Daedalus

by Skully

  “Agreed,” Mace said.

  “Alright,” Picard said. “As long as it’s Daedo’s strategy and not boy wonder's.”

  “Ooo,” Barran could not remain quiet, “That sounded awfully like a nickname.”

  “Ack. Sorry!” Picard apologized. “But my point remains.”

  “And who will be placing these bets?” Ikaros asked concerned.

  “Father, we need you,” Daedo said with feeling.

  Barran: Oh that was good. The old man is a sucker for a heartfelt son in need.

  ◆◆◆

  Barran had clocked a little over forty hours in the cockpit of this mech. This was a handicap that his opponent did not possess, however, there was a mitigating factor to this handicap. All of his martial combat and exo operation experience fed into his ability to pilot the mech.

  Hyperion was the first name that he and Daedo had agreed on. Prometheus was too wordy for Barran’s liking, and all the other cool names were girl Titans. When Daedo suggested Hyperion, he agreed. Hyperion was an obscure Titan, unlike Zeus or Apollo, of whom everyone had heard. This fact had synergy with their team, while everyone at Fortescue Military Academy knew their names, they were unknowns in this type of competition.

  After this match half of the mechs would go home, some with their dreams destroyed and others bankrupt, and some also with all of the above.

  Barran vowed he would not be one of them. Daedo was relying on him to win five straight matches. They had an awesome mech, so Barran could see no reason why he wouldn’t. Old Dawg would struggle, but they had a very good chance of getting three mechs into the main tournament.

  While Dead Beat wasn’t strictly a Daedalus mech, he was still part of the team. The new Titan models moved much better than Dead Beat who had been rocketing up the ranks recently in the EU pro league. Lastly, Barran had no doubt that he was a far superior pilot than Mister Kang, even with only forty hours in the cockpit.

  His opponent walked up to the line.

  Barran had run all the tests with Daedo in their temporary workshop, he didn’t need to perform any warm-up or test moves. This wasn’t a competition that required theatrics. Nevertheless, he did an impressive standing jump to the line.

  There was a smattering of hardcore mech fans watching the qualifiers, however, most would review streams from what was trending.

  Barran hoped to be trending very soon.

  His opponent was called Jekyll the Hyde. Barran forgot his name as soon as he read it. It was immaterial. He was merely an obstacle to overcome.

  A few nerves entered his chest when the countdown began, but Barran banished them thinking only of the task at hand and subsequent glory.

  Daedo’s briefing and tactical review showed that taking out an opponent's leg was the quickest way to victory. A mech could not fight well or at all, if it could not move. The last few days they had workshopped moves, tactics and restrictions of this mech. But, in the end, Daedo did not want to suppress Barran’s natural instinct and talent for the unpredictable.

  The key learning was the limitations of the Mech. It could not do everything Barran could in martial combat, and he had this fact pounded home by Daedo who saw this as their greatest risk.

  After a minute of contemplation the clock had wound down: three, amber, green. Go!

  With Barran at the helm, Hyperion launched at his opponent, the sheer speed that he closed the gap surprised his enemy. Jekyll the Hyde had not formed a defence, and by the time Hyperion’s leg kicked out, he was stuck midstride unable to avoid the inevitable.

  Hyperion’s one-tonne foot kicked Jekyll the Hyde’s knee and the strike was followed closely by a massive crack that reverberated across the arena. The few spectators present were as surprised as Barran’s opponent when they covered their ears a second too late.

  Hyperion was on his side, with one hand and hip planted on the ground. Twisting and pushing with both his hands, he got up quickly while watching Jekyll the Hyde closely, wary of a counterattack.

  His opponent stood still, his knee bent backwards at a forty-five degree angle. Hyperion walked nonchalantly up to his foe and pushed his chest. Jekyll the Hyde fell onto his back unable to defend himself. It should have been possible to attempt a strike as Hyperion approached, but the pilot must have been in shock at the fact he had been decimated in just a mere few seconds.

  Barran watched as a signal came across his hud. His opponent had wisely surrendered, and if he hadn’t, Hyperion would have been free to deal a more costly damage to Jekyll the Hyde.

  Barran: That was awesome!

  Daedo: I can see our odds changing before my eyes. Glad we got those bets in early.

  Barran: Yeah. I was amazed that Ikaros had to take it to the IBA. I’ve never laid a bet so large that it had to be taken by the international betting agency. Their odds are never as good as the smaller guys, but at least they won’t send thugs after us. They will just send men in suits.

  Daedo: Thugs?

  Barran: Oh Daedo, you still have a lot to learn.

  Chapter 28

  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 to 3, Break

  Daedalus Financial Position <1,660,000> bitcreds

  ◆◆◆

  “Don’t do that again,” Daedo said emphatically.

  “Why? It worked!” Barran argued.

  “And what if he successfully defended or dodged?” Daedo said staring down the taller cadet. “You would be lying on the ground prone while your opponent only had to recover from the action they took to avoid your blow. And now, everyone will be alerted to that opening move.” Daedo predicted, ”That will work in your favour, but only if you use it properly.”

  “A feint?” Barran said, “I like it.” He imagined feinting the initial rush and low leg kick while pulling off another move.

  “I want you to fight freely, using your instinct and inspiration, but I have to draw the line at moves which put the mech on the ground. It's not built for that,” Daedo instructed. ”Not without jumpjets.”

  “Alright! No more cool moves,” Barran said smiling. “You gotta admit it was a pretty amazing debut.”

  “I was impressed, after I overcame the initial........ Shock.” Daedo said pausing to search for a word. It was a better option than horror.

  Daedo and Ikaros were working furiously, keeping three mechs in working order, and when the Kangs’ matches began it could be four.

  “Kang,” Daedo called over the comms, “We’re going to need you after the first round please.”

  “Roger,” She called from the ground looking up at Daedo in the elevated working platform.

  “Green light for Old Dawg,” Ikaros stated loudly lifting his head from a data screen.

  “Thanks!” Vannier and Axel-Zero said enthusiastically.

  Daedo watched as Axel-Zero walked Old Dawg away for their match.

  “How does Titan Eos look?” Mace asked Daedo.

  “Clean,” Daedo said simply. “You will have a green light shortly.”

  The cadets were not novices when it came to workshop duties, but Daedo was the primary designer, and Ikaros had years of experience. It was left to these two to keep everything running smoothly. Even Mister Kang left Dead Beat in their capable hands.

  ◆◆◆

  Axel-Zero was extremely nervous because if she lost the first match, Vannier would not get a chance to pilot Old Dawg. She poured pressure onto herself. She had to win, and this self-inflicted pressure was debilitating.

  She shook her whole body, which resulted in Old Dawg performing jittery movements. After a short laugh, she calmed down a little. Surely, Old Dawg’s armour and power delivery systems were much more advanced than their opponents.

  Not including Kang, she was always at the bottom of the squad. It was a hard place to be. Mace, Vannier and Daedo were way smarter. Picard and Barran were physically superio
r. She was impressed with herself that she didn’t give into despair. Last! Last! Last! It was enough to make her cry. There was no consolation that she was in the legendary Thoth Squad Zero.

  Today she had to win.

  Losing was not an option.

  She had prepared by watching all the vids she could on her opponent. Although it was not a pro league mech, it did not mean there wasn’t a wealth of information, from amateur feeds, from the garage circuit. True Lies, she laughed at the name. The owner was probably trying to be edgy.

  Old Dawg’s range of movements and speed paled compared to the Titans. No one expected him to be one of the four Wildcards. Not Daedo, not Kang, not even Vannier. The worst news was that if they won four matches in a row, they would have to compete and win against Dead Beat to earn a Wildcard.

  It was time.

  Old Dawg was about to compete in his first official match that Axel-Zero knew of; who knew what he had done in his long history?

  She walked to the line and stood side on, taking a traditional combat stance. Axel-Zero breathed deeply. Exhaling and expelling all her negative thoughts and insecurities. She closed her eyes for a moment while she focused on breathing.

  She loved everyone in the squad, even Barran. She would not let them down. She would work harder and improve. Axel-Zero was completely cognizant on what she had to do.

  Four, three, amber, green and the line in front of her disappeared. Her opponent walked slowly towards her. True Lies was hesitant for some reason.

  Axel-Zero moved slowly as well. She wanted to get into range before launching an assault, the closer, the better. True Lies did not have the same advantages that Old Dawg possessed. He did not have the elements from Daedo’s designs or Kang’s composite mixtures.

  As True Lies closed, Old Dawg began to move quicker with each step. It was what Axel-Zero had planned until her heart began to race and her adrenalin began to take over.

  All the self-inflicted pressure had been absorbed and was now emerging as a new emotion.

  Axel-Zero was losing control of her thoughts; they began to spin and twirl taking on a life of their own. Her heart was beating faster and faster, and before she knew it, she had closed on True Lies.

  She wasn’t fighting strategically. She and Old Dawg had become manic. Gone were the carefully analysed moves and counter-moves. She was smashing her opponent thoughtlessly with Old Dawg’s fists.

  Her pent-up emotions had transformed. They were manifesting as blind battle rage. After what seemed an eternity of fury fuelled slamming, messages began to appear on Axel-Zero’s HUD.

  STOP

  DESIST

  STOP

  DESIST

  STOP

  The messages were streaming across her HUD, and she only noticed after the third iteration.

  “He surrendered!” Vannier shouted through the comms, “Stop!”

  The battle was over, and the comm channel was now open.

  “Can you come back to the Mech Bay?” Vannier asked with concern in her voice.

  “Yes,” Axel-Zero replied. She felt quite calm now that the battle was over.

  Once she walked Old Dawg onto the mag-rail travelator, it cruised to the Daedalus rental Mech Bays.

  As soon as Old Dawg arrived into his Mech Bay, Daedo and Ikaros began to pour over the mech, ignoring Axel-Zero as she disembarked.

  “What were you thinking?” Vannier asked her.

  “Eh?” Axel-Zero said in a daze, “I don’t really know.”

  Barran barrelled into the conversation. “That was barbarous!” He said enthusiastically thumping Axel-Zero on the back. “He never knew what hit him. I mean, you just smashed him to hell and then kept going to hades or whatever comes after hell.”

  “Imagine the repair bill,” Kang said with a slightly amused tone. “That mech was ruined.”

  Vannier looked at Barran, Kang and Picard who were also loitering. Her eyes blazed for a second before Picard got the hint, “Come on you two, let’s go watch Mace in Titan Eos.”

  She grabbed them and pulled them away. Barran protested for a moment but ended up smiling at Picard while ducking her hold. “Okay, if you want to sit next to me that badly, you just have to ask.”

  Picard let out a scoff but did not reply otherwise.

  “She did ask,” Kang observed mischievously, as the trio walked off.

  After they had left, Vannier turned back to Axel-Zero. She wasn’t concerned with Daedo and Ikaros who were in a different world. Their main concern was with the damage Axel-Zero did to Old Dawg.

  “Tell me what happened,” Vannier worried for Axel-Zero. The behaviour was risky, brutal and massively out of character for her friend.

  “I don’t really know,” Axel-Zero said. “The match started, and we were closing on each other. My heart started to beat really fast, and I just…,” she thought before replying, “lost control.”

  “It’s like my body took over, and it just went crazy,” Axel-Zero tried to explain while searching her own recollection for an answer.

  “I can’t argue that it wasn’t effective,” Vannier said simply. “But we have a tight schedule.” She added looking at Daedo and Ikaros.

  As if on cue, Daedo turned an approached the pair.

  “It’s going to take hours to fix, and some of the plating will need replacing,” Daedo stated. “You’ll just have to take the next match with these dints and scratched paintwork.”

  Vannier crossed her arms and looked at Axel-Zero. Her eyes communicating that she was not pleased to fight with Old Dawg not looking his best.

  Axel-Zero dipped her head, “Sorry,” she said apologetically.

  Vannier burst out laughing. “I was kidding!” She exclaimed before giving Axel-Zero a hug.

  “Vannier,” Daedo said somberly. She turned to look at him, and he continued, “You will probably have to chase your next opponent, unless they forfeit before the match starts.”

  Both Axel-Zero and Vannier burst into laughter while holding each. Daedo scratched his head, he didn’t recall telling a joke.

  ◆◆◆

  Mace was up first in Titan Eos. Unlike Daedo and Barran, her team had opted to alternate. Each of the teams came up with their own methods and tactics. While Daedalus shared assets and services as a group, Daedo had no say in how Picard and Mace decided to run Titan Eos. It was up to them to succeed or fail. Similar to the Gauntlet at the academy, except instead of being a solo effort they were a duo.

  It was an interesting pairing, her and Picard. Both were strong combatants, and it probably came down to the fact that Axel-Zero and Vannier wanted to pilot Old Dawg. The last four were split with a similar mix of capabilities.

  Mace was extremely happy with her choice of partner and mech. There was only one issue. In order to gain a Wildcard, they would have to beat Hyperion. If they won four matches, they would be up against Barran.

  To her benefit, she was in the Nanterre workshop since Term two ended. Other than the trip to the Eye of the Sahara she was able to practice in Titan Eos every day. She already had twice as many hours as Picard and Barran.

  Mace walked sedately to the line, standing front on, facing her opponent. As the countdown timer wound down to green, she relaxed and worked her initial moves through her mind.

  When the green light flashed, she did not walk forward as most mechs did. Eos had superb manoeuvrability compared to most mechs in the pro league circuit, let alone the contenders for the Wildcard.

  Eos began to spin forward. It was like a dance, placing one foot forward and then turning bringing the other foot around, a manoeuvre that would be hilarious in an exo but it was amazing in a mech.

  Mace began to step higher and higher, gaining momentum, and leapt with her last. It was not elegant like a ballerina, it was a twenty-tonne mech after all, but it still astounded all who were watching and the millions who would view the stream snippet later that day. It also bewildered her opponent who had never seen anything like it.

  Kick St
art didn’t come close. While his leg and hub spun, his torso remained stationary, otherwise, that mech was slow when it came to movement.

  Titan Eos was something new. Mace planted an outstretched left foot six metres from her opponent and as she brought her right foot around, Eos’ fist came with it.

  It was as if her opponent was mesmerised. It simply stood there as the fist smashed into its centre of gravity cracking open the most heavily armoured section of the mech. He went flying, and it was very rare for a twenty-tonne mech to fly at the end of a strike like this one.

  Sparks flew, flashes of blue arced from his torso as he lay on his back never to move again. The match was over with one punch.

  Titan Eos did almost as much damage as Old Dawg. Except, this time, it was with a single strike instead of thirty.

  At the end of the day, three matches from the Wildcard qualifying rounds, they were trending on the streams. All for very different reasons. One thing they had in common was they were all Daedalus mechs.

  “I didn’t expect you would have a problem winning, but damn,” Picard praised Mace. “You’re making it hard for me to look good after that performance.”

  “We need to decide,” Mace said.

  “Decide what?” Picard asked.

  “If we win four matches it will be two each,” Mace stated.

  “Oh,” the realisation hit Picard, “I was hoping we could leave that as a future problem.”

  “It’s tomorrow,” Mace said.

  “What do you think?” Picard asked.

  “We could use a metric to decide, like who gets the least damaged. Or who wins in the quickest overall times. Or we could just pick randomly,” Mace offered a couple of suggestions.

  “Who has the best chance of beating Barran?” Picard asked.

  “It’s not Barran I’m worried about,” Mace replied.

  “You think Daedo will try hard to beat us?” Picard asked. “That doesn’t seem like him. He will probably be happy whoever gets through.”

  “That may be true. But he would see it as disrespectful to us if he didn’t give it his all,” Mace stated.