No subject

vaporised.

                

                "All right, good job, Ensign.  Now let's head back."

 

                I spotted a ZK-70 rifle and vibroblade on a fallen Regulus
nearby.  

 

"I can still fight."

 

"That's a negative, Gold.  You've done enough for today." McDermott's tone
left no room for argument.

 

". yes, sir."  I turned the Gale away from the fort and back toward the
Commonwealth's lines.

 

*****

 

                Despite no longer having our boosterpacks, Yamada and I
managed to make it back to friendly lines.  As I arrived back in the
Gallipoli's hangar, reports seemed to indicate our forces were securing the
area.  Yamada and I emerged from our cockpits and alighted on the hangar
floor at almost exactly the same time, Yamada already with his helmet off
and reaching for a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

 

                "Whew!  Now that was an experience I hope I won't repeat
anytime soon." Yamada said.

 

                "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

 

                "You wouldn't mind.  Going up.  Against that thing.  AGAIN?"

 

                "That's correct."

 

                "What's with you?  I know you're a supersoldier and all, but
have you got some kind of death wish or something?"

 

                "As a supersoldier, I am expected to be a part of the most
dangerous missions.  This is what I was born and trained for."

 

                "That doesn't mean you have to seem so excited about it."

 

                "I enjoyed being in real combat.  Even more than sims."  I
said matter-of-factly.  Why did they seem to expect me not to?  It didn't
even make any sense for a supersoldier not to enjoy the sensation of being
in battle.

 

                Yamada sighed.  "I'm gonna get something to eat.  You
coming?"

 

*****

 

                Khadija

 

                For a while, I just stared blankly at the scans of Athene's
organs.  My dear god, how could people do this to her?  I knew that in some
regions back on Earth, people used to practice female circumcision because
they believed that women should not be allowed to enjoy sex, but what they'd
done to the poor girl went beyond that.

 

                "They've completely removed her reproductive system."  I
said to Doctor Li.  "And they went and put in. this thing instead." I
indicated the strange organ in her lower abdomen.

 

                "I suspected when I saw the surgical scars on her abdomen
and groin area." Doctor Li said.  "The implanted organ has been made into
part of her adrenal system.  In all likelihood, it produces extra
adrenaline, enhancing her senses, reflexes, and so on.  The downside is that
she needs periodic adrenaline releases to prevent it from building up too
much.  If she remains inactive for too long, she may become mentally
unstable."

 

                "And the reproductive system was considered unnecessary,
right?  If they want more of her, the people who ran this fucking program
can just grow her genetic samples in a test tube!  No need to worry about
inconvenient things like parents or having a childhood for their damn human
weapons!  That extra adrenal organ's not even big enough that it was
necessary!  Was it just some control freak thing that meant they weren't
comfortable with their little project having any kind of sexuality?" God,
please forgive me for swearing.

 

                "There's another possible reason." Doctor Li said.  "In
Imperial China, eunuchs were assigned high positions in government because
it was believed that the elimination of sexual desire would make them
virtuous.  Perhaps whoever's doing this aims to create an advanced form of
humanity, and is thinking along similar lines.  The problem in China was
that the eunuchs found other vices to compensate for their lack of
sexuality.  And you know what they say about those who fail to learn from
history."

 

                Personally, I was not as concerned about the ultimate goal
as with the effect on the victim.  The ability and desire to reproduce was
one of the basic characteristics of not just humanity, but all life.  And
some sick human-being-in-biology-only had literally cut that out of the poor
girl in such an irrevocable way, just to make her a better tool for killing
people.

 

                I found the idea of fighting and killing abhorrent.  The
idea of someone having their biology altered, and not even being given a
choice about going through years of training, all to be a killing machine,
was so grotesque that it was hard to even comprehend.

 

*****

 

                Athene

 

                I was still giddy with excitement as I ate my meal and sat
through the after-action analysis session.  The Gundam's handling seemed
even smoother in real combat than it was in the sims, and just the three of
us had managed to destroy a Mobile Armor.  I felt that I was already proving
my worth as a supersoldier - with help from McDermott, Yamada, and Metis.  

 

If only Pallas and Ares were here, so that we could compare our
achievements, and argue about who had done the best, driving each other to
improve.

 

*****

 

                Sparta Base

                Three years ago.

 

                "Look at your time, Athene!  It shouldn't have taken you
that long to wipe out a squad from Silver Platoon." Pallas commented as I
emerged from the MA's cockpit.  Did every training exercise have to be a
competition to her?  Then again, that may have been what made going up
against her so exhilarating.  I was never in any doubt about her using her
full strength.

 

                "The purpose of the exercise was to help our juniors gain
experience facing a Mobile Armor.  Simply annihilating them right from the
beginning would be defeating the purpose."

 

                "In other words, you were holding back." Pallas replied.
"Against what we've learned about mercy having no place on the battlefield.
As for helping them learn, getting blown away should teach them what not to
do.  I'm starting to worry that your helping out the Silvers and Bronzes
might be at the expense of your own skills."     

 

                "Teamwork is also a skill." I retorted.  "And if you think
it's making me weak one-on-one, I'd be glad to put that to the test."

 

                "I'll be pleased to do that any time, 1F02." Pallas grinned
in anticipation.

 

                "We're scheduled for free training next period, 1F01." I
grinned back.  "As per the rules, I made the challenge, so you can pick the
form of combat."

 

                "Mobile suits, one on one."

 

                "Fine by me."

 

*****

 

                Victoria

 

                I sat on the couch, watching the footage from the Battle of
Sirenum on the monitor. My eyes drawn towards the white-and-green mobile
suit.

 

                "So the first supersoldier has been deployed in combat.
That's her unit?"

 

                "That's correct, young mistress." One of the aides said.

 

                "I would like to meet her."

 

                "Young mistress, it will take four weeks to reach Mars.  And
the military may not be happy with a civilian arranging to speak to her,
even the daughter of a family as high-ranking as yours."

 

                "Nevertheless, I would like to meet her.  I will handle
negotiations with the military.  Please make the other arrangements."

 

                "Yes, young mistress." 

 

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