controls and spun the suit around, making it fly backwards. Four more missiles were inbound. Tirin flipped the auto-target toggle, and the machine gun mount immediately swerved and fired, taking out three missiles just as they were about to hit. The fourth missile hit below where Tirin could see out of the viewport, and the craft rocked again.
"Auto-targeting non-functional."
"Right arm cannons one and three non-functional."
"Shit." Tirin grabbed the flight stick and manual gun controls. More missiles were coming. Tirin piloted the mech into some clouds above, darting and zipping through them at various speeds to lose the projectiles. Several missiles lost their signal and trailed off elsewhere in the sky, but a dozen more kept their mark. Tirin sprayed the sky with bullets, taking out five of the closest targets. He carefully aimed to take down the further ones, but they seemed impervious to bullets. Tirin launched his own projectiles from the last remaining arm cannon, but without auto-targeting it was useless. The enemy missiles were getting closer, close enough for Tirin to see they were heavily plated with some kind of metal casing.
"Oh, screw this!" said Tirin. He charged a ball of energy in his hand and shot it through the viewport, shattering most of the glass. It flew forward and collided with the closest missile, easily causing it to detonate en route. "Ha!" Tirin fired a volley of more energy balls, a few of which similarly took down more targets. But he soon ran out of energy and found himself exhausted, very sleepy even. Three missiles were left. Tirin tried to pilot away, but their heat signature were locked on. They were too close. Tirin braced for impact.
The first missile hit and sent the mech spinning. Tirin didn't have time to strap himself in, he began bouncing around the cockpit. The alarm was reading off the numerous damages, but he couldn't hear it over the sound of the screaming engines. The mech jerked and spun the other way as the second missile hit. Fuel started spewing into the cockpit, and Tirin heard parts clanging and ripping off the mech as it fell down to the earth.
Tirin didn't want to see what the third missile would do. He kicked off of the sidewall and shot himself through the remaining glass in the viewport, gaining as much horizontal distance away from the mech as possible. A final explosion deafened him, and sent him tumbling madly - fortunately away from the mech's flaming debris. Tirin started blacking out, but the wind in his face kept him awake. And alive. Tirin shot all of his remaining energy downward to act as thrust, hoping to cushion his fall. He still left a small crater in the ground when he hit.
Tirin laid there motionless, his body screaming in pain. His burnt arm felt good in the snow. Failure was all he could think of as he saw the sun begin to rise and passed out.
"Okay, almost done," said Tirin. "Just a few more neighborhoods."
The mech suit was flying far above the forum, using a GPS to track remaining houses. The suit's features were a great aid. LM had worked wonders modifying the device.
Tirin's stomach growled. He was low on energy, and Ciflit's house had neither milk or cookies. He glanced at one of the rear-view cameras. "I'll be cutting it pretty close," said Tirin. Dawn was approaching.
Something wasn't right. Tirin looked at the camera again, and saw a bright flash. The whole suit shook, and Tirin was thrusted forward as he heard an explosion. The camera screen went black and an alarm began blaring.
"Engine 3 non-functional. Stabilizing mech."
"Fuel tank 3 severe leaking. Severing line."
Tirin grabbed the controls and spun the suit around, making it fly backwards. Four more missiles were inbound. Tirin flipped the auto-target toggle, and the machine gun mount immediately swerved and fired, taking out three missiles just as they were about to hit. The fourth missile hit below where Tirin could see out of the viewport, and the craft rocked again.
"Auto-targeting non-functional."
"Right arm cannons one and three non-functional."
"Shit." Tirin grabbed the flight stick and manual gun controls. More missiles were coming. Tirin piloted the mech into some clouds above, darting and zipping through them at various speeds to lose the projectiles. Several missiles lost their signal and trailed off elsewhere in the sky, but a dozen more kept their mark. Tirin sprayed the sky with bullets, taking out five of the closest targets. He carefully aimed to take down the further ones, but they seemed impervious to bullets. Tirin launched his own projectiles from the last remaining arm cannon, but without auto-targeting it was useless. The enemy missiles were getting closer, close enough for Tirin to see they were heavily plated with some kind of metal casing.
"Oh, screw this!" said Tirin. He charged a ball of energy in his hand and shot it through the viewport, shattering most of the glass. It flew forward and collided with the closest missile, easily causing it to detonate en route. "Ha!" Tirin fired a volley of more energy balls, a few of which similarly took down more targets. But he soon ran out of energy and found himself exhausted, very sleepy even. Three missiles were left. Tirin tried to pilot away, but their heat signature were locked on. They were too close. Tirin braced for impact.
The first missile hit and sent the mech spinning. Tirin didn't have time to strap himself in, he began bouncing around the cockpit. The alarm was reading off the numerous damages, but he couldn't hear it over the sound of the screaming engines. The mech jerked and spun the other way as the second missile hit. Fuel started spewing into the cockpit, and Tirin heard parts clanging and ripping off the mech as it fell down to the earth.
Tirin didn't want to see what the third missile would do. He kicked off of the sidewall and shot himself through the remaining glass in the viewport, gaining as much horizontal distance away from the mech as possible. A final explosion deafened him, and sent him tumbling madly - fortunately away from the mech's flaming debris. Tirin started blacking out, but the wind in his face kept him awake. And alive. Tirin shot all of his remaining energy downward to act as thrust, hoping to cushion his fall. He still left a small crater in the ground when he hit.
Tirin laid there motionless, his body screaming in pain. His burnt arm felt good in the snow. Failure was all he could think of as he saw the sun begin to rise and passed out.
