War in a Snapshot

[Gradlein]

I'll edit this later. It's just something I came up with while doing nothing in the office.

Click, click, click. The sound of the camera’s shutter is almost inaudible from the sound of gunfire and explosions ringing in the battlefield. At present, a war is being fought between three factions – the Sirius Corporation, Venide, and the EverGreen Family – for control over the Towers, massive structures of unknown origin that contain large amounts of ancient technology and supplies. The goods found in the tower are beneficial and almost a necessity for survival in a world that has been devastated by previous wars and plagued with an unknown contamination that has only begun to subside. As such, there was no question why major factions like those engaged in battle, now known as the Verdict War, would fight over them no matter their motivations. Some people make a living by being employed by these factions as Ravens – pilots of 5-meter tall advanced humanoid mechanized fighting vehicles known as Armored Cores or ACs – that comprise the factions’ main military force. Some Ravens also serve as mercenaries under the organization known as Signs and take contracts from one of the three major powers. There are also some who enter the battlefield, not to fight but to take photographs and keep the rest of the world updated through the Voice of War, an information network that distributes battlefield information.

“I think I’ll have to get closer…,” Gradlein thought aloud while zooming his camera to the farthest it can get. He peered down the edge of the low-rise building he was standing on and wondered if he can just jump down and land safely on the sand so he can quickly get inside his vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler he borrowed from one of the nearby desert camps. He found numerous large rocks on the ground below, most likely debris from the ruined buildings, and realized that was not an option.

After covering the lens and storing the equipment, he tried to get up from his kneeling position but suddenly ducked by instinct as several Storks – ultra-heavy lift helicopters that usually transport ACs – flew overhead and dropped several bipedal ACs just several meters behind him. As the dust from the landing ACs cleared, he immediately undid the cover on the camera lens and began to take photos of each of them. Lucky! He thought as he pressed the shutter-release button in quick succession.

“Hey, you!” A male voice bellowed from one of the AC’s speakers. Grad immediately turned to the source and noticed that it came from one of the newly-arrived ACs – a dirty-white painted middleweight bipedal that had the Philippine flag on its chest. “It’s dangerous here, you’ll have to get out,” the voice warned him.

“Kabayan? (Countryman?)” Gradlein shouted as hard as he could, thinking that the pilot was the same as him, a Filipino from the Philippines. After a slight pause, he heard the same voice on the radio asking, “Can you hear me?”

Probably noticing the photographer turn his attention to the radio, he immediately followed with a reply to the earlier question, "Oo. ‘Wag ka dito. Delikado. (Yes. You shouldn't be here. It’s dangerous.)."

“Sige,” Gradlein replied to say ‘okay’ and started to pack up.

“Hurry up. We’re detecting a horde of UNACs inco-…shit! Sniper!” There was a loud bang as a bullet hit an adjacent building, throwing dust and debris all over the place. The impact threw Gradlein off balance causing him to fall over and roll away from his position. It took him only a few seconds to get back up but then realized that he was already surrounded. His ears were still ringing and cannot hear the gunfire much but he can clearly see that the ACs near him have already engaged the UNACs, shorthand for Unmanned ACs.

Gradlein started to panic. He knew full well that, unlike Ravens, the Artificial Intelligence will shoot anything that moves on-sight. Without thinking he began running towards the door on the opposite side that gave him access to the rooftop. However, after just a few steps, a chill ran up his spine and he instantly dropped down on his stomach just before another bullet hit the rooftop access.

Crap, crap, crap, crap! I’m done for! Was it aiming for me? He couldn't think of anything else and simply froze in prone position on the spot. There was no other way to get to cover except by jumping down from the building even if it could potentially cause injury. Unsure of what to do next, he closed his eyes and prayed. The ringing in his ears has subsided and he began to hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions again. He could also hear the whirr of the rotors of an approaching Stork. He looked up just in time to see a bluish lightweight bipedal AC fall on the ground just a few meters away from him.

“Get in!” A familiar female voice said. It came from the Stork that delivered the AC,which is now turning to head back and move away from the battlefield. Another bullet whizzed past, seemingly aimed at the chopper, but it didn't connect. Not wanting to waste the chance he was given while the sniper reloaded, Gradlein stood up and made a running jump towards the open hatch on the AC's back. He landed just above the cockpit, tried to steady himself, then held firmly on the frame before easing himself down into the pilot’s seat.

BANG! A sniper bullet connected with the AC’s left-hand shield pushing it back by a few meters and caused it to turn a little to the left. The blow caused Grad to release his hold on the frame and he fell straight down on to the seat, which slid forwards into the cockpit. The hatch closed with a thud then the main screen turned on, showing the operating system booting up.

The cockpit shook as another bullet hit, this time hitting the right-hand shield. The AC seemed to be unharmed but he felt it move back by a few more meters compared to the last one. As soon as the boot up completed and showed the battlefield around him, the operating system’s voice prompt immediately gave him two warnings in a deep, monotone, male voice, “SHIIRUDO GA SHIYOU DEKINAI. PAARJI SHIMASU. SHIIRUDO GA SHIYOU DEKINAI. PAARJI SHIMASU.” He could hear a loud clang as the AC purged both shields then the whirr of the arms as it switched to the bay units.

Gradlein quickly pushed the communications button for the AC’s external speakers. “Mariel! Why is the operating system in Japanese? And what the heck did you load on this thing?!” He frantically asked in quick succession. He only knew one female with the same voice as the one he heard from the Stork, who was also an engineer working on an AC. A small window appeared near the bottom of the screen with the words “Voice Only”.

“Oh! You knew it was me?” Mariel asked in a playful tone.

“Who else would send me an AC?” He replied as he switched the AC's operations to scan mode then flicked the control for the boosters and moved sideways to the right. The push from the sniper cannon’s hits positioned the AC near an alley between two buildings that are at least three stories tall and can completely cover it. There was a flash then a split-second whoosh sound from the boosters as it propelled the AC sideways to duck for cover. The g-force from the sudden high-boost made him a bit nauseous and threw him to the side. “Ow!” He cried as his left shoulder hit the side of the cockpit’s interior. He promptly strapped on the seat-belts on his legs and torso while the AC was behind cover.

“Stupid.” Mariel remarked as soon as she heard him say ‘ow.’ “You have four shields…well, two since you already broke the first set, a close-in weapon system for the shoulder units…and you know Japanese anyway so I don’t see how that’s a problem.”

“Japanophile,” he teased. He knew how much she loved anything that was Japanese but that part of her personality fit her because she could easily pass off as one even though she’s from the same country as he is. “But how will I fight with only shields?”

“You’re not there to fight, stupid! I came here to get you out! What kind of idiot would go into a war zone without a proper military vehicle?”

“Err…this kind of idiot right here, I guess?”

“Exactly! You know how to pilot it from the simulations so get out of there before your balls shrink even more than it is now!”

“Hey! Change topic!” Grad replied to the teasing in a fluster.

“Biiih~” Mariel countered before cutting off communications. Although he couldn't see her, he saw an image of her in his mind sticking out her tongue.

“Wait, wait! You’re not going to make me travel for more than a thousand miles on this AC, are you?”

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Being a lightweight biped, the AC easily jumped on top of the building it was using as cover in one leap. Gradlein quickly shut off the boosters, making the AC land swiftly on the rooftop, then switched it on again before pulling hard on the controls. The AC responded to the controls by kicking hard on the platform it was standing on and boosting continuously at almost maximum power. The increased detection range in scan mode was still not enough to find the sniper so he immediately assumed that he was almost at the end of its firing range. He heard another shot fire from the sniper but it missed him because the AC was already glide-boosting backwards and away from the area. As soon as the bullet missed, he cut the boosters again, and then turned around in a complete one hundred and eighty degrees the moment the AC's feet touched the ground.

“Time to get out of here,” Gradlein muttered before pushing the control levers as far as he can.

The AC lunged forward followed by a long whoosh from the boosters as it tried to produce the greatest amount of continuous thrust it could muster to glide-boost. Even with a speed of almost 200 miles per hour, Grad knew he was in for a long ride back home unless he can quickly catch up to the Stork that brought him the AC. Still, he was just glad that he got out of that war zone. With a smile, he silently thanked whatever great being gave him that miracle and wondered if he had a bigger purpose in life or it was really just a stroke of luck that he managed to stay alive.

[Gradlein]

"Have you thought of a name for it yet?" The short-statured yet athletically-built female asked her companion as she typed frantically on the keyboard. The last few simulations using her latest design had gotten her quite excited so she quickly made the adjustments before the idea left her head. Clack! The keyboard made a loud noise as she hit the last character harder than usual. All that was left was for the computers to automatically do the calculations and her work for the day is done.

"Hon?" She asked again then turned, wondering why her question wasn't being answered. She found him sitting on a nearby crate tinkering with his camera's settings. "Grad!" she called out to him as he lifted the camera to eye-level, prepared to take a shot. She quickly raised her hand and made a peace sign to pose for the shot.

"Mariel...it's your design so I leave it up to you." He half-pressed the shutter release then pushed harder after a soft beep. The camera responded with a quick flash then the click of the shutter as the picture was taken.

"Blurred," he muttered then quickly deleted the photo.

"Just hurry up and give me a name! I need to send your registration to Signs so we can start earning Au." She reached into her pockets and pulled out her phone. After a few button presses, she looked at him and waited for his answer.

He looked up and gazed at the 5-meter tall blue AC behind her. After a slight pause, he sighed then responded, "RX18...CALEB."

"...still not over her, huh?" She murmured while typing the name on her phone. She then raised the device high above her head as she pressed 'Send'. In just a few seconds, the phone made a ringing sound to confirm that the message was sent.

Gradlein gaze turned to the floor as he realized what he just said. "...sorry," he apologized dejectedly.

Mariel slipped the phone back into her pocket then went over to him and pulled him close. She gave him a hug and pressed his head against her chest. "It's okay. I've already accepted everything about you," she said while stroking his short spiky hair. "...even that." She made a quick smirk and even though Grad could not see her, he already understood that she was making a joke about his crotch.

He gave a quick but soft jab to her sides, to which she responded by releasing him and laughing as she moved away and quickly left the workshop. Thanks, he thought as his eyes followed her.

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"So...who's the new guy?" Gradlein asked over the speakers while munching on a chocolate bar. He was seated inside his AC's cockpit while being transported to the South Islands with five other ACs for a sortie. He had recently joined a mercenary team named Raven Republic, the same team he encountered when he first received his AC.

"Hey, Arrui!" A silvery male voice announced on the speakers, the same one that warned him in the Middle East. "Introduce yourself." It was Flau. He pilots a mid-range medium bipedal AC called AST-Sublimer Mk. II and calls it a "hero" type AC. The design is well-balanced and it can hold its own in any situation. The pilot himself, although quite young, is an excellent pilot and can unleash the full potential of the AC.

"Hello, sirs." A low, modest voice responded. "You can call me Arrui. I'm glad to be a part of this team."

"Sirs!" Grad and the others exclaimed, almost in unison, before laughing.

"Grad's the only 'sir' here. He's 30." The modulated voice came from a dark pink medium bipedal AC named Scylla Drake IV. Its pilot, Jiro, preferred energy weapons and his AC's design reflects that with an all energy weapon load-out.

"Hahaha, yeah, he's old," the pilot of the sortie's only lightweight AC agreed. The voice sounded very young and Westerners would probably mistake it for a female's. It was Zeph, the close quarters combat specialist. His AC usually carries either shotguns, blades, or pilebunkers, all of which are used in close range. In most encounters with enemy ACs or UNACs, he can be heard laughing within 30 seconds of contact and the team would understand that he already took one out with the pilebunker.

"Really?" The voice came from another middleweight bipedal AC. It carried a large curved laser blade called the Moonlight. The AC is piloted by two brothers, both called Cross, and the team can rarely tell if they're talking to the older or the younger because they have the same voice.

"Ah, darn. Why did I have to mention my age?" Gradlein said wearily then tried to change the topic. "Hey, Zeph! I brought a heavy so I can test something."

"Huh? What do you need?" Zeph asked in response.

"Just hit me with any melee weapon you have. I want to test this thing's defenses."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. I'll just stand still. I also didn't bring any shields." Grad assured him.

The Storks dropped the ACs a few kilometers away from the mission area. The enemy doesn't seem to be aware of their presence since there was no movement within the enemy camp.

"Ready when you are, Zeph." Gradlein told Zeph over the speakers.

"Hmm. I have an idea. Hehehe...," Zeph replied.

Gradlein scanned the area then moved his AC backwards and turned towards Zeph's position. Then he made the AC switch into its bay weapons while trying his best to hold his laughter. He had a surprise waiting for Zeph as well: a pair of pilebunkers.

Zeph's AC hovered slowly in the air but steadily advanced towards him while holding a pair of laser blades. Gradlein thought that he was probably adjusting his aim to ensure he would hit at the proper range and maximize the damage of the blades.

"Come and hug papa bear! Hahaha!" Gradlein joked to maintain his facade. The AC raised its arms like it was urging the other AC to come forward.

With less than 20 meters between them, Zeph's AC raised its arms to prepare for a downward slash at Gradlein's AC. Gradlein quickly moved forward and fired both pilebunkers, hoping to hit Zeph's arms before it could execute the slash. They somehow managed to hit each other at the exact same time. The impact pushed Zeph's AC back by a few meters while Grad's AC was forced to kneel because of the slash's downward force. Both ACs automatically shutdown because of the heavy damage from losing their arms.

"Huh? What happened?" Zeph asked. Although the ACs are inactive, the external speakers can still be used for communication.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gradlein laughed maniacally. Although it didn't go as well as he planned it, the reaction he got from Zeph was still priceless. Soon, the rest of the team aside from Arrui, who didn't seem to get it, were joining in on the laughter.

As if forgetting about the mission, the others tried to join the fun. Flau began to chase Cross and Jiro with a pilebunker, Jiro sprayed his plasma gun to block Flau's attempts, and Cross tried to flank either of the two so he can hit with his Moonlight.

"Are you guys going to leave me to finish the mission by myself?" Arrui asked somberly over the team's private channel while raining bullets over the enemy's camp. It barely had any defenses aside from a small number of GOLEMs and WETAs.

"Sorry, Arrui." Flau replied. "I'll help you out."

The AST-Sublimer Mk. 2 quickly boosted towards the mission area and closed in on Arrui's Komurasaki. As Flau passed by Arrui, the latter's AC suddenly grinded to a halt and fell forward to the ground.

"Whoops!" Flau exclaimed then laughed as he boosted away and took down the last few targets.

"I-...what...," Arrui uttered, not knowing how to react or what to say.

But before he can think about it, Gradlein said, "...there's your official welcome. Welcome to Raven Republic."

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"What the hell is this?!" Mariel shouted at Gradlein's ear while holding what seems to be a printout of a payslip. "You forced me to design a heavyweight saying, 'Don't worry! It will pay off by cutting our repair costs,' then you come back from a mission owing a debt to Signs?!"

"But it wasn...," Grad started to explain then held his tongue. He knew her temper will get worse if he tried to make excuses.

Mariel stormed off into the bedroom then returned and threw a blanket at him. Her face was flushed with anger. "Don't you dare go inside or I will kill you," she said before slamming the door shut.

Gradlein simply sighed and thought, ...this is going to be a looooong night.