Chapter 51:
Fall of Iron
For the next few weeks, the class showed remarkable progress. Without Harry’s disruptive actions, training sessions became more focused and productive. Students were not just hitting their targets - they were surpassing them. West, who rarely handed out praise, found himself satisfied with the progress.
Aria, meanwhile, began to bond more closely with her classmates. Sierra and Jacob had become her unofficial partners. Lisana, the academic overachiever who had once been hesitant to join physical drills, now often sought Aria’s advice.
One evening, just before the end of the classes, Aria’s communicator buzzed. The ID flashing on the screen was Dyar's. She excused herself from the group, stepping into a quiet hallway to take the call.
“Dyar. What’s up?”
“I need to see you. Now. It’s important. Meet me in Lab 4 on the Science Level.”
Aria excused herself from the class, exited the training bay, and made her way to the Science Level. Dyar was waiting by the entrance of Lab 4.
“Aria,” he greeted, "glad you came. I’ve got some news. Some good and bad. The good news is we’ve finally confirmed the test run date for Combelt IV. Coldwell and his team have done all they can to improve it. The neuro-link systems, the new targeting interfaces, and even the structural adjustments. It’s as ready as it’ll ever be. Also, they came up with a new type of scanner to detect the mutants but you will have to speak with Coldwell about it.”
“That’s great. So what’s the bad news?”
“It’s not just a test run. HQ decided to make this a dual-purpose mission. Place the new scanners around the city ruins while running the Combelt IV, and then they want you to recover the downed tank mechs from the city ruins. The ones left behind during the Raptor 01 confrontation. And that’s not even the worst of it. They’re not giving us additional support for this mission. No troops, no backup. You’ll be going in alone... unless you can find volunteers willing to go with you.”
"Volunteers? And what, if I found some, they’ll just walk on foot?”
“Not quite. If you can convince people to join you of their own free will, I can pull a few strings and get them some gear. Tactical suits, some weapons, and tech to move the downed tank mechs. But that’s the limit of what I can do.”
“Great. So either I risk my neck solo or drag others into a suicide mission. Sounds like my kind of mission, as usual.”
“I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but I know you, Aria. If anyone can pull this off, it’s you. If you could gather a few pilots, I could get you some mechanics to tag along to make faster work with these tank mechs.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I might find one or two who’d be crazy enough to join me.”
Dyar gave her a thin smile.
“Good. HQ’s restrictions mean I can’t spare any active pilots. But if you find someone else, I can bend the rules a bit. Now, Coldwell’s waiting for you in the lab. He’ll brief you on the upgrades to Combelt IV. You’ll want to pay close attention. This thing’s unlike anything you’ve piloted before.”
Aria made her way into the lab. As the automatic doors slid open, the messy interior of Coldwell’s private workshop came into view. Screens blinked with streams of data, holographic blueprints of tank mechs hovered mid-air, and Coldwell himself stood at a console, hunched over with excitement.
“Aria! My favorite test subject! I mean, specimen. No, I mean pilot.”
“Yeah, nice to see you too, Doc. Dyar said you’d explain how the new Combelt IV works.”
“Oh, works? Oh, Aria, that’s an understatement. This baby isn’t just a tank mech; it’s a revolution! Let me break it down for you,” Coldwell said, rubbing his hands together with barely contained excitement.
“Forget everything you know about traditional cockpits. No joysticks, no pedals, no manual controls. The entire interior is a gel-based interface pod. Once you step inside, the gel will encapsulate you. It’s shock-absorbent! You will enter a sleep-like state. From there, the neural link will take over.”
“Sleep-like state? That doesn’t sound safe.”
“Safe? It’s ingenious! Your consciousness will be transferred directly into the Combelt IV’s systems. No lag, no middleman! Your thoughts will become mech's actions. You’ll see through its sensors, feel the ground through its treads, and control it as if it’s your own body!”
“And what happens to my actual body while I’m... merged?” Aria asked, her voice edged with skepticism.
“Completely secure,” Coldwell assured her, holding up a finger.
“The gel acts as a protective cocoon, cushioning you from shocks and maintaining your vitals. Think of it as... hibernation. Meanwhile, your mind is free to focus entirely on operating the mech. No distractions, no delays. Total synchronicity.”
“And if the mech takes damage?”
Coldwell hesitated, his giddy smile faltering slightly.
“Well... let’s just say you’ll feel it. Not as pain exactly, but as... pressure. It’s a small price to pay for this level of precision, don’t you think?”
“Sounds like a good idea. This will let me know where the tank mech took damage.”
“Exactly!” Coldwell said, "The neural link will adapt to your hybrid physiology better than any other pilot could handle. You were practically made for this! Quite literally.”
“Right,” she said flatly, “Anything else I should know?”
“Oh, plenty. But let’s save some surprises for the field. Just remember: once you’re linked, the Combelt IV is you. Treat it like an extension of your own body, and you’ll be unstoppable.”
“I’ll take your word for it, Doc. Let’s hope HQ’s faith in your brilliance doesn’t get me killed. So, what’s the deal with the new mutant scanners? Dyar mentioned something about them but didn’t give me details.”
“Ah, yes, the scanners! Brilliant work, if I do say so myself. You see, the previous generation was, well, shall we say... limited. They could only scan surfaces, which meant pesky mutants could hide underground, behind thick walls, or in other inconvenient places. But now?”
He gestured grandly toward a nearby monitor, where a blueprint of the scanner’s internals was displayed.
“The new model can pick up mutants anywhere. Underground, encased in rubble, camouflaged - it doesn’t matter. If they’re within range, they’ll light up on the map like a beacon!”
“That’s... pretty useful. So, I just carry these around and deploy them, or what?”
“Well, the improved functionality came with, shall we say, a size problem. They’re a bit... substantial. They’re not exactly drone-type. Each scanner is stationary and needs to be placed at pre-marked locations in the field. Once set up, they’ll integrate with the HQ systems and provide live data. The locations are already marked on your mission map. All you have to do is get there and set them down. Simple!”
“Simple,” Aria repeated.
“That’s what you said about the last ‘simple’ mission, and we all know how that turned out.”
“Oh, come now, Aria! Have a little faith! With the Combelt IV and your unique capabilities, this will be a walk in the park.”
“Right, anything else I should know before I head out?”
“No, I think we’ve covered the essentials. Unless... you happen to have a bit of free time for a quick inspection? Your unique physiology and its integration with mechanical—”
Aria held up a hand and glanced pointedly at her nonexistent watch.
“Oh, look at that! Time’s up! I have a mission to prepare for. Busy, busy, busy. Bye, Doc!”
The doors slid shut behind her. Aria exhaled in relief, muttering to herself, “That man needs a hobby that isn’t me.”
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