46 M1 - Term: 1, Round: 5 (2/2)
”Where did they get their exos from? Are they a new design?” Andre knew that Cillian did not know the answer. But if prompted he may find out for tomorrow.
Cillian shrugged, ”It's hard to tell by looking at them. But if I were to guess I would say,” Cillian brought up some closeups of the movements of the mediums and heavies. He moved the vid forward and reverse making the holo perform a little dance. He moved the camera around the cadet to see from different angles.
”Yes, there is something I haven't seen before going on here. They are good, extraordinary for an M1 squad, now I am not surprised they qualified for M3. The way they are taking these other M1 squads down. Steamrolling them. It's what you would expect from an M3 squad if they were competing with M1,” Cillian said.
He clapped his hands together once and beamed, ”I am so looking forward to tomorrow.”
”I'd hope so,” Sophie interjected, ”our son is competing tomorrow.” Before kissing him on the cheek and walking on to another group of spectators.
And with that, the last four Horus cadets went down under a barrage of long and medium ranged fire as they focused on the rushing Thoth heavies. When the last Thoth heavy fell, only one Horus was still standing, and that cadet only lasted a few more seconds.
Thoth squad zero (2) def Horus squad two
.
.
*Moreau: so much for going easy on us*
The squad leader of Horus Squad two texted Daedo.
*Daedo: we tried, but we aren't very good at going easy*
*Moreau: (laughter) good luck tomorrow*
*Daedo: you too for Wednesday. All you have to do is win your remaining matches, and you are through.*
*Moreau: oh that confident you will win all yours?*
*Daedo: yes*
*Moreau: (laughter) I think you are right. You totally pwned us.*
Moreau ended the conversation with the usual ”bye” animation.
*Myrmidon: you're talking to the enemy*
*Daedo: she started it*
*Myrmidon: you are changing. First talking to teammates and now the enemy!*
*Daedo: a bit of a worry isn't it.*
*Myrmidon: I am not sure what group to put her in now.*
*Daedo: then make another group. ”unsure.”*
*Myrmidon: easier said than done. I would have to create a set of rules on how to deal with this group.*
*Daedo: at the moment she is an enemy. In the future, she may be an ally. The rest of the categorisation is up to you.*
*Myrmidon: how many people do you have in unsure?*
*Daedo: nearly all of them.*
Thoth Squad Zero were back in their House room, they had one match left against Shu. Even if they lost they would go through, but they had no intention of losing.
”When is the other group?” Barran asked.
”Later today,” Vannier answered.
The exo Arena would be occupied for forty-eight hours over three days for all the M1 to M3 Tier group matches. It was a gruelling schedule if you wanted to watch them all, very few did. That was sixty group matches in all. The semi-finals were much easier to consume. Only six semis and then three finals on the Friday.
The attendance of adults would peak on Friday where they would watch all six Tier one finals across M1 to U3. The exo arena in the morning and the mech arena held pride of place in the afternoon.
”How is the equipment holding up?” Gaumont asked. Daedo, Mace, Axelzero and Picard were checking everything. Daedo took responsibilities for the exos, no one else understood them better than he did. Picard was responsible for the railgun weapons. Axelzero and Mace the accessories and other weapons such as the launcher. Vannier was free to look after moral and anything else that might crop up. Such as unannounced visits.
Master Nader entered with an unknown adult on her heels. She sent Daedo a somewhat cryptic message.
*Nader: yes or no?*
He looked past her. It was no one he knew. He shrugged.
”We are completing an equipment check. We still have one match in about forty minutes,” Daedo said aloud.,
Nader nodded.
”This is Cillian Marais of Marais industries. Out of the sixty requests sent to me for an inspection and introduction I accepted only this one,” Master Nader gave the weirdest introduction Cillian had ever received in his forty year life. Which was only heightened by his robotic voice.
Cillian found himself bowing in gratitude. He wasn't an arrogant man, but he didn't usually bow to House Masters and thirteen-year-old cadets either.
”Master Nader has that effect on people. Please,” Vannier said indicating that bowing was not necessary. She took his hand and introduced the squad politely. Daedo smiled, she was doing her job perfectly. The crap stuff.
”Forty minutes?” Cillian said, ”do you want me to come back later, after the last match?”
Vannier shook her head before Master Nader could rudely say something like, we wouldn't have let you in if that was our determination.
”No, no it's fine. We are not really pressured or anxious. Even if it is Shu, and they are very skilful, our equipment gives us too much of an advantage over them.” Vannier qualified.
”I know. That's why I asked if I could visit your house staging room,” Cillian said excitedly. ”Where did you get all your equipment?” He knew to purchase everything would have been expensive. It would also take skill to change out parts, and even deciding what to buy.
”We designed and built it all,” Vannier. Which wasn't exactly true they did purchase fluids, micropumps and other parts. She just didn't want to go into detail.
”All?” Cillian asked in disbelief. After a long pause, he stated, ”you are M1 Term one.”
”Yes,” Vannier answered answering the rhetorical question politely and succinctly while offering no explanation. In her mind, none was needed.
”Can I take a closer look at the exo?” Cillian asked meekly.
Vannier did not even look at Daedo, ”I am sorry sir. That is not permitted until our patent is in place.”
Cillian took two steps back. He showed his palms indicating he had no intention to steal any IP. He was taken aback that it even occurred to the cadets. He wondered what he was like at thirteen, he was sure it was nothing like this.
Myrmidon showed Daedo a short vid.
*Myrmidon: our first day we met Jeram Marais. This is his father and Chief Technical Officer of Marais Industries. They manufacturer the mech and exo carriers as well as many types of logistical vehicles. VTOL craft included.*
Myrmidon then showed Daedo a few sheets of products in a few seconds. As the vehicles flashed by Daedo remembered the encounter. Despite being in M3 and squad one, Jeram was friendly to an unknown M1 cadet. From what he had learned since that encounter through experience and behavioural study is that spoke volumes about his character. Either that or he was a genius manipulator.
*Daedo: tell him to visit our workshop after we get the patent. I think he is a good guy.*
*Vannier: ok.*
”Sir?” Vannier began, ”would you like to visit our workshop after the patent lodgement is confirmed?”
Cillian beamed, ”oh very much.” He paused in thought again. ”You have your own workshop inside the Academy?” It was his understanding from Jeram that each house, not squad, had its own workshop. But this was Thoth, it was possible they received special treatment when it came to the engineering arts.
”No Sir,” Vannier replied. ”We have an off-campus workshop.”
Daedo had finished his inspection and repair of the exos. He only had to change over a few micropumps. He checked the current match, and the one proceeding theirs had not started. They had twenty minutes at least.
Cillian was surprised, and it showed on his face. Before he could ask more questions, Master Nader intervened.
”It's time to leave the cadets to plan their next match,” She intoned with her robotic voice.
Cillian was not upset, the Master was quite right. He felt fortunate to be allowed this close. He was looking forward to when he would be able to visit them in the future. The inner workings of the exo were intriguing. The fact that the cadets were patenting it meant it was of their own invention, it was a sufficiently new innovation or technique. If the exo was intriguing, the cadets themselves were fascinating.
He said his farewells and left the way he came. Andre was going to be ecstatic with what he was able to find out.