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[Scanning Organic Processing System]

[SUBJECT:Flynn Torrentia Coppertip]

[Checking all Primary Systems...]

[Life Support...95% Nominal.]

[Internal Cockpit Cam...Running]

[Misc. Sensory array...Running]

[Booting Cockpit Cam]

[ST:4420/09/0097] "Icebreaker"

'Hello,Mr.Coppertip. I am Mr. Harris,a PCA Affairs Investigator. You and your Armored Core have been claimed by a scavenging fleet following a severe coral detonation. What do you know of this event surrounding the Coral Storms?'

'Id say I dont know much. I lacked the mental strength to process all of it.'

'Well then try,Mr.Coppertip. You cant live forever. We need answers.'

'Ill start with what I can remember,Mr. Harris. It all seemingly started when I was reactivated for the the first of my afterlife duty..."

A brain in a vat was floating,connected to varying wires that lead to a hybrid Armored Core. An engineer was jotting down information based on the reactions of the machine vs the brain. Their shoulder brandished the Rubicon Research Institute logo.

Another scientist donned in a black coat approached the scientist,slamming a thick book down on an empty spot of the control panel.

"I assume Flynn is doing well?" The seemingly more important scientist asked.

"Admirably well. We have even done a neural transfer between other ACs that he is capable of operating. Its as if he never left." The lower scientist said as they proudly display the noted results.

"Good. Coppertip is expected to sortie soon."

"Your model request,ma'am?" The scientist asked as he looks to the lead for her next move.

"Put him in the Model F23 his contractors requested." The Lead scientist spoke as she looked to the future pilot. A single optic was staring at her from the bottom of the brain,yellow in color and wide open.

"The Mutt? There are ple-"

"Watch your tongue,Errand boy,that Armored Core you call a 'mutt' is piloted by someone who can slaughter a 12 ship PCA armada on his own. Gods forbid we cross not that pilot but the Corpos that paid us to keep him alive. Commission the build before the end of the day,and see me in my office."

Multiple armored core parts were being assembled on a line. First the legs,then the chest,arms and head,all seamlessly mounting together. A Black serial code was printed on the left side of the chest,"FL4T-H34D-MF23".

'What I know so far,is that the RRI were desperate,as was the corporation that revived me,to deal with the storms following the Safe Coral Release. I wanted no part in burning it at first...'

The Brain was adminisered an armor shell that meshed over the camera,turning the spinal cord into a specialized plugin. It too recieved a stencil on the left side.

The armored brain was lowered into a Lammergier head,along with other vital components,and an engine. The head was geared to eject like an escape pod. Everything the brain needed was present. The pod closes on the top,sealing shut with a gentle hiss...

The head was locked into a custom body,and the entire armored core was moved to an arena.

The armored core was battling without weapons,tearing heads off of cores with no hesitation,not even a remorse of thought.

They pull a pilot from their machine,crushing them in the palm of their hand and grabbing the steel cadaver,flying through the roof of the training room with them as a shield against the rubble and concrete.

'FIND THAT PILOT!'

'I eventually saw for myself the dangers of the Storm...'

The Armored core dodged through platoons of enemies,and out a side exit into a burning red storm. Everything,except for the facility he left,and himself were nothing but ash.

[Warning:Hull burning detected!]

[Warning:External temperature approaching hull compromise. Seek cover.]

The now charred Armored Core managed to find another facility to hide in,not far away.

Sector 12 - Coral Management

'The Storm Burners,what were they to you?''

Flynn brings his new body to rest,white hot burns slowly fading into charring. An Armored core,a BASHO model rounds the corner with their weapon ready. Flynn raises his hands.

"Speak,Mutt,before youre added to the Scrapyard." The Basho spoke.

"[I need help. Please. I do not know what is going on.]" Flynn spoke in a scratchy monotone voice.

The Basho slowly lowers his weapons. "You come with me. No funny shit."

'As far as im concerned with them,they were allies,as well as a voice of the Coral.'

The Basho slowly leads Flynn to an AC bay,full of other armored cores with an indistinguished emblem. "Youll be speaking to our lead,Axxiom once you are in a harness."

'A voice?'

'A Coralized Rubiconian,a disembodied conciousness that found its way into an empty body.'

Flynn was shown to his bay,and locked in place with an assembly harness. The Basho leaves briefly,returning with a black and green tetrapod. 'I found the fledgeling taking cover from a blood mist storm."

'Axxiom,the one who spoke for the Storm, was a Tetrapod of impressing stature.They knew which parts to burn and which to preserve. A force to be reckoned with honestly...'

'[Leave us. Resume your patrol,Icon.]' The large tetrapod spoke in a deep,yet smooth male voice,allowing his lower class to leave. As soon as the Basho left,the Tetrapod approched Flynn a little further.

'[You are of RRI origin. Are you a Test Subject?]'

'[Formerly. I escaped and found you.]'

'[I welcome you to The Storm Burners. Former test subjects of a Research long past. You are among brothers. Pilots forced into a painful,vivid afterlife following the Storm of 621.]'

'This...'Axxiom',he was a speaker for the coral?'

'He was coral. A speaker for all. An energy based being.'

'How did he help you?'

'He didnt feed me to the Storm.'

'[We have been gathering many like you,to resolve the problem outside. We fear the worst. The storm boils with vengeful thoughts and actions. Coral Blood Mist saturates the land. We need help.]' Axxiom requested,as he double checked his smaller ally.

'[I cannot promise everything. I have a fight to finish.' Flynn spoke,locked forward.

'[All I ask is your loyalty,even tempotarily. If so,I will deal with you later. If not,see yourself to our diligent engineers. They will replace you with something more suitible to the storm.']

'Did you have any plans? Second guesses?'

'I trusted him with my life,for allowing me to work alongside him. My only plan was to save Rubicon.'

'Interesting...That will be all for now.'

[ST:4420/10/0097] "The Aurora's Beginning"

'When did you die,Do you remember anything important?'

'Why ask me such an impolite question?'

'...Mr Coppertip,I do not wish to offend you in any way. We just need help assembling the grand picture. You were involved in a planetary crime that has been outside of PCA control for decades,and has been an ongoing case. Remember where you stand,Merc.'

'Fine.'

[BOOM!]

"COPPERHEAD WAKE UP!!" A voice shouted.

Flynn had been stunned by an opponent,and right as he came to,he managed to dodge out of the way of a light weight armed with an Ashmead. They only barely touched Flynn,shedding a bit of paint in the process.

"Where the hell did he come from?!" Flynn yells out as he put some distance between himself and the rogue AC.

"COPPERHEAD,REDGUNS NORTH SIDE!!"

Missiles gave chase to Flynn. He made for the closest building to hide behind. "Copper I need support!! Their heavyweight is slaughtering my armor!!" Another voice demanded as the lightweight rounds the corner,forcing Flynn to flee out into the open to help out his team.

'A lot of what i can remember was a clusterfuck. Myself and a few squadmates were serveying The Wall for increased Redgun activity after their wipeout. We were exepecting a few straggling MTs,if we were really unlucky it would be a Class A medium weight."

'And were you?'

'Rubicon must have really hated us that day...Because what happened next..."

A bright red aurora ripped across the sky,stopping everyone.

'Life on Rubicon,Life EVERYWHERE, changed permanently.'

Flynn was about to use the moment to help,when the Lightweight came in front,forcing its Ashmead through Copperhead's chest,and by extent the pilot.

[WARNING WARNING WARNING-]

[PILOT COCKPIT COMPRIMISED]

[MAJOR BLOOD LOSS DETECTED]

Copperhead grasps the spike as the lightweight stops again,looking to the sky. Flynn slowly moves the spike out,yelling in pain slightly as he freed himself of the spike.

Oil and small amounts of blood dribbled from the open wound as Flynn attempted to contact his allies. They were dark,unmoving and unresponsive.

Tongues of coral aurora suddenly drop,seeking out armored cores,taking the Redguns causing them to release a red strand of energy into the sky...Not touching the allies...

A tongue passed through Flynn,red lightning crackling through the armor,forcing it to one knee.

[Warning...War-zning..]

[Near..dzzzth...imminent..]

[Issuing SOS..]

'You were dying. Who saved you at the start of the Aurora?"

'The people who issued the contract. Tronmech.'

'This...Tronmech. Do they have anything to do with the Detonation?'

'As far as i know,Tronmech was a new face to the corporate warfare. They largely took care of their own,even Mercs who were in it only for the free tech. I cannot speak for the company on behalf of that detonation."

A Helicopter shines a light onto the downed armored core,deploying a harness to retrieve Flynn. Upon the harness firmly attaching,the helicopter flew away,withdrawing its cargo into its bay.

'Do you remember anything else?'

'No. And Id rather stop talking about it as well. Makes my circuits burn..."

'I will return momentarily with my partner. Theyre a little less formal and shouldnt stress your remaining circuits. You are already improving our investigation by decades."

'Glad I can help...I guess.'