N is for Neutral

Dawn came for Commander Martinez the same way it did for as long as he could remember; peacefully. After all, dead planets aren’t known for their rude awakenings. The officer rolled out of his bunk and shambled over to the bathroom in his compact living quarters. Although there were thousands of derelict homes to choose from, Commander Martinez had grown attached to his Battlefield Control Vehicle and could never dream of living anywhere else. Anywhere, except his home on Earth, that is.

Following his morning laser-bath and oral hygiene routine, the commander found himself donning his combat uniform and brushing his pepper-grey hair in front of a mirror. Suddenly, the mirror’s underlying display screen alerted Martinez to an incoming transmission. He ordered the mirror to answer the message and activate its camera as well.

“Are you dead yet?” asked the man on the screen wearing a similar uniform.

Commander Martinez chuckled. “If I was, how would I answer this call?”

“So that’s a ‘no’ then?”

“Meet you at the Tower in thirty minutes?” Commander Martinez said, purposefully ignoring his enemy’s ridiculous question.

The man on the screen sighed before replying with a smile. “I’ll see you there.”

With a nutrition pack in hand, Martinez left his home, an immobile Battlefield Control Vehicle left to rust on its all-terrain wheels.  He climbed into his scouting buggy and the onboard computer recognized his voice and retinas as he took control.  The automatic driving function was still perfectly operational as were the buggy’s Levitation systems but Commander Martinez preferred to travel the old fashioned way. With the electric engine humming softly, the officer set off to meet his enemy in the early light of day.

When he reached the edge of the territory surrounding his home, four Personal Defense Drones chirped to life and hovered out of their storage and repair “nests” and locked onto his vehicle. At half the size of his buggy and armed with anti-vehicle and anti-personnel weapons, the drones were a formidable presence to have tagging along wherever he went.  However, as the lead drone scouted the road ahead of Commander Martinez, floating along on its Lev engines, the commander smiled.

Dawn’s light grew into a more intense glow as the commander continued his commute.  The skeletons of the old city were silhouetted by the rising sun, giving them the appearance of tombstones jutting up from the landscape.  The road beneath the buggy was pockmarked and burned but free of debris thanks to the commander’s autonomous construction machines.  However, as he followed the road into the city’s remains, the path became rougher.  Bullet holes, laser burns, and other signs of destruction blemished the lower levels of every building’s exterior.  Every building except the ones that toppled over, of course.

Everywhere he looked the commander saw the remains of his army the recovery drones were unable to save.  His transport craft and aerial gunships embedded themselves high above the streets when they crashed into buildings so he understood why he often saw a tail boom or engine pod protruding from a skyscraper.  Seeing so many of his ground drones was less understandable until he remembered that his recovery forces could only collect so much before they were overtaxed for the day.  The commander didn’t let it weigh too heavily on his mind as he approached the Tower and his escorts pulled themselves in closer to his buggy.

In contrast the rest of the city and much of the continent, the Tower stood proudly in Sisyphia’s morning light.  It graced the center of a verdant park, itself the center of the once glorious metropolis.  War-torn concrete, metal, and poly-glass gave way to fertile soil, healthy flora, and a crude fortress complex comprised of several dozen Battlefield Control Vehicles stacked atop each other.  The Tower itself was a bizarre sight and the result of even more BCVs being sliced and reassembled into a makeshift structure that kept watch over the oasis.

Commander Martinez parked his buggy under a metal sunshade and checked his uniform cap in the rearview mirror.  He pulled a railgun pistol from the buggy’s storage rack and slipped it into a holster on his belt to complete his appearance.  Remembering to take his nutrition pack, the commander strode up to the Tower’s entrance while his drones hovered around him.  He climbed the ladders and stairways with minor protests from his joints. We really need to get around to making an elevator or something. he thought as he reached the top of the Tower.

Not long after his ascension, a soft roar floated through the air and found Commander Martinez.  Within moments he could make out the sight of an approaching dropship swooping in low between the ruins.  Its poly-glass cockpit shimmered in the sun but it wasn’t until it flew closer that Commander Martinez was able to fully appreciate the royal blue and yellow paint scheme someone had decorated it with.  The dropship’s Lev pods flared and swiveled to bring the ship close to the Tower roof.  Commander Martinez ordered his escorts to find a recharging nest as the left side door on the dropship folded open.  The man the commander spoke with earlier stepped out onto the roof wearing a crimson cape over his drab uniform.  Ribbons, medals, and other badges covered his chest while a crown graced his head and greying hair.  The awards and crown were all handcrafted from scrap metal, trash, and assorted junk.

“I, the Master of Disaster, the Lord of Doom, Devastation, and the Destroyer of Worlds, the King of Sisyphia, have arrived!” the man announced above the din of the dropship.

Commander Martinez shook his head and chuckled. “What?  I can’t hear you!  Ship too loud!  These old ears don’t quite work like they used to!” he shouted as the King’s vanity deflated like a balloon.  Commander Martinez couldn’t help but smirk.

The King waved his hand and the dropship departed, leaving the two in silence after a moment. At last, Commander Martinez spoke. “You know, I half expected a chorus of drones to herald your arrival but today you actually showed some restraint!”

“Well, after your victory yesterday, I didn’t have any left to play my anthem so I had to make due. Still, I believe vengeance shall be mine this day!”

“That’s pretty bold for a man whose crown is made of the scrap of his army.”

“What?!” the King exclaimed melodramatically. “How dare you speak to me in such a way, you cur?! I am the King of all Sisyphia and you shall suffer for your insolence!  To battle!”

Commander Martinez grinned. “I thought you’d never ask!”

“We’ll see who’s smiling after my legions are through with you,” the King warned.

Both men descended into the Tower and took a seat at opposite ends of the room.  Their command chairs hummed to life with electricity in the dimly lit room.  The Tower’s combined generators awoke somewhere beneath the two rivals as they called upon more of their control systems.  Hologram projectors blinked on and surrounded their respective operators with hovering data reports.

“Factory output at 95%,” Commander Martinez said to himself. “Defensive Plan Hotel Zero is viable. Perfect.”

On the other side of the room, the King was making his own preparations. “Air component strength is at 80%, I must use more caution… Ground units are fully functional however. Yes, that will do.”

The leaders’ vibrant holographic screens displayed images and icons depicting their remotely controlled armies waiting instructions outside their factories.  Both men spent a few more minutes checking over their forces before they agreed to begin.

“Alright,” Commander Martinez said. “If you can remove my flags from these buildings in the Waterson District, the battle is yours.” He highlighted several buildings on his virtual map so they appeared on the King’s display as well.

“Well then, prepare for your demise!” sneered the King.

“Loser goes first,” Commander Martinez retorted coolly.

“Then have at thee!”

An alarm sounded and the battle commenced.

Commander Martinez was quick to order his bipedal foot soldiers into several high rising buildings so they could establish a defense.  His own dropships landed his infantry drones on the rooftops while tanks on caterpillar treads took up positions in the streets.  Gunships floating on their Lev pods hid themselves in the shadows of the skyscrapers, their circuits almost buzzing with anticipation.

Within moments, the King’s army came into view as it charged across the open land between the suburbs and the city.  Missiles sailed through the air and found their targets with spectacular results.  Commander Martinez’s opening salvo scrapped the King’s first wave of light tanks but the King felt it was worth it to know where the anti-vehicle soldiers were positioned.  Long-range rockets peppered the skyscrapers, showering debris upon the defenders on the street.  With the missiles suppressed for the time being, the King pressed his attack.

For the next hour, the King’s tanks rolled on the city but Commander Martinez made them pay for every inch.  Laser cannons and railguns took their toll on both sides as the morning progressed.  When the King’s tanks entered the city itself, the gunships received their orders to swoop in and help the commander’s own tanks pull off the ambush.  Bullets and energy weapon fire was traded and the King was temporarily halted.

“You’ll have to do better than that, your Highness!” the commander taunted.

The King grit his teeth and sent in his own aerial forces.  Royal blue ships squared off with the commander’s crimson-painted hovercraft in the Sisyphian sky.  Amid the chaos, the King was able to get his dropships to land infantry squads on the buildings in order to flush out the last of his opponent’s missile teams.  He was also able to use a dropship to deploy a few Urban Combat Machines behind Commander Martinez’s lines.  The spider-like drones were roughly the same size as a tank but their multiple legs allowed them to scale any surface with ease.

The UCMs skittered up and across the steel and remaining glass of the city to get the best angle on Commander Martinez’s tanks before they struck.  Mechanical claws ripped into the armored tank hulls and tore them apart in a matter of seconds.

“How about that?!” the King asked.

Commander Martinez furrowed his brow and focused on his holograms. “Impressive,” he replied. “But it’s not over yet.”

The two commanders continued their battle throughout the morning and into the afternoon, only pausing for lunch and bathroom breaks.  By midafternoon, both armies were low on reinforcements and the victor was still uncertain.

“Give up yet, your Highness?”

“Ha!  Not yet!  I’ll fight to the last man!  Er, drone!  Yes, to the last drone!” the King said, gesturing wildly in his command chair. “Onward to victory, my metal minions!”

The day’s battle left the Waterson District heavily damaged and with the sun sinking low in the sky, the King didn’t have much time left to take out the last flag.  Although his troops were able to fight through the majority of their counterparts, Commander Martinez had regrouped his remaining drones around the final flag and the King couldn’t find a way passed them.

“Tick tock, sir, the flag’s still waving.”

The King held back his remaining drones.  The holographic screen told him he didn’t have many left but his eyes soon fell upon the one trick he’d held onto.  He tapped the button and summoned the weapon to the battlefield on a swift gunship.  The ship carried a bomb known as a Blockbuster but unlike its old Earth predecessors, it could level the entire district without any radiation.

Commander Martinez’s drones detected the rapidly approaching ship and its deadly cargo.  The commander pulled up the gun camera feed from one of his tanks and realized what the King had ordered it to do.  “You’re crazy!” he shouted across the room to his opponent.

The King smiled deviously and worked the holographic controls. “Unit selected, manual control enabled,” a digital voice cooed as he took the final attack into his own hands.

The remainder of Commander Martinez’s units disengaged their previous targets.  The King’s spider drones and tanks were no threat compared to the diving gunship and its payload.  All weapons were turned on the bomber but its speed made it difficult for the drones to destroy completely.  Bullets sparked and rattled off the fuselage as the ship made its final approach.  Commander Martinez took personal control of a bipedal rocket soldier and aimed the drone’s weapon himself.  He ordered the drone to fire and sent a burning streak of flame right at his enemy.  However, before the gunship was destroyed, it released the Blockbuster.

Commander Martinez breathed a sigh of relief as the bomb fell.  Even if it went off, it would not have the same effect as if it were embedded in the target building.  The commander was about to sit back and watch the explosive finale when he saw one of the King’s spider drones leap from its perch on a building and snatch the falling bomb.  The drone encountered no resistance as the commander’s forces fired on the dropship’s crashing remains.  With no one to oppose him, the King directed his drone straight through the building’s front door and set off the Blockbuster.  Commander Martinez could only stare at his holograms, speechless.

When the dust settled it was easy to see that the majority of the block had indeed been leveled.  Only Commander Martinez’s airborne drones survived to provide a video feed.  Both commanders tapped buttons on their chairs, ordering the seats to roll across the room and meet in the middle.  Commander Martinez and the King rose to shake each other’s hand.

“Well played, my friend,” Commander Martinez said.

“Thank you,” the King replied. “Shall we?”

With a nod, Commander Martinez sat down again and called up a new set of holographic controls in the middle of the room.  “You won, so you get to go first.”

“Remote Construction and Fabrication Equipment Online,” a digital voice reported as the King made himself comfortable as well.  “Debris clearance of Grid Point Bravo 12 has been completed. Material recirculation still in progress. Available material stores at 70%. Construction Crew 3 ready for tasking.”

“Well, I built a market and a park last time,” the King said, dropping his dramatic expressions. “I think we could use a school to serve the homes we put up last month.”

“I agree, that would work perfectly.” Commander Martinez let the King give the construction drones the order and helped him decide where to put the new structure.  Adjacent to the land, wiped clean of its old identity by an earlier battle, a new suburb stood in the evening sun.  Built from recycled rubble and raw materials, the city was far from finished but it was well on its way.  Commander Martinez reclined in his seat and smiled.

“That was a pretty bold move with that bomb. You’re crazy, you know that, right?”

“Crazy? Ha! You should try going mad sometime, you’ll like it!” the King replied. “Besides, when has someone with a bomb not done something crazy with it?”

Commander Martinez nodded. “I suppose you have a point.”

“I always do.”

The King queued up a list of orders for his construction drones and then left his chair.  He returned with two canteens of water from his side of the BCV.  Commander Martinez took one as he stood as well.

“To the last man!” the King toasted, reciting the last order he ever received from Earth.

“To the last men,” Commander Martinez answered with his canteen raised.

“And to all who come after.”

If anyone comes at all.
…
And so, on a distant planet in the far future, the sun sets on another day.  Somewhere on the planet’s surface, the two last commanders of rival factions stand among the ruins and destruction.  It’s hard to tell what was caused by their comrades years ago and what was destroyed by them but as they share a drink on neutral ground, they can easily see what they have built together.