Week Two: The Player's Shadow and Heaven's Stairway
After that, for some reason, Anon started living in Eden. It was odd.
If it was just a one-time hire, he'd leave right after maintenance. No reason to stick around more than a day.
I got the answer to that mystery from one of the project researchers.
"Morning Star, it seems you've been slated as the successor test pilot after your contract ends."
"...?"
That guy? Out of nowhere? What the hell has he been up to? What kind of moves was he making to unlock hidden missions that never even appeared in the game?
I sighed, unable to guess at any connection between Fallen Angel, me, and the player.
"I don't know the details either... but I overheard something about being a 'control group.'"
"Control group?"
"Well, data collection requires variables from all angles, right? Nothing too strange about it."
True enough. They'd need to scout a replacement once I was done. But why a player specifically... that felt a bit suspicious.
Wait, what am I even thinking? Would I be dwelling on this if it were any other pilot? No. I'd just accept the explanation and move on. It was only because he was a player—the center of this world, in a way. Unconsciously, he'd climbed my mental priority list, making me overreact for no reason.
I decided consciously to stop caring about him.
"By the way, Morning Star, have you received details on the next test?"
"Oh, that."
I vaguely remembered seeing it as an internal notice when I boarded Fallen Angel. But I hadn't paid much attention. Tests were all pretty similar anyway, and they weren't out to kill the pilot deliberately, so no real danger.
"For the remainder of the period, you'll be doing continuous combat against Nexus pilots. Looks like they're shifting to full real-battle data collection."
"Ah."
"It's a phase even Mastema never reached. Thanks to you, we got there. The head researcher expressed his gratitude on that point."
Anyway, the researcher continued, "Your opponent for this afternoon's live test is Gabriel."
I recalled the broker suggesting I get friendly with him. Words I wouldn't have heard if we weren't crossing paths again. Did he know something?
"Adjust your condition well in the remaining time and show off your skills again today. They say even the head watched your fight with Anon yesterday."
I scarfed down lunch as usual and holed up in the hangar.
Fallen Angel Unit 2. It had become like an extension of my body in this short time. My mobile hangar rig back home might get jealous hearing that, but I treat them all equally. It wasn't here right now anyway—Fallen Angel was my main body at the moment.
Not like there's much to do hanging around here anyway...
Of course, Fallen Angel belonged to Arc Angel Enterprises. I couldn't tweak its fittings on a whim like in my mobile hangar. All I could do was sit by and watch.
And that was plenty.
Through the ceiling vent, I could see snow pouring down. Thick clouds blocked most sunlight, leaving the hangar dimmer than usual.
A low hum echoed. Only a few LED lights pierced the darkest spots. Lunch hour meant the workers were off eating, so the place was dead quiet.
"Oh!"
I'd been parked on the gangway for a while, soaking in the silence, when a voice echoed from the passage connecting to the main facility.
"You must be Morning Star? Cute little girl you've got there."
"...?"
"Didn't expect a corporate outfit to run a kid like you as a pilot."
A woman in a long coat, lighthearted vibe. Her bright blonde hair waved short, stopping near her neck. Age... Hard to tell with my eye, but... Atmosphere-wise, maybe thirties? She came off less flighty, more like a seasoned detective.
Her voice rang familiar, though.
"I was looking for you since I had business. Not in your quarters, so I wondered where you'd gone. Asked around, and they said if it's you, you'd be glued to the hangar. Didn't think it was literal."
She eyed me in my wheelchair for a moment.
"Doing that with your condition... even most Nexus pilots wouldn't bother holing up here all day. My pilot doesn't pull that boring crap either."
"Your pilot."
"The kid you scrapped yesterday. Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves. Anon's guardian... custodian? Call me whatever. I'm Sonya."
As expected.
"My pilot's a bit off in the head too, but... shared suffering? Telepathy? Whatever. First time meeting someone even worse."
"Ah, okay."
"Was debating handing him off to you, but you'll manage. Anyway, I need a favor."
Right, she'd said she was looking for me. I tilted my head, wondering why, as she went on.
"Our client didn't order it specifically. But seems our little guy wants to get pretty proactive about this gig. Since he's the next test pilot, he asked for a handover."
"Handover?"
"Yeah. Directly from you."
Was that even necessary? Piloting a Nexus was the same everywhere—no special notes to pass on.
Unless Fallen Angel had some unique systems...
But handover info would just be caveats. Avoid excessive maneuvers, too much system strain, that sort of thing. Sonya hurriedly added as if excusing herself under my gaze.
"Don't ask me. No clue what goes on in that kid's head. Just roll with it."
"Like a fourth-dimensional character."
"Funny way to put it. Spot on, though."
Sonya burst out laughing, who knows why.
"Heard you've got a test this afternoon. If you've got time after, take our kid under your wing. No pressure. Not part of your duties anyway."
Before turning to leave, she pointed at me playfully.
"Who knows, you two might click surprisingly well. That's my take."
Hmm. Extension of her 'shared suffering' or 'telepathy' bit? Polite way of saying my head was as wonky as Anon's.
I'm perfectly fine, though.
Anyway, focus on the afternoon test first. I started mentally simulating Gabriel's in-game build.
A hum rose as the second bulkhead in Aleph Sector opened. Just like yesterday, a single Nexus entered the test field.
A crisp voice greeted me right away. The system's ID read STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN.
Ridiculously long name. The font had shrunk a bit, probably due to space. I let out a dry chuckle at the oddly realistic touch.
The opponent's machine zipped into the test field, halting at center.
The camera feed showed... lightweight.
First lightweight frame I'd faced since climbing into a Nexus in this world.
Obviously. Most prioritize survival, so even with great mobility, nobody wants something that folds after a few hits.
Humans shrink amazingly before the fear of death. If the risk outweighs the perks, they pick the safer path. That's why most pilots stuck to standard or heavy frames these days.
Means he's damn confident in his skills. Takes serious pride to pilot something that flimsy.
Gabriel's frame was AAE's in-house SACRED model.
Gabriel chuckled lightly as he kept talking.
Mid-sentence, Gabriel ramped up output. Test hadn't started, so just preheating.
I boosted mine too.
Gabriel's setup differed slightly from what I'd seen in-game.
Probably because it's a test match. No cockpit sniping or frame-slicing lethals—just controlled combat.
With a mosquito-like whine, the lightweight frame began zipping around in all directions.