23 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
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It was late Sunday evening, the squad headed back to the Academy with four new light exos. Although, it was debatable whether they would still be classified as light. The alterations to mass and strength put them in the medium category. While the speed was closer to mesh.
”You look unhappy,” Vannier remarked to Daedo.
He shook his head, ”they are nowhere near ready. I can think of a dozen items we need to improve, I just haven't worked out how to do it.”
She smiled, ”you are a perfectionist. Are they much better than what we were using?” She prompted.
”Yes, yes,” he waved his hand, ”I know what you are trying to do.” She was trying to make him think of the gains, and in the long run, they would improve the exos, which is what her next question or statement would lead to. The thing was, he knew all this, but like CyberMech he did not like to enter the competition until he was ready. But he had no one else to blame, it was him who initiated the bet with Horus.
Hell, they didn't even need the extra practice time in the exos anymore. They could complete enough maneuvers in the workshop testing floor to inform improvements and practice with the exos. The arena combat would improve teamwork, tactics and would hone their skills. They still needed the arena combat sessions, they just no longer needed fifteen or more per week.
”If you know what I am trying to do why are you so glum? Because you should know my point,” she stated with a small amount of chagrin.
He continued to look pensive, ”because even if I understand it doesn't mean I have to like it.”
Vannier laughed and slapped him on the back, jolting Daedo out of his chair with the shock of the blow. ”Oh sorry,” she said, rubbing the spot where she hit. ”I know why you were successful in CyberMech. You are so driven. Are you sure you are only twelve years old?” She asked.
”Are you sure you are thirteen?” he asked back petulantly.
”No, I am thirty, I had surgery to look this young,” she answered and giggled. The giggle gave her true age away for a change. To an outsider, it would be hard to believe the pair were twelve and thirteen years old. They were the product of their own environments and were the best in Thoth if not in the Academy M1 intake year altogether.
”Anyway, you should be ecstatic with the progress you have made. The task you have given Picard and me has only just begun, and we are not even close to a prototype, where you have a full working exo ready for testing,” she explained.
The shuttle pulled into the Academy vehicle bay, which was a loose gravel area surrounded by grass. It was antique just like everything on the surface of the Academy grounds.
Barran stood by with a hoverbin, ready to carry the exos down into their quarters. Daedo had planned once he had replaced every single part he could return the old light exos and register the new in the AR. As long as they met the requirements, this was permissible. It would be certain that the top M3 teams from each Academy, especially ones from Svarski, Huawei and DaVinci would not even be using cadet made exos. They would have a company exo designed to competition rules.
In the meantime, the remnants of the old light exos would stay at the workshop until they were ready to be returned fully functional.
Barran placed the exos in the bin and closed the lid. He was dramatic regarding the secrecy of the new exos as they looked nothing like the old ones. It was all moot as they would wear them to tomorrows class and the night's arena combat practice. Barran's heavy suit would not be ready until the end of the week, and it was nowhere near as customised as the light version. The heavy merely took on the same hydraulic tubing underlayer and with ceramic reflective plating on top.
It would grant him better mobility and strength; the degree would not be known until more testing. There was also one light exo which was not ready, they would drone it in early in the morning.
”Can this even be called a light exo?” Mace asked Daedo as they walked back to their quarters.
”Does it matter?” he asked.
”I suppose not; I guess the classifications are just for labelling purposes,” Mace answered.
”I suppose it impossible to classify using the Academy standard versions of mobility, armour and strength enhancement. But given its size and shape, it could be classed as a medium. Its size is that of a medium and with all the extra accessories, it is heavier than light as well. Most teams field eight heavies, so we are still well undersized compared to everyone else,” Daedo replied.
”What do you mean? This exo has almost as much strength as a standard heavy, it is twice as mobile and the armour value will be unknown until we destroy one during testing,” Mace said.
Barran turned around, ”keep a lid on it Mace, we are in enemy territory.”
Which was not true, they were in communal corridors, from Barran's point of view everywhere was enemy territory except their quarters.
Upon arrival at their quarters, Vannier called for a squad meeting which included everyone. She would assume that even Master Nader would witness this meeting closely.
Gaumont came out of his quarters all blurry eyed, she wondered if he had slept at all over the weekend. He groggily sat down at the table and muttered greetings to everyone.
They had not started the meeting officially, so Vannier asked after his wellbeing. ”You looked tired Gaumont, have you studied all weekend with no sleep?”
He rubbed his eyes, ”yeah, I worked through the night on Saturday and only crashed a couple of hours ago. I want to get ahead on all my best subjects, then I will focus on my weaker ones. I just finished the ten-week math program and have almost finished physics. But I wasn't able to finish any of the math problems. Which is worrying,” he informed them.
”Do you expect us to be impressed?” Barran asked disparagingly. ”You missed an awesome weekend where you could have been working on a tech part, to help the squad, to do what? Your best subject? That would be like me running and exercising all weekend and being proud that I am good at athletics.”
Vannier was mortified, she hadn't meant for this interaction and Barran was certainly not in on her plan.
She looked pleadingly at Daedo to rescue the situation and sent him an emergency text, 'help!'
Daedo stretched and said, ”it's the first week Barran. Let him find his own way. If I had turned left instead of right, I would be right there with Gaumont. An outsider to my own squad.”
Gaumont had taken Barran's blast in his stride, he sat a little uncomfortably, but he hadn't gotten angry or slumped in his chair under the onslaught. However, when Daedo spoke, he jerked upright, ”Why are you labelling me an outsider? Are you threatened by me? You have been against me from the beginning.”
Vannier was certainly distressed now, Gaumont was projecting onto Daedo. It was, in fact, the other way around, he was threatened by Daedo and everything he did push him further away instead of turning things around. She thought furiously.
”Gaumont!” she shouted. She could think of nothing. She would have to set him straight Master Nader style.
”While you choose to be a loner, we were all working on this,” she stood walked across to her room and retrieved a new exo.
”Everyone has a tech project and is contributing except for you. You were invited to attend. I sent you a message on Saturday afternoon which you did not respond to. It is not Daedo labelling you an outsider. You have done this yourself! You will not find one of your squaddies who is satisfied with your contribution to the team,” She lectured.