Armored Core 6: Cold Ghost

1. SLOWLY BUILDING

"Bring it in!... Easy... Easy..." The giant metallic torso hovered over a docking ring. Several metal rods on either parts were being lined up as the torso rotated unsteadily, threatening to overshoot the ring and potentially scraping, or worse damaging the part that connects the two. "Okay, lower it down, and get ready to drop it on my mark." The head Engineer yelled over the noise of the machinery. The operator, sitting in a room that doubles as a control center for the machines and a bunker against the environment and explosives, carefully manipulated the arms carrying the heavy torso and slowly lowered the part onto the docking ring that locks the torso with the heavy weight legs stationed underneath.

"HOLD IT!" the engineer shouted as the rods and clamps on either parts were close enough for the other mechanics to manually align the parts before setting it down and locking it. He signaled his team and they crossed the catwalks on both sides of the hanging part, stopping at even spaces between them to avoid stumbling over each other. They expertly lined up the parts and locked the clamps to keep the part from moving off center in no time. As soon as everyone got clear of the area with a show of thumbs up, the head engineer extended his arm to his side, palm down, then signaled the operator to drop the part. A minor shake could be felt beneath everyone's feet when the parts collided and locked into place. The operator grabbed hold of the torso part again, this time rotating it both directions to confirm the parts being correctly set.

"Great work, All of you. At this rate, we'll finally put together our first Armored Core... Assuming our scavenging team can find the remaining parts we need while we're still breathing."

"I heard that, Sleemo. YOU try going on expeditions instead of tinkering with broken toys in your cozy Garage. Might help you lose the belly while you're at it."

"IT. IS JUST. LEEMO. And I'm the head engineer here in case you've forgotten."

"Explains why we don't have a working AC yet, Mr. Head Engineer. Less dick sucking and more working please."

Leemo let out a scream and stomped his way out of the Hanger. Other mechanics moved out of his way, not even trying to calm him down at that point. It wasn't till he was completely out of sight that they all gave Mari a disappointed frown. Half of them just simply walked off, tired of seeing the same exchange that had once been the source of entertainment and distraction from the disparity outside these walls. The remaining kept their eyes on Mari, watching her lean on the rails and give the partially built AC a look over.

"I know he works just as hard as any of us, but will this AC will do anything for us? We don't know if we'll find parts to make one full AC, we don't know if we'll find enough ammo to sustain one, and most importantly.... we don't have a pilot."

"Leemo thinks he could pilot it when it's-"

"Leemo thinks he can fly to space if he tries hard enough." Mari interrupted. A bit harshly than intended but quieted the place. "He's a brilliant man, no doubt about that. But he's not a fighter. He's not a person that can kill, and deal with deaths happening all around him. It takes a lot for a person to pull the trigger against another human being, piloting ACs and snuffing out a thousand lives in an instant... is not something any one can take up on a whim."

Mari straightened up and let out a forceful sigh. She ran her fingers through hair, pulling the stray strands behind her ear and turned to face the engineering team. "The scavengers will go on another expedition soon; we got word that Grid 135 recently saw action involving ACs so we're going there before someone else does." Two of the engineers looked at each other confused or not sure they heard her right.

"Someone else? Who else is out there?"

"It's not the dozers if that's what you're concerned about. There's a rumor going around, no confirmed sightings although I can't imagine how you'd miss something that big..." Mari shifted her weight on her other leg, crossing her arms. The rumor was about a scavenging mech about as tall as a typical AC, hauling spare parts on its back, mirroring what a human scavenger would do while combing the field. She was going to tell them but it would be inconsequential detail. More importantly, she's short on hands to go on this expedition and dragging engineers to haul heavy scrap for hours is probably more trouble than it's worth. Mari took one last glance at the yet to be finished AC then made her way to the cantina.