Arctic Blaze
By Dolfinz
CHAPTER 6"Ok! So, this is the control panel for the Freeze Rifle, and this over here is for the beam saber. You got one of those too!" Duo was cheerfully explaining the controls of the new Gundam to Andraya. She was absorbing it all quickly, finding it to be somewhat similar to other suits she had piloted.
"Ok, I think I have everything," she said from her position on the ledge of the cockpit entrance. "But what's that do?" she inquired, pointing to a large red button shielded by a glass cover.
"Aha! Knew I missed something," Duo said from the cockpit seat. "That's the self-destruct button. Only press that baby if you absolutely have to! And hope it works…" he said with a sheepish grin.
"A self-destruct button?!" Andraya exclaimed, taken aback. None of the suits she had piloted in the past had been equipped with a self-destruct mechanism!
"Yeah, sure. But you probably won't be needing it, seeing how you're a top-gun pilot and all. All the Gundams are equipped with self-destruct systems, just in case you get in a tough position or whatever. Like I said though, you probably won't be needing it."
Andraya remained silent for a moment, realizing more and more each minute how much power was packed into the already enormous suit, power that would be up to her to control.
"So, think you're ready to take her for a spin?" Duo asked.
"What?! I…I don't think I'm ready…"
"Oh, sure ya are! I'll go out in Deathscythe in case you get into any trouble, ok?" Duo rose from the cockpit seat and jumped onto the catwalk. "See ya out there!" he yelled back to her, running to his Gundam.
Andraya slowly entered the huge cockpit and sat down. She carefully fastened the restraints across her slim body, and glanced around at the daunting number of controls surrounding her. "Well…here goes nothing," she said under he breath, activating the Gundam and closing the cockpit door. The three screens wrapping around the cockpit immediately flashed and showed the hangar around her, giving a 180 degree view of the outside to the female pilot. Small signal lights flashed and glowed in the many control panels in the cockpit, and it seemed as if the entire Gundam had come to life.
On the screen directly in front of her, Andraya saw Deathscythe also come to life and dash out of the hangar to hover over the ocean. With a nervous sigh, Andraya promptly followed, taking Arcticblaze out of the hangar at a slightly slower pace. Once over the ocean, however, Andraya became more confident and began to test the limits of her new mobile suit.
"Hey! You see? You're a natural!" Duo's voice came over the intercom. Deathscythe was hovering next to the hangar, ready in case Andraya lost control.
"It's so fast!" Andraya yelled back, flying in circles over the ocean. "It's…incredible!" Andraya found it exhilarating even just to fly the new suit.
"Try to do something else!" Duo said.
"Like what? This is amazing!"
Duo laughed at Andraya's immense awe of her new Gundam. "Try the freeze rifle!" he suggested. "But stop first!" he added, imaging what might happen otherwise.
Andraya hovered her Gundam over the ocean, a few hundred feet away from the hangar. Rotating the suit's mechanical head, Andraya searched for something she could freeze. Finally, she spotted a piece of scrap metal floating nearby.
Reaching behind its back, Arcticblaze lifted the deceptive weapon from its holster, bringing it down level with the scrap. Inside, Andraya brought down the targeting eyepiece, and locked onto her first target. She pulled the trigger, and in seconds the metal and some of the surrounding water turned to ice and shattered.
"Woooooooooo!" Andraya yelled, cheering for her first successful attack. She brought up a vid-screen connection with Duo's Gundam. "How cool was that?!"
Duo laughed at his new colleague's sudden enthusiasm. "I may be wrong, but I think you are gonna be one hell of a Gundam pilot, missy!"
Andraya beamed, proud of her mastery of the new mobile suit. I think this is going to work out, she thought, now completely sound in her decision to join the Gundam team.
I definitely made the right choice.