The Mech Touch

overcame Ves ’ consciousness as he suddenly felt as if he was partially taking over Axelar ’s body.
While his integration was far from perfect, the connection was deep and stable enough to effect some real change!

Perhaps the only problem was that Axelar ’s core consciousness flew back to the place that it belonged and bumped against the intruder that took its place.

It was as if it was whining to Ves that it took over its rightful place.

”Shut up and sit down, you dolt! You ’ve been doing nothing with your body for all this time.
It ’s high time for you to straighten up your life! ”

Axelar ’s core consciousness was like a cleaning bot that kept bumping into the same obstacle over and over again.
It wasn ’t really in a conscious state, but it possessed a very strong instinct that it needed to return to its place!

This caused Axelar ’s core consciousness to continuously bump against Ves ’ spiritually-active consciousness.
While the weak collisions didn ’t do much damage, Ves felt as if his spiritual strength was slowly being expended.

”It seems I ’m on a time limit.
I ’ll exhaust myself if I keep this up for more than a couple of days. ”

That meant that Ves needed to hurry up with his plans.

He moved on with the first step, which was taking over Axelar ’s body.

Ves needed to exert a sufficient amount of control over it.
If his control wasn ’t high enough, then Benny or the other staff might sense something amiss!

”I can ’t arouse too much suspicion from Benny. ”

Even if Axelar acted a little differently, Benny probably wouldn ’t take too much notice.
Axelar often changed his mood depending on the cocktail of stimulants currently in effect.

A full half hour after Ves took over, he began to get the hang of puppeting a foreign body.
Ves tentatively managed to take control of Axelar ’s body, but the problem was that his fine control was anything but ideal!

As Axelar ’s body opened its eyes in the early morning, a very different gaze looked out.
The numb and cloudy consciousness that previously controlled the body was nowhere present now!

The first thing Ves did was to reach out a hand and press a button on his comm.

”You called, Master Axelar? ” Benny ’s voice sounded out from the comm channel.

”Yeah.
Please flush my body.
I ’m in the mood for something different. ”

”Pardon me, Master Axelar, but it isn ’t time for your scheduled flushing yet. ”

”Just do what I say, Benny! ” Ves yelled back in Axelar ’s voice.
”I ’m tired of experiencing the same old highs! ”

Although the order that Ves had given was a departure from the norm, Benny still did as ordered.

After moving Axelar ’s body to his villa ’s treatment center, the doctors on staff began to flush it of most intoxicating chemicals.
After that, they put the body into a submerged tank and activated some processes that repaired most of the damage the stimulants had wrought.

From a purely physical perspective, Axelar ’s body had been reverted into a state to before he became addicted to stimulants!

Normally, Axelar would immediately inject himself with a host of drugs in order to experience the same highs over again.

Ves was different.
When Benny walked up to Axelar with a syringe in hand, Axelar ’s body raised its palm.

”Stop.
No more for now. ”

Benny frowned.
This command was extremely odd and completely unlike the old Axelar! ”Pardon, Master Axelar? ”

”Tell me, which high is better? The rush of experiencing the thirty-seventh formula ’s high, or the adrenaline rush of putting my life on the line on the battlefield? ”

”I can ’t say, Master Axelar. ”

”There ’s no comparison between the two! All the formulas have gone stale.
There ’s nothing new for me to enjoy anymore now that I ’ve taken every possible stimulant that exists.
I think I have a better idea where I can get my dose of excitement! I should go into battle! ”

Benny appeared speechless for a moment.
”That is..
a very bold sentiment. ”

”The first step is to sell my pharmaceutical company.
I no longer need my formulas.
Please get rid of all of my stash. ”

”Are you certain, Master Axelar? ”

”How else am I going to be able to push myself into battle when there are easier solutions within reach! From now on, I don ’t want you to get rid of all of my stimulants, but prevent me from taking a single dose! Even if I beg and scream for a hit, don ’t give in no matter what, alright?! ”

”…Understood, Master Axelar.
We will carry out your orders to the best of our ability. ”

Whether Benny would actually abide by the orders or not did not matter too much.
Ves just wanted to sell the excuse that Axelar was pursuing a different kind of high now.
That Axelar might possibly be prevented from injecting a stimulant into his body from now on was a vindictive form of revenge from Ves.

As Ves mentally snickered at the thought of Axelar crawling on his knees for another hit, he returned to his instructions.

”Secondly, please prepare my application to the Trail of Tears elite training program. ”

This time, Benny looked at his charge with alarm.
”Master Axelar! I urge you to think through.
The Trail of Tears is one of the Terran Confederation ’s toughest training programs for mech pilots! Last year, only a single mech pilot out of a cohort of thousands managed to break through to expert candidate! One in four participants died while half of the survivors returned broken and traumatized! ”

”I ’ve already made my decision! ” Ves yelled in Axelar ’s voice.
”I don ’t fear the Trail of Tears at all! I ’m too good to fail this training program! Prepare an application for me immediately! ”

”Very well, Master Axelar.
I shall make the arrangements. ”

Ves recognized the pliant tone that Benny used whenever he faced an order he did not intend to fulfill.
It was going to be difficult to register Axelar to the infamous Trail of Tears, but Ves had his ways.

A devious grin appeared on Axelar ’s hijacked face.

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