Antumbra - A Lost Cause

Dressed for the Occasion - Chapter Thirty Nine

Arva relaxed into the harness as it re-attached itself to her, gently wrapping the wired pads and braces around her arms and legs before a vest-like section hooked over her shoulders and waist. She was being shown more and more how to run basic checks on her Argonaut in preparation for a real sortie, and was starting to realize just how unique Antumbra was. When she watched Kyodai enter his suit, he had to fit himself into the harness instead of it conforming to him. Antumbra was different, it came to her, as if it wanted her to pilot it. There were other idiosyncrasies that set it apart, like how the pre-flight checks ran automatically rather than her having to do it, but overall she was getting the feeling that even among the vast technology she'd been introduced to ever since her arrival, Antumbra was still special. It made Arva feel special as well, and a little cautious. As she continued to train and adapt to a life of hard work and regime, she grew to appreciate the individuals who chose such a life, unlike her. It made her want to be better, to prove herself worthy of the gift that was this machine, and she was afraid that she might not live up to her team. She was slowly finding her place among them, even if she was beneath them in terms of skill and stature, she was welcomed. It felt good.

"I've got green across the board," Arva confirmed with the others as she read the screens on the inside of the half-open hatch doors. Leaving the hatch open was standard procedure during pre-flight checks, as apparently Argonauts were designed to not function if the hatch was ajar, but she needed to be able to read the screens. Most of the information scrolled by too fast and meant nothing to her, but the Lieutenant surmised that was likely a result of its age and poor optimization. Relevant data was always legible and prominent on the displays, however, and Arva had started spending her evenings exploring it. There were functions she found the suit had once possessed, and one in particular that recalled her first real battle. Antumbra had guns built into its head, guns she'd almost used instinctively before. It made her uncomfortable, and made Antumbra seem more like a weapon. It technically was, of course, but when she was hooked into it she had never gotten that feeling.

"Roger that," Constance said over the earpiece and waved to her from across the hangar. Arva closed the hatch, slipping on her helmet. The harness guided her body into position for her to take over the Argonaut's movements, and she walked out of the hangar and into the afternoon light. Rottweiler was already outside standing ready, lacking its large backpack and arm-mounted cannons, and it stood with its arms crossed. Considering the bulk of the Argonaut, Kyodai must've known its shape and movements expertly to produce that pose. The Lieutenant's voice came over the helmet radio now, clearer than the earpiece as she delivered instructions.

"This is it, Ensign," she began, "the moment you've been waiting for. Mock combat."

"Yes, sir," Arva said. She hadn't been waiting for it at all. She liked to fly, not fight, but she'd have to learn to control the Argonaut in battle. She squared off against Rottweiler as it readied itself. With Kyodai's movements replicated so well, it was jarring to face down a familiar opponent from a totally different perspective. Instead of the towering hulk of muscle she remembered, her enemy was now about her size. She got into position, waiting for the Lieutenant's signal that they were clear of the area.

"We've reached the observation deck," Constance alerted them after a few moments, Arva tensing up as the wait began to nag at her. Then the radio cracked again, delivering the words she was waiting for, "begin exercise."

Arva charged Kyodai like she always had, but was immediately caught off guard when he moved towards her. He moved fast, much faster than he had before, diving under her legs and lifting her up. She spun in the air, getting dizzy as she hit the ground and rolled. The thunderous sound of Antumbra's weight crashing onto the hard tarmac echoed throughout the base, and she'd barely got to her feet when Rottweiler bore down on her. It grappled her, constricting her limbs, then a horn sounded.