The pilot test compatibility for Big Duo was a success, despite the test field being blown apart. Michael and Sheila, the kids from the clinic, now young adults, performed admirably well against me and Dorothy. And while Dorothy told me to not fire the Chromebuster, Big O did it on his own anyway, which resulted in me getting yelled at by Dorothy later on after the test had completed, plus Dastun, plus Beck, and through a phone call with Dr. Plebanski. Needless to say, I had a headache, but thankfully, Dorothy had cooled off enough by the time we got back to the house. During the fight, I felt like I was fighting Schwarzwald again, only with more tact and strategy. Michael will be a great pilot. I told this to Dorothy, and she stated it was highly possible during the last reset, the Michael Seebach we knew came back in some form. I'm not so sure myself, but the test still lingered on my mind. Maybe, perhaps he did.
Dorothy told me that Angel, and Yumi, who had been absent from the test as Marcus had a chess competition during the time of the test and showed up later, had a long and hard conversation with Sheila about being the machinist for Big Duo. Apparently, Dorothy stated, albeit in a tone indicating she was rather annoyed with me, on what to expect from us pilots and Dastun because we all share the same behaviors in some shape or form, which I took minor offense to, but kept my mouth shut. Sheila was rather flustered with the sudden advice, but I guess it was their way of welcoming her into the fold of the SCA. We did the same thing with Michael, only we gave him advice on what do to not anger his better half and what to say if he did manage to do such a thing. He became rather upset with us, stating he wasn't going to marry her just yet as they were still finishing up school, which made him throw his helmet into his locker, once he realized what he said. Dastun, Beck, and myself got a good laugh out of it.
Michael decided to call Big Duo the Draco Unit, Latin for "Dragon." I think it fits. As for his pilot's nickname, he heard an eagle call nearby while we were waiting for our turns to go back via the Prairie Dog at the field as Beck had left first, making sure we didn't need medical attention or a mental evaluation, he added sarcastically before leaving. He said he would like to be called the Eagle Pilot. After seeing what I saw today, I thought it fit him well. Sheila would agree as well. The Three Knights were now fully operational. And the best part, the Draco Unit could now partake in limited survey operations, flying overhead to scan the land from above while our SCA exploration units carried on foot in their mecha units, exploring the world around them, and hopefully, connecting with humanity.
Dorothy stated Tim did rather well manning the console and helping Beck and Dastun with changes in the numbers. He didn't understand the terms so much, but could actually pick up patterns. This impressed Dastun and Beck. And of course, Elizabeth was with Dastun. So, Tim was very polite to everyone he addressed. Dorothy told me he turned red when Elizabeth said he did a good job, which I chuckled at.
The strangest thing happened after the test. Tim was with me and Beck, checking over Big O's systems. Tim had climbed in the cockpit, and he was helping us read the numbers and statuses to us to document, but Big O actually started up, with CAST IN THE NAME OF GOD, YE NOT GUILTY scrolling across the screen. Big O had judged my son to be worthy of piloting him and he can't even reach the foot pedals yet. It was not an easy thing to tell Dorothy what happened, but Dorothy took it better than I expected, stating it would be ridiculous to think that I would continue to pilot Big O well into old age. At some point, the torch had to be passed on to someone else. Like father, like son, she said. And despite being mad at me, I think she approved of it. Dorothy however, did kick me out of the bed, which aggravated my injury from this morning from Tim and Robert. I wasn't amused, but I did yell at her when I shouldn't have during the test. I guess it was her way of concluding terms.
I barely recognized my oldest son during the following week. It was nice not getting a phone call from the school for a change. His grades began to pick up and he was even helping Norman around the house. Dorothy told me to not miss the deal for any reason, unless it was beyond our control. I'm nervous, bringing my son into this world of the megadeuses and mechas, after we fought so hard to maintain the peace. But at the same time, to not be ready and not prepare the next generation for what may come is allowing disaster to happen. Dorothy and I made a promise to fight for the memories of tomorrow by preserving the present and that includes our kids. Who knows what the future will hold as they get older, but as I told Dorothy a long time ago, it would be exciting to see where the next step of our journey would take us in this new world.
WE HAVE COME TO TERMS
NEXT - ACT 37: SKELETONS