The following day dawned, and Alessia found herself walking alongside her co-workers from the Vision group, anticipation filling the air. The previous day, the group had divided their tasks, recognizing that pilots held little interest in marketing, brainstorming, or financial documents. However, when it came to combat and mech performance, their opinions were highly valued.
Today was the day they would witness the new Gladiator in action, albeit virtually. The decision to conduct the demonstration in a simulated environment was made to avoid any damage to the new hardware they were considering purchasing. Furthermore, risking high-profile Gladiators in the match was simply out of the question.
Alessia walked alongside "Vortex," also known as Jenson, a man with a dark and edgy persona, but in reality, he was a true gentleman. Moonraker, their esteemed colleague, walked ahead, engrossed in a conversation with the executive leading the group. As they converged with other groups of pilots who had been heading in the same direction, the volume of the conversation increased.
“Pilots, if you'll follow me. Those not actively participating will remotely pilot camera drones in the simulation," the representative announced.
Alessia followed the representative to another room filled with round, pristine white pods. Stepping into one and taking a seat, the pod sealed shut behind her, and the previously dark interior suddenly illuminated. From her seated position, she had complete control over the drone's flight path. Although the drone itself might be invisible, she had a comprehensive 360-degree view of the arena.
Without much delay, the screens around her shimmered, transforming from a blank grid-like space to a ruined city set amidst a desolate wasteland, reminiscent of the battlegrounds where many Gladiators had fought before. Standing before her was the silver and grey mech known as Moonraker. It possessed a light build with rounded features, showcasing its laser-based arsenal, along with a massive railgun mounted on its back.
Standing alongside Moonraker were three other Gladiators, each with their distinct characteristics. The first was Machine God, representing the smaller and more independent corporations that still held an interest in the Gladiator. His gunmetal machine had a blocky design, its lightly armored structure revealing most of the joint mechanisms. However, it compensated for its lack of protection with a pair of high-powered rifles and a four-barreled array of cannons mounted on its shoulders and back, making it the epitome of long-range firepower. The singular red eye of Machine God's mech exuded an ominous aura. Despite its light armor, the mech's movements were somewhat awkward and slow due to the weight of the weaponry it carried.
Next in line was Riot from Nova International, a veteran Gladiator who boasted a considerable following. Alessia recalled having a scale model of Riot in her bedroom back home. It was a bright red medium-sized machine, characterized by its sharp edges that had gained popularity during the last war. Its pointed head reminded her of a shark, while instead of traditional "eyes," it featured a single slash-shaped "eye" with a roving light that focused on targets. This design gave Riot a wide field of vision, ideal for an urban combat-oriented machine. Additionally, Riot was armed with military assault rifles and a single light missile launcher on its back.
On the other hand, Symphony took a different approach. Opting for a more traditional grey camouflage scheme with white and red highlights, Symphony aimed to impress the cameras with its aesthetics. The miniature lights adorning its frame served no practical purpose other than enhancing its visual appeal. However, what truly set Symphony apart were its arm pieces. While most Gladiators featured human-like arms with hands, Symphony's mechanical shoulders led to nothing more than two enormous cannons, completely replacing its hands. Furthermore, its shoulders housed a staggering missile bank that rivaled the firepower of Machine God. Unlike the other mechs, Symphony was a heavy mech, sacrificing flight capability and rapid movement for enhanced durability. It could easily withstand the lighter weaponry employed by mechs like Riot. Symphony embodied the modern version of a tank — heavily armored, armed with massive firepower, and built for war. Akira Global was undoubtedly sending a powerful message with this Gladiator. Given that the test would be livestreamed, it served as the perfect promotional event for the shareholders, offering them the first glimpse of a "new" Gladiator being put through its paces by seasoned veterans.
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As the Gladiators began strategizing and hashing out a battle plan, Alessia ignored their discussions and swiftly zoomed across the virtual city. In this digital realm, her speed was unmatched, allowing her to effortlessly traverse the terrain. Amidst the dust and ruins, she spotted a white mech already in motion, eagerly anticipating the unfolding of the test.
The objective of the test was straightforward: Seven had been tasked with extracting data from a target facility and destroying it afterward, with the secondary objective of taking down any operational Gladiators in the area. Alessia, like all the other pilots, had thoroughly reviewed the mission briefing. While such tests were typically part of the process for new Gladiators seeking to be signed by an organization, Seven's case was different. With a service record as extensive as a dictionary and an experimental mech at his command, the organizers had compensated by assembling a team of four seasoned veterans to oppose him.
Alessia couldn't help but smirk, finding the situation somewhat excessive. The name "Overkill" seemed fittingly absurd.
As she observed the white Gladiator in front of her, it didn't appear particularly impressive. Being a medium-class mech, it offered flexibility in its movements. It wielded a pair of guns similar to Riot's weapons, and Alessia noticed the discreetly tucked-away cannons, effectively concealed from casual observers. However, concealment came at the cost of stopping power. Realistically, Alessia could envision Seven holding his own against someone like Machine God if he found favorable terrain. However, a Gladiator like Symphony would overpower Seven's mech, and someone as experienced as Riot would have the advantage, even accounting for Seven's redacted service records.
Alessia's attention remained fixated on the screen, causing her to jolt slightly when a feminine voice rang out, breaking the silence. "Combat potential at 10%, beginning initial sweep."
She steadied her heart rate as she observed Seven commence his scouting of the area. While it wasn't uncommon to hear a mech's AI, the voice shared the same synthetic smoothness as Seven's. It struck Alessia as odd, as there was no need to audibly announce combat potential unless it was for the benefit of other Gladiators or fans. She concluded that Seven had likely done it to impress the investors.
Carefully, Alessia watched as the mech moved silently between two buildings, marveling at Seven's piloting skills. Controlling a fifty-meter-tall mech with such stealth was impressive. However, something caught her attention—Seven's footsteps were completely soundless. It defied the laws of physics. Alessia's curiosity grew, and she became increasingly engrossed in the level of control Seven exhibited. Even accounting for technological advancements, achieving such precise control to avoid damaging the pavement and buildings required centimeter-perfect precision.
Seven's mech peered around the corner, its sleek form mostly hidden. Alessia noticed design similarities to both Riot and Moonraker. The sharp point of its head resembled Riot's design, while its sleek and curved structure swept back into a triangular shape reminiscent of Moonraker. Now that she understood the thought behind Overkill's design, she could appreciate the artistry. It was no wonder Calypso was commanding a fortune for this Gladiator.
Alessia tapped a button on her chair, activating a heads-up display (HUD) overlaying her view. The HUD resembled what a pilot would see in their own mech, and Alessia selected the interactive map to display alongside her front view. It allowed her to track Seven's location in relation to the other Gladiators and the target facility.
Seven still had a considerable distance to cover before reaching his target. He had executed a rapid loop around the city, now approaching Machine God's position. Amidst the chatter coming from the other observer pods, Alessia tuned out the noise and muted the loudest voices, focusing solely on the white mech stealthily closing in on the gunmetal one. Unconsciously, she held her breath. Machine God remained oblivious to Seven's silent approach.
In a swift motion, Overkill seized Machine God's head, wrenching it free and rendering the Gladiator blind, deaf, and mute as its sensor and communication systems were torn apart. Machine God flailed wildly for a moment before Seven tore open the mech's mechanical spine, disabling its control systems. Machine God collapsed, its signature disappearing from Alissia's HUD.
Such an attack was only feasible because Machine God's armor was light, but it wouldn't be effective again against other opponents. The other Gladiators swiftly realized something was amiss, and Riot was racing toward Machine God's last known position. Seven wasted no time either and began moving, albeit not as quickly as Riot, the sound of Riot's boosters growing louder in the distance as it closed in rapidly.