Zink

'Long-shanks', as he was so aptly named, was simply within his OGRE itself - the diminutive paraplegic barely noticeable, but nonetheless protruding from the top of Earthshaker's massive bulk. Seemingly unaware of his mention above the din of the cargo bay, Durant was instead focused with what was the most physically strenuous and mentally challenging activity of his entire job; Getting inside the Ogre. Like a tank-commander sticking his torso out of the cupola of a turret, Durant had himself poised to slip inside the Ogre, but something stilled him - a hesitation, or to those more intimately aware of him, trepidation. Durant could aptly recall the amount of times he had entered Earthshaker on one mechanical hand, the circumstantial need for an experimental heavy artillery OAM-T frame being... decidedly uncommon, especially with the advent of newer, sleeker generation models rolling off testbeds every year. Of course, this didn't mean he was without combat experience, what with the instances that required superheavy artillery support being incredibly volatile, and in an odd sense, rather enjoying. Though, being an Ogre pilot generally meant you were a thrill seeker. Or just insane. Probably both. But still, Durant had decidedly less combat missions than most seasoned pilots did, and as such, he had yet to properly bond with his OGRE - or get over the fear of the 'copulation' involved. Especially when it involved involuntary muscle spasms breaking every bone in his limbs. Thus, his problem was made evident - an OGRE pilot who loathed being in his OGRE - and while ironic, it was also rather inconvenient. The Earthshaker's armored chassis resembled more of a malachite-plated tomb than a warmachine, and simply the act of entering the cockpit itself was bringing him no small amount of stress. Something the Victory-ASI type AI had taken notice of. [Lukas.] She called out, voice filtering through the neuro-operative lattice connecting his spine to the OGRE, a sensation that most pilots could agree was fairly unpleasant, like a second set of thoughts interposed into your own mind. Her voice was enough to break his reverie, the Operator's head instinctively swiveling up to meet the voice, despite years of experience telling him he already knew who it was. "Wh- Huh?" [Your fellow operatives are inquiring as to your whereabouts.] There was a pause, as if the AI was searching for the right words. [I can inform them you are indisposed for this mission, if you wish.] It was a small blow to Durant's pride, as nonexistent as such a thing was, but he'd been through these motions before. He knew Earthshaker simply meant the best for him, the AI having taken a very protective view over its steward since he had become crippled from their joining - but it stung nonetheless. He took a look down at the confines of the OGRE, the familiar feeling of dread welling up in him again - but this time he shoved it down, steeling himself and his resolve. "No. I can do this." Then, with a weary sigh, he descended into the mech, already beating back the unpleasant memories as he joined with Earthshaker. Small, spider-like limbs went to work, affixing supports and connecting his neural interface to the machine itself, the process taking little more than a few seconds, but lasting an eternity in his mind - and then, it was over. [I'm glad you've put your faith in me, Lukas.] Earthshaker spoke once more, her voice like a cool salve running over his frantic mind as she tested the neural connections, his prosthesis going intert as full control was directed to the OGRE itself. "Yeah." Durant's response was sullen, the unease of his mind being buried by the physical conditioning ingrained into his body, vague feelings of comfort and completeness flooding him as a crude bonding mechanism to his suit. The coms system flicked on with but a thought, the pilot steadying his voice as he spoke. {"This is Quake here. Doing pre-op calibrations in Earthshaker - Everything looks green."}

As if Gheist had somehow invoked his presence through a single comment alone, the third OAM operator of this lovely rag-tag trio was not far behind, the faint jingle of the bar's front door punctuating his entrance. Well, that, and the fact that the act of simply walking produced about as much noise as a civilian industrial loader. When you discounted the extensive, yet surprisingly poor cybernetic lattice that connected his 'legs' to the body, Durant could almost be considered unassuming. He was short, by Terran standards, not particularly muscular or bulky, and his skin carried the complexion of a sun-kissed sailor - something that wasn't too far from the mark, initially. The worst one could see out of him was a constant, morose expression marring his visage, as if he was absorbed in a perpetual state of melancholy. Said melancholic visage was quick to spot the trio, at any rate - the OAM operator muttering out a hushed apology to the barkeep as he walked past, the rhythmic thumping of his steps and the hiss of pneumatic joints filling the otherwise quiet atmosphere. In just a few short strides, and a few rattled drinks, he arrived at the booth - sparing Bandit a lingering glance as he took the free-est space he could find in the booth, casually ignoring the faint sound of duress coming from the poor chair. "Private Harper. Salvador-" The man paused for a moment, face looking over Echo for a moment, trying and failing to pin a name to the woman. "-... Harper's associate." He exuded protocol. Trained demeanour - a soldier, to his core. Gelded, metal arms found their rest on the table with a faint clack, cybernetic digits rapping against the table once before ceasing. "Private Lukas Durant, 66th Iconoclasts, OAM-T Operator, Reporting as ordered."

"The goal of the OAM-T series is to provide a heavily-armored weapons platform for direct fire and artillery support; The goal of the OAM-T-AP project is to stress-test the design to its peak capability as a heavy-weapons artillery platform." "We admit, the design philosophy of the Type-AP Ogre was... excessive. The OAM-T performs its current role quite well, at the added bonus of having a degree of flexibility the AP simply did not possess." Essential Design Specifications: Model: OAM-T-AP-001 Designation: 'Earthshaker' Design: Ogre Assault Mech Manufacturer: TERRENUS MILITARY ARMS/VULCAN ARMS. Operator: Pvt. Lukas 'Quake' Durant Core: Exalta Infernus Power Core Chassis Specifications Height: 10.98 Meters, 36ft. Weight: 113 Tons, 102,512kg Crew: 1 Primary Color: Army Olive Secondary Color: Gunmetal Grey Armament Weapons; Vulcan Arms 160mm Nonlinear Magitech Rifle Undercarriage Mounted Crystallized Shardthrower STA Smart-Guidance Rocket Delivery System[x6] Equipment; Layered Malachite Plating Hull-mounted Chaff Launchers[x5] IR Smoke Grenade Dispensers[x3] High-grade Load-Bearing Pneumatic Limbs. Victory ASI Type Intelligence: Primarily intended to reduce the neural input for the quadruped walker system (and the haptic feedback), 'Earthshaker's' AI module has expanded to constantly record and store telemetry, firing solutions, and optimal geographic positions for user assistance. Due to the unique nature of her pilot, the AI is also in part more responsible for maintaining and advising the Pilot of their physical health, even possessing proper clearances to seize control of the vehicle in the event of perceived ill-action or danger to the Pilot. Much like her handler, she is very soft-spoken, and carries a great deal of guilt for her operator's plight.

"...By all accounts, the test model was a success. Our knowledge on the OAM-N's response to Quadrupedal Chassis has helped streamline future development of the OAM-T considerably, and allowed for some choice refinements to the OAM system as a whole." "That test pilot will never use his limbs again. You call that a success?" Personal Information Name: Lukas Durant Nickname: 'Quake' Race: Human, Male. Age: 28 Birthplace: Last Chance, Terrenus Occupation: Terran Military Operative (Private) Branch: Engineers / Ogre Pilot "How are you feeling in there, Lukas?" "Doing alright, Doc. Worst I've felt so far is a light headache." "Neural Feedback is to be expected. Continue when you are ready." Physical Characteristics Height: 6'0 Weight: 180lbs (without prosthesis) Hair: Raven Black Skin: Swarthy Eyes: Light Blue Build: Bulky Voice: Gravelly Mental Characteristics Temperament: Melancholic MBTI: INTJ-T Traits: Reserved, Critical, Blunt, Loyal, Acerbic, Perfectionist. History 22 AO, Finished internship with Argus Incorporated, specializing in Advanced metallurgy and Material Sciences. 23 AO, Inducted into Terrenus Corps of Engineers, 66th Iconoclast Division. 25 AO, Sponsored for R&D participation in the OAM-T Artillery Project. 25 AO, [REDACTED] 28 AO, Reactivated and Re-Enrolled to the Terrenus Armed Forces, Paired with OAM-T/AP-Type Ogre.

Made this quite a while ago, but it just occurred to me that I didn't source the artist! Credit is due to Sandara on deviantart, who reserves all rights to this artwork, and can request its removal at any time.