© 1999-2001 Imminent Storm of NEWST.
While the research team had been working, most of the units and all the Ultra-Borgs but Necron (he was the only one who could continue to fight effectively without hardcast ammunition, by using his pulse laser cannon) returned to the LZ. Everything was quiet, but Necron's pilot felt a sense of foreboding and uneasiness. Something wasn't right here. That's when the research team came running out of the enemy command center, heading towards their transport.
Back at Delta Base...
"Say again?!" the commander said, in a rather concerned tone. "Well, sir, we are receiving a radio transmition eminating from a position in enemy territory. It's in some wierd format and is going to take a few minutes for the computer to decode it."
"Hmmmmm...... I don't like this. Tell the transports to head to the LZ to extract our forces." As soon as the team from HQ finished, he wanted those men out of there as fast as humanly possible.
"I think we've got it now, but it's in audio only."
"Ok then, lets hear it."
Static came over the speakers and slowly died down to silence. Then, a voice came booming over the loudspeakers. "Well, well, well; so you are the ones who defeated Dr. Reed. I'm impressed... it seems that I too have underestimated your capabilities. But don't let that go to your heads; I allowed you to go this far. I've been watching, testing and observing you. But now that ends. Dr. Reed was a fool; he never came to realize the full potential of the NEXUS project. You think you have found out a few of my secrets. But you have no idea what you are dealing with. Now, I shall show you pathetic insects what the true capabilities of the NEXUS project are! Your doom is at hand! Resistance will only prolong your suffering!" Static slowly began to fill the room again.
No one spoke for some few minutes. The commander was the first to break the silence. "Oh Hell, it looks like we've got another psychopath bent on conquering the world. Here we go again...." He sat down in his chair rubbing his temples, "agh, I have a headache. Get the attack team on the line."
"Attack team online, sir, Ultra-Borg Necron here."
The commander stood up again, "Did you guys hear that too?"
"Yes we did. And sir, we've got a, uhm... situation here. Are the transports coming?"
"Affirmative, they are en-route now; should be there in 2 minutes. Good luck, Delta base out."
Necron's radar screen was filling with little red dots, each one representing an enemy unit. They were everywhere in the forest cover, literally popping out of nowhere. 10 then 20, then 80, then 200, on and on and on. This was definitely not good. "All units, retreat to the LZ NOW!!!" Enemy units began advancing on their position. "LZ, this is Necron, what is your status there??"
"Necron, this is LZ, looks like we are knee-deep in it here too. Enemy units advancing from all sides, Transport ETA is 1 minute. Enemy units should arrive not too long after that."
The first enemy units began opening fire on their former base, where Necron and a few remaining tanks were. At least the research team's transport had bugged out just before the enemy showed up. First it was random heavy artillery fire, then a few long-range direct fire missiles. The ground forces were now in headlong retreat. Necron, however, was pinned down behind a large rock formation by enemy fire. Moving slowly, he managed to work his way to the 1.5 mile wide clearing between the base and the LZ. Each time he tried to move (and thus exposing himself) he was subjected to large amounts of concentrated fire. The enemy was everywhere, and soon they would come up behind him. "LZ to Necron, hurry up; the enemy is moving to cut off the route from the base to here, soon we will be surrounded. The transports have landed, MOVE IT!!!" Most of the land in the clearing was flat, or close to flat. He had an idea.
The reason why Ultra-Borgs couldn't fly using their back thrusters, although they produce enough thrust to do it, is because of the huge power drain of using them for extended periods. But Necron really didn't need most of his internal systems to just get back to the LZ. So he started turning them off, one by one. Radar, fire control, biosensors, all turned off. He even reduced power to the arms and legs. Then, he jettisoned the Medium Pulse laser from its shoulder mount and the Chain Gun as well; they just needed too much power and weight to keep. Finally he dropped his Heavy machine gun, to further reduce weight. He now channeled all free power to the thruster system. At full power, they could propel him forward at 3 times his normal running speed. So he bent his knees and fired up the thrusters. He thrust himself forward with his legs as if to run, but in mid-flight, kicked the thrusters to maximum power, angled straight back and slightly down. He blasted forward flying across the open ground with the tips of his feet just a meter or 2 above it.
He was flying fine when at 1000 meters to go, a massive explosion went off right in front of him. The shockwave knocked him off-balance and he went smashing into the ground. He quickly shut off the thruster and re-routed power back to the arms and legs. Getting back up, he found himself being passed by numerous enemy ground tanks heading toward the LZ. Then looking to his right, he saw what shot at him. Before he could get a good look at it, it fired again. The shot missed, barely, and hit the ground next to him. Necron almost lost his balance again. When the dust cleared he finally got a good look at the enemy. It was what he feared most: an enemy Ultra Cyborg.
Necron zoomed in his view for a closer look. He didn't recognize any of the components: legs, torso, head, arms--all were different from current Project designs. The enemy was also carrying an enormous hand weapon, obviously the weapon it had fired the last two times. He also noticed that it had what looked like some kind of laser shoulder weapon and definitely a missile launcher shoulder weapon.
Necron stood there stunned a few seconds, while the radio chattered away. "We gotta get our troops outta here NOW!!"
"No way! We can't take off under this amount of fire; we'd be blown out of the sky!"
"If we don't take off now, we're still dead!"
"LZ defenses weakening! Necron, where the hell are you, get your afterburners back here now! What THE HELL IS THAT!?!"
Two massive explosions rocked the forested are west of the LZ. Was someone else firing at the enemy? Then he noticed it; a flying object hovering over the LZ. But he didn't recognize the design. It fired again, two missiles, more explosions. Then another, unfamiliar, voice came over the comm. "There, you've got a hole now, get moving! That's all I can do."
"LZ to Necron, you have no time, we gotta take off now!" Just as he was about to respond, the enemy Ultra-Borg turned and fired two missiles at the strange aircraft. It swerved to avoid them, and then he finally recognized the design, a Helicopter.
"LZ, this is Necron. I've encountered enemy Ultra-Borg; it poses threat to your evacuation. I will occupy it while you escape. All transports take off now! I'll stay behind and take my chances, just as long as you get out safe. Necron out!" He then shut down the com-system completely.
He charged in a headlong run towards the enemy U-B, then at the last moment kicked the thrusters into a power burst. The enemy turned to face him but, it was too late. Necron plowed smack into it at full speed, knocking it quite some distance. It seemed the transports got the message; they took off and bugged out to base, with that curious helicopter following them. Necron got back up, ran, then jumped onto the enemy again, who had now dropped his hand weapon. Necron grabbed him and held on with his right hand. The enemy landed a punch square across Necron's headpeice, but Necron didn't let go. Necron resorted to his last offensive weapon, the high pressure, high temperature plasmite torch in his left forearm.
He was now face to face with the enemy, lying on the ground. The enemy had grabbed his shoulders and was trying to push him off. Necron jammed his left fist up against the other's right torso side, hoping that the torch was near some vital internal system. He turned it on full blast. A beam of blue flame came jetting out of the emitter and soon the armor on the enemy's torso began to glow white-hot. The torch cut through and penetrated the armor. Suddenly the entire right half of the enemy's torso exploded violently, throwing Necron a good distance away. The explosion blew his left arm clear off and it lay several meters away, shattered. The enemy was in comparable shape. Its right arm was gone and the armor of its right torso was totally destroyed. But still, it managed to get up on its feet. Its two shoulder weapons looked severely damaged and totally inoperational.
"Damn, I must have hit one of his reserve ammo stores...."
Two missiles slammed into Necron's back, then two more into his left side. He looked around and noticed that even more enemies were closing on him. The LZ was now a burning wreck and he was the only target left. Warning messages began to reach his mind. Enemy gauss fire had penetrated the armor and struck the delicate mechanisms of his power generator. The generator was a small nuclear reactor encased in a "thermal voltaic" material. Very similar to photovoltaic, thermal voltaic materials convert heat (rather than light) directly into electricity. Now the control systems were damaged and the reactor was heating up dramatically. This was now producing power spikes and surges through his system, causing instability. He had now three choices:
Necron opted for the choice #3; he may as well take as many of them along for the ride.
The transport group was now safely away from the enemy base. Just as the lead transport was about to signal home, a huge flash of light came from behind them. Following that was a wave a heavy turbulence that shook and buffeted the aircraft. Behind them, in the direction of the enemy base, a large unmistakable mushroom cloud rose into the air. There were no doubts in anyone's mind as to what had happened.
"Transport 1 to home base, we are safe and returning home."
"Transport 1, this is home base, what is your situation?", Delta Commander responded. "We registered a nuclear explosion in the vicinity!"
"All remaining units recovered sir, but we lost Necron. He stayed behind to cover us, said he encountered an enemy Ultra-Borg."
"Enemy Ultra-Borg! ...
"We are detecting an unidentified aircraft tailing you. What is it?"
"We don't know who it is, but they gave us a hand back there."
The Commander opened all known com frequencies, "This is Project Delta Base. Please identify yourselves or we may be forced to open fire on you."
The response came quickly, "Commander, This is Colonel Richard Franke, Project special forces unit, head of spec.ops Team Thunder. Its good to be back...."
