章節 25: Simulation: Part 2
The next morning came slowly, a soft knock against the cockpit stirred me awake as the dim glow of my display softly lit the cramped space around me.
BT's mechanical voice cut through the quiet. "Good morning, Pilot. It is now dawn."
I blinked myself awake, taking in the stale air of the cockpit and the sight of faint sunlight that was being shown in my display. My body felt stiff and cramped from sleeping in the seat, my helmet wedged awkwardly against the console as a sort of pillow for me to use. I grab my helmet and put it on as I move my head back trying to stretch my neck. I also arched my back in an attempt to stretch it and felt a wave of relief overcome me as it cracked.
"Good morning, BT," I muttered, rolling my shoulders. With a yawn, I asked, "What's your current status?"
"All systems operational. Shields have returned to full capacity, holding at 92%. Integrity levels are stable at 95%. Mobility remains optimal."
I felt a slight smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. At least some things were predictable. After yesterday's struggle to patch up the leg and clear the nearby perimeter, seeing the mech in near-full condition was a small relief. "What about our weapons?" I asked, bringing up the HUD's armament diagnostics.
"Primary weapon system: Sniper Rifle," BT responded. "Secondary: Spear. Additional options include two concussion grenades stored on the lower right leg mount."
"I mean, its alright, not that bad," I muttered, checking over the ammunition levels and remaining power reserves. The sniper rifle would be great for ambushes as it packed a good enough punch and was capable of piercing most armor at tier 1. The spear, on the other hand, was made entirely of the same metal alloy that a mech was made depending on its tier, it was just processed differently to become sturdier. It was reliable for close quarters, and it also brought along some memories of how Valina had killed this universe's Aspen.
"I recommend the conservation of ammo through the use of well-placed shots."
I nodded at BT's remarks and thought over what I had learned of mechs. The armor on the back of a mech is the softest, cockpit armor may be tricky to penetrate as shields protect it. However, our tier of shields will not hold out for long, especially not a Parrallax's shields since they were meant to strike from long range.
I took in the lineup and formed a rough mental picture of what BT and I could pull off whenever we engaged an enemy and if things ended up going south. All in all, it wasn't the worst setup to work with. Of course, I would've liked to be spawned into a Reaper class mech since they are the best all-rounder and surprisingly, master of all, class. Their armor was comparable with that of a Sentinel's armor, the speed of a Viper class mech, stealth comparable to that of a Ghost class mech, and electronic systems that could almost put a Warlock class mech to shame at every single tier.
But they also came with a very hefty price tag that was about 6 times the price of a Knight class mech at every tier, which made them, and a couple of other mech classes a rare sight on battlefields. They would usually be operated by either elite pilots within their tier or by idiots who had more money than skill. But oh well, beggars can't be choosers I guess.
"Good," I said, settling back into my seat. "Keep running scans and keep me updated if you detect any hostile activity nearby. I'll be taking over now."
I assumed control of the mech as its systems hummed softly while I took a moment to scan the area with the sniper rifle. Outside, the dawn light cast long shadows over the ruins. Bits of twisted metal and abandoned equipment lay scattered across the ground, remnants of older battles or perhaps simply the clutter of time. The remains of what I assume to have been the factory I was in yesterday loomed to my left. It was decorated with tons of rust and a concrete structure with cracks and missing sections that made it seem ready to buckle at any moment.
"BT, what's our sync rate at right now?" I ask.
"Synchronization rate at 98% and rising. The synchronization rate seems to be increasing at a higher and more stable rate while the Pilot is the one in manual control."
"Yeah, I can feel it, a sort of connection to you. BT, did you detect any activity overnight?" I asked, leaning forward to study what I was seeing through the sniper's scope more closely.
"Affirmative, Pilot. Although no movement was detected within a 100-meter radius," BT reported. "I detected gunfire to the northeast overnight. Records indicate intermittent engagement approximately 3.6 kilometers from our current location."
The data flashed onto one of my HUD screens to my left, a yellow arrow pointing northeast. Whoever was out there was either moving from zone to zone or retreating. It could be a squadron, if I'm lucky, it could be Ghost himself, or they could just be looking for supplies or possibly for targets. I'd need to be on alert and act with caution, keep my distance and a low profile until I could confirm whether they were friend or foe.
"Noted. Any other alerts on the surroundings?"
"Scanners have detected additional metal debris and dormant units roughly one kilometer to the east, near the remains of an old transport hangar."
A transport hangar… that sounded like a decent spot to check for equipment or extra ammunition if I was lucky. And, if it was littered with dormant units, there was a decent chance I could scavenge something useful without drawing too much attention. Maybe even make some changes to the cockpit that I had in mind, something along the lines of the mech cockpits from Titanfall 2, or maybe even a Gundam-style cockpit.
These cockpit hatces for this world's mechs were kind of a death trap. They were a square that was on the top of the cockpit's frontal armor and it rose a little slow for my taste. With all of the information I have learned, combined with all of the concepts I have in mind and my newfound genius, I'm pretty confident I can do a conversion to the cockpit.
Also, I should make some sort of boosters for myself so that I can embody the being of Rifleman Cooper. Oh, maybe even some gravitational boots like that of Horizon from Apex Legends. Oh man, I'm getting giddy just thinking about it. It would all be a matter of money.
I snap out of my thoughts and start to move the mech in the direction of the arrow. "Let's take a look," I said, as I felt every step being taken, which was as smooth as a baby's skin compared to yesterday. The patchwork I did to the right leg was feeling stable.
BT had also done a good job finding a safe spot and keeping watch overnight, I made a mental note to thank him later for it. Not that he'd care, but I had only bene here for half a day and I could feel myself starting to lose it a little bit and if I kept on like this, I'd probably go nuts talking to myself all day unless I managed to come across Ghost soon since I couldn't really trust anyone else in this simulation.
I maneuvered the mech around the uneven ground, weaving through heaps of twisted metal and some rusting remains of other mechs. As I approached the transport hangar, the sensors started picking up faint energy signatures.
"BT, analyze that hangar."
"Detecting three mechs, energy signatures suggest that they are all Tier 1," BT replied, "likely a small patrol. If we are lucky, they are just dormant units based on low-level energy readings."
I stopped about 400 meters short of the hangar and aimed the sniper rifle, zooming in on the area. Three mechs, 2 Knights, and one Parallax by the looks of them. They stood idling near the hangar entrance. Their paint was scratched and scuffed, and one of the Knight class mechs was even missing half its leg armor, leaving the entire internal structure and wiring exposed. But one thing was for sure, they weren't abandoned.
"Guess I should introduce myself to them," I said as I lowered my sniper and changed positions, moving behind a ridge. I trained my aim on the Parallax and aimed right below its cockpit, at where its reactor should be, and opened fire on it.
*Boom*
The shot flew through the air and in less than half a second it hit the Parallax in the reactor. But What I expected to happen didn't happen. Instead of an explosion, I witnessed the shot ricochet off its reactor and fly upwards through its right all, causing a bunch of sparks to fly out as its right arm broke in half and dangled halfway between the elbow and the shoulder.
Without even thinking about it, I fired another shot at the back of its cockpit, but its shield deflected the shot and I watched it fly through the roof of the hangar.
I was about to take a third shot, but by now it had turned around and grabbed its sniper with its left arm. The other two mechs turned along with it, sluggishly bringing their own rifles up, and opening fire in my general direction. Their aim was poor and rounds clattered against the ridge picking up dirt.
I aimed again on the Parallax who appeared to have some trouble lining up the shot with only one arm. I opened fire on its cockpit and this time no shields came up to deflect it. The shot hit its lower front armor plate and bounced down into its reactor. I watched the mech seize up and a fire start from its reactor, as bullets flew past me.
I changed targets and was about to fire on the Knight to the right, but before I could shoot the Parallax's reactor blew, sending a wave of blue flames outwards and knocking over the 2 knight mechs. I looked in awe at the scorched ground and the 2 Knights that were starting to stand back up and snap out of it.
I aimed again at the Knight to the right and fire. I hit its left knee which caused sparks to start flying everywhere. It came crashing down from its half-standing position on its right knee, which now converts it into a sitting duck.
With the knowledge that Knight class mechs of tiers lower than 5 don't get any shielding as they are meant to be expendable, I aim directly at its cockpit, where its upper and lower armor plates meet, and fired. The shot which went straight through the center of its lightly armored cockpit, causing it to stop firing as its pilot inside became half the person they used to be.
"Two down," I muttered, shifting to the last one which had started to retreat in an attempt to enter the hangar and find some cover as it shot toward me. This one was the one with the damaged leg armor. I shot at its cockpit but the pilot managed to turn just at the right angle causing my shot to ricochet and give the dilapidated roof of the hangar a second hole by yours truly for decoration. It stumbled a bit at the power of the shot, but it stayed upright as it returned fire.
I fired 2 consecutive shots without aiming much. One of them hit the ground but ricocheted up striking the mech's undamaged leg. It was more like a battering ram at that point, causing the leg to just get a bend, but not damage it enough to stop its movement. The second shot landed on its right shoulder, ripping its right arm cleanly off its joint along with its rifle, stopping it from returning fire. I then shot the center of its cockpit but as luck would have it, the shot ricocheted off its sloped upper armor plate.
"Shitty fucking low-tier bullshit," I said as I watched my shot glance off the mech's almost non-existent armor. I fired again and this time the shot penetrated, but the pilot had turned his mech and instead of hitting him, it had blown the cockpit open, its front no longer attached.
The mech continued to retreat and I could see the pilot inside the cockpit stare towards me in anger. I couldn't get a clear shot on him as he was now behind cover, but then I remembered that I had a couple of balls that would make anyone's bad day even worse. I close the distance into the hangar and once I'm about 30 meters away, I throw in one of my two concussion grenades.
They wouldn't do anything to the human body, except mess with any electronics they ahd in it, but they would cause a mech to freeze for about 8 seconds. And that was just enough time for me as I switched to my spear and ran it after the grenade went off. I immediately take a left turn and see the mech frozen in place as its pilot stares at my mech with fear.
I ignored his look of fear and in a swift motion, I drove my spear with my right hand through his exposed cockpit, turning him into nothing more than minced meat. Silence filled the air before it was interrupted by the sound of metal ripping as I pulled my spear out. It was coated in blood and other mechanical fluids.
"BT, scan for any life signatures," I ordered BT as I swung my spear to get rid of all the liquids on its tip.
"Scanners detect no additional life signatures," BT reported. "The area is clear."
I take a look around at the carnage I had just caused in just 3 minutes, nothing that could interest me on the mechs. I look back over to the mangled remains of the pilot I had skewered, "Tough luck, bucko."
I then inspect the surroundings, trying to scavenge for some ammunition for my sniper rifle. They weren't carrying much, but I was lucky enough to have found 5 magazines of ammunition, bringing my current ammo reserves to 8 magazines… 7 as I reladed my sniper rifle. Each magazine contained 12 shots, but the one I had in my sniper wasn't full. Never mind the fact that it took me 11 shots to take these 3 out. I have to get better with my aim and my shot choices.
"Not too shabby," I muttered as I pulled up my map and marked the northeast area BT had logged earlier. If there were active gunfights nearby, I'd need to keep moving. No reason for me to stick around any longer than I needed for either reinforcements or enemies to track me down.
With my gear secured and the route ahead clear, I set off again, the ruins of the hangar disappeared behind me as the early morning light stretched across the abandoned landscape.
I continued on my journey but came across nothing, which was good, but not great. I was here to learn not to enjoy a peaceful stroll across a wasteland. But then again, maybe I should be treating this more realistically instead of just as a simulation...
The days started to blend together as morning after morning, I was woken up by BT's unchanging voice, announcing the time and status. We'd run system checks, then move out once again, carving a slow, and purposeless path through this wasteland. After the initial firefight, I expected the days to be filled with similar encounters, but what followed was mostly silence, a very eerie silence. Federation patrols were sparse, their routes either programmed for other sections or thinned by the Resistance I had heard mentioned.
On the third morning, I decided to step outside the cockpit for the first time in a while. I opened the hatch and climbed out, standing for a moment to let the silence settle around me. It was cold, my breath a haze of steam in this harsh terrain. It was barren soil dotted with twisted metal remnants and the scattered debris of fallen mechs. I left the control of the mech to BT as he followed behind me, its massive footsteps oddly quiet in this wasteland.
"Keep a look out while I stretch my legs," I said, mostly to myself, though I'd found talking to BT out loud made me feel less isolated. I could tell my mind was starting to deteriorate with the lack of human contact. Man, I can only imagine how bad things would have been if I hadn't gotten a soul-summoning voucher on my first day in this universe.
"Understood, Pilot," BT replied, positioning itself in a slight crouch to minimize its silhouette.
I walked a few yards ahead, feeling the crunch of the frozen soil and fragments beneath my boots. My mind wandered to the idea of tweaking the cockpit setup. If I had the right parts, then maybe adjusting the seat and controls to maximize comfort while piloting and pushing the mech's speed would be a viable idea. But I had yet to find anything out here.
Maybe I'll just keep it as an idea for when I exit the simulation and get my hands on a mech and some parts. Maybe I can see if that girl with the mech manufacturer relationship would be willing to donate- no fucking way someone would donate something worth over 3 million credits.
I spent the better part of an hour scouring nearby wreckage for supplies. I ended up finding a few salvageable things, mostly odds and ends: some wiring, 2 more magazines of ammo for the sniper rifle, and some extra armor that I quickly attached to the back of the mech and its hip area, but nothing that would transform BT. However monotonous it felt, I kept searching, hoping that I'd find the right bits and pieces to make my dreams a reality.
Later, I got back into the cockpit, feeling the familiar stiffness in my shoulders and the creak of my joints settling back into place. I allowed BT to remain in control as we navigated the area, occasionally flagging clusters of movement, though most turned out to be wildlife.
Around mid-day, a warning tone came through the HUD accompanied by BT's voice: "Detection of radio frequencies nearby," BT said. "Likely source: a mech patrol or enemies communicating. Approximately 1.8 kilometers southeast."
A radio signal meant one of two things: Federation scouts or the Resistance. Either way, neither was on my side and it warranted investigation. I assumed control of the mech as I piloted BT carefully in that direction, using terrain to stay hidden. As we approached, the signal grew faint, fading in and out as we drew closer. I ordered BT to do a life sign scan but it picked up no additional life signs in the surrounding area.
The coordinates led to a small encampment hidden within a grove of twisted metal. A few tents, a half-functional generator, and scattered equipment. It looked hastily abandoned. There were supplies scattered about but it wasn't much, just some rations and a medkit. I scavenged what I could, adding them to our haul. Though this was a simulation, I found out that the feeling of hunger was very real, and more food meant a bit more comfort.
By the fifth day, I had to face the monotony that was starting to settle in. This was nothing like what I had imagined it would be. My sync rate with BT had risen to 128% by now thanks to the fact that I was controlling the mech most of the time, making every single movement while I controlled the mech all the more easier. I had yet to come across Ghost, or even see any sign of him. Hell, I was even starting to wonder if this simulation was really a joint simulation.
On the sixth day, I stumbled into the shell of an old factory, half-collapsed but littered with piles of discarded supplies and forgotten equipment. Just as I was about to move on, I saw something that caught my eye, a couple of buckets of black paint, dusty but still sealed tight. Nearby, a smaller bucket of white lay on its side, lid askew but full enough. I moved closer, shaking the bucket of black paint before prying it open.
The paint seemed to still be in good condition, so I turned to face my mech. "BT, how about a fresh look? Full black do-over, and maybe… a scythe. Something for a little character," I mused, running a gloved hand over one of the mech's frame in thought.
"That sounds like a plan," BT replied, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
With BT's help, I got to work, rigging up an auto-paint function by using the mech's smallest tools to coat the armor plates smoothly. Bit by bit, the dull faded military green metal disappeared under a glossy, obsidian layer. The frame of the Parallax started taking on a more ominous look as the black paint settled over every angle. BT was able to emit some heat from the reactor, warming up its frame and armor which caused the paint to dry much quicker in the cold.
Once the black paint was dry, I moved on to make the scythe. I dipped a brush into the white paint and began sketching on BT's left shoulder. The design of the scythe took shape as a long, curved blade, rough around the edges and with some white drops resembling blood. Next, I painted a grim reaper holding it before I stepped back and admiring my work. I then moved onto the right shoulder and repeated the process with it.
All the while, BT was releasing heat from the reactor and maintained the metal warm enough to dry the paint but not too hot to cook the black paint. Once I was all done, I took a step back. "All set," I said, viewing the result. "Look through my helmet and tell me what you think?"
"Intimidating," BT replied, as if savoring the transformation. "You've done a great job, Pilot."
"Oh, stop it, BT, you're going to make me blush," I said, as I threw the paint buckets and the brush aside. With that, we powered up and headed out. We had been walking for about 30 minutes when all of a sudden my cockpit lights turned read.
"Be advised, Pilot. Enemy units detected 1200 meters to our east."
I took a look at the map data and saw about 12 different blips on it. "It's like their broadcasting their positions. They're not even trying to hide. It's almost like they are asking to be attacked."
Well, this is only a simulation and its been a very boring couple of days. "Hey BT, you think we can take them on?"
"Pilot, from the radar signatures, it seems like this is a squadron made up of 12 tier 1 mechs. Fighting them is not advisable."
"Aww, come on BT, live a little. We all have to die someday. How about we just toy with them a bit? Plus, night is starting to fall, and we'll become invisible to them especially once we turn off our radar and anything else that emits an energy signature that will be picked up by their radar." I say as I release control of the mech to BT. "Get us in an advantageous position. I want to catch them off guard and hit them hard, slip out, and then come back again when they don't expect it."
"As you wish, Pilot," BT responded.
I turned off our radar and a couple of other systems that were non-essential and would help maintain my cover as BT controlled the mech and started running, maintaining a speed of about 40 kmh. It took us a little over a minute to come within a 400-meter distance of the last pinged location we had. Using the trees as cover I ordered BT to scan. The targets had covered about 200 meters from their original location. BT started moving us closer, our speed slowing down as we drew nearer.
BT bent down and got into the Parallax's signature stance for sniping as I regained full control and brought up the sniper rifle. I aim at the leading mech, a Knight class, to confuse them on where the shot came from and fire a single shot at its reactor.
*Boom*
The shot easily ripped through the mech's armor and destroyed its reactor, which, without delay, immediately sent a wave of blue flames to its sides as it blew up and shrapnel flew out at high speeds.
Multiple sharp pieces and rods from the mech's back armor went flying straight backward and into a Rakshasa class mech that was following close to it. Its shields did their work but there was just too much shrapnel for a Tier 1 mech to handle and some of it went through its optics, effectively blinding the mech.
A sharp piece of the mech's angular armor around the reactor went flying to the right and pierced through the cockpit of a Knight that was standing next to it. I watched it get flung sideways from the shockwave and not get back up.
I switched my sights to the mech that was closest to me, the one all the way at the back. It was a Parallax and it soft, back armor, towards me as it aimed at the tree line ahead of it, trying to find where the shot came from. The other accompanying mechs did so too except for the Rakshasa which just stayed in place, blinded but still a wall of protection.
I fired my shot perfectly to the right center of its back, in human terms, where the lats would be. During my last fight with a Parallax mech, I observed a major flaw in its shielding. Due to the fact that Parallax mechs were usually keeping cover from afar while in cover, their shields from behind would only protect specific parts, such as the reactor, the nape, and the center of the back.
So I watched its shields not even activate and my shot went through it and out the front of the cockpit, causing its shields to activate then. The force of the shot caused it to jolt forward a little and come crashing down.
The other mechs started to scramble as they opened fire on the treeline ahead of them, with everyone still clueless as to where they were being shot from. Everyone, except for the blinded Rakshasa, which had put its rifle on its back and taken out its sword, started to retreat to their right, into the forest I was in.
I aimed at another Knight and shot its reactor, which caused another blue fireball to erupt, though there wasn't any collateral damage this time around apart from making a few of the surrounding mechs stumble.
"3 down, 1 out of the fight" I muttered to myself as I put my sights on another Parallax that was starting to turn in my direction. I quickly fired a shot that ricocheted off its shields and went straight through the head of a Knight that was furthest from it, rendering it useless as it lost its ability to see.
Its pilot, unlike the pilot of the Rakshasa, seemed to panic and started blind firing on his own team, striking the Parallax's shields a few times and deactivating them. At this point, his own team started to open fire on him. While all that chaos was going on, I lined up a second shot on the Parallax mech that I had just failed to kill. Its cockpit's armor buckled under the pressure from my shot, creating a massive dent that crushed it and the pilot inside.
"6 enemies, 5 destroyed and one out of commission with just 5 shots, Pilot. Exceptional marksmanship," BT commented.
"Save the compliments for when we're done, BT," I responded as I aimed at the 3rd and last Parallax that had its back turned towards me, but I didn't notice that 2 of the Knights had locked onto my location.
*PTOWOWOWOWOWONGGGGGGG*
A shot ricocheted off my front shields, the sound of which almost left me deaf. BT quickly took over and started backpedaling us into the forest as I tried my best to aim and ignore my ringing ears. I opened fire but my shot was way off, hitting one of the trees. However, it appears luck was on my side as hitting the tree caused the shot to change trajectory and start spinning as it hit the foot of one of the Knights, causing it to lose its balance and crash into the Parallax that was lining me up, causing him to fire into the ground.
BT kept on retreating us until I assumed control and made a break for the road to my left. Once I crossed it I kept on running up the slight incline and over the ridge. When I was on the other side, I turned right and kept on running quickly getting to a different position. I released control to BT and he maintained us behind cover while letting me aim over the ridge with minimal exposure.
I aimed in the direction of the forest fire that was starting to spread and scouted 2 Knights crossing the road as well. I ignored them and searched for the Parallax. I got a slight glimpse of it through the flames and trees and slowly lined up a shot on the only part I could see. Its right shoulder. I took a single shot and hit him square in the right shoulder. The arm dropped about a meter as it dangled on the joint and it dropped its sniper rifle, retreating further into the forest with the 3 Knights.
I shifted my aim and tracked one of the Knight mechs that was making its way up the slight hill to get a better shot on me. I shot the leading Knight and destroyed a section of its cockpit, missing the pilot. However, this caused it to fall into the path of the other Knight, making it trip over its frame. The pilot of the Knight I shot escaped his mech through the missing section of his cockpit and started to make a run for it.
Unfortunately for him, he ran right in front of the 457mm (18 inch) round of my rifle which vaporized him before hitting the other Knight's reactor and blowing it up. "Well, that's 7 down, one almost crippled, one with a busted foot, another with a missing arm, and that just leaves the motionless Rakshasa," I say as I feel the adrenaline start to leave my system.
"Excellent display of your piloting skills, Pilot. Would you like to give chase to the stragglers?" BT asked after complimenting me.
"No BT, although I feel like this may blow back on me, chasing them wouldn't be the smartest idea right now. They'll be expecting me, most likely turned off their radars by now too. Let's just move to another area, we've done enough damage for now," I say as I look at the Rakshasa.
I then aimed my sniper rifle at the top of its cockpit, which was the least angled part of it from my point of view, and fired. The shot bent its armor and ricocheted upwards, leaving a red trail in the night sky. This caused it to start moving to its left as I shot at the same spot again only to watch the same thing happen.
It then started backpedaling into the forest as I frustratingly shot a third time and finally, I saw it penetrate as smoke started to come out of the cockpit.
"Reloading," called out BT. "Rifle Reloaded."
Silence filled the air before the sound of groaning metal filled it. I watched as the Rakshasa's cockpit hatch tried to open, shifting ever so slightly, surprising me at how it could be possible that even after penetrating the Rakshasa's cockpit, its pilot was still alive and trying to get out.
Unfortunately for its pilot, the damage done to that area of the cockpit was so great that it was no use. I watched in silence as sparks danced around the hole and its pilot attempted to escape through it. But it was of no use as the hole was big enough to cause great damage, but still not big enough for a human to fit through. Or so I thought.
I watched in disbelief as the pilot managed to climb out halfway before getting stuck, their frame skinny and almost…childlike. As in a teen. Wait, was I just fighting fucking kids? That explains why the fucker remained in place after being ambushed. Something in me started to snap as I controlled my mech and made my way towards it.
"Hey kid, let me help you out," I said over the external speakers of my mech as I came to a stop near her. She was just a girl, maybe about 14 years old, and she seemed malnourished. That's when I took notice of the paint scheme of the mech. It was red with white lettering that read "We will resist to the end."
"Pilot, helping out an enemy is going to blow back on you," BT said.
"I don't want to fucking hear it BT, this is a fucking kid, he shouldn't be here, and by the looks of it, he didn't have much of a choice," I almost shouted to BT.
"Look, climb back in, I'll pull the hatch off," I said in a soft tone as the kid nodded and climbed back into her mech. I pulled at the hatch and heard the groan of metal as I slowly peeled it off. Right as I did so, I put out my mech's left hand for her to climb out, which she did. As I brought her down to the ground, black smoke started coming out of her mech's cockpit. I scanned the surroundings and ensured her team had really retreated.
I kneel my mech, open the hatch, and step out, helmet on as I allow BT to remain in control, just in case. "Hey, kid… I- are you alright?" I asked her.
"..." she said something in a low voice which prompted me to get closer.
"I didn't catch that, what did you say?" I asked.
"You killed them," she said again in a louder voice. "YOU KILLED THEM! YOU KILLED ALL OF THEM!" the kid screamed as she ran towards me and threw a punch at me, which I sidestepped.
"Hey, hey, I know this won't help but calm down. I didn't know I was fucking fighting kids," I said as I felt a sting in my heart.
"YOU FUCKING KILLED THEM!" she screamed again as she threw another punch, which I just grabbed.
"Hey, stop and take a breath. Calm down," I said in a calm tone, although I was having an internal strife right now.
"FUCK YOU!" she screamed as she tried to kick me in the nuts, which I just stopped with my other hand.
"I said fucking stop," I shouted as I pushed her away from me and to the ground about 2 meters from where I was standing.
She sobbed while she was on the ground and shifted from facing the ground to being on her back.
*Bang - ding*
*Bang*
In a split second, she fired at my head and once again, my helmet saved me. I acted on pure impulse and reaction as I swiftly drew my pistol and shot her once through the chest and she dropped to the ground.
"Fuck, no, nononononono," I said as I ran to her side, my helmet indicating that my bullet had gone through her heart. I took off my helmet and stared down at her as I cradled her body. "H-hey, he-hey, l-look at me."
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, an image that will forever be imprinted in my mind. "Ah-ouwi," she started crying in pain. "I don't want to die."
"You're not going to die, I got you, I got you, stay with me, stay with me dammit," I say as I rush back to my mech and rush out with the medkit I had found. I fumble around with it, and pull out a few things. I tear her pilot suit off and try, try, try, I don't fucking know, try anything.
She whimpered as I examined her wound, "I don- I don't… I'm… sc-scared…" her words came out like knives to my heart.
"Don't worry sweetie, everything's going to be alright," I said as I squeezed her hand. "Everything's going to be alright now, I just have to patch-"
"Pilot," BT's voice cuts through the air, "She's gone…"
"No, no, sh-she's not, I-I'm fixing her up. I'm m-making this right," I reply to BT's words.
"Pilot… her life signs are non-existent… She's dead."
My breathing quickens as I look down at the girl's eyes. They're wide open, in fear, looking at me.
"Fuck, fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," I punch the ground over and over again. After a while, I glance back at the girl again. Her violet eyes empty. "You're just a fucking kid… why, just why were you on a battlefield."
I spent an unknown amount of time on the ground cradling the girl's corpse as my mind raced. Just why, why a kid, why? My mind eventually went from feeling guilt and remorse to anger.
"Why the fuck did you have to do that?" I shouted at her corpse. "You stupid motherfucker! If you wouldn't of have done that, you would've still been fucking alive!"
I was angry at her, for fighting, for dying, for shooting at me, for having crossed my path. But when I started feeling the cold again, my mind calmed. This was just a simulation, it was only an illusion. It wasn't real, it wasn't real.
I still respected the kid and covered her up properly. I hopped back into my mech and grabbed her corpse, placing it inside the still-smoking cockpit.
"It's all a simulation," I say to myself. I then relinquish my control over the mech, "BT, get us the fuck out of here."
"Understood, Pilot. I'll take care of finding us a safe resting place," BT answered. We slipped back into the night, leaving behind us a trail of death and destruction, as I closed my eyes trying to process everything.
*Third Person POV*
On the next morning, a sole gray Parallax mech made its way down a road when it spotted the debris of destroyed mechs. It walked over to the Rakshasa, which had stopped smoking by now, and looked into its cockpit.
It then scanned the surroundings before scanning the ground. It followed a set of footprints over the hill and ridge, seeing a few shells on the ground. The charred surrounding and destroyed mechs were a testament to what had gone down here.
"Seems like this was all done by a single pilot… a merciless and skilled one at that…"
Word Count: 6622 Words (21 Pages 🤘🏽) 🪖
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票