Tribble #701: Dreamland Madness
Prologue: Waking Up
‘The Dreamlands used to be a realm of fantasy and magic, or so we were told. Where dragons and giants, and unicorns and faeries roamed. A thousand years ago. Things the dreams of children are made of. There are giants still, in the Dreamlands - and unicorns, and faeries. And elves. I know, I’ve visited their villages. But humans changed, and so their dreams changed as well. Children still ride unicorns - but their dragons don’t spit fire but shoot missiles at you. And when they need help to fight off a nightmare, they don’t dream of gallant knights, but of BattleMechs protecting them. And so I didn’t ride into the Dark Hordelands on a unicorn steed but in the cockpit of my dream ‘Mech.’
Diary of Catherine ‘MadCat’ Steiner-Davion*****
‘The prognosis remains unchanged: Patient S-D shows significant brain activity but no reaction to external stimuli. Multiple scans and biopsies haven’t born results as to the cause of this condition. Now, as ten years ago, when she went to bed as normal but never woke up again, medical science cannot offer any answer to her family’s questions.’
Private notes of M.D. Phil Baker, NAIS Medical Center, New Avalon, 3048*****
Dark Horde Territory, Dreamlands, December 23rd, 3048
“Cat! To your left!”
“I see it!” Catherine had seen it - she was already swinging the right arm of Dragonslayer around to target the ugly bird-like evil ‘Mech trying to ambush her. She pulled the trigger as soon as the crosshairs aligned over the centre of the enemy ‘Mech, and her Pontiac 100 autocannon spat fire while she feathered her jump jets and glided to the side.
The enemy’s lasers and missiles missed, but she didn’t - her volley punched through the ‘Mech’s cockpit. “Enemy ’Mech down!” the computer told her - as if she hadn’t seen it herself.
“Good shot, Cat!”
“Thanks, Kelly. And how did that thing get close without you spotting it?”
“I did spot it, didn’t I?” her friend shot back.
“Almost too late.”
“Must have been protected.”
“Cat, Kelly - we’ve cleared the pass leading to the heartlands.”
“Thanks, Alex!”
Catherine turned Dragonslayer around and started to run towards the mountain pass in the east. This was it - they had pushed the Nightmare Horde back into their heartlands. Now they could defeat them once and for all and end the threat to Dreamland. She bared her teeth in a feral - or so she hoped - smile as Kelly’s Raven sprinted past her. “Watch out!” she told her.
“That’s my job!” Kelly replied. “I spot, you shoot.”
“Stay close then.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from evil missiles!”
Cat snorted. She could already see the rest of the vanguard of the Dreamland Regiment bunching up in front of the pass. By their best estimate, the nightmare forces had less than a battalion of mixed ‘Mechs left. They had three times their number. Not even the enemy’s cheating technology would save them now!
*****
Cat ducked, Dragonslayer mirroring her movement, when another LRM volley descended on her. Even with Kelly’s ECM working overtime and Cat dodging to the side, a third or so struck, and her armour took another battering. If only “the best ‘Mech in the Inner Sphere”, as her brother had claimed, had some long-range weapons!
She kept the ‘Mech upright and lumbered forward, Kelly’s Raven hot behind her heels. Alex was already shooting at the massive gate to the enemy’s fortress, as were half the remaining ‘Mechs with the assault company.
And the fire was starting to tell! Molten armour was pooling on the ground - she made a mental note to watch out for that when charging in - and autocannon fire pulverised even more. An enemy ‘Mech popped up on the wall, but concentrated fire from the support company blew it apart before it could shoot any of its weapons.
“Right! Top of the wall!”
Kelly’s warning made Cat whirl - and her friend’s lasers marked two arms just reaching above the wall. One of those ridiculous ‘Mechs that could raise their arms far above their head and shoot forward. She hated them! Cat snarled as she fired her own lasers, removing one of the arms. The other managed to fire twice before Kelly and Cat crippled it as well.
A moment later, the gate fell, and dozens of ‘Mechs on both sides opened up on each other. As ‘Mechs started to fall, Cat looked up. The enemy wouldn’t just stand there… Yes! One of those ugly asymmetrical ‘Mechs jumped over the wall. But Cat was ready, and so was Kelly. A burst from her Pontiac stitched a line of dents and holes over the enemy’s flank before Kelly nailed it with a NARC-beacon. A moment later, dozens of missiles ripped the thing apart before it could land.
“Charge!” Alex yelled, and his huge Atlas started running, heedless of the volume of fire pouring through the gate. The rest of the assault company followed, ‘MechWarriors screaming as they closed with the enemy. Alex kicked out, reducing the leg of an assault ‘Mech to scrap before smashing the cockpit of another with his fist, but lost an arm in the process. But Nastajia was there in her Archer, covering him whale he reoriented his ’Mech.
Cat triggered her jump jets and rose on superheated plasma, soaring over the wall - and landing on top of bird-mech trying to flank Alex. Dragonslayer’s eighty tons - well, less now with the damage taken and ammo spent - crushed the enemy’s cockpit under its weight.
She turned, pouring laser fire and missiles into the rear of another enemy assault ‘Mech, causing secondary explosions to wreck its torso. “Hah!”
“Cat! Don’t do that!” Kelly complained. “We need to stick together.”
“I’m in the assault ’Mech,” Cat told her, kicking and pulverising the leg of a light, speedy ‘Mech trying to get into her rear. “You’re in the light ‘Mech”.
But there was the little Raven, squeezing past two grappling ‘Mechs - and shooting both lasers into the enemy’s rear - to join her. Cat finished the wounded enemy off, then turned to face the hangar in front of them. There the enemy’s leader waited, in a ‘Mech as black as his heart. If he had one.
Alexander was facing him, and even with one arm missing and his armour damaged, Cat knew he would win this fight. There was no better ‘MechWarrior in all of Dreamland than Alexander.
The enemy ‘Mech opened fire, fifty tons of weapons fired - but Alexander sidestepped most of them. He could make that ‘Atlas move! And then he charged, shielding himself with his other arm as the enemy kept firing. He lost his left arm as well, but then he was in the enemy’s face, and his kick sent the other ‘Mech sprawling. Before the ugly ‘Mech could regain its footing, Alexander had sent a volley of his autocannon through its cockpit.
For a moment, no one moved. Then the surviving enemies powered down, and the Dreamlanders cheered. After ten long years, the war was finally over. Dreamland was safe again. The nightmares would end. Cat would be able to wake up again.
She took a deep breath and opened her cockpit. Below her, Kelly moved the Raven between Dragonslayer’s legs and did the same. This wasn’t something to be done over comms.
Cat climbed out of the cockpit and triggered the ladder, then slid down to the stump of Kelly’s Raven, where her friend was waiting. “We did it!”
“Yes.”
They looked at each other for a moment, then embraced. Cat closed her eyes. “We did it,” she repeated herself.
“Yes.”
“We can wake up again.”
“Yes.”
She cleared her throat and released her friend. “We… if we can’t enter Dreamland again…” She licked her lips.
Kelly nodded. “Comstar. Standard codes.”
“Yes.”
They had talked about this - ten years was a long time, after all.
Cat wet her lips again, hesitated a moment, then reached out and kissed Kelly, closing her eyes.
And then the cheers she had been hearing turned into loud yelling and beeping and calls for a doctor.
She had woken up.
*****
So, it's a sort-of crossover with the webcomic The Dreamlands Chronicles.
The Dreamlands. The realms where little children go to dream - the dreams of adventure and games they don’t remember. Once they grow older, they stop visiting the realm. Except for a few, who keep visiting - and never wake up. Kali Liao and Katherine Steiner-Davion have spent most of their lives in a coma, dreaming. Little do their families know that they were part of a group of heroes fighting to save the Dreamlands from invading nightmares in a war that went on for years.
Now they have won, and can finally wake up - and return to a universe that’s as alien to them as Dreamland is to grown-ups. A universe filled with tension and a war brewing - and invaders from the Periphery about to strike the Inner Sphere. All the two want is to reunite with each other and live their lives - which would be hard enough for a Steiner-Davon and a Liao even if everyone wouldn’t think they are crazy. But then, those 'Clans' do drive very familiar 'Mechs. And the two are dragged into yet another war. Only this time, not in the Dreamlands, but in a universe where no one takes them seriously - and no one would trust them with a 'Mech, let alone a regiment or two.
