The flight on the Whaleking had been uneventful, with Att ain the zoid hanagar with the Team Silverhammer Gustav, and Mark in the passenger section. Once they arrived at Athenian port, Team Silverhammer had disembarked.
Mark got into the Gustav, and iwht Atta in tow, had headed towards the AIZDAT main research facility. The MArine Royal had sparked the decision to contact AIZDAT and reveal Atta's condition and if they would be willing to help Atta out to pilot another zoid or modify him for aquatic use, maybe in exhcange for studying Atta. The response had been yes, and to visit them.

Initially, Atta was very excited about going there.
"Mark, this would be great. I am sure AIZDAT can help." "I wonder wha tthey will do." "If they can produce others like me that migth be great."
Of course, Atta continued ot compute what coudl happen and eventually it turned darker.
"MArk, you sure tey will help me?" "Will they be alright with a sentient zoid? " "You sure they will not mess with my programming?"

MArk was finally relieved when Team Silverhammer finally reached the AIZDAT facility. He called the number he had been told to, and said,
"This is Mark Zwei. I was told to call this number? Yes, I have arrived. Atta is with me."

"Yes, Mr. Zwei. The gate guards will have been alerted to your business here; they will escort you and the Liger into and about the complex." The secretary's voice was clipped and businesslike.

MArk responded. "Thank you."
Mark brought the Gustav over to the gate . There, the guards did escort Mark and Atta in the complex. Atta did have some worries about what could happen to him, but one of main functions was that most o fht etime MArk knew what he was doing.

The guards called Mark to a halt at the testing grounds. A row of hangars lined an open field the size of most zoid battlefields. Two men stood on the field; Dr. Karl Riever, Provost of the Institute, and Charlie Galil, one of the test pilots in the Institute. Riever was a middle-aged man with wild salt-and-pepper hair and a full black beard. Charlie was a woman in her late twenties with a stern and disapproving look on her face.
"I'd like to see Atta, please." Riever looked at the magna platform with eager anticipation.

MArk halted the Gustav.
"Sure. Atta is the Shield Liger. Atta go on out. I'm getting otu of the Gustav now."
Mark gets out of the Gustav and waits for Atta.

Atta rises from the towing platform on the Gustav and also raises the cockpit to show no one is in there, then moves towards the two men in the field, stopping about 10 meters in front fo them and waiting. The head is lowered to show no one in cokpit before it raises again. Then Atta does a Liger's growl and goes still.

"What zoid can't do that?" Charlie snorted. "We need proof that it's sentient."
"Yes," Riever agreed. "We're not going to divert our resources without some sort of Turing Test."

Atta turns to look at Mark, then Mark;s communciator flares to life. "You did not mention Turing Test."
Mark sighed and repleid. "Sorry Atta, I did realize that, but think best to just tak the test."
Mark then turns to the 2 scientists, "Turing test, that makes sense. Do one of you want to get into Atta and get answers from his console?

"I assume the zoid can speak?"

Mark sighed.
"That was Atta, or his simulated voice. He can also use the external speakers for voice, although normally use the communicators. You can use external speakers, right Atta?"
The communicator came agian, "It's okay?"
"Yes MArk, its okay."

Attas head did a brief nod, a habit he had picked up from the Walsches and Mark.
The external speakers came to life, and the artifical voice came throuugh,
"I can speak usign the spearkers although I usually use radio to communicate. Steve Walsch suggested that speaekrs were not ht best idea.

"He forgot to mention that it was a moot point around people who already knew your nature," Riever replied. "So, where are you from?"
The Turing Test had begun.

Atta was a bit skeptical, "If you know what I am, why the testing then? As for where I am from, what do you mean? I was a zoid of the Team Frosty Hell, winners of the Royal Cup before Tema Cloud did. I was produced at a factory which I do not know the name of. Unsure of when exactly gaiend sentience. As for ow, not so sure. Seems it jsut occured one day. "

"About how many days ago did it occur? You're a machine, you should remember this sort of stuff."

"Well, at around NC 65 I was released into wild, which of course means that my memory is not that great. I was found by Steve Walsch in NC 78. He has told me I was like a ten year old at the time. So would say it occured quite some time ago. So around twenty-three or so years ago."

"What do you think of humans?"

"What I think of humans? What do you mean? I like Mark Zwei, Steve Walsch as well. Well, you humans are interesting, although some of you I totally dislike, like that murderor I heard about, but some are great."

"Hrm." Riever looked to Charlie, who shrugged. "Alright. Shut down and we'll have a look at you."

Atta hesitated before replying. "I will shut down although I ask that Mark observes what happens. I would feel safer."

Mark was relieved by Atta's question. He was willing to watch. When Atta Shut down, he was leaving himself vunerable.

With the zoid shut down, it was a simple matter to duplicate his computer core onto a Gamma Unit and transplant the original brain into a stationary computer.

When Atta came to, he didn't know the difference. But Mark would be able to switch him into just about any zoid body.

Before Leaving, MArk asked the scientists, "Okay, how exactly do I transfer Atta? And have you gotten what you wanted?"

Riever nodded. "You simply unplug it and plug it into the other zoid like any other modification. I believe you pilots are proficient enough to do that." He paused a moment. "And yes, I believe we got what we needed . . ."

Mark nodded. "Thanks for everything. And good luck with whatever we helped you with."
That said, Mark loads up Atta and heads back to te Port to head back home.