Phase 33 Teuton
(This chapter will uncover the nine day journey from Orb to the Triple Alliance's encampment. This story will base on one character's (Meinz Heinemann) point of view.)
Day 00
I, under the orders of the pink princess, had embarked on a mission which only a selected few will engage in. I'm writing this when I'm on board the SS Bertram which it will ferry us to Vladivostok. The cruise will take three days; many things can happen within that period.
First Lieutenant Darcy Johnson, our commanding officer, gave out his first order after we had completed our procedures and settled down. He carried spot checks on our rations and we were told to unload every single parcel we brought. I think he knew that at least someone will bring the wrong types.
And he was right. Lieutenant Colonel Gary Locke had made a grave mistake by selecting the wrong choice of his rations; perishable food types. We all burst out laughing hard and while Gary apologized profusely to the exasperated Darcy. The rest of us were OK.
Letting all this precious food stock to rot is going to be such a waste so there was a little trade going on. Most of Gary's "rations" were confiscated and replaced with proper ones. The cooks on the ship happy accepted them, looks like we will be enjoying good food for the next few days much to Gary's demise.
Supper was the usual chow before we sleep. I will be sharing cabin with Gary and Fabian. We all knew rest is needed so there was no chit-chat.
Day 01
I admit not getting use to the bunk and slept only a little. Gary was away but Fabian remained inside. Later, I realized none of were able to sleep. Breakfast was served early; it was nothing I had eaten before. Gary kindly let us know that it's a South-east Asian cuisine made of the freshest ingredients (which probably were originally his) and he helped out with the cookery. It's been a long been time I had eaten such gourmet food and I had to fight with the rest to get more.
After breakfast, everything seems oddly boring. Darcy was no where to be found. When I was looking around for him, Fred suggested that I rather give up.
"He's hiding from us to have his weed," He told me.
I thought he was joking but it sounded serious.
Then I headed out to the deck to kill time. Luckily, there was no one there so I could enjoy the scenery and the smell of the ocean. I started to doubt about taking three days to reach the shore.
When I was relaxing, Darcy who was covered in sweat appeared out of nowhere. He cursed before getting to the point. He informed me that he had screwed up his calculations and the cruise would actually take five days and the locomotive travel will take three days instead. I guessed too much weed had messed up his brain. I'm amazed that he hadn't dropped dead yet. Out of sympathy, I decided to lend him a hand. I headed to the bridge and announced through the PA system to tell the correct phases.
Chinese cuisine was served as lunch. Much thanks to the sweet & sour pork that made my day. Another fight-for-second-serving ensued. And, oh, Gary is a good cook.
"Fresh food is the best"
I can't agree more.
The entire afternoon was spent in the cabin, looking through my stuff to fill in time. Fabian also joined me. We all peeped at each other's family photos. Much like Fabian, we all lost our loved ones during the wars. We are orphans of war. Somehow, this connection made us more than comrades.
We talked about our experiences for a long time until dinner bell rang. This time, Gary wasn't wearing the apron; the cook was Xue Min. Needless to say, he made Szechuan cuisine for everyone. Then I knew that Szechuan cuisine isn't fiery hot every time.
The night sky was cloudless and the stars shone so brightly, it almost hurt my eyes. The captain was kind enough to lend us his telescope and we spent a few hours on stargazing. And that was how day 1 passed…
Day 02
Managed to catch a good sleep last night and I felt excellent. I nearly forgot about the mission! A quick morning exercise was accompanied by breakfast. Food taste better if you appreciate it. I once again thanked Gary for "supplying" the fresh ingredients.
Daisuke "Poke" seems to spend most of his time in the bridge. Later, I found that he used to a nautical student in his earlier days. He would also like to hang out with Xin and Gary and talk about what they had done when they were separated by the war. They also invited me to enter their conversation. During the discussion, I discovered that they have fought at the frontlines many more times than I did. Subsequently, Poke treated us to his special coffee blend. It tasted strangely good but Daisuke gave me a weird face upon my remark.
Xin took his leave when it was his turn to prepare lunch. Actually, Shoko had to drag him away. After that, the rest of us headed up to the deck and spectated a basketball match between the Fabian – Xue Min pair and the Fred – Xion pair.
In the middle of the game, I overheard a joke concerning about the Earth Alliance's Extended from Daisuke and Gary. I didn't catch it but both of them were laughing hard. Shortly when we walked to the mess hall, Gary told me that the Earth Alliance's Extended also played Basketball on a ship which is in the same class as ours too. Then Daisuke later added on that Fred and Xion were also from Earth Alliance and they were sort of reliving the moment. However, I dared not believe what they said. I mean… I don't get the joke at all…
For lunch, Shoko and Xin together concocted a 5 course Japanese – Western fusion meal. What it looked like? It's high-class, I say! Darcy had presented himself early this time. I bet he couldn't resist the tangy aroma. Does fiddling with their genes makes them good cooks? I could not help but wonder about that since Gary and the pair are such great cooks! Wait, I'm a coordinator too… well, whatever…
Everyone's face were all alarmed when Xin told us that he only used Gary's ordinary ingredients to create this out-of-this-world feast. Every bite was full of flavors, it's such a pity that everything is in my stomach now. When the dishes were being cleared, Daisuke bugged the couple by asking when they are going to get married. Both of them blushed straight away and all of us guffawed.
I wonder if we really can have another banquet like this next time…
Full to my neck, I strolled back to my cabin to let the food in my belly settle down. As I looked into my rucksack, I saw my old record which contained the songs sung by her majesty herself. I hijacked the PA system again and played her songs through the speakers. I mean, who'd complain about her songs. I desire for another new song from the songstress… Nobody spoilt the peaceful moment until the last track being tracked…
The songs were so hypnotic that I almost missed dinner.
The food was back normal as Gary's ingredients were depleted. I'm starting to miss the good food now…
Day 03
A new break out of war disrupted our "honeymoon" when we received news that EXILER's space fortress was attacked by the last remnants of the Blue Cosmos. This caused us to step up one level of alertness. After a brief breakfast, we don on our pilot suits and waited for further instructions. I knew sooner or later, there would be a final clash between EXILER and Blue Cosmos but this was just too soon.
Shortly afterwards, we began to receive live-feed of the battle scene from an unknown source. All nine of us, gathered in the briefing room and, my God, the sight was so daunting that I stayed frozen on my seat. It was utter chaos. Suddenly, Shoko pointed at something.
It was a silhouette of an EXILER assault ship, none of us could make out what it really was. It could be a new one created by our enemy. It's got weapon all over its hull, now that's deadly! Besides it, we spotted several new units from EXILER; not to mention a few new prototypes.
Because of this, we were forced to spend hours in our mobile suits in case we face any conflict on the sea.
This is so BORING!!!!
I can't believe this will persist until we dock at Vladivostok.
Day 04
The situation still persists. I'm going mad by cooping myself in the cockpit in my Strike Vert.
JUST ANOTHER FRIGGIN' BORING DAY! PERIOD.
To make things worse, it's getting cold… Brrrrrrrrrrrrr
Day 05
News of reaching the shore by evening is making me captivated. I will have to bear with this stuffy cockpit till I get fresh air. Winter was more prominent was the deck was covered with a layer of white snow. Xion told me that it would get colder and colder as we head up north.
I can't tell you how elated I am when I can see the shore in the distance. Freeing myself from the cramped space, I rush up to the ship's front to absorb the surrounding. Now I can see wisps of condensation flowing out of my mouth as I breathed.
"This is the last day I'm gonna be on this stupid ship!!!" I yelled as loud as I could.
We were ordered to pack everything up before we leave the ship. Changing was a challenge in this cold weather. As soon as I dress in my Orb uniform, I draped on my winter coat. Xion looked like a perfect Russian when he has his winter hat over his pale face. Gary's one was most ridiculous, I almost mistook him as an Eskimo. The rest were OK and we continued with our work. During our way, we caught Shoko and Xin huddling too close to each other. Of course, they tried to give excuses…
Dinner was served early as the coldness had drained most of our energy. A meat-heavy meal was just what we needed. As we chow down on our steaks, we complained about wasting too much time in our cockpits waiting in vain. Actually, there were no enemies throughout the length of the cruise. Waste of time indeed. But this scrumptious dinner was good enough as remuneration.
Darcy heard everything but didn't bothered to say anything.
Everyone should have packed everything up by dinner so what's left to do is what for the ship to dock.
Vladivostok is just like another Triple Alliance's Naval Base but it didn't look half-bad with all the snow on it. We had to traverse the base before we could reach the train depot. Darcy explained to us that we will be travelling on Military-owned railway up to Magadan which explains why the train looks so peculiar.
The length of the trained seemed to stretch on forever. I guess they are bringing more supplies and troops to the encampment. We loaded our mobile suits onto special carriages. While we were at that, we saw new mass-produced mobile suits too. They were veiled back moments after they were uncovered therefore we could make out that those mobile suits are. All we knew was that – they are shiny.
After leaving my Strike Vert to the hands of the mechanics, we were ushered to our VIP carriages. VIP! A big luxurious space for two people, how cool is that?
Here are the arrangements:
Fred & Xion
Shoko & Xin
Darcy & Fabian
Daisuke "Poke" & Xue Min
Me & Gary
Thankfully, the cabin is heated so I can care less about the coldness and sleep in my PJ.
The train departed at 00 00. (Too dark to see anything at the window)
Day 06
I was awakened by the sound from Gary's game console. It looks like he had been gaming instead of sleeping. Remembering that no meals will be served to us (ever since Gary's fresh supplies ran out), I dug through my rations to look for an appropriate breakfast. Anyone fancies freeze-dried bread and instant coffee?
Damn it, Gary had somehow smuggled in some cheese and a proper loaf of whole meal bread. Where the hell did those come from?
And there was another familiar aroma wafting into our room, straight away I could tell it was Daisuke making his coffee. All those make me feel that my rations are lousy.
Putting on a fresh uniform after a quick shower, I decided to have a little adventure in the train. I checked to have a look at the other's cabin but they were all locked. Knowing about the length of the train, I tried not to wonder too far.
The sense of speed was evident when the scenery passed by faster than I thought. Wow, it's faster than fast!
I walked into the dining car and it was deserted except for a drink machine. Totally bored out of my mind, I swiped my ID through the machine and selected a hot milk tea. I sat at one of the tables to sip my drink.
Many thoughts and memories flowed through my mind when I was alone. Who and what the hell is the EXILER? What am I doing here? How are my old friends doing back home? How did Gary get all the fresh food? What will Shoko and Xin do if the war ever ends? How many days till my birthday? Grrr… Are we there yet?
My stream of thoughts was disturbed when the train started to slow down. Then I remembered about our first stop – Aldan, Xion's home town. I didn't notice that snow had literally covered the earth when I turned to look at the window. Tossing the empty cup into the bin, I returned to my cabin.
The rest had gathered in Darcy's cabin where he was giving a lecture about the procedures when we reach our stop. Since news of the war in space had spread like the Black Death, the chances of being attack are pretty high. Contradictorily, the risk level is low. Of course I was late and missed lunch at the same time.
The trained pulled up at a tranquil train station and we told that we are allowed up to 2 hours away from the train. Xion could hardly cope with his excitement.
"My family's out there! Look! They are just down there, inside the station. They must have waited very long for me!" he called out in zest. "They may have even prepared some goodies for us too eat! Let's go down already!"
A sharp gust of cold wind greeted us as we stepped out from the train. It was snowing heavily also, snow crusted under our feet was we make our way into the station. But Xion was not bothered at all; we had a hard time catching up with him.
The warm air from the station was what I appreciated very much; rather good amenities in a military railway station. Xion's family must have gone through a series of tedious administrative work before they could come in here. Well, I reckon it's all worth it for somebody whom you have missed for a long time.
Xion became the focus of attention as he was surrounded by his relatives and friends. I admit that I was envious of Xion as he still had most of his family and friends with him. Besides the noise coming from that side, a long table topped with a variety of home-cooked Russian cuisine caught my attention. Such hospitality Xion's folks have! They allowed us to eat and drink as much as we want. My favorite dishes were the vegetable stews. Yum!
I do agree that 2 hours was short but a treasured moment for everyone. All the ten of us received a small basket of preserved meat and jars of pickled vegetables.
What a remarkable way to end our first day of our train journey. I wager this to better than the ship's.
Day 07
We reached our second last stop on the next morning and this time we weren't allowed to alight. It must some top secret activity happening around us which Darcy refused to fill us in. I guess it had to be related to new mobile suits that we saw a few days back.
Since we can't see any sort of activity happening from the windows, Gary asked me if I want to head down to Xin's cabin to have breakfast together. Daisuke was there already by the time we brought our stuff there.
Daisuke was distributing his weird roasted coffee which Xin and Gary somehow seemed to enjoy. Shoko was pouring hot water into her ration packets and handed out to everyone. I've never tried ZAFT's "green packs" and this one looked a bit like some kind of thick soup. Gary was making sandwiches with the meat and pickles we received yesterday. I traded my freeze-dried foodstuff in exchange for a bit from them.
I tried the "soup", WOW, I don't what the heck but its taste was wacky. After I drank it, some kind energy surged through my body. Xin told me that was ZAFT's most potent ration that could last one person one day if he/she were to slack for one whole day. (In other words, it's a nutri-potage from I heard from Shoko.) No wonder I find it hard to swallow anything else after the soup.
The trained resumed its journey in the middle of breakfast…
When Gary and I were to go back to our cabin, Darcy popped out and informed us to do the laundry, there's a washers car somewhere in the middle of the train. Lifting our linen basket, we marched towards the obscure location.
After dumping everything into the washers, we played a few rounds of cards to kill time. Xin was terribly bad at it and gave up soon.
I felt like a housekeeper when I was wrapping the newly washed and ironed clothes. While we were at it, Xin and Shoko used the opportunity to get "close". Daisuke blindfolded me all of a sudden and I was pushed and pulled back to my cabin. Was that meant to be a joke?
I went to dining car to have my usual drink and at the same time to daydream. I met up with other few soldiers and exchanged a few words. All I knew was – "The Siege is on". While we are on our nine day journey, Triple Alliance had been deploying troops from every location and some of them were send to besiege the fortress. Triple Alliance is planning something big.
The "nutri-potage" was still staying strong in my guts and I totally skipped lunch and dinner. I hardly noticed that until I saw the sunset in the dining car.
Day 08
I decided not to have any ZAFT ration for breakfast; it was unnaturally filling. I traded more freeze-dried Orb rations for Gary's assorted sandwiches. This time, Daisuke, Xin and Shoko came to our cabin so I had the chance to give out more of the freeze-dried junk. We played a few old songs from the way past and gradually it turned into karaoke.
The train will reach Magadan next afternoon; it's going to be difficult to clear up our VIP cabins. We got too used to it until we treated like our room. Yup, we even decorated its interior.
Suddenly the feeling of the end of this journey got onto me. The moment of false peace is going to end. Well, even a short moment of it is still peace. It's fated that we will hold weapons and fight again. The feeling was a bit sad…
Looking this is the last evening on the train; I invited everyone into the dining cabin where the windows are exceptionally bigger. It makes the sunset more visible.
We chatted and chatted the whole day while sipping hot drinks. There was a sense of déjà vu when we watched the sunset… It reminded of me and my family watching the sunset together…
I turned in early to get ready for the tiring day up ahead.
Day 09
This is it, the last day of our journey. Darcy had put a notice that the train will reach our destination before the scheduled time. I took one final look at our cabin before clearing everything away, etching the image into my memory. I couldn't help but sigh as I made my bed for the final time. Gary, too, put on a reluctant face.
The last item to be packed into my rucksack was my family photo, I had a really good look at it. But nothing changed. Then the train started to slow down.
"OK, guys. Change into your pilot suits," Darcy called from the door.
Slinging my rucksack on my shoulder and hanging my helmet on another hand, I made my out of the cabin. The rest had assembled outside too. Darcy gave an understanding nod as he saw the look on everyone's faces. It seemed to go on forever as we marched down the train's aisle.
We finally entered the carriages which housed out mobile suits. I looked up at my Strike Vert… It had been equipped with a different Striker Pack; the Panzer Striker. The Panzer Striker is a heavy-assault type which is most ideal for our mission. I waited in the cockpit until it was time to move.
The train jolted to a stop… The hatches opened and mobiles suits started marching out. The numbers are big… it makes me wonder how many will survive the battle against EXILER. My Strike Vert marched along with Gary's Deathslasher LR and Fabian's Blast Excel. Darcy led us with his ZGM-1000/R4 Command ZAKU CCI. Our mobile suits marched under the snowstorm, making our way to where the ferries are waiting for us.
The waters were really choppy and walking on board was a hassle, let alone standing still. I had to activate the leg anchors to keep it in place but the cockpit was still bobbing about, making me sick.
After a few minutes, the ferries horns blared and off we crossed the Sea of Okhotsk. This long-winded was to avoid EXILER's detection, but it had finally paid off. All the rocking made me dizzy and I eventually fell into a sleepy stupor.
I woke up when the ferry banged against the shore, the snow storm had stopped and the landscape could been seen clearly. The encampment looked like a half-complete military base. That's the place I'll be putting up with until the mission starts. I wrapped myself with arctic-clothing before stepping out of my cockpit.
I heaved everything I brought with me to the barracks…
Fred, Xion and Xue Min will be my roommates…
Hah… All the travelling had tire me out. I'll end here before I take my rest…
Phase 33 END