Chapter 5
Megadeus
Paradigm city, otherwise known as LC 294, a city of amnesia. Forty years ago, the city's "Controller" was shut down. However, thought Roger Smith, The Controller was linked into the minds of the city citizens. As soon as the people resurfaced, their collective memories were erased as unmanned ACs rampaged the city. Only a certain prototype AC, a Megadeus, procured peace once again. To our disadvantage, the memories are still lost.
Schwartzvald once told me there's nothing outside of Paradigm city. Boy, was he wrong when an AC, a smaller version of a Megadeus from another country, flew over and reintegrated us with the outside.
Roger Smith, a corporate negotiator for Paradigm city, was recently hired by Mirage. For what, he didn't know, besides that it was outside of Paradigm. Nor did he really care; it was a blank check.
Dan Dastun was next to him as a 'chaperone,' "You never turn down offers, do you? Even if it's from your mortal enemy..."
"Can't afford to make exceptions. Once words gone out that a negotiator has limits, people question him and it's nothing but work, work, work, all the time!"
"You'll never survive this one!"
"Nonsense. You're only saying that because no-one else ever has."
"Exactly, what makes you think that you'll survive against what's outside the city?"
"You shouldn't worry about such things. Your job is to protect the city and the people outside the domes. You do that well."
"Damn it, Smith! Our business is our own, same goes to the other cities! Don't get involved... Otherwise, the black megadeus won't be enough to save your hide this time."
"Oh, come on. The enemies we've been facing recently aren't nearly as powerful as a megadeus. What did they call them, MTs? Those things aren't even a match for the Military Police. If I'm going up against them, surely I'll be alright."
"Let's not have a slip-up if you learn anything... foreign this time."
"Hey! That's a low-blow. It's not my fault that the ZG system fell into the wrong hands..."
"Which is exactly what that good Samaritan told you NOT to do."
"It wasn't my fault!" Roger shouted.
Dastun let the subject die. "No... I guess not," but he had another thought, "Perhaps Angel was in on it. She is from outside Paradigm, after all."
"Now don't bring her into this!"
Dastun looked at Roger, something was in his eyes. He guessed Roger knew more about Angel, being a negotiator. But that's besides the point; Angel is a conspirator, nothing more than that.
***
Jun Cosado had been waiting a long time for this; Gustave's recovery rate was through the roof! It would appear that his drugs had an added effect of rapid cell regeneration even without external aid.
Fiona watched as well, this was the deciding moment. Today they were going to revive the Engelhaft leader. Cut off life support, drain the capsule, and hope that normal body functions will kick in.
As soon as Jun cut the main power to the chamber, he was caught of guard as a hand smashed its way through the transparent aluminum. Gustave's eyes gleamed at Jun as he choked the life out of him. Cosado was withering in pain and fear. Blood trickled down his chin, random images of his life flooded his mind, and then he saw the much-debated white light. Fiona, also caught off guard, screamed in fear, but stood her ground.
As soon as the last breath of air was squeezed from Jun, Gustave let him drop to the cold steel floor. Using his free arm, cleaved from the broken glass, activated the open switch for the pod. The damaged door squealed open. His arm recovered almost instantaneously.
Fiona let out a sigh of relief, knowing that her time had come to reveal herself again. "...I have come for you, my Liege."
Gustave looked at the woman with curiosity with regeneration fluid still dripping from his wet body. Did he remember her? Yes, he supposed he did. "Alicia Reinhart... you're alive..."
"Yes, I survived our clan's decimation. I waited six long months for you. I created a new identity, and fought among the corporation so I could see you again! It was all for you, my lord, and now I ask what is to be done now... I will even remake the Engelhaft, all for you."
"No," said Gustave abruptly. He had no more feelings for this creature. He was as much unaware of his past feelings as he was of his new ones. "You did it for yourself. Everyone fights for themselves, you are no different."
"No!" she shouted as she rose, "It was for you! I tried to destroy the Corporations from within, just as you intended, my lo-" Fiona, or now Alicia, was stuck in between words as Gustave grabbed her jaw, squeezing her cheeks. She was filled with some kind of energy, a dark energy, and it made her submit to her knees.
"You did it for me? Everything you have tried, and you have failed! And you dare to speak such nonsense from this mouth of yours?" he said as he released his grip.
Gustave turned his back to his former clan member, "You are completely useless to me, be gone from my sight!" he shouted as he walked away from the lab.
Fiona merely hugged herself and cried softly, her heart destroyed, her long-time companion dead on the floor... only now did she realize how important Jun was to her... and how foolish she was for keeping faith in a man that should've died a long time ago.
***
At Kisaragi HQ, the CEO Christov Ramirez, in a dark blue suit with no tie, set up a meeting pertaining to the rising tensions amongst the other board members. It is taking place in a large, dim, oriental-like chamber with a big rectangular table in the center. Red sunlight is seeping through the stained glass windows.
Christov opened the meeting minutes before, "...And as you are aware, the ZG has been installed in the Lucifer Dragon, as well as in our new heavy-end MTs. However, the Dragon has been moved into space to rendezvous with our newly-acquired space weapons satellite. The cannon is to be directly installed into it. Our flying fortress is soon to be complete, and the Martians should provide no interference, as long as we keep their existence secret..."
Then all board members heard footsteps. Christov turned his attention to the new intruder. He was wearing a red uniform with long military epaulettes. "I'm sorry, but the costume show is in another building. This is a meeting for the corporation only," said Christov.
A board member stood up to show him out, but Gustave kept walking, grabbing the member by the throat and dragging him across the floor towards Christov. "The Corporation? Well, I'm in luck. You see, I've come to join your... 'corporation'" he said as he threw the member back past the table. The lawyer kept his footing even though his throat hurt like hell. "And so you're all here... Where do I sign up?!"
Christov gave Gustave a skeptical look while staying calm in his chair. "Oh, I think I've had enough of you," he said as he looked away. The lawyer in the platinum suit pulled out a small magnum.
He fired, again and again, until Gustave was pushed up against the far wall. Bullet holes littered the glass window directly behind him. Gustave slumped on the ground with blood spewing forth like a fountain. Somehow, Gustave liked the coppery and salty taste of blood. Red, such a wonderful color, he thought. The color of life, love, and war.
The lawyer slid his gun away as Christov gave his applause. "Well, that was brilliantly done!"
But before the lawyer could sit back down, Gustave rose from his slumped state. Nearly jumping up, he let out a laugh of joy. "YES!!! That was great! That was great! Hahaha!" Then he walked nonchalantly over to the lawyer, who was stunned to the point that he couldn't move. Fear overtook him, his knuckles were white as bone. "You know, you guys! This is no way to treat your number one graduate. And you..."
Gustave opened his uniform to revel the bullet holes. "Heheh..." he said as he grabbed the manikin-like businessman and threw him on the desk. He grabbed the man's jaws and started to pull them apart. Christov was as white as a ghost as he heard the tearing of flesh and the scraping of bone. Then Gustave broke the lawyer's neck. He allowed the corpse to clatter on the black marble floor.
Gustave took a seat next to Christov. He had a little blood sprayed on his blue business suit. Gustave looked into Christov's eyes, Christov could easily see the insanity at the back of Gustave's retinas. Gustave crumpled up a statistics sheet and threw the paper wad at another board member, all the while kept an insane smile on his face. The other members stayed in their seats, watching in fear how this would play out.
"Partners. I believe..." Gustave started, "that a business cannot be run without partners. This is a business, isn't it?"
Christov took a few moments to stutter out the answer, "Y-yes... it is...! I w-would like to think to think it's a good business. W-what do you want, exactly... p-partner?"
"A challenge. I want a challenge. Find me the one responsible for ratting my clan out, and at the same time, find me the best AC pilot you can muster. Anyone in mind?"
"Y-yes..." Christov choked, "A-a pilot named R-raven C-c-cross! We have his best AC for new engine testing, w-we stole it six months ago."
"Ahhh... where is he?"
"W-we don't know... we think he might be dead."
"Nah," sighed Gustave. "If he's a challenge to me, he would still be among the living. He'll come for his AC, I know he will." said Gustave, as he shouted maniacal laughter down the Kisaragi halls.
***
"Are we in the right place?" asked the Mishima mission supervisor. Three AC pilots entered the derelict 086 Layered city, hired to pick up a certain material. The true client, however, was unknown.
"Yes, Supervisor, just in the next chamber." said General Kargin.
"Kargin, where in the world has Reese ran off to?"
"She stopped back a while earlier to check if she has everything." Kargin said as he looked at a digital watch map.
Supervisor Rein and the General were in a large mechanical exhaust shaft with a walkway leading to a small platform, where there was a locked door. Kargin's communicator rang...
"...General, are you in position?" A voice spoke.
"Yes, sir. Tell me, what is in the reactor that you want me to take out?"
"Who are you talking to?" Rein asked.
"...There is a special kind of Gemini that the Layered scientists were creating before liberation." The voice said again.
"Kargin, answer me!" Rein ordered.
"...You are to take it and meet back at the carriers."
Rein stepped back, "What, you're with them?!"
"...If anyone is in the way, take them out."
"Understood." Kargin said as he pulled out a gun.
"Wait, Kargin, just..."
BLAM!!! Kargin shot Rein right in the chest, and then shot the lock off the door. He walked in.
Reese came right up just then, and saw her father lying in a pool of blood. "Father, father! Did Kargin do this to you?!" she said, but her father did not hear. She saw his beam saber, and took it as she ran into the next chamber, tears flying.
A fourth AC pilot, hired to shadow the three pilots, ran in just after that, and also saw the Supervisor lying dead on the floor. Not that the money was good, one of the AC pilots that he was trailing was very close to him. His name was Fiore, piloting the Gods Hand.
Fiore ran into the next chamber as well, tall power cylinders with a staircase leading up to another door, with Kargin blocking the way. He was struggling with Reese to get the beam saber out of her hands.
"...Ach...hey...let go!" he said, as he grabbed the saber from Reese, and sliced it across the front of her. Fiore stood in horror as she tumbled down the stairs. She landed at his feet, pain and terror in her eyes. Kargin just laughed and turned away to the next chamber.
Fiore didn't want Tash to die! All he could do for her was set her to the side, and hope that her natural survival instincts would be enough; female ravens had plenty of that. She'd stay alive until he could get her back to the dropship.
He took hold of his pistol and marched after Kargin.
As he reached there, he saw something unexpected... A steel statue of the top half of an Angel-like being in Venus de Milo style with wires running like veins through the eyes. A large power cord came through the bottom of the statue and lead down to a small platform that was at the entrance, and Kargin was standing there.
"Kargin, what the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Fools, all of you! You should've guessed this was coming. No confederacy has ever worked in the past, I'm just making it's collapse come a bit sooner. The Great Destruction should've been completed long ago!" he said, as he was walking up the large cable towards the statue.
"Fiore, I'm surprised. After all that time you've been around me, you didn't even guess that I didn't like the Earth's policies?"
"What are you talking about?! Before, you were praising Pioneer's methods for unifying the planet!"
"That...was never true! Now, I believe that Kisaragi can unify this planet, and create a new age far better than the one the UEG can make."
"You mean to take the planet by force, right?"
Kargin reached the statue, starring at it's empty eyes. "Don't think of it that way, it's just a more effective method that will bring results within our lifetime so it will be ready for the next generation. A new generation of synthetic beings. A new generation that will not know, understand, or apply tyranny, racism, doubt, or unfairness in their culture. Unlike us Humans, or any other natural race for that manner."
He took hold of the statue, and tried to tare it from it's unholy resting place. "This is the beginning, and it is the end. Behold! This is what Gustave Macross will use to achieve ultimate power!"
The statue gave way, synthetic fluids bursting through the tubes in it's eyes like tears. And yet, in a containment cylinder, there was nothing to be seen!
"What?! Where is it?" Kargin screamed as he franticly searched for whatever he thought was there.
Fiore took the window of opportunity and raised his pistol to Kargin's head.
" Stop! I trusted you! I looked up to you! How could you have done something like this?! ...May Satan greet you with open arms!" he cursed as he waited a few moments for Kargin to turn, then fired.
Fiore ran back outside to see if Reese was still alive. She was.
He took her in his arms, and carried her away, hoping that she'd make it in time for them to get to the dropship, where medics were waiting.
Geeze, he thought. One would think that another identity would be easier. To Raven Cross, this was no longer fun. It's time to get back to Kaori. It's not that Raven didn't want Kaori to grieve over his loss, it's just that death seems to follow him everywhere. Kaori is a capable Raven, she should've been able to handle herself for these past six months.