The clouds were an odd shade of gray this afternoon, and they pushed their rain heavily down to Earth. Puddles of water collected on the soft ground near the Shatterdome; everyone was cooped up in their rooms. Even Newt didn't make a peep, which was unusual for the building's inhabitants. Despite the gloomy weather, Mako enjoyed viewing the rain fall outside her window. She counted the pattering noises against the glass and watched drops race each other down the panel. It reminded her of a time so long, yet so close, ago...
Mako undid her harness and removed her helmet, placing it on the floor nearby. She flicked her hair, the sound of a loud turbine whir slowing down around her. Raleigh slipped out of his straps, tripping over his heavy shoe and stumbling forward a few feet. He looked at Mako, half hoping she didn't see that. Nonetheless, she was already looking back, and the two shared a laugh together. His smile looked ridiculous through the glossy visor, which made her laugh harder. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment thoroughly. Raleigh shook his head and pulled his helmet off, setting it down by Mako's helmet.
It was times like this when she was most happy, not to mention that her co-pilot made her chuckle way too often. The blond man breathed heavily, still recovering from the laughing fit, as he approached a keypad ahead. His fingers danced through some numbers, and the metal around them shook with a dull thump. A large, yellow pane began rotating outward from the bottom, still connected to metal from the top. A slow mechanical sound buzzed as it moved, vibrating both pilots. The pane eventually rested horizontally outwards from its hinge joint, leaving a butterfly-shaped hole in the metal. Mako and Raleigh stepped to the hole, looking out into the beautiful world. They were glaring through Gipsy's open visor, the Jaeger standing on a great cliff overlooking the Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls.
The blond man let out a whistle. "Ain't it somethin' out here?"
Mako cracked a smile, blinking slowly. "It is much prettier from up here."
"You've been before?" Raleigh questioned, turning his head to look at his co-pilot.
"I am from Japan. I have seen everything over here," she giggled. "Hong Kong is not too far of a flight."
He nodded, looking back out at the waterfalls. There was still so much to learn about Mako despite being in her head a few times before. Marshal Pentecost was "nice" enough to let them pilot together, although nice wasn't really the word to describe the situation. They had just beat the crap out of Otachi and Leatherback, and this was their chance to take Gipsy on a run before Operation Pitfall ruined the fun. Marshal Pentecost wanted them to go somewhere quiet and serene to clear their heads, and this is where Mako suggested.
Everything felt so small in a Jaeger. What used to be towering trees were now toothpicks, and Raleigh kinda liked it that way. Mako placed her hand on a jut of metal, screaming when a hiss of steam blew out of a vent to her side. She jumped back and clutched her chest, but Raleigh could only laugh.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he cautioned.
"Why? Is there a blown fuse?" the woman asked. "I can fix it-"
"It's not a fuse at all. She just doesn't like that," the blond quipped, shrugging his shoulders.
Mako was immediately confused. "Who does not like that?"
Raleigh pointed down. "Gipsy."
A small rumble echoed through the metal frame. Mako glanced around the inside of the Conn-Pod, surprised that her co-pilot would say something like that. She frowned and looked away from him.
"Mako, I didn't mean to make that sound weird," he explained. "I just have a habit of personifying things. It makes me feel more comfortable in battle." He rubbed between his eyes. "You know I'm kidding around, right?"
The woman glared back at him, her mouth slightly open. "No, I feel it, too. When we drift, there is someone else there. I did not say anything in fear you would tell Marshal Pentecost..."
Raleigh's eyes widened. He wasn't crazy after all. Ever since he first drifted with Yancy, he could sense a third voice in his head. It was a strange sensation in his mind, but there was really only one explanation. Trying to prove that Gipsy was sentient was the hard part. She just... never moved unless pilots forced her to. Her engines would purr whenever he said good things about her, and it was like she was talking in a way. Unbeknownst to him, Mako was also picking up on these cues.
The woman took a deep breath and rubbed her hand along some metal, moving slowly toward the hole where Gipsy's visor once was. It was odd to hear someone else confess to a third voice in the drift, but it made the situation much more real. Mako picked a leg up, swinging it through the hole and clutching to a jut of metal. She then swung her other leg out, effectively sitting with her legs dangling down to the ground so, so far below. Her palms were sweaty, but she was not nervous. If anything, she felt better than ever. Raleigh was about to yell at his co-pilot to get back inside, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he leaned his shoulder against the inner metal wall and watched a flock of birds fly near some trees.
Even way out here, the sound of running water rang through their ears. Mako pulled her knee up, sticking her heel against the metal she was sitting on. She pushed up to stand, but in the blink of an eye, she lost her footing. Her foot kicked out from under her, and her nails scratched against the jut of metal. Raleigh lunged forward with his hand extended, but Mako was already on her way down.
"MAKO!" he screamed, his heart beating frantically.
The blond man's vision became blurry for a moment, and the first thing he thought about was the thud Mako's body would inevitably make when she crashed against the ground. His body instinctively forced him to push his hands over his ears to block out the upcoming noise. He mumbled nonsensically to himself to further block the outside sounds. If only he had said something when he had the chance! Damn it, the marshal would have his head on a stick, and he watched his good friend fall to her death.
"Raleigh?" came a soft voice from down below, barely noticeable through his clogged ears.
The man bit his bottom lip, too scared to move. That is, until his name was repeated again. Did she survive the fall? Raleigh removed his hands from his ears and dashed to the opening, his stomach dropping when he looked down in preparation for a bloody scene. He yelled when he saw Mako's eyes staring up at him from only about 3 feet away. She was perched on something, and she looked just fine. The man ran his fingers through his hair.
"My God, you scared the hell out of me," he whimpered.
Mako smiled, knowing very well that she should have been dead. She flicked her hair out of her face, shuffling her feet on Gipsy's hand positioned below her...
Mako shook her head, allowing herself to snap out of the flashback. The raindrops were still running down the window as the storm slowly passed by. More than anything, she wanted to be back at the Ng Tung Chai Waterfalls with Raleigh. Instead, she was back at the Shatterdome without a co-pilot and without a Jaeger. She stared blankly at the puddles forming on the ground, watching them ripple every so often. A blurred figure moved in the background, heading out to the shore. Eventually, her eyes darted up to see the massive form of Cherno.
His metal feet squished through the damp ground, and rain clinked onto his armor. He was scanning the area around him, clearly looking for something. The Jaeger walked toward a patch of yellow flowers growing near a pit of mud. Lights flashed on his body as he bent over, extending his hand and scooping it under the flowers. He brought them close to his Conn-Pod, dirt falling back to the ground with every move he made. With a flare of his engines, he carefully stepped closer to the shore. A small, wooden stage was set up near the water's edge, and five elongated boxes sat on it. They were caskets: three for the Wei Tang triplets, and two for Aleksis and Sasha. Their photos rested on their respective caskets, rain beading over them.
Cherno was hesitant to get too close. He didn't want to break anything, especially the small display made by the humans. The caskets were set to ship out to cemeteries in Russia and China soon, and they remained here for the moment while everyone said their goodbyes. The Jaeger slid his hand down and plopped the flowers near his pilots' caskets. He wasn't exactly a gardener, but he saw the humans do something like that when they planted vegetables out back. He sensed the rain beating down on the coffins, and something about his parents being rained on didn't sit well with him. The massive machine shifted spots around the stage, allowing the slanted rain to hit his back and leave the caskets mostly dry.
No matter how long it rained outside, he vowed to be there. Crimson would appreciate his efforts to keep her brothers dry, too. His rumbling engines shook the ground around him as the air carried nothing but silence. If only he could go back and protect his parents, then they wouldn't be stuffed in boxes like some sort of kids' toys. They were worth much more than that. He wished they could pilot him, even if it were just one more time. For now, he would have to make do knowing the sleeping parents could again feel the love of their 280-foot tall son.
The next morning brought heavy fog around the Shatterdome. Puddles of rain remained plentiful in the soaking ground, and the sun barely shined through the gray clouds above. Mako decided to take a walk around the building and see what the rain had brought. It was a good time to clear her head, and despite the gloomy feel around her, the birds were still chirping happily. Every step her boots took squished through the mud, and the humidity was thicker than she had ever experienced. She watched the birds flutter near the trees, water still trickling from their leaves due to the rain last night.
Mako sang in a quiet and slow tone: "The blue of the sea, the evening sky, the mountain lakes and the flowers nearby. The gold of the early sourdough's dreams, the precious gold of the hills and streams..."
She stopped herself, not knowing how the rest of the song went. Besides, she didn't remember where it came from, only that she picked it up somewhere and had that particular section locked into her memory. She hummed the tune over again, hoping to recall the next lyrics, as she skipped her way to the trees. A splash of water kicked up over her pants due to an accidental step in a puddle, but today, she didn't mind. Once she got to a tree trunk, she tapped her hand on it to the tune of the song. She figured it was a very old tree, and maybe it didn't want to be bothered by her knocking. She just couldn't get the song out of her head.
Mako turned toward the shore and nearly jumped out of her clothes. A massive figure stood in the fog near the water, lights shining from it in several spots. It took her a while to remember, but she recalled Cherno coming out last night to the water. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart, then she began toward the Jaeger. His army-green frame became more visible with every step she took, and she practically had her neck cracked back to look at his Conn-Pod. Mako didn't hear the sound of his engines-he must be powered down despite his lights still being on. He was positioned to the side of the wooden stage, small drips of water running off his metal.
The woman climbed onto the stage and sat with her legs crossed in front of him. So, this is how it was to be an ant next to a human. In that moment, she felt like the smallest thing in the world. She took the time to gloss her eyes over the Russian's frame, analyzing all the small details his engineers implemented. Even though he was old for a Jaeger, he was still a fascinating machine. Somebody was either high or feeling like a badass when they designed him, which gave Mako a chuckle. She was much more familiar with Mark-3 Jaegers, but something about the simplicity of Mark-1s picked at her brain.
A bird fluttered near Cherno's reactor tower and landed on a piece of metal. It cocked its head around, seeming to glare at Mako every once in a while. The pilot smiled and flapped her arms up and down, earning the same motion from the bird. It cawed and danced around before jumping back into the humid air, appearing like more of a speck due to the low visibility. The bird flew out a few feet before looping around, heading back toward the rector tower. Mako flapped her arms again, and the bird turned its head to look at her. It was like some sort of communication, which excited her as she squinted her eyes shut. Suddenly, a dull thud caused the woman to jump, and she looked up just in time to see the bird's body falling to the ground. A few feathers stuck to the area it hit on Cherno's metal, and Mako put her hands over her mouth.
The body hit a pile of leaves with not much of a sound, and all was still in the area. The woman looked around as if anyone else saw what she did. She then sighed and settled her eyes on her crossed legs, picking her finger at some wood below. That certainly was not a part of her morning plan, but it did get the song out of her head.
"I am sorry, bird," she muttered to herself.
A slow grumble began in front of her, and it grew in volume to the point that it shook the stage. Mako shot her eyes up at Cherno, who was now firing his engines up. She gasped and shuffled backwards a few feet, placing her back against Aleksis' casket. Cherno released gushes of steam from his vents, and the air began warping around his heating frame. He relaxed his joints by hitching his arms slightly outwards and sliding his feet farther to the side in the soft sand. His sensors immediately picked up a human on the stage, though, and it caused him to pause for a moment.
Mako swallowed, keeping her eyes locked on the Jaeger. Even though it was no secret the machines were sentient, it was still terrifying to be this close to a conscious, 280-foot tall robot alone. She knew her fear was unjustified: Herc's story of the curious Crimson and Cherno investigating him let everyone know the Jaegers were not looking for human blood. Besides, she watched the Russian visit his parents' caskets last night-how evil could he be? She brushed her shirt off and stood up, stepping closer to the end of the stage.
"Cherno?" she asked. "Are you awake?"
Lights flashed on his metal frame, which likely meant a yes. He was busy accessing his vocal synthesizer from Tendo to communicate with the small human. A static blare came from the Jaeger before he shuffled his feet in the sand.
"I am awake," he responded in a booming voice.
Mako rubbed her arm. "You came out here to see your parents. Do you feel things like humans do?"
"I am metal, but I feel. Miss mother and father," came the reply.
How interesting. Not only were the Jaegers sentient, but they had emotions... or at least some form of them. For Cherno to miss his parents meant that they were something to him, that they left an impression on him. Maybe Aleksis and Sasha didn't know (or did they?), but their robot equated them with family and happiness. Even though they brought him into battle and into harm's way, he cared for them and yearned for them to return.
"How do you know you miss them?" Mako questioned.
"Empty Conn-Pod. Empty..." the Russian trailed off, unable to find the word.
The woman's first thought was that Cherno meant to say "heart," but he technically didn't have one. Therefore, he was having trouble relaying this to her. She brought her hand to her chest.
"Heart?" she finished.
The machine slowly raised his hand up, clunking it against his chest piece. He did not reply, but the mimicry was clear. The loss of Aleksis and Sasha did hurt his "heart," and he probably felt a lot like humans did when they lost people they loved.
"Is Crimson sad?" Mako added, dropping her hand to her side.
"Will not come to brothers. Says it hurts," Cherno answered.
These were a lot more than sentient robots: they were grieving beings trying to fit in with the strange world around them. The woman felt her heart tug, too, and she jumped off the stage. She sloshed through the wet sand toward Cherno's foot, and she put a hand on it. She wished she could give him a hug, but this was the best she could do. The Jaeger's frame rumbled contently at her touch.
"Anata wa tsuyoidesu," Mako whispered through her parted lips. "Tsuyoku ari nasai..."
[You are strong. Stay strong...]
She gave his foot a pat and closed her eyes, knowing that he didn't need a reminder to keep pushing ahead. Still, she wanted to get closer to the Jaegers, and this was a chance to connect with one. Getting Cherno back into the Shatterdome would be a difficult task, but if he could trust her like he did his pilots, then she could help him deal with the grief. For now, she pulled herself up onto a section of the machine's hard foot plate and rested on her back. The last thing she saw was his streaky, green armor before falling into a peaceful snooze.
Author's Note: Please leave me reviews on how you think the story is going. I'd like to have at least five new reviews before I post the next chapter so that I know you guys are enjoying my story!