Unstable Isotope: The First Solo Mech Pilot

The doctors finished their checks with clinical precision, murmuring quiet confirmations to Cortana. One by one, they filed out, leaving the room in stillness. Cortana remained near the monitors, her focus sharp as she reviewed the data scrolling across the screen.

Leo lay motionless, staring at the ceiling. The hum of machinery filled the air, a faint reminder of the new reality settling into his body—and his mind.

The med bay doors hissed open. Leo turned his head slightly to see Max step inside. His uniform was slightly wrinkled, his expression carefully controlled, but there was a tension in the way his shoulders carried the weight of unspoken words.

"Leo," Max said evenly as he approached the bed, stopping a few feet away. "So, it's done."

Leo's eyes flickered to meet his friend's, but his voice remained calm, almost detached. "Yeah. It's done."

Max nodded slowly, taking a measured breath. "I don't know why I thought you'd wait. After everything we talked about, I guess I hoped you'd" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter now, does it?"

"It was my decision," Leo said. "I couldn't keep waiting around, Max. This was something I had to do."

Max's tone was steady, but there was an edge to it. "Had to do? Or something Cortana convinced you to do?" He glanced briefly at her, standing silently by the monitors, then back to Leo. "I told you she wasn't telling you everything. And you still went along with it."

"I knew the risks," Leo said, his voice firm.

Max crossed his arms, his posture stiff. "You knew the risks? Really? You've barely had time to process this, let alone understand what it's going to do to you. And now here you are, wired up like a machine and acting like it's just another mission. You think this is what they wanted for you?"

Leo frowned slightly. "What who wanted?"

"Your parents." Max's voice was quiet but deliberate. "They gave everything to give you a life, Leo. To keep you safe. They're gone, but if they were here, do you think they'd want this? For you to give up your body your life for some half-baked UCSM experiment?"

Leo's jaw tightened, but he didn't answer immediately. He looked away, his gaze drifting to the far wall. "They're not here, Max. And I'm not a kid anymore. I can't keep living under the weight of what they might've wanted."

Max took a slow step closer, his voice steady but firm. "You're right. They're not here. But I am. And I've been with you through everything when they died, when you got injured, when you thought your career was over. I've seen you at your lowest, Leo. And this... this isn't the way out I wanted for you."

Leo's tone sharpened. "Maybe it's not what you wanted, Max, but it's what I needed. You think I don't know what I've given up? I know exactly what this means. But sitting around feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to fix anything."

Max studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he exhaled, shaking his head. "You're not fixing anything, Leo. You're letting them turn you into something your parents would've fought to keep you from becoming. And I can't stand here and act like I'm okay with it."

Cortana, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Max, I understand your concern, but Leo made this choice knowing exactly what was at stake. He's not a child. He doesn't need your approval to move forward."

Max shot her a look, his tone cold. "Oh, I'm sure he knows the version you sold him, Doctor. But let's not pretend you gave him the full picture. You're good at telling people what they need to hear, aren't you?"

Cortana's expression remained neutral, but her eyes narrowed slightly. "Leo's decision was based on the truth of what this program offers. If you can't accept that, perhaps you're the one struggling to see the bigger picture."

Max turned back to Leo, his voice softer but no less resolute. "You think this makes you stronger. But all it does is make you their tool. And when they're done with you, they'll throw you away, just like they always do." He paused, his voice almost breaking. "If you'd just listened, if you'd trusted me, maybe we could've found another way."

Leo's voice was steady but distant. "It's too late for 'what ifs,' Max. I've already made my choice. I'm not turning back now."

Max stared at him, his frustration giving way to something heavier—disappointment, perhaps. "I hope you're right, Leo. I really do. But if you're wrong... I hope you realize who you trusted to put you here." He glanced briefly at Cortana, then stepped back.

The door hissed shut behind him, leaving a cold silence in his wake.

Cortana turned to Leo, her tone soft but measured. "He'll come around eventually. People like Max struggle to see beyond their emotions. But he'll see what this program can do once you succeed."

Leo closed his eyes, his voice barely above a whisper. "I hope he doesn't have to."

Cortana paused, her expression flickering with something unreadable before she turned back to the monitors. The hum of machinery filled the air as Leo lay still, his thoughts heavy with doubts he wasn't ready to confront.

Cortana broke the silence, her voice softer now, almost maternal. "Tomorrow, Captain Morgan will come to your room. While you recover, he'll begin a theory course on mech operation—everything you'll need to know to utilize your augmentations properly. It's foundational, but it will give you a head start."

Leo didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the ceiling, the faint mechanical hum of his neural interface a stark reminder of what he'd become.

Cortana continued, her tone firm but not unkind. "Rest, Leo. Recovery is as much mental as it is physical. This is only the beginning, and you'll need every ounce of focus for what's ahead."

With that, she gave a faint smile, turned, and left the room. The door hissed shut behind her, sealing Leo in sterile solitude.

The quiet was deafening. The room was pristine and cold, its artificial lighting casting long, sharp shadows. Machines beeped and hummed rhythmically around him, each sound a reminder of how much he relied on them now. He tried to move, even just to shift his hand or flex his fingers, but his body refused to respond. The absence of sensation was profound, leaving him feeling like a mind trapped in a shell.

Leo's thoughts spiraled, racing between regret and resolve. The faces of his parents floated to the surface of his mind, mingling with Max's parting words. Would they have wanted this? Would they have been proud of the decision he'd made or horrified?

He closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but the sterile emptiness of the room crept into his psyche like a cold fog. Alone and immobile, all he could do was wait for the next day to arrive.

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The following morning, the sound of the door opening broke Leo's restless reverie. He turned his head slightly to see Captain Morgan stride into the room, carrying a compact holo-display projector under one arm.

"Morning, Trask," Morgan said, his tone casual but tinged with authority. He set the device on a nearby table, then pulled a chair closer to the bed. "I hear you're eager to learn. That's good. We've got a lot to cover."

Morgan activated the holo-display, and a shimmering three-dimensional diagram of a UCSM mech flickered to life above the projector. It rotated slowly, every intricate detail rendered with precision.

"This," Morgan said, gesturing to the hologram, "is your new best friend. You're going to live and breathe this machine. So, let's start with the basics."

Leo focused on the projection, pushing away the lingering doubts from the previous night. He forced himself to listen, to absorb the information. Whatever he'd given up, whatever he'd lost, this was his path now.