It took the crew 5 hours to complete the repairs on my AC and it’s 
weapons.  I had plenty of time to think about what I was going to do to 
Stephanie when I saw her again, and I surprised myself with some of the 
things I though of.  “Ok Kur, the last of the repairs are complete.  What did 
you do to...”  I ignored the mechanics chatter and ran past him towards Kong. 
 I climbed the stairs up to the platform leading to the cockpit of my AC and 
got inside.  I started the machine up and stood there for a second with my 
head down in frustration and anger.  What was I going to do?  Just charge 
head on into a heavily armed corporate office building that I know has very 
advanced weaponry and demand that my girlfriend be released?  Things don’t 
work that way anymore, not with people like Stephanie anyway.  Besides, what 
if I did destroy the building?  What if I waltzed right up and demolished the 
entire corporation?  Trish would probably be inside the building when it 
falls.  I had to find another way.

    I lifted my head and started running, Kong followed my movement and began 
running towards the doors of the garage and out, into the night.  I made my 
way down several still busy roads and alleys to make it to Trish’s unnamed 
corporate office.  The same office that I lived in for a week while Kong was 
being upgraded with the artificial muscle system.  As I made my way closer to 
the building, flood lights filled the night sky with brilliant white light, 
illuminating everything within a six block radius.  My com link activated and 
I heard a familiar voice come through the speakers in my helmet.  “Well it 
looks like my new friend Archangel couldn’t take you out after all.  I had a 
feeling this would happen so I went and took out a little insurance policy 
that guarantees you will not harm me or my building in any way.  Because if 
you do, your pretty blond girlfriend will be killed.  There will be no second 
chances, no delay, no nothing.  As soon as you do something which could be 
viewed as an act of aggression against myself or my property, Your dear 
Patrisha will be shot instantly.  Any Questions?”  

    God I hated her.  I hate her with every fiber of my being.  “What do you 
want?”  “I want you to leave.  Just turn around and walk away.  I don’t want 
to hear from you until I contact you.”  “I can’t do that!  Not without 
Trish!”  Even a deaf person could hear the heart ache in my voice.  “Too bad. 
 I will hold onto her for a little while until I decide what I want to do 
with you.  Until then, well I don’t care what you do.  Just stay away from 
me.”  “Her family will come looking for her.  They are Ravens too you 
know...”  she interrupted me laughing and then took a very serious tone.  “Oh 
please, those fools are nothing to worry about.  Besides, I have 10 brand new 
TITAN MTs to test just in case they do show up.”  Stephanie cut the link and 
the flood lights turned off.  I turned around and walked back to the garage.

    I parked Kong near the door and walked slowly to my dorm room while 
looking down at my feet.  I laid on my bed, not falling asleep until very 
early in the morning.

    “Oh Kur, I love you so much, you know that right?”  “Of course I do.  And 
I love you too Trish.”  “Aw, you’re so sweet.  Come on, lets go for a walk.”  
We walked along the hiking path in the city park at night.  I was holding her 
hand in mine and gently squeezing it to show my affection for her.  I felt a 
chill race up my spine and I turned around, seeing a huge MT, much taller 
than any AC and it pointed it’s huge cannon right at Trish.  I tried to jump 
to push her out of the way but I couldn’t move.  It was like I was running 
neck deep in peanut butter.  The huge TITAN MT pulled the trigger on it’s 
cannon and Trish was stolen from me forever. 

    “Oh Kur, I love you so much, you know that right?”  “Of course I do.  And 
I love you too Trish.”  “Aw, you’re so sweet.  Come on, let’s go for a walk.” 
 We walked along the hiking path in the city park at night.  I was holding 
her hand in mine and gently squeezing it to show my affection for her.  I 
felt a chill race up my spine and I looked down at our feet to see a huge 
sink hole open up under Trish.  She fell in screaming as loud as she could.  
I tried to hold on to her but her hand was slipping out of mine.  I looked up 
for anybody to help and I saw Stephanie sitting on a park bench near by.  
“Stephanie!  Help us please!  I can’t hold on any more!”  I was yelling as 
loud as I could but there was no sound coming from my mouth.  Stephanie got 
up from her seat and walked slowly over to me.  She bent down and whispered 
in my ear.  “Drop her Kur.  You don’t deserve her.”  She was whispering but 
the sound boomed in my ears like she was on a megaphone.  I tried to hold on 
but I just couldn’t.  Trish’s hand slipped from my fingers and I watched her 
fall into the bottomless pit with tears of fear streaming down her cheeks.

    I woke up yelling and sweating heavily.  I looked around the dorm room 
expecting to be in the city park.  “It was a dream... a dream.”  I got out of 
bed and into the shower.  I didn’t wash or anything, I just stood there 
letting the cold water run over my body as I thought about how I was going to 
get Trish back.  I got out of the shower and skipped breakfast, I was hungry, 
but not In the mood to eat so I skipped breakfast and walked to the rec. 
room.  I was quickly approached by the eight security guards that took me to 
the CEO of Global Cortex.  “Mr. Kur.  We have instructions to bring you to 
the boss.  Please follow us.”  It wasn’t like I had a choice, they surrounded 
me and began walking.  This time though, instead of a plush office building, 
we drove to a very expensive restaurant on the other side of the city.  

    It was an old style building made of red brick and a high pointed roof 
covered in dark brown shingles.  The door was made of oak and had to be 
opened by hand.  There was very little modern technology in the place, 
everything was modeled after the kind of restaurant there was before the 
Earth Government took control.  

    I was escorted to a table near a large window that looked out over a 
small pond and garden.  The man sitting on the opposite side as me was the 
CEO of Global Cortex.  “Welcome Kur, welcome.  I have been expecting you.”  
“Before we start this again I want to know your name, It’s not too much to 
ask is it?”  I made sure that my anger came through in my voice, I was tired 
of being manipulated by people and if he wanted me to work for him then he 
better respect me.  “Ah, well Mr. Kur, only a chosen few people know my name, 
it is safer for me that way you know.  But if you really must know, my name 
is Henry Basil.  Now may we discuss the reason I had you brought here?”  
“Well let’s hear it, what do you want me to do?  Destroy the Government by 
noon tomorrow?  Sprout wings from my back and fly around like a moth?”  I was 
beginning to yell now and some of the other people in the restaurant began to 
stare.  “What?  What do you want from me?  I have other things to worry about 
right now.  I don’t care about you and your little spat with the Government 
right now.  You don’t know what I’ve been through in the past few days, and 
you expect me to just jump up and do what you say when ever you feel like it? 
 I don’t think so.”  

    Henry just sat there soaking in all I had to say.  He obviously knew I 
had to blow off some steam and he seemed perfectly willing to let me.  
“Listen Kur, I know all about Trish and Stephanie and everything else.  But I 
assure you, if you help me, I’ll help you, ok?”  I did need some help, I knew 
that.  But what kind of help could he give me?  “Fine, what do you want?”  
Henry’s face brightened up as he sat back in his seat and poured himself a 
glass of wine.  “If we are going to over throw the Government, we need 
support from the people.  Right now, the Government is all the people know.  
If we go in half cocked and take out the Government, the people are likely 
rise up against us.  So what we need is for you to become... Well lets just 
say, a hero.”  “What are you talking about Basil?”  “I am talking about the 
arena.  If you join the arena you are sure to do well.  I can get you in at 
mid rank so that you don’t have to waste your time working your way up.”  
“Wait just a minute.  Ok, you want to make me a hero to the people so that 
they will back us when we take down the Government?”  “Yes.”  “Ok, I 
understand that part, but how is me competing in the arena, going to make me 
a hero?  There are plenty of other Ravens doing very well in the arena and 
the people wouldn’t follow them in conga line much less a world wide revolt.” 
 

    Henry just leaned forward and smiled as wide as his thin lips would 
allow.  “That’s why you aren’t going to just win in the arena Kur.  You are 
going to be a public champion.  You are going to let the people get to know 
you, get to know the man behind the Raven.  We are going to make the people 
love you.  And when the time finally comes, the people will side with there 
beloved arena champion over the tyranny of a government which oppresses and 
controls them.  They will love you because you care about them when the 
Government doesn’t.  You see what I’m saying here?”  I wasn’t at all sure I 
liked the idea of becoming a public figure.  When I was in school, all of the 
kids used to say “I want to be rich and famous when I grow up.”  I just used 
to want to be rich, not famous.  Famous people can’t go anywhere without 
being hounded for autographs.  And every move they make is on the evening 
news for everybody to criticize.  A celebrity can’t do the things a normal 
person does without it being a “scandal.”  I don’t think I would like the 
idea of my going into a porn shop being broadcast on channel 3.

    “I’ll have to think about it Mr. Basil.  For now though, I need to find a 
way to get Trish back.”  “Well you do that son.  I’ll see if I can find out 
where she is being held.  I have my sources you know.  How do you think I 
knew she was kidnapped?”  “If you can find out where she is, I’ll be your 
‘hero.”  The older man leaned forward with a sly grin on his face and 
extended his hand to shake.  “Deal.”  I hesitantly took his hand and gave a 
firm shake.  

    I left the restaurant and one of the eight security goons drove me the 
two hours back to the Cortex garage.  I walked up to my dorm room and found 
that my computer was flashing a small green light, indicating that I had new 
e-mail.  I clicked and read what it was.  “Well Kur, my sources say that Ms. 
Mactaggart is not holding Trish on this continent, possibly not even on 
earth.  As soon as we find her I will let you know.  I will even supply a 
unit of MTs and a few Ravens to help, if you so request.  Until then though, 
your first arena match is at 7:00 p.m. tonight.  Don’t be late, you are 
fighting for the C-12 position.  Good luck Kur.  Hank.”

    The old guys works fast.  I guess that if I wanted him to continue 
looking for Trish, I should fight in the arena.  I hoped it wasn’t somebody 
too good.  I turned off my computer and took a deep breath.  I checked my 
watch, it was already 3:15, I had to get moving.  I got in the shower and 
washed my Raven uniform, it was starting to stink pretty badly.  I ran out 
the door and into the garage.  Kong was being loaded into a small, one unit 
transport jet and the pilot was waving for me to hurry up and get in.  I ran 
to the stairs leading into the passenger compartment of the transport and 
climbed in.  “Welcome aboard Raven.  I hear you’re doing pretty well in the 
arena.  Any chance for an autograph later?  My son would love one.”  I rolled 
my eyes and sighed.  “Sure.”  I sat down on a long plush couch on one side of 
the compartment.  It was obvious that this transport was for the higher 
ranked Ravens, the work of Mr. Basil no doubt.  I was sitting there listening 
to the soft background music that was wafting into the compartment from an 
unseen speaker system.  I felt my stomach growl and found a small 
refrigerator under a cabinet on the other side of the room.  

    I ate the pre-made sandwiches and the bowl of beef soup.  I was still 
hungry but there was no more food to be found, so I just laid back on the 
couch with my hands behind my head.  I felt a little better knowing that I 
had a man as powerful as Henry Basil looking for Trish.  The comfort of that 
knowledge allowed me to drift off to sleep on the over stuffed couch.

    I was jarred awake by a small tremor in the transport as it landed gently 
outside of the arena.  I got up off the couch and walked through the door 
leading to the cargo bay.  I looked up at Kong standing in the center of the 
bay so as not to off balance the transport plane.  I had never really looked 
at the massive AC for what it really was.  It was over four stories tall and 
weighed nearly 1,200 tons.  It is a huge tool, a tool of war.  It was capable 
of the most heinous acts of violence and destruction but it was also one of 
the most beautiful things you would ever see.  The paint was buffed and 
shined, and the armor was smooth and flawless.  All it needed was a pilot to 
bring it to life, to make it the most powerful tool of war it could be.  I 
was amazed.  I was amazed that something so great and so horrible all at the 
same time could exist, and that it belonged to me.

    I climbed up and into the cockpit and shut the hatch behind me.  I 
strapped myself into the control arms and started Kong up.  I waited a few 
minutes for the cargo bay doors to open and once they did, I walked out and 
into the arena courtyard.  There were ACs of all types everywhere.  Hovers 
and quadrupeds, tanks and reverse jointed, and the ever popular biped, and 
different weight classes of each type.  There had to be hundreds of them 
walking in all different directions, being led by men in hover packs.  

    Pretty soon a man wearing a hover pack flew up to my ACs head and 
motioned me to follow him.  He flew off to the left and led me inside the 
arena garage where the walls were lined with ACs waiting for there turn in 
the arena.  I was led all the way down the line and motioned to stand between 
a tank AC and a hover AC that was so overweight it could barely hold itself 
off the ground.  I stepped in line and the man in the hover pack flew near my 
hatch and waited for me to open it.  I opened the hatch and the man landed on 
the out swung door, handing me an electronic pad.  “Here you go sir, this has 
all the information you need.”  With that he jumped off my open hatch door 
and boosted away to lead some other AC around.  I closed my hatch and turned 
on my pad.  “Congratulations on your success in the arena.  Your current rank 
is C-13.  You will be fighting today for the C-12 rank against the Raven, 
Amos Shepland, piloting the AC, Slingblade.  For more information on 
Slingblade, press C-12 on your keypad.”  I pressed the buttons and all kinds 
of information came up concerning Slingblade and it’s pilot, Amos.  It was a 
medium weight AC with an ultra fast over boost and heavy weight arms.  It was 
armed with dual MOONLIGHT blades and a heavy rocket launcher on it’s back.  
The pad also told me that Amos had only lost one match early on in his rise 
to the C ranks.  He was considered high B rank material, he just hasn’t 
gotten there yet.  That just meant that I needed to be extra careful.  I 
really had no idea if I was able to beat him or not, up until now I had only 
fought Ravens in missions, and I never knew what rank they were.  For all I 
know, they were all low E rank guys and I was about to get my ass handed to 
me on a silver platter by this Amos guy.

    I decided to put the thoughts of losing out of my head.  I unstrapped 
myself from the control arms and opened my cockpit hatch again.  I stood on 
the open door and did some stretching while looking around at all of the 
other ACs filling the garage.  It looked like Kong was the biggest of all, 
probably because if it wasn’t for that muscle system, Kong would be severely 
overweight.  The only ACs that seemed to have as much weaponry and armor as 
Kong were a few of the fully loaded tank ACs that were rolling around.  I 
found an AC that looked like a child sized model of Trish’s AC.  It was only 
half the height of a normal AC and at first I thought it was an MT but I 
could see plain as day, that it was just a tiny AC.  It was armed with a 
small blade, handgun, and a small missile launcher.  I had no idea they made 
half sized ACs so I decided to learn more about it while I waited for my 
match.  I typed on the electronic pad and eventually found the Ac in 
question.  It was named White Dwarf, and was piloted by a... well, a dwarf.  
The Raven was named Flint, and in the description given, he had built all of 
his own AC parts based off of full sized models.  To my surprise he was 
ranked C-8 but has been stuck there for almost a year now.  Eventually I 
would have to fight him, I wonder how that little AC would stand up to a shot 
from my new KARASAWA?

    Finally, it was 6:45 when another man in a hover pack came up and 
motioned me to follow him.  I stayed close behind him as he led me to a large 
platform at one end of the garage.  I stood on the platform and waited to see 
what would happen next.  Pretty soon I felt the platform begin to rise and a 
huge panel above me began to slide to the right, opening a way into the arena 
from below.  I could hear the announcer saying my name and a little 
information about me and then pausing for applause which never came.  The 
fans had never heard of me so they had no reason to cheer yet.  The announcer 
started up again with his information about Amos and his AC Slingblade.  The 
crowd seemed to like him enough and cheered until the announcer started 
speaking again.  in the meantime I was being lifted into a small compartment 
barely large enough for Kong to stand in.  Then I heard the announcer again.  
“And now to start our match.  First, from right here in Corella city, Kur, 
and his AC Kong!”  The doors in front of me opened and I walked out into the 
arena.  The crowd clapped to be polite but I could tell they didn’t really 
mean it.  “And the current C-12 ranked Raven, fighting out of Old 
Pennsylvania, Amos Shepland, and his AC, Slingblade!”  The crowd cheered big 
time, I guess he really was a fan favorite, probably because of his dual 
MOONLIGHT weapons.  I looked across the arena as the door opened and a medium 
weight AC stepped out and into the arena.  It was painted dark gray with 
black joints and a few black panels of armor on the arms and legs.  

    The AC stood still at the far end of the arena and waited for the 
announcer to begin the match.  The crowd was chanting “Slingblade, 
Slingblade” over and over, trying to pump him up and psyche me out.  I just 
started to wonder what was taking so long when the announcer came over the 
intercom.  “Let the match begin!”  Slingblade immediately over boosted right 
at me.  It was apparent that he meant to get me with those MOONLIGHTs as soon 
as possible.  I lifted my SAWA and waited for him to come into range.  It 
didn’t take long, the over boost on that AC was extremely powerful and I was 
willing to bet he makes good use of it all through the match.  Slingblade 
fired 3 large rockets at me, all of which were easily dodged at hit the wall 
behind me.  I fired my KARASAWA once and Amos easily got Slingblade out of 
the way long before the plasma bolt got to him.  

    Now it was time to see what both of us were made of.  Slingblade closed 
in quickly and slashed with the blade on his right arm.  I boosted backwards 
to avoid the blade but Slingblade boosted forward and slashed with his left 
blade.  I couldn’t get back fast enough to avoid the blade so I ducked under 
it, almost losing the missile launcher on Kong’s back.  I stopped moving 
backwards and boosted forward slamming hard into the dark gray AC sending it 
tumbling backwards in front of me.  I took a shot at it with my KARASAWA but 
missed because my FCS couldn’t get a lock in enough time.  It was then that I 
realized everything looked like it was moving slower than it really was.  Not 
too much slower, but slow enough to notice.  I held my hand in front of my 
face and saw the faint green glow from my eyes on the palm of my hand.  “It’s 
happening again.”  I quickly put my attention back on the match and jumped 
left to avoid another large rocket from the launcher on Slingblades back.  I 
hit my over boost and charged towards the smaller AC and swung my blade in a 
downward arch to split the ACs head in half, but Slingblade lifted his twin 
MOONLIGHTS in an X shape and blocked the swing.  I could see a rocket being 
launched from his launcher and time seemed to slow to a crawl.  The rocket 
was heading right for my cockpit and at that close range it would kill me if 
it hit.  I started to duck to the right but I wasn’t sure I was going to make 
it.  The rocket was on it’s way and Slingblade was lowering it’s left arm, 
getting ready to swing if the rocket missed me.  

    The rocket launcher was only 20 feet and the rocket was now less than 
ten.  It was moving so slow that I could read the warning label on the side 
of the rocket as it flew towards me.  All of the sudden time returned to it’s 
normal speed and Kong fell to the ground as the rocket skimmed off my left 
arm, making it veer off and into the shield protecting the crowd from stray 
ammunition.  Amos was all over the situation, I was lying on the floor and 
Slingblade was swinging his left arm blade right at me.  I hit my booster and 
skidded across the arena floor taking the blade to my left leg.  The blade 
cut deeply into my armor but luckily the leg was still attached and working 
properly.  I kept the booster on and flew off the ground and high into the 
air.  I activated my missile launcher and support missile extensions and 
waited for a full lock.  I had to dodge several more missiles but finally 
Kong’s FCS got a full lock and I fired.  Six missiles shot towards Slingblade 
while six more shot up into the air only to turn down towards their target.  
The anti missile cannon on Slingblades core shot down four of the missiles 
and he dodged three more but the last five plowed hard into him knocking him 
over.  I hit my over boost and dropped back to the floor as the huge boosters 
on Kong’s back shot me towards the fallen AC at over 800 mph.  I lifted my 
KARASAWA and fired three shots at the AC as it got up, knocking it back and 
off balance.  I quickly closed the distance and slashed with my STARLIGHT as 
I flew by.  My blade cut entirely through the core but on only one side of 
it.  Somehow the AC was still running but was obviously having trouble.

    I stopped my over boost and quickly turned around.  Amos wasn’t ready to 
give up just yet and he hit his over boost one last time.  He can in hard and 
fast dropping his empty rocket launcher and swinging his two blades for all 
he was worth.  I activated my blade and blocked his left arm blade but his 
right arm MOONLIGHT was coming in from underneath.  Time once again slowed to 
a crawl and I quickly lowered my blade to block the swing of Slingblades 
right arm.  Just as our blades connected, my opponents left arm began to 
swing again.  I decided to get out of this mess and take this guy out from a 
distance.  I activated my boosters but my AC only rose a few meters off the 
ground.  I blocked four more swings and managed to push Slingblade away from 
me with my right arm.  This gave me time to look down and see to my horror 
that I was somehow tethered to the arena floor by some kind of energy rope.  

    It looked more like lightning than rope but one end was wrapped around 
Kong’s left leg and the other end was coming out of a small black box that 
was clamped to the arena floor with some type claw or hook.  I tried to cut 
the line with my blade but the plasma beam just passed right through the line 
without damaging it.  “The clamp, I have to destroy the clamp!”  But before I 
could get to it, Amos piloted Slingblade right back into me swinging away 
with both blades again.  I continued blocking all of the swings but found it 
rather easy now.  I still couldn’t find the time to mount an offense with my 
blade though, so I lowered my chain gun over my shoulder and let the bullets 
pour from the spinning barrel.  The midweight AC was pounded hard by the high 
speed bullets and was soon covered in holes.  Slingblade stumbled backwards 
and lifted it’s arms to charge in again but it’s heavily damaged head 
exploded on top of the core.  The Ac fell over and didn’t move again. 

    “And we have a winner!  Kur is now the C-12 ranked raven in the arena 
standings!”  The crowd cheered pretty heavily even though most of them were 
stunned that this new guy came in here and destroyed one of their favorite 
ACs.  I looked down and jabbed my STARLIGHT into the little black clamp on 
the ground and the whatever it was that was holding my leg vanished.  I 
walked over to the door I entered from, waving to the crowd as I walked.  I 
walked through the door and was lowered back into the garage where several 
Ravens congratulated me over the com link.  

    I walked Kong back onto the transport and told the pilot to take me back 
to the Cortex garage, I needed some sleep.

to be continued