Post by dartus on Feb 7, 2006 23:23:02 GMT -5
Introduction:
Dart Stetson, a novice architect and AI programmer, stepped into the brand-new hangar. He flipped a switch, and the fluorescent lights flicked on, one row at a time. The effect of the lights slowly illuminated the five standard mechs standing there, each flash like a promising new ray of hope for Team Romani.
Side note: The part titles have something to do with Roman Government. 10 points to whomever finds it.
Part 1: Quaestor
Chapter 1: Setting Up
After going over the five mechs and deciding they would need to be completely changed, Dart went into his office, where he planned on spending sleepless nights putting finished touches on his AI control and running countless simulations before battles. On one of the printers was a copy of the letter he received a month ago:
Dear Mr. Stetson,
I regret to inform you that your uncle has died. In his will, he wished for a large portion of his remaining funds be spent on a new AI-AC development facility. This facility will be constructed in a major AI-AC city, and will be equipped with more than standard parts for you to work with. A small team will also be hired, but without winnings, you will not be able to pay them for long. Your uncle stated specifically: "Dart has always wanted one of those. I know he isn't really happy with his software development job. When I die, I want him to have an AI-AC garage for himself." I am deeply sorry for the loss of your uncle, but he would have wanted you to be happy for the AC hangar.
Dart reread the letter a few more times, partly in disbelief that he was an actual architect now, and also in amazement at how quickly it had all happened. He plopped down at a computer console and booted up the virtual AC creator. "Plan your work, work your plan. That's what you always said, uncle Caesar." Dart talked to himself as he planned out his first creation, a posthumous honor to his uncle, named Caesar."
A few hours later, Dart received an email from the Bottom League manager. It said that they now had enough new competitors to add in another Bottom League, B07. Dart ran out of the office to go tell the news to his new crew, who had started the standard maintenance and diagnostics on the mechs.
"We got into a League already!" Dart yelled. A few cheers from the workers reached his ears, but not much. Obviously he was going to have to be more than a boss to these guys. He had to be a member of the team.
"Any thoughts on how we can buff these up for our first match?" That got a better response. It turned out that the other teams in the new B07 League had been itching to start, and some of the crew members used to be extras on those crews. Dart talked to those about what they knew, and what he learned was disheartening. His opponents already had some powerful ACs created. There next opponent had held a press conference saying that they were mightier than Bren himself, despite not having shown any skill yet.
Chapter 2: Topping a Bluff
3 days later, and Team Romani had yet to build a mech that matched what they expected their opponent's, Team Weapon, to have. Dart had heard rumors, however, that it was all a bluff meant to scare their opponents away or make them screw up something critical due to anticipation. Because of this, Dart said that if they didn't win, they would wait until Team Weapon moved up and they could fight some others.
Looking out on the cluttered hangar floor full of parts laying around and mechs half-assembled, Dart started to have second thoughts on whether or not they would have a viable mech ready in time. To have his team work harder, he divided them into three groups and said he would use the best one against higher-ranked teams, and the worst one against the challengers. Since none of them wanted the responsibility of holding off challengers and since all of them wanted to beat the supposedly unbeatable Magnum AC, they worked as hard as they could. Still, Dart thought, it might not be enough. He walked down from the overlook/computer lab to the hangar floor and helped one team get a generator into place just right to enhance the energy output.
Chapter 3: Knockout in Round One
"Oh man, I'm so nervous," Dart told his brother Mark, "If I don't calm down I won't be able to watch how our mech performs."
"Calm down, man. Remember how calm Uncle Ceas was before the AC matches? I don't know if he just wasn't nervous or if he was just good at hiding it." Mark looked down at the ground, remembering their dead Uncle.
"He actually told me once." Dart said.
"Really? So,IS he so calm then?" Mark was excited to learn something about Uncle Ceasar that he didn't already know.
Dart laughed and said, "Nope! He nearly wet his pants before every match. He told me a couple months before he died. Now that I think about it, he told me a lot about AI-AC's before he died. I wonder why..."
A loud intercom interrupted their reminiscence. "All architects to the observation deck. Repeat, all architects to the observation deck."
"See ya later, Dart" Mark said as Dart ran off to watch the mechs battle.
"Ya, later!" Dart shouted back. He wondered about his uncle as he ran up the staircase clearly marked "Announcer and architects ONLY!"
Dart's mech was a compromise of all three teams' designs. It was a tank with a CHIMERA gun on its back. It also had a smaller gun in each hand, in order to give it some more sensible weaponry as well as power. However, hidden in the right hangar was a powerful laser blade. Although it was strong, it had few uses before it needed an out-of-battle recharge, so it was only a last resort. Dart hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he wasn't sure.
The stadium was a modernized version of the ancient Circus Maximus from Rome, and was the favorite of both Dart and his uncle. Although it appeared that the mechs were right in front of everyone, it was actually a projection created by cameras that were watching the real battle several miles away. Dart sat at the challenger's booth, and had a clear layout of the battle, as well as data on both mechs, right in front of him on several screens. A large timer started on one.
"Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Fight!" shouted the intercom. Immidiately the two mechs started to run towards each other on the central screen, and below him, Dart's mech appeared to be battling a jet-black tank with a nasty-looking cannon on one shoulder, the LX, known for its power. "So that's why they think they are so strong...too bad for them." Dart muttered to himself.
The mechs were well matched, it seemed, although only 15 seconds had passed by. There were minor scratches on each side, but no real damage. Either one could be the winner. Suddenly, Caesar dashed to the side, an unexpected move for a mech that had seemed to be a slow-moving turret. The Magnum pulled up its cannon and prepared to fire. Suddenly, the whole area was filled with bright white light. It was dimmed to prevent damage to specators' retinas, and an infrared screen popped up on Dart's console. Both mech's were so hot that he couldn't tell what had happened, but he kept close watch. The light died away, but there was too much dust in the way to see. Dart quickly switched back to the normal screens and waited for the dust to clear.
The ACs seemed to have moved much farther to the west, but then as it cleared, Dart realized what had happend. His AC had jumped over Magnum and was now on its other side! Caesar dropped its right-hand machine gun and a small metal device popped out of the core. It grabbed it with its free hand and a laser blade almost as long as the mech itself popped out. Magnum tried to move out of the way, but it couldn't turn fast enough. Caesar dove forward and sliced right through it, doing massive damage. It tried to run away, but a few last shots from it's other machine gun and Caesar had won!
Chapter 4: The Sweet Taste of Victory...
Dart Stetson, a novice architect and AI programmer, stepped into the brand-new hangar. He flipped a switch, and the fluorescent lights flicked on, one row at a time. The effect of the lights slowly illuminated the five standard mechs standing there, each flash like a promising new ray of hope for Team Romani.
Side note: The part titles have something to do with Roman Government. 10 points to whomever finds it.
Part 1: Quaestor
Chapter 1: Setting Up
After going over the five mechs and deciding they would need to be completely changed, Dart went into his office, where he planned on spending sleepless nights putting finished touches on his AI control and running countless simulations before battles. On one of the printers was a copy of the letter he received a month ago:
Dear Mr. Stetson,
I regret to inform you that your uncle has died. In his will, he wished for a large portion of his remaining funds be spent on a new AI-AC development facility. This facility will be constructed in a major AI-AC city, and will be equipped with more than standard parts for you to work with. A small team will also be hired, but without winnings, you will not be able to pay them for long. Your uncle stated specifically: "Dart has always wanted one of those. I know he isn't really happy with his software development job. When I die, I want him to have an AI-AC garage for himself." I am deeply sorry for the loss of your uncle, but he would have wanted you to be happy for the AC hangar.
Dart reread the letter a few more times, partly in disbelief that he was an actual architect now, and also in amazement at how quickly it had all happened. He plopped down at a computer console and booted up the virtual AC creator. "Plan your work, work your plan. That's what you always said, uncle Caesar." Dart talked to himself as he planned out his first creation, a posthumous honor to his uncle, named Caesar."
A few hours later, Dart received an email from the Bottom League manager. It said that they now had enough new competitors to add in another Bottom League, B07. Dart ran out of the office to go tell the news to his new crew, who had started the standard maintenance and diagnostics on the mechs.
"We got into a League already!" Dart yelled. A few cheers from the workers reached his ears, but not much. Obviously he was going to have to be more than a boss to these guys. He had to be a member of the team.
"Any thoughts on how we can buff these up for our first match?" That got a better response. It turned out that the other teams in the new B07 League had been itching to start, and some of the crew members used to be extras on those crews. Dart talked to those about what they knew, and what he learned was disheartening. His opponents already had some powerful ACs created. There next opponent had held a press conference saying that they were mightier than Bren himself, despite not having shown any skill yet.
Chapter 2: Topping a Bluff
3 days later, and Team Romani had yet to build a mech that matched what they expected their opponent's, Team Weapon, to have. Dart had heard rumors, however, that it was all a bluff meant to scare their opponents away or make them screw up something critical due to anticipation. Because of this, Dart said that if they didn't win, they would wait until Team Weapon moved up and they could fight some others.
Looking out on the cluttered hangar floor full of parts laying around and mechs half-assembled, Dart started to have second thoughts on whether or not they would have a viable mech ready in time. To have his team work harder, he divided them into three groups and said he would use the best one against higher-ranked teams, and the worst one against the challengers. Since none of them wanted the responsibility of holding off challengers and since all of them wanted to beat the supposedly unbeatable Magnum AC, they worked as hard as they could. Still, Dart thought, it might not be enough. He walked down from the overlook/computer lab to the hangar floor and helped one team get a generator into place just right to enhance the energy output.
Chapter 3: Knockout in Round One
"Oh man, I'm so nervous," Dart told his brother Mark, "If I don't calm down I won't be able to watch how our mech performs."
"Calm down, man. Remember how calm Uncle Ceas was before the AC matches? I don't know if he just wasn't nervous or if he was just good at hiding it." Mark looked down at the ground, remembering their dead Uncle.
"He actually told me once." Dart said.
"Really? So,IS he so calm then?" Mark was excited to learn something about Uncle Ceasar that he didn't already know.
Dart laughed and said, "Nope! He nearly wet his pants before every match. He told me a couple months before he died. Now that I think about it, he told me a lot about AI-AC's before he died. I wonder why..."
A loud intercom interrupted their reminiscence. "All architects to the observation deck. Repeat, all architects to the observation deck."
"See ya later, Dart" Mark said as Dart ran off to watch the mechs battle.
"Ya, later!" Dart shouted back. He wondered about his uncle as he ran up the staircase clearly marked "Announcer and architects ONLY!"
Dart's mech was a compromise of all three teams' designs. It was a tank with a CHIMERA gun on its back. It also had a smaller gun in each hand, in order to give it some more sensible weaponry as well as power. However, hidden in the right hangar was a powerful laser blade. Although it was strong, it had few uses before it needed an out-of-battle recharge, so it was only a last resort. Dart hoped it wouldn't come to that, but he wasn't sure.
The stadium was a modernized version of the ancient Circus Maximus from Rome, and was the favorite of both Dart and his uncle. Although it appeared that the mechs were right in front of everyone, it was actually a projection created by cameras that were watching the real battle several miles away. Dart sat at the challenger's booth, and had a clear layout of the battle, as well as data on both mechs, right in front of him on several screens. A large timer started on one.
"Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Fight!" shouted the intercom. Immidiately the two mechs started to run towards each other on the central screen, and below him, Dart's mech appeared to be battling a jet-black tank with a nasty-looking cannon on one shoulder, the LX, known for its power. "So that's why they think they are so strong...too bad for them." Dart muttered to himself.
The mechs were well matched, it seemed, although only 15 seconds had passed by. There were minor scratches on each side, but no real damage. Either one could be the winner. Suddenly, Caesar dashed to the side, an unexpected move for a mech that had seemed to be a slow-moving turret. The Magnum pulled up its cannon and prepared to fire. Suddenly, the whole area was filled with bright white light. It was dimmed to prevent damage to specators' retinas, and an infrared screen popped up on Dart's console. Both mech's were so hot that he couldn't tell what had happened, but he kept close watch. The light died away, but there was too much dust in the way to see. Dart quickly switched back to the normal screens and waited for the dust to clear.
The ACs seemed to have moved much farther to the west, but then as it cleared, Dart realized what had happend. His AC had jumped over Magnum and was now on its other side! Caesar dropped its right-hand machine gun and a small metal device popped out of the core. It grabbed it with its free hand and a laser blade almost as long as the mech itself popped out. Magnum tried to move out of the way, but it couldn't turn fast enough. Caesar dove forward and sliced right through it, doing massive damage. It tried to run away, but a few last shots from it's other machine gun and Caesar had won!
Chapter 4: The Sweet Taste of Victory...
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