UC Chapter Header A [https://i.imgur.com/LTseeZG.jpg]
Front 2 - The Next Day
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2.1 - Class Is Out Part 1
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As ordered Una found herself being taken on a more extensive tour of the ship by her former teacher, Ensign Hoki Bachika - On the day following her first experience on the Vijaik simulator.
Starting from the main-hangar, a cavernous place that was as wide as the largest sections of the ship's dome itself. Most of the hanger was filled with loading cranes & crates of supplies. The ship's massive interior allowing for smaller transport vessels to come the whole way into the Fluchtig, rather then having to transfer things from one transport to another - This in effect resulted in lines of raised platforms for the transports to moor alongside, like some bizarre series of railway sidings, least that was what it reminded Una of.
Additionally, while the hangar would originally of contained extra mech holding cells to one side - Much like the under-hanger from yesterday - In the main-hanger these had been replaced with one of the Fluchtig's main innovations: A massive onboard production and maintenance facility.
This large workshop easily took up a third of the hangar and Una couldn't help but express some awe at it as her and Hoki strode along the upper gangway, looking down in at the makeshift factory from above.
Massive slates where pieces of armour seemed to be operated on ominously by a dozen spindled arms, multiple areas filled with workers welding & making fine adjustments to some piece of tech or another. A whole area to one side half-walled off and filled with an array of computer equipment, where designers and engineers alike set about their work - And finally a single remaining Vijaik cell, containing the old Main-Battle-Type (MBT) Mk2 mech that Una had so earnestly pointed towards on her first day.
After waving to the person who seemed to be chief mechanic, Hoki now explained the old machine was there for the purpose of simply moving items around the workshop, as well as also being the prototype for the Fluchtig's current battle simulators;
"Unfortunately all the experimentation they have done on it means the poor cretin's no good for combat anymore, all the safety features were removed. Than again it was getting pretty outdated." - Hoki had stated matter-of a factly as the two women had passed by the antiquated weapon.
Una noted an almost nostalgic look in Hoki's eyes when she stared at the bygone mech - A lightly orange, almost red tinted - Its design not all that dissimilar to their Neo-Type Vijaicks - With the exception of the cockpit jutting out where the simulator prototype had been permanently fitted.
From there the duo headed past one of the secondary generator rooms, had a quick glance at the control centre for one of many gun arrays and briefly stepped into a meeting rooms.
Finally they rounded the corner to the canteen.
To Una's surprize the Canteen wasn't all that dissimilar to what they'd had at the academy, a long rectangular room filled with foldable benches with affixed stools - Lined the entirety of the floor space.
While the top of the room boasted large cut-out's in the length of the wall, from behind which the kitchen staff busied themselves preparing various dishes. Finally the dim glow of suppressor fields covered the ceiling gave the room both an above average field of gravity and a warm glow of lighting.
It was almost mundane to look at if Una was being honest, but it combined with spending time with a former mentor did have the effect of reminding her of her school days. For example they'd had a similar canteen in her old highschool, plus a not so dissimilar style of railway platform to that of the hangars, lay abandoned near her aunt's house back on Bhaile - And as for the briefing room, from its plastic chair décor, to the furnishings in general - It almost felt like a miniature version of the academy's classrooms.
Having Miss.Hoki explain everything as they went along also elicited quite the number of memories, it was after all, only a couple months since her own graduation (although it felt much longer).
As a teacher Hoki had been at times strict and practical.
Una remembered a particular time Hoki had caught some students complaining about the intense heat inside the training Vijaiks;
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"-- Just ten years ago, the average temperature inside a piece of armour could often times exceed double that of a regular Vijaik, with little to no cooling systems for upwards of over five crewmembers.
By comparison while you cadets will one day pilot machines that can reach above 26C, always keep in mind that when you think you've sweated every drop there is - That you are the lucky ones, that you have it easy.
Vijaiks operate in space more often than not, allowing for better shedding of the mechanism's generated heat, combined with great strides in technology and they are mostly single crewed.
So keep that in mind next time you feel the urge to complain that your machine's cabin is 'too warm'. "
Then of course there had been 'The Technical stuff'. Una had personally always struggled with the finer details but she had admired Hoki's delivery of such things - She had a way of making piloting seem almost romantic;
"The inception of the Vijaiks changed the field of battle indefinitely, not since 100's of years prior, in the second age, could a single soldier truly expect to change the battlefield with just their hands. No rifleman could defeat an army, no ship's Captain or tank Commander can hope to defend their country borders alone - But with a Vijaik that all changes.
Even now a decade on, when all ships have developed new countermeasures - It is still perfectly possible for any of you to sink a whole fleet with your single unit - Should you grow to be skilled and lucky enough.
This of course all came due to the realisation of the value attributed now to the metals 'Goibniu' and 'Lanthanides'.
With these metals the Hindenburg-miniature generator was finally turned from a hypothesis to a reality, but further Lanthanides proved to be a highly mailable and resilience substance, perfect for both the generation of power and the defence of a war-machine.
It would only be topped when the mining of the comparatively scares Goibniu began, leading to the line of machines now known as 'Casnels'.
Goibniu could be conceivably described as a down-right 'Wonder-Metal', far more resistant to energy based weapons than a Vijaik's armour - Light but extremely durably and remarkably heat resistant - This substance allows for even greater power generation, offensive and defensive capabilities then even 'Lanthanides' previously afforded. It also allowed for the accurate reading of peoples 'stats' to become vastly available.
More-over it is also believed that it may have a direct link to the presence of the Magi in our history with its extreme levels of radioactivity possibly being a direct cause for why so many of Bhaile's races differ from one another so greatly.
Of course all this is believed to be due to the element ----"
It would usually be around this time Hoki's speeches turned to the truly scientific that Una would start to lose all semblance of focus, but still those passionate lectures hung in her mind.
Hoki hadn't been a year-head but rather had trained almost every student of the academy for some period of time or another, partaking in supervision of practical bouts and specialising (despite her young age) in the design and history of Mechs;
"--Now as the express course students have only recently joined us I find it imperative that we should discuss the greatest misconception I hear amongst new cadets such as yourselves. The humanoid shape of Vijaiks and Casnel's is most certainly not because the designer are unimaginative or egotistical, rather the case is that the human form is a remarkably versatile creature.
What other species so aptly carries exceedingly heavy packs - Leagues across the land, scrambling up hills and over dykes? What tank or fighter jet can swap their weaponry at will and be as effective at close range as they are long?
Make no mistake, many have attempted to design ground base Vijaiks with conventional tank treads or claw like shafts. Along with more ergonomically-sound space fairing types but these designs have for the most part proven fruitless with only a few exceptions.
It is also prescient to remember the source of all Vijaiks and Casnel's, the material 'Goibniu' and to a lesser extent 'Lanthanides' - Are so rare that the concept of creating multiple types of mass-production specific-use Vijaiks is untenable.
That is why most all MBT-Vijaicks can be found with two arms, two legs and a head of some description - Capable of combat in space, on land and even in the water with only minor modifications - Thee most versatile of weapons"
Indeed now that Una thought on it, Miss.Hoki had owned a propensity for rather long and detailed lectures...
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