The Greatest Mecha-Chapter 71: The X Gene

Alto wracked his head as he sat in the mech engineering room looking up at the holoscreen before him, he was staring at a collection of reports about a subject he was still baffled by. Alto, as an aspiring mech designer, had discovered a passion he had hidden within himself—the urge to build a mech that could be piloted by a non-X gene user. It sounded weird to him when he sat down to consider what the X gene really was and how only carriers of it could use a mech.

It was said that piloting a mech without the X gene would cause severe brain damage. He wondered if it was a type of rare blood type dopamine that boosted mech efficiency. Alto believed that if he could understand this subject and how it interacted with a mech system, he would be able to build a more efficient mech. He went through some of his mech designs and many others in the past few days, trying to see if there was a component that exploited the X gene, but there was none. All of the reports and textbooks he came across online all followed the same pattern, with very little variation, all depicting how some people were born with a type of gene of sorts. Alto knew it was nothing like a blood type because the selection of X gene users would be random. He clicked on a video online by a notable genetic professor.

"What is the X gene? I’ll say it, it’s a mutation," said Professor Macornekle Goswillow from a republican planet he had not heard of. The talk show was called "THE HEART OF SORIN TALK SHOW." According to the description, the professor majored in advanced genetic study and evolution studies. It was one of the things he had happened to come across online while browsing the side net for information concerning the X gene.

The professor looked very old; he had thick grey hair and beard. His eyes were a tint of green. He wore a brown suit and addressed the woman that happened to be the anchor of the talk show. Her name was Reporter Milicent.

"And why would you say that, Professor, if everyone says different?"

The professor responded almost immediately, "Of course they will say what they are paid to, but I am not tied to any coalition, so I will simply give my report of my research to the public I serve."

The anchor, Milicent, looked at the professor deeply and said, "So, Professor Goswillow, what would you say the X gene is? What report could you have to give that deviates from those circulating the public, and how does it shape our vast view of the subject in entirety?"

Professor Goswillow gave her a respectful bow of his head before continuing their discussion. "Since I have been a child, I grew up with the same aspirations a majority of young children must have gone through. I wanted to pilot a mech one day, but unfortunately, it was not in the cards for me. A friend of mine was drafted into a neighbouring mech division because he carried the X gene, and I had to claw my way up with my own unique skill sets. Such is the life we now live in. With everything we now know now revolving around mechs, it was a mystery as to what really made these pilots special. My initial thought was that they had a special blood type, which made no sense at first."

"Continuing in my research, I came to a conclusion after many years, and it might be shocking to believe at first, but I might not be around to develop more on my theory. The X gene, as I have said, is a mutation, and I stand by it. As we know, what makes the mech function is its AI system, which is linked to the brain of its pilot through the link-up system. This brings out the best in a mech. The stronger the AI interface, the more the X gene would be used. The X gene is a mutation that increases the brain’s ability to tolerate the influx coming from the AI interface."

Alto was at the edge of his seat in the practical sense; the words he was hearing from this strange professor carried a meaning. He could see a boldness and certainty behind it as he spoke. "Could this be what I was looking for?" he asked the screen before him.

Professor Goswillow continued after a short pause. "Do you expect humanity to have built up this gene just when we happened to come across the first AI interface-controlled mechs? I believe that humanity was subjected to a series of experiments in which our genes were altered and mutated to help us pilot mechs. As we know, the prime directive of humanity is to be the dominant species in the galaxy, and this we would achieve at all costs. Over time, I believe that the X gene appeared through the line of humanity—sometimes recurring and sometimes not even appearing. It does not cling to those with a strong group or special blood type. It is a random constant, but as we know, humanity can find a way to control randomness to some extent. My research is still years behind its time in this regard."

Alto’s jaw dropped slightly. "Why does this sound like a huge conspiracy? I don’t know why, but I feel he’s saying the truth."

Professor Goswillow stared intently at the camera, making it feel like he was staring right at Alto as he spoke. "I just wanted to get this out to the world before I would be silenced, so someone finds my research and completes it."

The anchor of the news raised a questioning eyebrow and said, "Silenced by who exactly?"

The professor smiled and said, "I cannot say for sure. Space is vast, and while I may be a known figure, there are many unknown quantities in the shadows of space."

"Oh, is that so?" The anchor could sense a grimness in the air. She changed the direction of the discussion to something more favourable. "If your theory checks out, I am sure that other scientists will have their own opinions. But by what probability would you say your theory stands?"

The professor sighed and kept to himself for a few seconds before saying, "A probability of ninety percent, if I say so myself. The only quantity that does not fall in line with my theory is the rare 0.01 percent of people that lose the X gene factor."

Alto’s heart thumped.

"Maybe the mutation regressed, or perhaps it got purged. Perhaps I will still be alive to research on this."

And that was where the programme wrapped up, leaving Alto in suspense at what he had just heard. "The X gene is a mutation," he repeated to himself. He looked around him to see it was already late in the room. Eleven and the professor had already left, and Charles Vans had not returned since the day of their duel. Since that day, he had not opened up the mech designer software or checked his game account; he had simply devoted himself to selfless study. Now he was at a stalemate. It was time to see the progress of his work and check the system.