The group chatted as they rode in the special vehicle, and soon the two wearing pilot suits arrived at the port that Fred was extremely familiar with.
After turning a corner, they went to another, more concealed port exit.
The exit outside the pressure relief space wasn't large—unable to accommodate battleships or even Mobile Armors for deployment—which made it all the more discreet.
"This is the personnel maintenance exit," Andrew explained.
"I know, but it's fake," Fred continued.
"I forgot you're the one who modified the Hub." Hearing Fred's knowledgeable tone, Andrew chuckled. "Saves me the trouble of explaining. Go pick one and take it for a spin outside."
"Just like that?" Fred looked at Andrew's nonchalant expression and felt it was somewhat unreliable.
"Don't worry, there's a remote control device. If you lose control, I can brake it directly," Andrew waved his hand dismissively.
As they spoke, the transparent glass revealed the port exit slowly opening.
A figure in a powered suit flew in with remarkable agility, landing gracefully like Iron Man, looking quite impressive.
"Pretty skilled," Andrew whistled, just as he finished his remark, the powered armor opened, and a slender, deep-blue-haired girl floated out.
The form-fitting blue pilot suit accentuated her graceful figure.
She looked somewhat familiar...
Muttering to himself, Fred watched as the pressure relief door in front of him and Andrew opened.
The beauty finally noticed the three uninvited guests, her eyes shifting.
"Lovely lady, greetings," Andrew bowed elegantly first.
His overly sweet demeanor nearly stunned Fred.
"Mr. Andrew, I didn't expect to see you here," the beauty removed her helmet, smoothing her silky hair with a soft smile.
Her bright eyes completely ignored the masked youth who stood out more conspicuously beside her, and she paid no attention to Alec, who stood in the shadows like a transparent figure.
"You know me?" Andrew asked.
"Of course, the renowned Mr. Andrew," the beauty replied gently, bowing gracefully as well. "My name is Aisha, Aisha Tleian. Pleased to meet you."
"..."
Hearing the name, Fred finally realized and looked speechlessly at the two who seemed to be getting overly familiar after just one meeting.
So, they were actually from the same family.
He hadn't expected to witness Andrew and Aisha's first encounter.
But if he hadn't insisted on coming, when would they have met?
The two seemed completely oblivious to Fred's gaze, looking at each other as if conversing with their eyes.
"...You two chat first," Fred said, watching their lingering glances as he put on his helmet and drifted toward the area where the powered suits were stored.
"Who is that?" Aisha finally noticed there was someone else and asked somewhat sheepishly.
"Freed, my friend. As for that wooden figure in the corner, that's Alec," Andrew briefly introduced the two.
"Just about to conduct the powered suit operation test for him. Would you like to join us, Miss Aisha?"
"Sure~"
Though Aisha found it strange why Fred was wearing a helmet and why someone so old was only now taking his first powered suit operation test, she maintained perfect decorum and didn't comment.
After all, some Coordinators weren't completely adjusted and couldn't operate powered suits smoothly.
Aisha naturally categorized the young man before her as such a case, then turned her beautiful eyes toward Andrew.
Truly the hero she admired - he even found time to help younger generations practice with powered suits.
"Is Mr. Andrew on vacation recently?" Aisha asked softly, her deep eyes seemingly filled with affection.
"Yes, just happened to be." Andrew's normally rough voice softened in response.
"Any plans for tonight?"
Wearing his helmet and forced to listen to what sounded like a matchmaking session, Fred switched communication channels in exasperation.
Suddenly, the world became quiet.
Fred refocused his attention on studying the powered suit before him.
This wasn't his first time seeing such equipment.
He'd seen plenty in books, studied the manuals thoroughly, and his hands-on skills weren't bad either.
So he knew how to operate it.
With this thought, Fred quickly climbed into the technologically advanced armor.
While called armor, it felt more like an extension of his own limbs.
"Freed, don't rush. Take it step by step."
Seeing Fred already suited up, Andrew finally stopped his romantic conversation.
Alec focused all his attention on the scene.
They couldn't afford any mishaps with this one.
Even though Fred was a genius and Alec believed he could probably operate the powered armor, as a Natural he would need an adaptation period.
If not for the fact that both of them might just get in the way, he would have gone out to assist.
"Yeah, I know." Fred responded softly to Alec's concerns.
The young man felt some nervousness, but more than that, anticipation.
Operating mechs had been many people's dream in his previous life.
Especially for a sci-fi enthusiast.
While it wasn't an MS, which would have been more to Fred's taste, it was still interesting enough to capture his attention.
With this thought, Fred released the safety mechanisms.
Then he froze.
Not because he didn't know how to operate it, but because...
Fred went from walking to running in just a few steps.
Not exactly swift, but quite agile nonetheless.
Watching this scene, Andrew - who had been getting along famously with Aisha - was completely stunned.
The hell? First time operating? And a Natural?
How could he be more familiar than Coordinators on their first try?
While he'd expected Fred could operate powered armor, he never anticipated anything this exaggerated.
Aisha beside him didn't notice the problem, merely surprised by how proficient the young man appeared while piloting the mobile suit.
"How do you feel?" Andrew asked after a moment's consideration.
"Pretty good." Fred replied, thoughtfully looking down at the control panel before him.
The controls somewhat resembled the powered suit that Kira and his friends were debugging at the beginning of the story.
Fundamentally, it's all about controlling a humanoid machine, with the only difference being that the control levers are directly integrated into his hands and feet.
His hands grip the control levers while his feet press against the pedals.
A cockpit? That doesn't exist.
It's more like the individual external armor seen in sci-fi blockbusters.
Moreover, unlike the exoskeletons from his original world, this Powered Suit lacks mechanical linkages - most operations rely on the hand control levers and foot pedals.
No wonder Naturals couldn't operate these.
Or perhaps, from the very beginning of its design, no consideration was given to the conditions required for Natural operation.
Or maybe it was intentionally designed in a form that Naturals cannot operate?
Fred didn't know the details, but this didn't prevent him from nimbly maneuvering the Powered Suit as it bounced flexibly around the port.
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