Zhou Tianming froze, staring straight at this spacesuit. It looked vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't quite recall where he'd seen it before.
Searching his memories of spacesuits, he'd only encountered one when escaping Mendel aboard Siegel's shuttle.
But that design had been far more streamlined, whereas this one before him stood tall and bulky, like wearing over a dozen layers of winter padding.
He couldn't imagine how anyone could move while wearing it.
Though certain he'd never seen it, the suit felt intensely familiar.
Tianming approached it.
His first touch revealed the dirty gray outer layer to be surprisingly soft.
When he gripped it, his fingers sank in, revealing what felt like metal framework beneath.
Metal framework?!
A flash of insight struck him—this was a Mobile Suit.
This was the earliest version of the exoskeleton: the Assisted Power Space Suit, progenitor of all future MS.
Eyes lighting up, Tianming examined this ancient relic.
He'd only seen its schematics in blueprints before—this was his first encounter with the real thing.
BANG!
A sharp noise echoed from the entrance, accompanied by clearer voices.
This meant they'd breached the metal door, with only the piled debris remaining as obstacles.
No time to admire this antique further—Tianming leaped up, grabbing the suit's soft exterior to climb onto its shoulders. His arm wrapped around its thick neck as his hand searched the back of its head.
His fingertips found a protrusion and pressed hard.
Ears perked, Tianming heard the system's startup beeps from within the round transparent helmet.
"Perfect, the internal battery still has charge."
Smiling, Tianming jumped down and stepped back.
BOOM!
Suddenly the entrance exploded outward, sending pipes and machine parts scattering like heavenly blossoms before clattering to the ground.
Intense heat ignited cardboard and fabric debris at the entrance, sending up thick black smoke and the stench of burning.
Then came Li Chi's strained whisper: "Tianming, I'll distract them! Stay hidden!"
Peering from behind a debris pile, Tianming surveyed the entrance. Though breached, the roaring flames created a new barrier.
Through heat-distorted air, he could clearly see figures outside.
Glancing back at the still-motionless spacesuit, he rushed to Li Chi and lifted him.
The movement aggravated Li Chi's wounds, twisting his face in silent agony.
As Tianming carried Li Chi away, he spotted the spacesuit emerging from its rectangular wooden crate in the distance. It knelt with hands on the ground as its back-mounted jetpack lifted upward, the interlocking metal spines along its spine unfolding.
"What's this?" Li Chi also noticed the large object, his voice tinged with surprise. "It looks so outdated—what kind of spacesuit is this?! How did it end up here?"
"I stumbled upon it by accident. The previous owner probably scavenged it from the Underground Black Market in the Junk Guild," Zhou Tianming said as he set Li Chi down on the ground. "Though it's old, the External Armor is strong enough to withstand bullets. Unless a bomb goes off right next to it, it's hard to damage the interior."
Li Chi's previously dull and lifeless eyes lit up.
Walking to the back of the spacesuit, Zhou Tianming examined the exposed mechanical structure inside. His gaze swept over it, quickly matching it with the design schematics he had studied in his mind. In an instant, he grasped its condition.
"The internal battery still has half its charge left, the structure is intact with no damage, and the Propulsion Airbag in the backpack is also in good condition. Well, the previous owner maintained it pretty well."
As he spoke, he inserted his hands into the spacesuit's arms and leaned forward, pressing his body against it.
The spacesuit emitted a series of beeps, followed by an AI voice.
[Operator detected. Initiating dressing procedure…]
The back armor closed, enveloping Zhou Tianming inside. A hissing sound came from within.
The bulky, soft External Armor of the spacesuit began to contract.
Suddenly, a red light glowed inside the suit.
[Operator does not meet basic requirements. Body size insufficient. Please replace operator immediately.]
Moments later, the back reopened, and Zhou Tianming stood up with a grim expression.
He had forgotten he was only five years old—far too small to wear the spacesuit. Inside, he couldn't even secure himself, let alone operate it.
Just then, the sound of splashing water came from the entrance.
Zhou Tianming suddenly remembered they were in a water treatment plant. He glanced at the spacesuit again and sighed. "I'm too small to use this, and there are no other weapons here. Sorry, Uncle Li. You'll have to distract them while I look for a chance to ambush."
"What if I wear it?"
Li Chi wasn't asking—he was stating it outright.
Zhou Tianming looked at Li Chi's body, hesitating before speaking.
"I'm not being delusional. They know I'm a cripple—they won't consider me a threat," Li Chi said firmly. "If I wear the spacesuit, not only can I fight, but I won't be a burden anymore."
Upon reflection, it made sense. If this worked, they'd gain a powerful frontline fighter.
Zhou Tianming nodded but then looked at Li Chi's condition and said, "But your body, Uncle Li…"
"I may have lost my limbs, but my torso is strong enough to support the suit. Tian Ming, help me! Even if I die, I don't want to go out like a piece of worthless meat."
There was a plea in Li Chi's eyes.
Zhou Tianming studied the spacesuit, his mind racing through possible solutions. But no matter how he thought about it, there was no way for a man with only his right arm left to control the suit.
Even if he wore it, he'd just be an immobile target.
Then another thought struck him. He sized up the spacesuit again.
Even as a decoy, it could draw attention and create an opening for his ambush.
"Moving with the assistance program shouldn't be a problem, but fighting is out of the question. And operating the suit might cause further damage to your body."
"Don't worry about me. If you were the one controlling it, could you fight?"
"Huh?"
That was a method he'd never considered.
Li Chi looked at Zhou Tianming with a serious and earnest tone: "I'll activate the spacesuit, and you'll control the movements."
A puppeteer?!
But upon careful consideration, he realized with surprise that this was indeed a brilliant solution. Not only would it keep him safe in the shadows, but it would also reduce Li Chi's danger while turning him into combat strength.
[Mindpower: Analyze 1] activated. Zhou Tianming rapidly visualized the spacesuit's schematics in his mind.
The spacesuit already had built-in hardware like communication systems and computers, so remote control was feasible from a hardware perspective.
The real challenge lay in the operating software. Although it had AI assistance, its behavioral logic was designed for standard operational tasks—prioritizing precision and stability.
Moreover, Li Chi couldn't operate it himself; Zhou Tianming would need to remotely control it throughout. To enable combat capabilities, they'd have to create a specialized OS.
"Move in! Confirm targets and eliminate immediately—no need for prisoners."
"Roger!"
Clear voices echoed through the secret base—the enemies had breached.
No time for further deliberation. Zhou Tianming made his decision.
Scooping up Li Chi, he placed him inside the spacesuit while rapidly tapping the interior control panel to bypass security.
Footsteps drew closer.
Zhou Tianming's fingers flew across the touchscreen as lines of code cascaded down the display.
After several breaths, Zhou Tianming stepped back. "Trust me."
Li Chi smiled. "Always."
[Trust] activated. Mental Power +36.
The spacesuit slowly sealed shut with a hiss of depressurization, its external armor contracting again.
Inside, the suit tightened around Li Chi's body like a second skin.
[Operator physique meets standards. Activating Exoskeleton Assisted Power Synchronization System. You may begin movement.]
The mechanical skeleton along the spacesuit's back undulated from top to bottom, locking tightly against Li Chi's spinal column.
The spacesuit rose steadily.
Within, Li Chi's severed limbs still sent waves of agony with every motion.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, yet his face wore a grin. "I'm not deadweight—I can still fight! Tian Ming! Bring me back to life!"
Outside, Zhou Tianming crouched low, weaving through clutter to retrieve his laptop before hastily coding the OS.
Meanwhile, Li Chi used voice commands to darken the transparent visor of the spherical helmet, obscuring his face.
Then, utilizing the AI's preset motions, he guided the spacesuit back into its wooden crate—standing motionless as they awaited their moment.
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