Counterfeit Hero

Central City East 1st District, Evgreen District.

With the roar of the engine, a red human-shaped Mecha emerged from behind the half-collapsed wall of a church at the street corner.

The five-segment iron-gray metal feet of the Mecha pressed down on the uneven rubble of the ruins, making a creaking sound. The external auxiliary drive rod on the legs extended and contracted with a zizz sound. The red upper body of the Mecha, cushioned by the hip and abdominal suspension system, bobbed rhythmically with its stride, while the menacing energy cannon on its shoulder remained precisely aimed at suspicious areas, thanks to the mechanical computer and mechanical correction device, unaffected by the body’s swaying.

”Clear.” Hans Stedp reported in a dull, low voice over the communication channel, then turned the volume knob on his helmet to the lowest setting. He was utterly fed up with that incessantly chattering squad leader.

He maneuvered the control stick, parking his beloved red [Gust] by the fountain in the center square of the Evgreen District, opened the cockpit’s forced ventilation system, and left a small gap in the canopy, trying to remove the lingering damn oil stench left after modifying the energy attack system.

There were no suspicious targets on the Mecha radar, except for the main force slowly approaching from behind. Stedp lit a cigarette, leaned his head back, and adjusted the optical viewer to conduct routine surveillance.

The Evgreen District is one of the oldest areas of Central City, and the circular square for small boys is the intersection of eight major streets. The streets extend radially in eight directions, like a giant Chinese character ”米” (mi), cutting the entire Evgreen District apart.

Since the Evgreen District was established before the climate transformation of Mars Free World, the lack of material tools and the need to coordinate with the atmospheric isolation dome at the time meant that the earliest settlers on this planet could only build the district’s low-rise houses in the most primitive way.

These ancient brick and wood structures still exude an extraordinary rustic charm today. As the climate transformation progressed smoothly, more and more people moved to Mars Planet, and the Evgreen District expanded larger and larger. Eventually, this district connected with other central districts formed by isolation domes, becoming the present Central City.

Thousands of years have passed, and the houses here have been rebuilt and refurbished many times, no longer the buildings of the past. However, the architectural style and planning of the entire district have remained intact. As a child, Stedp often came here with his parents. The bronze statue of the naked little boy in the fountain at the circular square, and the pigeons in the square, were his best companions while his parents prayed devoutly in the church.

During his teenage years, the little taverns on the southern street were his and his companions’ favorite hangouts. He couldn’t remember how many times they were kicked out for being underage, then thickened their skins to pretend they were over eighteen to sneak into another tavern until late night.

But now, all these beautiful memories have turned into ruins.

As far as the eye could see, the houses around the square had collapsed in patches, and the still-standing broken walls bore the marks of smoke and fire. The bluestone streets were strewn with broken wood and bricks, hardly revealing the original street surface. Only half of the bronze boy’s body remained in the central fountain, and the once magnificent church had half collapsed, allowing a direct view of the dilapidated wooden benches inside and the crucifixion statue on the wall of the choir loft. The tavern from his memories on South Street was destroyed in the war fire, now just an empty desolate space with a few broken pillars, a more than a meter high ruin, and wild grass growing tall.

Stedp looked up at the sky, watching a pigeon coo softly, flapping its wings and soaring across the gray sky, landing under the church’s broken eaves.

He quietly watched, noting that was the only surviving thing in his memory. These pigeons have lived here for countless years, unable to leave this place. He wondered if, when these animals with their lively eyes see this world, they would realize that what lies before them signifies a disaster.

Perhaps, without thoughts, they are happier than humans in this chaotic world.

The sound of engines and footsteps arose as eleven Mechas gathered around the round little square from all directions. They were the members of the reconnaissance squad responsible for alerting the main force’s advance, presumably having finished surveying the surroundings.

Stedp continued looking up at the half roof of the church. To him, waiting for that pigeon to reappear was far more important than any other companion.

”Those damn Puluo Town bandits.” A [Gust] stopped by the fountain, and as its cockpit door opened, a triangular-eyed, monkey-thin scouting squad leader jumped out, unzipped his pants, and started urinating into the dry fountain while continuously cursing, ”When I catch them, they’ll have hell to pay!”

Stedp cast a disdainful glance at the squad leader, flicked away his cigarette butt, and slammed the canopy shut. Making others pay... all they could do was circle around following others, maintaining cautious distances to prevent ambushes, while watching one encampment after another being destroyed.