historical

The Testing Lab’s daily routine turned out to be a little bit of testing and a lot of making reports on the tests that were done. Or, more correctly from the standpoint of the test Pilots, a lot of waiting for the others to make reports. They reported on the functionality, while all the in-depth details and data analysis was left to the research team. Nico had prepared her report before she even finished the test, thanks to her system functions, but the team took three whole hours of going over the data before they were ready for Max to repeat the test and see how the suit functioned with him at the helm.

It turned out to be incredibly intuitive, even for Max who had no practical experience with complex robotic arms. He did at least have a basic familiarity with Mecha Repair, thanks to his stunted time in the Academy, so at least he didn’t make a fool out of himself during the testing.

They both tested the medical version just before lunch was delivered at noon and both Nico and Max were expecting a very dull afternoon of not much happening while the rest of the team did their initial reports. According to the team, after today, they would have ongoing individual tests to go through a few times an hour, so the test pilots wouldn’t be so bored, it was just today there was so much base data to enter into the system that they couldn’t do any more tests until the baseline for the subsequent results was in the system.

They were saved from absolute boredom by Uncle Lu, who had a simulator for them to test out. The Lab had developed a drone-piloted fighter jet that mounted two enormous Heavy Rail Cannons as well as a pair of Micro Rocket pods for safely and remotely eliminating enemy Mecha. From an altitude of ten thousand meters or more it would be able to engage from over three hundred kilometers away, and still, have the fifty-kilogram projectile impact its target at over Mach 30.

The jet was a flying wing design, almost a perfect triangle, with scramjet engines above and below the main structure and the two rail cannons poking out from either side of the cockpit at the front. As a supersonic fighter jet, the design was sound and fairly traditional, other than the overkill weapons. A kiloton of impact force wasn’t in the design parameters of any armor that Max was familiar with short of an Orbital Strike bunker.

“Where do we need to go to find this simulator, boss? This drone looks like a lot of fun.” Nico called up at the General on the catwalk.

“Come up to the Structural design lab. They have the simulator there, and it is where most simulated tests take place since we don’t build anything until it has proven itself in theory.” General Lu instructed them, before waving at the Exoskeleton team and leaving.

“Looks like you two get the fun stuff today. You must have really impressed him if he’s sending you to new design testing already. That’s pure theory testing, not like down here, where we put the designs together and prove whether their numbers were right or not in the real world.” The team leader told them with a hint of admiration.

“But this is the most important step. If the theory was enough we wouldn’t have to worry about designs failing or blowing up once they were assembled.” Max consoled her, knowing she had a lot of time ahead of her just doing up all the reports for the single round of testing that they did this morning.

They didn’t bother to change back before going up, though the Pilot suits weren’t needed on the upper floors and they could have switched to one of the casual outfits the office supplied to other workers. Getting to the simulator was more important than fitting in with the crowd.

The bodysuit look attracted a fair bit of attention though, so Max stopped at the door of the Structural design lab and procured them a pair of Lab Coats so that he could avoid some of the inevitable questions about the experimental suit by those who were working on its design.

“Oh, good you’re here. We will have to do a quick examination to check you out on the x10 Jet Chassis and then you can start the simulated tests on the drone version. The two are essentially identical, except the pilot will be in a simulator back safely in Command bases instead of exposed inside the jets themselves. Orbital dropped fighters have had a horrendous casualty rate lately, and the hope is that leaving the Pilots behind in orbit will minimize that and allow for a larger force of jets to be sent without decimating the manpower of the transports.

“The logic checks out. I’ve seen the orbital dropped fighters die by the tens of thousands to ground-based firepower because command made a mistake.” Max agreed.

“We watched the footage, but I forgot that you were there on the ground when the Cygnus forces attacked that day. Yes, that is what we want to avoid in the future. Even if the Fighters are destroyed, if the trained pilots survive then we only need to send another wave somewhere safer. Measuring the cost in tons of materials and labor instead of lives sits much better with public perception.” The researcher nodded, then gestured to the waiting simulators.

The inside of a fighter jet was ridiculously, childishly simple compared to a Mecha cockpit, and with his targeting skills, Max aced the exam without ever having to drop his speed. Nico also aced the exam, but almost failed on a technicality. Her body wasn’t bothered by gravity the way an organic human was, so she wasn’t limiting her maneuvering forces as much and almost destroyed the test plane while banking.

“Two perfect scores, with the lowest times ever recorded. I think that goes for Kepler examinations as well. Transferring Mecha Pilots to the Interstellar Navy doesn’t happen often, but it looks like there might be some advantages to the practice.” A large-nosed man with an afro and milky white skin declared as Max was leaving his training simulation.

“Why not send some of the crippled Pilots over to be tested for this program once it goes live? You don’t need arms and legs to operate a Simulator, so even if they have taken damage that their bodies can’t or haven’t yet regenerated they should be able to serve as Drone Controllers.” Nico suggested.

Even better, they would already be on board the transports, recovering from their injuries and frustrated with their lack of ability. Letting them fight would be good for their mental health, Max reasoned.

“Now, if you would like to get in the simulation for the drone Jets, we can begin initial testing.”

The simulators had started to draw a crowd now since the man’s declaration that they had set new records for the previous examination had carried across the mostly quiet lab section, where most were working on their computers and not practical structures, which were done on the other side of this section of the Lab, kilometers away.