• I turned over the question paper, and, once sure that I've answered all the questions, set it down on the dashboard of my Heads-Up-Display (HUD). These SPM papers are getting too easy. No wonder my cousin could pass with flying colours, idiot though he may be. The radio crackled, Dispatch is recalling all units back to Headquarters.
    The mech hangar stood tall and blue, the colour of the Royal Malaysian Police, Bukit Aman Division. I parked my mech in bay 3, powered down, then stepped out of the cockpit. It was a Sentinel-class Heavy mech, a piloted robot that looks like an oversized suit of armor. At 20 feet, it stands higher than an elephant. Though painted blue, some of it is chipped and scarred at places, tell-tale signs of today's state of national security. Ignoring the haunting of past memories, I clutched my helmet and strode off to the briefing room.
    The hall was quiet, which is strange given that no-one's actually, giving a briefing. Usually there would be some bragging and light banter among the officers, of the day's strangest arrest or that stubborn felon who really did try to charge a whole lance of four mechs with an overheating core and 3 bullets in his gun. "Is everybody here?" I heard Dispatch call out as I took a seat. "All right, let's begin. General Rahman,if you'll do the honour." So that's why everyone was silent. Half-hidden in the shadows, General Zulkhary Rahman, head of the Royal Army, Public Safety Division, stood up. He was a giant of a man, dark and scarred which legend says came from getting a direct hit from an artillery shell and lived to tell the tale. Which might explain his missing leg. Taking the podium, he started.
    "Officers of the Bukit Aman Royal Police Headquarters, I have a grave announcement to make." The men and women looked at each other uneasily, "at 1300 hours, that is this afternoon, the R&D building of the Royal Army has been assaulted by a small group of unmarked mechs. As you can see on the screen, they were quick and lethal. and they disappeared from th installation 20 minutes later." Lieutenant Lee leaned over to me from my left, "I say , those mechs look European," he said in an undertone. General Rahman continued, "After a thorough investigation, we have found that the assailants were aiming for one thing: the RZ-II prototype. It's a revolutionary new design of the standard mechanical units that you pilots use, with superior speed, handling and incorporates the latest advancements in neuro-link piloting." At the word neuro-link, the unease was visible on everyone's faces. The neuro-link is actually a technology which enables a mechanical unit to be controlled by pure human thought, allowing fluid movements and quick reactions. Current technology still has a few bugs, but if it's the military's stuff... "thankfully, the tracker beacon on it is still active, and from a detailed analysis, w have concluded that it's heading for an unused airstrip, apparently, ready to leave the country." Dispatch then stepped forward and said "Your job is to prevent anyone from entering that area. The military will move in and engage the bandits while you stand your ground. Ordinance choices for this mission is unlimited. Grab what you need, and be ready by 1400 hours. Dismissed!"
    The sun was obscured by the dark clouds overhead, bringing news of thunder and lightning. It was 1430 hours, and operations will start in 5 minutes. We were flown in using cloaked carriers and the Bukit Aman division has all the land routes covered, including highways and plantations. The Guthrie estate stretched as far as the eye could see, with nothing but oil palm all around. Hard to believe that an airstrip could be hidden here without the owner knowing. Dispatch crackled on my radio, "All right Sigma Lead, since you'll be right next to the airfield and center of operations,you are allowed to engage any hostiles at your discretion. Dispatch out," the rain began to pour in torrents.
    As i sat there in my cockpit, Sigma 3 came over to my side. He was the sharpshooter of my lance, his mech a custom model, lean and with eyes like goggles.
    "So, who do you think did it Cap?" he asked. "I've got 20 saying it's the Americans. Suraj down at Intel says those assailants look too much like Bulldogs if you ask me," referring to a popular model among the US Mechanized Corps. "Bah, it's always the Americans!" Sig-4 cut in, being the paranoid jerk that he is, " how come nobody suspects the Thais? Or maybe the Singaporeans? They've always been trying to get on our nerves, you know." "Well sir, what do you think?" Sig-2, the radioman and my personal voice of sanity asked.
    Before I could answer, we heard an explosion from the direction of the airstrip. Machinegun fire followed. The battle has begun! We re-tuned our radios and listened to the battle unfolding in words: "Yellow 3, take yellow 5 and 6 and try to flank 'em!" "Whoa! That was close!" "The second hangar! They're barricaded in the second hangar!" "RPG!!" -a loud explosion- "Gah! I've lost my arm!" "Dammit! They've got heavy mechs comin' out of the back!" "What? Oh sh--" -machinegun fire. Another explosion- "Yellow 5, get out of there! Dammit. Red 6, Red 2, with me. COVERING FIRE!!!" -combined weapons fire. The combined noise almost deafened them- "That took care of them. Yellow 5, can you move? Yellow 5, respond!" "All right boys, that's enough." it was General Rahman, "all troops, execute a full charge on my mark. Ready... GO! GO! GO!" "Red Lance, go!" "Blue Lance, go!" "HIEEYAAH!!!" -the resulting noise forced me to turn down the volume. When it finally reduced,- "Yellow 5, do you read me? Answer me, Roy!" "Leave him, he's dead!" "This is Blue Leader, we're opening the first hangar doors."
    Then, all of a sudden, screams and exclamations began filling the radio, "What the? ARGH--!! "Hey! Blue Team's getting cut down!" "WHAT IS CUTTING THEM DOWN?! I CAN'T IDENTIFY A TARGET!" "Wait, what's--? AH!!" -radio static- "I CAN'T SEE IT! WHERE ARE THEY SHOOTING FROM?" "SUPPRESSION FIRE ON THE HANGAR NOW! NOW GOD--ARRR--!!" "WHAT IS IT??!" "It's active camouflage! We can't see it!" "Look! Incoming aircraft!" "What the? Is it going to land here?!" "Hey, it's turned around!" Indeed, it has. Soon, we could see it, a Hercules bomber, big, black and leaving the area. But it looked like it was carrying a heavy weight.... "Sigma Lance, open fire!" I shouted into the radio. Immediately everyone starting shooting, but the armor was too thick. Suddenly, a spark came into my mind, " Sigma 3, kill the engines!" "Way ahead of you." Sig-3 raised his rifle, aimed, then fired.
    The engine of the black Hercules, blew spectacularly, and the plane came crashing down, breaking down oil palms like matchsticks while the plane itself disintegrated from the massive force. We went closer to the wreckage, and in the middle, sparks of short-circuiting electronics gave way to reveal a mech lying motionless on the ground. It was burnt and dented but we could still make out its form, lean and almost human-like. Soon after, the military came and took it away, but the question of who did it remains unsolved...