The Titans entered combat status before the attack began, and began the process of combat preparations after receiving the Governor's attack order.
Ordinary people often regard the size, strength and weapons of divine machines as symbols of their power.
However, those who truly understand understand that the Titan's most powerful weapon is the mechanical mind that resides within it, and the first step in the legion's war preparation process is to awaken it.
During this long period of time, the priests have been performing the rituals meticulously, and the precise holy oil, incense and sacrificial wine ensured that they were in excellent condition.
However, the team members were not allowed to participate in the ceremony. While the priests of the Mechanicum performed their duties, Kurtz Mannheim had to wait anxiously outside.
Normally, he would be at the entrance to the loading bay, a towering door leading to the Titan's resting place, which was the closest he could find to the ritual site.
And he was not alone, his personally selected team members, his family, and the co-pilots were also present as he wished.
Whenever he thought that these machines would regain consciousness without being connected to him, Kurtz Mannheim couldn't help but feel a sense of physical violation, as if he was being poked and poked in the priest's weird ritual. It's his body.
Because of this similar feeling of discomfort, some group members prefer to stay away from it.
As many people know, there are very few barriers between the Titan captain and these metal giants, and with every exchange, those differences become smaller and smaller.
For some captains, this feeling of alienation from combat is simply unforgettable and uncomfortable, and this feeling will become more serious with each separation.
Most Titan captains are not fans of immersion tanks and won't use them unless absolutely necessary.
Their way of dealing with mechanical dissociation is to indulge in the physical world outside the manifold. They will use simulation institutions to compete with each other, or conduct military training, and will also hold noble banquets and entertainment activities at appropriate times.
To some people, the lives of Titan Masters seem similar to those of Mechanical Knights, but in fact there are essential differences.
The etiquette of the knights comes from their inherent noble status with the gods and their long-term environment.
The etiquette of the Titan captains is more to let them remember that they are still human beings.
But this kind of entertainment may keep them sane, but it is not enough for the moment when the machine wakes up.
Just when the first activation ritual began, Kurtz Mannheim heard the call of the Steel Hammer, and suddenly severe pain began to torture his limbs, making his palms soaked in cold sweat.
A reaction close to withdrawal caused an electric shock-like burning pain in his nervous system.
Each human member of the Titans has to deal with this pain in their own way, and they share the same pain, which helps, but that's about it.
Everyone suffers greatly from this.
After waking up, the data sage will check whether the machine's mind is stable. The priests will usually stay away and remain tight-lipped at this time.
But Kurtz Mannheim knew that the Data Sage would be directly connected to the machine. This fact only added to the turbulent anger and jealousy in his heart.
In the second stage, the captains were allowed to visit their machinery, but they were not allowed to touch it.
It is extremely dangerous to awaken the soul of the God of War for no reason. They are swords, and they will bleed when they are unsheathed.
During the maintenance period, Kurtz Mannheim had been pacing slowly in the corridor, restless, and had no choice but to use constant footsteps to divert his energy, and finally exhausted himself.
At this moment, the Titan's body is covered with probes, the engine engineers and ground crew are busy, and the new bugs are crawling all over their interior - the servitors are crawling up and down in every corner of their interior, stubborn Damaged and worn parts are replaced regularly.
For a moment, sparks flew, power tools whined, engines roared, plasma blowtorches hissed, hammers echoed, priests chanted, and choir servitors sang endless hymns over and over again. .
The hangar smelled of engine oil, hot metal, sweat, paint and polish all at once.
Support machinery, chassis, vats, and leaking holy ointment were everywhere, plastic canvases hung from the maintenance area, and scaffolding was wrapped around the waist of a Warhound to replace its failed tail gyroscope. Half of the priests were busy chanting, while the others were busy using tools and data connections.
He hated this moment, because ever since that first connection, he had been connected to the Titans like a blood bond.
He was the Titan, and the Titan was her, and these emotions were integrated, like complex shackles that bound him to the Mechanical Throne, and those outside the Titan Society simply could not understand.
After the maintenance phase, the Titans will need to change their loadout at the request of their respective captains, under the guidance of the supervising captain and Legion strategist, to prepare for the upcoming battle.
Only then will the crew board the Titan and conduct testing and calibration on their own.
The Tech-Priests had always turned a blind eye to this limited connection pulse, but it was not enough to quell the thirst of the team members.
The engine has not yet fully awakened, and the interfering monitoring machinery blocks the integration of thoughts.
If there is any use in all this, it is that this brief contact only increases Kurtz Mannheim's loneliness and his fear.
Before setting off for the expedition, the legion held a final machine soul ceremony. The Titans were thoroughly blessed, and the honorary battle flags fluttered in the wind on them. Human representatives also participated in the ceremony.
Ring the bell once!
Push the lever to activate the piston and pump...
Ring the bell twice!
Push the button, start the engine, ignite the turbine, breathe life into...
Ring the bell three times!
Sing in unison to praise the God of all opportunities!
The priests recited the autodiagnostic prayer aloud, and then Kurtz Mannheim and his crew stepped forward and knelt down before the Archbishop.
"This machine is placed in your care, to fight with it, and to protect it from the shame of failure. Serve the machine and it will fight for you."
The bishop dropped holy oil on the mechanical scepter that Kurtz Mannheim held high in both hands. This scepter was also the symbol of his Titan captain.
"I respect you."
At the end of the ceremony, Kurtz Mannheim and the crew took an elevator to the entrance above Titan's head.
Dim light shone on Titan's detection eyes. It had a broad head, but it turned sharply forward, forming an abrupt slope.
Huge armored cables and sockets occupy most of the space in its mouth. They curl back and forth on the iron surface of the machine, like a thick, tangled beard.
The air rumbled, and the door to the interior quickly opened, and Kurtz Mannheim stepped inside.
The team members hurriedly sat down, flipping switches and pressing buttons.
Kurtz Mannheim also sat in the command throne, leaning against its cracked leather.
The term "command throne" is actually an exaggeration, because this position is not much larger than the driver's seat. A series of metal wires accommodate the interface of the mental pulse unit, and the padding separated by it makes it even more... People were on pins and needles, even in a huge machine like the Hammer of Steel, the command team packed the entire room to the brim.
But after a few seconds, none of that matters.
Kurtz Mannheim fixed all his limbs on the control system, steadied his breathing, closed his eyes, and spoke with wonderful anticipation:
"connect."
The next second, the nerve needle was inserted into his skull interface, followed by an incredible pain.
Maybe it's not great for mortals, but it's worth it every time -
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