One floor below the Mech Hangar is a sterile laboratory facility, accessible via the same hub elevator platform connecting Central Command to the hangar in the Floating Fortress.
The mission debriefing over, Commander Carver, Doctor Yi, Winter, and the four pilots watch through a large window as Aegis Drift science team staff in cleanroom suits take readings and carefully examine the recovered materials spread out on large tables under magnification lamps.
Bombardier’s severed hand lies among the eclectic collection.
“The materials you recovered may be more helpful than you realized,” the Commander says. “First, the shipping manifest indicates that an order for three Battle Lions, as those machines that attacked you are apparently called, was placed through a shell company by the Path of Shi. Goto, are you familiar with them?”
Chase, Reo, and Kora turn to Hanami.
“A powerful Yakuza clan,” she recites without emotion.
Shi means death.
“That is correct. Neo Yamato organized crime,” the Commander continues. “I can only imagine what a gang of ruthless thugs would want to do with such dangerous machines. As our missing pilot was investigating Blackbox Dynamics, he must have had intel that they were not exactly on the up and up. Did they know who they were selling to? Did they care? Did the Path of Shi have something to do with the abandonment of the factory?”
Reo watches as several technicians in white gloves carefully roll the decapitated Battle Lion head over on the slab, shining a light on the laser scorch marks on its neck.
“What complicates things further is the object that Mr. MacArthur brought back,” Doctor Yi adds.
The pilots see the large cylindrical object laying on the table. Doctor Yi pulls up and projects a holographic schematic from her tablet.
“As best we can tell, this is an energy-based melee weapon perfectly suited for use by a Mech,” she adds, her face growing a bit pale.
“That would mean…” Reo starts.
“Yes, Blackbox designed and built at least one Mech weapon. They labeled it an Energy Sword. We had design concepts for such weapons… prototypes, b-but…” Doctor Yi takes a deep breath, exhales slowly. “This means somebody out there is either building a Mech, or already has one—or more.”
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“The freaking Yakuza?” Chase asks in alarm.
Winter’s calm voice cuts through the tense atmosphere.
“Impossible. The resources it takes to build and operate a single Mech are far beyond what any Yakuza clan could access.”
Commander Carver speaks next, his voice steady but his fist clenched at his side.
“There has never been a substantiated Mech sighting anywhere in the world. If another country has developed this technology, they are keeping it under wraps. Just like we are. I’m not a praying man, but I hope and pray to whatever God there is that we’re still the only game in town.”
“Weapons of mass destruction on two legs,” Kora mutters.
We continue to be several moves behind our opponent, Hanami thinks.
The seven lapse into silence, watching the workers through the glass. All contemplate the possibilities and implications of other Mech combatants out there in the world.
“So…” says Chase, breaking the silence. “Energy Sword. Pretty cool, right? How does it work?”
Doctor Yi coughs, pulls up the schematic again.
“Well, we could in theory modify it to connect to one of our Mechs through a cable in the base of the weapon, not unlike the Retractable Charge Cable currently equipped to Templar. Drawing power from the Fusion Core, the weapon should generate an extremely dense and short-range sustained ‘flame’ of laser.”
“Energy Sword. Got it. Is that something Ronin could use?”
“We would need to make the necessary modifications to the weapon and to Ronin, and run more tests, which will take some time. It isn’t out of the question,” Doctor Yi says. “If you encounter any other materials, unique salvage, or even blueprints out in the field, they would help us accelerate our research and close any gaps with potential adversaries.”
The Commander sighs.
“Winter, what’s the update from Intelligence?”
“There has been a lot of underworld chatter about the Pinnacle Islands incident. Rumors and speculation mostly. But now that we have a link, however tenuous, between what Reginald Cook was looking into and a specific crime family, I know exactly where to squeeze.”
Winter certainly is not one to be underestimated, Kora thinks.
“Now if you don’t mind, pilots, we need to run some tests,” says Doctor Yi.
“On the Mechs?” Reo asks with interest.
“No, on each of you.”
---
The pilots float, suspended in individual vats of transparent viscous fluid. Tubes and nodes are attached to their temples, chests, and elsewhere. Hanami and Kora wear form-fitting black one-piece swimsuits and Chase and Reo wear black swim trunks.
Doctor Yi paces the floor between the pools, glancing up from her tablet to confirm results on various monitoring screens attended to by her staff.
Doctor Yi has been putting the pilots through rigorous physical and mental examinations. One moment they were running on treadmills with oxygen masks strapped to their faces and the next they were answering rapid fire Rorschach-esque projective test questions.
Now it seems they have been turned into human Jell-O shots.
“Relax your minds,” Doctor Yi counsels in a calming voice. “Think of nothing at all.”
A member of the science team waves for the Doctor’s attention, taps a monitor in concern.
“I see that,” Doctor Yi answers in a low voice. “Are you sure the number is correct?”
The scientist nods.
“Very well. Let’s get them dried off and ready for the simulation room.”