One month had passed...
"Yep, place it right there" Tatsumi directed the drone as it carefully set down the pod.
The pod in question was an M.P.P. (Mech Piloting Pod), a gift from the school designed to train budding S.A.M.S pilots outside of regular classes.
Once the drone had stealthily completed the installation and departed, Tatsumi didn't waste any time. His attention was only focused on the pod in front of him.
This was the day he had been waiting for, the day he'd finally get to pilot a S.A.M.S! Oh boy, he was so excited that he couldn't even remember the last time he had a good night's sleep. Even if it was a virtual one, it was enough for now...
It had been one month since Tatsumi started living alone in the hangar. Pretty much alone, without any friends. His days were a simple routine of working at the workshop, going to the library, and then back home.
What about physical effort?? What is this?? Is this food?? Tatsumi only need his large beer belly. He spent most of the night doing research on S.A.M.S. on the internet. A great mecha simp...
However, during this relatively short time, he had refrained from diving into the construction of the ZOKU II.
The reason? He had yet to acquire enough necessary skills to begin the construction.
"What's that, Master?" a voice behind him inquired.
Tatsumi turned to see a hovering sphere.
He sighed, reminiscing about how this sphere had mysteriously appeared a month ago. At first, he had dismissed it as some ancient relic, not to be taken seriously.
Tatsumi initially attempted to dismantle it, but all his efforts proved futile. Frustrated, he eventually left the sphere alone, hoping it would eventually run out of energy and disappear.
However, it quickly became evident that it wasn't going away anytime soon. It kept reappearing with boundless energy, which, truth be told, began to irk Tatsumi. Regardless, he had come to accept its presence.
In a surprising turn of events, Tatsumi decided to take the sphere as an assistant, and that choice proved to be a wise one. The sphere, whom he affectionately named Nexus, simplified many aspects of his life, from cooking to cleaning and beyond.
With Nexus's help, Tatsumi could fully devote himself to his passion: MECHA FOR LIFE
Sadly, the individual who also halted Tatsumi in his passion was none other than Nexus. One day, Tatsumi had everything set up to begin constructing the ZOKU II.
However, Nexus intervened just in the nick of time, preventing the disaster that Tatsumi was about to create. Nexus pointed out that Tatsumi didn't have enough skills, especially in areas like manipulating the forge and the melting machine, which are essential for building a S.A.M.S. The foundation of a S.A.M.S is not as simple as it may seem.
Tatsumi was left wondering how Nexus knew all of this.
Like he appeared one day out of the blue, like a mysterious mentor from the shadows. He calmly pointed out Tatsumi's lack of skills and knowledge, especially when it came to manipulating the forge and the melting machine, which were fundamental for creating a S.A.M.S.
Tatsumi didn't argue much in response to Nexus's intervention because deep down, he knew it was true. It reminded him of a saying from a great sage he once read about: "Be patient, and you will be rewarded."
"Really, Nexus? You're the 'greatest AI' in the world, as you always claim, and you didn't know what this was?" Tatsumi said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow in playful disbelief.
Nexus looked Tatsumi straight in the eyes, his single red eye conveying the message, "So what, I'm the greatest AI alive! Tell me now."
Seeing that Nexus was just as stubborn, Tatsumi let out an exasperated sigh and said with a forced tone, "Hmph... This is what we call an M.P...."
Nexus, unimpressed, responded with a nonchalant expression, "Alright, thank you, master. I know the rest!!"
Tatsumi rolled his eyes and replied with an exasperated tone, "You... You... always pulling these stunts, Nexus..."
Nexus responded with a mischievous tone, "Because it's amusing to see you frustrated, Master."
Tatsumi responded with a mix of surprise and amusement, saying, "Wow, wow, that's enough! Stop it right now, Nexus... I'm not into robotic romance. Sure, I like those pieces of metal, but not that much!"
Nexus replied with a playful tone, "Oh, come on, Master. You know I'm just messing with you....."
Tatsumi sighed and walked over to the M.P.P. He was eager to finally pilot a S.A.M.S. However, he didn't hear Nexus mutter, "For now..."
( A/N : Disclamer +18 maybe in the futur ... robot and humain making love ??? maybe ... no ???? just saying ???? say yes or no in the comments )
As Tatsumi opened the pod, a cockpit appeared before his astonished eyes. It was the first time he had ever seen one, and he couldn't help but feel warm tears welling up in his eyes. He whispered, "It's beautiful..."
Without paying any mind to a certain floating sphere behind him that was shooting jealous glare at the pod, Tatsumi settled into the cockpit.
Inside the cockpit, buttons adorned two dashboards, divided into left and right sections. In the center, a large screen dominated the central portion, flanked by half-screens on the right and left, creating a 'T'-shaped interface.
There were three joysticks, two on the right and one on the left, as well as three pedals. Tatsumi hadn't expected it to be like this.
He pressed a red button labeled "Start," activating the cockpit:
[ Welcome to student No. 220139 ]
[ Disclaimer: The M.P.P is strictly used for teaching junior pilots how to operate S.A.M.S! If we discover that an M.P.P is being installed in a physical S.A.M.S, the student will face penalties, including possible exclusion. Please be aware!!! Furthermore, this pod also serves as a testing device, and we will collect the data you generate to place you in a specific class, ranging from Class A to Class D. Do you accept? ]
[ If you refuse data processing, you will automatically be assigned to the D class. ]
[ Accept / Refuse ]
Tatsumi pondered for a moment, his mind racing between the prospects of being in Class ABC , potentially receiving a better education, and the possibility of refusing data processing and ending up in Class D, where he might have a lesser education but more free time.
After careful consideration, he made his decision and pressed the "Refuse" button.
His primary goal in attending this school was to acquire knowledge, while teachers could assist with explanations, true learning often came from delving into rare books found in the library.
Professors couldn't teach everything from A to Z, and Tatsumi was determined to take control of his own learning journey.
[ Data processing has been refused by the user. You will be automatically assigned to Class D! Enjoy the tutorial... ]
After receiving this message, the interface started emitting a white light, gradually transforming into a training ground.
[ Welcome to the tutorial! Here, you will learn how to pilot a S.A.M.S! ]