01

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[Video]

[A serious-looking girl appears on the network. The video clearly shows the inside of a mostly-empty apartment, and the girl herself is wearing the COMP glasses, eyes quickly scanning - presumably, she's reading something on the network as she talks rather than looking at the camera.]

The people who greeted me on arrival suggested I introduce myself over the network once I moved in. My name is Latooni Suvota. I was...brought to this place without my knowledge, but I'm told this is common here due to some kind of unconfirmed dimensional activity. If anyone could summarize what they know about it, and how this city might be connected to other dimensions, I would appreciate it.

Other than that...I'm still getting acquainted with this place, but I hope I'll be able to help with any problems this city has while I'm here.

Oh, one more thing...

[With a quick and seemingly-practiced motion, the camera angles flicks to Latooni's point of view through the glasses, and she turns her head to look out her apartment's balcony door. Only a couple floors down from where she's sitting is the red, white, and blue head of a humanoid machine, which by all appearances has been left standing in a thankfully mostly vacant parking lot.]

Are there any hangar or garage facilties here that could fit a personal trooper about 18 meters tall?

Comments

[Video]

[second_destiny]

...Huh. Well, that makes three of us now.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Hm? Three of who?

[second_destiny]

...Oh. Sorry. I meant three, uh...

[What word to use when "mobile suit" won't necessarily work...]

Mecha. There's three people with mecha here.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I see. You're a pilot too?

[second_destiny]

Yep, you got it. I'm Captain Asem Asuno of the Earth Federation Special Forces. My mobile suit's here, too.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Lieutenant Latooni Suvota, Earth Federation Army. Probably not the same Earth, but...

[After some awkward juggling with her wristwatch to keep herself in-frama, she salutes.]

[second_destiny]

E-er, hey, come on...!

[He wasn't expecting that. And from a girl so young...but hey, his own father was only fourteen when he joined the battle against Vagan.]

I-it's okay. We don't need that kind of formality here.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[Latooni relaxes and nods. She's used to informal officers by now.]

Is there anywhere we should be keeping our mecha? Wildraubtier is only average-size, but it still takes up a lot of space in a city like this.

[second_destiny]

If there's a place, I haven't found it. I've been parking mine in the Capricorn district since that's mostly empty field until I can find something.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I'll move the Wildraubtier out there for now, then. I think it's probably disrupting traffic here...

...I wonder why they'd bring large equipment like that here if there's no place to store it. Even if they don't really control what appears here, you'd think there would be a limitation...

[second_destiny]

Beats me. Maybe they're expecting us to take some additional territory or something?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Well, if they're bringing in soldiers and military hardware...

[second_destiny]

But we also have to fight in the city, too.

Hey I missed this tag at some point

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

PTs are reasonably precise, but there's still a high probability of collateral damage given how confined the battlefield is. Did they also bring in on-foot specialists...?

[Latooni's not going to say it, but she's not exactly the mobile infantry type.]

[second_destiny]

I think so. I haven't seen any in action yet, though. And I can handle my own on foot, too.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

I'm glad to hear that. I'm not really equipped to fight anything on foot, unfortunately.

If there's any kind of large enemy, though, I guess we'll need to be prepared to pilot. I can optimize the Wildraubtier's targeting for urban engagements as much as I can beforehand, and that will have to do it.

[second_destiny]

You...you can do that sort of thing? I mean, you have the computer background?

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

[Another nod, this time pretty enthusiastic.]

Information warfare and data analysis is my specialty. Knowing the computer systems of everything I pilot is a vital part of that.

[second_destiny]

...Wow. And at your age? You could probably give my dad a run for his money!

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Er, thank you, but it's just a result of intense training...

[second_destiny]

Training's only part of it. If you don't have talent, then all you can be is "good," even with all the training in the world.

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

Hm...

[She pauses to think about this, as she's never heard that idea posited seriously before, at least not directed at her.]

Well, what if you can give someone talent, as well as training?

[second_destiny]

Are...you saying that's possible in your world?

[Asem looks uneasy about the idea. It's bringing back an unpleasant memory.]

[ineedthemforanalyzing]

...there was an institution...The School...where people were given alterations to how their minds and bodies worked, as well as training from childhood. It was believed that things like that were necessary to make people who could pilot Personal Troopers effectively, but advances in automation made it so that almost anyone could. It seemed necessary at the time, but ultimately the whole institute was shut down.

[second_destiny]

[That renders Asem speechless for a few moments. There's nothing in his world that even begins to compare to that.]

So, you...you...were part of this...?