43 Book 3 - Chapter 101 (1/2)
Chapter 101: M1
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
House Thoth, Squad Leader, Squad Zero
M1 Rank: 1/1275, Tier 3 M-Rank: Null
Term: 2 to 3, Break
Daedalus Financial Position: -1,760,000 bitcreds
”It has to be you,” Vannier said firmly.
”No!” Axelzero said, ”I have put Old Dawg through too much already. And if I go back to my normal style and lose … That … will be worse!”
”We are at an impasse,” Vannier argued, ”Because I refuse to pilot when you performed better than me in the first four rounds.”
Axelzero looked pained, but she held firm as well, arguing, ”I refuse to pilot as well. Do you want to forfeit or pilot?”
”I have a better idea. We will ask Daedo to decide,” Vannier said.
Axelzero's pained look did not abate as she asked, ”Do you know the answer already?”
Vannier shook her head. ”It's a fair suggestion. You should agree.”
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please clickfor visiting.
Daedo was the one repairing and the one who had rebuilt Old Dawg. Axelzero could not refuse the compromise which was probably why Vannier suggested it.
”Okay,” Axelzero admitted defeat.
The pair walked back to the Mech bay to summon Daedo. They had reached the last round of the qualifiers, and in order to grab a Wildcard, they had to defeat Dead Beat. It was both a great outcome and terrible at the same time. If Daedalus had more luck, their mechs would have been placed in four separate parts of the draw.
”Daedo,” Vannier called.
He turned and saw the pair while Vannier waved her hand indicating he should come down. Daedo proceeded to lower himself from the side of his mech; Titan Hyperion.
”I don't think I have seen you out of that chair in two days,” Vannier stated.
”I did sleep for seven hours,” Daedo sounded calm and collected as usual.
”When?” Vannier asked. Ikaros, Kang and Daedo all missed dinner they ate in the mech bay while working late.
Daedo grinned cheekily, shrugged and asked, ”Did you need something?”
”Oh yeah,” Vannier began. ”We want you to break an impasse we have. We can't decide who will pilot Old Dawg in the last qualifier round.”
”Why do you need me? It's pretty obvious given your opponent,” Daedo responded emphatically, ”It should be Axelzero. Dead Beat has the same armour as you, and it will need a lot of damage to break down,” Daedo said.
”You could equally argue that Vannier will be able to deliver more blows than she takes as well,” Axelzero proposed.
”Who's side are you on?” Daedo asked looking at Axelzero with a puzzled expression before adding, ”That's true, but I can guarantee you will deliver more blows than you take. You have gotten more out of Old Dawg than I thought was possible.” He informed Axelzero.
”Okay. It's settled. Thanks, Daedo,” Vannier said sweetly beaming at Axelzero.
”Is there anything we can do to help?” Axelzero asked Daedo suddenly feeling guilty that the trio were doing all the work while the rest of them merely fought, socialised and ate.
”We are on top of things. Thanks,” he replied.
”We will learn more about our mechs so we can do our own repairs. Like we do with our exos,” Vannier offered. ”We just weren't ready for this.” She added with a wave indicating all the mechs.
Daedo nodded. ”It's fine. Go spend some time with Cisse. She works so hard, and this is the first time she has come out of her hole in a long while.”
”We have been. But we will go find her now,” Axelzero said.
The pair left the Mech Bay working their way through the industrial side of the facility to the spectator side.
Vannier was smiling.
”Don't rub it in. You got your way,” Axelzero said apprehensively she wasn't looking forward to facing Dead Beat and damaging one of their own mechs.
”Oh. I wasn't smiling about that,” Vannier said. ”Did you see how Daedo was concerned about Cisse? I think he is growing up.”
Axelzero laughed. ”He's only a year younger than us!”
”Mmhmm,” Vannier vocalised an affirmative, ”But, he was in a shell not so long ago. Now he is negotiating with indigenous communities and thinking about the welfare of his elders.”
”You'll be out of a job soon!” Axelzero laughed at her friend.
”I'm ok with that,” Vannier said smiling. Her artificially coloured red hair bouncing as she walked her mood was infectious. Axelzero couldn't help but admire her friend. She was kind but fierce. She was competitive but gracious. Daedo and Mace were awesome, yet unattainable due to their brilliance. Vannier, on the other hand, was someone Axelzero aspired to be like.
”I wish I had your confidence,” she said after a minute of contemplation.
Vannier thought about the statement before answering, ”I can't give it to you. No one can. Do you want my advice?”
”Please.”
”Ignore all evidence, real or imagined. Just believe in yourself. Do your best and make that decision. Because it's not a feeling, it's not a talent, it's not a genetic trait. It's a learned behaviour, and the only way to possess it is to decide; I have done my best, and my best is great.”
”But what if it's not great?” Axelzero asked.
”That's relative,” Vannier replied, ”If you just started a new skill, take Kang for example; A result of achieving the top five hundred in her first week of the obstacle course was great. It's simple. If you did your best, then it's great. Because its relative to your experience and ability.”
”Wow, I wasn't expecting a philosophy lecture. But, that was more helpful than anything I have studied in the past,” Axelzero replied, and they walked on in silence for a few minutes while she let Vannier's words soak in.
”Fancy meeting you here,” Vannier greeted Picard, Mace and Cisse who were loitering in the cafeteria section of the Svarski stadium.
”Glad you could join us,” Cisse said. ”We were just discussing the last round.”
”Who is piloting Old Dawg?” Picard asked, and Vannier pointed to Axelzero.
”Good choice,” Picard opined, ”I wouldn't want to fight her.”
Mace chuckled.
”What's funny?” Cisse asked.
”I just imagined Dead Beat and Mister Kang getting hammered by Axelzero in beast mode,” Mace said sheepishly.
Everyone laughed except Axelzero who went red.
”Sit. Sit,” Cisse ordered.
”Who is going to pilot Eos up against Barran?” Vannier whispered conspiratorily.
She looked from Mace to Picard who looked at each other before Picard replied, ”We aren't sure.”
”You only have an hour to decide,” Vannier stated.
”What do you think?” Mace asked Vannier.
”I don't think it matters,” Vannier said. ”You are both very good and in different ways. Normally I would suggest that Picard knows Barran better, but he is so unpredictable that does not apply in this circumstance.”
”Why don't you flip a coin? Do you have that app?” Cisse asked before she brought up a screen with a circular disc on it. ”One side had a head, and the other side has an image which for some reason is called tails. You tap the app, and it will randomly land on one side. The other person calls heads or tails. If they call correctly, they are the pilot.”
Picard looked at Mace who shrugged, so she proceeded to touch the app, and the virtual disc went up into the air spinning.
”Tails,” Mace called.
The disc landed, and the image showed heads.
”Guess it will be Picard versus Barran,” Cisse said.
Picard sighed and Mace patted her on the back. ”It's fine. No pressure.”
”I will feel bad if I win and I will feel bad if I lose,” Picard said sadly.
”Why will you feel bad if you win?” Cisse asked.
”Because Daedo has not piloted at all, he was relying on Barran to win through to the main tournament,” Picard stated.
”Then lose,” Vannier said shockingly.
”What! I can't do that!” Picard exclaimed. She was ropable that Vannier would even suggest she throw a match.
”Then stop worrying about it. Do your best and what will be, will be,” Vannier said smiling.
”Oh, you!” Picard said. Her anger subsiding into a smile.
”It's a pity all four mechs are on one side of the draw,” Cisse observed. They all nodded sadly. The tournament had got to the stage where in order to progress further it was at the expense of a teammate.
”Since we are guaranteed two mechs through to the main tournament I wonder how many creds we won,” Axelzero queried.
Vannier messaged Daedo and got an almost instant reply.
”Wow,” she said, ”It depends if Dead Beat gets through. He has the worst odds at four to one. But he said the other three were all over one hundred to one.”
”How much do we win if Old Dawg with one of the Titans gets through?” Axelzero asked not wanting to message Daedo again.
”He sent me a table. He bet on over thirty different options,” Vannier said while she studied the document. ”Oh.” She said breathlessly, ”Over two million bitcreds.”
”And that's just for making the main tournament. There are more bets for progressing into the main, each with higher odds,” Vannier spoke in awe.
”It makes me wonder why we bother with other revenue streams,” Axelzero said thoughtfully. ”But he did say this was a once off. We will never get these odds again.”