Chapter 2: Looking Back
"You're Grandparents were killed in a robbery?!" Mori gasped. "Now you live alone? How do you manage?"
"I design computer programs part-time after school." Akiko replied simply as she sipped on her cola.
"You design computer programs?!" She gasped again wide-eyed. "Why do you bother coming to school if you're that smart?"
"Appearance's sake I suppose. I don't know really. All of my life I've been super smart and talented and I just felt out of place once I left the Academy. So I tried school down here just to try to be sort of normal." She replied looking a bit confused like she wasn't really sure of herself.
"Is that why you only score 100's instead of the bonuses too? You want to look smart but not as smart as you really are?" Akiko nodded. "That's incredible. I mean I knew you were talented with a computer from your projects but I had no idea!" She was quite for a minute then her eyes lit up. "What if you lived with us! Having a family is one step closer to being normal now isn't it? And I'm sure my father wouldn't mind one bit! In fact, I bet he'd insist upon it!" She got up and ran out of her bedroom a few minutes later she came back with a tall and stately looking man. He reminded Akiko of the typical diplomats she'd seen in her history books.
"Now what is this all about Mori?" He asked joking as she let go of his arm and looked at him gravely.
"Poppa you just have to hear Akiko's story!" She exclaimed motioning for him to sit down on her plush sofa in front of the fireplace. The whole mansion harkened back to the era of kings and queens in their grand over-sized homes with lavish and rich décor. "First her parents were Police Officers in space and were killed by pirates then she came here to live with her grandparents and they were killed when their house was robbed. Now she lives by herself and gets by designing computer programs part time. We just have to help her Poppa!" The man eyed Akiko with minor suspicion.
"Were your parents as exceptionally smart as you?" He probed gently baring a deceptive smile.
"Compared to what I've heard about Coordinators no. In a Natural sense I suppose they were fairly intelligent. My Grandpa once worked for FASA so I guess that would mean my father inherited a pretty good base of intelligence." She replied thoughtfully but little regard as to the importance of her answer.
"FASA? Well then I suppose that would explain your smarts." He replied with a smile. "Well I can't just sit back and let you dwindle your time and intelligence like this. It's settled you're going to stay here and I'll see to it that we get you in a school that will challenge your mind. Now no protesting I insist." He went on in a very charismatic way typically of successful politicians. Akiko looked at him oddly for a second then nodded.
"Oh Poppa you're wonderful! Didn't I tell you he would be so understanding Akiko?" Mori beamed happily as she got up from the chair she was sitting in a hugged her father. He smiled and patted her on the back.
"Well thank-you Dear." He got up and started for the door. "I have some things to take care of so I can spend the holiday uninterrupted with all of you."
"All right Poppa I'll talk to you tomorrow then." She waved as he walked out the door. "We'll go get your stuff packed tomorrow if that's all right. Tonight let's go through this and see if we can't find you some answers." Akiko nodded absent-mindedly. Her attention was on Mori's father.
"There's something about him that irks me... I don't know if I should trust him or not..." Mori brought the briefcase over and sat it in front of Akiko. She put her attention on it and opened it. She pulled the papers out and quickly shuffled through them and put them in order by the page numbers at the bottom.
"So what are they exactly?" Mori wondered looking at the finished sack that Akiko had sat neatly on the floor. "Read it to me or the high points at least." Akiko took a deep breath and picked up the sack and began skimming. Mori got up and closed the door to ensure their privacy.
"C.E. 95.12.07: I have been commissioned today by a secret organization to help them develop revolutionary prevention technology. Until I first met with this organization's leaders today I thought it was merely some sort of coincidence that I was chosen. I believed it was because of my superb success in genetic engineering and I wasn't so wrong in my thoughts. It was however, no coincidence. I was created for that or a similar purpose... As it is my understanding I am the product of this organization's charter project. They used genetic material from what they believed to be the "best available specimens" to create Coordinators which they then released into the population through adoption. These Coordinators develop a partiality to the Earth and thereby a loyalty. If and when this loyalty is established, they are deemed 'Naturalized Coordinators and are brought back into the program. So I stand today."
"Coordinators! How can that be? I thought the governments abolished genetic enhancement and yet there it just said they're using it!" Mori gasped quietly.
"They're the government Mori they can do anything..." She replied before going back to skimming. She flipped through several pages before reading again.
"C.E. 95.14.12: I have finally been made aware of my true purpose for being involved in the 'Revolution Prevention Coalition.' I'm supposed to help them body in their words Coordinators with one purpose only. As I am to lead a team in developing these beings, another team will be creating special mobile suits in the Gundam style the Earth Alliance used during the 71 Conflict. There will be one important security feature and that's where I come in. My team and are to create special Coordinators with the sole purpose of piloting these machines. The concept is simple on paper. We create the "Keys" as they will be called in code, the technology experts will calibrate an OS unique to each machine and each Key. That OS system will only respond to the unique brain-wave signature of the Key assigned to that machine. Not only that but once we have a successful match, I am to clone the specimens. I had no intention of ever playing god in my life, if it will mean saving lives though, as this organization intends, then I must do as I must do..."
"Mobile suits... Coordinators... It's all so much. Those entries are so old though you don't suppose the program still exists do you?" Mori asked in a worried voice that didn't suit her happy-go-lucky appearance.
"Well I'll keep reading and we'll find out. It's possible that it was disbanded when peace was found to be lasting." She tried to comfort her worried counter-part.
"It's just what you said though, peace doesn't last... They wouldn't have created the program if they hadn't intended on using it one day..." She replied with no less concern. "Let's see what it says."
"C.E. 100.09.05: My initial task is now complete. After years of tinkering and modifying we have successful created what we believe will be the ideal Coordinators. The specimens are growing and developing so we have entered phase two, the testing phase. During this phase we'll see if the specimens really are perfect. If not, back to the drawing board..."
"What else does it say?" Mori asked moving in closer as her fascination gripped her more.
"C.E. 110.04.07: The specimens have been determined to be ideal. They are in the finally phase of testing right now but we have been given the signal to go ahead. We extracted genetic material today to make the clones. Soon the specimens will go into the heads of the OS crew and I'll no longer have any say in their lives. The machine themselves are in the final stages of building the main component that's missing is the Keys."
"Those poor kids! They were made and used for our selfish purposes! I can't believe this! I can't believe this is true!" Mori sobbed. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Please tell me it gets better."
"I don't think it does..."
"C.E. 120.10.10: My work with the RPC is finally complete. My team and I have finally cloned three exact replicas of the original specimens to be used n the future. Today I said my last goodbyes to them as they joined the original genetic material donors in cryogenic stasis. They are in various stages of development based on how eminent the threat to Earth is. As per orders this will be my last record of my actions and all notes will be turned over to the appropriate people. I have no desire to remember this ordeal or the lives I have created for the sole purpose of ruin..."
"If that's the last entry why are there so many more papers there?" Mori wondered eying the stack of papers still in Akiko's hand. She had laid the papers she'd been through face down on the floor to keep track of them.
"There's more than one journal in here. These are from the second RPC Security Chief's journal..." She stopped talking abruptly and her eyes grew wide.
"What is it?" Mori asked concerned.
"Everything I've been looking for... All my question are right here... Right now..." She whispered in shock. "Finally..."
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I'd like to take this time to say I don't own any part of the Gundam franchise or what have you. I also don't know anyone who does. In other words I claim no credit for the show this is based on.