Simulator Mission III: Descent

[Captain Benjamin Maxwell]

"Computer. Begin program."

I was standing atop a towering precipice overlooking a nearly-buried facility approximately 200 meters below me, whose ferrosteel roof was almost entirely covered by deep drifts of snow. There were no signs of life anywhere.

I knew that in the real world, things were going to be far different.

I fired a spring-loaded grapnel into the hardened ground, then gave the line a viscious tug, putting my weight into it, to ensure it wasn't going anywhere. The device held firm, and I latched the end of the cable onto my rappelling gear.

Peering over the ledge, I eased myself onto its sheer face, slowly playing out line as I did so. The Purifier armor I was wearing would help keep my visibility to a minimum as I worked my way down the outcropping, but I still had to ensure I didn't knock too much debris loose - I would risk detection if I did...

[Lieutenant Kei-teh Kintaru]

Following Ben in the same fashion, I slowly began my decent. The simulator gave a real feel for the bitter coldness of the digital environment it was portraying. It was very lifelike and like no other type of training I had endured from my village. Training back then was done in real time, life threatening environments. Although I had often frowned upon the whole idea of a “computer simulation” I was very impressed.

I had chosen to wear my usual armour. Its design was very light, which meant if I WAS hit, the armour wasn’t going to take much resistance. However, because of it’s lightness, it allowed for better mobility: something that suited me just perfect. “Ryu” gently tapped against my body as I abseiled down. A gust of ice cold wind acted as a “gentle reminder” of how real the portrayed environment appeared.

I was about five meters above Ben, who had just stopped to have a quick glance over his shoulder for any activity. Noticing this, I reached for my pistol (something I was still getting acquainted to after a lifetime’s devotion to the sword) and turned the safety off.

I waited for Ben’s next move.

[Captain Benjamin Maxwell]

Suddenly, the sound of the all-call interrupted our descent.

"All MechWarriors - report to the briefing room on the double. The sitrep for Operation: Landslide will be presented in ten minutes."

"Damnit. Sorry, Kintaru. We're going to have to postpone this rehersal till later."

The frozen tundra vanished around us, and we found ourselves in the simulator room once more.