The king´s slumber
Manfred settles into the warehouse where the old MS is located. After investigating the MS, Manfred reads the inscription: ASGW-00 prototype, Solomon. Over the next two months, Manfred maintains a relatively normal routine, secures a job at the factory, and avoids forming interpersonal relationships to avoid suspicion. His first order of business is to inspect the MS.
Manfred: It seems the MS doesn't have a cockpit. I think we'll need a technician.
One week after landing the job, Manfred calls Dukovak.
Manfred: I've got a job now, and at this rate, you'll finish your degree this semester. Try to get a loan to cover the remaining three months.
Dukovak: Don't worry about that, I managed to get a job at Gallahorn.
Manfred: Why?
Dukovak: I'll explain when I get to Mars. Start saving for my ticket because as soon as I finish my degree, I want to see the warehouse.
Manfred: I can't pay for three months and a ticket to Mars at the same time.
Dukovak: Just focus on paying for one month and give me the equivalent of half a month's tuition on top of that. I've got a job too, idiot.
Manfred: So, I'll send you the equivalent of one and a half months' worth of tuition costs?
Dukovak: Yep.
Manfred: I guess you'll be paying for the ticket yourself.
Dukovak: No, you'll also be paying for it.
Manfred: How am I supposed to pay for your ticket?
Dukovak: Either I finish university, or I pay for my ticket. Your choice.
Manfred: Okay, I'll see what I can do. Alright, it was good talking to you.
Dukovak: Likewise, see you in three months.
Three months pass, and Manfred goes to pick up Dukovak from the Inter-Spatial Port of Chryse. Upon finding Dukovak, Manfred notices he's wearing a cowboy hat.
Manfred: Hey, Dukovak.
Dukovak turns to look and sees Manfred in a Hawaiian shirt. The two brothers hug each other.
Dukovak: What's with the shirt? Are you trying to pick up girls or something?
Manfred: No, and where did you get that cowboy hat from suddenly?
Dukovak: A girl gave it to me. I look good in it, don't I?
Manfred: Damn right, you do.
Dukovak: You know, I feel like having a barbecue, like the ones Dad used to make.
Manfred: Go for it, but I'll just handle the fire.
Dukovak: Alright.
Manfred and Dukovak hail a taxi, and Manfred gives the driver the warehouse's address.
Manfred: Remember what I found?
Dukovak: Yeah.
Manfred: Well, you're in for a surprise.
After getting out of the taxi, Manfred asks Dukovak.
Manfred: Why did you decide to join Gallahorn? After everything they've done to us, I thought you wanted revenge.
Dukovak: Sometimes you must keep your enemies close.
Manfred: But how do you stand it?
Dukovak: Manfred, sometimes you should stop thinking like a stubborn fool and not be honest all the time.
Manfred: Well, are you ready?
Dukovak: Yep.
Manfred opens the warehouse, where there is a huge object covered by a tarp.
Manfred: Help me remove this tarp.
Dukovak: On it.
The brothers uncover the tarp, and Dukovak is astonished.
Dukovak: So, Dad found an MS.
Manfred: Not just any MS, a Gundam from the pre-Calamity era, apparently named Solomon.
Dukovak: No way.
Manfred: That's right, but the problem is it doesn't have a cockpit, and there's no way to operate it.
Dukovak: Even so, neither of us has the Alaya-Vijnana implants to operate it.
Manfred: Damn, what now? Should we sell it and start over?
Dukovak: Are you crazy? This is our chance for revenge.
Manfred: But this thing doesn't even work.
Dukovak: I got into Gjallarhorn's technical department; I'll take care of getting this MS up and running.
Manfred: What about the money, though? We need to get a cockpit and the implants.
Dukovak: We'll handle that.
Manfred: Who's "we"?
Dukovak: You and me.
Manfred: What's your plan?
Dukovak: In one month, Gjallarhorn's head technician, Yamazin Toka, will arrive on Mars. We have six months to get her to repair the MS and to operate on one of us to get the implant.
Manfred: And what will you do?
Dukovak: I just secured a position to work closely with her. I'm not stupid.
Manfred: Do you even know when she won't have guards around her? Do you even have a concrete plan?
Dukovak: We'll figure that out together.
Manfred: Alright then.
Time passes, and Manfred and Dukovak lose contact until Dukovak learns something. Three months after the barbecue, Dukovak waits for Manfred at the warehouse door.
Manfred: How long have you been waiting for me?
Dukovak: Three hours. Yamazin is going to a restaurant in downtown Chryse next week. I managed to steal the components for the implant. We're going to make her an offer she can't refuse.
Manfred: What about the MS cockpit?
Dukovak: A Mobile Worker cockpit will be more than enough.
Manfred: Do you have one of those cockpits?
Dukovak: No, but she'll pay for it. Did you find anything useful in the warehouse?
Manfred: Just a revolver.
Dukovak: Perfect.
Manfred: Without bullets.
Dukovak: Damn.
Manfred: She'll have guards with her, won't she?
Dukovak: That's right.
Manfred: How do you plan to deal with them?
Dukovak: We'll incapacitate them with dermal drugs.
Manfred: What's your plan then?
Dukovak: You're going to drug the guards; you'll need to be drunk.
Manfred: Okay... wouldn't it be better to pretend?
Dukovak: Well, yes, just make sure to drug them.
Manfred: Who's going to negotiate?
Dukovak: I am, I already quit. Friday, downtown Chryse, have a whiskey on the rocks to avoid suspicion.
Manfred: Don't you realize how terrible the beer tastes here? I could really go for an Indio beer.
Dukovak: Me too, here are the doses, remember to touch the guards' skin.
Manfred: Okay, what do I do after drugging the soldiers?
Dukovak: You'll sit at Yamazin's table and aim at her; I'll sit next to you as soon as I see the guards are drugged.
Manfred: I guess you'll do the negotiating.
Dukovak: You're not good at talking, sometimes you're too simple or pretend to be.
Manfred...
Dukovak gets up and tells Manfred:
Dukovak: Friday, don't forget. This is a photo of Yamazin.
Manfred: Okay.
Three days pass, and it's Friday. Manfred sees contingents of Gallahorn entering with a woman resembling Yamazin. Manfred decides to enter the restaurant and go to the bar, ordering a Johnny Walker Blue Label.
Bartender: What will you have, young man?
Manfred: I want an elixir.
Bartender: What?
Manfred: I want a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label. It's an elixir.
Bartender: I see, are you celebrating something today? I'll bring it right away.
Manfred: Thank you.
Bartender: Do you want a glass?
Manfred: Yes, with ice, please.
Bartender: Coming right up. What are you celebrating?
Manfred: Maybe the last day of my life.
Manfred pours two glasses of whiskey on the rocks and approaches the Gallahorn guards with the patches in his hands.
Guard: Sir, please step back, you're already drunk.
Manfred: But we must celebrate.
Manfred doses the guards with the drug. He returns to his seat at the bar and waits for the drug to take effect. After five minutes, Manfred decides to go to Yamazin's table and sits in front of her.
Yamazin: Haha, you're so drunk you think you can sit at my table. How cute.
Manfred: Look under the table.
Yamazin leans over and sees the gun pointed at her.
Yamazin: You know I have guards.
Manfred: Well, they let me sit in front of you.
Yamazin sees the guards staggering and looking for support to stand.
Yamazin: I see. What do you want from me?
Manfred: It's not me you should ask.
Dukovak sits at the table.
Dukovak: Mrs. Yamazin, what a coincidence to meet again.
Yamazin: Ah, Dukovak, why did you quit?
Dukovak: Let's not talk about that yet. I learned what I needed, and I really wasn't interested in working with Gallahorn anymore.
Yamazin: But you're a young promise in the MS research and development field.
Dukovak: That's why I decided to leave Gallahorn. Today, I come to offer you a deal you can't refuse.
Yamazin: And what deal is that?
Dukovak: My brother and I decided to start a company, Horikoshi Defense Corporation. We'll be dedicated to developing higher-performance Mobile Suits for the Martian Union.
Yamazin: Do you even have an MS for reverse engineering?
Dukovak: Yes, but it's not just any MS; it's a Mobile Suit from the Calamity War.
Dukovak shows her a photo of the Gundam Solomon.
Yamazin: Indeed, you have a Gundam, but I can work with several, without any limitation. Tell me, what compels me to accept your offer?
Dukovak puts some documents on the table.
Dukovak: You saw under the table; you know these papers could have your signature or your brains instead. You would have 50% ownership of the company. It's an offer you can't refuse.
Yamazin: Haha, it seems I have no choice. It's the first time in a long time I've felt something so intense. Take me to your MS, and I'll see what I can do with it to see if I'm interested.
Dukovak gets up from the table, Manfred does too. Manfred goes to the bar, grabs his elixir, and Dukovak exclaims:
Dukovak: Damn alcoholic.
Manfred: Do you know how much this bottle cost me?
Dukovak: Let's go.
Manfred, Yamazin, and Dukovak get into a car. Dukovak points the gun at Yamazin's temple.
Yamazin: Relax, boys, it's the first time I've been kidnapped.
Dukovak drives out of Chryse, takes out a bucket of water, pours salt into it, and says:
Dukovak: Undress.
Yamazin: Wow, you're a lustful man.
Dukovak blushes and says:
Dukovak: I won't look.
Yamazin undresses, Manfred takes out a car battery, and pours the salty water over her.
Yamazin: Relax, boys, we might be partners after all.
Dukovak: If that's the case, touch the battery terminals.
Manfred points the gun at Yamazin's head.
Yamazin: It seems I have no choice.
Yamazin touches the car battery terminals.
Yamazin: Aghhh!
Dukovak: That's it, get dressed.
Yamazin: Oh, boys, I thought you had other intentions.
Manfred: We just wanted to eliminate any tracking chips.
Yamazin: Wow, boy, it seems you're not just someone else's tool.
Dukovak blindfolds Yamazin, and Manfred drives the car.
Dukovak: We've arrived.
Manfred uncovers Yamazin's eyes and shows her the Gundam.
Manfred: Its name is ASGw00 Solomon, it's a prototype.
Yamazin: Dukovak, how did you find this relic?
Dukovak: My brother Manfred, who's beside you, did it.
Yamazin: So, you're Dukovak's brother.
Manfred: yea
Yamazin: What do you plan to do with it, boys?
Dukovak: Make it operational again.
Yamazin: Did you already get the cockpit?
Manfred: Not yet.
Dukovak: I have contacts in the black market; a Mobile Worker cockpit should work.
Yamazin: Do you have the funds?
Manfred: Not yet.
Dukovak: That will be your entry investment for our partnership.
Yamazin: I see, and what do you plan to do with the MS?
Manfred: Use it as our main source of income, providing protection services to commercial fleets during the first years or months.
Dukovak: As my brother said, we'll use the Gundam as our income source until we have enough funds to develop our MS.
Yamazin: I see, it sounds difficult, unlikely, but I see you have a plan. Alright, I'll join your company, boys.
Manfred takes out three flat glasses, with ice, pours the Blue Label into the glasses, and they toast.
Manfred: For the awakening of the king. Cheers.
Everyone: Cheers.
They clink glasses and drink the whiskey. Yamazin proceeds to sign her resignation letter and the company document.
Yamazin: Boys, do you know that Gundams need the Alaya-Vijnana system to operate?
Dukovak: Yes, we were just about to discuss hiring someone to be our test pilot.
Manfred: I'll be the test pilot. Martian safety labor laws are quite strict; it's better to start tomorrow.
Yamazin: We should wait at least 24 hours for you to have no alcohol in your blood.
Dukovak: Don't think we're going to let you go that easily.
Manfred puts an explosive collar on Yamazin.
Yamazin: I thought we were partners, and that you didn't have any fetishes, Dukovak.
Dukovak: It's just a measure to keep your discretion.
Yamazin: ... I want 50% of the company's gross income.
Dukovak: If it's net income, before taxes, we have a deal.
Yamazin: Deal.
Manfred: So, we just must wait. Yamazin, did you sign your resignation yet?
Yamazin: Yes, we just must wait.
A day passes, Manfred wakes up, takes off his shirt.
Manfred: It's been more than 24 hours; I'm ready.
Dukovak: Wait, Manfred.
Manfred: There's no way I'm going to let you undergo the operation, Yamazin, I'm ready.
Yamazin: Dukovak, you're going to assist me in the surgery.
Dukovak: Okay, do you have any previous experience with this?
Yamazin: Yes, but we have to be very careful. We're going to take a long time, so get comfortable.
The operation ends, and Yamazin tells Dukovak that the recovery process will take one to two weeks. During that time, Yamazin and Dukovak attend to Manfred. Eight days pass, and Manfred gets out of bed.
Manfred: Dukovak, Yamazin, did you get the cockpit?
Dukovak: What are you doing standing up? You should be resting.
Yamazin: Oh, congratulations, Manfred. Yes, we got a cockpit; it'll be delivered tomorrow. Get back to bed; you still need to rest.
Manfred gets back into bed and falls asleep until Dukovak wakes him up.
Dukovak: It's time to test the Solomon's interface.
Manfred: How much time has passed?
Dukovak: Two days, get up.
Manfred: Okay.
Yamazin: Good morning.
Manfred: Good morning, Yamazin.
Yamazin: Sit in the cockpit and get comfortable.
Manfred: Is this safe?
Yamazin: If you survived the operation, nothing would happen to you.
Manfred sits in the cockpit, and a cable is connected to his back.
Dukovak: Initiating system in 3, 2, 1... now.
Manfred: Arrgh!
Manfred starts bleeding from his nose.
Yamazin: Don't exert yourself too much; you can damage your cranial nerves.
Gundam's eyes light up, and a hand opens and closes.
Dukovak: How does it feel?
Manfred: Weird, I just opened and closed my hand.
Yamazin: The wise king has awakened.