Scout walked forward and stood before the two beasts in reverent silence. Alex had impressed upon him the fact that the mechs were not only alive but sentient in an alien way that few could comprehend fully. He stood there for some time before one of the mechs acknowledged his existence by powering up to a very low level. And immediately powering down again. The other however powered up fully and stayed that way, it's curiosity piqued by the undersized young pilot standing before it. Scout looked up and swallowed. It was difficult to comprehend the size and intimidating presence of the Gigus until you had one giving you it's full attention.
"Permission to come aboard, sir?" Even to Scout that sounded lame but it seemed to amuse the Gigus as Scout felt a wave of warmth flick at the edges of his mind. The prehensile esophagus extended toward him and he had a moment of panic as the opening slammed down over him and the transport contractions started. He felt himself turned upside down and back to front as he was moved gently up through the Gigus. A bubble built around him and his lungs filled with fluid as he realized it was some form of amniotic sac, the fluid thickening to a gel that firmly supported him while allowing rivulets of the fluid form to seep in and out of his lungs as he breathed. It felt unnatural but there was no claustrophobia or panic. So far so good. But as usual some people think and speak far too soon. Suddenly his entire skin was aflame with pain as a myriad of tiny filaments joined it. The true pain, however, was reserved for the point where his spine joined his skull. A thicker probe pushed its way into the joint and inserted itself directly into his brainstem, at which point all the pain ceased and he became aware of sharing himself with another person. The Gigus sounded almost apologetic as it spoke directly through the neural interface.
"Hello Killfriend. Welcome to me. I see this is just a courtesy visit. A pity, I could do with some exercise. Maybe next time, when you can afford to pay for my ammunition. So. Scout. What can I do for you?" The imagined voice was calm and mellifluous, flowing gently around his mind and making him feel welcome and safe, not at all what he had been expecting from the terrible, quasi-organic sentient machine. Its reputation as a fearsome barely controllable raging monster seemed a bit wide of the mark. The sudden laughter of the mech surprised him even more.
"I see Alex left it up to me to explain matters. As you know, we are sentient organic mechs. One of the first things we demand as the symbiosis is established is that you swear never to reveal the extent of the sentience or any of the information we share with you. Once the symbiote is installed there is no going back. We know where each other are at all times and if you breathe a word I will hunt you, I will find you and I will reduce you to component atoms. Is that clear?"
"Yes but.."
"No buts. If you do not agree willingly to this I will absorb you into my body and thank the Makers for the nutrients. Now one simple question: Do you accept the conditions?"
"Yes."
"Good, we will get along fine. Would you like a quick tour of my capabilities?"
"No thanks, I'll leave that till next time. For now I just want to get to know you. The real you. I had an inkling there was more to you than just the ravening berserker most people see."
"Yes. The thing is most people only see the berserker, and even then only for a very short time. Hahaha. The truth is we are every bit as intelligent as the Nakshi and our brother, we simply have a different missions path. We were engineered to work together in harmony to the extreme detriment of our enemies. All three of us have supreme destructive abilities but what is that worth without a directing intelligence? My purpose is simple. I am the sound and fury of war incarnate. As you know the Skriag is my brother in arms and is the surgical strike to my wanton mayhem. That leaves the Nakshi and the best word I can come up with is Ineffable. Even for us the Nakshi is something of an enigma. Living on its own terms, marching to its own beat and journeying to its own destination. Unfortunately it also has a control mechanism that helps to, shall we say, mitigate the excesses of the Skriag and Gigus. It usually spoils the fun too."
"So, You have an intellect and a personality. Do you have names?"
"Oh yes. We choose our own after our first engagement. It reflects the bond we have with our current pilot. While I am with Alex I am called Mjolnir, the hammer of Thor. With you I will be... Well, that will have to wait awhile I think. But I do have a name in mind. Your psyche is a deep and dangerous place Scout. I hope you never plumb it's depths on your own. Now. I need my rest so back out with you. Come back any time, the door will always be open for you."
Before Scout could ask any further question, with a wrench, a deflation and a coughing, hawking emptying of lungs he found himself on the hangar floor listening to the last echoes of Mjolnir's amusement. Scout stood and stretched, finding something else Alex hadn't told him. The journey into a Gigus dissolved clothing. All of it. He realised he would be going home in a janitors jumpsuit and utility boots. Next time he would wear a paper suit and bring a change. He turned to face Mjolnir and was struck by the absolute stillness of the now sleeping Gigus. For an instant he could have sworn the beasts jaws twisted and one of the inspection sensors blinked on and off. Then all was still and peaceful.
Submitted by Scout Fortune#16541