Chương 47: Ch. 42 - Just Like Old Times

The walk to the simulators was always my quiet moment when I was in the Academy. Today it was filled with a public announcement of an upcoming simulated duel with Ania as the special guest. I pulled the hood over my head as I walked past the parting crowd. Caddie was floating overhead, still in amazement like a tourist on vacation. The sim room was a collection of enclosed cubicles lined neatly in a row. A large screen controlled semi-autonomously broadcast what was being done.

On the second floor viewing area, people were already gathering. It hadn't taken a seat yet when every seat was taken and the people left standing were lined up against the walls. I took a seat on the sim I had used the most. There was no difference between them, but it felt the most right to me. Caddie, unable to follow from the limited space, returned to his earing shape and clamped onto my ear. The harness locked me in place and the screen flashed to life.

The controls weren't exactly like on a Frame, but they were close. The neuro-circlet was waiting for me on the console. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before slipping it on with a quick adjustment.

"Is this a training exercise?" asked Caddie.

"No," I said.

"Its a duel." All the thoughts of facing Ania rushed through my head. In all the times I had gotten so close to only force a draw once. It was like punching an immovable object. The feelings of dejection clouded my thoughts and I felt I was already a step behind. She was impossible to beat here. Especially in a one on one. Once for fun, we had to figure out how many students it would take to gang up on her to beat her. The answer was eight without me. Three with me. I never counted those wins.

In the real world, that outnumbered, you'd just run. And she was good enough to know.

"Stefano," said Caddie.

"You seem tense."

"I am," I said.

"I have never once beaten her."

"Then, are you going to give up?"

"I'm not doing that either, its just hard to shake that feeling of inadequacy."

"I am unfamiliar with this human emotion. But from what I've gathered, you are not without skill. Perhaps its a mindset?"

"Somehow, Caddie, I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy a challenge. But its frustrating when you feel you aren't making progress."

"I am still unfamiliar. But I will quote a reference that feels appropriate from your Earth culture."

"Oh… no." Caddie spoke with a weird accent that I couldn't quite point to.

"It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

"What? Where did you get this?"

"Irrelevant. What I am saying, Stefano, is that you have been through a great ordeal these past few days. And yet, here you are about to face a challenge you cannot overcome. Some would call that insanity, but still you are pushing forward with this task and your first obstacle, is yourself. If you cannot overcome the first obstacle, you will not ever beat the second." Caddie let the words float in the air.

There might be some wisdom that I wasn't really seeing, but the words of encouragement lit a small ember within me.

"Alright," I said.

"I'll keep trying."

"Do or do not. There is no try," said Caddie sounding completely different.

"Luna?"

"Again, a wealth of knowledge." The screen was filled with a choice of selections. I defaulted to a Walker Frame and proceeded to my loadout. The options were as overwhelming as any other time. A smile formed on my face as I remembered the first time seeing it. It felt like yesterday.

"We have a crowd," said a voice in the speakers overhead in the enclosed box.

"Should I make an announcement? Make it like two Goliaths duking it out?" A murmur responded but it was impossible to make out what was said.

"Yeah. Well, they are here to see her. Yes. I'm aware that any other year he would've- Oh crap, my mic is on." The sound abruptly cut short but the silence didn't take for long.

"Welcome!" said the voice, this time from everywhere.

"Welcome, students! Staff! We have a simulated duel for the ages. On sim 4 we have the once in a lifetime talent. The undaunted. The undefeated. Ania Rossetti!" A soft clap and a single "whoop!" was all the announcer received for feedback. This wasn't a fight for entertainment amongst the populace. These were students about to take notes. Looking to see where they could improve and what they would change in a similar scenario. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen.

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"And in sim 2, we have the top pilot literally ANY. OTHER. CLASS! Stefano Reyes!" Another soft clap of boundless enthusiasm. Caddie added a bigger applause in the booth, forcing a smirk from my lips.

"Tough crowd," said the voice.

"Anywho. This sim duel, to make it fair, have added some limitations. For starters, Ania is limited to twelve levels worth of equipment. Stefano's will be a cap of twenty. Second, Stefano will choose the terrain this duel is set in. And lastly, Ania will know Stefano's equipment and be given fifteen seconds to make any changes."

"Great," I mumbled. I kept swiping as I kept looking for equipment that felt right. The list itself was cataloged with every known item that had ever been found in the dungeon. Including my equipment. The dagger of implosion was staring me in the face, but there was no way that would be of any use here.

"Might I make a few suggestions?" asked Caddie.

"Sure, why not," I said, swiping away. Caddie began with all the possibilities until interrupted that a time limit would be placed on me as Ania was already ready. So, we settled on a all-around build with one notable surprise.

[lvl 5 Blast Shield][One-Handed Weapon][Cap: 5] [Physical shield to most forms of ballistics and beam weapons] [Cap reached] [Can be placed as immovable object upon activation] [Mana: 5 mana per second upon activation] [lvl 5 Beam Blaster][One-Handed Weapon][Cap: 5] [Semi-auto blasts of super accelerated hard light particles] [Cap reached] [Can be toggled to fully automatic] [Mana: 5 mana per shot] [lvl 5 Launcher System][Shoulder Mounted][Cap: 5] [Guided individual missile, lock-on required] [Cap reached] [Can be fired as salvo of 6 missiles, pre-loaded] [Mana: 10 per loaded missile] [lvl 1 Projection Disk][Usable Item] [Creates a projection based on predetermined parameters] [Count: 3] [lvl 1 Stasis Disk][Usable Item] [Kinetic motion becomes impossible for one second] [Count: 2]"Stefano?"

said Caddie, after I had finally clicked on the last accept.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Is it prudent to have no close quarter weapons?"

"If she has gotten that close, believe me, its over."

"She cannot be as good as you say."

"Yes, Caddie. She is. So, I need to keep the distance and apply pressure early."

"Isn't she then going to take active counter-measures?"

"I don't think so. If there is one thing I know about her, its that she likes the challenge. She'll probably keep exactly what she started with."

"With equipment finalized between both our contestants!" said the voice over the PA.

"Stefano! Which terrain will this battle happen in?"

"I recommend a floor with-""The ninth floor," I said, cutting of Caddie's suggestion.

"I want the terrain on the ninth."

"Interesting choice! What does the crowd think of this unique selection, considering the equipment he has chosen." Another set of soft claps.

"Ania! Easy win!" yelled a student. He was hushed by the crowd.

"This probably goes against the rules, but it seems like a terrible choice all things considered. So I will allow Stefano to rethink his choice, knowing that she has gone for an almost complete melee build. With all the cover that could be provided, are you certain of this choice?"

"Yes," I said.

"Very well," said the announcer.

"Let us get this battle started!" He proclaimed the start of the bout too soon. It was not a short load into the terrain. Plus there was the initial warm-up. It was a moment for the neuro-circlet to catch up and map out the brain waves. The area loaded to what I had expected. The rubble of the ninth floor was almost like the terrors of war. Rubble encapsulated the area of what was probably buildings and homes. It was like everything was bigger, larger than life.

The mechs were about as big as people in relation to the debris on the ground. Fires licked the incomplete structures. The embers spread in the wind, in haunting juxtaposition to the second floor. But it was all a simulation. The buildings were the same as every other time we loaded in. The edges of the map were clearly defined by the digital "out-of-bounds" squares. It was the same exact layout as well. The only thing that ever changed was where we spawned in.

From the looks of it, based on the rubble, I was in spawn point "C." It probably meant Ania was either "D," "F" or "G." As soon as I was able to move freely, getting to the air would have to be my first priority. To scout her out. A countdown timer started, ticking from sixty. I played with the controls to get a feel for them again. It was, compared to the Aegis, a little more sluggish. We were told, time and time again, that the sims were not the same as the real thing. They were right.

It felt like I thought a move and waited just a hair off to make it. A correction easily fixed but it did make me realize the awesome potential of what I actually piloted. Thirty Seconds.

"So what is your plan here?" asked Caddie.

"This is not a good environment for what you have equipped."

"I know," I said.

"But its the only way my plan has of working. Creating confusion along with hit-and-run are my best choices. I'll be giving her a lot of information to start, but seeing her before she sees me is probably the most crucial."

"I will refer to your expertise. But wouldn't an open field had been better?"

"But then I'd have nowhere to hide."

"I am confused, but again, I will refer to your judgment." Fifteen seconds I swallowed and all the feelings of anxiety flooded my system. Like the first time we went against each other. I was so confident. So cocky. She was real quick to humble me. I probably needed it then. But now? No. I have real experience now. I've fought higher level enemies. I have a squad. People that need me to be the best. I gripped the throttles like I was launching for the first time. Seven seconds.

No, this was the day I was going to beat her. I started to hum. My favorite Earth diddle. Three seconds. I prepped the thrusters. Staring straight into the air. BEGIN! I launched up, finding the anti-air net already waiting for me