Colony Wars 1: War Never Ends

Chapter Twelve - The Final Fight?

30th May 2076 – 1st Galactic Step

Outside President Jamison's Household

New Dawn City

Earth

Solar System

"What?" Lance and Jamison said loudly in unison. Lance thought that it must be some sort of trick but considering how quickly the robot had reacted to his attacks, maybe this strange cyborg creation really was the old Emperor. Lance turned to look disbelievingly at the President for a moment, then he noticed the man's injuries and realised that he had to get him to safety and soon. Jamison's right arm was hanging loosely at his side and a deep gash over his brow was gushing blood at an alarming rate.

Lance lifted the President up and he was about to jump away, when one of the sharp curved claws slashed across his back, slicing into his padded jacket, and cutting deeply into the skin beneath. Lance's knees buckled and he fell forward, the sudden, lightning quick attack had caught him completely off guard. Xu was just too fast, there was no way he was going to be able to get the president to a hospital, he would have to deal with the deadly human-robot combination first.

Lance lashed out with his leg, kicking at one of the machines angular canted legs and used the momentum to get back up onto his feet. Then he drew back his fist and threw the hardest punch he could, straining the servos in his arms and elbows well past their limits. The blow connected with the back of one of Xu's armoured forearms as the devilishly quick cyborg parried the strike away harmlessly. Lance followed through with the punch and switched into a quick boxing stance to try to deliver some quick jabs to the machine's chest and abdomen, but again his attacks were blocked.

A thick leg kicked out from under Xu's colossal body, knocking Lance backwards and he felt a sudden pain in his right side, followed by a glowing message across his retinal HUD that his heightened healing abilities were trying to repair a partially dislocated hip. Then the loose gravel under his feet shifted unexpectedly and he fell head over heels down the slight rubbly incline to the roadside.

Lance was disgusted by what Xu represented; he believed that the amalgamation of man and machine should be something that was done subtly. One of the main things that the engineers' at EuroTac had prided themselves on was their unerring faith that a soldier's humanity should be kept as intact as possible. Even though computer circuits had been implanted into his brain, Lance had been given the option to turn them on and off at will, giving him control of his implants at all times. Xu on the other hand, seemed to be so thoroughly dependant on the mechanical systems that kept him alive, that he had forgotten just what it meant to be alive.

Lance struggled to his feet just as the emperor's spider-like form scuttled down to the road. Lance twitched his right eye, which activated a full-strength adrenalin boost and a muscle stimulant to be released into his body. The drug rush made him feel woozy at first, but then everything quickly became clear as he watched Xu approach him. His breathing got faster, and his heart pumped hard in his chest as he strode forward to meet the metallic terror.

Xu came at him quickly, scythes slashing enthusiastically, while the legs made the machine bob forward unevenly, making it difficult for Lance to accurately aim his attacks. He was faster now, thanks to the meds that were throbbing through his body, he could clearly see the attacks coming and dodging them became a lot easier. The only problem now was dealing with the emperor's superior strength, the machines flailing arms crashed around Lance like giant razor-sharp sledgehammers. Lance did not like the feel of the combat; he seemed to be constantly on the back foot, desperately withdrawing all the time from the deadly cyborg.