Episode 13: Changes in the System
With the fall of Eden, Earth refocuses its efforts to better itself. With the help of the Edenite Tenant Aelan Marcus, Earth experiences a period of unprecedented advancement. The world is rapidly changing, and it appears to be for the better.
Then from an era long thought forgotten, comes a nightmare that could destroy all that had been built…
"So, are you aware of your duties and obligations by joining this elite unit?" Aelan asked, "At any time you could be called into action, and much of the time your acts will receive very little recognition. Are you willing to accept this?"
Aelan was sitting behind his desk, located in the central office of the North Am Advisor Offices. At the moment, he was interviewing a potential addition to his North Am Special Forces.
The interviewee seemed a little too enthusiastic for his liking, but he realized that this was just the way she was at times, especially when it involved Duo. Looking over at Admiral Noin, she merely shrugged in response, most likely questioning his sound judgement.
"YES SIR!" Hilde chirped, "I accept!"
With a chuckle, Aelan stood up, and after Hilde followed suit, and shook her hand. "Then, if there is nothing else you wish to add, welcome to the team."
Duo, on crutches, and his right leg in a thick, restrictive black brace, was able to cheer and clap nonetheless. "All right, Hilde! It's gonna rock with you around."
Aelan's smile slowly turned into a frown as he contemplated all the various mischief that the pair would most definitely get into. All of a sudden, his generous idea was looking like less of a good move.
"I'll have someone show you around so that you can become more accustomed to the place. In the meantime, I'll see what I can do to upgrade your Virgo."
"Thank you!" Hilde squealed happily.
Suddenly, Hilde's face drew curious, and she commented, "This is something that's been bothering me for a while. You supposedly came to Earth twenty years ago…"
"Yes, that is correct." Aelan replied.
"Then just how old are you?"
There was a brief silence, then Duo added, "Yeah, now that the issue comes up, how the hell old are you, really?"
Noin sheepishly agreed. "I'm sort of curious myself."
Aelan smirked, then nodded, "I should have figured that this question would come up at some point in time. It's amazing that no one had asked in the last month or so since most people realized I wasn't from Earth."
He looked up to the ceiling, and it looked like he was mentally doing some calculations, "Let's see… I am approximately 42 of your Earth years."
Another silence ensued, and Hilde finally broke it, "You're that OLD?" She then turned beet red, worried that she had just insulted her new superior.
However, he didn't appear to have been offended, "Actually, in Edenite terms, I'm quite young." He then looked up again, calculating, "The average Edenite lives to be about 160 of your Earth years. Through extensive genetic manipulation we have managed to drastically increase the life span of my people."
"I see." Duo said, "Anyway, Hilde, now that you have totally embarrassed yourself, maybe I should show you around."
As Aelan sat down again, the pair left his office, and Noin jibed, "Gee, here I am friends with some old fogey."
Aelan refused to be baited, and replied, "When I was your age, people knew how to respect their elders."
Noin obviously found the idea rather amusing. When she finally stopped chuckling, she then grew almost grave. "I am concerned with you bringing in Hilde."
"Why?"
"It seems awfully pointless to bring in another pilot to fill the role of a man who's going to be back in the mix in less than two weeks."
Aelan propped his head on his hands, and answered, "I'm not bringing her to replace Duo. I'm going to need her to fill Heero's position, at least as well as she can."
"Heero?" Noin asked, "What's wrong with Heero?"
"I asked him to resign his position last week."
"WHY?" All of a sudden, Noin was very concerned with Aelan's actions. First Hilde, now she learns that he's kicking out one of the finest suit pilots ever.
"It has nothing to do with his performance, if that's what you are worried about. From my experience on Earth, I have discovered that the ratio of a long-term relationship succeeding as opposed to failing is incredibly high."
Aelan then looked directly at Noin, and replied, "He has something very special now. I am not going to allow him to risk losing it because he has obligations in North Am."
In an instant, Noin went from concern to admiration, "You don't want him to ruin his relationship with Relena." She smiled, and replied, "That is so sweet."
Aelan shook his head. "I remember feeling the way Heero did once. If I had been closer when I had needed to be…" Aelan seemed to drop off, immersed in his own thoughts, thoughts that Noin knew were very painful. It was at times like these that she almost forgot that Aelan wasn't human.
"Aelan…?" Noin asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I know it's silly of me." He replied, "I did what I had to do at the time, just as I am doing now."
Noin shook her head, "Emotions aren't always logical." Suddenly, her own emotional wounds flared open. Her own love… and she had killed him, "Oh, Miliardo…"
Suddenly, there was a knock on Aelan's door, and both people in the office quickly reigned in their sorrowful memories. A rather scruffy looking delivery person entered, and almost rudely shoved a clipboard in Aelan's face.
"Sign here." The deliverer snapped.
Aelan took the clipboard, and his eyes scanned the item listing, "What is all this for?" Reluctantly, he signed the sheet attached, and handed it back to the delivery person.
"Hey, all I knows is that we were told to move all this stuff into one of the empty offices on this floor. Where do you want it, anyway?"
All of a sudden, they heard from outside Relena making orders, "Over this way, in there… Good. Perfect."
Aelan and Noin looked at each other, and asked each other, "What is Relena doing here?"
Outside in the reception area, Relena was busy guiding the delivery crew into the recently vacated office, and pointing out just where everything was to be placed. Aelan and Noin were eventually joined by several of the Gundam pilots, and they watched silently as the crew finished moving in all the various articles, and quickly made their way back out of the office complex.
Finally, Aelan spoke what was on the minds of everyone assembled. "Relena, what is going on here?"
Relena replied by placing an oak name sign right on the door to the office. In carved, white bold letters, the sign clearly stated,
Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft
"Do you like it?" Relena asked innocently, "I was hoping that it matched the signs that were in this office complex. Fortunately, it appears I was pretty close."
Aelan looked down at his feet for nothing more than a second, then asked, "Can I talk to you…"
"In my office?" Relena giggled. "Sure, come on in."
He stepped into Relena's new office, and closed the door. He brushed up against her light stand, knocking the lamp slightly. As if worried, Relena quickly rushed to the lamp, and carefully adjusted it with an unexplained precision.
"I'm sorry, but I like everything just where it is." Relena flushed slightly.
Aelan got straight to the point, "What in the heavens are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm moving my office to North Am. I've already received the okay from the Congressional Body. When I heard that you wanted Heero to leave, I decided to solve the problem myself."
"Did Heero put you up to this?" Aelan said gruffly.
"No. I did this totally on my own. He didn't even suggest this."
Aelan sighed, "I'm trying to get him AWAY from soldering."
Relena started to laugh softly, then answered, "I tried to do that once. I thought that if I could get Heero away from fighting, that he would finally be a complete person. However, I soon realized that I would be killing the person I was trying to save."
Aelan was slightly confused, which didn't happen often, "Explain."
"Heero IS a soldier. It's part of who he is. To try and take that away would be like removing a lung. He could live with it, but he wouldn't be the same person. I know you mean well, Aelan, but you are wrong in this case."
Aelan nodded slightly, then concluded, "I suppose that it is a decision between you and Heero. If you find him fighting under me is acceptable, then I suppose I can live with keeping him onboard."
"Thank you, Aelan." Relena replied. "I certainly hope that this will work out."
"As do I."
Night fell on New Richmond, and Aelan was getting ready to retire for the night. Noin had always mocked him about his lack of a social life, and it was nights like these that reminded him that in many ways, she was right.
As he was about to leave, he noticed Relena rummaging through the vending machines that resided in the side offices, and was interested why the foreign minister was still here.
"I was under the impression that you left with everyone else." Aelan remarked.
Relena jumped slightly, then turned in his direction. "I had… but there were some things that I felt guilty about leaving until tomorrow. How about you?"
Relena took a seat at one of the small tables that had been set out for munching, and motioned for Aelan to join her. "I'm usually here this late. Between sleeping and work, I don't do much."
Relena smiled, and replied, "Sounds like you need a hobby."
As Aelan sat down, he continued, "I am wondering what you have to so that is so important that you decided not to wait until morning."
"Oh just some quibble between South Am and Southeast Asia over the discovery of some previously unexplored Antarctic caves. The sooner I reach a decision, the better off everyone else is." Relena admitted.
Aelan didn't reply, and looked down at Relena's acquisitions. She had a ham sandwich, a cup of yogurt, and a chocolate bar. This wasn't what struck Aelan as curious. It was she did with the items.
Relena opened the top of the sandwich, poured the yogurt on, topped the yogurt with the chocolate, then placed the top on the sandwich once again. Aelan watched curiously as she took one bite after another.
"I'm sorry." Relena said, her mouth half full, "Would you like some?"
"That's… quite all right." Aelan answered, merely content to watch Relena's abnormal actions…
Next Time…
The discovery in the Antarctic unveils a startling surprise. Meanwhile, Aelan's re-election campaign begins, and talk of a higher position begins to pervade the announcement. Meanwhile, Heero and Relena have an announcement of their own, and Aelan gets a surprise visitor.
Coming in Episode 14: Until Death do us Part