The Greatest Mecha-Chapter 81: The Top 200 Qualifiers

There was a long silence that stretched for minutes within the hall, to the five hundred and thirty eight participants of the prestigious Zen Utopia competition for mech designers who had passed the third test they were now faced with another challenge. Only two hundred of them would be needed to advance to the next stage. This meant that over three hundred who passed would still fail.

Priscilla looked at the holographic screen before her worktable loading their results. She looked over at Alto who seemed unusually calm in such a pressing moment, he was always carrying a calculated look in his eyes, to her she felt he knew he would pass regardless. After all the internals he had worked on did not show any flaw and they fit perfectly with her work on the externals.

"Alto, where are you from?" She asked in a soft, low tone, her eyes showing great curiosity. She had never thought she would ever be interested in another person and most especially not a name less stranger. For someone to be so calm and collected in a situation where others would shit their pants, it showed how much confidence they had in their self. Truthfully she felt a bit anxious at times but Alto showed none, if he did then he was good at hiding it, that made him even more interesting to her.

Alto looked at her, his eyes searching through hers for an a reason or interest in them but eventually saying. "I’m sorry I can’t divulge that information anyway, but it’s some nameless planet in the middle of nowhere."

Priscilla smiled inwardly as she thought to herself. "No giving out your information in such a place where you could make enemies is a wise choice Alto, I’m surprised you ever thought that out. Even I would not be willing to tell anyone my true identity. You seem like a special character from a mysterious background but seeing your clothing and from my first experience meeting you I can tell that you not special. Or you claim to be, your eyes always tell the same story. You want to win, I would really love to face you in the finals and I believe you can make it."

Their results displayed before them in green with a simple number eleven. Alto’s eyes shifted slightly, "Number eleven? Is that our rank?"

Some others screens were displayed in red. Justin McClaire clapped his hands to silence the already rising mumurs, "Behave yourself children, those of you who passed should have recieved a green screen and the numbers given to you will determine your placement in the next test. In this moment I would like to congratulate you for reaching the top two hundred qualifiers, from this point forward the real competition begins. Return back to your rooms and wait till tomorrow because you will show your skills in the grand mech arena. For those of you who have failed, you have contributed greatly to the success of this test leave here immediately."

Alto looked at Priscilla’s part of the team where she also received the same number as he did, "It seems we will be in the same team." She said with a smile.

"It seems so", he smiled back and gestured with a nod. The doors opened up and they all walked out of it and headed to their rooms while those that failed were sent back to their rooms.

As Alto walked, his head trapped in his thoughts he questioned himself. "Where would I be if I never got the mech designer protocol, would I even reach the qualifying round or ever reach the top five hundred. As cruel as the mech designer protocol was when I first acquired it, it did force me to work and become better than I ever was. I used to be a beginner mech designer who had no basic foundation in anything but now I’ve grown thanks to its help, I have managed to reach apprentice level status according to the system. All within a year if I might add.

"This might be a huge feat by others but my goal is to become a novice mech designer able to stand on his own two feet in this world. I only have a few months to accomplish this else I lose the system. It will be hard but not impossible, nothing the mech designer protocol has ever given me as been impossible. Just look at where I got today because of my contact with it.

"I don’t know why the professor had it, or why she had not challenged me about it but I do know I have to keep it protected and hidden from others. I wonder what would happen if word of the mech designer protocol got out, there would be widespread chaos for sure. But who made it?" Alto shook his head to dispel the thoughts. "I have to focus on relaxing my brain after a long day else I hurt myself badly."

Just then Priscilla’s face appeared before his face causing him to stop and process what had just happened. "Man, you really do have interesting conversations in your head."

Alto chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I was just a bit anxious. I guess it’s already late so I’ll see you tomorrow." He waved at her and walked towards his room which was the next hall by his right.

Priscilla said nothing and watched him go, she turned and walked towards her own room having thoughts of her own in her head. "What’s a mech designer protocol and how would it cause chaos in the world? Who really are you Alto?"

In the higher levels of the complex reserved for the richest and most powerful people in that part of the galaxy was a restaurant painted white where drones attended to the needs of the wealthy with exotic meals. Seated on a table were two people.

A young man with silver hair and fades at the side, he wore a beautiful white suit and dark shoes. On one ear were two golden earrings carrying his family crest. His eyes like blue fragmented glass. He slipped from the pricey wine they had dropped on the table before him and spoke. "Sophina, you’re mad at me."

The woman before him was beautiful, she had pale skin, a long pink dress, long dark hair. Her beauty showed elegance and class unlike any other in the restaurant, the pouted and said. "Edrin, if this is your idea of a date then it’s far off."

Edrin chuckled nervously as he took another sip from his glass cup, he was a rich playboy who was one of the biggest movers in the world of business, mechs and information. He was know as a wealthy young tycoon to the general public but to his secret business partners he went by the name, Mister E. "In my defense I got invited here, it’s not something I can turn down."

Sophina was the daughter to General Duncan of the mech division. "Actually you could have, it’s not like they said it was compulsory."

Edrin laughed at her words. "That’s what they always say but when dealing with powerful people it’s better not to turn them down. Especially now that my latest models have brought myself into the models, my competition are suspicious of my sources. Staying behind would be an insult to them but coming show that I’m less suspicious. If you did not want to come along you could have stayed back."

Sophina leaned across the table and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Common I know how hard you’re trying to keep your business afloat, I’m sorry for being inconsiderate."

Edrin stroke her soft cheek gently. "It’s no biggie, think of this as a recreation. Who knows I might find someone really interesting and hire him, tha is if the competition does not poach him first."

Sophina but her power lips and stared at the food the drones dropped before them, it’s was a fish meal sautéd and had carrots and onions diced over it. The warm smell almost made her rush to take the first bite but she restrained herself as she spoke. "I don’t really like the idea of young people bashing themselves up just for glory or sponsors."

"But Sophina dear that’s where the money is, they need to display their skills to get sponsored, it’s what they spent their lives training for. And with the ever constant threat of the kaiju, and also the aliens, we need this. Or so says the public opinion."

Sophina looked at him and said. "Have you ever seen one then, a kaiju?"

Edrin’s eyes darkened and he spoke in a darker tone. "I have and it’s not something you should ever pray to meet. That’s why we have this competitions to help protect us from the demons of this world."