Far Horizon (Juggernaut #4)

Twenty Three

Each pod looked like the top part of a cockpit had been bolted onto a grey and angular platform. The machines were well-worn. Bright metal edges reflected the overhead lights where paint had been worn away by class after class of cadet stepping in and out of the cockpits. There were four pods on each side of the room, two for each side of the octagon, all of them facing the middle of the room. Beginning with the simulator to the right of the door, numbers one through eight were stencilled in white on the front of each simulator in a clockwise pattern.

The wall opposite the door was dominated by a large screen. Lines of code raced down the screen until it was filled, and then scrolled upward too quickly to see. The data cores hummed, lights blinked, and the eight pods shifted as system checks began on the hydraulics, haptic feedback systems and other simulated control surfaces.

Ellie checked her assignment, and climbed into pod three.

It felt wrong.

Both her racer and Valkyrie (which she still thought of as hers) both had the control yoke positioned between her knees, with the throttle on the left. Here the flight stick was on the right, built into the armrest. It made her lap feel strangely exposed, and her right arm sat in the wrong place.

She wriggled into the seat. It wasn't comfortable. Whatever padding had once been here had been worn away by time and trainees.

Ellie felt for the pedals. They were too far away for her, but she quickly discovered they could be adjusted and brought to a comfortable position.

The rest of the cockpit was a mix of new and unfamiliar. The Valkyrie shared a similar general layout and design philosophy, but it also felt more refined that this Starling. The simulator felt blocky, like each different element, each display and control surface, had been constructed separately and installed here with no regard for how they sat together.

Although unknown to Ellie, this was exactly what had happened. Simulator pods were reconfigured as needed, and this meant a modular approach to the control systems was used. At this early stage of the cadet training program , it was felt by those who made such decisions that the advantages in cost of flexible, physical controls outweighed the minor inconvenience of muscle memory when the cadets graduated to real fighters.

Ellie rested her hands on the controls and imagined flying it for real. She could get used to it, she was sure. The placement of the flight stick to the right was the only real difference.

She was prevented from investigating further by an announcement from the lieutenant.

'Ladies and gentleman, you should by now be familiar with the theoretical operations aspects of the ST-12 space superiority platform. Please put on your helmets and we'll begin the first program of the day.'

Ellie had ignored the helmet so far. It rested on the front of the cockpit, below the canopy hinge. She pulled it on and adjusted it until it sat comfortably on her head.

Tariq continued, 'You will be unfamiliar with the Mark three helmet. If you need help please raise your hand.'

Ellie watched every other hand go up. The lieutenant started moving around the room in an anti-clockwise direction starting from pod number eight. Most adjustments only took a moment. The helmets were unfamiliar but not complicated. He reached Ellie's pod and stepped up to help her automatically. Cadets always needed help first time. Ellie however sat ready and waiting.

'Cadet Young, have you secured your helmet?'

'Yes sir!'

Tariq looked it over, then pushed one side of her head. There was no slack. Everything was proper and correct.