Fred was indeed young, full of vigor, and quick to learn.
In the future, could he truly guide them forward as Andrew had said?
While Aisha was filled with curiosity and confusion, Fred, beside her, had already completed some fine-tuning.
"All set."
Fred clapped his hands and said.
"I've input some of your previous piloting data into the Mobile Suit's computer. It should now better match your operations."
Fred's words were transmitted through the microphone into the Cockpit where Andrew was seated.
Responding to the young man's words, Andrew, who had already entered the GINN's Cockpit and preheated the Mobile Suit, replied curiously. At the same time, his fingers moved deftly over the control stick.
With his hand movements, the GINN raised its hand like a real person and made a fist gesture.
"It does feel smoother. Impressive."
Andrew remarked in surprise.
As an Ace, even with just this single action, Andrew could sense the difference between this Mobile Suit and the previous one.
Although the improvement wasn't significant, this was equipment meant for the battlefield. Even a slight enhancement in performance could be life-saving in combat.
"But we're here to spar. Why are you boosting my capabilities?"
Andrew quickly snapped out of his surprise and teased.
"It wouldn't be meaningful if you weren't strong."
Fred shrugged and switched the settings screen to his own Mobile Suit.
"Just don't complain later if you lose, saying I've been studying ways to counter you all along."
Fred had input all of Andrew's training data into the computer and was even using it to train an Artificial Intelligence.
Although there were no results yet, by progressing step by step, he might eventually be able to Mass Production the Desert Tiger or even others.
It was worth mentioning that this "Desert Tiger," who reminded him of the "Blue Giant" Ramba Ral, had never piloted a seed-series Tiger. The seed Flame Tiger was a next-generation Mobile Suit from the new millennium series. Initially, it failed to compete with the Zaku Warrior as the main model and only resumed Mass Production in C.E. 73. Even the prototype assigned to Heine wasn't equipped until C.E. 73. By that time, Andrew had already gone to ORB.
Of course, he wasn't entirely sure how much of the original pilot's skill the future Artificial Intelligence would retain.
"Sounds good."
On the other end, Andrew didn't overthink Fred's words and simply laughed heartily.
Although Fred was a Natural, Andrew couldn't envision a future where the two of them would fight to the death.
Given that, there was no need for him to hold back.
After all, Fred was both reasonable and respectable.
However, with Fred's understanding of him and data analysis, combined with his own continuous improvement, Andrew suspected that one day in the future, even he might not be a match for Fred.
He had high hopes for Fred's future.
Though he didn't know exactly what kind of future Fred wanted.
Of course, before Fred fully matured, now was the time to enjoy a good fight.
While the two were talking, Fred had already finished debugging his Mobile Suit and settled into the cockpit.
The young man, now quite familiar with this steel-filled cockpit, quickly flipped on the various switches of the Mobile Suit and spoke up.
"Hand-to-hand only, and remember to hit armored areas. Also, keep the Propulsion Unit output at 30%, otherwise repairs will be a hassle."
"Got it. Start when you're ready. You attack first."
Upon hearing this, Patrick put away the somewhat nonchalant ease on his face, his expression tightening slightly.
This was the first time the two would face off in MS combat, so a bit of caution was warranted.
"Alright."
Without hesitation, Fred initiated the GINN after the self-check was complete.
The pink mono-eye quickly locked onto the Mobile Suit in front of it, and the massive robot swung its fist toward the opponent's chest without holding back.
In the Zero-Gravity State, this movement, combined with the boost from the rear Propulsion Unit, significantly increased the threat level of the punch.
"Quite a few openings."
Watching Fred's move, Andrew grinned, sidestepping while grabbing the arm Fred had thrown out, clearly intending to execute a shoulder throw.
"It's over."
As Andrew spoke, Fred reacted swiftly.
Before Andrew could complete his move, the Mobile Suit controlled by the young man raised its legs, planted them against Andrew's waist, and with a forceful kick for leverage, its Attitude Control Thrusters fired in reverse, allowing it to nimbly pull back.
For an ordinary human, this maneuver would be nearly impossible.
But for an MS equipped with Attitude Control Thrusters in Zero-Gravity State, it was no great challenge.
"Oh? Impressive."
Surprised by the young man's quick reaction, Andrew widened his eyes slightly.
"Not bad."
Fred replied, feeling a surge of excitement inside.
After all, his Spider Sense had actually kicked in just now. Sensing the danger in advance and combining it with his earlier analysis of Andrew's movements, he had managed to execute a timely counter.
Watching this scene, the two spectators outside were equally stunned.
"When did your boss get so good?"
Aisha asked Alec.
She had genuinely thought Fred was about to be taken out in an instant.
Not only did he recover, but he did so with such finesse.
"Well..."
Faced with Aisha's question, Alec blinked with a simple, honest expression.
He had no idea when Fred had become this skilled.
Clearly, when he had watched Fred training alone before, he hadn't displayed such extraordinary abilities.
Why had he improved so much during partnered training?
Amid their astonishment, Fred and Andrew on the screen soon clashed again in their Mobile Suits.
...
A battle more intense than anyone had expected ended with Fred's defeat.
However, none of the three present underestimated Fred in the slightest.
After all, the fact that Fred had held his own against Andrew for so long had already far exceeded their expectations.
As for Fred, he looked at his skill bar with considerable satisfaction.
[Powered Armor Control +0.02]
[Powered Armor Control (Beginner): 55.01/100]
[MS Control +0.05]
[MS Control (Beginner): 47.28/100]
His progress was by no means slow either; just 50 more points and he would be stepping into the realm of the Red Coats.
Of course, he had so many other skills. Even without stepping into the so-called Red Coats realm, with just his current skills, estimating based on Andrew's current strength, he could probably go toe-to-toe with an average Red Coat around level 60.
After all, facts had proven that his Spider Sense was useful. Coupled with the Cat Food, he could barely manage a few exchanges even against an Ace like Andrew.
Overall, he had already acquired a basic ability to preserve his life.
Not to mention, he wouldn't go head-to-head with any Red Coats unless absolutely necessary.
Playing dirty was naturally better.
Moreover, he was continuously growing stronger, and there was also the MS manufactured with the technology he had mastered.
Chapter 220: Undercurrents
However, Fred was not without his worries.
He still had little clue about the Strike Suit. Perhaps he still needed to infiltrate Heliopolis, and by the way, look for Kira.
Of course, these were just thoughts for now.
Thinking about the future where he would have mastered so much advanced technology, he wouldn't have to fear being at a disadvantage on the front lines anymore.
Just the thought was exciting.
While Fred was feeling excited, Andrew also floated out of the cockpit right after him.
"Never thought your perception of danger would be this sharp too."
The more Andrew spoke, the stranger he found it.
As a veteran with immensely rich combat experience, he naturally knew that the reason Fred had been able to exchange blows with him for so long wasn't due to a massive leap in strength, but because he had been able to cleverly evade or neutralize his attacks every single time.
This kind of ability was absolutely normal on a battle-hardened veteran who had survived countless fights, but it was very strange on a young man like Fred who rarely even stepped out of his door.
They were all human. How could Fred just do it directly?
"Just a coincidence."
In response to Fred's words, Andrew shook his head speechlessly but didn't press further.
After all, Fred was a polymath. It wasn't unheard of for there to be geniuses with such perception, though Fred's range of genius was just a bit broader.
Muttering to himself, the two soon headed towards the locker room together.
"Speaking of which, that research on ground-based MS you mentioned might be able to start too," Andrew said while changing clothes, his words seemingly out of the blue.
Fred also chuckled in response.
"Thanks."
What Andrew was referring to, of course, wasn't telling Fred to start the research, but reminding him that some people within the Zala Faction were probably already making preparations for the war on Earth.
This was a very dangerous signal.
But for Fred, it was merely news he had already known for a long time.
The same went for that Jammer.
He absolutely couldn't let those people from the Zala Faction just plug Neutron Jammers all over Earth.
Otherwise, what peace could be talked about? If he were a person on Earth and Neutron Jammers were plugged in, he'd probably want to throw a couple of punches at any Coordinator he saw on the street.
Of course, an average Natural probably couldn't win a fight and would just have to swallow their anger.
However, it would also lead to a complete loss of public support, and the potential death toll is too dreadful to contemplate.
After all, regardless of other regions, the Atlantic Federation would undoubtedly disregard the lives of its own civilians and continue pouring all its energy into military production.
To the Atlantic Federation, civilians are nothing more than expendable resources.
The awkward reality is that without the Neutron Jammer, it would be extremely difficult to launch an offensive against Earth.
Therefore, various operations targeting the Atlantic Federation might be necessary in the future.
But these are matters to be considered later.
For now, at least, Fred has other tasks to attend to.
"Don't worry."
Hearing that Fred understood his meaning, Andrew patted Fred's shoulder firmly.
"See you next time."
"Alright, see you next time."
They didn't say much more, but everything was understood without words.
"See you next time" meant they would not die on the battlefield.
...
"This Fred, has his MS piloting skills improved again?"
In Patrick's office, Shiva looked surprised as he watched the recent footage.
After all, this didn't seem like something a Natural could do.
What Natural could perform like this?
Then again, Fred's abilities had always been exceptional compared to ordinary Naturals.
"Yes, at this rate, it's only a matter of time before he catches up to Andrew."
Patrick sighed.
"It's a shame, though. The development of the High Mobility GINN has been progressing rather slowly lately."
"We urgently need high-end combat power that can turn the tide of the war."
The more Patrick spoke, the more serious his expression became, his face tense with a heavy, imposing pressure.
According to the data, the High Mobility GINN's speed was sufficient to evade missiles and Beam cannons.
For them, top-tier combat power was absolutely key to everything.
Otherwise, if it were just a numbers game, PLANT would have been wiped out countless times over.
"There's no other way."
"Forcing a Battleship Engine to integrate with a GINN would cause many issues. Insufficient power is just one of them."
Shiva shook his head.
"The Neutron Jammer is a contingency measure, and we can't use nuclear energy for now."
"Hmm..."
Patrick nodded slightly upon hearing this. He was well aware of everything Shiva had mentioned.
Originally, he had hoped to see some breakthroughs from Fred's side.
Research was indeed ongoing, and progress was being made, but there hadn't been any major leaps forward.
Of course, this wasn't particularly surprising.
After all, their own team hadn't made much progress either. Fred's advancements were already faster than most others.
"We still need to keep pushing forward. The recent movements from the Atlantic Federation are becoming increasingly unsettling."
Patrick sighed.
"Yes, you must also take care of your own safety."
Shiva said with a concerned look in his eyes.
"Of course, I will. Don't worry."
Their conversation wasn't particularly long, as both were busy people. Shiva soon left to attend to his work.
Watching Shiva depart, Patrick lowered his gaze to another document in his hand.
It was the one Siegel had given him.
Regarding the plan for South America.
"A ruse involving self-inflicted injury?"
He was not an inflexible person.
On the contrary, he quite liked this plan.
It was far better than stubbornly trying to negotiate with South America, only to risk exposure at any moment.
Moreover, he didn't believe Blue Cosmos would pass up such an opportunity.
However, to support this ruse involving self-inflicted injury, they still needed to provoke the Blue Cosmos in other areas.
This wasn't particularly difficult either. While overt conflicts between the two sides had been few lately, covert struggles were countless.
Applying pressure on Blue Cosmos in secret was still achievable.
If the plan proceeded smoothly, they would have more opportunities and greater support.
Fred's plan carried risks, but the rewards were substantial.
Unfortunately, there hadn't been time to discuss it with him lately.
...
Just as Patrick was reflecting on this, on the other side, the AI submitted by Fred quickly made its way through Lacus to Siegel's desk.
It was a machine resembling a briefcase, with its own built-in screen.
It was modeled after Xiao Ba.
However, Xiao Ba was a unique artificial intelligence, one that couldn't even be invaded by the Quantum Virus.
Fred couldn't have replicated it so easily.
Rather, that plot device was something even Fred might struggle to recreate, even if he studied Xiao Ba closely.
But with just an ordinary Quantum Computer, combined with the unique technological advancements here, various ultra-high energy density batteries, and insights from his past life, the AI Fred created was far more capable than the ones from his previous life.
In any case, Siegel was astonished by Fred's creation.