Fanbook Ex 03: Gorhecks

The third Fanbook Ex centers on Gorhecks, which was known back during the Central Continent War as being one hell of an electromagnetic warfare Zoid: communications, radar, it could do it all. But Gorhecks has fallen out of use with few wild examples left alive to make mecha from, and the Neo Zenebas Dark Spiner wreaks Jamming Blade havoc on the Helic Republic and their resistance. Verditer Rowen, smartarse and electronics genius, sets out with his childhood friend and narrator—the unfortunately named Winner Kid—to prove that mass-producing stegosaurs would be good for the Republic's health.

How hard can it be?

Translation

Verditer's the one with the wrench.

The winter of ZAC 2106, on the Central Continent, in Raikan Canyon

The central mountain range towers above like a temple of the gods.

Raikan Canyon links the east and west of the Central Continent, Delpoi, which is separated by this mountain range, and is one of the few passage roads. Back when the Helic Republic controlled the eastern half of the continent and the Zenebas Empire the west, it was constantly one of the battlefronts. Though the Neo Zenebas Empire's conquered almost the whole continent now, the importance of its role as a key point of traffic between east and west hasn't changed.

It was the second month in the severe winter of ZAC 2106. The valley, covered in ice crystals, glittered fantastically as it bathed in the freshly-risen sun. Such scenery was little comfort to me. I sighed countless times over:

"We're gonna be court-martialed when we get back..."

From the cockpit of my favorite Zoid, Liger Zero Panzer (which wore bombardment equipment), I looked to the Zoid lined up next to me: Gorhecks. It was a stegosaurus-type, newly-produced electronic warfare mechanical living creature made to take the place of Gordos. The person who'd dragged me into this was sitting inside, complaining. Like usual...

My name's Winner Kid. I'm a pilot of the Helic Republic Army's Ray Force. For the time being, my rank has been assigned at major. And the Gorhecks pilot is the Helic Republic Army corporal, Verditer Rowen—my childhood friend. He's an eccentric who said he wanted to experience being a soldier, and for that reason alone rushed out from graduating a nearby military academy and enrolled in the army. So there's a gap in class between us like between heaven and earth. But if I'm gonna confess, I've been no match for this childhood friend of mine since way back. No matter what he does, Verditer's never accepted any results other than the best. The guy's kind of like a department of genius. Right now he's piloting a Gunbluster in the heavy artillery corps and is an ace there too.

"It's a mystery bullets aren't striking enemies within range" was his favorite phrase. The problem wasn't brute strength. And that didn't run with common sense. So, when this surprise attack without headquarters' permission and consisting of only two people was suggested (that's what I mean about no common sense), I wasn't exactly surprised. Verditer's complaints were like this:

"The greatest threat to the Republic Army is Dark Spiner. Unless we do something about its jamming waves, we don't stand a chance. There are two ways to stop them: defending against them, and erasing them. To defend against them, one must coat important circuits and wiring with insulation. This method is adopted in the Neo Zenebas Army's Zoids and the Republic Army's latest Zoid, Gojulas Giga. But the time and cost are enormous. They say it's impossible for the current Republic Army to equip as standard in small and medium sized Zoids. In that case, we have no choice but to erase the waves. The jamming wave is no different than any other kind of electromagnetic wave: if you send out electromagnetic waves of the same frequency but opposite phase, they negate each other, and they can be nullified."

"If two guys with the same speed and punching power fight, they...strike equally at the same time?"

Ignoring the comments from me, weak in science and math, Verditer's complaints continued.

"Only Gorhecks can pull it off. So I proposed to headquarters and the engineering department, stop the production of combat Zoids, and give priority to the mass-production of Gorhecks. But they refused."

It was only natural. A corporal in bombardment advise on the production system? Headquarters was astonished.

"People call it empty theory. Dark Spiner's frequency range is wide, its output in a different league. If it changes frequency one after the other, the defending side can't correspond. That's the engineering department's conclusion. But if it's Gorhecks...it can do it. If you have the reaction time and analysis power of its Crystal Radar, you can counter before function on this side is driven mad. And if the amplification booster I made for testing is added on..."

Confident as usual. "But how do you plan on doing that?"

With me.

"We'll prove in actual combat if it's an 'impracticable theory'. You and I will make a surprise attack on the regular service of Raikan Canyon (the Empire's supply force) and fight against Dark Spiner."

Because of all that, I'm looking down at Raikan Canyon, my Zoid's nose lined up with Verditer's, even though attacks on the canyon are strictly forbidden by headquarters. This is because the Empire, irritated by the Republic's repeated surprise attacks, began assigning Dark Spiners to guard the supply force. There even seem to be Dimetrodons these days. If we're discovered first, we're the ones in for a beating.

"I'm worried about my life more than the court martial."

I didn't agree with disobeying orders to this degree. Nevertheless, I followed Verditer's lead, because I was of the same opinion. Unless Dark Spiner was stopped, the Republic couldn't win.

"Gorhecks is equipped with my booster. We'll find them first." Amazingly, Verditer was full of self-confidence. His voice suddenly tensed:

"They're coming! Right thirty degrees, raise three degrees, and fire main guns!"

"What, at the other side of the canyon, where it winds heavily? You've got an accurate position for something that far out?"

"Too slow! Correct left comma two degrees, lower elevation comma one degree!"

Half-convinced, I pressed the triggers as the corporal said.

There was a thundering roar: the Panzer's main guns, 21.6cm cannons, fired. Several seconds later, a pillar of fire rose from the other side of the valley. A hit. And even better, probably a direct hit.

"Next! Adjust left comma five degrees, lower elevation comma two degrees!"

Another hit. The third and fourth Zoids were a direct hit too. I was astonished. They'd be better off mass-producing Verditer than Gorhecks. If it were possible. The enemy appeared from the blind spot in the valley where the fifth Zoid was shot. It was the supply force's guard mecha. Five of them remained, and one was a Dark Spiner.

"From here there's no time for guided shooting, because I've got to counter the jamming wave with all my power. Take them out precisely, except for Dark Spiner."

To me, the corporal's puppet, the main scene finally came. He could leave it to me.

Note from Tilly: I have difficulty with this bit, sorry. Gist of it, far as I can manage: he's gonna get one on one with Dark Spiner all careful-like, getting that actual combat data Verditer wants so badly. There's shooting, and a line I think is though it didn't come without wasted bullets, by the time things closed to close combat range with Dark Spiner, I'd cleanly swept its allies.

But the essential part was from here on. The experiment couldn't be called a success unless it protected against the jamming wave at point-blank.

Dark Spiner charged . It was a formidable enemy, its melee ability said to be on Geno Saurer's level. I couldn't face it in the heavy Panzer equipment. I planned to shed the armor with resignation to the risk and meet the Spiner with the naked Zero. But suddenly, the Panzer staggered. The armor didn't unfasten. Though I pulled on the controls with all my strength, there was no response. I looked back to the Gorhecks while flung by a strong body slam from the Dark Spiner. Smoke rose from the back of Verditer's boasted-of Zoid.

Gorhecks gets in the way

The booster'd overheated? Was this a joke? At a time like this! For a full two minutes after, Panzer and I were carefully tormented: beaten, stomped on, bitten. Without its thick armor, we'd have been already dead. But we couldn't die yet. Not until I'd bought time for Verditer to escape. If he was safe, the faulty booster could no doubt be completed. Though I thought such brave things, Verditer surprised me again. Gorhecks came butting in between me and the enemy. Was he crazy? The hell was he doing with an electronic warfare Zoid with almost no combat ability? Hadn't brawling been my role since way back when? At once, Dark Spiner leaned over, gripped Gorhecks' cockpit in its claws, and slowly applied pressure...breaking the canopy.

"Verditer—" I shouted, but my voice was lost in the sound of an explosion that split my ears. Gorhecks had self-destructed. The amount of gunpowder wasn't leftovers, it looked to have been prepared in its body from the beginning. Dark Spiner was seriously damaged. Panzer seemed just able to move, thanks to armor twice as thick as the other guys. But Gorhecks, its form wasn't even recognizable. I plunged into the ruins, and desperately dug through the mountain of rubble. Though it's embarrassing to admit, I cried.

A voice came from behind me, playing innocent: "What're you doing, Winner?" It was Verditer, holding a Zoid remote control in his right hand.

"Get it, Winner? A soldier who is not given a Zoid survives only with meager weapons and a careful mind." he said, sniffing his nose and patting the wreckage as if in apology. The disc where he'd recorded combat data before was in his left hand. Like I said, there's no way I could measure up to this childhood friend of mine in my lifetime. But mysteriously, the mood wasn't bad. So...I could almost think even court-martial wasn't that scary.