41 Book 3 - Chapter 99 (1/2)
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
Daedalus Operating Capital: -1,660,000 bitcreds
”How did you swindle Old Dawg into the mix?” Barran asked.
”We were able to fit the cost into the budget,” Axelzero answered.
Barran accused loudly with a hint of amusement, ”You set the budget!” He then turned to Daedo and asked, ”And you approved all this?”
Daedo looked at Barran with a deadpan expression and asked, ”Since when have you been so concerned about budgets and costs?”
Barran flustered trying to think of an instance. His body language admitted defeat, but his mouth had not, ”Because that's what is always thrown at me! Axelzero has one rule for her and another one for me!”
Daedo swept his arm wide, indicating the craft they were strapped into. A top of the line Marais VTOL.
Barran looked around and smiled. ”Okay. Point taken. I'm happy we finally have a first-rate carrier.”
”I'm putting my helmet on before the engines start,” Daedo said. He was surrounded by the Daedalus extended family who did the same. Even Cisse and Mister Kang were accompanying them on this adventure.
The first stage was the qualifiers. And far as any pro league competition was concerned three of their mechs possessed no ranks nor points from any competition. The Svarski invitational, which was being held in Japan this year, moved around the regions where they were based. It had been held in Moscow, more often than other cities, but it could be held in any city that the leadership of Svarski negotiated and determined.
The qualifiers had almost one hundred and twenty-eight entries from Japan and around the globe. It was open to all, and even some known pro league mechs who could not make the top twenty-eight seeds were fighting for one of the four wildcard places.
These known mechs received a seeding in the qualifiers amongst the majority of unseeded. They were expressed through to the round of thirty-two of the qualifiers.
To cut a long story short, Titan Hyperion, Titan Eos and Old Dawg would have to win five straight qualifying matches in order to gain one of the four wildcard entries. And this was done over two days. If a mech won a match and was damaged, they had to make the next match on time, or they would have to forfeit.
There was no prize money given for winning four matches and losing at the last hurdle. But the entrant still had to pay for logistics and repairs. On top of all the other costs which were incurred when running a pro league level mech.
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The Daedalus crew, extended family and Jeram Marais, their pilot, began to talk on voice comms with their helmets donned and noise cancellation activated.
”Show us the mech pilot registration chart please,” Vannier asked. The mechs were registered as an entrant, and they could have one or more assigned pilots. Where a mech could have multiple pilots, each pilot was restricted to one mech.
Old Dawg, Pilots; Axelzero, Vannier
Titan Hyperion, Pilots; Barran, Daedo
Titan Eos, Pilots; Picard, Mace
Dead Beat, Pilots; Kang, Kang
”Dead Beat is straight through to the round of thirty-two of the quals?” Axelzero noticed.
”It's a pity we didn't qualify for the tournament proper,” Mister Kang stated. ”We only started to perform well recently, so it's understandable. And thank you again for the logistics and support, I would not have been able to attend otherwise.”
”It made perfect sense to invite you. It doesn't cost any more to fly with four compared to three mechs. Is this your first Svarski invitational?” Vannier asked.
”No. It's my third. And the first two were many years ago now. We never made it out of the qualifiers. It always cost much more than we gained,” Mister Kang said. ”Especially since we gained nothing other than experience. Expensive experience.” He said the last ruefully.
”And what do you rate your chances this time?” Barran asked curiously.
”Good! We only have to win two matches,” Mister Kang said happily before pausing and asking his daughter, ”I think it is time your friends started calling me Lee. Do you agree So-Ra?”
Kang nodded and added, ”Then everyone can call me Kang without confusion.”
”You continue this practice when you're on holidays?” Lee asked.
”Yes Father,” Kang said. ”Academy cadets are very disciplined. I am enjoying it immensely.” She said with a large slice of sarcasm.
Everyone laughed at poor Kang. The free spirit was being quashed by peer discipline.
”How do you feel about being a designated pilot for Old Dawg?” Kang asked Vannier trying to be diplomatic.
”I love Old Dawg,” Vannier declared. ”Nearly as much as Axelzero.”
”Old Dawg is still a good model,” Axelzero stated firmly.
”I saw the movements of the new Mechs,” Kang said tactfully. There was no question the two Titan mechs would smash not only Old Dawg but Dead Beat as well given an equal pilot.
”Think of it this way,” Vannier began. ”Even if this is the first and last tournament we take Old Dawg to, he deserves at least one. He was lying there neglected for years. We, all of us, built Daedalus and rebuilt Old Dawg. He is our heart, and we love him. Yes, he may be an old design, but he has the mesh underarmour, he has your plating and Mace's polymers. I will fight with all my heart and mind to win as will Axelzero.” Her last words were a heartfelt proclamation.
”I wouldn't want to face that sort of determination in the arena,” Picard added.
”Old Dawg will give us a good baseline. It will contrast the difference the design is making, otherwise, the results would be skewed. We wouldn't know how much to attribute to mech structural design or what to attribute to the other innovations including the mesh,” Daedo stated.
Barran laughed and said, ”Typical Daedo. By the way, did you get all the sand out?”
”We stripped them down, gave them an electrolytic bath and rebuilt for this tournament,” Daedo said. ”We could have just built different models, but I have to go back to first principles for field mechs. Our trip to the Sahara highlighted something for me, and in that, it was a success for that experience alone.”
”What did it highlight?” Lee asked.
”All our competitions are in controlled settings. They are missing an extremely important factor, and that is the environment itself. If we were to build a military force, it would not be identical to the best arena mech we produced. It needs life support, and it needs to work reliably in all possible conditions it will be exposed to. Not only do I need to improve the ingress protection to a much higher level, but the design should be able to flush out foreign objects seamlessly from the outer components.”
”Such as sand?” Barran asked.
”Sand, dirt or any small material, and then liquids, gases; all possible types of foreign objects,” Daedo said. ”The design needs to not only be a war machine but environmental protection for itself and the pilot.”
”Fortescue could learn a lot from you son,” Ikaros said frankly. He was referring to robot design.
The squad broke out in hysterical laughter.
”What did I say?” Ikaros said genuinely. The squad members of Daedalus did not bother the adults with academy business.
Through tears brought from excessive laughter, Vannier stated, ”I don't know whether to laugh or cry.”
”The teams are set, is everyone happy?” Axelzero said.
”I'm not!” Jeram said through the comm system as he piloted the carrier, ”I'm just the pilot. It's torture watching you guys be heroes everywhere we go.”
”Everywhere?” Vannier asked. ”What happened at the Eye of Sahara?”
Barran tapped Daedo on the shoulder, ”My partner would have made you proud Vannier. We were invaded by a thousand blood-thirsty tribesman, and he fought them off with words alone. By the time he was finished he had a peace treaty and all their kids in cyberschool.”
”That's not exactly what happened,” Daedo corrected.
”Correct,” Picard added. ”There were a lot of adults lining up to attend cyberschool as well.”
”Bah,” Daedo said as everyone laughed. ”Jeram how long?” He asked.