S1-17
Training Pods and War Games
10:09 AM
12/19/2283
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
Sim pod chamber
Music
Metroid Samus Returns - Select Theme
Samus was led to a large chamber full of almost a thousand Training Pods. "They're all the same. Enter one, I'll provide the access key, and you can get started." Michael stated. Samus entered a Training Pod, sitting on the high-tech chair attached to the back wall. "Right. The code for this one is 297561. Once you enter the code, pull the handle down, and the Training Pod will close. The onboard AI will help you from there." Michael instructed.
"OK."
Just then, a warning was heard from the Pod. "This unit is authorized for: military use only. Possession by an individual is a class-1 felony."
"I wasn't expecting that." Samus remarked.
The AI of the Simulator itself was speaking now. "Welcome to Hammond Pilot Certification Simulator. Warning: unregistered user detected."
"2... 9... 7... 5... 6... 1." She punched in the numbers as she repeated the code, and use of the Training Pod was granted.
"Key accepted. Training Pod is authorized. Welcome, Pilot." The Pod closed Samus inside as she waited for the AI's directions. "To calibrate the AR display, please look at each of the red lights." A couple of red lights blinked on inside the Pod, to which Samus did as instructed, causing them to flicker and turn blue before shutting off. "Visual calibration complete. Simulator Initializing." Green beams of lights flickered on inside the Pod, connecting Samus's mind to a simulation.
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
Training simulation
Music
none
HAMMOND INDUSTRIES PILOT TRAINING POD
Initializing simulation modules...
HAMMOND INDUSTRIES
PILOT COMBAT
CERTIFICATION SIMULATOR
Ahead of Samus was a sleek hallway, followed by a large chamber, followed by another hallway, followed by a longer chamber, followed by a strange room.
"You are free to move around the simulation." There was a force field blocking Samus from the hallway. It suddenly dispersed into pixels. The barrier was gone.
"Please walk through the tunnel in front of you." Samus walked down the hallway, reaching the second chamber. A large door closed behind here, preventing Samus from going back.
"Sprint through the tunnel." Samus went into a full-on run straight down the hallway, getting to the longer chamber on the other side.
"Jump over the obstacle." A small platform connected the walls on the left and right, but Samus jumped over with ease. There was a big gap in the floor ahead. "For greater distance, jump while sprinting." Samus ran at the edge before jumping, spinning in the digital space before sticking the landing on the other side, still running.
The last part of the path was at a higher elevation. "Jump toward the edge of a surface to pull yourself up." Samus clamped on and hopped right up, still running straight into the goal.
Pilot Training Module 02
[ Wallrunning ]
"As a Pilot, your most important piece of gear is your Jump Kit, which allows you to run on walls. Wallrun across the gap to proceed." A large corridor with big gaps stood between Samus and the end goal, so she ran toward the wall and started running on it, with the Jump Kit keeping her from falling into the digital void below. She passed one gap, then another, reaching a pit that was just over twice as long as the last two.
"Wallruns can be chained together to travel farther. Try jumping from one wallrun directly into another." Samus ran on one wall before jumping to the other, running on it as well before ending up on the other side of the gap.
There was one last obstacle. Samus jumped on a wall before jumping off and grabbing on the edge of the upper platform, pulling herself up to the end goal. "Well done."
"Pilots have some good mobility skills. I'm impressed." Samus remarked, completing the module.
Pilot Training Module 03
[ Freeform Wallrun ]
"Use sprinting, jumping and wallrunning to make your way to the exit." Samus was presented with a very long corridor that had two 90° turns. She ran on one wall before jumping into the outer corner of the first turn, jumping right off straight to the platform between the two turns before running on the second outer corner and jumping from wall-to-wall to gain some elevation and drop right at the end goal.
"Completion requirements met."
Pilot Training Module 04
[ Double Jump ]
Samus looked at a large pit ahead of her, seeing the other side at a higher elevation, and the walls were too far apart to jump from one to the other.
"Jump Kits extend your natural jumping ability. You can jump once more after leaving the ground." Samus jumped over the gap, but only covered part of the distance. The flares from the Jump Kit's thrusters suddenly propelled Samus the rest of the way across as if there was a platform at her feet and she jumped from there. There was another gap up ahead, but no change in elevation this time, and it was a bit more of a farther jump.
"To cover even more distance, wait longer before starting the second jump." Samus jumped as far as she could, waiting longer before trying to double jump again, but it didn't happen this time. Instead, she fell into the digital pit. Everything glitched around her and she ended up back where she was before she tried that jump.
"How did I make the Jump Kit work back there?"
"Jump Kits function on the principle of relaxed stability. They are used through simple wireless neural commands without the need for an implant."
"Jump Kits are that advanced, huh?" Samus tried the jump again, managing to get the Jump Kit to propel her across at the right moment, reaching the other end, and a short hallway with a dead end.
"Double jump and mantle into the hole above to proceed." Samus looked up, seeing a hole in the ceiling, revealing another room above. She double jumped and grabbed onto the edge, seeing the end goal just ahead.
Pilot Training Module 05
[ Freeform Double Jump ]
"Use wallrunning and double jumping to make your way to the exit." Samus jumped to the wall closest to her before jumping off and landing on a tank, which she jumped off, then double jumped to the corridor ahead.
A short wallrunning path, with a small room just below in case she fell so she could make her way back up. The end goal beyond the path, and easily in reach upon completing it. "Excellent navigational skills, Pilot."
Pilot Training Module 06
[ Cloak ]
"Cloaking, making yourself nearly invisible, is essential to Pilot survival. To get past the sentries, Cloak first, then move through the area quickly." Samus figured the Cloak worked in a similar manner to the Jump Kit... in command input, that is. She figured right since she almost completely vanished from sight.
The end goal was through the corridor just below the simulated Militia Grunts, but Samus had other plans. She jumped up to one side before punching one of the simulated Grunt square in the back of the head... hard, then moving to the one in the middle, using the digital Data-Knife on her belt on the simulated Grunt's neck, then sticking it straight into the head of the third Grunt, getting rid of the sentries. "Impressive moves, Pilot. A textbook demonstration of using Cloak in melee combat. Please proceed to the exit."
Samus, no longer cloaked, dropped down to the main level and went right into the right just before the end goal. "Well done. Cloaking does not last forever. Look at your Cloak meter on the bottom-left of your HUD to monitor your remaining Cloak time." Samus noted the AI's advice.
Pilot Training Module 07
[ Basic Combat ]
"In close-quarter situations, you can kill silently with a melee attack. Get close to the target to melee." A simulated Militia Grunt seemingly blinked into existence right in front of Samus, giving her the chance to kill the target with a digital Data-Knife to the back of the head. "If you melee an opponent from behind, you will perform an execution. Meleeing an enemy from the front can be faster, but carries more risk of death."
"I'm surprised that's what Pilots go through."
"To continue, please pull your weapon." Samus pulled a small weapon off her belt, inspecting its design.
A few basic details appeared in her vision.
Smart Pistol MK5
Locks onto nearby targets
"The weapon is empty. Load a fresh magazine." Samus looked in the underside of the weapons handle, seeing that it had no magazine. She took one off her belt before sliding it in, the small counter on the side of the weapon turning from a red 0 to a blue 12.
"This is the Smart Pistol, an auto-targeting weapon. Get close enough to a valid target and the Smart Pistol will start locking on. Wait for a full lock before pulling the trigger. Use your Smart Pistol to neutralize the target." Another simulated Militia Grunt appeared, allowing Samus to use the Smart Pistol MK5.
In the HUD of her simulated Pilot helmet, a small octagon outline appeared on the target's head, with a small line from the barrel of the Smart Pistol to the center of the octagon appearing as well, indicating the bullet's path. She tried aiming the Smart Pistol, the octagon and line went away. She stopped aiming and the lock was re-established.
Samus pulled the trigger, sending a smart round straight through the target's head. "Target eliminated."
She proceeded to the next room, and ended up on a platform overlooking a large chamber with four digital Grunts. "The Smart Pistol can lock onto more than one target. Eliminate all of the targets with your Smart Pistol." Four octagons appeared, each on the head of the Grunts, with four lines connecting them to the Smart Pistol's barrel. She pulled the trigger once, letting loose four rounds, each hitting their target. "Targets neutralized."
Samus dropped down, seeing a blue 7 on the Smart Pistol. "Some enemies, especially Pilots, require multiple locks to kill with one trigger pull. Kill the Pilot with your Smart Pistol." A simulated Militia Pilot appeared in front of Samus, back turned to her like the Grunts. The Smart Pistol MK5 acquired three locks on the Pilot before Samus pulled the trigger, letting loose a bullet trio. "Target down."
"Pilots have some VERY interesting weapons."
Pilot Training Module 08
[ Firing Range ]
"Switch to your rifle." Samus pulled out a different weapon, which her helmet identified.
R-101C Carbine
Full-auto assault weapon
"To take a more calculated shot, you can aim down the sights of your weapon." Samus aimed the R-101C Carbine, somehow causing multiple digital Marvin drones to appear. "Destroy all of the targets in the shooting range."
With the weapon's sights still up, Samus wasted no time in shooting the digital Marvins, ending up with only a single bullet in the magazine once the area was clear. "All targets eliminated without a magazine swap. Your ammunition conservation has been noted."
Pilot Training Module 09
[ Grenade Range ]
A couple of structures were the first things Samus saw as the next module came into action, and they each had two big holes. "Throw a grenade into each of the windows."
Samus took one grenade off her belt, pulled the pin out, and threw the explosive into one of the gaping rectangular holes. It looked as if she launched them out of a cannon instead of just throwing them.
From the window was a flash of the powerful explosion from the Frag Grenade. She threw another, then a third, then the final one, all without missing a single target. "Four out of four. Nicely done."
Pilot Training Module 10
[ Pilot Combat Scenario ]
Samus stood in a large area that looked nothing like the sleek corridors and chambers of the other modules.
"Combat scenario initialized. Destroy all opposition in the area." Multiple Drop Ships appeared and descended until they fired cables into the ground, releasing Grunts traveling down the cables like zip lines. "Your Mini-map is located in the upper-left corner of your AR display. Look for the small dots on your Mini-map to find all the enemy troops."
Samus jumped down, pulled out a Smart Pistol, and scored three kills in a single trigger pull, disposing of the Hammond P2011 on her belt and replacing it with an R-101C Carbine one of the Grunts dropped.
Putting the Smart Pistol in the sidearm holster, she utilized the R-101C Carbine and took down seven Grunts in quick succession before dropping the empty magazine straight out of the weapon.
One of the Grunts opened fire before Samus could pull out a new magazine, forcing her to resort to the Smart Pistol MK5 to kill the Grunt.
There were more Grunts for her to take down, and before she knew it, she eliminated the last one. "Minimal damage sustained during live fire exercise. Well done."
Samus then stood ready to be placed into the next module, but it didn't happen. "Combat scenario initialized. Hostile Titanfall imminent. Titans will not take substantial damage from small-arms fire. Switch to your Anti-Titan weapon." Samus put away the R-101C Carbine and pulled out an Anti-Titan weapon that was on her back.
Sidewinder
Rapidly fires micro-missiles
A large ball of fire dropped from the sky before exploding, leaving a large mechanical behemoth to drop the rest of the way. It was a digital Militia Atlas-class Titan armed with an XO-16 Chaingun.
"Destroy the Titan with your Anti-Titan weapon." Samus opened fire, launching micro-missiles that did staggering amounts of damage to the simulated Titan as it opened fire on her, barely missing its shots.
Once the magazine was empty, Samus cloaked and reloaded, rushing to relocate her position as the Titan searched the area.
Once Samus uncloaked, she resumed fire, hitting the areas on the Titan's hull that glowed red on her helmet's HUD. The small bar that displayed the enemy Titan's health went from a bar of full yellow to a diagonally striped bar of yellow and black lines, with red filling it in from one side to the other.
The Titan exploded while Samus reloaded, bits and pieces of it flying everywhere. "Good job. Taking on a Titan is very dangerous, even with the right weaponry. Pilots earn credit towards their next Titan drop by engaging in combat. Once your Titan is built, you can drop your Titan onto the battlefield. To continue, please initiate Titanfall."
Samus pressed a small button on the device strapped to her wrist, causing another ball of fire to drop from the simulated sky. "Look to the sky to watch your Titan fall into battle." Another Atlas-class Titan dropped in, but with white armor and a Quad Rocket.
The Titan was surrounded by a Dome Shield as it remained in its landing position. "Get close to your Titan to mount up."
Samus phased through the Dome Shield and climbed into the open cockpit, watching as the Titan started moving, then it closed her in. As her helmet's HUD switched to sight only, the cockpit's interior projected the Titan's optical view, with some differences.
Quad Rocket
Fires 4 rockets per volley
"Titans are designed to be a natural extension of the Pilot. Firing your Titan's primary weapon is as easy as firing a Pilot weapon." Samus tried to move her arm, seeing that the Titan's arm moved instead, and in the same fashion as intended.
"Kill the hostiles arriving in Drop Pods." Multiple Drop Pods appeared in the sky and dropped down, allowing Samus to test out the simulated Titan she was given. With one pull of the trigger, Samus launched four rockets at once, destroying the group of Grunts as they came out of the Drop Pod. She fired at more Grunts, then more Grunts were blown up, followed by even more being reduced to rubble.
Small plates on the front of the Quad Rocket extended as Samus attempted to fire again, releasing no rockets, having none left to launch. She noticed a large handle on the top of the front end of the Quad Rocket. Grabbing this handle, she realized that the front end was removable, and that it was the Quad Rocket's magazine.
Samus pulled the magazine out, tossed it away, and pulled out another Quad Rocket magazine before stumbling upon another Titan weapon: the XO-16 Chaingun from the first Titan.
XO-16 Chaingun
High rate of precision fire
She discarded the Quad Rocket and picked up the XO-16 Chaingun, the readout indicating a magazine size of 60.
After dealing with the last few remaining Grunts, she was done. "Excellent. Combat scenario complete."
Pilot Training Module 11
[ Titan Dash ]
Samus was surprised to see that she was still in the Titan, but then realized that she needed to learn how to use a Titan if she was going to operate one. "Titans can dash laterally to perform fast directional changes. To proceed, please dash in any direction you like." She managed to figure out how to use the Titan dashes very easily as she seamlessly slid to the right.
"Please dash to the left." Samus dashed to the left.
"The dash meter is located beneath the crosshair on the Titan cockpit display. Each blue box represents one dash." As the AI finished, the second dash box refilled.
"Dash backwards." Samus dashed back, ending up further away from the blocked hallway in front of her.
"Dash forward." She did so, completing the set of four dash directions. "Good job. Please proceed to the exit."
As Samus proceeded, two force fields vanished, only for one of them to come right back. "Titans frequently dash to avoid threats in combat." Four rockets catapulted down the hallway, hitting the force field, and letting Samus know what was going on. "Move down the hallway while avoiding the rockets."
Samus noticed a few alcoves along the hallway that she can use to get out of the way.
As she moved down the hallway, a small alarm briefly sounded before she dashed into one of the alcoves. A group of missiles flew right past.
She did this again, heading into the other side of the hallway, avoiding more rockets. The end goal was right there, at the end of the hallway, with a few holes in the wall behind it, where the missiles came from.
Pilot Training Module 12
[ Titan Vortex Shield ]
"To defend against ranged threats, Titans can be equipped with the Vortex Shield. This weapon absorbs incoming ballistics for a limited time, then refires them." A simulated Militia Titan was just at the other end of the hallway, where the end goal was.
Samus extended her Titan's hand, seeing a large mechanism on the Titan's forearm, and projecting a field of magnetic energy.
As she moved down the hallway, the other Titan opened fire, the bullets being caught and floating in the Vortex Shield, drifting into the center, where a small orb of energy was pulsing in the metal palm of Samus's Titan.
With a flick, the Vortex Shield was released, pulsing the captured bullets right back at the enemy Titan, destroying it. "Well played."
Pilot Training Module 13
[ Titan AI Control ]
"Skilled Pilots often disembark from their Titans on the battlefield. To continue, disembark from your Titan." Samus sent a neural command to her simulated Titan, and it responded, allowing her to press the button above the cockpit to open the hatch. She then hopped out, landing on the Titan's metal hand as it brought her to the top of the nearby ramp. She stepped off, then looked back at her Titan, its blue optics watching over her.
"Head into the control room to open the gate for your Titan." Samus walked into the next room, seeing a terminal she could use.
Taking out a digital Data-Knife, Samus pried open the terminal's circuit cover, pressing a button on the tool's handle to extend a small device along the blade before slotting it into the hole in the middle, watching as the small screen on the top started beeping, with three digits going through random numbers before stopping, the three orange circles having filled up and turned blue.
She removed the Data-Knife and closed the circuit cover, with the large force field blocking her Titan dispersing. "Pilots can control their Titan's AI when they are on foot. The AI can be toggled to follow you or guard its current location. The lower-right corner of your Pilot HUD displays your Titan's current AI mode. Put your Titan into Follow-Mode and it will follow you through the gate."
Samus pressed the same button that originally caused the Titan to drop in, triggering something different. "[Engaging Follow-Mode.]" The Titan started marching through the open gate, a force field reappearing behind it.
"When your Titan is in Follow-Mode, it will try to stay close to your position. Get close to your Titan, and re-embark." Samus found the exit to the room, headed out, then hopped at her Titan as it extended a hand to catch her and place her inside the cockpit.
"To continue, pilot your Titan to the exit." The end goal was just in the next chamber.
Pilot Training Module 14
[ Titan Combat Scenario ]
Once again, Samus was in the regular area with no similarities with the other modules, but she had her Titan this time. "Titans also carry off-hand weapons into combat. These weapons can be fired at times when primary weapons are unavailable, which enhances your Titan's combat effectiveness. Your Titan has been equipped with the Rocket Salvo. Try firing your Rocket Salvo now." With a simple thought, Samus sent a stream of unguided missiles straight to where her Titan's crosshair was at. "Be sure to deploy off-hand weapons to maximize your firepower in combat. Prepare for your final combat test. Try to use all of the skills you have learned."
Samus was ready, and her Titan's weapons were locked and loaded.
"Enemy Titan shields temporarily disabled." A single simulated Titan dropped in, holding an XO-16 Chaingun, just like Samus's Titan.
Upon sighting the Titan, Samus opened fire, dealing significant damage in a short time before pulling up a Vortex Shield, catching a small load of bullets and launching them right back, turning the enemy Titan's health bar to a black and yellow striped pattern before heading back into cover.
Before Samus could come out of cover to resume fire, the enemy Titan exploded. "Wave survived. Prepare for the next wave." Samus opened the magazine clamp on the XO-16 Chaingun before loading a new drum, the ammo count going back up to 60.
"Next wave incoming. Be advised: Enemy Titans may now appear with more advanced weapons." Two Titans dropped in, one having an XO-16 Chaingun, the other with a 40mm Cannon.
Samus opened fire on the Titan with the XO-16 Chaingun, with the Titan using the 40mm Cannon out of sight. The Titan was destroyed in seconds, leaving only one target. She searched around, seeing the Titan around a corner, and she was behind it.
Samus launched a Rocket Salvo and unloaded with the XO-16 Chaingun, causing a good deal of damage to the enemy Titan. It turned around, opening fire as Samus projected the Vortex Shield, catching the 40mm explosive rounds and sending them right back before dashing into cover.
The enemy Titan began searching for her, only to get flanked and attacked from behind.
The health bar changed to the striped pattern before Samus punched into the Titan's hatch, revealing an empty cockpit.
The Titan exploded, dropping the 40mm Cannon, which Samus picked up, discarding the XO-16 Chaingun.
40mm Cannon
Semi-auto 40mm HE rounds
"Wave survived. Prepare for the next wave." Samus rushed behind potential cover as the third wave was ready to begin. "Next wave incoming. Enemy Titan shields online. Use caution." Three Titans dropped in, each protected by a layer of energy shields. There was a Titan with an XO-16 Chaingun, a 40mm Cannon, and a Quad Rocket.
Samus took aim with the 40mm Cannon and opened fire, launching semi-automatic explosive rounds which seemed to punch holes into the hull plating of the enemy Titans.
As she attacked one Titan, the other two found and flanked her, pelting her Titan with rockets and bullets.
Everything froze around her as her Titan's weapon systems disengaged. "Each Titan has a shield that deflects incoming damage. Your shield bar wraps above the health bar at the top center of your HUD. If you avoid taking damage for a short time, your shields will recharge. The best Pilots will monitor their Titan's shields combat, taking breaks to recharge as necessary." Everything started back up, allowing Samus to retaliate against the two Titans to her side with a Rocket Salvo payload and the Vortex Shield, damaging the Titans and absorbing their ballistics before sending them right back.
With the Titans recovering, Samus finished off the other one, reducing its health bar to the stripped pattern before going back to the two Titans. Both of their health bars became striped as Samus ran to find new cover while the Titans eventually exploded. "Wave survived. Prepare for the next wave."
Samus went to the upper platform to gain a higher vantage point. "Next wave incoming. Enemy Titans may now be equipped with the Vortex Shield." Four Titans dropped in, one having an XO-16 Chaingun, one with a 40mm Cannon, and two with Quad Rockets.
Samus decimated the Titan using an XO-16 Chaingun with the 40mm Cannon, using the Rocket Salvo on another Titan that was using another 40mm Cannon.
Her Titan's health bar was reduced to about 3/4 when everything stopped again. "Your Titan's health bar status is located at the top center of your HUD. Notice that when your health bar goes down, it will not replenish. Once your health bar is depleted, your Titan is doomed to die shortly."
Everything started back up as Samus caught a load of Quad Rocket missiles, then one of the Titans caught the reflected rounds and sent them right back at Samus, who caught the rounds again and added her Rocket Salvo to the mix by firing it as she released the Vortex Shield again, immediately destroying a Titan.
The Titan that remained got a few lucky shots since Samus's Vortex Shield had to fully recharge. She managed to make a few explosive shots hit the Titan's weak point, dooming it before running out of sight until the enemy exploded. "Is that all?"
Music
Metroid Prime 3 Corruption - Norion Power Generator
"Wave survived. Prepare for the next wave." Samus readied herself for five Titans, but the wave never came. "Maximum threat wave defeated. Exemplary combat skills, Pilot. Initiating forced stand down." An alarm started blaring in her Titan's cockpit as the health bar went striped and was steadily filling with red. "Your Titan is critically damaged. Combat veterans refer to this as Doom-state. Your Titan will inevitably self-destruct once it is doomed. In this simulation, you will have infinite time to eject. This will not be the case in actual combat. You must eject before your Titan goes critical."
Samus pulled the handle on her seat, causing something to happen. "[Eject! Eject! Eject!]" She was plunged into the air as her Titan glowed white before releasing a bigger explosion than the other Titans.
"When you eject, you can use the higher vantage point to plan your next move." Samus landed on top of the building in the center, looking over the area one last time. "Excellent. Your Pilot Combat Certification is complete."
Just then, everything around her disappeared.
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
Sim pod chamber
Next thing Samus knew, she was back in the Training Pod, the green lights dimming out. "For your safety, please stay in the Training Pod to regain your equilibrium."
Samus pushed the latch back up, opening the Pod, with a certain Pilot coming into view. "Samus, did everything go well? Are you alright?" It was Michael.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... That felt weird."
"I know how that feels all too well. After all, I ran the simulation nineteen times."
Samus was surprised at what she heard as Michael helped her out of the Training Pod and onto her feet. "Nineteen times?"
"I had to perfect my skills, y'know?"
"Right, but nineteen times?"
"I would've gone twenty, but then I realized it was 1:43 in the morning, so I went to bed instead."
"You're devoted to the IMC, aren't you?"
"Normally, Pilots sign up to join the IMC. Me? I was a different case. Spyglass found me as an infant on the planet Troy, where I was practically buried in rubble. He brought me back to HQ, where I was treated, and given my own life. They wanted me to become anything I wanted, unguided. I decided to become a Pilot. If they cared for me, I should join them and return the favor, y'know?" Michael explained.
"Whoa. That's just... Wow. You threw away the opportunity for a normal life to help those who helped you?"
"I felt it was the right thing to do. You had the same feeling about destroying the BSL, right?" Michael asked.
"Right."
"Well, anyway, now that you've gotten the skills of a Pilot, we should make your Pilot loadout and create your Titan, then we can put your skills to the test."
1:46 PM
12/19/2283
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
Corridors
Music
Titanfall - OST 02
"War Games is a different simulation. It takes pieces of Angel City and Airbase Sierra, which are actually put in for battle recreations. If you die in War Games, you'll just rez right back in. If you die anywhere else, that's it, you're dead, just how it normally works."
"So, where are the Pods?"
"This way." Michael led Samus to another array of Simulation Pods.
2:03 PM
12/19/2283
Music
Metroid Samus Returns - Elevator
"You could almost get lost in this place. How do you find your way around?" Samus wondered.
"If you've been here half as long as I have, you begin to memorize the layout of the IMC HQ."
"Um... OK?"
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
War Games chamber
"Here we are. This is the War Games simulation control center. The War Games Pods are over here." There were twelve of them. Six to the left and six to the right. Samus entered a Pod on the left while Michael entered one on the right. "The code for that one is 925499. I'll see you there." The Pod Michael was in closed before Samus activated the one she was in.
"This unit is authorized for: military use only." The same warning as the other one.
"Signal decryption handshake is unstable. You may experience visual artifacts." Samus punched in the code before pulling the latch down. "Gen 1 Pilot onboard. Ready up." Green beams of light filled the Pod before Samus found herself in a large simulated environment.
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
War Games simulation
Music
Metroid Samus Returns - Lower Brinstar
Samus looked around, seeing quite the view. It was like Michael said, pieces of Angel City and Airbase Sierra.
She turned around, seeing Michael. "Welcome to the War Games simulation. Now then, let's get started. Spyglass gave me this code that allows me to manipulate the War Games environment. Let's get to work on designing your Titan." An Atlas-class Titan rezzed in, standing straight up with an XO-16 Chaingun on its back. "There are different primary weapons for Titans, and you can choose one if the XO-16 Chaingun isn't the one for you."
Multiple Titan weapons appeared, and Samus's helmet identified the ones she hadn't seen yet.
Plasma Railgun
Charges up while zoomed
Arc Cannon
Zaps across multiple targets
Triple Threat
Launches 3 grenades per shot
"The 40mm Cannon is a semi-automatic beast that fires explosive rounds across long distances with good accuracy. The Quad Rocket fires four rockets, hence the name, in a spiral that can do some good damage. The Plasma Railgun is the Titan equivalent to a sniper rifle, doing a great deal of damage over very long distances. The Arc Cannon fires chargeable bolts of electromagnetic energy that can disrupt Titan systems, evaporate multiple enemies by arcing through them, and even destroy rockets in mid-flight. The Triple Threat is a Titan grenade launcher that fires three grenades with each press of the trigger." Michael explained all the Titan primary weapons, and Samus had made her decision.
"The Arc Cannon might be good."
"Shocking." That pun...
The digital Titan weapons, except for the Arc Cannon, vanished in a swarm of pixels, even the XO-16 Chaingun on the Titan's back was gone. The Titan reached out, grabbed the Arc Cannon, and placed it on its back. "Titans can come in three different chassis designs. The Atlas, Ogre, and Stryder."
"I think the Atlas is good enough." It stayed an Atlas.
"Alright. Titan tactical abilities are very useful, and you can pick between the Vortex Shield, Electric Smoke, or Particle Wall."
"From what I've read, the Electric Smoke might be the most useful." The Vortex Shield projector on the Titan's left forearm vanished, being replaced with Electric Smoke tanks below the arm sockets.
"Ordinance is another factor. Rocket Salvo, Slaved Warheads, Cluster Missile, or Multi-Target Missile System?"
"Perhaps the Multi-Target Missile System?" The Rocket Salvo launcher on the Titan was replaced with a mechanism for the Multi-Target Missile System.
"Now for your personal preferences. There are a multitude of Titan insignias to choose from, but only a few Titan OS voices."
"For the insignia, I'll have Diamond. I think I'll keep the voice the Titans have by default."
"Right. Then there's the two tier kits."
"Tactical Reactor and Core Extender."
It was complete. "Alright, looks like your Titan is all done." On the Titan's hull, a chassis number engraved itself. ZV-9372.
Music
Titanfall 2 - Link to Pilot
"[IMC Atlas-class Titan Zulu-Victor Nine-Three-Four-Seven online and ready to perform Protocol 1.]" Samus jumped at the Titan as it caught her and placed her inside the cockpit. "[Protocol 1: Link to Pilot. Establishing neural link.]" Despite being in a simulation, Samus got a killer headache. "[Neural link: established. Samus Aran, you are now confirmed as acting Pilot of ZV-9347. Protocol 2: Uphold the Mission. Our orders are to eliminate all Militia forces and secure the Frontier, ridding it of the insurgents for good.]"
"Titans are surprisingly advanced." Samus remarked.
"[Thank you, Pilot. Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot. Initializing critical systems.]"
Seeing that Samus had things covered, Michael set the simulation to end once the neural link was complete before fizzing out, returning to the real world.
2:17 PM
12/19/2283
Planet Vez-2 - IMC HQ
War Games chamber
Music
Titanfall - OST 02
The Pod eventually opened, with Samus stumbling out before quickly regaining her equilibrium. "Was that Titan fake?" She asked.
"The construct was, but the AI wasn't. Your Titan has been constructed and is awaiting deployment."
"OK."
Samus Aran
Pilot class
CQB
Primary
R-97 Compact SMG - (HCOG) - (Extended Magazine)
Sidearm
Hammond P2011
Anti-Titan
Mag Launcher
Tactical
Active Radar Pulse
Ordinance
Arc Mine
Tier 1
Stealth Kit
Tier 2
Guardian Chip
Zulu-Victor Nine-Three-Seven-Two (ZV-9372)
(Arc-Rod)
Primary weapon
Arc Cannon - (Factory Issue)
Tactical Ability
Electric Smoke
Ordinance
Multi-Target Missile System
Chassis
Atlas
Tier 1
Tactical Reactor
Tier 2
Core Extender
Insignia
Diamond
OS voice
Betty
{ Titan personalities }
ZV-9372 / Arc-Rod - [protective; coordinated; creative; calm; focused; intellectually superior]
That has GOT to be the LONGEST CHAPTER I have EVER written!
See you next time.