Chapter 14: Akiko's Assignment
The Captain's headset light blinked and he flipped it on. "Captain Entrada we've managed to gain another limited contact with the Starshine colony. As far as we could make out the Council is still intact and they're on their way to the third rendezvous point. They also received a threat from ZAFT saying they had kidnapped and identified one of the Keys however were unable to receive a list of demands. They said to stand-by here at Starfire until they could make a ruling on what to do next." The voice on the other end said slowly and clearly.
"Affirmative. Next time you establish contact with the sister colony inform them that we have been made aware of the colony's true purpose and will be transporting 50 units if we can find a carrier." The Captain said in reply.
"Roger Sir. Over and out." Entrada switched off his headset and looked at Shiro as they stood in the bowels of the RPC mobile suit production area.
"Get a hold of Aka and see if she's found that ship yet." He said looking down at Shiro who was trying to access the computer system to no avail. Just then Shiro's headset light blinked and he flipped it on.
"I found the ship. I'm waiting for permission to board and assess its operational status." She said with a hint of excitement.
"She found the ship and wants to check it for operational status." Shiro said looking up at the Captain.
"Tell her to write down directions to get to it and let a team from the Michael check it out. It could be dangerous and she's not trained for zero gravity conditions." Shiro nodded and relayed the message.
"The Captain says your not trained for that. You're to write directions down and report back."
"Then can I have permission to canvas this area and check out the contents of some of the other rooms after I report back with the directions?" She wondered not all to disappointed.
"She wants to report back with directions then explore this area some more and perhaps find more valuable clues that may help us." Shiro said looking back up at the Captain.
"Permission granted. She will be added to a special team assigned o this area. In fact she'll be in charge of it. However she'll have to report all findings directly to me at the end of each day. I can only spare her four or five people though." The Captain responded with a smile. Shiro relayed the message and then looked back up at him strangely after Akiko had given her response.
"She says that's fine but she only needs one person. Recruit Amada. She said he can take care of get the plant computers running again and she can take care of organizing and categorizing the data found down here in one of the rooms she found. Apparently it's the archive room and it has copies of a lot of files as well as a master computer she thinks may contain everything." The Captain smiled and nodded.
"Tell her she can have Amada 3 hours a day before his training sessions." The Captain replied and Shiro did.
"She said that's fine. All she needs is power to be turned back on to one section and a box of light bulbs but she'll have to check the size..." He got a funny look on his face and laughed. "She said she'll have to turn the power back from the master control room because she isn't sure what grid she needs."
"All right then let's go back up and get something to eat." The Captain said laughing.
"We're going up Aka the Captain is leaving the rest of this affair up to you." Shiro said then switched off his headset and got up. He and the Captain walked out of the factory and back up to the main part of the colony. Akiko slowly made her way back to the stairs going up writing clear directions as she went. She detoured way off course to stop by the to see the Cryogenics room again. A poodle of water had formed and was slowly running it's way to a drain in the floor. The ice of the floor was melting as well as the ice on the metal bases holding the entombed being.
"I'll be back." She whispered pushing the button causing the door to close.
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"So what now? You need to turn power back on to a grid that isn't on this list? Why wouldn't t be on the list?" A woman working in the master control room wondered sarcastically as she motioned a hand towards the monitor in front of her.
"Because it's not supposed to exist?" Akiko replied with indifference.
"Longstaff. Let the girl do what she says she needs to do." A deep strong voice said from the doorway.
"Captain Entrada Sir!" The woman said bolting up and saluting him. Akiko turned around slowly and saluted.
"Nice to finally meet you Aka. Not quite what I expected from your actions and skills but looks can be deceiving." He said reaching out to shake her hand.
"Nice to meet you as well Captain Entrada." Akiko replied with the same indifference she address everyone she didn't know or care to know. "You wouldn't happen to be relatd to the late Professor?"
"I am." He replied with a sigh.
"I'm sorry Sir." He shook his head and waved his hand indicating not to worry about it. "I have some things of his that I suppose you should have." She said turning away and sitting down in the seat Longstaff had been in.
"You have something of my Father's?" He wondered curiously.
"I have his briefcase full of much of his work and various other documents regarding this colony and the RPC. That's how I got here was following the coordinates in the briefcase." Captain Entrada started laughing and everyone in the control room turned and looked at him funny. All except for Akiko who was to busy clacking away at the computer.
"Dad was always a good judge of things... He called me the night he got the call from you and told me to watch out for a girl just like you. He said I'd see you very soon and that you'd be here doing this sort of thing but he couldn't tell exactly why." Akiko glanced up at him and nodded then back at the computer screen.
"I'll bring you those things at the conference later tonight Sir." Was all she said as she accessed the master mainframe again and fiddled with the electric grid system.
"Don't bother it seems to have done you more good than it could ever do me. Just hang on to it for a while." The Captain replied turning and started walking away slowly.
"How did you get in there?!" Longstaff screeched leaning in over Akiko. "We've been trying to crack that lock all day!"
"I was the one that locked the mainframe." Akiko replied hitting a few keys and watching the screen go black.
"No what unlock it again!" Longstaff ordered. "That's an order from a superior officer." Akiko got up and started leaving.
"Do you have authorization from the Captain to access the main frame?" Akiko wondered not bothering to stop.
"N... no..." Longstaff replied bewildered. Just outside of the door there was a loud long laugh and an arm wrapped around Akiko's neck as she passed.
"I like to be on a first name basis with people I like and I have a feeling I'm really going to like you. The name's Alexander Entrada the third and you are?"
"Not who you think I am." She replied slowly as they walked away.
"What does that mean?" The Captain wondered not looking down at her.
"Do you want to know who I REALLY am?" He looked down at her and removed his arm as he turned and placed a hand on each of her shoulders.
"I can understand your past being painful so if this Aka name of yours is some sort of protection then so be it. That's all I need to know." He said in a fatherly caring way. Akiko smiled slightly and took a deep breath.
"My name is... Aka Akiko Sir. That's all you need to know..." The Captain turned and nodded in understanding before wrapping his arm around her neck again and towing her down to the cafeteria. They got food and sat down at a table in the corner where no one could see the Captain sitting there.
"So what interests you Akiko?"
"History and proving myself wrong Sir." She replied with slight indifference.
"Please call me Alexander." He replied with a chuckle. "So you like to prove yourself wrong? Why is that?"
"Are you familiar with the quote history is like an endless waltz? Well I believe it however I'd like to see if I can shoot the damn band so to speak Alexander. Very few people like wars least of all the people who stand to lose the most." She replied before taking a bite of mashed potatoes.
"Interesting outlook." He said with a chuckle. "So tell me, what do you stand to lose in a war Miss Akiko?"
"Absolutely nothing." She replied after swallowing. "That doesn't that someone else doesn't though. So I'll fight... For everyone else." He looked at her strangely but she didn't seem to care; she was used to it.