Playing With Life
By: Theodore 'Blitz' Leung
Disclaimer: I don't own Zone of the Enders (ZOE). Konami does. I wish I did, it's a good game, albeit short. But the Metal Gear Solid 2 (MGS2) demo was a good addition. Anyway, enough rambling, time to get this fic on.
Leo slowly slipped into the seat of the large device. He was hesitant still on using the device, but after hearing about it, he couldn't resist a look at it. The seat was comfy, but Leo figured he wouldn't notice once he activated the device.
"What am I doing?" he thought, staring at the blank screen in front of him. "My mission is done, why am I here?" His thoughts were broken with the loud closing of the hatch he entered from. Darkness surrounded him for a brief moment, then all the screens flashed to life.
"Simulator activated," a masculine voice told Leo, something he was unaccustomed to after being with ADA throughout Jehuty. Wire frame terrain surrounded him, before the computer made the terrain whole with its graphics, one square of data at a time. Leo placed his hands on the controls for the simulation Frame, getting used to it. He might still be a pilot, but he wasn't accustomed to such a format for controls. The pilot played around the movement of the unknown Frame of data he would be piloting.
"Are you ready?" the computer asked, taking Leo's attention away from the movement controls. The pilot stared blankly at the screens before him, still hesitant.
"Begin," Leo finally muttered, his hands gripping tightly over the controls.
"Acknowledged," was the computer's response, an orbital Frame appearing before Leo. This was of a Raptor, something Leo was very familiar with. The Frame Runner closed his eyes, before opening them and rushing forward with his Frame. The Boxing like Raptor raised its two arms, crimson energy glowing around the two fists.
A sapphire coloured fist lashed out at the Raptor, surprising Leo initially. He was accustomed to the normal blue energy blade that was part of Jehuty's arsenal of destructive weapons. Regaining his composure and gaining the knowledge of a Frame that didn't pilot like Jehuty, he recognised a long battle coming up. AS it is, he had difficulty cracking the guarding defence of these boxers with Jehuty, let alone with a 'less advanced' Frame. Then again, Leo wasn't even sure what he was doing in this combat simulator.
Leo continued to box around with the Raptor, but found that his Frame was incredibly inadequate for such a task. The pilot was so used to outmatching his opponent with such power that he never really thought of strategy to combat.
"Guess I'll have to try something new..." the Frame Runner whispered, igniting his boosters and dashing backwards, avoiding a right jab from the Raptor. A second later, Leo unleashed a barrage of Geyser probes. The cage of lasers halted the Raptor momentarily as it needed to weave around the attack. "Alright, let's see what this Frame can do..." With those words, Leo pressed the trigger button.
Phalanx shots blasted out in a hail of energy, slamming right into the Raptor as it made another mad dash towards its opponent. The shots were plentiful, but despite that fact, the barrage seemed to have fazed the Raptor as it continued its straight rush for Leo. Once more, Leo fired a barrage of Phalanx, and once more, it did little to stop the attack.
"AHH!" Leo screamed out, despite it being a simulation. He shut his eyes tightly, clamping hard on the controls before him.
The supposed fist never hit its mark, and Leo slowly opened his eyes to figure out why.
The Raptor was in front of him. Looking over the Frame's shoulder, Leo noticed a Halberd laser beam streaking through the chest of the Raptor. The Frame Runner breathing became harsh, belief of escaping death occurring to him. Slowly, he released the Halberd, dropping the Raptor onto the ground with a metallic clank. Leo's breathing gradually stabilised, though his hands still remained firm on the controls.
"I don't believe you were Jehuty's Frame Runner," the com blared to life, scaring the heck out of Leo.
"W-Who are you?" the pilot stammered, still trying to regain himself from the previous battle.
"The back-up Frame Runner for Jehuty," the voice responded harshly. "I'm Alan's replacement if he ever got ill before we went to retrieve Jehuty. Guess it didn't happen."
"What do you want?" Leo asked, wondering if this pilot meant offence or not.
"At first, nothing," the pilot answered. "But after watching your pathetic display at dealing with a simulation Raptor, I feel embarrassed that a kid like you got that Frame onto the Atlantis intact."
"W-W-What?!" Leo shouted out, now knowing the pilot was getting to him.
"How did you survive fighting through an army of Raptors and not take one on in a simulation?" the other pilot told Leo.
"I'm not used to this Frame..." Leo retorted, albeit meekly.
"A good Frame Runner can pilot anything," was the response. Another Frame materialised before Leo, this time of a non-Raptor model. The model was of a Frame that had a large cannon as a head. Leo recalled seeing one defending the colony before he encountered Jehuty. "You are a pathetic display of a Frame Runner. Come on, I'll show you how its done."
Leo had exactly 0.47 seconds to wonder about the Frame he was using before his opposition rushed forward, something unexpected from a Frame that was obviously for fire support. The metallic fist of the Frame slammed into the armour plating of Leo's Frame, shaking his simulator violently.
"AHHH!" Leo screamed out, igniting his boosters and retreating. It was a good idea on the Frame Runner's part, as a Halberd attack blasted out of the cannon head from the opposing Frame. The tip of the laser beam nicked Leo's Frame, causing another small tremor within the Frame, but dealing no damage. Once more, Leo's breathing became harsh, taken completely by surprise from the attack.
"If you can't even make a feeble attempt to stop that attack..." the other pilot muttered, not bothering to complete his sentence. Leo regained his breath, firing without remorse with his Phalanx. He heard the faint laugh of his opponent as the opposing Frame only fired back with his Phalanx. At first, it was even, but the dual Phalanx cannons part of that Frame gave Leo's opponent all the advantage he needed for this kind of dual. Eventually, Leo broke off his assault and was forced to retreat or face annihilation.
"Damn...I'm completely outclassed..." Leo muttered, forgetting his comlink was still activated.
"Who do you think has the advantage in a shooting war?" the other pilot asked, laughing once more. "Boy...and to think I thought you were a good Frame Runner..." Leo clutched the controls of the Frame tightly, beginning to get fed up with the constant rants against him. "It's no wonder that girl was wounded...your inexperience got her there..."
That was the last straw for Leo. He wouldn't allow this jerk to offend him anymore. Without thought, he blasted forward, running into a full barrage of Phalanx a second later. Within the next second, Leo slammed his fist into the Frame before him, snapping the head of the Frame back. The resulting action shot Phalanx into the sky. Leo didn't stop there, he continued to slam fists into the opposing Frame like a boxer towards a punching bag. The Frame Runner could hear the groans and grunts from the other Runner over the still active com. Nevertheless, Leo didn't let up, floating back and firing a Halberd at point blank. His opponent made dodged left, albeit slowly. The result was the amputation of his right Frame arm.
In the next moment, a Javelin appeared in Leo's arm, slashing despite the fact it was a throwing weapon. The impact destroyed the legs of the Frame. A second upwards slash ripped off the other arm. The Frame fell to the ground with a thump. Leo didn't hold back, raising his Javelin and ready to jam the weapon into the Frame.
"Go ahead kid...try it..." came the reply from the pilot. Leo closed his eyes, thrusting his Frame's arm down.
The tip of the Javelin stopped a few inches away from the main body of the Frame. Leo opened his eyes, unable to bring himself to complete the mission. He deactivated the simulator, letting darkness embrace him.
"Even in simulation, your action remain illogical," a female computerised voice spoke, one that Leo recognised instantly.
"ADA!" Leo exclaimed, surprised by the presence of the Artificial Intelligence. "But...how?"
"My program was downloaded into the central system of the Atlantis," the program replied. Leo sighed in relief.
"And I take it my actions are still illogical because I didn't take that pilot out...right?" Leo asked, though the answer was quite obvious. ADA answered anyway.
"Your actions remain illogical because of that. Despite the fact this is only simulation and that you cannot take the life of another, you still refuse to destroy your opponent."
"Yeah...you're right..." Leo responded sadly, leaning back against the cushioned pilot's seat.
"I am still at a loss for your actions," ADA told her former partner aboard Jehuty.
"I guess you can't go against your ethics...in real battle or in simulation," Leo answered, unsure himself of his actions.
"That will do for now...Your mental condition is currently deteriorating due to lack of rest as well as the stress from this battle," the computer informed Leo. "It is recommend you rest in your quarters so that you may remain focused." On cue, the locking mechanism for the simulator clicked, releasing the 'door' and spilling in light. Leo adapted in a few seconds.
"Alright...g'night ADA..." Leo spoke softly, slipping out of the cockpit.
"Good night...and sweet dreams..." ADA added, surprising the Human. Leo wasn't expecting those last three words, but he didn't let it bother him. He took ADA's advice and headed towards the room assigned to him.
* * * * * *
"So, how does it look?" Elena asked the keypad in the control room of the hanger.
"Leo remains the same behind his thinking, as predicted," ADA answered from the com on the pad.
"Well...it doesn't matter...we can work either way..." Elena replied, typing some orders into the console before her.
"Elena...is what we are doing...alright...?" ADA asked, sounding unsure of their actions aboard the Atlantis. Her orders were clear, but she wasn't sure about the new ones assigned recently.
Elena continued to watch the screen in silence after assigning new orders to refit Jehuty. She didn't want to answer the computer, despite ADA's imminent destruction in the near future. Even if it was just a machine, Elena wondered if the answer would affect the outcome of the Operation: Lion Strike.
"I am sorry...by your mental state, you seem confused," ADA spoke. "Please forget the question I have asked and return to working. I will not bother you again." With those words, ADA 'left' the workstation, leaving the engineer to her own thoughts.
Fin
Completed: 07/17/01