Chapter 5: Chapter 5
"Well, first of all, I'm actually only human. Secondly, I don't use limiters like the rest of you, so my movements are less precise but faster and with time, possibly even more precise than if I did use limiters. Thirdly, because I don't use limiters, I can use the CTAS's own computing power to make self-improvements within a fraction of a second." Loyd looked back at Argo whose face was trying to decide if she was horrified or pissed. "Oh, and instead of my CTAS being a machine like the rest of yours, I'm the experimental bio pilot. They just can't simulate a biological CTAS using the simulator so I need to get my sync rate almost twice as high as the rest of you before I can even see my real CTAS."
"So, not only are you the experimental pilot, you don't use limiters? What is it, a training mechanism?" Argo was definitely pissed.
"Wait, I thought the limiters were there to keep our heads from exploding? How can you get away with that?" Absinthe had woken back up. "Sorry about falling asleep on ya, I've got some busted gene mods thanks to my parents."
"This is an A B conversation, C your way out of it, weakling! Now, Loyd, I demand, as your commander, that you don't lose until I can beat you myself tomorrow!" She was very pissed with how it turned out.
"Sure thing, ma'am. Also, don't talk down to number three here if you know what's good for you." He poked Absinthe, who just laughed.
"Looking forward to kicking her ass tomorrow," Absinthe continued to laugh, much to Argo's annoyance.
"This punk, the ex-number three?! Not likely!" She turned to Absinthe. "Badge now!"
Absinthe did as she asked and pulled his badge out from under his vest and handed it to her.
"Absinthe, third-ranking launchie, beaten by a nobody who showed up a year after the rest of us?!" Argo just smiled and threw Absinthe's badge back at him. "The rest of your family a pile of shit like you?"
At this Absinthe jumped to his feet.
"How dare you insult my family I'll-"
Loyd stood and put his hand on Absinthe's shoulder.
"If you want to fight, go do it in the simulation. I'll be the referee for your match. Unless of course, you want this to be a public duel?"
Both of them smiled at the other.
"Why not shame you in front of everyone?" Argo taunted.
"You won't get the chance. Because I'll destroy you." Absinthe declared.
Loyd closed his reading application and hit the call-all cadets button on his home screen. "Whoever wants to see Argo fight the third-ranked Absinthe get to the sim room in the next twenty minutes."
He immediately got wagers set up for who would win the duel so that he could collect all the money in the event of a tie.
"Now then let's get going."
The three of them walked over to the sim room and got into their pods. The booting sequence was faster with fewer people. Duels were pretty common during free time so there had already been a few going on when they loaded in.
"Set timer for seventeen-minutes," said Loyd.
A large clock appeared above the area the three were standing on and began ticking down.
"We will begin the duel when the timer hits zero. Both combatants may choose whatever loadout they want but artillery is not allowed to keep this more interesting."
"Fine, I don't need a big gun to take this bitch out." Absinthe was grinning from ear to ear scrolling through his loadouts.
"Who you calling a bitch?! You son of a bitch?!" Argo did not take kindly to being called names but Loyd was more interested in the look that Absinthe was giving Argo after she called his mom that.
"You're going to regret that, Captain." Loyd took a few steps back and checked the state of his betting system. It was doing rather well; Argo got almost all of the votes from her group, with the rest going to Absinthe.
"Crowds vote is in that Absinthe will be the winner." Argo started making the same face as Absinthe as both chose their loadout.
"My group is going to get all the cash from this." Argo crouched getting ready to pounce on Absinthe.
"We shall see about that." Absinthe readied his sword and shield to counter Argo's pounce.
"Hey, we still got a few minutes on the clock here. Don't get ahead of yourselves." Loyd smiled and leaned back in his pod muttering to himself. "He who moves first loses."
He waited for a second and leaned forward again. "Alright, why don't we go over each of your loadouts? On my right, we have the third-ranking knight in shining armor, Absinthe, the son of lord Whitley, with his standard loadout of bastard sword and round shield. Wait, what's this? That armor he has on looks to be only that of the light class? Is he trying to show off his ambidexterity and skill with a sword? Who knows?"
Loyd paused and turned to Argo.
"On my left we have the fierce huntress Argo, with her long spear and claws. Sporting only light armor, she plans on making use of her speed to end this with a single pounce. Who will win this match of the ages, I hear you all asking? Who can say, even I can't tell."
Loyd checked his betting system again, more people had arrived and all wagers had doubled. He turned to check the clock and smiled only twelve seconds to go.
"Now count down with me people! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!"
Loyd watched as both Absinthe and Argo moved at the same time, each going for the kill shot. Argo sprung towards Absinthe, her spear pulled back for the finishing thrust while Absinthe charged her with his shield raised and his sword ready to cut her down. The duel only lasted a second. Argo landed in a crumpled heap; her claws covered in simulated blood. Absinthe fell to his knees with his sword still stuck through Argo's body. Absinthe had Argo's spear sticking out of his back, propping him up from falling backward.
"This duel is over! I pronounce it to be a draw as both pilots died at the same time."
The crowd in the room cheered and booed. Those who had gambled lost everything and Loyd sat in the middle of it all raking in his money.
"I believe the two of you need to work on your tactics. And remember to keep a cool head."
The only person to bet on a tie, the General, stood there looking down on the two duelists who were more than eager to slit the other's throat.
"Although I must congratulate you on how quickly you can die. What was it three-quarters of a second?" He turned to Loyd who gave him a thumbs up.
"I think the two love birds have got something of a knack for that." Loyd chuckled to himself.
The General looked surprised and glanced back at the two.
"Oh, I see now. Well, I'll be off then, the two of you enjoy your youth, it doesn't last long."
Both Argo and Absinthe were just stunned by what Loyd had said as they slowly turned towards each other. After only a second they turned towards the crowd who were laughing and together they shouted, "We are not love birds!"
Loyd simply walked out of the building and went for some dinner. Maybe the special treat everyone was supposed to get would be there. It turned out that no, it was not in the mess hall. The food for tonight was something more expensive though. The launchies were getting steak, gravy, and potatoes instead of the normal garbage they were given. The General and other commanders had gone out of their way this time and had a world-class chef come in and cook for everyone.
"Loyd? Hey, you're the guy I took a cannon ball for!" Jim was waving from a few tables away.
"So, you must be Jim? Thanks for taking that shot. I didn't even see it coming." Loyd sat down next to him his tray piled high with steaming potatoes and gravy. As he took his first bite of steak it just melted in his mouth with a crispy crust and a smooth almost buttery inside. "Damn, that's good."
"Yeah, I know" Jim looked at Loyd's plate. "You not see the brownies?"
"I did not." Loyd looked back up at the buffet bar and spotted the brownies. "But I'm gonna go get some."
Jim just chuckled as he took a bite out of his potatoes. Loyd stood and went up to the brownies, grabbing two and putting them on a napkin before he returned.
"So, what exactly do you think will happen tomorrow at the tournament? What do you think dinner will be?"
"I don't really care about the tournament. I'm actually a support primary. I was testing out my new sensor suite today. As for dinner, I'd like a big, medium-rare burger with a toasted bun, some nice melty cheese, and some tomatoes and lettuce." He took another bite of his steak. "Oh, with some special sauce spread on the top bun. Don't forget your special sauce."
He looked at Loyd who was just drooling, picturing the marvelous burger that Jim just described.
"The only changes I would make to your burger, would be adding extra pepper and I like mine rare."
Jim just nodded, his mouth full of potatoes and then turned to Loyd as he was swallowing.
"A man of fine things I see. Well, you can keep yours rare but I like mine less bloody with more rendered fat." The boys smiled at each other then got back to eating.
"So, if it's a tag team tournament, would you mind being my support, Jim?" Loyd had finished everything on his plate except his brownies.
"Sure thing, bud. The only request I make of you is I want that pinwheel crystal drive." Jim pointed at Loyd with his fork before getting back to his steak.
"Sure thing, but I'll have to completely retrofit your CTAS, and if you want, I can also change up your thrusters a little bit." Loyd was leaning back in his seat staring at the ceiling, wondering what changes he might do for Jim.
"Deal if you can also make me a war-hammer like Absinthes. That'd be awesome." Jim ate his last bite leaving only his brownie left.
"I can do that for you but it'll be unwieldy as sin." Loyd straightened himself up and grabbed a napkin and his pen and started drawing. "The hammerhead on Absinthe's is too light for his CTAS's strength and yours needs a bit more punch behind its swings. So, what do you think of this?" Loyd passed the napkin to Jim who just stared in amazement at the quality of the napkin drawing.
"So, wait, it has a rounded point and a rocket as its head?"
He looked down at the drawing, tracing the handgrips and fuel line.
"I'm obviously not gonna block with this thing. It's way too heavy and slow."
His finger found its way to the head of the hammer with a simple rocket designed to use his CTAS's fuel supply to boost the hammer during a swing.
"No, actually your CTAS would be able to move this thing rather easily with how I'll be redoing your synthetic muscle strands."
Jim just stared at him in amazement.
"You really are a demon. A demon tech smith at least." Both just laughed and got back to designing Jim's new CTAS.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Sdrawkcab
Sdrawkcab What do you all think on the spelling of launchie, should it be changed to launchy/launchey or keep it the same?
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