Life of Maverick: In the Land of Giant Man Eaters

-Chapter 34: Ichor, Voices, and Memories-

It was another day in the secluded industrial city, and it was as lively as ever. The many smokestacks bellowed out the fumes of industry, supply carriages moved in and out at their usual steady paces, and the inhabitants went about their activities and duties of the day, such as those in the company of the foreman Emilio Inocencio, who were currently inside an area dedicated to testing their many contraptions.

In these empty fields lied one of their most eye catching and perhaps oddest creations. Standing at roughly eight meters in height was a near life sized model of a titan, crafted with a mixture of ceramic molds and machinery. Despite it being only the upper body, this marvel of craftsmanship was still a sight to behold. It had once served as a training dummy for the Training Corps many decades ago. But the continuous high cost for repairs soon made it unviable, instead being replaced with the much more cost effective wooden, flat, and easily replaceable variety.

Still it was a marvelous design, if a bit uncanny to most. Now it remained here in the city, serving a greater purpose.

"FIRE!"

*BO-BO-BOOM!*

"OHHHH!"

"AHAHAHAH!"

"BY THE WALLS!"

Being target practice for the industrial city's newest creation.

After days of hard work the crew assigned to this task had crafted and put together the newest addition to humanities arsenal, the Helblaster Volley Cannon. Some of the workers were rightfully wary about whether it would explode on them at the first go, but after seeing the fake titan's arm be blown off and sent flying a few yards off, it was more than enough to reassure their minds, and join their fellows in the merriment.

"That was glorious!"

"Imagine it we shot it at an actual titan!"

"I'll need my raincoat for that one! Ha-ha!"

Not wanting to stop their momentum the foreman called for his men to prepare the next volley.

"Next rack!"

Immediately they refocused, with the nearest worker turning the central clank, moving the gun's decks to the next loaded rack.

*CRA-CLANK*

"Adjust aim!"

Another worker pulled a lever, activating a mechanism installed that lifted the guns to an elevated height, aimed right for the titans head. With a boisterous shout Emilio ordered-

"FIRE!"

*BO-BO-BOOM!*

And with three well placed shots the titan's head was blown apart, revealing the interior mechanisms. All the work of keeping it in pristine condition was now null and void, but the crew cared little as they resumed to cackle among themselves and dance around the volley gun, like their ancient neanderthal ancestors when they first discovered fire (that is if this humanity followed a similar origin.) All in the presence of a few MP's who watched with frightened eyes at the scene before them.

Calming themselves down the crew looked upon their work with more clarity, realizing the damage they had done.

"Ahhh....well, that's a decade's worth of restoration down the drain...." Emilio said while scratching his head. Perhaps they should have not done their test on one of their most expensive projects, even if it was long since retired.