Jazz was 12 when the firs alien attack happened – he still could remember that day clearly. It had started like every other day before the attack. He had woken up, cheered that it was the weekend and he didn't have to go to school and ate some cereal and talked about his newest interest to his parents. He had been gushing about space, aliens and travelling through the stars, ironic, considering what happened just a few hours later.

The aliens had attacked out of nowhere, razing a path through one of the cities and killing thousands before the army could stop them. That day, humanity learned two things: aliens were real, and they were hostile. No one knew why the aliens even attacked them to begin with but after the second attack a few months later, it became obvious it was not a one-off thing. Life was never the same after that.

…

After 10 years and a lot of physical training, examinations and procedures, Jazz was finally an official mech pilot and was assigned to one of the bases near the east coast. He was finally taking his first steps into the real mech business. He knew what to expect thanks to the 2 years of academy training he got before being assigned, but still, a sort of nervous energy coursing through his veins as he stood in front of the main entrance.

"Here it is, my new workplace…" he muttered to himself as he watched the giant facility just beyond the gate "Alright, Jazz, now you just need to go in and-"

"Hey, you! What are you doing there?! Don't you know loitering in front of a military facility is dangerous and punishable?!" – a greying security guard shouted.

The guard was old, his hair and moustache almost entirely gray and he was approaching Jazz with an angry scowl and red face.

"U-uhm, I am just-" – Jazz was not prepared to be shouted at first thing in the morning.

"Hey, lay off the lad, Clyde! Also, it is not good fer yer health ta be shoutin'so early in the mornin'!" a middle-aged man driving a small car full of boxes said, then he turned towards Jazz "But ol'Clyde is right 'bout that, lad. Ya can't be hangin' out here without a reason or you might get in trouble if there's an emergency."

"Ah! I actually have a reason to be here." Jazz showed his transfer documents "I was officially transferred here to start working as a mecha pilot! I was told that I'd be meeting my instructor here and receiving my pass for the facility but… Well, no one's here yet!" – Jazz forced a smile and tried to ignore Clyde staring daggers at his papers.

"Well, I be damned! You are that new guy the pilots were talkin''bout, then?Heh!" the man smiled "I can call sergeant Knox to come and pick ya, then! Knowing the guy, he's still checkin' over the mech hangars right now."

"Oh, that would be great! Thaks!" – Jazz perked up.

"Ah, no worries, lad. We're all colleagues here, even if I am just a handyman and a glorified delivery boy!" – the man winked and dialed someone on his phone.

Not even 10 minutes later, sergeant Knox, a fit man in his late 30s, obviously military affiliated with the medals on his uniform, with black hair, a pair of sunglasses and tanned skin came out to greet Jazz.

"Sorry for the delay, newbie. Got a bit delayed at the hangars." – Knox scratched the back of his neck.

The driver mouthed one last 'I told you so' before he drove off into the facility.

"It is not a problem, sir!" Jazz saluted his supervisor "It was not a problem at all!"

"No need to be so tense! Unlike some people in command, I am not that big on salutes or being all proper all the time. As long as you do the job and know when to be serious, I don't mind even a few friendly spats." Knox removed his sunglasses and Jazz immediately noticed that he was missing an eye "Still, it was not a very good first impression to leave you hanging out and waiting for me on the first day, for that, I apologize." – he extended a hand towards Jazz.

"I don't mind, but it is a pleasure to finally be here!" – Jazz shook the hand.

"Alright. Now that this is out of the way, come with me. I will show you around today and explain how things work around here. We'll be meeting the other pilots after lunch." – Knox took the papers from Jazz and led him inside.

Jazz meanwhile felt like he was buzzing with even more energy. He was finally going to be a mech pilot! He could feel it in his gut – this was going to be his most important decision he ever made and his life would not be the same after!

…..

Jazz was led into a large hangar absolutely buzzing with activity and stocked with boxes and shelves as far as he could see.

"This is the loading bay. All the supplies for the base get delivered here. If you want something done quickly or delivered to you, ask one of the guys here or just come here! The manager here is super chill, despite his outward appearance." – Know explained as they passed though a huge storage facility full of heavy machinery, cranes and workers wearing blue-green vests.

"I see…" – Jazz said a bit unsure.

"Well, basically this is where all spare parts, supplies and so on are. If your mech busts some joint or circuit, you fill out the report and one of the guys here will make sure you get the needed parts." Know handed a list to one of the workers "Here's the daily supply records. We're running out of a few materials." – he said to the bay worker.

"I will have them delivered as soon as possible, sir!" – the Asian woman gave a short bow and moved on.

"Alright! Let's move on to the next department!" – Knox said cheerfully and led Jazz away.

….

"This is the med bay!" – Knox announced.

The space was clean and stank of the usual hospital cleaning products. There were a few beds but they were empty and had no patients, yet everything was stocked and ready to be used at a moment's notice. After all, no one knew when exactly an alien attack might happen. There were a few nurses cleaning some equipment Jazz had no idea what it was called, just knew it looked very high-tech.

"This is the most important place in the base! Well, at least according to most, some think the labs or the mech hangar is the most important but that's on them. We won't be able to do anything if the good doctors and nurses here didn't keep us all alive!" – Knox patted Jazz on the back.

"I agree too! My mother is a nurse, so I would never not appreciate a doctor!" – Jazz nodded.

Just then two men entered the med bay with a crash and a lot of shouting.

"Do you not have any sense of responsibility?! You fragger!" – a middle-aged ginger man in baggy hospital uniform and a scowl on his face shouted.

Oddly enough, Jazz noticed he wore steel-toed work boots with some oil stains on them and even his pockets were full of screwdriver, pliers and a few wrenches.

"Please, act professionally, Ratchet. Such behavior is unfitting for the med bay." – the taller, middle-aged man with long face and neatly combed black and a bit graying hair said in a calm tone.

"Unfitting my ass! I shouldn't even be doing this job! I am supposed to be helping teach the new engineers and not be running around fixing your messes!" Ratchet growled, his fingers itching to grab a wrench "What were you thinking?! Signing off on that pilot before he was fully recovered?! I had to patch him up right there in the middle of the field because his stitches broke! He should have been here for a few more days before he was released! Have you lost your mind, Pharma?!"

"His injury was not that severe." Pharma didn't even look at Ratchet "I judged he'd be well on his own after questioning him if there was any pain and an examination. It is his fault for not being careful enough." – he then took one of the chart holders and began looking through it.

"That's not a fragging reason to- Oh." Ratchet finally noticed Jazz and Know "We will continue this later!" – he growled at Pharma before turning his attention to the two men.

"Good day, Ratchet! How are ya?" – Knox greeted.

"Bah! Not too well because of some irresponsible buffoon! Sorry you had to see that, kid. Are you a new recruit? Never seen you before. Do you need some medical assistance or-" – the medic began.

"Uh- no, I am fine, sir. My name is Jazz, I just came here this morning. Nice to meet you, sir." – Jazz extended a hand.

"Ratchet. Likewise. Sorry you had to see that on your first day." – Ratchet scowled at Pharma's back.

"This is actually quite common here. The old doc has a shouting match with Pharma quite often, they don't see eye to eye, like, at all." – Know explained.

"I am not that old! I still have a few years before retirement. But yes, that fragger has earned it! I still have to clean up after him, even after I was transferred to work in Engineering." the medic/engineer grumbled "Just an advice, kid, never lie to a doctor and if Pharma tells you that you are fine, always request a second opinion." – he warned Jazz.

With that ominous warning, Jazz was led away from the med bay. Just as the door was closing, he heard Ratchet arguing with Pharma once more.

…

Jazz was led into the Control Center, the building at the center of the base, a large tower with many antennae sticking from the west side of the building. They entered through one of the doors, after a security guard checked them, since there was a lot of important equipment and data inside and they needed to be careful.

"This is the Control Center building but it also houses the offices of the managers and the director of this facility, the labs, R and so on. Most regular pilots don't have free access to this place but you need to know the general layout of the place in case of an emergency, got it?" – Knox glanced back at him.

"Yes, Mr. Knox." – Jazz nodded.

"Good, now there are a few rules to follow while here specifically.

Don't touch anything that you don't have permission to, including things that seem to have been dropped to the floor. The guys get upset and it can be dangerous.

For the love of God or whatever you believe in, if you see some unknown object you can't recognize from a first glance, a broken container or a spill of any kind, DO NOT approach it and sound the alarm. The labs are located in the underground floors, so it most likely is something from there.

If you are lost, do not wander into rooms, just call someone on the phone or wait in some hallway corner.

Even if you are hungry, never take the last bagel. Jimmy from the IT department has all rights on it or he might bring chaos and destruction to the whole base until he gets his bagel.

And maybe the most important rule of all: Beware of Shockwave! Stay as far away from him as you can, if not, just don't say or do something that would get his attention." – Knox finished.

Jazz was a bit confused, especially by the last rule because, 1) Who even names someone Shockwave and 2) Who is he and why is he so dangerous? He wanted to ask Knox that but was interrupted when a door suddenly opened and a guy ran out of the room, colliding with Jazz.

"Oof!" – Jazz stumbled and almost fell down.

"Gah! Watch where you are going! You almost made me spill the coffee on my new jeans!" – the man shouted at him.

He was pasty-faced young man with hair dyed blonde and slicked back with so much get it looked wet. He was decked with an expensive-looking watch, a golden chain, a few earrings and a lab coat on top of a shirt. He also smelled strongly of perfume.

"Uh, but you bumped into me! It is all your fault!" – Jazz pointed at him.

"Ugh, do you know who I am? Who my father is?! You do not speak to me like that, pleb!"

Jazz was about to fire a response back but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back just to see Knox shaking his head with a sour look.

"We are very sorry about this, sir. Please excuse the transgression." – he bowed.

"Hph! At least one of you knows his place. Fine, I forgive the tarngersion this time, but only because I have places to be! Next time I am telling father!" – the slicked guy huffed and disappeared down the hallway.

After he was sure he won't be heard, Jarr looked at his guide and asked.

"Who was even that rude guy?! Is he some important big-shot to be acting like this?!"

"Oh, that's Kevin. He's an intern in the labs, the definition of 'spoiled brat' if I have seen one. He only got in because his father is one of the biggest sponsors of the MECH program, but Kevin… well, you saw it, he's an idiot. If he gets a pissy fit, just use some big words and look like you agree with him and he'll leave. I guarantee you he won't even remember you next time you meet him. It's just easy to send him on his way rather than argue with him." – Knox waved his hand and led Jazz in the other direction.

"Wait, if he's that dumb, why are they keeping him in the labs?" – Jazz asked, a bit curious.

"Eh, mostly because his dad gives money but also because he's verry good at pulling levers and pressing switches dramatically. Also, because he's become something like Shockwave's 'minion' and no one wants to take his place in the labs." – Knox smiled but then shuddered a bit, leaving Jazz even more confused.

….

Jazz was being introduced to the different communication officers, what they did and who'd he be assigned to for his first few months in the base, while he got used to the actual work and training regime. The room was a hubbub of different noises and small conversations, when everything suddenly went deathly quiet.

The sudden silence in the bustling room hit Jazz like a physical wave. The hum of monitors, the chatter of communication officers, and even the clicking of keyboards ceased, leaving an almost eerie void. Jazz, mid-sentence, froze and felt shivers run down his spine. He felt someone staring at him.

Thud-thud-thud!*

Heavy steps were coming closer and Jazz felt like a character in a horror movie. Then, the steps stopped just behind him.

'It's right behind me, isn't it?' – Jazz thought and fearfully glanced back.

Just a few steps behind him stood a man -or something that had once been a man, easily towering over everyone in the room, more than 2 meters tall. A yellow glowing visor covered the top half of his nose, making it look like a giant yellow eye was peering down through Jazz. Antennae were sticking from his skull and now that Jazz had a petter look, the man's limbs were also made of metal. A thick cable snaked from his left arm to his back, and a long purple coat swayed slightly as he moved.

"You…" the man leaned a bit closer to Jazz's face "I do not recognize you from any of the staff files in the database. Who are you?" – the glow in the visor flickered and seemed to focus on him.

Jazz felt cold sweat run down his back, his mouth was suddenly very dry, it was like there was a lump stuck in his throat.

"Good day, sir!" Knox said and jazz could breathe again "This is a new recruit. He just arrived at the base, that's probably why the files aren't up-to date. The new personnel's file must not have been uploaded yet." – Know smiled but Jazz could see he was nervous.

"I see… this explanation is logical!" the cyborg in purple exclaimed "That's why I couldn't find his medical file!" – he nodded to himself.

Everyone in the room but Jazz and the man in purple shivered. Jazz then felt the metal fingers of the cyborg make their way onto his shoulder, his hand moving like a giant metal spider before the fingers clamped onto his shoulder like a clamp, the grip almost painful.

"Say, do you happen to have a peanut allergy?" – the man leaned uncomfortably close, the glare of the yellow visor making Jazz squint.

"N-no. I am not allergic to peanuts." – Jazz stammered.

"Well, that's just a shame." the man sighed in disappointment and seemingly lost all interest and let Jazz go "I came here to also address the delay of correspondence with our southern branch. The data should have arrived by 9 this morning but it has not been delivered to the labs. Why is that?" – the cyborg tilted his head, addressing the whole room.

"T-the data has not come to us , yet, s-sir!" a woman answered shakily "We've sent a massage to address the problem but no response has come, yet! I apologize! We'll send the data over once it arrives!"

"Understandable. If no response comes by 14:00 give them a call, the data sets are crucial for smooth and timely continuation of the work at my lab. Have a nice day!" – he said, turned around with a flutter of his long purple coat and walked towards the exit.

As soon as the doors closed behind the man, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Jazz even saw a few people start praying or pull out rosaries or necklaces.

"W-what's going on?! What just happened? Who was that?!" – Jazz immediately fired questions at Knox.

"Damn, lad! I don't know if you are lucky or very unlucky! That- was Shockwave and you were almost a goner! Good thing you weren't allergic to peanuts or you'd have been 'reassigned' on your first day here." – Know even did air quotes as he said that.

"R-reassigned?" – Jazz fearfully asked.

"It is basically a code for when Shockwave drags someone to his lab for experimentation. If he takes an interest in someone, unless they are important for the upper management, they get 'reassigned' in around 3 days." – an older communication officer explained.

"Yes, we've seen a lot of people 'reassigned' in the years he's been working for MECH." An older woman shook her head "And that's why you have to beware of Shockwave – he can take interest in you out of nowhere and you have no idea what he would do. Some people come back a while later, like Mike – he has lost the ability to taste anything sour, and others… we don't see again and I don't know if it is for better or worse."

"B-but- that… Is that legal?! Don't they say anything when people get taken like that?" – jazz was just now starting to realize how close he had been just moments ago.

"Unfortunately, no. Shockwave is a genius, he advanced the mech technology with leaps and bounds, so he's too important for HQ to be let go. But that's bad for us because he's a literal mad scientist and can do all sorts of crazy experiments without anyone being able to do a thing." – Knox sighed and shook his head.

"Let me guess." Jazz looked up at Knox "He's also why you warned me about unknown objects and mysterious spills?"

"You got that right! 99% of the time it is one of his experiments." – Knox gave a thumbs up.

"Oh, boy…" – Jazz's arms trembled uncontrollably, his fingers curling into fists to hide the shake.

He really hoped he won't run into Shockwave anytime soon.

Meanwhile down in the labs=

The lab was big and dim, there was an almost overwhelming smell of chemicals and it was filled with a lot of very expensive equipment, the kind that normal people would probably not be able to see their whole lives. There were many work tables, some had papers and folders stacked on them, others had glass vials full of mysterious liquids and green alien blood, some had glass jars full of bits of flesh floating in liquid and petri dishes, in the middle of the lad was a large operating table stained with greenish-brown splotches of alien blood. A 4-legged purple spider-bot crawled down one of the walls and settled on one of the many work tables.

[Kevin! Where are you? What are you doing right now?] – Shockwave's voice crackled through the speaker.

"C-coming!" Kevin was startled and quickly shoved his phone in his pocket before running to the robot "I am in the lab, master Shockwave."

[Good. I am going out for a coffee break, please go inform I will be borrowing one of the inters from logistics for a few days to test my new formula.]

"I will go straight away, master!" – Kevin then ran out of the lab.

The small robot's camera followed his movement before it powered down. A few moments later, the robot automatically climbed back up to join the small army of similar robots crawling on the ceiling, well-hidden by the shadows of the lab.