VS-01 (meta)

Have I ever given you the full story of what happened to the Joneses' predecessors?

You have not given me the full story of their predecessors and I have been meaning to ask (especially after hearing they were happy and liked guest-starring on TV shows).

The deets on the Sydney's first VS pilots:

## Early Days

Lachlan Riley and Jason Egan graduate in the Summer 2016 Academy class. (They're in that class in ANSK, too, but with the Lins and the Joneses in the running for Ranger-ships and so many fewer Jaegers available in that world, they're relegated to the reserve list. Eventually, Lachlan's groomed for Fightmaster and Jason becomes a LOCCENT tech.

They don't know each other coming in and are identified as potential Drift partners based on their scores from Drift Science. The pass everything thrown at them and are assigned to the first VS to roll off the assembly line.

They're plain-looking, personable, outgoing, real charmers. Riley's popular and willing with the Jaeger Flies. Egan's a habitual flirt, but tends to leave matters there.

Everything's unremarkable until late December 2021 or early January 2022, when it's time to sign new contracts.

## Resigning

Egan's got no problem with it.

Riley, though, is ready to move on to other things. He tells Personnel he's not re-upping his enlistment. Yes, he's sure. He's done. He's out. So long and thanks for all the fish.

The PTBs are disturbed. Like Cameryn told Jamie, it's nearly impossible to find pilots for the VS series and Riley might've been the best of them. They can't afford to lose this guy. So they offer money, benefits, more time off, etc, but he's having none of it.

So, they move on to 'enhanced retention techniques' and threaten his family.

He calls their bluff.

His sister, Lennon Riley winds up in hospital after an 'accident.'

He gets the hint and signs, but is, understandably, emotionally compromised. This is all his fault and what the hell has he spent the last six years of his life supporting and promoting?!

Riley tells Egan and the Shatterdome psychologist about what happened to his sister (and why) and his emotional state.

Egan believes him and starts questioning his own decision to throw in with these monsters.

The psychologist flags Riley Code Violet because of the depression and as 'delusional' because of the 'conspiracy theory' he clearly believes about his sister's accident.

Living with Riley and continuing to Drift with him starts taking a toll on Egan's mental health. He reports increasing depression to the Shatterdome psychologist and is also flagged Code Violet.

They both lose their sparkle and start getting sick and withdrawing into themselves.

## The End

It all falls apart in March 2022.

Riley comes to the conclusion that his family will only be safe from the PPDC if the PPDC has no reason to care about them. He decides to commit suicide to render them useless to the PTBs. He steals a boxcutter from the Quartermaster's and kills himself in the hangar (where he hopes the distance from Jason will lessen the effect on their Ghost Drift). Pietr finds his body shortly afterward. >link to meta<

Egan and Riley were of that highly compatible type that develops a strong, permanent Ghost Drift. Riley's distress and death causes Egan to collapse. He's rushed to Medical unconscious.

The PTBs are in a tizzy. They didn't see this coming.

As a traumatized, singleton pilot Egan's pretty much useless to the PTBs, but he certainly knows about what happened to Lennon and that makes him a threat.

So, the PTBs arrange for him to be placed in a medically-induced coma while they work out what to do with him next. He's still in this state when the Joneses arrive in Sydney (hence Andrea's concern about him).

I assume Egan was alone.  How long before people thought to check on him?

Andrea heard what happened to Lachlan and ran to check on Jason. Due to how isolated Rangers' quarters are, they were alone for 30-45 minutes or so before someone else thought to check up on him. Most people were busy freaking out about a dead Ranger in the hangar.

## Lennon

Lennon wasn't worth anything to them as a Ranger. She wouldn't pass the intellectual aptitude tests for Rangers. A nice girl, but not the exceptional sort that makes the grade and the PTBs were aware of that before using her as a pawn. (Sort of like how they wouldn't try putting Derek in a Conn-pod with either of his brothers even though he's likely Compatible with at least Jackson because the anxiety makes him a really, really bad bet in combat.)

* do "intellectual aptitude tests" still apply given Rangers in this 'verse don't have to be as smart as in ANSK?