Dead Mech by Jake Bible Read Free Book Online Page B

Want me out there?”
    “I want everyone out there. Get the
transport ready and get the staff loaded up.”
    ***
    Mathew lowered Rachel’s unconscious form to
the ground, having just retrieved her from the cockpit. “Holy
crap!” he gasped, slumping to the ground from the exertion.
    Checking Rachel’s pulse while pulling back
an eyelid, Doctor Themopolous turned to Masters. “Your turn to
help. Hand me my bag.”
    Masters grabbed the med bag next to the pyre
and handed it to Themopolous. She shook her head. “No, I need you
to pull out the injector and grab the small red vial in the side
pouch.”
    Masters did as he was told, Mathew rolled
onto his side to get a better view.
    ***
    Jay manned the transport controls, powered
up the vehicle and checked the instrument panels. “Ready to go
Commander.”
    Capreze did a quick head count. “Alright,
Jay, we’re all loaded. Take us out there.”
    “Gotcha.”
    Capreze clicked his com. “Mathew?”
    “Yes, sir?” Mathew responded, still sounding
winded.
    “We are on our way. How’s my girl?”
    There was a slight pause. “She’s coming
around now, sir. Doc says she’ll be fine.”
    “Good to hear. Site secure?”
    “Yes sir. Your girl took care of that.”
    “Excellent. We’ll be there in just a
moment.”
    Capreze severed the communication as the
transport left the hangar.
    ***
    Mathew helped Rachel to her feet. She
wobbled a little, but stayed upright.
    “Easy now,” Mathew said. Rachel smiled at
him weakly, gently removing his hand from her arm.
    “I’m fine. I got this,” Rachel
responded.
    “Take these,” Doctor Themopolous ordered,
handing Rachel two red pills.
    “What are those?” Masters asked.
    “Just some energy pills, they’ll give her a
boost and also maintain her blood sugar.”
    “Blood sugar?” Mathew asked.
    Themopolous turned to Rachel. “I am assuming
all you had for breakfast was coffee?”
    Rachel nodded. “Just like every
morning.”
    “Yes, well this wasn’t like every morning,
now was it?”
    ***
    Doctor Themopolous and the pilots stood at
attention as the transport pulled up.
    The side door opened and the base staff
exited, forming a semi-circle around the pyre. Capreze exited last.
He placed himself opposite the semi-circle on the other side of the
pyre.
    Capreze nodded and Jay lifted a small bag
labeled “flammable” that lay by his feet. He stepped to the pyre
and shook the contents out around Stanislaw’s body. Small
briquettes tumbled from the bag and scattered across Stanislaw’s
corpse.
    Jay stood back as Capreze lifted a torch
from the ground and lit it.
    Several sobbed quietly.
    ***
    “This is an unfortunate tragedy,” Caprese
stated solemnly. He looked at each of the pilot’s faces, trying to
gauge which couldn’t cope with their grief. “Stanislaw was a good
man, a good pilot and a dear friend.”
    Some of the attendees sniffed, a few brushed
away tears. Most stood stone-faced, burying their pain deep down.
Bisby’s face raged.
    “Today we set a colleague free, we send his
soul above and make sure his body stays at rest.”
    Commander Caprese lifted the torch to the
pyre, lighting the briquettes and setting the platform and what was
left of Stanislaw’s body ablaze.
    ***
    The base crew each said their goodbyes to
Stanislaw as his body became ash and the ash became smoke, adding
to the trillions and trillions of particulates of burnt, dead
heroes already floating in the atmosphere.
    When the train whooshed by, no one turned to
look, no one cared about supplies and requisitions, news and gossip
from the city/states or some dumb Rookie thinking he won the
lottery and was on his way to glory.
    No one could take their eyes off the now
smoldering pyre and the scorched pieces of melted metal that was
once part of Stanislaw’s uniform.
    ***
    “As per tradition and out of respect for our
lost friend and comrade, we will walk back to base. Jay, you bring
back Rachel’s mech,” Capreze ordered.
    “Yes,