“Good idea, keeping the weapons trained on those things no need for them to move again.” Drake’s Antithesis weapons trained on the Meegs as well.
“Thanks. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re giving out some kind of wave… Giga’s mood seems a little off, as does mine. Nothing serious but it’s making us irritable.”
“I’ll run some tests maybe it’s some sort of mech pheromones.” “...Which would explain Rex’s urine disrupting it. Right.” Drake had his AI run the sensors taking air samples looking for discrepancies in the readings from his earlier excursion.
“Yes, there are something in the air that wasn’t here before. The readings say this would cause paranoia and irritability in human and kaiju mecha physiology, maybe I should collect more samples.”
Giga Rex (to Drake, knowingly): “Eldritch mecha make ‘RageStink’.”
After Drake’s explanation and excuses I step out of Giga Rex, thankful the Mad Cloner had used his chemical engineering know-how to help me make a set of indestructible underpants and tempering my sense of betrayal at being lied to against both the many times he had helped me out and the number of times he and I had developed technology together.
“Drake,” I say, forcing myself to remain calm and continually reminding myself that if it weren’t for him, my family would still be in debt, I would have been killed by a robotic virus on at least two separate occasions and failing that at the very least I’d be standing naked right now “buddy, there’s definitely something you’re not telling me. I’ve deduced that those mecha were assigned to guard something… perhaps a Gate or a cache of Niodes? Any information that might be relevant to what they are guarding could spell the difference between life and death.” Giving a stern lecture with the expectation to be taken seriously is difficult when you are in your underpants.
“Well there is an ancient unknown Gateway farther down the canyon. It’s made of a metal I have never encountered before, though this mech has similar traits, like from the same planet maybe….” Drake frowned, pulled up his data pad and got engrossed in writing some equations.
“I would have thought you could trust me though pal,” I throw out, shifting my weight to try and look a bit more austere, which again, doesn’t work so well when the speaker is girded solely in laminated briefs “after all, if nothing else you know my real identity friend, and on my planet unmasking a Mechwrestler is kind of a big deal. Regardless, I think what we have are the remains of a civilization here, but that depends on if there are any structures on the opposite side of that gate. Three mecha and a Gate, do not an entire culture make.”
“Well the Gateway was buried several eons before this mecha was. I’m thinking they may have been guarding for a possible excavation team from wherever they had come from.”
I shake the last of the burning fear and anger that lingered from my head “My friend, I’m sorry. That gas was affecting my mind. Normally I’d trust you with my life.”
“Truthfully I’ve felt more suspicious than normal since coming and examining this area for weeks before calling you in on it.” Drake wrote a note to himself, weaponize version of ‘RageStink’. Afterall, mood altering chemicals was his current hobby.
“You’re better at controlling your emotions than most Drake. Perhaps you could consider a poker career in retirement.” I chuckle before regaining seriousness. “We should probably make some sort of a serum to counteract the gas before anybody else breaks down from it. ...Wait, Kai has been here with you for longer than I have. He’d probably benefit most from the first injection!”
Submitted by Mycobacter, Drake Novum Scientist #712744, #706289