John Steakley - Armor

Allie shrugged. “I wasn’t talking about fighting especially. But it’s still armor, whether you admit it or not. It’s still something you hide in.” He sat up. “Felix, you came here to hide in there. But everything you were hiding from was in there with you. That’s the trouble with armor. It won’t protect you from what you are.”

“And what is that?”

“What you’ll do.”

“When?”

“When it counts.”

Suki approached and bowed.

“Speak,” said the Masao, standing up.

“Lord, the officer in charge reports the scout…” He looked at Felix, embarrassed. “That is, one of the warriors. He was sent ahead, over the next hill. He reported Retrieval Proximity.”

“Hot damn!” said Allie happily, slapping his golden palms. “We’re there.”

“Damn near,” Felix agreed.

“Lord? Then I can tell them we can begin at once?”

“Oh, yes. Yes, Suki, by all means. At once. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Yes, Lord!” Suki agreed happily, bowing and backing away.

Felix stood up too. Soon the procession was again on the move. They marched in silence over the hill. Soon each had the Retrieval Beacon flickering below his holos. Only a few hundred yards to go.

Allie matched steps with him, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “So tell me: what are you gonna do? How are you going to live?”

Felix grinned. “The Masao will be pleased to provide the necessary luxuries.”

Allie’s arm jerked away as if stung. “And what if he does not?” he demanded in mock outrage.

Felix’s grin broadened. “Then I’ll break his legs.”

“Hmph,” sniffed the Masao. “Said Felix the Scout.”

Felix laughed. “Of course, there is always blackmail.”

“Blackmail? You dare to suggest the record of the Great One is impure?”

“Personally, I would not,” replied Felix humbly. “But Labella might.”

“Labella!”

“Now there’s someone your mother would really love.”

“How could you do this to your oldest and dearest friend? You bastard! I was only sixteen.”

“That’s the best part. Seeing as how she was sixty-something.”

“She was not. She was… thirty-ish.”

Felix threw back his head and cackled. “Are you kidding? Her wrinkles had wrinkles. You could draw a line between her nipples and get her navel.”

“That’s unfair.”

“Unlikely, is what it was.”

“You’re very cruel. Labella loved me.”

Felix shrugged. “You were a big tipper.”

“Now that is unfair.”

“I always thought so. Considering the quality of her act.”

“Felix, don’t you start on her dancing again. You just never understood. She was a very artistic…”

“Grandmother?”

Allie started to speak, but the laughter burst through at last. They howled awhile. Then Allie became quiet.

“You know, I think about Labella now and again.”

“I should think so. You were going to give up your title for her.”

Allie sighed elaborately. “I did love her. I had such passion for her eyes.”

“That’s horniness. For her thi…”

“You have no romance in you, you know that?”

Felix laughed. “My karma.”

“Your karma’s jammed,” said Allie sourly.

Felix laughed again. “Now, to the money?”

“Oh, very well. Even though it’s against my principles. But only in installments. I don’t want you running off on me again.”

Felix touched an armored hand gently to the other’s arm. “I won’t. Never again.”

Allie looked at him. His eyes shone. “I know,” he said shortly. Then: “I brought you a ship. It’s small, but…”

“You knew?” cried Felix, amazed. And delighted.

The Masao nodded. “Let’s say I feared.”

Felix stopped, put an arm out to stop Allie. Then he placed his faceplate against his. “Thank you, Allie. For…” The tears ran warmly down his smile. “For coming to get me.”

Allie blinked, embarrassed. He shrugged elaborately. “I had some free time …”

Felix laughed…

And it began. So quickly, it began.

The wind first. It swept over them without warning, pounding against them with rhythmic, pulsing, gusts. The sand sizzled against their armor…

The Transit Cone symbol appeared on his, and everyone else’s, holos…

The CO’s voice barked on Command Frequency: “Everyone in from the perimeter! Prepare for Retrieval…”

The Imperial Guard materialized out of a gust, collapsing around their master …

“Damn this wind,” shouted Allie. “Come on!” he shouted and started to run. Felix and the Guard followed…

The CO again. “Transit Cone sighted. Everyone in on me. On the double…”

Felix and Allie arrived at the back of a pack of warriors. Seeing them, the warriors parted to let them by. The Transit Cone, ten meters away, shimmered clearly before them…

The CO again, in front of them as a gust receded: “Sir? If you’d care to go first?”

“I would indeed,” replied Allie, stepping forward and motioning Felix to do the same.

“What’s that?” asked a voice. Felix was not paying attention.

“Looks like a mountain,” said another voice. Felix was just following Allie.

“Where?” asked a third voice. Felix automatically looked around.

“There!” said the first voice. And Felix looked where the man was pointing and froze…

The warrior was pointing to a hive.

It was the biggest Felix had ever seen. Kilometers away, it must have been thousands of meters high. But he did not think of that then.

He thought of Hive! Knuckle! Transit Beam! The Hammer! The Hammer!

“Allllieee!”

The first blast was awesome. It threw him off his feet. He crashed into the sand on his side. He could see nothing for the sand. Screams piercing, whimpering, unbelieving, filled his ears. He couldn’t find Allie and he yelled for him but there were too many people yelling already and too many forms on his holos. He stood up and rushed forward and the second Hammer struck, flattening him face-down into the sand. And there were more screams and with them horrible sounds coming from all over of wrenching plassteel and bone and pressure escaping. “ALLLIIEE!” he screamed but he could hardly hear his own voice, much less any reply.

Another blast erupted. And another and another. All around him. Homing in, he knew. Homing in on the Transit Beacon and the people and Allie and… More screams and something flew past him, crumpling as it went and he knew what it must be but he didn’t care—he didn’t!—it wasn’t gold.

And there he was, suddenly, on the ground before him, the Cone flickering dully off the gold. He rushed forward and grabbed and tried to lift as another blast struck and more screams….

“No!” Allie was screaming. “Let go!”

And he saw it then, saw the hole, saw the sand being blown out from between Allie’s golden clenched fingers as they tried to hold it shut.

Seconds—only seconds—left!

“Allie! I’ll carry you! Don’t worry!” He reached down and tried to get a hold to lift the huge suit but it was an j awkward position and he was so afraid of dislodging Allie’s grip on the hole! The hole! My God, a hole!

Seconds! Seconds!

“I’ve got you,” he said and the next blast struck—damned close—and in that instant before he careened away he saw—through the glare of the blast, through the blinding sand, through the reflection of it all on Allie’s faceplate—the fear. Allie was afraid.

And then he was crashing and tumbling through the air and the sand and bodies jounced obscenely past him and against him and the world was Filled with the sounds of their terrors and their deaths.