Chapter 8
Attempt#158:
I’vefinallymasteredthetungstencarbidebattleaxe.IcanripthroughaMimic’sendoskeletonwithaflickofthewrist.
Todefeatresilientfoes,mankinddevelopedbladesthatvibrateatultra-highfrequencies,piledriversthatfirespikesatvelocitiesoffifteenhundredmeterspersecond,andexplosivemeleeweaponsthatutilizedtheMonroeEffect.Butprojectileweaponsranoutofammo.Theyjammed.Theybrokedown.Ifyoustruckaslenderbladeatthewrongangle,itwouldshatter.AndsoRitaVrataskireintroducedwartothesimple,yethighlyeffective,axe.
Itwasanelegantsolution.Everylastkilogram-meterpersecondofmomentumgeneratedbytheJacket’sactuatorswasconvertedtopuredestructiveforce.Theaxemightbendorchip,butitsutilityasaweaponwouldbeundiminished.Inbattle,weaponsyoucouldusetobludgeonyourenemyweremorereliable.Weaponsthathadbeenhonedtoafineedge,suchasthekatana,wouldcutsodeepthey’dgetwedgedinyourenemy’sbodyandyoucouldn’tpullthemout.Therewereevenstoriesofwarriorswhodulledtheirbladeswithastonebeforebattletopreventthatfromhappening.Rita’saxehadprovenitsworthtimeandagain.
MyplatooncrawledtowardthenortherntipofKotoiushiIsland,Jacketsinsleepmode.Itwasfiveminutesbeforeourplatooncommanderwouldgivethesignalforthestartofthebattle.NomatterhowmanytimesIexperiencedit,thiswaswhenmytensionranhighest.IcouldseewhyYonabarulethismouthrunwithwhateverbullshitcameout.