A Successful Strategem
The officers' lounge was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of whiskey and cigar smoke. The holographic screen flickered to life, casting a pale blue glow over the room. The officers leaned forward, their glasses paused mid-sip, as the footage of Lena's simulation began to play.
The video showed her mecha charging headlong into the enemy, the impact sending the smaller machine tumbling across the virtual desert. The officers chuckled at first, amused by the sheer audacity of her strategy.
They clicked some buttons and enjoyed the in-mecha footage of Lena who was ignoring all flashing 'System Damaged' and 'Plasma Rifle Ready' alerts on her control screen. She appeared determined to do this the hard way. Few of them even admired the courage of the young girl.
But as the footage continued, the amused laughter soon faded. Examinee Lena on the screen was bleeding profusely, not actual blood but a representation of her serious injuries if her real body was doing this. The mecha, she was piloting, was barely holding together after repeated crashes but amidst blood and sweat, the crazed girl pushed forward the dying machine towards its seventh target.
"She's... relentless," the mustached officer murmured, his eyes narrowing.
"Look at her face," the testing officer pointed out in seriousness, zooming in on Lena's expression. Though it appeared she was biting her lips to tolerate pain, a corner of her lips were curled into a very slight grin which can't be easily noticed beneath all of the blood on her face. But few veteran officers noticed it along with gleaming predatory light in her eyes. "She's not just surviving. She's enjoying it."
The third officer, the one in the cap, leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "Interesting. Very interesting. What's her name?"
"Lena Voss."
"Bring her in."
—
Next day in the morning, it was time for results. Lena had already arrived at the facility and was waiting patiently for her result. It had been just half an hour since her arrival when she was called into the waiting room. Unfortunately, the clerk of the previous day was not on duty today or he might have been pleasantly surprised to see her walking in.
Lena stood in the waiting room, her wrists still bound by the neural wristband aka her identity token. At this moment two officers entered the room with a datapad, their eyes scanning her with a mix of curiosity and appraisal. She met their gaze head-on, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp.
As she expected…
"Miss Voss, since you have been called here instead of your result being sent straight to the screen outside, I think you have inferred by now that you have passed the qualification test. But.." the mustached officer began, his tone formal but not unkind. "Your performance in the simulation was... unorthodox. Care to explain your strategy?"
Lena smiled, a slow, deliberate curve of her lips. "I don't believe in half-measures, sir. If you want to survive, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. I am a novice in shooting but this doesn't mean I will do nothing when my life is at stake. "
The cap-wearing officer stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "And what exactly are you willing to do, Miss Voss?"
Lena's smile widened, her succubus instincts flaring. For a moment she debated on taking over these officers but at last possible second, she restrained her lustful impulses. These officers couldn't be that high in hierarchy if they were sent here to question her, therefore hardly a worthy prey.
Now as she has finally decided to go on this path, she will not satiate her hunger from lesser targets. After all, for the past few days she had accurately felt the lack of quality - that is 'strong desires bearing humans' in this world. And these two here hardly pass her threshold. Moreover she can go on for two or more months easily, so there was no need to hurry.
Not a single of her demonic thought disturbed the expression on her face as she answered neutraly,
"Whatever it takes," Lena repeated, her voice dropping to a small whisper. "To serve the Crown."
The officers exchanged glances, their faces expressionless. Lena doesn't need to find cracks in their professional facade to guess that they were just pretending, the flicker of 'decision already made' in their eyes was obvious to her. She stepped closer, her movements careful as she lifted her hand to form a fist at her heart, a way of saluting in the Empire.
"Alright Miss Voss, you are officially chosen in the training course for the mech pilots. Though you need to work very hard to learn everything since even your shooting is not up to mark. The suicidal measures like what you did in test don't earn victory. In real battle, if you have to rely on these desperate tactics it means that you are already lost by then. And the Crown doesn't tolerate defeat."
"I'll keep it in mind, sir," Lena nodded, her voice clear.
The officer nodded, keeping his eyes on his datapad using all his might to not let them wander, "Good! You will have one month to settle your affairs. After exactly one month, a Military AV will come to your apartment to pick you up. Remember you will be off grid for the full duration of the training program, so plan accordingly. Rest of information will be sent in official mail. You can leave."
Lena smiled, almost making officers lose their mind by her beauty. As she retreated, she could clearly feel the subtle gazes of two officers checking out her alluring body from behind. There was a subtle smile on her face,
"Men… heh, that's why I like them"
--
Lena stepped into her small, dimly lit flat, the door clicking shut behind her. The room was cheap, with only a bed, a table, and a few personal items scattered about. She dropped her bag on the floor and sank onto the bed, letting out a long breath. The recruitment test had not been easy but she was sure that she would be chosen for training after her gamble. And just as she expected, she was in.
The fourth city Facility had given her one month to prepare before the Airborne Vehicle (AV) would arrive to take her to the off-grid training facility. One month to inform her loved ones (thankfully she...ugh..Lena had none), gather supplies(she needs to buy everything new, no way she would consider original Lena's cheap things), and enjoy her civilian life to fullest(this one was doable).
Lena lay back on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling. Her mind raced with possibilities. She needed money—real money—to buy the essentials for her new life. Clothes, grooming supplies, maybe even a few luxuries to make the harsh military life more bearable. But how?
A sly smile crept across her lips. She was a succubus, after all. Honest job? That is not even in her mind, let alone the last option. Even in this human body, her powers were not entirely lost. She could still manipulate, still charm, still dominate. And in a city teeming with new age criminals and lowlifes, there were plenty of opportunities to exploit.
---
The next night, Lena found herself in the underbelly of the city, where the neon lights of brothels flickered and the air smelled of decay. Cyber parts were being sold in black, along with less than desirable violence. She moved through the shadows like an experienced criminal, her eyes scanning the alleys for her targets.
It didn't take long to find them. A group of thugs was huddled in an alley, their voices low as they exchanged some goods between them. Lena didn't take action recklessly, only after recognizing the materials to be illegal drugs she relaxed and stepped into the light, her presence immediately drawing their attention.
"Well, well," one of the thugs sneered, his eyes raking over her. "What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?"
Lena smiled, her eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. "Looking for some fun," she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed malice.
The thugs exchanged glances, their greed and lust overriding their caution. They approached her slowly, their intentions clear. But before they could lay a hand on her, Lena's powers surged.
Lena's soul sent a slight ripple of her power towards them, a wave of uncontrollable lust washed over the group. Their eyes turned red, their movements became fast, and like crazed animals in heat they began to rush towards her.
Lena smiled and posed by bending towards them and blew them a flying kiss. The brain in their bodies drew blank as a collective hit of release struck their mind, which instead of giving them relief made their heartbeat spike Unnaturally. They held their chest in pain as hormones in their bloodstream were showing no signs of diluting.
The group of men felt their eyes rolling back as they crumpled to the floor like a stack of cards. Lena had literally caused their brain to crash by overdose of their sex hormones.
Lena chuckled at poor men, and knelt beside them, rifling through their pockets and bags. She found wads of unmarked cred cards, some kind of cheap jewelry, and a few data chips. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough. Of course, there were also drug packets with them but she didn't touch that, her version of mercy to them.
"Sweet dreams," she whispered, standing and disappearing into the night.
---
Over the next few weeks, Lena repeated the process, targeting criminals and lowlifes who wouldn't be missed. She used her powers sparingly, careful not to draw too much attention to herself. Last thing she wanted would be a mage looking into this. The unmarked cards piled up - this world's cash, and soon she had enough to buy everything she needed online.
Lena spent her days exploring the city, immersing herself in its sights, sounds, and smells. She sampled the local cuisine, savoring the exotic flavors of this world. She visited entertainment districts, where holographic performers dazzled crowds with their otherworldly shows. She even managed to catch a glimpse of a Cyberskeleton demonstration, the massive machine striding through the streets like a god of war.
But most of her time was spent on the internet, devouring information about this world. She studied a little bit of everything history, politics, and technology. She learned about the Empire's military structure, the hierarchy of its forces, and essential meme culture knowledge. She even delved into the lore of the Cyber Skeleton program, reading about its origins and its most famous pilots.
The days blurred together, and before she knew it, the month was almost over. Lena stood in front of the mirror in her flat, examining her reflection. She had cut her hair short up to her neck, a practical style for military life. Her new clothes were simple but durable, designed for the rigors of training. She looked every bit the recruit, ready to take on the challenges ahead.
But beneath the surface, she was still a succubus, her demonic nature simmering just out of sight. And her soul was beginning to show signs of hunger after a month-long feeling of satiation.
---
The day of departure arrived. Lena stood on the rooftop of her building, her bag slung over her shoulder. The city stretched out before her, a sprawling labyrinth of steel and glass. She had barely scratched the surface of its secrets, but she wasn't that regretful. This was just a borderline city in the Midas empire let alone the whole universe, she had her sights set up from here.
The sound of engines filled the air as a compact military AV descended from the sky, its sleek black hull gleaming in the sunlight. It looked almost like a car with propellers but without tires. Lena watched as it landed, the hatch opening to reveal a stern-faced female officer.
"Lena Voss?" the officer barked, her eyes momentarily widened seeing the beauty in front of her but she soon controlled it.
"That's me," Lena replied, stepping forward.
"Get in. We're on a tight schedule."
Lena climbed aboard the AV, the hatch sealing shut behind her. The interior was spartan, with few empty seats. She took a seat, her heart pounding with amazement at the real-life experience of 'technology wonder' of which she had encountered mentions so ubiquitously.
As the AV lifted off, Lena gazed out the window, watching the city shrink beneath her. It was quite a different experience from flying with wings in her previous world. Just as she had read somewhere on the Internet - flying for the first time is always a special experience for a human being, though in this world this experience was novel only for three or four year olds at most.
Lena would be the one of very very few adults experiencing this thrill at her age.
The AV soared into the sky, carrying Lena toward her first step of the goal she had set up in this world. The city faded into the distance, but her resolve only grew stronger.
The training program awaited.
And so did her future.