Once the classroom training was done, they went back to the simulators. This time they knew about the many controls on the dashboards of their Jugs, and were able to enter preset operations to their tastes. Trainers were very patient with letting them experiment with different settings for their jump jets, displays and other aspects of performance.
But once they had down pat how they wanted the Jugs to perform, it was back to combat training. Sometimes they were evenly matched with their opponents, sometimes not. Sometimes they were operating as part of a larger squad of eight Jugs, other times it was just the three of them. Occasionally some aspect of a mission tripped them up and they came home licking their wounds, but always they were allowed to replay those scenarios to find alternate strategies that worked better.
Most of the time their original strategies worked very well. Shaun was a quick study on how to deploy their group for maximum effect in varied circumstances, and Kenny and Alissa deferred to him as a matter of course.
Finally, they were introduced to their real-life Juggernauts. Shaun felt his heart pounding almost out of his chest as they approached the hangar. Would they really be doing this now? How close would it be to the simulators?
He watched Kenny and Alissa walking towards the main door, and noticed there was no hand holding, and more distance between them than usual. Had they had an argument last night, he wondered? Or was this left over from the evening of the gala?
As he considered, he hadn’t seen many signs of affection between them since then. Alissa seemed to be becoming more independent of Kenny as her training helped her grow in confidence. So sad for Kenny: he seemed to be taking this hard. But there was literally nothing Shaun could do to help the situation.
Shaun decided to approach Kenny on other matters. “So: you excited and ready for your Undertaker for real?”
Kenny looked up and smiled at that, but still seemed distracted. “You bet! The sims are great, but there are times you just wanna smash something real. I know: we will be a lot more sparing of ammo when it’s the real thing, but still it will be fun.”
Shaun grinned. “At least with my sword, I can do some damage without wasting ammo. That will be real fun.”
Alissa seemed lost in her own thoughts, and Shaun hesitated to chat with her right now in case that might look to Kenny like flirting. So he just walked on, trying to focus on the Duo-shi and what he would do with it.
When he entered the hangar, there they were. The gigantic robots were even more impressive in real life than he had imagined. He especially looked over the Eagle's Claw: that had been his design in the game, not one of the standard Jugs from the book. It was truly a terrifying machine. He felt a sense of paternal pride.
Then he took note of the gantries behind each Jug. Fifty feet up, they were far too open for his tastes. Yes, they had railings, but the floor was a see-through grate and the whole thing looked very flimsy from the ground. At least there were elevators, and he wouldn’t be expected to climb five flights of steps.
The elevators themselves were open on all sides, looking like something that would be used on a construction project instead of a finished building. He could feel his stomach rising into his throat as the elevator rose. He had never been so thankful as he was when the elevator stopped and he was able to step off onto the relative safety of the walkway.
From there it was still a hair-raising experience to get to the back of the head of the Duo-shi. It was a very comforting feeling to slide into the sturdy carapace that was the head of the Juggernaut.
He slid into his seat, fastened the belts and positioned his arms in the armrests. The system locked him into place, then powered up. There were a lot more noises in the background than he had heard in the simulator, and the strong scent of machine oil had not been present there. But otherwise there was a remarkable resemblance between the two cockpits.
This time, though, there was a heavy-duty windshield in front of him instead of a screen. Through the windshield he could see the inside of the hangar and the rest of the Jugs parked around inside it. There were many models he recognized from the game: Jason’s Black Manta stood out, as did Will’s Warlord. But at the moment there were only two he was interested in: Kenny’s Undertaker and Alissa’s Eagle's Claw. Both were coming to life and stepping out into the main bay. He followed.
“Welcome, officers. This is your first trial run with your actual Jugs. You will have three opportunities to test through in the actual unit. Should you fail all three trials, you will be returned to simulator and classroom training. Should you pass, you will graduate to the rank of Lieutenant and enter full service in the Hokliss 34th Armored Company.
“Please proceed outside and join your trainers, who will lead you through your trial.”
As they stepped out into the training field, Shaun was pleased to recognize two more Juggernauts from the game: a 50-ton bantam-weight Cheetah and a 90-ton medium weight Leopard. Often paired together, the Cheetah had a speed even faster than the Eagle's Claw, with midrange lasers and missiles, while the Leopard had long range missiles and decent speed itself. In the distance he could also see a massive 140-ton Zhan-shi: another Cheung Jug stolen in battle, capable of firing 72 long range missiles at once, or attacking with a PPC. It was very slow and didn’t have much for close up protection, and therefore stayed in the background in most battles. If he recalled correctly, Theresa Calvert piloted a Zhan-shi. It was nice to think one of the Calverts cared enough to watch their first run.
The first assignment was a basic obstacle course, somewhat different for Juggernauts than for people. The pilots had to maneuver their Jugs down narrow streets between six-story tall buildings, stepping over obstacles such as cars and trucks and construction debris. It was trickier than it looked, especially because the spring loaded shock absorbers in the legs behaved somewhat differently from flesh and bone legs. But Kenny had an even worse time, having four legs mounted on a horse-shaped lower body. The controls for walking were rather different, switching back and forth between the front and back legs mimicking his movements. But Shaun and Alissa each took point, Shaun in front and Alissa in back, advising him which leg to move when. In the end they all made it through, fearing that Kenny might not pass because of their assistance. But in fact they were told the opposite.
“This test wasn’t just about maneuvering your personal Jugs: it was about teamwork. You all passed with flying colors.”
At this point they heard the voice of Theresa Calvert break in. “Thank you, Sargeant, for your assistance. We appreciate you working with the trainees, but would like to suggest a second exercise in teamwork as part of their training.
“Please send the Cadets to me, and bring out the opposition squad.”
The trio crossed the open concrete field towards the Zhan-shi, Shaun smiling in anticipation of another wargame.
“Good morning. I thought you might welcome a slightly less tedious training session. You seem to do well on first days: here is your chance to do so again.
“Today you will join me to create half a squad, and we will face half a squad of opponents. Cadet Winston and I will function as long-range support for Cadets Matthews and Reynolds who will engage the enemy directly. Be forewarned: the enemy has a close-range combatant armed with
Claws, and another whose speed exceeds yours, Miss Reynolds. You will not necessarily get the drop as frequently as you are used to.
“For this exercise, you are set in training mode. Your lasers are at 3% power, and your missiles are training type, with just a little smoke and some paint. Your Jug’s sensors will record hits as if you had taken actual damage, and cripple affected functions if and when appropriate. Do you have any questions?”
Shaun replied. “None here, Captain. We will be happy to follow your lead.”
“No, Cadet. This is a test of teamwork under your leadership. Your simulator trials have been excellent, but this is more real and we want to see how you confront these particular opponents.”
Shaun nodded, then remembered no one could see him. “Understood. Captain and Kenny, please deploy to the rear of the field, while Alissa and I take point.”
He considered what they had been told. As far as he was concerned Alissa was their most valuable weapon, always taking out as many kills as he and Kenny combined. If there was a threat to her superiority on the field, that was target #1. All else could wait until Alissa was free to kick ass.
“All units: prepare to identify fastest enemy unit and eliminate asap. Other considerations are secondary.”
As he saw the enemy lineup, he couldn’t help but grin. All four units were named for cats: the Cheetah, Leopard, Lion and Tiger. The Lion was a quadruped Jug with so many long range missiles that they bristled out in the front like a Lion’s mane: the Tiger was the Jug with claws, but not as fast as Alissa, so he was their second concern.
He gripped his joystick controls and strode forward, observing Alissa having slowed to his own pace to keep from getting ahead of him. That could result in her getting pounced upon before the others came in range, and was much to be avoided.
He saw the enemy also advancing: but like his crew, they kept the Lion to the rear while the others came forward. The Lion was completely out of his range, which meant he was out of its range as well, but the other three Jugs were fast approaching his reach. Just as they did, the Cheetah sprang into a dash forward so fast that Shaun wasn’t able to fire his missiles in time to intercept. He tried, but the swarm struck the ground well behind the oncoming Jug.
From behind he heard the double thunderclap of Kenny firing his rail guns. Both shots missed. Then suddenly a rain of death in the form of 72 missiles fell from the zhan-shi. Theresa had calculated the Jugs trajectory and led ahead with her fire, and when the smoke cleared the Cheetah was as spotted with black paint as its namesake. The Jug stumbled but did not go down.
Alissa had been holding her fire for a good shot, and now she had one. She fired a full strike on the Cheetah, and both electro lasers and two midrange lasers found their marks. Even at three percent, the electro lasers covered the Jug in an electric webbing like a lightning storm, and the onboard sensors reported a full shutdown. The Cheetah was dead.
But Alissa paid the price for lining up her shot. Suddenly she was rocked by a missile barrage from the Leopard, and out of the smoke came the charging Tiger which managed to get off a couple of clear shots from electro lasers before physically plowing into her. For training purposes the great carbon steel claws had been replaced with electrodes, but with sensors recording those charges as physical damage it was bad enough. Alissa yelped as she was literally knocked over, her damage panel screaming. And then the Tiger stepped back as 96 missiles from the Lion descended upon her.
“Alissa!” Kenny hollered out, now stepping towards the downed Jug.
“Kenny, stay back! This is still just practice, and we need you there!” Shaun replied, even as he lined up his midrange missiles and lasers and fired them at the Tiger. The lasers scored, but the Tiger jumped before the missiles could hit. He jumped straight towards Shaun.
“I’m okay, but I’m down. Have fun without me!” Alissa's exasperated voice came over the radio. Shaun breathed a quick sigh of relief and took several quick steps backward to avoid the descending Tiger.
As soon as the Tiger started descending, Theresa fired at the spot he would be landing. Kenny also lined up his shots for that spot, and fired as the Tiger touched down. The combined barrage was most effective; now the Tiger stood lifeless.
But in the meantime Shaun was busy trying to avoid missile showers from both the Leopard and the Lion, and not succeeding too well. By the time he thought to jump, the missiles were already there. His damage screen began screaming, hits from every section coming in. And yet he survived.
The Leopard was closing slowly: slowly enough to keep using its long range missiles but approaching the distance at which it could use its lasers as well. Shaun made a calculated choice and charged. In moments he was under the range where the Leopard’s missiles could come down in time to hit, and the Leopard was reduced to only its lasers. At the moment that made them even, but Shaun wasn’t aiming for even. As he approached the other Jug directly, he drew his sword. A swift chop to the arm disabled two of the three lasers that the Leopard had, and then Shaun plowed right into it.
The physical impact jarred him, but it also knocked the Leopard flat on the ground. Then, hearing the howl of missiles overhead, Shaun knelt next to the fallen Jug. The swarm struck and finished him off according to his damage chart, but also struck the downed Jug as well. It was a sacrifice move, but left their team ahead two to one, both sides now undamaged.
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But not for long. While the Lion had been lining up its shot on Shaun, Kenny had advanced to within rail gun range and fired. Both shots smashed into the target, leaving huge black paint marks. And Theresa also fired, her 72 rounds coming down right on top of the Jug.
Their enemy froze for a moment, and for that moment they wondered if they had scored a critical hit. But then the Lion moved again, adjusting its turret and firing back.
Neither Kenny nor Theresa had the speed to outrun missiles, but both had scads of armor to protect them from enemy fire. Kenny said a silent prayer as he saw the 96 missiles all heading for him.
It made sense, really. His guns had a tendency to do serious, penetrating damage while missiles more often than not just peppered their targets with small amounts of damage here and there, not enough to penetrate armor. Fortunately that was what was coming down on him now. He gritted his teeth at the sound of the missiles striking, like a string of giant firecrackers going off one right after another.
In moments it was over. He was still active and functional, though damage to armor was being reported from all over the Jug. He adjusted his aim and fired back. So did Theresa.
For a second time the Lion was subject to a blinding barrage of both missiles and projectiles. This time it did not survive. The quad Jug’s legs crumpled under it as it collapsed.
“Excellent work, everyone,” Theresa’s voice came over the radio. “Disengage training mode, now!”
As soon as systems switched to normal, all combatants were able to stand and maneuver once more.
“Now, let us all attend the debriefing. See everyone inside,” Theresa continued.
Shaun released his sword back to its place on his arm and turned to Alissa.
“That was a bit of a fall. You didn’t get too shaken up?”
Her voice came back. “Naw: it was just like the simulator, no worse. I guess I toughened myself up for it.”
He helped her to her feet. “Doesn’t look like your Jug is any the worse for wear. That’s good. Let’s truck for that debriefing.”
Soon they were entering the briefing room, and found Theresa, Chun Li Min and four strangers in uniform sitting there before them at a table with covered dishes at all places and bottles of wine or champagne scattered about. Theresa stood and nodded to them.
“Hokliss 34th: meet the Hokliss 34th. These are previous members of the Company, and your opponents in our last battle. As of today I am assigning you all to Gold Squad. I expect you all to exercise the same good judgment I saw in this run and every other run you have done in the sims.
“Allow me to make introductions: Shaun Mathews, the Duo-shi pilot and your new squad leader. Congratulations, Shaun, you just made lieutenant and now we’re bumping you up to Lieutenant Commander. Say hello to your new squad.”
Shaun stammered for a moment, not having expected this. “Uhm, thank you, everyone. I look forward to getting to know you, and promise to do my best leading your squad. Obviously some of you have been around a lot longer than I have; I hope there are no hard feelings about my promotion. If any of you have any concerns you’d like to discuss, my door will always be open. And, uh: good fight today, guys.”
Theresa smiled at that. “Very good. Lieutenant Alissa Reynolds, pilot of the Eagle's Claw. Have a word, if you will.”
Alissa stammered for a moment as well. “Gee, guys, I don’t know what to say. Nice meeting you: I’m sure we’ll get to talk soon and get to know each other. I just want to say, too, congratulations to Shaun, and encourage you all to have confidence in him. He’s always been a great leader, and I believe he’s a man you can trust.”
Shaun blushed at the compliment. He hadn’t expected Alissa to stand up so strongly for him.
Theresa continued. “Lieutenant Kenny Winston, Undertaker pilot. Your turn.”
Kenny gave everyone a wave. “Thanks, guys: it’s nice to be here. You gave us a real challenge out there. I know we’re all looking forward to learning from you and fighting beside you. Thank you.”
Theresa smiled. “I believe you are all acquainted with Lieutenant Chun Li Min. She was not in the battle just now, but pilots a Jaguar. I believe you will find her to be a terrifying close-range warrior.”
Chun Li Min bowed to one and all. “The Captain is too kind. Look forward to working with all of you.”
Theresa nodded. “And to continue: Lieutenant Lorenzo Esteban, pilot of the Cheetah.”
Lorenzo appeared somewhat older than the trio, perhaps in his late 20’s. He seemed very smooth and polished, an almost dashing figure. He stood, bowed, and raised a glass to the trio. His latin accent was thick but smooth.
“My congratulations to all of you on your promotions and welcome to the Hokliss 34th. We look forward to working with you all.”
Theresa continued. “Lieutenant Tanya Colfax, pilot of the Leopard.”
Tanya looked to be in her mid twenties with sandy-blonde hair, but like she had gotten too much sun over time. Her figure was very muscular, and her movements reflected that power. “Welcome to the 34th. Talk more later.”
“Lieutenant Leonard Marlowe, pilot of the Lion.”
Leonard appeared to be in his mid thirties, and wore a short, distinguished beard and mustache. Like Lorenzo, he raised a glass to the trio. His accent was clearly English. “Congratulations on all your promotions, and welcome to the finest Company in the Union of Free Colonies. We look forward to serving with you.”
“And finally, Lieutenant Michael Arnold, pilot of the Tiger.”
Michael appeared much older, even to showing a little gray hair. A big man, he had the build of a weightlifter or a boxer. He nodded to the group. “Good to meet ya. Let’s kick some Jug ass together.”
The last comment provoked a small round of general laughter, then Theresa spoke once more. “Come, join us at the table and let’s eat. Feel free to chat and get to know each other.”
It had been a long morning, and Shaun for one was starved. He gladly took a seat and raised the cover on his plate. He found a roasted chicken breast, mashed potatoes and gravy and peas. It all smelled delicious, and as he soon found out tasted delicious as well.
“Thanks for the meal,” he said to Theresa: “this is really good. Any secrets the cooks are holding out on?”
“Not really,” replied Theresa: “Most of our meals are frozen, prepacked sets. We’re good at it, but nothing beats fresh meats like this, real potatoes and fresh vegetables. If I understand right, that’s mostly what you ate in the 21st century?”
“I’d say half and half,” Shaun mused, “We had access to fresh food, but often it was simpler to go for frozen dinners. It sounds like things haven’t changed that much in 500 years.”
Leonard replied. “We are more like 80-20 on the percents. Fresh food is rare, especially in the military, but fortunately our frozen foods are decent. You might be surprised to know, of the frozen foods just how much is completely artificial. By the mid 21st century some of your most common grains and vegetables were extinct, and only artificial versions from soy or seaweed were available. Now we have not only those perfected, but several completely original fruits, vegetables and meats with their own unique flavors, all artificial.”
Kenny shook his head. “Wow. That’s just wild. How did anyone come up with the ideas for something so completely original?”
“The same experts who designed the sequences to make foods as much like our real foods as possible naturally stumbled across a few happy accidents: foods that didn’t taste like the target foods but which were delicious anyway,” Leonard continued. “And so, a whole new set of foods was introduced: foods unlike anything else, so they didn’t have to try so hard to make them ‘like’ anything.”
Lorenzo chuckled. “As you can see, the professor here is quite the wizard of arcane knowledge. All of this happened centuries ago, though they occasionally come out with yet another new flavor. Mostly we just take our food for granted.”
Shaun nodded. “I would have to say most of the time we take our food for granted, too. I don’t know what we would have done without corn, wheat or some of the other staples we relied on. I guess we found out.”
“There are many things we take for granted,” Theresa interjected. “Like the levels of skills at this table. I intend to rotate assignments to place each of our more experienced pilots with our novices to give both helpful support and advice on running Jugs with their capabilities. Alissa, I think you could learn a lot from both Lorenzo and Li Min about the advantages of a fast Jug. Shaun, when the turns come around I hope you will listen to Tanya and Michael about combining midrange and melee attacks. Kenny: both Leonard and I have plenty of experience piloting long range fighters. Yes, we use missiles instead of rail guns and that does make a difference, but not as much as you might think.”
Alissa nodded. “I think I am doing pretty well with the Eagle's Claw, but there’s always room for improvement. I take it you want us to discuss strategy while we are out as a group: wouldn’t it work better to do so one on one?”
Lorenzo raised a glass. “If the young lady wishes a more personal approach, I would be happy to assist in a more face to face manner.”
There was some general snickering from Lorenzo’s squad mates. Tanya spoke up. “Lorenzo has quite the reputation with the ladies. No doubt he’d be interested in getting face to face.”
Alissa blushed at that. “Thanks, but I don’t think so. Just the Jugs, please.”
Shaun thought he saw Alissa sneak a sideways glance at him, when it seemed to Shaun more appropriate that that gaze should have gone to Kenny. He cleared his throat, trying to get past an awkward moment. “Thank you, Theresa. I will be happy to learn more about both strategy and combat skills from both of these officers.”
Tanya nodded. “There’s not that much difference between the Leopard and the Duo-shi. Both have long range and midrange missiles, both have midrange lasers for defense up close, and they run at the same speed. And they can both jump, so that’s good, too.”
Shaun had noticed that so far Michael and Li Min had not spoken up. He hoped he was not being intrusive, but he was curious.
“If I may, Lieutenant Arnold: I suppose you have some advice for close quarters combat, you with your claws, me with my sword?”
Michael looked up from his plate. “Advice: hit and don’t get hit. Works for me.”
Shaun didn’t know for a moment if he should be offended by the older man’s gruff and unhelpful demeanor, but then he noticed the wry grin on Michael’s face and heard a couple of chuckles from across the table.
Tanya spoke up. “Don’t worry, kiddo. He’s just better with his fists than his tongue. He’ll teach ya plenty when we get out there.”
“Thanks,” replied Shaun, “I guess we’ll see when the time comes.”
Kenny had been quietly devouring his meal and apparently listening in on the rest of the conversations, but now he spoke. “Theresa, Captain, I just want to thank you so much for the great treatment we have received ever since we got here. And also, I am looking forward to working with you and Leonard. I know I’m gonna have to work to compensate for the difference in range between my guns and their missiles, but you got ideas, right?”
Theresa and Leonard exchanged glances. “I am sure we can find some solutions for you,” Leonard replied. “Obviously it’s not a situation we face on a daily basis. I suspect our main solutions will be armor, armor, armor, and anti-missile systems. But it may also involve a bit of a dance on your part, stepping into range, then out of range quickly. We will see what’s possible and practical. No doubt terrain will also be a factor, sometimes in your favor, sometimes against. Careful maneuvering should find you in the best position available.”
Kenny shrugged. “I don’t know that what you have said is any different from what we already knew from playing the tabletop game. Maybe that just proves how valuable our game experience is, but I figured that people who have actually been fighting in Jugs for a career might know a bit more on the subject than we do.”
The comment apparently inflamed Michael’s temper. “Now, listen here, young twerp! We’ll be showin’ ya on the field what we’ve learned that you haven’t yet, and ye’ll be eatin’ them words!”
Li Min was on her feet in a moment. “You will speak with respect to your fellow officer, or I will teach you!”
Kenny raised his hands defensively. “I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean that to come out that way. I do believe we have a lot to learn from you, and I didn’t mean to say we didn’t. Sorry…”
Shaun cleared his throat. “I hope you can forgive my friend. I think all the hero worship we’ve been getting may have gone to his head: to all our heads, at least somewhat. They should be so swelled by now we can’t walk through single doors. Maybe he needs - maybe we all need - a little disinflation of our egos. No doubt a practical demonstration of skill on the field would do much to improve our perspectives.”
Theresa nodded. “Well said. We should give you the perspective of meeting an enemy who can outmaneuver you strategically. Certainly there are plenty of those around here.”
Michael glared at Li Min, then interjected. “I say let me have a go at the twerp one on one, and show him what a Tiger’s made of.”
Theresa and Leonard exchanged glances before she answered. “The whole point of a squad is to help our heavy hitters avoid attacks from the front line troops, and allow them to support the front liners with long range barrages. But there will of course be occasions when a front liner makes it through, just as in football when the quarterback gets sacked.
“Yes, that might be an appropriate training scenario.”
Kenny was looking a little green, but he nodded. “Okay, if that’s the way it’s gotta be.”
Shaun felt irked, but there was nothing he could do. Kenny had put his foot in his mouth, and was gonna pay a price for it, in spite of Li Min’s vehemence. With remorse, Shaun realized that he was also relieved it hadn’t been him. But maybe it should be: Kenny shouldn’t have to stand alone. He cleared his throat.
“If I may: the scenario will be most inaccurate if Michael has a free field in front of him to attack Kenny directly. Shouldn’t there be someone blocking him at first, slowing him a little so Kenny has a chance to get a good shot off at him?”
Li Min bowed. “I humbly volunteer to serve as blocker for training purposes.”
Shaun shook his head. “I think it more appropriate that I take that position, both as Commanding officer and as needing a bit of training myself. I appreciate the offer, but perhaps another time.”
Michael growled. “If yer volunteerin’ to take a beatin’ wit yer pal, so be it. I can take yas even two on one. Don’t give me no backup: all the more humiliation’ for yas when I win.”
Theresa nodded. “If everyone is satisfied with this arrangement, then let it be so. Challenge is accepted for dawn tomorrow. In the meantime, let us finish eating.”
As Shaun took a seat again he glanced over at Kenny, who was looking back at him with gratitude. Kenny silently raised a glass to him, and Shaun replied in kind and drank. He noticed that Alissa was also smiling brightly at him, probably in gratitude for defending her boyfriend, he hoped.
After the meal, and after Michael had strode out of the room, Theresa approached him. “I just wanted to say that I greatly appreciate what you did here today. It takes a good leader to step up and defend his people in an appropriate manner, and that’s what you did. Whenever we run as half squads or full, I want you in charge of whichever group you’re in.”
Shaun nodded. “Thank you. I really appreciate the trust you’re putting in me.”
“You have earned it. Use it well.” Theresa moved on, leaving Shaun to contemplate his new situation.