by West, Edward
“LC, load 'Magnum' by xKore at two minutes and thirty seconds and start charging the plasma projector for a steady stream of twenty seven seconds.”
“Volume?” LC asked.
Swift pumped his fist into the air and said “Up to eleven.”
Wilson checked his minimap this time, and to his surprise he saw LaCroix just idling. Was this clown taunting him? Swift's arrogance would screw him over this time, Wilson thought. He'd done research on LaCroix just in case it came in handy one day. It turned out that Swift's infamous cruiser has a few flaws. The first being that despite having excellent top speed, it's acceleration is average at best. The second flaw is that it's shields are weak. They're set with a fast recharge rate designed for mitigation versus energy based attacks. In short they could not take a pulse missile barrage. Wilson giggled with perverse glee as he trotted over to the weapons console “I so got this!” he said to himself.
Meanwhile, back on LaCroix, Swift was monitoring Pol's Voice as it charged when LC called for his attention.
“Swifty, the enemy ship just burst into weapon's range and is preparing to launch phase missiles. Initiate evasive maneuvers?”
Swift shook his head and replied “No, but rotate Pol's cannon forward and bring us around.”
LC did as ordered and said “Rotation complete, and we are now facing ship Fifty Three. The enemy has launched phase missiles.”
“How many?” Swift asked.
LC hopped down from the handrail and ran to the observation window to see.
“All of them I think.”
Swift looked back down at the information window for Pol's Voice and smiled. It was fully charged and ready to fire.
“What's the estimated time of impact for those missiles?”
“Missile impact in five...four...three-”
Swift yelled “Bass!” and fired Pol's Voice. The effect was immediate. Due to the intense vibrations caused by low frequency sound waves, the missiles exploded before reaching LaCroix. However, what Swift anticipated the most was the effects of Pol's Voice on ship Fifty Three.
Wilson pounded a fist on his console and cried out “What the.. What happened!?”
He had executed the burst flawlessly, not giving Swift a chance to escape, and watched as his missiles raced towards LaCroix. Then they simply blew up for no reason! Then it hit. An inexplicable shaking of his ship accompanied by a ferocious rumbling. It was almost like Swift had somehow thrown an earthquake at him. As it went on, Wilson began to make out what the sound was.
“No way...” he uttered in disbelief.
When the attack finally ceased he wiped his face with his hand. Every precision instrument- no it was even worse than that. Every component on his ship that even required the slightest calibration would need to be reset. Sure enough, as if to confirm this, ship Fifty Three's AI began to recite a long list of shipboard casualties. He couldn't even move the ship at this point, let alone launch any more attacks.
Mr. Method raised a hand and announced “This match is over! LaCroix wins with a total of six medals to zero. Summary medals will not be awarded.”
The cheers from the applicant crew rose above the disgruntled groans from crew Fifty Three. Swift came running out of the simulation bay with his hands in the air like he had just won a marathon and was met with applause.
“Don't let him fool you! It was beginner's luck!” Felix jeered from within the crowd.
Swift pointed Felix out and yelled “Silence you jealous, short little man!”
Felix stepped forward and they bumped fists “Good stuff. Now these guys can do their tryouts. You're like some sort of ego driven super hero.” he said.
Swift put his hands on his hips and said “Some people call me Batman.”
Allie and Revy had joined them, and upon hearing this Allie ruffled Swift's already messy brown hair “No they don't.” she corrected him.
“Revy calls me Batman.” he persisted.
Revy socked him in the arm and said “No I don't.”
“Dang.” Swift said, soundly defeated.
Wilson emerged to boos from the applicant crew, joined by the scolding of his own crew.
“Shut up, shut up, shut up! I was cheated!” he tried to explain.
Miley heard this and laughed “Did he use a map-hack on you?” she asked.
“What? No I-”
Felix broke into the conversation and said “Lag. He had all of the lag ever.”
Now Swift had wandered over and said while scratching his chin “I felt some lag there too...”
Mr. Method stepped in and attempted to break the tension by saying “Now now cadets. It was a fair match and a good show of skill from both captains.”
Wilson wasn't having this nonsense. He shouldered past Miley and confronted Mr. Method “If that was fair, and Swift didn't cheat, then the simulation is glitched.” he said.
Swift, with his hand still on his chin nodded and said “I think it might have been the season three patch...”
Wilson snapped.
“Just shut up! You know exactly what I am talking about!” he shouted and asked “How did you disable my ship with music in outer space?”
Swift shrugged and offered an answer “Dubstep is just that awful.” he said.
“No you idiot!” Wilson said pointing his finger at Swift “Sound can't travel through the vacuum of space, am I right?”
“That it cannot.” Swift agreed.
“Right. So the simulation glitched out and I-”
“No.” Swift said.
“No?” Wilson asked.
“No glitch.” Swift replied.
“Then how?”
“Ingenuity. In order for sound to travel it needs molecules to pass it along. In the vacuum of space there are too few molecules for this to be possible. Therefore Felix configured a plasma projector capable of emitting a steady stream over a considerably large distance. The plasma allows the sound waves to propagate, or pass along, and wreck yo set with SFX. Boyyy.”
Wilson took all of this in and then rolled his eyes before saying “You guys have way too much free time.”
“Dub wub wub wub.” Swift replied.
“That's not even funny.” Wilson said indignantly.
“It's funny 'cause I said I'd step on you.” Swift took out a pair of sunglasses and put them on “Looks like I dub-stepped on you. OHHHHHHHH YEAH!”
Everyone laughed except for Wilson, who was pretty mad. Crew Fifty Three and the applicant crew made their way to the simulation bay afterward. While they were waiting for the simulation to load, Wilson spoke to his crew.
“Okay guys, if we do it right we can force them to fail. Who's with me?” he asked with a sick look of excitement in his eyes.
When no one else spoke up, Miley said “Let's not do that. Win or lose, they stand a good chance of passing. We should give them a fair try.”
Wilson sucked his teeth and said “God you're so lame Miley.”
“Obvious troll is obvious.” she retorted.
“I don't know why you're always such a bi-”
Wilson was the first to emerge from the simulation bay with a bright and shiny black eye.
“Oh snap!” Zhao said and elbowed Finnegan “Cookie” Cooke, LaCroix engineer.
Cookie looked at Wilson's eye and hissed before saying “Dang, that's raw.”
Wilson ignored them both and walked out in shameful silence. Shortly afterward both crews emerged as well, and were enthusiastically discussing their match.
“Good game and well played guys.” Morris said to the applicant crew.
“Thanks! You guys were pretty cool out there!” a red headed member of the applicant crew said.
Corrigin smiled and said “Yeah, good game and well played. I'm glad we got to do our field test with your crew.”
Miley sighed and patted him on the back “While I really wish that we didn't have to lose rank, I'm glad that all of you were able to pass today.” she said.
Corrigin lo
oked down and said “Still, I'm a bit worried.”
“Why?” Miley asked.
“Wilson said something to me before he left. It was like...” Corrigin put his hand over his eye and cried “You think you're so clever! I'll make sure no team picks you up!”
Miley snorted and said “Screw him! I'll make a team and recruit you myself!”
“Not so fast Harrison.” Swift suddenly said from behind her.
“Oh yeah?” she asked.
“Yeah. Wanna fight over him?”
“No thanks.” Miley said with a laugh and a grin “I'm not a big fan of dub step.”
Swift approached Corrigin and said “Then it's settled. From this day forward you are an official member of LaCroix. I shall call you Gin.”
Corrigin “Gin” O'Hare had accomplished what he set out to do: join a student crew and thus become a person with more presence. However, he had no idea that he would end up joining an elite student crew, and never in his dreams did he imagine the adventures that were soon to follow.
PART THREE
Of Hearts And Stars
Jonas Curtswaddle is a man that Zachery Method tries to avoid contact with whenever possible. He is Arbalest Solar Academy's Dean of Admissions, Mission Coordinator for the Elite Student Crew Program, and an overall smarmy wad. Which is probably why you can't spell Curtswaddle without wad anyway. Despite having better things to do, like sleeping in the instructor's lounge or going back over this month's lesson plans, Zach had to speak with J-Wad about a mission that was currently assigned to ESC-1.
Mr. Method left his suite on the 76th floor and began walking towards the elevator at the end of the hall. He recalled the day he first arrived at the Academy three years ago with Swift, and how the sheer size of the academy impressed them both. To this day Zach still believes it is possible that someone can get lost in the academy for days at a time. The floors and walls were composed of the same tungsten-glass compound that made up much of the infrastructure. White ceramic tiles had been placed underfoot with a triangle in the corners of each one, forming small black diamonds when lined up properly. The bottom half of the walls are tinted brown, and the upper half a cozy desert beige, done so in a manner that still allowed the surface to retain the look of brushed metal. Once he factored in the lighting, he decided that it all had a warm feel to it. Not the most exciting color scheme, but he wasn't complaining.
It was worth noting however, that areas designated for research, development, combat training, or any activities of the sort did not share the same earth tones or fancy ceramic tiles. This is most likely because these areas tend to sustain the most damage; be it from failed experiments, combat training itself, or even successful experiments in some cases. That being said the floors were simply brushed metal, and the walls painted haze gray.
He arrived at the administrative offices on the 82nd floor and walked into the reception area, making sure to stop at the desk of Jenna Rivera, Curtswaddle's secretary.
“Yo Jenna, is J-Wad in?” he asked.
Jenna had been typing one-handed at her console, but now turned towards Mr. Method with a cup of coffee in the other “Yeah, but he's busy all morning. At least that's what he says.” she answered.
“Busy eh? Probably playing Farmville no doubt. I'm going to go have a word with him.”
“Fine Zach, but no fighting!”
“Verbal or physical?” Mr. Method asked.
“Both if you can help it.”
“We'll see.”
Mr. Method knocked twice and then entered. J-Wad's office is the kind that's dressed to impress; complete with fake wood panel walls, bookcases full of books that were never read let alone opened, and certificates hung in ornate frames, but upon further inspection only denoted participation in online courses. The wow factor in here is the equivalent to watching paint dry at a golf tournament.
“Method? Didn't Rivera tell you I was busy?” Curtswaddle asked from behind his desk. Mr. Method tried to lean forward to see what was on his monitor, but had no luck.
“She did, but then I told her it was an emergency.” Zach said and held up his hands in a dramatic gesture “Crisis upon humanity and what not.”
The buttons on Curtswaddle's tweed suit battled against his stomach to stay fastened. Method watched this silent, yet furious battle of buttons verses the bulge as Curtswaddle reached across his desk to grab a stack of memos from one side, shuffle them, and then set them in a neat pile on the other side. The balding Curtswaddle gave Mr. Method an impatient look.
“Well? What do you want?” he asked.
“I wanted to talk to you about the mission you assigned to ESC-1 LaCroix. Mission 12-0922.”
“What about it?” Curtswaddle asked.
There wasn't anything about it really. An Imperial ship had sent out a distress signal, and was most likely in need of assistance for repairs. The location of the ship was a horse of a different color however.
“The ship in distress, don't you think it's a bit close to the Belt Line to be sending cadets out to help?” Mr. Method asked.
The Belt Line was the name given to the asteroid belt after the war began, and artificial planets were created within. It was the line drawn in the sand, figuratively speaking, that separated Imperial and Rebel territory. Various ships of both factions navigated this dangerous place while doing battle with each other. Not to mention that the space stations and bases established on the many minor planets created a hostile atmosphere that even trade ships were reluctant to be in.
“Method, the reason the Elite Student Crew program was created was to provide the Imperial fleet with support.” Curtswaddle said “A lot of money and time has gone into making this a reality, and we cannot afford to pick and choose our missions.”
The ESC, or Elite Student Crew, program was designed at first as a sort of varsity equivalent to the existing Student Crew program. Over time the capabilities of the cadets in the ESC's brought them to the attention of the Imperial Fleet, and it was decided that ESCs would be allowed to participate in certain missions.
“That's only one of the reasons, and I don't know whose money, if any, goes to those cadets. Their ships were purchased as a group effort by the cadets in the ESCs, and are maintained by them through their own means.”
“Much of those means are coming from the completion of missions.” Curtswaddle interjected.
“Regardless, I thought we had an agreement that after RP-750 we will no longer send students on missions that have a high probability for combat or considerable risk to the cadets assigned.” Mr. Method said.
RP-750 is the codename given to an incident which occurred on the Red Planet, or Mars, during a mission carried out by cadets from Arbalest Solar Academy. The exact details are still debated, but it clearly resulted in the death of a cadet and the near death of another.
“I don't see the high risk here Method. ESCs are sent on resource gathering missions, reconnaissance, escorts in Imperial territory, and AID MISSIONS.” Curtswaddle pointed out “This is an aid mission. It's not like I'm sending your precious nephew to the front lines- even though it seems that's where he wants to be.”
“It's not the mission itself that poses the risk, but the location as I've already mentioned.” Mr. Method said “Haven't you seen reports from Imperial ships stating that Rebels have been capturing Imperial soldiers for slavery along the Belt Line?”
“So what Method? You think that this is some sort of trap?” Curtswaddle asked and added “That's just silly.”
“Well you have to ask yourself how Imperial ships are being so easily captured in their own territory.”
“Incompetence no doubt. If LaCroix can't complete this mission who will? Should I reassign the mission to another ESC?”
“No. If it's not safe for them, it's not safe for any ESC.”
“Then would you go yourself?”
“That's actually not a bad idea. I've got a friend who-”
“No Method. I don't care if you were a capta
in in the fleet or whatever. You're an instructor now and you have your own work to do.” Curtswaddle said and shook his head “If LaCroix can't do the mission, disband them and I'll assign a different ESC.”
Mr. Method took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Didn't we have this same conversation a couple years ago? Though I can't exactly recall what you said to the headmaster after Cadet Fisher was executed. It sounded like a lot of bullshit and apologizing if my memory serves correct.”
“You're over the line Method!”
“I'm over the line?”
“Quite! Do you intend on keeping your job?”
“If there is another repeat of RP-750, you'll lose a lot more than your job Curtswaddle.”
“Is that a threat Method?”
“No, because my intentions have been clear since the moment we met. It's a promise. A binding resolution. One more cadet dies, or is anywhere near it, I'm going to take you apart piece by piece. You can go back and tell the headmaster I said that and I bet he'll start shopping for your casket.”
The two men stared at each other for a few seconds, but Curtswaddle was the first to look away. Mr. Method smacked the neatly stacked pile of papers to the floor and turned to walk out.
“You need to stop working with your heart on your sleeve Method.” Curtswaddle said from behind him.
“Yeah? Get a heart, and then you can tell me anything you want about that.” Mr. Method said and walked out.
Jenna had just finished a phone call as Mr. Method stepped out of Curtswaddle's office and shut the door behind him.
“How'd it go?” she asked.
“Business as usual. He was doing that stacking papers thing again.”
“You know, the top sheet is the only one with text. The rest are blank.” she explained “He only does it for show.”
“Oh I know, so I smacked them to the floor.” Mr. Method said.
