Last one for the time being, currently writing the next, enjoy.

Aeries Villa, Pendragon, Holy Empire of Britannia
Winter of 2008
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If anyone were to ask why I was loitering around the primary underground motor pool for the Aeries Villa guard staff I would very likely give them some variation of the truth depending on their position in my chain of command. My brother and any of the other guard staff would get the simple answer, something was on my mind and I needed to think it out. For Jeremiah and Gilbert they'd see it for what it was, I was worrying on a problem and if I needed them I'd let them know, and the others thought I was too intense to begin with so they would just take the excuse for what it was and leave me to my devices.

Where as if Cornelia interrupted me and asked what I was doing I'd have to give her a genuine answer out of respect for her authority if nothing else, the problem was telling her I was playing a hunch would just annoy her, and as far as what I'd tell my principle, well...

Taking in the expansive garage I worried my lip as I let out a frustrated huff, adjusted the electronic device in my hand, then walked down the length of the concrete corridor listening to my steps echoing in the static industrial gloom while tapping the wall with my knuckles. Walking towards the far corner I took in the overlapping camera angles, the recessed thermal, UV, EM spectrum scanners aimed at the various exits and stairwells, adjusted the device, turned back to the center of the room, and counted my steps repeating the process for every corner.

Coming to a stop back in the center of the room I adjusted the device a final time before putting it in my pocket to give it a few minutes to process. Humming lightly to myself I placed my hands behind my back swaying gently to and frow, and after a time I ever so slightly leaned my head back to observe the four hunchbacked humanoid war machines taking a knee before me.

"Scary boyos, aren't you?"

They were after all quite impressive, very dangerous, the top of the line bleeding edge military technology of Britannia, they were the RPI-11 Glasgow Knightmare Frame...and the act of them being here was as completely pointless as it was hilarious.

These four units were meant for Empress Marianne's defense detail, but we weren't supposed to actually use them for fear of exposing state military secrets before absolutely necessary, but we were allowed to use them in dire needs, but only if we really had to.

It was...really really dumb, and one of those things I tried to explain to young Lelouch in the hopes that some day he fully grasps what it means for future headaches when one of his subordinates flatly states that something is above their paygrade.

With that thought I glanced at my watch and nodded to myself when I heard a rustling noise from the primary elevator leading upstairs to the private residency, poor timing there but I could still work with this. Resigning myself to what would likely amount to an awkward conversation I forced a relaxed smile on my face as the elevator opened and none other than Empress Marianne and a pair of house guards stepped forward.

Waving at them I turned back to the war machines and briefly wondered if I should just blow this investigation off as a bad job, but I had come this far and really, I could use the now helpfully supplied pleasant distraction.

Marianne stopped beside me and motioned for my comrades to take some discrete steps back to give us some privacy, which they did without question. We stood in silence for a time while she gave me an assessing stare, then to my surprise she let out an amused huff then leaned against me and let her head rest on my shoulder.

"What's on your mind Taylor?"

I proved that my survival instincts are in fact up to date and managed to not say what exactly was now currently on my mind and firmly dove into much safer territory, like mocking social conventions and potentially treason, much safer than addressing the war goddess suddenly becoming cuddly.

"Not much Marianne, just taking in the implications of my first weapon of mass destruction, never thought I'd see its implementation on the ground level but we're cursed to live in interesting times it seems."

This was actually paraphrasing a damn good Aleph movie that had Nicholas Cage in it called Lord of War. He was an unrepentant arms dealer who was being chased by this Interpol guy who eventually corners Cage's character and he goes into a rant about how everyone cries about nuclear weapons, how they are the WMDs that keep people up at night while they sit snug and safe in their silos, not a threat to anyone.

Where as the AK-47 has become synonymous with armed conflict the world over, a weapon so reliable, so inexpensive, so pervasive, that they are in the hands of both militaries and militias the world over. That rifle pattern right there, that was a genuine weapon of mass production because of the simple fact that it makes killing each other inexpensive and efficient, and I looked at the Glasgow the same way.

Marianne for her part responded only with a curious, "Oh?"

I took a few moments to gather my thoughts, then said, "The knightmare frame is absolutely ridiculous, we know this right?"

Marianne made an amused sound which I took as permission to continue, "It is by its very definition form over function. We went from planes, tanks, jets, to drones, and then knightmare frames come along and our archaic chivalry senses kick in and we go 'Oh we can use this!' So instead of doing the logical thing and finding the next leg of military evolution we instead look at the knightmare frames and go, no we're doing this, we're going back to medieval basics and we're going to force modern warfare to accommodate our whim because we're Britannia and we do what we want.'"

At this Marianne had actually taken a step back and was staring at me with a look torn between surprise and amusement, so I continued on.

"So now we find ourselves in this current position where we have completely redefined light armored combat, if the Glasgow frames work as well in action as we think they're going to then the world is not going to have any idea what hit them. How can they possibly plan for the greatest most powerful military to ever exist to drop decades of military doctrine to just turn around and throw a bunch of giant killer robots at our enemies leaving them horrified and confused."

At that I let my tone turn unapologetically sardonic, "No one is going to be anticipating the advent of the knightmare frame because quite frankly, Britannians are a special kind of crazy and since we didn't see this one coming it's not likely anyone else did. Thus leading to my WMD comment, KMFs are new, they are not anything the world has seen before, and the Glasgow template was made to be affordable, durable, and reliable. My problem is that thing is going to be what every homebrew knockoff frame is going to be based off of for the rest of my career, and I can't help thinking to myself, how long am I going to be fighting my own nations design?"

Marianne didn't say anything for a time, then eventually patted my arm while turning back to the lift, "There are more than negatives here Taylor, you may be forced to fight your nations own designs sure, but look on the plus side. You'll never have to face them when they're in the generational tier to be a genuine threat to you, planned obsolescence and all that. Regardless, please let us know when you come back upstairs would you?"

"Yeah, sure of course," I replied dismissively as I took the device out of my pocket clicking it again as I turned away walking along the wall while muttering to myself for a few minutes, when the device suddenly beeped causing me to come to an abrupt stop.

Grinning I tapped the device against the wall a few times, then ran my hand along a seam down the center of the massive concrete block and froze as I felt air flow. Looking at my watch to check the time I then tapped the devices display thrice, checked the camera overlaps, then tapped the device exactly where it needed to be on the wall.

With a snapping hiss the panel slid in and then aside as light flooded the exposed walk way between the walls, the chitinous carpet of my swarm recoiling away as I ducked my head in to take a look around. Taking a half step inside I leaned my head back out, double checked the lack of security coverage overlap, and smiled the smile of the righteously paranoid proving themselves yet again vindicated.

"Well well well, now I found the secret entrance, now where does it go?"

Still smirking I pulled my sidearm out making sure a round was chambered, then entered the hidden space pulling the door shut leaving the light of the garage behind me.

So here I am in a tight enclosed pitch black space, surrounded by countless creepy critters, pistol in hand, enemies unknown, on the trail of someone who very much was not supposed to be in my place of employment.

Sometimes I think I may have let the insanity of this world get to me when I wasn't looking, because honestly, that genuinely sounds like fun and what the hell does that say about me? Ah well, call it in to my brother first, then find out what future awaits.