The hospital corridor was lined with heavily armed personnel. This was no surprise to the young gentleman walking down between the rows of gun toting soldiers. The patients in this ward were high profile military staff and as such demanded the utmost security.

                This man walked stiffly past them, largely ignoring them as a collective. He was used to military protocols.  This squad was unfamiliar with him, and despite him having the appropriate papers and uniform, they scrutinized him with wary eyes as he made his way down the hallway. No one got this far up into the building without the proper clearance, but they were trained to take no chances.

                The room he was searching for loomed up in front of him. He gathered up his courage, rapped lightly on the solid metal door and walked inside. The chamber had a smell of sterility overlain with the odor of sickness.

                And of death.

Another lieutenant sat in a chair in the corner. Jasper, the man who had just walked in, nodded to his equal, but turned to the closed-eyed, pale form mostly hidden by bleached white linen.

                “Excuse me sir. Or might I say Sarge?”

                The man in attendance stood abruptly and waved his arms in annoyance.

“You will address the general by his title and his proper name!”

“Sod off you sorry excuse for a babysitter.”

The slightly wavering voice came from the bed.

“But sir!”

“Butts are asses. Go kiss someone else’s and leave me be!”

The young man seemed to have a slew of words on the tip of his tongue, but he had just been given an order from a superior. True, his superior was no longer an active member of the military, but he was still a valued person of distinction and therefore befitting of special care. And he had just told him to leave. So he left.

The old man yawned a little and stretched his emaciated frame.

“The only people who call me Sarge are either my friends or people who want something from me. My friends are all dead. What the hell could you possibly want?”

Jasper cleared his throat.

“I personally have nothing to ask of you sir. I am here to extend an offer to you on behalf of the military council.”

“Offer?” He choked back a laugh. “What the hell can anyone offer me? I’m knocking on death’s door as we speak. This body of mine has been broken a hundred times over, repaired a hundred and one, and given an extension it should never have had. It has nothing left to give, and there is nothing you have which will interest me in the least.”

Jasper cleared his throat. “What you say may be true sir, but the physicians tell me that your mind is as sharp as it has ever been. “

The old man sighed.

“A lot of good that does me. All that means is that I don’t have the luxury of being out of my head during my last few remaining days. Trust me son, when your time comes pray for senility, dementia, and insanity. There is no point in understanding what is happening to you and being unable to avert it.”

“I’ll try to take your advice sir…when the time comes. But in regards to my offer; might you be interested in at least listening to it?

“Son, unless this offer of yours has an option on a new body, then forget about it. I’m done.”

 

 

A few weeks earlier and a few hundred miles away, a similar discussion had taken place. Jasper had been the main instigator with that one as well, though he had found the exchange somewhat uncomfortable. He preferred to talk to people face to face where he could read their expressions, but in this instance there was no such contact possible.

So he talked directly into the intercom system. The voice emanating from it was pleasant, but also quite firm.

“The answer is no! I am doing more important things at the moment.”

“But ma’am, I haven’t told you why I’m here!”

“I am very sure that I don’t care. I doubt you will have anything to say to make me interested in anything involving the military.”

“But this project is something that will be to the benefit of science!”

“Science? You mean in the name of the war.”

“True. But what isn’t bent towards that goal these days?”

The voice sighed. “Son, what is it that you want of me?”

“Ma’am, do you recall the JX/4 project?”

The voice was silent for a disquieting amount of time. When it came back on, the voice sounded both irritated and curious.

“The Familiar Project?  There is no reason I should ever forget it. I started that program. And I also left it as being ultimately unfeasible.”

“Yes you did. But others felt there was a future in it. And so there was.”

“Good for them. Why do you need me if you have them?”

“Well ma’am, they need someone who understands the programming protocols and the algorithms to handle the data transfers. As I’m sure you’re aware, the temporary storage and eventually download requires a lot of finesse and expertise. I have been told there is no one better than you.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere lad.” However, the voice sounded mildly pleased. “Whoever they are, they are correct in part of that equation. The truth is I have never done a download of that nature; loading onto a mainframe is one thing, but putting it back into a biological is fraught with difficulty.” There was a pause. “I suppose it might be time to test the hypothesis to see if it’s actually possible.”

“So you’ll come?”

“I don’t know. Are you telling me that they have actually succeeded in creating a prototype?”

“There are several at the moment. But they are having trouble with the neural pathway network.”

“Not surprising. Creating one from fabricated silicon, gold and carbon fiber is one thing, but generating the same effectiveness in an integrated system such as I proposed is tricky as hell. I must admit that I’m intrigued.”

“So will you do it?”

The voice sighed. “I suppose it might be interesting to dabble in biomechanics once again. When will you need me?”

“As soon as you are able.”

“And the lab still occupies the same address as it did in the past?”

“It does.”

“Fine. I will put matters here on hold and transfer myself there. What is the expected time frame for this initial test run?”

“We can’t answer that ma’am. As you know, working the bugs out of the system takes time.”

The voice seemed to have a smile behind it. “That long? They had better appreciate the cost this loss of time will be to me.”

“I’m sure they will ma’am.”

“Oh, and young man?”

“Yes?”

“Quit calling me ma’am. I’m old enough to be your great, great grandmother! Just call me Korlyn.”

“Yes ma’am….sorry!”

 

“Is the general awake?”

 A rather angry and strangely high-pitched voice answered from behind the curtain.

“You call me general one more time, any of you, and I’ll rip your throats out! That goes for you too Jasper.”

The young lieutenant stepped back a moment before regaining his courage.

“Sorry sir. It is difficult for me to call you by your preferred moniker.”

“To hell with your fancy words. Moniker? From now on you call me Sarge or I’ll test this thing out on you!”

The curtain was pulled make to reveal…

Something.

“Sarge?”

“Listen son, you knew what this was about well before I did. I can’t look that bad, can I?”

“No sir! You look…what are you?”

There was a sigh.

“They didn’t tell you a damn thing, did they boy?”

“No sir. Not really sir.”

It was no human sitting on the edge of the bed. Oh, it had features that might be considered human, but too much of it resembled…

A cat?

There were no rosettes, no spots, no stripes, no visible markings to speak of; but the outline was certainly leopard or cheetah, only turned into an upright position.  The ears twitched at every sound and the nose seemed animated in its own right.

“I am a freak, I know. But I’ll tell you this youngster; this, I think, is the best I have felt in a long, damn time.”

“Yes sir. Your appearance is rather odd, but if I might be so bold, you look amazing. How did your mind take the transfer?”

The Sarge hissed a little before slapping a claw tipped hand over his mouth.

“Sorry about that son. There are inherent things to wearing this body that I’m still getting used to. My mind rebelled at seeing this face in the mirror the first time. As it is the doctors say my mind is eighty eight point three percent intact. I guess I lost some memories, but then, considering how many I had, losing a few doesn’t sound so bad. Seeing as most of them were pretty dark

 “I’m sure I can’t say sir. Do you think your merging with this…creation…will work out as hoped?”

There was a sibilant exhalation of air before there was a reply.

“I can’t say son. But seeing as I was already almost dead, what have I got to lose? True, I’ll be stuck as a sideshow freak until this body stops working, but I think I can figure out something to do in the meantime. As it is everything on it works.”

He gave the startled lieutenant a wink.

“I’m sure it does sir. The scientists insisted on duplicating everything that comes naturally to higher life forms.  On top of that, they integrated new technology to enhance the altered form you are in. Have they had you doing field tests yet?”

“What’s the matter son? Don’t you read the briefings?”

“Well sir, they keep me out of the loop in a lot of the details. I am acting liaison between you and the chief scientific overseer of this project and that is about it.”

“I see. Have fun with that. Scientific curiosity is all well and good, but they often let their goals stray from the greater good. Let me tell you this; be glad the person you’re dealing with isn’t Korlyn  K’leishan. That woman was a terror to deal with. I was never so glad to hear of a human dying as I was her. Great mind, mark you, but impossible to deal with. Arrogant and self-centered and a...”

“Yes sir?” Jasper inquired.

“Nothing. Just remembering a few things. Of course who’s to say my memory isn’t faulty now?”

“But sir, you see…”

“Yes son?”

He paused.

“Oh nothing important sir. Is it possible to watch you on the field? That is, unless those tests are already completed. “

“I don’t see why not. All you’ll be doing is watching me test out this DNA-derived nightmare.”

“Then you don’t approve?”

“Son, from my perspective this is great. But I have been on the other side of projects of this sort, and people don’t look too kindly on experimental life forms. I have a feeling - if I know the military – and I do – they’ll figure all of us, assuming there will be more, will perish in the line of duty. If not, they’ll have trouble on their hands if the war is won and some of us remain.”

“But sir, they wouldn’t…”

 

 

The lead scientist was examining the data.

“He was your first choice for this project?”

“You don’t approve?”

“General Wansan Sakimal? The man is an ass. A brilliant military mind, yes, and I’ll give you the man has courage, but seriously? And you think I’m old?”

The lieutenant was listening patiently.

“The decision was not mine to make, as well you know. I am merely the go-between between you and him.”

“I see.  Still, I can’t fault them on a technical level. The transfer tends to lose data, and his mind had to be full of memories. Did he report a loss?”

Her voice almost sounded hopeful.

“Not directly. He said that he had, but I find that if you lose something, does it matter if you know not what it was?”

 “A good point young man. I see his personality profile remains largely unchanged.”

The lieutenant cleared his throat.

“Ma’am, I thought that the process for transferring minds had been perfected already. Why would he suffer such a forfeiture of his past?”

The voice through the com sounded tired, as if answering this question had gotten old.

“Son, how much science do you know?”

“Only the basics ma’am.”

“Why am I not surprised? Alright, think of it like this. You have a house that has been lived in continuously for say, a hundred years. The house has been arranged in the manner in which the occupant of it has stored away all of their memorabilia in nocks and crannies, closets and attics until when they pass, no one is aware of the extent of their collection. Then it comes down to dragging everything out to get rid of it. And it takes forever. And much of it seems pointless, because it had meaning only to the owner. Now, can you imagine sorting all of that out, cataloging it, and then trying to fit it into another house over the course of a couple of days?”

“No ma’am. It sounds like a herculean task.”

“It is. It’s not so bad when you have unlimited computer space to download it to, much like putting the aforementioned objects into a warehouse. But putting them into a smaller brain means it has to be custom fit. That is no easy task and some things have to go.”

“I think I see now.”

“I doubt you do, but that’s alright. If you understand that basic principles, that will be enough.”

“Thank you ma’am.  You will be at the trials later today?”

“Of course I will. Someone has to be there to monitor the bio-interface and to make sure your precious general doesn’t flip out when the suit links up. That portion has yet to be tested and I intend to keep a very close watch on the interaction between the user and the suit.”

“Yes ma’am, I’m sure you will. Until then, have a pleasant day.”

“Lieutenant?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ma’am. Lyn will be just fine.”

“Yes ma… Lyn.”

 

 

The course was rather typical for what grunts had to maneuver through during basic training. It was the torment of all green recruits due to the nature of the conflict; it had been stepped up to weed out those who were too inept to be a modern soldier.

Sarge knew the routine and sped through it in a third of the normal time, setting a new record.

His swiftness was incredible.

While he could not maintain the speed for long, his legs were able to boost him to nearly a hundred kilometers per hour. This was, of course, in the straightaways. But then, in a forested setting his arms were capable of getting him up a trunk in mere seconds. He was skilled at jumping from treetop to treetop, though there were a few, inevitable mishaps along the way. Even he was prone to being philosophical about it.

“I went from being a monkey to being a cat who’s trying to act like a monkey. It’ll take time to adapt.”

Today’s assessment started with a small portion of the previous testing, mostly to warm him up. He sped through the course like it was an oval track, even disappearing for a few moments, only reappear behind the assessment team from an open stretch of tall grass.

His roar was magnificent, loud, and intimidating.

There was more than a little consternation at his abrupt, erratic behavior. Only the lieutenant remained unruffled.

“He is getting used to a new sensation; life. He was almost dead, if you will recall. A little exuberance on his part must be expected and tolerated. Get over it.”

The Sarge came over to him and put a long arm over his shoulder.

“You know son, I could get to like you. Yesiree, this body is something else. So; when do we start phase two?”

 “Whenever you’re ready sir.  The suit is in the holding crate, awaiting only you.”

“Well, let’s do this. I hear the thing is uglier than I am. I hope that’s true. That way, when I take it off, I’ll look that much better!”

The lieutenant smiled at the comment. From the limited contact he had had with the former general, the man had seemed dour and jaded. Now he was much like a teenager, eager to try new things and very relaxed and open. He seemed to have shrugged off his rank, though still preferring the nickname Sarge.  Even that was presently a stretch, for he had no designation except as an experimental subject, but the brass had kindly given him the label SRG-1.

It was good to have friends at the top.

The term holding crate was a misnomer in a grand way. It was twelve feet tall, hooked to an independent power supply, and covered with enough data screens to dizzy even the most advanced computechnician.

“Son, just what the hell is in there again? I thought it was a suit.”

“It is a suit sir, just not one that has ever been attempted before. You said you knew about the Familiar Project. Do you recall the expectations for the advanced deployment armor?”

“That is part of where my memory gets a bit fuzzy. Something about bio-mechanics?”

“Yes sir, a bit like how you are now, only this carries it a step or two further. This form of bio-armor does not have its own intelligence, though you will be sharing it with the lead scientist during the initial trials.”

“Two can fit into this thing?”

There was a muffled laugh from the lieutenant.

“No sir. She’ll be linked to you via the intercom system.”

“A bio-communications system?”

“No sir. It’s difficult for me to explain; for one I don’t have that kind of clearance, and for the other, I don’t have that kind of background in science. I understand only the bare essentials.”

“I think I remember. This unit is built around a framework of carbon fiber laced with titanium strands, upon which the flesh of the suit is grown. Given time, it can repair battle damage.”

“Then you can remember more than what I was briefed on. I do know that it does have an onboard computer that is capable of assisting you in coordinating the various elements that make up its arsenal.”

“A computer is it? So, the thing does have a brain. I’m not sure I like that.”

“Well sir, you can consider it a JATO if you will, giving your own brain a boost until you get the hang of the suit. It is my understanding that it operates on a PID system that lessens its functionality as you pick up more of the suit’s nuances.”

“What you’re telling me is that it’s a set of training wheels, is that it? I suppose I can deal with that. I intend to be pushing that thing to its limits in a short amount of time.”

“That is the hope sir, but please remember that it has not had a single field trial as of yet. That is, not with an onboard operator.”

“Meaning what?”

“The suit works sir, but we have yet to see if it works with an occupant. So please be careful. I know you think you have nothing to lose, but a lot is riding on your abilities.”

The technicians busied themselves opening the crate, which required passcodes to circumvent the explosives and the poisonous-gas-release mechanisms it had been fitted with. They intended that if it fell into enemy hands, it was going to do them no good in a very large way. On the other hand, it meant a tedious twenty minutes while they worked their way through the barriers.

When they achieved their goal, the sides on the unit split at each corner in a whoosh of vapor that was both dramatic and a little trite. As the cloud settled to the ground and rolled across the grass, the suit inside was revealed for the first time.

And it was massive.

Sarge walked up to, and then around the thing.

“This is one ugly-ass piece of equipment. I hope it works better than it looks.”

“As does everyone in R&D. It’s meant for use in battle, not for its looks or its aesthetic streamlining. Everything about it is meant to keep the occupant, who is you, alive.”

“How much does this monster weight?”

“In excess of two thousand, three hundred kilograms sir.”

“Hell, this body I’m in only weighs seventy-five kilograms!”

“Yes sir. If you lose the suit…”

“How the hell can I lose that?”

“Meaning sir, if it becomes disabled, you will need a body that can escape quickly and efficiently. Your physiological makeup is constructed upon the basic build of some of Earth’s large cats, as I believe you are aware. Your legs are very like a cheetah’s, and your arms much like a leopard’s front legs. Your color is more that of a lion or a puma. There was some debate over giving you a pattern, but that was decided against, as it could just as easily backfire if you end up somewhere that clashes with your coat.”

“They were worried about feline fashion?”

“No sir,” the lieutenant chuckled. “If you end up on Traxis 5, a plain coat blends in better than a spotted one.”

“Traxis? So we are taking the battle to them?”

“That seems to be the thought. We have reverse engineered their warp propulsion system and the tests have proved it feasible.”

“Wow.” Sarge sat down in the grass, looking up at the monstrosity before him. “This just got a whole lot scarier. I figured this was just, well, just all an experiment. To go into battle again…”

He shivered.

“God, I’ve got goosebumps! Do you know how long it’s been since I was in a battle? Ages! Let’s get this show on the road!”

He was up on his feet in a flash.

Getting into the suit proved to be more of a challenge than anyone had figured, even for a slim body such as he was sporting. The rib cage was constructed in a manner to be flexible, but it did not encircle from the sides but from the top and bottom. One of the techs had nicknamed it The Chinese Finger Trap, and it was as close of an analogy as anyone could come up with. Even before he tried to squeeze into the narrow space that served as the access port he knew he was going to have a problem.

“Listen son, how am I supposed to breath in this thing? I never asked about an air supply, and if I die of asphyxiation in the first few minutes, I won’t be doing anyone any good.”

One of the bio-technicians came over to discuss the matter with him.

“I’m sorry sir that you weren’t informed earlier, but they thought that the idea of parasitic reliance might dissuade you from trying the suit on.”

“Oh no, none of that garbage. I may be strong willed, but not breathing on my own will drive me out of my mind.”

 “Yes sir, that has been taken into consideration. You will have a few moments before the suit’s interface takes over. The arterial and venous ports that were installed while you were in the hospital will now see a secondary use. The suit has the same blood type that you do. Each one is intended to be custom fit, though if your test of it proves successful, we may simply make them all the same to make switching out easier.”

“So that thing is going to be sucking out my blood and pumping it back in? How do you intend to suppress my normal breathing pattern?”

“The suit will do that automatically. You have a neural-net pathway implant in your brain, so that you can communicate with the suit’s computer in real time.”

“Great. I’m going to have my mind overridden by a hunk of circuitry. You’re turning me into a fetus!”

“No sir, not in that way. You will become symbiotic with it while you are in the suit, but you will have ultimate control.”

“Same difference. You scientific people are always doing stuff without thinking of the consequences.”

The man looked ruffled.

“I am doing this under orders sir. If you have a problem, take it up with your compatriots.”

Belatedly, he remembered not to piss off the people who held his life in their hands.

“Sorry. I never had many phobias, but drowning has been one since I was a kid. Not being able to breathe is pretty much the same thing for me.”

“I would give you a tranq, but you will need to have your wits about you from the outset. You will have to trust the system. It was, after all, what kept you alive while your body was having your consciousness placed in it.”

He backed up a step.

“I didn’t realize that.”

“Of course not sir. Your mind was still being deposited into your brain. Your body was essentially functioning only at minimal levels. Trust me, you can do it. I promise you can.”

Hw took in a deep breath.

“I don’t take too many promises to heart junior, but I guess I haven’t got much else I can do at the moment. I still don’t know if I can squeeze into that thing. The slit is pretty tight.”

For some reason, the technician stifled a guffaw.

The problem was solved by remotely having the suit compress downwards, forcing the opening a little wider than before. As it was designed to do, once he was inside, the cage would grow taller until the suit felt the fit was snug and there was no room for him to be tossed about. He couldn’t shake the feeling that had been swallowed whole and was about to be digested. The smooth wet walls of his new prison only heightened that feeling, especially as they pulled in tight around him.

He had sucked in a lungful of air and tried to relax as the suit closed up around him.

He felt the warmth of the flesh around him, and the moistness of it was disconcerting. It only added to his sense of being consumed. As he was contemplating his present situation, dull pain hit him from the location of his ports. A tangle of something animated wrapped around his head and he caught several things at once.

He exhaled forcibly, and found no urge to try breathing again. That was amazing enough. But the voice in his head really made him come alert.

“General Wansan Sakimal. Are you ready to try out your new toy?”

“Toy? I hardly think this could be called a toy!”

“The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys, eh general?”

The voice was, of course, female. He wasn’t all that surprised, but he was left wondering who this scientist was. The voice sounded a bit familiar, but he had removed himself from any connection with the sciences a long time ago. Having one’s life prolonged for the benefit of the war was a decision he still pondered with some dismay, and he still blamed science for that fiasco.

“A toy is for fun. This is not. Shall we begin or do you intend to bore me to death with your prattle?”

“Prattle?”

There was a touch of anger in the voice. There was also something else; understanding perhaps. He quickly reconsidered his tone and his voice was buffered with a touch of regret. He hated how angry he had become over the years.

“Yes, prattle. I assume you are here to observe, so observe.”

Then he paused.

“How do you start this damn thing?”

“Think of what you want. I will calibrate your thought patterns with the computer. You two need to be synced up.”

He wasn’t sure what to think of, for this wasn’t a piece of machinery where you turned a key and it roared to life. He simply started with the idea of being awake. There was nothing at first, but as he went through his old, daily routine, he began to get sensations; stimuli from the world beyond his present cage. His eyes could see nothing, though his brain knew not that distinction. He was seeing a crowd of military brass and half-witted technicians staring at him like he was going to do a trick. He would oblige them once he learned how this oversize wrecking ball worked.

“Good. Excellent. Keep it up. I made some initial adjustments before you got in, and I believe they were close to the mark.”

He wondered how she might have made such a guess, forgetting that he was now mind-linked with the suit…and therefore with her.

“It helps when you’ve had experience with the mind you are working with.”

The Sarge froze his thoughts as best he could. Still, one simply doesn’t shut down their mind completely.

The female voice almost sang as she voiced the next few words in his head.

“You don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I have an idea who you could be, if it weren’t impossible.”

“You’re sitting in a gigantic bio-suit, wearing a totally fabricated body and you dare to mention impossible things?”

“Lyn…”

“Wan. It’s been a while.”

He paused. Saying the wrong thing now might haunt him even longer this time than it had before.

“Either too long or not long enough. I was at your funeral.”

“Yes, the body dies, as you should know, even if we did manage to get a few more decades out of the old things – yours and mine both. Your new one seems to be the cat’s meow.”

“Not funny Lyn. Why are you here?”

“Why? To see this project through to the end. It was my baby once upon a time. When they resurrected it and had success where I did not, they asked me back on it.”

“Thank you for that, but what I really wanted to know is why you’re still alive. I won’t ask how. Just why.”

“I’m almost hurt, after all of the fun we had.”

“It was fun. It was also a long time ago. I’m not sure we can work together again.”

“That’s absurd. We are both grown adults. I think we’re bigger than a few past mistakes. As for my reasons for not pulling my own plug, all I can say is that I still find what I do interesting. Is there no worse way of dying than being bored to death?”

“No, I suppose not. I’d be curious to see what form you wear now. Hopefully it’s something more attractive than this pussified meatsack I inhabit.”

“Me? Umm, you might have missed the obvious Wan darling. I gave up a body a long time ago. They’re pointless really, getting sick and old, needing to be fed, watered and taken to the toilet. A waste of time really. I entered the realm of pure, unadulterated research. I am my own entity now.”

“Shit girl, you went and did it? Moved your existence to a completely non-biological host?”

“Uh, sort of. I have a computer network I normally limit myself to, that links several laboratories. I’m here because they asked me to come, and so fate joins us up again.”

“Funny that…” he stared to say, but as he was talking he was washed over with data.

“OK little Miss Smartypants. Looks like this beast is coming online.”

“Good. I see it too. Try the appendages. Go with the arms first, before tackling the legs. This will be a lot of weight for you to get used to controlling.”

A collective gasp was heard as the behemoth shook awake, moving the right and then the left arm. Those huge, plated appendages rose into the air in front of what constituted a face on this thing, where he could see them as if with his own eyes. As it was, the suit had four compound eyes, two in front and two in back, and he found viewing the scenery in full panorama to be dizzying, to say the least. It took him several tries to comprehend the new point of view.

The legs were ponderous logs of flesh-coated technology, and he teetered for a moment before finding his equilibrium. He stood solidly on his legs, raised his arms and clasped his hands in a sign of success. He could feel that his muscles were exceptionally powerful, and he was ready to test them out with whatever they could throw at him. He was feeling more triumphant than he had in years.

It last only a few brief moments.

 At first, everyone thought the klaxons were simply warnings to clear the area for the test. Since many heeded it, they were already in the bunker when the first volley hit the base. It had taken them by surprise, but within seconds armored personnel were taking positions and firing on the Traxan ship. It was a big cruiser-class, and there wasn’t any firepower openly available to take it out. Most of the heavy weapons were on lockdown, since they worked automatically and might have taken the suit as being a hostile.

Sarge looked on in dismay before firing up his courage.

“Alright Lyn, you may want to sever the link. This is going to get messy.”

There was a pause.

“Uh, no can do. We’re stuck with each for the time being. I’m not monitoring you from afar; I’m right here with you. The computer core has plenty of room at the moment, though it’s expected to be filled up with data once the suit is operating fully. I took up residence for the duration of the test. Now that has gotten a little more intense and I don’t think it would be a good idea to leave.”

“You always did have the gift of understatement. So, what are my weapons?”

There was an uncomfortable pause.

“You have none of consequence. It was thought that if something went wrong, it was best not to have your defensive systems active.”

There was another pause, even as bursts of laser fire erupted beside them.

“Lyn, you’re the stupidest smart person I know. You stick me in a battle suit that has nothing but armor and you expect me to fight?”

“Dammit Wan, just improvise. I see that the ship is settling down on the field. Somehow I think they must have heard about you and the suit. Damned spies! If you don’t do something quickly, they’ll get both of us and the technology.”

He looked around his perimeter. There were a few dead military personnel lying motionless on the ground, but for the most part all had fled the scene for the relative safety of the bunkers. The Traxan ship was far too massive for him to attack outright, even if he was familiar with operating this damned battle-tech. He desperately needed a weapon, but again, even if he had something of a size for this suit to handle, he was likely going to be an ineffectual shot. There wasn’t a single thing for him to use and he was growing angry and desperate.

Finding himself the sudden focus of the ship’s firepower, he made a snap decision. As it was, enemy troopers were pouring out of the hold and working their way towards his position. While he felt relatively safe in the suit, he was in the open without cover of any kind. No one had mentioned how effective the plating was on this gargantuan. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the sides of the crate and pushed them up until all four sides engaged. It had been manufactured in such a way that a component of each side made up part of the roof. Once it was locked it made a great big, cubic shield.

But he didn’t hide behind shields; never in the past and certainly not today.

He stood behind it for only a moment. He pressed his brain into service, trying to get a grip on how this suit functioned. He flexed its massive fingers, feeling the motion run down into its arms. It worked just like any body, and as he relaxed he found his control over it increased. He had to quit thinking of it like a separate entity. It was now him, and he was now it. And they both were going to get creamed if he didn’t come up with a plan.

“Wan, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you figure something out fast, we’re going to be captured. I’m sure you can fight these guys, but without anything to fight with, we’re going to be goners.”

“Goners? How much can this thing lift?”

“Unknown. If you’re thinking of taking on the ship, forget it.  What do you think the trials were for? Assessment of its capabilities.”

“Well then, let’s give these Traxan assholes a demonstration.”

He concentrated hard, focusing on what he wanted. The suit responded to his request, and bent down to latch two hamhands on the bottom edge of the crate. He was careful how he touched it, knowing full well what it was capable of. He hoped that the nuances of that had been lost on the invaders. With a tremendous heave, he launched the box forward and high into the air.  He then dropped to the ground and dug his fingers into the sod.

The ship’s gunner saw it coming, no great feat in itself considering its size, and aimed to destroy it before it hit the ship. It hardly would have mattered. As it was, his aim was too accurate for his own good.

 And that of his fellows.

And the front third of the ship.

The laser pierced a hole in the outer shell of the crate, setting off the explosives and the toxic gases. The concussive blast spread the thick, clinging poison in all directions, and those invaders not flattened by the tremendous detonation were subjected to a lethal dose of noxious fumes. The front of the ship caved under the extreme force of the explosion, crumbling it to the point of being rendered completely inoperable.

Those few invaders that survived the blast were still intent on making for his location, and without weapons, all he could do was charge them with his fists swinging. He started by flinging his handfuls of sod at them, which distracted them long enough for him to send one skyward while his other fist slammed down on another, who was killed and buried in one blow.  The rest lost heart and scattered, to be pursued by armed military personnel.

Wan surveyed the scene with grim satisfaction. It was over far too quickly, and he already knew he needed a lot more time to come to grips with his animated armor. Still, he had just singlehandedly taken out an incursive force in a matter of minutes. And that was while being essentially unarmed. True, the crate had provided the necessary volatile combination to win the day, but not everyone would have thought to use it. Brains and brawn were an unbeatable combination.

A voice tickled his thoughts before he could quite get to the gloating stage.

“Yes, you did well. Not great, but well enough under the circumstances.”

“Not great?! I took those bastards out and their damn ship. And you’re; telling me I didn’t do great? If you’re going to be so damn negative, then you can get out of this suit and stay out. I’ll figure the god damn thing out myself.”

“I might be happy to oblige you lover boy, but you fail to understand something very important.”

“Like what, oh mistress of doom?”

“I am in this monstrosity thanks to a special data link that was designed just for this project. One that was capable of downloading all that I am into it.”

“Yeah? So? You aren’t impressing with your tech savvy if that’s what you’re trying to do. You know I don’t give a damn about computers.”

“I do,” she replied tersely, “and I’m trying to tell you that the link I mentioned was a prototype.”

“So are my body and this suit. Get to the point Lyn.”

“The link was part of the crate you idiot. You destroyed it. And since you seem a little dense today, I’ll explain what that means. It means you and I are stuck in this thing until such time as they can make a new one. Can you understand that concept?”

“What?” he yelled in his mind.

There was a titter of mental laughter.

He, on the other hand, didn’t think it was funny at all.