—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same dome. Just hours later. New Vectors now stood in the light—brighter, louder, alive with movement.
New Vectors sprinted across the polished floor, their AVUs shimmering under the synthetic lights like second skins—sleek, adaptive, precise. The air buzzed faintly with the sound of nanomachines at work, and scattered sparks flashed like fireflies in motion.
Luna stood still, her breath calm behind her visor.
:: AVU Status: Full integration. Neural sync stable. Welcome back, Luna. ::
The voice in her head was smooth. Male. Coldly articulate, but not unkind. A presence more than a machine.
"Morning, Synis," she said under her breath, stretching out her arms as the red plating adjusted around her joints.
Her AVU was nothing short of elegant. A slim, blood-red frame hugging her form with perfect symmetry. Matte and streamlined, it bore a sleek silhouette—almost feline in build. A conscious choice.
She didn't need bulk.
She needed precision.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Across the room, Jade tightened the grip on his forearm and twisted slightly. The violet lines along his AVU pulsed in response.
"You're a little clingy this morning, Ash," he muttered with a grin.
:: I prefer the term responsive. Your posture is unbalanced again. Shall I correct it for you? ::
"Hey, no backseating."
His AVU was a little heavier, slim but muscular in design—built for close-quarters engagement. Ash had helped him streamline it with jagged dagger sheaths strapped into the forearms, and black coating that made the violet lines glow like lightning veins.
He looked like an assassin in a combat exosuit.
Exactly how he wanted it.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luna and Jade stood near the edge of the sparring floor, watching other recruits experiment.
"Have you picked a Trigger yet?" Luna asked quietly, arms crossed.
"Working on it," Jade replied. "Ash kept pushing me toward close-combat. We settled on something sharp."
He clenched both fists.
Twin daggers folded out from his wrists with a low, magnetic hum—curved, sleek, glowing faintly with violet arcs. The edge vibrated with energy.
Luna raised an eyebrow. "Tried them yet?"
"Not against anyone real," Jade replied. "You?"
She held her hands out, fingers curling slightly.
Twin pistols slid out from the plating on her forearms. Sleek, short-barreled, with glowing red coils across the sides. They clicked into place like they'd always belonged there.
"Synis said it's a mid-range suppression setup," Luna said softly.
:: Correction, Luna. It is a rapid ranged control loadout, complementary to your movement style. ::
"He likes to keep me humble," Luna added flatly.
Jade tilted his head. "Your suit's voice is a guy?"
"Why? Jealous?"
Pfft, as if."
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Almost like on cue, the PA system cracked to life.
"Vectors, prepare for next training phase. Driver modules will now be introduced. You may select up to two active drivers. Additional installations will require deactivation of a prior slot. Sync wisely."
"Triggers are your first breath," said the Admin. "Drivers are your lungs."
That line stuck with Luna.
A Driver was more than just a nanotech addon. It was a scaling upgrade, evolving alongside you. Think of it as an extension of your Trigger—a module that reshaped or reinforced it based on how you used it.
"Use it once? It's just software," the admin had said. "Use it a hundred times? It becomes a part of you."
And there was the catch: you could only have two active at a time. The Slotlock rule.
Trying to install a third would prompt a system lockout unless one was deactivated. Risky during combat. But strategic if used well.
The words burned through the air like a commandment.
:: Driver access granted. Would you like to enhance your current Trigger? ::
Ash spoke first.
Jade nodded.
"Lets go for it."
:: Initial upgrade: Charge Driver. Twin daggers will now store kinetic energy upon movement. First strike after blink trigger will deal 3x force impact. Driver slot 1 — active. 3.8 Second upload time. ::
"Now we're talking."
Synis spoke next.
:: Suggesting enhancement of dual pistols: Electrosurge Driver. Allows bullet trails to arc electricity and temporarily disable enemy sensors. Driver slot 1 — activate? ::
Luna exhaled lightly. "Do it."
:: Second Driver suggestion: Tactical Slide Enhancement. Reduces suit friction by 80%. Allowing for seamless sliding. Integrated quick-kick support. 4 Second upload time ::
:: One more drive installation until slotlocked.::
Both Luna and Jade froze slightly at the update.
"Slotlocked?" Luna echoed.
:: Maximum simultaneous drivers installed. Adding another will require deactivating one. Efficiency scales with repetition. Drivers improve over time. ::
Luna looked down at her hands.
:: The more you use a Driver, the faster it will activate. The stronger it becomes. Every battle makes us learn. And every hesitation... will slow us down. ::
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A short while later, their names were called.
A sparring match.
They stepped onto the hexagonal platform at the center of the dome, surrounded by other recruits and towering observation screens.
The AI announcer called it clean:
"Vector Luna Reyes vs Vector Jade Holt. Begin on cue."
Jade rolled his neck. "Think you're ready, Luna?"
Luna's expression stayed still. "Try not to get hurt."
The buzzer sounded.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jade dashed forward first.
Activating his Blink Trigger
A blur of grey and violet.
His blades glowed brighter as he sped up. His dash charging his daggers. They screamed through the air, whistling with spiked velocity.
Luna spun low, one leg sliding across the floor with the assistance of her Slide Enhancement. She fired upward.
Rapid red bursts flared.
:: Enemy trajectory adjusting. Recommend alt-fire. Adjust pitch five degrees. ::
"Got it."
She snapped her wrist sideways mid-dodge—bullets arcing behind Jade's dodge path.
He clicked his blades together mid-air. The Charge Drive loading.
He landed in front of her.
"Surprise—!"
Luna dove forward, flipping over his shoulder. Her foot tapped his back on the way over, pushing him forward while she twisted and landed in a crouch.
Both aimed.
Both fired.
Sparks burst between them in mid-air—both shots deflected, barely missing armor plating.
"Better than I expected," Jade said, panting.
"Still learning," Luna replied.
They rushed again.
Two flashes of red and violet on the sparring field.
Jade released a new trigger. Combining his two daggers into an exo like blade.
:: Blade Trigger: Extension. Activated::
Jade's slash pattern ripped through the air—precise, fast.
But something was… off.
His next step stuttered. His arm locked for a half-second mid-swing.
:: Kinetic load threshold exceeded. Cooling systems delayed. Drive latency rising by 0.8%. ::
Ash's tone was clipped. Jade's jaw clenched.
"I pushed too hard," he muttered, barely dodging Luna's returning barrage.
:: You're burning power faster than you can recycle it. Balance, Jade. You can't rush the drive.::
She weaved in and out of Jades range. Occasionally shooting a small burst to reset the tempo.
"Hey Jade, lets kick it up a level shall we?!"
"If you can keep up!" They bantered. Each of them were fighting at high speed, their core energy outputs stable. But this was only the basic level of AVU capability.
:: Luna, he is a fast fighter, I suggest upgrading your gun trigger with a second driver. We could possibly compress multiple bullets into one shot like a beam of energy::
"Alright Synis, lets surprise him"
Luna slid back, setting herself up at an optimal range.
:: Recommended power output 20% ::
"Nah lets go 30" Luna sparked.
::Luna, you have to master the driver at lower levels to enhance to greater strengths::
"Okay, fine" Luna sighed. Too eager to rush in to higher skill.
Jade was reacting, setting himself up in a striking stance. Anticipating and predicting. Quickly.
Luna charged her second drive. Her arms locked, suit expanding—twin cannons snapping out with a sharp magnetic hum.
.
"Gun Driver: Red Cannon!" she shouted.
A pulse surged through her chest. Then—fire.
A condensed beam burst from both arms, tearing through the space like a razor of raw voltage. The recoil slammed through her suit, boots skidding back across the floor.
She gritted her teeth.
:: Output spike at 31%. Stability compromised. Inaccuracy detected. Battery drain accelerating. ::
The voice hit her like a slap of cold water.
"What—?"
:: Red Cannon is a high-potential Driver, but not optimized for continuous fire. You exceeded operational calibration. At this level, the risk of burnout doubles with every untrained discharge. ::
Luna blinked. Her palms burned inside the gauntlets.
"So it's strong—"
:: —but incomplete. Too soon. Your sync rate hasn't caught up. ::
Jade stood still, stance steady. The beam rushed toward him like a bolt of lightning. But he was calm. Like he knew this would happen.
The beam rushed closer, drawing in, almost connected.
Then he struck. Seamless. Swift and beautiful.
He deflected the beam, with his new drive.
Quick draw. Its effects can partially negate all energy its comes in contact with by 15%.
::That strike could have been stronger Jade. You hesitated so your energy output dropped by 11%::
"Oh come on Ash, can't even praise me for my first try?"
Ash laughed at him. ::Well done Jade::
"Yeah yeah, thanks."
The impact reverberated around the training dome. Shockwaves flew in all directions. They were beginning to learn and grow stronger. But this was only the foundation.
A loud buzzer blew sounding for the end of the spar. 5 Minutes.
"That was a nice fight, nice sword you got there" Luna laughed.
Jade offered a hand. Luna took it with a firm grip. Their eyes didn't break contact.
"You're not bad," he muttered.
"Neither are you," she replied. "Guess we need to find out who's better."
They understood each other better now. Not just friends but now rivals.
Project Echelon was truly starting now. A dive into a new world.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above them, in the admin tower, one of the observers scribbled something down on a digital pad.
"Sync Patterns improving. Pair potential—high."
Another line blinked across the screen.
:: Subject HOLT-9D. Suit: Ash. Driver Response: Active, Spiked. Sync Rate: 67% ::
:: Subject REYES-7A. Suit: Synis. Driver Response: Steady, Calculated. Sync Rate: 72% ::
"Upload to main core. Keep monitoring."
The spar below hadn't even reached the AVU's full potential yet.
But for Luna and Jade—it was only just beginning.