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Calm Before the Storm
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Lyra spoke into her tape recorder, "Test subject #27 failed. His mind became warped once the system was activated." She looked over the recording of the trial run, and she saw the subject slump in the cockpit. Her collected voice began again, "The prototype is much more dangerous to handle. Dr. J had somehow managed to change the zero system's intensity. My recommendation; removal of the system in its entirety." She clicked on the stop button. Weeks of preparation and analysis were about to be tossed out the door. What she needed to find was someone just like Heero Yuy. These days, people like Heero were hard to find.
The twenty-three year old scientist walked out of the base. The feeling of sunlight relaxed her thoughts. She never knew how much she missed seeing the daylight. And for today, a mini excursion into the city wouldn't hurt. The project would still be there, waiting for her to finish. In the city, she peered into the window shops, and at one point, she was tempted to go on a shopping spree. All of her attention turned away when she passed the jumbo-sized television screen in front of a clock tower.
Headlines were flashing across the bottom, as the news slowly slipped in. The bolded yellow lines scrolled with the words, "First shuttles to Andromeda colony sabotaged. Flights re-routed back to main space gate. No injuries reported." Everyone paused around the screen to take in the breaking news. They worried if more of these mysterious setbacks would jeopardize their own lives while heading into space. Lyra continued to walk amongst the small crowd, and tried to carry on with the rest of her afternoon.
Relena monitored the incoming reports from her office and saw a small crowd of angry civilians outside the ESUN. All ready, she could see Preventers posted at the front gates. This was getting out of hand, and it was only to get worse. With the sabotage of the shuttles heading to Andromeda, it started a ripple effect in delaying the second wave of civilians that was required to head into space. She picked up her phone and immediately called an emergency session, hoping to find some resolution to the massive problems that the council now faced.
They all entered a small conference room with no windows. Some of the men were anxious as to what the president had to say on the matter, while others including Graves were waiting the right time to see a shift in power. Relena decided to cut to the severity of the issue, "We need to stop this nonsense now. No one wants to go to the Andromeda cluster."
"It's not a matter of who doesn't want to go, the Earth is facing a serious problem in being overpopulated." One of the council members spoke up.
"Why do the civilians have to leave?" She countered the argument. "It wouldn't be fair for us government officials to stay here on Earth with our families. If we have to conduct business affairs from space, by all means then. We should head to Andromeda along with some of the civilians."
"The point is, Ms. Peacecraft," Graves finally spoke, "We need to remain on the Earth and run the government." Some of the council members agreed with him on the issue. "Without authority here on the planet, nations would fall apart."
"Why are you adamant in having this go through, Mr. Graves?"
"I'm just offering a solution to the Earth's problem and with the Andromeda cluster, it will solve the problems. With the homes that are being vacated, the land can be used for better housing developments that can become it's own mini city, depending on how big the land is. The system pinpoints areas that could become viable for improved housing and takes into account future logistics of economic prosperity."
"So you wouldn't have any remorse in tearing families apart or have civilians risk their lives in going to space?"
"Now, now, Ms. Peacecraft. Don't go accusing me for being insensitive. We all knew that the threat of overpopulation will come and the time has come now. If we don't act quick, our essential resources will be depleted." Graves went for his briefcase and pulled out revised plans of the shuttle launches for the civilians. He was one step ahead of Relena and he wanted to keep it that way. The files were quickly passed out. The diplomats were whispering about the debate and whether if Relena could carry out her term. They've all noticed that her work began to slip slowly.
One of the members brought up the vote of confidence. "Seeing that we are in a state of emergency, we all should instate the vote of confidence. Ms. Peacecraft, it seems your work ethic has slipped for the past two years and I believe it's time for change on this council."
Relena was shocked at the news. The council at the moment was turning the tables on her. She didn't want to become the instigator, "Half of you decided to make a colony behind my back and reject my Terra Reformation Project's final phase. If that had passed, none of this would be happening now."
"Your measures weren't enough to ensure the future. It was based for the short-term goals for our energy needs. Our biggest problem is that population densities are becoming critical in cities such as New York City, Paris, and Beijing. With Andromeda, it will help lessen the strain on the Earth, and Mr. Graves proposal was the ingenious plan." With that comment, Graves was beaming in his mini victory. "And so, I'm instilling my vote of confidence to Mr. Graves." Soon afterwards, a few more members tossed their votes into the open forum. The council only needed 60 of the majority, and in ten minutes, Graves had enough votes to take Relena's position.
She continued to hold her head high, "Well Mr. Graves. Congratulations, you're the new President of the ESUN." She shook his hands and graciously left the room. Outside, Une and Duo greeted her. By the look on her face, they knew something important had happened behind closed doors…a power shift had taken place. The one thing on her mind now was getting to Andromeda, and seeing the civilians first hand. She didn't want to let them think she had abandoned them.
Minister Woods looked at the folder and tossed it to the side. He was sickened by the way Graves had won the position. "Mr. Graves, will you take the full responsibility if a shuttle is lost in space? Civilians will want answers and the blame to be put on someone."
"If it comes about, yes. I'll be the scapegoat for the ESUN."
The older politician shuffled out of the room, no longer wanting to be in the company of the new president. With Relena ousted from her office, he didn't like the way the ESUN was heading. The abrupt change in the council will definitely spark more distrust of the ESUN. The council needed her at this most critical moment, but the group turned its back on her.
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Josh saw his mother's car parked in the driveway. He wondered why his mom came home early from her hospital shift. He dropped his bike into the garage and entered through the door that led into the kitchen. It was quiet, too quiet. When he poked his head around the corner, he saw her sitting at the table with the mail next to her. It was there, plain as day. "We've been picked, dear. We're scheduled to leave from the D.C. space port next week." He mechanically picked up the letter and read the bold print, trying not to believe that his family's turn was up. "I'm sorry honey," his mother kissed on top of his forehead. "The bright side is you'll be with your friends."
"True," his voice was drained of feeling. He knew it sooner or later that this might come true and now it did. "I'll start to pack." He was about to climb the stairs, "Does dad know, yet?"
"I called him, he's on his way home now." She went over to turn on the flat screen television mounted on the kitchen's wall. "It looks like Relena Peacecraft has lost her position to Dillon Graves."
The week passed quickly and Josh wasn't thrilled at all. Earlier in the morning, government officials were already standing on their front door step, waiting for them to enter the van that would drive them to the space port. And now, he was waiting in lines with hundreds of other people from different nationalities, and they were all trying to figure what part of the cluster they were assigned to. The minutes turned to hours and the lines seemed to move nowhere. He watched his dad look cautiously at the signs that flashed above their heads, trying to see if they were in the right line or not. Eventually, they made it to the front desk and the worker verified their location on the cluster. Josh noticed that she didn't want to be there either. Right then, he felt sorry for her, because of the faces she had to see daily. "Have a nice flight out," she tried to smile.
They then entered another line, which lead them to the shuttle that would take them to their new home. Inside the shuttle, it smelled like a brand new car with leathered seats. Josh could already feel the synthetic air hitting his face and he thought he might become sick. He read reports of the first wave of civilians arrived at the cluster just yesterday. "If they can do it, so can I," he whispered to himself and clamped his hands on the armrests next to him. The captain's voice boomed into the intercom and the words that came out, Josh tuned out. He could already the G force against his chest and the rattling sent shivers up and down his spine. His mother's hand glided over to his hand and she patted it, trying to reassure him that it's just normal as flying on their vacation trips. He took a peek out the window that was next to his father and all he could see was a rapid change of blue from light to navy in an instant. The G force intensity became unbearable on his chest and at one point, he felt like his head was going to explode. He continued to clamp his hands down until the shuttle was in space. The captain's voice returned on the intercom with news that they survived the stratosphere.
The passengers began to unbuckle their belts and for the first time, they witnessed weightlessness. Josh reluctantly pulled his aside and immediately held onto his armrest. His feet nearly touched the ceiling until he pulled himself back towards his seat. For the rest of the ride, he looked out the window and tried to remember the home he left behind and wondered if he'll ever return there. "Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Andromeda Cluster," the captain's voice boomed above him. In the foreground, the cylindrical tube rotated about in the black sea of nothingness only to be pierced by a few stars. "At least, there will be artificial gravity," he murmured.
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Relena didn't look back when she left her office one last time. She was glad that the last thread that tied her to her work had been severed. She figured the ESUN could handle things appropriately without her. With parts of Graves' plan already conveyed to her, she'll use them as trunk cards in waging the war against the ESUN…in essence, the war against Graves. The idea of pacifism no longer applied and she knew she had to enlist the help of the Preventers. The reports of her lost to Graves for president stunned the world and there were mixed opinions about his success within the aging organization.
Une was seated next to her, going through some paperwork. "Do you think Graves will last as President?" She didn't even look up from her work.
"It depends," the former president responded. "There was something in his plan that didn't seem right. For all he's showing, the rushing of civilians into space is questionable."
There it was again, the warning that came from Heero earlier. "He seems to be alright," Une finished the last of the papers. "Maybe he'll slip somewhere."
"Maybe," she looked out into the endless night. "And there it is, the source of the trouble."
Une didn't say anything. Instead, she analyzed the pieces in her mind and so far, they looked more like a jigsaw puzzle than anything else. She heard from Sally and Wufei that there was an increased movement of synthetic metals, but it wasn't linked to anything else as of yet. What could all of this mean? She stared at the sight ahead of her.
At the cluster, Quatre eagerly waited for Relena's shuttle to arrive. The two years that passed seemed an eternity to him. He gave up being a Preventer for a brief time and returned to his father's business. His construction job didn't last too long, once Duo came searching for him to resume his duties. For the past several weeks, the former Sandrock pilot diligently watched the news reports on the ESUN's progress. With Relena being voted out, he sensed a foreboding feeling that something was wrong. The air hatch finally opened and Relena emerged along with the others.
She saw the former Sandrock pilot and her eyes brightened in an instant, "It's been a long time, old friend."
"Likewise," he noticed that she was pale. "I've checked the security systems, and they're all clear. If you all come this way, I'll show you to your rooms."
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After everyone settled into their quarters, Une gathered her team in an unoccupied room to discuss the developing news from the past several weeks. As she caught everyone up to speed, Quatre remained the observant one, while Duo paced back and forth. "You're telling me that Graves is behind this? How do we know for sure?"
"It's from a source of mine." Une continued on with her discussion, "It might not be wise to further support the ESUN, as long as Graves is running the group. The ESUN tricked us into thinking that this is a research facility. All I'm saying there is speculation that something will fallout in the end. The Preventers need to make a choice of whether to continue their support with the ESUN or not."
Quatre nodded his head, while his braided friend continued to go in circles. "That time hasn't come yet. We shouldn't jump the gun yet."
"Right now, I think it's best to be prepared." She pulled out the papers from her briefcase and showed the evidence…reports coming from Trowa and Wufei. "Like I said before, a choice needs to be made soon. If something does fallout, Graves will be the one pulling the strings for the ESUN."
Relena heard the group shouting from where she stood in the corridor and decided to go for a stroll. She walked over to the reinforced glass windows and peered towards the other two cylindrical colonies that were synchronized together. Her eyes then drifted towards the image of someone standing behind her, but when she turned around, there was nobody. Goosebumps dotted her skin, and she felt like she knew the man that stood behind her. There was no time to lose, and she ran after the elusive ghost. Deep inside her, she knew it had to be him and she wanted it to be true. The way he stood and looked into her aquamarine eyes. She rounded the corner, but the hallway was empty. In defeat, she leaned against the cold metallic walls and reasoned her way out of what she saw. It's probably the jet lag from the flight. She regained her composure and walked back to her room, but then again, she felt someone was watching her. It was the same eerie feeling that she always felt when Heero was around.
Heero regained his breathing. He was wondering if she really saw him. Flashes of her standing by the window burned in his mind. All of a sudden his body froze and he couldn't react quickly. The minute their eyes met, he felt something coming over him. He didn't think anyone was there in that section of the colony. "Idiot," he muttered in his breath and balled his fists. In the distance, Relena's footsteps slowly dissipated around the corridor, but he remained in his spot just in case she decided to venture back. He slowly crept out of his hiding spot and walked over to the mechanics depot. Without any questions, he blended in and his secret was safe for the time being. He looked behind the glass door and saw her figure emerge from the shadows.
She peered over to the door, but she just saw mechanics walking about. Instead of heading back to her quarters, the ex-president strolled into the heart of Andromeda. Around her, the artificial sunlight was dimming to a sunset and a small group of colonists were already setting up shop to get their lives back in order. Within earshot, whispers were forming behind her back. She didn't pay any heed to them and she continued to walk down a street, trying to find a way to wake the colonists from their feelings of distrust and deception from the ESUN. What can I do now? Above her, she saw the colony's synthetic sky open to the natural light of space. Who will listen to me? She pondered on the thought.
"There you are," Quatre nearly walked past the street where Relena stood. "Une was worried when she didn't see you in your quarters and sent a search party after you. Are you truly all right?"
"Yeah," she managed to smile a little.
"You look like you seen a ghost."
"I might have," she started to head back onto the main street.
Quatre looked worryingly at her. The stress of the past few weeks were finally catching up to her and it scared him that she might do something drastic. He remembered one night when he was on patrol at her home just after Heero's death. He passed by her room without her knowing and he heard her cry in her sleep. It killed him to see her in that state. All throughout the public, he realized that she was putting a mask on to perform. He only wished that she could find some peace in Heero's passing.
Back at the abandoned base, Lyra made the final adjustments for another trial run with the Zero system. The test subject made it through phase one of handling the mental capabilities of the system and now phase two included a triage attack coming from robot drones and worn out mobile suits. Lyra's emerald eyes monitored the vitals of her test subject. "Commence phase two." She pressed a dial on her dashboard and in an instant, the room in front of her lighted up with lasers and mini explosions. She watched the vitals of her subject spike at points, but they never strayed to the critical level. She then glanced at her timer, while her other team members noted the mechanics and brainpower used into controlling the system. The phase only lasted two minutes. "Impressive, Lieutenant Collins. You may disengage the system now and wait for following instructions," she spoke into the speaker. At that moment, she watched to see how the lieutenant reacted, but when he exited from the cockpit, he looked coherent enough. She picked up the phone and immediately called Graves, "Sir," a brief pause, "we finally have our pilot."
"Excellent, Lyra. I think it's about time to have our subject to head out into the field. There are reports that Relena is currently touring the Andromeda cluster. It would be fitting to greet her in space. She might start gathering opposition to the ESUN, and we need to stop her immediately," the newly elected president smirked. "Have him ready for tomorrow."
"Will do."
TBC
