Chapter 40 - Allegiance (2/2)
"What? Heck no… if we transfer you to a machine, only you could use it and we'd have to wipe out your existence to have someone else use it. Instead we used the technology to develop AIs, that's why they are so lifelike."
Gray felt like some important piece of information was missing from this but chose not to think about it or question it at this time as he was still trying to figure out where this all was going.
"Ok, so where are you going with all of this?" Gray asked.
"People are smart, but only individually, we want you all to become our test group and also help control the other players. As for why you, you've been living in a virtual environment for most of your lives so your consciousness can easily adapt to being placed in a machine." Major Valen tapped a button on the pulpit again and a video came up showing a pilot placed in a mech through a window in what appeared to be a control room.
"This is what happens when your mind is unable to adapt to being linked or placed in a machine" Major Valen commented.
In the video was a man dressed in military garb watching the pilot and mech behind the glass in the control room as he said "Begin transfer." The man looked hesitantly at the robot again. The robot appeared to spasm slightly as the transfer began showing that the subject began to link with the robot and could control the artificial musculature. The man looked up hopeful, but then turn to disappointment as several alarms started blaring.
"Sara! Report!" yelled the man in the video.
"Sir, vitals are going erratic, the subject is unable to control the robot as his mind destabilizes, recommend immediate shutdown"
A loud garbled noise is emitted from the robot, one could only describe it as a robot screaming in pain.
"Shut it down…" said the man as the video went black.
"What… what was that?" asked Gray hesitantly.
"Dr. Sara Watts and head researcher Edward Teach, we attempted to force the consciousness to connect to the machine through the neural link and the pilot's mind eroded quickly. Fortunately, Edward had a brilliant idea. Think of it as getting into a freezing pool of water, if you just jump in the shock could hurt you, but if you take your time and do it inch by inch you can make it in without getting that shock." Said Major Valen
"So basically you've eased our minds into being comfortable with the machines and being linked so we don't receive a neural shock, so to speak?" said Caleb.
"That's the gist of it, we've spent as much as 25 years grooming your minds in the virtual world to be able to handle the transfer by being transferred for most of your lives."
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Gray and the others were still uncomfortable being essentially drafted into the military, they felt they had no connection to the Alterran Alliance nor any hatred of the Terran Hegemony.
"Sir, why should we fight for a country we have no allegiance with?" asked Gray.
"As harsh as it sounds, you have no choice. You have no identity, no currency, and no value in this world except to the military… Plus you need your incubation pod for gene therapy at least once a month or your body will start to decay at a very rapid pace."
An alarm resounded through the base, it was now 11:30am, 30 minutes before launch of the "game".
"Everyone, you are the guides of the future pilots, do not let us down! Work with your fellow pilots and let us work towards ending the war permanently!"