A month in-game passed before they came back from the Foundry with a convoy of very large trucks. Paul, Brett, Mason and I were human so we were barred from the clan building while they installed the giant mechs in our hangars. It required cranes and lots of work. We had been forced to work from the Red Grind. That was fine with us at first. Mason's lab was there. Dances and the bar kept us entertained while we waited. It actually took over a week in-game. I was not happy with the progress, but there was nothing that I could do about it. They placed the last one in the hangar and then they left. We were finally allowed to see them. Since they were collaborating on 1 design based on the blueprints, they all looked the same. Our 7 and the vassals 2 would make 9 XX-frames. Champion and Robin were both riding solo in their own mecha. The pairs were decided long ago: Fighter and Star 01; Peyton and Connie; Barbara and Tracie; Ashley and Sterling; and then Christopher and Aubrey. Pass 01 and 03 had one to themselves now. Pump 01 and Beer 01 had another vassal XX-frame.
With the way they designed it, the cockpit was in the chest plate. It was heavily armored and there was a protrusion to give the pilots some space. In the 2-pilot variant of the XX-frame, there was a dichotomy of roles. One AEP unit would serve as the operating system by connecting directly to the mecha via their chest ports. The other unit with them would pilot the operator from behind. It was an intimate set up. In the 1-pilot variants, there was only a single AEP unit. A large quantum computer was installed in the cockpit with them. Champion could not plug into the mecha. He would have to be the one to pilot. Robin could plug in and would let the A.I. do all of the work. That was good enough for me. There was a large, scaffolded platform to allow the AEP units to reach the cockpits. Paul, Brett, Mason, Red, Letterman Jacket, 08923, 04501 and I were all there to watch them activate the XX-frames for the first time on the platform. The rest were watching from the ground a safe distance away. We wished all the pilots luck. As they got in the cockpits. Once they were all sealed up tight, the show began.
2 seater
1 seater
They connected to the XX-frame and turned them on. Even Champion was able to get his to work. It was a really positive sign. They then all began to move and walk to the center of the complex. There was a walkway that led to a large opening that could be controlled manually. The way it was constructed, only one could be launched at a time. Since there was no real mission, I had the pilots all draw lots to see who would get the privilege to go first to demonstrate the big launch sequence. Once this happened and the XX-frame was in the air, the late game would begin. With human control of the toxic transmission hub, the Researcher faction simply confederating to undercut the need for control of 9 hubs, and the Advocates building fortresses around their own hubs, the Conqueror faction as a whole was going to struggle greatly. All the pilots were eager to pull lots. They had 2 chances if they were a pair. The one who pulled the winning stick from my hand was Christopher. I pat him on the shoulder and said "Good job!" He and Aubrey were happy. Christopher had chosen the operator seat.
