Pioneering

With the idea of logging out completely flushed out from Sy's mind - replaced by his total engrossment on the blueprint of the Straggler S1, it took him five minutes before he snapped out from its bewilderment.

After all the details were registered in his mind, once again, he started browsing the game shop. With his newfound knowledge, he started seeing the 1st gen mechs in a crystal clear view, as if they were naked under his eyes.

Sy was planning to buy another license of a 1st gen mech, but with his newly acquired apprehension, they were all the same - their framework was their biggest flaw. Only the arsenal of weapons they carry were distinct.

[New Specialty Acquired!

Basic Mecha = Level 0]

Just like that, he attained enough knowledge which graduates from mech schools would require years of study. The myriads of knowledge from a Pioneer only needed five minutes to interpret the basics of a mecha. Such was the disparity of an elite human being like Sy compared to the lower classes.

The young Pioneer began concocting a plan which still needed a small guidance. He looked to the 2nd Generation Mechs for the wisdom passed on, but found that he could not fully understand their concepts. The reason was that mechs were designed to combat other mechs, and Sy had a different grasp - the flexible Starship designs which integrated close to long range combats, advance electronics, energy efficiency and power distribution, shielding, flexible propulsion - combination of technology that shied away from mechs.

And one could apply it to the mechs if they had the means.

Sy dived back to the very problem: The Straggler S1. Its whole existence was its framework instead of an internal structure working like a skeleton just like that of a human anatomy. Its adamant joints could only make the mecha move forward and backward, lacking any rotation. The designers at that time - deficient of ways to compensate - feared that by thinning out the joints and making it supple, it might snap under the weight of the mech, or get shot completely immobilising the one dimensional machine.

Furthermore, the slab form of its head, housing only a single live camera acting as vision for the pilot, prompted Sy to shook his head in utter disappointment.

The only thing that the designers did right, was that every part of the mech could be mass produced and assembled with some difficulty.

One thing that should also be noted was that the Straggler was made up of hybrid titanium, causing its texture to be light-brown. Thanks to the advancement of metallurgy, if it was made up of pure titanium which was brittle because of it's inflexibility, the mech's legs would have snapped just by taking a single step.

Sy set on to the next difficulty which required more money, a pain in his anemic budget. Materials. After searching the shop, he found out - to his great disappointment - that 50 gold could buy 100 tons of hybrid titanium. And the Straggler itself - made up of pure metal - could weight more than 20,000 tons.

"10,000 gold or 50,000 U-Credits could buy 20,000 tons of hybrid titanium -- Absuurd!"

"Bah!" Dismissing the thought, he used his great mind to find a way. It came in the form of buying two Stragglers, each priced with 20 gold - with the idea of recycling them in the fabricator and building his own variant from scrap.

The developers of Steel Arena would be kicking themselves if Sy succeeded in his plot. After all, the 1st gen mechs were on sale for the purpose of giving the children who only wanted to have fun - some kind of a toy with robotic movements to stir - a joyful experience. Adults were not an exception.

"This might take a while.." Stretching his body, Sy went to the holographic simulation of his workshop. He inputted the blueprint of the Straggler S1, and undergone a careful consideration.

Of course, he would start with the reactor core and build the mech around it. The two Stragglers that he bought had two critical materials - their ancient fusion reactors. Sy planned to use them both to create a modern model - a fusion plant - which can sustain a steady flow of heat which then can be easily converted into other forms of energy.

After designing the reactor core, he created a powerful engine before moving on into chipping the bulky framework, removing some unnecessary parts that impeded movement, while also adding advance torsion and some compartments for vital components. After two hours, the mech ended up with 60% removed from its original weight.

Sy proceeded to stick random materials to add mass within the weight range that the mech could support.

He played the simulation and proudly grinned. The mech walked around almost similarly of that of a human. There was no trouble in the initial stage, but the mech's legs would give in from the stress of its upper body after a week or two. Sy was torn between removing more weight or scrapping the design. In the end, he did away with the design and started anew.

After another hour, Sy realised he was deviating too much from the original version but continued. He completely swapped other parts with his own design and added two arms on the mech - removing the short range beam guns. He played the simulation and was finally satisfied with the result. The mech worked perfectly fine - the only damage it could sustain was from external threats. He had always excelled in Construction-tech without even trying.

Next was the components, in which set apart Pioneers like Sy from the mech specialists who could only design or customise mechs with existing components - although they can make some tweaks. Sy, on the other hand, knowledgeable in all main technologies, could create his own design of components bypassing any patency.

Unfortunately, Sy could only make do with the materials he had on hand - the two Stragglers - and couldn't implement the latest components to the mech. He started with the head which he redesigned to be bigger and closely resembling a human's. The eyes were both equipped with advance optics, image and infrared sensors and multifunction scanners. Deflector Arrays which provided shield from incoming projectiles as well as radiations - plastered on both ears. ECM and a Targeting System occupied the rest.

It was an ambitious installment for mech designers and engineers that they could only dream of achieving, but Sy had a lot of space to work with because of his knowledge in Miniaturization.

Working his way down, Sy installed bigger versions of Deflector Arrays, and further optimised the framework, mostly on the power and durability of its legs. The idea of adding propulsions beneath the feet of the mech dawned on him. After doing a quick simulation, he was encouraged to do so but took him an hour to make it energy efficient. He even noted that only a skilled mech pilot could make it fly.

"Whoo!"

Whooping narcissistically, it eventually came to his most anticipated part. The circuitry. He had been itching about a certain technology after his wisdom increased.

Computer-tech had always intrigued him. With it, having a part in the current task, Sy started designing the power distribution of the mech. After making a short work out of it, he prepared to make use of the Microtape Storage Device - employing integrated sub-processors used in aiding computers to quickly locate critical data.

Now, Sy had been ecstatic with the MSD. He wanted to used its sub-processors to delegate tasks, and become less dependent to the computer system. As a result, backup power, redirecting energy, component activation, execute safety protocols and so on.. All of these, can be designated to the device. As such, only the wirings of the power distribution was needed. However, Sy still added a few more wires as backup and for the computer system of the mech to communicate with the Microtapes, just to be safe.

Although, the device was hard to fabricate and needed high quality resources, Sy did not mind the effort and money.

The armour frame or the flesh - which the mech depended mostly for protection, was the next task. Sy had to plan ahead in order to fit the weapons next. Hybrid Titanium was tough itself but easily tear from energy based weapons. He contemplated whether to spend some money in enforcing it but decided to just apply some heat resistant coating - which he must say good-bye to 20 gold or a hundred credits.

The armour had consumed some of his hours as he struggled - mostly because he was trying to make the mech look like the Straggler S1. Which ended up in obstructing the precious flexibility of the mech. Ultimately, he succeeded. His mech looked like the original version but with more depth. The original version was a cartoon while his mech was realistic 3D.

In truth, Sy could create his own new mech. But without even an ounce of prestige to his name, he'd rather use what little fame the other mechs have in order to sell his own. And the Straggler S1 - did not only appeal to his interest - but was the first creation of a famous company with a bounty of success in the mech industry.

Designing the weapons would hammer the final nail in the coffin - that Sy deviated in everything the generations of mechs stood for - that it was for nothing. By using a 1st gen mech as a reference, he would branch out on his own from the technological tree of mechs.

The fact that he had not had a glimpse of the designs of the next generations of mechs was a proof of his ignorance of a well cultivated culture and perhaps cause its destruction. Innocent? No. Desperate - yes.

However, Sy had some hesitation with the weapons. It needed high grade materials and he refused to give up a dime.

Instead, he turned his attention to the twin cannons and short range beam guns. He calculated before setting in motion a cause of great outcry amongst people who had been with mechs for as long as they can remember.

Using the materials of the beam guns, he crafted a mediocre railgun rifle - a weapon that was not seen in the mech world - universally known as one of the longest ranged beam weapon. The excess materials, he used into crafting short range rapid firing lasers with minimal output, installed within the armour of the mech's hands.

He used his Miniaturization skills in dampening the twin cannons into a more reasonable mass. The Straggler S1 was actually built around these weapons. Although outdated, it packed a punch even against the toughest armour up to date. Removing them from the shoulders, and installing them at the back, making them retractable - and instead using the shoulders as support, Sy was almost finished with the weapons.

Last but not the least, Sy wanted to imitate the close range autocannons of a starship - used in dissuading and combatting the highly advance and very dangerous interdictor, bomber and shuttle crafts from getting into range. He used the removed materials from the twin cannons and made a long range, miniaturized autocannon, placed on both temples of the mech's head. Even though the aircrafts and the famed orbital dropping crafts had some type of a counter, Sy doubted that his poor quality gun could even track or damage the infamous interdictors of the Federation.

The design was almost over and Sy retreated for a moment. He was not confident that he could finish the computer system of the mech - in order to install a neuro-link - within a week.

But with grit and determination to escape his desperate state, he firmly started, summoning a second panel and activated its linguistic interface. He was multitasking, rapidly inputting computer languages with hand gestures while also speaking to communicate with the computer, doubling his output.

Even though an elite human, he would find himself making errors and double checking his work after a day of continues effort. The second day, his mental fatigue was somehow affecting his body in the real world.

When his vision was becoming hazy - causing him to lose focus - he was almost over. As soon as he finished the last codes, he sat down and closed his eyes, emptying his mind. He was not yet finished, and only needed to rest his brain for a few minutes. His brain briefly shut down without him realizing, and he needed to log back in to the game when he came to.

"30 minutes.. not bad and enough." Noticing how much time had passed, Sy let out a sigh of relief. He started modernising the mech's outdated cockpit in order to integrate the new components.

He inched into the simulator and pressed on its assessment. A chuckle left him when the simulator showed him the most pleasing sight he had ever seen in his life. His mech was working the way he wanted it to be. He almost cried as the warmth of joy spread across his chest. But a man must not. He had been through a lot, and it's not the time to show weakness.

Even though a game, his first creation had not yet manifested into reality. He needed to fabricate it. Sy had many experience with the latest models of fabricators, and had not disappointed in their product. However their ancestor in front of him - he doubted that it can fabricate his mech as a whole.

For almost half a day, he scrapped the two Stragglers. After that, he started fabricating the framework of his mech before its armour, components and weapons - which he spent his last gold to acquire the materials needed. He was too skilled for the fabricator to make an error. Although, he was bored with the slow process of the machine.

As the mech came to existence, he transported it into the assembly line. He started piecing it together and marvelled as he donned its helmet and installed its autocannons. It was like a knight in the lost ages, except with guns - not sword and shield atop a warhorse.

A quick evaluation showed him that he created his mech with no setbacks after almost 2 days. He almost spent a day in the game in the real world.

He quickly accessed the game shop and named his mech; Straggler S1-2.

He determined that his mech should be qualified in the 2nd Generation and registered it in that category not knowing that the standard of Pioneers were too far ahead.

"Since I spent all my gold, I should triple the price. 600. No - I'm merciful. 1000 Gold or 5000 U-Credits."

[Mission Completed!]

[Mission Completed!]

Upon seeing the system notifications, he logged out.

The game system would immediately berate his poor judgement and changed his price in order to avoid a collapse of exchange.

[5,000,000 gold]

[4th Gen. 1st Tier]