--June 14, 2043 · Hong Kong, China · Shatterdome--
"Kunlun's test run is about to begin. Doctor, please have your team finish the inspection as soon as possible."
"Haha, no problem."
Up ahead, Dr. Newton's conversation with the Jaeger warehouse manager ended after only a short while. Rosen promptly lowered the brim of his cap slightly so he would not stand out too much among the group.
He was wearing a blue electrician's uniform, pushing a cart with an oil-stained box sitting on it. He looked exactly like a Jaeger maintenance worker.
Of course—Rosen did not know the first thing about repairing Jaegers, and the box contained neither welding torches, wrenches, nor anything else of the sort.
Inside lay the Pilot Suit Rosen had painstakingly borrowed.
"Everyone, get inside quickly. We don't have much time," the Jaeger warehouse manager called from ahead.
Rosen hurriedly pushed his cart and followed the others inside.
Just before entering the gate, Rosen could not help grinning to himself—his second step was complete.
Two days earlier—
The first step had gone perfectly. Next, Rosen needed to consider the second matter—
How to sneak into the Jaeger warehouse.
Rosen pondered as he carried the Pilot Suit back to the dormitory.
Sneaking into the Jaeger warehouse would not be easy.
Although those massive machines usually remained in the fully open Jaeger storage area, they were sent to the Jaeger warehouse for tuning before every activation. The pilots also entered the cockpit in the Jaeger's head through a special passage located in the warehouse. That was no place where unauthorized personnel could come and go freely.
Rosen himself had only been there once.
After thinking it over, Rosen concluded that only two kinds of people could enter that place:
1: Jaeger pilots and higher-ranking commanders.
2: Cockpit maintenance personnel.
Rosen chose the latter without hesitation.
As for how to infiltrate the maintenance crew... Rosen immediately thought of someone.
The Kaiju doctor—Newton Geiszler.
He had his own maintenance team, specifically responsible for handling any sudden problems involving the silicon-based biological components within Jaegers. He was definitely an important figure.
And Dr. Newton's weakness was obvious—
An anomaly caused by drifting with a half-Kaiju Jaeger?
Some kind of mutation in the silicate cerebellum?
Nonhuman alpha brainwaves interfering with a pilot's thoughts?
That was right. Dr. Newton would definitely love these topics!
The more Rosen thought about it, the more excited he became. He could practically see Dr. Newton stuttering from overexcitement!
As for the other doctor—Hermann—Rosen thought it over and decided to keep it from him for now.
Dr. Hermann was too rigorous. He would never do anything out of line. Rosen felt that even if he told him everything, even if there were ample evidence that Kunlun had indeed developed some kind of anomaly, he still would not choose to help Rosen. People like him simply never entertained thoughts that crossed the line.
"Mm... I'll go discuss it with Dr. Newton first."
Once he made up his mind, Rosen acted immediately. He did not return to the dormitory, instead picking up the Pilot Suit and heading straight for the third floor of the Shatterdome.
Rosen was extremely efficient. In just three minutes, he poured every piece of information he knew into Newt.
From the case of Mike and "Noisy Max"—to the anomalies that had happened to himself—to the possibility that Kunlun's Drift had gone haywire—and finally to the emergence of a new research topic—
This barrage of ideas came crashing down like raindrops, leaving Newt completely stunned.
"So you mean... you think something has gone wrong with Kunlun's brain?" After sorting through his thoughts for a while, Newt confirmed.
"That's right." Rosen nodded and added, "I think it's highly possible. After all, you once said—"
"Silicon-based lifeforms are far more complex than carbon-based ones." Newt picked up the sentence at just the right moment and nodded. "Right, right... I said that..."
But Newt still seemed unable to make up his mind. He sat in his chair, one hand supporting his forehead while his gaze dropped downward.
Rosen knew that gesture meant Newt was thinking, but he was more eager for an answer, so he decided to use a ruthless move—
"I heard Dr. Hermann..." Rosen deliberately coughed.
"Hermann? What happened to Hermann?" Newt's attention was immediately hooked by Rosen.
"It seems Dr. Hermann is close to finishing the programming upgrade for the 8th Generation Jaeger... He said that once he made such a great contribution, he would definitely ask the commander to send someone to dump the Kaiju specimens piled beside his lab into a landfill..."
"No! Absolutely not!"
Rosen's tactic worked perfectly! Newt sprang to his feet as if he had been injected with adrenaline!
"He can't do that! I'm going to argue with him!"
Newt stormed toward the door in a rage!
Rosen hurriedly pulled him back!
"Doctor, calm down first!" Rosen soothed him.
"Then what do you think we should do?!"
"As long as we finish this new research topic before Dr. Hermann, then when the time comes, we just need to do this and that in front of the commander..."
The two whispered to each other for a while, then both broke into sly grins.
"Good! Good! We'll do it that way. When do we move?"
"The fourteenth of this month!" Rosen added excitedly. "The day after tomorrow!"
"No problem! Hermann is always riding roughshod over me. It's about time he lowered his head to me!" Newt laughed heartily as well. "Just thinking about it makes me feel great!"
Thus, the two men, each harboring his own ulterior motives, joined forces.
That was why Rosen was here.
Rosen blended in with the maintenance crew and proceeded forward at an unhurried pace.
Having just entered through the Jaeger warehouse gate, the first thing he saw was the dozens of repair platforms of all sizes along both sides of the warehouse. They were responsible for repairing and replacing the tens of millions of components inside the Jaegers. Toolboxes, wrenches, wire cutters, and woven sacks filled with parts and cables could be seen everywhere. In short, anything capable of keeping a giant Jaeger operational could be found here.
A group of workers carrying thick cables passed Rosen. He immediately recognized the bundle as large fiber-optic cables used to collect ions. For example, without this kind of cable, there was no way Kunlun's ion cannon could light up.
Many more workers were scattered throughout every corner of the warehouse, dismantling, cutting, welding, and working themselves to the bone.
And in the very center of the warehouse stood a giant Jaeger, perfectly upright.
It was none other than—
Kunlun.
The Kunlun Rosen had longed for day and night.
Rosen looked up, then stopped walking and stood rooted in place.
He forgot about the Sync Rate, forgot Raleigh Beckett's teachings, forgot all the trials and disasters he had endured over the past year, forgot the purpose of this trip.
For a moment, he even forgot how to breathe.
"One year."
Rosen withdrew his gaze, pressed down the brim of his cap, and murmured to himself.
"One whole year and five days."
Character Settings—Part 1
Top Secret --Pacific Rim Joint Military Forces-- --Personnel File-- Name: Rosen Unit: Reserve Cadet (ID No.: 58403, Level 2 East District 2213) Enlistment Date: July 12, 2037 Status: Active ... Personal Profile: Born April 3, 2020. Only child. His parents died in 2020 during God of Desire's attack on Hong Kong, and their identities have yet to be confirmed. On September 1, 2027, Rosen was adopted by Raleigh Beckett and entered Kowloon Pilot Academy in Hong Kong on September 1, 2036. His grades were excellent, but he also had many problems. It was not until 2041 that he was permitted to participate in Kunlun's pilot selection competition. He ultimately outperformed all competitors with an outstanding Sync Rate of 92%, 73 throws, and 73 kills, winning the right to pilot Kunlun. However, he failed his first Drift test with Kunlun, after which his Sync Rate began to decline. The cause remains unknown. ... Assessment: Highly skilled, but has serious personality issues. His arrogant nature may bring disaster upon his comrades. There have recently been rumors of a personality change, but they have not yet been confirmed. ... Remarks: He has temporarily withdrawn from pilot training and is reportedly devoting himself entirely to Kaiju science, joining the ranks of researchers. ... Supplementary Notes: Whether to revoke his pilot qualifications remains under consideration. ... ... ... --Pacific Rim Joint Military Forces-- --Personnel File-- Name: Angie Beckett Unit: Pilot Corps (ID No.: 13, Level 2 West District 2013) Enlistment Date: January 1, 2040 Status: Active ... Personal Profile: Born July 7, 2028. Only daughter. Her father was Raleigh Beckett, and her mother was Mako Mori. She had never come into contact with Jaegers as a child. It was only after Raleigh and Mako died in battle that Angie truly began interacting with these colossal machines. In an extremely short time, Angie displayed the extraordinary talent expected of a hero's descendant. On September 1, 2039, at only eleven years old, Angie became the youngest cadet in the history of Kowloon Pilot Academy in Hong Kong through a special exception, and enlisted on January 1 of the following year. She was not yet twelve at the time. After one year of training, Angie participated in Anshan's pilot selection competition. She ultimately outperformed all competitors with an exceptional Sync Rate of 95%, 89 throws, and 89 kills, winning the right to pilot Anshan and becoming the youngest pilot in Jaeger history at the same time. ... Kaiju Elimination Record: May 3, 2042: Kaiju Seahorse, South China Sea; September 8, 2042: Kaiju Silver Hook, South China Sea; January 3, 2043: Kaiju Explosive Flame, waters near Hawaii. ... Assessment: The most promising pilot in human history. Outstanding technical skills, excellent tactical awareness, remarkable intuition, and no issues whatsoever with her conduct. Kind, innocent, and extremely prone to embarrassment. ... Remarks: At present, Anshan has been performing poorly. Central Command is drafting a candidate list for BJ pilots, and Angie is among them. She may become a leading candidate. ... Supplementary Notes: Considering that Angie has entered adolescence, Angie and the person she favors will be placed under close surveillance in the near future to prevent the loss of Angie Beckett due to infiltration by foreign forces. ... ... ... --Pacific Rim Joint Military Forces-- --Personnel File-- Name: Seti Andrews Unit: Pilot Corps (ID: 9, Level 2 West District 2009) Enlistment Date: July 12, 2037 Status: Active ... Personal Profile: Born April 1, 2020. He had an older brother, Alza Andrews, a pilot at the Anchorage Base in the United States. Their parents were both deceased. Since childhood, his brother had entrusted him to Raleigh Beckett's care, and he entered Kowloon Pilot Academy in Hong Kong on September 1, 2036. His grades were excellent, but he also had many problems. It was not until 2041 that he was allowed to participate in Kunlun's pilot selection competition, but he was ultimately defeated by Rosen and failed to qualify. One year later, he participated in Changbai's pilot selection competition again. He ultimately outperformed all competitors with an outstanding Sync Rate of 92%, 73 throws, and 72 kills, winning the right to pilot Changbai. ... Kaiju Elimination Record: January 3, 2043: Kaiju Extreme Ice, waters near Hawaii. ... Assessment: Highly skilled, but has serious personality issues. His arrogant nature may bring disaster upon his comrades. He is currently still undergoing regular counseling and psychological correction from the PPDC psychological consultation team.
Remarks:
Though proud and arrogant, he was indeed capable. Though he had made countless enemies among ordinary employees, his fellow members of the pilot team held little resentment toward him.
Supplementary Notes:
Given the harmful effects caused by his personality, he could be reassigned if necessary.
--Pacific Rim Joint Military Forces--
--Personnel File--
Name: Lin Yin
Assigned Unit: Pilot Team (ID: 2, West Zone, Floor 2, Room 2002)
Enlistment Date: September 1, 2034
Status: Active
Personal Profile:
Born on December 21, 2016. An only child, her father was Lin Tianyin, a former Chinese Air Force Colonel who died in 2020 while resisting the Kaiju "Avenger" during its invasion of Hong Kong. Her mother was still alive.
On September 6, 2032—after the arrival of the Kaiju's second wave of attacks—she entered China National Defense University, majoring in Jaeger piloting. Her academic performance was outstanding, and her convictions were unwavering.
She graduated early in 2034 and was transferred to the Hong Kong Shatterdome for further training. In 2038, she successfully earned the right to pilot the Seventh-generation heavy Jaeger "Huangshan."
In 2041, the first Generation 8 Jaeger, "Shandong," was unveiled. Lin Yin competed with two other contenders for piloting rights and ultimately secured Shandong with the highest record in history—a 96% Sync Rate, 200 deployments, and 200 kills.
Extermination Record:
September 6, 2038: Kaiju "Shiba Inu," Bohai Sea, China;
September 6, 2038: Kaiju "Hyena," Bohai Sea, China;
December 12, 2038: Kaiju "Spine," East China Sea, China;
May 5, 2039: Kaiju "Night Demon," Mindanao, Philippines;
October 28, 2039: Kaiju "Black Widow," Manila;
September 9, 2040: Kaiju "Harvester," the Bund, Shanghai, China;
January 1, 2041: Kaiju "Crush," South China Sea, China;
November 22, 2042: Kaiju "Ghost Chariot," Brisbane;
December 22, 2042: Kaiju "Phantom," Brisbane;
January 3, 2043: Kaiju "Deep Blue," waters near Hawaii;
January 3, 2043: Kaiju "Silver Wave," waters near Hawaii;
February 28, 2043: Kaiju "Wolf Spider," South China Sea, China;
June 11, 2043: Kaiju "Gravekeeper," Singapore;
Assessment:
She was currently one of China's finest active pilots. Her technical skills were beyond reproach; more importantly, she possessed unwavering will, acted effectively, and held firm convictions. Such qualities were truly rare.
A talent like this must be entrusted with heavy responsibility.
Remarks:
While piloting Shandong, she also identified numerous issues with the Jaeger, accumulating valuable experience for the development of the next generation of Jaegers.
Supplementary Notes:
The central government intended to appoint her to lead the "Salvation" project, though no final decision had yet been made.
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