Jackie Stewart stepped through the reinforced doors of the hangar, her boots clanging on the metal floor as the cool scent of oil and freshly polished machinery filled the air. The massive space was alive with the sounds of mecha being worked on—hydraulic drills, welding sparks, and the hum of machinery that made her feel right at home. Rows of towering mechs stood in various states of readiness, like giant sentinels waiting for their next mission. Jackie had seen this place before, but today was different. Today, she was assigned her own mecha—a Chimera, part of a new line of modular combat systems.
Her eyes scanned the hangar, taking in the other cadets milling around in small groups, all dressed in standard-issue jumpsuits. They were her peers now, though she had no idea how she stacked up. Some of them had been training for months, maybe years, while Jackie had been fast-tracked into the program after her stellar performance in the Epona. She felt the weight of expectation settle over her shoulders like an invisible load.
As she approached the lineup of cadets, she spotted a group clustered around one of the older mechs, a battered-looking Fusilier undergoing a routine maintenance check. One cadet—a skinny guy with buzzed hair and a too-cocky grin—glanced up as Jackie neared, his eyes widening slightly before he smirked.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the new hotshot,” he said, his voice carrying just enough edge to be noticed. “I heard you piloted that Epona mech like it was a goddamn race car. Too bad we don’t race here.”
Jackie didn’t slow her stride but locked eyes with him, her expression flat. “Too bad for you,” she shot back. The others chuckled softly, but the cadet was clearly sizing her up. She wasn’t here to make friends but wouldn’t back down, either. She had enough experience to know how these things went—testing, challenging, and some posturing to see where everyone fit in the hierarchy.
“Elliot,” he introduced himself, stepping forward and extending a hand. She hesitated for a second before shaking it, her grip firm.
“Stewart,” she replied, keeping it short.
“Yeah, I know,” Elliot said, his grin widening. “Everyone knows. Word travels fast when someone gets special treatment.” His tone was teasing, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity, maybe even a little jealousy.
Jackie was about to reply when a booming voice cut through the noise.
“Cadets! Line up!”
Sergeant Rivas, a towering figure in a no-nonsense military uniform, strode into the hangar. The cadets quickly formed a line, snapping into attention. Jackie fell in beside Elliot, her heart pounding slightly faster as the moment of truth neared.
“As you all know,” Rivas began, pacing in front of them, “we’ve received a new batch of mechs—part of a prototype series being tested in the field. Today, a few of you will be assigned to pilot these Chimeras. They’re state-of-the-art, designed for modular combat, so you’ll need to adapt to different weapon systems on the fly.”
Rivas stopped in front of Jackie, his sharp eyes narrowing on her. “Cadet Stewart. Step forward.”
She did, feeling the weight of every eye in the hangar on her. She knew this was coming, but it didn’t make the pressure any less accurate.
“Stewart, you’ve been assigned Chimera Unit 04,” Rivas said, nodding toward the far end of the hangar. “You’ll be running training simulations with it over the next few weeks, adapting to its modular loadout. If you perform well, this mech could see combat deployment sooner than expected.”
Jackie nodded, keeping her face neutral even though her pulse raced excitedly. This was her chance—not just to prove herself again but to master one of the most advanced mechs in the fleet.
Rivas stepped back, giving her a nod of approval. “I hear you’ve got a knack for pushing machines to their limits, Stewart. Let’s see if you can push this one.”
She saluted, and Rivas moved on, assigning the remaining Chimeras to other cadets, though Jackie barely paid attention. Her eyes were fixed on the gleaming mech at the end of the hangar.
The Chimera stood at an imposing height, about 40 tons of finely tuned combat machinery. Its dark matte armor was sleek and angular, giving it a predatory look, with multiple weapon hardpoints along its shoulders and arms. What set it apart from other mechs was the modular design—each hardpoint was designed to swap out weapon systems on the fly, allowing for quick reconfiguration in battle. The Chimera could handle the lasers, missile pods, autocannons—whatever the mission demanded.
Jackie’s heart thumped as she approached it. This was unlike the Epona, which had been agile but lightly armed. The Chimera was a beast designed for flexibility and raw power.
“Stewart, you ready for this?” A voice to her right snapped her out of her reverie. It was a cadet she hadn’t noticed earlier—a woman about her age with short, cropped hair and an intensity in her eyes. “I’m Ramirez. Looks like we’ll be running drills together.”
Jackie nodded, appreciating the lack of pretense. “Ramirez, huh? You have been in the program long?”
“Long enough,” Ramirez replied with a smirk. “I’ve been itching to get my hands on one of these Chimeras. Heard you had a run with an Epona? Was it bad?”
Jackie caught the subtle challenge in her voice, but she just grinned. “Not bad at all.”
Together, they climbed up the access ladder to the Chimera’s cockpit. As Jackie strapped in, the systems came to life with a hum, the interface lighting up around her. She felt the mech respond to her touch, the neural link taking hold—an almost seamless connection between pilot and machine. The HUD displayed a range of options for load-outs, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. She could swap them with just a few commands.
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“Chimera Unit 04, initialized,” the system chimed. Jackie couldn’t help but smile. This was hers now.
“Welcome to the big leagues,” Ramirez said over the comms, her Chimera powering up nearby. “Hope you can keep up.”
Jackie gripped the controls, her mind already mapping out strategies. “Don’t worry,” she said, calm but confident. “I’m just getting started.”
With that, the Chimera lifted off the ground, its engines roaring to life as it moved into formation. Jackie felt the power beneath her fingertips, ready to be unleashed. This wasn’t just another mech. This was her future—and she would make sure everyone knew it.
***
Jackie climbed up the access ladder to the Chimera, her fingers brushing against the cold metal. The weight of expectation was heavy, but it felt right. This wasn’t just another machine to her—it was an extension of herself, and she needed to master it.
She reached the cockpit and slid into the pilot’s seat, the harness securing her with a firm click. The interior of the Chimera was sleek and efficient. Unlike the virtual cockpit of the Epona, which had been built for agility and finesse, the Chimera felt heavier and more robust. The neural link interface came online as soon as she activated the systems. A familiar hum filled the cockpit, and the HUD lit up around her, projecting a 360-degree view of the hangar and surrounding area.
"Chimera Unit 04, initialized. Awaiting pilot commands." The system voice was calm and neutral, as if the massive war machine was just another piece of tech.
Jackie exhaled slowly, pushing back the growing excitement to stay focused. She had a job to do: familiarization drills, system calibrations, and weapons testing. Her HUD displayed the loadout—a set of four Samhain lasers, a deadly close-to-mid-range energy system with an added punch, and two quad-pack missile launchers, capable of delivering devastating salvos but at a reduced range compared to longer-range systems. It was a powerful configuration but demanded precision in close-quarters engagements.
"Let's see what you’ve got," she muttered to the Chimera as her fingers moved over the controls.
The targeting system flickered to life as she activated the weapons array, and the four Samhain lasers appeared on her screen with a status bar indicating their charge levels. The quad-pack missile launchers showed full ammunition, ready for a test run. But first, calibration. She couldn't afford even a millisecond of misalignment when the real battles started.
“Stewart, you reading the manual or running that thing?” Ramirez’s voice crackled over the comms, already out on the range in her own Chimera.
Jackie grinned. “I’m just ensuring everything works before I show you how it’s done.”
Ramirez chuckled but didn’t reply. The competitive atmosphere hung between them, fueling Jackie’s focus.
***
The Chimera stomped out of the hangar, each step feeling heavier than what Jackie was used to. The neural link responded well, but there was a noticeable difference from the Epona’s speed. This beast wasn’t meant to run circles around enemies but to engage directly and destroy anything in its path.
The outdoor range stretched ahead of her—a wide, desolate area marked by scattered target dummies and distant metal structures. Jackie began running through the basic systems checks as she moved into position.
"Targeting system online. Running diagnostics."
Her HUD flared to life, displaying a series of floating reticles that zeroed in on various targets. She toggled through different modes—heat signatures, kinetic movement, and radar locks. Each target dummy appeared as a bright, glowing outline on her display, with detailed data feeding back about distance and potential weapon effectiveness.
“Tracking seems clean,” she noted, her eyes narrowing as she calibrated the Chimera’s tracking system to her neural responses. Every mech pilot’s brain functioned a little differently with a neural link, and Jackie was no exception. The system needed to sync with her reflexes, her instincts.
"Lasers first."
She engaged the Samhain lasers, hearing a low hum as the four weapons charged. The target dummies were lined up 300 meters away, inside her ideal range. She brought the Chimera’s arms up, the targeting reticle locking on to the nearest dummy.
"Firing in three, two, one—"
The cockpit shook with the force of the lasers discharging in rapid succession. Four searing beams of bright green light lanced out, cutting through the air with deadly precision. They struck the target, vaporizing it in seconds. A plume of smoke rose from the remains, and Jackie smiled with satisfaction.
"Not bad. Recharging for the next volley."
The Samhain lasers had a decent recharge time but weren’t built for sustained fire. The HUD flashed green as the charge levels rose back to full.
She lined up the next two targets, her neural link making minute adjustments to the reticle as she fired again, this time with staggered shots. The lasers struck both dummies, disintegrating them before the second could react.
A beep in her headset caught her attention.
“Ramirez here. Nice shots, but try to keep up.”
Jackie rolled her eyes and glanced at her radar. Ramirez had already taken out half her targets with precision missile strikes.
"Time to see how these quads handle."
She activated the missile launchers, feeling the heavy rumble beneath her as the quad packs loaded up. The Chimera’s modular system was built for quick changes, but the missile launchers weren’t as fast to deploy as she’d like. She’d have to adapt, especially in a real combat scenario where timing was everything.
Jackie targeted a cluster of dummies at 500 meters—right on the edge of the missile launchers’ range. She synced her neural link to the launch system, feeling the mech’s sensors begin tracking multiple targets simultaneously.
"Firing missile salvo."
The launchers belched out a storm of missiles, eight in total. They soared through the air, twisting and splitting apart as they sought their marks. A second later, the explosion rocked the range, sending debris and shattered pieces of the targets flying. The remaining dummies were engulfed in the shockwave.
The HUD flashed green again, confirming the hit. Jackie felt a rush of satisfaction but she also noted the system’s slower reload time.
“Nice shot,” Ramirez said over the comms, and for the first time, there was a hint of genuine respect in her voice.
Jackie smirked, running a quick diagnostics check on the Chimera. “Yeah, but the reload on these quads is a bit slow. It’s a trade-off. Shorter range, more power, but if you miss…”
Ramirez finished for her, “You’re a sitting duck. Yeah, I’ve noticed. We’ll have to play it carefully in the close-quarter drills.”
Jackie nodded to herself, already mapping out tactics in her mind. The Chimera was a powerful machine, but it would take finesse to handle it right. She liked the challenge. This wasn’t about being the fastest or the lightest but about using that raw firepower at the right moment.
She glanced at the range’s reset mechanism, which was already raising new targets.
"Calibration complete. Time for some real practice."
The Chimera’s weapons reloaded, the Samhain lasers humming softly as they reached full charge again. Jackie leaned into the neural link, letting her senses sync with the Chimera’s systems.
“Ramirez,” she called out over the comms. “Let’s see who can clear the range first.”
Ramirez’s laugh echoed back. “You’re on, Stewart. Try not to fall behind.”
Jackie smiled as her reticle locked onto the next target. The Chimera felt right—like a part of her, ready to unleash its full potential. With her fingers on the controls and her mind linked to the machine, she fired again, ready to push the Chimera to its limits.