Chapter 146

The Daedalus Academy

Y: 2143 – 10 weeks until Southern Europe regional inter-academy first round.

Daedalus Financial Position: -33.9M bitcreds 

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There was no time to wonder what the effect of the barrage would be on their recent agreement and future presence in Dakar. Daedo’s squad kept off the mag-roads, in hindsight it was a mistake to show spy satellites their speed across the surface. But in doing so the enemy would now have to factor that speed in their expectations and calculations.

They ran along the coastline while staying on hard surfaces as much as possible. The nanosuits could hide them from an infra-red camera but they would still leave foot prints in the sand.

Mace: we will be engaging the sources of the drones; one at a time.

Daedo: after the first engagement monitor reinforcement actions before attacking the second target.

He turned to his squad, “We should help them.”

“No,” Axel-Zero said immediately and emphatically. “They are after your and our mission is to get you home safely.”

“Then Morton and Jia with me. You take the rest and support Mace’s squad. This will not only assist her squad but cause confusion amongst the enemy.” Daedo said.

Axel-Zero peered at Daedo. “Is this an order?” She asked.

He nodded and no one protested. Eli Morton and Meng Jia could not believe that after a little over six months they were alone with Daedo on a dangerous op. Cadet Morton pinched himself but was otherwise quiet.

“Any ideas?” Daedo asked the pair when they were alone. Axel-Zero and the other five squad members ran back towards Dakar.

Morton looked to the sky. It was still bright orange where the counter measures met the missiles from space. The shield above the tunnel remained in tact as did the carrier.

“What else will they bring?” Jia asked.

Daedo responded, “So far it’s been drones and missiles. No human combatants – which means they don’t want to show their hand. They don’t want to commit to a full-scale battle. They are timid.”

Morton looked at the carnage that was the King’s Resort in Dakar and wondered what a committed attack would have looked like.

“They can’t find us,” Daedo said. “But they can easily predict we will re-enter the Academy either here or at the Eye of the Sahara. Our only other two options is a pick-up from the carrier or to hide in the surroundings while the others fight them to a standstill.”

“If the others stop fighting, they will think you have escaped,” Jia said.

“Yes,” Daedo said nodding, “But we will not retreat until we know who we are dealing with. Let’s head further north for now.” It was away from Dakar and the tunnel which were to the south. The Eye of the Sahara was to the northeast.

The sounds of explosions grew distant while Daedo followed Jia so he could concentrate on his HUD. Axel-Zero had engaged and taken out the weapons platform that was buried in eastern Dakar. The drones that were escaping like wasps in an underground hive were all but exhausted. After Mace and Axel-Zero had taken out all five hives they had found no human combatants, but equipment was being recovered and the identity of the attacker might be uncovered.

“Is it the organisation?” Morton asked as they ran.

“I doubt it,” Daedo said. “This is nothing like their operations in the past. Gabe and Adele will confirm my suspicions – that this is someone else.”

“What next?” Morton asked as they continued to follow Jia north.

“They will either escalate or give up now they lost track of me,” Daedo replied.

Jia growled, “Why do I wish they escalate the situation. I want to shoot someone.”

Daedo chuckled, “This is understandable, but we don’t wish that on the residents of Dakar. There must be casualties and we will be blamed from attracting the attack.”

“Will they cancel the deal?” Morton asked.

“They can’t easily. But they could delay our construction which will effectively force us to build the arena elsewhere.” Daedo said.

“How do you know all this?” Jia asked gaining a rare insight into Daedo’s thoughts and plans.

He did not answer directly, “Change heading to northeast. We will use the mag-road or we will be running for days.” Then Daedo added, “My AI keeps me informed. It is no secret to a Daedalus cadet that AI nurturing is key to more than just combat.”

A red blip suddenly appeared on their HUDs. 

Daedo: STOP.

They froze while their sensors populated the terrain ahead. If it was merely people Myrmidon would not have placed a red dot on the HUD but he was unsure other than the humanoid sized object had a micro reactor. The unidentified objects were still three thousand meters away with two hills between them. As the data trickled in Jia questioned.

Jia: recon drone?

Daedo: No. Myrmidon is analysing our sensor data. 

Myrmidon: Sixteen reactors each with enough capacity to run an exo.

From the minute amounts of data trickling in through their sensors it was an impressive feat by Myrmidon to calculate the number and size of reactors. It could be anything from bikes, exos or human sized bots. It was extremely unusual occurrence for the deserts of Mauritania, but they were still in Senegal, and not too far from Dakar, so anything was possible.

Daedo: They’re on the road. No recon drones – our stealth technology is superior. We will get a closer look and identify them.

Jia: If I were Axel-Zero, Mace or Vannier I would protest.

Daedo: We need to know and we need to get past them unseen. That hasn’t changed.

They moved slowly watching for any sudden motion or reaction from the targets. Jia picked the path staying on hard surfaces wherever possible. Leaping a few meters now and then in an attempt not to leave foot prints in the sand.

As they closed the distance their sensors received more data until the targets were in sight at which time there was no doubt. They were sixteen exo soldiers. Myrmidon analysed the equipment scans.

Myrmidon: Majority of equipment is Huawei – proportion is 67%.

Daedo nodded. That was a determining factor, it had to be Huawei or one of their minions. It wasn’t a surprise as they had always shown disdain for the tentative peace. And the rumours circulating regarding the activities of Huawei put them at the top of anyone’s list of tyrannical corporations.

The real question in his mind was; were they working against the wishes of DaVinci and Svarski or did they have their blessing.

Daedo: we can avoid them easily.

Jia: they’re blocking the road only?

Daedo: yes - it’s the only mag-road north. If we weren’t in our new nanosuits they would have detected us at the same time we detected them.

Myrmidon: recon drone headed in our direction.

The trio from Sentinel squad could see the recon drone on their HUDs.

Daedo: ignore it. Stand still.

He looked behind to see if any foot prints were visible. The new ocular implant enhancing his vision as he surveyed the area he could see a few footprints.

Daedo: we will soon know if the recon drone recognises our footprints and is able to deduce a nearby threat.

They waited. Not daring to move as it hovered past. They watched it keenly for any sign of threat recognition. Perhaps it would dart away or move closer to inspect the foot prints. The small hovering drone was the same colour as the terrain and if it wasn’t for their new equipment they wouldn’t be able to track it so easily. It hovered past and off into the distance.

Both Jia and Morton let out a long breath while Daedo empathised. His long year of training and conditioning overruled any inclination to hold his breath even in a tense situation.

“Let’s move,” Daedo said over comms and they began to run giving the Huawei exos a wide berth. They had over a 1000km to go and at their current rate it would take over three days including breaks.

Myrmidon mapped out possible locations for water and two for food. The nanosuits were made for stealth, strength and speed. Unlike the exos which had been upgraded with life-support to suit the desert they had little in the way of water recycling.

Vannier: Are you coming back?

Daedo: no – we are pushing forward.

Vannier: We took out the drone bases and now we’re laying low here in Dakar. Chief Austin had to retreat. He came under too much fire. The tunnel entrance collapsed under the barrage.

Daedo: we will need to protect it better in future. The Arena as well.

Vannier: can we continue with an Arena in a built-up area like this?

Daedo: they were after me. Not Daedalus cadets.

Vannier: they think we will fold if you are gone.

Daedo: they are wrong.

Vannier: perhaps. You don’t realise how much of a driving force you are. If it wasn’t for you we’d still be competing against Karine in Fortescue and probably losing.

Daedo: Your HUD is marked with the sixteen Huawei exos on the mag-road out of Dakar.

Vannier: I noticed. Other than the weapons platform in the ionosphere we are not aware of any other hostiles.

Daedo: we are stopping for water now. The nanosuits are a far cry from our exos for this type of op other than the fact we are completely hidden from Huawei.

Vannier: If it wasn’t painting a target on your back I would send Chief Austin to pick you up.

Daedo: Talk to Ikaros. Get an aurora shield set up with its own reactor 100km out of Dakar. Then open a new entrance under the cover of the shield. That will be the decoy and the focus for Huawei. I will continue with Morton and Jia to the base on foot.

Vannier: you don’t want the rest of your squad back?

Daedo: its hot and this is a hard run. The goal is for us to go unnoticed. I don’t think adding anyone to my group will achieve anything except add more tracks for Huawei to find.

Vannier: I’ll send them as decoys then. Two more groups of three aiming for the same goal as you.

Daedo: no. Finding one group making this trek is unacceptable. Adding more groups will add to the overall risk. 

Vannier: why do I think you are bearing all the risk upon yourself?

Daedo: We shouldn’t be in this position in the first place. Other humans should not be our enemy.

Vannier: That sounds naïve. I know you know better. 

Daedo: It’s how things should be - not what I expect them to be.

Vannier: We can strategize a long-term solution. When do you want me to contact DaVinci and Svarski? Now or after we are safely in our base.

Daedo: We should not assume anywhere is safe. But you can contact them any time after Mace deems it safe to do so. I’d like to know if they condone Huawei’s actions.

Vannier: Will do. Out.

The trio filled the water flasks which were part of their standard equipment. In the current environment it wasn’t enough water for a day let alone the long journey home.

Daedo announced, “We are going to skate along the mag-road to the next water location.”

It was a small risk, but Huawei had shown no signs of penetrating their stealth tech and the increased speed would allow them to reach the next location in less than an hour rather than over seven hours.

Within minutes of skating along the mag-road Jia began to struggle and fell to her knees.

“What’s wrong?” Daedo asked while Myrmidon displayed her vitals on his HUD. Her heart rate was over 2000 bpm which was far from her normal during strenuous exercise. She was normally half that number. He quickly perused her history – Jia had been in distress for quite some time.

Daedo: alert me to anomalies like this in the future.

Myrmidon: it’s not something that has happened before. I will add it to the list of alerts.

“Do you know what’s wrong?” he asked Jia again.

She let out a small cry. “I think I’m being …” and she broke off as she collapsed on the road. As Daedo and Morton dragged her to the side of the road they heard rather than saw a VTOL approach from above.

It was a sleek craft built for speed. Capable of carrying four exo soldiers and a couple of pilots but far too small for much else. The sound grew louder as it approached their location.

Daedo was not pleased to see the Huawei insignia instead of Marais. The sleek craft landed on the mag-road and six exo soldiers proceeded to exit the vehicle and form a perimeter. They were acting as if they knew hostiles were nearby although they were 200km from Dakar. Daedo thought there was more to it than simple precaution which had more to do with the landing location than their deployment.

A tall exo soldier called, “Meng. I know you’re here.” It was Jia’s first name and his use indicated familiarity. As he turned to face their direction it was obvious he was tracking her with his HUD.

“Move,” Daedo ordered Morton and they left Jia lying on the side of the road. Daedo leapt backwards onto the mag-road. Despite their stealth tech they still left footprints in the sand. He skated away from the VTOL, Jia and the exo soldiers. Without warning goo grenades landed surrounding him and Morton.

The exo soldiers had fired up and down the road and while not directly targeting Daedo he was still caught in the blanket of goo.

“Hold still,” he ordered Morton. If they struggled their location would be obvious as the goo they were trapped in would wobble and stretch giving away their location. Even motionless their forms would eventually be discovered. 

Daedo equipped his railgun and Morton followed suit without needing an order.

The tall exo soldier found Jia by feel. “Sorry to do this to you sister,” he said, “but your stealth tech is too damn good.”

The revelation startled Daedo. Not only was Jia related to this Huawei operative, but they had done something to her. He hesitated for a moment before firing on her brother. The thought that injuring or killing her brother may upset her giving him slight pause. A full second was all the pause he allowed before shooting him through the micro reactor.

Normally a precise shot to the micro reactor was not possible but the exo soldier was motionless with his back to Daedo and Morton.

The attack caused a shockwave of activity from the exo soldiers as Jia’s brother stood motionless. The railgun round penetration had not caused an explosion, which was a possibility, it had caused the exo to lose power and mobility. A thought fleeted through Daedo’s mind as he began to fire on the other soldiers and the craft itself - it was a fault in their design the exo should have been able to run from its lithium reserves for a minute at least.

Before the initial shot there were six enemies in total. Daedo and Morton took down three more before the remaining two deducted their position and used the VTOL for cover.

After a few calculated rounds were fired into the VTOL Daedo ordered, “We need to move now.” The goo was effective and different to the formulae they used, but it could not resist the power of the nanosuits indefinitely.

The pair pulled and ripped the good which enveloped their legs all the way up to their stomach. The heaving mass’ shape was distorted and finally gave way under their concerted effort. As the two exo soldiers cowered behind the VTOL they broke loose and skated north up the mag-road leaving Jia behind. Huawei had no reason to kill Jia and they had shown every intention to end Daedo. It was not a choice he liked but no one would forgive him if he died trying to rescue her.

They moved as quickly as possible while tearing small chunks of goo from their lower bodies. Daedo crouched low as he grabbed a globule from his shin and used the force of his leg pushing back to rip it free. The manoeuvring interfered with his speed, but they were visible as long as goo adhered to them.

“Can I go back for her?” Morton asked.

“We will,” Daedo replied, “but not today.”

Vannier: DaVinci are livid. It could be an act but it’s more likely Huawei were acting alone.

Daedo: We were attacked. They tracked Jia somehow.

Vannier: Are you safe now? Should we come north?

Daedo: Once we get all this goo off we will be as safe as before - I left Jia behind.

Vannier: We’re coming. There is no point in causing diversions down here when they know where you are.

Daedo: What if they can track someone else. No. Until we know how they did it the squads can remain in Dakar. Only you, Axel-Zero and Mace are safe for certain.

Vannier: Then we won’t rendezvous.

Daedo: Conceded. You can come north in two squads. You can stay with Axel-Zero and the remnants of my squad. Use the mag-road sporadically.

Vannier: Okay. I’ll pass it on.

“We need more vehicles,” Daedo said to Morton in passing as they skated up the mag-road. He imagined a few high-speed VTOLs would have come in handy right about now. The massive holdings of Huawei contrasted against Daedalus’ lack of capability.

The cadet was lost in thought. Presumably with concern for Jia.

“Don’t worry. We will strike back and that will include retrieving Jia,” Daedo stated solemnly. Despite what happened he did not doubt her allegiance. If she had been a spy she would have been giving away their position all along and there would have been no need for the recent events.

“Thanks,” was all Morton said in reply.