章 9: - Simulated Combat

"We should take up our position somewhere inside the building. If we do that, we can use the door as a filter for the pirates to have to go through. Additionally, we will be less exposed to our surroundings from inside," argued one of the two. He was a short, thin boy who spoke with a dignified accent and a learned, formal pronunciation.

"We should stay out here," argued the second. "We have fortifications ready for us, and if we need to, we can always fall back inside. Outside has more options for us through the fight." She was an average height girl with shoulders that were disproportionately wide when compared to the rest of her body.

"Moving inside is the tactically superior choice. Moving inside will grant us the opportunity to control the flow of the battle by using the architecture of the facility to our advantage. Not that you would understand that."

"Outside is the better option. We have no time to set up inside, and it's better to be outside when you don't know what your allies are capable of."

As the two argued about what plan was the best, other members of the team also began speaking, offering verbal support for which plan they preferred. In the end, it was only Gus, Connor, and Joel who remained silent.

Deciding that childlike bickering would get them nowhere, Gus used his head to signal to Connor and Joel that they should set up to prepare for the incoming attack. The three of them walked away from the group and moved to the barricades that lay outside the facility's entrance.

The fortifications primarily consisted of short barricades, which provided a soldier full cover as long as they crouched down, as well as a small, thin window which they could lean their rifle on and fire through. There were also a couple of holes that were dug out of the ground. These had two purposes to the defence. Firstly, they gave the defenders another place to hide themselves, forming something not unlike a trench. Secondly, should the defenders be pushed back inside the facility, the holes would act as traps that would trip up any oncoming attackers.

Once the three of them were set up behind a fortification, Gus glanced over at the group of seven who continued to argue about what plan was best. As the ship that appeared overhead lowered itself down into the space ahead of the facility, he called out to them.

"Are you going to stop bickering with each other and get on with this?" His sudden exclamation caught the attention of a couple of the quieter people who were a part of the argument. "This is one of, if not the most important missions we will have to undertake. Yeah, it might be a simulation, but this will determine the rest of our lives by deciding if we can get into the academy, so do you want to continue your childish argument or do you want to help us?"

His words had seemed to have the desired effect, as they pulled the people whose attention had been grasped by him over to the fortifications.

Just as Gus was about to introduce himself, his attention was drawn to the sudden appearance of a system message, accompanied by a high pitched alert noise.

*Mission: Simulated Combat.*

*Successfully complete the mission to obtain a reward.*

'Seems simple enough,' Gus thought.

"Gus, are you listening?" Connor asked him.

"What?" Gus asked in surprise.

"Thought as much. These two are Krista and Anten."

"Right," Gus responded, looking back at the other five who stood away from the fortifications. "We should have discussed this before now, but does anyone have any cybernetics?" he asked as the offensive ship touched down onto the ground.

Connor and Krista did not have any cybernetics, although Connor did express interest now that they were at the academy. Fortunately, Joel and Anten both possessed abilities that would add to the depth of strategy available to them.

For reasons he neglected to share, Joel underwent a treatment when he was younger that involved inserting nanomachines into his muscle fibres. This enhanced his strength and stamina as the machines reinforced his muscles during strenuous and prolonged activity. Conversely, Anten was more than happy to reveal that he had received his cybernetics because he figured they would be cool. Gesturing to an odd thickness on his forearm, Anten revealed that he housed a swarm of small, bug sized machines that he could control thanks to a chip implanted into his brain.

Using this information, they hastily began to formulate a plan, aware of the encroaching threat of pirates. Krista voiced valid concerns that cybernetic abilities would not work in the simulation. However, Gus was confident that the academy would want their new cohort to display their abilities to their full potential, and also had faith in the design capabilities of Rayine.

Taking control of the battlefield, Gus conducted the movements of those willing to work with him. Guessing his swarm ability would be something for them to focus their defence around, Gus positioned Anten behind the central barricade. As the horde of pirates disembarked from their ship and began approaching rapidly, Gus positioned himself and the other three on the two fortifications on the flanks of the defensive points.

His efforts did not go unnoticed, as three more people moved over towards him to offer their help, including the girl who had argued to hold outside.

"Thanks for agreeing with me," she said as she approached Gus, before introducing herself as Teala.

"Cybernetics?" Gus asked.

"My arms," she responded. "Although I'm not sure I'll be able to use them with this suit on."

"How so?"

"They're pretty much cannons grafted onto my body," she explained. "I can't really explain here, like this. If you're interested in finding out, then come and speak to me later. I'll show you."

Gus nodded in understanding. "Central barricade. Quickly," he ordered, before turning to talk to those already at the barricades. "Joel, move to the central barricade, and make it quick."

The other two introduced themselves as Kyle and Faye, and neither of them had any active cybernetic implants.

"One of you get the facility door opened," Gus said. "The other one, get over to the right barricade," he said, crouching down next to Connor on the left barricade. Peering through the small gun hole in the barricade, Gus saw the oncoming pirates.

Utilising improvised vehicles thrown together from the pillaged loot of numerous conquests, the pirates raced across the sand towards them in numbers. Between the four wheelers covered by people over every inch, and the fast moving two wheelers that raced ahead of the main body of the attack, Gus estimated there were about two decades of vehicles. Although the wave of sand that the vehicles were driving into the air obscured his vision, so he knew it was possible that he had underestimated.

Taking a last glance at the two who remained to the side as bystanders, Gus called out a plan of action to the people at the fortification.

The vehicles came to a screeching halt just ahead of the barricades, throwing loose pieces of metal and the pirates that clung to them off the frame. The pirates quickly disembarked, and charged at the defensive line without hesitation.

Electronically powered rifle fire erupted from the defensive line, cutting down the first wave of pirates with ease. It did not make much of a difference, as the fallen pirates were swiftly replaced with more who trampled their bodies as easily as stepping on dirt. As the pirates reached the fortifications, a swarm of small machines descended from above. Like a dark cloud, the machines swarmed over the pirates and attacked them as though they were a single entity, eating their way through the skin of the pirates.

A call came from behind the line, indicating that the door had been opened by Kyle. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the swarm, and acknowledging that the door was now opened, Gus yelled out for the second part of the plan to begin.

Gus, Connor, Krista and Faye moved back from the barricade and slowly retreated to the door. At the same time, Joel and Teala rushed forwards and used their cybernetically enhanced physiques to engage the pirates through the cloud of machines. Instead of entering the building, Gus and the others climbed up the sandy hills onto the roof of the facility, which lay covered in sand. Once there, they used their rifles to protect their allies in the swarm. Carefully chosen targets dropped outside of the swarm, taken down before they could attack the defenders engaged in close range inside the swarm.

Despite the combat being simulated, the experience thrilled Gus. Each shot dropped an opponent, their body kicking up sand. The air was filled with the sounds of high pitched electrical rifle fire, and of the stench of burned electricity. Soon after Gus and the others retreated, the fight was over. As Anten recalled his machines, he revealed the casualties of the conflict.

The voice spoke in the ears of the team once again. "Congratulations on succeeding. Once you have detached, exit the room through the door and await further instructions."