Forged in Fire, Chapter 39: Trial and Error
PPI R&D offices
McClellan, CA
July 28, 2025
1015
"Hey, Steph? You have a few minutes to spare?"
Stephanie looked up to see Caitlin standing in the doorway. "Yeah. What's up?"
Caitlin looked down the hall towards Mako and Raleigh's offices before closing the door to Stephanie's office. "Two things. First, we've been working on ways to spin off Jaeger technologies for commercial use. We need your help testing one of them."
"Oh? Do tell me more."
"We're looking at the possibility of making an exo-suit of sorts to help people…" Caitlin swallowed nervously.
Stephanie crossed her arms. "People like me? People who have become paralyzed and can't walk?"
"Yeah." Caitlin looked down. "Sorry, that came out wrong…"
"No worries. Yeah, I'll help. No guarantees I'll use one myself, but I can be the test pilot for the project."
The former ranger smiled. "Thanks. That really helps."
"Now, there's a second bit?"
"Oh, right! Tendo's bookie habits have come back. He's taking wagers on when Raleigh's going to propose to Mako. Want in on the action?"
"Oh, that's not fair… for you."
"Oh, come on… he shared with you?"
"Classmates, remember? 2016-B."
"Okay, point. So, can you give me any hints?"
"Hmmm… Let's just say that, if the events of that day hadn't happened, neither of them would have wound up sharing a Conn Pod for Pitfall. That's all I'll say on the matter."
"Spoilsport. That narrows it down to, oh, a dozen different days."
"Instead of 365, so that really helps your odds."
Caitlin sighed. "Right. So, want to go try on the framework for the suit?"
Stephanie rolled back from her desk and out the door of her office. "Absolutely. Need to check the range of motion, I presume?"
"And make sure that you can put it on by yourself. That's rather important, right?"
"It would be useful, yes." The two women headed across the street to the hangar/workshop, where Mako was apparently fangirling over some new piece of machinery.
"… It's got laser-based 3-d printing, 9 degrees of freedom, and…"
Raleigh held Mako's shoulders. "Breath, Mako. It's not going to disappear overnight, no matter how rough the neighborhood may be."
Mako leaned back against Raleigh. "I know… I want to use it so bad! But it's still not calibrated yet, so it'd just make a mess."
Caitlin smiled. "Mako, it'll be worth the wait, I promise. In the meantime… Do you have the chassis ready for test fitting?"
"Yes. Crunch and I finished assembling it this morning." She grabbed the exoskeleton and brought it over to Stephanie. "This one isn't fully wired yet, but it'll be ready for hardwired powered trials tomorrow."
Stephanie took the rig from Mako and looked it over. "So, over or under?"
Mako frowned. "Over or under?"
"My pants."
"Oh! Over, for now. Makes it easier to make sure everything's working right. Once we're comfortable with how it's working, we'll make one that's lower profile to wear under your clothing."
Stephanie shrugged and rolled over to a low table with a mat on it. "This for me to practice on?"
Caitlin nodded. "I felt it'd be more representative than the floor."
"It is." Stephanie levered herself out of her wheelchair and onto the table with practiced ease. "It's about the right level, too." She laid out the exoskeleton and began to try it on.
Mako went over to try and show Stephanie how to put it on. "You want to start with…"
"Can it. Let me do this myself, please."
Mako blinked at the snappish response, then decided to go do something else in the meantime.
Caitlin sat back and watched Stephanie work over the suit, letting her figure out all the fittings and connections.
"So, Doc, how long did it take you to get used to the prosthetic?"
Caitlin blew out a breath. "A couple of months to become totally accustomed to it, I guess. Getting to know what the feedback felt like, what the pressures through the titanium peg meant, that kind of stuff. But I was walking on it without crutches in two weeks."
"Hmmm…" Stephanie grinned. "Okay, I think I got this figured out." She began by strapping the feet of the suit over her shoes, then moved to the shins, where she tightened straps just above the ankle and just below the knee. Next, the thighs were secured with another pair of straps, leaving the back brace and feedback harness ready to be fixed in place. "Does the circuitry work through clothing?"
Caitlin shook her head. "Has to go under the shirt, I'm afraid."
Stephanie shrugged and untucked her shirt, slipping the feedback harness and the back brace underneath. "Okay, lemme get this tightened up…"
Mako wandered back over with a Torx screwdriver. "Ready to have it adjusted?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, since it's not powered up, we can move the joints and make sure that we have the correct range of motion and rotation axes. If they're out of alignment, it could lead to blistering at the straps or injuries to your joints."
"Don't want that…" Stephanie shuffled to sit on the edge of the table. "So, how do you make the adjustments?"
Mako fitted the six-pointed bit of the screwdriver into a socket on the right ankle joint. I'm going to move your foot around to make sure that the range and axes are good. That okay?"
"Go for it."
Mako grabbed the toe of the footpad and tipped the foot up and down, watching the framework and the leg to see if they moved relative to one another. There was a little movement, so Mako turned the screwdriver as she continued to move the foot. Inside the foot brace, the socket Mako turned drove a threaded bar against a nut located inside the frame, causing it to extend slightly. This slight change in the geometry of the frame caused the unwanted movement.
"That's one down."
"Out of how many?"
Mako's brow furrowed. "Twenty two."
"That's it?"
"We couldn't get it any lower, Steph."
"I'm not complaining! That's impressive!"
Mako smiled. "Thanks. Okay, let's get going on the others."
-.-.-
Herc scowled at the paperwork that sat on his desk, then looked at the webcam atop his computer screen again. "So, explain to me what this means."
The Jumphawk mechanic rubbed his temples. "Okay, you're an old fling-wing pilot, so you know how much of a maintenance nightmare large helos are."
"Yes, I do."
"The Jumphawks are worse than most. They're really not built all that well for the work they're doing. Rotor wake interference, turbulence, shock loads…"
Herc held up his hands. "I get that. What does it mean for us?"
"Long story short?"
"Please."
"We've got six, maybe seven lifts remaining per 'Hawk. Max of 21 lifts total."
"What happens if we exceed that?"
"Rotors will fracture, lift points will tear off… Who knows what else."
"And that includes transporting Jaegers from 'Dome to 'Dome."
"Yes sir. Each time the "Hawks take the load of a Jaeger, it's a lift. That includes refueling stops, by the way."
"So, we've got three hops across the pond."
"If that."
"Damn."
"That's the general consensus here, too."
"Can we overhaul them again? I know we did a Service Life Extension Program back in '21…"
"Possible. The new SLEP wouldn't have as large an increase in airframe life as last time, though. Might be cheaper to buy new ones at this point."
"Might be better to get a new design at this point, actually."
"True."
"Tell you what. Get me a quote for both a new SLEP and new build Jumphawks, and I'll get the quote for a new design. I'll take all three options to the Group."
"Can do, sir."
The mechanic ended the video call, and Herc began to rub his temples again. Yet another headache to deal with. I'll never know how Stacker didn't get a stroke from all this. God knows he was at risk for it.
There was a knock on Herc's door. "Come in."
Raleigh opened the door and took a seat. "Just got a call from the foundry doing the statue."
"Oh, good. What's the news?"
"It shipped this morning. They should have it here in two days, and it'll be mounted by the 5th, as advertised."
Herc sighed in relief. One less headache. "Very good."
Raleigh got up and headed to the door, but paused just short. "Sir… permission to speak freely?"
"Absolutely."
Raleigh closed the door. "Sir… would you get back into a Jaeger if you found someone that you were able to Drift with?"
Herc leaned back in his chair, caught off guard by the question. "That's a good question. I really don't know. It'd have to be someone special, probably. I'm not the Ranger I once was. My reflexes are slower, my endurance is lower… To be honest, I don't think my place in this next war is in the Conn Pod. I think I'm going to spend it in LOCCENT."
Raleigh nodded slowly. "Well, I hope you do find that copilot. Something tells me we'll need you out there, in the field, fighting Kaiju."
"Nah. That's what you and Mako are for now. You're the old hands. Hell, you're better than I ever was. The only reason Chuck and I were as good as we were in Striker was because of his aggressive nature and Striker's speed and power." Herc gave a sad smile. "Although I'd love to be able to take a Mk VI for a spin, that's for sure. They're looking really good now."
"That they are. Mako's worked hard on the first three, but she's turning all but Nitro Glow loose on others to finish."
"Why Nitro?"
"She's doing it up as a Juggernaut."
Herc blinked. "Juggernaut?"
"Yeah, she's doing four different styles of Jaeger. Scout, Brawler, Guardian, and Juggernaut."
"Huh. I'll ask her for more about that later."
"Yeah, it's a bit complex. But it makes sense. If we're going to have up to thirty Jaegers active, why not specialize them a little?"
Herc shrugged. "I'm just a pilot. Gimme something to drive and something to shoot at and I'm happy."
Raleigh laughed. "I think that's just a guy thing."
Herc chuckled. "True. Anything else?"
"No, not at the moment." Raleigh opened the door again and headed to his office.
Herc pulled up a file on his computer and made a few notes on it, then closed it and stared into the distance, lost in thought.
-.-.-
1248
Samuel Baxter looked up as his daughter walked into the office. "Emily! I didn't know you were coming home!"
"I didn't either until this morning."
"What's wrong?"
Emily looked at her dad, fighting back tears. "I got laid off."
"Oh, Emily…" He hugged her. "I'm so sorry."
She shrugged. "It happens. I just wish I had gotten better warning."
"I know. Anything I can do to help?"
"Do you know anybody who's hiring robotics mechanics?"
Baxter thought for a moment before grinning. "You know what? I might. Let me make a call…"
-.-.-
"Pan Pacific Industries R&D offices."
"Hello, Miranda."
"Oh, hello, Mr. Baxter. How can I help you today?"
"Can I talk to David or Jazmine?"
Miranda turned around and looked down the hall. "Mr. Ashburn's out right now, but Jaz is in her office. Let me see if she's available."
"Thanks."
Miranda walked down the hall and knocked on the door of the younger Becket's office. "Jaz, you got a moment?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Mr. Baxter needs to talk with you about something. He's on line two."
"Thanks. How are the twins doing?"
"They're quiet now, but earlier they were doing their best impression of Crimson Typhoon's Thundercloud."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. My kidney didn't like playing Kaiju."
Jaz laughed and picked up the phone. "Samuel. How are you?"
"I'm doing fine. You?"
"Enjoying the slightly cooler spell we're having lately… not that my brother would know the difference."
"That's true. He did spend a lot longer than you up in Alaska."
"Yeah... So, what can I help you with?"
"You guys have any job openings coming up? An… acquaintance… of mine is in the job market again."
"Yes, actually. We're about to start a hiring cycle here to fill some support roles… and to help get some Jaeger-tech spinoff programs going."
"Wonderful. I will point them your way."
"Anything else?"
"Actually, yes… can you have David call me when he gets back? There's some good news to give him."
"I will do that."
"Wonderful. You going to San Francisco?"
"Wouldn't miss it."
"Then I shall see you there."
"Alright. Have a good day."
"You, too."
Jazmine hung up the phone and looked at the ceiling. What kind of news does he have that he can't have me relay?
-.-.-
1402
David Ashburn walked into his office to find a sticky note from his protégé stuck to his phone. Call Sam. Good news? JB.
Interesting. Good news? He picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory. "Hey, Sam. What's up?"
"David. Got a few calls from heads of state this morning."
"About?"
"I have one pissed at you for skipping them in the initial draw of Jaegers, half a dozen wanting to order one or more for their own countries, and a few others asking for status updates on their Jaegers."
"Skipped?"
"South Korea."
David blinked for a few seconds before covering the mic on the handset. "Shit shit shit… JAZ! HERC!"
Herc and Jazmine both appeared in the doorway. "What's wrong?"
"We missed South Korea."
There was a long pause as the news sank in. "Oh, bugger." "Shit."
David put the phone on speaker. "Okay, how do we make it up to them?"
"They just want to be in before any of the option Jaegers."
Herc nodded. "We'll fit them in somewhere. How many they want?"
"They're committed to two. No options."
Jaz gave a thumb up and ran to Mako's office.
David turned back to the phone. "So, who wanted to get new Jaegers?"
"Laugh if you like, but… Britain, France, Germany, Israel, the U.A.E., Brazil, and India. Brazil and India want two each, as well."
Herc whistled. "With that many Jaegers, we might actually be able to assault the Breach and lay waste to the other side."
David looked at Herc with raised eyebrows.
"Not saying we will, but it's definitely a possibility now. Forty Jaegers?" Herc grinned. "We've got firepower to spare, even if we have a 25% downtime rate."
"So… You guys think you can use that many Jaegers?"
"Absolutely. I'm not going to lie: We'll lose a few. But these will be a lot more affordable, and the crews stand a higher chance of survival now." Herc crossed his arms. "And if they're willing to pay for a Jaeger, I say let 'em."
"Then I'll pass along the word that they'll be getting their Jaegers. When, we're not sure. But they'll get them."
"Sounds like a plan." David made a note to have Mako spool up a few more Jaegers. "Any word on the options?"
"No firm word yet, but I've heard mutterings that they will convert them to confirmed orders."
Herc grinned. Stacker, you should be here, mate. Forty Jaegers. "And I assume you gave the usual answer for those asking about their Jaegers?"
"Yes. 'We're still designing them, and we'll unveil them when they're ready. Now please, let us do our jobs and quit pestering us every week.'"
The three men laughed. "Alright, I need to turn our mad scientists loose on some more Jaegers."
"Tell them I said hello."
"Will do. See you in San Francisco?"
"Of course."
"Thanks for the heads up, Sam. See you on the 10th."
"No problem."
David ended the call and turned to Herc. "Forty Jaegers? How many are you going to deploy at any given time?"
"Probably turn loose two or three, even for small attacks. Larger attacks, we could make an argument for five."
"Jesus. I remember how awe-inspiring it was when they dropped in Los Angeles in 2017 with two. Five?" David made a 'mind blown' gesture. "We should sell tickets!"
Herc shook his head. "Raleigh's going to have his work cut out for him, yeah? 39 crews to find and train."
"That will be a challenge. But I think we need to get the academy started first. And it'll have to be big in order to find those crews, and fast."
Herc nodded and headed to his office. "Let's bring everyone else up to speed. We've got work to do."
-.-.-
Author's notes: Phew! Back at it again. And with a hell of a bang. 40 Jaegers? Got a lot of naming to do. ;)
