(Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam franchise. Credits goes to Bandai/Sunrise and their staff for making this wonderful mecha franchise.)
Gundam Build Fighters: Cyber Era
Chapter 0 – Prologue
"After further studying and experimenting with the substance known as the Plavsky Particle, we at Nielsen labs have finally found a way to expand its application into the cyber world. For the first time ever, the doorstep to a highly interactive and augmented virtual reality is now brought right at your fingertips.
This is PLANET, the first ever physical-interaction cyberspace network which builds stronger connections with the use of Gunpla and technology. Experience the cyber world like never before through the use of our Avatar system.
At PLANET, we place your safety and privacy above all else. Take confidence that all our Monitored Areas are kept under strict supervision at all times, preventing any harm from befalling you as you explore. Our trusted Enforcers continuously patrol the perimeters of these areas to protect you from external threats as well.
Through your contributions, PLANET continues to expand and fill Neutral Zones with safe services and environments. To that extent, we thank you for your continued support for our system. Thank you, and please enjoy your time at PLANET."
- Nielsen Labs
Holy Dragon Industries – Main Server
"Level 4 Defense Network down! Unknown is now moving towards Level 5!" A female operator furiously shouts at a group of young programmers around the room. Each one moved vigorously, going through the motions on their interfaces trying to block the unknown from passing through.
"What's going on? Are we seriously being attacked from within PLANET?" Another spoke up, his hands swiping at a control unit and activating over ten simultaneous commands at a time. Just as all the systems lit up to indicate their activation, an explosion suddenly rocked the massive screen that shows the state of their server within PLANET.
"Interceptor units 5 through 10 have been shot down! Unknown still moving towards our mainframe!"
A massive Gunpla battle terrain had taken shape in the corridor of their fortress-like server. Field 1 Space has been deployed, revealing debris, warships and even colonies. Through it all, a shadowy Gundam moved expertly, avoiding any obstacle thrown in its course.
"Level 5 Defense Network setup! Boss!" One of the operators called over to a man standing right in the center of the room; sternly watching the scene in the screen.
"Do not let it past Level 5! Defend the mainframe at all costs!" The man issues stern instructions, his eyes not breaking away from the screen.
"Yes sir!"
"And Izun?" The man turns to a secretary who stood waiting by his side.
"He's already headed to the Battle Room. He should be making his way to the server soon." The secretary, a middle-aged formally dressed lady informed him.
"Tell him to forget Level 5 and head directly to the mainframe." The man commanded, surprising the secretary.
"Is it alright sir?"
"That unknown is good enough to tear down all four of our defense systems by itself. I want to prepare for the worst possible scenario." The man informed his secretary.
"Understood."
With that, the man nodded and continued to watch while his subordinates went on their frantic job of keeping the intruder at bay.
"Are you here to steal 'that' away from us, Gundam?"
Multiple Jegans armed with a variety of long-ranged weapons and intricate sensor equipment deployed to intercept the enemy moving about in the corridor. Noticing this, the unknown, a cloaked Gundam moving about, drew out its rifle, resembling the Type 71 wielded by the M1 Astray units, and exchanged fire with the interceptors. One by one, the Jegans fell to the unknown's shots as it took advantage of the field and holes within the enemy's formation.
The people controlling the intercepting Gunpla back at the Control Room were in a panic. A single Gunpla was breaching their intricate, automated defense network. Just as they thought all their interceptors would be wiped out however, the unknown's rifle stopped working. It has finally run out of rounds.
"Unknown out of ammo! Switching from Pattern Type D to E!" The operators changed the remaining Jegans' attack pattern at once. The Jegans discarded their heavy equipment and charged in close with their beam sabers in order to engage the unknown in close range combat. However, this soon proved to be their undoing. Undeterred, the unknown discarded the rifle and drew out a single, solid blade from its side skirt and intercepted the Jegans. However, it wasn't trying to destroy them.
"Unknown is brushing aside the interceptors! It's getting through!"
"Level 5 Defense Network is failing-!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion now rang out as the unknown shoved two Jegans into what appeared to be a sealed entrance to a colony and blew them up, exposing a path to the interior.
"Level 5 Defense Network breached! Unknown is now moving towards the mainframe!"
Having entered the mainframe, Field 1: Space vanished and was replaced by a black, cyberspace interface with the occasional blue lights surrounding the control units. In the center of it all, a massive tower sprang up, divided into various segments which almost resembled a gothic cathedral.
An array of Gunpla models stood idly by within these small windows, each sealed tightly with an invisible barrier as if kept in a static prison. And it wasn't just any straight out-of-the-box builds. Customized Gunpla the likes of which have been seen in use through prestigious battles like the 7th Gunpla World Tournament were also stored there. Build Strike, Wing Gundam Fenice, Tryon 3—the list went on and on. The unknown however, skipped past all these and descended further down. Down towards a closed gate marked only with the number "0".
"Is this it?" The unknown Gundam's controller murmured to themselves as they steered their Gunpla towards the gate's lock as if it was going to open it. Before it could reach out its hand though, it was immediately alerted by something and backed off, just in time to dodge a shot from a beam rifle aimed at its position. The unknown glanced up to look at its new pursuer.
The beam had come from a customized Sinanju; its glossy red armor repainted with a beautiful metallic black contrasting with its bright gold accents. Its backpack was replaced with an elaborate setup of parts and sub-arms, carrying a couple more armaments to increase its overall firepower. The rifle and shield it held in its hands though, were still the same.
"I do not know many who could breach all five defense networks so easily with such a lightly armed Gunpla. You must be an impressive fighter to be able to get this far." The voice of Sinanju's fighter echoed from the intimidating black machine as the Sinanju slowly descended until it was at the same depth as the unknown.
Sugiyama Izun had just entered the mainframe through the Gunpla Battle projector of the building's battle room, keeping both hands at the ready on his controller, ready to engage the unknown any time.
"And what brings a former prestigious fighter like yourself here I wonder?" Surprisingly, the unknown's controller replied though their voice sounded raspy and artificial; the unknown pointing its sword at the black Sinanju.
"Just a job." Izun promptly replied.
"A job?" The unknown's controller asked.
"I've been asked and paid to deal with pests and now I've got one in my sights! Prepare yourself!" Declaring that, Izun's black Sinanju activated the beam axes on its shields and charged the unknown. The unknown likewise struck back with its sword, parrying Sinanju's strike before disengaging and circling the tower.
"Where are you going-?!" The black Sinanju's thrusters flared as it gave chase, making a sharp turn behind the tower but just as it arrived, a volley of small-scale fire rained down from above, slightly grazing the Sinanju's armor.
The unknown had drawn a pistol from the holster on its skirt armor and intercepted its pursuer. It knew the pistols had very minimal effect on the monstrous machine however, it was enough to buy time while it placed distance between the two.
Sensing this is the case, the black Sinanju's sub-arms activated and grasped one of the bazookas it carried on its back, firing at the unknown above who cleverly maneuvered out of the way to dodge the incoming fire.
"I commend you on landing a hit however, such weapons have no effect on my machine's armor—" Izun spoke up as his Sinanju forged on, furiously following the unknown. Minor chips and scratches littered its body armor but otherwise, all the components appeared to be in good working order.
"Got you!" Suddenly, the unknown emerged behind the black Sinanju with both of its pistols aimed at the Sinanju's fuel tanks. Immediately, Izun ejected these before the shots could land and detonate the tanks, sparing his Gunpla extensive damage.
"Tch!" The unknown's fighter grit their teeth and tried to back away but now lighter, Sinanju was able to close the distance in a matter of seconds. The black Sinanju drew out its beam saber and went for a vertical strike. The unknown had to discard one of its pistols to draw its sword in order to intercept the beam saber. Despite the obvious difference in bulk, the unknown managed to push the black Sinanju back and immediately fired its remaining pistol at the Sinanju's waist energy pipes, badly damaging its waist and torso connection.
"You can have those parts-!" Having anticipated that move, Izun deliberately took the shots in order to get the opportunity to lock on the unknown with both of its bazookas. "You're mine!" The bazookas fired and while the unknown managed to intercept one of the rounds with its sword, the other shot connected and completely blew off the unknown's left arm.
"Damn it!" The unknown's controller cursed as the situation turned against them. The black Sinanju proved itself to be a very difficult opponent. Fortunately, it still had one more trick up its sleeve.
The black Sinanju activated its beam axes once again and charged straight at the unknown. The unknown immediately sheathed its sword and grabbed its pistol to intercept the charging behemoth while retreating; the fingers of its fighter immediately scrolling through its weapons panel towards a slot entitled 'System'. Its fighter pressed the command and at once, the cloaked Gundam suddenly started disappearing, turning more and more transparent until it completely faded out of the field; the black Sinanju cutting nothing but air around it.
From his spot in the Battle Room, Izun scanned the field with his Gunpla's sensors and cameras and came up with nothing. The unknown had completely vanished from the area.
"Damn, it got away." Izun sighed as he disengaged his Sinanju from the battle projector. The model still carried the scars from its encounter with bits and pieces of plastic missing and lying around on the panel it stood on.
"Unknown has completely vanished from the radar. Ceasing Plavsky Particle Projection. Server preparing to enter Vault Mode." A robotic woman's voice rang out from the intercom.
"Entering Vault Mode." An operator called to inform the remaining personnel of the main server locking itself.
"Well, that was a difficult battle." Izun muttered as he stretched his arms. Scratching his bald head, he turned to face the same man from the main Control Room entering the Battle Room. "Have you guys been making enemies lately?"
"That's what we're wondering ourselves." The man answered coolly as he stepped inside. He gave Izun's Sinanju a pitiful glance. "It is also possible that it was an agent sent by Yajima. However, we have been carrying our plans out in secret down to our distribution networks. It is highly unlikely that they would've caught wind of our operations already."
"I don't know. It could've been some nobody who just wants to make a quick buck like us."
"Then how would they find out about this? About our server and about Number 0?"
"I don't know." Izun just let out an exhausted sigh. "World's too connected nowadays. No secret will remain hidden forever. Not mine. Not yours." He turned to face the image of the cloaked Gunpla on the screen.
"And most certainly not theirs."
It had started raining outside and down the alley near the proximity of the Holy Dragon Industries building, a figure decked in a heavy, black poncho ran and ducked inside, taking shelter in the open manholes leading underground to the city's sewer system.
"Got past Level 5. Not bad." The hooded figure looked up at the dark and cloudy night sky as drops of rain continued to cascade down the streets. Fumbling in their pocket, they took out a beaten-up Gunpla and carefully checked it out.
"That Sinanju…if it weren't for him—" The figure's grip on their model tightened as they recalled the encounter within the mainframe. Frustration set in as they recalled how they had gotten so close. So close to the secret.
"Sorry. I need to leave you alone for a while. Wait just a bit longer." They murmured to themselves as they slowly sat down in the damp and cold sewers, as the rain continued cascading outside, dampening the overall mood of the entire city.
Author's Note:
Yay! My first foray into Gundam fanfiction. I'll try to upload as soon as I can. I'm kind of throwing some elements from Digimon Cyber Sleuth into this, particularly the whole 'cyberworld' setting of that game even though I haven't exactly played it nor know too much about it.
Anyway, it's still my usual style of opening with a combat sequence. Hope you enjoy the little mystery this opens up. Until then, see you next time!
