Black Market Merchant

Chapter 129: First Step
The three girls messed around for a while longer in the Mechs cockpit, pretending that they were controlling it and other playful ideas. Clair and Rachel seemed to be carrying on the conversation as they played, while Hanna remained absent minded.

”What was going on just then?” Hanna asked to herself deep in thought. ”Neither Clair or Rachel said that anything strange happened to them. So why did I see all that strange information about this Mech? I don’t even know what most of those words or mechanical things bouncing around in my mind even mean!”

Hanna then heard Rachel asking her a question but didn’t hear the full question. Not to be rude or alert them, Hanna flashed a smile and nodded. Luckily, it seemed to have done the trick and Rachel went back to speaking with Clair, about whatever they were talking about. Immediately Hanna sunk back into her thoughts, blanking out the other girl’s conversation. She slowly slouched against the steel walled interior, which used to be the glassed-in cockpit, near the doorway and she continued thinking.

”Should I ask them to try touching the Mech controls again? Or would they think I am just strange? Probably strange. Something like this never seemed to happen to anyone I know before. What am I going to do?” Hanna slowly took her hands out from her pants pockets to look at them. They appeared to have calmed down enough to not look odd, but they still were not fully settled. Lowering her hands, she was satisfied enough not to be concerned about them. It was then Hanna continued thinking.

”Perhaps I could ask Lisa or Gillian about the incident? I trust Lisa enough that she might help me understand this, but Gillian? I just don’t think I have it in me. He looks so rough around the edges and like he is lived a tough gang related life, so much that I can trust him. However, he said that he was the pilot of this Mech. Maybe only those that can be pilots have had this feeling happen to them too?”

”What are you thinking about Hanna?” Clair asked looking at Hanna with concern. ”You haven’t said much this entire time.”

Clair and Rachel watched Hanna expectantly for an answer, but Hanna didn’t seem to hear them at all. Hanna just continued to stare out at nothing in particular. Her dull green eyes appeared glazed over and lost.

Worried Clair called out again. ”Hanna? Are you alright? Hanna!”

”Uh, what? Were you speaking to me?” Hanna quickly replied blinking quickly. She sat up off the wall and tried to appear normal.

”Yes, for a while in fact.” Clair replied crossing her arms and taking a step around the Mechs controls panel to come closer to Hanna. Clair leaned forward to look down into Hanna’s dull green eyes. ”Are you sure that you are alright? Come on you can tell us; we are all friends.”

Hanna’s hands fidgeted nervously together as she pondered her reply. She wanted to tell them, but at the same time not say anything. However, the pressure from the two girl’s attention on her was too much for Hanna.

”I know how to turn on the Mech and make it walk!” Hanna blurted out. ”I somehow know how it all works, ok?”

”We can move the Mech!” Rachel shouted gleefully from behind Clair. ”Tell me! I want to move this thing around.”

Clair, however, raised an eyebrow skeptically and stood up straight with her arms still crossed. ”How would you know that? Gillian told us to touch nothing. I know you said you did touch some stuff in here, but there is no way you figured out all this out.”

”I-I am not sure how to explain it, but it’s true. I know so much about this Mech. Watch!” Hanna replied brushing past Clair. Hanna gestured for Rachel to scoot over and Rachel did just that. Clair followed Hanna and stood behind the seat, squeezing in between it and the back wall.

”Look, I just press this red circle button and the monitor turns on for me to view it.” Hanna said preforming the action. The two girls let out a gasp of surprise as a holo-screen instantly appeared showing what the monitor displayed. Though it only showed the Mech parts conditions, power and oil pressure levels, and functionality purposes; the display was like nothing any of the girls had ever witnessed before in their wayward town.

”Electricity is making this work, right?” Clair asked. ”I am starting to see why Lisa finds it so important.”

”This apparently is not all electricity can do.” Hanna replied softly. ”This button closes the hatch door.” Hanna then said flicking a switch on the far-left side of the panel.

The door let out some air and started to close downward to the girl’s amazement. Then it gave a slight squeak as it sealed up. The room was darker now, but the lights coming in from the thin window slits and monitor were sufficient.

”Hey! Open it back up. I don’t want to be stuck in here.” Clair shouted suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic.

”Don’t worry it’s fine, see.” Hanna answered flipping the switch again. The door let out the slight squeak again as it started to open upwards.

Clair let out a nervous sigh. ”Let’s keep it open, please? I don’t like being in such an unfamiliar enclosed space.”

”That’s fine.” Hanna replied. ”Now watch this. When I press these middle buttons in sequence, they will turn the Mech on. But we would get into trouble when the adults figure out we did.”

”Awe come on! I bet you are actually just making it up. The stuff you did so far could totally happen by accident. I dare you to prove it!” Rachel said shaking Hanna’s arm.

”No, Hanna is right. We would get into trouble.” Clair replied.

”Awe, come on Clair. You are always too careful. You got to live a little and try something new.” Rachel replied rolling her eyes. ”Besides, it is the easiest way to know if Hanna is lying or not.”

Hanna felt a ping of annoyance hearing this. Weather it was from herself or the new knowledge bound to her, she wanted to prove herself. ”F-fine, I’ll show you.”

Hanna quickly started pressing the buttons in sequence before Clair could say otherwise. Suddenly, from behind Clair, the heat exhaust fans whirred to life. This took all three of them by surprise and Rachel slipped forward off the seat. Her hand reached out to stop herself from falling and it hit the middle leaver that controlled the Mechs loader bucket. The Mech jostled upward by the sudden leaver movements, shaking them all around.

”Rachel! What did you do?” Clair shouted.

”It’s ok. I can fix it!” Hanna shouted out hurriedly grabbing the leaver to pull it back into the place it was before. However, she panicked, and her right arm nudged the right leaver and caused the Mechs leg to suddenly start lifting to take a step backwards!

”Hanna stop this thing from moving!” Clair shouted as she was now hugging onto the back of the seat for dear life.

Hanna was going to do just that, but now that she had her hands on the controls, it happened again. The strange connection of Mech knowledge flowed into her yet again. This time it felt even more lifelike, rather than simple solid knowledge. The feeling was motivating her to move the Mech around instead of just learning about it.

The temptation was too great, she had to move it!

Hanna grasped both leg leavers and steadied them for a second and stopped the Mechs backwards momentum. Then without thinking, she pressed slowly forward with the right leaver. The Mechs leg rotated forward smoothly to take a small step forward. The sound of electricity moving the moaning metal parts all around the cockpit, mixing with the heat exhaust fans, resounded deeply into Hanna’s mind. Yet not so noticeably to the other scared girls.

The Mech once again jostled momentarily as Hanna steadied the Mech after making the step and finally stopped moving. Hanna let out a gasp and a hungry smile appeared on her exhilarated tan face. She was piloting a Mech and she was loving everything that had just happened!

”What’s going on!?” An angry male voice shouted from just outside the open cockpit door. ”You girls are in so much trouble!”

Hearing this, the girls knew they were in for it!

…

Earlier, Lisa had been trying to keep Anna-Beth and Rosy from going closer to the Mech. She kept telling them that they were too little to climb the ladder. However, they constantly voiced their complaints and tried pleading even more.

”Come on! It’s not fair that the big girls get to play up there. We are not that little!” Anna-Beth whined.

”Ya, we have climbed big rocks and trees before. So that ladder will be easy! Let us go have a turn. We’ll be careful.” Rosy added impatiently.

”Sorry, but it’s not my rule. It’s Mr. Gillian’s Mech and he made the rule.” Lisa replied.

Glancing angrily at Gillian, the two littlest girls gave disappointed pouty faces at him.

”Let us go up there!” Rosy shouted.

”Ya, stop being a meany!” Anna-Beth added right after.

Gillian chuckled and stooped down on one knee. ”Sorry, but the rule is for your safety. You might be able to climb it, but if you got hurt, I would be in a lot of trouble.”

”Just listen to him and Aunt Lisa already!” Jillian said crossly to the two little girls. She then pointed up at the Mech and continued. ”Besides that, machine thingy, is unpredictable. Just look, the door to it is closing all by itself!”

Everyone looked up together to see what exactly was going on. Sure enough, the Mech door was just then closing tightly.

”What are they doing?” Gillian said jumping up. ”I turned it off myself. Maybe they accidentally touched the switch.”

”Shouldn’t you go stop them?” Lisa asked. Lisa placed a firm hand on Rosy’s shoulder and stopped her from sneaking past her and towards the mech. ”I need to watch these little ones.”

Just then the door started to reopen. ”Yes, of course. I am going right now.” Gillian replied striding quickly towards the Mech. He was just about to start climbing the ladder when the familiar sound of the heat fans coming on alerted him. ”What? They turned it on!”

Gillian started quickly climbing up the ladder to get to the bottom of the situation, when suddenly the loader bucket shot upwards! The jerking motion nearly caused Gillian to slip and he tightened his grip.

Seeing this Lisa immediately became worried. ”Jillian! You and Tilly get the girls across the dam, now!”

Jillian didn’t say a word but grabbed Rosy’s hand and pulled her towards the dam. Tilly followed Jillian and did the same with Anna-Beth. Now that the girls were moving to safety, Lisa sprinted towards the Mech. Just as she did the Mech started to take a step backwards. Seeing this, Lisa stopped, unsure how to proceed.

”I have no idea how to deal with this thing!” Lisa shouted aloud to herself. She noted that Gillian was still clinging to the ladder and hoped he could figure it out. Even with all her military training, saving the out-of-control futuristic Mech was more than she could handle for the moment handle. Taking it out wouldn’t be an issue, yet all she could do now was watch.

Just then the Mech stopped and immediately started to go forward. However, even though Lisa hadn’t much experience with such a Mech, she could recognize that it was walking!

As the Mech took its first step, it immediately came to a halt and stood balance and still. Gillian scrabbled to start climbing the ladder again at this point and was shouting angrily. Seeing the Mech had stopped now, Lisa rushed to join Gillian on the ladder. But rather than climb, Lisa jumped effortlessly up to grab the rung right below Gillian’s foot; nearly four meters high. The two of them finished climbing and stuck their heads inside the cockpit.

However, before they could yell at the girls inside, Rachel was shouting out at them. ”Hanna drove the Mech! Hanna was able to make the Mech walk! She’s like a real pilot!”

Hearing this the two adults were as interested as they were angry. Looking carefully at Hanna, they saw the nervous, hungry smile displayed on her face and that her hands were still gripping the leavers. The way she was acting now was nothing like Lisa had seen the little girl be before, it was almost refreshing and exciting, though a bit concerning.

”Ha-ha, I guess I did walk the Mech. My bad!” Hanna remarked gleefully.