Chapter 36
Duo strolled down the hallway, occasionally cheerfully greeting other Preventers as they
hurried past him. Glancing down at his watch, he grinned. "Perfect!" he smirked as he
approached a metal door. Casually placing his palm on the pad and speaking his name for
the voice print, he said, "Heh. Heero's not going to be able to give me the 'you're late'
glare THIS time!"
As the doors slammed shut behind him, Duo was greeted the sight of countless machines,
monitors, and complicated-looking hardware in general. But what attracted his attention
the most was a conspicuous looking chair set in the middle room, and attached to the top
seemed to be one of those hairdryers found at salons. Duo laughed.
"Heero! Since when did you care so much about your hair?" he crowed, heading over
to join his friend standing by a console next to the apparatus.
Heero didn't say a word, only continued working. Duo's smile disappeared. He tried
again. "Hey...Heero, buddy, aren't you gonna glare at me or something? Even just say
'hn?' Heero, talk to me!"
Heero still refused to respond, doggedly tweaking devices that he had just adjusted a few
seconds ago. Finally, Duo couldn't take it anymore. Slamming his hand down on the
console, he said frustratedly, "Heero, look, I know when you're worried. You're not even
taking the time to glare at me, and you're just messing with things you messed with five
times before! What is going on?!"
The two stood there for a while, Heero staring blankly ahead of him, and Duo staring
earnestly at his friend. Finally, Heero murmured, "I hate it."
"Hate it? Hate what?"
Heero waved at the device in front of them. "This. I hate it," he whispered, acting
extremely out of character. His hand shook as he pressed a button, and the thing came to
life. "Look," he said tonelessly, walking up to the chair. Duo followed. Heero
gestured to the armrests. "Here are the controls. Judging from the data received, the
controller can send out information to whoever's MS is hooked up with it. This helmet
receives the data. It's directly wired to the Xero system. The controller sits here,
helmet on head. Once the data is received, the controller must be able to interpret it,
execute a decision, then put those commands into effect."
Duo nodded slowly, uncertain why his friend was so upset. "I see. Just like Zechs'
system on Libra a few years back. So then, will this aid the pilots in battle?"
"Yes. This machine allows the controller to not only send information to pilots,
thus reducing the stress on their system, but if necessary, control the suits. Any suit
that is online and hooked to this system can be controlled. Dolls, suits, shuttles,
anything." Turning, Heero went over to a computer and tapped in a few commands. "I've
also upgraded the Xero system," he continued tonelessly. "It will allow the pilots to
battle even more effectively than before. Reflexes are enhanced, etc. However, the
intensity is much too high, hence, the controller. The controller will take the extra
strain. With the intensity divided in half, it can be reduced to a manageable level."
"Well then!" Duo said, relieved, "I see no problem with it." Folding his arms, he
said cheerfully, "So then, who're we gonna put in the controller's seat?"
Silence.
Duo's smile disappeared again. "Heero?" he asked, somewhat fearfully. "Heero, tell me:
Are there risks involved for the controller?"
Heero sighed heavily. "Yes. Should the controller be overwhelmed, possible results may
include insanity, death, being put into a coma, paralysis, even existing in a state of
shock for the rest of the controller's life. It is crucial to select someone capable of
undertaking such a task."
"But Heero! You're practically asking for an impossible task!" Duo exclaimed.
"How the heck are we supposed to find someone capable of doing this?!"
"Duo..." Heero said slowly. He hesitated, then continued. "Duo, we may have been
strong soldiers at one point, and we still are. However, something like this is clearly
beyond our abilities. I've already screened the Preventers, and I haven't found anyone
who fits the criteria-"
"What's the criteria?"
"An extremely high IQ. This has nothing to do with physical strength, and mental
strength plays only a small role in this. No, this person must have the natural ability
to be able to process very concentrated amounts of information in a matter of seconds.
The controller must be someone with a brain capable of switching from left brain to right,
and then back again. They must have an unusually quick release of neurotransmitters. It
is impossible to train someone for this job; it must be natural."
Before Duo could cut in again, Heero continued, "After I screened the Preventers, I decided
to screen all of the new pilots. Geoffry is the closest match. With an IQ of 160, his
brain is most likely capable of taking such stress. However, I have already run a
simulation. For someone to be fully capable of being the controller, he or she must have
an IQ of at least 190. And of course, the natural chemistry of the brain plays a role too.
Since Geoffry's brain could probably only handle up to 70% of the information without any
harmful side effects, I decided against even bothering to test him."
"Well then, is there even anyone left?! Don't tell me we have to conduct mass
screenings of civilians!" Duo said frustratedly.
"No. There was one more group of people I screened. In that group, I managed to
find an individual with an IQ of 196."
"196!!!" Duo screeched, nearly falling over. "Wow, this person must be a prodigy!
Heck, MY IQ's only 177! So Heero," he said excitedly, "who's the lucky guy?"
Here, Heero faltered. "Duo..." he said quietly, his voice wavering. "I..."
But Duo had not noticed Heero's uncertainty; he was still too happy over the news that
there was someone out there capable of filling such a position. He asked again. "Come
on Heero! Tell me who it is!"
"Duo, the group I screened consisted of the rest of our children, those who aren't
pilots," Heero said in a rush, but before he could continue, Duo broke in.
"Wow! No way! Wait, don't tell me: It has to be Clare, right? Haha, wait till
Quatre finds out how his daughter's scheming has all been due to her exorbitantly high
intelligence reading! Hehehehe...This is GREAT!"
"Duo, it's not Clare!" Heero burst out.
Duo blinked. "Huh?"
"Duo...it's Eva. Your daughter. Not Clare, not Reena, not any of our other
children. It's your daughter." Tapping in a few more commands, he said, "I'd already
requested a sample of her DNA and run the required tests-"
Heero was abruptly cut off by the sight of a fist in his peripheral vision. He jumped
away just in time, and Duo's fist slammed into the console. Sparks flew, but Duo didn't
seem to notice. Advancing on Heero with a dangerous glint in his eye, he hissed, "So,
you want to put my little girl in that piece of crap, is that right? You want to put an
innocent twelve year old in there, huh? Well Heero, I always knew you were on the cold
side, but this...This just proves that you're not even human! You're a fucking monster!"
he howled, lunging at him and shoving him to the floor. Smashing Heero with his fists,
he shrieked, "Bastard! Son of a motherfucking bitch! There's no way in hell you're
sticking Eva in that thing of yours! I'll kill you first! I'll rip your throat out, bash
in your head-"
"DUO MAXWELL! What the hell?!" Wufei dashed in the room and attempted to yank
Duo off of Heero. Instead, he was met with a gun pointed between his eyes. "Duo..." he
said slowly, trying not to let his shock show, "Put the gun down..."
Duo gave a harsh laugh. "Hell if I do," he sneered, hand shaking. "I'll kill you all if I
have to. If that's what it takes to protect my daughter."
"Eva? What does Eva have to do with this?" Wufei frowned, though he was still
staring at the barrel of the gun.
"The new Xero system I've designed is much too dangerous. Therefore, there must
be some sort of controller. Eva is the only one-" Heero tried explaining, but Duo
howled, "Shut UP!" and struck Heero across the head.
That was all the distraction Wufei needed. Lunging forward at Duo, he tackled him, slamming
his head to the floor. Duo's eyes lolled back and closed. Wufei sighed in relief, then
extended a hand to Heero. "Are you alright?"
Heero nodded, trying not to wince as the room spun around him. "I didn't want to do that,
Wufei," he said quietly, glancing at the comatose Duo and then the machine he had created.
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile, "I'm a monster, and I know it. God damn it!" he
snarled, slamming his fist into the wall. He watched with an unemotional expression on his
face as blood ran down his knuckles. "Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm even alive at all..."
he whispered.
"Heero...We all wonder that sometimes," Wufei said quietly, and then his face
became as bitter as Heero's. "Will we ever stop being soldiers? Will we ever have to
stop being the one's to make the sacrifices? Or is a curse, passed on through the
generations...Are we to always be the soldiers?" Then, shaking his head viciously, he
said, "So then, Heero. Are we putting Eva in that?"
"No...no, we're not. I'm sorry, Wufei, but I can't. I...just can't. She's only
twelve! It's not fair to her. Maybe the older ones must fight, but not her. I was
terrible to even suggest it. You know, Wufei," he began uncertainly, but continued, "Eva's
the only one who was born several years after the war. Her and Geoffry. But Geoffry's
always taken after his father; we all knew he would probably grow to be a soldier, a
Preventer in the very least. But Eva...when I saw her, I thought, 'This is a normal child.
This is a child who should never have to see war. This is a child who should have a
normal childhood, a normal life. When she cries, it should be because she's broken up with
a boyfriend or something. When she laughs, it should be genuine, not because she's trying
to fool the enemy so she can stick a knife between their ribs.' I knew Riko wouldn't be
able to have such a life: She's a soldier and politician's daughter. But Eva...I had
hoped...so badly...that through her, our bloody legacy could end..."
Wufei stared solemnly at the usually silent man, then put a hand on his friend's arm. "I
know," he said quietly. "I understand. I had hoped for that too. Don't worry, Heero,"
he said. "We will find another way, another way that doesn't involve her. We WILL save
her," he continued determinedly. "We will defeat this last uprising, and then it will all
be over. The next time something like this happens, we will no longer have to be
responsible. Not us, not our families. We will finally have earned our rest."
Duo strolled down the hallway, occasionally cheerfully greeting other Preventers as they
hurried past him. Glancing down at his watch, he grinned. "Perfect!" he smirked as he
approached a metal door. Casually placing his palm on the pad and speaking his name for
the voice print, he said, "Heh. Heero's not going to be able to give me the 'you're late'
glare THIS time!"
As the doors slammed shut behind him, Duo was greeted the sight of countless machines,
monitors, and complicated-looking hardware in general. But what attracted his attention
the most was a conspicuous looking chair set in the middle room, and attached to the top
seemed to be one of those hairdryers found at salons. Duo laughed.
"Heero! Since when did you care so much about your hair?" he crowed, heading over
to join his friend standing by a console next to the apparatus.
Heero didn't say a word, only continued working. Duo's smile disappeared. He tried
again. "Hey...Heero, buddy, aren't you gonna glare at me or something? Even just say
'hn?' Heero, talk to me!"
Heero still refused to respond, doggedly tweaking devices that he had just adjusted a few
seconds ago. Finally, Duo couldn't take it anymore. Slamming his hand down on the
console, he said frustratedly, "Heero, look, I know when you're worried. You're not even
taking the time to glare at me, and you're just messing with things you messed with five
times before! What is going on?!"
The two stood there for a while, Heero staring blankly ahead of him, and Duo staring
earnestly at his friend. Finally, Heero murmured, "I hate it."
"Hate it? Hate what?"
Heero waved at the device in front of them. "This. I hate it," he whispered, acting
extremely out of character. His hand shook as he pressed a button, and the thing came to
life. "Look," he said tonelessly, walking up to the chair. Duo followed. Heero
gestured to the armrests. "Here are the controls. Judging from the data received, the
controller can send out information to whoever's MS is hooked up with it. This helmet
receives the data. It's directly wired to the Xero system. The controller sits here,
helmet on head. Once the data is received, the controller must be able to interpret it,
execute a decision, then put those commands into effect."
Duo nodded slowly, uncertain why his friend was so upset. "I see. Just like Zechs'
system on Libra a few years back. So then, will this aid the pilots in battle?"
"Yes. This machine allows the controller to not only send information to pilots,
thus reducing the stress on their system, but if necessary, control the suits. Any suit
that is online and hooked to this system can be controlled. Dolls, suits, shuttles,
anything." Turning, Heero went over to a computer and tapped in a few commands. "I've
also upgraded the Xero system," he continued tonelessly. "It will allow the pilots to
battle even more effectively than before. Reflexes are enhanced, etc. However, the
intensity is much too high, hence, the controller. The controller will take the extra
strain. With the intensity divided in half, it can be reduced to a manageable level."
"Well then!" Duo said, relieved, "I see no problem with it." Folding his arms, he
said cheerfully, "So then, who're we gonna put in the controller's seat?"
Silence.
Duo's smile disappeared again. "Heero?" he asked, somewhat fearfully. "Heero, tell me:
Are there risks involved for the controller?"
Heero sighed heavily. "Yes. Should the controller be overwhelmed, possible results may
include insanity, death, being put into a coma, paralysis, even existing in a state of
shock for the rest of the controller's life. It is crucial to select someone capable of
undertaking such a task."
"But Heero! You're practically asking for an impossible task!" Duo exclaimed.
"How the heck are we supposed to find someone capable of doing this?!"
"Duo..." Heero said slowly. He hesitated, then continued. "Duo, we may have been
strong soldiers at one point, and we still are. However, something like this is clearly
beyond our abilities. I've already screened the Preventers, and I haven't found anyone
who fits the criteria-"
"What's the criteria?"
"An extremely high IQ. This has nothing to do with physical strength, and mental
strength plays only a small role in this. No, this person must have the natural ability
to be able to process very concentrated amounts of information in a matter of seconds.
The controller must be someone with a brain capable of switching from left brain to right,
and then back again. They must have an unusually quick release of neurotransmitters. It
is impossible to train someone for this job; it must be natural."
Before Duo could cut in again, Heero continued, "After I screened the Preventers, I decided
to screen all of the new pilots. Geoffry is the closest match. With an IQ of 160, his
brain is most likely capable of taking such stress. However, I have already run a
simulation. For someone to be fully capable of being the controller, he or she must have
an IQ of at least 190. And of course, the natural chemistry of the brain plays a role too.
Since Geoffry's brain could probably only handle up to 70% of the information without any
harmful side effects, I decided against even bothering to test him."
"Well then, is there even anyone left?! Don't tell me we have to conduct mass
screenings of civilians!" Duo said frustratedly.
"No. There was one more group of people I screened. In that group, I managed to
find an individual with an IQ of 196."
"196!!!" Duo screeched, nearly falling over. "Wow, this person must be a prodigy!
Heck, MY IQ's only 177! So Heero," he said excitedly, "who's the lucky guy?"
Here, Heero faltered. "Duo..." he said quietly, his voice wavering. "I..."
But Duo had not noticed Heero's uncertainty; he was still too happy over the news that
there was someone out there capable of filling such a position. He asked again. "Come
on Heero! Tell me who it is!"
"Duo, the group I screened consisted of the rest of our children, those who aren't
pilots," Heero said in a rush, but before he could continue, Duo broke in.
"Wow! No way! Wait, don't tell me: It has to be Clare, right? Haha, wait till
Quatre finds out how his daughter's scheming has all been due to her exorbitantly high
intelligence reading! Hehehehe...This is GREAT!"
"Duo, it's not Clare!" Heero burst out.
Duo blinked. "Huh?"
"Duo...it's Eva. Your daughter. Not Clare, not Reena, not any of our other
children. It's your daughter." Tapping in a few more commands, he said, "I'd already
requested a sample of her DNA and run the required tests-"
Heero was abruptly cut off by the sight of a fist in his peripheral vision. He jumped
away just in time, and Duo's fist slammed into the console. Sparks flew, but Duo didn't
seem to notice. Advancing on Heero with a dangerous glint in his eye, he hissed, "So,
you want to put my little girl in that piece of crap, is that right? You want to put an
innocent twelve year old in there, huh? Well Heero, I always knew you were on the cold
side, but this...This just proves that you're not even human! You're a fucking monster!"
he howled, lunging at him and shoving him to the floor. Smashing Heero with his fists,
he shrieked, "Bastard! Son of a motherfucking bitch! There's no way in hell you're
sticking Eva in that thing of yours! I'll kill you first! I'll rip your throat out, bash
in your head-"
"DUO MAXWELL! What the hell?!" Wufei dashed in the room and attempted to yank
Duo off of Heero. Instead, he was met with a gun pointed between his eyes. "Duo..." he
said slowly, trying not to let his shock show, "Put the gun down..."
Duo gave a harsh laugh. "Hell if I do," he sneered, hand shaking. "I'll kill you all if I
have to. If that's what it takes to protect my daughter."
"Eva? What does Eva have to do with this?" Wufei frowned, though he was still
staring at the barrel of the gun.
"The new Xero system I've designed is much too dangerous. Therefore, there must
be some sort of controller. Eva is the only one-" Heero tried explaining, but Duo
howled, "Shut UP!" and struck Heero across the head.
That was all the distraction Wufei needed. Lunging forward at Duo, he tackled him, slamming
his head to the floor. Duo's eyes lolled back and closed. Wufei sighed in relief, then
extended a hand to Heero. "Are you alright?"
Heero nodded, trying not to wince as the room spun around him. "I didn't want to do that,
Wufei," he said quietly, glancing at the comatose Duo and then the machine he had created.
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile, "I'm a monster, and I know it. God damn it!" he
snarled, slamming his fist into the wall. He watched with an unemotional expression on his
face as blood ran down his knuckles. "Sometimes...I wonder...if I'm even alive at all..."
he whispered.
"Heero...We all wonder that sometimes," Wufei said quietly, and then his face
became as bitter as Heero's. "Will we ever stop being soldiers? Will we ever have to
stop being the one's to make the sacrifices? Or is a curse, passed on through the
generations...Are we to always be the soldiers?" Then, shaking his head viciously, he
said, "So then, Heero. Are we putting Eva in that?"
"No...no, we're not. I'm sorry, Wufei, but I can't. I...just can't. She's only
twelve! It's not fair to her. Maybe the older ones must fight, but not her. I was
terrible to even suggest it. You know, Wufei," he began uncertainly, but continued, "Eva's
the only one who was born several years after the war. Her and Geoffry. But Geoffry's
always taken after his father; we all knew he would probably grow to be a soldier, a
Preventer in the very least. But Eva...when I saw her, I thought, 'This is a normal child.
This is a child who should never have to see war. This is a child who should have a
normal childhood, a normal life. When she cries, it should be because she's broken up with
a boyfriend or something. When she laughs, it should be genuine, not because she's trying
to fool the enemy so she can stick a knife between their ribs.' I knew Riko wouldn't be
able to have such a life: She's a soldier and politician's daughter. But Eva...I had
hoped...so badly...that through her, our bloody legacy could end..."
Wufei stared solemnly at the usually silent man, then put a hand on his friend's arm. "I
know," he said quietly. "I understand. I had hoped for that too. Don't worry, Heero,"
he said. "We will find another way, another way that doesn't involve her. We WILL save
her," he continued determinedly. "We will defeat this last uprising, and then it will all
be over. The next time something like this happens, we will no longer have to be
responsible. Not us, not our families. We will finally have earned our rest."
