Shogo Novel By CyHunter Edited by Graham L. Wilson Background text by Monolith Productions Date: May 20, 2003 9:04 pm Edited: May 10, 2009 to May 11, 2009 Link: http://www.shogomad.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=97 "DUDE!! THAT WAS THE LONGEST POST I'VE EVER READ!! but it is cool man, good job" - SkiD_SKA >>REQUEST ALL AVAILABLE DATA ON: CRONUS >>PROCESSING REQUEST: >Cronus discovery At first glance, Cronus (technically 46CronusD, the fourth planet in the nearly dead Cronus system) seems like an unlikely place to play such a critical role in the future of humanity. It is a hostile, barren world with a poisonous atmosphere, incessant volcanic and seismic activity, and an unexceptional collection of minerals easily mined from hundreds of thousands of more accessible asteroids and moons, not to mention the handful of human-colonized worlds. However, when a deep space probe sent to the system to collect scientific data for cataloging purposes detected chemically compelling organic material in soil samples, the United Corporate Authority (UCA) was formed by three dominant megacorporations (Andra Biomechanics, Armacham Technology Corporation, and Shogo Industries) and a jointly funded manned expedition was launched. That early venture found rich deposits of the organic material, dubbed kato for the probe that discovered it (the Shogo DSP Katoki). It would be over a decade before the benefits of kato energy would become apparent and interstellar travel would change forever. >The Megacorporations & the UCA Each of the megacorporations contributing to the Cronus expedition had a vested interest in the mission at hand. Andra Biomechanics, founded in Moscow in the early 21st century by Natalya Andropov, a renowned researcher on the Human Genome Project, grew to specialize in a variety of genetic engineering, cybernetic, and mechanical engineering interests. Their products included medical bioengineering technologies, cybernetically assisted prosthetics, and even anthropomorphic mobile engineering vehicles (MEVs) used in construction, mining (terrestrial and otherwise), and demolition. They also did early research and development of mobile combat armor (MCAs) and armaments. Shogo Industries, a Japanese conglomerate, had interests ranging from technology to publishing to the manufacture of children's clothing. With the advent of MEVs and MCAs, Shogo decided to offer their own highly advanced line of giant mechanized suits. Their designs were well received both for functionality and aesthetics. They also distinguished themselves for space-based product lines and microcomputer technology. Armacham Technology Corporation got its start with the manufacture of commercial satellites and ground-based communication systems. Eventually, they would expand to encompass civilian and military vehicle manufacture, musical equipment, security systems, and, predictably enough, MEV and MCA technologies. Their MCAs (they discontinued their MEV lines after some early experiments) immediately caught the attention of the private sector and various military organizations alike. Sleeker and sexier than the offerings of their competitors, Armacham's MCAs were and still are considered the most striking MCAs available. Of course, form without function is useless, and Armacham delivers there as well. While not as rugged as Andra MCAs or as sophisticated as Shogo MCAs, Armacham's designs are reliable and hardy. The UCA, originally intended as a joint venture that would ensure the continued profitability and expansion of the three organizations that founded it, took on a life of its own almost immediately. With its status as the primary regulatory agency for interstellar commerce, the UCA quickly swelled into an unwieldy bureaucracy. It was only after dissociating itself from its progenitors that it was able to restructure itself and become more efficient, simultaneously forming the United Corporate Authority Security Force (UCASF), which would soon become the dominant military power in existence. Within a decade, it was involved in the manufacture of deep space vessels, aircraft, ground-based vehicles, and MCAs. While the UCA's early entries in the MCA market were poorly received, subsequent models, especially the Defender and Enforcer, rank as some of the best MCAs available. >Kato Energy What makes kato especially enticing and useful is its unique chemical composition. Being of an organic nature, kato at first seemed comparable to petroleum-a vestigial remnant of ancient indigenous life. On further examination, however, it was discovered that kato is actually alive in some sense, although no more sentient than algae. The importance of kato derives from its reaction to high temperatures. When burned, kato passes through several stages of recomposition before losing its volatility. Each of these stages produces an impressive amount of energy, but it's what happens at the subatomic level that proves the most beneficial. In the course of its chemical breakdown, kato emits a tachyon field that can be harnessed to allow an object (such as a vehicle) contained within the field to tunnel (i.e. move from one place to another without passing through each increment of space in between), thereby travelling at superluminal speeds. Space travel without kato energy would be like walking from New York to Los Angeles versus flying there in a Concorde. As you can imagine, interplanetary travel without kato energy is entirely impractical. >Developments on Cronus The population of Cronus grew steadily and rapidly, even when the first underground colony, Avernus, was devastated by a series of powerful earthquakes that led to a mass migration to the burgeoning city of Maritropa. Avernus, although abandoned, continued an eerie quasi-life of its own, for its geothermal energy supply still pumped life through the city, powering streetlamps, heating ducts, atmospheric processors, hydroponic farms, and condensation collectors. Those few who had chosen to remain behind were able to sustain themselves with a minimal amount of maintenance and repair. Many of these holdouts (dubbed stragglers) were former miners driven to psychological breakdown by the pressures of long hours, horrible working conditions, and long-term exposure to raw kato residue, which had been demonstrated to have a corrosive effect on unprotected flesh even in particulate form, leading to respiratory ailments, skin rashes, and even blindness. Though the term "straggler" was originally aimed at those who had remained in Avernus, it eventually grew to encompass anyone displaying these characteristics. >A Shining City Maritropa, unlike its ailing sister city, was intended from its incorporation to be a sparkling metropolis that afforded all the accustomed luxuries of other, comparatively vital colony worlds to its diverse inhabitants. The vast, snaking reinforced cavern system that housed Maritropa flourished with greenery, artificial light, and cosmopolitan life. For all its self-imposed glory, Maritropa wasn't the utopia it pretended to be, though. The lower sectors of the city eventually began to fall into disrepair as the aristocracy moved to the Canopy Section, a series of buildings suspended from the cavern ceiling. Using a material called Stion (developed by Armacham) which becomes highly tensile when charged with an electrical current, engineers devised a support structure with a tremendous load-bearing capacity. The view from the slums affords an ironic perspective of the hierarchical structure of Maritropan society. By the time the revolution began in earnest, the Cronian Mining Consortium (CMC)-the governing body on the planet-had long been eager for autonomy from the UCA and various corporate interests. The importance of kato energy gave the CMC a powerful bargaining chip offset only by Cronus' military insignificance. So the CMC began bolstering its military in secret, aided by a covert treaty with Andra Biomechanics. The UCA was aware of the buildup, of course, but Commander Akkaraju of the UCA flagship Leviathan was instructed not to interfere for reasons that were not shared with him. Unfortunately, Akkaraju's superiors had apparently underestimated the extent of the CMC's efforts. A sizable mercenary fleet arrived in the system a mere two standard hours before the CMC officially proclaimed its independence and issued its terms. The UCA was hit unprepared and forced to retreat from Cronus' high orbit under heavy fire. For the next 18 months, the UCA executed a series of covert operations designed to undermine the Cronian resistance by removing key individuals. Although the overall success rate of these missions was marginal at best, the plan eventually succeeded and the Cronians agreed to negotiate an accord. It was around this time that a terrorist group calling themselves the Fallen surfaced. Their initial attacks were designed to undermine UCA faith in the CMC and, indeed, delayed the treaty process by several months. Once the existence of the terrorists was established, the CMC requested UCA assistance in rounding up the faction. Akkaraju sent a squad of his three best operatives. *** -PROLOGUE- I stared down the mouth of the never-ending abyss beneath me. "No" I thought. "No!" I awoke, beads of sweat dripping profusely down my face. It was just a dream, Sanjuro. A dream. But it wasn't just a dream. It had happened to me, only yesterday. "You state in your report that you were fired upon, and I quote, by an incredibly powerful energy weapon" Commander Brown questioned. "That's correct" I replied. The commander held an imposing look upon his face. Then again, he always did. "And the next thing you remember, you awoke on the ground in your MCA, your camera systems malfunctioning" he said, his voice full of doubt. "Yeah. Look, we've been through all this before." "This is standard procedure, Commander. And so what happened next?" "As I stated previously, I heard some kind of weird chanting." "Which you identified as Commander Makabe. Uh, that would be your brother." Mentioning Toshiro almost made me lose my cool. I calmly counted to five, then answered the question he had asked me at least three times prior. "It sounded like him, but I couldn't see very well, so I wasn't sure." "And that was when you opened fire on Commander Akkaraju?" Now I couldn't take it any more. I bolted out of my seat. Hatefully glaring into his eyes, I shouted. "I didn't open fire on her! I thought she was an Assassin!" I sat back down in my seat, realizing what a fool I was making of myself. "I heard movement and spun around. She must've been leaning forward, getting up, 'cause I couldn't see her head. She looked like an Assassin." "The Shogo Assassin Mobile Combat Armor unit is a far cry from a UCA Enforcer, Commander Makabe. I find it hard to believe you could confuse the two." "I already told you, my display was damaged!" "And you fired without thinking, without considering the consequences." "Yes", I held my head in my hands. "Did Commander Akkaraju return fire?" "No." "And yet you continued to-" "I turned, I saw an Assassin, and I fired. It wasn't-- I didn't know it was her." "So you stated." Once again I stared into his eyes. "I was in love with her. I'm not in the habit of shooting people I care about." "Your attitude during this interview will be noted, Commander." "Is that was this is? An interview? Seems more like an interrogation to me." Ignoring me, Brown continued. "At what point did your brother strike you?" "Right after I shot Kura. He blindsided me and knocked me down." Maybe it was my imagination, but the sick man seemed somehow pleased. "Did he say anything?" "Just whatever he was chanting. It sounded like gibberish to me." "What happened next?" "Toshiro was about to shoot me when the tremor hit, I faltered. The ground gave way and they were just gone, just like that. All of them." "And what did you do at that point?" "I stood at the edge of the chasm, just wishing I could see better." "Wasn't it dangerous to approach the chasm with your MCA's visual system impaired?" "I didn't care!" "But-" "Three of the most important people in my life--my brother, my best friend, and my girlfriend--they were just gone, Commander. Just gone." I was placed on probation for inability to perform duties in a professional, responsible manner due to severe psychological stress sustained in combat, and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and required to attend regular physical and psychological evaluations. Give me a break. I spent most of my free time with Kura's sister Kathryn, who helped me cope with what had happened even as I helped her manage her own grief. In time, what had begun as mutual comfort turned into romance. Our commander's voice boomed over my helmet's speakers. "Recon 4, fall back to drop point Renegade for immediate evac. Were picking up Fallen reinforcements approaching from the southeast. Get your team clear ASAP. Over." "Alright, let's move" I ordered my squad members. "The whole areas going to be slag in about two minutes." This was my chance to prove myself again, and I didn't want to screw up. Especially if doing so meant being vaporized. "They can't wait long, so be on time for once in your life" Kathryn goaded over the comm. "Be nice" I replied. My MCA squad hurried to the extraction point, but quickly came across the Andra-10s, two very... imposing MCAs. My squad started firing. "We're wasting precious time decommissioning these giant scrap piles" I reminded my squad. "With all due respect" Lt. Gates sarcastically remarked, "What do you want recommend we do about it?" I blew off the second Andra's head off with my pulse rifle. "Transform to vehicle mode now, and lets move it!" Our MCAs forms morphed, plates sliding, limbs retracting, until they became sleek, hovering vehicles capable of reaching much higher speeds than their two-legged selves. I glanced down at the tactical display. The Lander ship was waiting for us. We only had about thirty seconds before the whole place blew up. Its pilot broke in over the comm. "I'm showing a tank platoon closing on my position. You'd better get your butts over here ASAP! I mean it, I cant stay much longer--" "Shut up, will ya?!I We're going as fast as we can!" The Lander was in view -- as was an array of rather unfriendly-looking tanks. Our MCAs transformed back to android form, and squeezed into the Lander's cargo bay. As the Lander took off, we fired our pulse rifles down into the crowd of armoured enemies. Hurling into space, I prayed we'd make it back to the Leviathan without further incident... *** -CHAPTER ONE- -APPROACH- "Hey sweetie, you're wanted at MCA dock S" Kathryn chimed over the comm. "Don't forget your ID. I think I saw it on the nightstand". Sweet Kate. Always looking out for me. "Thanks, Kathryn". "Commander, make sure to stop by Regional Diagnostics" Admiral Akkaraju broke in. I could tell he didn't like it when I talked to his daughter. "You can access background information on your mission." "Yes, sir!" Geez, that guy scares me sometimes. Wisely, I checked with R.D. I listened to the computer drone on about Cronus development, the Fallen, their leader Gabriel, and a bunch of other stuff I already knew about. What was the point of this? "Stop fooling around" Commander Akkaraju warned via the comm. "But I was just checking in with Regional Diagnostics!" "Oh, well hurry anyway." "Aye-aye, sir." "Akkaraju out." I swear, that man is out to get me. "Reporting for duty, sir!" I said as I rushed to the admiral, who was surrounded by armed Elite Shock Troopers, the best of the best. "Good, you're here" Akkaraju started. "I'll get to the point: your mission is to eliminate Gabriel at all costs. His forces have been massing in the abandoned city of Avernus. Within a few days, we feel, they will begin a final assault on Maritropa. If Gabriel is allowed to continue, the Fallen will destroy the CMC and gain control of Cronus. If this happens, the flow of kato throughout the system will cease. This cannot, and will not happen. Ill see to that myself if I have to." "Yes sir, I understand completely, sir!" "You may select an MCA for this mission. Good luck, commander." "Sir, I presume Kathryn is my primary contact for this mission?" Oops. I realized my mistake too late. "If you mean Lieutenant Commander Akkaraju, yes, she is." "That's what I meant to say, sir!" I could tell the admiral was getting irritated, and I was nervous enough I was about to turn my uniform into a personal latrine. "You're dismissed." "I'll see to that myself if I have to" some demon willed me to mutter under my breath, mocking the admiral. "You have something you wish to share with me, commander?" "Yes, sir! You are my personal hero, sir!" The admiral made a doubtful sound. "Oh, and by the way, commander, I'm pleased to note that you checked in with Regional Diagnostics. Its about time you showed a little initiative." Was that a complement? No, it couldn't be. Maybe he was apologizing for biting my head off earlier. Either way, it's a miracle. I sat in the leather cockpit of my chosen MCA, an Armacham Ordog Advanced Series 7. The Ordog was a nice middle ground between the speed of the Shogo Akuma and the armoured hide of the Andra Predator. "The transport will drop you off near the southwest entrance to Avernus" Kathryn informed over the comm, interrupting my comparison of the MCAs. "According to intelligence, its the least-guarded entrance to the city." "According to intelligence?" I sarcastically replied. "Well, in that case, Ive got nothing to worry about!" "Be careful, Sanjuro. You'd better come home to me." "You wont even have time to miss me." My MCA approached a Lander in one of the space docks along the Leviathans hull. I located the Landers comm frequency. " Permission to come aboard?" I requested. "Permission granted, sir. You're in for one heck of a ride." "LZ Minotaur obtained" I chimed to Kathryn. "Good" she replied. "Now, there's a fortified condenser station between you and the southwest entrance. You'll have to pass through it in order to get to Avernus." I checked out my surroundings. Cronus was a dry, barren world. Hard to believe it was such an important place. My two squad mates and myself were surrounded by desert mesas as far as the eye could see. Mountains of sand. I checked my compass. There were two tanks approaching our position already. "Make sure you take out any surveillance measures" Kathryn continued. "Don't give them the opportunity to call in reinforcements." "Looks live we've got enemy contact" I said to my squad. A platoon of four Ruin 150 tanks and a lone Andra-10. Not much to worry about. I quickly made scrap of the Andra while Lt. Gates and Tanner took care of the tanks. We continued until we found the condenser station. As we passed through the access gate, my sensors picked up several heat signals just up ahead. The station was obviously built to accommodate MCAs, as we had no trouble moving around inside it. As we got closer, I realized the heat signals were coming from workers running around below us. We must've frightened them, as they were moving away. "Good" I thought. "Wouldn't want to make a mess of the place by stepping on a bunch of peop--". Just then, someone started shooting at us. Looking down, I realized it was a Fallen ground trooper firing at me with a shotgun! My MCA stepped on him and rubbed him out like a cigarette. Fool. As we continued, we realized there was a sort of drawbridge that had to be lowered in order for us to continue. "Ill scout around for the controls" I opted. "Well wait here while you lower the bridge" Lt. Gates added. My MCA jumped into the canal beneath us. I found an MCA pressure trigger, a mat that set something off when your MCA stepped on it. Figuring that if it set off an alarm, they wouldn't make it so obvious (after all, it was lined with lights), I was about to step on it when the thought crossed my mind: If it was a trap, maybe that's what they'd want me to think. Oh, well. I stepped on it anyway. After all, what's the worst that could happen? A few more low-level MCAs? The trigger opened an armoured blast door under the canal. I proceeded through it. Inside a new chamber, I checked out my surroundings. A corridor near me led to another section of the station. I cautiously continued. I picked up two energy signatures akin to those of an MCA. I glanced up from my tactical display too late. Two Andra-10s jumped out at me. Outnumbered and outgunned, I switched to vehicle mode and jetted out of there. The Andra-10s followed me into a storage facility. Hiding behind a pile of ruined MCAs, I switched back to android mode. The Andra-10s looked around for me. This time with the element of surprise, I jumped out from the pile before they got close enough for their sensors to pick me up. I fired and took one of the Andras down with a critical shot to the power generator. The other quickly pivoted around, but too late. I took its head clean off. Without a visual system, the pilot within its chest couldn't control the machine. I fired again, and this time, the entire thing blew up. I progressed down the way I would've gone had I not come across the two Andras, only to pick up another energy reading. What is it this time? This is getting ridiculous. Suddenly, the pilot cut through my comm. The image of a beautiful, if very angry, woman came on. The Pilot Identification Display simply read: "Samantha". "Who the hell do you think you are, busting in here?" she began. "I'm gonna kick your ass, scumbag!" Too surprised to respond, I tried to get away from her souped-up Andra-10 but was too slow. She fired the explosive-round gun her MCA carried, knocking my Ordog MCA against the wall. She was about to fire another shot when I lifted my Juggernaut missile launcher and let loose a round of fury. "Ha!" she taunted. "Is that all ya got?" She fired again. My MCA was damaged now. I lifted my Juggernaut and shot her Andra-10 again. "Hardly" I replied. I fired again. And again. Finally, her MCA hit the ground. Samantha crawled out from the wreckage and ran to the nearest door like a mouse running to a hole in a wall. "Be glad I spared you this time" I muttered. I backtracked and found another pressure trigger to lower the bridge across the indoor canal. My squad members ran to the other side. "Finally" Tanner said. "Yeah" Gates sarcastically added. "What took you so long?" We exited the condenser station. More desert greeted us, as did the sight of an enemy Lander dropping off three Andra-10s. "Oh boy" I thought. "Here we go again." We quickly finished off the Andras, and Kathryn contacted us again. "There are enemy units near a service tunnel up ahead--they now you're coming." "Great" I responded. "Then they'll know who killed them." We took out three ruin 150 tanks and two Andra-5s near the tunnel, and proceeded. "Sir" Tanner began, "I'm having trouble with my MCAs right leg. Somethings jammed." "Just hold tight" I told him. "You're getting close to the entrance" Kathryn said. "Stay sharp." "Here they come" I said. It was a war zone. Countless tanks and ground vehicles, at least five Andra-10s and several Andra-5s. We blasted our way through a few sections of canyon, but Tanner's MCA was still giving him trouble. "Sir, I don't know if I can go much farther" he said. "Would you rather stay here like a sitting duck, all alone?" I rhetorically asked him. "No sir" he responded, finishing off the last Andra-5. I picked up a Bullgut missile launcher from one of the ruined Andra-10s. A very powerful, if ammo-consuming weapon. "Lets keep moving" I told my squad mates. We approached the southwest entrance, where a sign overhead read: "WELCOME TO AVERNUS: POPULATION 567,910." Somehow, I found that hard to believe. "I'm going in" I told Kathryn. *** -CHAPTER TWO- -CITY OF GHOSTS- "You'll need to locate the Madison Tunnel" Kathryn informed me. "It'll lead to the old CMC headquarters in downtown Avernus. You should be able to track Gabriel down there." "Mind if I do a little window shopping first?"I joked. "Very funny." "You got company coming hotshot" somebody said over the comm. "Who the hell is this?" I exclaimed. "A friend of a friend. Hank Johnsons the name." "Which friend would that be?" "A good one. We can discuss it later." I turned just in time to see two Andra-5s raise their guns. I directed my MCA as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I felt a jarring slam as a shell from one of the Andras guns ripped its way through my MCA. My visual display was thrown into static. Warning klaxons blared in my cockpit. The Ordogs auto-gyro booster systems kicked in, righting my mecha just in time to avoid an incoming rocket. I fired a few explosive rounds from my MT-101 Juggernaut. Two of the missiles hit their mark, instantly decapitating one of the Andra MCAs and ripping the leg off of another. I flicked the red switch marked on my dashboard. The Ordog transformed into vehicle mode, armour plates once again reconfiguring themselves as the humanoid frame of my MCA morphed into a hovering hotrod. I sped out as fast as I could. "Sanjuro" Kathryn broke in. "I'm showing your engine is damaged." "I know"I dismally concurred. "I've been running around with a leaking plasma drive for forty minutes now." "You wont last much longer, Sanjuro!" "Oh, well, in that case, I'll just pull into this repair station." Kathryn didn't respond. Ah, women. My thoughts were once again interrupted by a hail of shells. I switched to mecha mode and squashed a couple of tanks. I saw an overhead road sign that read: "TO MADISON TUNNEL". I sprinted towards it, only to have an armoured gate close down mere meters in front of me. My MCAs face slammed into the new wall. In an almost comical scene, the Ordogs systems shorted out, the MCA equivalent of being knocked unconscious. It fell to its knees, and collapsed to the ground. I could barely manage stay conscious myself; my head was pounding. But I could make out...some...noise. "Sa..o..Com...der Mak..be..." I snapped to. "Yes? Hello? Kathryn, Its me! Sanjuro! Commander--" "I ca....he..r..yo..." Fumbling with the radio, I finally cut through the fog of static. "Hows this?" "Sanjuro? I can hear you know. Okay, listen up. They've set up some sort of security system. I'm showing a sub-station beneath the city. If you get in, you can override the security fail-safes." I checked on my MCAs systems. Most of the hydraulic systems were back on-line. The Ordog slowly rose to its feet. Thankfully, the short trip to the sub-station was uneventful, thanks to my foresight to sneak around enemy positions. Trust me, its a lot harder than you'd think when you're in a giant robot. But, if I was going to survive this mission, I was going to have to be stealthy for once. A gasoline truck was parked near the sub-station's hidden entrance. I was going to have to blow a hole in the building next to me if I wanted to get in, and I decided to conserve ammo. One quick shot to the truck from my pulse rifle created a big enough explosion to take down the entire complex. The building collapsed in on itself, causing a mushroom-shaped cloud of debris to blossom outwards. "Nice, now the whole city knows where I am." I raced into the remains of the building. Sure enough, I was staring down at a gaping hole in which was a veritable bunker of Fallen MCAs. A lone soldier inside spotted me, and raised a rocket launcher. The blast merely caused my Ordog to flinch, and alerted me to his presence. I jumped down into the station. One quick stomp, and he wouldn't be causing me any more trouble. Unfortunately, the triumvirate of Andra-10s ahead of me would. The pivoted, but not before my Juggernaut wiped out one. The other two raised their shields and deflected my missile blasts. I hid behind several crates, a primitive but effective wall of protection. I switched to my Bullgut rapid-fire missile launcher. I hated to use this baby's ammo up, but... I raised the Bullgut, and squeezed the trigger. A blinding flash of light, and a barrage of highly explosive projectiles gave the two remaining Andras a swift what-for. The smoking remains toppled to the ground. I continued onward to the other side of the city before reinforcements would have a chance to arrive. The underground station's series of corridors and rooms were claustrophobic, and much too small for my Ordog. The tiled walls were grimy, and reminded me of a restroom I had once visited while in a diner in a rural part of Nevada. The only thing missing was obscene graffiti on the stalls. Finally, I came to an MCA lift. I stepped on the pressure pad, and it carried me to the next level. Two Rakshas awaited me, each armed with a sniper rifle. I crouched behind a support beam and fired at the first Raksha with my Juggernaut. I blasted the bot to bits. The second managed to get a shot off near my head, damaging my visual system even further than it already was. I took it down, but now my camera was so badly damaged I knew I'd be no match for the next MCA I might come across. My systems display showed that the Ordogs energy pack was down to 20%. Maybe that was part of the problem. Examining the wreckage of the second Raksha, I tore its Universal Energy Pack from its torso and inserted it into my own battery plug. My energy increased to 80%, revitalizing my MCA and at least partially improving my visual capabilities. Unfortunately, the Battery Pack had been damaged by my punishment, and was leaking fluid. I estimated I had another hour, maybe an hour and a half before it was drained. And that's if I didn't change modes and kept activity to a minimum. Yeah, right. I finally popped out of the other side of the station into the city streets. An Andra-10 greeted me with a Spider Mine. The mine, magnetically attracted to me, beeped coldly as it honed in on me. I side-stepped just in time to avoid the mine, which exploded harmlessly behind me. A blast from my Juggernaut hit the Andras fuel tank, creating a glorious fireball which enveloped the neighbourhood. "My energy's down to 76% already!" I neared the Madison Tunnel. Finally. The mysterious Hank Johnson contacted me. "Ever heard of Uziel? Hes Gabriel's right-hand man. The bastards close by, so be careful, eh?" As I entered the tunnel, my radar started acting up. Soon, it was blaring like crazy. Energy levels to my right were skyrocketing. But that was impossible! There was nothing there! "Sanjuro!" Kathryn exclaimed. "Whats going on down there?" "Get outta there Sanjuro!" Hank broke in. "It's a frigging trap!" Suddenly, the right side of the tunnel burst open as an obscenely huge MCA thundered in. The mecha's cannon, grasped by two giant fists, was at least twice as long as the MCA itself. "Sanjuro?" Uziel, the pilot of the mysterious MCA, chimed in. "I know you..." "What?" I cried out. "Who are you?" "Get out of here! I wont spare you next time." With that, Uziel turned away from me and fired his massive weapon. The cannon caused the portion of the tunnel ahead of me to collapse, and Uziel bolted off, disappearing behind the now-blocked tunnel. "He's running away!" I exclaimed. "Excellent... now I cant get through the tunnel!" "Wait...Sanjuro, you've got a problem." "Hank? Hank?" "Them Fallen bastards are jamming your comm signal with your ship. You'll have to deactivate their interference array. Go back out the way you came, but watch out for Fallen reinforcements." "Great. Just great" I thought. "I'm too close. I'll have to find another way in" I said out loud. "Bad idea. If they know you're coming, your as good as dead. If you can get to the central ventilation shaft, I can get you to the surface in a jiffy. That ought to take you to the main communication facility." "I'm counting on you, Hank, whoever you are." I proceeded to run outside of the tunnel. Everything looked clear. This sector of Avernus was no different than the rest of the city, but as I walked east, the interference with my systems worsened. I rounded the corner, directing my MCA to the apparent source of the interference. Suddenly, my radar again went wild. I swiveled in time to see a custom, spotless, brand-spanking-new orange-and-black Raksha wielding a double-barreled Juggernaut, twice the firepower of mine. Samantha's beautiful-but-deadly face once again appeared on my tactical display. "You again!" I exclaimed. "You were leaking" she smugly informed. I quickly disappeared behind a corner. Samantha hurried to my position. I pulled out my Bullgut and let loose a few rounds of fury as soon as she was in my line of sight. Her new Raksha was blown back into an apartment complex. I fired the Bullgut again, igniting her MCA. I saw a small escape pod jettison from the Rakshas head a split second before the mecha exploded into millions of bits of shrapnel. "You're so mean!" was her final remark before her flying pod disappeared behind a row of towers. "Be glad I don't have the time to chase you" I muttered. I passed the Museum of Warfare and the Casa De Taco fast food restaurant. The House of Taco reminded me how hungry I was. My energy indicator read 67%. Suddenly, I thought back to Samantha's claim. What did she mean by, I was leaking? I checked my MCA status display. Aside from some holes in my armour, I was fine. No ruptured fuel lines. Of course, I was still leaking battery fluid, but I didn't see how she could have tracked that. Suddenly, it hit me. I switched the status display to the hydraulics reader. Sure enough, my damaged right leg was leaking coolant. Samantha's MCA must've noticed the trail of freezing plasma my leg was spraying. This was not good. Aside from the fact that enemy units could easily track down this bleeding Ordog, in less than two hours the leg would overheat and begin to melt. I'd have to hurry. Three arachnid Uhlan A3 spider-mechas guarded the entrance to a newly-build underground MCA station. It looked a lot larger, and well-guarded for that matter, than the last sub-station. "Hank" I stated, "I'm going in." I raised my Bullgut and shot, strafing across the street. The Ulhans turned and immediately returned fire. I took one out, and hid behind a series of skyscrapers. The spider-mechas were imposing figures, designed to play on man's fear of creepy crawlies. I decided to alter my approach to the situation. I leaned just far enough out to fire at an office building across the street, toppling it and crushing another Uhlan in the process. The thunderous roar of the building caving in on itself convinced the third and final spider to get out of the way. It disappeared down into the sub-station's entrance shaft. "Don't think you can hide down there" I whispered. "I'm coming for you." *** -CHAPTER THREE- -HIGH AND LOW- As my MCA descended down the lift into the sub-station, I chimed in with Hank. "This looks like the place" I remarked. "Alright, listen up" Hank said. "There's two main ventilation shafts: A and B, and four secondary shafts, one through four. You just have to reverse the air flow in shaft B so you can ride the wind current to the upper level. Right now its sucking air into the filters. You jump into it now and them fans'll chew you up real good." "I hope you know what you're talking about." "You doubting me, boy?" I left it at that, as the lift finally stopped descending. Two huge armoured doors opened, and I walked out into a warehouse. This place definitely was not originally part of Avernus. The Fallen must've built an underground network of stations and supply depots beneath Avernus to suit their needs. This particular facility was swarming with Fallen workers, some who stared at the damaged MCA that just walked through their gates, and some who raised missile launchers and fired. As I walked out a few seconds later, the room was a bloody mess. Continuing straight, I turned and saw the Uhlan who had run away a few minutes ago, scurrying hurriedly away. I smiled maliciously, and raised the Bullgut to fire. The spider-mecha collapsed, a hulking eight-legged pile of scrap metal. It didn't take long before I saw the first ventilation shaft. The seemingly endless abyss must've been at least 200 meters down. "Uh, Hank, are you sure I have to jump down this? In my MCA?" "Just get to the control room for now." "Uh, right." I walked along a narrow bridge across the shaft, like a gymnast on a balance beam. Needless to say, I was more than happy when I got to the other side and was on solid ground. Or at least, I would have been, were it not for an Andra-5 with a laser canon that shot my MCA square in the chest. Where did he come from? I raised my Juggernaut and fired my last two rounds into the Andra, virtually disintegrating it. I dropped my Juggernaut and traded it for the laser canon. The LC was not nearly as powerful as the Juggernaut, but it was deadly accurate since it fired a highly-focused beam of light, and wouldn't be so quick to run out of ammunition. I finally neared the ventilation shaft control room. I checked to make sure no enemy units would give me trouble and plugged into an MCA exit port. The back of my Ordog opened, and I stepped out onto a platform high above the ground. A control panel sat upon the platform. Approaching it, I examined the layout. Thankfully, no security code was needed. The terrorist Fallen were probably so smug they didn't think anyone could get through their defenses. Ironic, then, that a single badly-damaged Ordog managed to penetrate their impenetrable fortress. Finally, I found what I was looking for: a single switch marked: "SHAFT AIR FLOW". I toggled it from "FOREWARD" to "REVERSE". Hank chimed in. "Okay" he began. "Now, you're gonna want to switch shaft B to foreword. Oh, and make sure to turn off the heating coils for shaft A. You don't want to fry your pretty little ass off now, do you?" I chuckled, and did as he said. I could hear the mechanical whine of machinery throughout the complex moving, altering functions to obey my commands. "Now for the fun part" Hank said. "You gotta jump down Shaft A. Then the current should slow your descent enough to keep you from cratering. There's a platform near the base of the shaft that'll lead you into shaft B." "Great" I muttered. Back inside the Ordog, I headed out onto the bridge suspended above Shaft A. Subconsciously holding my breath, I leaped off of the bridge and into the chasm. The huge void seemed to swallow me as I plunged for an interminable amount of time. Finally, the fans at the bottom of the shaft slowed my MCA's descent and, using my jump thrusters, I managed to maneuver it onto the platform at the bottom. I walked over to the other end of the platform. Looking above me, I could see all the way to the top of Shaft B. This chasm was identical to Shaft A, save of course for the fact that it was on the other side of the base. I leaped into Shaft B, and was carried by the current all the way up to the top. I landed on a catwalk high above the windy abyss, but barely had time to recover from my adventure, as two Andra-5s awaited me. I quickly pulled out my pulse rifle, but not before one of the Andras fired at my faulty right knee. The leg's armoured plating shattered, and pressurized coolant began pouring out. I furiously fired at the terrorist scumbags, wiping them both out without further incident. Unfortunately, my MCA was limping. I had no choice but to cut off the supply of coolant to my right leg. It wouldn't lose any more plasma, but it would overheat even sooner. At best, I could go on for another ten minutes before I would have to stop the Ordog. As I entered the next chamber, my comm system began beeping, telling me I was being hailed. Opening a channel, I was contacted by a UCA troop inside the station! "Commander Makabe, this is Lieutenant Cloud from Strike Force Carnivore. Were holding out on Security Station level K. We sure could use some help, sir. We wont last much longer." "On my way" I responded. "I'm gonna see if I can get inside the facility and create a distraction for ya. Be in touch soon." Hank chimed in. I was in a MCA docking garage. I entered the only one still unoccupied. Pressing the dock button on my dashboard, my MCA locked itself into a holding mechanism while I again exited the vehicle. Two minutes later, I exited an elevator onto level K. I could hear gunshots being exchanged. Whipping out my dual Kawamori A74 pistols, I rounded a hallway and entered the fray. *** -CHAPTER FOUR- -INFILTRATION- The gunshots were getting louder as I cautiously moved forward. I could make out the sounds of solders getting hit. A troop screamed. Blood sprayed against the tan of a far wall. This was going to be harder than I thought. "Alright, I'm in" I informed Lieutenant Cloud over my wrist communicator. "Good to hear it, sir" Cloud said, relief in his voice. "We're just up ahead." I took a deep breath, and leaped out of the doorway. Still no sight of the enemy, but I could see where the three remaining Carnivore troopers were shooting. I sidestepped around the corner and made contact with a Fallen trooper, armed with a machine gun. He wore armour identical to that the Cronus Mining Consortium's military--the Fallen were obviously stealing CMC armour and using it themselves to save costs. He didn't see me. I took him down with one round. He hit the ground in pain, and closed his eyes, unconscious or dead. Retreating back behind my wall, I glanced over to Lt. Cloud, who was using a barricade of crates marked "RATIONS" to take cover behind. He silently cocked his head in the direction of the Fallen troops. I nodded. "Wish me luck" I muttered. The Carnivores cleared a path for me, and I raced over to the body of the Fallen troop I had just downed before more terrorists could fill the room. Grabbing his machine gun, I dashed into the next room. I climbed a stairway and found myself on a balcony, looking down into the main lobby of the Security Station. This place was swarming with Fallen. The dead bodies of CMC officers and UCA soldiers littered the plaza. Bashed-in soda machines and shattered planters were ironic reminders to the once-relatively tranquil setting. From my position, I could see a heavily-armoured Shock Trooper patrolling the hallway I needed to get past to reach the Communications Center. "Why am I doing this?" I reluctantly reminded myself that from there, I could hopefully restore a link with the Leviathan. Hopefully. I sighed, and realized that neither my pistols nor my newly-acquired machine gun would be accurate enough to shoot the Shock Trooper from the balcony. And besides, if I did, all the other Fallen in the lobby would know I was there. The only way to get past this place was through it. I fired wildly, wiping out three Fallen before they knew anything was wrong. The Shock Trooper on the other side of the lobby raised his assault rifle and returned the favour. I ducked under the balcony's half-wall and ran down the stairs out into the lobby itself. The Shock Trooper was only momentarily fooled. He turned, but my machine gun took his head off. My gun stopped shooting. I pulled the trigger, which responded with a click. Great. Out of ammo. But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. I dropped the inaccurate machine gun and traded it for the dead Shock Trooper's assault rifle. The heavy gun, about an arm's length, was cumbersome, but deadly. If used in the right hands, I grimly reminded myself, looking down at the headless corpse at my feet. I saw a sign marked: "To Employee Lift". From the employee level, I could get into the Communications Center. Entering the lift, I pressed the up arrow on the control panel. When the elevator finally let me off (it felt like ages before the door opened), I sprinted into what appeared to be a check-in center. An employee sat behind a desk on the other side of the far wall, protected by a pane of bulletproof glass. Realizing I was with the UCA, he activated an alarm. "Attention, we have a problem on Security Level K!" "You bet we do" I sneered at him. I fired a few rounds in his direction just to taunt him, but of course, my bullets just harmlessly shattered against the glass. The man scurried under his desk, whimpering. The alarms blared obnoxiously loudly. I took cover behind a support beam, waiting for the inevitable flood of Fallen troops that would pour out of the armoured security door when it opened. My prediction turned out to be correct. The automatic door hissed open, and at least ten low-level troops ran out, boldly ready to face whatever came their way. I admired their bravery, even if it only was derived from their stupidity. They looked around, searching for this new threat. I poked my gun out just far enough to shoot, and mowed down their legs. Their shins shattered from my low-flying stream of bullets. They came to the floor in agony. One tried to crawl away on his hands. I let him go. Bonus: Some time last May I also wrote a brief novelization of the beginning of Shogo. Since I am not working on it actively at this time I thought I might as well release what little I have done here. As you can tell I have a slightly different approach, focusing on characterization rather than action. I might try and write more on this later, or maybe even continue on from where CyHunter left off. Just happy to have found another piece of fan fiction! The Planet Shogo people were boring. Just deathmatching... :-) The wind blew across the surface of Cronus blowing dust around. No matter, Sanjuro's Mobile Combat Armour suite was designed for this. He was standing just out of a doorway from a blockade. Lt. Dussault beside him in another MCA, he did not seem comfortable. Well they were in the retreat. "Reccon Four, return to drop point renegade for immediate evac, we are picking up Fallen reinforcements approaching from the south east. Get your team clear ASAP over!" the radio voice said. "All right, let's move the whole area is going to be slag in two minutes" Sanjuro ordered to his team members, as he started to walk forward trying to reach drop point renegade. "They can't wait long so be on time for once in your life" Kathryn said over the radio. Another comment on his punctuality, miss one due date and your marred for life. "Be nice" Sanjuro said to her, knowing that it was an affectionate taunt. It was then he saw the Fallen storming this way. Sanjuro fired his MCA pulse rifle and took out a few but more kept coming firing their weapons. Sanjuro ducked and swerved as he ran, wishing that he was in a more maneuverable and strong MCA. They should make it, assuming the shuttle was not late. All was in slow motion, his teams advancement and firing, the Fallen's approach, and his own steady advance forward. He saw the shuttle landing, with the others talking on the radio. Sanjuro fired a few shots behind him taking out a group of Fallen. He jumped for the entrance, as he heard to blast of a laser. It struck him in the back of his MCA, collapsing it to the ground. "Great, I'm dead" Sanjuro thought "How unfortunate for Kathryn". It was then he felt his MCA lift. Lt. Dussalt was using his MCA's robotic arms to pull him in. The room went darker as the shuttle doors closed. They had made it. For all the power they contained it was nice to be out of those MCAs. Sanjuro waited in his chair. "Nice going, almost got yourself killed" Lt. Dussalt said laughing at his commander. "Yeah, yeah, thank you" Sanjuro scowled. It was a good thing this was a short shuttle ride. "UCASF Leviathan, requesting permission to dock" the pilot said into his radio. "Granted" came the Leviathan's reply through Kathryn's voice. The Leviathan's docking bay doors opened and they landed inside. The doors opened and the crew stepped out. Kathryn had managed to make it to greet Sanjuro, in the form of a hug. "The Admiral is not here?" Sanjuro asked surprised, Kathryn never was this affectionate around her father. "No he is busy, he will ask you for a report latter" Kathryn replied, Sanjuro smiled. He hated doing status reports, the later the better. "...so then we were forced to retreat, if you do not believe me than ask the Lieutenant or Kathryn" Sanjuro said. "Lieutenant Commander..." the Admiral muttered. "Right" Sanjuro said, trying to stop the admiral from telling him once more about proper military respect. Sanjuro left his written report on the Admiral's desk. "You are dismissed" the Admiral said and Sanjuro walked out to his quarters. "How did it go?" Kathryn, who was sitting comfortably on the bed, asked. "Same old" Sanjuro said sitting next to her. "He is proud of you, even if he won't admit it" Kathryn said. Sanjuro smiled and kissed her.