Sigma/Star

Chapter 3: Chi?

The class was baffled and stared at each other in bewilderment. Chi? Chi was something out of old medical textbooks, an alternate approach that believed in lifeflow and spirit having an effect over the body's condition. Chi had nothing to do with stepping into a Goliath, with grabbing hold of the myriad electronic controls and mobilizing one of the deadliest war machines in the history of man. Perhaps it was a class in medical treatments in case of emergency?

"Who can tell me what Chi is?" Mr. Shotuku stared around the classroom with the intimidating temperament of a feudal lord, though projected from under his heavy eyelids. Nobody raised a hand in response, not even Nami. "Nothing? You are a disappointing class. You, on the floor. Wipe the blood off your face and come up here to fight me."

At the sound of hearing a challenge, Chase bounced up off the ground and bolted to the front. He struck a pose and a cheer went up from his supporters at the back. Mr. Shotuku held out a hand and placed his elbow on his desk, gesturing for Chase to grab hold.

"We will begin with a test of strength. An arm wrestle. I'm sure you are all aware that this young man is stronger than someone with a frail body like mine." In response, Chase won the arm wrestle almost instantly and the class exploded in excitement. "Good, then we will do this again. This time we will see a different approach." Chase, full of swagger and drunk on victory, grabbed hold of the elder teacher's hand once more. In a flash it was over. Chase's arm was lying on the table. The class was silent. Porter was laughing inside.

"H-how, what? What happened?" Porter dreamed for a camera to catch Chase's face in action as it stammered out that line.

"There is more than one way to win a fight. You should all know this from your lessons in other classes. It is our most clichéd teaching point and every general's favourite line. But I wish to exploit something different. I wish to bring forth the Chi, the life energy, the spirit, that each of you contains, so that you can harness it and, more importantly, so your Goliath can harness it. Chi is an integral part of the greatest pilots. It is part of the power that flows into a machine like a Goliath, and we have learned much from it."

Nami's hand crept up and was acknowledged by the teacher. "Is a Goliath not powered by its engine? Usually the standard SVX Twin Ignition Turbo, with Overdrive Option?"

"You're a smart girl, but at the same time not wise." Porter looked over to see Nami's face shatter in disbelief. Not wise? But she was always the smartest! Between her dumbfounded look and Chase's loss, Porter was having the best day ever. "Chi is all around us and within us. It is the strength of our spirit and person and since its scientific discovery, we have built Goliaths to harness this energy. All of you, upon stepping into the cockpit, will be giving up part of your spirituality and life to the machine and it in turn will respond to you. Almost all of you only have a strong enough level of Chi to power the Goliath to its basic capacities, and that is all that we ask of any soldier. Some of you, however, will have more than enough and will be able to use that as manifest energy for your machine. It is you who pushes the limit of the Goliath, you who paves a trail of destruction and blazes into heroism. The famous pilots you love drew strength from themselves and transmitted it to their machines. This is only a basic explanation but critical. In this class we will be working on the proponents of Chi and improving upon it so that each of us can try to draw out our own. Take one of these sheets and practice it for homework. Class dismissed."

Nobody moved. There was still an hour left before actual dismissal but nobody knew what to do. Chase was still stuck at the front of the class, pondering what had happened. Nami was still in a state of shock from being told she was not wise. It was Riya who quietly raised her hand, much to the surprise of the class for she so rarely spoke. Upon seeing her beautiful features the professor's face softened and he gave out a smile. "Sir, we don't have dismissal for another hour."