Simulation: Part 3

The morning mist clung to the trees as I moved through the forest, BT's sensors quietly scanning the surroundings, searching for anything—anything of value, or any sign of life. Another day of the same old routine: moving, searching, waiting. 

The forest was beautiful, I supposed, in a bleak way. Trees loomed overhead, branches heavy with early morning dew, the air thick with the smell of damp earth and decaying leaves. A perfect hiding place… if there had been anything worth hiding from or worth finding. The deeper I went, the emptier it all felt, like some long-forgotten graveyard. 

I had made a habit of checking abandoned structures or the occasional outcropping of debris in hopes of finding extra supplies. Some had clearly been scavenged before; others looked like they hadn't been touched in years. 

My mind hadn't been the same after I killed that girl. Sure, I understood that she was just a part of the simulation, a mirage, a false image, not real… but that didn't mean that the shit I felt wasn't. I felt empty, and it was a strange feeling, one that didn't pair well with the places I was passing through as if I was the last person on Earth.

BT's quiet, steady presence was the only thing that remained the same, his voice occasionally breaking the silence to inform me of temperature fluctuations or small wildlife in the vicinity. 

As we pushed forward, I started to let my thoughts drift, almost losing myself to the rhythm of footsteps crunching on undergrowth and the faint hum of BT's systems. That girl's face, her eyes filled with fear haunted me. I had no problems killing, I had no issue with looking a man or a woman dead in the eye as I pulled the trigger and put a bullet through their skull.

But a kid… That was something I never thought I'd find myself doing. And the fact that I didn't really have much of a play in killing her and just sort of acted on instinct bothers me. Sure it was a good thing to have instincts so honed in that you can just react without hesitation, but what if this were to happen to me in the real world? What if I kill a kid without even getting the chance to process what— 

"Pilot, incoming!" BT's voice cut in with an edge of urgency. 

The cockpit's lights flashed red. I barely had time to react before a streak of fire tore through the air, ricocheting off my shields. The impact jerked me back in my seat, and for a split second, all I could hear was the ringing in my ears as the HUD flickered. 

"BT, what's our status?" I managed to ask, my voice tense. 

"The shot did not penetrate, but our shields have been knocked offline and require recharging," BT replied, voice steady but uncharacteristically tense. "Recommending evasive maneuvers." 

I took a deep breath, adrenaline flooding my veins as I gripped the controls. "Where did that shot come from?" 

"Trajectory indicates that it came from our Northeast, bearing 060. Approximately 500 meters away." 

I eased BT into motion, weaving us between the trees. Another shot was fired, narrowly missing me and blasting a tree into splinters just off to my left. I managed to get a better sense of where the shot was coming from as I saw dirt being picked up in the distance. Whoever was out there, they had me dead to rights and held the advantage.

"BT, what the fuck is shooting at us?" 

"I have no idea, Pilot. My radar cannot identify the attacker, but judging from the apparent disparity in firepower that was enough to shatter our shields with a single shot, I'd say we're going up against a foe that is Tier 2 or higher," BT replied. "I recommend getting to cover and engaging from a defensive position." 

"Yeah right. Easier said than done," I muttered, changing directions and pushing my mech forward. I caught a flicker of movement in the distance— just a silhouette, barely visible through the foliage. It was angular and a dark shade of gray and it moved with a deliberate precision, almost as if it was hunting me. 

I let BT take over the moving part as he brings the mech into a half-kneeling position behind a half-fallen tree. I aimed my sniper, holding my breath, trying to line up a shot on the moving enemy. 

The enemy mech paused for half a second as it shifted direction, but that was enough for me. I fired one shot but watched the round ricocheted off its shields. "Well, it's not a fucking Knight, that's for fucking sure," I said to myself as I fired again, only for my shot to ricochet off its shields again. But as it ricocheted, I noticed its shields blink as the mech stopped abruptly and raised its own sniper rifle. 

"Pilot, we will not withstand a direct shot from its armament, I suggest evasive action," BT advised as the mech fired and another round zipped past, tearing into the ground to our right. 

"It's a fucking Parallax," I say under my breath as I tightened my grip on the controls and released movement control to BT. "Move it BT! Put it all into the legs!" 

BT pivoted us, launching into a zigzagged retreat, ducking between trees and using any cover we could find. The forest was on fire with noise now as trees splintered and rounds hissed through the air. I fired another shot, aiming for its leg joint, hoping to cripple it and that it wouldn't ricochet again. This time, it staggered, and the impact was a little more visible. 

"Hit confirmed," BT confirmed. "Structural damage to the target's left leg, though it remains operational." 

Our reprieve didn't last long. The mech pushed forward, with a very slight limp, but ready to take my head off. 

*SCREEEEETO WOWOWOWOWOWONGGGG*

The sound of a shot hitting my mech's left shoulder and luckily ricocheting was unbearable. This time the hit caused a couple of warning indicators to flare up on one of the right panels of the HUD. 

"Damage to the left shoulder joint," BT reported. "Left arm mobility reduced by seven percent." 

I gritted my teeth, commanding BT to take us further into the thickest part of the woods. "Let's lose him in the trees. If we can get enough distance—" 

*KRAAAAANNK KANK KANK KANK KAN*

Before I could finish, another shot hit us. This one somehow ricocheted right off the front of the cockpit, rocking it and nearly knocking me unconscious due to the sound. My ears rang and my vision was momentarily blurred as I felt something hot trickling down my left ear.

"Fuck," I whispered as I took control of the mech from BT. 

I didn't give myself a moment to think as pure instinct took over. Gripping the controls, I did the opposite of what I was just doing. I pushed forward, running straight toward the mech through the dense forest. The whole thing felt stupid, but I had a feeling in me telling me that a direct approach might throw off the mech's pilot. 

BT adjusted with me seamlessly, his systems practically pulsing with my own heartbeat as our synchronization climbed. A few more shots ripped through the trees around us, but we kept on dodging, BT's movements faster and more responsive than they'd ever been. It was like the mech and I were one entity. Every thought I had was a command, and every movement was ours together. 

The enemy mech came into view between the trees, now only a hundred meters. I noticed it was reloading its sniper rifle away as I closed the distance fast. I noticed it finish reloading and do something that caught me off guard. Instead of firing on me, it put its sniper on its back and pulled out a sword. 

I stopped dead in my tracks choosing whether I should honor the duel or not. "Fuck it," I say as I too put my sniper file on my mech's back and pull out my spear. I would have the advantage in range, but his mech was overall better than mine in every single thing. It was the Tier 2 version of mine for crying out loud. 

"Bring it on, fucker. One of us will have to die by the end of this," I call out through the comms over the open channel. Its pilot didn't say anything, instead, they shifted themselves into a position similar to that of a Samurai. Its sword was raised above its head to its right and it leaned back slightly, with its left foot forward, indicating they were ready for close combat.

At this point, the adrenaline coursing through my veins accompanied by the pain and the trickle of blood coming from my left ear had made me forget that this was just a simulation. 

"Lord," I murmur, gripping the controls tighter, "this machine is flawed, but I am not. Let me demonstrate the man You created." The words I spoke steadied me as my heart finds its rhythm.

My tier 1 mech lowly groans as I shift it into a crouch. I lower my spear into a guarded position with my right arm as my mech's left arm adjusts for balance. Across the field, the enemy mech remains unmoving, its pilot confident enough in defeating me that it allows me to ready myself. And then he attacked. 

The distance between us closed in a heartbeat, and as I brought my spear and intercepted his attack with a parry that notified me of just how big the disparity between mech tiers was. My mech strained under the pressure and I was forced back as he quickly followed with a sing at my reactor, barely dodging it.

I swung my spear like a baseball bat at it and managed to strike its left arm, crushing part of its armor. But I paid dearly for that as he swiftly followed up with a strike at my own left arm.

"Pilot, the left arm has suffered severe damage, you can't keep this up," BT's voice cut through the cockpit.

"I know," I replied through gritted teeth. I swung again, aiming low this time, trying to break its stance. The Tier 2 Parallax just simple sidestepped, matching my every move with a speed that made my gut clench. It was obviously faster than me, though not by a lot. It was a gap in speed that could be made up by skill. Skill that I currently lack.

So I played dirty. Without breaking my rhythm, I grabbed my sniper rifle, aiming point-blank at the Parallax's midsection, and fired. The shot connected, scorching the outer plating but only grazing it as the Parallax twisted with the impact. 

The pilot was good, and even used the brief opening after I fired to press in with a savage downward strike from his sword. I threw my mech sideways, narrowly dodging, the blade sliding off my left arm's armor as he missed connecting a direct strike. 

"Nice try," I muttered, as I pivoted and fired again, this time aiming for its shoulder joint. To my dismay, the shot ricocheted as the enemy surged forward, pressing the attack. I jumped back as its sword struck at my mech's torso, just above my cockpit. I heard the strain of scraping metal as I felt BT's systems strain to keep up, warning lights blinking as my mech's armor glanced off another attack. 

I had to think faster, adapt quicker. Tightening my grip, I feinted left, drawing the Parallax's blade out wide, and then ducked low, sliding under their next swing. I fired another shot, this one aimed at the Guardian's knee joint. It staggered but caught itself, raising its blade up to intercept just as I brought down my spear. Sparks flew as his blade connected with my shaft and the tip of my spear hammered down on its head.

The damage, though apparent, didn't seem to faze him as it swiftly moved from its position and struck again, its movements relentless. They weren't holding back anymore. Their blade arced down, and I blocked it, feeling the impact rattle through my mech's frame. I managed to angle my rifle up, firing a quick shot toward the Parallax's head. The pilot reacted fast, jerking back just enough that my round grazed the outer casing without hitting anything vital. 

"Damn it," I said, it was almost as if they were a step ahead. 

I backed off, giving myself a split-second to breathe, but they closed the gap almost instantly with another brutal swing, a diagonal slice aimed at my reactor. This prompted BT to forcefully take control as he twisted us out of the way before returning control to me. I sidestepped and countered, slashing down with my spear, managing to damage its left shoulder before it pulled back. 

"Pilot," BT's voice sounded calm, but there was a hint of urgency, "we can't keep this up for much longer. The reactor is starting to overheat from all the maneuvers and the damage we are taking on is accumulating." 

"I'll keep that in mind," I growled, repositioning as the Tier 2 Parallax advanced. I needed to do something unexpected. 

So I threw my spear at him, forcing the guarding to try to deflect, but taking on heavy damage as its sword was sent flying and its right arm pierced by my spear. I then quickly fired two quick shots, one at its torso and then one down at its feet, kicking up dust and debris. Using the momentary distraction, I lunged forward and grabbed onto the shaft of my spear, and pulled back on it. 

I watched as the Parallax was pulled forward with my spear and struck swung my spear at its side. The Parallax brought down its right arm to protect its cockpit, causing my spear to cut deep into its arm. The pilot twisted with the impact, forcing me to stumble forward. Before I could recover, I noticed it had swiftly deployed its sniper rifle and struggled to aim it at me.

"BT!" I shouted, but it was no use.

*BOOM*

*THOGH*

My left mech's left arm was blown cleanly off at its elbow joint and my spear dropped to the ground as I felt power be redirected to the right arm. I didn't hesitate as I swiftly aimed my rifle, point-blank, at the Guardian's cockpit. But just as I was about to shoot, the mech pushed back and its foot lashed out with breathtaking speed, kicking my sniper rifle clean out of my grip. 

My shot veered off course from its intended target and struck the Parallax's right arm instead. The impact sent sparks flying and I noticed its right arm drop and dangle on its side, barely being held onto the frame by some wires.

The mech staggered, clearly thrown off balance, and raised its sniper rifle to fire. But I closed the space between us and forced his shot to miss me and strike a nearby tree. It tried to backpedal to maintain space, but I was not going to allow that. 

I closed the short distance between us and sent out a swift kick to its damaged knee joint, causing it to stumble. But it quickly regained its footing, as it shot again. But using my only arm, I pushed his left arm up and forced his shot up. It somehow managed to graze my mech's head as the HUD flickered for a second before returning with part of it glitched. 

I let go of his rifle and brought my mech's fist down with a brutal bash on its head which caused it to pause for a second, a second I took advantage of. I pressed on the assault as I shoved it left and then proceeded to punch it across the face, completely destroying its right optics. 

I felt the rush of adrenaline as in a sudden burst of inspiration, I aimed for its legs, throwing a sweeping kick. The enemy Parallax collapsed to the ground with a metallic thud and without hesitation, I pounced on it, stepping on its left arm and gripping it with all my strength. 

I pulled and the sound of metal tearing filled the forest as wires snapped and sparks flew. In the next second, I was holding onto the mech's arm, its rifle still attached to it. I threw the arm aside as I stood over the enemy, ready to end this. 

I planted my foot firmly on its cockpit to prevent any further movement and raised the sniper rifle I'd just taken from it, aimed it at the side of its cockpit, and spoke through the open comms channel. 

"That was one hell of a fight," I said, my voice heavy as I caught my breath. 

"Yeah.... it was," I heard an old and tired voice come from the other end. "I failed my only two missions in life. I failed to protect her and now I failed to avenge her. Now its time you end it..." 

I paused momentarily at the man's words, my mind jumping to the girl I had killed the previous day. "I… I didn't mean to kill her. She shot me and I just-"

"No need to waste words rook, I knew just what world we lived in. Whether you wanted to or not won't change the outcome. No just kill me already so I can see my granddaughter once again."

I nodded at the man's words, a tear threatening to roll down my cheek. "She was brave, and, she didn't suffer much," I say over the comms to at the very least give the man some peace of mind before dying. "Her death was a quick one."

Silence filled the air as the old pilot didn't say anything.

"May you be reunited in eternal rest," I say before I pulled the trigger. 

*BOOM!* 

The shot rang out, echoing through the clearing as the round went straight through the Guardian's cockpit with explosive force. I felt the tremor of the impact vibrate through my mech as the Guardian's cockpit started to give way under the weight of my mech and my foot slowly crushed what remained of it. 

I let go of the controls as the dust settled and the adrenaline left my body. I had won the fight, that's all that mattered right now. But that didn't change the fact that I was left with a bigger problem. Where was I going to find all the parts to fix my mech?

I released full control to BT and ordered him to get us out of there. "Of course, Pilot. I will take us in the direction of a mech factory that shut down just 3 months ago. Hopefully, we can find the parts we need for my repairs there." 

And with that, we set off in a limp on what would now be a 5 day journey East.

Word Count: 3184 Words 🪖🫡