The bay was quickly filling with scientists eager to see the new X137 in person. Sister Lilith had ordered more than enough for everyone, which only encouraged more people to come over, and even the sports field-sized bay wasn’t going to be enough to hold them all.
Max quickly spotted Nico, who was wearing one of the Tech Adept exosuits and gesturing with the whiplike articulating limbs as she discussed something. Max was surprised to see that they had given up on the crane-style arms so quickly, and moved to the flexible whips, despite the complexity.
Nico came over as soon as she saw him, giving Max a fist bump and hugging Moonie with her additional arms, making the shy scientist giggle.
“After spending so long designing the chassis, I bet Moonie would love a tour, wouldn’t she? Why don’t you two head up there and I will bring you lunch?” Nico suggested, and Max could see Sister Lilith wink at him.
“That sounds like a great idea. What do you think Moonie?” Max asked, hoping she would say yes.
She nodded nervously and blushed, so Max was going to lead her upstairs, but Nico suddenly picked her up with the suit’s extra arms.
“You can climb. I’ll bring your princess.” Nico teased, slowly floating up toward the door using the exoskeleton’s levitation function.
With a leap to the knee armor, then the left Weapon arm, and a swing to the side cockpit door, Max was up well before they were. This door wasn’t often used by the Pilots, but if you didn’t have a three-meter or greater vertical jump it was annoying to lower the ladder so you could use the top exit, meaning that the side door was the entrance of choice for scientists.
When Max stepped inside to help Moonie he saw that the Mecha was already filled with lunch for two, including drinks and dessert, as well as a tablecloth over the flip-out table and a set of red and white bedding on the bunk.
The interior lighting had been set to a soft red glow, and there was music playing. Those two were definitely Nico’s doing since Max has locked the systems when he left.
Though it was designed for one pilot, there was enough room that they had built in some comforts, enough for the two of them to sit comfortably at the table anyhow.
“I, um wow this is amazing. I’ve never been inside a real one before.” Moonie stammered as Max led her by the hand to the bunk, which was the intended seating position to eat at the table.
It shifted back to form a couch but had been left in the down position, likely so Sister Lilith or whoever arranged this could make the bed.
“They really went all out.” Max agreed, sliding in next to her and taking the covers off their lunch.
‘Steak and lobster with roast corn? How did they even obtain that at lunchtime?’ Max wondered while Moonie blushed.
“Sister Lilith went too far. But it looks good, so we shouldn’t waste it.” He told her with a smile, and she slowly nodded, while taking in the cockpit.
“I don’t recall the mood lighting being in the design parameters, plus, this bed definitely isn’t regulation.” She blurted, then covered her mouth.
Max didn’t mean to listen in on her thoughts as she mentally chastised herself for talking about work. Sister Lilith had helped her plan for days, but she was so nervous that the first thing she managed to say was about work.
Max set a hand on her thigh and offered her a bite of food. “Relax, breathe. You’re doing just fine.”
Her thoughts to a definite turn from work-related matters with the feeling of his hand against her leg, but it did help clear her mind.
“Have you ever played 3D Chess?” She asked him with an excited expression as they began to eat.
Max has only ever seen the game advertised. He had never even seen the board in person before, but it looked like a great mental challenge.
“They preferred shogi in my neighborhood. Maybe you would like to show me how to play sometime?” Max asked and her face lit up with enthusiasm.
“I would enjoy that very much. Nobody else wants to play, but you are amazing at targeting calculations, so you should be really good at chess.” Moonie told him with a gleam in her eyes.
“We could play after our shift is finished unless you have other plans?” Max asked, trying to extend this lunch date into something more.
“I never have plans, we can play all the time.” She agreed, and Max briefly wondered if he had gotten himself into more than he could handle. But, listening to her thoughts, she was berating herself again for being socially awkward, not realizing that Max wasn’t much better around women than she was around men.
When they finished dessert Moonie leaned against Max’s side and sighed with contentment, but her face held a look of concentration as she built up her courage.
Her thoughts were practically screaming at Max, he couldn’t tune them out even if he wanted to, but Max was thinking the same thing, and it didn’t need more words. Placing one hand behind her head, Max leaned in close and placed a deep kiss on her lips, gently laying them both down on the soft bed.
Outside the Mecha, the celebration ran well past the standard lunch break before the stricter researchers chased their teams back to work. Then the bay staff had to clean up before the next round of tests to eliminate foreign object debris hazards, but Nico and the test crew for the X104 Heavy Mecha stayed to help, as well as Sister Lilith, though she sent the rest of her team back upstairs.
Lieutenant Bean had returned by the time the bay was mostly cleaned and was frantically tapping at a data tablet, trying to get the test data back online so that the experiments would be ready to go the instant the bay was prepared.
[Major Max, are you in the cockpit? The cameras are down and I am locked out of the sensor data.] He demanded, bringing Max’s attention back to his job.
He placed a finger over Moonie’s lips to remind her to keep silent as they sat up and straightened their rumpled clothes.
[I am in the Mecha, Lieutenant. Everything checks out at my end.] Max answered while Moonie hid her smirk at the faint marks on his neck and collarbone.
[We can proceed as soon as the bay is clear.] The Lieutenant informed him, and Max looked outside to see everyone from lunch had already left.
“Have you ever been part of a live test?” Max asked, focusing on Moonie’s soft red lips. One extra observer wouldn’t hurt anything, and her team was between projects for the day. It was the perfect excuse to spend a bit more time together.
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