Heinrich’s voice buzzes in Lanis’ ear, his tone tight, as if he’s almost annoyed by what he sees: “Lanis, your readings were a little concerning there for a moment, and they’re still damned odd, but we’re ready to move ahead with the simulation if you feel up to it.”

  Lanis scans her internal integration feeds alongside Ether. She didn’t know the first thing about this simulated Suit five minutes ago, and while she still wouldn’t call herself a Versk Mark II expert, she thinks she’ll be competent enough. She increases power to the Suit’s reactor, switching it from standby to combat-ready, and feels a trembling as the sim pod’s hydraulic haptic feedback system kicks into gear.

  “Everything feels fine on my end,” Lanis responds, eyes narrowing as her HUD panel switches into full readiness combat mode.

  Lanis can hear Heinrich clearing his throat, talking to a tech, then back to her: “Ok, here’s the deal. As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve dropped an opposing Suit into your simulation. Don't worry, your scanners are fine, its loadout is just currently hidden. To put it simply, we want to see how you deal with it. Just a straight-forward fight. On my mark, the simulation will begin. Ready?”

  “Ready,” Lanis says, Ether echoing in her mind.

  “Ok then. Monitoring team is good to go,” Heinrich states. In the background, Lanis can hear a bubbling of assent.

  A pregnant pause.

  “Mark.”

  Then things move fast. Really fast.

  Lanis is hit by a flood of information, quickly sorted and prioritized by Ether: The opposing Suit is a standard bipedal with an energy lance, mass driver array, and a heavy missile launcher that I advise we avoid.

  Lanis sees and feels a cascade of targeting alarms. She responds near instantaneously, with Ether’s advice.

  Missile launch. Decoy drone launched, Ether confirms.

  The pod gives a quivering thump as the simulated decoy drone rockets out on a missile-intercepting suicide mission.

  Ether gives a tactics overview of their situation, each fact supported by digital footnotes for Lanis' (hopeful) future edification: Standard engagement procedure against a long-range offensive mech dictates employment of shield with medium range engagement. Our shield should be able to absorb up to 30% of our opponent’s ammunition. Observable energy spikes from the opponent’s energy lance should allow for evasive maneuvers as long as our reactor stays unharmed. The enemy’s missile system has the highest threat level.

  Lanis absorbs this information as quickly as her Fleet-tuned neurons can fire. There’s a jerk as she engages her Suit’s lateral thrusters while ripping off a burst from the coil gun.

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  Damn. The opposing Suit fires off some type of smoke screen, disappearing behind a white cloud. Lanis switches her optics to thermal, and feels the pod shudder again as the Versk shield absorbs a half-dozen shells from its mass driver.

  Shield at 82% integrity.

  Lanis accesses Ether’s tactics doctrine again, the dogmas flashing through her mind.

  “What about a rapid engagement, closing as fast as possible?” Lanis asks. She feels the sim pod lurch as the thrusters fire again, her Suit dodging an energy lance by a hair’s breadth. There’s no fucking cover in this simulation, Lanis rages, just flat, parched earth, which benefits the long range Suit immensely. She sees and feels a sudden thermal explosion as one of the Suit’s missiles meets her own drone decoy barely twenty meters away. The pod shudders.

  Coil gun jammed—ejecting round—now functional. Damage detected, advise lowering energy output to avoid further damage, Ether explains.

  Lanis crouches behind her fan-shield, unloading a full array of micro-missiles, trying to buy a moment to think as Ether rattles off advice. She can feel herself gritting her teeth. More worryingly, she can feel a headache coming on, building from the base of her skull like a stone grinding into her cerebellum. This isn’t sustainable, not with a fresh integration under duress, Lanis realizes.

  She reaches a sudden decision. Even if it goes poorly, at least it will be decisive.

  “Right; Ether, I want a rapid engagement.”

  Lanis, a meta analysis of Arena literature shows that the current tactics doctrine dictates— Ether begins, but Lanis cuts her off.

  “Screw current tactics doctrine. We’re launching all drones; hopefully we can avoid a missile to the face. Shedding coil gun, all power to thrusters and shield; readying shield drop and Mag-blade deployment,” Lanis says, each action occurring with Ether’s guidance as fast as the thoughts are formed. She feels the sim pod’s haptic relay shove her body back into the pilot’s seat as the Suit’s thrusters fire. The Versk Suit doesn’t have the speed of a Kaisho mech, but it will still close the imaginary eight hundred meters to the opposing mech in an anticipated eight point six seconds.

  Is there a moment of hesitation from the opposing Suit, or is that just Lanis’ imagination? Regardless, it suddenly unloads everything it has as it tries to back away, its mass driver muzzle burning white hot. Each shot minutely slows down Lanis’ charge as they ricochet against her shield.

  Slowing her… but not slow enough, Lanis thinks. Her Suit rocks forward again from a blast felt right behind them. All decoy drones expended, Ether explains, a bit needlessly.

  “Shit,” Lanis breathes as the two Suits come together. She can feel her Suit’s left leg go dark as it takes a point-blank hit from the energy lance. She pushes Ether’s attention toward thruster re-calibration while she casts aside the shield, simultaneously deploying the Mag-saber in a crackling emergence of lethal power. She ignores the pleading warning lights that advise against the power surge through the damaged arm.

  Ether fires the thrusters in their new calibration—the Versk energy core groans in anger—and Lanis feels the weight of her Mag-saber pierce through their opponent’s imaginary armor with breathtaking ease as they collide into one another.

  There’s a strange moment of stillness; then the two Suits topple over into the packed earth, held together in an awkward embrace. Lanis’ Suit’s HUD is all yellow and red, alarms flashing in bleak despair. The Versk Mark II is missing a leg, and its right arm is held together by luck; but its power still flows.

  Tactics doctrine updated, Ether whispers.

  Enemy Suit Destroyed: Simulation Complete