65 M1 - Term: 2, Round: 1 (1/2)
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, Round: 1
Daedalus Operating Capital: 130,000 bitcreds
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”I've been looking forward to meeting you,” the new recruit introduced himself. ”Jensen.” He held out his hand first, for Daedo, and then Vannier, to shake.
”Daedo,” Daedo said to the tall English cadet. He was already in a Thoth bodysuit, with the squad zero on the left, but no indication of rank. He had light brown hair and a clear, fair complexion. He was almost as tall as Barran, probably only a centimetre off.
”Vannier,” she stated, ”We have breakfast in the main cafeteria at 0730. The squad spends every meal together.” Vannier informed Jensen of the schedule and shared the squad template with him. It was only 0705 they had time to talk before the squad gathered in the main cafeteria.
”What made you decide to come to FMA?” Vannier asked Jensen as they walked.
”I haven't yet,” Jensen replied, ”I will take this week to assess. This was arranged with your Master.” Jensen paused and then added, ”Cambridge think I am taking an extra week with the family.”
”What are you assessing? The Academy or us?” Vannier asked.
Jensen shared his position slowly and emphatically, ”Both to be honest. Master Nader convinced my parents that I would excel here far beyond what I could at Cambridge. I wasn't sure. I wanted to see. So here I am. Looking,”
”Master Nader said you were a chemical engineering and propulsion specialist,” Daedo mentioned and then enquired, ”Can you tell us a little about your work?”
Jensen suddenly stiffened. He stopped and began walking again before answering, ”I don't like to share what I am working on, but I can validate my reputation.”
Jensen shared with Daedo and Vannier the prizes he had won in the Chemical and general science fields. He had won the junior medal from the Royal Society of Chemistry based in London.
”Your medal is for toxicology?” Daedo asked after looking it up.
”Yes, it's a really interesting field,” Jensen replied.
They sat down in the cafeteria without ordering the rest of the squad would arrive at 0730.
”What about polymers and synthetic fluids?” Daedo asked. ”Have you done any study or much work into those areas?”
”That's all basic stuff for me,” Jensen replied confident in his own knowledge.
”I'd like to make a trade with you Jensen,” Daedo proposed. ”I am not sure what you are in need of, you just need to ask, but I want you to provide a new hydraulic fluid design or product recommendation for our exo. You can examine one after breakfast, and I can send you through the dimensional details of the mesh underarmour and micropumps.”
”Don't you just use a UHVI fluid?” Jensen asked.
Daedo quickly looked up the acronym, UHVI was Ultra-High Viscosity Index, in relation to hydraulic fluids and lubricants. ”Yes, but the issue is the size of our aperture. We need smaller particles, less than five microns,” Daedo replied.
Jensen scratched his head, ”I'll see what I can come up with.”
Daedo sent a message to Mace which turned into a full-on conversation.
*Daedo: need you to work on something with a deadline. Come up with a recommendation to improve our hydraulic fluid this week. Either off the shelf or tweaking a known synthetic compound.*
*Mace: on our way now. I'm guessing this has something to do with our new recruit. Is there something you need to tell me?*
*Daedo: there is something, and I don't want to tell you.*
*Mace: spit it.*
*Daedo: Master Nader didn't get us a metallurgist. She got us a chem eng and propulsion expert.*
*Mace: ah that makes sense. Did you think I would be mad that I just did close to one hundred hours study over the break? Only to find Master Nader got a Chem expert and I now need to start studying Metallurgy. Another U1 specialisation field.*
*Daedo: yes.*
*Mace: normally I would be livid. But what can you do? It's not your fault, is it?*
*Daedo: let's not change just yet. We have until Friday to assess Jensen. He's from London.*
*Mace: so it's a guy from Cambridge. English?*
*Daedo: yes.*
*Mace: snob?*
*Daedo: unsure at this stage.*
The other cadets were chatting politely with Jensen. Asking questions about his likes, dislikes and his old Academy.
”So you like rockets, but not fast bikes or VTOLs?” Barran asked Jensen.
”I like VTOLs just fine, but I would rather fuel a drone, and send it, than ride one,” Jensen replied.
”So you don't like bikes? This is important,” Barran asked and stipulated
”No. Didn't I say that already?” Jensen queried.
*Barran: that's a no from me.*
*Daedo: Barran, you don't hold that against anyone else.*
*Barran: good point. But you like bikes right? You just don't have one because you're poor.*
*Daedo: sure. That's the reason.*
While the rest of the squad questioned, and in turn answered questions from Jensen, Daedo listened. It would be hard to suddenly be thrown into this squad, although they have only been together for three months they were closely knit.
As planned, the squad went as a group to stretch and work on their core strength during yoga for a session before sparring in martial training. Picard was in charge of training the squad in martial. She would review the coursework, edit, tweak and implement during their sessions.
During term one, Picard, Mace, Daedo and Axelzero worked together with a bo staff and kendo shinai. This term the entire squad would attend daily martial arts training, which not only included the staves, but several hand to hand combat techniques. It was expected in term three these would count towards physical grades and if it followed the same as the previous year, there would be martial tournaments during the rounds.
”Really two sessions of martial arts every day?” Jensen asked.
”Yes, although technically that first session is working on flexibility and core strength.” Picard replied, ”We also do the obstacle course in the morning followed by a circuit.”
”Not to mention on weekends we go for long runs,” Axelzero added.
”And then there's sparring on weekends too,” Picard stated as she engaged Daedo and Axelzero. Jensen was using Augmented Reality and learning forms. Just as Daedo when he first began he was nowhere near ready for sparring.
”You've got to be joking,” Jensen queried hopefully. It was met with dead silence other than the sound of bo staves clashing. Jensen continued trying to learn one of the basic forms with the kendo shinai while the rest of the squad continued to practice in silence their normal exuberance ominously vacant.
”I guess,” Jensen relented after ten minutes of contemplation, ”You know what you're doing. Master Nader showed me your scores and the results of the M3 tournament.”
Picard nodded and put a hand on his back after watching for a moment. ”Keep your feet apart a little more. Bend your knees slightly. That's right. Balance and centre come before everything else.”
Daedo monitored Jensen for the rest of the session, his initial negativity was not continued throughout the workout with a bad attitude. Jensen worked hard during the entire session.
After Martial, there was the midday meal where the squad continued to get to know Jensen.
”What was it like at Cambridge?” Vannier asked.
”Cambridge is much more academically focused in M1 than you seem to be at the moment. It has its roots as a University for centuries before becoming a Military Academy in 2110. Even now there are streams of learning that are purely academic outside of the Military structure of exos and mechs.” Jensen responded.
”Really, so there are students who are not cadets there as well?” Axelzero asked.
”Yeah, there are business degrees, accounting, philosophy, you name it,” Jensen replied.
”It must have more than seven thousand cadets then,” Barran questioned.