Drift Compatible

3

#### San Diego Shatterdome - Jaeger Bay###

The colossal form of Gipsy Danger towered above them, a testament to human ingenuity and strength. Octavia and Jade stood at its base, their expressions a mix of awe and anticipation.

"She's impressive," Jade commented, her eyes scanning the Jaeger's towering frame. "The San Diego Shatterdome is nothing like the one in Iqaluit."

Octavia turned to her, curiosity piqued. "Iqaluit? What's—"

But Jade cut her off briskly, her demeanor snapping back to business. "We should get moving."

Octavia nodded, shelving her questions for later. Together, they climbed into Gipsy Danger's Conn-pod, the familiar hum of machinery surrounding them as they suited up. The snug fit of the pilot suits, the metallic click of their helmets, and the array of controls all felt like second nature to Octavia.

A voice crackled over the intercom, steady and authoritative. "Initiating neural handshake countdown. Prepare for Drift in five, four, three, two, one."

As the neural handshake engaged, Octavia felt a surge of sensations unlike anything she had imagined. The Drift was a torrent of emotions and memories, swirling together in a chaotic dance. She struggled to find her footing, her mind plunging into the depths of her past.

A sudden, vivid memory engulfed her: the night of the Kaiju attack that had killed her mother. The sounds of destruction, the acrid smell of smoke, her mother's terrified face—it all came rushing back with a force that took her breath away.

"Mom!" Octavia cried out, reaching into the phantom scene. Her heart pounded as she tried to change the outcome, to save her mother from the inevitable. In the memory, her home is being ripped apart, her mother and her brother being flung away by the monstrous Kaiju. 

"Octavia, focus," Jade's voice broke through the maelstrom, calm but insistent. "Don't chase the RABIT.  Come back to me."

But the memory was too powerful, too consuming. Octavia's vision blurred with tears, her body shaking with the intensity of the recalled trauma. She felt trapped, suffocating under the weight of her past.

"Octavia!" Jade's voice was louder now, more urgent. "Listen to me. You're safe. This isn't real. Come back."

With a monumental effort, Octavia tore her mind away from the memory, clinging to Jade's voice as her lifeline. The neural handshake disengaged, and she was abruptly pulled back into reality. She staggered, feeling dazed and vulnerable.

Expecting a rebuke, Octavia braced herself. Instead, she found Jade looking at her with an expression of unexpected gentleness and concern.

"Are you okay?" Jade asked softly, stepping closer. "That was intense."

Octavia blinked, tears still wet on her cheeks. "I... I didn't expect it to be like that."

Jade nodded, her eyes understanding. "The Drift can be overwhelming, especially when there are unresolved memories. But you did well. You came back."

Octavia searched Jade's face, looking for any hint of condescension, but found none. Instead, there was a kindness that she hadn't expected, a softness that contrasted sharply with Jade's earlier stiffness.

"Thank you," Octavia said, her voice shaky but sincere.

Jade smiled faintly. "We'll get through this, Octavia. Together."

As they exited the cockpit, Octavia felt a shift within herself. Jade wasn't the rigid, unapproachable person she had first assumed. There was depth and compassion there, hidden beneath the surface. For the first time, Octavia began to reconsider her initial judgment of her copilot.

Maybe, just maybe, they could make this partnership work.