As they marched, the slow, steady clanking of metal-soled shoes reverberated through the damp hallway. She was a head shorter than him and their steps were in perfect sync, their hips brushing against each other as they walked.
"So, have you been keeping track of our new recruits?" Kal'tsit asked him while taking a sip from the metal can.
"It's been up in the air," He said, shaking his head slowly. "The entire training department was thrown into disarray after Zofia was appointed trainer. Her and Dobermann could not be more different with their approaches to work – they often butt heads whenever they have the chance." His shoulders slumped as a heavy sigh escaped him.
The feline woman chuckled at the mental image, "I can only imagine." She took another swig from the can, "I heard you came back with Closure last night from Kazimierz?"
His eyes widened and his lips parted briefly before he took a deep breath and regained his composure. "Yeah, happened to bump into her on the last day I was there," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I figured we were heading in the same direction, so I told her to come with me." He shifted from one foot to the other, avoiding her gaze with a mix of guilt and defiance.
"Is that so?" A tinge of suspicion began to rise from Kal'tsit's tone.
He raised both hands in surrender, palms facing Kal'tsit. His face was drawn with sincerity as he added, "I mean, what more do you want to know? You could ask her yourself to get a second opinion."
Despite her misgivings about the Doctor's activities, Kal'tsit found herself calming down, and she nodded slowly, deciding that whatever the Doctor did in his spare time was none of her concern – so long as it didn't conjure up trouble.
Her furry ears stood at attention, rotated towards a faint but distinct electronic melody. She focused her gaze on the man's side pocket and leaned forward in anticipation. He glanced down, eyes widening with surprise as he realised his phone was ringing. "You gonna answer that?" she asked eagerly.
"Ah, excuse me for a moment." He fished out the electronic device and swiftly held it to his ear. "It's me." He answered.
He heard the rustle of a voice on the other end and recognised it immediately. His gaze moved to Kal'tsit, who was perched against the wall a few feet away, taking sips from a small aluminium can and watching him with wide eyes. "Are you alone, or is now a bad time?" The urgent inquiry hung in the air.
"I'm with Kal'tsit right now. Is it important?" His voice was low and measured, conveying a sense of professionalism despite the panic seething just beneath the surface.
Her voice was a razor-sharp whisper. "All I can say is we've got a code blue on our hands." As the words drained out of her thin lips, the man felt a chill run down his spine. There was no warmth in her tone; it was as if she were made of stone. "You know where to find me," she said before abruptly cutting off the call.
A thin rictus of a smile stretched his lips across his face, but there was no warmth in it. He carefully tucked the phone away into his pocket before turning to Kal'tsit and speaking. "Sorry about this, but I just remembered that I have somewhere else to be today. Shall we continue this conversation another time?" His feet shifted against the ground, and he took a half-step backwards, ready to bolt off at any moment.
She swallowed the last drops of her soda before pinching the can between two fingers, raising it over the trash bin and releasing it. It fell in with a muted thud. "That's just the way it is around here," she said without looking at him. She began to move away but stopped and turned her head slightly back towards him. "Thanks for the drink, by the way. I really appreciate it."
He raised a hand in acknowledgement, and she smiled sadly. His feet began to move faster, and he picked up his pace until he was almost running down the hallways. He rounded a corner and out of her sight.
He sprinted down the long, dimly-lit corridor, his feet pounding against the steel grates. He descended a steep staircase, and each step clanged loudly as if to warn that something special lay beyond. At the bottom of the stairs, he entered an area of the landship that was off-limits to most people. The corridor seemed colder than before; it felt like this section of the vessel wasn't meant for human eyes. He hurried along until he reached his destination, a room without windows or eavesdroppers. It was the perfect spot for their private conversation.
He stepped into the room, which was lit softly by a single lamp in the corner. His eyes fell on a figure draped in dark fabric, her pale face illuminated by the light. The Sarkaz woman leaned against the bare table and smiled at him, her eyes crinkling with recognition. "Yo," she said.
He took a few quick steps towards her, his weight shifting from foot to foot as he gestured widely with his hands. His face was alive with excitement, and he looked like he already knew the answer to his question before he asked it. "So, what's the job this time? Are we even ready to sortie?"
The young woman shook her head in disbelief. "Nero sure knows how to choose his timing. He's set us up with a job from some high-ranking Duke, who wants armed support against the Kazdelian Commission." Her voice was laced with worry as she gnawed on her fingernail. She didn't like the idea of this mission, but Nero had already accepted it on their behalf.
A stunned expression formed across his face, "I thought the Dukes who opposed the Kazdelian occupancy were kept on a tight leash by the Duke of Wellington?" He was confused by the sudden turn of events.
Closure furrowed her brow, clearly at a loss. She shook her head and sighed. "We've gotten reports that the Duke of Wellington is being challenged by this other Duke," she said. "It's unheard of—he must be crazy to think he can beat both the Duke of Wellington and Kazdelian forces."
"So, where exactly do we fit in with his grand scheme?" He leaned against the table.
She rested her index finger on the cool, flat surface of a black tablet. The screen lit up with a map, displaying the layout of an enemy stronghold. She paused to admire its intricacy before dragging her finger up to access more data. "We've been hired to provide support to the 13th platoon in their upcoming assault against this Kazdelian-held fortification," she muttered. Staring intently at the holo-device, her eyes narrowed as she scrolled through the details. "Ah, here we go. They call themselves the Avalanche Squadron from what I can gather."
"Does the Duke even know that a mobile suit will be participating in this operation?" He rested a finger on his chin, "Is there anything else we need to know about?"
The Sarkaz woman's eyes went blank as if she was accessing a hidden file in her brain. "Your guess is as good as mine," she said, closing her eyes as if to refresh her memory. "We've been given only the barebones essentials for this operation. Enemy count: unknown." She tapped her wrist screen, scrolling through some text. "Oh yeah," she muttered, "we're also instructed to avoid all communication with the 13th Battalion."
The silence that followed was pregnant with unspoken questions and half-formed suspicions.
The man let out a sigh of frustration, folding his arms in resignation. "A complete and utter disaster from the very beginning," he muttered under his breath. The worried look on his face was evident, but he had no other option to turn to. "Is the Tief ready for sortie?" he asked.
"I've notified Karen and the rest of the team; it'll be ready by tomorrow morning. The operation begins at 1900 hours sharp. We just have to turn up on time and see how this conflict plays out." Closure moved her fingers and turned off the holo-display from the tablet.
"How are we going to do this? The two of us sneaking out is a straight shortcut to insubordination." He chuckled softly.
Closure waved her hand, and a confident smile decorated her face. "Take the usual jeep and leave tonight. I'll delegate the operation from my 'office'. Not even Kal'tsit comes knocking on that door." She grinned from ear to ear.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you to take care of things here." He began to turn around to leave.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in his ears as he started to turn around. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind, and their warmth spread through him like a blanket. Although he was startled by the sudden interaction, the embrace brought a wave of calming comfort over him.
"Take care out there." She buried her face in his back, the words almost a faint whisper.
He rested a hand on hers and gently massaged it, "I will."
The sky lit up with an oppressive cacophony of cannon fire. The earth shook as the thunderous booms rippled through the air, and everywhere chocking plumes of smoke and ash roiled about in the dark night. The ground was littered with the charred remains of man-made monsters, their broken bodies sinking into the mud and rubble all around them. Buildings that were once majestic monuments now lay in ruins, crushed under the relentless cannon fire.
"4th platoon, keep up the momentum. We've broken through the enemy ranks. 3rd Platoon, relocate to grid 257 and provide fire support." A determined voice filled the comms channel, her cold steel tone slicing through chaos like a blade.
"Roger that!" The team leaders replied in unison.
"Captain, enemy fortress sighted ahead. Incoming enemy Dragoons and enemy armour!" A teammate informed her.
Her voice roared like a furious lion, her words dripping with malice and purpose as she shouted, "Maintain our advance. Use the terrain to your advantage! Let's show these pigs what we Infected are capable of!"
Her fingers were white-knuckled as she held the joysticks, controlling the nimble walker with a deathly grip. It raced across the undulating fields at breakneck speed, its four spindly legs propelling it forward like a dark demonic nightmare.
The 57mm cannon atop the frail chassis roared like a beast, sending a round hurling towards its target. The projectile flew through the air with lightning speed and struck its mark precisely, obliterating its target in an inferno of twisted metal and burning ash. Nothing remained but charred remains, enveloped in a blanket of smoke and death.
The rest of her platoon roared in unison, unloading every shell from their nimble machines with precision and fury. Explosions erupted in an unholy symphony of death as the shells met their targets, tearing through flesh and metal with devastating accuracy. The air was ripe with smoke and the smell of victory, confirming a dozen more kills.
"Teams 1 and 2, scatter!" She barked into the radio.
Without a second thought, the eight machines moved in unison, their metal limbs and thrusters propelling them across the crumbling earth. A cacophony of explosions broke out as shells rained down around them, forcing their robotic bodies into desperate dives for cover. But this was a battle they knew well - just as the enemy let loose another barrage of rounds, they fired back with precision, each shot expertly searching out its target.
"Incoming saturation strike from the enemy!" A desperate voice yelled at them.
"4th platoon, I need those guns silenced now!" She yelled through the radio.
"Captain, we've encountered enemy resistance. We're engaging and pulling back to grid 250!" The team leader of the 3rd platoon informed her.
"Goddamnit!" She uttered a war cry inside the tiny cockpit. "Teams 1 and 2, keep pushing forward. We have to hold our ground until the 4th breakthrough!" Her face was set with an inferno of determination. "Let me draw their fire, hit them hard, and make each shot count!"
She stomped the pedal, pushing the beast beneath her to its limits. The Dragoon flew over the land, unfazed by the thunderous volley of bullets that whizzed around it. She never flinched, not even as the rounds passed her by a hair's breadth.
The man growled furiously as he watched the Captain dart towards the enemy's lines with reckless abandon. "That idiot," he muttered under his breath. His finger hovered over the trigger of his weapon as he barked orders into his radio. "Cover her with everything you've got!" he roared; determination etched on his face. "I'm not letting her die on my watch." His eyes were steely and unwavering as he faced down their enemies, ready to do whatever it took to ensure victory.
From the vantage point of his cockpit, high in the sky, the Doctor watched as a cacophony of sound and smoke filled the air below him. He could make out dozens of figures clashing against each other on the ground, the elite forces skillfully cutting through their opposition. He tapped his foot anxiously, feeling the tension rise.
He slouched in his seat, his earpiece tucked in and listening as he covertly monitored all the different communication frequencies, gathering intel for his own personal use. Was it breaking protocol? He didn't know or care. From the beginning, he had been wary about this mission and was determined to get whatever information he could.
"Closure, are you watching this?" He broke the unnerving silence inside the cockpit.
"Mhm, quite scary if you ask me," she said with a hint of excitement in her voice. He could almost feel the intensity of her gaze from afar, as if she were there with him physically—eyes wide, pupils dilated, mouth slightly open with anticipation.
"We're 20 minutes into the operation. If anything, the enemy stronghold might last another 10 more minutes before it gets breached." He sighed, "Looks to me like they don't need our help down there."
Closure audibly chuckled through the comms. "Either this was the easiest gig so far, or we were lured into something more enigmatic." Her tone shifted, "It can't be that easy."
'Well, if something-" He paused abruptly. Startled by the sudden blip on his sensors, he leapt up from his chair and anxiously scanned his monitor. Whatever it was, it was travelling too fast to have come from the base; he felt the icy fingers of fear crawling down his spine. Trembling, he clicked a few buttons and gasped as an intense red mobile suit burst onto his screen. His heart pounded in his chest as he beheld its magnificent presence.
"What is that? It doesn't even look like a Gundam!" Closure asked in awe as she studied the visual data.
The Doctor stood motionless, transfixed in shock as he beheld the mobile suit bearing down upon the unsuspecting Avalanche Squadron. With a fierce intensity, his gaze cut through the monitor as he realised the impending carnage that was about to unfold. With a sense of dread and fury, he muttered under his breath, "They don't even know it's coming!"
He refused to sit back and let the enemy have their way. His fear was quickly replaced with a rush of adrenaline as he roared his battle cry, "I'm going to warn them, protocols be damned." With a firm grip on the joysticks, he pulled the Gundam into a supersonic nosedive.
"Avalanche units, this is your last warning. Retreat from the battlefield immediately! An enemy mobile suit has descended upon us, and you will be obliterated if you stay in its path!" The desperation in his voice was palpable as he shouted out across the open channel.
Captain Landau was jolted out of her battle haze by the crackling voice pleading through the radio. The floor beneath her quaked as the monstrous main gun fired off another round, vibrating the frail cockpit. Staring into the abyss of twisted metal around her, Landau asked herself with desperation - "Who the heck is that?".
"Captain, that was an open channel. We should ignore it." First Lieutenant Jin Kimura suggested to her.
"Captain, an unknown enemy is attacking us!" A desperate voice clambered through the radio. "Dammit, we lost Chris. Keep firing at the bastard!" The sound of machine gun and cannon fire seeped through the transmission.
She clamped the headset to her ear with a trembling hand, her voice urgent and desperate. "Kaito! What's happening? Answer me, Kaito!" A deep dread tightened in her gut like a vice as she imagined the worst that could have happened.
"Captain," The man's voice cracked with anguish, "We lost. Riyo, Kim, Ren and Harris are all gone." His breathing came out heavy and uncontrolled as he fought against a hopelessness that threatened to consume him. "Get out while you still can, Captain..." In a final desperate plea of defiance, he snarled in desperation, "Come on, you red shit, look at me!" The sound of a pistol being discharged could be heard before an audible explosion severed the connection.
"Kaito!" She screamed until her voice became hoarse, but there was no answer. Her fist pounded the inside walls of the cockpit with a fury that consumed her whole being. Regret and desperation flooded through her veins like acid, making her feel as if she was being torn apart from within.
A deafening rumble filled the air, shaking the walls and rattling the monitor. She snapped her gaze upward, desperately searching for a sign of danger. Her breath caught as she watched a menacing figure speed across the sky like a vengeful spectre, its engines screaming with rage. A chill shuddered down her spine as she muttered, "What in God's name...?" in shock.
The Doctor roared in anger as he realised his mission had failed. His fingers flew over the controls, launching the Gundam straight towards the red mobile suit that caused such destruction. With a blink of an eye, he primed both missile racks on his shoulders and released a storm of warheads. The missiles raced across the horizon like a flock of birds with one goal: to annihilate their target.
The missiles launched with a deafening roar, but much to his despair, they were met immediately with failure. The alien-like mobile suit gracefully evaded the warheads like they were nothing more than specks of dust; its movements were so swift and precise that it almost seemed to be taunting them as the tracking systems on the missiles became useless. It moved through the air with deadly agility, mocking their every effort.
"It's fast, too fast for my liking." He told himself as he raised the Gatling cannon. Pressing the trigger, the rotary cannon rumbled to life as it spewed a hail of bullets towards its target.
The lock on sensor disengaged with a deafening screech, and the red mobile suit vanished from view. "Shit!" he growled through gritted teeth as he yanked on the joysticks, sending his Gundam into a rapid climb. His eyes darted across the cameras in search of his adversary, his heart racing with adrenaline-fueled fear.
The silence of space roared in his ears as he scanned each feed with desperate intensity. His mind raced with possibilities as he searched for any clue to the enemy's whereabouts.
Suddenly, a blip on the screen caught his attention, and he pivoted the Gundam towards it with precision. Bringing the gun to bear, he realised he made a grave mistake as the red mobile suit screamed past him, grazing the armour.
The Doctor felt the heat of terror as a cascade of laser fire roared from the enemy's rifle. The shots slammed into the Gundam, burning through the armour and charred the metal plating. Sparks flew as armour buckled and melted, narrowly avoiding vital components. With rising fear, the Doctor realised that their odds of survival were quickly diminishing.
"He's just too fast, just what the hell are you?" He asked out loud, knowing he wouldn't be getting a response.
His feet and hands worked rapidly to steer the Gundam into position. The two mobile suits clashed high in the clouds, their destructive waltz lighting up the night sky. "This Gundam really isn't suited for atmospheric combat." He groaned as he tried to get another lock on.
Firing blindly at his target, he watched the tracer rounds miss the agile mobile suit. Adjusting his firing vector, it was too late to let off another burst as the enemy came charging towards him.
Desperately trying to shake his pursuer, he dived the Gundam into a deathly plunge, using every ounce of his skill to stay one step ahead of the enemy. But it was all in vain; he sensed the red blur coming in from his left side and turned to intercept. Before he knew it, it roared past and unleashed a volley into the back of the Gundam.
The explosion was deafening, sending shockwaves through the cockpit that rattled his teeth and made his vision blur. A million alarms screamed in warning as the main thruster convulsed and sent sparks flying. Acting fast, he flipped a few switches and shouted over the chaos, "Purging propellant canisters! Shutting down booster number 2!" His hands shook with urgency as his heart thundered in his chest.
As the holding racks purged the large canisters, the Gundam pivoted itself upright as its flight capabilities were severely hampered. Remaining a sitting duck, it was ripe for the picking for the red mobile suit.
"Looks like I'm at my wit's end here. Talk about a relentless opponent." He couldn't help but grin despite the dire situation he was in.
"Get out of there now! There's not much you can do. Any more, and you and Gundam are nothing but glorified scrap!" Closure's voice pierced through the earpiece; it was laced with desperation.
He slowly shook his head, "Can't do that Ada. I highly doubt our friend here is going to let me walk away that easily." He scoffed as he watched the red blur charge him again for another round.
"Even so!" She cried out, "You can't die there!"
A hint of a smirk crept across his face as he spat back, "Who said I'd be dying tonight?" His fingers hovered over the mute button, his voice bold and strong. With one push, the call was quieted, and he bellowed at the display, "Now then, let's get this over with, shall we?"
His fingers curled around the joystick and he grinned as the last of his missiles raced towards their target. He adjusted the complex system that steered the rotary cannon, eagerly anticipating the satisfying report of its firing, as he tracked his opponent's next move.
The red mobile suit raced forward, fearlessly carving through the wave of missiles like a hot knife through butter. Its armor shimmered in the light from the explosions as it destroyed each missile with relentless efficiency until there was just enough space to slip through the remaining barrage and survive.
The Doctor's lips curled into a grin as he began charging up the rotary cannon. Seeing his opponent dodge to one side out of his firing range, he quickly moved his free left hand to the side and waited anxiously.
His adversary wasted no time and closed the distance between them in a matter of seconds. The red fiend aimed its rifle square at the Gundam's head, ready to pull the trigger and end it all.
Anticipating his opponent's move, he gritted his teeth and determinedly narrowed his eyes. With deft movements, he altered the Gundam's flight path at the last possible second, pivoting it on a razor's edge angle. As expected, the red mobile suit charged straight ahead for the kill. But he was ready for this. The two suits barely graze each other as the opponent barrelled past him with an ear-splitting screech of metal and flames. He suppresses a smile; victory is within reach.
With lightning-fast precision, he yanked the beam sabre from the leg's storage unit and slid it into his hand. In a single beat, he brought the glowing weapon up with enough force to cleave the red mobile suit in two. But as it connected, an unexpected jolt of resistance shook him. The sabre only managed to slice through the back end, leaving the red mobile suit hanging on by a thread.
He watched as his red adversary kept its distance, with flames sparking from its metal frame. He knew he wouldn't be able to take it out, but was relieved when he saw it limping away just as his own machine was doing.
He sighed and ran his finger across the mute button on the console. He leaned back in his chair, trying to appear nonchalant as he asked through the comms, "Sorry about that, you were saying?"
He heard Ada's voice, full of frustration and exhaustion, as she rolled her eyes and exhaled hard. "You're are an idiot, you know that?" she said.
"Tell me something I don't know." He chuckled.
She exhaled loudly and shook her head. "Just get your ass back to base," she said in an unimpressed tone, tapping her foot impatiently. "Karenina's gonna chew you out for this once you get back."
"Yeah well," He glanced around at the external cameras. Scores of laser marks charred the armour plates whilst several sections had been burnt through or outright destroyed. "I think the engineering team is going to have its hands full for a while."
He fumbled with the thruster controls, trying to get a steady stream of thrust from the damaged boosters. The machine juddered and shook as it lumbered across the dark sky, leaving a trail of sooty smoke behind it.
His eyes moved slowly across the landscape, taking in the emptiness that stretched out before him. Nothing but parched desert and distant mountains emerged from the horizon. He noticed a strange glint in the dirt, jotting shards of crystal embedded in the ground - Originium deposits-a sign that this area had been plagued by catastrophes.
He settled into the comfort of his pilot's chair, adjusting its angle to a slight recline. His gaze snagged on the navigation console and he read the numbers that indicated their proximity to home base. With a calculated sigh, he closed his eyes and allowed himself a few minutes of rest as the Gundam hummed along.
He jolted awake to the sound of distant alarms, now coming closer and louder. He blinked against the bright lights of the cockpit, trying to focus on the array of gauges and dials before him. His hands shook as he grabbed the joysticks, his ears still ringing from the persistent noise.
Bright flashes caught his eye as he glanced at the monitors, and he saw that one of the external boosters had gone dark. The Gundam was now flying on its main, less powerful thrusters, slowing it down even more. He quickly began cycling through the diagnostic panel to assess any other damage. His eyes ran across the blinking lights and streaming data with incredible speed, searching for answers.
His stomach lurched as the Gundam plummeted through the sky, and he frantically consulted the Altimeter. The numbers blurred together as they kept spinning faster and faster, indicating a drop of at least one thousand feet and showing no signs of stabilizing.
His hands shook as he frantically flipped switches and scanned the control panels in front of him. "Shit!" he shouted, his eyes wide with panic. He had lost all power to the main ailerons and booster thrusters 3 & 4. He felt despair creeping into his chest as he pleaded with himself, "Come on girl, don't let me down now."
He felt the Gundam drop beneath him, the ground rushing up faster than expected. He cursed as he wrestled with the joysticks, desperately trying to maneuver the arms and legs so that the emergency boosters would fire at the right angle for a smooth landing. With a loud hiss, the boosters fired and his descent was momentarily delayed, but it wasn't enough. The Gundam slammed into the ground with a jarring impact that threw him back in his seat.
The man's hands clamped on the throttle as he attempted to slow the metal colossus. Its lunar-titanium feet churning up a cloud of dust, it stumbled through the dirt and grass before coming to an unsteady halt. The droning noise of its pistons echoed in his ears, and the smell of fumes lingered in the air.
He released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, and his hand shook as it brushed through his short, messy hair. A nervous laugh escaped his lips as he surveyed the chaotic scene around him. "Well, another happy landing."
He scanned the cockpit's interior, his eyes taking in every detail. He spotted an array of buttons and switches, and a mass of wires tangled beneath them. Glancing at the monitors, he grimaced as a flurry of red alerts and yellow warnings lit up the screen like a flashing neon sign.
"Too many things to worry about, fuck this, I need a breather." He groaned as he pushed the exit button. With a series of mechanical clicks and groans, the cockpit opened up like a mouth and a gust of wind came gushing in.
Stepping out from the hulking machine, he stared back at it and gazed at its sheer size, promptly reminding him just how big these things were. Walking around the machine, he assessed the damage on the rear and noticed that hydraulic lines and coolant pipes had been destroyed or vaporised from the battle earlier.
He exhaled loudly, running his hand through his hair in frustration as the beam of light from his torch illuminated the destruction before him. "This is seriously not going anywhere," he muttered, shaking his head.
He took out his earpiece and pressed the button to call Closure. On the other end, he heard her faint yawn followed by a sleepy voice. "What, are you back already? I didn't expect to hear from you so early," she said groggily.
He shuffled his feet and stared at the downed Gundam.
"Yeah, um, about that," he said quietly "I think we're gonna need the recovery vehicles." He told her sheepishly.
"Oh no." She groaned on the other end of the call, fearing the worst. "I don't think I wanna know. I'll tell Karenina the news. Just send her the coordinates and sit tight." She grumbled.
"Thanks for that." He said with a stupid smile on his face.
Ending the call, he walked back around to the front and surveyed the area he had come down in. Seeing nothing but grass, barren lands, and hills and mountains in the far distance, it really was the shittiest place to be.
As he swivelled his head to the right, a lake shimmering in the moonlight appeared in front of him. The black silhouette of a mountain towered over it, broken up by sections of evergreens whose tips peeked over its ridges. He felt a chill in the air, but the beauty of the sight calmed him.
His boots crunched on the dry, rocky ground as he walked towards the lake's edge. He lowered himself down onto one knee and dipped his cupped hands into the icy water. The shock of cold sent shivers down his spine, but he kept scooping it up and splashing it onto his face, feeling rejuvenated with each splash.
He squinted into the dark waters to his left, just barely able to make out a strange silhouette. Hesitantly, he began making his way along the rocky shoreline, trying not to stumble on any jagged rocks that threatened to bruise his feet. As he closed in, the moonlight illuminated what appeared to be a rusty metal object poking out from the water. He clicked on his torch and the beam of light caught its rough edges, which only added to its mysterious quality.
He leaned forward, squinting at the suspected object. It was a giant metal hand, with five steel fingers outstretched and rusted hoses snaking around what should have been the wrist. The palm was lined with faded electrical lines and hydraulic lines bulging like veins beneath the rusted shell. He gasped in surprise, feeling an eerie chill run down his spine.
He looked at the broken piece of metal, which had jagged edges like something that had been ripped or torn off. He shone the torch around the moonlit area and saw more scattered pieces lying on the ground. The beam of light bounced from object to object until it settled on a large metallic piece tucked away behind some rocks further down the shore.
Glancing back at the Gundam, he turned away as it knelt proudly against the cloudless skies. Its white and blue armour glinted in the moonlight as he walked towards a rocky outcropping in the distance. As he rounded a corner, a wall of darkness suddenly appeared before him, and he could feel the cold air that seemed to come off it.
He stepped cautiously forward, taking in the uneven formations of rock around him and the eerie small openings that seemed to stretch on forever. He heard the gentle rush of water outside and pressed onward, his foot connecting with something hard beneath the rocky surface. The sudden sound made him pause. The torch pointed downwards, illuminating a larger piece of metal.
He stretched his hand forward, and goosebumps prickled along his skin as he brushed against the frigid touch of steel. He aimed the torch at the metal plate and winced as the blinding light glinted off its surface. The logo etched on the metal was faded, but it still managed to catch his attention in bold black letters: E.F.S.F. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he tried to recall where he had seen that logo before.
The white beams of the flashlight danced along the metal surface, revealing what appeared to be a giant robot frame. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes finally landed on the face of the machine - it was unmistakably a Gundam model. He gasped out loud in surprise, wondering how this relic could have ended up here, hidden away deep inside an abandoned cave in the desolate wastelands.
He shook his head vigorously, shaking him out of the awe-inspiring trance. Without even thinking ahead, he scaled the immobile machine towards the chest area where the cockpit lay dormant. He stood outside what seemed to be an access port, looking at the dimly lit emergency panel that house the controls to opening the cockpit.
He looked at the broken and dusty device in disbelief. He prodded at the interface, only to be met with a prompt requesting a biometric scan. He muttered under his breath as he took off one glove, revealing an unscarred hand. He placed his palm onto the scanner and felt the slight vibration of it working away.
Looking at the screen freeze momentarily, he felt his heart drop as he knew the outcome already. "Was worth a shot anyway." He sighed as he pulled his hand away to shake off the dust.
As he slipped his glove back on, the scanner let out a deafening blare. A green light flickered excitedly across the screen, and the computerised voice erupted in garbled nonsense. "Identity confirmed, welcome pilot -error-" The sound reverberated through the chamber.
The display on the panel flashed a strange command code that he didn't recognise, and a low rumble reverberated through the walls of the cave. Sparks shot from behind her as the hydraulics kicked into action, slowly opening up the cockpit door.
Anxiously watching the metal coffin unfold, he ducked into the opening and entered the semi-spacious room. A dimly blue light scattered itself around the cockpit, showing the dishevelled state it was in.
He surveyed the area, and his gaze finally settled on a chair in the centre. Sadness washed over him as he noticed a figure slumped down in the seat. The remains of a pilot were all that was left; tattered, brown clothing hung loosely off what was once a human body, and its skull had been turned so that it looked directly at him with hollow sockets where eyes used to be.
Moving over to the corpse, he gently shuffled around the tattered suit for any signs of identification. Seeing a pair of faded dog tags, he lifted the small metal plates and yanked them away.
He used his index finger to carefully trace the surface of the worn metal, and he felt the ridges of a name beneath his fingertips. He brushed away the rust with sweeping strokes and revealed 'Nolan Cross' engraved in small, blocky letters on the metal plate, with other details completely rubbed away by time.
"Rest easy, soldier." The man's voice was raspy and gentle as he spoke the words. He slowly unclasped the golden chains from around the soldier's neck and tucked them into the pocket of his fatigues with one hand, gently patting it closed with the other.
A sharp gust of wind blew through the doctor's hair as he watched the morning sunrise over the distant ridge. He glanced down at the small shrine he had made, built from salvaged supplies and debris. The blades of a hovering helicopter drowned out his thoughts as he bowed his head in respect for the long-deceased pilot.
Karenina's voice snapped the air like a whip, her clipboard held firmly in her hand. She stood over him with her hands on her hips and a look of impatience on her face. "Oi, you ready to go?" she said, giving him a not-so-gentle nudge with her clipboard to the back of his head.
"Yeah, yeah." He nodded slowly as he turned his head to the sky.
The loud grumble of turboshaft engines overlapped each other, the noise overpowering everything else in a fifty-metre radius. Large steel chains were attached to the underbellies of the steel beasts as they began lifting the damaged Gundam from the ground.
As the Tief Sturmer was carried airborne, it was joined by a more alien-looking figure at its side. It was soon joined by a strange triangular figure of unknown origin that flew in perfect tandem with the Tief Sturmer, its razor-sharp edges casting a shadow on the ground below like a reaper's scythe.
"I can't believe you managed to break the only mobile suit we have and find another rotting one!" Karenina groaned as she watched the units get slinked away.
"Ehe, sorry about that." He sheepishly as he ran his fingers through his hair.
Oh hey, I'm back again with another chapter. I hope you're enjoying the ride so far as we have now crested into Act 2 of this fic. If you can identify the newest Gundam to the lineup, props to you XD.
Anyways, enough of me. See y'all next time!