Shin Kidou Senki Gundam W Chapter 1.3

Chapter 1, Part 3 (1/2)

"The lunar base you say?!"

Duo's shocked voice bursts into the small room.

They are here in the room which Heero has rented. It's a neat apartment, fitting for the social standing of a student. However, this is all which seems to be student-like, there is nothing else in the room, like the common posters and other small things. It looks like a briefcase with only the bed, desk, chair and clothing in there. It's a room with hardly any feeling of somebody living there since there is nothing serving as decoration.

"Yes. Large quant.i.ties of Gundanium alloy have been transported to the factory on the lunar base. Maybe they are for the production of a new mobile suit model. The five engineers must be there as well."

After Heero has told him the thoroughly investigated information, Duo leans forward from the bed he's sitting on.

"So, how do you do it?"

"After going to the moon, I will judge whether I will take the new model by force or destroy it."

After saying this, Heero turns cold eyes towards Duo.

"You are not coming. You'll be in the way."

"What did you say?!"

As Duo wants to get up in order to grab Heero by the collar, his movements stop. His whole body is attacked by pain. Letting out a groan, he settles down again.

"With all these things happening, even my body has had it. However, you could say at least one nice word."

Duo looks up to Heero with eyes filled with resentment.

"You should go to school instead of me. I took care of the formalities to enter the school by using your name."

"What?! That's such a bad joke. Even if your name attracts a lot of attention here."

"If you are complaining, be good and devote yourself to the rehabilitation of your body."

Declaring this coldly, Heero turns his back towards Duo.

"Even if I say 'don't do anything crazy', it's already decided you'll do it."

Duo murmurs this as he watches Heero leave the room.

Still, thinks Duo.

His expression doesn't show it, but the guy is worried about me. It may seem he got a bit more human-like.

Duo smiles broadly and lets himself fall down on his back onto the bed.

The moon, with one sixth of Earth's gravity, does not fulfill enough conditions as a living s.p.a.ce for humankind. That's why, at the time the s.p.a.ce colonies were completed, all kinds of research facilities and production plants were being constructed on the moon. Also, resort areas which invited tourists from Earth were being developped and were showing quite some prosperity until the suppression by the Alliance.

In the interior of a crater a city has been built and scattered around it, as if to surround it, are a s.p.a.ce port, a factory, a mine and a resource refining factory. As to the connections between them, a train is running through subterranean tubes which span the complex like a spider's web.

This is the whole view of the moon.

At present, the opening of business as a tourist centre has been allowed since the dismantling of the Alliance army stationed on the moon has been completed. This has been interpreted by people as an indication that peace is returning to s.p.a.ce.

On the other hand, work has also started in the factory facilities located inside the OZ lunar base. OZ has ordered the five Gundam engineers to develop a mobile suit, letting this run parallel to the production of the mobile dolls.

"The movements between the colonies have also become unrestrained. d.a.m.ned OZ, it seems they are pretty much in control of s.p.a.ce."

Doctor S, speaking through his nose, tells this to Professor G.

"They are handing out various treats in order to gain the favour of the people in the colonies."

Professor G murmurs this while adjusting the instruments.

"Once they can earn their trust, the rest will be easy. Resources and labour will be absorbed by OZ in the blink of an eye."

"At least we manufacture a bad-tempered one and will give OZ a hard time."

Beside what Professor G looks up at, there's a blue mobile suit, consisting only of the upper body which has been pulled up by a crane. Additionally, besides this suit, a red mobile suit is standing whose form is almost finished.

The two are in a pa.s.sageway which has been erected at a height of twelve meters and which is used for maintaining mobile suits. They have put their computers there and are regulating the system of the blue mobile suit.

Elsewhere, the remaining three persons below run a test for the red mobile suit.

"The defense system of Mercurius seems to be pretty good."

Looking up at the red one, Doctor J nods slightly.

"Vayeate will also get its form once the mainframe has been put up."

While answering, Professor H points at the blue mobile suits, which consists only of the upper part of the body.

"The completion is a matter of time. I don't intend to work forever at OZ's beck and call."

Professor G shouts this in vexation to the three persons below him.

Master O raises a well resounding voice and adds "It will have the shape as entrusted by Lady Une, but it seems they are selecting the pilot for these mobile suits from the citizens of the colonies."

"That may become interesting."

Doctor S smiles shortly as if he had thought of something. And Professor G beside him shows a bitter smile, as if he had read that thought.

"No matter what, it most likely won't go that well."

"Well, Heero won't take such a roundabout way. He is more the type to settle things directly."

Doctor J even raises the name of the boy he brought up himself and denies the words of Doctor S.

"In any case, we'll show everybody how we can finish the strong mobile suits OZ demands. Then, we'll prove it can destroy also OZ."

Looking up at the two bodies of the mobile suits, Professor G declares this proudly.

The a.s.sembly hall of the L2 colony parliament is wrapped in an uninterrupted stir. Here and there small groups are exchanging opinions in suppressed voices.

What called for the discussion was a doc.u.ment t.i.tled 'A Proposal regarding the Management of the Colonies' which OZ distributed even before the gathering.

Also the four delegates of the Area D, with Ted Narita in their centre, are knitting their brows.

"Does this mean that OZ wants to build a nation in s.p.a.ce?"

One of the representatives murmurs this while he is reading the letter with a displeased expression. As if answering this, the delegate sitting beside him waves the doc.u.ment and says "With the liberation from the ruling system of the Alliance, the exchange between the colonies and with Earth on a private level has been reopened. This is certainly OZ's achievement, but there is no need to ask for OZ's instructions for something like the administration of the s.p.a.ce colonies."

"Yes, but when judging from the present scale of the s.p.a.ce colonies, I think it's strange that they don't exist as a nation."

Even while Narita nods at the words of the other delegate, he points at one place on the doc.u.ment.

"Yes, that's right. However, the problem is here. The main industry is the war industry - it says that we depend on the production of mobile suits."

"My goodness, OZ wants to convert the colonies for armament..."

"In any case, it seems we can only listen to Lady Une."

Narita turns his eyes towards the podium where Lady Une should be standing, her arrival being delayed.

At that time, aforementioned Lady Une is in a car heading for the a.s.sembly hall.

Nichol, who is driving the car, glances at Lady Une using the rear-view mirror, as if to determine her mood, then he opens his mouth to speak.

"Major, it seems the delegates of the colonies sense a problem in the letter."

"Of course. They have seen the Alliance's system, which has used armament recklessly, and they regard something like the production of mobile suits as being the same as the deeds of a merchant of death."

Lady Une, with her hair down, answers calmly.

"The nations supporting OZ desire the s.p.a.ce technology in order to use it persistently as military power. I don't think the peace-minded colonies will accept this."

"I think it would be good if they could think of it now as a deterrent. In the meantime, one thing lacking in s.p.a.ce should be prepared as well."

"A thing lacking in s.p.a.ce?"

Nichol frowns as if saying that he can't think of anything.

"It's proper order. And then, also G.o.d...."

Saying this, Lady Une shows a smile.

Ten minutes later she has ascended the podium. After making a bow, she starts talking in a clear voice to the delegates present in the a.s.sembly hall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am sorry to have you kept waiting. I a.s.sume you could look through the letter at hand?"

Representing the delegates, Narita gets up and speaks up.

"It seems that the reason for Earth thinking of all the s.p.a.ce colonies as a threat was that the colonies do not have a clear organizational structure. I think that building a nation is surely a worthwile action."

"But you are saying that the problem is the main industry?"

Lady Une is reading further and asks this of Narita.

"Indeed. There cannot be world peace if the thought exists that arms are necessary as a deterrent. History has taught us this."

Following Narita's statement, another delegates stands up.

"It's possible to establish a new order, separate from Earth. We are proud that the technological power will become our capital, but one shouldn't think about the production of mobile suits."

Lady Une shows a smile which looks like confusion and calmly opens her bright red painted lips.

"In my heart, the war is already over."

At these words, the a.s.sembly hall starts to stir.

"OZ is a military organization. We have endeavoured to win the repeated military conflicts on Earth. At first, the 'United Earth Sphere Alliance' has aimed at peace without the accompanying military power, like you do. Did something come into existence then? Just as everybody has learned from the past, so have I."

The a.s.sembly hall becomes dead silent again, as if water had been spilled on them. The incident where the Alliance leaders were wiped out by the Gundams has not vanished from their memory. However, there is n.o.body who knows that this incident was orchestrated by OZ.

"There is no need to fight thoughtlessly. However, without the att.i.tude towards fight, you cannot talk about the beauty of mankind. Am I the only one who is fascinated by such an att.i.tude in men?"

At Lady Une's quiet smile, the delegates present cannot object.

There's a mobile suit factory in the Bangkok base of OZ. It doesn't have the scale of the Lake Victoria base, but the Taurus are also produced here and are transported to Singapore where the closest s.p.a.ce port is.

And Sandrock, which has self-destructed at the Singapore s.p.a.ce port, has been transported to this place.

In the dead of the night - in the middle of the muggy and sticky air, there's the figure of an intruder in the mobile suit hangar which is next to the factory.

"I didn't think that OZ would restore it up to this point. But I must not hand over the Gundam to OZ."

It's Sally Po who has murmured this.

Even if in the Bundt Republik, where Sally was before, the Alliance army has been annihilated through the death of Bundt, OZ has not yet granted the people's autonomy. People are aiming at complete independence and the situation is chaotic. Sally has a leading role in the middle of this.

A week before, they have received the information that OZ has recovered a Gundam. Sally wanted to prevent that the Gundam was used for OZ's political propaganda and has infiltrated the base.

She installs the small bomb she brought with her on Sandrock, the rest will only be retreating and pressing the switch.

In that moment, the shadow of a person appears behind the trailer which has transported the Gundam.

"Who is it?"

Sally has noticed the signs and has turned around. The man asks her in return "That's what I wanted to ask."

It's a young man with drawn up eyebrows who is pointing his gun at her. He is clad in clothes in the style of the Middle East.

Following him, a boy with black gla.s.ses appears.

"To steal in here in the middle of the night and to plant a bomb, you are not an ordinary person."

"First you'll hand over that explosive's switch."

The man with a magnificent moustache, who has appeared last, holds out his hand.

"I am prepared to face anything. I will not hand over the Gundam."

After holding up the switch in her hand, Sally presses down without any hesitation.

A flash bursts into the hangar which was pitch dark before. A moment later heavy vibrations shake the air.

Sandrock, on its trailer, sways and tilts with the shock, but there is hardly any damage visible on the armour.

"It can withstand even such an explosion... it seems the data from the calculation were very wrong. I cannot be openly glad, but it is a Gundam after all."

After clicking her tongue, Sally runs off through the hangar under the cover of the explosion's smoke.

Elsewhere, the three totally surprised young men - each of them from the Maguanac troop - stand up after they had thrown their bodies to the ground reflexively. They immediately run their eyes over the surroundings.

"d.a.m.n it! She does act rashly!"

Frowning, Auda shouts this while Ahmed, the one with the moustache, listens carefully to the alarms he can hear from somewhere.

"We have been noticed by OZ."

"Time to retreat!"

Auda grabs Abdul with his black gla.s.ses, who wants to turn around, and shouts "If you prefer to run away, then the girl from before did better work. Even if we die, we have to recapture Sir Quatre's Gundam!"

Ahmed rushes into the trailer on which has Sandrock has been loaded and starts the engine. Auda jumps onto the load-carrying platform in order to tie down Sandrock again. During that time, Abdul runs towards the cargo plane which they had marked in advance.

"When we finally could try to infiltate this base, there was this young woman. Abdul's strategy is of no good."

While Ahmed lets his moustache dance by snorting, he complains to a not present partner. As if he had perceived this, the voice of the aforementioned Abdul comes bursting in from the communicator.

"Bring Sir Quatre's Gundam quickly!"

"You are talking nonsense! There is no way we can do it so quickly!!"

"Okay, it's fine!"

Hearing Auda's call from the load-carrying platform, Ahmed floors the accelerator.

As the trailer shoots out of the hangar, Abdul's mobile suit cargo plane approaches them, skidding towards a spot before them. The trailer drives up the rear hatch which takes the place of a gangway. Auda and Ahmed jump off the trailer and rush towards the task of tying down the trailer.

"Done!"

Abdul shouts this in the c.o.c.kpit while slapping his palm with his fist. At the same time as the sign that everything is fixed and the hatch closed comes in from the cargo room, he releases the brakes from the wheels. He wants to start the preparations for take-off.

In that moment....

"Huh?"

Before their eyes, a Leo stands squarely in their way. Two beam cannons, one on each shoulder, are targeting the cargo plane.

"Stop the useless fight!"

A woman's voice resounds through the loudspeaker.

"It's the voice of that girl!"

Ahmed shouts this as he comes rushing into the c.o.c.kpit.

Auda, who has come in together with Ahmed, immediately grabs the microphone and sends a message on a general-purpose frequency.

"Can you hear me? I do not think we are enemies."

Sally's answer comes back right away.

"So it seems. However, if it were the person I know, in this case he would destroy the Gundam."

"The one we know is a person who would be sad if we destroyed it. We want to somehow restore it to its former condition in order to make him happy" says Auda.

"We are the Maguanac troop from the Middle East! Please, leave the Gundam to us!!"

Abdul has s.n.a.t.c.hed away the microphone from Auda's hand and raises this imploring shout.

"He seems to be good kid, your kid."

Sally's voice contains a smile.

"So does your acquaintance."

At Auda's voice, Sally's Leo directs its gun barrels, which were pointing straight at the cargo plane, into another direction and waves as if saying 'go'.

"We are grateful."

After Auda has said this towards the microphone, Abdul slowly pushes the throttle lever forward.

As the cargo planes starts to taxi, Sally shoots with her beam cannons into the Leos of OZ, which have finally shown up.

"Well, I have to go to pick up a lost article from the other good kid."

Sally shoots with her beam cannons until they run out of energy, then she immediately starts her retreat.