13-May-2000
revised: 11-Jul-2001
Kat: Yep, this was revised too, but only minor changes in this part.
Uh oh. Did I remember to put ratings on part 1? ^_^;; Damn I think I forgot.
4x1/2x1, NC-17 (for the series), AU, OOC, Continuation, Sci-Fi
The technicians rushed to the second simulator as it was enveloped in a crackling blue electric fire and waited helplessly until the flames died away, to be replaced by black oily smoke.
'How the hell did this happen?' Doctor Ikari snapped, frantic with anxiety as he saw the technicians drag a prone body from the still smoking simulator. He twisted the pen in his hand over and over, biting his lower lip as he saw Director Maxwell run towards his unconscious friend. He looked accusingly at the slender boy with thick auburn hair who peered out of his simulator, an expression of triumph and uncertainty warring over his face as he stared at the gurney carrying the injured man out of the room.
'How could Amuro have done this? They were only fighting in virtual space, there shouldn't have been any effects to their simulator modules.'
The blond woman looked up from her monitor and shrugged.
'I'm sorry Doctor Ikari but when we designed these modules, we didn't anticipate the feedback effect caused by Amuro's mecha empathy, especially now that it has been enhanced even further with the Zero system. When his last manoeuvre destroyed Director Chang's Gundam, the Magi linked directly with pilot Rey and decided to destroy the Director's module at the same time. There was no way that we could have forseen this result.'
'Damm it Akagi!' Ikari glared at the cool woman. 'I thought that we had run feasibility studies on Amuro's enhanced abilities. Are you telling me that this never came up on any of your projected simulations?'
Doctor Ritsuko Akagi stared back with her pale blue eyes, totally unmoved by her Chief's outburst. 'Our simulations never took into account the effect of being in battle with a highly able pilot, able to match Rey's abilities with greater experience and skill. I'm afraid that the only way Rey managed to win his battle with Director Chang was by deliberately accelerating the development of his mecha empathy and none of our projections ever showed that any of our subjects would be able to evolve in this manner when placed under battle stress.'
Shinji Ikari took off his glasses and started to clean them reflexively, a nervous habit that he had inherited from his father. The young scientist took a deep breath and tried to order his chaotic thoughts as he considered the pale youth standing solemnly beside the small silver module. He wondered what Director Maxwell would think of this new development in Project Epsilon and decided grimly that he would advise him to remove the addition of the Zero system to the cybernetic enhancement of the other subjects till more research into the effects of combining the two radically different technologies could take place. He sighed as Amuro started to follow the Director out of the lab and rubbed his sore neck, then sat down at his desk and started to type up his report.
'Are you okay? I'm so sorry... Are you sure you're okay?'
Wufei groaned painfully, not quite sure who he'd like to strangle the most, the young idiot with his big cow eyes gazing worriedly at him or the annoying, grinning, smug old friend, he thought crossly, who looked entirely too pleased with himself.
'I'm fine. No. I can get up by myself.' He snapped peevishly as he managed to get up to a sitting position on the bed.
He glared at Duo who was looking at him with a triumphant smirk, and said with an accusing glare, 'what the hell happened in the last three minutes? All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed, there were weapons firing from every direction, and I know that it was just the two of us in the simulator. Wasn't it?' He narrowed his eyes suspiciously as Duo's grin broadened.
'Just the two of you, yes. But don't forget that you were supposedly fighting in your Gundams.' Duo answered lightly as they began walking out of the sickbay, where Wufei had been rushed, when the simulator he was in began smoking and he was found slumped unconscious in his seat.
'Yes, but our Gundams can't fire simultaneously from all directions at once. Not a single Gundam. Not even Heavyarms had that capability.' Wufei growled peevishly, feeling that he was the butt of a secret joke between Duo and the young pilot, Amuro, who exchanged a smug grin.
'But the NuGundam does.' Amuro answered, a delighted grin lighting up his face. 'I designed a little addition to its weaponry. I call them bits.' He laughed at the wry face that Wufei made. 'They were the ones that were firing on you at the end. They pack quite a punch don't they?'
Wufei shrugged and winced as his sore muscles reminded him not to move. 'I'll say.' He answered dryly then turned searching eyes on Duo, who still had an insufferably smug grin on his face as he leaned casually against the nearby bed. 'What I don't understand is why my simulator exploded?' His black eyes narrowed suspiciously as Duo shrugged carelessly.
'A computer malfunction, I'm sure.' Duo spoke smoothly, a little too quickly for Wufei's liking but before he could continue to question them further, Duo ushered a still apologetic Amuro and himself out of the sickbay, citing doctor's orders to let Wufei rest.
Wufei settled back onto his bed, hissing out loud as his still tender back protested painfully against being pressed against the soft pillows. He closed his eyes and tried to rethink the exact sequence of events in the simulator, wishing that he had been able to get a copy of the battle but Duo had claimed that the destruction of his module had wiped all taped records of their battle.
He was definitely feeling more than a little put out at being so thoroughly outfought by the child pilot, and couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that there was more to Project Epsilon than Duo had told him so far. Wufei wondered if the files on the CD had held any more detailed information and regretted having passed it on to Heero without having looked through the material more thoroughly, or having made another copy. He couldn't help thinking about the scientist who had disappeared just after handing him the CD. Doctor Mitsato Katsuragi.
She had been a truly beautiful woman, with large brown eyes and long purple hair. Wufei thought about the last time he had seen her, her hair flying wildly behind her and her eyes glittering with fear and excitement as she ran into him and wished that he had been able to do more than just take the CD when she jumped off him and started to fire behind her, before disappearing down the elevator shaft with the guards thundering after her.
He opened his eyes again and stared at the neon light on the ceiling blankly, thinking about the way Amuro had moved in his NuGundam and shuddered involuntarily. There had been something inhuman about that machine. Or was it that it seemed almost too human....
'Well, well...' Duo closed the report on Amuro's duel with Wufei with a satisfied smile.
It seemed that the good Doctor was getting a little frightened of his own creation. Duo steepled his fingers as he rested his chin on his thumbs and considered Ikari's request to not use the Zero system on the other enhanced subjects. He decided that he would grant the Doctor his request, but with one exception.
Camille Vidan was a subject whose psi potential had scored as highly or perhaps even higher than Amuro Rey and Duo intended to make sure that he would be able to call on at least two fully functional mecha empaths. He was intrigued by Ikari's suggestion that Amuro's manoeuvres during his battle with Wufei had indicated a potential ability to foretell or predict the opponent's movements and wondered whether that had been a fluke or an indication of further psionic abilities. He would be interested to see if Camille would be able to call on that same ability after being enhanced with the Zero system.
Duo turned to his monitor and grimaced briefly before placing his call. He truly despised having to work with that damned bitch but at the moment, their interests happened to coincide and he had to admit that she was highly efficient and effective, even though his stomach turned at some of the 'side effects' of her Project.
'Why Director Maxwell.' The blond woman smiled widely, baring her white teeth slightly. 'To what do I owe this honour?'
Duo grinned sardonically at her, not in the least bit amused by her customary banter.
'Business, of course. What else?'
'Of course.' Dorothy lifted her eyebrow with a mocking smile. 'Tell me how I can be of assistance, this time.' She ended pointedly.
'I'm couriering some new data concerning the Zero System's effect on the cybernetically enhanced pilots.' Duo answered dryly, 'I believe that you might be interested in incorporating the Zero System into your Project's attempt to genetically engineer psionic abilities in normal humans. I also intend to send you two of our enhanced pilots, not' he emphasised sharply, holding up an admonishing finger, 'to use as test subjects. I simply want an evaluation of their psionic potential. I believe that you have better facilities and staff in that area. I'm afraid,' he folded his hands together and leaned back against his chair with a crooked smile on his face, 'that my people aren't really used to working with human subjects. They are mostly computer and nanotech specialists after all.'
Dorothy smiled sweetly, her blue eyes shining with greed at the prospect of being able to examine two of Epilson's prized pilots. 'I'd be delighted to provide any assistance. I wonder,' she leaned forward, fluttering her eyes coyly at Duo who simply regarded her with cold eyes, 'would you mind terribly if we 'borrowed' your Doctor Ikari as well, while we... evaluate,' she savoured the word, letting it roll deliciously on her tongue, 'your pilots? It's just that I do want to make sure that they are well taken care of, while they visit us.'
Duo shrugged, 'of course.' He looked at the gloating woman on his screen and allowed a wicked grin to flash briefly on his lips as he added demurely. 'Naturally, I will also accompany them.'
Dorothy flushed with chagrin as she repeated politely. 'Naturally.'
She scowled as her screen went black, wishing that she could wipe that arrogant smirk off his face once and for all. She narrowed her eyes as she turned back to the letter in her hand from Relena and started to smile as she opened it up and re-read its contents carefully.
She couldn't understand why someone like Relena would waste her time with a nobody like Heero, though, Dorothy admitted to herself, he definitely did have an incredible body and she couldn't help remembering the tingling excitement that had flowed through her when she crossed blades with him, back when they were teenagers. Still, she snorted scornfully, Heero had turned out to be a total disappointment. Dorothy had been appalled when she learned that Heero's one deep desire had been to lead a boring, pedestrian, mundane life of an 'ordinary' person!
She had been rather amused though by his little romantic escapades, first with Duo, much to Relena's disappointment, and then with that insipid blond, Quatre and had been highly tickled when she had heard recently that he had dumped the irritating Arab pilot. Only to disappear, yet again. When Relena's letter asking for her help in locating Heero had first arrived on her desk, Dorothy had been strongly tempted to tear it up but now, she narrowed her eyes and grinned as she thought of a certain brown haired Director who would become extremely agitated if he found out that his darling Heero was in her hands, she decided that she should definitely try to help her old friend.
Dorothy was certain that she would be able to locate Heero, preferably by the time Duo and his little entourage came to visit her. Her eyes lit up as she decided that she would use this as a good opportunity to test some of her subjects in field conditions. She was reasonably confident that Heero would put up a pretty good struggle and if her pets proved effective in locating and capturing such an able opponent, she would be able to recommend that they move into Phase III of her Project, as well as having the benefit of thoroughly discomfiting that annoying bastard, Maxwell.
'What happened to your hand?'
Quatre looked down at the bandaged hand and then looked up with bleak green eyes, before answering flatly.
'Heero left me.'
Trowa sighed heavily as he looked at the pale blond. He decided to drop the subject as Quatre's haunted eyes told him that any further questioning would not be welcomed. He raised his hand for the CD and silently took it and tucked it into his jacket.
'I suppose you've made your copy already.'
Quatre nodded mutely, his eyes remaining shadowed and brittle.
Trowa hesitated for a moment and reached out a hand, wishing that he could vanish the pain and sorrow engraved on his friend's face but knowing that the only person who could have vanished those lines, was the one responsible, before wordlessly dropping his arm to his side, before turning and leaving the office abruptly.
Quatre stared blankly after his disappearing friend, then turned to the top drawer and pulled out a photo and stared at the beautiful face looking solemnly back at him. He stared at Heero's face and wondered why he felt so empty inside. How could he have been so foolish as to believe that Heero was finally his. Quatre laughed softly to himself, in bitter mockery, as he remembered all his plans and dreams for their future.
He had thought that when Heero had come back with him from their failed mission to infiltrate Epsilon and collect information, that finally, he had beaten Duo. After all the times that he had to look on from the side as Duo laughed and flirted with the taciturn Japanese, during their time together as Preventers. The times that he suffered, from agonising jealousy and frustrated love as he saw how Heero longed for Duo to come to Earth. And hiding his own feelings, he had helped Heero to build a life on Earth, organising for him to attend classes and bought his apartment, cherishing every moment of his time with Heero, knowing that he would have to step aside when Duo arrived...
A rather hesitant knocking at the door announced the arrival of his timid secretary, who peered carefully from the door before sliding out to walk towards him. Quatre looked at her tiredly, wishing that she'd stop flinching every time she looked at his bandaged hand. He turned the photo face down and tenderly replaced it in the drawer before closing it.
'Um... excuse me. But, you have a visitor. He doesn't have an appointment.' She added in a rush, looking nervously at the blond man who ran his hand through his hair in a gesture of irritation.
'Well?' Quatre prompted impatiently when she simply stood and stared at him with large rabbity eyes.
Hikaru gulped before quickly adding, 'I'm not sure if you want to see him. He said that you'd definitely want to. See him, I mean.' She stopped again, feeling a little muddled and worried by the frown that appeared her boss's smooth forehead. 'He's got black hair. And really big blue eyes.' She added incoherently, then blushed, feeling like an idiot as Quatre raised his eyebrows. 'I don't know if that helps. Um....' She started to fiddle with her red braid as she fidgeted before Quatre's stare. 'And... and he said that he wanted to tell you something about Heero.' Hikaru cringed as Quatre jumped to his feet with blazing green eyes. 'So... shall I let him in?' She whispered softly and fled gratefully when Quatre nodded wordlessly.
'Um... excuse me, Mr Saneda? Mr Winner will see you now.'
Quatre started walk around his desk as a tall man with shoulder length black hair walked into his office. He frowned slightly as he stared at his visitor, wondering if he had seen him somewhere before.
End Part 2
Katana
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