Chapter 10: Complication

Back in the safety of metal walls and dim corridors, fresher but still recycled air, the distraction of Artima's time outside with Eugene siphoned away. The kid's struggle not to flirt had been amusing but he wasn't that good at hiding his infatuation; the fact that he reminded her of Kal - Kal in his better days, at least, before she found out who he really was - was an extra pang of nostalgia. She'd have to keep her distance. Nonetheless, it'd been nice to have a conversation that didn't involve her strategic use, even if it'd dredged up an old pain, an old frustration.

"You loved him," she remembered Eugene saying. Heero. Had that been what it was?

She paused in her walk back to her room as another cramp prodded her pelvis - the same vague pain that'd been discomforting her the past three or four hours. Although a larger paranoia made her wonder if this was Ryker's disease creeping back - despite cramps not being its main forte - the calmer, educated part of her cautioned that it was still too vague and slight to diagnose. It could be several things, at this point, all of which were a slew of minor things she'd have to get through before she should even contemplate the bigger things. She had a tickle in her throat, too, but chose to ignore it. She carried on walking.

The gin, for one. Your digestive system is still adjusting. Also it seems reasonable that your menstrual cycle should be trying to figure itself out, too. Anxiety. You aren't in perfect shape yet, period - it'll be a while until you can move like you did before. Just take it easy. Keep an eye on it.

When she rounded the corner she ran into Orga, about to knock on her door. Her mood soured further, and she did not greet him.

He straightened. "I came to tell you that we've received information on the possible whereabouts of the Komori."

"From?" she inclined her head.

"Locals with no reason to lie. I don't quite have your methods of dealing with innocent people briefly caught up in our affairs."

Artima quirked her eyebrows and opened the door to her room, "Lack of caution will get you killed." She sighed loudly. "Nothing to do about it now, I guess." She moved past him.

"We'll leave as soon as we find Eugene," Orga added.

"Your stargazer should still be topside," she said, and left the door open since he presumably had more information to tell her. When she didn't hear his footsteps or voice she glanced over her shoulder - he was giving her a suspicious look that he rapidly put away when she caught it. "Don't worry, I haven't gone a'murderin'." She scoffed and headed for the water by her bed. "I would've thought you trusted me by now, especially after that 'I decided not to kill you' incident."

"My life is one thing - those of my crew are another."

"As you've said."

Orga paused, then continued, "The locals said at some point there was a crash in the bay - a Gundam, black and red, similar to yours. They remember it because it destroyed most of the commercial fleet and damaged the coastline when it fell. Apparently it was salvaged in pieces and taken to China."

Artima took a moment to contemplate not only the idea of the Komori hitting the water with Taki possibly inside - the still-somehow-incomprehensible idea of Taki being dead - but the image of Kheree's sister being nothing more than pieces dredged up in nets like mere trash. Wreckage, almost unrecognizable, like the memories she'd seen in the sky half an hour ago. "You've verified this?" She poured herself a glass of water.

"We'll verify it ourselves when we get there, with due caution."

Artima suppressed the smile of recognition of what sounded like her own methods. She turned back around to look at him, drinking to soothe her crackly throat. Orga hovered in the doorway. She wasn't totally sure she believed everything he said - he wasn't that good of a liar - but couldn't figure out which part of it she disbelieved. Much like the pain in her abdomen, it was still too vague to diagnose.

"Well, thanks for letting me know," she said.

As if it released him from some hold, he said, "Topside, huh," and closed the door behind him as he left.

Orga did indeed find Eugene laying flat on his back on the aft gun turret. When he joined him and was close enough he could see that he was smiling. Suspicious.

"Time to go," Orga said to get his attention.

"Yeah?" Eugene asked distractedly.

"Yeah." When his second-in-command did not move, Orga figured it was better to go ahead and address the issue head-on. He put his hands in his pockets. "Out here with Ms Wei, huh?"

"That a problem?"

In truth, Orga hadn't expected that reaction, and moistened his lips to take a moment to figure out how to approach this. "You should be careful, Eugene."

"I'm a big boy." Still he didn't get up, or stop smiling.

Orga sighed. "Look, just - don't get close, all right? Like I told you before - behave yourself. We can't fully trust her."

Eugene's smile dropped, then. He pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Is that really what it is? About trust?" He frowned, spoke to the space in front of him, "A), you don't seem to fully trust me, and B)," he finally looked at Orga, "she's not devious, Orga - she's sad. Heartbroken, even."

"'Heartbroken'," Orga repeated skeptically, raising his eyebrows. This was bad.

Eugene shrugged at him, but did not divulge what they may have talked about - interesting in of itself. "Yeah. Wouldn't you be?"

Orga couldn't answer that, no matter how much he agreed. "I wish you could hear yourself."

Eugene frowned harder, held open his arms, "Look what more do you want? Does she have to go through some kind of cup ceremony too in order for you to lay off? I think if she was going to screw us over she would've done it by now. Several times. Or -"

"And I think that not only is your infatuation getting in the way of your sense, but that she's the type to wait for the right moment," Orga countered through gritted teeth, but was ignored. Eugene was standing up, now. To have the height advantage, no doubt.

"- or, are you just jealous? Because sorry man, you had your chance. Should've said something."

Orga scoffed. That was the most ridiculous part of this entire conversation. "Being wrapped around Ms Wei's little finger is the last thing I'd be jealous about."

Eugene's arms dropped. "Is that what I am?"

"Getting there," Orga said quietly before he could stop himself.

"Fuck you," Eugene spat.

Orga took a deep breath in, out. This wasn't worth it. He waited for his blood to calm before he spoke. "You know what? Forget I said anything. I'm sorry I even brought it up." He turned and walked away.

"Mikazuki said she could have let you drown, but she didn't!" Eugene said.

"We're leaving for the Republic of China," Orga called back. "Either you're in the cockpit, or I am, and you're out here like a windsock. Ten minutes." He re-entered the ship.

At first he wasn't fully sure Eugene was going to follow, but he hadn't got far when he heard him huffing and puffing behind him; then he was overtaking him, fists clenched and swinging at his sides as he headed for the bridge. Orga hoped this would all blow over. Well, it would be over at some point - sooner rather than later. All he had to do was make a call.

He let Eugene get to the bridge first. They both took their seats under Merribit's ever-watchful eye. Even from behind it was obvious that Eugene had barely calmed down yet.

Well, it'll take us an hour to reach China, and maybe another two and a half hours to reach the facility McGillis -

"Where to?" Eugene grumbled.

Orga took a breath, tapped a knuckle on the arm of his chair. "Chifeng. Inner Mongolia." Although he had the exact coordinates, to give them would be too suspicious.

He saw Eugene looking it up. "Northwest, huh. The fun just doesn't stop with you, does it."

"I believe Artima is of Mongolian descent, come to think of it," Merribit commented - no doubt thinking she'd ease the tension but in fact making it worse.

"Inner Mongolia is still part of the Republic of China, even today," Orga noted.

"Did your research, did you?" Eugene quipped.

Orga didn't comment further - if he made it obvious he'd already looked up where they were going, that might draw attention too.

AC 211, April 14th, 9:00 a.m.
Four hundred and twenty-four years ago

He'd been watching her dance class through the gym's open fire escape door for three weeks in a row, without saying anything. That's when Artima had known that this 'transfer student' wasn't anything of the sort. The class had ended and some of the students either went to their private tutorials or left, while a few 'loyalists' stayed behind, stretching and putting in extra practice, including her. She'd had to go closer to him to retrieve her MP3 player since her bag was by the fire escape, and they'd stared defiantly at one another. He'd had an apple cradled in his hand but wasn't eating.

Artima had run through her routine with the same track on repeat. Heero - or 'Jack', as he'd aliased himself back then - had watched her unabashedly, his face betraying nothing other than thoughtfulness. She remembered how absorbed she'd been in both performing, her soundbubble, and his gaze. Half an hour had gone by without her realizing, only the loud clunk of the main door closing bringing her back into the real world. Kal was the only one left, taking his private tutorial with the teacher in the glassed-in mezzanine level upstairs - otherwise she had been left alone with Heero for the first time. He was standing, as though waiting.

She'd walked toward her bag to put away her player, though she couldn't be certain when its battery had died. "Did you want something?" she said. She stopped just short of her bag.

"Yes. No," he said blandly.

Artima raised an eyebrow. "If you're after my number, you're gonna have to learn to ask for it yourself."

"That's not why I'm here," he said.

He'd picked up her bag for her and came inside the gym as he did so, pulling the door shut. She'd given him a confused look as she took the it from him.

"You're interesting. Much too interesting," he said.

"Am I now." He'd grabbed her arm and started leading her across the gym. "Hey! What –"

"I think we need to stay away from each other."

"Well that shouldn't be hard!" She'd shaken him off and stood still.

For a moment there was a flicker of emotion across his face, but not for long enough for her to label it, she remembered. She was as stumped now as she'd been back then. "What I mean is, I understand you."

"Oh do you now? Three days of watching me in here and that's what you've figured out?"

"From the way you move," he said lowly, walking a step closer. "I understand exactly. And I think, in both our best interests, we need to stay away from each other." He stopped right in front of her, as if in secrecy. "Before things get complicated."

Artima woke as someone knocked on her door. She was groggy, still weighed down by steel-blue eyes and the dregs of a song from over three hundred years ago.

"You and I are here, underwater…"

Another knock. A voice she couldn't - or maybe wouldn't - recognize.

"I sense you through the haze, just like a memory. Been down here for days - have you seen me?"

Tears prickled; she choked on what she abruptly realized was a scratchy throat. The music faded and she couldn't recollect the tune any longer. The knock sounded again, and she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"Artima? I thought you'd like to know we've landed - in Inner Mongolia." Merribit's voice.

Artima coughed, stood. She'd only intended to lie down for a few minutes, but guessed she'd slept for far longer. The cramp appeared to be gone for now, at least. She answered the door. "Sorry, I guess I needed some sleep."

Merribit smiled understandingly. "I'm not surprised. I'm sure your body is still playing catch up. You can go back -"

"No no, it's fine. It's my business that's brought us here, so I should at least be awake for it."

A Note from the Author: Briefly-quoted lyrics belong to Vertical Horizon, from their song 'Underwater' - I make no claim of them to be my own.