Chapter 95: Chapter 95: I Am a Mecha User!
"Ding!"
At the end of the research room, there was a security door on the wall. Morgan used his ID card to open the door, revealing a pitch-black secure room. Then he tilted his head, gesturing for Zhou Yuan to enter.
"So mysterious."
With curiosity in his heart, Zhou Yuan stepped into the secure room.
As soon as he set foot on the floor of the secure room, the lights turned on, one after another, casting a green glow.
"Wow!"
As the lights came on, Zhou Yuan abruptly stopped in his tracks.
He looked towards the left side of the secure room where there was a steel platform surrounded by several intelligent robotic arms.
And on top of the platform stood a single combat exoskeleton!
"Wait a minute..."
"It seems a bit big, is it still under development?"
Zhou Yuan recognized this exoskeleton; it had appeared in a CG movie, set about ten years in the future.
However, compared to the one in the movie, the exoskeleton before his eyes seemed somewhat bulky and cumbersome, like it had been scaled up by one size.
"Don't you like it?"
"I thought you would be excited and shout out loud, after all, this thing is every guy's dream."
Seeing Zhou Yuan silently staring, Morgan walked over to the exoskeleton and patted it with a smile.
"I do like it, I just didn't expect that the Federation has already developed single combat exoskeletons."
Shaking his head, Zhou Yuan approached and examined it closely.
Other than being one size larger, it was almost identical to the one in the CG movie, indicating that the technology for constructing exoskeletons was not yet mature.
"You may not know this, but the concept of single combat exoskeletons appeared five hundred years ago."
"And from the conception to becoming a reality, it took us a full four hundred and fifty years."
"It was really difficult, human-machine interaction technology, neural sensing technology, micro-controlled nuclear fusion technology... these bottlenecks have claimed the lives of countless people like me."
At this point, Morgan's eyes seemed to grow slightly red.
He took a deep breath, rubbed his eyes, and then smiled, saying, "I'm lucky to be born in this era, without the regrets of our predecessors."
"The first single combat exoskeleton appeared fifty years ago, but at that time, it was as big as an elephant."
"After fifty years of optimization and improvement, it has become what you see before you. This is Morita Prototype No. 1, and there are only three of them in the entire Federation."
"We can't achieve mass production yet because manufacturing the micro tokamak device is very difficult, with a success rate of three in ten thousand. Just this one cost 80 billion Federation Credits."
"80 billion?"
Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the high cost.
The purchasing power of 80 billion Federation Credits was roughly equivalent to 240 billion Soft Sister Coins from his previous life.
"That's just the cost of a single expendable component."
"According to incomplete statistics, the total research and development cost for single combat exoskeletons over the past five hundred years has exceeded ninety quadrillion Federation Credits."
"But it's all worth it because we've broken through the bottleneck and glimpsed a new world beyond it."
"Go ahead, go and try out your new armor," Morgan pushed Zhou Yuan excitedly, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
"For me?" Zhou Yuan was momentarily stunned. Shouldn't they preserve the prototype for further research? Wasn't it too early to conduct human trials? What if something went wrong and it got completely destroyed?
"The best soldiers deserve the best weapons," Morgan replied. "And only the best soldiers can truly test its performance."
"Go on, consider it a favor for me, let me see the power of nine trillion yuan," Morgan urged, his impatience evident.
"Okay!" Upon hearing Morgan's words, Zhou Yuan dismissed his concerns. He quickly removed his space suit and stood on the platform, assisted by Morgan and the intelligent mechanical arm, as he began donning the mech suit.
Even though it was a prototype, the difference was significant. The mech suit looked just like those in CGI movies, only larger in size.
But when Zhou Yuan started equipping himself, he realized the disparity was still considerable.
Firstly, there was the process of wearing it. The prototype couldn't be donned independently because the mech suit was divided into multiple modules that required specialized tools for assembly. Once he put on the mech suit, it rendered everyday life practically impossible.
It was also dangerous to wear it in combat. If an emergency situation arose where a module malfunctioned, he wouldn't even be able to take it off.
"Although it's a prototype, its functionality is quite comprehensive," Morgan explained. "It has pressure generators, magnetic stabilizers, life support systems, and everything else that the space suit has. Thanks to its more powerful energy and hydraulic systems, wearing it is actually easier than the space suit. You won't feel any weight at all."
"There are also flight and balance systems, which were particularly challenging to develop. The research department spent several years overcoming them."
"But the sensor technology is, in my opinion, the most remarkable system. It's like your second brain, capable of receiving all your neural signals."
While helping Zhou Yuan don the mech suit, Morgan never stopped talking. But Zhou Yuan didn't find him verbose at all. He could understand why Morgan was so excited—it was akin to parents showing off their child's perfect test score.
... ...
Three minutes later, Zhou Yuan had finished equipping the single soldier mech suit.
He lightly clenched his fist, feeling a sense of surrealism. The surreal feeling wasn't because of the mech suit itself, but rather his "fortune." He felt like he was truly the protagonist, the chosen one.
By simply performing a rescue mission, he would gain the favor and recognition of a high-ranking Federation general.
In all honesty, single soldier mech suits were strategic-level secrets that a lowly captain like him shouldn't have known about. And yet, not only did he know, but he had become the pilot of the prototype.
"Hey!" Morgan called out. "Come over here and test its performance."
Morgan took a thorough look at Zhou Yuan before heading towards the right side of the secure room.
Zhou Yuan controlled the mech and followed along as they entered a small training ground. Surrounding them were numerous weapon racks displaying an array of armaments.
"My students have tested the basic functionalities," Morgan explained.
"However, they aren't super soldiers, so I couldn't witness the full potential of the individual combat mech."
"Zhou, let's start by familiarizing yourself with the basic movements. Then, circle the training ground and attempt some high-difficulty combat maneuvers."
"Don't worry about damaging the combat mech. We've taken precautions, and the joint positions are equipped with hydraulic systems, keeping the costs low."
Morgan positioned themselves at the data console, operating the testing equipment while addressing Zhou Yuan.
"Commander, I'll begin now."
Zhou Yuan nodded, taking control of the mech and initiating basic movements.
Controlling the mech was actually quite simple; it merely required mental commands, with the sensory system handling the rest.
However, for the purpose of this test, it was necessary to start from the basics and evaluate all aspects of performance. Let's take it one step at a time.
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