Black Market Merchant

Chapter 128: Pilot Seat
Gillian had joined Hanna at the left foot of his Mover Mech. Hanna took a cautious step back and watched as Gillian reached up to twist a lock partway up on the mechs back leg. There was a slight hissing sound, and a heavy click noise came from higher up the Mech on its torso. A ladder had appeared from the source of the loud click and was now steadily sliding down towards the ground.

Hanna’s gaze was glued to the seemingly simple action. Never before had she seen something automated move before. Even if it was just a ladder, it was still a new experience for her. She glanced at the rest of the widely structured Mech and wondered how else this machine would surprise her.

”I’ll go up first and make sure you won’t accidentally start it up.” Gillian said looking down at the timid looking girl as he stepped up onto the first step. ”Don’t worry, it’s not all that dangerous when turned off and won’t move. You also don’t need to be so afraid of me either. I am a friend of Lisa’s.”

Hanna nodded, but stayed silent. It wasn’t that she couldn’t trust him, but the confidence he emitted reminded her too much of the Mad Dogs gangsters. There were just too many similarities in him not to be careful. However, Lisa didn’t seem too worried about him being around and even let Hanna be near him. So, Hanna figured she could trust him a little bit for now, but just a little.

Gillian effortlessly climbed up the ladder, reaching the cockpit near the top of the five-meter-high machine in no time. He reached inside and removed the startup sequence from the control display and manually put on the breaks. Then he briefly checked on the power levels and error messages. The power was now at one hundred percent and was also showing that all systems were running fine; all except for a fault in a hydraulic line. Gillian then turned around with one hand holding on a rung above the cockpit entrance to wave down at Hanna.

”Come on up now. It’s not going anywhere.” Gillian called.

Hanna took a cautious glance back at Lisa and the girls. Though Lisa was busy minding the girls, she still noticed Hanna looking her way. Lisa gave Hanna a quick thumbs up before stopping Rachel from trying to touch the lake water and possibly falling in. Hanna let out a heavy sigh and started to climb the ladder.

Gillian had moved aside onto a maintenance ledge to allow Hanna to join alongside him. Apparently, he had also taken out a toolbox out from under the pilot’s seat and was shifting through it looking for a tool. When Hanna carefully made it up the ladder to join him, Gillian spoke. ”Now try not to press any buttons. You can go in there and sit in the chair and look around. I’ll be working on this leaky hydraulic line.”

”Ok!” Hanna replied a little bit more enthusiastic sounding. She then turned nimbly around to climb inside the narrow cockpit entrance.

Gillian chuckle and went back to start working on the hydraulic line. ”I wonder why such a little girl is so fascinated by this machine? Normally boys are into this kind of thing, but not even my other pilots looked at it the way she did.” Gillian thought to himself.

Hanna peaked around the cockpit before going fully inside. It was smaller than she had anticipated, but still big enough for her to stand up in. The first thing she noticed when taking the first step inside was the smell. There was nothing like it that she had experienced before, it was the smell of a fresh new leather seated car. Another new thing that she had never come across. Despite being build long ago the interior of the cockpit retained its air and in turn the smell too. Hanna absolutely loved its aroma!

She took a deep and long breath, as of savoring the smell, before finishing coming inside. Turning around Hanna sat onto the thick rubbery chair. Being originally a Mech built for construction and mining, the chair was not all too comfortable; nor considered luxurious by any means. Yet this didn’t seem bother Hanna one bit. She gently stroked the grippy rubber armrest and sturdy leather seat sides. This too was also a rather enjoyable experience to her, because furniture of all kinds here in town were old, rotting or worn out.

Looking around, Hanna gazed at the rest of the cockpit around her. She first noticed a series of multiple-colored lights that illuminated a control panel and monitor at the center area in front of her. She wanted to press them, especially the ones labeled with words she had never seen. But she decided to obey Gillian’s instructions and not do so.

Her curiosity then wandered to the three leavers that she assumed controlled the Mechs movement. Reaching out, Hanna went to grasp the closest two knobs and when she did something nearly indescribable happen to her.

This incomprehensible feeling was almost as if a switch had been turned on from deep in her mind and a rush of thoughts came racing into her mind unchecked. The flood of thoughts startled her, but she couldn’t stop it, nor did she feel like she wanted to. The frightening feeling was just as invigorating and enticing! She closed her eyes to better envision this new knowledge.

Hanna grazed on the unexplainable surge of knowledge; gears, circuits, technology, power flow, movement, and anything about this Mech was learned by her in mere seconds! Hanna now knew how to move the Mech, what to press, pull and when to do so! That two leavers in her tinny hands controlled the legs; while the third raised and lowered the bucket loader arm. To move forward, back or to make a turn, she merely would just need to pull on or lean the leavers in the intended direction and the Mech would react accordingly.

The motions of the Mech were not the only things Hanna now miraculously understood, but also about the mech’s systems, internal anatomy and functionality too! She could feel that the Mech was powered up and ready to break out into work mode. Also, she knew that the faulty hydraulic line Gillian mentioned was now fixed and regaining its oil pressure. How she could know this, she hadn’t the faintest bit of an idea? Somehow it seemed like the Mech was molding into a part of her mind and vice versa.

This was a wonderful feeling! No longer did she feel small and insignificant like before. The molding feeling with this Mech was like growing suddenly to become a huge powerful person or gaining that confident feeling when standing in a large group of friends against a bully. It was like all her limits suddenly melted away!

Hanna wanted to know more and opened her eyes. Look at right at her, uncomfortably close, was a face!

”Gah!” Hanna shouted and let go of the leavers to raise up her hands defensively.

”Ha-ha! Did I scare you? Your expression was too funny!” Rachel laughed coming into the cockpit with Hanna. Though the cockpit was small, the two girls had no issues while moving around inside.

Seeing that the face belonged to Rachel, Hanna let out a shaky breath. ”You did startle me. Don’t do that!”

”Sorry, I didn’t mean too. You just looked so focused and peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you.” Rachel replied. ”By the way, exactly what were you doing in here? Your hands are shaking a lot.”

Looking at her hands, Hanna was surprised to see that her hands were indeed shaking a good deal. A bit worried and embarrassed she quickly stuffed them under her legs to sit on them. ”Nothing really and I am fine! I was just enjoying the smell in here.”

Rachel took a breath and nodded. ”This place really does smell neat. Never smelled this sent before. Can I sit in the chair now? Clair will be coming up next too.”

”S-sure, I guess.” Hanna replied getting up from the chair.

Though inwardly she wanted to take another chance to find out what had just happened to her. The odd sensation was long gone, but the knowledge of the Mover Mech clearly remained fresh in her mind. She also stuffed her still unsteady hands into her pants pockets in another attempt to hide and still them.

Hanna watched Rachel happily plop down into the seat and fiddled with the leavers. Hanna wanted to see if Rachel would have the same thing happen to her. Perhaps this was how someone learned to use the Mechs. However, Hanna was confused to see that Rachel didn’t seem to be affected at all.

”Do you feel like something is different?” Hanna ventured.

”Different?” Rachel replied looking quizzically around her. ”No, but I do feel like this would be even more fun if we could move the Mech around!”

Hanna put on a small smile to mask her concern. ”R-right. I was thinking the same thing as well. Moving the Mech would probably be fun.”

”If only this seat wasn’t so far away from the leavers and buttons. Then I could really feel like I am controlling this thing.” Rachel said looking around at the seat.

”Oh, just press that blue left arrow button to scoot the chair forward and the yellow triangle one to raise the control panel angle to view it better.” Hanna replied confidently pointing at the buttons. She said all this before even realizing what she had done.

Rachel looked at Hanna questioningly, but she pressed the blue arrow button anyway. Sure enough, the seat buzzed quietly as it scooted forward. Rachel giggled as she felt the seat moving by itself under her. ”How did you know that? This is so cool.”

”I, uh, just had a hunch.” Hanna replied. She hadn’t even realized that she had answered without ever doing the action herself. Rather the knowledge of the Mech compelled her to do so. This was quite an unnerving discovery.

”Let Clair know she can come in too!” Rachel asked excitedly. ”She has got to see how things in here move on their own.” She then pressed the other button and the whole panel started to rise and come closer to her.

”Alright, but it’s the electricity moving the chair forward on its tracks. The chairs not exactly moving on its own.” Hanna replied while slipping behind the chair. As she said those words, Hanna realized she did it again and replied without thinking. Rachel, however, did not care to notice and was trying to decide on what button to press next.

Hanna quickly stuck her head out of the cockpit and took a nervous breath of fresh air. Looking down on the sandy ground she saw Lisa speaking with Gillian and the other girls were admiring the sight of the massive Mech. Clair was as the bottom of the stairs holding onto the railing and looking expectantly upwards at Hanna.

Hanna waved at Clair and shouted, ”You can join us. There is room for three.”

Clair nodded and started to climb up slowly. It looked like she was trying to brave her fear of heights and explore the Mech. When she reached the cockpit, Clair hurried and clamored inside. The three of them could indeed fit, despite a tight fit.

”Clair look, Hanna figured out how to move the stuff around in here!” Rachel said while pressing the blue button again. The chair buzzed and started going backwards.

”Oh, that is neat!” Clair remarked. ”How did you find this out? Gillian asked me not to touch anything, so didn’t he tell you the same?”

”I guess I got too curious and couldn’t help myself.” Hanna replied nervously. ”Can you touch those two leavers?” Hanna asked pointing at the two long black leavers in between the three of them. Hanna noticed that her finger was still really shaky and quickly stuffed it back into her pocket.

”Sure. Though I don’t see why.” Clair replied reaching out to do so. After a few moments of contact she let go. ”Was something supposed to happen?”

”You felt nothing different or strange?” Hanna asked holding back her anxiety.

”No. Was there going to be?” Clair replied looking curiously at Hanna.

”N-no, perhaps I was mistaken. Don’t pay any attention to my silly idea.” Hanna said giving a nervous laugh. ”Isn’t this Mech really cool? It’s so tall and definitely different than anything we have ever seen in town.”

Clair wasn’t convinced by Hanna. She knew Hanna and Hanna was not one to normally lie or change a conversations topic. There was something wrong or Hanna was hiding something. Especially when she saw Hanna’s unsteady hand. Nothing ever got by her when it came to keeping an eye on her friends.

However, Clair decided to not point this out just yet. She was confident that Hanna would tell her best friend about it eventually. ”Yes, the Mech is cool. Scoot over Rachel. I want a turn in the chair!”