by Dawn Chapman
The room was huge. The mechs in here weren’t anywhere near as big as the one Alek and Rytin had been building, but they were much larger than any of us. They stood side by side.
Dylan walked down the line. “What can you see? Any of them showing green?”
I shook my head as I looked from one to the other. “All red, sorry.”
“Damn, not even one?”
I gazed around the room, looking at the different models, the way they popped up into view in full 3D imagery. I was sure I wasn’t supposed to see them like this. Hiroto, you helping me see these like this?
Nothing to do with me. This is all you.
Damn, it was interesting. But I also had so many other questions. “Why don’t they send the mechs out against the M-Wolves?”
“Simple really. They’re too valuable and too expensive if they get damaged. Using their weapons takes huge resources. That’s what grunts are for.”
It did make sense, but man it sucked at the lower levels.
There were two of each model, twelve in total. The different models were interesting and went from one that seemed pretty basic stretching down to where Dylan stood, looking back at me hopefully.
At first I couldn’t understand what I was seeing at the far end of the block. Then I saw it was a simple picture of all six mechs, the top one, the fastest. Underneath it the strongest, to each side of that two smaller ones, then on the bottom the heaviest. It seemed the model numbers were too similar. They were the same unit. I could see them interlocking in the largest unit. Clicking into place like a jigsaw. Amazing!
“Any of them?” Dylan asked again.
“No.” But I knew which one I wanted. Its details flashed up –
Mech Model = FC 791
Class = Scout
Operational Level required = 35
Overall Personal Level required = 75
Internal AI Chip = NONE DETECTED
Nanites x 382,833 DETECTED
Structural Integrity = SILVER, TRION, GOLD
Hull Strength = 173
Mana Core = 97%
Strength = 131
Speed = 129
Weight = 60 Tonnes
Cockpit Strength = 121
Heat Tolerance = 220s
Heat Sinks on board - 5
Weapons -
Sword
Laser Rifle - Short Bursts - Heat 6 hps
Machine Gun - fast, short range - low damage
Auto Cannon - Short Bursts - Rapid Fire/40% Jam Rate
Short-Range Missiles - x 20
Long-Range Missiles x 10
AMD - Particle Projectile Cannon - Short Burst - Heat Sinks Needed
Get me closer to the panel, Hiroto said.
I stared at a mech that caught my eye the most. Large hands, slim- line figure. Hefty boots. Super strong cockpit.
“How does that one work?” I asked Dylan.
“Even I can’t get near that one yet. Level twenty plus requirements at least.”
On the inside, I knew I grinned. If you can’t get me in, I know I will.
Challenge accepted! Hiroto laughed and I could almost see him crack his knuckles.
I stepped forward to the mech’s legs. It looked easy enough to get into. Climb up the small ladder, drop in, and the head lowered, then sealed around you. But it was locked—of course it was. The control panel to the left side shimmered with all kinds of computer codes and info.
I couldn’t even get the stats up for it. Nothing.
As I ran my hand over the cool metal of the machine, much like I had down in Hope City, I chuckled.
“If I can unlock them both, want to play?” I turned to Dylan.
He frowned at me, then looked to the door we’d entered by. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, there’s a back door here. There always is.”
I walked around until I felt the slight difference in the texture of the skin. It was subtle, though. I knew not everyone would think of the hidden panel. One that a tech would use maybe if the main servers linking to it were down.
I tapped it, and he turned his chin my way. “What?”
“See?” I popped it open, and he just stared at me.
“You know what you’re doing, right? If those alarms go off and they find us in here messing around with these, we’ll be in big trouble. I don’t know about respawn. They don’t take kindly to hacks.”
That did sting a little. I’d never been called a hack or a cheat before.
Because I’d never had to. But then my life hadn’t been riding on surviving. Now it wasn’t only my life, it was that of Borix’s brother. I thought for a moment about putting him at risk. Would getting caught mean they’d kill us both?
It’s your choice. I can try or...
No, this was on me. I needed to try this. To try and rank up or level quicker, even if it meant I was cheating their system. As long as no one knew. I would make sure they didn’t. Even if I pulled the logs there myself.
Hiroto, I’ve got this. If you think I’m doing something wrong, let me know. But let me see if I can do it on my own first. I’d like to read their system. See how I fare.
Okay, I’ll just be watching, if you need me. I’m here. I wouldn’t let you put yourself or the denti at risk.
I don’t even know his name. I sighed.
My name is Xirob Veti. The other voice inside me made me jump.
“What is it?” Dylan asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. It steadied me at least somewhat.
I couldn’t very well tell him I had not just one voice in my head, but three?
Fuck, don’t do that!
Apologies. I had not meant to, but you seemed to be worrying for my welfare, and you did almost ask.
I had thought about the body I now occupied and how it worked when we spawned and they weren’t supposed to be alive. I guess I now knew they were.
No, not all of denti are conscious, Xirob said. In fact, I haven’t been able to do anything to contact or speak with any of them.
Strings of code flickered past, and while two people were talking, I struggled to concentrate on, but I wanted to learn more about the denti. I needed to understand who Xirob was and essentially who I was at this moment in time.
Why are you two conscious then if no one else is? I asked.
I believe it’s because you are different, Kyle, Hiroto said. You and what we have. We’re something new. They tried to get around it but they couldn’t.
That’s down to you and the internal chip, right? I directed to Hiroto.
Yes, Hiroto said. You still don’t remember much, but yes.
I’ll explain it to you while you fiddle with the mech. Xirob, you may find this enlightening.
I stepped forward again and spoke to Dylan. “Keep watch for me. This shouldn’t take too long, then we can have some fun.”
The skin on my forearm slid open, and I focussed on the tiny wires that snaked out. They were looking for a connection to the mech, and they found it. There was indeed a back door. I laughed as I made my way inside through the simplest of tasks.
I know you remember your birthday. Celebrating, right?
I nodded, concentrating on my task, yet the memories started to flood through me, like wave and wave of images, pictures. Sounds. I saw my father and my friends, the balloons, the cake.
Craig laughed in my face and handed me a rather large box. I reached out and touched it. It was heavy.
“Happy birthday!” he said. “I hope you like it. If you don’t, you can take it back.”
The memories stung, but the truth of it was, they were still there, and I was suddenly so glad of that.
I saw myself opening the box, taking out the arena suit that must have cost him a small fortune. I knew he wasn’t broke, but this confirmed that his family had more money than I think I ever would.
Paul stood next to my dad, who beamed at me. “Together, though, we got you this.”
Dad handed me a small envelope. I took
it carefully, wondering what the hell was more expensive than the present from Craig that they all put in for it.
I remember the feel as I slipped my finger inside and slid it up, cutting through skin too. Damn, I felt that paper cut, right now.
Then I slid out the paper inside, reading it as the letterhead came with it.
Arndale Corp Requests
Kyle Ranz, you have been specifically selected for an Internal Upgrade. Please report to the centre and room 292 tomorrow.
I recalled the whole thing, walking through the door. The doctors and nurses. The injections, the pain. The warning…
What the hell? Warning?
I was drifting in and out of sleep. I hadn’t gone under properly when someone whispered inside my ear. “This isn’t a normal internal. The headaches and the pain will be excruciating. Do not tell anyone. We need you, and we need your mind intact. You will need help. This is it, you understand?”
I remembered nodding to tell him I understood. I remembered waking up. Then I remember the pain, how severe it was, the fact I didn’t move for days and Dad tried to get me to go to the hospital and get things checked back out. I’d refused, and eventually, it had passed.
Right now, before me, deep in the mech’s guts, words in a language I didn’t know flashed and scrolled before me.
LANGUAGE LEARNED – VROLSH CODING TEST
Then their numbers and letters moved to form sentences I understood. At least I understood more about how it had all happened. I was picked out of many; I was special. I didn’t feel it now, staring up at the mech I was trying to hack. They weren’t even password protected or language modified. I laughed at this.
Why was it so painful? I asked Hiroto.
That was because I needed to integrate into your actual brain pathways. I am not just the chip in your head back on earth. I am very much more. I am inside you. Part of you. I have a small section of your cortex as mine. It hurt because I had to force the growth, something no one else has survived. It was the only way they could transfer us together, as one mind.
It was the worst pain I’d ever had.
I know. I am sorry. I felt regret and sadness coming from Hiroto. “What is it?” Dylan asked.
“There’s nothing stopping anyone with some general know-how taking these out,” I said. “I think even you could have hacked them if you’d known it was possible.”
“I guess the system just has us thinking everything is off limits if they say it is.” He cocked his head at me, and I felt the mech start to come alive at my touch. The power banks humming to life. It seemed the system protectors had thought that denti were too stupid to even know that a back door would exist, so they never bothered to encrypt or hide it.
Dylan stepped away from me as the mech disconnected from the mains. It was free to go wherever it wanted. If it had been alive, it might have even cried for joy.
I moved to its twin on the other side of the room and repeated the process, then looked to Dylan. “I might need a little help once I’m inside. They have internal comms, yes?”
He was grinning from ear to ear as he climbed the ladders to hop inside. Within a moment, the head for his lowered down, covering him. I couldn’t see his face now at all, but the mech then took a tentative step forward, and without any hint of robotic judders, gave me a thumbs up.
I looked up at the one I was going to get in, suddenly feeling a little nervous. I mean, how did they function? So many questions.
Only one way to find out, right? Hiroto said.
I moved to the ladder, climbing up and leaning over. I stared into the machine. I didn’t know what to expect, like some kind of future cockpit? A way to handle it all via computer systems? But no. It was just dark.
Empty. There were no lights at all. I swung my legs over, and taking a breath, I lowered myself over the edge.
Would I fit? Was I too big, too small?
But no sooner had my feet landed on soft flooring that I grasped what it actually was. Although the whole thing was the size of a small house, it encompassed me just like a second skin. It felt odd, like I could just walk in it. I glanced up as the helmet lowered down and clicked into place. The HUD lit up around me. Now that was much better.
SYSTEM CHECK = FC 791 ONLINE FULLY FUNCTIONAL
TESTING SYSTEM INTEGRATION
40%
55%
PLEASE STEP FORWARD
I wasn’t sure how I’d actually do that. A thought? Just walk like normal? But I complied, taking a step. It was surreal. I could see everything like normal. However, when I looked to Dylan, I was shocked. His mech was awesome too! Adrenaline rushed through me, this is what I was made for. This was me.
Dylan’s mech stats came up and I read over them.
Mech Model = BI 891
Class - Brawler
Operational overall level required = 40
Overall Personal Level required = 80
Internal AI Chip = Class 198 Beta
Nanites x 1,276,198
Structural Integrity ??
Hull Strength = 288
Mana Core = 97%
Strength = 280
Speed = 198
Weight = 110 Tonnes
Cockpit Strength = 450
Heat Tolerance = 750
Heat Sinks on board – 5
Weapons = Sword
Machine Gun - fast, short range - low damage
Rotating Auto Cannon - Short Bursts - Rapid Fire/30% Jam Rate
Short-Range Missiles - x 20
Long-Range Missiles x 10
AMD - Particle Projectile Cannon - Short Burst - Heat Sinks Needed
Then I could see his stat sheets too. Strange that they were connected, but wow. He was really at higher levels.
Name - Dylan
Species - Human/Denti
Year of death- 2620
Class – Druid
Age = 24 + 9
Level = 15 Basic
Respawns = 1
Mech Basic
Memories = 99%
Health = 99%
Mana = 19
Nanites x 72,989
Body Type = Model 480A
Structural Integrity = Camite Silver
Internal AI Chip = X Class
Skin Strength = 24
Blood Capacity = 19
Healing Speed = 22
Strength = 8
Dexterity = 16
Constitution = 14
Intelligence = 7
Wisdom = 18
Charisma = 8
Luck = 4
Quick Points = 1
Skills =
Foot Soldier - Rank 8
Battle Mage - Rank 10
Merc - Rank 4
Sniper - Rank 5
Gun Smith - Rank 2
Nanite Engineer - Rank 8
Mech Pilot = Rank 12
Deception - Rank 8
Sword Play - Rank 8
Animal Handling - Rank 6
He hadn’t spent his Quick Point. Why? I couldn’t see anything else of his. But he was decently higher than me and his skills were awesome. I needed to get to the same level as he was, and fast.
Maybe this would help us both. Truth was, he just saw me work a mech way higher than I should have been able to. Best thing was, he didn’t balk at it. Nor did he hit me with a million questions, though I knew he was thinking about them.
Chapter Seventeen
Straight out of the gate I knew the mech was the one thing I wanted more than anything else. The way it moved, the whole sensation side to it just enhanced everything that was the denti. It was obvious I wasn’t able to use it properly, though; its responses to my semi commands were awkward to say the least.
You don’t know anything about my species, Kyle.
I felt Hiroto tense. I didn’t want one person in my head, but two? And two that had very different opinions. This could get pretty ugly.
It wasn’t meant as an insult. While you explore through the doors and into the real world, let me
tell you a little history of what came to be out here.
A lecture? I almost didn’t want to hear I was sure it was going to be long, boring. Most politics were, right?
But then again, I was interested. Fascinated by this alien species that was a part of me right now.
Dylan’s form stepped towards a huge set of doors, and lights around the unit started to flash. I moved in behind him.
“What’s out there?” I asked.
“We have two choices, to go planet-side or venture into the arena.”
It was the way he said it that had me interested. You’re not ready for the arena, Xirob said.
Not ready was challenging. I wasn’t going to listen to someone I didn’t know tell me I couldn’t do something.
“Arena,” I said to Dylan.
Red flag to a bull, dude, Hiroto retorted. One thing you need to learn about us humans. Don’t tempt fate by saying something you don’t want them to do, because they’ll do it anyway.
I wanted to turn and hide right then. Wondering if I’d made the right decision. But as the doors opened, I knew I hadn’t. What I saw was fucking awesome.
Not just hand-to-hand combat between mech training as we had done in the yard. But there displayed in its full glory was a leader board. All the lights, the fancy stats, everything...
I didn’t need to read over it to see who top scorer was. The Jackals, of course. Tyto’s was the top score.
“Damn!” I stepped out beside Dylan.
The door was about to close. He stopped it. We could join the largest arena I had ever seen. In comparison to the Yard it was easily a hundred times its span. I swallowed, trying my best to take it all in.
“We’re here illegally,” Dylan said. “I doubt we should go in. I just wanted you to see it.” He stepped back, and so did I, letting the door close in front of us.