Much has been written about the parasocial attachments between pilots and their mechs. We all know it exists, we've all seen videos of the first pilot to ever survive to retirement crying and pleading with her handler to not take her from her frame, and we've all heard about the budding market for post-service sim pods purchased in rge numbers by retired pilots. It's a powerful bond, but why does it exist?

  To better understand the bond between man and machine - or, more often, woman and machine - we must first examine the core component of the human augmentation process that every pilot receives. The Modur Cerebrospinal Interface System (MCIS) is impnted during the early days of the pilot intake process. The MCIS, as its name would imply, is connected directly to the human central nervous system along the cervical spine, with some components wired directly into the inferior occiput or temporals depending on MOS requirements. It is a highly invasive procedure, and while it has been refined to a point where impnt rejection or surgical complication is now effectively a non-factor, the concept of the procedure is often enough to dissuade all but the most dedicated candidates.

  The MCIS's direct connection to the human nervous system allows for information processing, reaction times, and decision-making at a rate four times greater than those of an unaugmented human. By effectively "hijacking" existing neural pathways, input and output g is minimized, removing the consciousness of the human operator as the limiting factor for mech efficiency. Additionally, MCIS permits for direct integration with onboard life support systems, allowing for nutrients, electrolytes, hormones, and the standard immunosuppressant cocktail that allows for continued MCIS use to be reguted remotely, either through the mech's OS or by the pilot's handler. This real-time adjustment of human physiology has a secondary effect in that standard-issue psychotropics are rendered unnecessary, as the mech is capable of reguting the pilot's emotions for them in the field.

  Of course, pilots do not spend all their time in their machines, as much as many of them want to. When the neural connection is severed, many first-generation pilots report feeling a temporary loss of self, as if they have been robbed of their body. In a way, this is accurate, as mech pilots have become less operators of war machines and more of a fully integrated "organ" that cannot be hacked or remotely shut down. Pilots are, in a sense, living "brains" for their machines, and removed from the sensory organs of SIGINT collection suites and multi-spectral optics, the world becomes cold and isoting. Weak, atrophied, and rgely robbed of their agency without their frames, a pilot without their mech often becomes a soul without a body, a spirit without purpose. For many, this is a return to their pre-augmentation mindset, one they cannot manage alone.

  Handlers are a key component of the "aftercare" process that comes in the wake of a mech sortie as pilots are eased back into their human perspectives, but handlers are incapable of understanding and responding to every emotional need a pilot may have. They certainly try, but handlers are only human - with rare exception - and will subsequently have difficulty empathizing with a post-human pilot. To stabilize the psyche of a pilot in extreme duress, they require connection, either physically or emotionally, with one of two entities: either their frame, or another pilot.

  Physical connections are not always possible, but thankfully, technology fills some of the gaps. Another key component of the augmentation suite is the neural link system (NLS) module - often referred to as a "neural ce" by its users. As the name implies, it is composed of a hyper-thin mesh of sensors, electrodes, and transmitters that is impnted into the pilot's skull, further improving mental acuity and processing speeds even outside of the cockpit and providing a level of redundancy to onboard data stream processing systems. The NLS module also provides the next-gen Link 42 datalink capability to the pilot and machine.

  As sensor data loads and hostile ECM clutter increased, so did the need for updated datalink standards. Link 42, for most military operators, is simply an evolution of 21st century encrypted tactical datalink systems to include Link 11, Link 16, and Link 22, all of which enabled beyond-line-of-sight tactical data exchange. At the fleet level, Link 42 enabled shipboard AIs the ability to work together in clusters, dramatically improving their ability to multitask in the high-complexity domain of space combat, while also permitting the distribution of command authority so that a given battlegroup could not be rendered blind by the loss of a single command vessel.

  Link 42 was originally deemed too expensive to utilize with ground forces, who continue to use the older Link 30 standard. However, with the development of LCAV, EW, and ANGL frames, the need for mechs to have an uninterruptible surface to orbit communication standard arose. The NLS embedded in every pilot's skull allows them to utilize Link 42 uplinks if their frame is equipped with the correct communications modules, providing unparalleled accuracy in orbital fires.

  Initial NLS prototypes only permitted Link 42 usage when mounted inside of a mech frame, but as it became clear that pilots needed more consistent connection with one another to stabilize their emotions during down time, a secondary module was added to the NLS that enabled limited pilot-to-pilot locational awareness even outside of the cockpit. While intentionally limited in its capabilities, the "P2P" connection allows for pilots to inherently "sense" when they are around other pilots, providing a sense of reassurance and helping them locate one another in the confines of their assigned base or ship. There is rumor that some skilled ANGL and EW pilots have performed field modifications to enable short-form wireless communication over this connection, but such cims are, as of yet, unsubstantiated.

  Taken into context, the nature of the pilot-machine and pilot-pilot interfaces very easily expin the closely-knit nature of both retionships. To a pilot, the mech is a body, and they are its soul. Having control of their body wrested from them is a traumatic experience, one many pilots have experienced either in their careers or before it, and none of them are eager to relive it. Thankfully, being in close contact with other souls, either in their "bodies" or not, reminds them that they are not alone, that they are more than just the machines they inhabit, and that they are loved by those who understand them - a feeling that is all too alien to far too many on the frontier.

  -Dr. Rebecca MastersChief Engineer, Fujikawa Dynamics Advanced Development Program