Titanfall: A Titan's Heart

Chapter 7: Stupid Pods.

     My eyes flashed open and I felt my body jerk, causing me to smack my head against the top of the solid metal pod. A string of curses began to fall from my lips and I began to fumble for the handle to the door. Once I found it, I wrapped my hand tightly around it and pulled. Nothing.

     I looked up in my stupor and tugged harder. Why won't this stupid thing budge? I guess I'm stuck here for eternity, never to see the light of day again. My thoughts drifted towards the sarcastic and dark side of things. I began twisting the handle around, watching it start to turn clockwise when I pushed in that direction. With a low hiss the pod door open and artificial light streamed in.

     Oh.

     As I began to recover from my stupidity, I peered outside from my safe place. My head was starting to get a headache. I rubbed the sore spot on the top of my head as I exited. It looked safe. However, knowing my luck, a fire-breathing dragon was going to come crashing in from the roof above me and burn my corpse to a crisp.

     "How was your first simulation, Ms. Kendricks?" I stumbled to the side, flailing my arms in an attempt to regain my balance. It didn't work, though, as I ended up on my butt and staring up at my trusty companion. I let out an angered sigh before rising back up to my feet.

     "Not so great. But thanks for asking. Where to next?" I just wanted to forget my somewhat embarrassing experience in the simulation.

     "Right this way, Miss. We will be heading to the dinner hall. You will be able to converse with the other trainees while you are there." And with that, Marvin started walking. We did the same maze of turns that left my head spinning and feeling worse than it already was. A permanent frown was etched on my face by the time we arrived at the dinner hall.

     "I will be back in one hour to return you to your room. Enjoy your meal." The robot left without another word, silence descending upon the hallway. I turned to the double doors that led into the dinner hall, pondering whether or not I could just find my way back to my room and stay there for eternity. However, I ended up pressing my palms to the door and entering the room.

     I expected food fighting and loud hollering from all corners of the room. My headache was pleasantly surprised by the lack of noise volume the room contained. People were talking, sure, but no one was going above their "inside voices." I spotted the food line across the room and silently made my way over, pretending not to feel the stares burning into my skull.

     I held my tray out for the Marvin in attendance to fill my tray with a sloppy joe and French fries. Sliding down the line, I grabbed a water and a chocolate-chip cookie before turning to the Classic High School New Kid Problem.

     I have absolutely nowhere to sit.

     That is, until a familiar face comes to the rescue and waves at me from a table in the corner. Jason is chatting it up with three or four other guys. He gives me a wide smile and gestures for me to come over again. I then take hesitant steps over, sliding onto the bench seat next to him as he continues his discussion.

     "It was the sickest thing I'd e'r seen a pilot do." He made wild gestures with his hands about some pilot that killed three Militia pilots with one grenade. The others seemed quite interested in the story. I just picked at my food and thought about how deep I was into this mess. A loud slap at the table startled me from my daze. I don't know what Jason said, but it had the whole table hootin' and hollerin'.

     Thank goodness for Jason. As my Marvin walked me back to my room, I wondered if maybe I could befriend the guy. He seemed nice enough and I didn't have to talk a lot since he did enough for four people. Marvin said goodbye and left me in my room. I quickly changed into my pajamas and lay in my bed. I probably should brush my teeth and shower, but I was too mentally overwhelmed.

     All of the pressure I had been feeling started to increase. I was suddenly suffocating, my chest was too heavy. I wasn't going to make it as a pilot. I was going to become a worthless grunt who was pilot food. I won't live to be twenty. Tears burned the corners of my eyes as reality hit me like a freight train.

~~

     My eyes were puffy and raw when I woke up. Everything was blurry and at first I didn't recognize the blob above me. "Miss Kendricks, it is time to get ready." I grumbled and rolled over in bed. What was the point in getting up when I'll become a grunt anyways? I was surprised when a jolt of electricity shot trough my leg, causing me to sit up in anger.

     "What was that? Did you just shock me?" I stared wide-eyed at the expressionless robot. I thought Marvins were peacekeepers, not shock therapists.

     "You would not wake up, Miss Kendricks. You will be running late if you do not hurry." If that robot had a face I know it would be filled with smugness. I let out a low hiss as I grabbed my things and walked to the bathroom to change. I showered in a record time of five minutes, brushed my teeth, and put on my trainee clothes of tight gray sweatpants and a plain blue t-shirt. Marvin handed me my dog tags, plain and seemingly lifeless. All they held were my name and other basic military information. With a frown I pulled it over my head and tucked it into my shirt.

     "Right this way, Miss." He led me through the labyrinth once more. It took a long time before we stepped into a much larger hallway. We passed through a huge set of titanium doors and into a large hangar. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I peered around. To my left was an Atlas titan, in front a Stryder titan, and to my right and Ogre titan. I felt giddy. I wondered if we would get assigned a titan today. My dreams were crushed when the trainer came and looked me in they eyes before yelling into my face when he was only two inches from it.

     "Did you think you'd get a titan today? Well, I don't hate to burst your bubble, but you need to prove your worth to this army before you get anywhere close to stepping foot inside one of these things! This is just to inform you on what will happen if  you get one. If. Follow me." He smiled menacingly in my direction before turning on his heel and leading me past that beautiful machines and into some sort of presentation room.

     "Sit." I sat. "Now, watch this presentation and don't even think about not paying attention. There will be a test over it, so I suggest you take some notes." He dropped a Holopad onto my desk before exiting the room with the clicking of his heels on the tile floor. Silence fell on the room for a few seconds before a video started rolling on the characteristics of the titans.

     This is going to be my own living hell.