Chapter 7
The sound of Paul's footsteps on the cold stone corridor echoed loudly. He was dressed in his formal military dress uniform. He hated wearing it but on an occasion such as this it was a necessary evil. As he neared his destination he mentally calmed himself, he didn't want to seem uncomfortable in front of His Majesty the King.
King Charles 5th was an elderly man. He currently held the record for the longest reign of a single monarch over Neo England, 76 years. Despite being 94 years old he still had a sharp mind and wit. The King had endured a great deal during his reign, the greatest being Neo England's triple victories in the Gundam Fight and then the lowest in the 14th Gundam Fight. This was why the elderly King had summoned Neo England's Gundam Fighter, Paul Snowdon, to an audience.
The heavy Oak doors that guarded the entrance to the King's audience chamber opened slowly, two guards stood on the inside and outside of the doors. Paul noted that the room was relatively empty; save the guards there were only a handful of other people. From the corner of his eye Paul could see Elena Wilson, his rival for the place as Neo England's Gundam Fighter. As Paul reached the raised platform upon which the King's throne rested he fell to one knee.
'You requested to see me your Majesty?' he asked keeping his tone respectful.
'Arise young Snowdon,' said King Charles, 'I can hardly see you down there, and they make these things so high up.'
Paul smiled slightly as he rose to meet the Kings eyes. The King was a proud man and he still wore his crown with pride despite his growing ill health he refused help of any kind.
'The efforts of you and the Lady Wilson have not gone unnoticed,' said the King, 'Your preparations for this, the 17th Gundam Fight have been long and hard. I wish that both of you could go but alas that is not allowed. Many think that I'm just a foolish old man letting us rejoin the Gundam Fight.'
'No my Lord! Your not' started Paul but he was cut off by the King raising his hand.
'Some think it better for us to waller in our self pity and give up.' Said the King, 'But I say sod them! We've waited on the sidelines long enough. I want you to go out there and prove to everyone that Neo England aren't quitters and that we are not cheaters. Bring our honour back.' The King coughed heavily.
Paul could see that the King didn't have a great deal of time left. 'Rest assured your Majesty. I will reclaim our honour and win this Gundam Fight,' said Paul defiantly, 'But please my Lord. Stay with us until so that I can prove to you that we can do this.'
The King laughed genteelly. 'I will try young Snowdon. I have noticed that your father has made numerous requests that I send Lady Wilson instead of you. What have you to say to that?'
'My father doesn't believe I can achieve what we must,' said Paul bitterly, 'He's more worried about being re-elected Prime Minister. He seems to think I will bring shame on our family and our country.'
'Well. I have great faith in you young Snowdon.' Said the King gently. 'Now go preparations for your departure and underway.'
'Yes my Lord.' Said Paul and he turned and left the chamber. A few moments later Elena Wilson joined him.
She was the same age as Paul. Both of them had been brought up to be the next Gundam Fighter of Neo England. He the son of a life long politician: her the only daughter of a noble family. Her hair was short and light brown, held back against the head. She was wearing a similar dress uniform to him.
'Good luck,' she said keeping her voice neutral. She was bitterly disappointed that she'd lost out.
'Thank you.' He said, 'I suspect that I'll need it.'
'Your not that bad a pilot Paul.' She said reassuringly. 'I know you'll do us proud.'
'Even still you still wish it was you though?' he smiled as she turned away. 'I don't mind. I'll do my best that's all that counts. Your Spitfire Gundam would probably do better anyway.'
'That's possibility.' She said looking back at him over her shoulder. 'But your Royal Britain Gundam is very powerful. Anyway didn't the Academy beat it into you that its not the Gundam that counts it's the pilot.'
'Your right, your right I know,' he said, 'But still…'
'Oh shut up and go get your transport.' She ordered, 'We'll never live it down if you're late.'
Thick repressive darkness filled the room. Vague unrecognisable people surrounded an equally unrecognisable table. High above the distant sound of a fan endlessly spinning could be heard filtering down through the maze of pipes that made up the ceiling.
'It has activated before schedule,' said the first. The voice basked in unrivalled neutrality. All sense of accent had been removed.
'This is a sever disruption to the schedule,' spoke a second. Their voice no different from the first. 'It is not ready for our purpose.'
'True, but perhaps we can use this to advance the schedule,' spoke a third
'No. It is not ready,' replied the first.
'She is fighting us,' said a fourth, 'Surely she much realise that there is no possible way for her to win. Her actions are, foolish.'
'There is several other things be much consider,' said the second. 'The Shuffle Delegation will be alerted by now. They must be dealt with. Furthermore there is evidence that she has made contact with another.'
'Another?' asked the third, 'How?'
'The exact methods are unknown,' said the second. 'But they too will be eliminated.'
'Very well.' Said the first, 'Don't let anything get in the way of the schedule.'
Min, Hoi and Lisa darted towards the Neo England transport. It was no easy task they had to dodge the occasional stray blasts from the Gundam Heads. They shelters momentarily behind an outcrop of rocks before dashing the final stretch to the limited safety of the Neo England transport. Once inside Lisa ran into the cockpit and hurriedly started up the transport. The VTOL turbines on each wing gave out a horrid whine as they started up. Slowly but surely the transport began to take off.
Seeing the transport begin to take off Paul and Kyoji brought their Gundams in close and landed on the transports wide top deck. Suddenly the Gundam Heads stopped moving and slowly retreated back underground.
'What the hell is going on Snowdon?' asked Kyoji angrily, 'There's something your not letting on and I wont to know what it is.'
'This isn't the time or the place,' said Paul quietly.
'And when is that? Me and my team nearly got killed out there!' yelled Kyoji, 'Now tell me what you know or I'll fucking kill you!'
'Some how I doubt you'd do that,' said Paul, 'You'd be disqualified.'
'To hell with that!' yelled Kyoji, 'I want to know what those Gundam Heads were doing here! The Devil Gundam is dead!'
'Yes the Devil Gundam is dead,' said Paul, 'We weren't fighting the Devil Gundam. We were fighting the Ultimate Gundam.'
''There's no difference!' said Kyoji, 'They're both the same killing machine.'
'No!' said Paul sharply, 'There is a great deal of difference in the psychological make up of the Gundam.'
'What the hell are you on about!' snapped Kyoji, 'It's a bloody machine! Gundams don't have psychological make ups!'
'Well if that's how you see it then we don't stand much of a chance.' Said Paul quietly. 'Lisa. How long till we reach base?'
'About ten minuets Paul.' Came Lisa's reply from the cockpit. 'Are you ok?'
'Yeah I will be,' said Paul, 'Just a little unsettled. I think this is going to be a tough one. I kinda wish Elena was here.'
'Don't worry. We'll get through it.' She said reassuringly.
The sound of Paul's footsteps on the cold stone corridor echoed loudly. He was dressed in his formal military dress uniform. He hated wearing it but on an occasion such as this it was a necessary evil. As he neared his destination he mentally calmed himself, he didn't want to seem uncomfortable in front of His Majesty the King.
King Charles 5th was an elderly man. He currently held the record for the longest reign of a single monarch over Neo England, 76 years. Despite being 94 years old he still had a sharp mind and wit. The King had endured a great deal during his reign, the greatest being Neo England's triple victories in the Gundam Fight and then the lowest in the 14th Gundam Fight. This was why the elderly King had summoned Neo England's Gundam Fighter, Paul Snowdon, to an audience.
The heavy Oak doors that guarded the entrance to the King's audience chamber opened slowly, two guards stood on the inside and outside of the doors. Paul noted that the room was relatively empty; save the guards there were only a handful of other people. From the corner of his eye Paul could see Elena Wilson, his rival for the place as Neo England's Gundam Fighter. As Paul reached the raised platform upon which the King's throne rested he fell to one knee.
'You requested to see me your Majesty?' he asked keeping his tone respectful.
'Arise young Snowdon,' said King Charles, 'I can hardly see you down there, and they make these things so high up.'
Paul smiled slightly as he rose to meet the Kings eyes. The King was a proud man and he still wore his crown with pride despite his growing ill health he refused help of any kind.
'The efforts of you and the Lady Wilson have not gone unnoticed,' said the King, 'Your preparations for this, the 17th Gundam Fight have been long and hard. I wish that both of you could go but alas that is not allowed. Many think that I'm just a foolish old man letting us rejoin the Gundam Fight.'
'No my Lord! Your not' started Paul but he was cut off by the King raising his hand.
'Some think it better for us to waller in our self pity and give up.' Said the King, 'But I say sod them! We've waited on the sidelines long enough. I want you to go out there and prove to everyone that Neo England aren't quitters and that we are not cheaters. Bring our honour back.' The King coughed heavily.
Paul could see that the King didn't have a great deal of time left. 'Rest assured your Majesty. I will reclaim our honour and win this Gundam Fight,' said Paul defiantly, 'But please my Lord. Stay with us until so that I can prove to you that we can do this.'
The King laughed genteelly. 'I will try young Snowdon. I have noticed that your father has made numerous requests that I send Lady Wilson instead of you. What have you to say to that?'
'My father doesn't believe I can achieve what we must,' said Paul bitterly, 'He's more worried about being re-elected Prime Minister. He seems to think I will bring shame on our family and our country.'
'Well. I have great faith in you young Snowdon.' Said the King gently. 'Now go preparations for your departure and underway.'
'Yes my Lord.' Said Paul and he turned and left the chamber. A few moments later Elena Wilson joined him.
She was the same age as Paul. Both of them had been brought up to be the next Gundam Fighter of Neo England. He the son of a life long politician: her the only daughter of a noble family. Her hair was short and light brown, held back against the head. She was wearing a similar dress uniform to him.
'Good luck,' she said keeping her voice neutral. She was bitterly disappointed that she'd lost out.
'Thank you.' He said, 'I suspect that I'll need it.'
'Your not that bad a pilot Paul.' She said reassuringly. 'I know you'll do us proud.'
'Even still you still wish it was you though?' he smiled as she turned away. 'I don't mind. I'll do my best that's all that counts. Your Spitfire Gundam would probably do better anyway.'
'That's possibility.' She said looking back at him over her shoulder. 'But your Royal Britain Gundam is very powerful. Anyway didn't the Academy beat it into you that its not the Gundam that counts it's the pilot.'
'Your right, your right I know,' he said, 'But still…'
'Oh shut up and go get your transport.' She ordered, 'We'll never live it down if you're late.'
Thick repressive darkness filled the room. Vague unrecognisable people surrounded an equally unrecognisable table. High above the distant sound of a fan endlessly spinning could be heard filtering down through the maze of pipes that made up the ceiling.
'It has activated before schedule,' said the first. The voice basked in unrivalled neutrality. All sense of accent had been removed.
'This is a sever disruption to the schedule,' spoke a second. Their voice no different from the first. 'It is not ready for our purpose.'
'True, but perhaps we can use this to advance the schedule,' spoke a third
'No. It is not ready,' replied the first.
'She is fighting us,' said a fourth, 'Surely she much realise that there is no possible way for her to win. Her actions are, foolish.'
'There is several other things be much consider,' said the second. 'The Shuffle Delegation will be alerted by now. They must be dealt with. Furthermore there is evidence that she has made contact with another.'
'Another?' asked the third, 'How?'
'The exact methods are unknown,' said the second. 'But they too will be eliminated.'
'Very well.' Said the first, 'Don't let anything get in the way of the schedule.'
Min, Hoi and Lisa darted towards the Neo England transport. It was no easy task they had to dodge the occasional stray blasts from the Gundam Heads. They shelters momentarily behind an outcrop of rocks before dashing the final stretch to the limited safety of the Neo England transport. Once inside Lisa ran into the cockpit and hurriedly started up the transport. The VTOL turbines on each wing gave out a horrid whine as they started up. Slowly but surely the transport began to take off.
Seeing the transport begin to take off Paul and Kyoji brought their Gundams in close and landed on the transports wide top deck. Suddenly the Gundam Heads stopped moving and slowly retreated back underground.
'What the hell is going on Snowdon?' asked Kyoji angrily, 'There's something your not letting on and I wont to know what it is.'
'This isn't the time or the place,' said Paul quietly.
'And when is that? Me and my team nearly got killed out there!' yelled Kyoji, 'Now tell me what you know or I'll fucking kill you!'
'Some how I doubt you'd do that,' said Paul, 'You'd be disqualified.'
'To hell with that!' yelled Kyoji, 'I want to know what those Gundam Heads were doing here! The Devil Gundam is dead!'
'Yes the Devil Gundam is dead,' said Paul, 'We weren't fighting the Devil Gundam. We were fighting the Ultimate Gundam.'
''There's no difference!' said Kyoji, 'They're both the same killing machine.'
'No!' said Paul sharply, 'There is a great deal of difference in the psychological make up of the Gundam.'
'What the hell are you on about!' snapped Kyoji, 'It's a bloody machine! Gundams don't have psychological make ups!'
'Well if that's how you see it then we don't stand much of a chance.' Said Paul quietly. 'Lisa. How long till we reach base?'
'About ten minuets Paul.' Came Lisa's reply from the cockpit. 'Are you ok?'
'Yeah I will be,' said Paul, 'Just a little unsettled. I think this is going to be a tough one. I kinda wish Elena was here.'
'Don't worry. We'll get through it.' She said reassuringly.
