Startech Exowar- Chapter 4 (standard:science fiction, 7684 words) [4/4] show all parts
Author: SpencerSE2004	Added: Jan 10 2003	Views/Reads: 2545/1917	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Things heat up in the world of battle. Chavez longs for home, Jeff and Karen decide to search for Dr. Struchev, and a final decisive battle is about to begin.

Chapter 4.0 

"Damn it Dwight! These are people we're talking about, not machines!"
Armand shouted. Dwight had dragged him to a differnt ship for a meeting 
with other high end military officals. He was outraged by Dwights 
saying that the Cyrsu Crows' having two pilots with the X-factor could 
be used to the Confederacy's advatage. 

"In all general aspects of it, it's not the pilots we want. You see,
Capitan, we need to figure out how to harness the potental of the 
X-factor so we can make a computer system that could re-create it's 
power." Dwight rplied calmly. 

Armand's eyes narrowed, "That's insane! Do you relize just how dangerous
the X-factor really is?!" 

"Captain," started one of the other men "we don't intend on useing it to
hurt our own pilots. We simply want to find a safe, and assured, way of 
using that kind of power for our own good." 

Armand looked down at the table. He knew that Karen was one of the
pilots Dwight had spoken of. He didn't want to see her get hurt, even 
though the others said that she wouldn't be. He thought long and hard 
as the voices of the other men filled the room. They continued their 
plans, and Armand didn't stop them. Finally he looked back up at them. 

"Gentlemen," he said "we can't do this. It's too risky, too dangerous,
too arrogent. By trying to use the two pilots from the Cyrus Crows, 
there's a massave risk that those pilots could die. It's bad enough 
that a group of mercinares is doing all of your dirty work on the 
battlefield, but to try and use their disadvantage to increase your 
advantages. That's just sick." 

"Now wait a second here!" shouted another member of the board "How is
the X-factor a 'disadvantage' for those two pilots? Have you seen what 
it makes them do? Their first battle on the job and that rookie pilot 
ripped another mech to bits and then managed to kill the pilot without 
even breaking a sweat. I'd say that they have every advantage in the 
world!" 

"Have you seen what it makes them do?" Armand responded in an instant. 

"What?!" 

"It makes them go insane. They have no control over themselves, it makes
them into killing machines. A term I use without pun." 

The man stared down Armand, he couldn't think of a response to his
comeback. He made a good point, but none of this was Armand's decision 
in the first place. 

"To be honest with you," Armand began "I don't even see why you have me
here. Obviously my opinion means nothing to you, and i'll be damned if 
you ever try to care about another human's life." 

"We need you," said a man by the name of Genral Will J. Overis "becasue
you're the only one here that knows that one pilot well enough to talk 
her into this." 

"You sick, twisted peice of...." Armand started to spout. 

"Don't waste your breath, Captain. We need you to talk with her, you're
the only one who knows her well enough." Will said. 

"Well," Armand paused for a moment "I have an even better idea. How
about you all rot in hell!" 

With that Armand stood up and walked out the door. The room was left
with a long, and odd, silence. Armand was the only one that relaly knew 
Karen, and he was their only hope of contacting her. 

"Dismissed." Will said. "Genral McSlans, please, sit back down." 

Dwight nodded his head and sat back in his chair. 



Click here to read the rest of this story (955 more lines)