The giant was dozens of meters away, right in front of the ship's hull. It got into a combat stance, ready for a charge. Hatches opened on the sides of the ship; dozens of men came out and began unloading vehicles with antitank cannons.
The mecha began to run; the ground rumbled with every step; small turbojets lit up behind its ankles and shoulders, further increasing its speed. Before crashing, it put its two fists forward and, with the impact, penetrated the command cabin.
It thrust its arms into the ship and then pulled them outward; it destroyed much of the hull; metal flew out in all directions. The cargo bay was exposed; inside, a large cannon was ready to fire. The shot pushed the mecha back a bit; it stepped away to regain balance. Almost the entire crew abandoned the ship, taking all the antitank equipment with them. They spread out around the ship and began mounting the cannons on top of the buggies.
—What's happening, doc?!
—Calm down, everything will be fine.
—Do you smell that, doc?!
He smelled gas. —We have to get out, any moment now...! —They felt the ship slowly move. The mecha anchored its hands to the treads and slowly lifted the ship until it was vertical, like a building. The hatches were blocked; now it focused only on fighting the paramilitaries.
The two found themselves standing against one of the walls. The strong impact had caused the door to open. They peeked into the hallway; it looked like the inside of a well. They could see the light from the large hole in the cabin. Hiram stood on the frame. —Are you sure, doc?!
—Follow me! Don't look down. —He jumped forward and grabbed onto a metal rod; he climbed up pipes and other protrusions in the hallway. Vanrra followed him. They both climbed through the corridor, jumping from wall to wall. Small plates fell from above; they climbed a couple of meters until they reached the storage bay.
When they reached the large warehouse, Vanrra couldn't believe his eyes. A large combat mecha was secured with heavy chains and locks. It was something similar to the one outside, but navy blue. Its appearance was more human; the design was more sober, as if it was still unfinished. It had two large metal fins behind its arms, with a crest on the helmet.
He was astonished, speechless. —What is this, doc.? —Hiram climbed some stairs to reach a platform with a series of control panels. —Doc! Are you going to tell me what this is?!
He turned on the panel; he began to press switches and move levers. Some lights turned on in the locks. —Vanrra, I need you to climb onto the mecha!
—Climb on? What are you saying?
—There's no time; you have to climb up and enter through the back of its neck; the hatch is open! —The ship shook again. —Hurry up!
—What the hell is this thing, doc?!
—A damn mech combat! You have to get on it and start it up!
—How do you expect me to pilot it?! I've never even seen it! —"It's like a titan. Is this a titan?!"
—What the hell are you waiting for?! Do you want to kill us?! This place is going to explode any minute!
—Why me, doc?! Why not you?!
—Because you're the only one who can pilot it! Just get on!
—What are you saying, doc?! I don't know anything about this! I'm going to screw it up!
The ship was shaking more and more; metal plates started to fall. —Get on the damn robot, now! Do you want to die like the rest of your friends?! I don't have any problem!
"Bastard." —How do I get on?!
—Climb up the ladder, use the railings! Get to its neck! —Vanrra climbed the scaffolding around the giant; he held on tightly as the ship shook. After much effort, he managed to reach the mecha. He jumped onto its back; he almost fell into the void. He managed to grab onto a plate and climbed up until he was standing on the back. The metal wasn't ordinary; it had a texture he had never felt before.
He was terrified by the vertigo. —Now what do I do?!
—Do you see the hatch?! There are two circles of lights; put your hands on each one and slap them!
—A slap?!
—Just put your damn hands!
Vanrra moved carefully to the nape; there he placed his hands on the circles: one blue and one red. After a few seconds, the hatch began to rise. A lever was exposed; when he lifted it, the hatch opened abruptly. —What do I do now?!
—Find the seat and put your hands on the levers! Quick!
—And then what?!
—Start up the mecha and get us out of here!
—But how?! —The ship suffered a great impact; all the equipment shook. Vanrra slipped and slid into the mecha's cockpit. Inside, it was completely dark. —Doc! I can't see anything; it's dark!
He was able to hear the doc's shouts. —The levers! Grab the levers!
Vanrra was standing on the back of the seat; he managed to sit down. He felt his feet touch some pedals; he tried to find some support so he wouldn't fall forward. As soon as he moved the pedals, the lights came on. The cockpit was a cylinder about two square meters in size; it was completely sterile; in the middle was a black seat. On either side were armrests ending in two strange handles, with odd rings around them. In front of him, there was a multitude of dark panels surrounding the entire cockpit.
—What the hell is this! What am I supposed to do? Are these the levers? —As soon as he grabbed the handles, the rings closed like handcuffs, leaving Vanrra strapped to the chair. He felt a shock run through his whole body; he suffered a convulsion. He screamed in pain and immediately let go of the handles. The screens turned white.
Some speakers turned on inside the cockpit. Hiram spoke to him. —Vanrra, can you hear me?! Are you there?! React!
—Doc! This thing electrocuted me; I'm trapped! What do I do?!
—Grab the levers; hold them tightly.
—It shocked me!
—That's just the first one; you need twelve to synchronize with the mecha; you can't let go.
—Twelve?! What are you making me do?!
—If you don't do it, you'll die!
—What the hell do you want me to do?! I don't know what this is, I don't know anything!
—Aren't you strong?! If you keep crying, the deaths of Devi, Esaú, and your filthy village will have been in vain! You'll die like them, disgusting cattle. Get us out of here!
Vanrra tried to calm himself, took a deep breath, and grabbed the levers again. —I'm not cattle. —He endured a series of shocks, one after another. He withstood nine shocks before letting go of the handles; his hands were burning. His whole body trembled with chills. His heart felt like it was about to explode. On the screens, large red letters appeared: "Compatibility error: reinsert pilot."
—Vanrra! Try it one more time; you're so close. Just one more attempt!
Vanrra grabbed the levers again; it was as if red-hot nails were being driven into his palms, one after another, nonstop. He gasped in pain. He let go when his chest couldn't take it anymore; all his muscles contracted erratically. He stopped at number eleven.
—Vanrra, are you still awake?!
—Doc! I can't; my body... it hurts too much.
—You're just one step away; you can do it! You have to keep living; keep moving forward! Think of your family! You're the only one who can pilot this thing! I trust you.
Vanrra closed his eyes, grabbed the levers again, and squeezed with all his strength. He tried to forget everything around him and calm his mind. He thought of Devi's house window and the scent of her flowers. He received the first shock. He imagined red-hot nails piercing his nerves up to his shoulder. The second shock hit him. He thought of a sword; he wanted a sword; he wanted to cut off his arms to stop feeling that pain. He suffered the third shock.
He remembered the fences of his village, how they marked the limit of his old world. He received the fourth shock. The doc's words at that tree came to his mind. To keep living, you have to suffer. He remembered that little snake crawling through the grass. The fifth shock hit him. He felt unimaginable burning on the backs of his hands, like a hot iron. He suffered the sixth shock.
Each shock hit him like a whip of energy; it was the only thing he could think about. He suffered the seventh shock. He imagined a big fish swimming through the ocean. The ocean, would he ever see it? The eighth shock hit him. He imagined himself with a cane after leaving that robot, crippled for life. He received the ninth shock.
He opened his eyes, shedding a few tears. He suffered the tenth shock. Was all this a trap, a bait? Only a madman would get into a cage like this. The eleventh shock hit him.
He felt the twelfth shock directly at the nape of his neck; it was as if something wet opened inside his brain. He felt a milky liquid trickle down his nape. He opened his eye; the screens changed color. "Synchronization complete, ready to pilot" appeared. On the screens, everything outside was projected, as if the seat was floating in the air, a bird's-eye view in all directions. Dozens of numbers and red windows appeared all across the screen. He had no idea what any of them meant. The hatch closed.
The locks disengaged. The mecha was only held by chains; it fell to the bottom of the ship. Vanrra panicked; instinctively, he covered his head with his arms.
Outside, the red giant had finished off nearly all the vehicles and cannons. The projectiles bounced off its armor. It kicked the cars and cannons around like balls. The remaining paramilitaries surrendered. —Don't you think you've had enough fun already? —Someone spoke to him over a communicator.
The pilot replied. —Does this seem fun to you? —It was the voice of a young man.
—It looks like you're enjoying it.
—It's just one more mission. —The mecha headed toward the overturned ship. —It's time to see our prize, general. Are you excited?
—Finish the operation. I hope the equipment is still intact.
—Of course it is; I just gave it a little push.
—You buried it in the sand.
—It looks really funny; it looks like the picture in the dining room, the one with the leaning tower. Do you know which one I mean? The little white tower.
—Silence. Are you sure you can remove the plates?
—Yes, the hatches are somewhat open. I'll take them off, order the rest of the men to...—As soon as he opened one of the side hatches with his hands, the blue mecha from inside punched him in the face. The attacker staggered and fell backward. Vanrra burst out through the hatch. He still didn't fully control his body; he moved somewhat slowly and clumsily. Like a drunk, he was getting used to the neural connections. It felt as if the mecha were part of his own body.
The attackers were stunned. —General, you said they hadn't synchronized the package!
—That's what I thought; it's impossible they could have done it.
—Well, I have it in front of me, general. —He stood up and took a combat stance. —Who is this bastard? Can you hear me, general?!
—I don't want you to damage the equipment. It's a prototype. Just disable it.
—Yes, sir. Tell the boys to watch me; I'll put on a great show. Now I'm really going to have fun. —Vanrra slowly got to his feet, looking all around. He was able to control his arms with some success; he moved his finger joints like a newborn.