Stardust Academy

[KaneQuicktail]

Cyrus watched as every last student and faculty member left. The one who bowed caught his attention, something about her seemed familiar, no doubt a relative of hers had been subordinate of his. Though, with how many students were here, he wouldn't be surprised if at least half of their parents had served under him. With the last parting student scrambling out, he took his leave. At the door he took one final look, every one of those empty seats will pass through his class at some point. Many of those seats will remain empty come graduation. It was a melancholic thought, but Cyrus would rather see a student drop-out or get iced instead of seeing them as a casualty on the battlefield.


Professor Cross made his way to the mech bays. He slowly limped along as he watched each student locate their own mech. These mighty machines had always marveled him. Each one said something about the pilot's personality. It was a piece of the pilot. An extension of them, a part of them, much like a hand or a leg. Technology had advanced quite a bit since Cross was a cadet, each mech had a very advanced AI nowadays, almost to the point of being self-aware.


The fox made it to his own bay. He preferred that his bay be amongst the students; though a retiree he still liked to be in the thick of things. Old habits die hard. He slid his faculty card through the swipe and the door opened, revealing the Hammer of the Gods. A large six-legged machine with one mighty central cannon. It was olive drab with yellow serial numbers painted on it; HAMMER OF THE GODS was printed on the barrel, he didn't care for style or flash. Cyrus gave one of the legs a pat, his metal prosthetic making a clang against the armor plating.


"Another year old girl. You up for it?"


He didn't expect an answer, there was no advanced AI in his mech. Only a simple archaic one that managed subsystems and stabilization.

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

Sorin smiled when he saw Suzumi in the bay next to him. She was so caught up in her Mech though she must not have noticed him at first. Across the way he saw others students arriving. Not wanting to get caught up in another torrent of students he summoned his courage and knocked softly on the door of the bay leading to Suzumi and her Mech. "Suzumi? It's me Sorin, I was wondering if you wanted some company for the walk to the Dorms. Seems like all the students are coming around so I figured you might want to go with me..." The words trailed off into the bay as he waited for a response.

[Grrxmaster]

"Alright, Socrates! Engage AI comms." Seth sounded out to Socrates. A small beep followed. "AI comms engaged.", Socrates rang out. The robotic voice was crackly, like sound being played over an old, broken amplifier. "Okay, now open the electronics bay, and run the diagnostics HUD." Another beep, "Command not recognized." Seth let out an exasperated sigh, then said, "Never mind, just open the pilot bay." The machine beeped, then there was the loud hissing of hydraulics, as the machine bent down, the bay opening. Seth clambered in, and started pressing a multitude of buttons, using the manual controls. Another, smaller hiss emanated as the electronics compartment opened up. Crudely routed in was the 'AI' of Socrates: a nearly fifty year old phone, and some laptop parts. It was embarrassing, what he had slapped in instead of the near to completely sentient AIs most other people had. It made him cringe every time he realized how ironic the name of his machine was. However, it did get the job done, for the most part. Seth decided to tinker with the machine, determined that if he didn't have a decent AI, then he would make damn sure he got all of the information he needed in battle. No matter what else, the machine could always be changed.

[Frost]

Julian Looked on as the human girl watched him run up to her, as if he didn't really pay attention that someone was in his path to the dorms.

[Suzumibachii]

At first there was no response from neither Suzumi nor Ghost, just a deathly quite from inside of the hanger. That silence was rather abruptly shattered and a  high pitched humm filled the hanger. Several external light blinking online as a dull glow formed around the mechs optical sensors. But that quickly died down before she stepped out from the hatch on the back, her  necklace hanging in her hand as she quickly climbed down. The hatch closing and the mech crouching down into storage position. "Sure fine... but just this once."  Placing the necklace around her neck once more she sighed and walked out with her duffle bag slung over her shoulder.

[Oedipus Rex]

Sam shrugged and unlocked the door to her dorm, stepping inside. The room was clean and organized, she chuckledm knowing that it wouldn't stay like this for long. She threw her bags down on one of the beds and stretched. "Damn those things were heavy.." she thought to herself, before leaving the room and deciding to go make sure that her mech was fine.


After her quick stroll across the academy toward the mech bay, she looked at her notes, detailing which bay her mech was in. When she found out which, she stuffed the papers back into her pocket and walked over to her mech's bay. She inserted her key again into the door when prompted and slowly opened the door. Inside was a shiny white and red mech that was currently standing with it's hands behind it's back. It looked at her when she entered. "Hello madame, how was the introduction ceremony?" she shrugged "It was alright, I suppose. There wasn't much said but I guess that leaves the students more time to become familiar with the campus."

[KaneQuicktail]

Cyrus stood on a lift that was directly beneath his mech, holding a button the lift raised him into the cockpit. He took his seat and strapped in. The leather on the seat was cracked and torn, exposing the foam padding underneath. There was a large metal plate cover welded directly in front of his left arm, another one directly behind. He flicked a few switches and initiated the start-up routine. The fusion engine warmed up and hummed to life. Each of the indicator lights started coming up green. His trigger finger was getting itchy "Lets take her out for a spin." He thought, then immediately thought afterward, why not treat the students on their first day. Professor Cross pulled out his data-pad and typed out an e-mail addressed to all of the students in his class. It read as follows:

Dear students,

Allow me to congratulate you on your admission to Stardust Academy. You are now amongst some of the most revered and skilled pilots of your time, my time, and of the future. I know you've endured a long journey to get here and have trigger fingers as itchy as my own. As a treat to you and your mechs, I am allowing those of you who have elected to take my class, 153 STT Strategy and Theory, to accompany me on the firing range. This offer is only valid for the next two hours, after which the firing range will be locked down and you will be required to return your mechs to your respective bays. Please note, all kinectic rounds must be inert rounds and all energy weapons must be set to low voltages. We don't want to have to send any of you to the infirmary for friendly-fire on your first day.

Attached are directions to the firing range from the student mech bay. The authorization code to undock is 9987AAF. Take advantage of this treat, there wont be many more.

Sincerely,
Professor Cyrus Cross

The Hammer of the Gods walked through its bay and out onto the tarmac, turned and headed for the firing range. He gave the horn a blow, to ensure that the students were aware of the mech stamping down the aisle. Upon reaching the firing range, he exited his mech and watched to see if any of the students would take advantage of his generosity.

[Grrxmaster]

As Seth was tinkering with Socrates electronics, a loud beeping rang out, startling him into bashing his horns against the casing. A slew of cursing followed, until Seth realized what the beeping was. A message had been sent to him. He checked the HUD to see that, indeed, he had been messaged. Prof. Cyrus Cross, inviting all students of his class to the firing range. A huge grin cracked across Seth's face, and he hurriedly put Socrates back together.
Releasing the locks on the ammo crates, he went down, and removed them. Each one was likely 100 lbs, half full of live rounds, but Seth managed to easily carry it off to one of the bay's cargo lockers. Thankfully, there were sub-sonic rubber rounds provided by the academy. Once the rounds were loaded, Seth entered his mech, initiating the necessary programs and procedures. A loud hum began, and Socrates came to life. A few seconds later, and the Ibex and his machine were off to the range.

[Oedipus Rex]

Sam's wrist mounted PDA lit up, indicating a new message. She read it, and when she was finished looked up at her mech. "One of the professors wants us to meet him on the firing range, we should go."The mech nodded, "Indeed madame, let us go 'show off'" he said, playing with the latch on his SMG, which was currently in a holster like device on his leg.Sam smiled "Alright, open up then." The front of the mech opened up, revealing a place where Sam could comfortably stand in the torso area, with her legs and arms slipping into his. She quickly got in with pracitced ease, making sure her coat got caught on nothing, and the mech closed it's body, sealing her in. A series of display screens filled with different viewpoints lit up, along with gauges and screens, displaying important information about her mech. She punched in the armment codes and her weapons came online. Her SMG was locked at low power, but the tank on her mech's back was filled with nanites. She grinned.


(Part 1)

Post Merge: March 08, 2014, 10:03:16 PMWhat many people do not know, is that the tiny robots, known as nanites, can also be used as weapons themselves. Sure, they are the best when it comes to repairing, finding the gaps in machines and flesh alike where it had been removed, and using themselves to seal it up. However, if you pumped just a bit more power into them, the nanites would go crazy, acting as an extreamly powerful acid and disintergrating anything they touched. The Academy must have failed to realize this, as it is such a rare and dirty trick that is only available in the most recent models of nanites.


Sam exited her mech's bay and began heading in the direction of the firing range.


(Final Part)

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

As Sorin and Suzumi walked to her dorm he was still smiling though hiding it when she would look at him. This one was detached, but he was prepared to try and bring out her good side. Smiling he passed time telling her about himself. When they got to her dorm door, Sorin prepared to say good bye when he got a message from Professor Cross. "Hey One of the Teachers wants to show off Mechs. Wanna go?"

[Frost]

D vibrates a little bit in Julian's grasp as soon as he reaches to dorm room,
"Hey kid, looks like that old geezer of a strat. teacher wants some of his students to strut their stuff!"
Julian sighs a little, "Let me guess you want to go play?"
"Kid, firing a plasma weapon down a range should never be called play....but for all intents and purposes yes"
D responds in a matter of fact tone that barely hides her excitement.
With a groan Julian tosses his bag onto his bunk and begins to trudge back towards the firing range.

[Oedipus Rex]

Sam strides onto the range, where she sees the professor standing next to his mech. She walks up to him, and opens up her mech, jumping down from her piloting posisition. She does a curtsy "Hello professor, I am Sam and this is The Doctor." The mech bows in curtsy. "We received your message."

[Frost]

Julian wasn't far behind Sam, and he "Uhm, Hello I'm Julian Rosewood, I also got your message...uhm sir."

[KaneQuicktail]

Cyrus gripped his cane as he dipped to a slight bow
"Greetings students, I'm Professor Cross. No doubt you want to partake in this little exercise I've put together. Nothing extraordinary, just something simple and quick."


He programmed a training routine into his data-pad. A few moving targets appeared down the range.


"Destroy the dummy targets as quickly as possible. Three ground, one air, and one concealed. You'll each do this one at a time. There's no risk or reward, other than the opportunity to fire off some rounds day one unlike your fellow classmates."


He paused and toyed with a thought for a moment. Maybe they should work for it a little bit.


"Though, there is one catch. You'll be firing without the assistance of your AI's targeting. This will be your first unofficial lesson. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, you may begin when ready."

[Frost]

"Professor...we....D and I, can't turn it off when we're active...." Julian stated not sure how to go about what he was asked to do.


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