Gunship Read Online Free PDF Page A

stash. The machines were much more reliable and completely loyal to their programming. Each machine had its own unique code that was generated securely and provided to the owner to ensure that the system had not been compromised. After receiving the code, the owner could set up any number of daily tasks or situations for the machines to respond to, create a schedule, and then let the program run. A computer log and updates could be sent to the owner’s handset as well as alarms and resolution reports when a threat had been stopped or neutralized. The Enforcer series went up to class five. During her time in the ISUs, Reilly had only ever seen one class four. It had taken apart an entire platoon and a half of elites before the firepower from two other platoons and an interplanetary tank round rendered it a smoking hole in the ground. For someone to have not one but eight upper-class Enforcers running around in a small, uninhabited area on a semi-vacant moon was not a good thing.
    Ty looked through the holographic sites, watching the horizon. He couldn’t see them yet, but the system was tracking the dots coming up on the outer proximity ring. Two split off and stayed west, while the other three headed south and east.
    “They split—looks like they are trying to get above us on top of the canyon walls while the other ones run us down from behind,” Ty hollered to Reilly over the rush of the wind.
    Reilly focused on the dirt track up ahead. The Heads-Up Display showed the rock outcroppings and the canyon walls beginning to narrow. Several box canyons off to the right would make great ambush spots for the machines. To their left, the rock wall was solid until they got to the main ridge. Then it disappeared into thin air with a thousand-foot drop to the canyon’s floor.
    The red rocks flew by as Maude bounced and jolted along. Ty watched behind them. The three Enforcers coming from the rear were now visible and seemed to be speeding up.
    “Probably because they have target acquisition and are waiting to get within range of the old girl to blast her to pieces,” he muttered to himself. A shower of rocks tumbled down on his left. He glanced up to see another Enforcer above them on the canyon’s ridgeline. The head was lizard-shaped and an odd metallic gold color. A sudden bright light flashed, briefly blinding him.
    “Incoming!” Ty yelled.
    The rockets slammed to the right of Maude as Reilly swerved behind a boulder using the terrain as cover for the vehicle. Two more augured in just behind them as she reversed direction and skidded back left down the track that led to the main ridge.
    Ty blinked furiously, trying to clear his sight. The turret gun gave an audible tone indicating that a threat had been locked on. Ty gripped the trigger, pulling back hard. As his vision turned from splotchy dots to a gray haze, Ty saw the rounds connect with the target, knocking the Enforcer on the ridge back several feet. Smoking, it shook itself off and leaped forward, disappearing from view. The holo-sights showed the machine moving behind the ridge line but still keeping pace with them. He trained his gun to the rear on the three Enforcers there. He made solid contact with the first machine, laying down a stream of laser-propelled molten tantalum rounds until it dropped into a heap. He grinned and fired at the second one. The rounds bounced off like rain. Crap. They had phase shifted. He turned the dial to shift the laser and try again. The gun thundered, and a second Enforcer lay smoldering in a heap of molten metal.
    “Yeah! Take that, you metallic bastards!” Ty unleashed another stream of fire, but this time nothing happened. These Enforcers had phase-shift adapters, which meant that they could read the gun’s output and adjust to the rate and type of fire as well as predict and defend against any variances that the system could produce after two shifts by the weapon.

    “Uh, Captain? I think we’re in trouble.”
    Reilly