Carrak nodded. “Which means you know too.However, should the com-chip fail, you will need to know how to doa few things manually. For example, this lever will eject you fromthe giant. Use it if the damage is so severe there is danger thatthe whole mech will blow.”
She gestured to a series of tiny windowsalong the perimeter of the control room. “If your visuals go down,you can view the battle through these. It is cumbersome, but it canbe done. Unhook yourself from the helmet first, of course. If thevisuals are gone, there will not be much you can do in terms offighting. Your goal will be survival, and perhaps warning the otherpilots about dangers beyond their range of vision.”
“Got it.” Zia jumped into the control chair,hooked the harness across her chest, then reached up for thehelmet. “Let’s see what this big guy can do.”
“Wait!” Carrak glared, then walked over tothe control panel and inserted the solenoid. Then she loweredherself to the floor of the cabin and sat with her back against asection of the wall that had a harness built into it. Strappingherself in, she warned Zia, “You are not ready yet. Put your handsin the gloves. Then put your feet in the guides. They are asimportant as the helmet.”
“Really?” Zia did as instructed. “Now?”
“Yes.”
Zia’s pulse began to race. This was it. Herfirst real mech lesson, but unlike the sadistic sessions in thesimulator, she had a huge metal shell to protect her. She couldn’timagine why she had been so worried. Rem was the one who should beconcerned, with a mere forty-five-foot skirmisher to protecthim.
Laughing at the thought, she pulled thehelmet down. As had happened before, the steel mesh began toshrink, conforming itself perfectly to the contours of her skullwhile a thousand pinpricks of energy poked through her scalp,engaging and massaging. Adding to the relaxation effect was a humthat was half sound, half vibration, growing stronger and strongeruntil it was no longer coming from outside Zia, but rather, seemedto emanate from within her.
Closing her eyes, she allowed the colossus totake over completely, fusing itself with her body, her mind, andher soul.
“Zia! Open your eyes,” Carrak complainedloudly. “Do you see what the giant sees?”
Zia stared in delight at the screen, whichhad descended and was now giving her a 180-degree view of thepractice field. Standing right in the middle was the red-and-silverQuito skirmisher, gleaming in the Malaran sun, but looking quite abit smaller than she remembered it. “I see Rem. Poor guy looks likea bug that’s ready to be squashed.”
Carrak laughed. “I am glad you are soconfident. And yes, your mech is larger and more powerful. But donot underestimate him.”
“Because he can jump? We’ll see about that.All I have to do is fire at his jets, right? Disable them? Then hismetal ass is mine.”
Carrak laughed again. “Captain Stone? Are youhearing this?”
Rem growled over the intercom. “We’vedefinitely created a monster.”
Zia laughed. “I forgot you could hear me.Sorry. It’s just such a surprise. That skirmisher always looked sobig to me before, but from way up here, it looks like a toy.”
“Yeah, I get it. Yours is bigger. Too badit’s not more agile, or I’d be worried.”
“Enough bluster,” Carrak warned them. “Timefor our first lesson. Zia, can you walk toward Captain Stone?”
“Sure.” She willed the giant to take a step,but nothing happened, so she concentrated harder, and the left armof the colossus moved upward, pointing toward the sky.
A howl of laughter sounded over the intercom,and Zia glared in disgust. “He’s so competitive. Can’t we turn thatthing off?”
“Forget about Captain Stone. Think about whatyou are doing. Do you remember what I told you? You are notoperating a piece of machinery. You are the mech. Hisleg is your leg, his arm is your arm. Do not try to walk.Just walk.”
“Right.” She had no idea what Carrak meant,but wasn’t about to let Rem laugh at her again, so she toldherself, Just walk, Zee. Walk over to him. Let him see how muchtaller you are. That’ll show him who’s boss.
“Zia!” Carrak’s voice was almost a snarl.“Put your feet in the guides.”
“Cripes, I thought they were.” Zia slid thetoes of her boots further into the metal frames. Then she pleadedwith the mech, Come on, Grandpa, dance with me.
To her delight, the robot took several stepsforward.
“Wahoo! You did it!” Rem shouted.
Zia cheered too, and even Carrak wassmiling.
“Do you see? The guides and the gloves arevital. That is how the mech knows what you want. The helmet is onlypart of it.”
“I’ve got it,” Zia promised. “Can I shoot himnow?”
“Not yet. Walk backward.”
“Retreat?” Zia laughed. “Never!”
“Then our lesson is over.”
“Okay, okay. Yeeeesh, you’redemanding.” She took a deep breath, then pictured herself backingaway from Rem. The robot responded instantly. “Now sideways, thenfront, then back.” She giggled as the mech followed the moves fromher mind. “See, Rem? We’re dancing.”
“Yeah, I see.”
She loved the reverence in his tone, knowingit was a true compliment. He was actually enjoying this. Actuallybelieving—for one unreasonable, exhilarating moment—that Zia mightmake a good ally after all.
“Now can I shoot him?”
Carrak exhaled loudly. “Perhaps after lunch.I need to rest. But first, Captain Stone? It is time to make yourjump.”
Zia winced. “Can I fire at him while hejumps?”
“No. Defend yourself by moving out of hisway. Or deflecting him with one arm. If he impacts you, use yourjets.”
“It’s too much to remember.”
“The giant already knows it. Just protectyourself. Pretend he is attacking your human body, not themech.”
“Ready, Quito?” Rem asked.
Zia noted with appreciation that he hadcalled her by her family name. She needed that. This was no placefor a foghead, after all. “Okay, Stone, let’s see what you’vegot.”
* * * *
Rem rested his hand on the control stick ofthe Quito skirmisher, trying to contain his excitement. After weeksof practicing in other, newer mechs, he was finally using the onehe had dreamed about—the one Quito the Great had used to topple agiant in the Battle of the Canyons. In this mech, the right pilotcould work miracles.
But against Quito’s granddaughter? Remgrinned in frustration. As much
