A Mech's Life

Chapter 3: An Unlikely Meeting

Despite trying everything in his power, even trying to use his legs to move, there was no way for Steve to fix the damaged arms or much less remove the debris holding him down. He had turned his attention towards a few errors that had slipped in the programming and was able to fix those instead.

He noticed that time also passed much more slowly since he was now a machine. Perhaps it was due to how his brain was now a computer core but it did not come with any extra intelligence. He certainly did not feel any smarter, but it felt like he was arriving at solutions much quicker than he used to. Maybe that was just his sense of time being off. Then again, he had memories coming back with perfect clarity, some even from years ago, so it was clear something was different.

Still, his situation made him quite depressed. Steve spent the next two days feeling sorry for himself and did nothing of note. It was quite frustrating to be powerless to do anything physically not to mention the mental state that he was in. This change from human to machine was really hard on his mind.

(Am I still human? What happens if a piece of the computer that is now my brain breaks, do I die?)

A warning woke him out of his stupor and unnerved him.

<Warning. Reactor fuel down to 35%>

(Right. I guess the fuel is a limited resource but how would I even fill it up? I need to focus and survive, this is what's important right now.)

"Hey Archives, how long will 35% fuel last me?"

"Under minimal power consumption, my estimates are for 30 years, 10 months and 14 days. If operating in combat mode, I cannot make a prediction since there are too many variables to take into consideration."

"Thirty years... But, I'd go crazy just staying down here in the dark. I need to find a way to move and eventually how to refuel."

Before he had time to start questioning the Archives, Steve heard a loud bang. Using his sensors, he detected it came from further in the room but could not exactly pinpoint it.

Switching to the cameras, Steve searched intently until he saw a small light emanating from the general vicinity of where the sound happened.

(Finally, someone! At least I hope. This room is so big though, I need them to find me. How can I do that hmm...)

Finally having a solution in hand, Steve waited for the right moment. The wait was nerve wracking, especially considering how minutes felt like hours to him but he was able to hang on until the stranger was at the perfect junction in order to try and grab his attention. Making sure not to overload the lights, in order not to break them, Steve activated the full array of frontal lights. Although disappointed that barely a quarter of them worked, he was overjoyed when he noticed that the footsteps were not getting more distant. The first part of the plan was rather easy, the next step was the hard one.

Not only did the person need to be interested in him but they also had to be able to help fix him. He knew the odds were rather slim but figured it was his best shot.

(Alright, so I need to get them inside the cockpit so I can show them what's wrong with the Mech. Then, they also need to be able to fix it. If they can at least fix up the left arm, I can maybe find a way to help myself after that, even without their assistance.)

The moment finally came and the stranger approached him. Looking barely out of it's teenage years, the young man in front of him did not inspire confidence in Steve. Trying to gauge the right moment to open the cockpit was quite hard but Steve went ahead before the stranger turned away. The pressurized door let out their air content in a satisfying 'Pshhhh' before lifting and inviting the young man inside.