AN So, now that the info dump is outta the way, time to see just what I can get up to for real! Notice: I'm assuming you've watched 00 before, so unless I have MAJOR variations of characters and hardware, don't expect a full description. It saves me a bit of time and research. Most tech descriptions will be either me making up my own or interpretations based of available info.
Ch2 Observations
Unknown apartment building, Tokyo, Special Economic Zone
"This is JNN news services morning report. In three days, the AEU will be unveiling their latest Mobile Suit, the AEU-09 Enact, to show off their latest and greatest in Solar Power technology. In other news, terrorism continues to run rampant in the Kingdom of Azidistan. The local Crown Princess, Marina Ismail, is currently trying to form diplomatic relations to extend the Solar Power energy grid to her kingdom, but is meeting with limited success. Azidistan is one of the few major Middle East countries to have survived the Solar Power Wars.
And, in our final report, astronomers reported sighting a massive flare up near Jupiter's moon Europa. Speculation is running rampant that the Martian Pirate clans are trying to build bases even further out system to evade anti-pirate patrols of the three major power blocks. This has been JNN news for today."
"So, the AEU is doing some saber rattling come Monday, eh? Time for the red herring to make their move then." Glancing down at my phone I notice that I had just received an email. Going thru it, I saw a plane ticket for the eight o'clock flight to the AEU and front line seats for the Enact demonstration. "Good work Veda." Looking over at my door, I saw my suitcases packed already. I figured that I might as well get their early in case of delays. Throwing on my worn out red leather jacket over my black shirt and my red tinted sunglasses, I glanced at the mirror beside my closet. "I don't look a day over 26." I muttered to myself. It certainly surprised my students at the academy when I started teaching there two years ago. They all expected a dottering old man to teach the engineering courses, but he had fallen ill at the time and devoted himself to the history courses. I was an able substitute and they had kept me on after the previous professor recovered.
Stepping out the door, I nearly ran over my neighbor who was put getting the morning paper. "Ah, Saji, out early this morning are we?"
"Ah, Professor Ionesco! Sorry to get in your way." The young man glanced at my bags. "Your going on a trip?"
"Yes, I'm going to the AEU to see the new Mobile Suit demonstrations. I always try and keep up with the latest advances in the field. They started off as nothing more than building machines, and even laden with firepower they can still serve the same purpose."
"Yes Professor. How long will you be gone for?"
"Worried about me my star pupil? Well, I am planning on taking an extended vacation afterwords. I've received an offer from another employer looking for me for some part time employment as well. It shouldn't take me out of the classroom to often. But don't worry, Dr Kashu is perfectly able to teach for me while I am gone. I'll give him some recordings of lectures for you to use. I know how much all of you enjoy my lectures of post-Third Solar War technology!"
"Yes, Professor! The alternatives they used before the creation of the Orbital elevators were amazing! Hydrogen fuel plants, experimental He^3 reactors, even experiments with new means of fusion! They were so varied! But why did we ever settle on solar?"
"Well my pupil, that is one of the lesser loved things about the Orbital elevators. It is easier to control. The three major blocks can wield it like a club. It may have taken an immense amount of resources, but once Tower was finished, the Union was able to shut down every competing power supply in the bloc by selling it cheaper and cheaper for no loss after 2300. After that, it became just another political tool like oil once was." Glancing at a clock on the wall, I saw the time. "Sorry to cut an run Saji, but I must get going, my flight leaves in an hour."
'Hai Sensei. I wish you a safe journey."
"You to Saji. Don't do anything with Louis I wouldn't do!" seeing his sudden blush brought a chuckle to my throat. I knew she had a thing for him, but at times he was almost to dense to see it. "Reminds me of the old classic Nova Aditus Evangelium.", I muttered to myself as I walked to the parking garage. Opening the secure storage carport, I straddled a true rarity: a 21st century gas guzzling Harley Davidson. While gas may not be the fuel of choice for a lot of things anymore, plastic production, one of the major uses of oil, still made gasoline, and rather than destroy it as industrial waste, several prominent collectors of antiques ran private gas stations all over the world for those that still loved the roar of an engine. I knew I did. Plus, I still get a good 20mph speed advantage over the latest Solar sports car! Revving the engine as load as she could go before quieting down to a soft purr, I pulled out and made my way for Tokyo international.
Three days later...
Beautiful Lake Victoria. A peaceful, idyllic place that looked like it hadn't changed since the dawn of man... till you turned around and looked at the miniature city surrounding the orbital elevator La Tour to provide support for the construction work still being done on it and the multiple airfields and armor parks to defend against any attacks by the other two blocs. AEU troops in their latest generation of power armor patrolled the testing site while engineers prepared it for the Enact demonstration. Glancing around, I saw someone I recognized from a few years ago.
"Billy, long time no see old friend! I haven't seen you since my last lecture on Pre-Solar Energy military hardware back in '97!"
"Professor Ionesco! I had no idea you would be here! I thought you retired from mobile suit design back in '05 to pursue other interests after your work on the Flag's design!"
"Well, you got me there Billy! I started teaching Engineering and Engineering History courses at a university in Tokyo back in the latter half of '05. figured I would help spread my knowledge onto the next generation early! Say, is that you friend Aker coming up from over there?"
'Yeah, that's the ace of MSWAD coming up fast. Hey Aker! I don't think you ever met Dr. Ionesco here. He was on of the guys that helped me and Professor Eifman build your mechanical love."
I threw up my hands at that one, catching onto the joke fast. "I deny anything about building anyone a blow up doll! As to building mechanical dolls that blow things up..."
"We get it doc, I'm just here to see how much the AEU stole from you designs and give my own interpretations back to Union intel."
"Well, judging from the handouts they gave me when I came to the front gate yesterday asking questions," I said, waving a press briefing on the mobile suit soon to be demonstrated, "it looks like they improved one or two things over the original Flag, but given the stated purpose of defending AEU holdings, I can see why. They greatly enhanced the Solar Energy link to La Tour vs the Flag, but at the cost of drastically cutting down on the armor. She's slightly smaller, and a good ten tons lighter, but packs fewer thrusters into her frame, meaning less raw power. It looks like these censored blueprints also forgot to leave out the fact that she doesn't use molecular fuel tanks laced thru the armor. It's half the back of the damn mobile suit according to these things! At least it won't explode violently like older models, but one good hit with a thermal round and you just lit it's entire fuel supply off at once. Judging from the receiver size on the prints, she can draw enough power to stay aloft by ion thrusters after burning thru the hydrogen, though at a drastically slower speed. It also looks like here variable fighter mode wasn't made for AA combat, but just throw on for mobility. That's why they shaved off a ton or two of armor I'm guessing. Looks like here maxed out shots have a longer charging delay, about 5 seconds judging by the capacitor banks in the diagram, despite being a smaller bore, 120mm vs our 200mm, but superior rapid fire capabilities It also looks like we have an edge in melee, as their sonic blade had a half minute less charge and it's plasma sheath can't focus enough power to cut thru E-Carbon. And they directly stole my little Psywarfare Visor!" I turned to see Billy and Aker's mouths hanging slightly ajar. It seemed like they had forgotten the Professor Eifman considered me an equal, if not superior engineer. "Mouths closed boys, your drawing crowds and flies."
"Dr., you were able to tell all that by a press briefing blueprint?"
"Yes, they didn't do that good a job on smudging out some of the details. Plus, a lot of those features were explicitly drawn out in the briefing. It seems like they are trying to compensate for their lack of progress on La Tour by making the Enact the biggest baddest thing on the block. My opinion? You could take them down with a 3:1 ratio of Realdos if were fighting them overseas. Here in AEU territory, where it can draw on the Solar grid to support it's hydrogen supplies? 1:1 ratio with a Flag. It can outperform the machine in all areas but the pilot would need to be monitoring his hydrogen supplies the entire time and retreat at around the 205 mark to escape a heated battle in the outskirts of AEU territory to a carrier making a long range strike. I'll send you my briefing on it tomorrow. I may have retired, but I will still aid my country of origin." Hearing the AEU anthem begin to play over the speakers, I looked up from my blueprints. "Ah, it looks like that bumbling oaf Colasour will be coming in soon. I'm sorry, but my seats are a bit further forward."
Walking to my seats, I pulled out a special pair of electro-binoculars. They were specially shielded against outside interference, especially against one thing. Glancing around, I could see the Enact come in at a blistering 5gs, linear rifle already drawing a bead at maximum range on the auto cannons place to simulate enemies, probably HRL given their love of conventional ordinance. "She's an agile sucker, but not as good as a Flag." I noted as it weaved in and out of the buildings and tracer fire, popping turret after turret. Finally deciding to show off the Enact's defense rod, Patrick weaved into the fire of the last remaining turret, holding the left arm out in front of the suit. The rod began spinning up and deployed it's plasma screen to add to the already strong rod's abilities to repel the incoming fire. What didn't hit the rod proper were vaporized by the superheated plasma shield, being based of the same tech as plasma swords. After dispatching the last turret with a wrist fired missile, Colasour began his acrobatic routine before stopping to yell at someone who I could only guess to be Aker over insulting his machine. I then glanced over at the cameraman beside me and noticed his camera electronics wink out.
"You certainly know when to make an entrance Exia. You couldn't ask for a better stage..."
Glancing around, I could see the confusion spread all through the AEU forces as their coms all went down at once. Confusion began to spread, as this could only mean one of the other blocks was attacking. But who?
Guessing exactly where it would be coming from, I set my binocs filter to filter out the sun and gazed directly at it. Coming head on was the beautiful angel of death, Exia.
'Took you long enough Setsuna. Now show to the world the power of a Gundam!"
Making my exit as the Exia quickly dismantled the Enact and flew off to engage the forces scrambling from the elevator with Dynames fire support, I glanced over to the horizon. If one with very good vision looked closely, they could see a brief twinkle much closer to the earth than a star. The twinkle of another life lost amongst the vast sea of nothingness. A life that the Gundams Kyrios and Virtue had claimed.
"I guess the old prerecorded message will be playing soon. Time for the world to take the bait."
"Yes, and time for Plan B to go into effect." came a voice that the world would soon become all to familiar with.
AN Whew! That was one long stretch of typing! Well now, just who is this mysterious Professor that knows so many key characters? Why an OC of course! And what off his offhand comments about things that didn't exist in Gundam 00, like the powered armor he mentions the AEU guards wearing? All in due time for this AU! Well, I will leave you with this. Free internet cookie if you find the references. One of them is a plot hint!