You know how when you shine a laser at a helicopter the cockpit blares with alarms because it thinks a missile is locking on? Turns out they don’t take the implants out of mech pilots that function similarly once they’re discharged. Shine a laser at your mech pilot gf and watch her freak the fuck out.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay, babe? It’ll be loud.”
I tapped my ears, full of the special prescription-grade earplugs the post-deployment med folks had issued me. “I’ll be fine, dear,” I said, my voice distorted in my own head. “Besides, I’m used to loud.”