[Episode 6: Mechanical Heaven part 1]
"Professor"
Magnus Opus voice could be heard, trying to wake him up.
"Professor"
"I'm up." Ye Wen opened his eyes, finding himself lying on the floor of the engineering room. "Another blackout. Second time in this week."
"This had been a reoccurring problem; you should stop your destructive living habits and reliance of coffee. Maybe I should schedule an appointment with-"
"Thank you for your concern." Ye wen raised his hand to stop Magnus Opus. "That wouldn't be necessary."
He stared at the ceiling, before cracking up a laugh.
"Each night, a familiar dream revisits me, reminding me the path I have chosen to walk. Have things went differently back then, would I become more of a devil or an angel?"
"Professor, I shall prepare the recording."
-XXXX Years ago-
"Why are you constantly picking on my meal?" the young Ye wen asked as his best friend, Nicholas, took his small carton and drank it. "Remind me again, aren't Ace pilots paid highly or have the war result in paying peanuts as salaries?"
"We are, it just that I spent all of them."
"Payday was yesterday!"
"Time sure flies." Nicholas replied, with a stupid grin on his face.
"What did you spend it on?"
"Something majestic. It came in last night via air shipments."
"I swear, if its another one of your over-sized Master Grade mech models taking up my experimental mech hangars, I will burn your entire collections with chemical fire."
Nicholas turned to the side, laughing nervously.
"Whatever could you mean, haha-Hahahaha"
As the two walked in the hangar after their lunch, Nicholas ran like an excited child towards the mech that was covered up by a giant white cloth.
"Let me present to you, the one and only, LIGER!" Nicholas pulls down the cloth, revealing the snow-white Liger mech underneath it. "Beautiful and Majestic, isn't she."
As Nicholas turned around, Ye Wen was holding his makeshift Flamethrower, he turned the valve that released a sound of gas escaping the container.
"Hold on, Hold on." Nicholas waved his hands in panic, "This is one of the kinds and she works well in all environment, a limited edition mech to put it in simpler terms."
Ye wen lowered his flamethrower before putting it aside.
"Liger class mech are notorious for their power consumption! The only reason they were limited is due to the manufacture doesn't want to lose money on such a useless mech."
"Shhhh-Shhh-Shhh! You will hurt her feeling!"
"It is a mech, it does not have feeling."
"You can't prove that!" Nicholas protested. "It's like saying A.I doesn't have feeling."
"You do know I can still hear you." Ye Wen's data pad began to talk.
"Sorry about that comment, Magnus Opus."
"Go and ask for a refund, this Mech is nothing more than a vase." Ye Wen still couldn't believe his eyes that Nicholas went to ordered this mech without him knowing.
That's not right, Ye Wen knew about Nicholas obsessions since the day it was showcase on the technology show floor. It was love at first sight for Nicholas, except it was a mech and not a girl.
"I refuse and I'm going to prove you wrong." Nicholas replied, crossing his arms.
"What are you, a kid trapped in an adults' body?" Ye Wen groaned. "Fine, if it can pass the test that I set up for my experimental mech, I will allow it to stay and transfer funds into making it better."
"Gentleman keeps his promise."
"Gentleman keeps his promise."
BEEEEEEEP
Clay pigeons flew into the sky in the test site. The Vulcan pods, located at the side of the Liger, began to spin and unloads rounds after rounds, scoring of seventy-five in accuracy.
Decent accuracy results for sure but it wasn't enough to convince Ye Wen.
Next was battle simulation.
Ye Wen expected Nicholas pull of some sort of strategy to overcome the shortcoming of Liger. Maybe running in circles and uses any weaponry on Liger.
BEEEEEEEP
Liger did not strafe, did not avoid gun fire by running in circles.
"A head long charge?!"
"WHOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!" Nicholas voice could be heard, charging into hordes of enemies and began ripping through in a straight line.
Ye Wen felt a hand placed on his shoulder.
"Busy?"
"Ruf, I can never understand how he survive as long as he did." Ye Wen replied without the need to confirm the identity of the person placing his hand.
"Maybe one day we will understand."
"Do you really have to leave?"
"Works demands some sacrifices. Besides, we have located potential subjects for the project to progress."
"I hope to see your project bare fruits. Maybe even stop these needless conflicts and we can advance other aspects of sciences! Maybe building something that celebrates Life instead of basking in the glory of Death."
"I hope so too; I must go now."
"Safe flight." Ye Wen waved from the back as Rufus walked away.
"How is it? Did I pass with flying colours?"
Nicholas asked as he hops off the cockpit and lands on the platform.
"By passing you meant a decent score and a death wish, Yes, you did pass with flying colours."
Ye Wen sighed as he taps on the Data pad. Magnus Opus did a quick analysis on the Liger to pin point which area needed to be improved on.
"That meant no need for the refunds?"
Ye Wen looked to the side, gritting his teeth as he refused to answer that.
"Come on, say it. Say it" Nicholas grinned as he tried to catch the expression of Ye Wen face with his phone.
"Fine! It can stay. I will work on the improvements to this machine."
"She has a name. Liger! Liger! "
"Repeating those words won't help change my view on it." Ye Wen replied with mild annoyance. "I swear, this machine would be your grave without those upgrades it needed badly."
"Don't worry, with the ace pilot at helm, even a mech armed with sticks and stones could take down at least three Union mechs, ten with my skills."
"Show off"
"Come on, tell me how you are going to improve Liger over a drink." Nicholas hangs his arm around Ye Wen neck as both of them leaves the hangar.
"You are paying it."
"Come on, help a brother out, will you. Just a drink, its not like I'm asking for a whole bar."