Outlanders

Chapter 33: Preparation

Astrapi stepped up to an empty, spherical metal tank that was half again as wide as he was tall. A young woman, who wore a hood to conceal the rogue's brand on her forehead, skulked beside him. With practiced agility, they slipped through a crack in its side, disappearing from the outside world. The lingering scent of some unknowable chemical filled their nostrils and they stood up inside the tank, where the rest of the gang waited for them.

"No doubt about it," said Astrapi. "The Inti are getting ready for something. Probably packing up to move."

"But to where?" asked someone.

"Herstellungstadt, we think," said the thief. "If we're right, then we have warn them."

"That's right," said Astrapi. "So get all your things together. We've got to beat them to it. And I guess Vlad and Ellis won't get a chance to pull one over on them. Sorry you missed out."

Vladimir and Ellis traded a wry smile. "I'll manage," said Vladimir.

* * *

On the sun-baked mud of the streets of Herstellungstadt, the factory boss led Zoltána and her group into a dusty wooden warehouse that looked a century old, even though it was probably built with the last decade. Inside, metal monsters crouched against the wall. At least twenty feet tall- probably closer to thirty- these constructs stood on two tree-sized legs made of metal trusses, jointed at their knees and ankles, which led into their huge feet. A network of air hoses coursed from the leg joints to a shadowy mess of gears and cords just beneath the torso.

In the center of the torso sat a cockpit that looked like the hull of a fat canoe. A behemoth metal block of a furnace sat behind the cockpit, with a smokestack as wide as one's head sticking from its top. A giant musket sat on a swivel beside the smokestack, with a chain of bullets attached lengthwise feeding into the side.

Zoltána let out a heavy breath, eyes wide. "A walker."

"It's huge," said Eva.

"It looks like the bottom half of a giant," said Caldus.

The boss gave a smile that looked not entirely fake. "Indeed. We call them Kyojin. They worked wonders when we brought them over to Inti territory. If anything can stop the onslaught, it's these."

"If I'm going to command those, I want to see it in action," said Zoltána. "Do you have a shooting range?"

"I'm afraid we can't test it," said the boss. "Maintaining these machines is a nightmare. We need to disassemble them, practically, after every use. If you have any further questions regarding these machines, I recommend you speak with our expert."

He gestured to a grey old woman with sunken eyes and a flat jaw, who studied a blueprint on a shabby wooden desk. Looking up, she dismissed the man next to her and tottered over to Zoltána.

"Inkoo," said the boss. "This is the Zoltána Božek. She's here to see the weapons. Zoltána, this is Inkoo Itagaki. She designed the Kyojin."

"Zoltána, a pleasure," said the old woman, with a little bow. "And Leif. I have heard of you. From one outcast to another, it is an honor."

"What can you tell me about the Kyojin?" asked Zoltána.

For one moment, Inkoo's eyes rolled up, and she grew a wistful smile. Then her focus returned. "Simply put, Božek, it is the birth of a new kind of warfare. It can move many times as fast as a soldier, and it can master obstacles taller than a man. But the greatest innovation is on top of the machine. Simply hold down the trigger, and it will fire one bullet after another until there are none left in the whole machine."