Beasts Among the Stars (Cloudy1 & VerboseVillain)

VerboseVillain

VerboseVillain

Super-Earth
Joined
Oct 17, 2018
“So where is this pup? I’ve had this rig humming for almost an hour now.” Nax sipped the last dregs of his coffee as he looked at the mech in front of him. The thing was nearly two stories tall, dwarfing even the six-foot-eight Nax. His broad shoulders filled out a leather flight jacket, although that the rest of the jacket hung loose over his heavy frame. He might not be able to float in water, but every bit of his body was useful. Strong. Efficient. Just like the mechanical beast before him.

He walked forward, patting one of the hydraulic struts. “That pup doesn’t deserve you. I don’t care what strings she pulled to get a shot at her certification.” Massive armor plating reflected in the silvered surface of his glasses, specially treated to filter out the harsh glare of the plasma rifles.

He set his cup down on a metal outcrop in the wall of the mech bay. This was the assignment that he hated the worst. Go to some godforsaken planet. Listen to the incessant whining of young pups begging to control weapons that cost over twenty times any amount of credits that they would see in their lifetime. And he was still expected to pass at least a quarter of them! None of them deserved to even touch one of these elegant, precision instruments or destruction, let alone pilot.

Sadly, he could no longer pilot a mech since the space cruiser crash five years ago. Sure, he looked pretty good for spending thirty seconds in the hostile vacuum of space, but he’d lost his right eye to a shredded panel blown off by the ion missile. So now he had to decide if some young idiot could pilot these beautiful monstrosities long enough to at least make it to the next mess hall.
 
Running down the hall that connected to the mech hangar was the newest of the new recruits that was given the chance for certification to fly the mechanical beasts of destruction that were given the affectionate name of mechs. The girl had earned her way to her current position, passing both physical and written exams with ease and generally performed well even under stress. Getting to the bay there was no one else around but her pilot, which she walked giving a salute.

"My name is Naomi, reporting in for mech flight and combat training, Sir!" she said confidently, her speech matching what the military had drilled into her since she was first enlisted. She had black hair that had grown out almost to her shoulders since her training first began, still short enough to be hidden while wearing the helmet that hung from her left hand. She was wearing the uniform that all new mech pilots were now given, consisting of a fireproof skin tight suit covering everything but her head that hugged the girl's athletic and somewhat curvy physique, The flight jacket much like what Nax had been wearing, and a pair of military boots.

Naomi was particularly excited to learn how to pilot a mech as she loved the thrill of being a pilot in jets, though she knew mechs were much different. She awaited orders from her instructor, glancing over at the beautiful metal death trap that Nax had just been looking at, though she quickly put all her focus back at her instructor, not wanting to give a bad impression on her first day.
 
His eyes fixed to the young woman running across the mech bay. By Terra, they kept getting younger, didn’t they? He’d have expected her to be taking final exams, not showing up for her final certification.

“At ease, ensign. I’m to understand that you played with the flyboys before.” He turned to look at the mech, his bronze skin shining in the fluorescent light. “Forget anything that they told you. Gees and gravity wells and speed have nothing to do with a battlemech. Air and space are a lot more forgiving than stone and soil.”

He turned back to the recruit, walking around her. Every inch of her was scrutinized, from the eagerness in her eyes to the wrinkle at her hip. “You think this is a game, hmm? Shoot around in a little rocket and then back to a clean bunk and hot plate at the mess hall?”

There was no chance for her to answer. “Wrong! We’re the ground-pounders. Down here in the mud and the guts and the blood. No clean kills from one thousand feet here. You hit a man with a slug, and you see him trying to hold his insides in as he cries for his family. Then when you get all teary-eyed, some jackass with a rocket launcher rips through your nuclear pile, exposing you to enough rads to boil those pretty little eyes of yours. You think that’s anything like zipping around in a jet?”
 
Naomi brought her arm to her side, and quickly fixed her posture, standing straight as she noticed that he was inspecting everything about her. She quickly fixed anything that her instructors eyes fell on, from her feet being too far apart to blinking away the look in her eye. The man had intimidated her a little as he scrutinized her actions while demeaning all of the training she had gone through so far to get to this point. Anyone that was in her position would be a bit hesitant as the man had no problem sharing the gruesome life of a mech pilot.

"N-no sir, I don't think this is a game," she said, her voice having a slight hesitation, she knew it wasn't a game. She didn't understand why the instructor had been as harsh as he was, especially toward jet pilots, though she wasn't going to question or talk back to him. As she heard what he said about how being teary-eyed would lead to a painful death she let a bit of emotion out in her eye, a bit rattled at just how gritty he made things sound.

Hearing his final question she pushed the fear and hesitation away, she wasn't going to let all her hard work go to waste, regardless of what was thrown at her. Filled with tenacity she answered, "No sir! I don't think that's anything like jet piloting, and I am not here to play around, I'm here because I'm the most capable for the job, the only thing I lack is the knowledge and ability that can only be learned through experience." She knew her new tone and response was a bit out of place, but she wasn't going to let her uncertainty and fear stop her actions.
 
“Hmmphh. Capable of the job. Only needing experience.” Nax walked in front of the ensign, elbows extended out from his sides. “You think that you deserve to even look at this marvelous piece of equipment?”

“This is an X97-class Z9 Banshee. Subatomic missle launchers, Esrtry railguns, and the ‘pop, pop, pop’ of Thomson anti-personnel guns.” Nax folded his right hand into a pistol shape, and then poked his index and middle finger right into the middle of her forehead.

“Quiz by fire time! You have a AS29 VacuumHawk doing strafing runs. How much should you lead it with your depleted uranium slugs before it crams a rocket up your cute little ass?”
 
Naomi looked over at the mech as he motioned to it, admiring how each of its parts had a function and came together flawlessly to protect the pilot it was made to hold. Turning her pale blue eyes back to Nax as he talked about the mechanical wonder that was sitting before them.

A bit surprised by the question she quickly thought and spoke, "About 15 degrees from the mid line of the cockpit, though it would vary due to weather and other unspecified movements," her words were a bit rushed as she recalled some of the information from when she first applied to become a mech pilot. She hoped her answer would be acceptable, even if it was a bit vague as she was sure that she remembered the right source.
 
He dropped his thumb. “Fifteen degrees! Maybe if you’re in a 23 Wolf. That’s not near enough with the long load time of the Banshee. By the time your next round loads that flyboy is in his bunk while you’re in a crater.”

“Listen here. You know nothing about the capabilities and limitations of this fine machine.” Nax slapped a large hand against an armor plate. Then he reached over to a book and shoved it into Naomi’s hands. “I know that because you’ve never seen this! The operating specs of the Banshee. It’s bonafide, verified, and classified higher than your mother’s virginity! You will not let this leave your sight. You will read it in bed, on the john, and when you play with yourself while imagining Captain Nester in bed. You will eat this machine, poop this machine, and have wet dreams about it until you know every bolt. Understood?”
 
Naomi stared in disbelief as she was told that she was wrong, but quickly learned that there was no way that she would know the correct answer without blindly guessing. She looked at Nax as he spoke and handed her the manual, something she would have to read whenever she had the time.

"Yes sir! Understood," she answered looking down at the book that would be her reading material that would follow her everywhere. It reminded her of the book when she enlisted originally, though this one played a much bigger role in her life and death. Feeling like it would be a waste of both of their time to drag her out here just to give her a book she asked, "Excuse me sir? Is there anything else we are doing? Or am I to start getting acquainted with my new life guide?" being as proper as she could, but she was a bit at a loss for how her training was going to be structured.
 
"Hmmph. You think too much and do too little. We're to take this beauty down planetside and give you a test drive." He looked up at the mech. They'd have to go down in a transport jet, but it beat a landing sled. "So I'm giving you thirty minutes with the book and the beast. Should be enough with one as capable as you, huh?"

Nax crossed his arms, looking at a metal-banded wristwatch that was the only frivolous thing about him. "And don't get too excited. I've got a trainer control to put the brakes on if you get too enthusiastic. Look alive, you've already lost a minute."
 
Naomi answered, "yes sir," hearing that she would only have thirty minutes to learn about the mech for now, and quickly opened the book to begin reading. She looked up occasionally at the mech as she looked quickly between the book and the mechanical beast, seemingly drowning out anything else in the room. Noticing that the mech wasn't locked she climbed into the pilot seat temporarily stashing the book in her helmet as she climbed.

Once she was in the seat brought the book back out and continued where she left off. the mech wasn't on so she assumed it would be ok for her to get in, knowing she would get better familiarity with the glorious machine if she was in the pilot's seat. Her eyes were glued to the book as she used the time to the best of her ability. Even if she wasn't acting completely in line with normal procedures it was obvious she was taking the situation seriously.
 
Hmm. The first time that a student had just climbed into the cockpit without seeking permission or being told to. Eager and bold. Maybe she would make a decent mech pilot, although Nax still had a great deal to test her on. If she still had this much controlled enthusiasm after his little speeches, he’d have a tough time failing her.

Nax watched her the entire time, eyes monitoring her expressions and the timing of her actions, getting a good idea of her thought process. She’d look in the book, and then up at the part and back. Very thoughtful and deliberate. Habits designed for learning, rather than stimulation.

He gave her an extra five minutes. Maybe he was going soft, but her eyes glinting in the artificial light were enchanting. Then he said, “Alright, cram session is over. Connect the neural transmitters. If you aren’t ready by the time I get in there, it’ll be noted.”
 
Hearing her instructors words she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if locking in the knowledge and shifting to her next task. She put the book in a small compartment that was designed to hold the daily rations for missions that would require more than a few hours. It was the only unused compartment as they could always go back to the base after training, and the mech had no other compartment that wasn't being utilized. The cockpit itself was a bit small for anything else, with the pilot and instructor's controls there was no room for any special amenities or extra space to move around in.

Tossing on her helmet and securing it, only her pale blue eyes were visible through the front visor. She quickly did as she was told and connected the neural transmitters, preparing the machine for the training they were about to undergo. "Neural transmitters all connected," she confirmed as she waited for her instructor to join her as she finished her task, ready for his next command.
 
Nax climbed into the cockpit. It was close quarters, with the pilot's seat being just above and behind the trainer's seat. He could feel the warmth of her body against his back as he plugged himself into the controls and placed his hands against the joysticks. A machine as complicated as the mech required multiple inputs from the driver. While he didn't need to do near as much as the trainer, there were still multiple systems that he needed to override in case of stupidity. He hoped that wouldn't be necessary here.

"Alright, it's already up and running. I want to see how you handle her at a slow place. Take her at a walk to the jet hangar. Make it precision work. You bang up the spaceship, and the captain will have both of us out the nearest airlock." He settled in, allowing the mech to adjust to the new pilot. It was a partnership in many ways, and like any partnership it would take time for both sides to feel out the other.
 
"Got that loud and clear," she spoke, knowing that there was no way in the world they would be let off the hook for any damages that couldn't be fixed in under an hour. Grabbing hold of her own joysticks that were a bit more involved than her instructor's, she pushed the forward after the smooth glass-like material of the cockpit closed to seal the two inside. Having not piloted a mech before, especially not anything as heavy as the mech they were in, she was a bit tense with the controls. The mechanical beast lurched forward with impressive speed the abruptly stopped when just a few feet from the other side of the mech bay.

Stopping it before the mech could run into anything, nothing but a grunt came from the girl as she quickly stopped the mech from doing anything else while preventing herself from over correcting her own mistake. The female pilot took a deep breath and continued with a much softer touch. The mech began walking in the direction she was instructed, each step becoming smoother than the last. "This might not handle like a jet but I can tell it will be much more satisfying," speaking out loud what she was thinking as she had gotten the movement of walking down fairly fast.
 
As the machine charged forward, her instructor gave a strangled yelp when they nearly hit the wall. They had come to a stop just before hitting the wall, and he grimaced at the thought of the near catastrophe. He’d never even had time to put on the brakes.

“Alright, speedracer. Time to activate the speed governor.” He adjusted the controls, vastly decreasing the maximum allowed speed for the mech. “We’ll wait until we find a vast featureless plain for you to stretch your legs. For now, focus on precision. Precision! I’ll park this thing back in the bay, if I have to.”
 
"That was a bit of problem of not knowing sensitivity sir," explaining the error on her part. She adjusted again, coming to a stop and then just barely easing into a walk. As the mech continued to advance forward Naomi was able to feel out the perfect speed to be using, mimicking how sh had seen the mechs walking around in the ship before.

"Not much precision to do walking in a straight line," she remarked, having caught on to how to control the basic movement of the machine, and making progress toward their destination. "What are we doing once we reach the jet hangar?" she asked as they were soon stepping into the hangar, and she wanted to know in advance what her next task was going to be.
 
The jet hangar was twice as large as the mech bay. Two bulky transport jets sat on the far wall, while three sleek fighters were closer to them. A long runway led to a port that led out into space, and into combat.

Closer to the mech bay, a couple of rocket sleds stood in chutes that emptied into the port. These were for quicker touchdowns, but it took a strong pilot to withstand the Gs and still land feet first, ready to fight. Nax had made three touchdowns by sled before the accident.

“Well, we’re going to be making a planetary run.” Nax adjusted the sensitivity of the controls just to mess with his student. “A chance to see what level you are starting from. Scared already? Good. So am I. Get to the furthest transport and enter the back. Then we’ll strap down and wait for touchdown.”
 
Hearing the instructions she began to walk the mech toward the transport jets across the open floor of the hangar, though when her control sensitivity changed her now almost smooth moments of the mech became rough, making the two bounce around inside the mech with only the restraints holding them in.

"Did you just change something?" she asked as the mech was handling vastly different than before, but not enough to get anywhere near the other valuable equipment. She wasn't sure if it really was her nerves or or if her instructor was pulling a fast one on her. "There's no point being scared, though nothing like a transport drop to get the heart racing," she commented, a bit excited to hear that they were going to get out of the ship for some more intensive training than just walking the mech.

Focusing she adjusted a bit to the new control sensitivity as she made her way across the hangar, and slowly made her way into the transport, being extra careful not to take one step out of line or move too fast.
 
The transport’s cargo bay was largely empty, although it was still a tight fit. This was a small duster, usually designed to put down infantry or supplies. It was cheaper to run than a full mech carrier, so they often employed it in training.

Nax waited until they fully got in, and then said, “Yes, I changed something. The controls on some of these bad boys spiral based on nearby concussion detonations. So it’s important that you never get too comfortable.”

“Sparrow Two, this is Pup Three. We are ready to be tied down so that you can lift off.” The instructor spoke over the radio channel to the transport pilot.

It took a few minutes before a female voice replied. “Sorry, Pup. I had to make a toilet run before I got in. We’ll miss your planned set down of 0900, but we’ll still need you back at 0200.”

“Just get us tied down, Lessa.” Nax shook his head. He’d dated the pilot before, but she had always been scatterbrained. That’s why she’d never been trusted with anything more than the small transport. A great fuck, though.

A tall woman with a black helmet came into the jet bay, her green coveralls unable to hide her curves. She clipped several straps to the mech to keep it from shifting during flight. The whole thing was a makeshift mess simply designed to make do. Nax much preferred the hydraulic cages of the Mech Carriers or the sleds.

Without turning on the radio, Nax muttered, “Today, Princess,” while Lessa stumbles through the connections. He kept careful watch, though, making sure the pilot didn’t miss a single strap. The Mech was his responsibility, no matter who was carrying it or driving it.

Finally, the woman gave a thumbs up and headed back to the cockpit. Nax relaxed a little, looking up at Naomi. “Take advantage of the on-board facilities now. While a Sparrow is no sled, we aren’t exactly going to have a smooth ride. I’m sure you’ve piloted one before, so you know.”

He himself made use of the small portal that was designed to be used while strapped into the seat. It was hidden from the pilot’s view, and easy enough to use for both sexes, with a small vacuum keeping things tidy. It dispensed into a container in the legs that they’d empty once on planet. Most mech pilots switched to a liquid diet on long runs so they could spend days in the mech without having to use outside facilities. There was a similar device next to the pilot’s seat.

Once done and back in uniform, he leaned back and shut off the motion controls. It only took a few seconds for him to drift into sleep as the transport warmed up and took off for the planet.
 
Naomi did nothing but listen and watch as the mech was tied down, the experience was completely foreign to her as she was usually in the pilot's seat of the transport, or keeping up with weather conditions as a copilot. She watched like a fly on the wall, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, and taking note of how the mech was tied down knowing it wasn't exactly the most secure method, but she knew the military was on a tight budget, and it was cheaper to update the whole facility with fancy new uniforms with the latest tech than it was to even buy a new transport, let alone a mech.

She gave a nod at her instructor's words and said, "I've been in quite a few, though never down in the cargo area," knowing that the landing would feel a bit more rough outside the cockpit that was high enough that all the vibrations upon landing would dissipate leaving only a short bumpy ride for the few seconds it took to touch down on the ground.

Naomi quickly used the portal that was hidden away, the slipping her skin tight suit off her wide curvy hips just enough to relieve herself before quickly covering herself, and resting back against her seat. She could tell Nax was asleep, a bit surprised that he was able to fall asleep over the loud rumble and wind up of the transports engines that were just on the outside of the thick metal walls not far from them. She took the time to relax and read a bit of the manual she had stashed away in the mech, figuring it would help her pass the time as she wasn't tired at all, and had enough adrenaline rushing through her to keep her awake even in a nice cozy bed.
 
The flight was a short one, if a bit rough. The planet was Terra-class, with all of the niceties like storms and atmosphere to deal with on the way down. They buffeted briefly as the ion shields screeched against the atmosphere. Outside, it’d be hundreds of degrees, but Nax enjoyed the cool comfort of the transport.

There was a shudder as they slowed to sub-orbital speed, and then another as the grav engines shut off and the props took over. They were old technology, but they worked best in atmosphere and could easily be manuevered to hover. A sharp bank brought them over a teeming jungle at the foot of some mountains, and then the transport put down on the only open area, the beach.

The final, unmistakable knock of landfall woke the instructor up. “Nice to be on mud again.” Nax checked on the mech’s gauges. “Not even a busted hydraulic. She’s being too nice. Bet she kicks us on the way out.”

The pilot came back and unstrapped them, and then she opened the hangar door. “Passport stamped and enjoy your stay. Get out of here, you groundhuggers. I just barely have enough time to go get chow on the ship and come back.”

Nax grunted. “Alright, let’s take it out. Easy, now.”
 
Naomi stashed the book back into its compartment as she felt when the ship was getting close to landing, the slowing down of the engines of the transport being a clear sign to the her that they were close to ground.

She watched as the straps were removed from the mech and the door was open, the transport being designed in a way that when it was fully on the ground it was angled to make a ramp for easy access getting in and out. It was originally only meant for people and occasionally to haul vehicles, but was reinforced to support the weight of mechs.

Hearing the Nax tell her it was time to leave the transport she took hold of the controls again, pushing them slightly forward to get the giant metal feet of the mech to begin to walk down and out of the transport. The glass of her helmet tinted slightly as they emerged from the transport to be bombarded by the sun, only being enhanced by reflecting off of the snow that lightly covered the ground almost everywhere they could see.

Once they were fully out of the transport and far enough away that the transport could take off she asked, "Alright, what are we doing first?" quickly thinking of various drills and routines she had read about and seen from afar but knew that every instructor taught differently. "Also what's the idea with starting near the mountains? Isn't mountain climbing a bit advanced for the first day?"
 
“The mountains are to give you a visual focal point besides your compass.” He adjusted a few of the controls, setting a green line that went vertically through the highest peak. “Just like flying, its easy to lose yourself in all of the glass and metal, and unlike up there, you have plenty of obstacles to keep track of down here. I recommend setting a waypoint on your HUD to the nearest prominent feature, natural or manmade. That way, you never lose track of your location relative to the objects around you.”

The instructor made a few more movements, and a green point flashed at the peak for a few seconds, only to stop and have a distance appear above it. As they moved, the distance got bigger and smaller. “As you get better, we’ll add more waypoints so that you can better triangulate your position. While a map is always nice, you can’t always overlay it when you’re in combat. Now we need to start off with a nice little trot to about 20 km/hr. Then slow it down to 10, and then back to a stop. Once you get the hang of the physics, we’ll find a nice stretch of beach that you can get to full speed.”

Behind them, the transport took off, heading for the ship. The only people on the planet were the pair, and their mech.
 
As the Nax spoke, Naomi listened intently, knowing the information he was speaking was something she had heard about, but never actually experienced. She knew waypoints were used to keep on track, but was a little new to being able to keep track of her precise location from three arbitrary points. She watched as the distance displayed changed with their movement, and stayed fairly out of the way of the display in the HUD to allow them to stay set during combat and other tasks that required a full field of view.

Hearing the instructions she answered, "Alright, I think I get the idea," her words reassuring that she was listening closely and understand what was being told to her, knowing that some of the potential candidates to be mech pilots often failed to remember something as simple as a waypoint because they were too focused on getting to the actual action.

Pushing the controls forward she eased in to the trot, not wanting to make herself look bad again by jumping straight to the highest setting. As the transport left the only sounds she could hear were the mechanical movements followed by the thuds of the steps, and the crunch from the fresh and rather deep snow that blanketed much of the surrounding area. As the mech began to pick up speed Naomi adjusted her controls to keep a steady pace around 20 km/hr. While there was plenty of space in front of them she asked, "Are we just going in a straight line?" for confirmation. Regardless she continued along controlling the mech, the movement as it took steps was a gentle rocking back and fourth for the two inside the cockpit due to the speed and relatively flat land in front of them.
 
He led her through several exercises, approving each one in turn and getting to more technical maneuvers. She still moved somewhat like a manic puppy, but one that learned quickly and was constantly in control. A good student.

As the sun began to rise, he prepared to give her some regular exercises for development of greater control, when an emergency message came through the radio. The captain’s voice said, “Emergency, all personnel. Hostile spacecraft 280 sunward. I repeat...” The transmission cut off, and a giant explosion erupted in the sky, where the spaceship had been.
 
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