Both Alto and the officer were shocked. It was clear that Alto was the one being referred to or had she missed that? He raised his hand and spoke with a shaky voice, "That would be me, ma'am."
She looked down at him and blinked repeatedly in shock fora long time that it became very uneasy and awkward then she spoke. "One, don't call me ma'am ever. I'm a young woman. Two, you're young what's your story."
Before Alto could speak the guard nect to him explained his situation to the professir after he finished she dismissed the guard and sent him off. Officer Shirley had not told her the story behind the new recruit so he expected him to be a young scholar who was scouted out. But of course the chances of a third rate planet breeding a genius was laughable.
Now left alone with Alto she spoke. "Names Professor Marie Einstein and you are?"
Alto tried to smile but his body betrayed him and refused to. "Alto, just Alto." He responded.
She put her hands behind her back and walked around him, her eyes studying him closely. Alto felt very alienated as she did not beat the look of a normal person from the world he knew, just like officer Shirley she had that look that she did not see him and a human but unlike the officer who did not see a future in him she seemed to see a future.
"Alto Just Alto, would you like me to share a secret with you?" She asked in a cold voice.
Alto was unsure of how to reply, he had lost all confidence he had in himself and was now back to square one.
Professor Einstein spoke after a short while. "There is no way you can ever be a mech designer." Alto's eyes widened from shock as he thought he had just been rejected once again, the professor sensed this and she waved her hand dismissively and gave him a warming smile. "Don't take it the wrong way measel, I've got no interest in your rather unimpressive self. What I meant to say is that that damn old man lied to you. There's is no way I can make you a mech designer, not even in a hundred years.
"Surely your scores on engineering might've been great back at whatever ditch you crawled out from but it's no where near enough to even work a simple coding. You don't even look like you have the muscle to hold a wrench."
Hearing this Alto's eyes stated to water as he panicked. "No please wait, I can change. I can learn right, just give me anything please, I don't want to go back."
Professor Einstein looked down at him and rubbed her temples for a moment before saying. "I hear ya measel and I ain't turning you down. Walk with me let me tell you something." She started to walk down the walk shop with Alto following, at times he would have to dodge the arms and legs of damaged mechs and also screws and pieces of shrapnel.
Alto payed close attention to everything he said because his life clearly depended on it.
The professor could see that he had calmed down a bit, and because of this she continued. "Learning how to build mechs takes years of practice in a wide variety of fields and not to mention specialisations. Take for example you need to know physics, mechanics, thermodynamics, mathematics, modeling, 3d printing, aerodynamics and many others and each fields had to be mastered to some extent before you can even hope to understand how to work a mech. As well as coding and metallurgy, the officer that sent you here just gave you a little nudge, the best I can give you is a speciality to fix certain mech parts like arms or legs. Kinda like a mechanic, I know it's a downgrade but it's impossible to become a mech designer without studying your butt off. Had you initially aimed to be a designer from start then perhaps you would have had a basic foundation but as this are you're trash."
Alto did not say a word as he felt his heart sunk in further. The professor was a bit intrigued that he did not take it as an insult but instead chose to dwell on it despite everything being against him.
"Sure piloting mechs is cool and all but I believe it's more harder to build an efficient mech and keep it standing. From the minute details like basic coding to the complex structures and cooling system, we mech designers can't be lackluster with out designs now can we?"
Alto stopped and looked up at her with teary eyes and said. "I'll do anything you say, please don't send me back."
Out of the blue she burst out into laughter, her laugh a sweet melodic harmony. "Don't say it like that, I'm not really interested in kids."
Alto's face burned bright red as he cried in his defense. "That's not what I mean and you know it."
Professor Einstein smiled and held out a hand to him. "Whatever, measel welcome to the harsh side of the field of mechs."
Alto trembled as he shook her hands. "Please stop calling me that?"
"Have you seen a lady naked before?" Alto was unsure why she asked that question but it caused his face to burn even more. She had thrown him off with the out of the blue question, it made Alto wonder if that was her true personality and her validity as a mech designer.
Another question came to his mind.
"If she's a mech designer at such a young age, does that mean she's a genius?"