Mind's Eye Refraction

"Dreams full oft are found of real events the forms and shadows." Joanna Baillie

-

Lucrezia finished gulping her coffee on her way to the docking bay farthest north in the base, grimacing at its bitter taste, but knowing that anything less powerful than black coffee wouldn't be strong enough. She'd been restless half the night and working hard all day, so by five o'clock p.m., caffeine was the only thing keeping her conscious.

When she reached her destination, she saw Grant coming up from the other direction.

"Hey," she greeted him. "You still need me to help supervise the drop-off?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I asked Zechs, too, but he might not show, what with all the repairs going on in Sector Twelve. So it should be just you and me."

"Will that be a problem?"

Grant shook his head. "Don't think so. This should be a routine drop-off." He turned to look through the docking bay windows at the workers zipping spacesuits for the arriving vessel.

Immediately after, an enormous cargo ship landed in the bay, the hull a deep green and the engines large and only minimally powerful to allow for slow and steady passage through space. This ship wasn't equipped with weapons or trailed by MS teams, unlike during the war, when such precautions were necessary for both sides in order to transfer supplies to soldiers.

When the cargo ship had settled safely in the bay and the airlocks were sealed shut, Grant opened the door that led inside and walked in, Noin right behind him.

"This is just a usual delivery of food, construction, and computer supplies?" Noin inquired as cargo ship's rear hatch was opened and workers started up the ramp to begin the unloading. The more extreme loads holding construction supplies would be carried out by specialized machines.

"Yeah," Grant replied, crossing his arms. "Late, I might add. Something about booster trouble passing the Lunar Base - hey, watch it with that crate, kid, you might end up eating whatever's in it!"

The worker Grant was yelling at readjusted his hold on his burden and scowled at his superior. "But there're computer components in this thing, boss, not food."

"I know, and if you destroy any of them I'll shove the whole mess down your throat!"

Grant went up the ramp to make sure they didn't lose any crucial supplies through some idiot's incompetance - or at least that's what Noin heard him mutter - and left her the responsibility of supervising everything leaving the dock.

An examination machine was set up at one of the two main exits of the dock and manned by Xack, who looked deathly bored. Lucrezia went over dropped a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

"Tedious, isn't it?" she asked.

He sighed. "I could be with Elle doing - well, the things we do, but no, I'm doing detail work at a dock." He made a long-suffering expression and moaned, "And she promised we could use whips this time!"

Eyebrows raising, Lucrezia cracked a dry smile. "Oookay. I'll add that to my list of things I really, really never needed to know."

Xack grinned at her. "Just messing with your head. We still haven't gotten past the insult-each-other-and-kiss-passionately stage." He turned back to his work, examining the image of what was inside a passing load, then checking it in and letting it through. "But I'm looking forward to the next level."

"I wouldn't, if I were you," Noin warned mock-seriously. "Knowing the way Elle acts towards you, she might just use whips. And wear stiletto heels. She'll probably even gag you, strap you to a chair and do unspeakable things to you."

He considered this a moment, then smirked wickedly. "Now I'm all excited and giddy."

Noin shoved him. "You're sick."

"Hey, you thought it up, sister. Wonder what you do in your free time."

"Watch your work," she admonished him, and suddenly, she heard a low voice over her shoulder.

"Makes me wonder, too, such suggestions from a girl like you."

She turned and was faced with what was probably the most attractive man her own age that she'd seen since . . . well, since she'd first seen a mature Zechs without his mask during the war.

He was only slightly taller than she with a neat build, had straight, short auburn hair, large and extremely vivid gray eyes, and a half-smile that was so infectious that she found herself smiling back almost immediately.

Uh-oh, her mind whispered. He's one of those guys. A natural charmer. Watch out.

"A girl like me?" she repeated guardedly. "And eavesdropping isn't very healthy, you know."

"What are you going to do, strap me to a chair and do unspeakable things to me?" the man quoted her, his slight smile turning into a full-fledged smirk.

Noin inclined her head a little flirtateously. "I might." She felt her eyes narrow very slightly, though she smiled.

He detected her message of mild distrust and held out a hand, saying, "My name's Shawn Celluci. Off-world supervisor of this drop-off. And you are . . .?"

"Lucrezia Noin. Preventer Agent." When she accepted his hand, there was an almost palpable sense of chemistry. She found herself liking him already, for no apparent reason, and the fact that he was Italian like herself helped quite a bit.

They held hands for a second longer than necessary before realizing that introductions were over.

Xack, meanwhile, was watching the pair, and Noin could tell from his grin that he was preparing a likely smart-ass comment for the obvious attraction between her and Celluci.

Luckily, one of the unloading workers going through the examination machine snapped, "Hey, junior, you gonna stand there all day or give me clearance for this thing? It ain't getting any lighter."

"Saved by the growl," Xack muttered, winking knowingly at Noin and going back to work.

Lucrezia shook her head and started to head back towards the cargo ship's unloading dock.

Celluci matched step with her. "So why is a High Officer Preventer Agent doing grunt work at a terra-forming project?" he asked.

"How did you know I was a High Officer?" Noin asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "Everyone knows who you are. Lucrezia Noin, one of the main founders of the Preventers."

She made a face. "Ugh. Great. I was hoping I could avoid media fanfare."

"Stranding yourself in the middle of space is a good way to do it," Celluci said wryly. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Why am I here?" She hesitated. As comfortable as she felt with Celluci - and that was disturbing enough - no power in Space would make her tell him why she was on Mars in the first place. Hell, she hated to admit to herself. "I don't know. Chasing a dream, I suppose."

Celluci sounded almost bitter as he said, "And aren't we all." He shook himself out of it. "This base is impressive, considering how new it is."

Shrugging, Noin gestured at Grant, who seemed to be yelling at no one in particular. "This is his project, to be honest. Though this terra-base still has a long way to go and won't be completed until AC 199, Grant's gotten us through our toughest spots. I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to finish early."

"Don't you have a problem with raiders?"

"Not at all, surprisingly. A good thing, too, since we still have a while to build up any real security measures. It's one of the reasons my partner and I volunteered to come here, since we both have war experience."

Frowning, Celluci looked back towards Xack at his post. "That wouldn't be the kid back there, would it?"

Noin laughed. "Of course not. Xack wouldn't know which end of the gun to hold."

"Thanks," Xack called back sarcastically, having overheard her.

"This base seems protected enough," Celluci put in. "You have surface defense, including thermo and laser weapons, force-field shielding, lockdown measures in case of emergency, and a decent satellite uplink to the nearest Preventer station. In fact, it seems a little like overkill to me."

"You've done your homework," Noin pointed out, impressed. "But it honestly isn't enough. In comparison to the heavy security on the Lunar Base, this base has close to no solid defense. Trust me, a soldier always knows."

Celluci smiled, looking at the cargo ship. "Indeed."

Something about his expression started the slightest inkling of curious suspicion in the back of her mind, and she started to ask why he was so interested in the base securities, when she was distracted by someone entering the dock.

Zechs glanced at her briefly, but allowed his gaze to linger on Celluci for a few more seconds, looking him up and down, and finally narrowing his eyes and turning away.

"Huh. What is he doing here?" Celluci demanded, sounding irritated.

"That would be the partner I was telling you about," Noin replied, mildly puzzled. "You know Zechs?"

"Who doesn't?" was Celluci's only response. Suddenly, his demeanor changed and he smiled at her. "Well, I have to get back on the ship. It's about time to leave. It was very nice meeting you in person, Miss Noin."

He actually took her hand, bowed and kissed the back of it.

Noin raised a brow. "You're a playboy, aren't you?"

"I pride myself in it. Perhaps we'll meet again."

As he walked away, she inclined her head slightly, enjoying the rear view. "Perhaps," she murmured, and rubbed the hand he'd kissed, not minding the tingling sensation she felt there.

When she turned, she nearly ran into Zechs, who was standing behind her, looking slightly irate.

"One of these days, I'm going to shoot you for doing that," she snapped.

He ignored her threat and nodded at Celluci's retreating back. "He was a petty officer on Libra. His name was Celluci, I remember. Italian, a real upstart. Spent more time playing the field than doing work."

Lucrezia shrugged, almost insulted. "Well, you know us Italians, we just love being upstarts. Or rather, is it European princes with attitudes who love it?"

With that, she turned to leave the dock, and Zechs looked after her narrowly.

-

Lucrezia only managed to kick off her boots before collapsing onto her bed, still wearing her clothing. She'd spent the entire rest of the day helping the medical crew with a huge accident with electrical systems on the west side of the base, and she was dead tired.

Almost immediately, she drifted off to sleep.

The dreams seemed to come quickly.

Empty, empty. Where was it? Somewhere close. Creeping, a sneaky thing, it was. A leering, cold monster bearing the face of a friend. It wanted to kill her, this demon. Kill her and maybe him, too, if it ever got its way.

A blood-red creature. Closer. She could hear his voice in her head, but she couldn't respond. If she spoke, then she couldn't do it. She wouldn't be able kill him first. And she had to.

Standing off, space didn't care what they did. Everything would be sucked into the void afterward.

Aim, aim, she had to get the aim. Was she holding the gun; no, it was in her bones. She WAS the weapon. Impossible . . .

It was coming. Its eyes were green. No, blue. Red and white, blood-stained hands. Armor? A spacesuit. Gundanium. Skin.

More powerful. It would kill her.

"Noin, get out of the way!"

"I can't do that, Zechs."

I won't give up, she screamed at the monster. Even if it takes my death to make it happen, you'll let him go!

It laughed. He narrowed his blue eyes, his emerald eyes.

Epyon. Zechs. Combined. Deadly. Cold.

Noin raised the weapon, but ice encased her power. She couldn't do it.

Remembering his long-dead smile, eyes that once weren't so cold, so cruel, a voice that asked her to stay instead of to leave. She couldn't destroy what was left of that.

The blood dragon was going to swallow her whole. She would be annihilated, and Space would forget her existance.

Closer, closer . . . imminent death . . . Damn you, Zechs . . .

She shut her eyes.

Nothing. No pain.

She opened her eyes. Widening. He was veering off. Leaving. Aborting his mission to kill.

So, some sane part of her remarked, maybe there's a chance.

"I am so weak," he said.

His weakness was her strength.

But she didn't know what he was anymore.

With a sharp gasp, Lucrezia sat bolt upright in her bed. Her blood was pounding fiercely in her ears. Somehow, in the darkness, afterimages of a great red beast continued to haunt her. It snarled, and its eyes belonged to Zechs.

"Dammit," she whispered, falling back. She pressed a hand to her forehead, lost in thought.

She hadn't had that dream since the very night she and Zechs had had their confrontation. Why was it back? That incident in the Eve Wars had been years ago. It was over.

Noin narrowed her eyes at the ceiling.

No. No, that was wrong. The war was over. But her battle still raged on.

She was still angry. Somewhere deep inside, she was still furious at him for what he had done. Still furious that he had, for a brief moment in time, for a second when the world stood still, been willing to destroy her. That there was still an entire new part to him that he wouldn't let her see.

If he wouldn't even give her that much, what was she worth to him? Would she continue to give, and never know that answer? Could she continue to be a friend, and that alone? When would she find out if it was even worth it anymore?

How long could she wait?

So many questions. And there was only one way she had left to get the answers out of Zechs Merquise, to finish something they had begun in that warzone over a year ago:

Confront him. And if everything exploded from there?

So be it.