The Shooting Star He Saw
"What is the difference between intelligence and artificial intelligence? If a man and a computer follow the same thought process and arrive at the same conclusion, is one more right, more real than the other? Can we equate intelligence with consciousness, and can we equate consciousness with a soul? If so, then is it possible that any machine possessing AI-a mobile suit, for example-may have judgments, values, fears, dreams, hopes? And what might the soul of something designed only to destroy look like?"
-Dr. Susan Asimov
It is the year After Colony 203, late spring in the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. The world is in a relative state of peace, as it has been for the past seven years. Expansion and development has continued at a steady rate in the colonies, and the large number of jobs available has caused an economic boom, although many resent the fortunes being amassed by corporate CEOs. A terraforming project is taking place on Mars, and the government plans to send the first group of settlers within a few years. Mobile suits are still present, but as a force of labor only. Weaponry is placed only in the hands of law enforcement and the very few, very closely monitored militias.
Throughout the planet and colonies, election season is rapidly approaching. In November, one of the largest scale elections the world has ever known will commence. Top runner for President is Foreign Minister Relena Dorlian, who, although still a young woman of twenty-three, has received steady support from both the Earth and the colonies since her appointment eight years ago. With a platform promising economic reform, increased funding to education and health services, and full support for the Mars project, lobbyists and lawmakers are already planning how best to work with the former Princess of Sanc and Queen of Earth.
The summer looks to be one of promise. Every night shooting stars fall to Earth like blessings from God himself.
Blessings, and omens.
"Miss Relena! Miss Relena!" the little blond girl cried as she ran towards the stately woman in the business suit. Smiling, Relena dropped to one knee to accept the child's embrace, very aware of the flashing lights around her as the press captured this tender moment for all the world to see. She could imagine the headlines now: New York For Dorlian.
There were a lot of hassles about being on the campaign trail, but greeting her supporters was one Relena never tired of. Unlike some of the other candidates, there was nothing fake about her smiles or waves; she was truly happy to be out and about amongst the people. After all, it was a lot better than being cooped up in meetings or watching yet another smear ad against her opponents and grudgingly endorsing it. She had to admit, there was a personal satisfaction in hearing people chanting "Dor-lian! Dor-lian!", but Relena never forgot that being president meant helping these people. Stops like this were chances to put some names and faces, even if only a handful, to the mass of citizens she would be required to serve.
The child in her arms pulled back and looked at Relena with wide brown eyes. "Are you gonna be the president, Miss Relena?" she asked with a note of wonder in her voice. Although some of the minister's advisors tried to discourage the casual form of address, Relena herself preferred it to "Minister Dorlian" or "Candidate Dorlian."
Laughing, she ruffled the girl's hair. "We'll find out in November, won't we?" she remarked, then allowed the girl's parents to take her back.
Standing up straight, the minister smoothed down her maroon Armani suit and made sure her matching ribbon was still straight, not a single strand of sandy blond hair untucked. Appearance assured, she continued moving through the crowd, shaking hands and thanking the people for their words of encouragement.
At the end of what passed for a path, her private limo was parked, and a young man with messy brown hair was waiting silently, his blue eyes giving her a rather annoyed look. Relena gave him an apologetic smile. They should have gotten going fifteen minutes ago, but she couldn't just ignore the crowd that had gathered outside the NYU student center. Not when some of them had come all the way down from Canada to see her, as one old man had informed her.
Finally, she reached the door of the limo, then turned around and gave everyone a dazzling smile and a wave. "Thank you all so much for your continued support. This...all of this...couldn't be done without you. Can't be done without you. Please vote in November everyone, and I promise, I will do everything I can to help each and every one of you!"
Not the greatest of speeches, but it was sincere enough to make the crowd erupt in applause, a sound that could still be heard thundering outside as she climbed into the limo.
Once she was inside, the blue-eyed man joined her and removed his suit coat, revealing a white button-down shirt underneath and a gun in a shoulder holster by his left arm. He removed it for a moment, putting the safety back on, then replaced it to the holster.
"You have to be more careful in these crowds, Relena. Don't get separated from me again," he said, his voice a low grumble as his eyes gazed out the window, not focusing on the woman at his side.
Relena rolled her eyes. "Heero, Mr. Wyler makes sure the place is secure before I ever step foot anywhere. Nothing's going to happen to me." A small grin crossed her face. "You wouldn't let it," she added, leaning her head on his shoulder.
He stiffened, and didn't look back. Relena sighed and sat up straight. Things had been rough between them for a while now. Ever since she'd accepted candidacy for president, she'd been working almost nonstop. Of course as her bodyguard, Heero was with her most of the time, but they hadn't had a moments peace to themselves almost two years. And a few months ago, they'd stopped sleeping together entirely.
Oh they loved each other still, that was true. But as Relena had told him, she wasn't in a position to dedicate herself to him entirely. The needs of the people came first, would always come first. Heero accepted and respected that, but still...
They were never going to be a normal couple. That had been the beauty of it, originally. But people change as they grow up. Relena was a woman now, stronger than ever, more devoted than ever to the good of the people and with fewer concerns for her own happiness than she'd ever possessed.
But Heero was essentially the same. Perhaps a bit more haunted by his past, now that he'd had years to consider his actions during the war. As peace descended on the world, he, like many people who'd known nothing but fighting, had struggled to find himself and his purpose in life in a world without soldiers. After the Mariemaia incident, he'd spent several months alone, traveling and trying to evaluate his next moves. What did he want from life? What good could he still do in the world?
He didn't know. Nothing made sense. Indeed, there was only one thing that had ever made sense to him outside of the battlefield, and that was the pretty, slightly annoying, completely determined girl he'd met that day so long ago on the beach. So he came back to her and dedicated his life to her, and finally allowed himself the love that had been beckoning him since their first meeting.
But people change.
Both of them knew in the deep recesses of their hearts and minds that a breakup was coming. But while Heero was slowly trying to figure out how to cope with the forthcoming loss, Relena had been wracking her brain to find a way to save things without compromising the campaign. A vacation was out of the question. Engagement even more so. She had suggested some time apart when things started getting bad, but Heero refused to trust her safety to anyone else. He had been her bodyguard longer than anyone, and was loathe to another man (or woman) take the job.
Not a single word passed between them during the limo ride. JFK was approaching rapidly. There they would board a plane to LA, where Relena had a meeting regarding her new health plan, as well as a few with other heads of state regarding the current state of affairs in ESUN. Her campaign manager, a man named Richard Wyler, also suggested touring UCLA and the docks at Long Beach for more promotional meetings. All in all, the trip would probably be three days.
She thought a moment. Three days. Likely the meetings wouldn't go too late tomorrow, and Wyler would probably want to wait until the next day to take any tours. That gave her tomorrow night relatively free.
Relena looked over at her bodyguard. "Hey, Heero?"
"Yeah?"
She folding her hands in her lap, suddenly feeling nervous. For God's sake, Relena! You've know this man since you were fifteen! He's been your boyfriend-sort of-for almost eight years! Don't choke about asking him out now!
"Tomorrow night, after the meeting...could we have dinner somewhere? Just the two of us?" she asked.
"I was thinking we could go to that place in Manhattan Beach, maybe have a glass of wine and watch the sunset..."
Heero looked at her and blinked, surprised at the suggestion. Even when Relena did have spare time, she usually wanted to just rest a while, not go out like any normal woman of her age. Looking at her now, behind the professional facade and political smiles, he could almost see the same silly, kind girl he'd met all those years ago. She'd been a bit hesitant to ask him out then, but had eventually summoned her courage to do so, and remained persistent until she got what passed for a yes.
A small smile crossed his face. "Yeah, that'd be nice," he said, thinking back to those days with surprising lightheartedness.
Relena returned the smile, then reached over to grab his hand and give it a strong squeeze. He squeezed back.
Once upon a time, a fresh-faced nineteen-year-old named Mian Rollis had been a soldier under OZ. He never got very far in the ranks; just another pilot in the special forces. He was partial to Aries suits, and from the time OZ separated itself from the Alliance until the end of the war, he'd piloted the same one in about a dozen battles, until he was finally forced to make an emergency ejection during the last months of the war. He managed to walk away in one piece, but the beloved Aries that had served him so well was destroyed.
Life goes on.
Mian returned to Earth and decided to attend the university, funded by one of Relena Dorlian's laws that provided scholarships to anyone who fought during the war, regardless of whose side they were one. He attended UC-Berkeley, where he studied software engineering and met the girl who would become his wife three years later.
Now a father of two, Mian was taking the family keeshond, Mitzi, for a walk around the Orange County neighborhood where the Rollises had settled down. The sun had just about set, but the community was gated. Mian wasn't one to worry about his safety, not anymore.
As he was turning back onto the street, a light streaked across the sky. Shooting star, make a wish! he told himself wryly, then wished that his two-year-old would get over her ear infection.
But instead of burning up into the growing blackness, the light was drawing closer and closer. "What the fuck...?" he murmured. There was a sound like thunder, and the falling object smashed into an alleyway.
Suddenly, Mitzi began to bark and pull at the leash. Her ears pressed back against her skull, and she began to growl at the alley where the light had disappeared.
Mian tried to pull her back. "Shush girl, relax!" he ordered irritably. But the truth was, his own heart was beating as hard as the tugs on the leash. Something was back there, and he could feel a force-either in his mind or his heart-that called to him. Whatever it was back there, he had to see it.
Like a man in a trance, Mian began to walk slowly towards the alley. His hand relaxed, and Mitzi finally pulled free, racing ahead of him to peer into the alley. But whatever she saw their instantly quieted her. Whimpering, she tucked her tail between her legs and backed away, hesitating a few moments before turning and taking off down the street in a full loping run. Mian barely noticed as he moved in front of the alley.
"Hello, Mian," a feminine voice remarked. The light in the alley was so blinding, he could barely see the speaker.
"Who's there?" he asked.
The light dimmed and approached. He could see now it was a glowing woman, her features indiscernible, her body clearly naked. The only dark spot was on her forehead, a V with slightly curled ends. The symbol for Aries.
Mian felt heat consume his body, and all of a sudden he was back on the battlefield, piloting his mobile suit and cutting down any his commanders told him were enemies. And all the while, he could see the glowing woman.
"I've come back to you, Mian. Now, give me your Star Seed, so that we may return to the battlefield together!" she cried, reaching out to him.
"No..." the man murmured, suddenly aware that it was already too late.
The woman's hand brushed his cheek, and his body instantly dissolved into glowing dust, leaving only a small jewel floating where his heart would have been. This the woman grasped, and pressed against the mark on her forehead. The jewel slipped through what passed for the skin of her forehead until it was entirely gone from view.
A change instantly overtook her. The glow faded instantly, giving her a much more solid, human appearance. Relatively human, at least. The fluffy blue-gray pigtails on either side of her head made her look like she belonged at a punk show, and her eyes were a brighter shade of blue a that seemed to glow in the dark of the alley. Her outfit looked like some sort of halloween costume: a steel blue crop-top with a silver-striped sailor's collar, navy bow and silver star-shaped brooch in the center of her chest, and sleeves consisting of three tiers of transparent silver material that looked like shoulder guards, a double layer of scandalously short steel blue and navy skirts belted by a navy sash tied in a bow on her back, navy ankle boots, and short blue gloves with silver bands that reached her wrist. The mark on her forehead was covered by a navy tiara with an aquamarine in the center, and her earlobes were adorned with matching gems.
The woman brushed herself off and assessed her new body, clearly finding it to her liking. Touching one of her earrings, she stepped out of the alley and began to walk down the street as though she had every reason for being there. Her earring began to glow, taking on the resemblance of a Bluetooth earpiece.
"This is Sailor Aries 0236, reporting for duty," she said to seemingly no one, but as soon as she did the muffled sounds of voices began to emit from the earring.
Taurus was quiet a moment. "Affirmative. I'll proceed to the rendezvous point. Expect me in approximately six hours."
The earring went dark, and she walked off into the night.
Relena's private jet landed at LAX around midnight. She'd slept most of the way, leaving Heero to stare out the window for entertainment. As they approached the city, it grew harder and harder to see the stars, but just as they were about to touch down, he saw a white like streaking across the sky towards the ocean.
"A shooting star..." he murmured, then looked over and began to shake Relena awake for the landing.
Captain Chang Wufei's life had not been easy as of late. If he wasn't dealing with workers protests or internal politics regarding Commander Une's forthcoming retirement, he was listening to other officers bitch about why he and Sally weren't using their connections with Relena Dorlian to get more funding for the department. Wufei actually saw no financial problems with the Preventers, at least nothing requiring immediate attention. Mostly it was just the people on the street beat whining about having to pay their own travel expenses.
So he wasn't really surprised with Commander Une called him into her office to discuss "things." While Wufei actually possessed a great deal of respect for his boss, and actually sympathized with her desire to leave the organization, he doubted she would have any new information to share with him. He was aware of all the Preventer problems going on, and he would have much preferred to spend time working on them rather than being lectured about him.
But as soon as he entered the office, he sensed that perhaps he was wrong. Lady Une was sitting at her desk, going over paperwork. When a lecture was imminent, she would always stand, usually near the window, and she would usually try to be standing by the time her victim entered, so that he or she would get the sense she had been waiting for them for some time. Although she wasn't as terrifying as she had been in her OZ days, Lady Une was still a very formidable person, and very few, Wufei among them, had the nerve to look her in the eye.
Things were different today. She looked old, much older than twenty-eight. Sitting at the desk was neither a ruthless colonel nor a hardcase government head. This was a woman who had fought to many battles and lost too many of them. Her attitude wasn't much better than Wufei's these days, but at least there was a light at the end of the tunnel for her. By the end of the year, she'd be a stay-at-home mom with a government pension, and if she decided to go back to work after Mariemaia graduated, she would find a job with much lower pressure. Maybe something in the Department of Agriculture.
At the moment though, there were more important matters at hand.
"What is it?" Wufei asked, sitting down across from her. He never bothered with proper protocol or etiquette, at least not in the privacy of an office. Add in the fact that he'd known Une longer than anyone else in the office, save Sally, Noin, and Zechs, and his lack of a "ma'am" or "Chief," and the offense was more forgivable.
Either way, his boss didn't seem to care. Without looking up, Lady Une grabbed a clipboard and slid it across to him. The man's black eyes scanned across the page, a list of photos and names, each accompanied by the word MISSING and a date.
"We don't handle missing persons cases unless it's a special situation," he answered, sliding it back. "This is something for the police."
Lady Une looked up and shook her head, recalling her own similar reaction to the file that had been handed to her by the chief of the Earth Sphere Investigation Bureau. "Read it again," she said. "Each and every one of those people was a soldier, either with OZ or the Alliance. Not just soldiers, but mobile suit pilots. There are even a few colony citizens with ties to mobile suits. Rebels, laborers..."
Wufei scanned the packet again. About sixty names total. "How far do these stretch back?" he asked, tearing his gaze away from the rather haunted looks in the eyes of the disappeared.
She gave him a grim smile and stood up. "Yesterday." Crossing the room, she went to a file cabinet and pulled out a folder, nearly two inches thick, then tossed it on the back. "Those are all of the others, the first ones starting about two months ago, all the way up until the fifteenth."
"Two days ago," he murmured, flipping through the folder. The pages were all the same as the ones on the clipboard. Page after page of faces, some as young as their late teens, others as old as fifty. "How many total?"
"About eight hundred, from all over the world and the colonies," she answered, her voice soft and sober. "And the phones have been off the hook today. So far, seventy one have been reported. And it's not even 1:00."
Eight hundred ?
Despite his earlier nonchalance, a hot rage crept through his heart down to his hands. "Why the fuck weren't we informed earlier?" Wufei hissed, standing up and pounding his fist against the desk. "Over eight hundred people, vanished into thin air? No bodies?"
She shook her head. While Lady Une had been just as upset after hearing the detailed stats on the cases, she still tended to keep her cool much better than her young colleague. "Nothing found so far. And we weren't informed at first because it's exactly like you said: the police handle missing persons cases. But a pattern's been emerging." Turning around, she pressed a button in the wall, making a projection screen descend from the ceiling. A map of the world appeared, with numbers and arrows flashing next to certain cities.
"The first disappearances were reported in Tokyo, London, Baghdad, Shanghai, and Chicago. Then other cities in those same countries, and finally to cities all over the world, as well as several rural areas. The colonial disappearances have been most recent, and only those at Lagrange Point 1 have made any reports."
His eyes watched the flashing lights, transfixed. "You think there'll be more disappearances in the colonies?"
Lady Une sighed. "I think that's pretty obvious. The disappearances have become more and more common, and there's no sign of letting up. We don't have a clue about what's causing any of it, or where these people went."
"I take it that's my job," Wufei remarked, turning around. "Where am I going?"
"Shanghai and the surrounding areas. I've given you a list of friends and relatives of the victims. I want detailed interviews regarding each case, and you're to talk with local police forces as well."
Back to China then, Wufei thought, recalling the river valley where he'd finally said goodbye to his beloved Nataku. "How many victims have been reported?"
"About fifty, but a lot of the families won't talk, or don't have anything to report. The typical story that's been coming in has been that the victim goes off by themselves somewhere, even if it's just in their backyard or down to the corner to get beer, and they never come back. No other trends," Lady Une explained.
She pulled a manila envelope out of a desk. "Even so, you've got to try to find something. So far the press hasn't made any links between the disappearances, but if they do, I have no doubt the people will panic. We can only thank God and Relena that the election is taking up so much of the public's attention."
Lady Une passed the envelope over to Wufei, who opened it to reveal a plane ticket and small dossier of his intended interviewees. "You're to fly to Shanghai tomorrow and commence the investigation. I want a full report in a week, but send periodic messages so we know you're safe."
He raised an eyebrow, then frowned. "Don't insult me. If anyone can look after themselves, it's me."
"Then don't let me down," she said, and dismissed him.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Heero asked as he and Relena pulled up in front of the Royal Tower Hotel, which had been rented out as LA's headquarters for the campaign. The Foreign Minister herself had stayed near LAX and captured a few precious hours of sleep between their arrival and 6 AM, when Heero had knocked on the door connecting his room to hers. A quick shower, breakfast, and painstaking makeup application and dressing, and she was ready to spend the next several hours going over budgets, platforms, reports, and rather suddenly, the Earth Sphere Investigation Bureau.
It was this last item that prevented Heero from joining her. Although he was certainly free to accompany her throughout the campaign, the meeting with the ESIB was to be completely confidential, therefore barring the bodyguard from joining his charge. He'd offered to go inside with her anyway, but she had insisted he stay away.
A fight had almost broken out then, but Heero knew better than to do anything that would risk the campaign. He was just as hopeful as Relena's other supporters, and had realized a while ago that, as much as he might hate it, there were certain situations where he would be more harm than help to Relena's goals.
Right now, she seemed pretty confident about everything. Probably had to do with the solid six hours of sleep she'd gotten the night before, in addition to the four she'd gotten on the plane.
Smiling, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, why don't you take a little time off and enjoy yourself? Go down to the beach, take a walk, anything. It looks like it's going to be a nice day, you could use the fresh air."
The look on his face was skeptical, but before he could argue with her, Relena leaned over and kissed his cheek, the first time she'd done such a thing in ages. "Just go, okay?" she whispered in his ear. "I'll text you when I'm done with the men in black. I'll have you run out and get me lunch."
"You should look into getting an assistant," Heero grumbled, but there was a hint of a smile in his eyes. It was good to see Relena acting her age for once. Now if only he could follow her lead.
"All right, fine. But text me if you need anything. Anything," he said.
Relena nodded, then turned her head as three men in business suits and dark glasses approached her. ESIB, no dought. "Of course. I'll see you in a while."
Heero watched them move across the lobby of the hotel and step into an elevator. Just as the doors were about to close, Relena smiled and waved at him. He waved back, then turned and headed back out onto the street.
The hotel was only a few blocks from the beach, and he had to admit, Relena was right about needing a little fresh air. Her weather forecast, however, was way off. While the sun was still shining in the sky, he could see dark clouds far off over the pacific. A storm coming in most likely.
That probably explained why there were so few people on the beach. It was also early and a weekday, but Heero got the feeling that anyone hoping to come out and enjoy a lunch break by the ocean would be getting a little wet. Still, there were some die hard surfers farther down the way, as well as the occasional jogger here and there.
As he walked, his hand strayed to his cheek, recalling the kiss Relena had left there. How long had it been since she'd done something like that, and in public? How long since he'd kissed her at all? Too long, he decided. Tonight, maybe tonight they could talk about things. Try to work everything out.
Heero glanced back at the ocean, then blinked a little as he saw something white washing up on shore. At first it looked like an oversized plastic bag, or perhaps some sheets that someone had thrown off a dock somewhere. But on a closer glance, he realized with horror it was an old woman.
"Shit," he hissed, running down the concrete stairs from the sidewalk down to the sand. The woman was laying on her side, her back turned to him. She was completely naked, although sand was covering her abnormally pale skin. The wind caught several strands of long white hair and sent them flying every which way, but the body made no other move.
Heero knelt down beside her and very gingerly, only slightly aware of the fact that she was naked, rolled her onto her back. All at once, he realized this was no old woman at all. Yes, her hair was white, and her skin had an abnormal ivory pallor that made him think she was an albino, but her body looked strong and wrinkle free, and her face was that of a young woman, perhaps one younger even than him.
His eyes swept over her, not with lust, but curiosity. There was no mark on her, save for a tattoo in the middle of her chest. It was just a simple circle about the size of a half-dollar, with a line down the middle and several branching off to make it look like a very short, very fat feather. Gingerly, he ran his finger over the mark, wondering what it was supposed to mean.
Suddenly, the body in his arms shuddered. The girl's lips parted in a gasp, and her eyes flew open. They weren't red like an albino's, but just as pale as the rest of her, a very light shade of gray that gave no hint of any hue.
She's alive, Heero thought in amazement, relaxing his grip on her slightly as she began to cough up sea water.
"Hold on," he said, laying her back down and grabbing his cell phone. "I'm going to call an ambulance."
The girl turned her face back to him, her pale eyes searching for something in his face.
Then, a choked whisper from between her lips. "Heero..."
He nearly dropped the phone, and his eyes widened. "What?" he whispered. "What did you say?"
She was silent, and quickly his brain began to rationalize things. He knew this girl, he must. But why wouldn't a nearly-albino young woman in California register in his memory? Why weren't any names coming to the forefront of his mind? Then he realized, she must not have said "Heero." Maybe she was saying "hero," calling him her hero, thanking her for saving him.
"It's okay," he repeated, dialing 911. "You're going to go to a hospital. They'll take care of you there."
Her eyes were drifting shut again, and he could see her body going limp. Shit...
"911, what is your emergency?" a pleasant-voiced woman on the phone remarked as Heero reached over to check the girl's pulse.
"Hello, I'm at Venice Beach, and there's a girl here who washed up on the shore. I think she might be in shock-"
Suddenly the phone beeped. Low battery.
"Okay sir, just stay on the line with me for a moment, emergency response is on its way," the woman replied. "Can you give me your name?"
"My battery's going to die, I can't stay. My name is-"
"Heero Yuy."
The phone powered down just as the girl spoke. Her eyes were still closed, but her hands were clenching and she was breathing. Below the surface of her skin, as though she were translucent, Heero could see a pale glow beginning to shine throughout her body.
Dropping his phone, he removed his coat and wrapped it around her. He expected her to feel colder to the touch than she did, but there was a surprising warmth to her. Her heart was fluttering like a trapped bird in her chest, and her breathing was getting faster.
"Who are you?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. He could hear the sirens approaching now, and he knew he should try to flag them down. But somehow, he'd lost the ability to move.
"Yours," the girl whispered. "Only yours."
After treating her for shock, the ambulance took her to New Edwards Hospital. The EMTs wouldn't let Heero ride with her, but they did lend him a phone so he could call a cab to follow. By the time he reached the hospital, she'd already been checked in as a Jane Doe and was undergoing a series of tests. The nurse at the front desk said she'd likely be kept overnight for observation, but otherwise she was doing well.
Unfortunately, visiting her seemed out of the question.
"Sir, until we can confirm there are no additional health problems, we cannot allow visitation. If you were a relative, perhaps an exception could be made, but since the doctors have no idea who she is or what her medical history might be, we can't take any chances," the nurse explained.
Heero tried to think rationally, but he was still shaken by the words the girl had said to him on the beach. "Has she told anyone her name yet?"
The nurse shook her head. "No sir. According to her charts, she won't speak to anyone. She's cooperative enough, but she won't talk."
"She talked to me," he said.
"Look sir, if you like, you can sit in the waiting room and someone will come get you when she can see you. But in the mean time, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do," she huffed.
"Then I'll wait," Heero said finally, turning his back on the woman. How ironic to be in a hospital that wouldn't have existed if his quick thinking eight years ago hadn't kept the place from going nuclear, and to have to deal with health care bureaucracy because of it.
Sitting down in a chair, he glanced up at the clock. Nearly 12:30. Relena would be eating lunch right about now. No doubt there would be plenty of texts waiting for him when he finally got his phone charged, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. He had to admit, he felt a bit guilty for abandoning Relena, but he knew she would be in safe hands, for the most part, and she'd probably be so busy he wouldn't be missed until that evening. And if all went well here, he'd have no trouble meeting her for dinner.
But why not leave right now? The girl's condition was stable, and the hospital would see she walked out safe. There was even a bill that had passed, with Relena's help, that would cover her medical costs, as long as no identity could be proven for her. So why not cut his ties and go home right now?
Because she knew his name, and she claimed to be his, whatever that meant. Heero knew he'd never seen her before in his life. Her looks weren't exactly forgettable, and he was sure he could picture her accurately in his mind even after have only seen her for about five minutes.
No, she wasn't someone he could just walk away from, that was for sure.
So he waited. The clock on the wall rolled lazily past one and two, and just as it was approaching three, the nurse from the desk came over and tapped him on the shoulder.
"You can see her now, if you like. The test results are all back. She's in perfect health, if a bit tired and dehydrated," she said.
Rising to his feet, Heero followed her down the hall, feeling as though he were about to meet his ghost.
There was a hangar in the New Edwards base that had once been used to house mobile suits, but ever since the end of the war it had been converted into a simple storage facility, mostly housing old office furniture, computers, and a couple of vehicles destined for government auction. But near the rear of the buildings, in an empty space where a Tragos had been stored prior to being scrapped for parts last month, thirteen young women were gathered in a circle.
Each and every one of them was identical, dressed in blue uniforms with pale blue pigtails. Only one of them, with a silver tiara on her forehead and bracelet on her wrist, was different. She was seated on a crate above the others, who were talking quietly with each other while their apparent leader seemed to be listening to something.
Suddenly she stood up. "Attention, all of you!"
Instantly, the girls stopped, then like robots turned to face her and saluted.
"We commence operations in fifteen minutes. Take your positions, now!" the leader ordered, pointing towards the door to the hangar. Her eyes narrowed slightly, then sparkled as a rather vicious smile crossed her face.
"And remember: No prisoners, no retreat."
"Yes ma'am!" the group answered in unison, then began to filter out of the door.
She was awake when Heero entered the hospital room. Wearing a green paper gown, her eyes were focused on the skies outside, which had darkened severely, threatening rain at any moment. But when she heard the door shut behind her visitor, she turned her attention to him.
He didn't say anything at first, wondering what it was he should say. Whatever she might have claimed on the beach, she was a stranger to him, and he never had been one to deal well with strangers.
Several moments passed, and it seemed like neither of them were going to speak. Finally, Heero took one of the chairs from the table across the room, then pulled it over to her bedside and sat down. "So. You look like you're feeling better," he commented, glancing at the chart at the foot of her bed as though it meant something to him.
"I do, thank you," she said.
He turned his gaze back to her in surprise. "So you can talk. The doctors said you wouldn't speak to them."
The girl shrugged, a gesture that seemed to humanize her a great deal more. She was still odd-looking, being so pale and with such white hair, but the ghostliness of her seemed to be waning.
"I had nothing to say," she commented. "'Thank you,' I suppose, but they didn't really do anything."
They were quiet again for a few moments before Heero spoke again. "Who are you?" he asked, his eyes locking with hers. There seemed to be the slightest hint of blue in them now, so slight that it was almost unnoticeable from any greater distance than this.
She hesitated. "Yuuto. Yuuto Sora."
He raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like a Yuuto. You don't look Japanese either."
Yuuto only shrugged again. "I can't help the way I look."
Time to change the subject. "Where did you come from?" Heero asked. "Where's your family?"
"I don't have a family," she answered shortly. As to where she came from, she was mute on that subject, and her eyes told him not to ask again.
"But you know me."
Her breath hitched ever so slightly, and her eyes widened, as though she were both embarrassed and excited by this fact. "Yes."
His heart was beating faster as well, and that slight fear had come back. "How?"
Yuuto turned and stared out the window again, saying nothing.
Reaching over, Heero gently touched her white cheek, noting how smooth her skin was. Her complexion was almost literally like that of porcelain; colorless and flawless. "Yuuto, how do you know me? I have no idea who you are. Did we meet before?"
Suddenly, a cold, almost cruel expression crossed her face, and her eyes seemed bluer than ever. "That information is classified." All of the emotion had gone from her voice, that gentle bemusement replaced by an almost robotic drone. She jerked her head out of his grasp, then continued to stare out the window.
"Do you hear that?" Her voice was much softer now, the tone that he knew was normal for her.
For a moment, he though she was just trying to change the subject, but after a few seconds he heard it. A buzzing sound, then shattering glass, then screaming.
"What the hell?"
Something exploded down the hallway, and the screams suddenly grew louder. The nurse from the front desk suddenly burst into the room.
"Run!" she screamed. "There's an attack! You have to get-"
A burst of gunfire suddenly erupted outside the doorway, and half of the nurse's face disappeared.
Even though it had been eight years since Heero had had a real fight, his instincts were sharp as ever. Unfortunately, he'd been forced to check his gun when he'd entered the base, which meant the only weapons he had at his disposal would be the chairs, or possibly the floor lamp in the corner. And judging by the sounds of the gunfire, neither one would be very effective.
What the hell, attacking a hospital with machine guns? Heero wondered as he grabbed Yuuto rather roughly around the middle, yanked her out of the bed, then pulled her behind the folded curtain dividing the room. He prepared himself to cover her mouth in case of a scream, but she didn't make a sound, other than the beating of her heart beneath his hand.
There was an additional warmth there as well, but no time to dwell on it, as the attacker made her way down the hall. The "her" was undeniable; above the sound of the gunfire was a shrieking laughter, the sound of a teenage girl who's just heard a ridiculously funny joke. Or perhaps played one.
When the sound began to die down, he relaxed a little bit. "We have to get out of here," he murmured, releasing the young woman and stepping away from her. "Can you walk?"
"We're going to want to run," she said, striding past him and peering out into the hallway. The sight made her gasp. Bodies of patients and staff littered the corridor, and the smell of blood was thick in the air. Yuuto could feel her stomach churning at the scent of it, but she steeled herself.
"Do you know the way out of here?" she asked, looking back at Heero. "I didn't keep a close watch when I came."
He moved past her, taking in the carnage with more control, but no less disgust and horror. "Follow me. Stay close," he ordered.
Yuuto nodded obediently, then fell in behind him, not minding the fact that she was still wearing only a hospital gown and moving barefoot. Heero glanced back at her, and decided as soon as they got out of the building, they'd have to get her shoes before they moved any farther. Eventually, he hoped to get to the guard house where his gun was, but it was on the far side of the base and with broken glass everywhere, the pale girl wouldn't likely get far without cutting herself.
They avoided the fire escapes not just because the number of panicked people in them would likely cause a stampede, but because such crowded areas would likely be prime targets for the attackers.
Instead, they moved down the hall to a staff elevator. It would be inaccessible without the proper badge, but after asking Yuuto to keep lookout, Heero pulled out his wallet and withdrew a plain white card with a magnetic strip on one side. Inserting it into the slot, the lights over it flashed red several times, then switched to solid green. Moments later, there was a ding as the door opened.
The car was empty as the pair slipped inside, and likely would remain so. The hospital staff at this base were well-trained; they would know to stay away from the elevators in an emergency. And regular patients wouldn't have access. So they moved slowly and uneventfully to the first floor, the sounds of chaos growing louder with each descending floor.
When the doors finally opened in the lobby, Heero and Yuuto were greeted by the sight of three identical young blue-haired women, all in matching blue and gray uniforms, wielding what appeared to be smaller versions of the sort of chain rifle usually seen on mobile suits. All three had their backs to the elevator, assuming no one would be using it. But when the doors dinged open, they turned their attention from the fleeing visitors and patients to quickly cover their weak side.
However, when they saw there were only two present, they seemed to relax.
"Looks like you missed one," the middle girl said to the one on the right.
She laughed. "My bad," she remarked, raising up her gun.
Heero grunted and instinctively moved himself in front of Yuuto. "Who the hell are you people? What do you want?"
This question seemed to take the three aback. They looked at each other, then smiled.
"I'm Sailor Aries 0228," the middle one remarked.
"Sailor Aries 0231," said the one on the right.
"Sailor Aries 0225," finished the left one. "And we fight for the colonies!"
Yuuto pulled sharply on Heero's arm, jerking him out of the line of fire as a hail of bullets came for him. Racing around the corner, they moved deeper into the hospital instead of towards the door. From the sounds behind them, only one of the Sailor Arieses was following, but the flying plaster and floor tiles around them proved that she was still close enough.
The kitchen was at the end of the hall, and they ducked inside, making a beeline for the freezer. Inside, they found two more bodies of a pair of orderlies, but no other fugitives. Heero barred the door with several industrial-sized food containers, then tried to think of their next move. He could hear footsteps outside, the sound of someone investigating, looking to startle their prey."
"Heero," Yuuto whispered, moving in front of him. "Listen to me: I can stop this. But I need your help."
"How are you going to stop them? You have no weapons," he asked, looking her over again. Not exactly the most threatening person, Miss Yuuto Sora.
"You have to trust me," she said. "I need to borrow your Star Seed."
"My what?"
Suddenly there was a bang on the door, and the look on Yuuto's face grew more frantic. "There's no time, Heero! Please, you have to trust me! Remember Operation Meteor! Remember the little girl, and her dog! We can stop this Heero, but if you don't help me, it'll start all over again!"
He froze. "Who are you?" he whispered again.
Yuuto held out a hand to him. "Trust me," she said. "Let me save them."
With only a moment's hesitation, he took her hand, and suddenly there was an explosion of light and a sense of pulling in his chest. Her body began to lift upwards and glow white, and from between her shoulder blades, a pair of huge white feathered wings emerged. Her hand broke free of his grip and the wings covered her entire body, folding her into a shell. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, the wings dissolved into a flurry of feathers.
The woman standing in front of Heero was dressed remarkably similar to the girls outside, but she was still very clearly Yuuto. Instead of having a top and a skirt, her outfit was all one piece, consisting of a white leotard with short petal sleeves, a blue collar, and a double layer of blue and red skirts. The choker around her neck was also blue, but the gloves on her hands were white with yellow bands. On her feet she wore a pair of red knee-high boots with a V top and yellow trim and on her forehead was a gold tiara with a sapphire in the middle. There was a red bow on her back, but over her chest was a yellow bow, and a sparkling white crystal.
A Star Seed. His Star Seed.
Yuuto gave him a small smile when she saw his recognition. "I'll take care of it," she remarked. "I promise."
Holding out her left hand, there was another soft glow, and a gun appeared. Not just any gun, but a perfectly replicated miniature version of the buster rifle Heero himself had first used while piloting the Wing Gundam.
Just then, there was a crash as the door to the freezer burst open, and the pursuing Aries stepped forward.
"Found you," she remarked, grinning at Heero before glancing back at Yuuto. She frowned. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Yuuto raised the rifle, and a ball of energy began to gather near the barrel.
"My name is Sailor Wing, and I'm the last thing you'll ever see."
