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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"
Chapter 158 Preventer Patrol Cruiser E106 Bounty Date 2nd March AC 198 Time: 10:29 Bounty ship time [Sanc time 07:14] Duo There were a great many things in life he found distasteful and some of them he would go out of his way to avoid but sometimes in his line of work distasteful duties were simply unavoidable. One of those not very pleasant things he sought to avoid and could not was what Sally Po described as a compulsory medical examination. Such a procedure was unavoidable in the current situation but that did not mean he had to enjoy the visit to the ship’s Medical Center and the detailed and rather invasive procedure that had awaited him. //I still have to have a meeting with the Captain and before then I wanted to check my email. I should have word from Heero on what is happening in Sanc. I have to admit this medical exam is taking a lot longer than I expected. Their medics are more than thorough but I suppose they have to be considering the projected duration of this mission. I may be on a mission of my own but I am still accounted a part of the crew and receive no special treatment. No exemptions to the compulsory medical exam.// Duo rubbed absently at his naked thigh and considered his position on board ship. He would not be accounted a part of the crew by the general majority of the men and women onboard the Bounty. That did not bother him unduly as he had always considered himself to be something of an outsider when away from the other gundam pilots or the Sweepers he had grown up with. If he was honest with himself his association with the Sweepers had been the best days of his life and he had found himself considering a return to their fold after his break up with Hilde. He was uncertain why he had not made the break from Preventers but he had not completely discounted making such a move. //It’s psychological, I know, but I’m feeling rather cool just now. I wish she would get on with this so I can get out of here.// He had been escorted to the medical bay and found it blessedly set on half gravity and thereafter his escort had abandoned him to the tender mercies of the medical staff. A medic had motioned him to enter a room to one side of the reception area and curtly instructed him to strip to his underwear and wait. No preferential treatment here he had thought and for that he was pleased. It was easier to gain acceptance from the crew if he received the exact same treatment as everyone else. //Heero may have some word on what is developing on Earth over this Station Alliance that has come out of nowhere. If the man wanted to cause a splash with his announcement he’s no doubt succeeded. I personally view it as more a tidal wave than a splash.// The staff appeared to be all business and he was not the only person undergoing tests. There were new faces amid the long standing crew that had to be thoroughly assessed on their individual needs before being issued with the drugs that would stabilize and maintain their musculature and bone density during the long tour of duty the Bounty was slated for. //First chance I get I will need to run the man’s name through the Romefeller files I have on disk. I think I could pretty much guarantee to find a match there. Bet there will be some interesting shit on Kristian Kushrenada too. All I need is the time to get back to my cabin and start to process the information. I suppose it might be a day or two before I get the chance to establish a routine. I need to be seen around the ship to be accepted but I need privacy to go through the case files and the Romefeller files.// The opportunity for some quiet reflection had been disrupted by the arrival of the Medical Officer and he had been more than surprised by her rank. Perhaps there was special treatment being issued after all and he would have to be careful about the crew’s reaction but he was sure that with the work being performed on a limited time schedule that every medical officer the ship had to its name was drafted for these assessments. “You are a disgustingly healthy specimen, Mr. Maxwell.” He dragged his wandering attention back to the woman settling on a stool opposite him. Her computer pad was balanced on her knee and she fixed a piercing gaze on him. Dr. Victoria Pearson, Chief Medical Officer for the Bounty had taken custody of his case file shortly after his arrival at the Medical Center. He had been concerned with her identity as it would no doubt get around the small community that he was receiving special treatment but there was nothing he could do about it except hope she attended to others this day. A small and petite woman she had a look about her that screamed no nonsense would be tolerated and she had made it plain from the first greeting exchanged that when she asked a question she wanted a straight answer. She reminded him of Sally Po in her attitude and efficiency and he learned there was a shared history between the two. Victoria Pearson had worked with Sally in the past and was ex-Alliance and it was due to that familiarity with the Preventer Medical Officer that he was graced with the presence of the woman and not a lesser ranked medic. Sally Po had personally spoken to first the Captain and then the Medical Officer and requested that the Chief of Staff take on the position of Duo’s personal physician for the duration of the flight. “I expect that we shall keep you in that same condition for the duration of your time with us. Now for a few questions that I assure you I need to ask every person who sets foot on this ship for the length of the mission. These questions, while they will no doubt embarrass you, are not designed specifically for that purpose but are meant to give me a guideline in the event there may be a problem present itself over time. You need to understand that on a ship with a long term voyage ahead of it there are few if any secrets of a personal nature between crew members. People gossip, it is only human nature.” Duo eyed her with trepidation. She had struck him as a pretty straight-forward individual and she seemed to be prevaricating. That rang alarm bells. “As a general rule, and this ship is no exception to it, there are more men than women on long haul ships. As a result we, the executive staff and particularly the Chief Medical Officer, need to keep aware of all levels of interrelationships that form. With this in mind I am certain you see the necessity of asking these questions. Truthful responses to the questions are vital to the safety of the ships crew so no shaving of the truth if you please.” Duo’s eyes widened slightly. He had a fair idea where this conversation was headed. “Yeah? What sort of questions?” “At this time I have a sample of your blood being run through the labs undergoing a full spectrum analysis for more than possible allergenic reactions to the acceptable drugs we have on board to stabilize your body in prolonged zero gravity. A part of the analysis is a compulsory assessment for every sexually transmitted disease currently known to man. It is standard procedure and not intended as a judgment of any past sexual activity you may have indulged in.” Duo scowled but shrugged and hoped he was not blushing. He could see where the doctor and her staff would need to know the health of their patients should a problem arise. It was likely that every crew member, not just the new members would undergo that particular screening procedure when beginning their tour of duty. The last thing the captain needed was a promiscuous crew member with a sexually transmitted disease flitting into beds and spreading their contamination around. “Okay. So?” If she was surprised by his acceptance she did not show it, merely glanced at her hand pad. “Are you heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual?” He could see that her finger was poised over the hand pad and that his personal details were displayed. From where he sat he could see that a questionnaire was displayed in a sub screen window and was waiting to have the details filled in. Most of the form appeared to be completed but there were a number of blank spaces still in evidence. As she had claimed, it appeared to be a procedure that was routinely performed. “Bisexual.” He was determined not to blush. He was no stranger to this type of questionnaire as he had already filled out something of this nature when he had joined Preventer and wondered why those records had not been transferred with his file on his assignment to the ship. “I’m not objecting to the questions here Doc but I am curious. Why are you asking? This should all be in my files.” Pearson grunted softly. Apparently she had expected at least some form of protest to be forthcoming. “The information should be in the file, I agree but all I received was the bare necessities from Preventer Headquarters record department and by bare necessities I mean just that. Age, sex, blood type and a synapses of past treatment during your tenure with Preventers. No details. Most likely there has been a mix up or some dork brained imbecile decided that your classified status also included classifying your detailed medical records as top secret. When did you last have sex?” “What?!” The deadpan delivery on the heels of her disgust at the inefficiency of the records department left him floundering. She sighed. “I need to know for estimating incubation periods should there be any evidence of such diseases as HIV and any other little nasties that could potentially infect the crew through sex. When did you last have sex and was your partner male or female?” Blushing furiously Duo suppressed a growl and looked anywhere but at the small woman who seemed to be totally unmoved by his squirming. Her finger even tapped impatiently on the edge of the hand pad. “I don’t know. Maybe six months ago, give or take a week or two and my partner was male.” //God, can I crawl under the table now?// “A one night stand or a more lasting relationship?” that infernal impersonal finger was flicking over the keypad quickly entering data. Certain that his face must be flaming Duo dropped his gaze to his knees and was thankful he was wearing boxers although she appeared cold enough not to be moved by an orgy being performed by the entire crew in front of her. “I don’t do one night stands but the relationship didn’t work out.” The finger flicked over the screens keypad. “Only the one sexual partner in the last twelve month period?” “No. Two in the last year. I have a son. His mother and I parted company before I knew she was pregnant.” That produced a grunt and a flick through the records and the entering of more information before she returned to the questionnaire. “No health problems with this woman that you know about?” “No.” //God, this is so embarrassing.// “And your relationship with the male? Was he healthy the last time you saw him? I don’t mean the last time you had sex with him, I mean the last occasion that you recall seeing him. Are you aware if he had any sexual relations with anyone other than yourself during your relationship? Were there any indications of loss of weight, tiredness or possible infection visible?” Jason Chalmers, Preventer agent, hunk and all around charmer had chased him for months. A confirmed homosexual and self-assured bastard he had gone to great lengths to win Duo’s trust and after three months of pursuit had succeeded in getting into his bed. Duo had been more than satisfied with the relationship and to his knowledge the two-timing bastard was as healthy as a bull. The one thing he was thankful for was that the man had insisted on safe sex practices with him, not that he would have ever entertained the notion of going all the way with any partner without such precautions. Though he had accepted the man’s advances and was satisfied with the sex and the less personal side of their relationship, he had been uncertain if he had wanted the relationship to develop into something permanent. His uncertainty about in depth relationships after the failure of his life with Hilde had ensured he went into the relationship with a healthy dose of caution. That caution had resulted in him learning that Chalmers was keeping a lover on the side, a fact that Chalmers had admitted when Duo had confronted him about it. Duo Maxwell might be a lot of things, not many of them pleasant and his psyche was filled with dark places that even he did not want to explore but one thing he did know was that he was not a whore. He had learned that he did not like being treated as such and he did not like his affections to be trifled with. Chalmers had seemed to consider it no matter of concern that he shared himself with two men, he could satisfy both and was that not more fun? In short, Duo had discovered himself to be monogamous and he expected his lover to be the same. //I don’t have much luck with personal relationships. First Hilde and then Jason. Both failures. Don’t know why I bother, really.// He had discovered that he liked company, he liked sex and he liked being warm at night, not just having a partner who enjoyed sex as much as he did. No, he had discovered that he wanted more than one night stands or to be the bit on the side. He wanted to be appreciated the way he wanted to appreciate a soul mate which, as he knew only too well, was fantasy in its most fantastic form. “Yeah, he looked okay. He always practiced safe sex.” “Good.” The finger flicked over the keypad again. “You should be made aware of the possibility that you will be approached by one or more of the crew as we travel further out into the system. Considering your past I would appreciate it if you did not cause a fuss about it. You are young, extremely healthy, good looking and they will pick up on the signals you give off quickly. If you react to both sexes you’ll get answering reactions from both sexes. The captain expects there to be no trouble of a sexual nature on board and we keep a close observation on crew tensions. Mutual consent is expected and a refusal of advances is likewise to be respected by all involved parties. I frown on patching up people after lovers spats and excessively violent refusals.” He grunted a voiceless acknowledgement too embarrassed to do or say more and watched her flick back through the records of the pad. “Hmmm. There is no record here of you having a son and no listed next of kin. I presume these details are in the records as yet not sent to me?” “I only found out a couple of days ago that I have a son. I was on L2 to see his mother and sort out some details but I was interrupted. There should be an update to my records at Preventers as I have made Aidan my next of kin and beneficiary.” “Fair enough. For the records of this ship we will do that paperwork now. It won’t take long for the details to be logged.” With a low sigh Duo answered her questions placing Aidan as his legal next of kin in the ships medical log and following a moments thought he also named Quatre Winner as the contact should anything happen to him during the flight. He knew that Hilde wanted a new life and he didn’t want to disrupt her chance at a fresh start and the gundam pilots all kept contact with each other. Quatre knew what was happening in his life better than anybody else. The doctor settled back with her notepad after he okayed the information she had entered into the log and her fingers flicked over the keypad quickly. “Are you usually the dominant or submissive partner in your sexual encounters … or do you prefer to swap?” “Jesus Doc! Do you want to know what brand of lube was used too?” There was no way he could not be blushing after that and he wanted to run for the door and away from this prying woman and her notepad. A blonde eyebrow arched and she tilted her head and simply looked. The silence stretched and he understood she was waiting for an answer to her question and would not be moved. Finally, with a low sigh marking his defeat Duo plucked at the end of his braid. “I top, I don’t bottom.” “Ever?” She appeared to be genuinely surprised and her eyes flicked to the long braid. “What? Just because I’m short and slender and I like long hair doesn’t make me effeminate.” he growled. Slender shoulders shrugged and that finger moved over the pad again. “Point. Okay, since you obviously are one who is easily embarrassed I think we can skip the remaining personal details. Most of these don’t really apply to you as it is my understanding that you will be with us for only a part of the flight. Just be aware that we may need to take up this discussion again at some later point, depending on how you deal with personal relationships in confined social structures. I suggest you get used to the idea of talking to me about sex. I tend to have these discussions with everyone on board ship at some time during the mission. In the meantime, you can get dressed and I will check on the progress of the blood work. We should have a result on the type of drugs most suited to use on you in a few minutes.” “Fine.” //Just go away and let me put my face out. I feel like I’m scorched to a cinder.// When finally left alone in the cubicle Duo groaned and pressed his flaming face into the examination table. He could not believe the questions she had asked. Did she run the ship’s dating agency or what? //Fuck, why do they have to know the ins and outs of a person’s sex life? Shit, that was embarrassing.// He straightened slowly and reached for his trousers. //If she thinks I’m going to take up this conversation where she left it some time in the future she’s got another thing coming. No way. There is no way I am talking to her about sex. Even Sally knew when to back off.// Pulling on his clothing quickly he was just stamping into his magnetic boots when the doctor entered. He glared at her balefully not amused that she had not had the courtesy of knocking before entering but the glare was ignored and she settled on a seat to one side of the examination table and he realized that she had not even now looked up from her notepad. “Well, I find this fascinating. Did Dr. Po talk to you concerning your blood Mr. Maxwell?” “Huh?” “You did know that there are some unusual elements to your blood, Mr Maxwell?” finally the doctor looked up from what he saw were his records and there was a gleam of speculation in her eyes he found rather uncomfortable to look at. “Unusual?” Duo sat his rump on the table and watched her warily. “Unusual in what way?” “Doctor Po never mentioned running tests on your blood? I’m surprised. Well, these results are suggestive that you have a very active immune system. That is good, I assure you. Nothing wrong with you, in fact I would like your permission to run some more tests. As you have a universal blood type and this rather interesting immune system it might just be that in the event of an outbreak of illness amid the crew we may be able to use you as an effective base for a vaccine.” At his hurried look toward the door the Doctor sighed. “No need to panic, Mr. Maxwell. The crew are all disgustingly healthy individuals and an outbreak of illness is about the last thing I would expect to happen.” “Then why bother running tests?” “Because I like to be prepared for every eventuality and this is a long flight and I bore easily. Your immune system could keep me suitably entertained for the entire voyage and that thought alone is enough for me to bow down and worship you.” The doctor had the grace to blush and he could not quite hide the grin in time. “I’ve not had the opportunity to view so healthy a blood sample very often and there are elements here that intrigue me.” her finger flicked and she was browsing his records once again. “You have L2 origins? Business district? Upper echelon?” “Ghetto. I was a survivor of the last run of plagues.” He glared at her, aware that she was fishing for information but it was widely known that he had been a street rat in his younger days. Though those days were long behind him he was not ashamed of how he had survived. “Hmm, well with your immune system I’m not surprised at your survival. I have ordered a full spectrum analysis be performed to test for traces of the diseases you were inoculated against as an infant and any possible natural immunities to …” she paused, watching the slow shake of the chestnut-haired head. “Mr. Maxwell, why are you shaking your head?” “I’m from the slums of L2, Doc. You don’t know what that means? It means I was never inoculated against anything. No vaccine was wasted on us. It wasn’t until I was with the Sweepers that I really understood the importance of immunizations and they ran the tests you were just talking about. The Docs there were surprised just like you but all that’s included in my records.” “Which, I remind you, have not been forwarded to me, Mr. Maxwell. Very well, I accept that you have had these tests performed before when you were with the Sweepers. Do you mind if I amuse myself during this voyage by investigating your blood and its peculiarities until such time as your full records reach us?” Duo shrugged. “Please yourself. Like I said, its been done before.” “Good. Thank you for that. Now I need to stress once again that after you are given the drugs you must take the prescribed dosage every second day without fail. You must also report every eight days to the Medical Center for blood tests and to be assessed. We will need to monitor your body’s reaction to the drugs being used to ensure that you are receiving the correct dosage. Everyone’s body reacts uniquely to the drugs and we must ascertain the peculiarities of your system to give you effective protection from the effects of zero gravity.” “Yep. I know all that.” He wanted out of the Medical Center and a little free time to check his mail. “Very well. I do caution you to monitor yourself and not to leave it up to the medical staff. You need to be careful with the medication as it may eventuate that the medication may initiate a growth period. Such rarely happens but considering your age you are not clear of the growth phases by any means. That will add to the chances of the drugs initiating muscle and bone growth, not just maintaining a stable status quo. I recommend a good two hours per day in the ship’s gym and not necessarily in the one session. Splitting the exercise period into two sessions would be more acceptable and have more of a beneficial effect to you. Have you been assigned onboard duties?” “Not as far as I know. I’m here in transit on assignment and I have extensive research to do.” “Mmm. Research. Long periods of inactivity are not recommended especially in the early phase of using the drugs. You will need to maintain a certain level of physical activity in addition to the formal workouts in the gym. We have a number of team sports on board and I seriously suggest that you investigate them and give consideration to joining a team. Not only will that benefit your physical performance it will also provide you with social interaction with the crew. Physical activity and social interaction with as many of the crew as possible is required to aid in maintaining a stable psychological profile. Be aware that the medical staff will be closely monitoring you and every other individual on the ship on the lookout for any indications of stress or psychological problems. If you feel at some stage that you are being watched it is no doubt because you are being observed but the attention is for your well-being.” “Right. I’ll remember that.” Duo flashed a sunny smile to which the doctor snorted. “I’ve seen it all before, Maxwell and I am not fooled.” “No doubt you have, Doc. I’m a Sweeper brat more than I’m an L2 street rat. I was with the Sweepers for a long time and I know the routine for long haul spaceflight. They are probably more strict about it than you are.” “You think so? You at least think you know the routine, I’ll give you that, but we shall see in the long term just how much you know.” It was the doctor’s turn to grin. “Well now, let’s see about taking another blood sample, shall we? We will also attend to your first injection of the drugs. I’ll prescribe you a course of vitamins as well and you will take those as religiously as you will take the top up course of drugs for muscle and bone development.” “Yeah. Sure.” Anything to get out of the Medical Center and her devotion to that notepad. t.b.c.
Authors Note As a bit of trivia this is the 2nd birthday of Alternatives. My thanks to you for reading this marathon fic. Karina
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