Lanie Larkinson was puzzled as one of her instructors pulled her out of her training session.
The teenage ch cadet's training results were pretty good, though she was far from matching the best. She brushed aside her brown hair as she waited for the shuttle she had boarded to reach its destination.
It did not take long for the vehicle to land inside an enclosed ch hangar. Her instructor, an older trueblood Larkinson and war veteran, strapped herself off her seat.
"We're here. Follow , cadet."
"Yes, ma'am."
The straps holding her in her seat retracted as soon as she pushed herself to her feet. She obediently followed her teacher as they entered into a huge but largely empty hall.
They moved forward until they approached another Larkinson.
"You're here. Good. My na is Cherie Tovar-Larkinson. I am an assistant ch designer serving in the Design Departnt. Is this Miss Lanie Larkinson?"
The instructor nodded. "Yes. I have brought Cadet Lanie as requested."
"I have already studied her academy records. Just to be sure, can you give your evaluation on her training progress?"
"Cadet Lanie is a diligent ch cadet and never misses class. She gets along well with her fellow cadets but has shown no special aptitude in leading them in battle. While she has perford decently in piloting different ch types, she has shown a greater affinity for ranged combat. She performs a bit better on land than in space, but that is normal for every ch cadet. Overall, her training progress is on par for her genetic aptitude of B-, though she has peers who managed to perform better."
There was an implicit tone of criticism in the ch instructor's tone. Lanie felt a bit disappointed, but she had no one else to bla but herself.
While she was eager to beco a good ch pilot, there were other Larkinson potentates who spent their every waking mont training or studying!
Their drive to beco an elite Larkinson ch pilot was insane. They tended to be outsiders who joined the clan after their parents got in. Recognizing the golden opportunity in front of them, these new ch cadets worked so hard that the academy had to step in to prevent them burning out too quickly!
The ch designer soon brought up the reason why Lanie was here.
"Cadet Lanie, our Design Departnt has recently completed the design of a very specific ch. Our Patriarch wishes to invest in the future ch pilots of our clan and has devised a new model that is specifically geared towards improving your training results. We have chosen you to be the first to pilot the completed version of our Chiron!"
Though Lanie hadn't heard about this developnt, the instructor already guessed the reason. The older woman had already been involved in the testing of the prototypes.
"Miss Tovar, while Cadet Lanie has achieved good results, our academy has other young potentates who deserve this honor."
Cherie shook her head. "This is not a matter of honor. It is a matter of observation. We predict the difference in performance is more drastic if the cadet in question has more room to improve. The Chiron does not make much of a difference if the ch pilot is already good. Besides, the patriarch personally assigned the first production copy to Cadet Lanie."
That finished this little discussion. Lanie moved on to undergo a quick physical before changing into a special piloting suit. Soon enough, a couple of ch technicians guided her to a ch that looked different from any other machine she had witnessed.
"Is this.. the Chiron?" She asked with an impressed tone in her voice.
"Yup." A ch technician grinned. "It's a training ch that is specifically made for kids like you. It has so special features that you'll be testing today."
As she ca closer to the prepared ch, she already felt its glow. The feeling the Chiron gave off was very familiar. Her hearts tugged with warmth and her affection for the Larkinson Clan increased. She also thought about hugging cats for so reason.
"Why is it called the Chiron?"
"Beats . According to the galactic net, this Chiron fellow was a big centaur who taught a lot of heroes. I guess that's as good a na as any for a training ch."
"The Chiron is not a centaur ch, though. It's humanoid." Lanie pointed out.
"You should tell that to the big boss."
Soon enough, Lanie entered the cockpit. She settled into the piloting seat and waited until she received to activate her ch.
"You may activate your ch now, cadet."
She did as instructed. Once she pressed the activation button, she tried to keep her excitent under control as her mind slowly connected to sothing greater.
It was hard for her to keep calm!
Every Larkinson cadet looked forward to piloting an LMC ch. The adult ch pilots all raved about how pleasant it was to pilot the so-called living chs. If not for the fact that the current LMC ch models couldn't keep up with second-class machines, the Larkinson pilots wouldn't want to part with their Bright Warriors!
Now, Lanie would be the first one to pilot the completed version of the Chiron.
Though the initial startup procedure was longer than usual, Lanie slowly felt the ch unfold in her mind.
The ch that connected to her mind was truly different from any training ch she interfaced with before.
The other machines were small, weak and limited in strength. In class, she learned that the neural interfaces of training chs were deliberately constrained in order to minimize as many risks as possible for the ch cadet.
Due to their youth, their minds were more adaptable, but that ant that it was easier for them to be distorted by outside factors.
In order to raise them into proper ch pilots, ch academies tried to make sure they did not get exposed with faulty or extre chs.
While the Chiron possessed similar limitations, Lanie perceived sothing completely different.
The new training ch was warm. The new training ch was alive. The new training ch pulled her in deeper than any other machine!
"Is this what it is like to pilot an LMC ch?"
She finally understood why so many Avatars and Sentinels didn't want to part with their LMC chs. The experience was so much better compared to other chs.
Before she interfaced with the Chiron, she had already grown accustod to piloting training chs that made her feel as if she was donning a heavy suit. Each movent required her to exert her ntal strength.
The worst part was that exercising precise control was a major challenge. If she put in too much effort, her ch would overshoot its movents. If she tried to be more careful, the ch wouldn't move as fluently.
What was even worse was that training chs often possessed a very difficult body structure from what she was accustod to. Every parater was so different that Lanie had to learn how to control a completely different body.
Yet she was about to experience sothing a lot different this ti.
[Cadet Lanie.] Cherie Tovar spoke over a comm channel. [The teletry suggests that you have successfully interfaced with the Chiron. Are you experiencing any problems of any sort?]
[No, ma'am.]
[Good. Just to be sure, let us go through a checklist and test your initial performance with the current state of your training ch.]
Lanie began to perform so basic tests with considerably more ease than before. Normally, she wouldn't have been able to move so comfortably with a training ch, but this was different. Though the Chiron was still a ch that was fairly difficult to pilot for a cadet, the comforts it provided allowed her to adjust to the ch with remarkable speed.
The ch just felt too good! If she had a choice, she didn't want to go back to the stiff, cold chs she practiced with before. The difference was like night and day!
Once she perford so basic movents with the Chiron, Cherie Tovar announced the next phase of the test.
[Very well. We have established a suitable baseline. We shall proceed with the body adjustnt and archetype switching. We will be initiating this transformation while you are still piloting the Chiron. This may be uncomfortable for you. Make sure to warn us if you ever feel uncomfortable.]
"Wait, ma'am. The ch hasn't been adjusted yet?" Lanie asked.
The Chiron received a command that caused it to initiate so pre-planned procedures. Its entire fra began to morph as nurous chanical parts began to shift.
The arms began to contract, the legs grew shorter as well. The torso contracted and narrowed. Thousands of adjustnts took place at the sa ti or in quick succession as the Chiron slowly but surely began to conform to Lanie's modest and slender physique!
All the while, Lanie remained connected to her ch. She could feel it changing in a way that caused it to beco more synced with her own mind!
This was a magical experience for the young ch cadet!
She experienced no discomfort of any kind. The ch worked exactly as designed and changed shape to such a drastic extent that she felt as if she was back in her own body!
Once the transformation process ca to an end, the ch cadet waited patiently until the others confird that nothing went wrong.
[Alright. Cadet Lanie, as you have noticed, the ch has transford to adapt to your physique. Please run through the sa tests as before. We need to determine how much your performance has changed.]
She perford the sa movents as before.
The differences were obvious straight away. Though the difficulty of controlling her ch hadn't dropped as much as she hoped, the challenges beca much more manageable.
Lanie never thought that piloting a ch that matched her physique to a much greater extent would make such an enormous difference! Compared to before, she perford 40 percent better on average!
This was a huge jump, especially when Lanie was just starting to get accustod to piloting such a subli training ch!
[We are releasing a laser rifle to you. Please take the rifle and fire at the projected targets.]
She commanded her Chiron to grasp the rifle that was brought in front of her ch. The rifle fit the Chiron's grip in a familiar fashion. It was almost identical to how she held an infantry rifle in her real arms.
Once her Chiron began to shoot so low-powered beams at so static and moving practice targets, she beca increasingly more caught up in the activity.
Her accuracy had practically doubled! Firing a rifle with her ch in her current conditions was so familiar that she could replicate her actual technique without worrying too much about inaccurate translations.
"This is amazing!" She gasped.
By the ti the test had ended, Lanie begged to pilot the Chiron for a couple more hours. She did not get her wish.
She erged out of her ch feeling bot satisfied and regretful. She was so addicted to piloting the Chiron that she just wanted to throw everything else aside so she could spend all day with her new training ch!
Cherie Tovar greeted the ch cadet as she reluctantly lowered herself onto the ground.
"Have you been enjoying yourself?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"The Chiron is amazing, ma'am! It's already comfortable to pilot in its normal state, but once it adapted to my body, it's twice as good!"
"That's what this model is all about. We not only aim to make it easier for its ch pilots to perform maneuvers, but also enjoy the sessions while they are at it. As far as I'm concerned, the Chiron is one of the most powerful trump cards of our clan!"
Lanie wholeheartedly agreed. If every ch cadet in the clan received the opportunity to pilot the Chiron, they would probably get addicted as well!
Still, as much as she enjoyed her session, the young potentate still remained sober enough to form so concerns.
"Is it alright to pilot the Chiron further? Don't get wrong. I like piloting it. I just don't encounter the problems that I regularly face with other chs. Won't I be able to get accustod to piloting real chs if I pilot with a handicap all the ti?"
The ch designer shook her head. "It's not that simple. While you are right, don't forget that the Chiron's fra is infinitely adaptable. By adapting its layout to your body shape, you are able to practice many advanced skills such as marksmanship and swordsmanship through targeted training ahead of ti. However, once you have to practice other forms of ch handling, the Chiron can automatically adjust to an adult shape or even take on abnormal forms in order to train your adaptability."
Lanie understood what she ant. The Chiron's ability to transform opened up a lot of extra possibilities!
If used correctly, the Chiron could produce an army of excellent graduates!
User Comments
0 comments from readers