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"Alternative Directions: Options "Written By: Karina Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or the lovely
boys and their girls in the series. Wish I did. Please don't sue me.
I haven't even got a brass razoo to give you. Rating: Deffinately PG in Australia, at the moment,
but probably safer to say R for later chapters. Not sure about international
ratings Warnings: It will be 6x2, even though it does
not start out that way. After all, Zechs and Duo never met in Gundam
Wing and only spoke briefly over a com line in Endless Waltz. I've
tried to keep them in character as I saw them in the series. A bit
of language creeping in under stressful conditions. Pairings: eventual 6x2, past 2xH, 2+H,6x9, 1+R
Summary: Directions is set post Endless Waltz
and roughly 2 years have passed. Zechs and Noin are on Mars and Duo,
after spending some time with Hilde in a relationship leaves L2 to
join Preventers. Hilde was not happy about his decision. I guess enough
said. Here t'is, and I hope you like it. This is also AU for the standard
setting, as well as the series and Endless Waltz. Spoilers: Gundam Wing Series and Endless Waltz Many thanks to Dulin for volunteering to beta this. //... // thoughts
"Alternative Directions: Options"
Mars Colony Base Dome 1st March AC 198 Time: 23: 40 [approx Sanc time 21:30] Giles “Having any luck with the radio, Chief?” Giles leaned into the cockpit of the shuttle craft, his hazel eyes alight with an unholy amusement as he fronted the Chief Engineer who sat in the cockpit of the emergency medical shuttle. Giles looked bright eyed and clean and considerably refreshed after taking a turn in the decontamination shower. His torn and bloodied clothing was now replaced with the flight suit for a shuttle pilot that fitted rather well to his muscular frame. Ahmed Hawass had seen to finding a change of clothing suitable for both men soon after they had brought Noin into the shuttle bay and ensconced her within the protection of an emergency life support capsule on the medical shuttle. During Giles absence Hawass had taken advantage of the decontamination shower himself, cleaning himself as quickly as possible and changing into spare overalls he and Giles had fetched from his locker on their way to the shuttle. The Chief had been barely out of the shower when Giles and Zechs had stumbled into the shuttle and ignoring his own wound and bruises he had helped them to get Noin into the protection of the emergency life support capsule. The capsule was a computer controlled medical bed designed to offer superior medical assistance in remote areas where professional medical staff were non existent or scarce in emergencies. Its med computer had begun chattering away as soon as they had begun to place the sensors at her vital points and it had not taken them long to understand that if the computer had been a human physician he would have been pulling his hair out at the extremity of the damage being investigated. That had not gone down well with Zechs. The man had practically fallen into a heap at the side of the capsule, eyes fastened on the medical readouts and the prognosis the computer was formulating. Giles had at first attempted to get the blonde into the decontamination shower but in the end had given it up in favor of giving the man a few minutes to gather himself and his shattered composure into some semblance of order. With Noin on life support and Zechs working on worrying himself to death Giles had attended to the knife wound in the Chief Engineer's shoulder. A shot of local anaesthetic, some rudimentary stitches and a field dressing followed by an injection of broad spectrum antibiotic and Giles felt that he had done all that he could for the Chief. By this time Zechs had seemed to pull himself together and turned from the capsule, blue eyes like glaciers with the intensity of his focus. At the insistence of Zechs Giles had taken his turn in the cubicle, that glacial gaze clearly informing him that on this matter Zechs would not be denied. He intended to ensure that everyone was as healthy as possible as quickly as possible and that they then make a start on the next phase. Zechs and Hawass had tackled the ruin the Sleeper agents had made of the radio, ensconcing themselves in the cockpit while Giles cleaned himself up and ran himself through decontamination. After an initial examination of the radio the Chief Engineer had found the spare parts he and Zechs had decided would be needed and when Giles had emerged from the shower, refreshed and blessedly clean, Zechs had left the Chief to work on the radio while he attended to the assortment of scrapes, cuts, gouges and bruises and finally strapped Giles's broken ribs. “Normally the ribs would not be strapped. I think the breaks are hairline but with what still lies ahead of us I think the bracing will help.” Giles had nodded silent agreement, winced at the binding of his chest but felt that it was a marginal improvement on his condition. Where his body had screamed in pain before it was now a series of dull aches and he knew that with a little rest he would be able to function. A shot of antibiotic was administered and with Giles attended to and dressed in the flight suit provided by Hawass, Zechs had been unable to delay his turn in the shower while Hawass continued working on the radio and Giles monitored the med computers progress with Noin. The Raider agent had spent his time between monitoring Noin's condition and running an inventory of exactly what systems of the shuttle had been fouled by the Sleeper agents. To his immense relief the medical systems and supplies were untouched and he decided that the Sleepers seemed to only be concerned with ensuring that the shuttle would not fly again in a hurry and that the radio be incapacitated. He had barely finished his inventory of the supplies available to them and made his selections of what he was likely going to need when Zechs had emerged from the decontamination unit. Giles had been horrified at the sheer amount of raw wounds the blonde had carried on him when he had emerged from the shower cubicle. He had known that the man's clothing had been torn and bloodstained but he had not actually equated that into physical damages. He was honestly astounded that Zechs had not screamed himself hoarse while taking that shower as he knew only too intimately how much the decontamination liquid stung in an open wound. It was therefore no surprise that Zechs looked awake when he emerged from the cubicle as that amount of raw pain would certainly not lull a body to somnolence. After one wide-eyed look at the body that betrayed the faintest of tremors in reaction to the wounds cleaned by the shower Giles had promptly reached for the hypergun and injected the former Lightening Count with a rather high dose of broad spectrum anti biotic. Zechs had remained in tight-lipped silence as Giles had gone to work on him and applied anaesthetic antiseptic creams to dull the pain of the raw wounds and finally applied adhesive field dressings across hips, flat belly and chest and upper thighs where the ropes binding Noin to him had left heavy bruising and bleeding rope burns. With the open wounds dealt with as best they could be considering their circumstance Giles had finally seen to the strapping of the left shoulder after a cautious examination of the almost black bruising and then left him to dress in relative privacy. While Zechs had painfully pulled on the flight suit left for him Giles had again turned his attention back to Noin and the readouts, finding that some of them suggested that Noin was stabilizing. Offering that information to Zechs he had very shortly fled the centre of the shuttle in the interests of preserving his skin and made his way to the command cockpit and the Chief Engineer. “Some progress. The radio basically has to have a total rebuild but with the parts we have on hand that is not a problem. It will not take all that long to get it working. While there won't be much of a range, it will at least work. If you want to place a mayday off the planet I'm afraid I will have to disappoint you. The range is going to be limited.” The big man glanced up from his work, noting the wide smile and the wicked light in the hazel eyes. “What has you grinning?” The Raider operative could not contain the chuckle and hooked a thumb over his shoulder indicating the open cockpit door that led back into the bulk of the shuttle. “Zechs. I knew there was a reason why I had short hair. Okay, not short short, but certainly not what I'd call long.” At the Chiefs arched eyebrow Giles grin widened. “Decontamination showers do nothing for long hair, you know.” Hawass leaned around Giles to get a look down the gut of the shuttle and the deep, low rumble that passed as a laugh for him filled the cabin. “I'd not let him know how amused you are. He looks a bit pissy to me.” Giles glanced over his shoulder to see Zechs with a brush in one hand and tangled matted length of wet blonde hair in the other. “He is, and I already laughed at him. He ordered me out before he dismembered me, so I came to annoy you. I'll give him a few minutes to tame that mass he calls hair before I go back and check on Noin.” Hawass scowled, leaning back into his seat. “She does not look so good. Sick filly that one.” The chief returned his attention to the mess of circuitry before him. Giles sighed, knowing full well that the man was not exaggerating. Lucrezia Noin did not look at all well, though to his last checks the readouts claimed she was stabilized somewhat and he could only hope that her condition would improve. One thing he had made certain of was that the med computer had injected her with a mild sedative to keep her unconscious. He had no intention of dealing with a freaked out psychic who had no control over her obviously extensive kinetic talents. He still had not told Zechs all of his fears concerning the woman and he really did not want to take the time to go into details he was uncertain Zechs would be able to handle. “She looks considerably better than she did when we found her, but you are right. She is not good and I know it has him worried that we are going to have to leave her here while we deal with the agents in the base. The man is on one hell of a guilt trip and leaving her behind is not going to help.” The chief offered a soft snort whilst using a soldering iron with a deft touch to attach wires to the circuit board he held. “Shouldn't blame himself. He never asked those bastards to come to Mars now did he? Not his fault, not that I suppose everyone would agree with that. Nor is it likely to have been his fault whatever it was happened to that woman. I have known her long enough to know that no man will ever rule her, not even Zechs Marquise. She is one strong willed woman.” there was undisguised admiration in his voice. //You admire her strength? Yes, as I remember you don't like clingy women who can't decide what time of the day it is without male guidance. You and Noin got on fairly well as I recall. // “Yes, she is very strong-willed, and she walked into some heavy shit she was lucky to survive. It may yet kill her and that would leave him to raise those two kids on his own. I know that idea scares him.” The chief grunted, glared at the circuit board in his hand angling it to the light and considering the next connections to be made before he shrugged. “It would scare shit out of me if I was in his shoes, I know that much, but I think he'd handle it well enough. I doubt there is much that one could not handle when he turns his mind to it. Even raising kids.” Giles sighed, settling into the vacant seat beside the engineer. “He could raise them, yes. I don't doubt he is more than capable of doing that and doing it well, but that is not actually the primary problem. If we get out of this, Ahmed - if he can get off of Mars and if he can find a place that is safe for him somewhere in the ESUN to make a home for the twins. That is the problem. Well, one of the larger problems I suppose. Where in the Earth Sphere is safe for Milliardo Peacecraft to go which would not end up resulting in another horror day like today? Wherever he goes he will be hunted.” The engineer scowled, a low growl escaping him. “So whose stupid fucking idea was it, coming way out here and causing trouble anyway? We don't need this kind of shit, Giles. We can well do without this kind of bullshit mucking up our lives. I've got nothing against the man. I even know what he was trying to do and I don't have a problem with him being here. Why did they have to come here and why did they have to kill everyone on the base, man? I don't understand why they are doing that.” he waved away the words Giles was on the verge of speaking and sighed. “I heard the explanation and I understand it, don't get me wrong, but I don't 'understand', if you know what I mean. I wasn't sure what to expect when it was announced that Milliardo Peacecraft was joining this team. I didn't know if the man was going to be one of us or if he was going to be locked in a room here and the key thrown away. I suppose I expected there to be a sign around his neck that read 'Rabid Dog, Don't Touch'.” He sighed, one massive hand doing delicate little adjustments to the circuit board he held. He finally glanced up to meet his companions gaze. “The man is nothing like I expected him to be. The Terror of Earth? Nah. No way. This one meows, not roars. Are you sure he is the same Milliardo Peacecraft who threatened to blow the Earth to kingdom come?” // He meows, not roars? // Giles huffed a small breath, gaining himself a moment to assimilate the Chief's views. “Yes, Ahmed. Yes, he is the same Milliardo Peacecraft who commanded the White Fang and threatened the Earth. There is no doubt about who he is. If you had survived what I have survived in the last few hours with him at your side, then you would know without a doubt what he is capable of. I do assure you though, that he is no rabid dog. Believe me, you definitely want him on your side if there is some action to be undertaken. You do not want him as an enemy.” The chief shrugged, returning his attention to his circuit board. “Takes all sorts, I suppose, and that one seems to have some common decency about him. Surprising, considering what he did through the war if he is really as bad as they make him out to be, but they also say things can get out of hand during war time and people do things they normally would never do. I saw enough weird goings on during those days to do me a life time. That being the case, someone has to teach those bastards killing us about human decency and what happens when you abuse it. Strikes me that He is as good as anyone for that job.” “Better than most.” Giles glanced over his shoulder to see that Zechs had managed to comb out around half the knots that tangled the mass of near white hair. “He has plans to do just that, I'm thinking. He had a reasonable amount of time to do some heavy thinking while I was checking out the shuttle bay and he said when I went back for him and Noin that we have only a limited time here. He's made some decisions and some plans and I need to give him a bit of time. He'll tell me when he has it all sorted.” “Radio should be ready in a couple of minutes.” Hawass rubbed at his sore shoulder, wincing at the flash of pain that discouraged further such actions. “You don't seem too fussed about being around him. You seem to trust him?” “With my life. Yes, I do trust him. The man has had the type of training that I only wish I had had access to when I was in the war. The Oz Specials were exceptional. As far as their Mobile Suit Pilots went they were the best and he was the best of the best. It was only with the arrival of the Gundams that the real trouble started, but there would have been a revolt anyway. It was planned to happen before the Gundams even came to Earth. The Alliance Military had to be taken out, their atrocities just kept happening. Yes, there were some good sorts in the Alliance, but everyone has their own agendas. Everyone. Removing the Alliance from power was what the Specials was formed to do under Kushrenada. Only the best of the best were good enough and they were all loyal to an ideal and if you ask the right questions you would find out that most of them had pet hates for the Alliance, some nursed over decades of time. I have to wonder what type of world we would be living in if the Gundams had not come on the scene and Oz had taken out the Alliance without interference.” The chief shook his head and shrugged. “Much of a muchness, I'd say. If you look at the better history books you would find that everyone gets into power with high ideals and then the shit hits the fan as power corrupts. If Oz had been in command and had not split into factions it might or not have been proven to be better that the Alliance was. Who's to say? To be honest, who even cares? We live in the here and now, Giles. Most of us don't give a shit for the bigger picture provided we have what we need when we need it. Most people don't care who wants to fight to stand on the top of the heap. It's only when the boys and girls on the mountain top start shitting on those lower down that anyone starts to care what they are doing way up there in the clouds.” //Well, that's a novel way to look at politics. I never considered it from that point of view before.// Giles watched the Chief Engineer with widened eyes as those large fingers moved with precision over the circuit board. The man was a surprise and he was by no means ignorant of the current or past political circumstances that ruled their lives. Ahmed Hawass possessed a genius I.Q. and a quiet, thoughtful inner self that few ever got to see. He was adept at disguising his personal views and watching others. It was the quiet ones you had to watch, Giles reflected. Sometimes the Chief seemed very far from quiet, he liked a good party after all, but he kept his views largely to himself and this insight into the man surprised the Raider. He had always liked Hawass and that view was not harmed by this discussion. “I always tried to stay clear of politics if I could. Never thought too much about it and I guess that maybe that was a mistake. I certainly thought about it a great deal when I was in a hospital bed for a month and wished I had done something else with my life, but if I look back it is generally to shrug and think of what might have been if I had not been injured during the war. What I have to concentrate on is the situation we are in now, not on what happened years ago. Zechs has the training and the skills that are needed to take these bastards down and they really need taking down. I think … I hope that we might have taken out the Sleepers. There is still the chance that there may be one or two of them left, but if we watch ourselves and don't turn our backs on anyone we should be safe enough from them. If you part company from us when we are finished here and ready to move on remember that you don't ever trust stairs and likewise do not trust elevators. The Sleepers have a penchant for bombs and are not afraid to use them. We will need to find out who on the base has experience with explosives and sweep the dome carefully after this is all over to find any little surprises they have left. I know that there are explosives on the dome. The military types don't seem to be as bomb crazy as the Sleepers, but they probably are trigger happy about now.” “No stairs and no elevators. Guess I'll just have to climb the bloody walls or learn to levitate. Any idea what he has planned?” The chief inclined his head toward the open door, though his attention remained focused on the radio he was assembling. “Not as yet.” // Not that I would tell you if I did as I really do not know for certain that I can trust you. I think I can but … You could still be a Sleeper although I don't think that you are. While I am not a true telepath I tend to have a fair idea of when a man is lying to me, and you don't give me bad vibes. That is a good sign but I can't trust anyone implicitly if I am to keep that man alive. // “Well, something is going to have to be done to secure the dome and I'm willing to help where I can. I'm a mechanic and high tech engineer. Just let me know what you need done in my area of expertise and I'm your man.” Giles glanced over his shoulder again to see Zechs struggling to raise his arm over his injured shoulder to manage that mass of hair and with a grunt gripped the chief's shoulder, inclined his head into the shuttle by way of explanation and farewell and he returned to the main body of the shuttle. “I'll give you a hand to tie that back if you like.” he could not hide the grin that parted his lips on hearing the softly uttered curses and mumble concerning scissors. A low rumble he took to be consent was his only answer and the hair band was thrown at him along with the brush, the man spinning on his heel to present that sheeting mane of near white hair to him. Giles noted that the second hair band was being tucked into a pocket of the pilots flight suit and he recalled that Zechs had only donned the second band just before he electrocuted the two agents in HD two. Gathering the damp hair he began to brush the mass into a high pony tail and worked the band into a double wrap, securing the pale locks. //I don't think I have ever seen you with your hair tied back before, unless it was around working machinery you were repairing until today, and then it was plaited. When I first met you in the hydroponics dome you only had the one band holding your hair but when we were trapped by those agents you went sort of … funny. A look about you and … Hmm. Now why do I get the impression that if you go for that second hair tie I should run as far and as fast as I can? A psychological thing? Hair loose and you're an overgrown house cat. Hair tied back and you mean business. Double-tie the hair … Man, the shrinks must love you. You would keep them entertained for years.// “How is the radio going?” Zechs waited patiently for Giles to work the band into place, feeling the long length of damp hair cool his back. He still felt hot though not so bad as before and he could only hope that the stresses of the day and more particularly the dousing he had received in that water pipe to enter HD Three would not result in the advent of illness. He could not afford to be ill. “Chief says the radio should be ready to test in a few minutes. There will not be a lot of range on it, though. It will not reach off planet.” “There does not need to be a great deal of range. We only need to contact those outside of the dome and if possible the Alpha Dome to ascertain what is going on there.” “So what do we do next?” he left Zechs to move to the sealed unit that held Noin, checking on the readouts. “Next we need to go into the sub base to prepare a little trap for Blue Squad. We need to end this as quickly as possible. If it is possible I want to contact the maintenance teams and the Alpha Dome to establish their current conditions and whether or not they may be of help to us. I honestly doubt that we can expect any help from anyone and if the maintenance teams are secure for the moment then I can concentrate on taking out the last of the infiltrators. Do you think we can trust him?” he inclined his head to indicate the absent Chief Engineer. Giles shrugged slightly. “He does not grate me the wrong way when I talk to him. Remember that I am not a true telepath, but I do not receive the sort of vibes I have learned to be wary of from him. As far as I can tell, we can trust him but I wonder if we have a real choice in the matter?” Zechs considered Giles for a moment and then looked to the cockpit and the man he could not see at this moment, but who was supposed to be working on the radio. Did he dare to trust the man? Without loosing the restraints on what Giles continually referred to as his Gift Zechs was as blind as the next man to the interactions of others on future event. He dared not loose that restraint for fear of incapacitation at the resultant surge of vision, and he knew it would happen. He could feel the pressure growing against his shields but it was of no importance now. Now was not the time to view what might be, but to act on what was. He was only one of many men on this base who would act if they could, who would act however they must to preserve lives and to make a difference he had to accept certain risks. The simple inescapable truth was that he could not be in a dozen places at one time, and he needed help to do what needed to be done before people started dying in the upper dome from poisoned air. Not everyone was safely ensconced in sealed air systems and something must be done to clear the toxins from the general air supply. Zechs knew that he needed a qualified mechanic and systems engineer to restore the upper domes ventilation system to full function. The toxic fumes from the elevator fire had to be vented and that would take skill and know how. He had both the skill required and the know how but he also had two elite soldiers running around the base and he had to give his full attention to them. While there were others available he was going to have to trust them to complete the work that meant survival to them all. “How is she?” He watched Giles studying the monitors, afraid to look himself after the last readouts he had viewed. He was not a fool and he knew that things were not looking good for her. Staring at the readouts would not offer any more aid to her than he had already provided. The best thing that he could do for Noin now was take out the agents so that he could have her taken to the medical centre. “Stabilized.” Giles glanced at him and then back to the readouts. “For the moment, at least. We need her in the hospital section, but this will have to do until we can clear the base of agents. So what is it you have planned?” “We have to trust Hawass. He can start working on getting the ventilation system for the upper dome cleared of toxic fumes which will involve reversing whatever it is they have done to seal the vents. In a sealed environment we can not afford to have faulty air systems. While he is doing that you and I have to get into the sub base and complete the preparations I had begun on a little surprise for Simpson should a certain set of circumstances be met. Then we are going to have to make certain that those circumstances occur as they are needed. To make my little surprise work for us we are going to have to separate the tech from his commander and that is about the last thing that Simpson will want to happen. That tech is the last resource that he has available to him until the Wellington arrives and he will want Frazier kept close to him at all times. What I have planned hinges on Frazier not being present.” Giles turned from the computer and moved a step closer to him, hazel eyes narrowed as he considered Zechs. “Any idea how we are going to accomplish this?” A flash of white teeth responded, a grin that was both cheeky and sly. “At the moment, none at all, but I have learned that it is a good idea to take what ever opportunities occur whenever they arise. I'll think of something, but we have preparations to make before we can go hunting techs.” “So why do we need to get the tech out of the way? What exactly do you have planned for the commander?” Zechs smiled, rising from where he had been perched on a narrow bench, resting his weight in an effort to give some ease to abused thigh muscles and walked toward the cockpit of the shuttle. “I intend to ask him a few questions and get some straight answers out of him. On camera.” Giles blinked, watching the sway of damp hair just above the curve of tight buttocks. “Shit. How the hell do you intend to manage that?” “Trickery, my dear Giles. Deception, deceit and trickery.” Zechs flashed another grin over his shoulder before he entered the cockpit. “Chief. How is the radio going?” “Couple of secs. Well you look better.” Hawass glanced at Zechs and then returned his attention back to the radio. “Two connections to go and we can give it a test. I might need to make a few adjustments, but …” he shrugged and ran a finger over the bridge of his nose. “It's easier if I have my glasses, but they broke and … Well, one just has to do the best one can, right? One more to connect … that should do it.” He leaned back to survey his handiwork and then leaned forward again to slip the circuit board into its place in the main console. “Nothing flash in range, you understand, but it should be powerful enough to reach the Alpha Dome if the God of radio waves is on our side. Said your prayers today?” “Frequently.” Zechs settled in the pilots chair. “He must be in a good mood today and listening, because I am still alive.” “I would say that God is having rather a heavy day today.” Giles leaned into the space between the door and the back of the co-pilot's seat watching as the last connections were made and Hawass reached for the second circuit board at his elbow. “Hey, we all have those days, man. God probably has even more of them than we do. Remind me to have a philosophical and religious discussion with you two after this shit is dealt with.” the engineer inserted the board and straightened from the shattered command consul of the shuttle. Taking a deep breath he began to power up the control panel. “Now be a doll and prove to the nice gentlemen that Ahmed knows his stuff. Work.” Zechs watched in silence as the Chief began to flick switches and the command consul began to show a sequence of red lights. The system reboot for the computer would take a few minutes, but all he wanted to see was that green light half way down the system station that designated an operating radio. He needed to know what was going on beyond the Base Dome and if there was any way that they could be of help to those people trapped outside. If there were still people alive out there. If he could only rely on his visions and know that there were people out there, alive and well in the relative safety of K23. Supposition was all well and good but supposition did not save lives and how could he trust his visions? There had been too many options to say with certainty that this particular variation of events would happen or perhaps not. For all he knew all of those people outside the dome could be dead. Zechs leaned forward slightly though the radio remained stubbornly mute and with a few deft touches he set the frequency control to the designated frequency he hoped Barker had discovered on the maps of K23. There was a great deal of supposition in his actions but he had to trust in others not just in himself, not that he trusted himself, he reflected. Too much had happened for him to trust that the actions he followed were the right course to take. He could only hope that Barker had found what he had left. He would know soon enough if the radio worked. If he could just talk to the man and learn what had been going on it would provide him with more detailed guidelines to work from, but if they did manage to get into contact he had to keep communications brief. “Come on baby, don't you let me down.” the Chief Engineer glared at the red light that glowed from the console and peered into the circuitry of the open panel for a long moment and then grunted. “Well damn. How did you come off? Get back on there you little shit.” Crackle. Hiss. “… into the Base Dome as soon as possible.” t.b.c.
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