"Future contingents cannot be certain to us, because we know them as such. They can be certain only to God whose understanding is in eternity above time. Just as a man going along a road does not see those who come after him; but the man who sees the whole road from a height sees all those who are going along the road at the same time." - Thomas Aquinas
Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 - Where the Hero Fell
Act 10 - Paradox
November 10th, UC 0079
08:33 A.M.
Africa… The worst example of a paradise to try to get a reprieve of the causalities of war. Across the Sahara Desert, a thick sheet of sand coated the horizon. The sea of desert seemed absolutely endless, but not carrying the beauty of the blue ocean, the blue sky, or even the endless black void known as space. Not to mention, the humidity was nearly unbearable. The Zeon soldiers who were forced to adapt to this barren world could surely testify to that statement. In an unknown depth into the desert, a Zeon camp remained. It was purely made up of tents, and the titan mobile suits standing as motionless watch guards. The camp was absolutely littered with Zeon soldiers, who felt the need to disregard the proper uniform code by wearing garments and tarnishing the overly sophisticated uniform that would be unspeakable anywhere else. The humidity escalated to heights that were enough to drive any man insane. And surely the heat was enough to boil any person's blood, especially that of Zeon officers who haven't seen any activity in weeks…
"Ugh… No… Don't…" From inside one of the tents, which was closed off for isolation from the rest of the world, a woman's murmur could be heard.
"C'mon… I know you want it… It'll pass the time really fast," this statement originated from a young soldier with blonde hair. Inside the tent, presented the best possible example on what the heat could truly do to a person. Even more so in this situation, where desire boils faster than anything else. The young man was attempting to force himself on a woman, who was a very beautiful sight. The woman couldn't be much older, if not just in her mid twenties. Although, her blonde hair, stained with sand, might have decreased her initial formal appearance.
"No… Not right now… I can't-" the woman's tongue seemed to have been twisted upon that statement, as she could not unearth the completing words from anywhere in her mind. Her temptation increased, just like the weather. It was by that time when she was attempting to find the words, she had already given herself in. Already the young man forced himself completely on her, and in seconds, she was already being stripped of her Zeon uniform peace. "Markus…"
"Don't worry. Look at it as two lonely animals satisfying their needs…" The man named Markus stated, to try to better the situation. He tossed the Zeon uniform piece by piece over his shoulder, acting as the ultimate desecration of the uniform. But who knew? Who would even care in this situation? On the front, things like this could be considered normal.
"Most animals don't do it for the pleasure-" she was interrupted once more, but this time with a short kiss from the other. Soon, she found herself on the pile of blankets that served as the "bed".
"It's alright… I'll be gentle," Markus said once more. Outside of the tent, a shadow formed over the entering compartment. It could just be assumed to be a soldier who would come in coincidently at the wrong time, and nothing more. If the two even knew about the intruding guest.
"Alright… Just don't tell anybody," the woman said, as the final confirmation on letting the temptation overwhelm her. She didn't see it as a thing to be shameful about at this point, as being kept on a front like the Sahara would drive any man to the desperation of longing. Even though she was a woman, she still lived in a world made upon men, the military world. And all she could do was cope with it.
"Don't you have something better to do with you time?" This voice, was a third, completely foreign voice. The two jolted in surprise, as both were witnessing an unknown man who just waltzed through the camp, and just decided to interrupt their "act". With the two Zeon soldiers, as naked as the day they came out of the womb, covered themselves with their previously discarded clothing. With the pilots at a grave loss of dignity at this point, the man deepened it by chuckling at them. The man was wearing an overcoat, which was in extreme contrast as far as preparing for the desert humidity was concerned. He seemed in middle age, judging at the slight streaks of white within his hair. His face, was like it was a death mask, with two eyes that looked as dull as two stones. The woman was about to speak, but the man intentionally interrupted her, the moment she got the first syllable of the sentence out. "You're Marai Gunner, correct? Wait… No need for doubt, I'm always right."
The two Zeon soldiers did not attempt to make any sort of response to the invader at the moment. Both were preoccupied in clothing their naked forms, to hide the embarrassment of having a stranger witness their activity. Their actions were rushed considerably, due to the fault of the man's booming laughter; he was mocking them, taking their actions to his own personal enjoyment, like a man of his quality of ego should. Once the soldiers retained some of their dignity peace by peace, alike the pieces of clothing that they scavenged the surroundings to obtain, the woman peered up to the man. Embarrassment was still stained on her face, as her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"How… did you know my name?" the woman spoke out, with her speech being impaired by that of some fear. After all, the man was improperly equip for desert life, nor did she remember any soldier in her group being that old, or being that egotistic. When she came to the possible conclusion that he was possibly from another unit, she relaxed, taking a deep breath for assistance on that fact.
"As I said, I'm never wrong," the old man boasted, once again flaunting his "abilities" like he was psychic, while the soldiers probably saw it as a fluke. Markus then drew his gun from his pocket, and released the safety with an audible 'click'. Markus directed the gun's aim upon the old man, to attempt to coax him into forcing the conversation along, without him speaking nonsense. Apparently, Markus already had a grudge against the old man, since it was he who interrupted his time with Marai, and already he was in a bad mood. But contrary to what Markus expected, the man just indulged himself in his ill-found humor once again. "I can also tell that you won't shoot, Markus… Even you might want to hear what I have to say."
"Tch…" the man's cryptic, brooding words did not old true for the young soldier immediately, as approached the old man, and forced the gun against his head. The old man slightly jolted from the warm steel touching his wrinkled forehead. Markus grinned, showing a sort of denial that the man's words held true. With aggression, he forced the gun into the old man's forehead with much more pressure. "So why don't you start talking, eh?"
"Hey, I was just getting to that," the man said, as he just used his index finger to point the gun away from him, or at least out of the gunpoint range. "I'm just a wandering fortune teller. But also, I have such a knowledge, such an understanding on truth, the deities themselves are envious. With this knowledge, I can control the course of fate as I see fit. Even a god like me needs some help with this. But why should I explain it to you? It's beyond the comprehension of you old types…"
"So… Why did you come if we can't grasp the concept?" Marai asked. The old man's expression changed from a humored one, to an annoying one with just Marai's question.
"Don't you Zeon have any manners? Maybe I just shouldn't tell you that I can rid of your little lack of supplies problem by just giving you a few instructions… Oops." With that, Marai jolted up. Now, it was confirmed to her that this fortune teller was the real deal. It was entirely true, that her Zeon squad was running into supply problems, as far as food and tools for the mobile suits were concerned. But with this chance, that seemed to just drop from the heavens in the form of this senile old man, Marai was eager to accept. Markus on the other hand, just chalked it up to luck and coincidence. "Oh, I seemed to have struck a nerve with that one. Anyway, time is running short on my end, so I'll leave a little hint. A city on the eastern coast that shouldn't be far when you think of the rewards… Port Sudan." And with that message told, the man abated his effort of foolery and humor upon the two Zeon soldiers, and began to take his lead. Pushing the loose flap of the tent aside to greet the harsh desert climate once more, his pace was halted by one more intervention by Marai.
"Is what you are saying… Is it really true? Can I really trust you with this…?" Marai's tone was more filled with… sorrow than anything else. She had been infuriated with the old man's intrusion before, but with a serious matter that threatened her squad's fate, she was really hoping the man wasn't telling a fib. But through the tone of her voice, her hopes were already steered to the worst possible outcome.
"Again, me being wrong is an impossibility, as I'm not like some other fortune tellers of old… However, how 'Old Hickory'[1] would act due to your affair is anyone's guess," the man's words left a chill in Marai's spine, as she was able to comprehend the remark in it's absolute entirety. Markus, however, was left in the dark, unable to decipher the 'Old Hickory' reference. Markus had a puzzled look on his face, which Marai made no effort to attempt to explain. Outside of the tent, the man took a deep breath of the "fresh" desert air in high regard compared to the musty scent inside of the tent. The man smirked once, receiving in reply the odd expressions of passing Zeon soldiers due to his alienation. He began to walk out of the base's small vicinity, as he murmured another passage that he simply couldn't have kept to himself. "It's amazing how far a little twist of a few words can go. And with that piece set up… It's time for our movement…"
****
That's all it is… a dream… Just tell myself that this is just a dream…
And then maybe I'll wake up…
Ensign Satoru Hakiteki attempted to remind himself of these words of optimism as he found himself in a serene environment. He easily recognized the location as Guru 10, his home colony. But, Guru 10's activity was entirely vacant, as not even a single sound of commerce identified itself. The air was coated by a thick, golden fog, which most likely was the gas that eradicated the colony's population flawlessly. The dream did not make much sense to Satoru, as he stood in front of a deserted field, away from where the buildings should have been.
This can't be just a dream…
The boy kneeled down, and pressed his palm against the ground. The biggest oddity here, was that it felt entirely lifelike, unlike a majority of other dreams. Satoru failed to understand the concept of this vision in depth, but he could at least figure this much out; it was a nightmare. Suddenly, the boy was tipped off balance by a near-by quake. The quake progressed in rapid succession moments later, as he was soon staring up at a behemoth of a Zaku II. But… The Zaku II was much larger than the ones he had faced, and it's monoeye had a radiance and appearance that almost made it seem lifelike. The boy felt a tremendous amount of fear upon him, but he staggered to his feet anyway.
No! No… Don't be scared… this is just a dream… but… why am I trembling?
Satoru edged back when the Zaku made an approach, matching his movement. The Zaku's massive arm reached in closer, as Satoru continued to make an effort to struggle. But it was almost like fear had such an overwhelming factor upon him, it manipulated his body completely, negating the control from his brain and will power alone to… fear.
This Zaku… It's the one from Odessa… but…
The boy couldn't force out any more thoughts, as the Zaku outstretched it's arm at Satoru at unfathomable speeds. And he couldn't resist, as his body restricted any sort of final movement whatsoever. He was soon in the Zaku's clutches, and found himself being elevated higher. The dream did not start there, however. Everything around him started to cascade itself into absolute darkness, even more brooding than the darkness of space itself. Satoru heard a voice calling from what seemed to be… outside. He couldn't feel the Zaku's grip anymore, but it served him no purpose, since he was lost once more.
"I don't… understand. What… What is this supposed to mean?" Satoru said, out loud. All he could see in front, under, or above, was absolute darkness. He couldn't feel his feet upon any sort of flooring, and he was unable to move. It wasn't like it would make a difference. The voice that he thought he heard gradually became more and more audible.
"Satoru…" The voice called once…
"Satoru…" The voice called a second time…
"Satoru!" The voice shouted this time, with a heavy hint of impatience tainting that tone. The voice wasn't as heavy as a male's, as it was more soft as a female's. But the voice sounded… hauntingly familiar.
"Amelia?" Satoru cried out. He got no response. That confirmed it wasn't somebody outside of his dream, but somebody still within it. And he had hoped that it would mark the end of a dream that he could barely decipher. But then… the he finally matched the voice with somebody he once knew long ago. "Margaret…"
"Bingo, dummy!" Margaret's voice sounded out much more clearly then, and not seeming like it was at a far distance like before. Margaret's physical form did not materialize before Satoru, as he was still literally, kept in the dark. Satoru briefly wondered why this was, or did he actually manage to forget what Margaret exactly looked like… Regardless, Satoru seemed rather, happy to hear Margaret's voice again, forgetting the entire factor that the dream wasn't truly real.
"Margaret… I've… I've never been so happy to hear your voice…" Satoru said enthusiastically, but after that… his more realistic views began to surface. "But what's the point… You're not real anyway…"
"Don't say that. You'd be surprised…"
"What does this all mean? Did you make this?" Satoru asked. It took Margaret a moment to answer, or his brain to finalize a result in the dream. Either one were suitable but the boy hoped that asking "Margaret" would clear things up.
"I didn't entirely make this… as your brain did most of the work. But I need to give you a warning, before it is too late," Margaret said, more so in a sorrowful tone. Satoru was about to ask of what warning he needed to be advised of, but Margaret told the answer before the boy could even open his mouth to ask. "I don't have much time… but the way that you're doing things… out of pure revenge, you need to stop fighting this way."
"Oh, why should I? I'm fighting not for me, I'm fighting for both of us."
"Who said I ever wanted revenge against the Zeon, in the way that you're doing it? For all you know, your enemy may not even be the Zeon. Your main enemy at this point has to be yourself…"
"… Even you're against me too?" Satoru's tone started to get into even more of a hostile form. Even in his own dream, nobody agreed with his crusade and his reason to fight.
"I've never said that, Satoru. But… at this rate you'll become just like the people you hated so-"
"Look, I don't want to hear it. This isn't real… If you were really Margaret, you'd see it from my perspective, since we were put through the same damn incident. The Zeon took our parent's lives through the most inhumane methods possible. They tell us that they're fighting for spacenoid independence, yet they kill fellow spacenoids, their brothers, for the sake of this false sense of independence!? And yet they feel no remorse about what they have done… They just blame the Federation for their reason for gassing billions of people!" Satoru took a moment to take a deep breath, attempting to calm himself in his moment of blinding rage. It made him even more angry that out of all people, Margaret would be against him, dream, vision, or real. "These people I'm around… I hate them, as much as I fail to understand them. This is war, yet they feel sympathetic to their enemies. Forget that these people killed our friends, they just forgive them like this is just mere Reconciliation! Then fine. I'll do it myself, I'll destroy the Zeon myself, with or without help. Whoever you are… whether you be my own illusion or God himself… quit using Margaret's voice to deceive me, and leave me be and let me wake up."
"Oh dear… This is worse than I expected…" the voice said quietly, but still loud enough for Satoru to clearly hear. "I guess this is where the hero fell, huh, Satoru?" The impending voice grew exponentially distant to the boy's ears. He felt himself free in the black void around him, free of such bothersome limitations like gravity, but it felt rather… Strange. Especially in a dream sequence. Suddenly, the boy found himself cast in a completely different surrounding in the bizarre world.
"Mmgh!" Satoru couldn't even release a coherent sentence, due to the sudden change in atmospheres being so abrupt. Satoru found himself deep within an ocean, in which even in a dream, he felt weighed down by expected reactions. He felt as if the very air he held dear was being sucked right out of him, turning into the form of air bubbles which he could barely see in his blurred vision. He frantically waved his arms, trying to reach the surface to a temporary release of the threat of drowning, forgetting all of his prior teachings on military survival as he tried.
"Pitiful, I thought the Federation trained their soldiers better than that…" Satoru could still hear the voice calling out to him, unhampered by the water. Automatically, he deemed himself to be unlucky that he was still trapped in a dream. A dangerously life-like dream. The boy felt himself dragged through the artificial ocean, most likely threw it's unreal current. In mere moments, Satoru found himself washed up ashore. He gave a few coughs, spurting out some water that was just as real as his brain dictated. He could feel the dampness of his clothes and how they stuck onto his form. Regardless, he lifted his face from the sand, and saw…
"Nothing's here. It's just a beach which probably means nothing at all," Satoru said to himself. What was the point of thinking to himself in a dream? He could barely tell if he was talking out loud or thinking in his head at the moment.
"Well, you wanted me to show myself… Here I am." Margaret's voice seemed much more audible this time. Satoru directed his eyes to the source, and saw what appeared to be Margaret, in the same assortment of school clothing that both of them used to wear almost daily. She was just as Satoru remembered, with her brown skin and black hair. However, she would not turn around to face the boy. Satoru struggled to his feet, not making an effort to clear his hair of the excess salt water that dripped down every now and then, nor did he move parts from nearly entirely covering his eyes.
"Why can't you turn around and prove that to me?" The boy asked. Margaret made no such effort to comply to his demand.
"Because, what if the face on this body isn't really mine? It's your dream, it's your mind, and it's your memories. Perhaps this is only what your brain will allow you to see, probably in accordance to your memory. Do you even remember my face? Do you remember the face of your father, or even your mother?"
"I… I don't need to remember their faces anymore. I've put all that behind me and I focus on what's in front of me."
"Or is it that you don't care anymore, about back then?"
"That was a long time ago… It's been a long time since I've been around either one of my parents, and it's not like I can focus on them while I'm fighting a war." Satoru quietly, attempting to reassure himself.
"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about after the gassing…"
Satoru remained quiet, unable to respond to Margaret's question.
"Have you even told anybody about that?"
"There's no need to. They didn't need to know I was some common t-"
"I guess they didn't. Not then anyway, but you know… The past will catch up to you soon enough. It does to all of us. That's why I'm here, I… I just needed to tell you that," Margaret said, still not moving an inch. There was a moment of silence between Satoru and Margaret, with only the wind and the rhythm of the ocean's waves being the medium. That is, until Satoru broke the silence.
"Are you done?" The boy said, in a cold, monotone voice.
Margaret simply sighed in response to the boy's answer to her foreshadowing. "Well, I guess you're not going to listen to me now, but I hope you will eventually. Just remember… This place… This beach… You can always come here. This beach is so peaceful, even if you're on your own. It's a great reward for death, isn't it?"
"So you're saying I'm going to die pretty soon?"
"You'll be lucky if you did. But that's another matter. When you're ready, you can come here. It's a good escape from that hell known as reality. After all, 'we' all go here eventually. This, is where the hero fell, after all. Now, you can wake up. I won't stop you." Margaret said that command as if Satoru exactly knew how to do it, but waking up from a dream is inherit to the mind most times. However, Satoru needed to ask a question before he went, despite his unsatisfactory conduct to the girl earlier.
"Are you… Just a fragment of my memories? Or are you actually Margaret?"
"I won't even dignify that with an answer." That was the last thing Satoru heard as everything suddenly shut out around him, and felt himself seemingly plummeting into the abyss below…
The first thing Satoru saw waking up, was the metallic ceiling of his room within the Bulldog. He felt a sharp chill through his spine, as he found himself laying on the cold, steel floor instead of the bed merely five inches away from him. Drawers and such were open, and clothing were sloppily packed into a single black suitcase, save for an extra pair of his military uniform, which was neatly folded. He laid on the floor for a moment, trying to comprehend what was going on at the moment. With two loud rings from the PA bell, he heard Tolen's voice over the intercom, being echoed throughout the entire Big Tray.
"Attention, this is Captain Tolen speaking. I am just reminding you that the Medea transport planes will be ready in 30 minutes. You should have already gotten your specific number deciding on which transport to board. But since most of you most likely forgot, 1A's, will be transferred to the naval group in the Pacific…" As Tolen began reading off the specifc numbers, Satoru tried to recall which number he was given. "And 5Bs will be transported to Africa, which consists of our mobile suit pilots and higher ranking officials. So most of you mechanics and such won't have to worry about that one. That is all." Satoru remembered something about 5B… but he was hardly paying attention then. He was more so angry due to the fact that a mechanic chewed him out for wreaking his mobile suit for the second time in a row. He looked around the room, and realized he only had but half of the clothing packed.
"****!" He exclaimed out loud, as he frantically began packing his suitcase. Thoughts of the dream he had entered his mind occasionally, but he made it his best effort to eradicate any of those thoughts for the truth of it at the moment. He just had to ensure that he made the Medea departure deadline, because he doubted he could act as a stowaway a second time.
****
20 minutes later…
The particular area in Europe where the Federation gathering and shipment was being conducted had fair weather, which would have served as a good time to spend a little time outside of the congested, musty smell of a battleship. The arrangement of battleships and the like weren't effectively organized, as Medea planes seemed to be in random, irrelevant locations. Outside of Medea 5B, Amelia enjoyed her state of solitude with her suitcase serving as a bootleg chair. Her left arm was held upward by a cane that she needed to allow her to walk in her wounded condition. The other hand held up an old book. It was impossible to figure the name of the book by it's cover, as the book was so old that the words identifying it have practically ceased to exist. For what seemed like reflex, Amelia lifted her attention out of the book, and greeted a familiar figure with a wave from her right hand, still maintaining a grip on the piece of literature to not lose a page.
"Virocana!" Amelia cried. Seconds prior to Amelia's call of direction, Virocana was wondering aimlessly, looking onto a crumpled sheet of paper every few passing moments that most likely had vague directions to the proper Medea scribbled on it. She looked towards the source of her calling, and saw Amelia. The woman gave a weak smile, and started her advance towards the Lieutenant. Virocana viewed Amelia as a friend, so to speak, even though they haven't actually conversed much. However, it was Amelia, and Tolen who openly accepted her, and Senra who still remained neutral for the sake of not completely forsaking his friend. Satoru's stance was blatantly obvious, and so was the ever so elusive Shin's.
"Oh… Hello Lieutenant- I mean, Miss Amelia," Virocana said, trying to be as much polite as she was nervous. Virocana looked down to the book that Amelia was holding onto, and tried to start a conversation with the pilot. "What… is that book?"
"It's just a book on contolism," Amelia said. Virocana found it interesting that Daikun's famous philosophy was moderately popular around this mobile suit squad. "You've probably heard of it, Daikun's beliefs on human evolution in space…"
"Yes, I have read most of it, or at least the time frame that I can remember," Virocana said in a sad fashion. The subject of Virocana's memories provoked Amelia to go to a switch in the subject in the conversation.
"Speaking of which… Have you recovered any of your memories as of late?"
"Well… A little, but not significant at all. All I can remember… is a child. A little girl…" Virocana said trailing off, trying to recall more about that fragment of a memory.
"Was she… your child?" Amelia asked, closing the book that she was reading to give her undivided attention to Virocana's plight.
"I do not know. I just remember a beautiful little girl with black hair… Whenever I think of that little girl, I feel… happy. Like it gives me hope…" Virocana said before looking down at the ground. "Are memories joyful things to hold on to?"
"Sometimes, Virocana. Other times, it would be in everybody's best interests to let that memory go."
"What about your memories?"
"There's… not much to tell," Amelia put her book in her suitcase, having no further intention of reading it anymore. She was more concerned on Virocana's odd, yet compelling question of the subject of memories. It would seem odd to tell somebody who she hardly knows a portion of her life that she would rather keep secret, but perhaps it would be better off to make Virocana feel more… accepted. "Where to start off…"
****
When she was five…
"Daddy! Daddy!" A little girl descended her way down a flight of stars, cast into a dim basement room. The little girl was just wearing a white dress, and had short red hair. The girl was holding onto a teddy bear, which had several tear marks that were previously neglected of any form of repair. Her father, was an older man with black hair, and glasses wearing formal clothing. He was at a desk at the far side of the room, indulging himself into a book with the aid of a desk lamp, the only source of light in the room.
"Yes dear?" the father asked in a monotone voice, his attention not being deviated from the book.
"When's mommy coming to see me? It's been weeks!" After a moment of silence between the two, the father could hear the sound of his little girl's teddy bear dropping against the hold concrete floor. "Did… did mommy forget about me? Did she stop caring about me?"
"N-no… Your mother will always be with you. She's just looking after you… Come here, Amelia," the father beckoned, as Amelia stepped off the wooden steps onto the stone flooring. She shivered, but shrugged it off as she approached her father's desk. The father gave her a green book, that was inscribed 'The Philosophies of Zeon Daikun'. The book was rather large compared to Amelia's physical size, and the vocabulary was well beyond a five-year old's comprehension.
"But daddy… I can't read these big words…"
"But you can make good sentences, and that's very good for a five year old. When you learn how to read that book, then you'll understand," Amelia's father said, trying to brighten the little girl's hopes. Amelia slightly turned, but then asked another question.
"Is this… a fairy tale?"
"That's for you to decide, Amelia. Now go on, and don't forget what I said," the father said as Amelia nodded, and ran back to the stairs. She halted to maintain a grip on her teddy bear, and climbed the stairs in rapid motion, obviously inspired by the father's words of hope. The father just sighed, as he looked towards a letter, partially visible by the cluster of paperwork from his work. Next to that letter, was a picture of a younger version of himself, and a woman with red hair. He picked up the letter, and sighed. There were two sentences which he had underlined… '…that your wife has died in an accident when attempting to make a prototype fusion reactor…' and 'Apologies, the Minvosky Physics Society [2]'.
"I can't tell her… I have to give her a little bit of hope… That's what you would have done…" Amelia's father picked up the picture once more, and started to work on his paperwork. Little to his knowledge, the child Amelia was kneeling on the topmost stair, spying on her father. But she still did not know what her father had meant…
When she was thirteen…
"I… I'm still not making complete sense of this," Amelia said, reading the same contolism book given to her years ago. She was sitting at a kitchen table, as it was breakfast time. Her father was eating breakfast, but she ignored breakfast to continue to read your book.
"You know, you should eat your eggs," her father said, trying to divert the subject. Amelia shook her head in a negative reply, and continued reading. Her father took this as a defeat in his suggestion, and took Amelia onto her statement. "I told you, I can't help. You have to decipher it for yourself."
"I know, I know… But I've been reading it every day for years, and I'm still not getting the entire picture. And the kids at school make fun of me for reading this book. They call me a little child for continuing to read fairy tales…"
"Forget them, you have a special gift that they don't have," the father said. Amelia slightly put the book down, in order to offer a baffled expression to her father. "Hey… Don't look at me like that. I can't tell you what that gift is, you have to figure that out yourself."
"Yeah, maybe you're right," Amelia attempted to say that to boost her confidence, and it was unknown to her father if it worked. He got his confirmation moments later. "You know… They tell me I'm good at mechanics… So maybe I can be as good an engineer as my mother was…" Upon hearing these words, Amelia's father promptly stopped eating his breakfast.
"Your mother was a fantastic engineer… Much better than me. I've even asked myself why did she pick me when she could have married more important and better ones."
"Then why did she?"
"I don't know… She did admire my reading habits though. And I see that those habits have been much so passed onto you. I don't know anybody who would read a single book repeatedly for several years."
"Father…" Amelia put the book on the table, and closed it. Her expression was very much so serious and stern. "What did happen to my mother?" There was a silence after the girl's question, as there usually is when Amelia asked a question about her mother that he simply couldn't answer at that time. But… the situation in this time would be different.
"Oh… That's a long story for now, so I'll tell you as soon as you get back from school. And don't worry about the book, just leave it here." Nothing more was spoken, as Amelia left the book, and departed to another room. Her father didn't exchange any further words, or made no attempt to. He took Amelia's book, and began to read it for himself. There, began the longest day that Amelia had ever had in her childhood…
That one day, when she was eighteen…
"Father… I'm going to join the Duchy," Amelia said, at the familiar kitchen table at dinner time. She was in a rather elaborate dress, and a graduation hat sat in the middle of the table. She did not stay for whatever additional gathering her class was having, as she would rather stay with her father. Amelia continued eating, but again, her father froze. "I'm going to join the Duchy. Maybe we'll even work together one day."
"And why would you want to join the Duchy?" her father asked, waiting eagerly for Amelia's answer. He immediately thought that Amelia still didn't make up her mind on what she wanted to be as an adult, but she seemed rather serious.
"I want to pilot a mobile suit. I don't know how I'll do it since I'm a woman… but I'll do it," Amelia said. Her father sighed in response to her reason.
"Absolutely not."
"But Father… I know this is right! My mother died trying to make the basic core of a mobile suit… I know because you've told me about it! I have the advantage because I know about the mobile suit while most people who enlist don't!" Amelia exclaimed. She was getting rather desperate, and she originally hoped that her father would comply and ask no questions.
"I'm sorry Amelia, but I won't lose you too…"
"No! I won't die… I'll pilot a mobile suit… It's the best way to… I don't know how to explain it.. But I know it'll make my mother happy!"
"No…"
"I'll join whether you like it or not!!" Amelia yelled as she ran out of the room. She got up in such a hurry her chair tipped over, adding another source of imbalance within the house. Her father made no effort to get back up after Amelia, he just put both hands on the table and held his head up by his forehead.
"Secilia… Please tell me. What do I do now? I… I don't want to lose my little girl too…"
****
"So… What happened next?" Virocana said, unintentionally appearing like she was rushing Amelia along with her story. In any case, Virocana's attention was in fact undivided, and she even was at the edge of her seat. Amelia just laughed slightly at the fact that Virocana was showing not only a bit of interest, but some emotion previously seen as well.
"Well… I was later forced into the Earth Federation, since there was a little bit of tension between the Federation and Zeon at that point due to the mobile suit development. And the Zabi Family didn't help that factor too much. I know my father joined a starting division named Anaheim Electronics or something to that effect after the Minvosky Physics Society was dissolved and merged completely as a Zeon division. Other than that, I'm not sure what happened to him."
"And… because your parents had Zeon ties, is that why you-"
"Yes. I probably don't fully understand what Satoru has been through, but whenever he calls the entire Zeon a band of murders… Its like my mother and father are also included… And after seeing you, I know that not all Zeon soldiers are evil. However, I don't dislike him. Since after all, because of him, I didn't lose anything worse than just my leg's good condition." After Amelia said this, the conversation was marked closed for the moment, as it approached the five minute mark of the Medea's departure, and Senra and Satoru met them both.
"Hey girls," Senra said, most likely trying to charm them both. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, yeah. Hey… What's bugging you, Satoru?" Amelia asked, cocking her head to the side slightly. Satoru didn't offer much of an answer, as the dream earlier still had an effect on him.
"Just… a bad dream," he replied, and left the conversation at that as he took his suitcase and boarded the Medea. The other three pilots just remained puzzled to his behavior.
"Don't ask, I just found him bugged out like that. That must have been one hell of a dream to get him spooked out, huh?" Senra asked in a jesting manner. Amelia shrugged it off, since everybody has a nightmare or two. Virocana seemed more concerned about this though.
"It must have…" Virocana said, watching Satoru until he was out of her sight completely.
****
For those brief minutes that dragged on to the pace like that of an eternity, the Medea's departure was finally neigh, and above the Bulldog crew's heads. The landing sight was filled with several workers who were carrying out their jobs to their utmost ability. Some were preparing the ship for it's final safety measures to prevent any sort of puncture of mistake to plague their pace. Some others were filling fuel to the ship's engines, by maintaining a tight grip on to massive tubes, connecting into the ship's interior.
"Medea 5B542, you are cleared for departure," one booming voice resonated through the cockpit of the Medea, clearly audible to the pilots, and then followed through with their further instructions. It was out of the ordinary that a ship labeled in fifth, would in fact be one of the first to get a pre-emptive launch above the majority. But taking into considering that the cargo was a captain, his survival was in more high regard than shipping workers or technicians. It was just fortunate that the pilots would be assigned to the same plane as well.
"Alright, we are preparing for launch." one of the pilots said, assumingly the lead. Both pilots of the Medea flicked several switches into place, with their function not widely known. Their further conversation with the control tower included basic instructions to the pilots, appearing to be nothing short of the typical jargon to anyone else. The media's engines flared into active life, as the cruiser began to pick up speed upon the run way. The passengers could feel the force being pressed against their form, gradually increasing as the Medea reached it's mark. Then, the Medea freed itself of the tight grasp of the soil, and was freed airborne. The pressure upon the passengers lightened, as the Medea began to take higher altitudes.
"You know, you should really eat something. I know you haven't eaten since yesterday morning," Senra said, sitting in a window seat within the Medea. Judging from the situation, his speech was directed towards Satoru, who was sitting opposite of him. The indication might have been blurred, considering that Senra made no effort to look to the person he was addressing. His sight was completely stolen by the scenery of the Earth around him. Satoru made nothing more than a weak reply, that of one to quickly end the conversation.
"Really, I'm fine." Satoru replied, with his head resting solely of his better arm. His speech was somewhat slurred, hinting the indication of how slumber was nearly upon him. However, he raised his head higher, and widened his eyes, attempting to not allow his stress to overcome him.
"You're not going to sleep?" Senra asked. For a few moments, Senra received no reply from the other boy. Just silence, filling the empty room. Senra committed the strength to make a deep sigh. "I'll just take that as a no." Senra couldn't help but make a glance towards Satoru, who appeared to have a hint of paleness in his skin, judging from his empty facial expression. He could have asked, like a good friend would, but Senra didn't struggle. He knew that Satoru would push him out, as usual. Thinking of that matter, however, did bring Senra to his next statement…
"Satoru… You know, you've changed… Ever since the moment you first got into that mobile suit…" Senra said, keeping his tone within the boundaries of being barely audible. Satoru leapt to his defense.
"I wouldn't think so. But even if I did, what of it?" Satoru's eyes were then fixed upon Senra, who still did not offer the decency to look back at him. All Senra could keep his eyes on was the mass of land below him.
"Well… I remember you as a shy kid, who kept to himself most of the time. Yet, back then, you had more of a… neutral standpoint on everything. If somebody would do something cruel, you would see it from their point of view as well. Sure, you never displayed this too often to people, but I think for all the months I've been with you, I caught on," after finishing that sentence, it was then when Senra finally turned to face Satoru. Satoru's stern expression, was left unchanged. "But ever since you got into that mobile suit… You've changed. And it doesn't seem as petty as a phase either. It's like, something has awakened in you. It's either that, or piloting the mobile suit has gone to your head."
"Of all the stupid… Look, I haven't changed any bit. I'm still the same as I've always been," Satoru said, with his eyes turning away from Senra in a means showing... Disgust.
"No, you're not. I haven't seen you fight in a mobile suit yet, so maybe I'm not one to judge on that. But then again, you did thrash your suit not once, but TWICE. So maybe that does confirm that-"
"I don't have to put up with this ****. Not now," Satoru's voice was tainted absolutely with rage against his "friend". But Senra, given his nature, did not take it to heart. He knew very well that there was some truth in his statement, and Satoru refused to except it. Satoru stood up in a haste, and promptly made his way to the doorway. Senra just turned back to the window, still keeping his gaze upon Satoru through the window's dim reflection.
"Why don't you just sleep? Did that dream freak you out so much that you're afraid of sleeping altogether?"
"Tch." Satoru allowed the electronic door to slide open upon his approach, and began to step out. But one last question averted his proceedings.
"Before you go… Tell me. In the Bulldog's hanger, right before that piece of shrapnel would have impaled Amelia on the spot before you did something… How exactly did you know it was going to hit her? I mean, she would have lost something more than just her leg, and there's no way you could have known in time." In response, Satoru merely turned his head to catch some sort of sight of Senra's form, before he left the room altogether.
"I just knew, okay?" And with that, Senra was left in the room on his own. With the boy gone, Senra couldn't help but murmur another statement about the situation merely to himself. Possibly trying to reassure himself of something.
"… 'Just knew', huh? Somehow, I doubt that…"
****
Unlike previous relocations, the ride ended rather suddenly. Most of the crew of the Bulldog indulged themselves into slumber to pass the time. The trip to the northeastern sector of Africa did not take a terribly long time, mostly at the advancement of flight technology throughout the ages compared to other times. The Medea landed in what seemed like an exact mirror image of the settlement in Europe. Organization was entirely absent in the gathering, but the size was nearly doubled of that of the Odessa aftermath. A massive offensive was to be launched throughout Africa to hopefully break the iron, Zeonic grip which had so stubbornly held onto the continent since the beginning stages of the war. What was rather unique about the placement of the Federation forces was that they were occupying a city directly, with a few Federation model mobile suits and Gundam look-alikes standing dormant in the vacant scenes. This was once the lively location of Port Sudan.
"Captain Tolen, reporting sir," the Captain said, with sleepiness impairing his speech. Most of the key crew of Tolen's Big Tray was present at the loading area of the Medea, but didn't share much to the conversation. The person who Tolen was addressing was also a Federation man. The man's skin was somewhat more dark-toned than what one would usually see within the ranks. His face was aged to a standpoint, and a Federation cap covered what would most likely be a head that knew no knowledge of hair. The dry, and nearly emotionless voice that the man displayed would give further hint to his aging form.
"Where is she… The newtype…" This man was definitely Jamitov Hyman, a very high ranking Federation General, and that could have been told by the numerous medals he had. At the moment, the only thing that mattered to him was Virocana.
"Oh, she's here. Virocana Vivian." When Tolen said that, it almost came upon instinct for Virocana to step forward to present herself. Jamitov raised a brow, not quite convinced on the woman's identity.
"This woman? Hm… I wouldn't expect less from the Zeon," Jamitov said in a monotone fashion.
"She may not know of the battlefield very extensively, but her insight and foresight abilities are unparalleled," Tolen said.
"She seems suitable. Come with me." Jamitov rushed the conversation considerably, as he ended up turning his back as soon as he finished. He beckoned for Virocana's pursuit, but she still requested some light on the situation.
"Excuse me… But I'm suitable for what?" Virocana asked, with her voice barely above a whisper, as usual. Jamitov did not deviate from his path at all, seemingly unraveled by Virocana's question until he responded in a single line.
"To test our new machine. It won't take very long." When Jamitov was out of sight, Virocana looked towards Tolen for assistance. In a form of nonverbal communication, Tolen just nodded to Virocana. Then, she also went off in the same direction Jamitov did in a short dash, right into the outside surroundings of the establishment.
"… That bastard.. Hasn't changed a bit," Amelia said, which was the first word murmured ever since her conversation with Virocana.
"It does seem like you know him," Tolen mentioned, "however, why didn't he notice you right then?"
"The only thing that mattered to him was using Virocana for whatever experiment…"
"I wish I could tell you more.. But he never even mentioned anything about a new machine. Anyway," Tolen said, turning around to the other pilots. "I have to take care of some placement things. I can't say how long it'll take, so do whatever until I get back. Explore the city, or just get some rest, because after this Operation starts… You probably won't be getting much sleep." And with that, Tolen also left the Medea. The crew just seemed to scatter in their own separate directions. Satoru, who had remained silent for the time being, went into the direction of the city.
"Hey… Where are you going off to?" Senra asked.
"I'm just going to walk around in the city for awhile," Satoru said dryly, turning away from Senra.
"Well… Hey, we can all go if that's okay with you… Hey, Amelia!" Senra called to his commander, without even getting a proper verification from Satoru. However, Senra already knew the answer of his request, and gave him no time to object. Amelia went over to Satoru and Senra, seemingly perplexed by seeing Jamitov again. "We're going to take a walk in the city. Do you want to come?"
"I'll go… I want to see how Jamitov handles civilian takeovers…" There were still questions that the pilots were concerned about currently, however, they all shared the mutual thought that at the moment, they could only go undisturbed.
****
"The Federation is definitely planning something here… something big…" Over a ridge within the rough terrain surrounding Port Sudan, Marai and Markus were dressed in thick, camouflage gear matching the coloration of the surrounds, while spying in on the Federation settlement with binoculars. Marai focused her sight on several boxes being shipped on massive transportation vehicles. "I see the supplies that may carry the stuff we need... But this is just too heavily guarded."
"How many mobile suits do you count?" Markus asked. It took a long pause for an answer to be reached, since Marai was trying to get the number as exact as possible.
"I count about 25 mobile suits. That greatly outnumbers the forces have, no matter how many squads we try to pull together. But… I found an even greater prize for going through with this. Look at that ship near the port." With Marai's command, Markus directed his sight to the port. He saw a massive battleship that was very much irregular than any other Federation battleship in the area. Men were trying to cover the ship up with a massive sheet, most likely as a hint to the dark, stormy clouds in the distance, eradicating any indication of the existence of the sun.
"What the hell… The Trojan Horse?"
"That can't be the Trojan Horse.. But another ship of the line, but if we take that out, HQ will give us much more support."
"Or we could capture it. But why are they covering it up? Are they trying to hide it?"
"No, a storm is probably coming. Look at those clouds," Marai pointed up to the dark formation spawning in the distance. "That's one of the causes of Zeon's blunder in Operation British, disrupting the balance of the weather. That could either be a hurricance or something else. Either way, our timing is rather good."
"What's the plan?"
"It's rather suicidal… But we don't have any other choice. We'll wait until the storm comes, and that's when we'll make the attack. If they are preparing to move from Port Sudan, it'll be better for us if we catch them off guard."
"Daring plan.. But we don't have the forces to take on 25 mobile suits…"
"We do have hope… We have the Archimedes…" The first sign of thunder struck in the horizon.
[To Be Continued…]
[Author's Notes] - [1] - Old Hickory relates to General Jackson due to how it was a nickname of a US figure also named Andrew Jackson. You know, fought in the War of 1812, was a president, Jacksonian Democracy, all Social Studies stuff.
[2] - The Minvosky Physics Society was basically the people who first found the electromagnetic effect in the Minvosky Fusion Reactor, and paved the way for further Minvosky development and experiments, mainly along Zeon in the UC 0060's and UC 0070's.
