Anchorage, November 22, 2016
"I see it! I can see the Shatterdome!"
"Sit back and put your seatbelt on."
Elissa turned to face her father, eyebrows raised and lips pressed together over an amused laugh. He was sitting as far back in his seat as humanly possible, hands gripping the edge of it with white knuckles. "You know, for someone who has spent their life fixing helicopters and planes and a whole mess of other big things, you really don't fly well, Dad. You don't do boats well either, come to think of it."
Chris met his daughter's gaze with a fairly annoyed look. "Well I don't fix them in the air or on the water, Elissa. Would you please sit back?"
The fifteen year-old huffed impatiently, but sat back and buckled the harness-like seat belt around her upper body. She shot a questioning look to her father, who just nodded and gave a weak smile to show he was happy with her new situation. Elissa sat back in her chair and returned to staring out the window, the shape of the Anchorage Shatterdome just visible through the blowing snow, and she focused hard on the place that would become her new home.
Elissa had always wanted to be a pilot. Growing up around airplanes will do that to a girl. Between being bullied for her height and supposed weakness, and getting into fights defending herself, Elissa had never done well in traditional schools, so she'd been homeschooled, and that, in combination with helping her father fix things, had given her an unorthodox education that just fueled her desires to fly. But she loved to fix things too, and was more than content with thinking she'd follow in her father's footsteps; she had inherited his affinity and love for machines after all and spent more time in the garage than anywhere else.
But that had been life before Trespasser came through the Breach.
Elissa remembered sitting in their living room in Toronto, watching the frantic coverage of the massive beast attacking San Francisco. She'd been terrified and fascinated at the same time, watching the kaiju plow through the water, moving more gracefully than should have been possible. She remembered finding whatever news coverage she could of the battles against Hundun in Manila, Kaiceph in Cabo San Lucas, Scissure in Sydney. She remembered watching the planes fly in with their nukes, watching the debates over what could be done to stop these beasts that didn't make cities unlivable, didn't require nuclear weapons, the first discussions about Jaegers, the announcement that the Jaeger Program was a go.
She remembered watching as Karloff came ashore in Vancouver and as Brawler Yukon, the first fully functional Jaeger, beat the shit out of the kaiju.
From that day, all she wanted was to be near the Jaegers. She read about them, studied the blueprints, knew them as well as she could without being able to touch them. Elissa wanted to help build and maintain them and, more than that, she wanted to pilot one. Thanks to her father's connection to and friendship with Marshal Stacker Pentecost—a bond formed during her father's work with the RAF—Elissa was getting to work on the giant mechs, under special circumstances. She had no other family she could stay with while Chris was working, and Pentecost wanted her father on his technician team at the newly-opened Anchorage Shatterdome bad enough to allow it.
"Looks like the storm is getting worse," Chris said, pulling Elissa from her thoughts. "Hopefully they don't have any trouble landing this bird."
"I'm sure it'll be fine, Dad. They fly up here all the time—it's Alaska, I'm sure snow storms are a common thing."
The helicopter gave a violent lurch as Elissa finished speaking, the turbulence picking up the closer they go to the Shatterdome. She laughed and her father winced. Elissa pulled herself as close to the window as she could, eager to see the Shatterdome materialize through the blowing snow as the helicopter started zeroing in on the landing pad. There were a few people outside, obscured by heavy parkas, running about securing or covering things to protect them from the wind and snow, but a lone figure in the middle of the deck quickly drew Elissa's attention.
"I think the Marshal is waiting for us," she said as the helicopter dropped into place.
Chris, who was looking significantly greener than he had a few minutes ago, nodded. "He said he might." He slowly undid his seatbelt and then doubled over, his head between his knees.
"You gonna be all right?" Elissa asked, already on her feet and slipping her bags onto her shoulders.
"Just give me a second."
Elissa nodded before reaching down to take her heavy toolbox in hand, freeing it from the netting that was keeping it, and the rest of their things, from sliding around during flight. She nearly bounced down the steps onto the Shatterdome deck, her red hair whipping around in a sudden burst of wind. A smile lit her face as she stood, waiting for her father to hustle down the steps and then she fell in behind him, head raised despite the wind, eyes narrowed as she tried to take in the Shatterdome around her through the storm; she wanted to see everything.
Father and daughter pushed through the snow to stand in front of Marshal Pentecost, an imposing dark-skinned man, wearing a long, sharp coat, that Elissa guessed hid an impeccably pressed suit. "Mr. Jayden," he called over the wind, hand extended. "It is good to see you again."
"You too, Marshal."
That was all that was said before the Marshal turned and started back towards the Shatterdome, the Jaydens on his heels. Once they were inside the elevator and headed down into the building proper, Chris and Pentecost exchanged grips again, slight smiles on their lips. It was an odd greeting, but Elissa had seen her father participate in similar rituals with the people he worked with over the years and assumed it was just sort of a military thing. She might have said it was a man thing, but her father had greeted the female military personnel in the same way, and they him. She stood by and waited to be addressed, rocking slightly on her heels.
"This is my daughter, Elissa," Chris said, gesturing to his daughter.
Elissa gave a slight jolt, set her toolbox down, and stepped up, taking the Marshal's offered hand and smiling up at him. He met her bright expression with a more stoic one that instantly made Elissa straighten her shoulders and reign her excitement in. Marginally, anyway. "It's nice to meet you, Marshal," she said. "I've heard a lot about you."
"And I, you."
"Thank you for letting me come with my Dad," Elissa continued, unable to bear the few seconds of silence as Pentecost sized up his youngest crew member.
He nodded and Elissa got the distinct impression further small talk was not needed or particularly wanted. She gave him another smile before withdrawing into her own thoughts, dimly aware of the deep rumble of conversation as her father and Stacker caught up. The teenager might have paid more attention to what was being said, but at that moment, the doors opened, revealing a short hallway and beyond that, the central hub of the Shatterdome.
The two men walked out, still conversing, and without so much as a second's hesitation, Elissa headed down the hall after them, eyes glued to the dull glint of light on metal and her mind completely focused on what she would find in that central area. She stepped past the heavy security doors to the central staging area, currently open and permitting the flow of traffic, and stood just inside, eyes wide and mouth slightly open as she took in the sight of the five bays, three of them currently housing a Jaeger.
To her right was Brawler Yukon, the first fully functional Jaeger, and to her left was Chrome Brutus, Canada's only Jaeger to date. It hadn't launched yet, but it had a name and pilots and would be fully operational as soon as the final tests were run. They both stood tall and proud, technicians crawling over them, building and repairing and upgrading and maintaining. Ahead of Elissa stood a mech she'd never seen before. It wasn't one-hundred percent finished, but it wouldn't be too long before it was out there, fighting kaiju and saving the world. Elissa gazed at it with a sort of hungry anticipation, her hands itching to work on the giant machine.
"That one will be something else when it's finished."
Elissa started again and turned towards the new voice, the smile brought on by the Shatterdome and the Jaegers stuck on her face. An Asian man was standing beside her, with slick-backed hair and wearing a bowtie and suspenders, and he was looking at the unfinished mech with the same hungry, admiring look Elissa knew was on her own face.
"It'll be a Mark III?" she asked.
The man nodded, a lopsided smile taking over his features as he met her gaze and his eyes filling with a light that was damn near mischievous. "Set to launch as soon as it's completed, probably about the middle of next year." He extended his hand. "Tendo Choi: J-Tech, stationed in the local command centre."
"Elissa Jayden."
Tendo nodded as he shook her hand, like her name triggered something in his mind. "Technician, working with your father? I read your file and your father's this morning. I like to be familiar with the other techs," he added when Elissa raised her eyebrows at him.
"I have a file?"
"Everyone involved in the Jaeger Program does, Pixie."
"Elissa!" Chris called suddenly, voice echoing across the vast space and gleaming floors.
She looked across the space and saw her father standing in front of the elevator, her toolbox at his feet, where he'd placed it after removing it from the lift. Pentecost was nowhere to be seen—probably gone to attend to some important duty as Marshal—and the look her father was giving her was enough for her to know he was getting impatient. Chris well knew how to deal with his daughter and her near-boundless enthusiasm, but even he had his limits.
Elissa turned back and smiled at Tendo. "Don't call me Pixie," she warned through a smile.
Tendo returned the grin and the wave Elissa tossed over her shoulder as she headed back to her father's side.
"Sorry Dad," she said, scooping up her toolbox and falling into step beside Chris as he headed back down the hall. "It's just… Jaegers! We're here!"
Chris tried to keep his expression stern and fatherly, but it cracked under the wattage of his daughter's smile; her excitement may have worn him out occasionally, but he would rather that than she her loose the joy driving her. "I know, I know, but we start work in the morning, and I don't know about you, but I need to get some rest. I would like to find our rooms, and then you can go explore if you want. As long," he added with a pointed look at his redheaded daughter, "as you stay out of the way."
"I will, Dad."
Elissa and Chris made their way through the halls of the Shatterdome, following directions on a piece of paper in a folder Elissa hadn't noticed her Dad had until then. The folder had presumably come from the Marshal. After a few minutes, and only one misstep, the Jaydens found themselves standing in the proper hallway, in front of room B13—Elissa's room. Chris opened the door and Elissa headed inside, dropping her bags and toolbox on the bed and looking around the small quarters with a satisfied expression.
"Are you going to be okay to find your way around?" Chris asked when Elissa was facing him again. He handed her a badge and a few sheets of paper.
She cast a cursory glance before tossing the items on her bed as well, and nodded. "There are enough signs and directions painted on walls, and one of those pieces of paper you handed me was a map, I think, so I should be fine. And hey, I like to explore, so…"
"Elissa—"
"Do you think there'll be time to visit the Academy?"
Chris rolled his eyes and ran a hand back over his hair, scratching the back of his head. "We start work in the morning," he said in a defeated tone. "So no. Not… not for a while, anyway. Just, let us get settled in first and then we'll see, okay?"
Elissa's face fell slightly, but she made herself smile. "Don't worry too much, Dad. I can wait to see it until I join next year, I guess," she said, grinning as the expected exasperation spread over her father's face. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around her Dad, hugging him tightly and laughing when he sighed, returning the hug almost begrudgingly. He kissed the top of her head though, and Elissa knew it was genuine. "I'll behave. Promise."
"And stay out of the way?"
"And stay out of the way."
Chris ruffled his daughter's hair as he stepped back and turned to the hall. "I'll see you bright and early."
"Bright and early," Elissa agreed. She stepped out onto the top of the steps leading to her room and watched Chris disappear into his room down the hall. "Love you!"
"Love you too."
Still grinning and bubbling with excitement, Elissa returned to the pile of stuff on her bed, the door clanging shut behind her. She tucked her toolbox on the floor under her bed, stacked her favoured novels on the shelf and placed her two tablets on the desk. Her clothes remained in the bag on her bed to be unpacked later, and she scattered her other assorted belongings around in the vicinity of where they'd end up permanently. Satisfied with her quick unpacking, Elissa changed from her jeans and sweatshirt to coveralls and a thermal shirt, tying the coverall sleeves around her waist, and lacing up her work boots around her ankles. She pinned the ID badge from the pile of paper her father had given her to the coverall, and headed out into the hall, whipping her hair up into a messy pile at the back of her head, and securing it with a hair elastic from around her wrist as she moved.
Elissa felt suddenly comfortable and at home in the Shatterdome. Another smile took over her face as she began her exploration, realizing too late she'd forgotten her map in her room.
"Just another month Yancy, and then no more simulations—we'll be here, fighting kaiju for real!"
"Yeah, provided you don't screw up."
Raleigh Becket punched his brother lightly in the arm, fought the grin that wanted to take over his features. "It was your fault we screwed up the last time, and that was months ago. We've been golden ever since." He dodged the hand swinging out in retaliation and, laughing, bounced back a few steps, bringing his own hands up into a fighting stance. "Besides, I never screw up," he sniffed, taking a couple of practice swings, his knuckles brushing Yancy's arm.
"Is that so?"
The brothers exchanged a few blows at half-strength, their laughter preceding them down the halls of the Shatterdome as they pelted each other's arms and sides.
They'd been informed the day before of their assignment to the Anchorage Shatterdome, dependent on their performance in the last month of their time at the Kodiak Island Academy. However, as it was unlikely something would cause them to wash out at this point, and because the PPDC liked to move fast where new pilots were concerned, they'd come to the Shatterdome to get the paperwork for their assignment started. Drift compatible duos were not easy to find, even with the mass amounts of people who applied to the Academy and, once a pair was found, there was no time to be wasted. They were fighting to save the world, after all.
With some time to kill before they were due back at Kodiak Island, the brothers had decided to seek out Tendo Choi, a technician they'd met and instantly become friends with a few months ago during a visit to the Shatterdome with their class. Tendo was usually in the command centre, surrounded by bright screens and blueprints, so that was where Raleigh headed, Yancy keeping pace beside him as they moved in synch through the halls.
Raleigh was also hoping Tendo would be able to show the brothers their Jaeger. He knew the mech wasn't finished, but he was anxious to see her, to get to know the machine he would be piloting alongside Yancy. When the Beckets had enlisted the year before, neither of them had had high hopes for their placement in the Jaeger Program, but their talent for fighting and their already deep bond had launched them to the top of their class and their excitement, their drive had grown exponentially. Raleigh found he'd already grown attached to the idea of their Jaeger. As they neared LOCCENT, Raleigh's usual vibrating energy had multiplied until he was practically bouncing.
As expected, LOCCENT was where they found Tendo. However, unexpectedly, he was not alone.
Sitting on the edge of a chair next to Tendo and leaning forward over the desk—one hand under her chin and the other pointed at a computer screen—was a diminutive, redheaded girl. Her eyes were wide and shining with intelligence as she listened to Tendo and studied a blueprint of the PPDC's newest Jaeger, the one Raleigh and Yancy were set to pilot in the coming year. She looked nearly as excited about the Jaeger as Raleigh felt.
"They're using the gen-2 plasma canon for her?" Raleigh heard her ask as he approached. Neither she nor Tendo seemed to have noticed the Becket brothers had entered the room, and with just a few other crew members working quietly at their own stations, that was saying something. "It may have a higher capacity for rounds than the gen-1, but they lock up if they get too waterlogged. They should have gone with the gen-1. The older style can be modified to hold more rounds."
Tendo smirked and tapped the screen directly in front of the girl with the end of his pen. "A team of engineers developed a new housing for the canon to prevent the weapon from getting waterlogged. The finished it last month. You can see the difference in shape just below the elbow joint." The girl pulled herself closer to the screen, drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she studied the arm casing. "The gen-2 also has a smoother, faster reload and less recoil, things that are more difficult to modify."
The girl made a noise of understanding and leaned closer to the screen, using the keyboard in front of her to zoom in on the mech's arm.
"What happened Tendo?" Yancy asked, announcing their presence. He moved passed Raleigh, who had stopped to listen to the conversation. "You get yourself a girlfriend when we weren't looking?"
Tendo and the girl both started and turned around. He got to his feet a second later to exchange grips with Raleigh and Yancy, a wide and welcoming smile on his face. "Hey there Becket Boys! It's been a while since we saw your faces around the 'Dome." Tendo gestured to the redhead, who rose to her feet as well and smiled at Raleigh and Yancy. "This is Elissa Jayden. J-Tech like yours truly. Elissa, this is Yancy and Raleigh Becket, the duo set to pilot the new Jaeger."
"Nice to meet you," Elissa said as she shook Yancy's hand. "She's going to be a fabulous machine."
"You're a mechanic?" Raleigh asked when she turned to him.
She stood maybe five-foot-four in her work boots, minus an inch without them, and came up to just about his shoulder. Her red hair was long, wavy and unbound and she didn't look like the type to climb over giant mechs and get herself covered in grease. However, there was unmistakable strength in her handshake, something steely about her whole demeanour, and it was clear she knew what she was talking about when it came to Jaegers.
There wasn't any hostility in his voice—or at least, Raleigh didn't think there was—but the friendly smile dropped off Elissa's face and she exhaled through her nose in a huff. Her entire bearing shifted, like she was expecting an argument or fight, preparing for it.
"Yeah," she snapped. "You're a pilot?" she asked in a disbelieving tone.
One corner of Raleigh's mouth pulled up in a smirk. "Not yet."
She fought the smile for a few seconds before getting it under control, which only made Raleigh smile more. Beside them, Yancy and Tendo rolled their eyes. Elissa narrowed her eyes at Raleigh, but the rigidity had dropped from her shoulders. Tendo refocused the conversation onto the unfinished mech and the quartet settled around the computer screen to discuss the capabilities and specifications of the Jaeger.