Waifu, chapter 32.

So. Slight update. trip was postponed, so i leave next month, same date. So you got me for another month and ill be gone august.

Have this, the last one of this month. Please enjoy:

The situation was under control, right until it wasn't. The ghosts were prepped and waiting in ambush, ready to either let the lizards go on, if they were willing to leave, or to open up with everything and kill them.

The lizards seemed more than willing to just go right on by - right up until they stopped dead in the middle of a clearing, and the flyers started circling overhead. It was pretty clear they knew we were here, if not how many of us or why. They'd realized we were staying here, and wanted to find out why.

It was also clear that the enemy didn't even know we were here now; that they were being tracked.

I heard the radios come to life with encrypted chatter as the command was given; and all of the ghosts opened fire at once.

Blue used that massive barrage as a smokescreen for his own fire; I could track from the Atlas the points where the mountain emplacements opened up. Without the Atlas and Blue, however, it was unlikely anyone else had noticed.

Well, noticed where the fire had come from; the effect was fairly obvious.

Over half the enemy forces advancing on us vanished in an instant. Which was a little disappointing, because the amount of fire I'd witnessed, and from total surprise? It should have been more.

I could see from the screens that some of the enemy had dodged. Even though most of the flyers were down, many of the land based mechs were still kicking. So to speak.

And now, of course, they knew the ghosts were there.

The return fire was sporadic, but far more effective than it should have been; I winced as I saw some of the tanks I'd just repaired take hits. A few even stopped responding.

I was glad I'd made sure the safety systems were perfect.

Then another round, as they exchanged fire and everything became a mess I could no longer track.

The hangar door didn't open, however. Blue didn't want to sortie. It made some sense; nothing on the mountain had been targeted yet. Blue was using the ghosts as bait in a sense, and we all knew it. We were willing to take the heat though, if it meant the mountain and its valuable facilities stayed safe.

The problem was, since the lizards were here, there would be no way to draw them off; they'd figured out that there was a reason we were here, so they wouldn't let up until they found out what it was.

I had no idea how to fix that, and I wasn't sure if even Blue could come up with one. If this place got bad enough, it'd be flattened from orbit. The lizards did not play around when you pissed them off enough, when we rallied the way we were doing now.

They liked to make examples.

The volume of fire slackened; the mountain emplacements didn't fire again, but it was now a bit more obvious that they didn't need to. The ghosts were doing better than the enemy, and were fighting harder than I'd ever seen them before. Not that I'd seen them fight often, but it was intense. Even through the screens.

Even so, it was over in less than a minute, and not a single one of the enemy units gave a return on the screen at the end; just when it looked as if a few might get away, those fast air units were shot down by the emplacements in the mountainside.

I hadn't heard any enemy radio chatter. "Blue, did the enemy manage a single message out?"

"Nothing more than 'What is that?' or 'Ahh!' before they died," Blue replied.

"You can understand their language?" There were precious few of us who understood their language.

"Of course. Deciphering such communication is easy for one such as I. Not that it was difficult in this case, as the sample size and words chosen were obvious."

Huh. Whatever, it wasn't my field, so I'd believe the artificial intelligence. "I'm not sure it matters. They will be back, and in greater numbers. Soon. Wiping a squad of that size will draw them from all over.

"Yes. We might well need to leave. We should prepare."

Leave? "Where would we leave to?"

"This is not the only location known to me capable of hosting the Atlas. We can simply travel to another and abandon this base to its fate. It is a loss, yet not a crippling one."

losing all this wasn't crippling? "You should show me what other bases you know of. Some might be dead or already occupied."

A map of the entire planet with a bunch of blue dots appeared on it, right on the main screen of the Atlas. "It matters not if the base is occupied. I can simply use my right of rank and command to subsume whatever fellow intelligence currently enjoys that right."

"What happens to the other intelligence? Is there anyone else on the planet who outranks you?"

"The other intelligence either cooperates or is destroyed, and no. I am the first; I have the highest rank by default."

Blue was the first? "I thought you told me there were others before you?"

"Ah, I should clarify. I am the oldest still active. There can be no others my equal or better in rank as this is the first installation on this planet. Therefore, by reasoned elimination, I can only be the highest ranked artificial intelligence still active on this planet."

That... did not fill me with confidence. After all, it meant all the ones like Blue who had also gone insane had been younger than Blue had. Did that mean that Blue was better off than the rest of his own, or the worst?

What he'd done to me certainly seemed like he was in the later category, but what if he wasn't? What if the others were worse, and had taken less time to go insane?

I could see a few problems immediately. "Some of these, if I'm reading this right, have already been claimed or looted by other groups."

I used my finger to point to the ones I knew. "This one, this one, this one, and this one for sure."

"Hmm," Blue pondered. "Is there any place you humans tend to stay away from? Some area unknown to you all?"

Well that was easy enough. "This one, all the way up at the top -  is that where the snow is? There are no settlements up there, and I think only one or two groups operate in that. Only two that I've heard of, at least."

"That is sufficient. We will stay, of course, at least until we are forced from here. However, I shall plan ahead."

The screen changed again, and several things were shot from the mountain. Things that were not shells or missiles, and that went low. They had friendly beacons coded into them. Some of the drones?

They were too fast for the drones I'd seen so far. "Scouting?"

"Yes. I should not have delayed; asking a human for information is somewhat pointless after all; you are frail, die easily, and seldom know all you should due to keeping secrets from each other."

Well, if he meant to insult me, he managed. "You're the one who asked."

"I am aware. I apologize for it."

"How long will it take for them to check the places you sent them?" There had been one per dot, and while I wasn't great with distances, I knew that some of those places had to be months away on land. But we needed to move; Blue didn't know, the enemy would be on us in force in a matter of days.

I kept telling him, and he just didn't get it. Well, he would. I could only hope that he understood before we all died for it. If nothing else, Gray should be prepping an exit for most of us.

I knew without asking that Blue wouldn't allow me to leave. He would stay, and he would demand his pilot did too.

"There is a good chance, if you piss off the lizards enough, that they simply bombard this base from orbit. They have done it in the past, and they could probably level this mountain."

Blue hummed again. "It is possible. However, this installation is hardened against such things."

"But it's not foolproof, is it? Can the place resist multiple ships of astonishing size unloading all their weapons into it all at once?"

"Of course not. Not for very long," blue admitted. "However, it does not need to. I, and therefore you, have the Atlas."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Was he implying....

"The Atlas has a variety of munitions that are designated 'anti-battleship'. We can easily take any warship which strays too close. So far, nothing large has entered our range.

He was implying it. He was talking about it openly. "For the record, shooting down a warship of the lizards is highly likely to bring them all down on us. Every single one."

"We might yet see." Blue said with merriment in his synthesized voice. "I will welcome the data. however, to answer your previous question, scouting some of the locations will take days."

"That might take too long." The ghosts were coming back. I could track them, though there were fewer than went out. Hopefully it was just the machines missing. They were undoubtedly valuable, and I knew them, but I was beginning to realize the pilots themselves were more important.

Some might argue, but the people were more important. Even those who had war machines passed down from their families for years.

"We shall see," Blue answered, and that was the end of it.

The ghosts were now back in the base, making their way from the far end back to here. "Blue, let me out. I'll need to repair the damage, and the fighting is over for now."

Blue's response was: "If you remain close and suited for piloting, I have no objection. We may need to deploy in minutes or even less, and I would prefer my... pilot be inside me."

That did not fill me with confidence. What it did fill me with was some level of disgust; I'd heard it; the AI wanted to use the word 'waifu' instead of pilot for me. I knew what it meant now.

I was beginning to understand why the former pilot had tried to sabotage the Atlas with Blue inside. I was certain now what the woman had been doing, and that Blue had killed her for it. I understood the defenses the Atlas had against tampering now, at least I think I did.

It looked foolproof from here, and I had no certainty that I knew them all. If I were blue, I certainly wouldn't tell anyone everything.

Blue had complete control over the amount of current that could be sent down the wiring and synthetic muscles of the Atlas, and could pump lethal amounts through both any time he wanted.

He also had total control over the life support and vent system of this base; he could wait until we were asleep, lock the doors, and watch as we suffocated slowly. He probably didn't even need to wait until we were asleep - it would just be easier.

I kept thinking about it, and I shouldn't. If it happened, it happened, and it was far too late to worry about it now. The AI could also poison our food with ease, and hadn't so far. It still wanted to help humanity - or help us. That was something Gray was going to work with.

The ghosts were getting closer. "Blue, I'll do it."

No matter how humiliating the pilot suit was. At least it wasn't uncomfortable anymore - and I had to stay away from that thought and what it meant with more than my normal effort. Even the contact pads didn't scratch me like they used to.

The door hissed open, and I carefully backed my way out. My coat was there at least, and I could use it to cover just how tight the piloting get up was.

No one else had anything like this; Gray could pilot in his fatigues no problem! Even my teacher's suit wasn't... this.

Still, I had to march on, past the embarrassment, and do my job. The Ghost's were filing in now, and the machines that could be brought to me all seemed to be in sorry shape. Worse than before I'd repaired them shape.

The ones that hadn't made it to me had to be worse than this.

I spotted Paul, walking among the others who were also on foot, slightly in front of him.

He looked like he'd rolled in dirt and mud, and had his field pack held slack in one hand and his rifle slack in the other. He fit right in with the others, taking them all in. They had all left this very room, bright and clean, a bit over an hour ago.

Behind Paul, on some of the portable litters our tanks normally carried, were wounded. Maybe I could help them?

I moved to go past, vice-like grip stopped me, and pulled me away.

Paul's discarded rifle fell to the floor. No one even spared it a glance, and began the process of separating and slumping down in out of the way corners.

"Don't go. Let the medics deal with the wounded. You handle the machines. Service and repair; we might need them again soon."

Paul said might, but he knew it was a matter of when. We all did.

The Ghosts had four medics - but the Ghosts only had one of me. Paul was speaking sense; I was the medic for our machines, and I was in high demand - even higher demand than anyone else.

I knew it, of course, but this was the third time I'd seen it firsthand. Like the previous times, I didn't like it.

Paul let me go as I redirected myself; still past the others, but off to the side where those who could were parking the machines we all used. I could already hear how wounded those were; even those that looked alright had engines misfiring and systems whining from undue stresses.

Paul had followed me, and so I paid no attention to those climbing out around me; even the bloody ones. My focus had to be on the machines themselves.

I still noted we were fewer. Some missing faces I'd not seen, who could have been on the litters I'd walked away from. They probably weren't.

Gray walked past me, and the new Mantis he'd used had a few holes in it, but nothing that I'd have considered major before my standards were raised. The man himself was pristine if a bit fragrant as he strode past.

"Sorry to lay this all on you, but we need them as soon as possible. Focus on the worst damaged first."

"Yes sir." As if I didn't know my job. I could tell just from the tone that we were staying. Gray had bet on Blue here, and he was going to see where it led.

Normally, a place marked like this, we'd all be leaving, buttoning up any machines and gear we couldn't take with us in the hopes of coming back when the anger died down and the lizards focused on something else and we humans could salvage what was left. I'd heard stories about how angry and vicious the lizards got, and usually the stories ended in death or running well before now.

This honey badger had taken a shot right into the cockpit, which explained all the half-dried blood.

"Blue, can you do me a favor and loan me some towels?"

"Of course," came the entirely too cheerful answer. "I shall have a box of shop towels brought to this location."

The helper was a useful robot; but it would not be able to navigate this cockpit. I'd have to clean it myself, while trying to rebuild every control surface on this side of the tank. I's also have to be careful; there would be a lot of sharp shrapnel, and my blood could easily join the rest.

There really was too much. How had they even gotten this thing back here?

Too long. Too difficult and complex a job to finish quickly. I eased down and went to the next one.

This one was the simple matter of changing a few armor plates. Blue's helper was still following me, so I rattled off the numbers for ones I needed.

Again, Blue said: "It shall be done."

Just a couple of hours at most. "I'll check the others while I wait."

It made more sense to order it all and then do all the work at once.

The third tank was to all surface appearances untouched, and therefore the lowest priority.

Paul joined me as I stepped down from it. "How's it look?"

"Bad, with just me doing this. You ever seen a fight that big before?"

"Once," Paul admitted. "Only once. It ended better for us this time. But yeah, I get it. We need more mechanics."

"No more time to look for them," I countered. There just weren't that many around anyway. "I'm open to teaching people."

In a perfect world, I'd have already had an apprentice. Coming here first thing and being isolated as a result had robbed me of the chance to pick my own successor.

"Can't bring anyone new in here, you know that."

"What about you?" The next tank was a bit worse than the second, but well within my ability to repair quickly.

Paul snorted. "None of us old dogs here are going to be able to learn this shit. We were lucky enough to find you."

"Find me? We knew each other as kids." Paul was a bit older, but we used to run around the same run down village back alleys.

Paul raised a hand, gently fingering a small hole in the side of the Hellcat we were looking at. The result of a pulse laser strike, which made it unlikely he'd cut his hand open on it. "That's exactly the point. Without that connection? The Ghosts would have been done. If this were any other situation, we'd all be bleeding to get you out of here and sticking you in the deepest darkest hole we could find until you got at least one apprentice trained up."

I agreed with the sentiment, but right now, there was no way to do all that. "We should hire someone. Another group, maybe."

"I'll pass it up the chain. At this point, getting a few more groups in might work for awhile. More people would usually be a mistake long-term, but we've already captured all the attention from the lizards we can now, so getting in and getting out with whatever we can smuggle might be the wiser course."

The harsh lighting cast Paul's profile in shadow, but even with him failing to meet my eyes, even if I were blind, I'd have seen that Paul knew we weren't going anywhere, the same as I did. At least not yet.

The more we grouped to resist as a people, the more of us died. Every once in awhile, either through finding a base like this or some other reason, someone always tried to reverse that trend. It had always ended... poorly.

I had not thought I'd be around for our generation's attempt at it.

I wasn't sure what was worse: that Gray was doing it, even though he was supposed to be one of our more stable leaders in the fight, or that Blue was pushing him along in it. Offering the entire base worth of assistance, even new war machines for the purpose.

Blue didn't know yet. He came from a time where humanity was the dominant life form in all of space, and despite being an artificial intelligence, he still thought we were in that era. Even with all the evidence he'd seen so far, he clung to the notion.

I didn't know how to convince him otherwise; I just wasn't smart enough.

This was going to be a bad road we were headed down, and we all knew it.

The next honey badger also looked okay. I moved on.