Rawr rawr, Break The Network.

[iceberg]

Now in new bite-size chapters.
For YOUR enjoyment.

Will start from all over again.



Chapter One: Stupid Sexy Intro.

We meet our hero, Mack D. Addy, on his way to GEARS, where dreams are said to be made by superior firepower. However, a tragic accident of epic proportions happens and Mack’s very life is in danger. What can save the poor sap? Read, and find out.








"Attention passengers, one hour to go until we reach Sol- what do you mean this isn't the ma- oh god what have you done this ti-"
*BLEEP*

I don't really know what I'm doing here. There were loads more of schools to go to, but why did I apply to GEARS again?

Sally: Well, here's your cup.
Mack: Oh, thanks.

Right. The chicks. Oh yes.

Sally: So, are you ready for the GEARS University entrance exam?
Mack: The what? Oh yeah. Of course, you'd be surprised what I can do when I'm in control.
Sally: You’re very experienced?
Mack: Well, I don’t like to brag or anything…
Sally: Really? Could you teach me sometime?
Mack: Err...sure. You can always count on Mack.
Sally: Thanks, that's kind of you. If we both pass our exams, maybe we can hang out some time!
Mack: I hope so too. Well, thanks for the coffee, but I got things to do, people to see, you know how it goes.
Sally: But we've been on this ship for 3 months. What things could you need to do, and how come you haven't
seen everyone on this ship already?
Mack: I...uh...got a job. Yes, in fact, the very survival of everyone on this ship depends on me... Something about the reactor going critical, aliens attacking, or fairy guts all over the windshield.
Sally: Fairy what all over the-?

While she was distracted by my statement, I quickly threw my cup behind her like my dad taught me. Always directly after mentioning guts all over a windshield, with the pinky out.

Mack: Oh? Did-you-hear-that? Sounds-like-the-ship-is-in-trouble! Looks-like-I-got-to-go-before-more-cups-break-ah-I-mean-uh-another-disaster-strikes! *successful escape*
Sally: ...*sip*


Phew.

Even if this was a rather small craft, there are still a few fishes in this pond. With still an hour left, I wanted to check out everyone, maybe even get to know them a bit better. Susan- no, that’s not her name… Coffee Girl, she seemed nice but a bit too nice for my taste.

I quickly melded into the small crowd huddled around the commlink screen, but the girls were busy talking to the other guys, and they were talking about nothing that interested me anyway. The commlink finished their special bulletin with something about the Kingadent declaring war on aliens. These reports bore me, I wonder if there’s any channel that isn’t just about Mechas. The remote however was nowhere to be seen, so I made my way off from that place before a flashback set in, and before I knew it, I was face to face with the most important people on this craft. And I wasn’t even looking at a mirror.

Sys Zero: Engines?
Worsh: Check, 99.9% output, everything is green.
Mack: Hi.
Sys Zero: We’re a bit busy right now. We’re in the middle of filling the checklist of XS shuttle to GEARS.
Mack: …what does the XS stand for?
Sys Zero: Extra Speed. Worsh!
Worsh: Yes Commander?
Sys Zero: Engines at maximum, two hundred percent!
Worsh: …no way man, that’s impossible.
Sys Zero: That’s the spirit!
Worsh: *muttering under his breath* ...which of us is supposed to be the idiot of this ship? *blip* Hmm. We got a proximity alert. Looks like a meteo-
Sys Zero: Aliens!? Fire the main cannons!
Worsh: ...dude, there’s no aliens out there.
Sys Zero: darn, these aliens are craftier than I thought! There! Firing all torpedoes!
Worsh: Definitely a meteor-

Worsh fell silent after noticing, along with me, small pods whistle far away from the ship. Did the ship have torpedoes after all, I wondered. Seconds later, I could swear I could see those same pods smash against meteorites, but no explosions.

Worsh: ...I think you may have just shot off all our lifepods.
Sys Zero: You're right, we may be missing a few...fire off the emergency Mecha lifepod.
Worsh: Hey, no fair!

The two began a scuffle of who was the idiot of the ship, so I made my way back where I first left from. At first I thought of entering the mecha bay of the shuttle, but then I saw a glimpse of Tek, working on one of those accursed things. She was good looking, but not my type at all. She seemed more interested in the Mechas than me anyway.
Then there’s that guy that just stands there, staring at the arcade. I might as well figure out what he’s up to, at least that will give me an alibi for Rachel, er…Coffee Girl.

Mack: What’s up?
Alex: I put in a quarter. But the machine ate it, so I tried putting in another to free the first one. But that got stuck too, so I put in yet another.
Mack: ...how many coins did you put in?
Alex: …
Mack: …
Alex: I need a hug.
Mack: Whoa! Wait!

He let lose a hug and gripped my uniform in the back with both his hands while sobbing like the idiot he was. The machine is free-to-play though…and it doesn't even have a coin slot. Wonder where those coins even went…

Mack: This shoulder is reserved for girls only, man. The Mack don’t cuddle guys.


After prying him loose, I turned around, and before I could consider other places to go, Coffee Girl noticed me and gave a small smile. I smiled back as I walked next to her table, grapping an empty cup. This fish had taken the bait, heh heh.


We started on the usual chitchat, and I even got her to stand up from that table, seriously, she had been sitting on that chair for more than two days now. No matter how comfortable that chair is, it must be a pain in the butt. But two days! And do you know how many cups of coffee that was? The restroom was downstairs, and I don’t think the elevator was working.

From what I had a chance to talk with her, she had always dreamt of piloting one of these armors, just like her elder brothers. When she asked what was it was that made me join GEARS, I paused for a split second. darn, what should I say? I can’t just say to her face that I only joined for the girls, since I’m more after the sporty kind than one which studies all day to some easy labour work…

Mack: Well…you know…

I leaned on the bay doors, and flashed my cool guy smile.

At the exact same moment, in the front of the ship…

Sys Zero: Engine Plasma Pressure?
Worsh: Normal.
Sys Zero: Defence-system?
Worsh: In order.
Sys Zero: Bay doors?
Worsh: …
Sys Zero: You did remember to lock the bay doors, right?
Worsh: …well…
Sys Zero: I’m so reporting you once we land.

You should have seen the look on her face when the doors opened. Heck, I would have liked to have seen my face when that happened. In one moment, both of us were sucked out from the ship, and were hurled into the vacuum. Good thing that these ships always come with claws to grab hold of you or anything that’s accidentally thrown out of the ship. Yep yep, good old claws. Claws...

It was at that moment that I noticed that there was only one claw. It seemed to hesitate for a moment between the two of us, which one to grab? For a machine, such thinking was done in the split of a second, questioning, evaluating, and then finally deciding. The claws took hold of the girl, and reeled her in.

Stupid sexy Kate.

The claw came back, apparently I was still within its reach. Yay, claw! …And it grabbed the trashcan that had been sucked out with us.

Stupid sexy trash.

The shuttle was too far now for the claw to reach me. I was glad that I had listened to the teacher when telling of the dangers of vacuum. I had already exhaled all the air in my lungs the second I was thrown out here, but it was only good for so long. How many seconds more before I lose consciousness? After 90 seconds, resuscitation will not work. Any longer than that, and I’m good as dead. The shuttle doesn’t even have a reconstruction facility of its own, so there is no chance for them to bring me back into life except as a vegetable in case they take me to a hospital on Soluna. While the body can be regenerated, lost brain cells have never successfully been made, stupid stem-cell ban law.


How much longer before my blood starts to boil, before I bloat beyond recognition? Oh Mom, I should have been a lawyer like you wished for. The shuttle is not stopping either. The systems probably reported that the jettisoned person has been retrieved; it probably never even considered that there would be two people thrown out at the same time.


Oh well, at least I go out remotely painlessly. I closed my eyes just as everything began to go dim…and opened them after a blinding flash. This feeling...air! Air! It’s really air! I filled my lungs with it, and observed my environment the best I could. I was still flying forwards, at least I had stopped spinning, and in front me, was the face of an angel. A woman, her brown hair tied to a ponytail behind her, she looked shocked to see me. I was overjoyed, and my smile told them that. I wanted to thank her, close her in my arms an-

Then I saw a knuckle fill my vision. Like a howitzer shell, it smashed into my face. I groaned loudly, that hit gave my body a great backspin, and the next thing I knew, gravity was in effect again. Stupid sexy gravity…

What I saw above me, where I was falling from, it looked like a command bridge. Two people leered over to see me fall, a man and the woman from before.
Then I hit the floor.

“WOAH, WHAT THE-“

Someone screamed next to me, I heard chairs topple as surprised people stood up and backed away. I heard talk from above as well as surprised chatter around me.

“What was that?”
“Reflex.”

“...who is that?”'
“Heck if I know. He must have been in this exact location we jumped in.”
“…is that BLOOD coming out of his ears?”

“I think you hit him a bit too hard.”

“...he’s still alive!”

”Or not hard enough.”

”Medbay, we got a patient!”

I fell unconscious, escorted by the blinding pain in my face and back. Pretty much everywhere actually. And that is how I, Mack D. Addy, son of Smack D. Addy, found myself onboard the Dai-Mangan of BTN.

[iceberg]

Chapter Two: Waltzing to death.

Rescued despite all odds, our hero finds himself under the hospitable care of people of most dangerous caliber. Through his clever words, he is able to provide a ride to Soluna, and to catch up with his shuttle, which finds itself in a dangerous situation. With death creeping up to them, the crew does the most sensible thing there is to do in the situation. Dance.







Headache. That's what I first felt, and it wasn't even Saturday morning. The memories came in waves with the throbbing pain splashing against the boundary of my skull. Being thrown out of the airlock, lost in space, then being saved beyond all odds and…Oh yeah, that guy punching me in the face. I swear, if I see him I'll kick him right in the-

: He just got past R.E.M. sleep, and should be entering the inner monologue state soon.
: I want to hear where is he going to kick me though…
: I believe there will be plenty of time for that later. I'm going to go tell the captain the details.
: Can't you use the intercom?
: I got my privileges taken away for that… Anyways, inform me when we wakes up, and DON'T touch anything, for gods sake.

I awoke to see a man’s face staring intently at my own eyes. Not a cold hard stare, but a soulless, empty stare, like those of Slugwrath’s. Before I was able to yell for help, I found out that his pupils were not only too dilated but not even moving, they were way too perfectly still. His focus could easily burn ants if a light source behind his eyes was supplied. Fortunately for me, his lights seemed to be out for the day. Short brown hair, combed backwards... This was the guy who punched me in the face earlier.

I slid over to the other side of the bed; I seem to be in some kind of ship’s medical facilities. There were quite a few beds, and all kinds of strange gadgets, it could have passed for a torture chamber given the right paint job. For some reason, looking at one tool I have never seen before cause me to throw up.

While walking to the door, I looked back to find the soulless man gone. Must have been one creepy guardian angel, ahhh, a guardian angel. I wonder if that babe will trade guardianship for me.

Mack: darn, I guess I missed my chance to kick…him…right…in…theeeeee-
Man: Go on, I’ve been waiting for this.

His mouth moved to speak but his whole face and stare were still frozen in that unrealistic expression that showed that no one was home in his head. I could tell, he was seven inches from my face. I don’t like men seven inches from my face. You know what? I don’t care anymore. I am going to hit this guy back, I don’t care how strong he is or how far he knocked me earlier. I’ll show him the texture of the bottom of my shoe. I kicked nothing but air. It was like he didn’t even exist in the first place. But yet he was there, still standing in my way. It’s like he didn’t even need to dodge it. After my kick, his face broke into realism as it got even closer to my face. Spurting out not words but a voice of experience.

Man: Kicks only show the bottom of your soul, a punch fully imprints the whole thing into your companion’s face!

He backed up, getting ready to mold my face into his liking. Then the Intercom System came on, his punch stopped with enough force by itself to simulate it pounding into a wall. With an aftershock of this air-quake I heard the crashing of multiple tools and equipment behind me. The voice of an angel saving me again...

: Guy, please report to the bridge. Repeat, Guy, please report to the bridge.

My safety was a short-lived one, as the man grabbed my collar before I could fall on my back, which seemed a lot better option than what happened next. He began to drag me along, literally. While I struggled and shouted, I managed to take a glimpse behind me. The awe of the man dragging me against my will was gone, when I found the source of the racket from earlier.

Some guy was in front of a computer panel, wiping drool from his mouth, several instruments had fell when he was startled awake. He repeated “I’m awake, I’m awake” the whole time, then finally took a look at a panel in front of him. It looked like statistics from something. Like the ones in hospitals.

That’s why when he shook his head sadly and wrote something down to a notepad in front of him, I felt most… Uneasy. At least I learned something during this ordeal, like, the name of the guy dragging me along. Guy. Yeah, that’s the guy.

The journey to the bridge was not really that exciting. Sure I was dragged by this jerk with no regards for the correct orientation of my spinal cord, nor the order of the bones in it. I swear my tailbone once ended up touching my brain stem. But the path itself was boring, metallic halls riddled with doors of differing distances, the only things I paid any attention to were a few murals that were composed of three letters.

BTN.

We ended up on the bridge. It seemed barren as there were more seats open than there were hands at the ready. Meh, some men, and exactly three women, and one of them in a uniform more sophisticated than the rest, the captain no doubt. The uniform not my preferred style but it does have its own attractiveness. Of course her face is attractive as well, even though I’m bad at remembering faces, I can’t help but think I’ve seen her before.

Guy: What is it?
Mack: Could you let go of me now, please?
Guy: Not talking to you.
Woman: We finally got our sensors up and running. We picked up an unknown craft in the long-range sensors.

That’s it! The one who I saw in my dream, the voice that saved me from that…’Guy’, the goddess was this woman who stood before me, give or take an outfit. Hopefully take.

For a split second, she seemed to tap her finger in front of her, but then, a display appeared. A virtual keyboard apparently. It was a map of some sort. It took a few moments to realize that it was showing this part of the space, and there, was a blinking spot, which was most likely the unknown craft. Few statistics appeared of the craft, its velocity, some other details, and most importantly, its shape.

Woman: A few moments ago, the craft collided with a small meteor, and it took slight damage. Several of the systems of the craft seem to have been damaged; communication for one, the craft seems to have escaped atmosphere ventilation. We have been unable to contact the craft, but it was broadcasting to all channels a few moments ago.

I was trying to find a good moment to tell them that from the shape, and the location, it couldn’t be anything else but my shuttle to GEARS. When the message broadcasted was heard, I grew certain of it.

*bzzt*
Worsh: Alright, our destination is on screen. Now I keep forgetting where they keep the landing space…
Sys Zero: Oh that? They haven’t released that update yet. Maybe next week…
Worsh: What fun…
Ping pong dude: Hey, I think you should hear what that coffee chick has to say.
Worsh: We’re kind of busy here. Can’t it wait until we hit ground?
Ping pong dude: She says that it’s urgent.
Sally: H-hello.

That voice seemed familiar. Like I had heard it before... Déjà vu perhaps?

Sys Zero: You’re that weird chick that keeps on drinking coffee.
Sally: Y-yeah, hi. Umm, I just wanted to say, the shuttle doors opened, and the guy I was talking with was thrown out into space?

Oh right, she’s… Susan. No wait, that was my last girlfriend before I left to GEARS. Coffee chick, that’s her face.

Sys Zero: What!? When was this?
Sally: Th-three hours ago.
Worsh: Three HOURS?
Sys Zero: Why didn’t you tell us immediately!?
Ping pong girl: If I may, me and Steven decided to take a small break from the ping pong, maybe grab some coffee, talk and all that, and when we went there, we found her sitting on the floor, just staring at the bay doors and gasping. So being nice people, we asked if something was the matter, to which she just nodded.
Steven: After Karol asked, I saw it as my turn, and asked if we could help, and the only thing she said was “Coffee.”
Karol: Which she drank for three hours straight.
Worsh: Poor thing, no wonder she shakes that much. Must have been a shock.
Karol: No, that’s from the coffee.
Sally: C-could we go and get him back now?
Worsh: After three hours? Sorry, but we’re already behind schedule, and the guy was dead about, what? Two, three minutes after being thrown out?
Sally: …oh. B-bummer.
Sys Zero: Worsh, can I talk to you in private?
Worsh: Hey man, I’m the pilot, and we’re about to enter the meteor field. Whatever you have to say, you can say to my face.
Sys Zero: Fine. I’ve had it with you, I’m filing a complaint.
Worsh: WHAT!?
Sys Zero: Your piloting skills are sub par, you keep forgetting to lock the bay doors, and because of that, seven people have already died, fifteen in total have been thrown out!
Worsh: Actually, it’s sixteen thrown out, and eight people dead now.
Sys Zero: Oh, sorry. He is dead, right.

I hate those guys... I really do.

Sally: Poor Mack…
Sys Zero: But the point is, you are by far the LOUSIEST pilot I’ve ever been assigned to work with!
Worsh: Oh yeah!? *stands up and walks up close to Sys Zero. Apparently his display of manly spirit has made him forgot the fact that he is the pilot* Why don’t you fly the ship then, Mr. Amazing?
Sys Zero: I’m the captain of this vessel, and I order you to return to your sea-
Worsh: Oh, don’t think that I haven’t heard. The reason that it’s ME flying this ship, is because you had your license revoked. How many spins did you do with your ship before you crashed with it? Seven? Ten? The rumors say a lot of things.
Sys Zero: The rumors are largely exaggerated. Six.
Worsh: I knew i-
*bzzt*

Woman: That’s when the meteorite hit them. The ship still has its weapons online, so for the moment, they’re neutral at best.
Mack: Oh, those idiots wouldn’t hurt you even if you dropped a missile down their mailbox.
Woman: ...you know those people?
Mack: Know them? I was on the darn ship with them.
Woman: …explain.

One short explanation later…

Mack: -then I was floating in space, and you people jumped in.
Guy: Talk about bad luck.
Mack: Yeah, I mean what are the odds of the pilot forgetting to lock the bay doors?
Guy: I was talking about us.
Mack: …
Woman: So, the shuttle you were dropped out from, which is the one we currently have within our sensor range, is heading for the planet you call Soluna?
Mack: Yeah, pretty much sums it up.
Woman: And this Soluna, it is an important planet in this system?
Mack: ..yeah, I suppose. They have GEARS, I can’t remember any other mecha-orientated school around these parts.
Woman: Excellent. Guy, take a ship and land on Soluna. Take him with you.
Guy: Right.
Mack: Huh? What? Seriously? You’re not going to torture me or something?
Guy: You worth anything for us to torture you?
Mack: Err. No. I just figured it was the next logical step, with you having me in your custody.
Guy: I could just throw you out the airlock again.
Mack: Point taken, I’ll shut up.

Me and Guy(I’ll never get used to that name) left the bridge, and again entered the maze of hallways. One elevator trip later, with only the lousy muzak keeping my ears company, since neither of us had said anything at all for a while now, we reached what seemed to be the docking bay. It was really, really… Really… empty.

Then we took another elevator, and were in a smaller docking bay, this one had a number of crafts in it. Sleek, sporty, the kind that you’d want to buy and show off to everyone with. V-shaped, they reminded me a lot of… Bombers. …oh dear.

Guy: Stop idling, and get on.
Mack: This is a bomber, right?
Guy: That it is.
Mack: You’re not going to bomb the city with this, right?

The guy turned around, and just stared at me, without saying a single word.

Mack: Right. I’ll shut up.

I climbed the ladders into the craft, and quickly made my narrow, tight way into the front of the ship. Someone else was sitting in there, but it wasn’t until I got closer that I realized that it wasn’t someone, it was a robot.

Guy: Is she ready to fly?
Robot: Quite so. For both safety and protocol reasons when it comes to landing on unknown populated planets, I’ve disarmed most of the warheads.
Mack: Most?
Robot: And this is?
Guy: Mack, some poor schmuck we picked up.
Robot: Ah yes, the abnormality I detected after we jumped in. I never would have guessed it was a living human. I am ZOS-1, the unit currently in charge of various maintenance related issues when it comes to our craft.
Mack: …Mack D. Addy.
ZOS-1: How preposterous of a name.
Mack: Wha-
Guy: *sits down on a chair and presses a button on the control panel* This is Guy, we’re good to go.
Radio: Acknowledged. Prepare for takeoff.
ZOS-1: I recommend you to take a seat.
Mack: Right.

Finally, I was about to get out of this darn place. Whatever it was. Mechanical hooks lowered and grabbed the ship, and before I knew what was going on, the ship was lifted and turned to face the floor. The floor then opened, and at the end of a long pathway, I saw the darkness I was too familiar with to my personal liking. Space. The engines started, and we were off. It took only a few seconds for us to get out, and from there, we headed for the planet.

Guy: I’m giving the controls to you.
ZOS-1: Acknowledged.
Mack: What, you’re not going to pilot this yourself?
Guy: We’re approaching a meteor field. I’d rather let a machine which can calculate faster than I can think do the flying.
Mack: …good point, I guess.

*Abrupt scene change, to the XS shuttle, seconds before the meteorite collision*

Worsh: I knew it! You’re just a-

The ship shook violently, red lights light up out of nowhere, and the usual alarm that you heard every time there was five seconds to your death went off.

Worsh: We’ve been hit!
Sys Zero: I told you to fly the ship, darn it!
Worsh: But I left her in charge!

Worsh pointed at the controls. The firefly was resting comfortable on them, along with a dozen of eggs she had laid on them. For a split second, everyone was quiet. Worsh cursed out loud, sat down and wiped off the eggs from the controls. The firefly, disturbed, awake and shocked, flew still for a moment, before it quickly buzzed off, shedding tiny insect tears.

Worsh: Wait, don’t go! I’m sorry!

CONFUSING LOVE STORY.

Sys Zero: Forget the darn bug, what’s our situation!
Worsh: *presses a series of buttons* Communications are DOWN. The right sided thruster is damaged, and currently we are spinning out of control.
Sys Zero: I thought you activated the automatic meteor defenses!
Worsh: I must have accidentally hit the broadcast button. They are right next to each other, you know.
Sys Zero: What do you think?
Worsh: We’re screwed.
Sys Zero: You know what that means.
Worsh: Unfortunately I do.
Sys Zero: It’s time to break out in song!


Suddenly a spot light appeared centered on Worsh with Sally right next to him and Sys Zero only half exposed. A few began to crowd the area and get into the spirit of crashing to their doom. The music started fading in, but not fully involved with Sally’s speaking.

Sally: We still have one man overboard,
Shouldn’t we be doing something more?
Sys Zero: Worsh is the pilot around here,
Any man not on this ship has less to fear.

Worsh: Zero’s right, since he’s the captain,
Another victim I don’t doubt could happen.
Sys Zero: That’s not something that is very new,
but the survivors left, are the necessary crew

The music went to a faster beat going into the main theme, and the spotlight switched to covering only the one singing. Seriously, what do they do when the Mack is gone? Audition?

Worsh: Take my gloves, take my hands...
Tie me to chairs I cannot stand...
I dun' care the coffee's free...
You can't crash this ship without me!

Sys Zero: Glue my chair, give me lip…
Hit the meteors with my ship…
Feet have been bolted since 2:30…
You can't crash this ship without me!

Dooder: Lose my cool, give no hello…
That would totally harsh my mellow…
Only I know how to use the TV…
You can’t crash this ship without me!

Steven and Karol: Cut our paddles ,break our ball…
Any of that is your call…
We got thrown off our bus…
You can’t crash this ship without us!

Alex: Hide my quarters, what a chore…
Even erase my high score…
I dun’ care if I’m the 9th NPC...
You can't crash this ship without me!

The music faded out, and everything returned to normal. Relatively normal that is, what with the “we’re all going to die” thing going on.

Sys Zero: Wait, I got it!
Worsh: What?
Sys Zero: I know how we can stop the spiral!
Worsh: I think that’d need some kind of… anti-spiral.
Sys Zero: Not at all, but THIS!

Sys Zero rushed to his console, and pressed a button. There was a sound effect of a toilet flushing, and Worsh knew exactly what had Sys Zero tied that to.

Worsh: ...you didn’t.
Sys Zero: I ejected the mecha we had in hold! With the force it generated, we’re sure to be safe!
Worsh: Actually, no.
Sys Zero: But-
Worsh: No.
Sys Zero: But I-
Worsh: NO.
Sys Zero: …dang. Good thing I’m going to be dead soon, I’m not the one who has to tell the Dean what we did with that mecha.
Tek: Hi guys, what’s up?
Worsh: Oh, we’re just all about to die.
Tek: WHAT!?
Worsh: Hey, we tried calling you about it!
Sys Zero: I keep telling you, lower the volume of those headphones you wear.
Tek: But it was such a good episode. I BELIEVE I CAN FLY!
Worsh: No, you can’t.
Tek: : (

[iceberg]

Chapter Three: What goes up must crash down.

Almost having caught up to the shuttle, our hero is again met with misfortune, and the ship they used to catch up with ends up crashing in Soluna. With only minutes to spare, our hero races to GEARS, but with a heavy heart, having learned to be the only survivor of the shuttle to Soluna. Or so he thinks, he is about to learn of a very normal surprise.







While the merry crew of the XS shuttle were busy preparing to meet their maker, the bomber was rapidly catching up with their craft.

Guy: They still don’t have communications back online?
ZOS-1: No. Seems like they were damaged beyond all normal repairs, they need to have it repaired at least in a star base or other facilities.
Guy: Estimated percentage of survival?
ZOS-1: 2%, assuming they don’t burn up in the atmosphere.
Guy: That’s not so bad.
ZOS-1: I was referring to the number of humans on board the craft, not overall survival rate.
Guy: Ah. That’s bad.
Mack: Can’t we help them?
Guy: We could shoot them and end their miseries before they all are burnt to death.
Mack: Besides that.
Guy: Lets see. Nope.
Mack: Didn’t you think that a bit too fast?
Guy: Didn’t you say you’d shut up?
ZOS-1: The shuttle has opened the storage bay doors.
Guy: Maybe they’re going to commit suicide? Suffocation IS a lot better option than burning alive.
ZOS-1: We have incoming, on a collision course.

We saw it, but none of us could believe it, not even the robot. It was that illogical.

It was a mecha. My mecha. And it was coming straight towards us.

Mack: Oh for gods sa-
ZOS-1: Taking evasive actions.

If the robot had not been surprised like the two of us(which I can’t even understand, I mean, how can robots be surprised), it might have been able to evade in time. The feet of the mecha collided with our craft, which apparently had shields to lessen the blow, otherwise, we would have lost the other wing. Sparks erupted from the roof, and red lights appeared.

ZOS-1: We’ve taken damage. Engines are offline.
Guy: Where does that leave us?!
ZOS-1: We’re soon entering the planets atmosphere, and from the map that I’ve been able to compile from scans, we will land in the middle of a heavily populated area. Estimated death toll, including us, is two to three hundred. Seven thousand if one of the armed warheads would explode.
Mack: Is that even possible!?
Guy: They’ve been known to do that.
Mack: I’m never flying with you again.

Seconds passed, but we still had not gotten the engines back on. The craft was sturdy enough to survive entering the atmosphere, but I didn’t know if the shuttle had made it. All I could see were clouds, and pretty soon, close-up of a building with a very surprised man staring out of his window at the craft about to crush him and his house.

ZOS-1: Logically, the engines should be online already.
Mack: Then do something illogical!
Guy: As you wish.

Apparently illogical course of action was to kick at the console board, hard. But I’ll be damned to say it wasn’t worth it. A few beeps later, the engines were again online, but we were going in pretty fast. Looks like things will get ugly, and soon. Right as I were done thinking that, the wing where the mecha feet had hit us was torn off.

Guy: That’s it. We’re not going to make it. ZOS, plot a course for this thing, have it land somewhere far enough from the city.
ZOS-1: Done.
Mack: What are we going to do?
Guy: Eject.

As soon as he had said that, the pilot compartment was blasted off from the craft, small jets lifting us high into the air. The bomber still kept on going, steering away from the first crash-site onto another, which was a small forest. Parachutes opened as we began to descent, and the bomber finally disappeared from my sights.

Guy: That’s going on your tab.
Mack: I don’t have a tab with you!
Guy: You do now.
Mack: *grumble* ...jerk.

We landed a small distance away from Soluna City, and as soon as Guy had contacted his people and told the situation, we were off. It took a while on foot, but when we finally reached the city and entered, I was greeted with what I had not hoped to see. A smoking crater where the XS shuttle had landed. A huge crowd had gathered around it, kept from entering the site by the police, while a number of people, hospital and rescue units, went through the debris.

Worsh: What happened?
Man: Looks like someone set them up the bomb.
Woman: Horrible. Just horrible. There were no survivors.
Man: Of the cannon fodder, that is.

The man pointed to the right, and wrapped in blankets, drinking hot coffee and shaking, were Tek, Worsh and Sys Zero. A firefly was buzzing around Worsh in a frantic manner. Besides from a few bruises and messed up hair, they seemed okay.

Mack: There were no others?
Woman: No. They’ve found seven bodies already.
Mack: …I see.

We left the crowd, I had my head hung down. Guy walked next to me, he looked like he actually cared what was going on with me, or maybe he was just making sure I wouldn’t go out in the same kind of blaze of glory as the shuttle had.

Guy: Someone you knew on that ship?
Mack: Someone I would have liked to know. Well, Christine… it was fun while it lasted.

I didn’t even bother paying attention to the commotion that suddenly started behind us. Later on, I sort of wish I had.

Rescuer: We found a live one!
Medic: *rushes over* Are you all right!? Are you in pain? Is there anything you have to tell us?
Sally: ..coffee.. Please.

Quickly ridding myself from the depression of one possible relationship lost, I found myself in front of the Academy representative in downtown. She was not hard to find, for one because of the blue shades she had on her(from what I had understood, to drive a mecha, it was mandatory to wear sunglasses, or possibly shades. Or if you were a professional, make the mecha wear shades...), and second, she was the one who had been in that GEARS Academy advert that had made me apply in the first place. She still wore the same uniform as in the ad, must be what she’s supposed to wear, or then, she just likes dressing like that. I hoped I had more time to talk to her, since she didn’t look too bad. In fact, she looked good, but her personality, the moment I told of my situation, brought down her overall points. Still, I memorized her name. Maybe compliment her on her hair later on. Kindly note about the strand of hair that is pointing out. Yeah, that’s smooth.

Admina: What, you still haven’t entered the University!?
Mack: Some… things... came up.
Admina: Gods... name?
Mack: Mack D. Addy.
Admina: Mack. Right, found you. Hurry up, there are only a few minutes left before this year’s exam ends!
Mack: Then what?
Admina: If you pass, then welcome to GEARS! If not, better luck next time.
Mack: When is next time!?
Admina: A year from now. Good luck.

I didn’t have a year to wait. I started to run as fast as I could, Guy and Tincan right behind me after a short debate with Admina of letting other people than students enter the Academy, which they seemed to have won as she waved for them to go on, the three of us crammed into the shuttle to GEARS(I still can’t believe they managed to caught up to me), and I told the driver to step on it.

Mack: I’m surprised she let you in.
Guy: She had some points against letting us enter, but we handled it.
Mack: Really? What did you say?
ZOS-1: We explained that you had mental issues, and the two of us had been assigned to keep you under inspection, and possibly subdue you in case you began “freaking out”.
Mack: …thanks. That’s just what I needed under my record.
Guy: Glad to be of service.

I’m pretty sure the driver lost his license as a result of my order, as a police hovercar immediately showed up when we reached the University. No time for chitchat with the fuzz, the three of us got out of the car while the driver was left explaining and begging not to lose his license, he had three wives and a kid to feed or something along those lines.

The Academy had seemed impressive from afar, more like a royal castle than a school, but entering it only made it seem even more impressive. Suppressing actually, to a guy who comes from a middle-class family such as mine. The shrubbery, flowers and sort, which had been planted, were all flourishing and a pleasant fragrance hit me the moment we stepped out onto the school land. It soothed me, even when the fact that my time was running out with each passing second kept on hitting me back into reality.

We hurried into the building, and I was soon face-to-face with one of the Teachers. The red outfit with yellow linings was the most confirming fact of her identity, second were those ridiculously sized shoulder-padding on the outfit that I never had understood. I mean, what was their point? The larger it was, the higher rank you had? Bullet deflector? Ego container?

She made me wonder, were the gods trying to balance for all the misfortune I had been through in such a short time, by presenting all these women to me. Unlike the others I had met so far, this woman, Denara was her name, was more composed. Determination of staying supreme over the students was the first thing I got as an impression, second was how she looked much more adult. She had life-experience, and acted accordingly. The ponytail she had tied her blond hair to was a killer as well. I did get the impression however, that her route would certainly be a difficult one.

Then reality called me back, and I again lost a few points explaining myself, how I was tardy of the exam and so on.

Mack: - and so, I’m here for the entrance exam.
Denara: I hope you understand that we pushed back our schedule since you showed up. There will be an investigation to your survival on that unfortunate shuttle crash later on.
Mack: I’m sure you’ll find it most interesting once you get to know me.
Denara: Hmph. I doubt it. Come, we are in a hurry.

She began to escort me to where I was supposed take the entrance exam. I followed her, slightly cowering from the embarrassment I’ve been going through the moment I made myself known alive despite all expectations.

Denara: I hope you will make this quick, you are keeping the other students waiting from the start of the acceptation ceremony.
Mack: I’ll try to do my best.
Denara: We will see. And who are these two with you?
Guy: We’re just here to see how he fares.
Denara: Even the robot?
ZOS-1: My purpose is to simply examine how he does, evaluate, and report to higher officials.
Denara: Must be a chore.
Guy: You wouldn’t believe.

Before I knew it, I was standing in an arena, facing a huge machine of death. The single floating eye, connected by violent energy to its appendages that I assumed to represent its arms and legs, stared at me. I knew for sure, that this thing was going to kill me.

Denara: The test is rather simple. Get in your mecha, drive it in and do battle with Jimmy here.
Mack: Right.

I turned around, and at that point it hit me. My mecha. The last I saw of it, was how it entered the atmosphere with us, burned up and exploded. I turned around again to Denara who led me here, and smiled as charmingly as I could.

Mack: I sort of lost my mecha on my way here, is there anything you have to loan?

She obviously was not happy to hear me say that. But I really had not imagined to be given an old cleaning unit. Seriously, the only weapon I had was the metal rod, and at the end of that, was a broom. A broom! Someone waved from the audience, which composed of two people. Guy, and Tincan.

Guy: Go on, you can do it!
ZOS-1: Highly unlikely.
Guy: Yeah, but maybe he’ll give us a show.

Denara joined the spectators, while I still held onto the controllers of the cleaning mecha, gripping until my knuckles were white.

Denara: The exam will begin shortly. We are relaying instructions to his opponent right now.
Guy: Mhm.
Denara: ..so, tell me. Who exactly are you people?
Guy: We’re just associates, here to cheer him on.
Denara: Then what kind of people does he associate himself with? I am starting to think it is of the wrong sort.
Guy: How so?
Denara: For one, that knife that you have hidden. I doubt any decent person would carry something of such illegal nature into a facility as ours.
Guy: …you have good eyes.
Denara: You have to in this profession. You wouldn’t believe the psycho’s they let in to this school. That knife is the least of dangers I’ve seen.
Guy: Must be troubling then, staying on your guard all the time.
Denara: That was the second thing that I noticed. You have not let down your guard for a second the moment you entered the school. Who are you, exactly?
Guy: I’m sure this is something we could discuss somewhere else, like over a cup of coffee.
Denara: Does that mean you are not going to tell anything more?
Guy: I’m afraid I’m not authorized for that yet.
Denara: How unfortunate.
Guy: Truly.
Announcer: The exam will begin in five, four, three…


The battle began.

Guy: Ooh, that’s gotta hurt.
ZOS-1: Truly in a class of his own.
Denara: He really is something.
ZOS-1: Yes. Something terrible.
Guy: Did you see that?! I didn’t even know it was capable of something like that!
ZOS-1: There went an arm.
Guy: And RIGHT into the cockpit!
Denara: I think he has been unconscious from the first hit.
Guy: You say that as if he’s still alive.
ZOS-1: It appears that the coolant fluid is leaking out.
Guy: No, I’m pretty sure that’s blood.





The horrible pain and falling into darkness were the last things that I remembered from my utter defeat. The next thing I knew, I woke up in what looked like a hospital room.

Nurse: Oh, you are awake.
Mack: …where am I?
Nurse: Nurses room. My name is Helia, don’t worry, you’re going to be just fine. Now, how many fingers am I holding up? *lifts two fingers*

I stared at her in unbelief, was I really supposed to see double, or worse? Then there was the fact that she was cute. I had trouble concentrating my eyes on her hand and the raised fingers, than at her face, and those purple eyes that were genuinely worried for my wellbeing. It was her job to worry about the patients and care for them, but the nurse outfit, her eyes and that long green hair had me sold in an instant. …I should probably answer her before she starts to think that I have brain damage, or something.

Mack: …two.
Nurse: Excellent, looks like the reconstruction didn’t have any side-effects. You’re good to go.
Mack: Go? Go where? …The test. The test!

I stood up and looked around, but saw no one in charge from the teachers. The nurse and I were the only people in the room. Empty rows of beds, which were rather comfortable, few pieces of equipment… and us two. A good setting, but I had more important things to think about right now.

Mack: What happened with my test!?
Helia: Oh yes, I was asked to inform you of that. The teachers are having a meeting with Dean Warlic, they couldn’t tell you in person. They left this holoproject disk, let me play it for you.

From her pocket, she took out a portable holodisk player. Those things cost a fortune. So she was good looking AND had money? She pressed “Play” and before I knew it, a recorded view of Denara appeared. Now that she wasn’t face to face with me in real person, I took notice of her looks more eased. She looked even better than what I had seen earlier. Professional.

Denara: Mack D. Addy, we carefully evaluated your performance in the exam, and gave you appropriate points. You scored the lowest of all the new recruits, your mecha performance was subpar, and you also arrived late to your exam.
Mack: Great….
Denara: However, the points you were able to accumulate are enough to enter GEARS. As such, congratulations. You have been accepted. You gave a whole new meaning for “being one with your mecha”.

I barely heard voices from the background. Looks like this was recorded from the arena, as I saw some maintenance crew people walk past Denara from behind, along some medical personnel.

Medic: Did anyone find out where his liver went?
Doctor: Don’t worry about it, remember? That organ’s useless. Ah, here’s the appendix, now he will be able to speak.
Maintenance guy: God, we’ll never be able to mop all this blood from the seat.
Maintenance guy 2: The seat is the least of our problems. Try to get all of that stuff from the control panel!
Denara: …Do not disappoint us.


The record was over, and I still could not close my jaw, which had been wide open after the words “you have been accepted”.

Mack: …I passed?
Helia: Yes, you did. Welcome to GEARS. *smile*
Mack: ...really?
Helia: Yes, really. If you hurry up, you might still be able to participate in the acceptance ceremony.


I just thought about it for a few seconds, before I smiled back. It seemed too good to be true. I had passed, I got into GEARS.

And she was cute. And of course, Guy and Tincan were nowhere to be seen. And finally, there was a party out there, and I was not in it. Yet.

Life was good.