Our Pacific Rim Sequel? Drift Compatible Authors
Here at Quirk, we loved Pacific Rim. How could giant machines fighting giant monsters not be exciting? But it was also smart and had a lot of heart. It was an unusual summer blockbuster in that it performed moderately well in the United States, but did exceptional in the international market, which makes a sequel possible. Here’s our idea for a Pacific Rim sequel, with a literary twist.
We won the Kaiju War, but needed to make sure we were ready to cancel the apocalypse. Again. We brought the Jaegers back and built them bigger and stronger, but needed new heroes to pilot them. We found these new Rangers in the stories that helped us dream of such a creation: we found them in our favorite authors. Here are some of the newest Jaegers in the fleet, piloted by authors who’d do well in the Drift.
Jaeger Designation: Difference Engine
Piloted by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
Gibson and Sterling have long been at the forefront of imagining world’s where humans are plugged into machines, so it is no surprise that they would be drift-compatible, deftly controlling a machine themselves. They teamed up on the steampunk alternate-history The Difference Engine, but their Mark-I Jaeger has no steampunk flourishes. When this heavily-armored Jaeger is in combat, it makes all the difference.
Jaeger Designation: Slay Bells
Piloted by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark
The team of The Higgins Clark are two of the most drift-compatible pilots because of their strong mother-daughter bond, the longest connection out of all the Jaeger pilots. Because of this deep link, they have been known to drift longer than any other team. Mary and Carol usually team-up on lighthearted Christmas novels, but when they join together in their Mark-II Jaeger, they only deliver pain.
Jaeger Designation: Anathema Device
Piloted by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Piloted by the authors of Good Omens, this machine boasts the best advanced warning system and radar of all the Jaegers. This Mark-III Jaeger lacks the tougher armor seen on other units, but thanks to its prophetic-like warning system and agility, the Anathema Device can avoid a blow before it happens, setting up a devastating counter-attack.
Jaeger Designation: Infinite Will
Piloted by John Green, David Levithan, and Rachel Cohn
Having teamed up with John Green on Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Rachel Cohn for Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, David Levithan can easily drift with both, facilitating the neural connection between the other two pilots. This Mark-IV Jaeger is unique in that it is operated by three pilots, utilizing the extra pilot to control artillery launched from the winged back.
Jaeger Designation: Speedy Parker
Piloted by Stephen King and Peter Straub
The authors of The Talisman wrote of parallel worlds where the lives of you and your “twinner” mirror each other. You are born together and you die together, but not always. Some people survive despite the death of their parallel half in the other world. Named after a character from their creation, this Mark-V Jaeger is the only one capable of being piloted by one person thanks to advancements in neural technology, reflecting the nature of mirrored lives from the novel.
