[FFML] Mobile Suit Gundam Storm, ch. 12

[Andrew Dynon]

To those who didn't know its purpose, Spearhead appeared to be one just
another asteroid that had been converted into an industrial space station,
many of which were clustered in Earth's fourth and fifth Lagrange Points -
one of many lumps of rock with with artificial cuboid shapes jutting out of
it.  It was not named as such on any official maps, appearing to be simply
one of a cluster of Castella Industries-owned "islands", and officially
marked as simply "Facility S16".  Growing up, I had known the name Spearhead
as the place my siblings and I would launch our actions in the Earth Sphere
from.  Now, I knew it as the place where I would be reunited with them, and
save them from being used as tools by whoever was pulling our strings - or
fail, and end up being their tool as they no doubt intended.

 

The shuttle I rode in was just as sparse as its intended destination - I
suspected it was a not-so-converted prison transport, which was probably
appropriate.  My quarters contained a bunk with a blanket and thin mattress,
toilet and washing facilities, a cupboard with rations for the journey,
exercise equipment bolted to the walls, and a VR machine with combat sims
programmed in.  For the duration of the journey, the pilot did not speak to
me.

 

Finally, I felt the shuttle come to a halt, and the door to my quarters slid
open.  I walked down the corridor, towards the light coming from the main
door on the port side of the shuttle.  That swung open, revealing a young
man much like myself: The same athletic, well-muscled build, same black hair
- although mine had grown from the crew cut he still bore - and the same
steely, disciplined expression that I had come to know from our years of
training.  Apart from our gender, the only significant difference was that
his skin was lighter, bronze-colored compared to my deep brown.  As soon as
I stepped outside, he headed up the stairs towards me, and we embraced each
other.

 

"Welcome home, Athene."  Ares said, a rare warmth in his voice.

 

*****

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM STORM

 

A Fanfic by Andrew Dynon

Based on "Mobile Suit Gundam" by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yadate

 

Chapter 12: White Reflection

*****

 

ESCS Gallipoli

 

                "Let me see if I can summarize our situation, sir."  Shane
Yamada said - he tried to keep his chin up and appear lighthearted, but
uncertainty crept into his voice.  "We barely managed to hold off LunaPact's
attack on Moresby base.  In the course of that battle, all three of our
Gundams ended up getting pretty trashed.  Athene ended up killing her
friend, who seemed convinced that they'd been part of LunaPact forces.  We
don't know who it was that was really brainwashed - Athene, Pallas, or both
of them.  We have no idea who's pulling the strings or why, except that they
seemingly have contacts high up in the Commonwealth forces, and presumably
Lunapact too.  And, knowing that, Athene voluntarily went on that transfer
shuttle, knowing full well that they're probably going to try and brainwash
her again."

 

                "That about sums it up." Alan McDermott replied.

 

                "Is it just me, or is this whole war becoming all kinds of
fucked up?  More than wars usually are, I mean."  Shane asked.

 

                "I don't know.  I don't have any other wars to compare it
to.  And I hope that I make it out of this one in one piece, and then don't
get another to make that comparison."  

 

                Shane made an exaggerated sigh.  "So what do we do now,
sir?"

 

                "Well, from what I've heard, it seems that both sides are
gonna be licking their wounds for a bit.  Lunapact's failure to take Moresby
base means things have gotten more bogged down." McDermott pointed out.
"But even if there's no major ops for a while, the brass doesn't like
soldiers sitting and cooling their heels for too long.  We're gonna get sent
out eventually."

 

                "When our Gundams are fixed, presumably."

 

                "Yeah, about that." McDermott grinned.  "Well, I suppose
now's as good a time as any.  Follow me."

 

*****

 

Athene - Spearhead

 

                As we embraced, Ares and I stared into each other's faces
for the first time since I had departed Sparta Base, and his golden eyes had
the same hard-edged look that I remembered, the same one all of my siblings
bore as a result of our years of training.  But as he gazed back at me, he
seemed to notice something, involuntarily tilting his head back away from me
and loosening his grip.  Both of those were only by tiny amounts, but still
noticeable.

 

                "What is it, Ares?" I asked.

 

                "Athene. your eyes, your expression.  They're different than
they were when you left."  Ares' face darkened as he pointed it out.

 

                "I've experienced things on board the Gallipolli." I
started.

 

                "It's because of what they made you and Pallas do to each
other, isn't it?"  He asked.  I started to reply, but he cut me off.  "Don't
worry.  I'm going to make sure those responsible pay for that.  We'll talk
more soon.  I just need to take care of something first."  With that, he
glanced towards the shuttle pilot, a blonde woman who had alighted from the
cockpit to stretch after the long flight.  Instantly, I realised his intent.

 

                "Ares, no!"

 

                He hesitated, surprised at my objection.  "That woman now
knows the location of Spearhead.  She is a security risk."

 

                "And we're supposed to be soldiers.  If you're going to kill
in battle, that's fine.  Cold blooded murder isn't." I said.

 

                "I see no difference between this and shooting an unaware
enemy in the back.  You're prioritising her over our siblings."

 

                I simply held his gaze, not dignifying Ares' statement with
a response.  After several seconds, he sighed.

 

                "This time." He said.  "Because I'm glad you're back, and I
want you to feel the same way.  Now follow me."  He headed out of the
shuttle bay through a pair of heavy metal sliding doors at the end, briefly
looking back to glare at the pilot.

 

                An ordinary person would have been shocked at what Ares had
wanted to do, but I could feel no surprise or outrage.  For supersoldiers
like us, Ares' actions were normal.  My self from mere months ago would have
been far more shocked that I had told Ares to stop - and if ordered, she
would have killed the pilot herself without batting an eyelid.  The fact
that I wasn't like that anymore was a surprise to him, and an unpleasant
one.

 

                "Are the rest of our siblings here yet?"  I asked.

 

                "They're still in transit from Sparta base." Ares replied.
"We're going to be the only supersoldiers here for a while.  But we'll be
enough to handle the early stages of our operations.  For now, though,
there's someone I'd like to introduce you to."

 

                "Who?"

 

                "The owner of Stella Verde bioprojects, Ms. Gabriella Wang."
Ares told me.  "The one who created the biotechnology used in the Forge's
Enhanced Humans.  So, really, you can think of her as our mother."

 

*****

 

Sea of Tranquility, Luna

 

Gabriella Wang watched as one of several private space tranports she owned
took off from the Aldrin spacefield. She was a woman of Chinese and Latina
descent, of average height, who appeared to be in her early thirties.  A
casual scan of her records would reveal her actual age to be over sixty, but
her company was known, among other things, as the developer of a successful
anti-aging procedure, so few people would be surprised at the fact, even if
fewer still could afford such a procedure.

 

In fact, most of human-colonised space could be seen as a testament to her
company, Stella Verde.  Billions in the colonies, Luna and Mars depended on
genetically-engineered crops and livestock to keep themselves fed, and
copyrights on the gene-sequencing ensured that handsome profits would keep
flowing back to the company.  It would have been tempting, she supposed, to
just leave it at that - to rest on her laurels, assured of massive wealth
and a virtually unlimited number of years with which to enjoy it, but she
had never found pleasure in being idle.  Fulfilment, for her, came from
being driven to achieve something.       

 

Decades ago, she had come to the conclusion that humanity, in its current
state, was reaching its limits.  The human race was had been expanding into
space for close to a century, now, and yet the only thing about it that grew
was its numbers.  Nations still engaged in their petty fights over resources
or ideologies, and when the populace was not fighting, they were content to
indulge themselves in pointless sporting contests and the latest music and
movies.  It was high time for humanity to get a kick in its collective pants
to make it start moving, and she was the one to give it to them.

 

She thought of it as a gift - sure, their rear ends would be hurting for a
while, but the time would come when they would look back and thank her for
getting them motivated.  Now, it was time for the kicking to begin in
earnest.

 

*****

 

Athene - Spearhead

 

"Athene, how wonderful it is to see you." The face of Gabriella Wang
appeared on the screen - despite how little experience I had with
non-military society, I recognised the plushness of the chair she was
sitting on and the rich colours of the painting I could see in the
background as signs of wealth, in contrast to the sparse communications room
at Spearhead with its simple plastic chairs that Ares and I were seated on.
The woman had a refined air similar to the one I had seen in Victoria
Castella.  I wasn't sure whether it was simply the mood I was in or some
subtle difference I had noticed but couldn't find words for, though, but in
contrast to my meeting with Victoria, Wang's presence put me on edge.
"You've never met me, but I know you intimately.  I oversaw every step of
your genetic development, your fertilisation, your training, and I've
watched you in combat with the same interest.  What I saw confirmed my
assessment that, alongside Ares, you are the pinnacle of our program."

 

When I departed, hearing something like that would have made me feel glad
and fulfilled.  Now, they just made the hollow feeling I had inside worse,
and the question that had been weighing on my mind since I set off for here,

 

"What about Pallas?  You sent her to fight too!  You made us fight each
other!  If you're so proud of us, how come you arranged it so that we'd
fight each other the way we did?"

 

Gabriella hung her head, and her voice sounded strained.  "I cannot
apologise enough for what happened to Pallas.  However, I explained the
situation to Ares when the situation occurred.  Since you were so close, it
would be better if you heard it from him."

 

"Ms. Wang is a member of an organisation called Forge."  Ares said.
"Forge's goals are to help humanity develop to its potential, and ensure its
future.  In order to do so, high level members of the government and
military, from both the Commonwealth and Lunapact, needed to be brought into
the fold.  Unfortunately, some of those people think only about their own
power and profit, and don't care for Forge's ultimate goals.  In order to
secure their support, Forge needed to show results, and that's what you were
assigned for.  Mother said she was very distressed knowing the fate that
awaited one of you, but says it just goes to show the lack of vision some of
the partners have.  She promised that when the time comes, people like them
will be purged, and that you and me would be the ones to do it, as revenge
for Pallas."

 

"Really?  That's what this is all about?" I asked, unconvinced.

 

"I promise you, Athene, before long, it won't be normal humans like me that
are in charge of human space.  It will be people like you, Ares, and
Victoria Castella that are the future." Gabriella Wang said.  "And there's
another thing.  I know you're hurting over Pallas, but if you think about
it, she wouldn't have regretted what happened.  Part of being a supersoldier
like you or her is having a need to fight.  I'm sure you've felt it, the
fulfilment, the sense of purpose that comes when you're in battle.  I can
assure you she died with no regrets."

 

"That's all for now.  I promise to speak with you again soon."  She smiled,
and the video feed closed.

 

Wang's voice sounded convincing, but I didn't feel the same certainty.  In
those last seconds before Pallas died, I thought I had felt a wave of
sadness and regret wash over me.

 

*****

 

Moresby Base - Hangar #3A

 

                While Moresby Base's hangar #3 was a typical large military
hangar, easily fitting up to thirty mobile suits, the adjunct known as 3A
was far smaller, with the security checks being much more thorough.  It was
here that prototype mobile suits were housed when they were stored at the
base - which, presently, meant the Gallipolli's three Gundams - or what
remained of them after their most recent battle.  Now, all the remaining
weapons systems and armor had been stripped from them, leaving their bare
frames visible.

 

                "Not much to look at right now, are they, ensign?" McDermott
asked.

 

                "No, sir.  But even with the damage we took, the parts could
have been replaced.  It wouldn't have been necessary to strip them
completely like this, unless." Shane's eyes widened.  "They're reconfiguring
the whole MS!"

 

                McDermott smiled, and gestured towards a console.  "As
pilot, you're permitted to look over it.  Tell me what you think."

 

                As he looked over the blueprints, Shane couldn't help but
gasp in excitement.  "GD02-Beta Thunder Gundam. oh, man, this looks sweet.
They've reconfigured the thruster pack to give even better boost, and added
more verniers as well, so improve mobility.  A pair of linked-fire beam
cannons that can be handheld, or mounted on either the forearms or
shoulders, and then take a look at these things - Beam Saber XL."

 

                He pointed and opened up his palm, and the schematics of the
Beam Saber XL appeared in a holo-window.  The hilt was actually structured
more like a tonfa, with a small handle jutting out from a battery unit
around the same length and thickness as the Gundam's forearm.  The
schematics showed that the blade generated would be twice the output, and
2.5 to 3 times the length, of a regular saber.

 

                "And that's when they're separate." Shane added.  "Connect
them together, and you get a blade that looks like it could go toe-to-toe
with most mobile armors, no problem."

 

                "So I take it you're pleased with it, then, Yamada?"
McDermott asked

 

                "You could say that." Shane replied.  "What are you getting,
sir?"

 

                "GD02-Gamma Wildfire Gundam.  This one's pretty impressive,
too."  McDermott said.  "They're replacing the Gatling from the Flame Gundam
with paired rapid-fire railguns - they're lighter, and pack one hell of a
punch.  There's an expanded thruster suite that helps with the speed and
balance, and they've managed to fit more missile packs on, too."

 

                "So, what are they gonna do with Athene's Gundam?" Shane
asked.  "Well, what's left of it, anyway."

 

                "We were just about to get to that." The hangar's head
technician said.  "Our orders are to remove the AI core and send it back to
Castella Industries.  The body is gonna be disassembled, and probably used
as spare parts for you guys.  We'd better get started on - huh?"  

 

                The tech had taken out his Communit as he was speaking, and
for a few seconds stared quizzically at the screen.  He then activated the
Communit's call function.

 

                "Sir, I've just received some orders concerning the Gale,
they're not what I was originally told.  Could you check and confirm. are
you sure of that, sir? . Why would- uh, yes, roger that, sir!"

 

                He turned back to them, confused.

 

                "Change of orders.  The AI core is to remain as part of the
Gale Gundam, which will be repaired and included as part of the Gallipolli's
MS forces.  At present, no pilot has been assigned.  Well, why that's
happening is beyond me, but what the brass says goes, I guess."

 

*****

 

Athene - Spearhead

 

After our conversation with Gabriella Wang, Ares had suggested we spar with
each other, a proposal I enthusiastically accepted.  We changed into
training gear (black singlets, combat pants and boots) and headed to the
exercise area, where we took guard, circling each other just out of range of
a lunging strike.  I enjoyed the tension I felt in my body, and it had been
so long now since I'd had a decent sparring match against anyone - him,
Pallas, any of my other siblings.  I was sure Ares felt the same
anticipation.  Before we could let loose, though, I needed to ask him
something.

 

"Ares, how long ago did Gabriella Wang introduce herself to you?"

 

"The day after you and Pallas left.  Why?"

 

"What did she say to you?"

 

"She told me that they'd been monitoring my progress, and I was the best
suited to be part of Forge's vision of the future.  Of course, you and
Pallas were strong candidates as well." A slight smile appeared on Ares'
face - he was evidently pleased to be told that.

 

"This whole future she told you about, with her new breed of humanity ruling
over the old."  I said, sceptically.  "Is that really something we should be
trying for?"

 

"Athene, the way I remember you, you'd never ask such a thing."  Ares
sounded genuinely shocked.

 

"That was before I left." I replied.  "My time on active duty. I've learned
things, I've evolved as a person."

 

"There was no need for you to do that."  Ares replied.  "You were a perfect
soldier before you left.  That's all you ever need to be.  I'm happy with
you being that way."

 

"I value what I learned out there."  I said, my voice hardening.

 

"There's nothing of value to be learned from ordinary humans."  Ares
replied.  "Gabriella taught me - throughout history, humans have always
hated people who were different from them.  They lack the capacity to
recognise our value, and will always seek to possess us, to make us fight
and die on their behalf, like they did to Pallas.  Above all else, that is
the reason why we must become their masters: Because if we do not, they will
make us their slaves."

 

With lightning speed, he stepped forward with his left foot, his left fist
shooting toward the point of my chin.

 

*****

 

Moresby Base - Hangar 3A

 

                Unnoticed by any of the technicians that swarmed over the
Gale Gundam's body, a stream of invisible electronic pulses formed a message
within the AI core.

 

                < Metis, are you there? >

 

                Affirmative.  Still at Moresby Base, Hangar 3A.

 

                < I've used my contacts to help make sure you remain on
board the Gallipoli.  I promise I'll do all in my power to help make sure
you reunite with Athene. >

 

                Thank you, Miss Victoria.  I appreciate your efforts on our
behalf.  

 

                < No need to thank me.  This is for all our sakes, after
all.>

 

                With the tech team none the wiser, the transmission ended.

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.chez-vrolet.net/pipermail/ffml/attachments/20121108/efa06217/attachment.html>