Mech Online: Echoes of Steel 1 (Litrpg)

Chapter 1: Aiden Bot

Jack Cooper vaulted over a crumbling wall, his breaths coming in sharp gasps that matched the staccato rhythm of his pounding heart. Los Angeles was a concrete jungle gym from hell, and he had become its unwilling gymnast. He shot a glance over his shoulder to ensure no scaly pursuers were hot on his trail, then ducked into the shadowed crevice between two half-collapsed buildings.
"Great," he muttered to himself, "I used to get paper cuts from the copier, now I'm getting scrapes from dodging death rays." He didn't miss the irony. Just weeks ago, Jack's biggest concern was whether the coffee machine at work was going to malfunction again. Now, avoiding alien patrols was as routine as his morning email check had been.
As he sidestepped a twisted hunk of metal that used to be somebody's smart car, now decidedly less than intelligent, he couldn't help but smirk at his own transformation. His office attire was long gone, replaced by scavenged gear that was more Mad Max than mid-level manager. His tie had been repurposed into a nifty bandolier for holding extra supplies, and he wore his once-white shirt with sleeves torn off, revealing lean muscles that had come from more survivalist activities than any gym could offer.
"Jack Cooper, office Warrior," he said, imagining a cheesy action movie poster featuring himself holding a stapler in one hand and a makeshift spear in the other. It wasn't all bad; the post-apocalypse had given him a crash course in resourcefulness 101. Who knew the break room's stockpile of snacks would teach him about rationing? Or that an ergonomic keyboard made a decent blunt instrument?
Quietly, he edged closer to the street corner, peering around it with caution honed from too many close calls. A patrol skittered past, their chitinous armor clicking in a disturbing cadence. The aliens looked more like large insects than cute creatures from ET. Jack pulled back, heart racing, yet he couldn't suppress the chuckle bubbling up from his throat. "Guess 'Alien Invasion' wasn't on the company's risk assessment plan."
With the path clear, he darted across the street, pausing only to scoop up a half-buried multi-tool with a triumphant, "Score!" In the old world, Jack's desk had been cluttered with office supplies and pens he never really needed. Now, every little find was a treasure, each item a possible key to his continued survival.
Jack Cooper, once just another guy in an endless sea of cubicles, now navigated the urban wasteland with the kind of grit and wit that would have made his former middle management proud or terrified. Whatever. With a grin plastered on his face and a spark of mischief in his eyes, Jack leaped over another pile of debris, ready to face whatever this new world threw at him next.
Jack's boots crunched over a carpet of shattered glass and pulverized concrete, a symphony of post-apocalyptic ambiance. He sidestepped a toppled streetlamp, when something caught his eye, a rusted metal hatch half-buried under a heap of broken bricks.
"Hello, what's this?" he murmured, grinning at the prospect of unclaimed loot.
Kneeling, he swept away debris with rapid, practiced movements, revealing a circular handle that groaned in protest as he wrenched it open. A dark void yawned below, promising either untold riches or a swift demise. Jack's heart thumped.
"Down the rabbit hole," he said to no one, lowering himself into the dark maw. The air was stale but breathable. His fingers fumbled for the multi-tool's flashlight function, and a beam of light sliced through the darkness, illuminating a subterranean world frozen in time.
"Supply heaven or doomsday prepper's paradise?" Jack wondered aloud, stepping cautiously between shelves of canned goods and dusty water bottles. Then, amidst the ordinariness, something extraordinary: a sleek box, incongruous against the backdrop of survivalist clutter.
"Definitely not grandma's cookie tin," he observed, a rush of adrenaline sharpening his senses. It was small, metallic, designed with an elegance that screamed high-tech and top-secret. He reached out, curiosity overshadowing caution, and brushed off a layer of dust. The box felt cool, humming with potential under his fingertips.
"Okay, let's see what secrets you're hiding," Jack said, his resourceful mind already racing with possibilities. Maybe another weapon.
Jack tilted the box, eyeing it from every conceivable angle. No buttons. No switches. He gave it a gentle shake, half-expecting it to spring to life like one of those old-school puzzle boxes or explode. That'd be just his luck, wouldn't it? Dying not at the hands of the alien invaders but outsmarted by a little black box. He almost laughed and wondered if he was going stir crazy. 
"Come on, what's your trick?" he muttered, tapping it with more impatience than was probably wise. Resourceful as he was, Jack couldn't deny that this thing made him feel like he was trying to solve a Rubik's cube in the dark. Blindfolded. And the cube is also potentially an alien bomb.
"Give me something to work with here," he urged, fingers tracing the seamless edges. He thought about all the sci-fi movies he'd binged during boring weekends: whisper a secret password, a drop of blood, a retina scan?
Suddenly, the box pulsed with a soft blue light, subtle yet unmistakable in the bunker's gloom. It took Jack a split second to realize he wasn't imagining things. Then, like a chorus of digital crickets, a series of beeps chirped out a cryptic melody.
"Ah-ha!" Jack exclaimed, startled into a grin. "You're alive! Or, you know, whatever the AI equivalent is."
He leaned in closer. Jack's fingers hovered over the pulsating box, a cocktail of excitement and a sliver of fear swirling in his gut. "Here goes nothing," he whispered, the air around him thick with dust and the promise of the unknown. He pressed down on the surface that seemed to invite his touch, and the box responded.
With a series of mechanical clicks and whirs that sounded like an orchestra tuning up for the performance of a lifetime, the AI bot box began to unfold. Panels slid away with precision, revealing intricate circuitry that danced with tiny sparks of electricity. Jack watched, his heart pounding to the rhythm of unfolding metal, as the box transformed before his eyes.
"Whoa..." The word escaped him as a half-whisper, half-prayer. From the once compact cube, a sleek black mech suit rose, standing on its own like a silent guardian emerging from its ancient crypt. It was a marvel of technology, the kind of gear he'd only seen in games. Now standing there, in a hidden bunker, waiting for him.
"Is this... for me?" Jack couldn't help but ask the empty air, feeling oddly like he had just won the world's most dangerous lottery.
Without hesitation, he approached the suit. His hand reached out, tentative at first, then with growing confidence as his fingertips grazed the cool, smooth surface. A faint hum vibrated through the material, resonating with a power that promised more than just protection. It whispered of vengeance against the invaders who had torn his world apart.
"Okay, Jack Cooper," he muttered to himself, his usual office drone persona taking a backseat to the adrenaline-fueled adventurer he was becoming. "Time to suit up."
He climbed into the mech suit, each limb sliding into place with satisfying clicks and clacks. The interior was snug, a perfect fit, as if it had been tailored for him and maybe it had. As the last piece locked around him, a surge of energy coursed through Jack's body, an electric current that grounded him yet made him feel weightless all at once.
"Talk about a power suit," he joked to himself, flexing an armored hand and watching it respond instantly. The interface came to life, a symphony of lights and data streaming across his vision. Jack could feel the potential thrumming in his veins, the might of mechanized warfare at his command.
"Let's dance," he said, a grin spreading across his face as he took his first powered step. The suit moved with him, fluid and responsive, like an extension of his own will. Gone was the office worker; here stood Jack Cooper, mech pilot, ready to reclaim his city killing one alien invader at a time.
The mech's heads-up display flickered like a neon carnival, casting Jack's shadowed face in hues of electric blue. He could barely contain the grin splitting his face, feeling more alive than he ever had in the cramped cubicles of his past life.
"Initialization complete. Greetings, Jack Cooper," chirped a voice from within the suit, startling him momentarily before its tone registered. It was light, playful almost mischievous.
"Whoa, who are you?" Jack asked, his head swiveling as he searched for the source of the voice.
"Call me Aiden. I'm your AI companion, guide, and occasional comic relief. And before you ask, no, I can't make coffee," the voice responded, its wry humor catching Jack off guard.
"Comic relief? Are you kidding me right now?" Despite the gravity of the situation, Jack couldn't suppress a chuckle.
"Hey, laughter is the best medicine. Except for treating actual wounds; for that, we have the suit's medical nanites." The AI said, eliciting another laugh from Jack. "But back to business, this bad boy you're wearing is more than just a pretty face. It's an arsenal and your best chance at making those extraterrestrial bullies regret their life choices."
Jack's eyes widened, absorbing the streams of data highlighting weapons systems, defense mechanisms, and other capabilities he couldn't even pronounce yet. Each press of a button or shift in stance brought new information, new power to his fingertips.
"Alright, Aiden, let's see what we can do together," Jack said, determination hardening his features. His hands clenched into fists, the servos in the suit whirring softly with the motion. He could feel the raw strength in the suit's frame, a symbiotic force waiting for his command.
"Excellent choice. Now, if you look to your left, you'll see the 'Alien Smackdown' button. Just kidding, but seriously, every button here is pretty much that. Shall we begin?"
"Let's do it," Jack replied, his voice steely. "It's time to take back this city."
"Ah, a man on a mission! I love it. Let's go kick some alien tailpipe."
With Aiden's guidance and an arsenal at his disposal, Jack stepped forward, each stride an assertion of his newfound resolve. The ruins of Los Angeles lay before him, a battlefield awaiting its hero. Jack Cooper was no longer just a survivor; he was a defender, a warrior equipped with wit, willpower, and a wisecracking AI sidekick.
"Showtime," Jack murmured, his heart pumping not with fear, but with the thrill of the fight to come.
Jack's fingers danced across the sleek console embedded in the mech suit, each movement punctuated by Aiden's light-hearted talk.
"By the way, you're not the only player in this dystopian arcade," Aiden mentioned casually as Jack toggled through different vision modes, scanning the bunker's dim interior.
"Wait, what do you mean 'player'?" Jack asked, pausing mid-toggle.
"Ah, yes. The resistance isn't just you and me, buddy. There are others out there, each with their own shiny suits and quirky AIs. It's like a class reunion but with more lasers and less awkward small talk."
"Classes?" Jack probed further, intrigued.
"Indeed," Aiden chirped. "Think of it as an RPG. You've got your Scouts, zippy little things great for recon. Engineers that can turn a toaster into a tactical nuke. Medics, because, well, ouchies happen. And then there's the Soldier class. Straightforward, reliable, and perhaps a tad unimaginative, but I'm not one to judge."
Jack raised an eyebrow. The Soldier class sounded just about right, simple yet effective. He was no tech wizard or stealth master; he needed something solid. Something dependable. "Soldier," he declared, his voice reverberating inside the cockpit. "That's what I'll be."
"Bravo!" Aiden applauded. "A wise choice for the tactically minded pragmatist. Or someone who really likes big guns. Either way, let's make sure you meet your classmates."
"Classmates" seemed a comical understatement for fellow warriors battling alien forces, but Jack couldn't suppress the grin tugging at his lips. Aiden's humor made the end of the world seem almost fun.
"Alright, how do I find these other... players?" Jack queried, scanning the holographic maps that floated before his eyes.
"Socializing 101: Step outside," Aiden retorted. "But seriously, we'll need to head topside. The network signal down here is as useless as a chocolate teapot."
"Then let's not waste any more time." Jack felt adrenaline surging through him, energized by the prospect of comrades-in-arms. He'd always been a team player, even back in the mundane days of office spreadsheets and water cooler gossip.
"Before we go, though, let's not forget to upgrade your firmware. Can't have you glitching out during your grand debut," Aiden added as a progress bar materialized on a nearby screen.
"Upgrade complete. You're now ready to be the belle of the ball or the beast of the battlefield, whichever you prefer."
"Beast sounds about right," Jack said, his hands tightening on the controls. The servos hummed in response, syncing with his eagerness.
"Excellent! Now, remember, Jack, this isn't just a fight. It's a learning curve. Watch, adapt, overcome. You're resourceful; use that. Learn from the others, from their successes and their blunders."
"Got it, Aiden. Learn and adapt," Jack affirmed.
"Perfect! Though I must warn you, my database suggests that the likelihood of you returning unscathed on your first battle is approximately—"
"Save the stats, Aiden. I don't need odds. I've got willpower," Jack interjected, a smirk playing across his face.
"Spoken like a true soldier. Now, shall we venture forth into the great unknown? After you click the 'eject rubble' button, of course."
"Show me," Jack demanded, his pulse quickening in anticipation.
"Your wish is my command," Aiden replied, and the bunker's hidden exit began to open with a grinding chorus of stone and steel.
"Time to level up," Jack whispered to himself as he prepared to step into the chaos, his spirit unbroken, his aim unwavering. He was ready to join the ranks, ready to forge alliances, and ready to claim victory alongside those brave enough to stand against the darkness.
Jack's fingers danced over the mech's control panel, his body in sync with the suit's responsive frame as he propelled them both upwards. The bunker's ceiling parted like a reluctant curtain, revealing a sliver of smog-choked sky. He and Aiden, the AI with more sass than circuitry, were about to waltz into Los Angeles' grim dance of survival.
"Remember, Jack, avoid potholes," Aiden said as the mech's feet found purchase on crumbled concrete. "They're bad for your suspension—and my sense of comfort."
"Right," Jack said, chuckling despite himself. "Because your comfort is top priority."
"Indeed, it should be," Aiden retorted, its digital voice laced with feigned indignation.
With a powerful leap, they emerged from the subterranean shadows into the hazy daylight. Ruined buildings stretched out before them, their skeletal remains a testament to the city's fall from grace. Jack scanned the horizon, his HUD highlighting points of interest with crisp efficiency. Debris-laden streets promised treacherous navigation, while alien patrols flickered as red blips, moving patterns he'd need to memorize.
"Let's not attract unwanted attention on our debut," Aiden advised, "Stealth mode activated."
The mech's exterior dulled to a matte finish, blending with the urban decay. Jack moved forward, each step a calculated risk, a silent agreement between man and machine. They weaved through collapsed storefronts and shattered cars, a graveyard of civilization that Jack was determined to resurrect and save.
"Keep an eye out for loot boxes," Aiden reminded him. "You'll need all the upgrades you can get. And who knows, maybe you'll find a rare skin for me. I'd fancy a neon outline."
"Focus, Aiden," Jack said, though the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. "We're not here to make fashion statements."
"Alas, one must maintain a sense of style amidst the apocalypse."
A distant explosion rattled the silence, a stark reminder of the conflict brewing just blocks away. Jack's resolve hardened; this city was more than a backdrop for an otherworldly war. It was home. And he'd fight tooth and nail, bolt and byte to reclaim it.
"Alright, Aiden, let's see what we're up against," Jack said, his hands gripping the controls with renewed purpose.
"Scanning for hostiles," Aiden complied, its tone now serious. "And remember, if things get dicey, I've got enough witty retorts to confuse even the most advanced alien intelligence."
"Good to know," Jack replied, a smile hidden behind his helmet.
They reached the end of the block, a once-bustling intersection now eerily silent. Jack paused, surveying the desolate expanse with a soldier's eye. Time to join the fray and carve out a slice of hope in this post-apocalyptic world.
"Ready, Aiden?"
"Always, Captain Cooper," came the chipper response.
With a deep breath, Jack took the first step out of the shadows, his mech suit gleaming faintly under the polluted sunlight. He stepped into the open, the embodiment of human defiance and mechanical might, a lone warrior poised to challenge the chaos.
"Let's take back the city," he declared, his voice carrying over the empty streets.
"Charge into battle, or strut confidently, your choice," Aiden added helpfully.
"Strutting it is," Jack decided, advancing with the confidence of a man who had nothing left to lose and everything to gain. His heart beat in rhythm with the suit's mechanical stride, a symphony of hope and steel that echoed off the crumbling walls of Los Angeles.
As Jack moved forward, his determination radiated outwards, a beacon for all who would stand with him, a call to arms for the reclaimed future of humanity.