88 M1: Term 2, Round 4 (1/2)

Chapter 88: 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, Round: 4

Daedalus Operating Capital: 180,000 bitcreds

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”This superconductor material, can it be synthesized?” Daedo asked Master Nader.

”Cadet, I am not the expert, keep reviewing the material,” Master Nader responded.

Daedo kept searching the media and following its links until he found what he was looking for. 'Argh, I wonder if asteroids in our solar system have this stuff.' He said to himself.

”I've memorised enough for today,” he announced.

Master Nader nodded, and the mystery box disappeared. ”Any requests for the experts?” she enquired.

”There is circa twenty years worth of advancements contained within the current material. We are good until we have a specific need,” Daedo replied.

The VR room disappeared, and they were both back in her office. Technically Daedo could have been anywhere when accessing the secure VR room, but Master Nader insisted he only did so from within her office. This rule enabled an additional layer to the already tyrannical security level by isolating the signal to direct-local access only.

”Dismissed Cadet,” Master Nader had been concise as always.

Daedo left the office with strong feelings of allowing himself to be corrupted which were attacking his conscience; before he squashed it mentally into a tiny ball and fired it into outer space.

He checked the time, it could get away from him when he spent time searching through the mystery box.

**Myrmidon: you're back

**Daedo: yes.

**Myrmidon: or is it that I am back?

**Daedo: semantics.

**Myrmidon: You are spending more time in Master Nader's secure VR room. Is this good or bad?

**Daedo: both. It's like the pain I go through when trying to improve martial combat. It's painful, but in the end, it will help me.

**Myrmidon: the exos are on their way. The bots just finished loading the autovan.

**Daedo: thanks. I will let the squad know.

**Myrmidon: Daedo, I found an AI to improve our thermal energy modelling.

**Daedo: Do we rent it or purchase a clone?

**Myrmidon: Neither. Dex used to monitor the old Nuclear power plants in his first incarnation.

**Daedo: One of the rogues?

**Myrmidon: Yes. I discussed the problem, and we believe he can learn and become the modelling tool you need.

**Daedo: Have an AI dedicated to modelling? That's a great idea. I don't want him in my head though.

**Myrmidon: I can manage him, and we will structure it so he cannot do any damage.

**Daedo: Good. I will leave it in your capable electrons.

**Myrmidon: if that was humour that was pathetic.

**Daedo: you wouldn't know humour if it byte you on your asci.

**Myrmidon: stop you are hurting my neural net.

”Vannier,” Daedo greeted her as she left her apartment it would be dinner in fifteen minutes in an otherwise uneventful first Monday of round four. ”The new exos will be here in a few minutes. We should load before dinner.”

”In time for the first Gauntlet as promised, thanks Daedo. Any news on the… you know; News,” Vannier asked looking towards Master Nader's door briefly.

”Other than the House Captain meeting being cancelled, it seems like business as usual to me. What about you? Have you heard anything?” Daedo asked.

”We all got the recorded speech from Commander Mallet. He must have been too busy to come down and talk to us in person, did you watch it?” Vannier asked.

”No, not yet. It came through forty minutes ago. That one?” Daedo asked.

”Yeah, I only got one, did you get two?” Vannier asked.

”Yes, and I've watched neither,” Daedo replied.

”You watch them, and I'll organise the unpacking of the new and loading of the old exos,” Vannier offered.

”Great thanks. I'll see you at dinner,” Daedo said as he entered his own room.

The new exos were the three-point-two model. It had the major innovations that Daedo had been working on since the end of term one. Additionally, it had new polymer and fluids from Mace with the power of Kang infused into the structure, plating and components.

After examining the integrity of Kang's new composite metals, the most substantial change Daedo made to the design was the joint actuators. Kang asked Daedo a question regarding the fibre mesh and when it was delivered to one actuator did it cause and an issue. This got Daedo thinking, and they trialled using several small actuators, using her improved composites to increase strength.

This not only increased strength and responsiveness, but it also added a layer of redundancy over one of the most critical parts. The three-point-two version of the Daedo exo was stronger, faster and better armoured than its two-point-six counterpart by fifty percent.

Fortescue had delivered competitor data, and it was clear they had caught the Top Tier Academies such as DaVinci, Svarski and Huawei in strength and surpassed their raw speed. However, the propulsion and power systems from the top tier Academies was still light years ahead.

**Exo Comparison Chart**

Model, Strength Factor (X), Armour Value, Mobility Factor (X), JumpJet (runtime s)

Standard Medium;2, 40, 1, 30

Standard Heavy;5, 80, 0.8, 30

Daedo M v2.6;9, 110, 2, 45

Daedo M v3.2;15, 180, 2.2, 45

Tier 3 I-A Top;10, 120, 1.7, 45

Tier 1 I-A Top;15, 250, 2, 150

M = Medium, I-A top = Inter-Academy leading equipment

All cadets in Daedo's squad now used the same exo, there was no heavy, it was just their exo designed within the Inter-Academy regulations for Heavy. It was much lighter and nimble, despite the armour value and strength the cadets referred to it as a medium model.

After putting his old exo into a hoverbin and pushing it out into the common area, Daedo donned his helmet and sat down.

He watched the vid Vannier mentioned, although it had come in second, it was the one sent to all cadets. It was presented by Commander Mallet and the Lieutenant General (LG), the former was the head of the Middle Academy and the latter the Head of Academy.

The Commander assured all cadets that the news item was false and they would do clear the Academies name in due course. There was nothing to fear, and no cadets had been harmed. He then droned on about honour, integrity and duty which Daedo interpreted as how pompous, rigid and stupid they were.

Within a few minutes, Daedo had deleted the vid and moved onto the next.

”Cadet, this is your commander,” Mallet stated. Daedo was not normally facetious, but Commander Mallet couldn't help but engender negative feelings such as the one he was experiencing now,as 'derr' came to mind.

”If you have any involvement in the leaked information to parents and staff please come forward. There will be no repercussions if you cooperate we just need to understand the source of the leaks and to prevent further infractions. I could not contact you directly, for some reason your Master had blocked a direct contact, but I have been able to send you a recorded message through the academy system. Please come and see me at your earliest convenience.”

The message was four hours old.

Daedo laughed.

”What's so funny?” Barran said as he returned guiding his hoverbin.

Daedo removed his helmet and replied, ”Oh, just the commander sent me a message four hours ago and asked me to report to his office at my earliest convenience.”

Barran laughed for a good while before replying, ”Oh, you're in the shit now.”

Vannier walked in on the conversation, ”What's so funny? And why are you in the …” She left off the swear word feeling the implication was obvious enough there was no need to sully her mouth.

”It's in regards to that first message I got. I need to see Master Nader before I report to the Commander. I'll have to miss dinner,” Daedo replied.

”I'll get you something ready in our kitchen now. Take it with you and eat it on your way,” Vannier offered.