The images in the pod resolved, and Jackie looked around. The setting for what she assumed was the basic training area was a mountainous region in a semi-arid climate. The location was dry, with vegetation beaten down by the countless mechas that had traversed it before her.
“Recruit, pay attention.” A deep, resonant voice boomed over her communication system. “The call sign is Stryker. I’m the one supposed to train you in how to use that misbegotten mecha. What I teach you might, I say might, save your life.” The voice belonged to a grizzled veteran, clearly seasoned by countless battles. Jackie scanned her surroundings and spotted another mecha moving toward her, its movements fluid and confident.
“First things first, your system controls. You have a joystick on each arm of your chair. One is to help you move; the other is to help you arm and aim your weapons. Keep your finger off the trigger.” The voice grumbled, each word carrying the weight of hard-earned experience.
“Now, to move forward, you…” Stryker’s voice guided Jackie through the basics. She listened attentively despite already knowing the fundamentals of mecha operation. She wasn’t as versed in using the mecha’s arms. “This next exercise is a bit more complicated. Each mecha is unique, but we will teach you to pick up objects like men without killing them. On your HUD, there’s a container marked. You must get to the container, pick it up, carry it to the area marked on your HUD, and set it down without crushing it.”
Jackie checked her Heads-Up Display (HUD) and saw the highlighted container. She initiated the movement sequence, feeling the powerful stride of her mecha as it moved toward the objective.
“Faster, Stewart! I don’t have all day,” Stryker yelled through the comlink. The recruit complied, urging her mecha into a run toward the container. She reached an enclosure that contained several containers and quickly identified the one marked in the HUD. She reached out with her mecha’s large hand using her mental interface. At first, the control felt unwieldy, but soon, it was as if she was using her arm.
Once she had secured the container, she carried it to the designated area. Positive feedback from the system indicated that the object was secure.
“Good job, recruit. Next, we move to target practice. I hope you can hit the broad side of a barn.” A new waypoint appeared on her HUD, marking the shooting range. “When you get to the range, engage the target acquisition system. This includes ranging data. A good mecha pilot uses the old Mark One eyeball as much, if not more, than his systems.”
Jackie’s curiosity got the better of her. “Why?”
“They have electronic countermeasures. Some can fox your ranging systems, and others can throw up false images. There are lots of ways to spoof the electronics, including chaff.” Stryker’s tone was serious.
“Now, watch me,” Jackie observed as Stryker’s mecha took up position and began running the firing course. His mecha wielded a ballistic rifle and backup lasers. She watched as he tagged most targets—old mechas no longer deemed salvageable. “Now it’s your turn. Get on the mark and use your targeting software to tag as many enemy mechas as possible.” She followed his instructions, identifying ten mechas as targets.
“I have targets acquired,” Stewart reported.
“Good. Now shoot them as efficiently as possible, but watch your heat levels. Most pilots screw up and shut down their mechas,” Stryker replied. “Move out!”
Jackie moved forward, firing her tri-barrel laser at closer targets and using the laser rifle for those further away. She monitored her heat levels, feeling the temperature rise in her cockpit, but it never approached the critical threshold. She hit the last mecha, identified by her system as a round-head, similar in weight class to her own.
“Now for something I always enjoy: the live fire drill,” Stryker announced. Jackie’s instincts screamed at her to move, and she did, starting to run and dodge as ballistic rounds chewed up the dirt around her feet.
“What are you doing?” she squealed indignantly as she evaded the incoming fire.
“Part of the training is the live fire drill,” Stryker said calmly. “I get a bonus if I pop your clogs,” he chuckled.
Jackie aimed, but her targeting reticle fuzzed out. “Damn it!” she cursed, eyeing the mecha firing at her. She moved into the firing range, using the old targets as cover.
The Epona moved smoothly as she dodged Stryker’s fire. “Good dodging, girlie…” he taunted. Jackie’s blood boiled at the mocking tone. She focused, advancing toward a better position. She aimed by feel and unleashed her laser cannon. The extended range and greater power scorched Stryker’s mecha’s outer armor, forcing him to move. But Jackie wasn’t done; she advanced, using the target mechas for cover and zigzagging toward her target to close the distance for her tri-barrel to come into play.
Stryker’s mecha was slightly larger and more powerful, but it lacked maneuverability. Jackie calculated her next move, aiming low to cripple the trainer’s mecha. “If I can just knock a leg off…” she muttered. She knew removing a leg or the actuators would significantly slow him down. She dodged more fire from his missile launcher, conserving her rifle’s ammo, and rode the heat gauge as she continued to fire. Several hits connected, and the armor on his legs and lower torso flared.
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“Move and fire, move and fire,” she chanted, her voice steady. “Movement is life…” She was still moving when the first of Stryker’s rounds slammed into her right side. The armor partially deflected the round, but she received a warning about the damage.
Then, her tri-barrel came into play. She hit Stryker’s mecha in the left leg, the bright bolts of light stitching up the upper leg and into the lower torso. She watched as the actuators flared and froze. Smiling, she fired again, sending the crippled mecha crashing into the harsh soil.
“Good job, recruit,” Stryker’s voice came through the com system, less fierce and more approving. “I’d say you passed Basic training.”
***
In a far-off command base, a silent AI noted the exceptional skill a young pilot had displayed in her first simulation run. The AI consulted the commands it had been given, following down a meticulously programmed logic tree. It logged the two-minute and forty-three-second about and sent the data packet to a specific correspondence box designated for higher-level review. This particular message was interesting because it marked the first time a recruit had beaten the simulator so quickly and thoroughly.
The next day, a high-ranking officer known for scouting talent viewed the footage. He watched intently as Jackie Stewart maneuvered her mecha with precision and strategic insight, impressed by her natural aptitude. A report was quickly drafted, noting Jackie’s extraordinary performance and her potential for recruitment into an elite unit.
Jackie had unwittingly placed herself on the military radar, her skills flagged for closer examination. The mecha she piloted also drew attention. It was an unusual redesign of an old Star Force model, a relic neither beloved nor particularly missed. Yet something about this redesign made people take notice. The sergeant monitoring the feed forwarded the design to Research and Development, thinking the designer might also be interested.
Jackie woke up early the following morning, her body still thrumming with the adrenaline from the previous day's training. She had barely begun to stretch when her comlink buzzed. "Recruit Stewart, report to hangar seven for additional training," the message read. Curiosity piqued, Jackie dressed quickly and looked at the message sender. She was surprised to see it was the game center.
“No way!” she said surprised.
After Jackie climbed into the cockpit, her fingers dancing over the controls. The HUD lit up, displaying information about the Epona’s capabilities. She was eager to put it to the test.
She heard a familiar voice come over the comnet. “Morning, recruit. You’ve been selected for advanced training due to your performance yesterday.” She heard Stryer's voice, her trainer's voice from the day before.
“First, we’re going to focus on agility and evasion,” Stryker instructed. “I want you to navigate the obstacle course without taking any hits. The Epona’s systems are more sensitive than you’re used to, so be gentle with the controls.”
Jackie nodded, gripping the joysticks and initiating the start sequence. The Epona hummed to life, and she felt the responsive power beneath her fingertips. As she guided the mecha through the course, she noticed the slightest movement translated into precise actions, allowing her to weave through the obstacles easily.
“Good, Stewart. Now, let’s see how you handle under fire.” a series of automated turrets around the course came to life. “Your objective is to reach the end without taking significant damage. Remember, movement is life.”
Jackie accelerated, her mind focused on predicting the turrets' firing patterns. The Epona darted and dodged, its agility allowing her to avoid most of the incoming fire. A few shots grazed the mecha’s armor, but Jackie adjusted her approach, using her surroundings for cover and exploiting the Epona’s advanced avionics to rapidly change direction.
“Impressive,” Stryker’s voice crackled over the comlink. “Now, engage the combat drones.”
Several drones lifted off from their positions, converging on Jackie’s location. She switched her focus to offense, targeting the drones with Epona’s Laser rifle. Her hands moved with confidence, and her previous training came into play as she fired precise shots, taking down one drone after another.
As the last drone fell, Stryker’s voice came through again. “Nice work. Now, let’s move on to teamwork exercises. Head to the rendezvous point and join up with Squad Delta. You’ll be running a joint operation.”
Jackie navigated to the designated area, where three other mechas awaited her. The squad leader, a seasoned pilot named Maverick, greeted her with a nod. “Welcome to Delta, Stewart. We’ve got a mission to complete.”
The mission was a simulated infiltration and extraction. Jackie and her team had to breach a fortified base, retrieve a high-value asset, and extract it without being overrun by enemy forces. As they moved in, Maverick laid out the plan. “Stewart, you’ll provide cover fire while we breach the entrance. Keep those turrets off us.”
Jackie positioned herself strategically, using the Epona’s superior targeting system to suppress the turrets. Her pulse cannons blazed, providing the necessary cover for her squadmates to breach the entrance. Once inside, the team worked in unison, their movements coordinated through tight communication.
“Asset secured,” Maverick reported. “Exfil in three, two, one.”
They moved as a unit, fighting off waves of simulated enemies as they made their way to the extraction point. Jackie’s heart pounded, but she maintained focus, her mind running calculations to optimize her defensive and offensive strategies.
A simulated dropship arrived to pick them up as they reached the extraction zone. The mission clock stopped, and the simulation ended. Maverick turned to Jackie. “Good work, Stewart. You’ve got a knack for this.”
Before she could respond, Stryker’s voice came through her comlink. “Report back to hangar seven, recruit. We’re not done yet.”
As Jackie logged out, she felt a sense of accomplishment. She knew this was just the beginning but was ready for whatever came next. The unseen AI monitored her progress, tabulated, and kept score. She was no longer just another recruit but a rising star, destined for more extraordinary things in the world of mecha warfare. She didn’t know it yet.