The SS. Kiroshi flew silently through space, isolated in its own world. Tsuki paced about, occasionally shouting through the door, "Are those mechas done yet? I'd like to see my design in action. Remember, I get first testing run!"
In another part of this ship, Jake, the mecha pilot, was looking over the displays at the design of these new mechas. "Mmmm," he mumbled to himself, "not bad, increased mobility for space combat, nice weapons too..."
Jake had heard that these mechas were designed to be faster and more agile than other mechas, to adapt to the vast environment that was space combat. With nothing to hide behind, speed was their priority. Tsuki also had a half finished design for an amphibious mecha.
2 days later:
Jake stared at the mechas. They should be finished sometime, he thought. Jake went to his quarters to get some sleep. He had been staring at those mechas every waking moment of his 2-day time on SS. Kiroshi. They looked almost like those humanoid robots from the 2000 era that everyone was so crazy about. It didn't matter what TV program they were on, everyone just liked giant robots.
Tsuki looked around the finished control room of the only finished mecha so far. She flipped a switch labeled "Air Conditioning". Ahh, much better. She sat down at the controls, and spoke into the radio that it used when in close proximity to the ship.
In the Kiroshi's control room, a speaker crackled. "I'm ready for the test run."
Hearing no reply, Tsuki opened her hangar doors. She unlocked the railguards, and launched her mecha into the void of space. She looked behind her at the Kiroshi, which stayed at a steady distance. She switched the engines to idling, and climbed into the turret above her. "Kinda small," she mumbled.
She shot a few of the dummy rounds that were loaded into the turret. She saw the small explosions in the distance, but noted that no rockets came from the turret. She got out her PDA and checked the box on her list marked, "Warp rockets functional"
Tsuki dropped out of the turret into the control room. A faint sound of voices echoed through the cabin, as radio transmitters were not particular, any frequency around the tuning point could pick up a signal. A stronger voice came in. "This is Jake, how's the mecha?"
"Very good," she replied, "The radio and turrets work, as does the air conditioner, and the engines. I'm checking the rear guns now."
Tsuki opened the door at the back, and stepped into a gun turret. The hatch sealed closed behind her. She sat at the controls and fired practice rounds at the targets that Ray had set up. These targets had an engine and frame only, no life support, even. FZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZT! The energy bolts she fired made the turret rattle. The target ship's engine stopped.
FZZ-ZZ-ZZT! The pieces of the target flew through space, and dissipated. The target ships were equipped with self-destructing pieces, which made sure that none of the shrapnel affected the spot at a future date. Soon, the space was filled with nothing but a fine metal dust, harmless to most ships larger than said specks of dust, which was all of them.
(Not so short anymore, is it now?)
Tsuki turned off the radio, and opened laser-based communications. She spoke a message into the microphone. "Jake, laser communications OK?"
Text appeared on her screen, restating her message. In the SS. Kiroshi, the same message appeared onscreen, as well as the spoken version. Jake had moved to the control room now, and sent a reply. "Yeah, they're coming in clear."
Tsuki maneuvered her mecha into the receiving hangar. The rail caught, and she switched on the railguards once more as the mecha was slowly guided back into place for a relaunch. Fuel tubes were attached, and the ship was readied for another launch. Tsuki stepped out and walked to her room. "What a day," she said to herself.
In another part of this ship, Jake, the mecha pilot, was looking over the displays at the design of these new mechas. "Mmmm," he mumbled to himself, "not bad, increased mobility for space combat, nice weapons too..."
Jake had heard that these mechas were designed to be faster and more agile than other mechas, to adapt to the vast environment that was space combat. With nothing to hide behind, speed was their priority. Tsuki also had a half finished design for an amphibious mecha.
2 days later:
Jake stared at the mechas. They should be finished sometime, he thought. Jake went to his quarters to get some sleep. He had been staring at those mechas every waking moment of his 2-day time on SS. Kiroshi. They looked almost like those humanoid robots from the 2000 era that everyone was so crazy about. It didn't matter what TV program they were on, everyone just liked giant robots.
Tsuki looked around the finished control room of the only finished mecha so far. She flipped a switch labeled "Air Conditioning". Ahh, much better. She sat down at the controls, and spoke into the radio that it used when in close proximity to the ship.
In the Kiroshi's control room, a speaker crackled. "I'm ready for the test run."
Hearing no reply, Tsuki opened her hangar doors. She unlocked the railguards, and launched her mecha into the void of space. She looked behind her at the Kiroshi, which stayed at a steady distance. She switched the engines to idling, and climbed into the turret above her. "Kinda small," she mumbled.
She shot a few of the dummy rounds that were loaded into the turret. She saw the small explosions in the distance, but noted that no rockets came from the turret. She got out her PDA and checked the box on her list marked, "Warp rockets functional"
Tsuki dropped out of the turret into the control room. A faint sound of voices echoed through the cabin, as radio transmitters were not particular, any frequency around the tuning point could pick up a signal. A stronger voice came in. "This is Jake, how's the mecha?"
"Very good," she replied, "The radio and turrets work, as does the air conditioner, and the engines. I'm checking the rear guns now."
Tsuki opened the door at the back, and stepped into a gun turret. The hatch sealed closed behind her. She sat at the controls and fired practice rounds at the targets that Ray had set up. These targets had an engine and frame only, no life support, even. FZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZ-ZZT! The energy bolts she fired made the turret rattle. The target ship's engine stopped.
FZZ-ZZ-ZZT! The pieces of the target flew through space, and dissipated. The target ships were equipped with self-destructing pieces, which made sure that none of the shrapnel affected the spot at a future date. Soon, the space was filled with nothing but a fine metal dust, harmless to most ships larger than said specks of dust, which was all of them.
(Not so short anymore, is it now?)
Tsuki turned off the radio, and opened laser-based communications. She spoke a message into the microphone. "Jake, laser communications OK?"
Text appeared on her screen, restating her message. In the SS. Kiroshi, the same message appeared onscreen, as well as the spoken version. Jake had moved to the control room now, and sent a reply. "Yeah, they're coming in clear."
Tsuki maneuvered her mecha into the receiving hangar. The rail caught, and she switched on the railguards once more as the mecha was slowly guided back into place for a relaunch. Fuel tubes were attached, and the ship was readied for another launch. Tsuki stepped out and walked to her room. "What a day," she said to herself.
