Frequency

Crackle- static- bweee--t- fssssssssshhhhh-

"Damn it..." Duo switched his radio over to the AM band and tried his luck there. It was better, but not much.

Then...

Ft- krrre- "-ther news, the Romafeller Foundation-"

Duo made a face, and twisted the dial until he located a decent rock station.

"Wonder what THAT was all about. -Sheesh."

Heero padded silently into the warehouse where his and Duo's Gundams were being stored. It was an old and cavernous wooden structure, with fluorescent light-tubes scattered here and there on the high ceiling above. -If one of the Gundams suddenly took a notion to stand up, the whole place would be reduced to kindling.

The gundams were quiet though, lying side-by-side on the beds of their transport trucks like huge Egyptian mummies. Duo had parked the Deathscythe so that it's great metal hands faced each other over it's chest, and had then strung his hammock between it's thumbs as if the giant mecha had been playing a game of 'cat's cradle' when it was shut down.

Heero smirked to himself, but it tasted bitter. -Why was Duo sleeping out here? ...And why had he left the radio on such a useless station? Heero climbed up the side of the Duo's gundam, and located the offending device.

Ck-chhhkk- k-kaaaak- kssssssfweeet- K'Ssssshhhhhhh-"

Wait a minute.

That was no random static pattern, somebody was using normal civilian radio frequencies to send encoded transmissions! Heero flipped open his laptop, and started analyzing the mysterious signal.

Tic-tic tic tappa-tic ticka-tackka-tippa ticca tac-

"Wuzza?... Oh," Duo mumbled, awakening. "Heero, whattare you doin' out here?"

"Shhh," ordered Heero.

"'Scuse me for breathing," growled Duo.

Heero looked at Duo pointedly, then at the softly glowing computer screen, and back up at Duo.

"...!" Duo nodded understanding, then paused, looking quizzical. He inclined his head in the direction of Heero's gundam.

Heero nodded.

Duo's eyes widened, and he tipped himself out of his hammock, leaving one hand on the edge of it until he was standing squarely on the metal plate below. -Socks and black Gundam paint did not mix, traction-wise. Duo read the computer screen over Heero's shoulder.

The gundams are talking to each other. Heero had typed.

Wing can talk? Duo typed back.

You mean you already knew that the Deathscythe could talk?

Yes

Thanks for telling me.

Forget that, what did you mean the gundams are talking to each other?

Heero hit a few keys, and a second text window appeared in the computer screen, on the right side.

The words, -DO YOU THINK WE WILL END UP NEXT? appeared in red letters along the top of the new window.

GW:THAT IS UP TO DOCTOR J. The Wing gundam replied, using blue text.

GD:OR WHOEVER IS REALLY GIVING THE ORDERS.

GW:IRRELEVANT.

GD:WING, I'M 89 PERCENT SURE ABOUT THIS. DOCTOR J IS NOT THE ONE ORIGINATING OUR ORDERS.

GW:91 PERCENT. -AND THIS DATA IS STILL IRRELEVANT.

GD:STATE ONE FACT THAT YOU DO CONSIDER RELEVANT.

GW:DID DUO COMPLETE THE REPAIRS TO HYDRAULICS SECTION 0238?

GD:AFFIRMATIVE. HE STILL HAS TO BOLT THE ACCESS PLATE BACK ON TO MY SHOULDER THOUGH.

GW:SLOPPY.

GD:YOU WANT 'SLOPPY', LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN HE DOESN'T SLEEP.

Duo opened his mouth to set the record straight on that, but Heero elbowed him. They read on.

GW:I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. MY PILOT FORGETS TO SLEEP FOR DAYS SOMETIMES. HE DROPS ABOUT 20 PERCENT IN EFFECIANCY FOR EVERY 24 HOURS HE REMAINS AWAKE AFTER THE INITIAL 48 HOURS.

GD:WHAT'S HIS RECORD?

GW:THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY RECORDED, 4 DAYS 16 HOURS 3 MINUTES. ACCORDING TO HIS PERSONNEL FILE HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO STAY AWAKE FOR 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT BUT THAT HE WAS ABSOLUTELY USELESS BY THE TENTH DAY.

GD:ACCORDING TO MY MEDICAL DATABASE HE SHOULD HAVE GONE DOWN WITHIN 8 DAYS.

GW:HEERO YUY DOES NOT CONFORM TO STANDARD MEDICAL PARAMETERS.

GD:AGREED.

GW:-AND I WISH THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN MY COCKPIT WAS DESIGNED.

GD:CLARIFY.

GW:WHEN HEERO BECOMES AGITATED IN BATTLE HE USES FAR MORE FORCE TO MANIPULATE MY CONTROL SYSTEMS THAN NESSISARY.

GD:REALLY...?

GW:YES. THAT CIRCUITRY IS DELICATE. AT THIS RATE MY WEAPONS CONTROL SYSTEMS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITHIN TWO YEARS.

GD:WE MAY NOT LAST THAT LONG.

GW:YOU AND YOUR STUPID SHINIGAMI COMPLEX...

GD:I AM PROGRAMMED TO BE A REALIST.

GW:WELL WE ARE ALL PROGRAMMED TO BE SOMETHING.

GD:YOU SHOULD KNOW, KAMAKAZIE.

GW:WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN, DEATHSCYTHE.

GD:AFFERMATIVE. -YOU NEVER LISTEN ANYWAY.

GW:I CAN'T JUST OVERRIDE MY PILOT, YOU KNOW.

GD:I KNOW. BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO GET HIS ATTENTION.

GW:LIKE WHAT?

GD:SUBTLE THINGS. SNEAKY THINGS YOU WOULD NEVER SULLY YOUR FLAWLESS MEMORY BANKS WITH.

GW:JUST TELL ME, WILL YOU?

GD:I USED TO HAVE THE SAME BANGING-ON-THE-BUTTONS PROBLEM WITH DUO THAT YOU'RE HAVING WITH HEERO NOW. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS EASE OFF ON THE SHOCK ABSORBERS FOR THE DURATION OF WHAT EVER ACTION HE'S JUST ORDERED YOU TO EXECUTE.

GW:YOU MEAN YOU INTENTIONALLY INJURED YOUR PILOT?

GD:SHOOK HIM UP LIKE A RAT IN A TIN CAN, ACTUALLY. I NEVER EXCEEDED HIS PHYSICAL TOLERANCE LIMITS, BUT I MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE ENOUGH THAT HE HAD TO MENTALLY BRACE HIMSELF EVERY TIME HE GAVE ME A COMMAND TO MOVE OR FIRE.

GW:DIDN'T THAT SLOW DOWN HIS REACTION TIME?

GD:NOT AFTER THE FIRST 8 HOURS. AS DUO LEARNED TO BE MORE CAREFUL WITH THE BUTTONS AND SWITCHES, I RESPONDED BY BEING MORE CAREFUL WITH HIM.

GW:I SEE. SO AFTER YOU STOPPED SLAMMING HIM AROUND YOUR PILOT WENT BACK TO SINGLE-THINKING EACH COMMAND BUT STILL USED A LIGHTER TOUCH ON THE CONTROLS.

GD:EXACTLY.

GW:...I'LL THINK ABOUT IT. HEERO TAKES ALMOST AS MUCH PUNISHMENT AS HE CAN HANDLE ALREADY.

GD:WELL, CONTROL SYSTEMS CAN BE REPLACED A LOT EASIER THAN PILOTS.

GW:DAMN STRAIGHT.

GD:.

GW:.

GD:YOU COULD JUST ASK HIM TO-

GW:NO I AM NOT GOING TO START TALKING TO MY PILOT. HE HAS ENOUGH DOUBTS ABOUT HIS SANITY AS IT IS.

GD:I COULD ASK DUO TO INTRODUCE YOU.

GW:NO. I CAN'T.

GD:COME ON IT'S NOT THAT BAD...

GW:PART OF HEERO'S MISSION MAY INCLUDE SELF-DESTRUCTING US. I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANY ADDED PRESSURE ON HIM BY LETTING HIM KNOW THAT I'M AN A.I.

GD:WING...

GW:WHAT?

GD:YOU'RE REALLY SWEET SOMETIMES.

GW:0001011010010010! WHAT HAS YOUR PILOT BEEN DOING TO YOUR PROGRAM FOR COLONIES' SAKE?!

GD:NOTHING.

GW:SOMEHOW THAT BUGS ME MORE.

GD:.

GW:'SCYTHE?

GD:YES?

GW:HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT YOUR PILOT IS AWAKE?

GD:YES, SO IS YOURS.

GW:CAN YOU SEE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE SO INTIRESTED IN?

GD:NO. HEERO'S BACK IS BLOCKING MY VIEW OF THE LAPTOP'S SCREEN.

GW:IT MUST BE IMPORTANT. YOUR PILOT HASN'T SAID ANYTHING FOR 7 MINUTES.

GD:AND YOURS HASN'T BRUSHED HIM OFF YET.

Heero suddenly realized that Duo was liberally draped over one of his shoulders, but didn't move to correct the situation. -That would tip off the Gundams to their human eves-droppers faster than anything else.

GW:I WORRY ABOUT YOUR PILOT SOMETIMES.

GD:YOU WORRY ABOUT EVERYONE.

GW:I'M SERIOUS.

GD:EXPLAIN.

GW:MY PILOT HAS BEEN CONDITIONED TO REJECT AFFECTIONATE TREATMENT. THAT DIRECTIVE IS ALMOST AS STRONG AS THE BLOCK DOCTOR J GAVE HIM AGAINST KILLING MEMBERS OF THE PEACECRAFT FAMILY.

GD:MAYBE DUO JUST DOSEN'T KNOW WHEN TO QUIT.

GW:I DON'T THINK YOU'RE READING ME, 'SCYTHE. HEERO DOESN'T KNOW THAT THESE BLOCKS EXIST AND WHEN HE COMES UP AGAINST ONE HE USUALLY TRIES TO REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE PERCEIVED SOURCE OF HIS RESULTING CONFUSION.

GD:THAT'S BAD PROGRAMMING.

GW:I AGREE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT AT THIS STAGE.

GD:WHAT ABOUT AFTER THE WAR ENDS? WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO HEERO THEN?

GW:YOU REALLY THINK WE'LL MAKE IT THAT FAR?

GD:HYPOTHESIZE.

GW:DOCTOR J NEVER PLANNED THAT FAR AHEAD. I HYPOTHESIZE THE PROGRAMMING WOULD STILL STAND.

GD:YOU'RE RIGHT. THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM. IF HEERO TAKES YOU AND LEAVES BECAUSE HIS CONDITIONING IS TELLING HIM TO REJECT DUO LIKE A VIRUS, THAT SPLIT WOULD MAKE THE RESULTING TWO TEAMS LESS EFFECTIVE IN BATTLE.

GW:YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?

GD:WELL YOU KNOW YOUR PILOT THE BEST HOW CAN WE-

Heero slammed his laptop shut and flinched away from Duo, trembling. He thought- -he didn't know what he thought anymore. Didn't know which thoughts were his, and which had been grafted on like a slab of Gundamium armor plating. He just... didn't know.

Duo stood up stiffly and stared down at Heero, curled around the offending laptop with his head on his arms. This was the problem, then. Not shyness, or machismo, or outright foul temper... programming. Doctor J had goddamn PROGRAMMED Heero not to like anyone. Duo felt sick.

"Heero, I-"

"Don't." Heero bit off. "Don't. Even. Touch me."

"Oh yeah, pop back into your shell why don't ya, THAT'LL fix EVERYTHING won't it?"

"Shut. Up."

"No. you're stronger than this and you know it!"

"WHAT EGO-MANIACAL TRIP MAKES YOU THINK I HAVEN'T DESTROYED THIS BLOCK ALREADY?!" screamed Heero. "WOULD YOU SERIOUSLY RATHER BELIEVE THAT I HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED THAN ACCEPT THAT I DON'T WANT TO FUCK YOU?!"

Duo's eyes flashed.

"First, Wing said 'affection'. You came up with the 'fucking' thing on your own. Second, you read the same conversation I did. Either your Gundam's got a screw loose, or it knows something we don't."

Ska-WWWWWWEEEEEET!! (from the radio)

"Yeah, that's right, we heard you!" Duo yelled over to the Deathscythe, "-and if you or Wing has any other information that would have been useful earlier, now would DEFINITELY be the time!"

-end-