Mech Online: Echoes of Steel 1 (Litrpg)

Chapter 7: Hidden Base

The steel door groaned a reluctant welcome as Jack Cooper nudged it open, his heart thumping a steady bass line against his ribs. They searched along the outskirts of LA. Ghost with Aiden's help found something. An ancient supply source was hidden around this old base. It was a restricted area. Ghost turned off all the alarms and restrictions. They slipped through the narrow aperture, the corridor beyond swallowing them with its shadowy maw. The air was stale, heavy with the scent of rust and long-forgotten battles.
Jack saw a sign with letters and a hazard symbol. "No Trespassing. U. S. Government Property."
"I wonder what's here," Jack whispered, his voice bouncing off the walls, playing tag with the silence. "This place could be crawling with anything."
"Or anyone," Zara added under her breath, her fingers brushing the multitool at her belt.
Aiden said, "Your government had some of my own tech in these areas."
"How did that happen?" Jack said.
Aiden said, "I'm not the only bot. Each of your comrades has a bot. Your government decided to hide my kin's tech instead of using it."
They fanned out, the beams from their headlamps cutting swathes through the darkness. The underground base felt like a tomb, each step echoing ominously as if the very floor were relaying secrets to unseen listeners.
"Storage area's this way," Kai murmured, the scar on his face rendering his stoic expression even more intimidating in the half-light. Kai had a holograph projection close by his face showing parts of this structure. He gestured with a nod, and he and Jack veered left, their boots smacking the ground with purpose.
"Medical supplies could be anywhere," Dr. Hayes mused, adjusting her glasses as if they'd help her see better in the gloom. "Liam, you're with me."
"Lead the way, Doc," Liam replied, his green hair almost glowing in the artificial light. He shot a grin over his shoulder at Ava, who rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile.
"Control room's up ahead," Ava announced, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her knife. "Zara, let's go uncover some buried treasure."
"Treasure or tech, I'm not picky," Zara said, her lips curling into a rare smirk.
The group split down the branching paths of the base, the distance stretching between them like elastic. Kai and Jack moved with a quiet efficiency, their steps synched as they approached the storage. Dr. Hayes and Liam's path was marked by the occasional clink of medical equipment in the doctor's bag, while Ava and Zara's route was punctuated by the soft clicking of Ava's Geiger counter.
"Hey, check this out." Jack's whisper had Kai turning on his heel.
"Find something good?" Kai asked, peering over Jack's shoulder at the dusty crates before them.
"Better than good," Jack replied, his grin audible. "Let's see what's inside."
Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes knelt before a cabinet that looked like it could withstand a nuclear blast. With a deft twist of Liam's improvised lockpick, the doors swung open, revealing rows upon rows of gleaming supplies.
"Jackpot," Liam breathed, the words dancing through the air. "Nano-repair kits. Healing serums. It's like Christmas came early."
"Let's pack up; we'll sort through everything later," Dr. Hayes advised, her tone clinical yet tinged with excitement.
In the control room, Ava's hand hovered above a panel camouflaged against the wall. Zara nodded, and with a decisive click, a compartment hissed open, the treasures within winking at them coyly.
"Would you look at that?" Ava murmured, awe coloring her voice as she reached for a sleek cloaking device.
"Tech like this could change the game," Zara said, her engineer's gaze hungry as she inventoried the haul. "We'll have those alien bastards running circles."
"First, we survive," Ava reminded her, her smile tight but determined.
"Surviving's my middle name," Zara replied. "Well, it's actually Marie, but that doesn't sound nearly as badass."
The tension eased from their shoulders as laughter bubbled up, breaking the solemnity of their mission. For a moment, they weren't warriors scavenging in a post-apocalyptic wasteland; they were just two friends sharing an inside joke.
Regrouping at the base's central nexus, they laid out their bounty. Each item held the promise of survival, of turning the tide in their favor. The levity of their private victories lingered as they planned their next move, their shared joke a beacon of hope in the shadowed corridors of war.
Jack's hand brushed against the cold metal shelf, his fingers tracing the dust before he paused, the dim light catching on something that made his heart race, a cache of energy cores. His eyes locked onto the gleaming cylinders, each one pulsating with contained power.
"Kai, check this out!" Jack's whisper was a mix of urgency and disbelief.
Kai turned, his scarred face breaking into a rare grin as he took in the sight. "Holy mother of mech fuel," he muttered, swiftly moving to join him by the shelves.
They worked in tandem, the clink of cores sliding into their packs. With each core secured, visions of their mechs, stronger, faster, unstoppable, danced in their heads.
"Think of the punch these will pack," Jack said, his voice laced with a thrill as he imagined his mech, once an office-bound AI bot box, now on the verge of becoming a titan of the battlefield.
"Power's nothing without control," Kai reminded him, but the smirk on his lips belied his stern tone. "That said, I can't wait to see these babies light up the HUD."
Meanwhile, Dr. Hayes and Liam delved deeper into the infirmary's shadowed corners, the click of her boots against the concrete floor steady and reassuring. They stopped before a cabinet, its doors swinging open to reveal rows upon rows of nano-repair kits and vials of healing serums.
"Christmas came early this year," Liam said, his green hair catching the light as he bent down to inspect the lower shelves.
"More like a second chance," Dr. Hayes countered while carefully selecting supplies, her hands steady despite the adrenaline rush. "These could mean the difference between life and death out there."
"Guess playing doctor just got a whole lot more high-tech," Liam said, his cheeks stretching into a grin as he pocketed several kits.
"Remember to save some for others who might need it," she chided gently, her glasses reflecting the cabinet's contents like twin mirrors of possibility.
"Always do, Doc," Liam replied, his voice carrying an undertone of sincerity that matched his hacker alias, 'Ghost,' a specter always looking out for the team even from the shadows.
As they packed away the vital supplies, the banter continued a lightness in their interactions that defied the grim reality of their world. Their laughter echoed back to them, a small rebellion against the silence of the underground base.
Ava's fingers danced across the dust-covered console, her keen eyes scanning for anomalies. The soft hum of machinery filled the control room as she worked alongside Zara, whose wrenches clinked against metal in a rhythmic beat.
"Got something," Ava murmured, pressing a concealed button with the precision of a seasoned scout. A panel slid open with a hiss, revealing an alcove bathed in blue light that cast eerie shadows across their determined faces.
"Jackpot," Zara breathed out, her gaze locked onto the trove of tech gadgets nestled within. She reached for a sleek cloaking device, its surface smooth and cold to the touch. "With this, we could become ghosts on the battlefield."
"Imagine sneaking up on a raider camp undetected," Ava mused, her lips curling into a smirk as she picked up a hacking tool, its interface blinking invitingly. "Or shutting down enemy comms before they know what hit them."
"Subterfuge and surprise," Zara agreed, her red hair glinting like fire in the compartment's glow. They exchanged a look of mutual respect; two predators who'd just sharpened their claws.
With their haul secured, they made their way back to the central area, where the rest of their team had assembled amidst a cornucopia of scavenged supplies.
"Show and tell time?" Jack said, his arms laden with energy cores that promised raw power for their mechs.
"More like strategic allocation," Dr. Hayes corrected, her tone clinical but her eyes betraying a spark of excitement over the medical bounty they had unearthed.
"Alright, let's think this through," Ava said, laying out the cloaking devices and hacking tools on a salvaged table. "These toys play to our strengths, but we need to be smart about who gets what."
"Speed and stealth for the scouts," Kai chimed in, already mentally attaching a plasma cannon to his mech's arm in anticipation.
"Support gear for those who patch us up," Liam added, the corner of his mouth twitching upward as he imagined the chaos he could wreak with enhanced hacking systems.
"Agreed, but let's not forget brute strength and firepower for the front-liners," Jack insisted, patting his mech's schematic like a proud parent.
"Balance is key," Zara concluded, her engineer's mind already mapping out the optimal distribution. "We upgrade with purpose, not just because we can."
Laughter and light-hearted banter filled the space as they debated and decided, each member animated by the promise of enhanced capabilities. At this moment, beneath the ravaged surface of their world, hope was kindled, fanned by the flames of camaraderie and the thrill of newfound potential.
Zara clapped her hands once, the sharp sound ricocheting off the metal walls and hushing the chatter. The group's attention snapped to her as she strode toward a disassembled mech limb sprawled across the workbench. "Alright, team, let's turn these piles of potential into actual power," she announced with a wry grin.
She hoisted a hefty coil of wiring with one hand, her muscles flexing under the effort. "Jack, you're up first. We're bulking up your mech to take the hits we all know it's gonna get."
Jack cracked his knuckles, stepping forward with an eager nod. The others gathered around, the air charged with anticipation and a faint whiff of machine oil. Jack's mech appeared in this room.
"Reinforced plating," Zara began, handing Jack a slate-gray sheet of alloy that gleamed under the strip lighting. "This isn't just tough; it's smarter than the average grunt's armor. It'll distribute impact force, which means fewer dents to hammer out after a scrap."
Jack hefted the plate, feeling the deceptive lightness. "Feels like I'm lifting cardboard," he quipped, earning a few chuckles from the group.
"Looks can be deceiving," Zara shot back, her eyes twinkling with mirth. She guided him in positioning the plate along the torso section of his mech. "Now, align it with the magnetic locks. Perfect."
The click of the plate securing into place was satisfyingly solid. Jack moved on, attaching the next piece with more confidence, each component a testament to their growing advantage in this ruined world. He glanced at Zara, who nodded approvingly.
"Good. Now for the joints," Zara said, rolling her shoulders as if preparing for a boxing match. "We're reinforcing them with a polymer blend that'll make 'em tougher than a fifty-dollar steak."
"Guess my mech won't be skipping leg day," Jack joked, taking the tubular joint reinforcements from Zara.
"Skip today, pay tomorrow," Zara replied with a smirk. "Now slide those over the knee actuators, yeah, like that. Now, lock 'em in."
With practiced ease born of necessity, Jack twisted the joints until they clicked, his movements becoming rhythmically synchronized with the hum of the base's generators. He stepped back, admiring his handiwork, the mech now looking more fortified than ever.
"Feels like I'm armoring up for a knight's joust," he said, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.
"More like prepping for an alien rodeo," Liam interjected from across the room, eliciting laughter that echoed through the cavernous space.
"Either way, you'll thank me when you're not getting bucked off or skewered," Zara replied, giving Jack's shoulder a comradely slap.
"Thanks, Zara. Seriously," Jack said, gratitude warming his tone. "These upgrades might just tip the scales for us."
"Teamwork makes the dream work," she responded, her gaze sweeping over the group, pride evident in her posture. "Let's keep the momentum going. Next mech, step on up!"
Their laughter and playful banter blended with the sounds of their labor, a symphony of hope and steel that filled the hidden underground base. With every bolt tightened and every plate secured, they forged not just stronger machines, but also a fiercer resolve to reclaim what had been lost.
Kai's fingers danced over the sleek surface of the plasma cannon, a grin flicking across his scarred visage as he aligned it with the mounting bracket on his mech's shoulder. "Who's ready to light up the sky?" he quipped, the weighty weapon clicking into place with a satisfying thrum of energy.
"Easy there, sparky," Zara called out, a smirk playing on her lips as she passed him a toolbox. "Save some of that firepower for the invaders, will ya?"
"Can't make any promises," Kai retorted, his hands already blurring as he worked on the leg servos. Each component was a puzzle piece, and he was the master at putting them together. With the finesse of a seasoned soldier, he tweaked and tuned, the servos whirring to life, promising bursts of speed that would turn any battle into a dance an explosive, lethal ballet.
"Remember, it's not just about going fast," Dr. Hayes said.
Kai, who was crouched beside his mech's massive foot, glanced up at Dr. Hayes, his stoic face breaking into a rare, amused smile. "Who said anything about running away?" He patted the leg of his towering machine affectionately. "We're just getting ready to chase down some trouble."
"Speaking of chasing," Dr. Hayes replied with a chuckle, "you might want to see this." She gestured towards her own mech, where she had installed the latest medical bay module. The sleek compartment glowed softly, its panels sliding open to reveal rows of nano-repair kits and vials of healing serum. She picked up a tiny injector, holding it up to the light. "Next generation nanobots. They'll patch you up faster than you can say 'tactical retreat.'"
Kai raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. "I hope they can keep up with us," he said, standing up and wiping grease from his hands onto his pants.
"Keep up? Kai, they'll probably be stitching you back together while you're still in the fight," she shot back playfully, her glasses reflecting the flickering lights above as she adjusted them on her nose. With careful precision, she connected a series of micro-tubes and wires, integrating the advanced healing system into the core of her mech.
"Your bedside manner could use some work, doc," Zara interjected, sauntering over with a tray of tools.
"Bedside manner doesn't matter when you're in a mech," Dr. Hayes retorted without missing a beat, her focus unbroken as she calibrated the delicate nanobot dispensers. "Results are what count."
"Fair enough," Kai conceded, watching as the medic flicked switches with expert ease. "But let's hope your new toys won't be necessary."
"Hope is good, preparation is better," Dr. Hayes replied, securing the last panel on her mech's medical bay. "And now we're prepared for whatever this wasteland throws at us."
"Or whoever," Kai added with a steely edge to his voice, flexing his fingers in anticipation. A ripple of excitement passed through the group, their laughter fading into a shared understanding that though the threats were many, so too were their newfound strengths.
"Alright, team," Zara announced, clapping her hands together. "Let's get these beauties ready to roll out!"
With a final inspection of their mechs, Kai and Dr. Hayes exchanged a nod of mutual respect. The two machines stood side by side, one bristling with offensive might, the other radiating the promise of survival. Together, they were more than the sum of their parts; a symbol of defiance in a world that had seen too much defeat.
As the group left the base, their steps were lighter, their spirits buoyed by the weight of their refurbished war machines. Kai couldn't help but think that, for the first time in a long while, victory was more than just a distant dream, it was a tangible possibility, within reach and ready for the taking.
Liam "Ghost" O'Reilly dove into the guts of his mech like a surgeon in an operating theater only with less finesse and more fervor. Jack saw Liam's fingers fly across tools and components, a blur of motion as Liam worked to integrate the trove of newly acquired hacking gear.
"Would you look at this?" Liam murmured to himself, his green hair falling over his eyes as he held up a sleek, matte black module. "This baby could bypass an Imperial firewall before their techs have had their morning coffee."
"Less talking, more tinkering," Ava called out from across the room without looking up from her own task, her voice echoing off the cold metal walls. She was hunched over her mech's head unit, her nimble hands deftly installing the latest generation of sensors.
"Quiet on the peanut gallery," Liam retorted, but his lips quirked into an amused smile. Jack knew Liam wouldn't take Ava's ribbing to heart.
Liam's mech, once a hulking mass of raw potential, was transforming under the hacker's guidance. With each added tool, it became more cunning, more elusive, a shadow amongst shadows.
"Okay, let's see you disappear," Liam whispered, activating the cloaking device. A shimmer rippled over the hacker's mech, and then it vanished, just as it was designed to do. Liam grinned, punching the air triumphantly. "Boo! Bet you didn't see that coming."
A few meters away, Ava rolled her eyes, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. She had finished upgrading the optics and was now recalibrating the detection suite. Her fingers danced over the control panel, bringing life to the dormant systems.
"Let's give these new eyes a test run," she said, flipping the switch. The mech's cockpit hummed to life, and the display panels lit up, revealing a world seen through high-definition clarity. Even in the low light of the underground base, every detail popped with crispness. It was like gaining night vision, only a thousand times better.
"Looks like I'm not the only one playing hide and seek," Ava mused, scanning the spectrum for any sign of Liam's now-hidden mech. A faint outline appeared on her screen, a testament to the effectiveness of her upgrades. "Gotcha," she whispered, a victorious smirk crossing her face.
"Hey, no fair using your enhanced optics!" Liam protested playfully, unaware of how Ava's improvements had already nullified his stealth advantage.
"Fair's got nothing to do with it," Ava replied with a laugh. "It's about staying one step ahead."
Together, they worked in tandem, the hacker and the scout, each honing their respective crafts until their mechs stood not just as war machines, but as the embodiment of their own cunning and vigilance. They shared a glance, a nod, a silent acknowledgment that their camaraderie was as much a weapon as any plasma cannon or medical bay. Jack smiled to himself watching them work.
"Ready to light up the darkness?" Ava asked, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Always," Liam responded, his grin contagious. "Just try to keep up."
Their laughter echoed in the empty corridors of the underground base, a defiant sound in the silent expanse, carrying with it the promise of new capabilities and the shared joy of a well-executed upgrade.
Jack thumbed the activation button, his mech responding with a satisfying hum of readiness. The cavernous chamber of the underground base was alive with activity; each member of their ragtag band moved with purpose around their towering mechanical suits. Tools clinked, machinery whirred, and the air buzzed with electricity as much from the high-voltage power cells as from the palpable excitement.
"Alright, let's huddle up!" Jack called out, his voice echoing through the metallic giants that encircled them.
One by one, they converged near the center of the room, where Jack's mech stood sentinel. Kai's armor bore fresh scars of welded metal, his plasma cannon gleaming menacingly in the dim light. Dr. Hayes leaned against her mech's medical bay, its doors sliding open to reveal rows of nanobot injectors ready for deployment. Zara brushed her hands on her overalls, pride evident in her eyes as she inspected the workmanship, a symphony of tech and grit.
"Okay, team," Jack started, his gaze sweeping over his companions. "We've got firepower, speed, and brains. Our mechs are souped-up hot rods ready to blaze trails through any alien scum that gets in our way."
"Speaking of which," Zara interjected, "I've calibrated the energy cores for maximum efficiency. You'll all notice a little extra pep in your step or stomp, as it were."
"Nice," Kai grunted, his stoic face breaking into a rare smile.
"Remember, though," Dr. Hayes chimed in, adjusting her glasses, "these upgrades don't make us invincible. We need to watch each other's backs out there."
"Couldn't agree more," Ava piped up, tapping her mech's sensor array. "With these babies, we'll see them coming a mile away."
Liam flicked a switch on a remote, and his mech shimmered before fading almost completely from view. "And I'll make sure we have the element of surprise on our side."
"Love the enthusiasm, guys, but let's keep it strategic," Jack added, his own heart racing at the thought of what lay ahead. "Hit hard, hit fast, and keep moving. Los Angeles won't reclaim itself."
"Here's to kicking alien butt and taking names," Liam said, his grin infectious.
"Preferably in that order," the AI Bot interjected, its tone dry enough to desiccate a desert. "I've updated your tactical data with the latest enemy movements. You'll find the new algorithms quite entertaining."
"Appreciate it, Box of Tricks," Jack replied with a smirk.
"Alright, let's move out. Our city isn't getting any less invaded," Ava said, her hand resting on her mech's cockpit.
"Los Angeles awaits," Zara declared, her voice a rallying cry.
They climbed into their respective mechs, the cockpits closing with a series of heavy thuds. A chorus of systems checks and engine ignitions filled the air, followed by the ground-shaking steps of their mechanical behemoths heading towards the exit tunnel.
The group emerged from the hidden base, daylight filtering through the dust and debris of a world ravaged by conflict. They stood for a moment, taking in the desolate expanse that had once been teeming with life. Their mechs, now bristling with cutting-edge weaponry and shimmering with new enhancements, were poised to carve a path of resistance through the heart of darkness.
"Time to show those extraterrestrial punks this planet's not for the taking," Jack announced, his voice amplified by his mech's external speakers.
"Let's light 'em up!" Kai bellowed, eager for the fray.
As one, they stepped forward, a united front of steel and determination. The cityscape stretched out before them a battlefield waiting to be reclaimed. With their spirits soaring and their resolve unbreakable, they marched into the post-apocalyptic horizon, ready to write the next chapter in the battle for Los Angeles.
Jack checked his stats:

Mech Soldier: Level 5
Power: 35
Ouchie: 18
Weapon: 45
XP: 100

He noticed his level got higher as well as his other stats. So, Jack thought, he could also gain levels with getting and upgrading new parts as well as killing aliens. It was nice to know.