Birth of a Pilot

Emil backs out of the way as the door swings open. Commander Fitzgerald’s guests can’t exit the room fast enough. He plants his feet in place, forcing himself to nod politely toward each of the older men as they pass by. As soon as the others depart from the remainder in the doorway, the lieutenant takes a huge step toward him.

“Hello, young man.” The commander looks at Emil’s badge. “Lt. Captain Galhardo! What a pleasant surprise. Or, I guess it’s not so much of a surprise since you called my phone three times within the last hour alone, but please. Step into my office.”

The blond nearly trips over his own feet walking into the doorway. He wants to get this done as soon as possible.

“Good afternoon Commander Fitzgerald I realize the number of calls might’ve been a teensy bit excessive but believe me we are having something of an emergency situation right now!” Emil blurts out. He takes exactly one breath. “We’re talking possible mortal danger.”

“Oh… my. Well, I’d better hear you out right away.” The greying commander rushes over to his desk and sits down.

“Okay. Um.” Emil taps his foot, overcome with so much adrenaline, he doesn’t know where to start. “I know you and Staff Major Romero have a fairly close relationship--”

The commander laughs. “Oh, I assure you, you don’t have to worry about that clouding my vision.”

“Ah. Okay. Okay.” The lieutenant touches his hands together. “So, you might know that he built a robot?”

“Yes. A very fine invention.”

Emil raises his eyebrows, coughing. He takes a breath to calm his nerves. “So my crew went to go see it today, and he singled out one of my crew members to pilot it, he was the only one who could fit, actually. But, uhhhh, long story short, he agreed to pilot it under a misconception. Once the misconception was cleared up, he didn’t want to pilot it, but the staff major made him do it anyway, and threatened the rest of us with insubordination if we tried to stop him.”

“Romero did?” Fitzgerald doesn’t seem to be buying it.

“Yes.”

He examines Emil up and down. “Huh. It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I have a hard time imagining the staff major doing that--”

But you said--!!! The lieutenant can barely contain his frustration.

“--and technically, your crew member did agree, correct?”

“Technically he did, yeah.” Emil agrees. “But this is only the tip of the iceberg, sir. My brother and a few of my other crew members went to investigate in different parts of the base, and we found a bunch of… disturbing things about the robot itself and Staff Major Romero’s work practices.”

“Such as?”

“Well, to be blunt, the thing was built with almost no safety hazards-- I mean, safety features! The only thing it really has a seatbelt, and that shield, but lacks windshield wipers, airbags, a fuel gauge--” Emil remembers something, something that isn’t even recorded in the group chat, but he saw firsthand. “There’s not even a ladder to board and get off the thing! It’s a 5 ft drop, which isn’t deadly or anything, but if you land wrong, it could do serious damage, like with Ranger Harada!”

Commander Fitzgerald looks to be in deep thought. Please say something!

Not knowing what else to do, Emil continues talking. “And then there’s the leg thing, the thing separating the pedals. One of my crew members warned Staff Major Romero, she said that if the robot ever crashed, that part c-could, it could--” The blond forgets how to phrase what he wants to say, so he motions it by thrusting his hand into his abdomen.

“It would severely wound the pilot...”

“Yeah, that!” Emil points.

The commander lifts his chin off of his hand and surveys Emil once more. The lieutenant gets the feeling that his jittery nerves must not be helping to make him look credible, but he feels it’s only natural in a situation where someone could lose their life. Of course he’s stressed! He desperately wishes he could look at his phone right now to remember more, but his dad told him that would be ‘unprofessional’.

“Would you happen to have any proof of your claims?” The commander’s stare bores into Emil’s soul.

“Yes Commander, it’s on my phone!” Emil fumbles his phone out of his pocket and quickly navigates to his and Lorenzo’s conversation. He sets the phone on the Commander Fitzgerald’s desk. “My brother detailed out when and where everything was said, including the testimonies of Corporal Engel, Staff Major Nielson, and his daughter Rachel, who isn’t a cadet.”

“Of course she’s not a cadet.” Fitzgerald scoffs as he accepts the phone.

He knew about Rachel? And he’s just laughing at it? Is any of this evidence even gonna convince him anymore? Emil can barely contain the questions in his head, but soon, yet another question soothes him.

Fitzgerald scrolls through the messages in confusion. “What’s all this about Rachel being a cadet? ...Programmer?” He looks at Emil. “She programmed the robot?”

“According to her, she did!”

“She shouldn’t be anywhere near-- She’s just-- She’s only 16!” Distress seeps through the commander’s every word. “Just a child! Nowhere near old enough to be in the IF, let alone working on a project like this! My goodness! I knew she was there, but Greg told me she was just visiting! Is this what she’s been doing all this time?”

“Seems like it.” Finally, Emil can take a breather. This is wrapping itself much quicker than he expected.

“Getting around the break requirements... More threats of insubordination…? Just general bad conduct, is this what he’s been doing all this time?” Fitzgerald gives Emil a look filled with worry. He then glances to his sides. “I’m so sorry, I…”

His expression turns to disgust. “I should’ve believed in you as soon as you mentioned the design flaws. Gregory’s always been too hasty; I had to keep him in check when he was my student. In fact, for a while after I finally promoted him, I tried keeping an eye on him, but I figured if something went wrong, someone would speak up. I didn’t think he was the type to silence people! Goodness gracious!” He stares into the blond’s eyes. “I’m calling him right away.”

Emil’s heart fills with giddiness. He’s overjoyed at the turn of events. As long as Angelo’s still doing okay, he can be saved!

However, before Fitzgerald could dial a full phone number, the door slams open, revealing a ragged, heaving Romero.

“Kaz! Kaz, you gotta help me, I--!” He slowly turns his head toward Emil. “...What are you doing here?”

The lieutenant returns a smile as fake as the staff major’s own. “Just dropping by for a visit.”

“Just the man I wanted to see.” Commander Fitzgerald abruptly stands from his desk. “Gregory, You have a lot to answer for. Threatening people with blackmail? Did you really think that would fly? And please explain to me what kind of steel your nerves are made of for you to try to pull that on Galhardo's sons' crew. Making your child work on your vanity project. And it’s not even remotely safe, yet you try to corner her into piloting it? You could’ve risked her life! What is wrong with you?”

“Wh… wh… what?” He casts a pitiful glance at Emil. He reaches for the blond’s sleeve, but the latter backs away.  “Son, why would you tell him such things? Kaz, I don’t know what lies this boy’s been telling you, but I have no-- I don’t know where this is even coming from. I’m so shocked! Anyway, you’ve gotta help me! I was just monitoring my pilot in the laboratory when Karl came in and attacked me! He was chasing after me a while ago, but I lost him. I need to get back to my pilot, he could be in danger!”

“Angelo!” The thought of Angelo being in trouble after things finally started to look good makes the lieutenant’s heart sink.

As soon as he says that, another man shows up at the door. Emil recognized it as the third guy from the video, Staff Major Nielson.

“That’s him!” Romero points.

“C-commander Fitzgerald.” Karl stops to catch his breath. “Please... forgive me for intruding like this, but a situation’s been going on, and… I wanted to inform you of it.”

“I’ve already got it covered.” Emil informs the mustachioed man. “What about Angelo? How is he?”

“He was calling for help when I first showed up, but when I went to use Staff Major Romero’s phone, he smashed it against the ground.”

“It fell from my table!” Romero objects. “And besides, everything would’ve been under control if you hadn’t shown up! Now, there’s no one to look after him! Is this what you wanted, Karl?”

“Greg, please be quiet...” The Commander massages his temples. 

“But it’s Karl’s--!”

“That’s an order.”

“Hey, Nielson?” Emil doesn’t have the time for Romero’s lies. “Do you know why Angelo was calling for help?”

Nielson looks as if he’s realizing something. “I… I don’t know. But I did call emergency services on the way here, though someone beat me to it...” 

“I suggest we head over to the geoprocessing plant.” Fitzgerald keeps his gaze on Romero. “Greg, you can explain what’s going on on the way.”

Emil, eager to check on Angelo, is already jogging out of the door as he hears Romero’s shame-ridden “Yes, sir.”