Two weeks.

  Two weeks to put together a Suit, to run the plethora of systems and safety checks, and for Lanis and Ether to get used to how the twenty-five tons of armor theoretically handles in the Sim Pod. The idea of running any live fire tests seems a pure fantasy.

  In fact, the situation is both better, and worse, than Lanis initially thinks. Worse, because they don’t really have two weeks at all: it’s more like ten days, when one considers the time needed to transport the Suit to the Cauldron’s staging area and run it through the final, exacting checklists once there.

  However, they aren’t actually starting from scratch; in fact, nowhere near it. The Suit schematic that Versk submitted to the Cauldron’s planning board months ago is a far more standardized design, if a bit older, than the designs that the Versk Suit team has been tinkering with. And, while acceptance to the Cauldron game had always seemed remote, Renfol and his underlings have judiciously prepared for the possibility.

  Consequently, a Suit complying with the Cauldron’s interchangeable module layout has already been bought and partially compiled by a small team, working off-hours, with the basis being an older generation Murkata-Heisen chassis with a few of the more stable Versk designs overlayed. Now, with the full attention of the Versk Hangar’s entire engineering team now focused on the one Suit with laser-like intensity, the rest of the mech comes together with blinding speed.

  “Like I said, with half of these systems it was like they wanted to reinvent the bloody wheel,” Sander says gruffly on a coffee break on the first day of his marathon sprint to get the Suit battle-ready. He scoffs. “It’s a blessing, in a way, that the bosses made that impossible. It won’t quite be the exposition of Versk tech that they were hoping for, but,” he says, clapping Lanis on the shoulder, “at least it should work.”

  The Suit is a hexapod. In the first moment of reviewing the design Lanis is puzzled at how similar it appears to some of the longer-range stand-off Suits that she’s seen in the Arena feeds.

  Heinrich, however, helpfully offers some explanation on their first day of Sim Pod training on the new design.

  “The Versk strategists figure that the Cauldron’s battle-field offers some unique opportunities,” Heinrich says, his arms crossed, watching intently as Ash straps Lanis into the Sim Pod. Around them, other Versk technicians sit at the semi-circle of desks and terminals, sipping coffee and looking over the schematics that are being loaded into the new simulation.

  “First and foremost, survivability. The Suit’s low profile means it should be able to take full advantage of the rubble and cover of the city. It should also be able to take a few non-critical hits. A blown leg won’t spell disaster. Second, camouflage and ambush capabilities.” Heinrich’s voice begins to grow excited despite his natural reserve. “This is a fairly standard hexapod design, but it does incorporate some Versk mining tech, which is probably what’s going to give Sander and his team the biggest headache.” Heinrich pushes his glasses up his nose, a tight smile forming.

  “But, If everything works out, the Suit should be able to dig through a healthy amount of concrete and rebar, like a termite through rotted wood.”

  “Sounds useful,” Lanis answers, already thinking of the tactical implications. The dead city once had a subway system, and most of it should still be intact. Getting down there could be a huge advantage.

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” Ash interjects, giving them both a slightly sour glance. “We shouldn’t count on the digging claws too heavily; it’ll be the last thing Sander and the techs work on getting right after they’re done with getting the base Suit finished.” She attaches the Sim Pod’s heart rate, blood pressure, and EKG monitors to Lanis’ chest and arms.

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  “Yes, well. That is the pessimistic outlook,” Heinrich says, sighing. “Speaking of downsides, this mech is faster than it looks, but it won’t be winning races against the bipeds, or quadrupeds, especially the ones from aeronautical corps.”

  Lanis scoffs. “So, you mean any other Suits?”

  “Well, yes. When you put it like that.” Heinrich sighs again. “It has a solid jump-burst, and its climbing will be excellent, but it’s also certainly not an aerialist. The strategists seem to have decided that going down is better than up, where verticality is concerned.”

  Lanis nods. So, we’re keeping our heads down. Way down, she thinks. It all makes sense, but she can’t help but feel it shows a lack of faith on behalf of Versk. Though, to be fair, she’d probably feel the same.

  “Ready?” Ash says, giving her handiwork a once-over.

  “Ready,” Lanis answers back.

  “Good. Let’s get to work.”

  Similar to the physical Suit preparation, Lanis finds that her task in the Sim Pod is both easier and more difficult than she initially thought. Easier, because she and Ether have spent a large proportion of their time training on hexapod-type Suits. Lanis wonders if this too was a hedge against Versk somehow being accepted into the Cauldron. Regardless, Ether and Lanis now train on the design exclusively, all other tactics simulations are a distant memory.

  More difficult, because, by the Cauldron’s design, Versk is unsure of what modules might be available in the city. They can make some educated guesses of course, but trying to train every loadout combination is simply unrealistic.

  “Every other pilot in there will have years of experience. However, your integration levels should give you an advantage in tactical quickness and adaptability,” Heinrich says, his voice buzzing in Lanis’ ear as she trains.

  The only person who seemingly has no doubts about their viability in the competition is Ether. It’s as if the idea of burrowing has awakened some deep substratum of her core Versk programming—the part designed for the solitude of asteroid core mining, now repurposed for spider-like deviancy.

  I just hope you know that we’re going to kick everyone’s ass, Ether says as they practice tremor-recognition patterns, the hexapod suit buried under rubble in an ambush pattern. Closer… closer… Ether whispers, and Lanis feels Ether’s glee bleed into a grin on her own face as their suit springs out of the ground, wraps its legs around the unsuspecting biped’s torso, and plunges their blade deep into the opposing mech’s underbelly.

  Lanis can feel Ether’s projection jump and clap her hands, squealing like an excited cheerleader.

  It’s not just mental fatigue that Lanis has to contend with, her neural shunt occasionally growing hot and the beginning of a headache creeping in, but physical as well. The Cauldron will take place over a continuous twenty-four hour period, with the twenty-five square mile Arena slowly shrinking in fits and bursts. It’s twenty-four hours that Lanis will spend entirely within the pilot pod, with all of its requisite necessities. A suit within a Suit, Lanis thinks sourly, as Ash helps her into the modified pilot suit on the third day. At least she’ll be well-stocked with Murkata-Heisen protein packets.

  Between training sessions with Ether, Mirem watches the Suit come together at breakneck speed, sometimes entering the actual pilot pod to test the instrumentation while Sander glowers around the technicians like some overbearing parent, intent that their child be top ranked in the class.

  As a hexapod, the armored mech looks like a squat ten-foot tall spider, ready to pounce: six thick legs protrude from its bulky thorax and another two arms, currently still empty, are tucked neatly against the Suit’s body. The optics and range-finders glitter like beads of dew across the mech’s head, while a range of attachment modules ridge its stumpy abdomen.

  On day eight, while a few pieces are still being tested, the Suit’s chassis is painted a matte grey and black, until finally the word VERSK is carefully sprayed on by a white-suited technician in dark, slanted blue letters. It’s a bit uncanny, the sinister way the Suit seems to absorb even the Versk hangar’s bright light

  Lanis can’t decide if the Suit is the ugliest or most beautiful mech she’s ever seen.

  Like the others, she just hopes it works.