Chapter 249: "Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot"! Uncle Yang's Most Tear-Jerking Episode!
To protect Planet Harmony, BT and Cooper headed to the Beacon, preparing to transmit the data regarding the Ark back to headquarters. After helping the Militia forces at the station resolve an IMC siege, Cooper learned that the Beacon could not transmit data due to a damaged power supply. Cooper had to obtain an Arc Tool to release energy and restart the system.
Acting as a Pilot, Cooper "borrowed" the Arc Tool from a Marvin robot. However, due to module issues that needed manual handling to use the Beacon, BT proposed a bold move to reach the distant, high-altitude antenna.
That move was to throw the Pilot, Cooper.
[Throw him? Are you for real!]
[Holy crap, at this height? If he gets thrown and misses, he'll be smashed to pieces, right?]
[Can they actually do this?]
The viewers in the livestream were heart-stricken. This altitude was no joke; one wrong move and Cooper's journey would end right there. However, as Welt controlled Cooper and stepped into BT's palm, BT aimed at the distant antenna.
["Wind: 3 knots. Heading: 274. Range: 95 meters. Projectile mass: 89 kilograms."]
As BT's left hand tightened and his "eye" looked at Cooper, he spoke those iconic words:
["Trust me."]
In the next instant, Cooper was launched by BT. Soaring across the sea of clouds below, he landed perfectly on the platform. Notably, after landing, two dialogue options appeared: one was "Good toss," and the other was "I think I need some new underwear." The stunt was so dangerous that even Cooper was shaken, but BT proved to be utterly reliable.
After retrieving the module, Cooper was thrown by BT once more to replace the Beacon's hardware. Through the perfect cooperation of man and machine, the Beacon was successfully activated. However, the sudden mechanical movement caused Cooper to lose his footing. As he plummeted toward the abyss, the BT on the lower platform rushed to the edge and caught the falling Cooper firmly in his hand!
["Got you."]
Looking at BT, Cooper extended his left hand and gave a thumbs-up. BT lifted Cooper, his core "eye" shifting several times as if processing a thought, before finally giving a thumbs-up back. He then placed Cooper back into the cockpit.
[That was close! I really thought I was going to fall!]
[That "Trust me" was too cool. BT is so reliable!]
[Wait, brothers, I'm starting to think it's okay even if the partner is inorganic...]
[He's clearly just a big hunk of iron, so why do I find this iron giant so damn charming!]
[Dammit, for a split second, I actually thought falling in love with a Titan wouldn't be so bad??]
The "iron giant" possessed such lethal charm that the livestream audience felt it firsthand. The synergy between BT and Cooper felt less like a Pilot and a machine and more like two reliable comrades who had fought side-by-side. BT's occasional dry humor also endeared him to the audience.
Cooper prepared to transmit the signal, but another Predator, Richter, arrived to stop him. However, after just a few exchanges, this legendary Predator was defeated by Cooper. A rookie Pilot had slain several top-tier Predators in just a few days; calling it a "defeat" was an understatement—it felt like he was slaughtering them like pigs. Such a terrifying track record made it hard to tell who the real rookie was.
After the successful transmission, Cooper's superior, Commander Sarah Briggs, arrived. Learning that Captain Lastimosa had fallen in battle, she initially planned to assign a new Pilot to BT, given that Cooper was just a rifleman. But at that moment, BT voiced his objection.
["Objection. Cooper is my Pilot. Our combat effectiveness exceeds 90%."]
["Requesting permission to maintain this link."]
BT even stuffed Cooper directly into his cockpit, projecting an air of finality that brooked no argument. He was clearly protecting Cooper. This move struck a chord with the men in the livestream.
[I'm done! BT, I love you!]
[Who said machines don't have warmth? Who. Said. That!?]
[Do you understand the romance of machinery? DO YOU!?]
[How could anyone not like BT? They're just pretending! Punch through the whole IMC!!]
[Is... is this the feeling of love? Mom, I'm really in love!]
[To be honest, the distance between me and BT is negative. No one can surpass us!]
[Negative distance? Holy crap!]
[What kind of cursed comment is that! Have these trolls finally moved on to machines?!]
Ultimately, at BT's insistence, Sarah granted his request, allowing Cooper to become an official Pilot. Tesla curled her lip. "Hmph, and they said they were 'lucky' they had no other choice... They really should be lucky. Look at what this 'rifleman' has done; he's a monster. As a rookie, he's beaten multiple top Predators and secured vital intel. If it were any other Pilot, the Militia might have actually lost!"
The game continued. Based on Cooper's data, the Militia located the Ark. To protect Planet Harmony, they launched a desperate, all-out assault. All Titans were deployed. Faced with the Militia's suicide charge, the IMC retreated, eventually moving up their timeline and loading the Ark onto a ship.
The Militia sent a fleet in pursuit but was blocked by the flying Titan, Viper. After an initial skirmish, Viper wasn't defeated; instead, he ambushed them while BT and Cooper let their guard down. BT and Cooper were separated. In the struggle, BT's left arm was ripped off, but BT managed to smash Viper's cockpit canopy. Cooper then used his weapons to shoot Viper dead, finally ending the difficult fight.
Piloting the one-armed BT, Cooper finally found the Ark and prepared to carry it out inside BT's cockpit. But just as they were about to evacuate, the ship's exit exploded, and fire engulfed the path. BT could have easily escaped, and Cooper told him to complete the mission and ignore him. Yet, in the sea of fire, BT did something incredible—he didn't leave with the Ark. Instead, he used his own body to shield Cooper!
["Get the Ark out of here!"]
["Negative. We are trapped. I will not lose another Pilot."]
Though BT's mechanical voice was emotionless, the words carried a soul-piercing power that made Welt's eyes redden. To him, BT was no longer just a Titan or a machine, but a partner to whom one could entrust their life.
After the ship crashed, Cooper and BT were captured by the IMC. Seeing the battered, suspended BT, Welt felt his heart break. BT had become this way solely to protect his Pilot. Blisk was negotiating with General Marder, demanding the Ark from BT's cockpit. BT refused to open. Blisk pointed a pistol at Cooper's head.
["Tell your Titan to open up, or I'll blow your head off."]
Sensing Cooper was in danger: ["Pilot in jeopardy. Visual systems... critical. Unable to locate Pilot through visuals."]
Blisk had his men hold Cooper up so BT could "see" him. But BT shifted his optical sensor downward, pretending he couldn't see Cooper or that he was severely damaged. It was a deception.
["Open up, or I'll kill your Pilot. You remember numbers, don't you? I'm counting to three..."]
As Blisk aimed at Cooper's head, Cooper's helmet received an encrypted message from BT.
["Cooper, trust me."]
BT opened the cockpit. The moment Blisk relaxed, BT swung his remaining right arm in an ambush! If not for Blisk's quick reflexes, the blow would have killed him. BT then launched tracking missiles, turning the area into a sea of fire and saving the bound Cooper.
When Cooper opened his eyes again, Sloane—another Apex Predator—extracted the Ark from BT's chassis and used her machine gun to blast BT until he completely shut down. The livestream exploded in fury.
[You touched my BT? I'm going to freaking kill you!]
[I'm remembering this debt!]
[Sloane, you piece of trash, I'm going to eat you alive!!]
[I'll kill you within three days!!]
[Wait? Is Su Mu still haunting me? Is this his script again?]
[The Old Scoundrel isn't satisfied with killing off beautiful girls anymore; now he's coming for the machines! Pure evil!]
Seeing their long-time companion fall, the audience was devastated. Welt felt as if his own heartbeat stopped. Controlling Cooper, he looked at the giant iron body and felt an urge to cry. But BT's optical sensor—the core—flickered once more.
["I'm here... Cooper... I cannot complete the mission."]
["But you can."]
["Take the SERE kit. It is your only chance for survival."]
BT extracted his core and went completely silent. Cooper took a pistol and a Data Knife from the SERE kit, along with the core that served as BT's "eye," and began his fight for survival. After using the knife to hack communications, Welt—and the players—were filled with peak rage.
Faced with the incoming IMC, Cooper used the Smart Pistol to execute every enemy in his path. The weapon's terrifying auto-aim and power, combined with the players' grief, allowed them to vent their anger. Cooper became a god of death, unstoppable.
[Whoa! Official cheats?]
[Auto-aim, headshots, one-hit kills? This is an official hack!]
[The developers know exactly what they're doing! After seeing BT die, anyone would want to go on a rampage!]
Since Cooper was closest to the Ark, he was the only one who could stop the IMC's plan. General Sarah dropped the Militia's last Vanguard-class Titan chassis to his location. When Cooper inserted the core, BT's familiar voice rang out again.
["Hello, Jack."]
Seeing BT reborn, the audience cheered. [I knew it! BT wouldn't die that easily!]
[So the "eye" is actually BT's core? As long as the core is intact, he can transfer to other bodies!]
[Discarding the old shell, standing before you now is a better, stronger BT-7274!]
The final battle began. The upgraded BT possessed a powerful rotary cannon that shredded the IMC forces. They fought their way to the Ark's storage, but it was already in the injector. While Blisk declined to fight further, stating he had fulfilled his contract, Sloane stayed to "play." Facing the one who tore apart BT's previous body, Welt and the fans were fired up. They crushed her into scrap metal.
However, time was running out. The Ark's launch sequence had begun. To stop it, BT had to manually pry open the injector, but the Ark's energy surge destroyed BT's power systems. After BT was paralyzed, Blisk appeared on the cockpit but didn't kill them. Dropping an "Apex" predator card, he departed.
There was no time to think. The countdown started.
["Cooper, I need a favor. My auto-navigation is offline. Get me to the injector. We must cooperate."]
Due to the impact, BT's systems were malfunctioning, repeating his last words. Sarah's voice came over the radio, and BT stumbled to his feet.
["Commander Briggs, I have an idea. By overloading my reactor core, it may destabilize the Ark at the center of the Fold Weapon."]
["What are you saying?"]
["I can destroy it. I am transmitting evacuation coordinates to you now."]
["Coordinates received. We'll be there... but how will you get there?"]
["Trust me. I have done the math."]
Inside the cockpit, various protocols flashed on the screen. [Uploading...]
[Vanguard-class Titan: BT-7274]
[Primary Protocols]
[1. Link to Pilot]
[2. Uphold the Mission]
[3. Protect, Protect, Protect...] (The third protocol began to glitch into garbled code).
["Don't worry, BT. I'm not going anywhere."] Cooper was prepared to sacrifice himself alongside BT, his voice incredibly tender. ["Copy that."]
As BT was launched toward the Ark, the glitched third protocol suddenly cleared and stabilized. ["Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot."]
In the next moment, the cockpit snapped open. A massive hand grabbed Cooper. ["What are you doing?!"]
["Trust me."]
BT hurled Cooper away from the blast zone. ["BT—!!"] Cooper's cry echoed as he flew clear of the Ark, while BT's body plummeted into the core of the weapon. The resulting explosion tore the planet apart. Amidst the apocalyptic scene, Cooper was rescued by Sarah and the others just as the planet shattered into space debris.
Welt sat before the camera, tears streaming down his face. ["Pilot Cooper, a lot of people owe you their lives..."]
["And BT."]
Hearing BT's name, the middle-aged man could no longer hold it back. "Waaaaah, BT! My BT!!" Beside him, Elysia was also sobbing. She never thought she'd cry over a hunk of iron. But BT-7274 was more than iron; he was a true partner.
In Senti's stream, she saluted the screen in tears. "Old Timer, don't you see? I'm paying my highest respects to my eternal comrade, BT-7274!!"
Is it hard to break a player's heart? It's hard, yet easy. It's as easy as a simple "Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot." As easy as "Trust me, Cooper."
["The destruction of Typhon saved Harmony."]
["The Militia calls it their headquarters, but millions of others call it home."]
["Commander Briggs says I'll be transferred to the Marauder Corps and assigned a new Titan..."]
["But the techs have to wipe my neural link with BT first."]
["I don't know what it's like to have a new Titan... I quite liked the old one."]
["This is Pilot Cooper, signing off."]
The story ended with Cooper's narration. However, after the credits, Cooper's helmet flickered. It was binary code. The message was simple, yet it made Welt break down once more:
— "JACK?"
END OF CHAPTER
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