A human computer. Is it linked to the Berserkers?
No. Although I'm not going for space-BOLO either.
BROB, incidentally, stands for B****** Random Omniscient Being. Some pretend that the first B stands for benign but that's wishful thinking.
Entry #4
Over Europe, Low Earth Orbit
Terra, Terran Hegemony
19:05 27 December 2766I hit the atmosphere hard, ‘feeling’ the burning as I used the thinner uppermost layers to slow myself. My ‘escorts’ covered me from above as I slowed myself to a useful combat speed.
Down below, the fight for the airspace over Europe was contested. Somewhere below me, the badly outnumbered Royal First Swiss Cavalry were holding back Republican regiments from seizing Geneva. While Unity City was the capital city of the Star League, the heart of the Terran Hegemony’s government was in their traditional home in the Swiss Alps.
Slightly more concerning were the ground-based SDS systems – Sandhurst Castle Brian and the batteries in the British Isles were holding out, as was Sverlovsk but the northern European facilities had fallen with Bochum Castle Brian and reports from Cairo were conflicting.
I wasn’t particularly keen to find out the hard way so as I angle north over Europe my missile tubes launch five pairs of capital missiles – a single conventional kinetic strike aimed for the key command nodes and a heavy nuclear warhead for the launch sites in Germany. I’m fairly sure that five hundred kiloton explosions aren’t going to make me very popular in the future, but at least they might leave me around to be unpopular. “First Swiss Actual, this is Praetorian. Got targets for me?â€
“I have the targets,†a rather pleasant, German-accented voice confirmed, “If you have the service.â€
“With a smile, ma’am.†My ballistics calculations take a fraction of a second, but I take a moment to double-check the co-ordinates against what I’m picking up below – both direction and from plugging into whatever civilian networks are still working. It’s shocking how tough a speed camera can be in the twenty-eighth century. I made some final adjustments and then pulled the trigger, punching a flurry of heavy particle beams down through the atmosphere as I sweep over Lake Geneva.
Through magnified infra-red sensors I could see the explosions as shots rained down on an artillery battery that had been pounding on the defensive outposts occupied by the First Swiss. A couple of shots are close enough to hit ammunition carriers and that spread secondary explosions across the football pitch the heavy guns had deployed on. The shots marched on, raining down across a staging ground where infantry fighting vehicles and at least a battalion of ‘Mechs had been preparing to assault the same position.
Looking down I can see human bodies and parts thereof scattered. These would be the ones that were on the edges of the impact zones.
Do I feel anything?
Not even recoil. Perhaps a little maudlin.
That might be for the best. I’ve got a mite more of this sort of thing do to.
“Much appreciated, Praetorian. When this is over, first round of drinks are on my boys and girls.â€
“All due respect,†I answer her puckishly, “But for me a round of drinks is fourteen hundred tons of hydrogen fuel. And I can’t even return the favour since I don’t get paid.â€
There was a startled: “Pardon?â€
“Never mind.â€
I clear the channel and open another to Sandhurst. The Castle Brian is associated with the military academy that dates back to my own time. Not that I’ve ever been there, and it’d be a touch difficult to do so in my new body. “Allo allo. Star League Naval Fire Support. You propose, we dispose.â€
“You’re about as funny as a sick headache,†a scouse accent declares sourly. “We’re fine but a shot or two at the Temple wouldn’t go amiss.â€
If I had eyebrows they’d be raised. “The one in
London?â€
“That’s the one. Rimjobs are using the offices there as an HQ. And it’s just bloody lawyers. No one will miss them.â€
I laugh and cue up Shoot to Thrill on my playlist. “You’re a sick sick man. Consider those buildings razed. Any news from Unity City?â€
There’s an unhappy grunt. “Landline’s cut. Last transmission was that they’re evacuating the Citadel. The
Amaris and the
Star League are down.â€
What? “Figuratively?â€
“No. The warships, you fool. Both of them crashed into the Pacific.â€
“Oh. That’s… a bit of a loss.†Counting myself there had been seven loyal SLDF battleships in the solar system this morning. Now we were down to two. Of course, the Republican fleet had now lost their second.
“Don’t go to pieces on me, Navy.â€
“Fine, fine.†I absently sent the targeting parameters, changing my playlist. Drums start to roll and then bagpipes cut in only jamming. Time for the real music of pain.
I unleash four shots, each from a different turret. The first was aimed for Pudding Lane, just out of historical perversity but I’d let myself get a little distracted and it hits the bank of the Thames, scattering mud and water over the Tower of London, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast. Oops.
I corrected my targeting data and the second crashes down into Middle Temple Lane, blowing out buildings on both sides. The third hits further up the street, widening the entrance onto the Strand.
“How many of them can we make die?â€
The last shot takes out the New Hungerford Bridge. It’s at least ten times uglier than the one I remember so I consider this a public service.
“Bagpipes.†Is that a note of amusement in the man’s voice? I think it may be. “You really don’t like the Rimmers, do you?â€
“I don’t like anyone, much. The Fat Man though…†I sigh, some thoughts crystallizing. “If you happen to have any members of House Cameron down there, try to keep them alive and out of his hands. I know it’s a bit obvious but if we can’t put one of them on the Star League Council when all’s said and done, we may have some long term problems.†London dropped behind me and the British Isles would be gone soon. I angled myself further north. There’s another Castle Brian in Quebec – one that had fallen. Tacoma is probably still out of action… I hope. Warships all around Terra are converging over Unity City as if by mutual consent…