"AAAAGH!"

The last thing Dracon expected was to be blown back by the attack.

He landed flat on his back, his wings spread out to either side of him. A few of his fin funnels landed beside him on the ground, and he groaned as he struggled to push himself into a sitting position. "D...Dammit...!" he grunted.

The Gundam suddenly gasped as his radar blared in his head and he rolled to the side as Seph landed on the ground, his wings arching as he looked up, his eyes flashing silver before he launched himself off the ground for the enemy. He cried out as he fired off a blast of silvery energy from his hand, only to get it launched back at him. His eyes widened as his own attack exploded against landed on the ground, skidding to a stop beside Dracon.

A blur of white-blue caught Dracon off guard as he saw the form of Lobomon dash forward, his lightsabers flashing as he cut at one of the enemy's large legs, but his efforts got nowhere. A deep, robotic laugh echoed over the area as the enemy looked down upon him. Lobomon looked up and was shocked to see the red optical lens flaring before it fired off a blast of energy right for him. Lobomon leapt back, barely avoiding getting hit only due to his Digimon reflexes. He landed on the ground and skidded back, his red eyes locking onto the massive shape looming over them all.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you see?! It's useless, fools!" the voice of Dr. Robotnik cackled. "No matter what you try, this machine will showcase the superiority of my genius! And not even Japan's Hunters, let alone that Demon Blade of the East, can stop it!"

Dracon glanced up, and his reactor leapt into his throat at the sight of the large foot of the enemy looming over them, ready to squash them like the insects they were. "Oh... Glob...!" he whispered.

There was no way even his beam barrier would keep them safe. Dr. Robotnik had thought ahead on everything. His latest achievement was something not even they could defeat. And two of them were some of the strongest warriors in the world.

They were doomed.

Dracon dimmed his optics as he braced for the inevitable defeat.

The last thing he expected was to hear a loud explosion. His optics flashed back to their violet hue as he glanced up, and he swore they widened at the sight of a large blast of green energy coming from nowhere. The robot staggered back, its leg burned at the ankle joint.

"WHAT?!" Robotnik's voice was filed with rage as the robot managed to regain its footing, but barely.

Dracon cast his gaze around the battlefield, trying to find the source of the beam that saved their lives.

"This has gone far enough!" a deep male voice bellowed.

All the combatants looked up, and Dracon gasped as a figure unlike any other he had seen landed atop a building, silhouetted against the sun.

OPENING FILES:

CLASSIFIED

DECRYPTING...

FILES DECRYPTED

OPENING FILES: PROJECT SKL

Project SKL is the code name for a top secret military project that Japan's finest scientists, engineers, physicists and technicians have been working on in conjunction with Sanban Industries and the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Not much is known about its objectives or when it will even be completed, let alone what it is. All that the director and creator of it will say is that it is possible it could save Japan, and the world as a whole.

Many theories have been speculated on, ranging from some kind of new Dust weapon to an anti-Grimm supersoldier, to even the most outlandish theories such as an attempt to contact aliens or even to use magic to banish them.

No one has come forth to deny or confirm these theories.

CLOSING FILES

TERMINAL ENTERING STANDBY PHASE

"Many theories always abound about strange projects. And sometimes they are based in truth. But for the most part, conspiracy theories tend to gain traction, especially amongst those who believe in them and try to promote them. This leads to a distrust of established sciences, facts, and experiences. And that in turn can lead to divisions, distrust in people and institutions dedicated to facts and history. To protect the truth, one must be willing to stand up for it. People need to be able to think critically, try to see the facts from both sides, and then decide which they believe in. Trusting in facts has led to some great advancements in science, culture, military, literature, and even the arts. So, decide what you want to believe, not what someone wants you to believe."

The screen flickered before displaying a shadowy emblem, going dark soon after.

CHAPTER 1 - GENESIS

LOG ENTRY: 89-10X

Hokuto Hayasugi.

So far things have not gone as planned.

Our efforts have led to several dismal failures.

I've met with several key scientists and engineers, all of them funded by Sanban Industries and recruited from the best institutions around the country, including some from the Vist Foundation, in an effort to try and decipher the reasoning behind our failures.

A few have called my project outrageous and risky, even downright dangerous considering what we are trying to do, but I have argued constantly that it is our best bet, as not even Genki Sanban can be everywhere at once. With the retirement of Sam-R-I, that leaves Japan with very few heavy hitters. And the one behind those Grimm attacks is taking advantage of this. So it is of the utmost importance we try and get this project up and running as soon as possible.

The only trouble is we can't seem to even get it to work.

Sure the theory is sound, but until we can fully decipher the runes on the metallic entity we found buried deep beneath the sands of Iwo Jima, there is little we can do. We have several units already chosen to be modified, but as I have said, we're lacking crucial information on how to actually perform the task needed to make this work.

One of the Vist Foundation engineers proposed a system similar to the one used to create Dracon, but I declined, stating that it cannot be permanent, but has to be temporary so as to not overstrain the engines and batteries of the units in question. Each one can only run for a specific time, but there are plans already in the works for an ungraded unit or two. That can wait, though.

Our first obstacle is to actually get the control system to work.

I can only hope there is a breakthrough soon.

For Japan's sake... and the world...

Hokuto was not pleased.

Especially as his latest attempts had failed.

He gritted his teeth as he whirled around and punched the wall.

"Dammit! No matter what we do, it's always the same!" he snarled. His ears twitched as he stood up, facing the project hangar.

Hokuto's gaze landed on the six sleek shapes of his work, and he sighed. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all... I mean... it's not even feasible at this rate..."

"That may seem to be the case..." Genki Sanban's voice said from behind him. "But just because one does not climb a mountain the first time does not mean they should give up."

His eyes widened and he whirled to face her, bowing. "Lady Sanban! I didn't expect you to show up!" he said quickly.

"I have figured that you might be running into some issues," the Lady of Sanban Industries mused. "Especially as since your first has not turned out as you expected." Her gaze flicked over to a corner where a large shape lay slumped down, and beside it was a limp figure. Medical staff were already rushing to the man's side, checking him for any injuries or health complications.

"I know..." Hokuto muttered. "It's just... we seem to be missing a bunch of crucial information on the entity we found... and even the efforts of the Vist Foundation weren't enough... This is the third failed test subject in a week. And perhaps the first fatality of this whole thing."

Genki's eyes narrowed. "So he perished?"

The cat Faunus nodded. "Yes. His very life was snuffed out the moment the device kicked in. The technician from the Foundation said it would work. But now he's examining the data to see where we went wrong," Hokuto explained. "I just hope we can get some sort of answers here..."

Genki nodded. "Yes. It is most troubling, seeing as how there is a dire chance that he could launch another attack at any time." She was silent for a moment before she continued. "I can understand your desperation to get this completed. But even with every ounce of time and money we put into it, there is a very grave chance we may not have it deployed in time for the attack when it comes. And things like this take time. If you push, it won't succeed. There will be an increased chance for failure, and the last thing we need is for such a failure to occur."

"Then what else are we supposed to do?!" Hokuto shouted. "We're running out of time! You said so yourself!"

"I know. But rushing is not going to make this move along any faster," Genki cautioned. She turned to look back at him. "So we need to start looking over the data to see what we can do to prevent another loss like this one."

Hokuto knew she was right. They had to take this seriously, but at the same time try to keep in mind the severity of their situation. At any moment, an attack could come that could possibly wipe out whatever forces the government sent to take down the Grimm. That was why he was so determined to get this completed as soon as possible.

But what else could they do?

Hokuto walked back over to his desk and scattered the tablets and papers littering the surface until he pulled out a small journal. He opened it as Genki walked over to join him.

She peered over his shoulder at the runes and letters scribbled in the pages. "I can see you have been at work trying to decipher the runes," she mused.

"Yes. But so far there's been nothing. No luck," he said with a sigh. He tossed the book aside and buried his head in his hands. "I just can't do it!"

Genki leaned down and picked up the book before she hummed, running a few thoughts through her head. "Perhaps there is a chance yet," she remarked.

"How?!" Hokuto roared, whipping his head around to face her. "No matter what I tried - I spent weeks trying to decipher that thing, even before I came up with this project! And I made very little progress! What makes you think you can-" He was cut off by her hand being raised. Her eyes were closed as she did this.

"You fail to realize who I am, Hokuto Hayasugi," she said, opening her eyes. They glinted in the harsh lighting of the hangar just outside the observation deck on which they stood. "I am Genki Sanban, head of Sanban Industries. And my husband is the Prime Minister of Japan. We have connections in many fields, including the study of the ancient ages past." She lowered her hand. "I have a few friends who could help on deciphering these notes, but you must focus on trying to get this working. Forget the control apparatus for now. Focus on another aspect of it. Do not think this has to be your project alone, Hokuto. It is our project."

Hokuto stared for a moment before he paused. "I... Are you sure that you can get that deciphered?" he asked softly.

The Demon Blade of the East nodded. "Yes. I will. As I said, for now, focus on another aspect of it. This way, when the time comes, we can work on the control apparatus."

The cat Faunus sighed as he ran a hand through his brown hair. "Okay. I will. I don't like it, but I will do it."

Genki smiled. "Good."

She turned and proceeded to walk out, but not before looking out the window of the observation deck at the lifeless man in the hangar as he was wheeled out on a stretcher. A frown crossed her face as she watched with a calculating gaze. The very thought anyone would go to such lengths was beyond her. But then again, people were desperate for any sort of edge these days. And she couldn't blame them. In all honesty, she too was desperate for something to help stem the tide and give them a fighting chance to bolster the seal on the main pool.

She closed her eyes as she turned away, heading out of the room towards the elevator.

The doors closed behind her, exposing a seal unlike any other on the doors. The emblem resembled the front part of a shinkansen bullet train, with a wing on the side of it and behind it was a reticle. This was the mark of the Shinkansen Defense Institute, a recent group formed in the aftermath of the Mothra Incident to try and develop the next generation of combat machines designed to fight against such beasts. Of course, their project was completely unknown to the outside world, and even more importantly, only the Ministry of Defense knew of it.

That meant that they had access to the latest Dust technology and weaponry developed for the defense forces.

Genki didn't like keeping people, especially those that could provide assistance to this endeavor, in the dark, but at the behest of Hokuto, she hadn't said a word, because of the great danger that he could learn about it. As it stood, with those Seers, it was a big risk to even be working on such a thing to begin with. One could never tell when a Seer was about.

Her gaze drifted down to the journal she held in her hand and she opened it, flipping through its pages as she walked. She could already see where Hokuto had made efforts to decipher them, and he actually had gotten a bit done. But it wasn't enough. The efforts had also yielded some mistranslations, she figured, so it was best to have an expert look at it. And what better team than the Secret Saturdays? Their studies into the ancient languages of the Forgotten Age were sure to be of use.

But then again, they did have a mission of their own, and she didn't want to bother them.

She narrowed her eyes as she pondered another few choices.

And one came to her mind after a few minutes.

Now, how to get in contact with him...?

LOG ENTRY 89-X11

Hokuto Hayasugi.

Lady Sanban has been of immense help.

Her suggestion to focus on another aspect of the project has allowed things to proceed smoothly. I have taken the chance to devise a new way to allow the units to shift from their default to full battle forms. It actually is quite ingenious, as it takes the components of the default form and rearranges them into a humanoid chassis. But one unique trait I noticed is that the form that it takes always has the nose of its default form as the chest. That has given me an idea for a few to have a secret weapon secreted there.

I have yet to come up with a name for it, but it is possible that this could also be a surprise feature in upcoming units.

Another aspect I was able to get working on was the power supply.

As the units all have batteries, we decided to enhance their operation time by augmenting it with cyan Dust. We also rerouted the power of the batteries to the weapons, thrusters, limbs and servos of the humanoid forms. The main driving force will act as the beating heart of the humanoid units.

We also delved into weapons designs, and came up with a bunch of unique weapons. As each unit will be designed for different scenarios and terrain in Japan, they will need to be equipped accordingly. So we've started designing weapons packages for each one. Usually an extra weapon or two, but in some cases, the weapon equipped to each unit in question could be boosted. That was the case for two, so we installed said weapons onto the units.

The final part was trying to figure out a defensive measure. We knew they needed to be guarded, but shields just wouldn't cut it.

And the control apparatus was another issue that needed to be worked out.

Thankfully, there was some good news not even two months later...

TWO MONTHS LATER

SANBAN ESTATE

"WHAT?! He got back with you?!" Hokuto shouted.

Genki nodded as she sipped her tea. "Yes. He has provided a list of every rune and corresponding letter in his notes. And the pages have been translated to the best of his ability." She opened her eyes and met Hokuto's blue eyes with her own grey ones. "It is not complete, but it is almost. A few words remain undeciphered, but none of them pertain to what you seek."

The cat Faunus was shocked. "You... You..." He got to his knees and bowed. "I cannot thank you enough, Lady Sanban!"

"It is nothing." She lowered her cup. "I believe this will allow the units' control apparatus to be fixed, since that has been an issue that has bothered you for some time."

Hokuto sat up straight. "It has."

The Demon Blade of the East closed her eyes and leaned back a bit in a thoughtful manner. "Tell me. Has there been any progress on the units?"

Here the man nodded. "There has been," he began. "We made a ton of progress in other areas." He reached for the briefcase beside him and pulled it onto the table. He opened it and reached inside.

The sheaf of papers he pulled out was a bit messy, but that mattered little. What these papers contained would secure Japan's future. He handed them to her.

Genki took the papers and set down her cup. She began to sift through them and her eyes widened the tiniest bit. Her gaze flicked over each spec, detail, armament, and additional note written into the margins. Hokuto felt his heart pounding in his chest as she hummed to herself. Would she approve?

Her eyes narrowed before she bowed her head and handed the papers back to him.

"Hokuto... your work is truly astonishing," she began. "What you have managed to accomplish in a mere two months is beyond expectations for anyone; even with a division like Anaheim backing you up, it should have taken much longer."

She lifted her eyes to meet his. "This is what we needed." Then she grew serious. "And I have a feeling it has more to do with your wife's demise than anything, am I correct?"

The man before her nodded. "Yes, Lady Sanban." He lowered his eyes, feeling tears pricking at their edges. "After my wife died, I began to see just how bad things were getting, and after Sam-R-I retired, we've fallen behind in who can come to take down the Kaiju Grimm. I know you are busy, and many of our other heavy hitters have retired or been killed in combat. We..." He gritted his teeth as tears streaked down his cheeks. "I wanted to give us a fighting chance..." Then he clenched his fists in his lap. "And it doesn't help matters that Satyra has established a chapter here in Tokyo!"

Now Genki grasped where this was going. "And you fear the worst, yes?" she asked.

Hokuto shifted on his knees before continuing. "Yes. And I fear they may try to recruit my son... because of his knowledge of the Shinkansen and its stations." His eyes were hard as he felt a low growl come up in his throat. "Everything we've done to secure equal rights for Faunus could very well be undone in just a matter of months if they start making attacks! And it could draw the Grimm to Japan's capital!"

The Demon Blade of the East closed her eyes in contemplation. "And it is still because of his mother's death that he has become more serious, correct?"

"And more doubtful of the future," Hokuto explained. "That damned terrorist group could use that to their advantage and try to twist his thinking, especially at this age when he's started exploring new things!" He looked down at his shaking hands. "It's all because of them that things are thrown back two steps for every one we take forwad. If this keeps up, it could very well be the end of equal rights for all Faunus... even in America..."

His hostess nodded. "I can see where you are heading with this. You wish to deny them your son and his knowledge... I can see why you wanted this completed as soon as possible, given the rumors..."

The cat Faunus nodded. "So, Lady Sanban, I would please like to have the information you deciphered." He bowed his head.

Genki reached into a small case beside her table and pulled out a flash drive. "This flash drive contains all the information that has been deciphered. It also includes the corresponding runes and letters, so you should have no trouble piecing it together." She slid it across the table towards him.

Hokuto took it gratefully. "Thank you, Lady Sanban!"

He stood up and bowed.

With the flash drive in hand, he walked out of the main meeting room and into the waiting area.

Now he could finish it.

He sat down and pulled his computer out of his briefcase and started it up. Once that was finished, he inserted the flash drive and went to work analyzing its contents.

He was actually impressed by how much had been deciphered. Hokuto ran through it, his eyes roving over the data and taking it in. The information was indeed pertaining to the control apparatus, and his eyes widened as he realized just how deeply entwined his project and the candidates needed to be. And actually, it was very disturbing on so many levels. There was no way he was about to enact such a procedure on anyone who volunteered or was selected! Why the ancients had to do such a thing was beyond him, but he was not about to delve too deeply into it.

Right now he needed an alternative. But the tech that had been used to create Dracon was not compatible for this project.

"And back to square one...!" he muttered, burying his face in his hands. "Nothing I do seems to be working...! Is this punishment for something I did wrong?! Glob... please... just help me get this damn project up and running!" he moaned.

Of course, he had no idea that it would be in operation, and sooner than he expected...

LOG ENTRY 89-X12

The device is set.

This is perhaps the biggest obstacle that lingers in our path now.

Project SKL is almost complete.

The six units have been heavily modified and outfitted with the proper systems and technology.

All we need now is for the test to begin.

The only issue is the extent to which the driver will be wired into their unit.

I can't even envision such a device, least of all how it could even be considered standard for such a machine. I... I hate it. I hate the very idea that the driver's brain has to have wires inserted into the very organ itself, as well as into their flesh, nerves, and muscles. It's almost like their bodies have to be somehow physically connected to the machine's systems in order to get it to work.

The technicians in charge of the development of the device have said it could work, but the strain will be enormous on the driver's body and mind.

That means that anyone who undergoes the procedure will not be able to do much of anything. According to the medical experts here at the SDI, such a tremendous amount of data would be enough to cause heart failure. In fact, that's what happened the last time we even tried it. That was enough for me. I asked the Vist Foundation workers if they had any other ideas other than using the device that was described in the ancient text Genki's friend deciphered. The man said there was a possibility, but it was still considered experimental and even downright taboo.

When I questioned what it was, he answered and explained that it was a variation of the technology used to transfer Dracon's mind into his Gundam frame. But since it was the mind and not the very essence needed to generate an Aura, that left it unusable.

But it was one of the technicians that came up with a theory: what if the device hadn't worked because the individual wasn't suited for the unit in question?

Actually, that never even crossed my mind until now.

Now that it has, however, I decided to test a little theory of my own. What if we were to reverse engineer the device used to transfer the mind... and allow it to transfer the person's very Aura and therefore their soul into their assigned unit?

We chose to give it a test run, and much to our surprise, it worked. But there was another aspect that came up. Studying the data later that week proved to have uncovered another factor that we hadn't taken into consideration when developing these machines.

It was dubbed the compatibility factor. In short, whomever was assigned to the unit in question had to have a compatibility rating of at least, according to the Vist Foundation techies, seventy percent or higher. Any lower and the unit would not be as effective in combat. So we had to devise a test to try and find people who were compatible with the units we built.

And it just so happened that one of them was close to me.

But more on that later.

The final component was set.

Now... we just had to run it by Kani Sanban and see what he thought...

KENTAI BUILDING

MEETING ROOM

FOUR WEEKS LATER

The atmosphere was tense as the group sat inside the main meeting room.

Hokuto shifted as he looked at the papers held in his hands. He licked his lips to try and moisten them as he was nervous.

Beside him sat the chief engineer on his project, a spunky old turtle Faunus named Kintoki Odawara. His body may have been old, but he was still an imposing figure. His shell gleamed in the light of the sun as he sat close to one of the windows. His arms were folded across his chest and his white mustache twitched as he sniffed a bit.

Off to his other side was one of the Vist Foundation technicians, a tiger Mobian by the name of Pandora Tyson, named after the Greek mythological figure. She was not as well built than her companions, but she made up for it with her agility and her Semblance known as Tiger's Claw. And it also helped she had dabbled in a little bit of Aura manipulation and studied how to transfer it to a lifeless object, thus making it alive. At least, in theory.

All three were unsure if Kani would even approve of this project. But in truth, they needed all the funding they could get if it was to go off without a hitch.

Hokuto reached up to the necklace he wore in memory of his late wife, Sakura Hayasugi. He felt bad about not having taken Huntsman training and instead working for the Japan Railways Group. If he had taken training instead of messing around with the Shinkansen, then maybe... just maybe...

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the doors opening and he sat up, straightening his tie and suit jacket before assuming a professional posture.

Kani Sanban entered the room a few minutes later, the doors hissing shut behind him. His eyes were closed as he walked over to the table and sat down across from the trio.

"So. I have heard from my wife of your project. But she did not tell me exactly what it was. I was hoping you could enlighten me," he said as he lifted his gaze and opened his eyes.

Hokuto nodded. "Yes, sir." He held out the papers to the Prime Minister. "Everything is in these reports."

Kani took them and started to examine them as Kintoki began his explanation. "To put it simply, Mr. Sanban, this young man has come up with some hooligan scheme to use our biggest asset and turn it into a weapon of some kind." He pursed his lips as he pondered what to say next. "And actually, while I may not really enjoy doing such a thing, it makes sense in the long term, especially as someone may want to break down the seal, according to Lady Sanban."

"The idea is very simple, sir," Pandora added, "as Japan is also running out of powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses, we are in dire need of some new heavy hitters. The retirement of Sam-R-I is unfortunate, as we could use his help if the seal is to be broken beneath Mount Fuji."

Kani's brows furrowed as he heard this, and he nodded. "I agree. My wife is a strong warrior, but she can only do so much, as we have both our holdings and position to protect from both internal and external adversaries, no matter who they may be. But to be dealing with Grimm the size of the mythical Kaiju is something that troubles everyone as much as it does us." He lifted his gaze from the papers briefly to scan over the trio. "And I assume this project is designed to combat that kind of a threat?"

Hokuto nodded. "Yes, sir!"

The Prime Minister looked back down at the papers before he closed his eyes and handed them back to him. "I must admit, it is ingenious, as well as dangerous. But you do make a compelling case for such a thing, as recent casualty lists for Kaiju Grimm have been climbing since they crawled out of the ocean fifteen years ago. And now that they are the size of buildings, it is of the utmost importance to secure any advantage we can get," he admitted. "But it is still a risk. And I assume you have plans for when to use these new units?"

All three nodded.

"Then let us hear it," Kani said.

"We plan to use them when a Kaiju Grimm shows up," Pandora started, "and we already have an asset in place. We have had, ever since 2001, a satellite in orbit that has the ability to fire a containment field to capture the Grimm in question. We call these containment barriers 'capture fields' because of what they are designed to do. And they can be expanded or contracted as the situation demands. But they are limited in how long they can remain functional for. So we usually send in two or three teams to take down the Grimm in question before they escape or before the field goes down.

"However, since the new Grimm have been showing up, we've been relying on more and more people to assist us, and there is a bit of a problem in that some of these Kaiju Grimm have been known to sap the field's strength, too. So in effect, the field is not as effective as we thought in that kind of situation."

She turned to Hokuto. "We've modified the field a bit to be able to allow the new units entry, but we aren't saying more than that."

The cat Faunus shifted as he ran a hand through his hair. "As for where we plan to deploy them... well, we have a bit of a complication with that." He pulled a piece of paper from the sheaf in his hand and showed it to Kani. "As you can see from the design, the default form is limited on what it uses for transportation. That is where we have issues. They also need to be close to designated stations so as to be deployed swiftly."

Kani closed his eyes and tented his fingers in front of his face. "I see. That is an issue. Especially given the circumstances at hand."

He opened his eyes. "And I assume you want me to provide financial assistance to this program, do you not, even though it's being run by the Ministry of Defense, The Vist Foundation, Sanban Industries and their Anaheim Electronics division?"

"Not financial aid. We're looking for your approval on this," Pandora explained. "To clarify, we need it to be signed off on you for approval, because it's technically illegal right now. It would be better for everyone to have it labeled as legal, but also be put under the label of secrecy for additional protection. This way, when we procure more parts, we can say it's for a top secret military endeavour created by the Japanese government."

Now Kani knew what they were getting at. "I see. This way, it won't be considered doing illegal transactions when it comes to this matter."

The threesome nodded. "Yes," Hokuto said. "Sir, we are-"

The Prime Minister held up a hand. "I understand how desperate people are these days for a symbol of hope. So, I will approve it, if only solely to buy time for the seal under Mount Fuji to be bolstered." Then he lowered his hand and narrowed his eyes. "But remember: this is a top secret project. So no one must be allowed to see it, let alone hear of it."

Kintoki nodded. "We know, sir," he said. "We'll take every precaution to do so."

The Prime Minister signed off on the project that afternoon, and the word was sent to his wife.

LOG ENTRY 89-X13

Hokuto Hayasugi.

Project SKL was officially approved by the Prime Minister that evening.

At least now the transactions could be considered legal.

That was one other aspect that we had been concerned about. But that aside, we still had to go over the control apparatus for the new units.

After several weeks of intense study and reverse engineering, we had our first test subject picked and ready to go.

The first unit completed was brought out and he was hooked up to it. Within hours, we had it up and running. Then the test began. He was determined - through a simulation system designed to measure his aptitude for driving the unit - to have a compatibility rating of 82% at most. Not what we had been hoping for, but better than nothing.

The only drawback was that we had no idea how painful the process was. I can still hear his screaming even now. But in the end, it was well worth it, because not even ten minutes later, the unit was moving on its own, adjusting its own limbs and trying to get a feel for them. The man was in a sort of stasis we discovered, but that was apparently a side effect of the process used.

The training proceeded smoothly, but then halfway through it cut out. We were baffled, but further analysis revealed that although he was compatible, his Aura wasn't at the right wavelength to match the frequency we needed. So we thanked him for his cooperation and sent him home with a little extra money as compensation for the shortened test run.

But the next month was when we got word.

Satyra was about to make a move.

And I became worried for my son.

Hayato...

Please... Just ignore them and run...

Glob watch over you...