Life can really suck.

no, I mean, it can really, suck. not in the normal 'I don't have a prom date.' suck. I don't even mean the 'Man, I wish I would just get hit by a truck' moments either. what I mean is the moment between the impact, and the great void called death. I didn't get hit by a truck, and I had a date for prom, but my best friend didn't, so I understand; I mean I heard about it for a month afterward, how much prom sucked stag.

No, for me, I slipped on the ice right as I got off the bridge spanning the river near my house; and subsequently slid down the embankment to the frigid waters below. Water so cold that Iceflows were common this time of year, and I was just so lucky to land on top of a nice chunk of ice. however I was unlucky enough to unbalance it, and end up underneath the flow.

I know I am drowning, but I think I will die from the fridgid water first, either way, I am dead, and both methods are painful.

so, why am I so calm right now? why can I think about this while knowing I am drowning? I honestly have no idea; but the spectral view of the underside of the ice is beautiful. I just wish I didn't have to die to see it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

~ 29th of Third Frost, 2933 C.E.~

~USF Carrier; Victoria~

~Sol System~

"Are you sure it moved, Kylee?" Alice asked me again.

"Allie, have you ever known me to kid about anything with the LeGrands?" I asked her, while checking the servo motor in front of me again. "these things are ancient weapons, and we still don't know much about them, other than we keep shoving modern equpment into them. this one hasn't had anyone in it in over a decade, it shouldn't even have any residual charge left, but this servo is outputting five and a half megavolts."

"You know that I have no idea what that means right? I am a fighter pilot. and isn't there one of these on board every carrier for historical purposes?"

"Every carrier except Clydesdale." I answered back as I watch the voltage climb on the power circuit. its no longer to the point where I can keep quiet about this. I grab the handset on the wall beside the LeGrand's leg where I was checking the voltage of the 1/2 ton servo motor. "I need the captain." I told the Directory AI in the headset. Alice started figiting next to me, making me nervous as well. after a few seconds, I heard the captain's voice on the other end.

"This better be good." he nearly yelled at me.

"The LeGrand's power trunk line is at six megavolts and climbing." I said in the same tone. "thought you should know it's getting power from somewhere."

I hung up the handset before he could say anything else to me, and decided to climb the gantry to the cockpit of this ancient weapon. this LeGrand is a bipedal, robotic chassis ten stories tall, looking like a knight in full plate armor. as far as I know, there is no way to refuel, or recharge them, and these things have been my family's research subjects for the better part of six generations now.

My family has studied each one of these massive weapons, twelve in all, and we are no closer to understanding them now, than the first time humanity redicoverd them. this one has a label on the cockpit's protective shell which hides the entrance door, that gave us a lot of information about them, Model: LeGrand Knight 001-04 Manufacture: United States of America 3921 Christend 'Athena' on December 22nd 3921. The old calender system had to be looked up in order to determine when the Christening happend.

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December would have occoured normally around the curren't callender's Third Turn, and First Frost; and some event happend in the early 4100's that we did away with the old callender, I haven't found a modern historian that can answer what it was; and started a new callender at year zero, Common Era. This change became official in year 4112. I quickly looked at the badge again, and checked the table my grandmother made, today would be Febuary 17th, 7046 on the A.D. callender, making this machine just over 3124 years old.

So much knowledge and technology has been lost. In the beginning, when we found them almost 800 years ago, all twelve moved, and functioned. historians label this time as 'The Grand Age.' it sounds glorious, and exciting, however it marks a time in human history that accounts for the largest mass genocide in recorded history. The largest lunar city at the time, Atlas, experienced a single explosive decompression that killed 5.4 million people; and this is the defining event that started The Grand Age.

I pull on the red handle next to the rivited plate my family calls the build plate, and open the cockpit. The armor slides away more easily than usual, and I can feel some type of electical motors moving the armor away. I usually have to use my whole body to do this, and right now, its barely straining my forearm. Allie, stands beside me, and had been ready to help, looks dumbfounded. I open the small door into the cockpit, and stop. every surface has pictures on it, showing the walls around the LeGrand.

Allie walks into the cockpit, behind me, and I hear the door slam behind me, and a series of electical motors make their respective sounds for a few seconds.

"Pilot Chosen; Navigator Chosen" a computer voice sounds through the cramped room. a picture of Allie appears on the wall that would be considered the front of the LeGrand, and the voice speaks again. "Navigator. please state your full legal name." Allie, looks at me, and I nod.

"Alice Vivian Heckman." she said plainly.

"Navigator, now set as Alice Heckman. voiceprint locked. Navigator's responsibilites are as follows: Land Navigation, Ariel Navigation, docking, undocking, maintaining power levels to weapons, shields, movement motors and actuators."

my picture appears on the front screen.

"Pilot, please state your full legal name."

"Kylee Rebecca Price." I mimiced Allie's tone.

Pilot, now set as Kylee Price. voiceprint locked. Pilot's responsibilties are as follows: Flight movment, Mode Transformation, utilisation of assets such as weapons, shields, movment motors and actuators."

after a few seconds the voice spoke again.

"Alice, as navigator, you require the unobstructed visual location. please enter the operations harness in the front of the cabin; pilot, you require the use of targeting interface, shield interface, location interface, and other visual cue interfaces, please enter the remaining operations harness. Once seated, we will begin the tutorial."

once we were both seated in the strange shaped chairs, they seemed to follow our movements.

"For the saftey and protection of any allies that may be located in the exterior of the mobile knight Athena, the control harnesses have currently been set as input disabled." it began. it was another four hours before Alice and I could get out of the room that it called the cabin.

"Now, for the last point of order, before the new pilot and navigator disembark. Moble Kight Athena's AI protocal is only used for the tutorial session, to which you have completed. anything not directly under the purview of the Navigator or Pilot will be handled by the onboard personality. thank you for using a Boeing Construction."

at that the lights shut down, the doors opened, and standing in front of me is the captain. the very pissed captain.

"Historian. how did you get it to move?" he said, pointedly not using my name or title, only position.

"I haven't yet. aparently most of its systems are autonomus. it let us in, and thats all I know for sure."

The captain stepped into the room, and looked like he was about to say something but a loud girlish voice roung out in the room.

"Intruder detected! exit the room now!" she exclaimed, and two small rifle like weapons exited the ceiling, aimed directly at the captain.

"Athena!" I shout, "Stand down."

"I am sorry Kylee, only the Navigator, and Pilot are alowed to enter this room. the other individual must exit.

I point back to the exit and motion for the captain to leave.

"Sir, she is serious, get out. I will follow you and explain what I just witnessed."