Hey again everyone! Technically it's my week off, but I just finished this up, and I'm really quite happy with it, so I'm gonna post it. I'm such a rebel, working even on my time off! Wait, that's not being a rebel. That's like a workaholic or something. T.T
So, like I was saying, this turned much better than I expected. One of the first requests for a Side Story that I got was for a Nina Side Story... and I was pretty resistant to the idea at first. The fact is, she's always been my least favorite character- she actually crosses that line from "least favorite" into "most hated", actually. Least favorite suggests that there is some part of her that I like, and I'm not sure there is, hahah. But then I thought about it... and a lot of what I don't like about her is due to a lack of any background for her.
We know nothing about Nina's life before CG starts- we don't even know if she has parents. They just tell us so incredibly little about her. And beyond the obvious question (given her surname, is she a descendant of Albert Einstein), there are some interesting puzzles about her life beforehand. For example, her xenophobia- is she just racist, or has she had some experience that makes her fear somewhat justified? What inspired her to start researching uranium- if no one else had, how did a teenage girl suddenly decide to start studying one of the most dangerous elements in the world? And so on.
But when it comes down to it, the fact is, I still can't like CG's Nina. She's racist, paranoid, ignorant, and irresponsible. In our reality, the people who invented the atomic bomb immediately understood what a horrible thing it was- Kenneth Bainbridge, the Manhattan Project's director, watched the explosion and exclaimed "Now we are all sons of bitches." J. Robert Oppenheimer, the laboratory director for the detonation, quoted Hindu scripture: "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." These men knew that they had just created something powerful and terrible and perhaps even evil. Nina shows none of that. It's not until she kills millions of people that she realizes that she is, in Director Bainbridge's words, a son of a bitch. Or daughter, I suppose.
But this is an AU fanfic, and the delightful thing is, I can change things. I can make Nina a more sympathetic character. And the best way to do that is to both give her reasons for her actions... and giving her something cooler to do other than hang around the Student Council surfing the net all the time.
Reviews! Most everyone seemed to agree with my assessment of the last chapter- not incredibly engaging plot-wise, but there was enough neat detail and explanation to make up for it. Kyuubi no kami asks if cutting out a Geass User's eyes wouldn't do the trick even without a fancy knife- well, yes and no. Obviously, it would work pretty well for someone whose Geass was entirely eye contact based... but many of them aren't. Shirley's has a voice-based component that would still work, Mao's would work, and Damian would still be able to transform, which is mainly what they were worried about. He wouldn't be able to steal new identities, but he still had plenty of old ones he could use to trick them or otherwise confuse them and make good his escape. Better safe than sorry, yeah? Of note is the fact that you have to cut both eyes to seal the power- otherwise, it's like covering a gushing pipe with a patch that's too small. Doesn't really stop much.
nanoman79 also writes to suggest an Inner or Outer Circle Side Story, and asks just how much the Outer Circle's existence was because of the Inner. I will probably do one at some point, it's an interesting subject, but I've got no real schedule for it. As far as the Outer Circle's origins... as another reviewer (can't recall who) guessed, Sayoko had much of the organization already formed by the time Zero showed up and spewed a bunch of nonsense about the Inner Circle. He called them a shadowy order of assassins bent on destroying the Imperial Family... and Sayoko thought, "that's pretty much what I want to do with this group, and these guys have actually been successful with Clovis, so I might as well take the credit for it." I imagine if he'd called them the Musketeers and explained that they were European Union anarchists bent on getting Fox to bring Firefly back for another season, she wouldn't have bothered stealing the name. Though she probably would love Firefly, because if you don't, you are crazy and wrong and have no love in your soul.
And Gaff Gafgarion makes a comparison I hadn't thought of- comparing the Codestones to the Stone Table from the Dresden Files. As a matter of fact, I am an avid reader of the Dresden Files, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't my inspiration here. It's a pretty classic arcane trick, really- blood has power, pour blood on something that's powerful and shit will happen. Like the Pattern in Amber, or the dozens of examples of Chalices of Blood and such. God of War loves that kind of thing. Hrm. Now I turned a flattering comparison (to the Dresden Files) to a really not so much one (to God of War- it's a great game, but we don't love it for its brilliant writing). Way to go me?
Enjoy the Side Story.
Nina Einstein - During and after Chapter 24
It was a familiar dream, because it was not just a dream, a creation of pure fantasy... it was a memory. A scene from her past... that she was tired of seeing. She should be able to change things, but nightmares don't work like that. You can't think straight, and in spite of your best efforts... things play out exactly like they did in the past. Occasionally, they even went worse than before.
Rudolf Einstein smiled as he walked down the hall with his daughter alongside him. "...I suppose that concludes our tour! Is there anything I missed?" he asked her with a smile.
Nina gave him an exasperated look. "You didn't explain why it was called 'Big Sight,' dad!" she complained. "It was me asking that that inspired you to do this whole tour!"
Her father laughed. "Well, 'Tokyo Big Sight' is just a nickname, it's really the Tokyo International Exhibition Center... but I'm just saying that because I don't actually have any idea why it's called Big Sight. I was just trying to distract you," he chuckled. Nina sighed. "Why don't we ask one of the Elevens working here?"
"Ask... a Number?" asked Nina timidly. Her father sighed.
"Nina... Numbers are people, just like you and I. We beat them, that's why they're Numbers. If they had beat us, they'd probably have made us Numbers," he told her patiently. It was clear from his tone and manner that this was a reoccurring problem with the girl.
"But... but we didn't lose. We won. That means we're better," protested the girl.
Rudolf's face softened. "The world isn't that simple, honey. I'm not asking you to go out and hug a Number. But... so many Britannians treat them like... like aliens, or like animals." He smiled as a thought occurred. "Nina, who is your favorite scientist?" he asked.
"Da Vinci!" exclaimed Nina with immediate enthusiasm.
"And where was Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, brilliant as he was, from?" smiled Rudolf.
Nina frowned. It seemed like a trick question. "...Italy...?" she answered cautiously.
"And what is Italy today?"
And there was the trap, and she had walked right into it. "...The European Union," she sighed in resignation. As she lowered her head, her glasses gently slid down her nose, but she didn't seem to notice.
"See? The man you admire most of all, and he wasn't even Britannian," declared her father with satisfaction. He leaned down, and pushed her glasses back up. "So give non-Britannians a chance, alright? They're pretty brilliant scientists themselves, and some of them are going to be doing some very cool presentations here." He pulled out a map of the exposition hall. "Now, what do you want to see?"
The 2012 Developing Technologies Exposition (DTE for the acronym-crazed) was less exciting, perhaps, than some years- science had mostly plateaued, awaiting the next major technological breakthrough (which sadly would not happen for another half-decade), but there was still lots to see and do. They wandered around together, checking out various demonstrations and exhibits.
At one point, her father had to flash his credentials, and was able to get them into a public demonstration of the Sutherland, the new military Knightmare that was nearing production. Nina was fascinated with the machine... it was so huge, so powerful, and yet was able to move with such precision. As they walked out of the demonstration, she gazed at her father for a moment, thoughtfully. "Dad," she asked, "why do you study the elements?"
Her father considered this. "In a way, every scientist studies the elements... but you mean more specifically in their pure form, correct?" he asked. Nina nodded. "Well... I suppose I think that scientists have gotten carried away, Nina. Just when our technology was starting to level out- when we were starting to run out of ideas- we discovered the applications of sakuradite, and suddenly everything was easy."
His daughter gave him a slightly confused look. "...I don't understand."
Rudolf frowned. "Well, it's like this. Sakuradite is powerful. Really, really powerful. It produces a lot of energy, it can take a lot of stress, and it's an incredible conductor." Nina nodded- she got that part. "So isn't that... well, a little easy? Take away sakuradite, and suddenly the scientists of the world would have no idea what to do with themselves. We're basing all our technology on a single element. What if we discover something that counters it, or what if someone develops a machine that can disable sakuradite?
"It's not impossible, not at all. There's already some research that suggests that it is possible- though we're not sure how- to disrupt sakuradite with energy waves. If that were to be fielded... entire nations could be crippled. The military forces we've spent so much time developing and building could be rendered useless." He nodded to himself. "The important thing, Nina, is to know that there is always more than one solution to a problem. Somewhere out there is a combination of materials- fuel and conductor- that, when combined, can achieve the same results as sakuradite, or perhaps even better.
"We need to find it- because when sakuradite becomes obsolete, and like every other piece of technology, it will be someday- we need alternatives." He smiled at his daughter. "That's why I research the elements. Because I'm looking for alternatives."
Suddenly, there was a fzzt, and then all the lights went out. Nina immediately began to panic, but her father placed a big, calming hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Nina. Just a power outage." He laughed. "Pretty ironic for the gathering of the most advanced science in the world to suffer a power outage, isn't it?"
Nina smiled weakly. It's okay. My father is here with me. There's nothing to be afraid of. And then the speakers crackled on.
"Attention, Britannian dogs! We are the Rising Sun Brotherhood, and we have taken control of this building! You gathered here to revel in the technology that you used to murder our people and destroy our land... why shouldn't we do the same to you?" The voice was arrogant and angry, full of the passion of youth. "That's right... you've all been captured by a bunch of Elevens. The doors are locked and bolted. You can't get out. And we have but one demand- die."
And then suddenly the building shook, the ceiling began to collapse, and there was fire everywhere. Nina felt something slam her to the ground, and then everything went black.
She woke with a start, gasping for breath as she leapt from her bed. That dream again... dad... thought Nina Einstein miserably. It had been five years since then. She had survived the explosion... but only because her father shielded her with his body. He didn't survive.
If she'd been a more passionate girl, a more aggressive and forceful one, she would have hated the Elevens for what they did- hated all Numbers. She'd already had xenophobia drilled into her mind by Britannian society... and when she was just beginning to accept that they might be human beings as well, she watched as they blew up a building full of innocent people just because they felt like it- and killed her father in the process. Nearly killed her as well.
But she wasn't aggressive. She was a timid, shy girl... and all she felt was fear. Fear of the kind of person that would just blow up a building because they wanted a release for their anger. Fear of these wild animals in human form- these Numbers, so full of anger and hate that they were incapable of anything else.
She'd always been a rather nerdy girl, but with the death of her father, it had kicked into overdrive. The Elevens were everywhere, and she was scared of having to deal with them... so she spent more time indoors, at school and home. And since her father died with no one to continue his research... she took up the burden herself.
It had been an incredible education, going through his papers- far more so that what she'd received at school. In one summer, she got through all his reports... and though she didn't understand them completely, she came out completely devoted to the project. There was just so much about the elements that wasn't known. Her father's research had focused, near the end, on the element uranium... and in short order, he came up with a material that he called depleted uranium.
He'd never had a chance to announce those findings, and when Nina discovered them, she was able to submit his findings to some colleagues of her father's. They'd announced it to the world, and her father's work finally got some of the credit it deserved... but she wasn't close to done. Rudolf Einstein had discovered depleted uranium while trying to learn more about a special isotope of uranium called U-235... and Nina swore to unlock its secrets.
She didn't have her father's equipment, or his funding, or in fact any materials. All she could do was run simulations on her computer... and do the math. But she was close to a breakthrough... she knew it.
She checked her clock. Almost seven... I would have to get up for school in a little while anyway, so there's no point in going back to bed. She sighed, and began to get ready for school. Her research had hit a snag, and she was looking forward to using the school's computers to see if she could work through it. Her computer was pretty good, of course, but some of the software she just couldn't afford. The Science Lab computers should be able help, though. I really need to get a copy of ChemCrucible for my computer, that program is incredibly useful... she thought as she stepped into the shower.
Nina sighed as she sat down at the computer. Milly had canceled the Student Council meeting for today... quite disappointing. For Nina, the Student Council was her one social event- the one thing that she actually did with other people. She was dedicated to her research, so she spent most of her other free time working on that, and without a pressure release... well, she might even go crazy.
It wasn't that she didn't enjoy her research, of course she did... but it wasn't a relaxing thing for her. It was fascinating, intellectually satisfying, and exciting, but after a long day of comparing molecular structures and analyzing chemical properties she just felt... tense. Milly had randomly decided, one day, to give her a massage, and was astonished to learn that Nina's muscles were about as stiff and inflexible as her father's depleted uranium.
She knew that she ought to relax more, take it easy, go at a slower pace... but, well, it was her father's legacy. She didn't want to let him down. She wanted to prove to the world that he was right- that uranium contained the secret to a technological revolution.
Nina plugged in her USB key, and loaded her file on U-235 into ChemCrucible. It was the latest of many files- she wanted to have a full document of her work for when she finally did solve the problem, so that no one could say that she stole the work, or that she didn't work at it, or... well, whatever people would say. After how long her father went unrecognized for, she wasn't so optimistic as to think that people would just accept her work at face value.
At this point, she was certain that she could produce a nuclear fission reaction if she had the materials. U-235 was incredibly unstable, and by bombarding it with neutrons, you could get it to split on a molecular level. No one had done it before, but the math was very clear. But the problem was, well, making that matter. It was all very cool, but unless there was some way to cause a chain reaction, a major chemical phenomenon that would generate vast amounts of energy, then it was all for nothing. It was fascinating, sure, but of no real use.
She didn't have any data for pure U-235, though. As far as she knew, no such thing actually existed. No one had ever bothered. And so there was only so much she could do with the math... she longed to work in a laboratory where she could actually work with the materials, rather than just doing complex math that ultimate proved nothing other than that it was theoretically possible.
"Oh?" noted a voice from behind. "You are working with molecular structure?" Nina spun slowly in her chair, and then froze. It was a face she knew... not personally, but one she had seen in pictures. Cecile Croomy, an energy manipulation researcher! Her theories on direct manipulation of sakuradite are incredible!
She took a deep breath, because she knew she was beginning to get panicky. "Y-yes ma'am," she answered nervously. What is a famous scientist doing here?
Cecile leaned closer. "Hmm... is this... uranium? It doesn't look like any uranium isotopes I've worked with."
"This is a simulation of U-235. It really doesn't naturally occur in any real quantities, so I've had to estimate the structure of it in a pure form. The problem is that, since it's very rare, and of little practical use, no one has ever actually bothered with enriching it. A pure sample of it, though, appears to have some very fascinating properties- it looks like you could actually achieve a fission reaction, and perhaps even a sustainable one." She blinked, and realized she had been ranting. "I'm sorry... I get carried away when I talk about my work," she mumbled.
The blue-haired woman shook her head. "No, no... it's quite remarkable." She slapped her forehead. "Where are my manners? I'm Cecile Croomy, a researcher for the Britannian Army," she said, offering her hand. which Nina shook almost reverently. "Everyone has been so focused on working with sakuradite, it's rare to see someone working with another potential source of energy... it reminds me of Dr. Einstein's work, actually."
Nina's eyes widened. "You knew my father?" she asked excitedly. Cecile blinked in surprise. "I'm Nina Einstein, Rudolf Einstein was my father!"
"No kidding..." murmured Cecile, stunned. "You're carrying on Rudy's work, then? Oh, sorry- that's what we used to call your father," she explained, noting Nina's confused look. She leaned closer to the screen. "Still... you took your father's work on depleted uranium, and took it this far?" She stopped, apparently deep in thought. Nina, who was prone to the same sort of long periods of internal thought and conversation, knew not to disturb her- there was nothing worse than having a great idea, and losing track of it because you were interrupted.
Finally, she opened her eyes. "Nina... this may be a little sudden, but... do you think you could actually make this work, given the resources?"
The girl tilted her head. "I mean, I think so. The math and theories are sound, it's just a matter of finding the proper way to... I can't be positive, but I'm reasonably certain I could do it, yes."
Cecile nodded. "How would you like a chance to have those resources?" she asked quietly. "Not after you graduate... now. We could have everything ready for you to get started next week."
Nina's mind went completely blank. "I-I don't think I understand, ma'am," she stammered. "It doesn't... doesn't make any sense. Are you... are you offering me a job?"
Cecile smiled softly. "I am offering you a chance, Nina... if you want it. You're smart, you've got good instincts for this stuff... and you're trying things that no one has before. I'll be honest with you- I can't guarantee that you'll be hired. I'll have to look at the records of your work, just to see for myself how you got this far, and how much of it was your work versus your father's. But I have a feeling in my gut that you're just what I've been looking for, Nina." She rested a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "How would you like to work for Prince Schneizel himself?"
Nina's mind reeled. "I... I would love to, Ms. C- Doctor Croomy," she corrected quickly. "I just... I can hardly believe this is happening."
"I came here looking for my pilot, and found one of the scientists of the next generation," smiled Cecile. "I'm a little shocked myself."
Nina stood nervously in a chair in the front of a military building. It was a scary thing, getting through the security checkpoints to get into the base. She'd been given a special paper to get her through, and the guards had stared at it long and hard, held it up to the light, and finally called someone to verify it. When they came back from the call, they were polite, helpful, and obviously more than a little intimidated. Apparently, whoever they'd talked to really wanted Nina to get through without any trouble.
Other than being on a base, and seeing the occasional officer walk through, Nina would never have known that this was a military building, though. It had an ordinary waiting room- a bunch of chairs, a TV, and some magazines, with a desk at the front, manned by three secretaries. They controlled access to the rest of the building, and they had told Nina to wait, that someone would be along shortly.
Nina set aside her magazine, and looked up to find a girl about her age staring at her. The girl had brown, gently curling hair arranged in twin ringlets, and an energetic face. "Hmmm..." said the girl, staring at her. "You aren't quite what I pictured."
"Uhm," managed Nina. "...What did you picture?"
"Someone taller, I suppose." Then the girl grabbed her hand, and simply began to walk. Come on."
Nina stumbled after her, bewildered. What exactly is happening right now? Who is this girl, where is she taking me, and... and why am I too shy and confused to ask her? she marveled as the girl dragged her through various hallways, past laboratories and conference rooms before finally dragging her into a room at the end of some hall. "I brought her!" she announced to the waiting group of strangers.
Nina froze as she stared at the assembled group. It was a who's who of modern science. Cecile Croomy was there, the patron saint of energy conversion and manipulation. She'd discovered how to directly use power from sakuradite without having to convert it first, and then used that technique to create some marvels of modern science, like the gravity-manipulating Float System and the Blaze Luminous energy shield. Technically, those two technologies were classified, but their existence was so exciting to the science world that most enthusiasts knew of their existence, even if no one had any idea how the heck they actually worked.
Standing in the corner was Bradley Asprius- a general in the Britannian Army and famous genius of human-machine interfaces, as well as hazardous material handling. Bradley had developed some of the military's first official prostheses, developing a computer that interpreted nerve signals so accurately that it could even be mistaken for a regular arm (if you wore long sleeves). Rumor had it he'd been working for Prince Clovis at the time of his death, but his involvement (whatever it was) in the whole Shinjuku scandal had put an end to whatever work he had been doing.
The two women sitting at the table were Sancia and Lucretia Kain, who were both skilled Knightmare designers, as well as being the Empire's only married lesbian couple. The Emperor did not care for such things, as he was a Darwinist, and believed that only things that advanced a species deserved to survive, and since gay marriage could not produce offspring, he considered it a dead end. When Sancia and Lucretia developed a stunning piece of technology called the hadron cannon, though, Prince Schneizel el Britannia told them that he would grant any one wish of theirs as thanks for their efforts.
All they asked was to be married... and so it was. Nina found the story inspiring- not only were they incredible scientists, but their love was so great and pure that they defied societal conventions, and even a chance to be made nobility, if they had wished, in favor of simply becoming married. That, and the hadron cannon was, by all reports, pretty amazing. Nina would have loved a chance to look at its components.
Cecile smiled at the two girls. "Ah, you're here! Great!" She paused at the slightly confused look on Nina's face. "Mariel... you did tell Nina where you were taking her and why, right?"
The girl called Mariel looked indignant for a moment. "Of course I did! I... hrm, I think I did... no, it completely slipped my mind," she realized. Cecile sighed.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter too much now... Nina, this is General Bradley Asprius, Sancia and Lucretia Kain, and Mariel Labie," she explained. Only one of the names was new to her, but it wasn't polite to act like she knew them when they didn't know her. They one by one shook hands with her, and in the course of a minute Nina had instantly developed a killer inferiority complex. I can't believe I'm in the same room as these... these geniuses, let alone shaking their hands! she marveled.
"Could everyone have a seat?" asked Cecile, and everyone sank into a chair. She pulled down a projection screen, and pressed a button. The word "Introduction" appeared, black text on a plain white background. "Excellent. Quick disclaimer- obviously, a lot of this stuff is classified, so... well, you all know. Don't spread this stuff around, or that's technically treason. Now... I'm sure you've all noticed the signs. Technology is a constant ebb and flow- sometimes it develops very, very quickly, with lots of fields making major leaps... and sometimes it is very slow, with no major breakthroughs at all. For the past seven years, technology has slowed significantly.
"The military's cutting-edge Knightmares have barely progressed- there have been some refinements, but there have been no major leaps. ...Until now. The next leap in science has begun. Frames like the Lancelot are leading the charge." The slideshow displayed a video of a white and gold Knightmare... and as Nina watched, it pulled some unbelievable feats. It was incredibly fast and agile, it had a Blaze Luminous energy shield, and it even had some kind of sword and a powerful energy rifle that she had never seen the likes of before.
"Frames like the Gawain," continued Cecile, pulling up an image of a massive black and gold Knightmare, and at this she nodded at Sancia and Lucretia. Are they its creators? thought Nina. That probably means it's equipped with a Hadron cannon! I want to see it in action! "And... frames like the Black Knights' unknown frame, codename Romeo Quebec." A clip played of a red Knightmare... and it seemed every bit as fast and agile as the Lancelot. At first, it didn't seem to have any special weapons... and then suddenly the Knightmare grabbed an enemy, and a wave of energy surged out from its hand. The enemy frame began to melt, and then just popped in a cascade of fire. Nina sat bolt upright in alarm.
"Holy shit..." uttered Sancia. "Was that a surge of radiation?" Cecile nodded, and Sancia sat back, letting out a low, appreciative whistle.
"...Why is it called Romeo Quebec?" asked Lucretia in a quiet voice.
Cecile sighed. "Romeo for 'red,' and 'Quebec' is the pilot's known callsign. That's all we know, I'm afraid- the name isn't very informative."
Lucretia tilted her head. "You say it is a Black Knights frame? Did they develop it?"
"It would appear so- them, or the group known as Kyoto."
"It would make more sense to use the old Japanese phonetic alphabet for it, then, rather than the Britannian one. Perhaps call it Renge Quebec," suggested Lucretia.
"Ren... gay?" repeated Cecile, attempting to mimic the pronunciation of the foreign word. "An interesting idea, we'll make the change." She shook her head, and started back up with the speech. "As some of you have probably guessed... it appears to be partially designed by Rakshata Chawla, the famous Indian researcher." Sancia and Lucretia nodded grimly, but Bradley just raised his eyebrows in alarm. "She is one of the most intelligent, innovative scientists in the world... and she is working for the Black Knights." Cecile took a deep breath. "And now Lloyd Asplund has joined them as well."
There was a moment of stunned silence. Everyone knew Lloyd. The colorful, cheerfully insane genius had been a symbol of national pride- countless innovations were owed to him, and he was not too humble to publicly take credit for them. Not too many ordinary people knew of him, of course, but among scientists he was legendary. "Lloyd?" repeated Sancia incredulously. "What the hell is he thinking?"
"What does he ever think?" sighed Bradley. "He is brilliant, there is no doubt about that, but his priorities were always a little bizarre. He never served out of loyalty, Sancia. It was always because he found it entertaining. Apparently he finds the Black Knights more entertaining."
"Clearly, it's a grave situation we are faced with," declared Cecile. "Two of the brightest minds in the world are working for a power that is blatantly, openly hostile of Britannia... and does not appear short on either funding or intelligence. If left alone, they will surpass our technology... and then it's anyone's guess how things will go. A small resistance force that should be no problem would suddenly become a serious rival for Britannia's power." She waited a beat, and then smiled. "So that's why you are all here today.
"You're here because you are the best and the brightest. General Bradley is a master of human-machine interfaces as well as safety measures, Sancia and Lucretia are brilliant Knightmare designers as well as communications and analysis experts, Mariel is a supercomputer expert with some incredible theories on precision control of large machinery, I am pretty decent with energy manipulation... and Nina Einstein is the only person to come within arm's reach of a sustainable fission reaction." All heads turned toward Nina in surprise, and Nina flushed with embarrassment at the attention. Bradley looked the most impressed- as a hazardous materials expert, he had the most knowledge of just how difficult what she was trying to achieve was.
"Not to insult anyone... but I don't think any of us are as brilliant as Lloyd or Rakshata." At this there were chuckles- no one took this personally, it was just fact. "But all of us put together? I think we're more than their match." Cecile took a deep breath. "And that's why I'm here to invite you all to be the founding members of Merlin- a Knightmare research and development team under the direct supervision of Prince Schneizel el Britannia. Together, we can win this arms race."
There was a long moment of silence, which was then broken by Mariel's irreverent declaration- "Sounds fun, I'm in."
Sancia laughed. "Only someone fresh out of college would be so quick to agree," she noted with a wry smile. "Can we finish up the Gawain, Cecile?"
"The Gawain would be part of Merlin- you'd be free to finish it at your leisure."
Sancia nodded. "Okay. I'm in." Lucretia smiled, and nodded as well. If her partner was in, she was too.
Bradley shook his head gently. "I'm not really a Knightmare designer... but it takes all sorts, I suppose, and I'm always willing to learn. Okay. I will join."
Nina took a deep breath. "I... I don't know... I feel so out of place," she admitted. "You're all... proven scientists, and I'm just some girl..."
"I'm not a proven scientist," noted Mariel helpfully. "Just a girl with some interesting ideas. Like you." She paused. "And hey, if you don't prove useful, we can just make you an assistant."
It was meant in jest, but somehow, the idea was quite relieving to Nina. Even if I screw up, I can be of use somehow. It's okay. She closed her eyes, and nodded. "Yes... yes, I'll do it."
"Well then..." smiled Cecile, "looks like we have some work to do.
So Cecile is playing hardball. She took Lloyd's betrayal pretty personally, and she's pulling out all the stops to beat him at his own game. And it should be a lot of fun to watch =3
For the curious, the project Cecile is going to get them started on is Frames for the Knights of the Round. I actually came up with a lot of backstory for the Knights of the Round that I'll have to implement at some point, but any attempt to add it here would have just felt shoehorned. I'm also trying to address the weird tech cycle of Code Geass- in seven years, they've barely improved over the Glasgow, but suddenly the Black Knights get involved and in a year they've created the freaking Guren S.E.I.T.E.N.? That's a jump in technology that is just freakin' impossible. I personally felt that R2 took the tech advancement too far. Science just isn't that fast. It's not magic, for crying out loud.
I've commented on the fact that writing from a character's perspective makes me like them more. I don't love Nina now... but she's a decent character. I appreciate her more. Perhaps I'll even be able to tolerate her when I watch the anime. (*Remembers Table-kun*) ...Yeah, maybe not,
Review, question, comment, all that jazz, and I'll see you next time!