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"For the record, this is a bad idea."
Mako exhales and glares up at the speaker as the doors hiss open. She can’t really disagree with what he’s saying, but she has yet to hear an alternate plan. This is a necessary test and the past two attempts have five techs still in the infirmary. This is her project. She’s in charge of it and she isn’t going to let anyone else get hurt on her watch. She zips up the test suit a little higher and adjusts the helmet.
"Manually overriding door locks," she says punching in her code, "entering the Conn Pod."
She steps into Gipsy’s head.
The Conn Pod is dead. It’s silent and dark, locked in stasis. She flicks on the light in her helmet and turns to the repairs that have been done. They’re flawless, she only knows they’re there because she’s seen them done. Behind her she hears the doors hiss shut and lock into place. Her stomach tightens but she ignores it. Panic won’t get her anywhere. Instead she drops the case to the ground and punches in her code, taking out the two spines.
They’re attached to hard drives with simulator codes. Gipsy won’t activate fully, just enough for them to run a basic test and make sure everything’s ready for the pilots. She leaves them in the box and goes for the control panel instead. Manually she begins putting in the sequence that boots Gipsy up. She finishes putting the sequence in and waits as the lights begin to flicker on.
"Initiating Launch Operations, Gipsy Danger," the AI informs her.
Mako pulls out the spines and locks them into place in the rigs. Gipsy will have to be re-calibrated anyway for whoever Ranger Becket’s new co-pilot is. The lights on the drives illuminate as the Jaeger is tricked into recognizing two pilots locked into the Riggs. The Jaeger continues to come to life and Mako steps onto the narrow point between the two panels as they fall away and the clamps lock around a pair of feet that aren’t there.
"Two pilots in cockpit, drop is ready," the AI says.
"Alright we’re holding steady," the voice comes over her earpiece, "this is a bad idea but we are good for drop."
"Copy that," Mako says, "preparing for drop."
She flicks the switches in her manual override and grabs the backs of the rigs. She’s not buckled in. She hears the tech count down and tightens her fingers. The clamps release around Gipsy’s head and she holds tight as the Conn Pod falls down. It’s like she’s on a roller coaster but her life literally depends on her being able to hold on. The fall is endless and her arms are screaming before the pod is caught and the sound of Gipsy’s gears going into place echo. Mako carefully unlocks her fingers and forces her hands to be steady as she inputs the next sequence. The hard drives whirr as the spines project echoes of pilot data between each other.
"Two pilots engaged in Neural Bridge," the AI says as the read outs flicker between them, "ready to activate the Jaeger in 3, 2, 1."
The Jaeger comes fully online and Mako’s breath catches. It’s seamless and it’s beautiful, but there’s something wrong about it. It isn’t a proper drift. She’s familiar with the artificial simulations. But this isn’t with some simulator, this is with an actual Jaeger. One whose fought and fallen and is being rebuilt. It seems wrong somehow. She swallows against the tightness in her throat and leans forward to begin the weapons check, murmuring an apology to the Jaeger as she begins to lie again.
"I do not accept."
Mako’s fingers drop as she spins around so quickly she nearly topples from her place. There is no mistaking the voice is not the AI. No more than it’s possible to not see the striking figure standing behind her looking like she’s only still standing there because she’s having trouble figuring out what the most appropriate way to kill Mako is. She’s dressed in something that makes her look like she’s stepped out of one of those fairytale books Stacker would read to her on the roughest nights and her hair falls in a tangled wave. Her one visible eye is identical to the pictures Mako’s seen of Yancy Becket and she finds herself torn between screaming and just jumping in between the command platforms and saving Gipsy the trouble of killing her herself.
"I suppose my last ‘messages’ were not received," the Jaeger snaps, glaring at the twin spines, "perhaps this one will stick," she hisses.
Suddenly Mako finds herself aloft, her feet dangling in the empty space besides the command platform. There’s an unbearable pressure on her throat. Gipsy tightens her fingers around her, her eyes furious and full of hate. Yet even through her darkening vision Mako can see the tears that cloud them. She tries to swallow, to do something to get her voice back but she can’t.
"Weapons check," comes out as a garbled, choked mess and her fingers jab towards the console, "manual—"
The Jaeger throws her to the other side of the cockpit. Mako smacks the wall and bites back a cry as her back smacks the metal. She drops to all fours, coughing and gasping. Her eyes raise to see Gipsy looking at the console. The Jaeger reaches out one gnarled hand and begins to work the controls.
"Mori—Mori Gipsy’s taken control of the systems," the voice comes low and frantic in her ear, "get out of there!"
"No!" she gasps back, "let the weapons check run through—"
"Why the fuck do I have a sword?" Gipsy hisses, suddenly appearing in front of her, "I kill Kaiju, I don’t make sushi."
"Chain sword," Mako chokes out.
"Excuse me?" Gipsy questions with an arch of her eyebrow.
"It’s a chain sword," Mako says sitting back on her knees, "it won’t malfunction."
"Are you saying I malfunction?" the Jaeger spits, her fingers tightening into fists before one opens and Mako fights the urge to shy back.
"You’re malfunctioning right now," she says as Gipsy lunges for her.
The Jaeger pauses mid-strike, hand open and flat and just a breath from slamming through the glass of her helmet. Their eyes lock and Mako holds her breath for as long as she can before it comes out with a rush before she inhales. Gipsy holds her position there, her eyes still locked on Mako’s face. Their eyes are still locked but Mako can see some of the voluminous fabric recedes as Gipsy’s hair tames slightly. Her head cocks to the side as if she’s studying Mako.
"Why are you here?" she asks.
"Weapons test," Mako repeats, "I’m running a weapons test."
Gipsy looks at her long and hard and then waves her hand.
"Carry on," she says dismissively.
Shakily Mako gets to her feet and continues with the simulation. Her fingers are shaking as she goes through the switches, powering up each weapon and then powering them down. The entire time she feels Gipsy’s gaze on her. When her fingers slip the Jaeger makes a sound of disgust. Mako glares at the console and fores her hands to be steady as she keeps going. The easiest one to work is the sword. She’s designed everything about the weapon and in spite of everything when it flicks out and locks into place, she can’t help but feel a bit of pride.
"I still think it’s going to be useless," Gipsy says folding her arms across her chest. When Mako is silent she clears her throat.
"Swords don’t malfunction," Mako says finally looking up at the Jaeger, "they don’t overheat or run out of ammunition."
"What if it jams?" Gipsy questions.
"It won’t," she says and when she looks up to glare at the Jaeger she finds herself surprised instead.
The wild specter of Gipsy has been replaced with a woman who looks like she belongs in a meeting opposite the Marshall. Her eyes are revealed, one as brown as Yancy’s and the other as blue as Raleigh’s. The heterochomia is oddly suiting to the spirit but both her eyes look less wild. They look calculating, almost reserved, like they’re judging her. Mako withdraws the sword and looks at the Jaeger.
"Weapons check complete," the AI voice echoes and Gipsy rolls her eyes, "weapons at 80% functionality."
"Except the sword," Gipsy mutters.
"Weapons check complete," the tech says over her earpiece, "read outs are good. We’re ready to shut her down."
"Confirmed," Mako says and looks at Gipsy who rolls her eyes and waves her hand, "commencing shut down," Mako says and begins to power down the Jaeger.
She goes kind of slowly because Gipsy’s looking at her warily, looking more and more like a predator eyeing a hunter. Mako powers down the weapons and then begins to power down the other systems. Finally Gipsy looks down and then back her uncomfortably.
"He’ll be here when I turn on again?" she asks.
"Yes," Mako says, "Marshall Pentecost has gone to get him."
Gipsy nods as the AI begins to power down.
"You’ll be here too?" she asks.
Mako feels surprise flow through her. She’s not a candidate anymore but Gipsy doesn’t seem to be talking about that. Instead she nods. The Jaeger lets out a breath and nods in return. Mako inputs the last sequence and Gipsy holds her gaze, straightening her spine and looking at her almost haughtily.
"I still don’t like the sword," she says right before she powers off.
Mako leaves the cockpit with a smile.