Forged in Fire, Chapter 15
Hong Kong Shatterdome
Gipsy Danger repair bay
May 17, 2025
1800
Herc walked into the repair bay, correctly guessing that the two Rangers would be present. "Raleigh, Mako. Got a minute?"
They put the steel into the furnace and looked at Herc. Raleigh spoke for them. "Sure, sir. What's up?"
"By now you've probably figured out that you were supposed to be on your way to Alaska."
"Yeah. But with this morning, I figured priorities had changed."
"That's part of it. Another part is that there's a major storm brewing and the recovery is being pushed back 48 hours. Finally, Tendo's at home caring for his son and wife, both of whom just came down with a nasty stomach flu."
"Ouch. Triple threat."
"Yeah, which is why I came to talk to Mako as well." Herc turned to look at her. "You're going in Tendo's place."
Mako looked puzzled for a moment. "This is because of this morning, isn't it?"
"Partially. But you're also the best qualified person to take Tendo's slot. So both of you need to start packing for Alaska." Herc looked at the steel. "Coming along nicely, I see. Right, you go get packed. You're wheels up tomorrow morning at 0900."
-.-.-
Mess hall
1900
Mako and Raleigh were grabbing dinner when Newt rushed up to them. "GUYS! I GOT IT!"
"Got what, Newt?"
"I figured out why Mako took the neural scarring from Raiju's attack, but Raleigh didn't!"
Mako looked at Newt. "Does that help you figure out a treatment?"
Newt's enthusiasm waned. "Not yet, but it's a step in the right direction."
Raleigh handed Newt his tray. "Here, come eat with us and tell us more." He looked at Mako. "I'll be right back." He headed over to the food line to get some more to eat.
Mako and Newt sat down at the old Gipsy Danger table. "So, what's so different about our brains?"
Raleigh sat down next to Mako. Newt looked at them. "It's because Raleigh's brain is wired slightly differently than most humans. It allows him to operate a Jaeger solo for short periods and protects him from neural trauma better than most people. It's why he also didn't take neural scarring from Knifehead's attack." Newt paused to take a bite of his hamburger.
"So, you're saying that Mako has to deal with the phantom injuries for the rest of her life?"
Newt swallowed. "No, I'm still working on that, I promise. I'm getting closer to finding out how to treat it. But it may be a few months, or it could be years. It's too early to tell."
Mako's face fell. "Thank you, Newt. For pushing on with the research. It means a lot to me."
"Hey, you guys saved my life. I owe you guys. It's the least I can do."
Raleigh grinned. "No problem. Hey, have they removed that ship from between the buildings yet?"
"Oh, man, I need to check. That was cool to see stuck up there, hanging in the air."
Mako finished eating. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go pack for Alaska."
Raleigh held her hand briefly. "I'll be along soon. Make sure to pack the Array."
"Will do."
Mako left the mess hall and headed to her quarters.
Raleigh waited until she had left, then turned to Newt. "I need your help with something."
"If it's a secret project for Mako, and she gets wind I helped you…"
"No, nothing like that. I'm wondering if there's any way to get a recording from the Drift. In particular, from a particular RABIT."
"Maybe. Depends on what you want to use it for."
"My sister never got to say goodbye to my brother, and I think it'd help her get some closure if she could see the Anchorage engagement from my perspective."
"I'll see what I can do. Sometime after you get back from Alaska?"
"Sure."
"Cool. Have fun in Alaska!"
-.-.-
Anchorage, Alaska
May 18, 2025
0240 Alaska Daylight Time
(May 18, 2025, 1740 Hong Kong time)
Mako and Raleigh walked down the jetway, yawning. Mako leaned on Raleigh. "I hate international air travel, especially with the International Date Line thrown into the mix."
"Yeah… Might as well get a little sleep once we get to the hotel."
The two Rangers walked towards the baggage claim. Waiting for them just outside the security zone was a man holding a sign that simply read "PPDC." They approached him.
The man looked at Raleigh. "Raleigh Beckett?"
"That'd be me, sir. And this is Mako Mori."
"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am. Let's get your luggage, and we'll be off for the hotel."
-.-.-
"You probably don't recognize me, Raleigh, but I was there when your brother died."
Raleigh looked at the man. "No, I don't. Were you on the Saltchuck?"
Their driver smiled. "Indeed I was. I wish Captain Merrit could be here, but he left Alaska about four years ago."
Mako looked at the driver. "Why?"
"Market tanked. Merrit went somewhere else. Saltchuck remains in service, fishing for crab."
Raleigh nodded. He'd grown up in the area and understood the fishing economy. "Sorry to hear that."
"Thanks. Ah, here's the hotel. Let's get you two squared away for the rest of the morning, shall we?"
-.-.-
Anchorage Harbor
1000
Mako pulled her new-old bomber jacket tighter around her shoulders. "It's cold here, even in May!" She looked at Raleigh, who was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. "How are you not cold?"
Raleigh laughed. "Mako, I'm used to the cold. I can't stand the heat, though." He looked around and held his arms out. "This is a nice day to me."
Mako shook her head in amusement. "I'll always like the heat. Having grown up on Tanegashima, so much closer to the equator, I can't imagine living here."
The lead engineer on the salvage team came to meet them. "Welcome aboard, Rangers. We're about ready to cast off, so if you'll follow me, we'll get started." He walked to a gangplank and walked up it to board the ship. Mako and Raleigh followed, eager to get started on the project.
-.-.-
1400
Mako stood on the aft deck of the command ship, walking around the ROVs that would be used to prepare Gipsy Danger's left arm for salvage. They're so cleverly designed. And to think some of these were designed and built more than a decade ago… Mako looked at the faded logo on the side. UHD. She cocked her head, trying to decide what it meant.
A voice came from behind her. "Ultra Heavy Duty."
Mako whirled around, nearly losing her balance on the slick deck.
The crewmember caught her and held her steady. "Whoa, there. Easy does it, ma'am. It gets slick back here." She looked at Mako. "Hey, I know you. You're Mako Mori!"
Mako blushed. She hated being recognized in public. "Yes, I am. I was just admiring the ROV."
"Ah. Yeah, they don't make them quite as often as they used to. The Breach kinda dampened deep-sea work in the Pacific. This one's a FMC Technologies UHD. She was fitted with a pair of Titan 4 manipulators at the time of her assembly in late 2012. They're good arms, and have a remarkable track record of reliability and precision." The crewmember walked around the front of the ROV. "I help keep this particular ROV maintained. She's one of a kind now, given all the repairs she's had over the last 12 years."
"Just like Gipsy Danger was after I finished her upgrades."
The crewmember looked at Mako. "Wait, you were a tech first, then became a Ranger?"
Mako smiled. "Other way around. Ranger first, but didn't have a Jaeger to ride in… or a suitable co-pilot. So I was put in charge of restoring Gipsy Danger from the damage suffered in the fight here, more than five years ago."
"What's it like to pilot a Jaeger?"
"Incredible. There's nothing like it. You have to share your darkest secrets, you deepest desires… everything. And that's just so that you can make it move. Combat? It's intense." LET'S GET THIS SON OF A B…
"I've served in combat. Two tours in the Rockpile. Had a couple of firefights… but we always got air cover. You never had any backup other than another Jaeger, right?"
"My two drops? We were the backup."
"Oh."
Mako looked at the Titan 4 arm with a practiced eye. "Where are the hydraulic lines?"
The tech brightened, happy to continue with the shop talk. "Oh, they're integrated into the sides of the arms. The sides of the arms are made from four plates of precision machined titanium. The outer two are solid, the inner two have a network of grooves milled into them."
Mako ran her hand over the arm skins. "Welded or brazed?"
"Neither. Diffusion bonded."
"Brilliant."
"Yeah, it's part of the reason that the arms can be rated for ops at up to 7 kilometers beneath the surface. Only specially designed, one-off arms can work at greater depths and pressures."
Mako smiled. She was in her element. "And this? Some sort of pressure vessel…"
"Electronics compartment." The tech walked over to her and began to point other items out. "And this is…"
-.-.-
Raleigh watched Mako from the rear of the bridge superstructure. She's happily meeting new people outside of the Shatterdome. Yes, she talking shop, but still…
"Mr. Beckett, we're ready."
"Be right there." Come into the briefing room when you're ready, Mako. Enjoy yourself first. He turned around and walked through the hatch.
"Will Ms. Mori be joining us?"
"No, she's talking shop with one of the ROV techs."
"Is that good?"
"She's been a little reclusive since Pitfall, sir."
The project leader nodded. "Reminds me of my son when he came back from Iraq for the third time. Hard to get him to engage with the civilian world. He just wanted to talk shop at first, but that slowly led to him opening up."
"How's he doing now?"
"Good. Runs a motorcycle shop in Iowa now."
They entered into the briefing room. A large holodisplay was located in the center of the room. The senior staff for the recovery effort were gathered around it. On the display was an image of the seabed with the arm laying on its side. Raleigh thought it might be a still, until he saw a shark swim past the tip of the now-dead plasma cannon. Very cool.
"Okay, we're almost to the site. Here's the arm as it lies now. It's in about 25 meters of water, which is shallow enough that we can use divers. However, we've come with the ROVs as a backup in case the divers aren't able to complete the task safely. Mr. Beckett, any serious hazards to be aware of?"
Raleigh leaned in to look at the image of the arm. He circled the shoulder. "Obviously, there's a lot of sharp metal here. The arm weighs a couple hundred tons, so there are a lot of crush hazards. I'm not sure how the arm will react to being moved, so steer clear of all joints and moving parts, especially around here." Raleigh circled the plasma cannon muzzle. "This may retract back into a hand under the right circumstances. The panels alongside the arm, here, here, and here, will retract with the hand." He paused looking for more hazards.
Mako walked into the room, alerted by the powerful Ghost Drift the two Rangers shared. "The arm is not likely to switch back to being a hand, but it is a concern nonetheless. Be mindful of the shoulder panel, as it is likely loose from the damage. Other than that, there shouldn't be any more serious hazards."
The project leader looked at the two Rangers. He'd heard of the Ghost drift, but hadn't seen it in action before. "Where do you suggest we tie off to?"
Mako looked at the display. "I'd attach just below the shoulder, just below the elbow, and just above the wrist. There's a couple of structural elements there for you to grab onto."
"Perfect. Alright, people, let's get cracking. We've got about 20 minutes before we arrive on site, and a lot to do before we get our feet wet."
