10 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 1 (1/2)
Attendance at Fortescue Military Academy M1 Y:2142
House Thoth, Squad Zero
M1 Rank: ?/1275, Tier 3 M-Rank: Null
Term: 1, Round: 1
The first section was for powered exoskeleton armours, known simply as exos. There were literally thousands. Which made sense there were over seven hundred cadets in Thoth M1 to M3. The exos appeared in four main shapes and sizes although none were larger than two meters, as most were for young cadets.
Master Nader gathered the two hundred and fifty-five cadets from M1 Thoth.
”M1 cadets, whether attending classes or conducting physical training or general activities around the Academy you will wear your bodysuit at all times. During gunnery, you may don an exo over your bodysuit. And during the Gauntlet and Arena combat from M1 to M3 you will be using an exo. You will not be permitted to use a four-meter mech until U1.”
There were quite a few groans from disappointed cadets who wanted to jump right into Mechs.
”The standard exos will be provided from here,” her arm swept to indicate the thousands of exos lined up on racks.
”They fit into four specific categories. Mesh, Light, Medium and Heavy. You will be free to choose a standard exo from any category.”
”Once you have selected your chosen exo for competitions, you will need to book it out in your name. You can only have one exo booked. This is the only exo that you can tune tweak and adjust. If you choose to change categories, you must revert it back to its original state before returning. Failure to do so will result in demerits.”
”When you modify your exo it still must adhere to the Academy competition specifications. You can find these specifications in the documentation provided in the Academy guidelines. These are the same specifications which are used for inter Academy competitions all the way up to Tier-one. So if there is a change to the overall inter Academy rules, you may need to adjust your exo, so it meets current specification criteria.”
”What we have on racks here are over a thousand exos, but there are more beneath. You merely pick your exo up using the library, log it out and log it back. When you figure out what you want to use, on a more permanent basis, there is a single store it in your living space where you can stow your selected exo.”
”What this means is, if an exo is modified it cannot be returned here, it must be stored in your apartment. If you are to return it here, it must be reverted back to its original state.”
”Although the exos are only for M1 to M3, as U1 to U3 progress to four-meter mechs, we need enough to outfit the three-year levels, at any one time, for competition purposes. You will only ever be able to store one exo in your room, which if you are competent in math is the same number you are permitted to have booked in your name.”
”If you have any questions submit them on the House form, and the answer will be sent to all,” Master Nader finished her lecture and wait a quick salute strode off.
The cadets watched her depart. She was both enigmatic and frightening. The way she talked, stood and even walked. The fact you could never see her face or hear her real voice added to her mystique. It was most likely that over two hundred cadets had no idea whether she was male or female.
Squad zero collected together in a huddle.
”We have free time now?” Barran asked.
”Yes, I would think so, the only assignment we have is the report on your squadmates strengths and weaknesses, and our next item in the calendar is our first class tomorrow,” Gaumont answered, and a few nodded.
”So, are we allowed to power up an exo and take it for a spin in an arena in free time?” Barran asked excitedly.
Daedo accessed the controls and reported back to the group, ”they are locked until we have completed orientation. Probably in piloting and gunnery class.”
”Damn,” Barran said.
”I'm going back, I need to write the report and get a start on Picard's AI,” Daedo announced and started back to their quarters. Picard and most of the others followed.
Daedo began to discuss the AI with Picard while the others listened, ”there are several ways your AI will learn. It can watch you, or you feed it information directly. You can send it out to grab information from the public net, not advisable. You can play games with it or against it. And you can code it directly. The core that I will write will be lean, it will contain only one directive, other than the safety measures and that is to learn from you. This will allow it to operate efficiently and autonomously. Which of the above methods will you likely utilise the most?” he asked her.
”Ah, I think it will be watching me, I will feed it information directly, and I will play games with it,” she answered taking his advice not to send it to the net to gain information. Myrmidon did that, but only when it was after additional information on a subject, he deemed its knowledge was inadequate. Daedo put no restrictions on it.
He also did not mention it could be educated by another AI because no one should have one to educate her AI with. ”What are the main roles you would like your AI to perform?” he asked as they would dictate how it should be trained.
”Computational, general and mech systems handling and a gopher,” she answered.
All fairly standard, generic answers, Picard did not know enough to know specific combat roles she wanted her AI to fulfil.
”All right, I have enough to create the foundation, be prepared to spend all your spare time on it initially, it will know less than an off the shelf AI, but it will be leaner and faster,” he said.
The computational speed of an AI was limited by two things, the specifications of the cybernetic implant and its code efficiency. Bloatware could slow down the fastest processor.
”Shouldn't you add in general knowledge regarding the Academy rules, or Maths and Physics into its core?” Mace asked she was most likely the most proficient coder in the group aside from Daedo.
”No, they will go into primary memory, the cache must be clear for the current processes only, I will also code all secondary data to be stored in the cloud and not in the primary storage onboard the implant,” he responded.
”That sounds amazing, I didn't know that it could be done that way,” she stated.
”Axel has storage capability as a prototype add-on in their suit, I am keen to use this as tertiary space for the AI to utilise,” Daedo said.
Axelzero nodded and said, ”it's a pity we didn't meet earlier. And of course, know we would be squaddies. If you are after extra storage, you could always purchase another implant or volunteer yourself as an R and D subject for a study into using your brain as storage.”
”I already ruled that out, but purchasing another implant is an option, I did not have the bitcred at the time,” Daedo replied.
”When did you get your Military grade implant?” Axelzero asked.
”When I was nine, before my first attempt to pass the entrance tests,” he replied.
”Ah of course,” she said, nine was extremely young to take on a military grade cybernetic implant, but it was done.
Daedo sat in the communal area and completed his first assignment, then put the finishing touches on Picard's AI, it did not take long as he already had one prepared. As far as anyone was concerned, it was prepared for himself.
The next day was packed with five orientation classes for their ten subjects, as several which had similar methods of delivery and were combined.
First was Maths and Physics combined orientation. Then came another combined for Behavioural, Reference and Philosophy. Before they broke for lunch, then there was a combined session on Tech studies and AI, while after lunch Gunnery and Piloting combined and last for the day, Physical.
It would be a full-on day. Daedo got as much rest as he could retiring at 2100. He would rise at 0600 with Gaumont, and they would explore the obstacle course together before breakfast and orientation classes starting at 0800.
The obstacle course for M1 was supposed to be basic, there was no wall running or falls from heights greater than twenty metres. It consisted of elements of speed, strength, agility and endurance. There was an agility obstacle, a swinging pendulum array where the runner needed to jump from pendulum to pendulum in order to cross the chasm. There were six in all with an additional three swinging in the perpendicular direction.
The other obstacles had components of all three, the rings were both strength and agility. Climbing up the vertical wall. A spinning tunnel required speed or agility or both. The course was both amazing and scary. A few cadets had set times yesterday with the best being forty-two minutes.
Axelzero, Vannier and Barran had come as well, they were there to train. And although you had to complete the obstacle course solo, two cadets could run side by side without interfering with one another. This system also allowed faster cadets to pass slower ones using the second lane. Due to the sheer numbers of cadets this obstacle course was for Thoth only, there would be four more for the other houses. They were identical to allow times to be compared across the Academy.
Squad zero arrived early, it was a Sunday and the control panel allowed for one entry for the day. In future, they would have to book in a session and follow that schedule for the entire term. If all two hundred and fifty-five cadets showed up to the obstacle course at 0615, it would be clogged all day.
There were other physical outlets if the obstacle course did become overcrowded. There was the Thoth gym, large enough for three hundred cadets, it serviced all M year levels. There was a track which toured the Thoth section of the underground facility, you could also go topside for some sun and run through the parks. And then there was the hand to hand combat arenas attached to the gym, where you could battle using AR pistols, swords and other melee weapons.
The information on the obstacle course was it had to be booked, to preclude overcrowding. But they were not able to book it at this time, it was still locked in holiday mode. If it wasn't booked and had capacity, it allowed free use.
”There's no one here, and I can't book it,” Daedo mentioned after Barran, Gaumont, Vannier and Axelzero arrived. They looked at him questioning why didn't he say so earlier.
”We probably have to come early to ensure free usage,” Gaumont said. But looking around they were the only ones here.