I didn't want to receive the orders on the spot, so I requested footage of the drones' combat capabilities. The mechanics took me to an old-looking warehouse garage and told me to begin there, as they might have to start working with me from now on. They told me to get comfortable with things as they left me in the warehouse.
In this warehouse were many lined-up shelves of binders with designs and suits of mecha weaponry and drone equipment. Modern drones are typically 4th gen and advanced, depending on the roles that they are meant to fulfill. Combat Infantry Drones are heavily armored and armed with 7.62mm weaponry and carry rocket-propelled missiles on each shoulder for air combat capabilities. The details and orientation of the drones are endless, so how would I be able to make one capable of advanced tech communications?
That's when I accidentally bumped into a shelf that almost collapsed the entire shelves in the warehouse, which a drone dropped out of its hanger at the end of the warehouse. Not wanting to leave any traces that I might've messed with any of the drones, I hastily ran to the end of the warehouse to put the drone that had fallen out of its hanger back onto the hanger.
This, however, was not the case. Something about this one made it look different from the others in the hangar. It was dusty and lacked anything a first-generation T model would have, let alone a weapon system and no rockets mounted. I quickly resorted to looking through almost every binder in the warehouse to find out what model this drone was. No luck. It's going to take years for me to look through all these files and documents just for this dumb metal junk, I thought.
Suddenly, the warehouse doors opened, and a female in her 20s entered, looking around to see if anyone was present. As I didn't want any attention, I tried to stealth my way out the back door, only for the fallen drone's hand to hit up against the shelf, announcing my presence.
"Who's there!?" the woman demanded, "If you don't come out, I'm going to get the military police involved!" With no other option, I arose out of my hiding spot.
She demanded to know why I had come to the drone graveyard warehouse. I then clarified to her that I was ordered to train and perhaps even produce a combat technical communication drone that could serve the nation. She seemed surprised and introduced herself as Lena Lindstrom, whose military occupation is Drone History keeper.
I wasted no time; I reluctantly asked her about the drone's history at the end of the warehouse. Lena was confused, stating that she'd never seen that drone before and that it must've been one that the mechanics were too lazy to deal with. However, there was no sticker on Lena, and our examination of the drone was on an examination table embedded on the helmet. Lena states it seems it never had a predecessor and could be an "Origin drone."
I questioned her about the Origin Drone's history, and she gladly explained that the "Origin Drones" have no processor or donators/soul core and lack weaponry frames like the newer gen ones.
The Origin Drones also lack armor frames like the newer gen ones, meaning they were very light and quick on their feet. This, however, made Lena question why the drone was thrown in the drone graveyard warehouse in the first place. As we pondered what the drone's history could've been, something stood out to me, and I pointed out to Lena that there seemed to be a manufacturing engraving on its chest side boosters. Both I and her dusted it off, revealing "T-01".
Lena was excited and explained to me that its discovery was HUGE. I did not understand much, so I asked her to clarify what made it so huge. Lena explained that if her history keeping is correct, this is no ordinary Origin drone, as it was one of the first made during the first conflicts between the three nations.
I, wondering how big of a deal it was, not knowing any better, laughed and still told her that it was impossible to outmatch Ravenian Technology. Lena, however, corrected me by stating that the Titania models early in their days were outstanding during the conflict because all three nations used them. However, as time passed, only Eagle Nation and Star Nation updated to 4th gen and later, but why? As Lena states, they believed that technological advancement and weaponry supremacy could win them the war.
This explanation…made more sense than it did because, at this moment, I recalled the soldiers who had decimated my squad. They possessed the older drones, and thus, that was perhaps the reason why we haven't been able to detect them. The enemy used outdated technology to bypass radars and scanners with 1st and lower generations.
I made this discovery understandable to Lena as I explained to her quickly while asking her if, earlier in the day, Titania models contained Radar Jamming and cloaking. Lena answered yes because those days were when drones weren't meant for combat but more for stealth and scouting.
I was in shock. We as a nation have been defeated by an enemy manipulating the Titania model while we were too oblivious to realize anything about the drones' and their capabilities. I then asked Lena how we're going to be able to power up the T-01 for me to train, to which she replied that Origin Drones don't need a predecessor/donator/ soul core. However, if I'd like to boot it up, she will need a memory core from a drone of any gen with data and capabilities that I think would fit.
With the right one in mind, I knew which one; the only words that echoed in my head were, "Don't forget me..." I quickly ran out of the warehouse to where the mechanics were still working and chit-chatting. I asked them where the T-MK was, but to their surprise, they just looked at me with a confused look.
I was about to grab one of them when their boss "Gary" interrupted me and told me gently, "Ya talking about a Gen 4 Titania model pilot MK?"
"Yes, where can I find it?" I replied as I calmed down a bit to show him respect.
"Gone and reassigned.", Gary stated as he took a cigarette, lit it up, and puffed some quick smoke, "My advice is they're just pieces of metal that once were or were. You can't bring back the dead, no matter what."
"Is there any other drone here?" I asked in remorse while clenching the bullets I still had from the front in my pocket.
After puffing out another cloud of smoke, Gary sighed and took out his clipboard, "I got a last one that's supposed to be finished in a few hours here, by the name of Gen 5 Titania model soldier WY."
William? I thought to myself, oh, what have they done to you? Gary then exchanged a confused look with a curious look, "Say, young man, what business would you have asking about the drones that the mechanic division and I are putting out on the front?" One of the mechanics from earlier then explained to Gary in my stead that I was on orders to produce perhaps a new drone capable of communication and technologically capable of fighting the enemy and be trained with modern communication equipment.
Without a doubt, Gary's curiosity disappeared. He sighed in relief, "It's been quite a long time since I've seen or heard our military sharpen up their senses and begin listening to their soldiers who're risking their lives fighting this lost cause war…if anyone might have an answer to winning this war, it might be you. Wait here."
Gary stated as he entered one of the backrooms filled with drones on hangers. I followed to see what had become of my dear friend William. It was scorching and humid in the backroom from a bunch of mechanic welding and torquing parts down to specifications.
Gary noticed me following him and explained, "We are the Drone Mech division. For 1000 years since these pieces of shit have entered services, left services, fought services, provided aid services, and finally served the Eagle nation's military and civil affairs, we are the ones that maintain and service them and keep them up to date according to military and civil standards."
Gary then led me to an office, where he told me that he keeps records of the drones, their predecessors, and who they once were. "I've served in the Eagle Drone Mech Division for 40 years and still going forward for this country my wife loved so much," Gary said as he opened a file cabinet full of screen glass clipboards etched with information.
I looked around the cluttered office, seeing multiple pictures of people and drones posing in front of aircraft and sea vessels alike. As I looked at the pictures, Gary approached me by my side and stated, "Beautiful, isn't she?"
"Who? Her?" I said in confusion as I stared at the picture with a drone and a younger version of Gary in full military service uniform with his medals attached to his coat.
Gary nodded as he continued to explain, "A time when the technological advance was at its highest in our nation, the Origin Drones, that one was my wife, a T-06, a heavy mech model, purposed to fire high caliber rounds and decimate enemy targets."
"Where is she now? I'd assume gone and reassigned?" I questioned Gary as he stared at the picture blankly, despairingly.
Gary didn't respond to the question. Instead, he handed me multiple screen glass clipboards that are etched in reports of drones and their information. "Your T-MK record holdings should still be in one of those, including those of your unit casualties. If you decide to use one of their memory cores to build a drone, let me know… I'm going to go outside for a quick smoke.", Gary reminded me before exiting the office with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
I studied and looked in despair as I stared at the KIA stamped on the reports. As I slowly gazed at the information, I couldn't help but feel remorse for my poor comrades who would never return home to see their loved ones. These soldiers had families and friends just like me, who'd chosen to sacrifice their lives to protect and defend those they held dear.
I continued going through the reports until I came upon the T-MK report, which showed the person's identity. Margaret Kallstorm; age:26, gender: F rank: SGT Occ: Military Pilot Crew/Medical Personnel. Stamped next to the status box: KIA, to which it aligned with three years before today's date. A TV with two smaller boxes next to it states, "Memory core," and the second box says "Soul core." Both were checked and dated by a GV initials.
Gary returned after a joyful chit-chat with his mechanics, as I found William's report. "Ah, that one." Gary stated, changing his tone, "Let's go get him for you, shall we?" He led me past the welders and into a different room that looked more like a medical dissecting room with a metal conveyor to serve as the bed in the middle of the room.
Here, I meet Lena again, only she's in a lab coat and carefully examining the drone on the "bed." "Meet Le- "Gary began as Lena interrupted him.
"Gary, I've met the Specialist already, and I know his orders just as well.", Lena said without glancing or removing her gaze from the drone she was taking apart carefully with a pick of sorts.
"Oh, alrighty…well then have fun, you two!" Gary said as he left the room quickly.
Lena scuffed as she tried to concentrate, "Pfft, the least he could've done is to remove it for us properly." I questioned what she was doing, and she replied in complete concentration, "I'm grabbing the memory core that you're going to need for your drone, but if I mess it up, that's it. We don't get a second chance; memory cores differ from soul cores because they project whatever the person/predecessor remembers before their decease."
I studied the soldier drone model; it was nowhere like its Origin counterpart. This drone was armor head to toe, including a weapons frame and rocket-mounted shoulder blade paddings, and each forearm was mounted with a 7.62mm barrel. "Let me try Lena.", I asked as I reached for the pick she was using.
Unreluctantly, she seemed hesitant to hand it to me, but after exchanging severe and getting-on-with-it looks, she gave the tool to me. She instructed me to take it out and not to mess with it. After half an hour, we removed the memory core, unhinged and unscratched. "Wow, look at that. I'd say you're a natural. The thing looks as good as new.", Lena declared as she studied the memory core from side to side, "Come on, let's go get this bad boy up and running."
Lena and I returned to the drone graveyard warehouse and began working away the night. We installed the memory core and configured the drone's settings. Lena was shocked at the T-01's settings as it had no weapons and defensive systems to configure as those are set to (UPON REQUEST). With no further instruction manual or information, we left it as is so as not to mess with the drone's configuration.
We both were surprised to learn that this gen of Titania drones didn't need charging nor did they support a power core like the new ones. It took the entire night to upload William Young's memory core onto the T-01 drone. Lena and I long passed out. Lena knocked out on the examination table as I fancied some office chair into a poorly made hammock.
We both awoke to an alarming beep informing Lena and me that the uploaded memory core was a success and that the drone would awaken to fulfill its role and a designated person to follow. We both woke up in excitement. I've never seen such a spectacle that if I had to compare it, it'd be like buying a new car, starting it up first, and test-driving it to test its capabilities. The drone has awoken and obeyed its orders as I registered as its "Operator." Lena was amazed at its capabilities and my decision to choose an older gen vs. taking a newer-gen Titania model.
The drone was ordered and processed. Equipment and such were needed for learning communications, a device for the signal for emergency uses to ping location, and a light mobile telecommunicator (a screen attached to a belt for transmission uses only). After receiving the equipment needed for its role, I am now required to train the drone to access the usage of the communication devices should the time be required. The following two days revolved around teaching the drone to use the communications equipment and relay information to the Headquarters should the drone ever get lost.
During the 2nd night into the 3rd day, however, when I had left the drone in Lena's care while I turned in for the day, Lena had turned in for the day as well after 18:00 hours due to her busy schedule mopping and gathering up loose drone items into the drone graveyard, it was here that our T-01 with no former knowledge began looking around in the warehouse to its amazement and it found the "William Young" report glass etched clipboard.
As it read the report, the drone couldn't help but feel sad for the person on the information as it tried to wipe a tear that wouldn't come down its metallic face. For a split second, it questioned why it attempted to do so until it reconfigured itself as an error of human expression.
As we continued training the next day, Lena shared some exciting news with me. She stated that the drone couldn't act on its own accord because we haven't allowed it to do so, meaning the drone's been running on autopilot with no former memory core affiliation. So, with no further assessment in training the drone, I decided it was better to let it learn and remember the training instead of forgetting it at the end of the day.
Upon arriving in the drone graveyard, Lena, who was excited, told me that the T-01's capabilities were not auto-automatic but rested on its manual overdrive to incorporate its memory core into its capabilities. Unsure of the endeavor, I was willing to try anything. The drone couldn't recognize communications equipment of any sort at all.
Lena manually restarted the drone and accessed its settings, changing MEMORY SETTINGS – AUTO to MANUAL CORE. The drone restarted to reconfigure the setting changes that had been made, and without a doubt, Lena and I waited.
Then suddenly, it rebooted and spoke, "UGHHHHH…W-Where am I?" Shocked and scared, Lena and I grabbed the closest available weapon and began hitting the drone in our frightful panic. Each time Lena and I hit or smacked the drone, it responded with an "AH!" or an" Ouch!" This caused us to stop after three minutes to catch our breath.
"William?" I asked the drone as I lowered my weapon while moving closer to it.
"Yeah, and how do you know me?" the drone asked while cowering its head to protect itself from further harm.
"It's me, William... it's Specialist, you know- a special idiot with the radar?" I confirmed with the drone.
It stopped cowering and immediately rose, "Ah yeah, I know you, haha. It's great to see a familiar face…say, how come everything feels weird?"
William began exploring himself by touching his mechanical hands and metallic surfaces. He began looking around frantically as if he was missing something vital to him. "Say, uh," William paused as he thought of what to say next, "Have you seen my wedding ring or band or whatever the hell it is called?"
Lena, who realizes the situation, calmly tells William, "Uh well, you see William…you don't uh". Lena tried to find the exact words to describe William as efficiently as possible.
"Lena!?" William questioned, "What the heck are you doing here!?"
"William… you're dead, you died.", I announced to the drone as the room fell silent.
William shook its head in disbelief as it frantically tried to look for a mirror, a window, anything that would show its reflection, however, to no avail, as the warehouse mainly had just scrap metal and drone miscellaneous all over. It then used the glass-etched report of William Young and saw its reflection. It looked in disbelief as it slowly began to process the words and the information that was etched before itself. The words that stood out to it were KIA.
We were going to reform the drone when the air raid sirens of the base blared to life. This was no drill. Which nation was this an attack from, though? Lena and I quickly grabbed William and headed for the bomb shelter area.
The panic increased with each corridor as soldiers struggled to grab weapons to counterattack, and combat drones assembled themselves to counter-measure fire. We arrived at a passage without windows and a tunnel-like concrete area, where multiple people, civilians, contractors, and non-combat military personnel were sheltered. As we quietly found a spot to sit, relax, and catch our breaths, the bombing from above ground shook the area.
A lieutenant noticed William, "Hey, what's a drone doing here!? He should be above ground fighting the enemy!" As he announced William's presence to the general group, they began questioning why a drone was in the shelter with humans.
Lena and I tried to defend William by saying that he had just been made recently, was still installing his memory core, and was not combat-capable. However, this didn't stop the mob there, as they began singling William out, even going as far as to corner him and remove him from the shelter as Lena and I tried to shield William.
Finally, two soldiers caught this whim and decided to take matters into protocol by segregating William from Lena and me. "WILLIAM!!!" I shouted as I reached for William's drone hand that reached out for mine.
"D-don't let them take me SPECIALIST!! I-I HAVE TO GET BACK HOME TO MY DAUGHTER!!" William cried out as the mob and soldiers separated us.
After that, Lena and I were thrown into a bunker by ourselves with just two cots and a barred door; it was a prison. We sobbed in despair; all we could do was pray that God was with William and for him to return from battle.
William was taken to a hangar where the next wave of 4th and 5th gen Titania was about to launch to meet the enemy army. As the soldiers and mechanics worked frantically, the two soldiers found an empty hanger spot. They clamped William down and handed him a Standard-issue rifle, human armor padding, and a helmet. They then mocked him by stating that this is where drones should be and tapped the helmet on William as they left the launch platform.
"HEY! YOU GUYS ARE MAKING A MISTAKE. I'M NOT A DRONE!!" William continued to yell and struggle as the launch pad ascended above ground level.
The situation above ground was not going well for the Eagle forces as the front gate checkpoint had already fallen, and the enemy forces were advancing towards the bunkers. The carpet bombing had stopped not to hit enemy friendlies as their aircraft circled the base from above. Enemy drones were fully equipped and armed to the teeth with miniguns on both forearms and a massive rocket mounted on the back. William was still struggling to get off the clamps as an automated voice stated, "LAUNCHING DRONES IN...3-2-1…"
"Oh dear…" William sarcastically exclaimed as he braced himself against his seat clamp. The launch pad catapulted around 600 drones into the base's air space, where they all began hovering, except for 1.
"WHOAAAAAAAAAAA!" William yelled as he flew 100 feet to faceplant in front of 2 Eagle soldiers returning fire.
The two soldiers looked at William in confusion, wondering why William didn't hover like the rest of the drones. Before one of them could speak, one of the soldiers gets shot, causing William to react by getting up and abandoning his gear and running over to the two soldiers to aid.
The busy soldier returning fire could not aid his comrade on the ground. At least he exposed himself. However, William dragged the wounded soldier into cover, where he located the injury, and quickly searched the area for any signs of a medic. Seeing a soldier with the red cross armband at the bunker entrance, he wasted no time and carried the injured soldier as he ran through the battlefield under heavy enemy fire from the 5th-generation enemy drones.
What seemed impossible was that he was getting hit by the enemy bullets, but something had protected William from getting hit by the shots as he ran to the bunker's entrance. The medic quickly thanked William as she tended to the soldier. the soldier, in astonishment, couldn't help but thank William, to which he replied, "You're welcome, Soldier!" With a nod and a salute, he left them as he ran across the battlefield again, leaving the medic and the wounded soldier confused that they had just witnessed a drone performing a common courtesy.
The battle wasn't looking good for the Eagles, as their drones that were launched with William were hovering and shot down as they engaged the aircraft circling above the bases instead of the ground infantry drones. While the battle commenced, the drones in the bases' bunker were being launched every 10-15 minutes until all 2000 drones were deployed and destroyed…all except 1. William continued to provide aid wherever he could, whether by grabbing ammo or taking the wounded to the medic.
However, all hope was lost when William saw most soldiers begin raising their hands to surrender; their drones had been destroyed, and it seemed defeat was imminent. William was so absorbed in the moment that an enemy drone launched a rocket towards him, to which the soldier from earlier ran to block him, only for William to push the soldier out of the way to cut the missile in half with what looked like a Laser edged as a sword. The rocket particles lay on the ground, unable to detonate, as multiple soldiers who witnessed the scene unfold were in shock.
William realized his settings on the side now had been WEAPON SYSTEM: ENGAGED; DEFENSIVE SYSTEM: ENGAGED; OVERDRIVE: UPON ENGAGEMENT. William advanced towards the enemy drones with no fear as the Eagle soldiers behind them, filled with hope and their morale boosted, picked up their weapons and followed William's lead. Two more rockets were fired at William, him slicing each one as if it were paper. It seemed the system setting protected William when it sensed the danger of 3 feet with laser blades deploying from his arms. Upon witnessing this, all the enemy aircraft and drones opened fire on William's location, pounding him with heavy fire. It seemed William was doomed.
All the Eagle and enemy soldiers watched in astonishment as if it were a sight. William was protected by what looked like a halo on top of himself; the halo was ultimately laser, with more laser blades hanging and dangling from the halo. In addition, William now had an arsenal of laser blades shaped like wings on its back. With the fire of weapons commencing, the blades around William rotated like a circular saw blade, shredding bullets as they flew towards William.
"Alright, let's go!" William told himself. As he jumped up to dodge another hail of enemy fire, one of the blades from his halo became a platform for him to step on. As he jumped from that one, another blade would come to replace that one before and before, looking as if he was rollerblading in the skies.
William then kicked the blade that became his platform, causing the blade to become a rapid projectile and destroying two 5th-generation enemy drones. As the fight continued, the Eagle soldiers provided support fire to draw enemy fire away from William while William continued to kick each blade into enemy forces. Each blade kicked another from his wings, replacing the ones on the halo. Then, a laser beam was fired at William out of nowhere, and an explosion reacted.
Every Eagle soldier stared in horror, but to their amazement, William was unharmed as his laser blades were now rotating around him in a matter of a sphere formation. OVERDRIVE: COMMENCING: William's head then had another helmet prop up from his spinal cord, as all the laser blades then returned at alarming speed to William's halo, to which each of the blades extended the length to that of a tank's cannon barrel. As his halo descended from his head to become his crosshair, all his blades shifted, revealing barrels, making him look like the American Bald eagle with its wings spread out. Then, as it suddenly began, it ended with a bright light.
After the bright light, smoke, and debris, all the Eagle soldiers searched the area to find dead enemies and downed enemy aircraft and drones. Their savior had won the battle, who in question was a drone of unknown origin.
The Eagle soldiers eventually found William in the middle of the ruin of defeated enemy drones, still standing and carrying an Eagle soldier who was wounded. At this point, the soldiers stood at attention and saluted the drone. With a returned salute from William, they cheered in victory for their history, their beloved nation, the homelands they fought for, and the thousands of years of defeat. They now had a success.
A victory in the first of Eagle's nation that they would never forget, as the day "The Eagle's Angel" descended and saved their falling nation. Now, they, too, can reclaim and fight the war.