Something New, Blue

Something New, Blue
2019
Sydney, NSW, Australia
"Oi!" shouts Logan. "This is our sim time."
Chuck twists around in his chair. "Th' hell 're ye talkin' about? It's ours!"
"Oh please god no," squeaks Derek, tapping away at his tablet.
The sim operator pats his shoulder. "Chill, Little Jones, ye din't make a mistake. Joneses, Hansen 'n Vos, yer both booked. The Marshal wants us t' try something a little different today."
"'m not Driftin' with him," Logan snaps.
"Fuck you," snarls Chuck.
"Save it. Yer gonna play 'Kaijus 'n Jaegers.'"
"What th' hell does that mean?" grumbles Chuck.
Pietr bounces on his toes.
"Joneses, yer a Kaiju. Hansen 'n Vos, yer ... yerselves. We light up th' sim 'n ye try t' kill th' other team."
The Rangers Jones turn to each other.
"I like this game," says Logan.
"Ye get yer pick 'a Kaiju, too."
"I really like this game."
The speaker crackles: ""Ye guys have two minutes t' pick.""
"There anythin' spider-like in here?" muses Logan.
"Pro'ly not," says Jackson. "Chuckles'd just whine we're unfair, anyway."
""Minute thirty!""
"Lucky beat that one," warns Jackson.
"What about this ugly?"
"Definitely studied that one—Wei triplets and an elbow
rocket. This ugly?"
""One minute!""
"Might do, might do."
""Took ye long enough!""
""Ye guys have a name?"" asks the tech.
"Shut it, Shortstack. LOCCENT, it's 'Enginebreaker.'"
""Lame!""
Simulation loading ...
"Nah, Chuckles, that's what we're gonna do t' ye."
""'n oh yea—Kaiju gets a head start, seein' as they gotta get used t' a new body.""
"Awesome."
""Seriously?! We'll be dead 'n buried 'fore—""
"Patience, Chuckles! Speed ain't everything!"
"Give it a rest, Jackson. He's never had a datemate—! I told'ja I din't want that in m' head!"
"Well now yer makin' me focus on it!"
""Imma find out, Klingon, 'n 'm gonna make yer life hell.""
"Not if I kill ye first. Logan, whatcha thinkin'?"
"'m thinkin' yer in m' head. 'n we need t' buy th' Marshal a drink." Logan stretches his forelimbs.
"Ye'd think he wants us t' smack the noobs 'round, givin' us this one t' play with." Jackson rises up on his hind legs.
"Shouldn't disappoint th' man." Logan tests his long, retractable claws.
Jackson snorts, rolls his shoulders, unfurling the spines across his back.
"How d'we play it?"
"I gotta plan." Jackson grins, all teeth.
=THIS ILL BE CAKE THERE PREDICT
=ABLE
Pietr twists as far as he can in the harness. ::Don't sell
them short. They're dangerous.::
Chuck tosses his head dismissively.
Pietr sighs, braces for the drop.
=LOCCENT YOUR SURE THERES A KAI
=JU HERE IVE GOT NOTHING ON SCA
=N
=ITS OUT THERE STRIKER KEEP LOO
=KING
Pietr taps the command panel, widening the scan range.
Nothing.
=WHERE ARE THE BASTARDS
Proximity alarm
Impact sends them staggering forward.
Damage alarm: upper back/shoulder
Claws sunk deep into armor, an immense weight on her back pressing her down.
Striker topples.
She throws out an arm and twists, Enginebreaker leaping clear. Lashes out with a foot, clips its snout.
The beast vanishes between buildings.
Striker lurches to her feet; Pietr and Chuck shaking their heads free from stars and static.
Damage is limited, nothing seri—
Kaiju tracking and radar offline.
=FUCK FUCKING BASTARDS
Pietr shrugs 'told you so,' checks the view through his side of Striker's visor.
Chuck does the same on his side.
No Kaiju.
Left a trail, though: a wake of destruction to the harbor.
Striker tromps off.
Proximity alarm
The view tilts alarmingly towards Chuck.
Damage alarm: right knee
=FUCK
Pietr grits his teeth.
Striker rebalances, flailing, grasping, firing the thrusters ...
Fails to land a hit.
=GODDAMN FUCKING ASSHOLE BASTAR
=DS
Proximity alarm
The view tilts alarmingly towards Pietr.
Damage alarm: left hip
Enginebreaker hits the hamstrings next; shredding steel and braided cable with ease. Nudges Striker's spine and watches her fall. Slams her head to the ground for good measure, mashes her face to the concrete with a clawed hand. Snaps one wing, pulls out ribs and guts, snaps the other wing.
Striker tries to push herself up with her arms, engines whining.
The Conn-pod crumples at the back. She's pulled against her spine, smashed back into the ground.
Tries with her better leg.
Enginebreaker gets a claw in Striker's thigh and rips out a muscle's worth of cables.
=WEIR DEAD
Pietr nods.
They tap in the commands to engage the escape pods.
System fault: Pod release offline
=WEIR REALLY DEAD
Pietr nods again.
=MIGHT AS WELL GO DOWN HARD
Pietr sets his jaw.
They reach for the self-destruct switch.
.
Chuck and Pietr enter the control room to find one nervous Jones and two more doubled-over.
"Yer th' best th' Academy kin do? They've gone soft since we were there, ay, Jackson?"
"No kiddin'. That was candy from babies. 'Course Chuckles is—"
Chuck lunges for Jackson—
Pietr grabs him around the middle, yanks him into a chair, holds him down.
"—a baby."
"Temper, temper, Shortstack."
"How th' fuck didya do that?" demands Chuck.
"I've got yer blueprints 'n specs memorized, Chuckles," Jackson smirks. "Like t' know what my backup kin do fer me. Knew just where t' hit ye."
Chuck crosses his arms and sulks.
Pietr offers a congratulatory hand.
Jackson grins and accepts.
::Glad real Kaiju can't do that.::
"If they could, we'd be good 'n fucked."Category:Ficlet
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