PIE Short: Earth Plus

Prologue

Cosmic Era 74.

A mistake during a test to create near light-speed capable engines tears a hole in the space-time continuum and sends test pilot Parr Inlum to another universe. After he makes a rapid u-turn, scientists research the tear and stabilize it into a gateway. Subsequent tests create more tears to more universes and result in more gateways.

Universe 1 leaves the Cosmic Era for the Parr Inlum Era, commonly known as PIE….

PIE 1.(CE 76.)

PLANT and Earth forces create the Frontier Inspection Team to explore the many universes they now have access to. Although FIT is a peaceful organization, because mobile suit piloting skills are usually required, army officers are allowed to hold dual memberships within their armies and FIT.

Intrigued by the prospect of exploration, our heroes of the Bloody Valentine Wars enlist once again, this time as Frontier Inspection Team Explorers….

Earth Plus 2007 AD

…blend in…report weekly…blah…blah…

Athrun closed the notebook and looked at his partner. "Sounds pretty easy," he commented.

Kira continued reading the briefing material. "Shouldn't you read it more carefully?" he asked, trying not to sound as reproachful as he felt.

"Nah, I read the bulleted phrases and there's never any6 reason to read the fine print." Athrun put his folder into his standard-issue FITE-gray duffel bag.

"Is that what happened to your family fortune?" Kira asked idly.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I still have my family fortune." Athrun's brow furrowed in confusion.

Kira looked up from his folder and remained utterly and eerily still as he stared Athrun in the eyes. There was a long pause.

"Are you sure?"

Athrun sat down as Kira returned to reading. He folded his arms, looked at his FITE bag, and sighed.

"I've signed everything already, and you're reading it so I think I'll just go get changed," Athrun said in defeat. He took the ugly duffel bag and left the room.

"Oh…wow…" Kira said long after the door had closed behind his friend. "We might have to be careful…"

Athrun Zala and Kira Yamato moved into an average house on Earth Plus, known from the other earths by its way of dating using an "A.D.". (They also used "C.E.", but it stood for "Common Era", and having two "C.E." planets was just difficult, although Universe 1 had just moved into PIE anyway.) But someone misheard the "A.D.", and thought that it was "Add", and therefore it became "Plus". (Unfortunately, using the calendar to name earths soon led to Universe 1's earth being called "Earth Pie", which is why the phrase "eat dirt" revived during the early years of PIE. PLANT and the lunar colonies felt above this and insisted they were simply a part of Universe 1, and not the scoop of vanilla ice cream next to the pie or the large metal fork hovering nearby at the ready.)

Kira entered the living room where Athrun was loafing on the couch, surfing through the hundreds of channels. His purple eyes narrowed with displeasure as he noticed his partner's shoes on the arm rest. Kira had lived along time in Orb, so just wearing his shoes indoors at all felt strange. But, being a pacifist, he didn't make a scene.

"Ok, Athrun, since I know you didn't read the briefing material because you don't take this seriously, I'll brief you now." He paused, waiting for Athrun to turn off the tv. His friend muted it instead. "And please get your shoes off the couch," Kira reminded gently. Ever since Athrun's defecting phase, the former ZAFT pilot had become increasingly lazy and his respect for authority had dwindled down to nearly nothing. Kira lamented this change, but still loved his best friend.

Athrun, to his credit, did as told, and even decided to give Kira his full attention by turning off the tv.

"So…?" the teal eyed ace asked.

"Okay, so we're to look into different aspects of this world's culture. I've already chosen our roles.

"You, Athrun, will go undercover as a normal high school student—"

"Wait," Athrun interrupted, "why high school? Don't you think I'm a little old for that?"

"You look young…" Kira reasoned vaguely. His expression changed to utter faith and determination. "I'm sure you can pull it off." The brunette's voice sounded almost too encouraging.

"Anyway," he said, getting right back to business, "you will act and behave like a high school student and because familiar with average cultural values. Under no circumstances are you supposed to let your cover be blown.

"As for your personal data, you are 18, were born in Florida (which is this country), but your family moved to Japan when you were six years old. You've returned alone tolive with your cousin, who is me, so you can go to an American college. You speak fluent English and Japanese, but NOT French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, or Swedish.

"Oh, and your name is Athrun Tara."

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know."

There was a pause as Athrun mulled the information over.

"Okay," he said, breaking the silence. "I can handle this, easy. So what will you be doing, anyway, if I'm delving into culture?"

"I'm doing some of that too, but I'll pretend to be a tourist." Kira smiled. Athrun's eyes narrowed. "That means I may not necessarily be at home all of the time, because at some point I'll be going to Europe and Asia." Athrun's face was beginning to look a lot like the face of death. Kira continued on, oblivious to his friend's growing jealousy. "Oh, and I'll also do some research on the military and politics, so it might get kind of exciting. But don't worry, I won't do anything dangerous." He finally caught on to Athrun's expression, but didn't recognize it for what it was.

"Huh? What is it, Athrun?" he asked innocently.

"Nothing." The reply was darker than a storm cloud at night.

"Okay," Kira the sunbeam chirped. Athrun turned the tv back on, wishing he had read the fine print.

Please let me know what you think!

(Yay for apostrophes! Not yay for Japanese keyboards!)