As soon as the young man finished speaking, blue flames erupted simultaneously from the feet and back of the Powered Armor.
Based on partial feasibility studies of the MS's automatic balance adjustments, Fred had equipped this Powered Armor with an Automatic Balance System.
Although it had not yet reached a level where ordinary Naturals could easily operate it, for someone like Alec, an Ace, and Fred, with his Golden Finger, it had already improved operability in Remote Control.
The others did not hear what the two said. They only heard Fred utter the word "Depart" before he took off without looking back, soaring like a nimble bird and darting into the Maintenance Passage.
Following closely behind Fred, Alec also maneuvered his Mobile Suit with swift movements.
Feeling as though there was no difference from ordinary operation, Alec widened his eyes in amazement as he controlled the suit.
If even he was this astonished, the team members trailing behind the young man were even more so. Initially, they had thought Fred would hold them back, but now it seemed that while his agility might not match theirs, there was no sign of him slowing them down at all.
How was this possible?
They relied on intuitive dynamic adjustments to achieve the effect of Man-Machine Unity in their piloting.
But now, Fred didn't need intuition, and neither did the bodyguard behind him.
If not for the empty Cockpit, they would have thought someone was inside piloting it.
This seemingly miraculous scene left everyone's minds reeling.
Especially the young man who had initially believed Fred would hold them back. Now, as he watched the Powered Armor ahead, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Fred's actions shattered his long-held beliefs, causing his own operations to slow down for a moment. As a result, his Mobile Suit's armor scraped against the side of the passage, producing a series of sparks.
"Stay focused."
Fred's tone remained unchanged.
The Powered Armor he was remotely controlling showed no signs of slowing down either.
Meanwhile, the Captain behind Fred slowly let go of the tension he had been holding inside.
Although he didn't know how Fred had achieved this, with such agility, there was no doubt about his ability to command.
Of course, there were many other implications behind this, such as potential changes in future combat methods.
However, the Captain, eager to save lives, didn't dwell on these details. Instead, he followed up over the comms.
"Ikeda, if you continue to lose focus, I'll have you withdraw from this mission!"
The Captain's tone grew even stricter.
Since Fred had proven himself, he needed to place his full trust in Fred.
"I'm sorry..."
The young man named Ikeda lowered his head without arguing.
In truth, given the Captain's authority, he didn't dare to argue.
And it wasn't just these few who were shocked. At that moment, on the Bridge, Captain Wolf, who had just arranged for the troops lying in ambush outside the Asteroid to withdraw, watched the scene unfold before him with wide eyes.
Although he had agreed to let Fred take over, it was only because he wanted to utilize the other's command abilities and wisdom.
However, he hadn't expected that the Powered Armor remotely piloted by Fred would operate so smoothly.
Looking at the operational data Fred had modified, the Captain was momentarily at a loss for words.
Of course, Fred's raw skills were far from reaching the level of an Ace. Although his operation was quite fluid, many of his movements could be seen as not entirely standard. Even so, it was impossible to say he was holding them back.
At the very least, as a commander, he was already qualified.
They never intended for Fred to remotely pilot this Mobile Suit into a fierce battle.
Moreover, as an Ace himself, he knew that although Fred made it sound easy, this technology was by no means simple to achieve.
Otherwise, why hadn't others done it sooner?
Yet Fred had quietly developed this Automatic Balance System.
Although it currently seemed to have only the single application of remote control, Wolf was an Ace, and a seasoned one at that. He could see the deeper implications at a glance.
If they followed Fred's approach, wouldn't they be able to remotely control Mobile Suits with even greater freedom in the future? And it was highly likely that this could be adapted for future MS as well.
This Fred had quietly researched something so significant?
Watching Fred's first-person flight perspective on the screen before him, Wolf felt his heart soar with excitement.
Even if Haken and the others weren't rescued this time.
With such a powerful ally like Fred, PLANT's rise was surely just a matter of time.
Of course, their own people had to be rescued.
But with Fred's presence, perhaps this rescue mission would proceed much more smoothly.
"Get them back quickly, and this operation can be successfully concluded."
As Wolf prayed, on the other end at the Clyne Residence in April City, Siegel stood stunned before the screen, watching as Fred truly used his system to stably pilot the two sets of Powered Armor.
As a remote observer, he had witnessed Fred's entire series of operations, even more comprehensively.
He had even seen the data code Fred injected into the Powered Armor's Operating System.
Being a researcher himself, he naturally understood the intricacies involved.
Although Fred wasn't yet proficient in operating the Powered Armor, with the support of this Operating System, he seemed to retain most of his previous capabilities.
Siegel's heart, which had been tense over the uncertain fate of his trusted aide, was now struck by a wave of astonishment.
Fred, when did he develop this?
At this moment, Siegel's thoughts aligned almost perfectly with Wolf's earlier ones, both instinctively considering its military applications.
"It seems that Automatic Balance System posed no challenge for Fred at all..."
Siegel couldn't help but sigh deeply.
When Patrick had assigned this task to Fred, he had considered that Fred's current expertise lay in automation, engines, and Power Reactors.
Yet even so, Fred had managed to create a version for Powered Armor so quickly. It was hard to tell whether Patrick had a keen eye or if Fred was simply so brilliant that he had no peers.
Siegel's sigh at this moment carried a complex mix of emotions, but his hands did not stop. Taking advantage of this brief moment of free time, he turned to another screen and began calculating something based on Fred's Operating System code.
Beside her father, Lacus had now recovered from her shock. She shifted her gaze from him back to the screen in front of her, where Fred was displayed.
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