Chapter 5 (1/2)

第三章「赤い幻影を追って」1

CHAPTER.03 – IN PURSUIT OF A RED PHANTOM (1)

“Looks like it’s time to part with this little guy. I’m going to miss him…”

Arlette spoke with a sense of sadness in her voice, as she took out the system disk from the c.o.c.kpit of the Zaku III.

“It can’t be helped. This thing’s too big to bring with us.”

Danton responded quietly, as he looked at the c.o.c.kpit that had carried him this far.

“I know…”

After working the console for a bit, Arlette took a quick breath and lifted her head.

“I’ve finished formatting the OS. This guy won’t be waking up any more.”

“Thanks…”

Danton murmured sympathetically, looking up at the red giant that stood silently before him. As long as Axis were to continue its course away from Earth, that Zaku III would never see a human being again. It would just drift through the darkness of s.p.a.ce, amidst an infinite silence.

“Sorry to wake you so suddenly. You can rest now.”

“That’s not like you. First time in a c.o.c.kpit in a while, and you get all sentimental?”

“Shut it.”

As Arlette crawled out of the c.o.c.kpit with a grin on her face, Danton turned toward Mehmet below and called out.

“I’m done over here, too.”

“Well done. We’ve finished our preparations as well.”

Kicking aside some rubble to get through, Mehmet stood silently before the two of them.

“We’re gathering the injured from the battle and returning them to the landing s.h.i.+p. I’ve reorganized a unit with my remaining men.”

“Okay…”

A quick look around showed a total of six remaining Mastema members, including Mehmet. Along with Arlette and Danton, the eight of them would continue exploring.

“I’d like to avoid losing any more of my men.”

Danton gave a grunt in response to Mehmet’s wry smile.

“All we can do is pray that we don’t see that Gundam again.”

“Indeed.”

“Mehmet, any idea where that Gundam came from?”

Mehmet shrugged his shoulders in response.

“No clue.”

“How about you, Danton? Did you notice anything while you were fighting?”

“It was small.”

“Ah…yeah, I thought so too.”

At Danton’s quick answer, Arlette gave a slight nod.

“Nothing in the Zaku III’s database matched that Gundam, but it was a tad smaller that the current mobile suit standards. Smaller than a Jegan. That’s probably similar to the mobile suits that were used before the Gryps conflict, maybe even as far back as the One Year War. Though, I’m sure the parts have been tuned up to something more modern…”

“Hmm…”

Mehmet rubbed his head as he thought over the situation.

“Since the end of Char’s rebellion, Axis has been under the surveillance of the Federation, but there have been more than a few people who’ve sneaked in to make a profit. Most of them are civilian junk dealers and scavengers. I figured that was the case for the guys we just ran into… But if they have a Gundam in their possession…”

“There was a Jegan with them, too.”

“There might be more to this than meets the eye.”

Mehmet turned around and called to one of his subordinates who was about to head to the landing s.h.i.+p.

“Locke.”

“Yes, sir?”

The soldier, Locke, pa.s.sed an injured man he had been helping to one of his comrades and walked over to Mehmet.

“Once you return to the s.h.i.+p, I want you to track every vessel traveling through this area. I doubt those guys left anything that would give away their ident.i.ty, but just to be sure.”

“Understood.”

“Thank you.”

After sending his subordinate back out, Mehmet checked he watch on his s.p.a.ce suit.

“We don’t have much time. We have to leave this asteroid within two hours if we don’t want to join it for a trip into an asteroid belt.”

“I’ll pa.s.s on the asteroid belt.”

“Let’s head for our original destination.”

“The Maharaja Khan Memorial Research Inst.i.tute, right?”

“Yes, that was the primary location for Psycommu-related research and development.”

“Alright, let’s hurry. If you would please take the lead again, guides.”

“Sure thing.”

Mehmet turned towards his team.

“All soldiers, move out!”

×　　×　　×

Arlette, Danton and the Mastema team of six left the residential quarters and headed toward the research facility. They took as many side pa.s.sages as they could, hoping to avoid another encounter with a mobile suit. Of course, there was a possibility that there were enemy soldiers nearby as well, but if it came down to hand-to-hand combat, the Mastema special forces would have the upper hand.