Chapter Text
Boom. A loud crash echoed through the shatterdome piercing Xie Lian’s ears. Where was he, what was he, did the neural handshake fail? The tests said he was compatible but would someone ever understand him? He felt himself sink more and more into the drift as he heard the muffled voices of Feng Xin and Mu Qing.
“Come on wake up.” Xie Lian felt a few slaps on his cheek as someone pulled him out of the connection. He still felt like he was floating in nowhere.
“What happened?”
Mu Qing in the corner rolled his eyes and responded “Obviously something failed but we don’t know what.”
“I don’t understand why I keep failing.” But in truth he knew. Ever since coming back to the Jaegers after his accident he didn’t want to let anyone in his mind. It felt too personal. Trust was easily broken and so was a person’s mind.
“Heck I know. You would have to ask someone like Ling Wen who actually works on the whole drift things.” Feng Xin responded even though what Xie Lian said was more of a statement than a question. Feng Xin and Mu Qing were Jaeger pilots not scientists.
Suddenly they heard a woman speak up “Thank you for providing at least some results Pilot Xie. You are free to leave” It was Ling Wen.
Xie Lian left into his quartets. Everything felt the same as when he was here 5 years ago, the same room, the same feeling and the same Jaeger that brought so many memories.
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Beep. Beep. Beep. The loud beeping of the failing Jaeger was going trough his head like an ever constant presence that reminded him he had to hurry up. The Kaiju let out a loud screech as the Jaeger dodged it’s move and stabbed it’s sword into his neck and executed a killing blow.
But there was another. It was a category II so it was supposed to be no problem. The loud screeching of the joins of the machine were heard even in the open space of the ocean.
The Kaiju was annoyingly fast but that speed was it’s only advantage fortunately. The Kaiju charged at him full speed aiming to catch him off guard and attack his arm holding his sword. But suddenly it changed trajectory and struck in the cockpit barely grazing the main part of the capsule.
Suddenly Xie Lian felt overwhelmed by someone or perhaps something. The Kaiju had connected to the drift and drove Xie Lian to the brink of insanity.
“Xianle respond!” He heard the muffled voice of Ling Wen in his ear but he couldn’t respond.
“Get him out of drift now!” Was it Feng Xin? Or Mu Qing? He didn’t know anymore.
He was pulled out of the drift forcibly and then everything went black.
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Xie Lian woke up. He hated this memory, these twisted dreams that kept him awake at night. Sometimes it still felt like he could get an accidental connection to the Kaijus.
Even if it was 5 years ago it still haunted him like a shadow forever weighing on him refusing to leave. He hasn’t stepped in a Jaeger since until now.
The Kaiju attacks kept getting more frequent and stronger but then they lessened for months as if they were preparing.
Sensing this pattern even ex-pilots were brought back in in fear of a massive attack happening. One of those ex-pilots was Xie Lian. He was supposed to be the pride of his generation and of the first wave of the Jaeger Pilot program but he’s since long fallen of that stature.
Back at the Jaeger Bay the sound of clanking metal and all sorts of machinery were nothing unusual. Yet there was a new Jaeger that stood out. A red Mark 5 with white accents. Last time Xie Lian knew all the pilots were either occupied, injured or dead.
The news of a new transfer pilot from the sister base spread around like wildfire. These days all pilots had a partner to share the burden of piloting a Jaeger. Xie Lian was an exception unable to pair up with anyone since that day the Kaiju got the drift and connected with him.
“Hello there.” A deep male voice was heard trough the building.
“And you are?” Xie Lian asked wanting to know the identity of the charming mysterious young man.
“Just call me San Lang.”
“I’m Xie Lian.”