Chương 6: 6. Getting to know people... not very well.
(Matt's POV)
"So, little Alien thingy, we're getting close to the base. When we get there you follow us, don't touch anything, and don't cause any trouble. Is that clear?"
I do a very obviously fake salute, "Crystal! I also noticed that you do not seem to like using my name. Is it difficult for you humans to pronounce my name?" I even tilt my head to the side, even if they are not turned towards me. The Jaegers do have cameras all around them.
A voice comes from Gypsy's speakers, "To be honest I don't even remember it anymore. Gloglo something?"
"Globgloglabgalab. Hm... having a difficult-to-pronounce name seems to be a barrier in your culture. According to some information I gathered, Matthew seems to be a common name in the United States of America. Is that right?" Vic pauses his stride, then resumes it. At this point, we are quite close to a descending platform.
"... Yes, Matthew would be a pretty common name in America." One of the Beckets says.
"Perfect! With the name Matthew, you can stop calling me by a derogative term. I heard that friendships start like that! Are we friends!?" I try to sound as hyper as I can. It's not that difficult with my high-pitched voice.
"Yeah, no. Being called Matthew-"
"Hey, you can call me Matt if you want!"
"... Being called Matt is convenient for us to address you, but that doesn't mean we're friends. You seem like a knowledgeable fellow, digging up information about "us humans" quite easily. So you should know that friendships involve trust and many other complex factors." A surprisingly positive response from this Yancy Becket.
To be honest, getting here without trouble is better than I expected. I was thinking more like traps, guns, maybe bomb threats?
|There is significant activity in their radio frequencies. Would you like to hear them?|
'I mean, sure-'
[Squads 1 through 9 are prepared at the landing bay. Victorian, Gypsy, you can ascend.]
I guess I thought too soon.
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Victorian Nemean attached the security latches to both itself and to Gypsy's body. I just kinda stood around the bottom of the platform, marveling at the size difference.
'How do they move those big ass robots? Hydraulics? Mechanics? Or is it some kind of alien technology that fell on this Earth?'
"So Matt the alien, how exactly did you appear suddenly? And in the middle of the Gulf of Alaska, exactly near one of the most active rifts?" I could practically feel the bitterness in those words.
"As improbable as it is, that's exactly what happened! And good thing I was there since I could save your robots!" If you wanna be a bitch about me being an alien then I'm gonna be a bitch about saving your ass.
I only hear some grumbling coming from the big robot, as the platform starts to ascend fairly rapidly.
Not 5 minutes later we are breaching the water surface and getting pulled inside a facility. It's a tall and wide facility that has some big ass machinery and a few vehicles moving about. Also, unsurprisingly, there are people dressed up as special forces with guns ready and aiming towards me.
"Hello! Are those the "guns" that humans seem to fear so much? I read that they use a fairly primitive way of inflicting damage! Do you truly use a controlled explosion to generate kinetic energy and fire a physical projectile with piercing properties?"
"I am NOT paid enough to be hearing this shit after all that." Vic starts dragging Gypsy's body towards a side of the facility. When I go to follow, all the armed agents yell at me to stay still and to not move. I tilt my head and point towards Vic.
"But they said I need to follow them."
"Ugh... stay there for now, lil' thing. The general will be here soon to fetch you up."
Eventually, Victorian Nemean hangs Gypsy Danger by the security latches in one part of the facility that seems to have bays. That has to be where they repair their Jaegers. After securing Gypsy, Vic attaches itself to a nearby bay. Some people were there, waiting for them and helping them out of their Jaegers.
Just as I was thinking about messing with these guys a bit more, the distinct sound of footsteps came from behind them. As one, the units divide themselves in the middle, and through the passage that forms comes a man.
General Stacker Pentecost is a tall black man, dressed as a high-ranking military man would. His stride is confident, his countenance stony. He walks up in front of his men (although as they fanned out most could still shoot me) and looks me over from above.
Now, I was tall in my last life being 1.86 m (6'1"~) but this motherfucker is taller than that. A simple scan shows he is 1,90m (6'3"~) with a very defined musculature and... traces of radiation poisoning?
"So you are the "alien" that Kellenham and Miller reported about. You will now follow me, without resistance, and we will contain and question you. Do you understand?" This guy is very demanding.
"I am willing to help your species fight against the monsters coming from the rifts, but under no circumstances will I give up my freedom." This is the first time my voice isn't happy or casual. I need them to understand this is not something I will give way.
He cocks an eyebrow, looks at the surrounding soldiers, and then looks at me again. I tilt my head to the side.
"You are surrounded by armed soldiers, in a bay with Jaegers ready to attack," Your bluff is awful, dude. The robots could barely walk. "You will come with us. Detain it."
As a group of soldiers come forth to try and detain me, I say, "I've done some research and your jurisdiction does not have any laws regarding extraterrestrial lifeforms, even if you do have laws for aliens as in foreigners." They come closer and I dash backwards. Just as I would trip over the platform behind me, Caby forms insect-like wings and suspends me.
'Thanks, buddy.'
"You are resisting arrest! We will be forced to use force!" Pentecost seems tense. I would be too, in his situation.
"While this solution is not desired, it is expected. I will say that if you choose to estrange me - regardless of your ability to do me harm - I will retract my offer for help and retaliate in kind. You are thus warned." As I finish the sentence, I lift both my arms which quickly turn into cannons.
Just as the tensions were reaching their peak, I could see Pentecost gritting his teeth, preparing to order the attack, and a voice cut through it all.
"Hey, general! Let the thi- Let Matt go!" From the side where the Jeagers were came a voice. As we looked at the source of the interruption, we saw a worried-looking Yancy Becket, following not too far behind is an even more worried Raleigh Becket.
"What is the meaning of this, Ranger? Are you going to side with the alien over your fellow soldiers?" Pentecost speaks through his teeth.
"No, sir! I have more to add to the report and think the information is crucial!" Yancy stands at attention but stares Pentecost in the eye. Raleigh arrives just in time to get a stare from Pentecost and stands at attention soon after.
I could see the unwillingness in Pentecost's eyes as he said, "Do you have anything to add as well, Ranger Raleigh?"
Raleigh looks at Yancy and the brief moment they exchanged looks told a story only the two would understand. With a wry smile, Raleigh adds, "I also have things to report, General." The subtle smile at the corner of Yancy's mouth is so quickly hidden you would imagine it never existed.
Pentecost looks like he ate the most sour lemon in existence but after a silent deep breath, he states, "Understood. Get on with your reports!" He looks at me, trying to study my form.
"Sir! The alien appeared as we were taking a critical hit and got the Kaiju away from us, possibly saving the Gypsy... and myself. After that, it attacked both Kaiju and got rid of them in the blink of an eye. I believe it could've attacked us too if it deemed us a threat. Or if it didn't want us for anything. I think we can hear what it has to say before we take any further offensive actions."
Pentecost stares long and hard at Yancy, eventually looking at Raleigh, "What about you, Ranger Raleigh? Anything to add?"
"... Sir. From what I've seen, the alien possesses very advanced technology. If we cannot cooperate I would at least suggest that we do not provoke retaliation. As for the report, the intervention saved the Gypsy from being totally scrapped, me and Yancy included. That is all, sir."
Silence settles upon us as Pentecost ponders for a moment. "At ease."
At his words, the soldiers around him lower their guns to the ground but remain ready to snap their aim towards me in case it is needed. I similarly disengage my cannons. "I want a FULL report of what happened out there, together with the records from the Jaegers' speakers and cameras, with attention to Gypsy Danger. The alien will stay in a secure room." At this point, he turns to me with a fierce look. "I will give you a chance. Do not make me regret it."
I feel a slight regret at not being able to fight them, but this is better anyway so I nod.
Seeing my apparent agreement, he barks a few more commands and a group of armed soldiers comes towards me, apparently my escort. I slowly fly to the ground near them and see the Becket brothers looking over. I give them a nod and an excited wave since I don't need to be all serious anymore. Yancy gives me an uncertain thumbs up while his brother whacks him in the shoulder and pulls him away. Funny guys.
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Waiting here in this gray room, I idle about making Symby cover my hand under and over my Scarab armor. Doing it under feels like putting in a skin-tight suit over another skin-tight suit which is not very comfortable at first, but gets very normal when it settles. Doing it over the suit is like covering myself with a warm blanket. 'Why is it different?'
{Don't look at me! It's Mr. Frosty's fault~!}
|The nature of the Scarab armor and the armor-like form the Symbiote assumes is different. While possible to fuse them together, the way to get the most benefits would be to have the Symbiote form below the Scarab armor, as it stretches its bio-material less and your connection is stronger. It is a minimal limitation that I estimate will vanish once we fuse the armor with the EVO nanites since the armor would also be considered a part of you.|
{See?? ALL his fault!} I guess... Talking about different things now, I'll try this aura thing. I'll try this one just in case I need a bigger physical oomph.
This power is weird. Using the Scarab armor is like mentally controlling a computer, engaging the Symbiote powers is more of a feeling of reaching a connection that was always on the back of my awareness and the shards are mental switches... this one feels like I have to connect with a deep well within myself, and pull its contents to the surface.
Once I did that, it felt like a 'snap!' and the two connected. I immediately felt much more energetic. I could see a pale blue glow-like aura coming out of my body. The weird thing is...
|My scans show increased biological activity and the presence of a strange energy. It seems to elude my sensors, however. I cannot get an accurate read on it.|
Huh... I guess you can't sense Soul energy maybe? How do I train my soul anyway? Even if I got Aura and Haki, Aura seems to be something derivative of the soul but not exactly soul power, while Haki might have something to do with the soul but it has more to do with will.
Just gotta train the powers as they are and hope that my soul is getting the workout it needs or whatever. In any way, first I need to know how long I can maintain this Aura in a normal, non-dangerous setting. That should show me the 'size' of my so-called 'deep reserves'. From that baseline, we can start testing controlled damage.
'Keep trying to scan this energy, Caby. I'll leave it on for as long as I can for now. Try to detect when it stops.'
As I was thinking about what to test next, the door opened, and in came three men. Two armed- err, I guess all are armed. Two of them have rifles and Pentecost has a pistol in a holster.
"The Rangers said you have a very peculiar name but decided to adopt a more 'human' name, for better communication. Matthew. Matthew, why are you here? And are you a threat to my base and to the U.S.A?"
"I don't mean no harm to humans! As long as you don't harm me. I'm even willing to help! I find these big robots you have fascinating and the monsters attacked me."
"...is it normal for your species to glow like that?" Oh yeah, the glow...
"Yeah, it happens from time to time." Good thing I don't need to make sense.
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