Free Space Cadets by Adam Moon Page B

about earthbound military ordinances and I think that bomb was a Meteor Impact , so called because of the devastation it wreaks and the crater it leaves behind. The little orb that the Ranger had thrown was a homing beacon of some kind.
    The aircraft whooshed over my head like a bolt of lightning.
    I turned my attentions to the President’s limo. The mech had the entire limo hoisted over its head and was carrying it down the street towards me.

Last Stand
     
    I looked over at Arthur but he was gone. I scanned the crowd behind the mech and saw Arthur’s back. He was blasting away like this was the most fun he’d ever had.
    But then, I saw blood run down his back and he fell over, dead. I didn’t have time to grieve for him though.
    The Rangers behind me ran past. The weight of their armored uniforms cracked the tarmac beneath their feet as they went. They joined the fight up ahead now too.
    I stood up, ready to join in with the rest of them, when the mech stomped over and put the limo down beside me. It said in a female voice, “Hi again Jack.”
    “Is that you Peggy?”
    “It sure is. I need you to get the President to safety. We’ll hold those bastards off.”
    I nodded even though I wasn’t really sure what she expected of me. I wasn’t trained to protect a fucking President.
    Peggy was a friend of my hero, Rick Pringle. She was his equal in every way except that she was probably smarter and less reckless than he was.
    She yanked the door to the Beast clean off and ducked her head inside.
    She pulled her head back out and said, “He’s got a wound on his neck. I’ll get you a med-kit.” Then she dashed off. I approached the open doorway and sure enough, the President was holding a gushing wound on his throat. Everyone else inside was already dead.
    I heard Peggy’s voice yell, “Heads up,” and I turned just in time to see her launch a backpack my way. I caught it and fished around for wrap. I unraveled a roll and got inside the limo. It stunk of sweat and feces but I put it from my thoughts and forced the President to remove his hands. I wrapped his neck up as tight as I dared and then sat back to view my work, but also to try and figure out what I was supposed to do now.
    There was a loud thump overhead. I got out and was surprised to get shot right in the face by a guy standing on the limo. I pulled my weapon and perforated him.
    Just then I saw more terrorists rappelling down from the rooftops of the shops, and some of them had armor on.
    I’d never used a Sizzler in atmosphere before so I didn’t know what kind of sound it would make. It’s an energy weapon and it’s terrifying but I decided the situation demanded I use it. I turned it on and waited the second and a half it takes to power up. Then I ran a line of amplified energy across the storefronts on the other side of the limo. The Sizzler cut through a couple of the descending terrorists and it made a few of the lucky ones explode from the super-heating of the blood and organs. Two torsos let go of their ropes and fell to their deaths.
    I turned around to get the guys on that side of the street but I was too late. They were already firing at me from the ground and they were furious. One of them launched a Popper my way but it exploded in the air. The shockwave alone put me on my ass. I hefted my PQ5000 up, ready to defend myself, but the barrel had been bent at some point. I was out of Poppers and the Sizzler only worked one time before it had to be recharged. What that meant was that I was fucked.

Human Shield
     
    My head jolted around as the bullets impacted the armor. It wouldn’t hold up much longer. There were only a handful of terrorists coming at me but that was too many because I was defenseless. I stood up to block the open doorway of the limo. I was going to die, but maybe I could buy the President enough time to escape out of his door on the opposite side.
    My entire body shuddered from the multiple impacts but I just gritted my