Dead Mech by Jake Bible Page B

Capreze’s expression.
    “Hmm..? Oh, sorry, Doc. What was the
question?”
    “How are you feeling? Same nightmare last
night?”
    Capreze chuckled. “No, new nightmare. But
this one’s real.”
    Themopolous narrowed her eyes questioningly.
Capreze leaned forward and handed his tablet to her. “Take a look
at this for me. Tell me what you think.”
    Themopolous activated the data, puzzled.
Within seconds she realized what she was watching. “Is this…?”
    “Yes,” Capreze answered solemnly. “Watch the
deader. I want your opinion.”
    Themopolous frowned.
    ***
    Rachel and the Rookie stepped into the mess.
All heads turned. Mathew, Masters, Harlow, June, each quickly sized
up the Rookie.
    “Rookie! Glad to see you awake!” Masters
boomed as he jumped from his seat, offering the Rookie his hand.
“Mitch Masters, best damn mech pilot in this base. Glad to meet
you.”
    “Um, thanks,” the Rookie responded, taken
aback by Masters’ enthusiasm. “I’m--”
    “The Rookie,” Harlow said, stepping past
Masters to shake hands. “That’s all we need to know.”
    “Really? You don’t want to know my
name?”
    “Why? You’ll probably die horribly tomorrow.
What’s the point?” Masters winked.
    ***
    “Sir, I’m really not---” Themoplous
started.
    “Just watch the deader,” Capreze
interrupted. “Watch Closely.”
    Themopolous continued to watch the vids.
Soon it was over and she handed the tablet back to Capreze.
    “Well?”
    “To be honest, I don’t know what you want me
to say…”
    “What’s your take on the deader?”
    “My take?”
    “Its behavior, the way it acted…the way it
roared.”
    Themopolous gathered her thoughts then
cautiously started in. “Knowing nothing of dead mech behavior…”
    Capreze waved her off, motioning for her to
get on with it.
    “Okay. Without anthropomorphizing too much,
I’d say the ‘deader’ was…mad.”
    ***
    The Rookie grabbed a tray and followed
behind Rachel.
    “Okay, so nothing here is real. Just a heads
up in case you’re used to something a little more…” Rachel trailed
off.
    “Life-like?” Masters hollered.
    “Exactly,” Rachel smiled. “It’s all good,
it’s just synth.”
    The Rookie perused the selections. “Looks
real enough. I’m used to…different.” He slapped a spoonful of
synth-eggs onto his tray, added some synth-bacon and finished it
off with a blueberry muffin.
    “Oooh, not those,” Rachel said, putting the
muffin back. “Steve hasn’t perfected the blueberries yet.”
    “Gave me the shits for a week!” Masters
hollered again.
    ***
    “Mad? Which definition?” Capreze asked.
    “Insane. Whether it was driven to madness or
not, I can’t tell,” Themopolous responded cautiously.
    “Driven? How do you mean?”
    “You have heard the term ‘driven mad’
before, correct?”
    “Yes, Doctor, I have heard the term. But,
what does that have to do with this deader?”
    Themopolous took a deep breath then let it
out slowly and fixed her gaze on Capreze. “Any animal can go mad,
regardless of its intelligence. But, to be driven mad…”
    The Commander motioned for Themopolous to
continue.
    “It needs a certain level of intelligence. A high level of intelligence.”
    ***
    “Okay, so when does the hazing start?” the
Rookie asked, looking around the table.
    “Hazing?” Mathew asked.
    “Yes, hazing. Y’all have been pretty nice so
far, except for yesterday’s run-in with…?”
    “Bisby,” Harlow helped.
    “Bisby, right. Should I be worried?”
    “Only if you don’t want your ass handed to
you,” Bisby’s voice growled from the mess door.
    The Rookie glanced at the other pilots.
Mathew shrugged.
    “Let it go, Biz,” Masters said.
    “Was I talking to you?”
    “Seriously? Grab some coffee and sit the
fuck down, asshole,” responded Masters.
    Bisby glared at the Rookie then turned to
the mess line.
    ***
    The Commander paced back and forth behind
his desk. Themopolous waited patiently for Capreze to