THIRTY
ALL THE SAME
Community Hospital, Blue City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
March 26, 2128
Kenny slowly opened his eyes only to find white. He was lying on a bed covered in white linen. The steady beep of white apparatuses next to the bed gave him a dull but comforting ambience. A big white fan on the ceiling provided a gentle breeze that caressed his face. And when he looked at his arm, the majority of it was drapped in white bandage.
Just as he thought he could smell the whiteness of the room, he heard a familiar voice.
"Welcome back," Maia's soft voice tickled his ears. "Fate favors you."
Kenny forced himself to smile, and winced when the scars in his face gave him stings. He raised his bandaged arm and grabbed hold of Maia's delicate hand. "And you?"
"I miss you," Maia squeezed his hand gently. "When you left absent words, heart fell to chasm. I thought I would never see you again."
"Apologies," Kenny exhaled heavily. "Saskia overstuffed my head with inflated matters about destiny and responsibility and ancient Zoidians, I barely had room to think about myself…"
"Oh, you hold me accountable for fate falling out of favor? A mockery!"
Kenny didn't realize that Saskia was also in the room. His face turned red as Saskia walked slowly to the bed, grinning widely, enjoying the awkward moment every second. "Apologies, tongue flapped absent mind. Still, the heart swells at the sight of you, full of life."
Saskia shot a warm smile. She still had a few bandages on, but she was in a much better condition than Kenny. "You suffer contusions in excessive amount. You shall be in this state for a few more days."
"Days?" Kenny blurted. "Blasphemy! What do I do, lying down without…" And then, he remembered his organoid, still trapped in the broken body of the Arosaurer before he was knocked out. "What is of Cleto?"
The familiar chirp of the Troodon-type organoid lifted up his heart. Cleto hobbled toward the bed, limping on its broken left actuator. Gone was the swagger and the malevolence of the Arosaurer, replaced by the playfulness of the old Cleto, exactly the way Kenny remembered.
"I shall finish his leg presently," Saskia chimed. "I was short on time. Yet here he is. I could barely keep him away from your bedside."
"A sight for sore eyes," Kenny chuckled. "How is your life treating you? Are you going back to ZOITEC?"
"No," Saskia let out a long, exasperating sigh. "I have left for the passing few months absent notice. ZOITEC regards such lacking as ground for termination. I must find entrances into a new venture. A zoid team, with pilots of purpose, and proper zoids to ride. Fate blesses me with past acquaintances eager to lend hands. I had words with Laeta. Once the team can stand on own feet, Backdraft shall see it overflowed with jobs, and our accounts with money."
"Count me in!" Kenny chimed enthusiastically. "What is the status of Arosaurer?"
"In Rottiger's hands. It is theirs to begin with."
"Most unfortunate; mind starts to take a liking of it," Kenny smiled broadly.
"Arosaurers stand abundant. The procuring of it should not be difficult."
"Abundant? Yes. Within the reach of my pocket? No. The irony stands laughing at my fortune. Me, an 'ancient Zoidian' absent zoid or the hands to acquire one."
"Set mind free from the matter of wealth," Saskia rested her hands on Kenny's bandaged shoulder. "Something will come into our grasp. Luck favors the bold."
Kenny squeezed Saskia's hand. "You are an angel, Saskia. What is of Gilvy? Is he of form?"
"He is himself again, beyond the city walls."
"And the other Gilvader?"
"Set to stone, never to rise again."
Kenny spotted a glint of tears in Saskia's eyes, and he realized that Royce must have gone down with the Gilvader. "My heart cries in your pain, Saskia."
"There is no place for romantic embellishment," Saskia sniffled, desperately hiding her whimper. "The heart bleeds, but wound heals. There is but one path: onward."
Maia caressed Saskia's arm. "I'm always here for you. Tongue words in my direction, I shall stand forth."
"Gratitude," Saskia replied with a smile. "Now excuse me, I have other proceedings to attend." She gently tapped Kenny's legs. "I shall return in the coming day to fix Cleto's leg. Presently, tend to your health. Eat. Rest. Concern only of well being. When you gain old form, we will visit some friends."
"I look forward to travelling," Kenny shot a small smile, but Saskia already turned her back at him. He watched her until she disappeared behind the door, then shifted his sight to Maia. "So… now we are back at Blue City, shall you return to dancing?"
Maia let out a soft giggle. "I know nothing else. Pay me a visit in the coming days. I shall send invitations."
"I'll enjoy such luxury," Kenny replied.
"Do you wish for two?" Maia said teasingly. "Is there a special lady friend you'd like to take?"
"Only one required," Kenny smiled sheepishly. "I have nobody to bring but myself."
"One it is," Maia nodded. "I will see it done."
Rose City,
Eastern Continent, Planet Zi,
March 26, 2128
Saskia let out a labored breath when she stepped into her house.
She hadn't been in this place for months. It looked almost exactly the same as when she left it, only with dust covering every square inch of the abandoned Whale King hangar. Two large craters on the ground dominated the clutters inside the hangar, an eerie 'parting gift' from Saskia's once mortal enemy. It was still vivid in her memory two Killerdomes climbed up of those holes and immobilized her zoid in one calculated shot to the heart. He was dead now, but the holes still reminded of him, and brought back her unfortunate adventure.
"We must have those holes plugged, Gilvy," Saskia grumbled bitterly. "I have been far removed from wealth, but I am not staying with giant holes laughing at me."
The Gilvader replied with a mocking growl.
"Go ahead, have a jest!" Saskia huffed. She climbed up the stairs to her bedroom. Everything lied exactly where she remembered them, covered in dust. She dropped her butt on the mattress and a cloud of dust wafted, prompting her to evacuate the room.
"More work yet needed in the coming days to make this place bearable," Saskia mumbled as she covered her nose. "Until then, I shall sleep somewhere else."
The Gilvader lowered its head and popped open its canopy in a series of hisses. Saskia stopped and grinned from ear to ear, watching the massive 300+ tons of death incarnate acting like a little kitten.
"I am not sleeping in you, Gilvy," she coined annoyance.
The Gilvader replied in a train of low growl, almost like talking back, but Saskia caught its intention. It did not invite Saskia to sleep. It was an invitation to leave everything behind and go enjoy the rest of the day, like they did in the past. To fly to the end of the world, as far as their bodies allowed, just for the sake of flying.
"We did have that last fly interrupted, didn't we, Gilvy?" Saskia beamed as she climbed into the cockpit. "I wish we didn't lose those few passing months. I feel fate spoke to me in false tongue, fleeting about fortune, only to bury me in the underworld. I gave my heart to a man, striving to be god, yet consumed by own's ambition. Oh, how I was a fool! I'd give anything to see all of them undone."
The Gilvader didn't make a sound or movement, as if listening to Saskia's lamentation.
"But none merits consideration anymore. I have you again. I gave you words, we shall never part again. My heart, your core." Saskia wiped the tears in her eyes, then armed the booster jets. "Now come, let us enjoy the sky. Take us up!"
The Gilvader let out a long shrilling cry, then fired its booster jets in full power.
THE END
Author's Final Note:
I have toyed with several possible endings, most of them with Royce surviving. But in the end I like this ending best. It goes in line with the tone of the story, which is set dark from the beginning. Having Royce survive gives some light and warmth, which feels nice, but disrupts the overall tone of the story. There will be another time where Saskia finds true love. But then again, her true love is always her zoid. Men come and go like days gone by, but the bond between a zoid and the pilot lasts as long as they live. Isn't it right?
Thank you all for readers and followers and most importantly reviewers, especially jdoug148 who sticks with me up until the end. I know I probably frustrated you all with the "bastardized Latin" dialogue and 6+ months of semi abandonment. I'm sorry for that, but it's really fun to try something new. I guess I was too overboard on both accounts. Nevertheless I really appreciate you guys sticking with me. I hope I didn't disappoint you.
Next on Saskia's adventure is a crossover with BattleTech universe. I've been cooking this idea for more than a year, since I read "Empires Aflame". Again, it's fun to try something new, and I don't see many Zoids – BattleTech crossover in the web, if any at all. So if you're interested in Saskia's adventure, you may want to turn on the crossover mode sometime in Fall 2017.
I will post an epilogue as a teaser of what's coming in a few days. Stay tuned!