The Mech Touch novel Chapter 2526

Chapter 2526: A New Learning Machine

Lanie Larkinson was puzzled as one of her instructors pulled her out of her training session.

The teenage mech cadet's training results were pretty good, though she was far from matching the best. She brushed aside her brown hair as she waited for the shuttle she had boarded to reach its destination.

It did not take long for the vehicle to land inside an enclosed mech hangar. Her instructor, an older trueblood Larkinson and war veteran, strapped herself off her seat.

"We're here. Follow me, cadet."

"Yes, ma'am."

The straps holding her in her seat retracted as soon as she pushed herself to her feet. She obediently followed her teacher as they entered into a huge but largely empty hall.

They moved forward until they approached another Larkinson.

"You're here. Good. My name is Cherie Tovar-Larkinson. I am an assistant mech designer serving in the Design Department. Is this Miss Lanie Larkinson?"

The instructor nodded. "Yes. I have brought Cadet Lanie as requested."

"I have already studied her academy records. Just to be sure, can you give me your evaluation on her training progress?"

"Cadet Lanie is a diligent mech cadet and never misses class. She gets along well with her fellow cadets but has shown no special aptitude in leading them in battle. While she has performed decently in piloting different mech types, she has shown a greater affinity for ranged combat. She performs a bit better on land than in space, but that is normal for every mech cadet. Overall, her training progress is on par for her genetic aptitude of B-, though she has peers who managed to perform better."

There was an implicit tone of criticism in the mech instructor's tone. Lanie felt a bit disappointed, but she had no one else to blame but herself.

While she was eager to become a good mech pilot, there were other Larkinson potentates who spent their every waking moment training or studying!

Their drive to become an elite Larkinson mech pilot was insane. They tended to be outsiders who joined the clan after their parents got in. Recognizing the golden opportunity in front of them, these new mech cadets worked so hard that the academy had to step in to prevent them burning out too quickly!

The mech designer soon brought up the reason why Lanie was here.

"Cadet Lanie, our Design Department has recently completed the design of a very specific mech. Our Patriarch wishes to invest in the future mech pilots of our clan and has devised a new model that is specifically geared towards improving your training results. We have chosen you to be the first to pilot the completed version of our Chiron!"

Though Lanie hadn't heard about this development, the instructor already guessed the reason. The older woman had already been involved in the testing of the prototypes.

"Miss Tovar, while Cadet Lanie has achieved good results, our academy has other young potentates who deserve this honor."

Cherie shook her head. "This is not a matter of honor. It is a matter of observation. We predict the difference in performance is more drastic if the cadet in question has more room to improve. The Chiron does not make much of a difference if the mech pilot is already good. Besides, the patriarch personally assigned the first production copy to Cadet Lanie."

That finished this little discussion. Lanie moved on to undergo a quick physical before changing into a special piloting suit. Soon enough, a couple of mech technicians guided her to a mech that looked different from any other machine she had witnessed.

"Is this.. the Chiron?" She asked with an impressed tone in her voice.

"Yup." A mech technician grinned. "It's a training mech that is specifically made for kids like you. It has some special features that you'll be testing today."

As she came closer to the prepared mech, she already felt its glow. The feeling the Chiron gave off was very familiar. Her hearts tugged with warmth and her affection for the Larkinson Clan increased. She also thought about hugging cats for some reason.

"Why is it called the Chiron?"

"Beats me. According to the galactic net, this Chiron fellow was a big centaur who taught a lot of heroes. I guess that's as good a name as any for a training mech."

"The Chiron is not a centaur mech, though. It's humanoid." Lanie pointed out.

"You should tell that to the big boss."

Soon enough, Lanie entered the cockpit. She settled into the piloting seat and waited until she received to activate her mech.

"You may activate your mech now, cadet."

She did as instructed. Once she pressed the activation button, she tried to keep her excitement under control as her mind slowly connected to something greater.

It was hard for her to keep calm!

Every Larkinson cadet looked forward to piloting an LMC mech. The adult mech pilots all raved about how pleasant it was to pilot the so-called living mechs. If not for the fact that the current LMC mech models couldn't keep up with second-class machines, the Larkinson pilots wouldn't want to part with their Bright Warriors!

Now, Lanie would be the first one to pilot the completed version of the Chiron.

Though the initial startup procedure was longer than usual, Lanie slowly felt the mech unfold in her mind.

The mech that connected to her mind was truly different from any training mech she interfaced with before.

The other machines were small, weak and limited in strength. In class, she learned that the neural interfaces of training mechs were deliberately constrained in order to minimize as many risks as possible for the mech cadet.

Due to their youth, their minds were more adaptable, but that meant that it was easier for them to be distorted by outside factors.

In order to raise them into proper mech pilots, mech academies tried to make sure they did not get exposed with faulty or extreme mechs.

While the Chiron possessed similar limitations, Lanie perceived something completely different.

The new training mech was warm. The new training mech was alive. The new training mech pulled her in deeper than any other machine!

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