Zone Of The Enders Fan Fiction ❯ Zone of the Enders: Triad 2177 ❯ Firestarter ( Chapter 3 )

"It's a what?" Jim screamed, leaning forward in his seat.

Vera, Nash, and Miryhn stood in juxtaposition in front of him.

"It's an Orbital Frame, captain. I swear!" Vera said.

Jim sighed and fell back in his seat. He reached over and put a cigarette in his lips. He lit it, flipped the lighter top back down, and pinched his eyes shut.

"I was kinda surprised myself," Miryhn said with a chuckle.

"Oh shut up, nothing surprises you!" Nash said.

"That's the point," Miryhn commented. Nash grumbled and looked back at Jim.

"Do you guys know just how much deep shit we're in? Orbital Frames are banned outside of the Earth military. Anyone and everyone with at least as a shaving of metal from a Frame is pretty much condemned," Jim explained.

"That's going a bit too far with the expression, isn't it? I mean, a 'shaving'? That's a bit extreme," Miryhn said coyly.

"Would you shut up already?" Jim demanded. Miryhn shrugged and turned his head away.

"So it's a hot item, right? We'll just get rid of it," Nash said, smiling.

"Did you take a knock on the head? We can't get rid of it, it's a killing machine! Not only that, we could sell it for big bucks. That's the main reason to keep it," Jim explained. "But on the other hand, if we keep it, we're bound to get throw in jail, or worst."

"So what can we do, captain?" Vera whined. "I don't want to end up in jail!"

"Calm down, we'll think of something. For now, we'll head for Ganymede. I'm sure Jose or Buxley can handle that thing," Jim said, dabbing the ash off the end of his cigarette into the ashtray.

"Why Ganymede?" Miryhn chimed in. "Sure, there's where Jose and Buxley work, but what about Cam or Jake Herne or maybe even Roy-boy? I'm sure they'd be better at handling something hot and heavy like an Orbital Frame."

"'Cuz no one goes to Ganymede. It's just a lot of water and sleezy business. It's the last place anyone would look for an Orbital Frame," Jim said, grinning. "And I'm sure by now that someone is looking for our friend Friday....Freyda....Fritag...whatever."

"Freya," Vera corrected.

"As I said, whatever," Jim said, leaning back in the chair.

"I guess this means we get back to work," Nash said, strolling back over to his seat in the bridge.

"Yep," Miryhn said exhaling a deep breath. He turned and walked up the stairs to his post at the ship controls. He moved the long stick he used to keep the controls in place while he was away and plopped into the seat.

"I'm going to look at that thing for a little while. I've never seen an Orbital Frame up close. All I've ever seen are LEV's," Vera said, starting to walk out the door.

"Don't you touch that thing. God knows when you might hit a self-destruct button or something. You might kill us all!" Jim commanded.

"Ok, ok, I won't touch it," Vera said, grinning. She turned and walked out the door.

"Psh, she'll touch it, she always does. That damn girl can't keep her hands off anything," Jim said, rubbing out his cigarette.

Nash chuckled at the comment.

"Oh grow up 'ya damn kid," Jim said over to him. Jim lowered his hat over his eyes and leaned back the chair to try and nap.

Vera clicked on the lights in the hold with an echoing click of the switch. She walked across the floor, her high-heeled boots clicking an echo with each step. She found the container and slipped inside the slit in the side.

"Hello there. My name is Vera. I'm going to be examining you today," she said with a playful giggle. She strolled over to the left side of the Frame and found a ladder and platform structure built into the side of the container's interior. She climbed up the ladder and walked across the platform slowly, gazing in awe at Freya in the dim light. She came to the end of the platform, which ran alongside a long, cylindrical structure jutting out from Freya's lower-midsection. She placed a hand on it and paused.

"It's not very cold. It seems like being in open space for so long it'd be cold as hell," she said. "Hey, that made no sense! 'Cold as hell', yeah right," she said, laughing at her comment. She placed her other hand on the structure and noticed the off-colored portion along the top. She moved her hand toward it and pushed firmly.

"This should be where the cockpit is," she said, pushing on it. "But with LEV's, all you have to do is push or hit a button."

She searched around and found a round circle on the edge of the metal and what she thought to be the canopy.

"Just where I thought it'd be," she said, smiling. She put her hand on it, but nothing happened. Vera frowned and pushed firmly on it. Vera gritted her teeth and pounded it with her fist. Vera growled and climbed on top of the cylinder.

"Open!" she yelled, stomping on it repeatedly. Vera growled louder than before and continued to stomp until she had wore herself out. She collapses to her knees and took a few breaths. After she had recovered herself a bit, she started to pound on the canopy again with her fists. In the middle of her series of pounds, the canopy opened and she fell into the cockpit.

"Why are you doing that even if access was obviously restricted?" a robotically monotone voice said from the console.

Vera stood herself up from the floor of the cockpit and sat back in the seat. "Huh? Who said that?" she said, examining the insides of the cockpit.

"That does not matter. Your assault on the cockpit of this Orbital Frame could have caused the start of a stress fracture. That would have endangered the life of my scheduled Runner," the voice said.

"This isn't making any sense. Who are you? Where are you talking from?" she said, continuing to examine the cockpit closely.

"If you insist on knowing, my name is ADA. I am the A.I. network component for this Orbital Frame," the voice replied.

"ADA? What's an ADA?" Vera said, scratching her head.

"I am ADA. I am the standard operating system and A.I. unit for this Orbital Frame. Now, I insist you stop attacking this Orbital Frame and get off. You are not my scheduled Runner," ADA said.

"And what, pray tell, is a Runner?" Vera said, crossing her arms.

"A Runner is a pilot of an Orbital Frame. I have no time to explain any thing else further. Please get off this Orbital Frame and leave it be," ADA said.

"Oh yeah? And who's your Runner, huh? I beat I could kick their ass!" Vera said with a grin.

"That information is categorized as.... classified. I cannot tell you. Please get off this Frame," ADA said.

"Oh alright, fine," Vera said with a frown. "However, I have a request before I leave you alone," she added quickly.

"I am not allowed to fulfill any other orders but the specified operations of my scheduled Runner. I cannot comply," ADA said.

"Sheesh, you're not fun. Alright, fine, I'm leaving!" Vera said angrily.

"Thank you for your time and have a nice day," ADA said, shutting the canopy as Vera leapt onto the platform. Grumbling angrily, Vera climbed back down the ladder and walked out of the container.

"Hey," Miryhn's voice said behind her as she reached a few feet outside the container. He was leaning against the side, his arms folded behind his head.

"Shit, how long were you there?" Vera said, turning around.

"Long enough to hear you interrogate that thing," Miryhn said, rotating his pinky finger inside his ear.

"And what excuse do you have for being down here now?" Vera said, grinning.

"Told Jim I had to shit," Miryhn said, flicking the ear crud off his finger and putting his arm back behind his head.

"And why do you seem be suddenly showing interest in something other than a pretzel bag?" she said, leaning on her right leg and putting her hand on her hip.

"Jim said you'd go touch it, even though he said not to. So I wanted to see what happened. Nash did too, he's on the other side of this thing," Miryhn said, pointing his thumb toward the other side of the container.

"Alright, alright, you got me," Nash said, coming around the corner.

"And what was your excuse?" Vera said, crossing her arms.

"Told 'em I had to look at a backup thruster," Nash said, scratching his head.

"Well, boys, let's go before Jim thinks you can't control your bowels," Vera said, pointing to Miryhn. "Or that you were sucking into space along with a thruster," Vera said, pointing to Nash. She turned and left the hold.

Miryhn quietly leaned back up and followed.

"ADA..." Nash said to himself, staring at the container. He turned and walked out as well.

"Four hours until Ganymede," Miryhn announced. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the console. He ripped open a bag of pretzels and started eating.

"Well, that's just dandy. What's the hold-up?" Jim asked.

"Big wreck at the Harperstown spaceport. They gotta clear a few of the docks," Miryhn said in between chews.

"Alright then, everyone take it easy until we get there," Jim said, opening a can of Pepsi.

"Hold up, captain, we have some visitors," Nash said, looking at a radar screen.

"What? Can we get an external view?" Jim said, leaning forward in his chair a bit.

"No prob. Opening screen one!" Miryhn said, pressing a button on his console. A vid-window opened around the top-left of the canopy. Miryhn moved the camera around and found three objects catching up to them in the distance.

"The hell are those?" Jim said, gazing at the vid-window.

The three objects slowly grew bigger in view as they caught up to alongside the ship.

"Vic Vipers, Model R's, I believe," Vera said. "Those are Special Forces Orbital Frames with the U.N.S.F., what are they doing out here?"

"Hmm, we got a com-call, captain. Open it?" Miryhn said.

Jim took a deep breath. "Open it. No use resisting, even if we are hauling a hot item," he said, propping his chin on his elbow on the seat of the chair.

"Alright, opening," Miryhn said, pressing a button on the console. The vid-window of the external camera was replaced with the cockpit camera of one of the Vic Viper pilots. A dark-skinned man with a mop of white hair over his right eye and thin eyes looked at them through the glare in his helmet.

"We have information that you are carrying cargo stolen from a recently wrecked ship within the orbit of the artificial satellite Ertigan. We request you stop your ship and allow us to confiscate the stolen goods. We promise we will not punish you if you comply. However, if you resist, we will take it by force," the man announced.

"Tell us who you are," Jim requested.

"We are not U.N.S.F. if that's what you're afraid of. We are a special interest group known as 'East Wind'. We have no ties to any established cause," the man said.

"Well then I don't trust you. You might as well be some terrorist group or something," Jim said, rubbing his chin.

"You are Captain James Hauser of the freighter Entropy, correct?" the man said, smirking.

"Yeah, so?" Jim said, leaning back in surprise.

"We are well aware of who you are, your contacts, and everything else about you. Even if you try to resist, we will be able to find you and where you take this cargo. There is no point is resisting, hand it over now!" the man demanded.

"Oh yeah? Alright, give me a moment. Miryhn, put 'em on hold," Jim said.

Miryhn pressed a button and the screen switched to one of Vera's hand-drawn animations Nash scanned into the computer of a duck walking around with the sign "On Hold" on.

"Nash, can we out run them?" Jim said, turning to Nash.

"Miryhn, can we 'haul' anymore 'ass'?" Nash said sarcastically.

Miryhn turned to his console and then back to Nash. "Yes, as a matter of fact, we can 'haul' about three kilos of more 'ass'," Miryhn replied with the same sarcasm.

"Three? Damn, you're running us rather slowly. Anyways, we can more than likely outrun them. The problem is, we still have three hours of clean-up to wait on at Harperstown Spaceport, right?" Nash said, shrugging.

"Shit, you're right. Vera, can we-" Jim started to say. Vera had disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" Nash said.

"I bet I know where she is," Miryhn said, flicking on another switch. "Yo, get outta that container and get your ass back up here!" Miryhn yelled into the microphone for the intercom.

"Fuck off, Miryhn! Nothing can stand up to Vic Vipers except another Orbital Frame! My LEV won't even touch them!" Vera's voice said over the intercom.

"That stupid girl! She's gonna get us blown up! Tell her that's an order!" Jim said, shaking his fist.

"It's an order, Vera, get back here now!" Miryhn yelled into the mic.

"I saw what he said, Miryhn. It's in our best interest to just fight them off if we want the cash for this thing as well as to keep it under wraps!" Vera replied. The sound of her high-heeled boots running off then followed.

"Damn, damn damn!" Jim said, storming off through the door. Nash started to stand up and follow.

"Nash, stay. We gotta get ready to use the missiles and lasers," Miryhn said.

"You're just gonna let her go out, just like that?" Nash said quietly.

"She's right, you know. Only an Orbital Frame can stand up to another Orbital Frame," Miryhn replied solemnly.

Vera ran across the platform and fell over the cylindrical cockpit of Freya. He took a few deep breaths and started hammering the canopy with her fist.

"Open up, ADA! This is serious!" she screamed. She kept pounding until the canopy opened. She hopped into the seat and grabbed the two half-spheres along the edges.

"I believe I already instructed you to leave this Frame alone, did I not?" ADA said.

"This is serious! There are three Vic Viper Model R's outside the ship. If you don't help me do something, we're all going to die!" Vera yelled.

"My task is to await being delivered to my scheduled Runner. You are not that scheduled Runner," ADA said.

"Are you programmed not to multi-task or something? Can't you handle a little side work?" Vera replied with a scowl.

"I have never considered that. You have a point. It is well within my capabilities to perform more than one task at once. However, my primary objective is to be delivered to my scheduled Runner. I will agree to help and offer my aid in an additional task if you agree to help me with additional aid to your cause as well. It is what is called a 'compromise'," ADA said.

"Alright, what?" Vera said, smiling a little.

"You will aid me in being sent to my proper Frame Runner. As your main task at the point is to protect your ship and those onboard, my task is to be delivered to my scheduled Runner," ADA said.

"Ok, agreed. You'll help me and I'll deliver you," Vera said with a full smile.

"Agreed," ADA said, closing the canopy.

Freya sprung to life as several lines along it's body turned green and flowed along the outside, ending in spots like the head and the tips of the fingers. The "eyes" on the visored Viking-helmet around the head of the Frame glowed a bright green and the head lifted slowly. The shoulders were circular and stacked in threes, like pauldrons of body armor. The chest was molded to a woman's breast, an intricately decorated chest plate covering it and the rest of the upper body. A few plates hung from the waist and hung over the backside and the sides of the legs. A short pole was attacked to it's back below the two Vernier rocket wings.

The right hand extended itself as the hand flared open. A few strings of the green lines flowed into a spot on the floor of the container and the remaining walls of the container retracted into two large pillars on each side of the container. Freya rose from its kneeling position on the floor of the container and stepped off the container onto the floor of the cargo hold. The Frame stood up fully, the head about fifty feet shorter than the ceiling of the hold.

"ADA, I'm impressed. I never got a good look at this Frame in full light," Vera said, looking across the panorama of the cockpit.

"Please concentrate on the matters at hand. Your ship is about to be under attack. Let us focus on that," ADA said.

"'Us'? A minute ago you kept bitching about wanting your 'scheduled Runner'. Now you suddenly feel like working with a total stranger?" Vera said, smirking.

"I am programmed to have total cooperation with the Runner in all situations. It is only necessary for survival," ADA said.

"That's cold. You only work with the Runner to save your own ass. I see how it is," Vera said.

"Please concentrate on the task at hand. I trust you know how to operate an Orbital Frame," ADA said.

"I know how to run a LEV," she said, smiling.

"Freya is run much differently than a LEV. Would you like me to explain how to manipulate the Frame?" ADA said, preparing a training program on the console.

"No, no, we have no time for that. I'll just have to figure it out myself," Vera said, waving her hands slowly

"Then please remember to enter the training simulation later," ADA said.

"'Later'? You mean you'll keep helping me and not lock me out of the cockpit?" Vera said, smiling.

"If you need it, I will," ADA replied.

"Hmm, you're not so bad after all! Okay, let's get going. Open a comlink to the bridge of this ship, I gotta ask Miryhn to open the hatch," Vera said confidently.

Miryhn yawned, flicking the switches to arm the various laser ports and missile batteries. He glanced up at the holding vid-window and decided to ignore it since Jim still hadn't returned yet.

"You think the captain's gonna give her hell over this?" Nash asked.

"Pretty sure. He hates to see his merchandise not only get damaged, but taken by other people. You know Jim, he's just like that, greedy until the bitter end," Miryhn replied, flicking the final switch and tossing a pretzel in his mouth. Just then, another com-link came in.

"Who now?" Nash said, tapping his fingers nervously on the console.

"Guess," Miryhn replied, opening a vid window in the upper-right.

"Miryhn! Open the hatch, now!" Vera yelled as the window opened.

"Like hell. Captain hasn't come back yet, I can't do shit," Miryhn said in between chews of pretzels.

"I don't care! Open it now!" Vera yelled back.

"Look, Jim decides what goes in and out of this ship, not me. Just sit tight and-" Miryhn started to say.

"Jim's right here! He's trying to open it right now, but the damn switch it stuck!" Vera interrupted. "It's more than likely Nash's fault for not fixing it after those crates during the Red Rose haul smashed against the console."

"Hey, I told him I needed a replacement control board capacitor and he never bought it. Gimme a break!" Nash yelled.

"Everyone just chill!" Miryhn yelled. Nash and Vera froze. "I'm opening the hold now," Miryhn said, fed up. He reached over to the side of the console and pulled a red handle out of the console about half a foot. He turned it and pushed it back in. Immediately, a buzzer went off and a red light started flashing. The phrase "Cargo bay door open!" appeared in a box with yellow and black striped bars on the canopy screen.

"Now hurry up, that buzzer is worst than nails on a chalkboard," Miryhn said, resuming his consumption of pretzels.

Vera smiled. "Thanks, Miryhn. Jim's running like hell back out of the hold to avoid getting sucked out. He's cussing and wishing I warned him," she said with a giggle.

"Just don't get shot to hell. Come back in if it gets too rough. We can easily lose 'em anytime we want to," Miryhn said in between chews.

"Aw, you care too much, Miryhn," Vera said, still giggling.

"Yeah, whatever," Miryhn replied indifferently.

"Hey, Miryhn, let's make a bet. If I kick their asses, you have to give up pretzels for a week, ok? I'm sick of you eating all of them," Vera said, smirking.

"Ok, and if you lose, you gotta go on a date with me!" Miryhn said, smirking as well.

Vera scowled and turned her head back. "Never mind that bet, ok?" she said and closed her vid-window.

Vera sat back in her seat and sighed. "When will that idiot grow up?" she muttered.

"According to his outward appearance, I'd judge he has reached a state of full human development in the anatomical sense," ADA said.

"Oh, shut up. Some of them just never grow up in their personality," Vera replied.

"I am not programmed to process personality as a main factor," ADA said. "The cargo hold doors are opening. Do you wish for me to switch to manual control?" ADA asked.

"Sure, I'll give it a shot," Vera said with a shrug.

With an electronic beep and a few other random chirps, several screens with various gauges and information displays suddenly appeared all around the cockpit. Vera gritted her teeth as the Frame suddenly started to wobble.

"Hey! What gives?" Vera yelled in a panic.

"This is manual control. Do you wish for me to assist in the piloting for now?" ADA asked.

"You're damn right I need assistance! Do it!" Vera replied quickly. With that, the screens disappeared and the Frame adjusted itself upright.

"Semi-manual control activated. Beginning combat sequence," ADA said as the Vernier thrusters on the back of Freya fired up.

"Alright, ADA, let's go," Vera said, tightly gripping the half-sphere controls.

The man stared impatiently at the vid-window inside his cockpit. He was sick of the "On Hold" screen and the damn annoying duck walking around quacking all the time. He slammed his fist into the wall of the cockpit and grumbled. A com-link came through and he hit the button to let it through.

"Dingo, what should we do? They're taking forever!" a redheaded woman whined over the vid-window.

"We're not here to take lives or act in any overly threatening manner, Ken, but we'll have to take their ship out if we have to," Dingo replied.

"Leo's getting antsy. Can't we do anything while we're waiting?" Ken whined again.

"I remember a day when I asked you to stop depending on me so much. Can't you guys sit tight while these morons waste our time?" Dingo said, leaning his head on his elbow on the side of the cockpit.

"You didn't tell me that. You let me fall into some lava and complained to me about that particular topic!" Ken said, scowling.

"Yeah, yeah, well you should have caught the hint," Dingo said, his brow sloping a bit.

"Well, Dingo, you were the one, after all, who wanted to be the head of this little get-together. We kind of have to depend on you, so tell us what to do!" Vera said sternly.

"Got me there," Dingo said, sitting up and grabbing the controls. "Alright, standby for attack. We'll give 'em some warning shots, so be prepared for them to hit the brakes," Dingo said in a commanding tone.

"Okie-dokie, Commander Egret, sir!" Ken said, jokingly.

"Stop calling me that," Dingo said, slightly miffed. Another com-link beeped. Dingo reached over and put it through.

"Dingo, something's coming out. It's another Orbital Frame!" a dark blue-haired teenager said as the vid-window popped up.

"Leo, are you serious? They're launching it? Are they nuts?" Dingo said, sneering.

"Appears so. Watch your back, boys!" Ken said as he window closed.

"Come on, Dingo, you've dealt with worst. No one could possibly be able to pilot a Frame that powerful without some sort of A.I. assistance. This guy will be a piece of cake!" Leo said confidently.

"I hope so, Leo, I really do. After all, all it takes is one of those to take on a Vic Viper, right?" Dingo said, grinning.

"What are you getting at?" Leo caught on, raising an eyebrow.

"Remember the first time we met?" Dingo said, grinning.

"Get over yourself! If not for ADA, I would have had you!" Leo said, sneering.

"Watch yourself, kid, we have more important things to worry about," Dingo said, resuming a serious face.

"Is she out yet?" Jim yelled as he burst into the bridge.

"Yeah, I'm closing the damn door now," Miryhn said, reaching for the handle.

"Don't, leave it open. I'll let her rough 'em up a bit and we'll make tracks," Jim said, plopping into his seat.

"Where are we gonna go while Harperstown clears up?" Miryhn said, looking over the navigation computer.

"We'll orbit the moon. If they're really not out to use force, they'll keep from firing on us. The perimeter sphere around Ganymede is packed with other civilians if Harperstown is truly closed," Jim said, folding his arms confidently.

"What about the hold we still have them on?" Nash said, pointing to the vid-window.

"Yeah, open it back up," Jim said, relaxing his arms. Miryhn reached over and cut the "On Hold" screen off and the white-haired man stared at them.

"Have an answer yet? We're ready to open fire if you do not comply," the man said sternly.

"Yeah, we have an answer. My star pilot is going out there to kick your ass. So, my answer is.... fuck off!" Jim said, giving him the finger. As Miryhn closed the vid window, Jim belted out a hearty laugh.

"Was that really necessary?" Nash asked innocently.

"Don't worry, kid, we'll lose 'em right after Vera puts them in their place. I have total faith in her," Jim said with a grin.

"Is faith really what leads to victory, captain?" Miryhn asked quietly.

"I sure as hell hope so," Jim replied, laughing again.

"Great we're gonna die," Nash moaned.

Miryhn stared out of the canopy and sighed.

"Superiority ratio even while outnumbered is over thirty percent. The enemy will not be a problem if you can handle this Frame at a basic level," ADA said as the Frame launched out the hold.

"I guess I can handle that," Vera said, a little discouraged.

"Do not worry. I will assure our victory," ADA replied.

Vera smiled. "Thanks again, ok?" she said cheerfully.

"It is only my duty," ADA said.

Freya flew out the back of the ship and immediately whipped back in the other direction, flying toward the back of the ship. It reached around to the back and pulled the short pole out from it's backside.

"What's that?" Vera asked, looking out at the pole in the right hand.

"This is a plasma-edged spear. The head is powered to a level that it can melt and cut most conventional metals," ADA replied.

"Incredible!" Vera said, taken aback.

The spear pole telescoped out to a longer length and the head glowed to life with a green glow.

"Okay, ADA, back me up here!" Vera said, smiling nervously.

"Affirmative," ADA said as the lock-on appeared on the screen, targeting the closest Vic Viper.

Freya swung back and sped up. The gap between the two Frames closed and Freya struck into the Vic Viper twice. The Vic Viper sped up and bared off to the side.

"That's good, go to the next one!" Vera said, grinning.

ADA changed the target lock to the next Vic Viper in the line circling the ship. Freya sped up again and closed the gap on it. Freya got in two swipes on it before the Vic Viper sped up ahead of the ship.

"Ok, one more," Vera said, gritting her teeth.

"What about the Frame ahead of the ship?" ADA asked.

"We'll get that one next," Vera replied, leaning forward a bit.

Freya sped up again and closed in on the last Frame. Freya swung back again to prepare to strike it, but the Vic Viper suddenly converted to humanoid mode. This made it lose its speed instantly and it collided with Freya at an incredible impact from the sudden deceleration.

"Damn!" Vera yelled as the Frame shook from the impact.

"Damage index has hardly increased. This was only meant to stun us," ADA said.

"Well then, I'll just have to do this!" Vera yelled. Freya jammed the spear into the top of the Vic Viper and spun around, throwing the Frame off into the distance.

"Warning! Missiles approaching! I recommend the shield," ADA said.

"Shield, shield, shield... oh yeah!" Vera said after drawing a blank. Freya's left elbow in front of the body and a spherical energy shield surrounded the Frame. The missiles approached from the front and harmlessly collided with the shield. The Vic Viper, which had flown ahead of the ship, flew past at a blinding speed and disappeared in the distance.

"One final target remains," ADA said.

"The other two are gone. I guess that first one I knocked around is still around here," Vera said, looking around.

"Warning! Enemy to the rear. Their guard is down, though, I suggest a Burst Attack," ADA said.

"Shit, how do you do that again?" Vera said, wincing.

Freya began charging energy from what seemed like nowhere around itself. The energy collected and Freya spun its spear around with lightning fast speed just as the last Vic Viper reached the spear's range. A wide gap was ripped in the metal and the Frame flew backwards, disappearing in the distance.

"Enemy Frame disabled. All enemies are cleared. Good work," ADA said.

Vera cheered. "Yeah! I rock! Woohoo!" she yelled happily.

"Need I remind you that you were working with A.I. assistance and most of the work in piloting was done by myself?" ADA asked.

"No, you need not remind me, thank you very much. Damn killjoy," Vera said, scowling. She grabbed the control spheres again and leaned forward. "Ok, let's head back."

"Affirmative," ADA replied. Freya fired its Verniers again and streaked back to the underside stern of the ship.

Dingo laughed as hard as he could.

"What's your problem?" Ken asked, glaring over the vid-window.

"First time I've really been defeated," Dingo said, calming down a bit.

"I saw that, you got nailed with that Burst Attack. Smooth move coming at it from the back. It seems coming at it from any direction is dangerous," Ken said, smirking.

"Your missile assault was useless too, you know," Dingo replied smugly.

"Will you two give it a rest?" Leo said, his vid-window popping up next.

"Your little stunt transforming to humanoid mode did even less than both our attacks did," Ken said.

"Stop arguing! They're getting away!" Leo said, sneering.

"It's no big deal, Leo. We'll get them later," Dingo said, his laughter ended.

"He's right, Leo, take it easy for now. We have to get our Vics repaired in the meantime," Ken said, stretching her arms.

"Alright, if you say so," Leo said with a sigh.

"Today we weren't on a fair playing field. We've underestimated that Frame entirely. Next time, we'll fight them on a true battlefield," Dingo said, looking upwards.