"A support unit," he repeated, taking another glance at the mech's profile.
Instead of making an expression of disbelief, Zephyr only had a single thought in mind.
'How…how extravagant!'
For the sole reason that Christina wasn't proficient in direct combat, her father had commissioned an entirely new line of mechs just to accommodate her needs. Was this how the rich operated? Did they have no concept of how the rest of the world functioned? It was as if they lived in a completely different reality, one where money could smooth over any deficiency, where the idea of 'making do' was a foreign concept.
Christina, blissfully unaware of the whirlwind of thoughts in Zephyr's mind, continued her explanation with the enthusiasm of someone presenting a new toy.
"The model's name is the Copper Hive," she said, scooting closer to him and pointing at the mech's right arm in the image.
"It can deploy a remote-operated surveillance drone from this arm here." She traced her finger to the mech's oversized backpack. "And it can also carry a variety of ammunition types for Nia's Spectre."
Zephyr glanced at her, raising an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Is there anything else this wonder-mech has that I'm unaware of?"
Christina hesitated, then added almost sheepishly, "...It's a prototype?"
Zephyr sighed, resisting the urge to bury his face in his hands. "Forget I even asked."
"Oh wait!" Christina suddenly perked up, as if remembering something crucial. "It also has basic ECM capabilities. I almost forgot."
"..."
Zephyr's mind went blank for a moment. ECM—Electronic Countermeasures. Essentially, anti-jamming technology that could keep communication lines open even in the most hostile environments. This mech was turning out to be far more than just a support unit; it was a force multiplier. Zephyr didn't even want to imagine how expensive a single unit was.
He shot a glance at Nia, who had been silent up until now, observing their exchange with that usual unreadable expression.
"Did you already know about all of this?" he asked softly.
Nia nodded.
"Of course. That's why I was confident our team could manage with just three members."
Zephyr stared at her, incredulous. "And you didn't think to explain that from the start? Are you stupid?"
Nia met his gaze calmly.
"I'm ranked first in academics, so I don't think so."
He gave her a deadpan look, much to her dismay.
Zephyr responded with a deadpan stare, letting the silence hang between them.
She blinked, tilting her head slightly. "Is there something on my face?"
"...No."
Deciding it was best not to comment on her lack of social awareness, Zephyr let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.
How did he end up with these two, of all people? Zephyr wouldn't consider himself a master of social interaction, but somehow, he had found himself paired with two individuals who managed to be even worse. Christina's shy demeanor often made her retreat into the background, contributing little to the conversation unless directly prompted. Nia, on the other hand, seemed to believe that her thoughts didn't require much explanation, as if everyone else was supposed to read her mind and fall in line with her plans.
"Either way…the Copper Hive should open many possibilities for us. I highly doubt that any other students in our cohort have access to an auxiliary mech like yours, Christina."
The blonde girl smiled widely.
"Thank goodness. I'd thought that I would have held you guys back, but I'm relieved that I could be of some help."
Was she serious? Zephyr wasn't sure.
"Wasn't there a limit on how expensive a personal mech could be though? Otherwise, piloting skill would be substituted from the sheer advantage of the mech. How was your mech approved?"
Christina nodded before replying.
"Yep. However, due to the Copper Hive being a prototype model, it's actually going to be a lot cheaper than the production model. Plus, because it's a support type, the academy decided to be quite lenient."
Although far-fetched, her reasoning made some sense. It seems like they don't expect a student to fully utilize the advantages of an auxiliary mech. It was poor oversight by the school board, but a plus for Zephyr. In the end, his squad was going to benefit from it after all.
He stood up from his makeshift seat.
"Let's call it a day for now. You did say our first activity was survival right?"
Nia nodded.
"Mhm."
"Then we can discuss this some other time. Send me a message or something if you guys want to schedule a meet up since I have to catch up on my assignments again."
***
Now back in his own room, Zephyr walked towards his bed, falling face first into the soft mattress.
Turning his head to the side, he pulled up the profile of the Copper Hive once more as he stared listlessly at the mech.
'A support unit huh…'
They normally were extremely expensive models that lacked firepower but made up for it in other areas such as enhanced enemy detection that regular mechs couldn't provide.
With Christina's mech, it was almost certain they would always be able to detect enemy teams first.
After a few more moments in thought, Zephyr decided to take a shower. He didn't want to stink up the sheets with sweat before sleeping.
With a sigh, he begrudgingly stood up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom.
***
The next morning…
Ding!
Zephyr looked down at his comm, noticing it was a message from Nia.
[Check the academy's app. There should be a message sent to everyone about the details of our next assignment. Make sure to read it before going to class.]
'What is she, my mother?'
Although he grumbled internally, he immediately opened the academy app and checked his inbox.
[Team Survival Rules and Objectives]
'I'm guessing Nia is talking about this.'
He opened the mail and began to read:
[The first activity will be held next week over the course of five days on planet RB-34. Teams will be graded on the criteria below:
- Securing a safe zone in a foreign environment.
- Demonstrating strong ability to remain undetected.
- Lasting the entire duration of survival without being eliminated.
Additional information will be provided on the date of the activity.]
From the little bit of information the academy decided to share, Zephyr was able to infer a few details. If they needed to secure a safe zone, it meant that the academy would most likely include some hostile elements in their environment. Some of the dangers might include drones or even soldiers from the state. The latter might sound like a stretch, but in the end their academy was a military institution in the end.
Based on the second objective, staying under the radar also seemed to be an important factor.
The only thing that confused Zephyr somewhat was the last criteria. What qualifies as being eliminated? Was being detected one of the conditions for being eliminated?
Part of him was frustrated the academy didn't reveal all of the information beforehand, but quickly accepted it.
'Well whatever, they'll tell us later on anyway.'
It was probably to prevent students from coming up with strategies before the actual activity.
Still, there was no point worrying over the unknown. He'd have to trust his instincts when the time came. With a quick sigh, he tossed his comm aside and got dressed, slipping into his academy uniform.
For the rest of the week, he'd finally be able to train his body and spend time piloting a mech during class.
He clenched his fists in excitement, feeling a surge of energy course through him. It wasn't enough time to drastically improve his ranking, but it was plenty of time to observe his cohort. He could size up their strengths and weaknesses, study their behaviors, and figure out where he stood in the pecking order.
It wasn't all about self-improvement. It was about knowing your competition.
And he planned to make the most of it.
***
Zephyr yawned as he looked outside the window to his left. Three hours into class he felt much more exhausted than normal. Yesterday's physical assessment took a larger toll on him than he thought. Even after a full night's sleep, his muscles still felt sore.
He glanced at Nia who was still sitting beside him today. After a few moments, she also yawned, paying little attention to what Instructor Irrad was teaching.
"Shouldn't you be paying attention a little more?" Zephyr asked, his voice low. "I'm already behind, so this material doesn't affect me much. But as the student ranked first in academics, shouldn't you at least be awake for class?"
Nia rested her cheek on the back of her palm leisurely.
"Why should I need to be any more awake than you are? Am I not allowed to be tired?"
She had a point.
"I just didn't expect it."
Her eyes peeked at him briefly before turning forward again.
"My memory is good so I don't need to pay too much attention to low level courses like these. Most of the time I only take notes for appearances sake."
Zephyr's eyebrow twitched.
'Genetically enhanced brat. People like her never understand the struggles of the ordinary citizen.'
Although he was envious, he tried his best to not let it show on his face.
"Did you read the academy's notice earlier?" Nia asked, changing the subject. "I sent you a message about it."
"Yeah, I read it." Zephyr slouched further into his chair, crossing his arms. "They didn't give us much info. The only thing we can really research is the planet. RB-34, right?"
Nia pursed her lips.
"On the galactic web, it's said to be an abandoned planet on a bordering star system between the Commonwealth and Republic. Currently, it is controlled by the Republic, however they have not begun rebuilding efforts due to its high cost and location."
RB-34 was a dead zone. If war broke out between the Commonwealth and the Republic again, that planet would be the first to get pulverized. Why waste credits rebuilding something that was likely to be destroyed all over again?
"I guess the academy's using it as a training site now," he mused.
"Seems so." Nia stretched her arms leisurely, settling back in her chair. "Based on that, we can infer the activity will probably be in an abandoned city. Urban survival. Do you have any experience with that?"
He clicked his tongue at her question she obviously already knew the answer to.
"Of course not. Prior to attending this academy, I've only gone through online courses. When would I have the chance to learn something like that?"
Nia twirled a strand of her hair, tilting her head.
"Figures."
'Is she mocking me?'
"Don't complain if I don't meet your standards if we don't perform well. You're the one who chose me to be a part of your group after all."
"Complain?" She feigned a surprised look. "Why would I need to complain? As long as you follow my lead, naturally we'll get a good score."
"You sure sound confident."
"Of course."
Christina listened to their conversation with a small smile while copying down whatever the instructor was showing on the screen.
Although she also had some genetic enhancements that assisted with her memory, they weren't nearly as high end as Nia's. She still needed to pay attention in class to maintain her grades.
The class continued for a bit longer until the instructor finally turned off the screen, dismissing everyone for their next course.
Zephyr watched as his classmates began filing out of the lecture hall one by one, a tired look settling on his face. He turned to Christina, who was packing her belongings.
"Are we doing more physical exercises today?"
Christina looked up. "Today should be live-fire exercises. I usually don't do too well, but if you need help, you should ask Nia. She's the best marksman in our year."
Zephyr felt the knot in his chest loosen. At least his poor muscles were getting a break. Still, live-fire exercises had their own kind of pressure.
"Alright," he said with a deep breath. "Let's not be late for class."