MOBILE SUIT
GUNDAM:
THE BATTLE OF ANGELS
DEADEYE
Chapter 2: Descent to the Blue Planet
Kert stood in the testing room while some of Doctor T’s assistant was putting a brain wave reader on his head, it was like a pair of head phones, except a bit larger and they were a lot tighter.
"What’s all the brain crap for?" Kert said to Doctor T who was sitting on a chair with a laptop, typing in some data.
"Well, when a person is exposed to the type of situation you are about to go through their brain waves reach only a certain ‘height’ you could say, however a person using the zero system has much higher brain waves in the same situation, the factor that you are a gundam pilot should increase reaction time on it’s own, however if you really are a newtype you’ll be able to achieve a brainwave height equal to or surpassing that of the waves of a person on the zero system. Keep in mind this test alone won’t solely determine your newtypeness." Doctor T replied, and pretty fast.
"So if my brainwaves are higher then I will perform in certain situations better." Kert reflected on that.
"Geeze kid, I couldn’t even make out what the hell he was saying!" A man remarked as he walked in, he was a bit taller than Kert and had black hair with blue eyes and looked rather young. Doctor T gave a small chuckle.
"Well the fact that he was able to discern what I was saying at such speed may be another result in favor of the theory." Doctor T said, looking proud.
"Who are you?" Kert asked as he turned to the man.
"My name is Micheal Tanharris, pleasure to meet you." Micheal walked over and shook Kert’s hand.
"He’s here to help with some of the tests." Doctor T said as he looked over to Kert, he’s practically read Kert’s mind.
"So what exactly is this test going to be?" Kert asked.
"Well basically it’s a duel." Doctor T asnwered.
"A duel?"
"Yes, you know, like in the old west, two people with guns stand in the street and when the clock tolls 12 they grab for their guns and shoot!"
"Wait! With real guns?!"
"No, of course not, we’re using infra red laser guns and hit detectors on your chest." Doctor T replied, amused at that. Micheal pointed to the gear on the wall rack, they both went and put on a large vest with a hit detecting section on the front, and a small infra red gun.
"Now, on the count of three, you both will draw the guns and shoot." Doctor T looked at the moniter and smiled as he saw Kert’s brainwave’s heighten. "1…" Kert’s hand went down and hovered over his gun, "2…" Doctor T smiled even wider as Kert’s brainwaves were now just under that of the Zero system generated wave, "3!" They both reached for their guns and a target vest suddenly lit up lights to let other’s know it had been hit, Micheal stood there with his gun only just out of it’s holster while Kert stood there still holding his gun straight as it had been when he shot the shot that ‘killed’ Micheal. To say that Micheal was amazed would be understatement.
"Daaaaaay-uuum! And I ranked first in the contest for this." Micheal said as Kert lowered his infrared gun and looked over at Doctor T who was typing on his laptop. Kert walked over.
"So how’d I do?" Kert looked at the screen, it was at an angle to him where the colors where like a photo negative.
"Well, you didn’t surpass the Zero System wave, but you did well."
"Does that means I’m not a newtype?" Kert said with a small amount of despair, he was starting to warm up to the idea of being one of the first people to take another step in human evolution.
"Lord no, it only supports the theory! Look at this!" Doctor T turned to screen so Kert could see it properly, there were three charts, Kert’s, Micheals, and the Zero System. Kert’s were very high, he looked over to the Zero System chart and saw it was a bit higher than his. Then he looked at Micheal’s an nearly laughed, they were only a little more than half of Kert’s.
"So how’d I do?" Micheal said as he walked over, Kert held out a hand to stop him.
"You don’t wanna see, trust me." Kert said and then walked out of the room, Micheal was left trying to figure out exactly how bad he’d done, but he finally gave up and looked at the screen.
"WHAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
Colony L5
Tyler was stirred by the sounds of civilization outside and looked out the window. The colony was bright and sunny as always, they never really had a night here which made it very difficult for one to get some sleep when one needs it most. Tyler shut the blinds on the window and looked around his cheap hotel room, pretty small even by third class standards. He needed the sleep too, he’d spent a lot of his time the past couple of months moving around to avoid detection by the authorities. Tyler was about 35 in age and stood 5 feet 4 inches tall, he had brownish-blonde hair and blue eyes. He reached over to the nightstand beside him and grabbed a small wallet and looked in, he had about $100 left. He smirked as he remembered how they had stupidly given him $200 to grab a flight back to Earth from the colony, in truth he only needed about $50 for a cheap flight, he’d used the rest to fill his stomach, buy himself some new clothes besides that flight suit he had been wearing while he had been floating through space for…how many days?
It could not have been more than 4 or else he would be dead, it changed to not more than 2 as he was able to survive a small fire fight, he also remembered how his legs had been screaming for him to sit down while he was walking around setting up the scene afterwards. Well today was the day he planned to get to Earth where it would be hella harder to find him him. Grudgingly he dragged himself out of his cheap ass bed and walked zombie like to the bathroom, he walked out a few minutes later clean and shaven, but still somewhere between sleep and consciuosness, a cup of java would fix that, on second thought he decided it would be worth the foul taste of black to get the maximum dose of caffiene so he could return to the land of the living. He walked back to his bed and sat down sipping his coffee and turned on the television, it was a news broadcast.
"Today it was found that the person who alledgedly killed the UESA traitor Tyler Maddison was actually Tyler Maddison himself" Tyler spit up his coffee and stared at the screen. "It has been found that the DNA from the body does not match those recorded in data files. The authorities are searching the L5 colony currently, Tyler should be considered armed and dangerous." "God dammit!" Tyler swore loudly, he kicked out the screen of the TV in his anger, looks like his luck had run out, he hadn’t planned on it giving out so soon though, oh well, he was leaving today anyway, he’d just have to keep a low profile. He had to leave NOW though so he walked to his suitcase and started rummaging about, no, nope, to bright, to black, to weird, sunglasses would help, he tossed a pair onto the bed and started going through it again. Soon he had found a hat and a shirt and pants that would blend in.
A few minutes later he was at the shuttle port.
"Hello sir, how may I help you?"
"I’d, um, like a ticket on the next flight to Earth please." Tyler said, trying hard not to use his own voice.
"Will that be first class, second class, or coach?"
"Coach please."
"Right, that’ll be," She typed something on a calculator, "$55 please." Tyler handed her the fifty-five and got his ticket. He sat down on one of the benches and looked up at the large screen displaying the schedules, his ticket said flight 204, which left in………15 minutes.
UESA research Center, Mojave Desert CA
Kert sat upright in his bed, it had been a day after the first test and he was enjoying a breakfast in bed while he watched the morning News.
"Today it was found that the person who alledgedly killed the UESA traitor Tyler maddison…" That name caught Kert’s attention and he put down his bowl then listened intently, had they gotten him? "…was acutally Tyler Maddison himself." Kert went wide eyed. "It has been found that the DNA from the body does not match the DNA on recorded data files, the authorities are currently searching the L5 colony area, Tyler should be considered armed and dangerous. In case you hadn’t heard before, Tyler defected from the UESA and formed his own group, however he was brought down by Kertani Williams, apparently his gundam class mobile suit survived the blast and he floated in space for 2 days before he was found, he murdered the crew of the search craft that found him and went to colony L5 where he pretty much disapeared." Crap! Now he was back, no telling what he might do, if he got back to Earth…
"RING!"
Kert’s train of thought was de-railed and he looked over to the phone, it ringed again so he walked over and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Did you see the broadcast?" Kert was surprised by this question, the voice was totally unfamiliar.
"Umm, which one?"
"The one about Tyler Maddison being alive?"
"Uh, yeah I guess."
"Good, I’ll try and stop him, our work cannot be undone so soon." Click! Kert set down the receiver, who the hell was that…and what did he mean by ‘our work’?………no………it couldn’t be!
UESA repair hanger, colony L4
"Dammit!" Drake pounded his fist on the desk, he had just seen the broadcast and he wasn’t happy about it one bit. His crew was in the hangar repairing a test battered Leo II suit, even though it was not war time the UESA still conducted it’s own weapons research just in case, all the new technology was waiting to be mass produced when the need arose, the UESA would not tolerate another breach in the peace they had worked so hard for. David walked in with greasy hands.
"Well the repairs are almost complete, that last test went totally AWOL! Drake………Drake?"
"Tyler is back."
"What?! He’s dead!"
"No he’s not, his mobile suit died but just enough was left to keep him alive, he took over a shuttle and got back to colony L5 and disappeared, looks like he might be coming back for a visit."
Colony L5
"Now boarding flight 204 to Earth." The intercom said, Tyler got up and grabbed his suitcase and was walking over to the hangar, as he turned around to get a better grip on the suitcase he saw a man in a black trenchcoat, hat, and sunglasses walking towards him. He payed no heed to this and continued walking to the hangar. Soon he was in line to get one, about 34 people ahead of him. He turned to look around, there he was again, and this time he had his hand inside his trenchcoat and brought out a metallic obj…
Tyler dove for cover as several bullets whizzed past his head, he had ducked just in time and now drew a 9 mm from his coat pocket and fired a few rounds back at the man who had dove for cover behind a corner. Tyler saw his chance and took, sprinting towards the exit, hoping to lose whoever it was in the din of panicking civilians. He made it out the door and was about to run when he saw the man again, this time he was right behind him with a gun to Tyler’s head, this guy was good, too damn good.
"Who the hell are you?!" Tyler asked through grit teeth, holding back a rage at being underminded by some common hit man, whoever it was.
"Makes no difference, you’re going to die now anyway." Tyler flinched at the comment as a .45 colt hammer readied itself behind his head. He quickly reached behind him and grabbed the stranger’s arm then flung him over his shoulder and ran. The man in black recovered perfectly and shot a few rounds at Tyler, they missed and Tyler dove for cover under a dumpster and returned fire blindly. When he looked the man was gone.
Now there was a problem, some guy he didn’t know was out to kill him, and his main transport was not an option since he had been the cause of the panic. He’d have to get onboard a carrier somehow, he ran, not in any particular direction, he just ran like the devil himself was snapping at his heels. A mobile suit, that’s what he needed, he’d use it to take over a shuttle and get to Earth, but where would he get one. The research center nearby, there wer new Leo II mobile suits just waiting for him, that was it. His sprint was now focused as he headed down the street towards the UESA Mobile Suit and Weapons Research and Development Center.
UESA Research Center, Mojave Desert, CA
Kert sat trying to figure out whether the person who’d called him was who he thought it was or not. Besides that how he had found the number to the Research Center. There was a knock on his door.
"It’s open." Kert said, Doctor T peeked in.
"Well, I’ve gotten an idea that might help me prove my theory to the UESA research board, they say they are only interested if the subject, you to specific, can surpass the Zero System wave." Doctor T said, he was a bit excited juding by his tone of voice.
"So that means this entire thing is a flop huh?" Kert said dismally.
"Nope, I’ve come up with an idea that brainwaved increase higher when a certain task is performed. Say a cook tries to build a building, since he has no idea what to do, his brainwaves are low. But when he cooks, something he is good at, his brainwaves heighten a lot more since his brain snaps to attention so quickly and performs the actions necessary to complete the task." He replied.
"You mean if we do a test on something I am accustomed to my brainwaves will increase more?" Kert said, wantng to get a verification on this string of words he had just heard.
"Exactly, a matter of fact, we have something set up for you right now!" Doctor T said, so this was the excitement in his voice.
"What is it?" Kert asked.
UESA Mobile Suit and Weapons Research and Development Center, Mobile Suit Research Wing, Testing Division
"Ok, try the target system one more time, hope the sight’s not off again." Morris said, he had had a long day testing the Leo II, he had told himself he would get it all done in one day and get it out of the way. He had a lot of other things to work on. They were mostly filling out data tables and mailing them to officials who requested them. The way things worked in the MSWR&D division was that the Mobile Suit development team would receive a design, after deeming it possible or not they passed it on to UESA higher ups. When they gave the go the development devision began drawing up computer programs, diagrams, testing and finally making the first prototype, the testing division would then take the prototype and put it through a series of tests until it was deemed complete and went into full production. This wasn’t so with the Leo II, it had been dropped on his desk the day after the Plague Wars had ended and they were in a rush to complete, Morris still could not believe these designs were made by a kid, and since he was after all a gundam pilot the development branch had no trouble passing it by the UESA.
"Alright, commencing 5th test of weapon sight at," he looked at his watch, "5:00 PM, Earth time. Commencing now." He put down the tape recorder and gave the go for the pilot in the Leo II. Morris had decided even before his career had started that he would keep a record of all his work on a project until it was done and then store the data just in case it was needed later. The pilot aimed the Leo cannon at the target which was constructed of gundanium so it would net be destroyed, they rounds had a little bit of paint in them so they could accurately see where the shot had landed. The canna went off with a three shot burst, Morris looked over at the target, the sight was better now, but still a little bit off, maybe he would resum this tom…
"Outta my way!" Someone down the hall screamed, Morris whirled around just in time to see someone pull a gun on him and "pow!" That was the last thing Morris heard before he went down. The man climbed up the leg of the Leo II and when the test pilot had opened the cockpit to see what the hell was going on he was thrown out onto the floor, when he landed on the hard metal floor he broke his neck and died instantly.
"C’mon, where is it?!" Tyler said as he frantically looked about the control console of the Leo II for the start button, he found it and pushed it and took hold of the joysticks as the suit whirred back to life. "Now let’s see what this thing can do." Tyler said as he blew a hole in the main hull, the vacuum pulled out the suit but not any scientists, they had fled the room and sealed the airtight doors. Tyler drifted into space, confident that he had escaped.
"You’re not out of the woods yet my friend." Came a voice from Tyler’s speaker, he snapped to attention once more and took the controls of the Leo II.
"Who the hell are you?!" Tyler yelled desperately.
"I am death, and at the same time I am the plague which brings it." Tyler suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, it all made sense now, the reason for this man wanting to kill him, the voice, and the overall dark attitude, this person was none other than the soul who would most like to exact revenge upon him, Plague.
"YOU!" Tyler said, his response was an evil laugh, Tyler collected himself and calmed down. "Honestly, under that dark cover you are actually a pathetic fool! How in hell do you expect to kill me when I am in a mobile suit?!"
"With another one."
Suddenly the radar alert blared to life and Tyler saw a Taurus coming straight at him on the monitor. Tyler pointed his gun and blasted, the shots were dodged and it was coming in with a beam saber drawn.
"SEE YOU IN HELL!" the Taurus swung and missed, the Leo whirled around and fired again, it hit once but to little effect as the Taurus easily recovered and whirled aroun.
"Dammit! These rounds aren’t live!" Tyler said in dismay as he tossed the cannon away and drew out a beam saber from under the shield. "That’s more like it! COME AND GET ME!" The two suits charged eachother and both deflected with the beam sabers then came in for another attack, the Taurus held there as the two suits equally matched tried to overcome one another.
"Ah, good, I was hoping this wouldn’t be so easy!" Plague said as his Taurus shoved the Leo back and went in for the kill, the Leo blocked with its shield and slashed back and missed only to receive the business end of the Tauruses fist which sent it reeling back, Taurus charged once again but instead of dodgin the Leo ignited its thrusters and charged, just when they were about to hit it dodged down.
"What?!" Plague looked down, the Leo was rearing a swing, he hit the thrusters and bolted up barely missing being sliced in two.
"That was too close, he wan’t this good last time we fought! What the hell?!" Plague looked at the moniter which was alerting him of a slash in the torso that had penetrated the core reactor which was now nearing melt down, and that was iminent, he hadn’t been too close, he had been right on the mark.
"You failed again Plague! I almost feel pity seeing a great warrior such as you going down in such a low calibur fight as this! I’LL SEE YOU IN HELL!" The Leo slashed again but the Taurus blocked with it’s arm (which was promptly cut off) and tackled the Leo around the waist. Plague, wearing a jetpack and astro suit bailed and rocketed backward. The Leo was knocked back far by the impact, after getting himself re oriented Tyler looked about the indicators on the console. Lets see, minimal damage, proximity warning, reactor of object going critical, Earth’s gravity taking hold, atmoshperic re-entry in 15 seconds. WHAT?!?!?! Tyler looked about frantically, surely they would have something to provide protection from re-entry heat!
Plague looked on smirking as the Leo drifted down.
UESA Research Center, Mojave Desert, California
Kert walked beside Doctor T and Micheal as they walked down the hall, where they were going was known only by Doctor T. Micheal walked up to Kert.
"Um, yeah, well I would kind of appreciate it if you kinda forgot that incident back there at the first experiment." He sheepishly.
"Ok, but I don’t think it will do any good." He said with a slight smirk on his face.
"Wh, What do you mean?"
"I mean that your yell was heard by everyone in the facility."
"WHAT?!" Micheal looked over to some workers at a desk who smiled and waved, Micheal fell over anime style. (Had to have SOME humor in this story.) Doctor T stopped at a doorway and led them in.
"Um Doctor T? It might help a little if you turn on the lights." Kert said as he looked around in the darkness. There was a click on the room filled instantaneously with light. Sitting there were two simulator pods, Kert snapped to realization. "So you’re gonna have us fight in these simulator pods?"
"yeeup." Doctor T said "I’ll be over there in the control room watching the fight. Oh and by the way…" Doctor T looked over to Micheal who was looking over one of the pods, "take it easy on him will you?" He said almost laughing.
"I’ll try." Kert said with another grin, Doctor T walked over to the control room and pressed a button, the pods opened with a hiss.
"Alright, get in and I’ll start the program." They both sat down in the simulator pods and were covered in complete darkness as they both shut. A light popped on in each of them and illuminated the buttons.
"Right then, Kert, this is the control console of the Leo II, you both have the same mobile suits but Kert’s is at 50% damage already, a valid handicap I think" Kert just shrugged whil Micheal was thinking whether that would matter or not, "now, Kert, you will find a brainwave reader behind your seat, put it on." Kert reached behind his seat, found it, and put it on. "Good, starting, now!" An image of a desert field lit up and Kert saw Micheals computerized Leo II a couple hundred feet from him.
"Hope you’re ready to die kid!" Came Micheals voice over the intercom, he’d decided that the handicap would matter.
"Hope your ready to eat your foot pilot!" Kert responded, right away the Leo II in front opened fire and Kert dove behind a rock immeciately to his right and opened fire back and…hit, right in the arm on Micheal’s. It reeled back a few steps while Kert’s activated it’s jets and jumped over the rock, when it landed it drew it’s beam saber and charged with it’s shield in front. Micheal’s fired like no tommorow but every shot bounced off the shield and to make matters worse it had now run out of ammo, Kert’s dropped the shield and got a surge of speed from the lifted weight and absolutely screamed across the field right at Micheal’s Leo II when it activated it’s jets again, Micheal brought up his shield and tried to draw his beam saber but it was too late, Kert pounced on him but the shield effectively blocked his attack but the blow still sent Micheal to the ground. Kert laded about ten yards behind him.
"Get up." Kert said.
"Why don’t you kill me?" Micheal asked, reather surprised he’d said that.
"Cus is this easy enough as it is." Kert replied, that tore it, Micheal’s Leo II leapt to it’s feet and charged Kert head on beam saber at the ready, Kert’s brought down it’s beam saber and repelled the attack then stabbed at Micheal’s who tossed the attack aside with it’s shield then made another stab which was blocked by the shield. Kert’s made a punch at Micheal which connected and sent Micheal’s Leo II back a few steps and before it could recover it got it’s arm lobbed off by Kert then stabbed in the other shoulder.
"Dammit!" Micheal swore loudly in his pod as he made one last attempt to block a deathblow, it failed and Micheal’s Leo II was stabbed right through the middle. ‘GAME OVER’ was displayed on the screen.
Space, near Earth’s atmoshpere, sector 32-17
Tyler finally found a button labeled ‘Atmosheric re-entry mode’ and slammed his fist on it. The Leo II’s lower legs opened up a compartment on the outside and two planet defensors came out of each, they arranged themselves in front of the Leo II and ativated, creating a agnetic field which would repel the immense heat of re-entry.
"Object’s reactor going critical" The computer reminded him again, oh crap how could he have forgot!? He sliced the Taurus in half at the waist to make it lighter and then threw the torso for all the Leo II was worth, the torso exploded and sent the Leo II flying even faster than it was.
"NO! Why the hell did they have to put a God damn re-entry system on the friggin thing!" Plague cursed as he floated through space back toward the colony, he’d have some difficulty evading the authorities who would doubtlessly have some questions that he couldn’t answer with out incriminating himself. All this for nothing! Dammit! He pondered upon this huge failure as he watched the Leo II enter the atmosphere unharmed.
Plague made another mistake, the ride for the passenger wasn’t exactly smooth, at times Tyler doubted that he would make it but once the familiar blue glow of the atmoshpere enveloped him he let out a sigh of relief.
"That’s one crisis averted, argh!" He yelled as a piece of debri from the Taurus that had not burned up hit the Leo II and jostled him a bit. He started looking over his maps, he was right over the Atlantic, and had enough power left to make a free fall landing then fly back to land, or at least withing rowing distance of it, he thought as he eyed the compartment marked ‘inflatable life raft’.
Tyler has landed despite Plague’s efforts, and after he reaches shore God knows what will happen, Plague remains in space and tries his best to avoid the authorities while below on the Earth, Kert, Micheal, and Doctor T continue their judicious newtype research. What will happen, and who will it effect? Is this the beginning of yet another devestating war? Find out next time on Episode 3 of The Battle of Angels:
Genisis of Conflict