Diabolus Ex Machina

‘War has no more room for monsters. We all bear the sins of the Devil. Do not pray for peace but grasp it with Iron hands scrapped in blood. That is your reality. That is our purpose.’

The giant Imperial air carrier soared through the sky with massive jet engines that propelled it forward. The triangular shaped craft surfed above the white clouds with the vivid blue sky refracting against the shiny black hull.

*Alarm Alarm Alarm*

Inside panic arose as crews scurried around under a thick miasma of flashing red. The commanding officer stood tall, still adamant and confident despite the chaos that has been distilled in his people.

“Calm down and give an update to the situation! NOW!”

[Access Denied]

[Access Denied]

[Access Denied]

A young officer looked to his screen bewildered as his face was lit up by red error messages.

“Sir, we no longer have access to our systems!”

“We have approximately 100 bogies heading our way. A large portion of them consists of anti-air drones as well as Angels that were recently launched from us!”

“We are going to die, aren't we?”

Another soldier plainly stood up as he walked off his position in an aimless drunken state.

The commanding officer slumped in his seat speechless and shivering.

“Orders sir?”

“J… Just get me a drink….”

***

The carrier flew into a blackened cloud of drones that swarmed only doing small cosmetic damage in little explosions.

*Screeech*

A larger craft of similar design to the carrier suddenly scraped its body against the underside as it hit one of the engines.

*Boom*

A large gash exploded outwards as the plane began to bleed a blood of molten metal.

*Wrrrrr*

A squadron of grey jets zipped towards the carrier as they all transformed into humanoid mechs. Their metal talons scraped the roof of the vehicle coming to a slow and destructive stop.

***

‘War is a necessity of human culture. A pointless play that needs to be rooted out from the buds.’

A static voice chimed in through a communication channel.

“All comm channels are down! We are in the dark so for god's sake don’t stop firing. Send your Operators out to shoot these mechs with guns if you have to… We are going to die anyways; best make it count. Command Bunker C851 signing out. Good luck men!”

*BRRRRRRRR*

The slow lumbering green biped drone of the REC fired its dual minigun sending a hail of molten fire with the screeching sound of clashing metal.

*Boom*

The right-hand side cannon fired a shot into the distance hitting the incoming swarm of Imperial drones as they momentarily scattered.

Out of the swarm raced a grey metallic humanoid mech that simply stomped the REC drone with its massive feet.

*Crush*

*Wrrr*

The towering mech raised its plasma blade and shield as the single drone began to decimate the hill of green machines turning it into sliced up bits of molten scrap metal.

A commanding officer ran out with a rifle in hand.

*Bang Bang Bang*

He fired the weapon randomly in a sporadic display of desperation.

*Ding Ding Ding*

The bullets simply bounced off the mech’s face with its spider like red eyes turning towards the tiny officer.

The mech lowered itself bathing the officer in the oppressive red glow of its eyes.

*Bang Bang Bang*

*Click Click Click*

He continued to fire his rifle until there was no more ammo and realising his impending doom a warm golden stain slowly seeped through his pants staining the prestigious golden laced uniform of red and blue.

***

“The Russian American Sector has now been lost abruptly along with the control of 90 percent of the Imperial Army. A large chunk of the former capital is slowly walking towards the northern pole….”

A holographic map of the world showed the ongoing conflict zones in the world. The Northern, Southern region of America and parts of Russia was coloured black. Small spots of Red represented the Imperial army with its control over the Russian landmass going smaller with every passing second.

“Western Russia and the REC is fighting a losing battle as Berlin is now in Siege only within days. They stand no chance against the full force of the Imperial might along with Anabhrakian tech.”

The holographic map displayed black zones slowly eating away at the blue which represented the REC forces. Berlin is highlighted with massive REC armies stationed ready for the coming swarm that planned to siege their capital.

***

“That's the current situation now. Any questions?”

Tomo turned off the hologram projector as she looked towards Ana as they stood in a heavily fortified bunker dimly lit by powered lamps. A makeshift control room was set up with workers that manned hastily assembled computers connected by a random assortment of wires.

Ana curiously looked around trying to make out the strange network of bunkers that had roofs that stretched as tall as skyscrapers.

“This hangar… I’ve been on Command Vehicles with gigantic hangers but this… this is something else.”

Tomo smirked as she clicked a button in her hand.

“Oh, you ain't seen nothin yet!”

*Click*

*Voosh Voosh Voosh*

Bright lights slowly lit the dim hangar revealing an army of dorman metallic giants. Mechs that stood in giant frames that held them in place while they slept.

“Welcome to our little collection of toys, Major. Don’t think that you and that fool Mayeda’s army are the only ones with access to these.”

“These designs are the same as the ones I’ve used and fought but it looks different, almost incomplete.”

“These are unfinished prototypes of a newer version of the current Mechs commissioned for Mayeda. These were never needed so they now rot in this secret hangar.”

“You helped him build them?”

“In a way, yes. A lot of our people, including me, still believe in General Mayeda’s ideals… or at least part of it.”

Ana’s body tensed with her eye looking towards her resting mech in the distance.

“You what!”

Tomo catching Ana’s increasing concerns raised her arms up to reassure her.

“Wait… Wait. I can explain. The thing is that a lot of our people believe in isolationism maintaining a defensive porcupine status and deter invaders but other camps are tired of our people dying just to defend our lands from invaders. They wanted a more permanent solution.”

Tomo sat down as she lit up a cigarette blowing out a cloud of white. Ana looked at her with her body positioned ready to strike at a moment's notice.

“We are not your enemy but it is true at one point your mother and I inadvertently helped Mayeda to where he is now. We believed that a middle ground would suffice. A strong army that would threaten all human invaders from entering our paradise.”

“And how did you not realise his intentions?”

“We were blinded by ambition with your mother being the first one to catch on. It was like a spark that went off in her brain. That spark was you.”

“M… Me?”

“Dr Mihara was a prisoner working for me, you know. I did not know her crimes until she told me that she rescued and hid away a test subject. Coincidentally, Mayeda was whispering in my ears about the same lost test subject and her powers that would bring about humanities evolution.”

“...”

“I knew then that I had opened a pandora’s box and let out a monster with an ambition too great to control.”

“So, then what's the plan?”

“Simple, we will take out Mayeda and close Pandora's box or everything will be lost.”

Ana calmed down as she sat opposite to Tomo who leaned forward with her arms on the table. A large smile rendered all across her face.

“Suit up! And get in that Robot Major!... It's time to go to war!”