The idea for this story formed as the final explosion enveloped Demeter in my Xbox match. It occurred to me, "What if you could eject to avoid the blast? What if you could survive?" The end result days later: This story.

One thing I need to mention. In this version, once Demeter's reactor is down it takes a minute or two to blow. In other words, the Pilots have just a little bit longer to live.

"Negative. This is Macallan. I've triggered the reactor core overload manually. Clear out as fast as you can, do not wait for ground forces."

Guess I won't be hopping on a dropship. Sitting inside my Atlas, my heart races as I realize I won't be making it out this time. Construct M-43TR the Ace Militia Pilot is going to die.

Only a few minutes ago, I was sitting by hardpoint Charlie, simply waiting in the middle of the most hectic battle in Militia and IMC history. My C.A.R.'s ammo pool was running low, but I still had a few clips left. I had spent the time waiting for my Titan crouched in a corner at Charlie, with a few rounds for anyone who came to take the hardpoint. The core that would be the big red button to Demeter's doom was at 80% Reactor pressure, and our man Macallan had taken out any chance it of cooling down.

My Titan's timer hit 0:00, and I called the Atlas in immediately. Stepping outside, I ran toward the holographic green circle. The Titan crashed to the ground, an XO-16 Chaingun on its back and the hatch flying open. Two hops put me inside the mechanical behemoth, and as the viewscreen feeds slotted into place I could feel the control links engaging around my arms and legs.

Ready to go, I checked the Titan's HUD. The reactor was at 92% pressure and rising. Then a message flashed across the screen, written in a bold green. "Victory." Well that's nice. Except that means this place is about to blow itself to orbit.

Spinning around, I started charging away from the nearby tower, which had smoke and electricity coursing across it. My Atlas ran past Macallan's crippled and dismembered Ogre, past the damaged and deactivated turrets, past the smoldering remains of our dropship. I think I may have dishonored a few Militia corpses with a rather large footprint as I went past the wreck.

So here's me now. As I listen to the dooming transmission of our commander, the Titan's dash thrusters almost overloading, it sinks in that this hunk of armor and wire is not a life-saving suit. Heck, it's a life-taker.

I think about the events of the past week. I've fought IMC on a fueling facility, a rural colony, and through the wreck of a starship. I've fired off rounds in a deserted city, under a railgun's shadow, by an old tower, and on an IMC airfield. Victory or defeat, I always managed to make it out in one piece, my C.A.R. by my side. I've sat in at least 20 identical Titans. Don't ask me how many robots I've shut down; lives I've taken. And now it's all about to be over.

I continue to dash and run away from the smoking reactor. I know it's futile, but my instinct still tells me to flee. Wait, what's that? Three grunts and a specter running away, just like me. On my HUD, their friend-or-foe lights show up as red. IMC infantry. In a normal scenario, I'd blast them away, but I don't think this is a normal scenario. Really, I'd like to do some good before I die.

I swing the Titan around, quickly taking stock of the area through the blue cameras. A few dozen feet behind me is a crack in the terrain, the orange dirt abruptly dipping to create a lip in the earth. Pretty much the closest thing to solid cover around. Also nearby, just ahead is a downed IMC Fighter, with a now-empty specter rig on its side right next to it. Ok, I have an idea.

The grunts and their drone are still running, about to pass the Fighter. Dashing up beside them with ease, I activate the Titan's external speaker.

"Look, I don't think this is a good time for our sides to matter. I need you to get by that specter rig NOW."

The Specter turns, and as soon as it's targeting systems see me it starts firing it's Hemlock. The bullets glance off my shielding and I ignore him. The grunts meanwhile decide to listen to me, altering course to the empty rig.

I run my Titan over to the downed fighter. It takes only one pull from the robotic arms to separate the IMC ship's tethers to the rig. Turning to the now-free specter holder, I shove it right-side up. Activating the speaker again I call,

"Get on! Now!"

The grunts obey, standing on the rig where dormant specters once stood. I pick up the rig from the sides. It's heavy, but my Atlas can manage it without so much as a groan from the hydraulics. Rushing back to the lip, I set down the container with the grunts facing away from the doomed reactor tower. I take one last look at them. On their faces is a look of numb terror, perhaps at me or perhaps at the reactor about to explode. I hope this works….

I command the mech to run to the other side of the rig, on the upper part of the lip facing the reactor - just in time to see it collapse on itself. This is it. With an utterly massive crash, the reactor blows, and an explosive shockwave hurtles itself towards me.

Watching the wave of smoke and fire from inside the cockpit, I type in two buttons on the control pad. Hovering my finger over the last one, I wait as the wave approaches at dozens of yards a second.

1000 feet away...

750 feet…

500 feet…

The wave is 250 feet away. Pressing the last button, I hear Titan's nuclear termination powering up. I yank the eject handle, and launch out of the short-lived Atlas.

Sailing into the sky, I watch as the nuclear implosion meets the wave of the doomed reactor. The forces clash and my Titan's explosion manages to lessen the blow around it, forcing the wave's destructive power to move around it – and the rig.

But what goes up must come down, and I'm going down. Activating my jump pack to soften the descent, my body plummets into the still-furious wave. Even before I hit the ground I feel myself being thrown back by its force, and my back slams into the rig. That's the last thing I remember before it went black, the X of my visor blinking off.