04-Jul-2000
Category: Adventure, Angst, Friendship
Pairings: 3+4, 1+2
Rating: G
Disclaimer: These wonderful characters are not mine. I'm just enjoying playing with them a little. No money is either sought or gained from these ramblings.
Notes: I'm not sure if the following is needed or not but I'll put it here
anyway. There is a debatable real life topic brought up in this section. I
use it ONLY because it fits the storyline and NOT from any personal feelings
one way or the other on the subject matter.
Quatre leaned back in his chair. His hand covered his mouth and his gentle eyes were turbulent with emotions that ranged from the pain of betrayal to the fury of helpless rage.
It was spelled out in the notes and transcripts in the briefcase. Atrick, DuBois and Lefwequi had been trying to have him removed as WEI's CEO for over 2 years. First through legal means, then as those failed, through less legal means. All this leading up to the attack.
They had orchestrated a well planned out series of assassinations that were meant to look like the actions of the radical groups opposed to Operation Comet's Tail. Quatre was supposed to be just one more hapless victim of a fanatic's bullet. It was as he had feared. The other four victims had died because of him.
Trowa, Wufei, Heero and Duo watched Quatre patiently. Each of them were adept at reading the blonde's mobile features.
"Is it as you feared?" Duo asked at last.
Quatre stood and paced to the window just behind his desk. Looking out over the darkened gardens his head bent and he gave the barest of nods.
"Yes. They used Operation Comet's Tail and the controversy surrounding it as a cover in an attempt to murder me. They figured that the authorities would look no further then the radical groups, since technically it would be the actions of the radicals."
Quatre turned and gave Trowa a wan smile. "Lover mine, you did them a huge favor when you killed Ralph. Ralph Goines was probably the one man far enough removed from the indignant fervor of the *cause* to blow the whistle on Paul and the others."
Trowa bent his head and took a slow breath, then he looked back up at Quatre. There was no remorse in his green eyes for his actions. As far as he was concerned Ralph deserved to die the moment he'd uttered the words '...with pleasure that I pulled the trigger...' Quatre gave Trowa a gentle nod.
Heero watched the interaction between the two for a moment before he interrupted their silent communication.
"Quatre, why is there such opposition to the project?"
"Hmm? Well, the amount of money that was going into developing the drive system for the ship, people wanted it used elsewhere." Quatre spoke as if reciting from a script.
Heero scowled and took a step towards the small blonde. "Qua-tra." He spoke each syllable of the Arabian's name clearly, his indigo eyes pinning Quatre where he stood.
Taking a deep breath, Quatre lifted his chin and met Heero's gaze dead on. "Cryogenics Heero."
Heero stopped and blinked. Then he frowned. "Hmmm."
Quatre nodded and leaned his arms against the back of the chair, laying his chin on them. "Exactly. Even with the new propulsion system, it would still take... decades to travel as far as the original planners of the project wanted to go. So, the scientists started to work with cryogenics. I... I did not fully support this research, though I believed in the work as a whole. A lot of people, however, do not believe that we are ready for technology that allows us to cheat death. It was not so much that people opposed the use of such for space travel but rather, they feared about it's use and abuse here on Earth and in the colonies."
Duo sat up, listening to this and his face paled. "My gods, Quatre..."
Quatre held up a hand, forestalling any more comments from his comrades. "I know... believe me, I know. I fought for them to find another way. To shorten the trips... the building of outposts but there were people who truly believed in cryogenics and people who couldn't see past the dollar signs in their eyes. The technology would have made many of these men and women wealthy beyond their dreams."
He turned and looked at Trowa, his voice softened. "That is what I didn't want to talk about Trowa. I spent most of those meetings arguing ethical use of technology and half the time deflecting accusations of my own use with the Gundams."
Again, Heero gently but firmly drew Quatre back on course. "What do we do now Quatre. We have the evidence, can we turn these people in?"
Quatre rubbed the back of his neck, his head still bowed. "We could..." then he looked up at all of them. Fire burned in those blue-green eyes as he spoke softly, "...but I think there is a better way."
TBC
Laekin
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