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An Interview With Laila.


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#1 SandSpider

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:15 PM

Hello readers,

My name is CJ Simmons, and I’m a reporter for the Illal free press, or what’s left of it, and I’ve been granted a rare opportunity. I’ve been granted access to the Redstone Training Facility in the neutral zone between Sentium and Prosk. The base where all the new volunteers come too when they sign up for combat duty.

I’m here today to find out who is behind the face that greets all the new people. I’m here to do an interview with the young woman we all know simply as, Laila.

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Redstone is a hive of activity, where new recruits get to learn the basics in Mech combat, before they go off to their new employers. This base was set up just a few years ago to pool the resources of those who were outside the jurisdiction of the two main corporations.

When I arrive at the base, I’m given a brief tour, after which, I’m ushered into an office just off of the main hanger. The hanger is a busy place with several mechs moving around and lots of shouting and mechanical noises. Once the door closes however, the noise levels drop considerably.

I wait about ten minutes and then the door opens again. A beautiful young lady walks in, wearing military fatigues. She smiles at me as I stand up and we shake hands. She takes off her helmet and gloves and apologises for making my hand greasy. She rests them on the table in front of me, sits down on the sofa next to me and I introduce myself.

We exchange pleasantries and I tell her why I’m here. After this, the interview begins.

CJ. “To start off with, I have to say, that it’s a real pleasure to meet you, is it ok for me to call you Laila, or would you prefer Sgt. or something else_”

Laila. “No no, you can call my Laila, I always think Sgt. is a bit too formal for things like this.”

CJ. “Ok then, Laila. Now, you’ve been a mentor to a lot of people here, and a lot of our readers have been asking questions and wondering, just who is this lovely young lady, why is she here, and what does she do_”

Laila smiles and looks down, seemingly slightly embarrassed.

Laila. “Well, my name is Sgt. Laila Antonov, and I am in charge of training all the new recruits who come through here every day, I'm also a kind of motivator as well.”

CJ. “That's very interesting, but what exactly is it that you do in these rolls_”

Laila. “Well, to begin with, I introduce the new volunteers to one of the basic Axe models we keep here, which is usually the CRT-Recruit, commonly know around here as either Fred or TV head. I run through an orientation procedure to get them used to its systems, then I take them through a series of training routines, to get them used to how it moves and the weapons it uses.”

CJ. “I see, it sounds very impressive. How long have you been doing this for_”

Laila.  “Well, I joined the base three years ago and went through a series of aptitude tests, so the people in charge could see what I was good at, and I’ve been the chief instructor ever since.”

CJ. "I notice you use the word, Axe. Can you explain to the readers what this means_"

Laila. "Sure, it's simple really. A mech is a utility vehicle. They come in all shapes and sizes and do lots of different things. Some are loaders, some are used for mining and so on. But an Axe has weapons mounted on it and is only used for military purposes. In short, an Axe is a weaponised mech."

CJ. "Are, now I didn't know that. I just thought that all mechs were the same!"

Laila. "Oh I know, it's a common misconception. Most civilians think that, but in the military, you have to be able to tell what someone is talking about to stop any confusion. We use mechs here all the time; you probably saw some in the hanger."

CJ. "Does the name stand for anything_"

Laila. "No, it's just a name that was given to them years ago and I guess it just stuck."

CJ. “Ok, now I  want to know more about you. Tell us about yourself, who Laila is.”

Laila pauses for a moment to think.

Laila. “Umm, well I’m twenty four years old, I’m a Pisces. I have a degree in advanced mechanics. I’m half Russian and half French, but I was born here on Illal.  My favourite colour is red and I don’t like fish. Oh, and I can strip and rebuild a fusion engine in under two hours.”

I laugh at this. She seems to radiate a confidence and charm that is infectious.

CJ. “So you were born here, tell us about your parents_”

Laila. “Well, my parents emigrated here from the U.S.E.R. (United States of Europe and Russia) back on Earth.  My Farther, who was Russian, was a Captain in the Prosk Eighty Seventh battalion, he had his own squad of recon Axe's that were stationed on the outskirts of district 512 in the border region.  My mother, who was French and grew up in Paris, was a professor of Xenobiology at the University of Yeltsov, in the same district. She was an expert on the indigenous life here. We lived on my dads base, that's where I grew up.”

CJ. “They must be very proud of you_”

Laila looks down again, this time appearing to be deep in thought. Then says in a quieter voice.

Laila. “Actually, I lost them in the evacuation riots five and a half years ago, but I’m sure they would be.”

CJ. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I had know idea.”

Laila. “It’s ok, a lot of bad things happened back then.  Tore whole families apart.”

CJ. “True, true.”

We both pause for a moment, as we  remember those terrible times when everyone was trying to get off this world to safety. The silence seems to go on for minutes. I break it by asking my next question.

CJ. “I’m sorry to ask you this next question, but I do have to get it out of the way.  It was asked by one of our readers.  The question is, Why are you helping everyone, when they are all killing each other_”

Laila looks down again, this time with a smile on her face. She composes herself then answers.

Laila. “I don’t see it as helping people to kill each other, I see it as teaching people how to survive.  We have people of all ages come through here, from thirteen to seventy.  They are all looking for the same thing, a better life.  More food, more supplies, more medical support for their loved ones.  They’re not forced to come here, they choose to come here.  Most of them don’t have a clue how an Axe works when they arrive, so I teach them.  This war is a fact of life, and it goes on and on.  If it’s not in Titan, it’s in Brosos, if it’s not in Brosos it’s in the Ashihan Forests.  All I can do, is help these people stay alive; arm them with the knowledge to keep them safe and hope that it ends one day.”

I could tell that she was passionate about this by the way she said it. So to lighten the mood I asked her the next question.

CJ. “Another question that I hear a lot is, are you single_”

Laila laughs again and replies with a smile on her face.

Laila. “Umm, well I don’t have anyone special in my life at the moment, so I would have to say yes to that one.”

CJ. “Have you ever been in combat_”

Laila. “I have, yes. I spent two years in my dads old unit doing recon for Prosk. It taught me a lot. I made some good friends there too.”

CJ. “Any memorable battles_”

Laila. “Well I was in one of the first battles for Bunker 167. It was originally built by Prosk and my unite was stationed there. We were out on patrol, just a routine sweep. I remember it was at night and the floodlights were on. We had just finished the south east corner and were on our way to the next area when they hit us.”

“It started with sniper fire from behind one of the hills that surround the bunker, One of my friends who was in a Reaper got hit first. He was ok though, only got hit once. Then, all hell broke loose. There were missiles and tracer fire coming at us from all angles. For a while, it was chaos. The battle lasted about two hours. We were out numbered but we held on as long as we could.”

“We tried to call for backup but they were jamming our signals. I was in a modified Berserker at the time. I managed to take down three enemy Axe's before I was hit, then another two after. I remember that it was not a fare fight, they had brought in a load of heavies, mainly Rocketeers. We ended up surrendering, but it was a good fight. The best thing was that we didn’t lose anyone.”

CJ. “That sounds intense, what happened after_”

Laila. “Well after we surrendered, our Axe's and all our equipment were confiscated  and we were shipped off to the nearest Prosk base which was about seventy  kilometres away. Of course, it wasn’t in Sentium’s hands for long. A week later, we went back in with a full battalion and got them out again. Ever since then, it’s changed hands dozens of times, I’ve given up counting.”

CJ. “So, at some point, you left Prosk and now you work here in the neutral zone. How did that come about_”

Laila. “The game changed. At the beginning of the war, they were professional pilots who were fully trained going out there to fight. But then they opened it up for everyone and that’s when things got ugly.”

She looked down at the floor, shaking her head as she remembered.

Laila. “The training that Prosk and Sentium were giving these new pilots was so inadequate, it was laughable. Most of the time you had complete rookies going up against seasoned veterans and it was a massacre. So when I heard about this place, I made a decision and resigned my commission. I travelled out here and joined up.”

CJ. “And what do you think about the situation now in regards to the training that you provide_”

Laila. “Well, it’s about as good as we can get it. You see, at the moment we’re pushed for time. The typical turn around for a new recruit isn’t very long. If I’m lucky, I get to spend an hour with them to show them the basics and give them some practise time, and then they’re out the door and recruited by the Sentium or Prosk people that we have here. But even that’s far better than the training they were giving their new pilots.”

“That’s how we manage to keep Redstone neutral. Both Prosk and Sentium have recruiters here. They have offices on either side of the base and keep out of each others way. But when a new batch of recruits come in, they both come out and start trying to get them. It can be funny sometimes.”

CJ. “Something else that some of our readers would like to know, is what mechs, sorry, Axe's have you used, and which one or ones do you prefer_”

Laila. “Hmmm, that’s a good question.  Well I’ve used every Axe that’s out there, spent at least one hundred hours with each. It’s one of the things you have to do as an instructor. But which ones do I prefer…… I would have to say that I prefer light Axe's the most, probably because of my initial work in recon. I like to go with speed more than armour, I have very good reflexes and can dodge pretty much anything you fire at me. And I would have to say that my favourite light Axe would have to be the Berserker.”

CJ. “Why is that_”

Laila. “Well, it comes down to three things, the speed, the air manoeuvrability and of course, the weapons. I usually go with the Vulcan for my primary, as it’s a good weapon with a kind of bursty sustain fire and it can really stop your enemy in their tracks. I use Hellfire missiles as my secondary, as they're good for long range.”

CJ. "Ah, now I hear that that's not the usual load out for a Berserker, is that correct_"

Laila smiles as she answers.

Laila. "Yes, you're right, how did you know_"

CJ. "Well, lets just say that I have a good researcher. could you tell us about that_"

Laila. "Sure, I just like to be different and try new things I guess, plus it really throws an enemy. They expect a tow and get ready to dodge, then they're met with a volley of Hellfires. They really don't know what to do. A lot of pilots I've come up against in the past have just turned around and left. I've won a lot of battles like that."

She flashes another smile.

CJ. "So how did you manage it_"

Laila. "Well lets just say that it helps to have a degree in advanced mechanics."

We both laugh at this for a moment and then I continue.

CJ. “So, where do you see yourself a year from now_”

Laila. “Oh, I think I’ll probably still be here, unless the UTA lifts the quarantine and we can all leave, but I doubt that will ever happen.”

CJ. “So this is your career for the foreseeable future then_”

Laila. “Oh definitely, I love it here. I get to meet so many new faces. I guess I just like helping people and I seem to be good at it, that’s why they hired me.”

CJ. “Well thank you Laila, for this opportunity to interview you, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule, I hope it hasn’t interfered with your work to much.”

Laila. “Oh, don’t worry about that, it’s been a pleasure.”

After the interview, my cameraman and I went back outside into the huge and noisy main hanger to take some pictures of Laila. We spent a few more hours mixing with the staff and some of the recruits, while we waited for our transport back to our offices.

Well, that about raps this up. I hope this has given you some insight into the woman behind the face and I hope you enjoyed reading this interview as much as I did, doing it.  Thank you for reading.

This is CJ Simmons coming to you from the Redstone Training Facility.....out!

Edited by SandSpider, March 26 2014 - 07:10 AM.


#2 Hijinks_The_Turtle

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:21 PM

Hahaha nice!  I love how my one little thread gave you an idea!  Now this will really solidify what I have in mind... <__<  >__> I didn't say anything!

Edited by Hijinks_The_Turtle, February 19 2014 - 02:22 PM.


#3 Silverfire

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:33 PM

Excellent little piece of writing! Good work Sandspider :)

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#4 SandSpider

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:39 PM

Thanks guys.

What are you up too Hijinks_ :ph34r:

#5 Hijinks_The_Turtle

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:40 PM

Nope!  Nope!  Not saying ANYTHING! :o  I'm definitely not up to any hijinks at all! (See what I did there_) :3

#6 Magnolia1038

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Posted February 19 2014 - 02:59 PM

Well done! Love how you portrayed the story as an interview :)

#7 SandSpider

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Posted February 19 2014 - 03:04 PM

Thank you, I'm glad you like it :)

#8 Aregon

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Posted February 20 2014 - 02:41 AM

I need to start writing again.

Good read!
I`ll fix it later.

#9 SandSpider

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Posted February 22 2014 - 02:12 AM

Edited for content and lore.

#10 Wi2P

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Posted February 22 2014 - 03:52 PM

Great interview-style piece, SandSpider! Definitely enjoyable to read, and Laila is a neat character to work with. ^_^

#11 weirdiolio

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Posted February 22 2014 - 04:55 PM

Is it just me, or did you sneak in some of the game's history into there_ Such as training and matchmaking_

Edited by weirdiolio, February 22 2014 - 04:56 PM.


#12 SandSpider

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Posted February 22 2014 - 05:26 PM

View Postweirdiolio, on February 22 2014 - 04:55 PM, said:

Is it just me, or did you sneak in some of the game's history into there_ Such as training and matchmaking_

Uh huh :D

#13 weirdiolio

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Posted February 22 2014 - 06:38 PM

View PostSandSpider, on February 22 2014 - 05:26 PM, said:

View Postweirdiolio, on February 22 2014 - 04:55 PM, said:

Is it just me, or did you sneak in some of the game's history into there_ Such as training and matchmaking_

Uh huh :D
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Edited by weirdiolio, February 22 2014 - 06:39 PM.


#14 EM1O

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Posted March 24 2014 - 06:20 PM

Very Good! I learned something: never did know where the "Axe" came from. Entertainingly educational!  :)

Lingua-indigenae  *=0=*  Clans & Guilds  *=||=*  Which Mech_  *=X=*  GPU Test  *=W=*  CPU Test  *=O=*  Dementia

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#15 Z3roCool007

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Posted May 14 2014 - 08:39 AM

Bump,
Also.
Shes single...
TARGET ACQUIRED.

Edited by Z3roCool007, May 14 2014 - 12:02 PM.

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#16 SandSpider

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Posted May 14 2014 - 10:12 AM

LOL, yeah she's single :D

#17 Aregon

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Posted May 14 2014 - 11:59 AM

View PostSandSpider, on May 14 2014 - 10:12 AM, said:

LOL, yeah she's single :D
Well hello dear!
I`ll fix it later.




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