Chapter 20 - The Mother Returns

“Did you hear that? Can you believe that? How cool is that!? You’ll get to work in a match against the legend herself!”

Sam couldn’t contain herself as she sent that message, as someone who had watched recordings of all of Sara Campbell’s matches; she was almost shaking at the thought of watching that match in person. Sachiko also seemed to be as excited as she was, but for a different reason. Her mother had been in the crowd, and watched her win a match in a higher league. After the post-match checks were done, Sachiko immediately ran off to search for her.

The exhibition also meant that they had extra time before then next match, so Sam had no problem with Sachiko taking a little time off to be with her family.

As happy as she was for Jeff that he had that kind of opportunity, the chance to out mechanist the mystery mechanist, Sam was also very envious about it. But that envy only served to confuse her when she started talking to Jared about it.

From what Jared said, it seemed that Jeff was a part of the faction of mechanists that disliked the Kaya family. Furthermore, when Jared asked him about why that was, Jeff avoided talking about it. Other people in the department had tried asking about it but he wouldn’t give anyone a response. A few people there had decided that it was just envy at their success and wealth. Others made up some elaborate story where the Kaya’s did some international crime that Jeff caught them out on and was sworn to secrecy. From Sam’s perspective, Jeff did have a few instances of irrationality, so she was willing to believe that his hate was just that.

On the other hand, she also knew that he planned things carefully, in particular when work or gambling was involved. As having a pointless grudge against an important figure in the industry would be detrimental to that work, something about that just didn't seem likely. In the end she concluded that she really didn't know, and also didn't need to know. If the answer ever came out, her curiosity would be sated but not knowing wouldn't impact her life in any way.

That was unless he acted on the grudge. If he went out and harmed the person who made the cores that kept the country safe, then an investigation into his background could turn up at her door and start making problems for her.

Putting issues of possible colleague insanity aside, Sam was more interested in seeing how Mia planned to handle the match, and if she still planned on using the pit method. If both sides entered with the intention of gathering data, then neither would gain anything from the first round. Instead it was far more likely that they would start the match with some parts already attached and would further customise as the rounds progressed.

Since Sachiko had already left, Sam locked up the workspace and headed towards Satou's. Although she might not be welcomed there, Sam still wanted to lend a hand, if they would accept it. It could very well be her only chance to help out in a fight against her hero, and that felt like the next best thing to working beside her hero.

As she stood outside the workroom, Mia happened to be walking passed with a very casual expression. When Sam asked if she could help out with the preparations, Mia just shrugged and said “Sure, but I don't think there's much to be done, right? I mean, it's just a show, right? It's not like Satou's mother would actually fight him seriously. She wouldn't want to accidentally hurt him.”

Hearing that shocked Sam, she had assumed that most people her age knew all about Sara Campbell’s reputation. She was notorious for never going easy on an opponent, even if it was just a friendly match or if there was another match on the following day. There was no doubt in Sam's mind that Sara would go into the match with every intention of winning. It was extremely unlikely that she would hold back or pull punches.

After explaining that to Mia, her expression seemed to stiffen.

“Then, if that's the case, haven't I been wasting time?”

In a panic, she ran into the workshop and booted the computers. Satou's rig was still in its black cube form and hadn't had any adjustments made after the previous match. From what Sam could see of the booting data, it was still set up in its blank state, probably in anticipation of the match against Savannah.

One thing that was immediately apparent was that Mia's workshop was far better equipped than her own. The computer was evidently more powerful, as she could tell from how short the boot and synchronisation times were, and there were an array of expensive tools strewn throughout the room. Evidently that was how Mia managed to make changes quickly with the pit method. She had specialised tools that could add and remove parts almost twice as quickly as Sam could. From what Sam could gather, it seemed that the tools were made from formless particles and were designed to match Satou's rig exactly. Sam could only imagine how much it would have cost to have those tools designed.

Mia franticly opened up a design and management program and started to think about how to counter Sara.

“What if we equip the rig with as many weapons as we can and just crush her in the first round; that way she can’t use the pit method to counter with what she's still learnt?”

That was Mia's suggestion, or rather, that was Mia's knee-jerk reaction. Without hesitating, Sam knocked that suggestion down.

“Sara knows far more about the pit method then we do, so there's no way that she would start off in a blank form. It's very likely that all three rounds will be a game of ‘Scissors, Paper, Rock’. If you deploy with attack and she deploys with speed, then the round is likely hers. A change in first round external parts form can be submitted as late as 10 minutes before the match. That's when both sides will test our luck.”

What Sam said was true; both sides would watch the forms carefully and any forms submitted before the last deadline couldn't be trusted. It was a kind of psychological warfare that was waged by mechanists, and the administration workers were the collateral damage. Although the form process was almost entirely automated, some staff would be required to assess the forms to ensure no mistakes were missed by the system. Thankfully those checks were done after the match so they wouldn't delay proceedings. Though it could take those workers days to catch up afterwards if decoy forms were repeatedly used.

Thus, Mia and Sam spent the night preparing three sets of rig equipment, one for each speciality, and ensured that each set could be installed without worry and still had room for last minute customisation. Working throughout the night without sleep was no issue for Sam, but the fatigue was evident in Mia. Mia's efficiency was clearly lowered and she needed to take several breaks just to keep focus. As a genius that had skipped several grades, she had never experienced having to work overnight, and her inexperience was evident in how she handled it.

It wouldn't be fair to say that the bulk of work was done by Sam, but it was certainly more than half of it. By the time the ten minute deadline arrived, Mia was truly grateful for Sam's help.

With the last possible minute's arrival, the pair submitted their form, preying against system malfunction, on one computer, while refreshing their opponent's page on another. Throughout the night, the mysterious mechanist had toyed with them. Each time they submitted a form, it was in the type that countered their previous one. It also had differences between the sets in the same type, making sure that they couldn't just make plans against specific sets and they weren't just using the same three setups on rotation. It was clear that their opponents were aware of them. It was also clear that their opponents knew just how the real fights take place.

Ten more minutes passed and the two sides were facing each other in the arena. After a full night's planning and preparations it came down to a gamble. As it was Satou that made the final selection, there wasn't anything they could have done, but somehow the results were disappointing.

Facing each other was a mother and son pair. One had a silver-white rig, shaped like a heroic knight and outfitted for defence with a large and heavy looking shield. The other rig was black with gold and purple trimmings, like a conquering emperor that ruled with strength of might. The thick layers of armour that coated its body gave it an unbreakable aura.

That was it. They both chose defence.

The anticipation that the crowd had built up over the unprecedented match had died down from the moment they saw that. Even the commentators were having a hard time maintaining their enthusiasm. Fights between two defence types were widely known as the most boring of all rig matches.

They were slow and predictable, the winner was always the one who had the best power management, and it was inevitable that the decision would go down to points. There was no opportunity for pilots to show off their skills and they were often called fights between manufacturers. The only hope the crowd had would be if the efficiency of one of the rigs was low enough that they ran out of power mid match. But with the reputation of the mysterious mechanist, that outcome seemed unlikely. With the start of the first round, the sound of solid metal thudding against metal could be heard. Mixed amongst that was a crackle as energy fields repelled each other. As armour struck armour and no damage was dealt, the tone for the first round was set.

With every movement, each side could clearly see it coming and make plans to safely negate the damage. With ever counter attack, the same. When the timer rang and the first round finished, it was almost relief for the audience.

For the mechanists, however, it was a time of stress. Sam could only watch from the sidelines as Mia dashed about detaching parts and strapping new ones in place. The first round was ruled as a draw, with neither side showing a signs of damage, so the mode of the second round had to change. It was clear from her expression that Mia was completely aware of it.

A second round of defence was absolutely not an option; the crowd was already restless and they would definitely turn against either side if they tried it. That just left speed and attack. Since speed trumped attack, it was the only real option for both sides. That outcome was locked in place from the moment they first chose parts.

With the start of the second round, the black coloured emperor now looked more like a golden winged angel, with the parts sipped away to reveal Sara's fastest armour. With wings made from thrusters, like tiny golden scales, and sharp bladed hands, 'The Harpy' was one of Sara's most iconic sets. The thousand small thrusters gave her a kind of speed and unpredictable movements that would likely kill an unprotected pilot. Systems to protect herself were the only energy drain other than speed the set allowed. Even the claws didn't use power, but were instead solid parts. The damage they dealt was a result of her speed and their sharpness.

Satou's rig seemed to follow a similar design, though not as artistically designed. It was instead shaped like around a six winged backpack, which could move thrusters freely in any direction, with additional thrusters on hands and feet. While it was evident that he didn't have anywhere near as many thrusters, each of his were more powerful by leagues. The thrusters on his hands seemed to be able to condense into a tight, welding torch like beam, which seemed to be his only available weapon.

Both sides seemed to be equally matched, both in attack and speed, so the round was set to be a series of dogfights and hit and runs.

Within moments of the fight starting, it seemed impossible to track the flight of the erratic rigs, though it seemed that the prediction of how they would fight was accurate. Flashes and sparks lit up the arena like fireworks as the pair made contact and broke away at a rate of at least once every two seconds.

A minute into the round, it was hard to say who was winning; the field was dusted with burnt and severed thrusters from Sara's wings and Satou's wings had been halved.

With each encounter, Satou's thruster torches would cut away at Sara's wings. While they were in contact, Sara's claws didn't have enough speed to deal any real damage, but as the pair pulled away, their combined speed was enough for Sara to cut through most things, Satou's rig included.

The fast paced violence and obvious destruction was in stark contrast to the previous round and the crowd was nearly frenzied, having a release from the boredom they had endured. It seemed that Sara had far more appeal to the crowd and sentiment was on her side throughout the round. When each of the wings were plucked from Satou's back, they bellowed a deafening cheer.

The advantage was Satou's, in that he could inflict damage with contact, but Sara's Claws meant that breaking off would harm him. Ideally, he would constantly attack, but Sara's wing set up made it difficult to predict her movements and it was far more dangerous to let her control how the disengagement went. Satou chose to take smaller hits to avoid getting bigger ones. With the damage to both sides they had slowed down and it was possible to see their movements. With the speed reduced, the fight became about the skill and experience of the pilots more than the performance of the rigs.

Unexpectedly, Sara's rid suddenly lost power and started to fall. Satou didn't know what was happening, but it looked like she was in danger. He flew in to catch her, using his rig to slow her fall and help her land safely.

But it was a trap.

The moment he caught her, a hidden thruster in the base of the claws ignited and drove the claws through Satou's stomach. With her sneak attack successful, Sara's rig sprang to life and she dumped Satou next to the medics while his rig deconstructed itself.

Flying up to the centre of the ring, Sara turned on a microphone so that the whole building could hear.

“Naive! Don't think you can inherit my technique with that kind of soft attitude.”

The audience was shocked into silence.

Sam was shocked into silence.

Even Mia, whose own family wouldn't have hesitated in saying the same thing, or worse, was shocked by that announcement.

Sam could only silently text Jeff.

“Did you know she was like that?”