V M A Lost Hope [Quest]

[Mirage]

Clink!

Mirage pulled back his glass from the cheer that he, him, and himself had joined together for.

“Hey Renee, look. I can drink three times as fast. Think I would be able to out drink Ramya if she ever showed up?”

Wraith finished the last few reps of training on the pull-up bar before dropping down and giving a few stretches. “No, then all three of you would lose. How much longer are you going to show off your new holo-tech? This better not be like before when I found out you had a titan.”

“Who, Coyote? I told you we can probably go get you one too! I’m a hype man, right, me?” He fist bumped one of his drinking selves and gave an embarrassing finger waggle as he drew his hand away.

“Elliot, have you been keeping up with this whole thing with the Unmade?”

The trickster squinted in disgust, “Those weird things we fought back in that war game? What about them, they were gross.” His face then lit up again, “speaking of games though, did you hear that there’s something coming up soon about another one of those soon?”

Wraith waved away the idea as she sat down. “Mirage focus, that was a lot more serious than you think. On another one of the worlds here, Opealon. They took down a section of an entire city. Thousands of people lost their lives there.”

“Wait like lost, lost, not like the ones on the comet? I still feel kind of weird about that one too.” His tone wavered at the end of his comment.

“Look, I am just saying, this is a big deal. We need to be careful with them. They have a presence in every world here.”

“Well, why don’t we just go fight them, we’re heroes right?”

“Mirage, I don’t think I have the best track record on the battlefield right now.” The thought seemed to hit a nerve. “I’m not you, and this won’t be a game. If I mess up out there and I get taken out, I don’t know if there is any coming back. I don’t know how it works out there with that type of technology and I am not willing to put it on the line like I did before.”

Mirage softened as he sat beside her. “Hey look, I died in that last one too from that Karl guy. Not even I am lucky all the time, but we gotta do something if it really is that serious, right?” He gave a grin.

“Elliot, you aren’t taking this seriously.” She abruptly stood and began to walk away from the bar, Mirage following suit as he tried to reason with her.

“Woah, hey, I can be serious.” He tried to hold his ground as he popped in front of her.

She continued around him, not responding.

“Hey,” he exclaimed as he grabbed her by the shoulder, causing her to snap to him with a disgruntled look.

“I can be serious.”

She relaxed a bit, motioning for him to plead his case.

“The games are cool and alI, but we really can be heroes to everyone out there. We still fought them at the temple and got a taste of what they are like. Maybe we can do something about it.”

Wraith sighed softly as she looked away from the trickster.

“I still barely hear the voices. Still don’t know why either.” Her tone held a sense of anxiety and frustration.

Mirage motioned towards himself as he tried to lean into her vision. “Well, you have me! Besides, I’m sure they’ll-”

“-come back eventually. I appreciate the reassurance. I just-”

“Hey, you don’t need all one million versions of yourself to be a badass. I don’t even want to talk about our sparring score.” The trickster crossed his arms.

Wraith smirked a bit, she did whoop his ass more often than not when training. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, “You have Coyote, and yes, I get that I can use him too if I need to, but what do we do when we both need help?”

Mirage waved his hand dismissively. “Renee, that’s an easy one. They have a Pilot’s Union here, we could just go buy you a Titan or something. How much could they cost?”

“Oh, I don't know, dozens of years of research and who knows how much funding.” She snapped at him.

An interjection came over the comms, “Pilot, may I recommend directly communicating with the Pilot’s Union? I can recognize that she has great potential as a pilot, and it seems she may have already undergone training before.”

“See, Coyote agrees! Look, let’s just go check it out, I’ll drive the Voy’age down to the city and we can go take a look.”

Wraith cast him a glance. “I’ll drive, you go find out what we need to do to get into the Pilot’s Union. Coyote, double check his work.”

“Of course.”

Mirage grumbled as she left to head to the controls of the ship. “It was like at least a couple years ago since the last time I crashed, and it wasn’t even my fault!”

Started Quest: Tour of Duty
866/5000 Words

 

[Wraith]

Mirage was a good pilot. Right?

Right?

Wraith returned to the bridge as the ship approached one of the moors in a Pilot’s Union docking yard. She rolled her eyes but had a smirk on her face at the fact Mirage and his clones were in different places while he was piloting the vessel down into the docking area.

“Tower to Mirage Vo’yage. Please verify your IFF code.”

Wraith put the headset that was around her neck on over her head and fitted the earpiece in.

“Mirage Vo’yage to Tower. IFF code is Bravo Alpha Mike Bravo Oscar Oscar Zulu Lima Echo Delta.” She spoke, clicking the radio on.

“Confirmed, Mirage Vo’yage. Your assigned hangar is docking platform twenty-three. Follow the navigational lights.” The tower controller responded.

Mirage had said something about a surprise waiting for them in the hangar bays. She wasn’t sure what he was planning, but it was Elliot. It could be anything.

“There it is. Take her in nice and easy.” She said to Mirage, who along with his holo-clones carefully piloted the boat towards their assigned bay.

With a solid thud the ship was docked, and the clamps engaged holding the boat in place. The place was abuzz with traffic. The Pilot’s Union was in overdrive. Thousands of people worked in the docking area they had just landed in. Maintenance crews and pilots alike worked endlessly to make sure that Markov was ready for…something. Whatever was being planned was above her and Eliott’s pay grade. Hopefully today was the day that was going to change. Mirage had secured them both an interview with a Pilot recruiter, however before going to the meeting he had said he wanted to show her something.

“C’mon. You’ll love it.” He said, his clones disappearing as the Apex Champion made his way down to the airlock.

Wraith followed close behind and soon they were descending a series of metal stairs down from their landing platform.

“You’re gonna love this!” Mirage said with his signature smile.

As the duo reached the bottom of the stairs, they were now standing beneath the Mirage Vo’yage. Coyote was being lowered from his launch bay for scheduled maintenance and a cursory inspection by a Pilot’s Union mechanic. You were allowed to supply your mech when you joined, but it had to pass an inspection first.

“Did you do something to Coyote?”

“Nope! Look!” He gestured towards a titan being towed towards the second launch bay of their ship.

The titan was white. Skinnier than Coyote. It was carrying a rifle that was linked to its body. A large sword was attached to its back. As the towing vehicle stopped underneath the Vo’yage the titan bay above it automatically opened and began to drop cables, readying the machine to be hoisted into the launch bay. A crew was already working to secure the titan. Wraith was speechless.

“Is that mine? How did you…”

“I was looking into what you were going to pilot when we joined, and someone reached out and told me that they had a ronin class titan already setup for you to use! So, I made them pull it from storage, give it a fresh coat of paint and some minor upgrades, but she’s yours Renee.”

Wraith wrapped her arms around Mirage and pulled him into a big hug, a smile on her face.

“Thank you, Elliot! You’re too good to me.”

“That’s what friend are for, right?” He replied.

Wraith approached her newly acquired titan. One of the dockworkers wheeled over a crate to the void specialist and cracked it open.

“This titan had its own custom set of pilot armor in storage along with it. She claims it’ll fit you and that you’re her pilot and that’s all I need to hear. Just sign here…”

Wraith took the clipboard and pen. “She?”

“Yeah, the AI controlling this one is female. Designed by you apparently.” The man said briefly scanning the paperwork and handing her a folder of information about the ronin.

She thumbed through some of it.

“Wow. Was this really designed by you, Renee?” Mirage said as he walked around the white titan.

Designed by Renee Blasey. Project V01D. Ronin Prime Phase Titan.

Wraith looked stunned. She had no recollection of any of this.

“I don’t remember any of this. These papers say that I designed, built, and tested this thing.”

She shook her head clear of doubt.

“We can check her out later. Our appointment with the recruiter is in fifteen minutes and we have an entire docking bay to cover.”

“Lead on!” Mirage said, following behind her.

 

[Mirage]

“Alright, we have discovered some movement over in sector B9-7-4 of the Southwestern front. Shouldn’t be too bad, but we’ve equipped some extra pilots for this mission you all. Pilots Mirage and Wraith will be joining us on this short tour. Hopefully, they can remember that this isn’t a game, and you will all be back in one piece. You are all on go in T minus 15, so keep your head down and your eyes on the horizon. Over and out.”

The two legends strapped into their titans, prepping for their departure. Not as flashy as a full titanfall, but supporting an interception squad wasn’t supposed to be grandeur.

“Of course this isn’t a game, who does he think we are?”

“It’s easy for them to also forget that the ‘games’ we play are life and death in their own way.”

“Right? I mean, c’mon, we are legends for a reason.”

The deployment hangar opened and allowed the battalion of soldiers to march forward on convoys, moving out onto the dusty roads outside of the city.

“Thirty minutes until we approach the last scanner readings. Keep on your toes until then.”

Mirage relaxed in his cockpit as Coyote jogged alongside the convoy, Wraith in her own titan on the other side of him. It was clear that the usual mechs deployed alongside these units were much less equipped than their own, so this should be an easy mission.

A soldier poked his head out of the convoy and waved up at Coyote. “Hey, Pilot! Seen you around in a few of the battle tournaments, heard that speech you gave in last year’s Abyss. Inspired me to join the Union. My older brother was already a part of it, he’s in the 47th battalion, focused on the unmade forces. It’s been hard, but I am glad to be here alongside you!”

Mirage listened to this guy giving him a bit of his life story, allowing Coyote to open the cockpit so that he could lean out and talk directly to the kid. “Yeah, figured I’d go ahead and join up as well, after seeing how things were with just a taste of the unmade. Well, we are heroes, so why not show up and lend a hand, right?”

The soldier nodded. “Makes me proud to fight alongside you, sir!” He gave a salute with a smile on his face. “My mother would be comforted to know that you are joining me in this mission.”

The sudden maternal mention struck the trickster in his heart. “Ah, well yeah. Bet you’re gonna be excited to tell her all about it. What’s your name, kid?”

“Kaine, sir!”

“Just call me Mirage…” The trickster’s mind flooded with thoughts of Crypto calling him an old man.

“Well, Mirage it is! Just wanted to make sure I pay my respects!”

“Thanks, hah, I’ll pay it back by getting us back early, yeah?” He gave Kaine a flashy smile and wink along with alternating finger guns.

Kaine nodded and retreated back into his seat with another wave of his hand. Coyote spoke up as Mirage did the same.

“Pilot, have you fought Zoid creatures before?”

Mirage blinked a few times at the sudden change in pace. “Uh, zoids? Can’t say that I have, but I bet they are real pushovers. “

“They are large mechanical beings that resemble biological animals. Ferocious and deadly.”

“Ha.. well, how big can they really be?”

“Proportionate to my own size.”

Mirage sat on that information for a moment, before taking up the intercom to his partner.

“Hey Wraith, have you ever fought zoid before, like, in another dimension or something? Maybe your titan has?”

1478/5000 words progress for quest

 

[Wraith]

Mirage’s voice came over the radio.

“Hey Wraith. Have you ever fought zoids before? Maybe your titan has?”

Zoids. She didn’t know what they were. Wraith had only heard about them from various recruitment pamphlets for the Pilot’s Union.

“Hang on. Let me ask.” She replied into her radio.

“V, do you have any reports on zoids?” She asked the AI in her titan.

“Zoids. Classification: Wild. Mechanical beings designed after various creatures and fauna in the environment. My archives include every model type known to the Pilot’s Union.” The AI replied.

“Would you like me to share access to the Pilot Union database with Coyote?”

“Yes, V. Do that.” Wraith said.

The titan pilot cued her mic, “Mirage, V is going to hook Coyote up with Pilot’s Union database access. Me nor V have fought them before. I don’t know what to expect. Stay sharp.”

“Yeah, Coyote is pulling it up now. What could go wrong? He replied.

“We’re approaching the signal location, team. Heads up. The SDF is providing air support if required.” The commander relayed over the comms.

Renee eyed her screens carefully. As the team came to a halt, she readied her titan’s carbine.

“Ms. Blasey. Four command wolf targets inbound from the northeast. Four hundred meters out.”

“Contact! Four hundred meters out to the northeast! Something called a command wolf!” Wraith spoke over the comms.

“This is it team!” The commander said.

“Mirage!”

“Yeah, Wraith?” He replied.

“Be safe.” She said.

“Ms. Blasey we are surrounded. Two shield liger’s approach from the rear.”

Wraith spun her titan around just in time to pull the trigger on the vulture carbine. The automatic weapon unloaded armor piercing rounds into the first liger to make it within range. At first the rounds bounced off its body, but the senior science pilot kept hitting her shots. Eventually the liger’s armor gave way and was ripped apart. Coyote had engaged the command wolves with his own weaponry, they were back-to-back. The carbine jammed, which was inevitable considering it was a prototype. Wraith had V manually pull back on the breach, ejecting the jammed round. Continuing to fire she lined up her shots on the second liger which circled around to her left.

“Ms. Blasey, three more command wolves approaching from the west.”

Fuck. Just like the Apex games. We’re getting third partied.

“Mirage! We’re getting third partied! Three more wolves to the west!”

“I know, Coyote just told me. Just like the games, am I right?”

A smile crept along Wraith’s features. She charged the remaining liger as it closed for a pounce. As it came down, V reached out and wrapped its hand around the mechanical cat’s throat. Wraith stuck the carbine into its mouth and pulled the trigger. Its head blew out and the machine dropped to the ground. Dead. Wraith had V pull back on the breach of her weapon, ejecting another jammed round.

“There’s too many!” Another mech pilot said over the radio.

“Ms. Blasey. Your core heat is getting low. I suggest switching to the sword core.”

Wraith bit the inside of her lip.

“Stay calm, pilot! We can handle-“ The commanders radio cut out as his mech was ripped apart by an Iron Kong, a gorilla zoid with a menacing appearance.

“They have monkeys too?” Mirage said over his radio.

V turned around and pushed forward towards the Command Wolves. Hooking her carbine to her back she drew the broadsword on the other side. One of the wolves opened fire on her, two shots pelted her armor, but Wraith was quick to activate her phase core.

“Whoa.” Mirage said to himself as he watched Wraith blink away.

She reappeared next to the Command Wolf and brought her sword, blade down, and pierced through its center. Ripping the blade away V kicked the disabled zoid to the ground. There were three of them left. Mirage, Wraith, and Kaine.

Kaine’s voice came over the radio, he sounded panicked. “Nat call. Nat call. This is Bravo One. Requesting air support in grid one three three six. Multiple targets.”

The three pilots now stood alone against the remaining zoids.

“Roger that, Bravo One. Birds inbound.”

“Mirage…” Wraith started to say over the radio.

“We got this, Wraith. We’ve faced tougher stuff than this. Remember when Revenant had us cornered with his team?”

He was right. Wraith twirled her broadsword and held it out, ready to battle.

***

Cue Top Gun music. ​

Two pilots rushed their way through the SDF halls to the deck. They had been called to supply close air support to a mech recon team. The commander fastened his helmet and quickly ascended the ladder into his veritech fighter.

“I need those birds airborne now!” The captain said over the radio.

As the canopy closed on both veritechs, each pilot took stock of the machine they were about to fly. They tested the flaps and various control surfaces. With two salutes and a push of the throttle to full afterburner, both veritech fighters were launched off the SDF One and into the sky. Banking immediately left, both fighters quickly hit supersonic on their way to assist.

“Tiger One, to Bravo One. We’re inbound. Thirty seconds.”