The Start Of Something Great

The Pilot

Ray and I made our way back to the ODST barracks, passing through the Titan bay on the way. The sight of a massive Atlas Titan caught our attention, its towering form looming over the floor, while its pilot, dressed in full IMC gear, worked diligently on its leg.

The pilot looked up at us as we approached, giving us a quick wave before turning her attention back to the Titan, continuing her work. I glanced at Ray, and she looked at me with wide eyes.

"I want to say hi," Ray murmured, her voice full of excitement.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know her."

"Because she looks so cool!" Ray replied, her voice a little louder than necessary, clearly excited.

I chuckled. "Don't ever lose that energy, Ray. Let's go."

"YES!" Ray shouted, throwing her arms in the air in pure excitement.

I laughed and began walking toward the pilot, with Ray bounding along behind me. As we got closer, I could hear a voice coming from the Titan. It sounded like a female AI, speaking to its pilot.

When we were right next to her, the Titan's voice spoke again.

"Ma'am, we have visitors."

The pilot turned around, clearly curious. "What?" she asked, before noticing us standing there. "Oh, hi!"

I smiled. "Hi. Sorry to bother you, but my friend here wanted to say hello."

Ray wasted no time. "HimynameisRay,andIreallyloveyourTitan!"

The pilot's smile widened as she greeted Ray. "Hi, Ray. I'm Jean."

I blinked. "Wait... you understood her?"

Jean nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Ray's eyes sparkled. "So cool!" she said, raising both hands in a fist toward her face in sheer excitement.

Jean chuckled softly. "Well, I guess you should meet AT-7683—Atlas, as I call her."

I stepped forward and addressed the Titan, feeling a bit in awe. "Hello, Atlas."

"HI!" Ray chimed in, almost shouting in her enthusiasm.

The Titan's voice was warm and surprisingly affectionate. "Hello."

I couldn't help but be taken aback. The voice was almost like a person, filled with personality and a smooth and calm demeanor.

"How long have you two been serving together?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Atlas responded first. "Me and my pilot have been linked for 2,191 days."

Ray blinked. "That long?"

"How long is that?" I asked, my voice full of wonder.

Jean smiled. "About six years."

Ray's jaw dropped. "Six years?!"

"Yep," Jean confirmed. "I've had her since I joined the IMC, and she came with me when I joined the Militia."

I couldn't resist asking, "Hope this isn't going to offend you, but... how old are you?"

Jean chuckled, almost embarrassed. "I sound young, don't I?"

Ray nodded eagerly. "Yeah, kinda."

"I'm 23," Jean said, her tone matter-of-fact.

I stared at her. "You're only 23?"

"Yep," Jean affirmed. "I joined the IMC when I was 17, and after the Battle of Demeter, I left and joined the Militia."

Ray's eyes widened. "Woah. You must have some cool stories."

Jean grinned. "That's a story for another time."

Atlas spoke again, her voice soft. "It has been a pleasure to meet you two."

Jean smiled, patting her Titan's leg. "I agree, but I have to finish getting Atlas ready for battle. We've got a lot of work to do."

Ray sighed dramatically. "Okay, see you later, Jean!"

"See you later," I added. "If you ever want to hang out, come by the ODST barracks."

Jean gave a nod. "Will do. Nice meeting y'all."

With that, she turned back to her work, focusing on the Titan's leg repairs. Ray and I left her to it and grabbed our bags, heading back toward the barracks.

When we arrived, we swiped our IDs to unlock the door and entered the shared ODST barracks. Inside, I immediately noticed Buck and Red, both sound asleep in their bunks, while Heavy was sitting nearby, meticulously cleaning his helmet.

Ray looked over at me, freshly unpacking her things, then gestured to the poster of a Strider Titan she'd taped to the wall. "Hey, Carver, what do you think?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you think Buck will let you keep that up?"

Heavy, not looking up from his work, answered with a smirk. "He doesn't care."

Ray's eyes lit up, the spark of mischief in them obvious. "Really?"

"Yep," Heavy confirmed. "Just as long as you don't go overboard."

Ray immediately rushed over to her bag, pulled something out, and placed it on top of her locker. I had no idea where she got it from, but there it was—a detailed Strider model, sitting proudly atop her locker.

"Got what you wanted?" I asked, shaking my head with a smile.

"Yeppers!" she replied with a huge grin, clearly pleased with herself.

"Good," I said, matching her grin.

With everything unpacked and in place, I walked over to my bunk and climbed in, settling in for the night. I quickly found myself drifting off to sleep, the bustle of the day finally giving way to the comfort of rest.