Chapter 44: The Errand Boy
The doors to the mech engineering department broke into a portal, and out of it came a bright young man. In the room were six figures. The room was rough and unkempt, with parts of mechs scattered around. Clearly, the absence of Alto had returned it to its terrible state.
As Alto appeared, he drew the attention of the six figures. Those he recognized were the professor, who was busy with a clipboard in hand; the second was Charles Vans, who was tinkering with the arm of a mech on a table with a screwdriver; and there was Eleven, who sat by a workbench stuffing his face with treats. Their faces were filled with surprise at his presence.
The other three were a mix of faces both old and new. There was Marie Hanswith and Kendell Brist, the two cadets he had met days earlier and directed to the training room. Marie smiled and blew him a kiss, while Kendell winked at him. The final figure was a huge man looking to be in his fifties; he wore a thick black uniform similar to theirs.
Alto scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Um, did I interrupt something important?"
The huge man was a mass of muscles and dedication. He looked down at the professor and said gruffly, "Who is this insolent little man here, professor?"
The professor kept quiet, unsure of how to refer to him. She was a bit surprised to see Alto out—it made her wonder if he had managed to finish his task in such a short amount of time. Another thing that took her by surprise was how he looked. A week ago, Alto looked like a quiet, insignificant young man, but now his eyes carried a more dignified look and his face was more pleasing to look at.
The professor gulped down as she remembered she had been asked a question earlier.
Charles Vans stepped forward with an explanation of his own after sensing his master’s hesitation. "General Duncan, this here is Alto. He’s nothing special—just our errand boy around here."
The general nodded. "Hmm, I see."