Chapter 316: Base Observations
March 17, 2025.
Dome base.
A group of new students who have joined the Hunter Academy are visiting the Broken Dome Base under the guidance of their instructors.
Everyone looked up and down at the spacious Hunter Bay, at the majestic Mech Hunter standing in front of them, and at the thirty-story-high gate standing in the ocean that released these mechs to go out into battle.
The vast majority of Hunter students have certainly never seen what the inside of the Shattered Dome looks like. Of course, they may have seen pictures and videos, but only when a person actually stands at the feet of a Mech Hunter that is more than 100 meters high can they truly appreciate the scale of the Shattered Dome - such a huge Shattered Dome base can only accommodate six Mech Hunters.
In front of the mecha hunters, all humans are so small. Even Marshal Panticost's tall figure does not seem so majestic. The size difference between adults and children does not seem worth mentioning.
Dizzard thought.
He is a mixed-race black boy from Chile. His parents used to be pilots of the mecha hunter "Dark Interceptor" and belonged to the Lima Strike Group, a branch organization under the PPDC responsible for defending the South American continent. They died while guarding the Peruvian coast. Naturally, Dizard chose to join the PPDC's Hunter Academy when he grew up.
Everyone, including Dizard, was a mecha hunter trainee. They were all about the same age, about seventeen years old, and they had a common dream - to one day be able to drive these metal giants to save the world.
Most of the students arrived at the Broken Dome a day in advance, but one person was late - the girl named "Zofia", who was said to be from North America.
I have to say, she is really beautiful. She is tall, with fair skin, cute freckles, and neat short flaxen hair. Standing among a group of students, she stands out from the crowd, and several male students' eyes are almost glued to her.
Just in time for the introduction of the dome, before it officially began, they first entered a conference room, handed in all personal electronic devices, received the PPDC permission badge, and then listened to the administrator reiterate all the rules and requirements regarding the PPDC force and the Mecha Hunter Academy, even though all the students and their parents had signed to agree to these rules.
After completing all the procedures, two active pilots took us on a tour of the Broken Dome Base.
"Don't expect to be as leisurely as you are now."
A pilot said to them,
"You must pass many tests and challenges before you can fly these Jaegers. Some people will never have the chance. After today, we will start basic training - combat synchronization training, basic Pons training to evaluate your synchronization adaptability - and finally you will have virtual combat in simulation tests. If all goes well, you will have the opportunity to fly the 'Eden Assassin', of course only within the base."
Hunter Bay is a huge circular structure, with all mechas standing in huge holes in the wall. The "Eden Assassin" is a third-generation mecha belonging to Russia. Although it performs well in guarding work, it still faces the problem of retirement in today's budget cuts. In line with the principle of waste utilization, PPDC moved it from the Broken Dome in Vladivostok to here as a training mecha.
"As you can see, the head of the 'Eden Assassin' has not yet been attached."
Another driver said:
"There it is, look up."
He pointed at the top of a hole in the wall, very close to the ceiling of the dome. There were crane racks, walkways, scaffolding, head restraints and other miscellaneous things blocking the view. It was very dark and no one could see the control cabin of the "Eden Assassin" clearly. They could only see a shadow.
His companion took over the conversation:
"Now we will take the elevator to the control cabin of the Eden Assassin. You all must know that this is where the pilot controls the mecha. You can enter the control cabin in pairs. Although all important facilities have been disconnected from the power supply, you still cannot touch any switch buttons."
"Mechas are not toys, and this is not a kindergarten. The purpose of bringing you into the control cabin is to let you experience the feeling of being inside a mecha hunter, to ensure that you are fully prepared and can fight with all your strength no matter what situation you face. Hunter training is very difficult, and you will definitely have the idea of giving up from time to time. But I hope that when you want to give up, this experience can support you to continue."
They took the elevator to the highest point of the dome, where a mecha head restraint was set up, which could release the head control cabin of the "Eden Assassin" and allow it to fall vertically and connect to the torso.
A group of students waited on the spot and took turns to enter.
Dizard came up to Zofia and asked,
"Hey, aren't you curious about what's inside?"
Zofia looked at the black boy strangely:
"Aren't we going in soon?"
Dizard smiled mysteriously and said,
"I know what it's like inside. My parents once flew a Dark Interceptor, and they described to me the interior of the head cockpit. Of course, the special model like the Cherno Alpha with the cockpit located in the chest may be a little different, but the other mechas are all similar."
There was a hint of boasting in his tone.
Is he a second-generation driver?
Zofia twitched her lips and said perfunctorily:
"Yeah, you seem pretty proud."
Looking at the look of disapproval on the girl's face.
Dizard felt as if he had said something wrong.
…
Pacific Rim Joint Defense Force Personnel File
Name: Zofia Boleslaw
Unit: Hunter Academy
ID: R-RBEC 122.21-B
Date of enlistment: March 17, 2025
Current service status: In training
Personal profile:
Born on December 11, 2008, 17 years old, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the second of three siblings. In 2017, the monster "Shanlan" invaded Los Angeles and was successfully annihilated by the mecha "Danger Ranger". Zofia's parents and her siblings all died in the monster invasion.
Evaluate:
He has a strong will, sophisticated fighting skills, and skilled driving skills, but he has not yet found a suitable synaesthesia partner.
Remark:
Students recommended by Shaw Industries.
Additional notes:
Whether or not to obtain driver qualifications is subject to further consideration.
——September 12, 2025.
…
Fighting training today.
The driver took them to the combat training room, spent an hour leading them in a simple practice, and then paired them up.
What Dizard didn't expect was that the person he was paired with for the first time was actually Zofia.
The students had never been in a combat training room before, but had heard many stories about it, saying it was like a gym or a Japanese dojo where students and pilots perfected their combat skills.
After all, a mech's fighting ability is no better than its pilot's. If the pilot can't throw a nice uppercut or perform a perfect shoulder throw, then the mech won't be able to do it either.
"I'm going to test you today."
The driver said:
"Of course, I've seen your test results, but I want to examine you in person. Starting with unarmed combat, you can use any fighting moves or free combination of moves. I want to see outstanding, practical moves, and I also want to see your self-control. I don't want to see anyone with a broken nose, broken teeth, or broken bones. Do you understand?"
"Understood, sir," they answered in unison.
"Very good. Huo Yaqi and Doris, you two will start first. I..." The driver suddenly clapped his hands to remind the trainees to pay attention, "Marshal, good morning."
"Good morning, pilot. Good morning, cadets."
A majestic voice sounded.
Everyone stood in silence and no one spoke.
Everyone just stared at the Marshal.
That was Marshal Stark Pantecost, the current commander of PPDC, who once drove the second-level mecha "Tango Wolf" alone in Tokyo, Japan and killed the third-level monster "Demon Witch" alone.
Dizard's parents had made outstanding contributions in the Monster War, but even so, when he saw Pentecost in person, he still felt like he had seen a star.
"Why did you come here in person?"
The driver asked.
"I'm just here to see," Marshal Pantecost said. "Please continue as if I'm not here."
How is this possible?
The two students the driver picked up started fighting. At first, they were deadlocked. After the boy won the first victory, the girl also began to show her skills. The girl saw that the other party had learned some Shoto-ryu karate and boxing, and had some fighting skills. So when the other party used a high kick, she immediately grabbed his foot with one hand and punched him in the face with the other hand. Of course, she didn't really hit him, but she almost hit his face.
Then it was another group of students' turn to battle.
Finally it was Dizard's turn.
Zofia was coming at him aggressively, and Dizard secretly groaned. He blocked several punches in succession, but this left him no time to take care of her legs. She stepped on the front of his foot, making him lose his balance, and then took the opportunity to grab his neck.
The driver called a stop.
The two returned to their original positions and started another round.
Dizard stood on tiptoe and took small leaps forward to close the distance between him and Zofia, but she remained standing still. He threw a punch, which was just a feint, but was caught. Zofia twisted his arm and slapped him on the other side of the face. The sound of "pop" made Dizard see stars.
"That's a heavy blow," thought Dizard.
"Stop," said Pantecost.
His voice was not loud, but everyone could hear it.
Pantecost looked at Zofia.
"Your name is Zofia Boleslaw, isn't it?"
"Yes, Commander."
Zofia answered with her chest and head held high.
Pentecost held out his hand.
"Attack me," he said. "At full speed, but don't touch me. Just let me feel the air."
Zofia stared at Pantecost for a moment, got into position, and then attacked.
She moved very quickly and, as Pentecost had instructed, did not touch him.
"very good."
"Now do it again, " Pentecost said.
"Hit my hand as hard as you can. I want it to hit me straight in the heart."
Zofia hesitated:
"command..."
"Do as you wish."
Zofia crouched down, got into position, gathered her strength, and then punched Sempanticosti's palm, making a "bang" sound that sounded very painful.
But the Marshal didn't even blink.
"So you know the difference between the two."
Pantecost said calmly.
Zofia lowered her head, looking embarrassed.
"Remember, when I asked you to take control..."
Pantecost said word by word:
"You have to show control. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Commander!"
Zofia exclaimed.
"I imagine you've heard these words before."
Pantecost's tone softened a little.
Several other students covered their mouths and laughed.
"Yes, sir."
Zofia admitted.
"Sit down."
The marshal said casually. After all the students and pilots were seated, he turned around and said to all the students:
"Training in the fight room serves two purposes. The first is to make sure you have what it takes to win a fight. Another equally important point is to master the ability to adapt to someone else - someone who may be able to synchronize with you in the future - whether you have the opportunity to synchronize or not. You will learn fighting skills, you will train in them. But when you fight other students, don't treat them as opponents, treat them as partners."
Zofia fully understood what Panticost meant and readily accepted it - the existing "Air Martial Arts Hall" training system and evaluation methods, as well as other effective mecha hunter training models, were all created by Panticost.
If you want to excel in the PPDC evaluation system, you naturally have to follow Pantecost's training model.
At this time, Dizard also understood what the commander wanted to express, but some students seemed a little confused.
The hunter trainees spent the rest of the day in the combat training room, training for more than seven hours.
The combat training was finally over. Dizard felt sore all over, tired and sleepy that he could hardly walk back to the dormitory alone.
A group of students wearing training suits, with drooped heads, exhausted and listless, walked towards the dormitory of the Hunter Academy under the Broken Dome. At the same time, in the same corridor, another team of scientific researchers in white coats hurried towards them.
Then Dizard saw a scene that made him... and many male students feel mixed emotions:
Zofia, who was also exhausted, saw a man in the team of scientific researchers in front of her, and suddenly jumped up as if she had been injected with chicken blood, walked quickly to the man, took his arm, and chattered about today's training process.
Like a happy little sparrow.
…
Pacific Rim Joint Defense Force Personnel File
Name: Fu Shan (PhD)
Department: K-Science Department
ID Number: S-NGEI_100.11-Y
Enlistment Date: March 17, 2025
Current service status: Active
Personal profile:
Born on January 19, 1998 in Toronto, Canada, the only child of two workers. Graduated from Stanford University, and as of 2022, has obtained six doctoral degrees. Taught at MIT from 2022 to 2023, and later worked at Shaw Industries. Leadership personality, excellent interpersonal skills, good communication skills. Proficient in materials science, energy dynamics, biochemistry, mechanical engineering and other disciplines.
Remark:
The files have been transferred from Shaw Industries to PPDC.
…
After a period of training, the students of the Hunter Academy have gradually become familiar with the Hong Kong Broken Dome Base.
In addition to the Hunter Academy, Dizard also visited other departments of the Broken Dome——
Lawsent Command Center:
Also known as the command center. PPDC's senior executives issue combat orders and strategic policies to the pilots here. This is also the location of the mecha terminal system. After debugging, the technicians activate the "synesthesia system" to connect the pilots and mechas, and monitor the actions of the mechas and the physical and mental conditions of the pilots in real time. Cai Tiantong, a famous technical expert, is a member of the Lawsent Command Center.
K-Science Laboratory:
Biochemical research laboratory. After the monsters were annihilated, the body parts were transported here under layers of protection for scientists to dissect and study. Newton Geisler and Hermann Gottlieb are the supervisors here. They decipher the biological information of the monsters based on their toxicity and radioactivity. Newton is responsible for studying the structure and properties of the monsters, while Hermann is committed to discovering the attack patterns and genetic information of the monsters. The two doctors' research is to speculate the frequency and location of the monsters' attacks on the one hand, and to find the monsters' weaknesses on the other.
Here, Dizard also met Dr. Fu Shan.
To be honest, Dr. Fu Shan is indeed very handsome, with black-framed glasses, a white shirt, a printed tie, and a white coat, making him look gentle and refined. With his hands in his pockets, he looks tall and straight, and when he speaks, his tone is soft and his conversation is extraordinary.
But his tall and sturdy figure, and the explosive muscles that could not be concealed by the suit and white coat, always gave people an illusion...Isn't he really a super soldier, a murderer, or something else terrible?
Dizard muttered to himself.
A qualified mecha hunter must not only learn fighting skills and driving techniques, but also monster knowledge and mecha knowledge. Although the latter two are updated very quickly, monsters are constantly updated and replaced, and mechas are also constantly innovating, just like an arms race between the earth and the "other world" planet - this sentence was said by Dr. Fu Shan.
But this is not a reason to give up learning, right?
Today, Cai Tiantong will teach the students.
About the core technology of Mech Hunter——
"Synesthesia."
Cai Tiantong said:
"What is synaesthesia?"
Without waiting for anyone to answer, he began to explain:
"Connecting the nervous systems of all mecha pilots to achieve 'two as one' is called synaesthesia. The mecha was originally designed to be piloted by one person, but experiments found that the mental load of one person piloting a mecha was too heavy, which was not an ideal operating mode, so the current synaesthesia system was born."
"Next, let's talk about the synchronization process of synaesthesia."
"This is a technology similar to mind fusion. The two pilots share memories, feelings, emotions and even instincts. In layman's terms, it is truly 'melding into one', turning two people into 'one'. One of the two pilots acts as the left brain, and the other acts as the right brain. All thoughts, movements and actions are completed synchronously."
"It is not easy for two drivers to achieve synchronization. Not just any two people can become a partner. The drivers must have a high degree of tacit understanding, that is, the synchronization rate. The range of driver partners available is as follows."
"First, blood relationship."
"This is the best option, as it provides the least difficulty in synchronization. The partners can be father and son, siblings, or close relatives. The closer the blood relationship, the higher the synchronization rate. If they are twins, their telepathic ability can greatly increase the success rate of synaesthesia."
"Secondly, long-term tacit understanding."
"The difficulty of synchronization is slightly greater than that of blood-related partners, but the range of choices is wider, such as harmonious couples and friends with harmonious relationships. After a long period of running-in, these partners have very similar temperaments, personalities, thinking, and interests, and the synchronization rate is also very high."
"Finally, volunteer together."
"This type of partnership has the smallest range of choices, but if the above two options are not available, it is still an option. The 'common desire' of the two people must be great enough, large enough to transcend their respective personalities and instincts. For example, two strangers have a grudge against the same person for killing their father. This common desire must be very strong to increase the synchronization rate, but due to various unpredictable reasons, this kind of cooperation is very likely to be dangerous."
"It is important to note that no matter which of the above methods is used to select a partner, the selected pilots must be in harmony with each other in both body and mind. Physical and mental qualities can be cultivated after birth, which is also the content of the 'Combat Training Room'. It can enable partners to cultivate similar physical and mental attributes."
Cai Tiantong's teaching style is concise and straightforward.
Unlike many ignorant students, Dizard had a good understanding of the synaesthesia technique very early on.
His parents met and eventually got together because of synaesthesia. The tacit understanding between them, which made Dizard feel that he was redundant and an insignificant existence in this family. There are countless similar couples - the Kaidanovsky couple who drove the "Cherno Alpha" and the Ouyang couple who drove the "Shaolin Ranger".
At the same time, this situation also occurs between twins or brothers. The Beckett brothers who drive the "Dangerous Wanderer" will still maintain a strange state of "telepathy" after leaving the synaesthesia state: what one person is thinking about, the other can guess it immediately - the two of them used this trick to pick up girls in the bar, according to the employees of the Broken Dome Base.
Thinking of this, Dizad couldn't help but look at Zofia. The girl leaned back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest, listening carefully to Cai Tiantong's introduction.
Her profile is so beautiful.
But, is she willing to be my partner?
Dizard was in distress.
To Dizard's surprise, Dr. Fu Shan was also in the classroom, sitting in the last row, holding a notebook and a ballpoint pen in his hand, crossing his legs, and taking notes.
He also seems to be interested in synaesthesia technology.
But wasn't he already well-educated and talented?
...
Thanks to book friend 20220306221418195, are you on vacation yet? for the reward.
(End of this chapter)