Chapter 7.1 (2/2)
”Then trust me and go with him.”
Naina's characteristically Peacecraft blue eyes filled to the brim with tears, ”I understand.”
”I'm sorry.”
”I'll be strong, just as you taught me.”
Father and daughter hugged each other tight, reluctant to be parting.
”Oh G.o.d......” I just might have gotten wrapped up on something untoward. ”But you know, I can't drive [this] drunk...” I ordered another tequila, put the bottle to my lips and faceplanted into the counter [#10]. This was the only way I could be nice to people 220/2/6<. ”let's=”” leave......=”” tomorrow=”” afternoon......=”” good......=””>
***
The afternoon of the next day, when Naina was completely prepared for the trip, she [and I] left the saloon and there, outside, lay the bodies of the poker guys and Fatty McStuperson.
”This appears to be a send off from my father...... please put [the bounty: towards travel expenses.”
Somehow, while I'd been sleeping, Laphraig's gang had returned for revenge and Cyrene Wind had finished them off. These guys' had also had a reward as Laphraig had, but i'd let them go as they were just small potatoes. Still, many a little makes a mickle [#11], and I'd get a pretty penny for all of these guys. I decided to take it; it was a decent amount for travel expenses or even a donation to the Schbeiker Orphanage. And farewell to that nasty b.l.o.o.d.y [scene]. And then, there was the problem of how cheap their lives were, no matter how many 220/3/9-10<. and=”” young=”” miss=”” naina=”” being=”” entirely=”” unperturbed=”” by=”” [the=”” murders],=”” that=”” was=”” all=”” i=”” could=”” expect=”” from=”” the=”” daughter=”” of=”” cyrene=”” wind.=”” whether=”” she=”” was=”” used=”” to=”” it=”” or=”” she=”” had=”” just=”” accepted=”” her=”” fate=”” didn't=”” change=”” the=”” fact=”” that=”” she=”” was=”” a=”” dauntless,=”” pitiable=”” girl.=”” and---=”” this=”” kind=”” of=”” scene=”” was=”” par=”” for=”” the=”” course;=”” mars=”” was=”” a=”” world=”” where=”” a=”” man=”” had=”” his=”” fill=”” of=”” freedom=”” and=””>
***
MC-0017 Next Summer
Naina sat in the back seat as we crossed the Martian continent [#12] East and further East. When we crossed the long river at Marineris ravine, we used mud tires. For the vast deserts, we used paddle tires. The fins were ruined immediately, so we had to go to para-terraforming towns several times for repairs.
”I've never seen anyone nowadays stupid enough to travel across Mars on a bike like this,” I was told everywhere I went. But what did they know? Surely not the oy that can only be tasted by touring [ALT: Surely not the kind of joy that can only be experienced by touring on the back of bike].
We crossed the equator and went south. We'd gotten within a few dozen kilometers of the Lanagrin Republic where Hilde ran the Schbeiker orphanage. But it wasn't my reunion with good old Hilde that was running through my mind, it was Neuenheim Konzern who held the destiny of the young lady sitting behind me in his hands. Even I had cleaned up s.p.a.ce waste as a former member of the s.p.a.ce Sweepers. I (intended) to have as much common sense as the next guy. I'm sure I remember Neuenheim Konzern establis.h.i.+ng his business at the end of the AC era. The for-profit business's name meant 'New House' in German. In order to shake off the chronic economic changes [suffered by an] impoverished, exploited (little) Earth, [the Neuenheim Konzern] developed new markets of economic activity and continued supportive activities to bolster the citizens of s.p.a.ce. At the start of the AC era, a permanent s.p.a.ce station was completed and that serves as the archetype for the s.p.a.ce colonies. It wouldn't be saying too much to call the Neuenheim's transference of resource satellites from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and using that as the construction by which to build the s.p.a.ce colonies a great deed 221/2/13-15. So it's only natural that [he] acquired special permission [to use] basic techniques [to build colonies] and with one colony complete, his business was set up to rake in the dough hand over fist. Conversely, [his] possession of those profits, in fact, caused s.p.a.ce developments and colony construction to be slower than usual [ALT: in fact, caused s.p.a.ce exploitation]. Proof of this can be seen when Neuenheim Corporation's patents (vanished) around AC 130 and another explosive colony-building rush started. Neuenhiem's company, whose standard operating procedure was first and foremost what could be called (marketplace mechanism-ism) and utilitarian profit marketing, was more interested in realizing the planetary reform plan, aka the ”terraforming project,” then s.p.a.ce colony development which was held up by the loss of the patents. Selected as the first target was this here Mars. The development and dome-shaped, airtight residences and releasing man-made freon to hasten atmospheric change with the greenhouse effect, even the s.p.a.ce elevator that connected Phobos to Mars for the sake of more efficiently making use of materials, was one part of the plan. By the speech President Miliardo ((actually Dixneuf Neuenheim)), where he went so far as to pro-rate the Mars [century] calendar dating back to the completion of the para terraforming, stunk to high heaven of a substantially disagreeable company 223/3/14. Well, Mars turned out to be hard to sell. Being well accustomed to Earth, [not many were inclined] to move to Mars with its weak atmospheric pressure and only one third of Earth's gravity. It was the same reason the lunar domiciles failed. The Earth and the colonies around her were plenty. Also, Mars was physically too far away. (However,) around that time territorial disputes broke out all over and it was manufacturing mobile suits and other weapons more than s.p.a.ce development that bore profits. At least, in my memory, resource satellite MO-VII cras.h.i.+ng into the Argyre field in Mars' southern hemisphere- in AC 187 I think- couldn't really have been a chance occurance, could it? I'm betting Neuenhiem did that intentionally. I think it was deliberate because it was a little too convenient to the development of Mars that that satellite contained Europa algae. That was even more suspicious and crooked than me! Well, the president of the company at the time was n.o.ble Neuenheim [#13] ((Noin's father)) and this is what he said:
”[The MO-VII falling] isn't anywhere near planetary-scale destruction. This was far more humane than those who trade in people's lives for a profit ((here, he was pointing to the Romefeller and the Barton Foundations)). Action taken for the sake of future generations will [surely lead to] the greatest well-being for the greatest number of people.”
That was a typical (market mechanism-ist) way of thinking; it make me sick. There's no reason for [them?] to record these things and that was all must my conjecture but I [thought I was] right on the money. Well, the core makeup of people who came to Mars consisted mostly of liberalists who felt 'total pacifism' was too constricting and utilitarians who [had] shaken up the market cultivation: all the rest were Earth's undesirables: outlaws and hooligans. On top of that, they did just as they pleased out in the sticks away from the long arm of the law. Owning to that, to the powerless (lit: authority-less), penniless weak who hated fighting, Mars definitely became a disaster area 222/2/2-3. Particularly for women and children, that disadvantageous combination was pretty high and with riots and terrorism all over the place, there was no decrease in the numbers of war orphans or prost.i.tutes. There was no hope and no dreams for those who weren't preferred. On the other hand, if you just had confidence in your strength and nerve, you could sing the praises of freedom 222/2/4. For a guy like me, it was my kind of place......
***
A familiar hill came into sight. It looked exactly like a Bactrian camel [#14]. Soon as I crossed that camel, I'd be at the Schbeiker Orphanage. Usually, I'd take the hill in a double jump, but since I was riding tandem this time, I decided not to. Taking the pace down a notch, I eased [the bike] up and down the hill and again for the mountain. As I'd never [taken it so easy coming over camel-back], it seemed as though Hilde didn't realized my partner [bike] and I had arrived.
”What? Father?”
The eight orphans surrounding Sister Hilde were having a late lunch.
”Yo, everybody. How ya doin'?” Hilde had taken over the orphanage, and church also, from me quite a while ago. She was still young and beautiful in her own way; I wish she'd forget about (being stuck me/us) and [find a nice guy from a] middle-cla.s.s family to marry into. But I wasn't so lucky. Seriously, I've never seen anybody work as hard as I do. By the way, the government of this planet taxes churches. That in itself wasn't special or anything. But we don't get welfare 222/3/12, either. The Duo Orphanage or Maxwell Church would have been good [names] but using the name of a wanted man (fugitive) and I knew how much those guys at the tax office would overcharge/hara.s.s 222/3/14 us. So that's why we used Hilde's surname and re-christened it the Schbeiker Orphanage. What we really did was mainly raising orphans burned out of house and home from the war 222/3/12-13 and finding foster parents to take care of them, and not once did we teach our troubled lambs such boring tripe as [finding] the sacred path. I sent the reward money and the quick cash made on crooked gambling here, but it wasn't clean money having come from those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds and I knew it wasn't the right (best) way [to earn it]. But there's no such thing as good money or bad money when it comes to feeding hungry kids, right? I wasn't in the business to be lauded by anyone so I thought it was alright. Hilde had once laughed and said:
”Once you've made up your mind, there's nothing I could say to make you change it, huh.”
I introduced her to Naina. Being older than all eight of the kids, Naina was all of a sudden their big sister [figure] and had to look after them, but as long as Naina herself was okay with that, I didn't feel any particular sense of responsibility.
Sister Hilde pulled my sleeve, ”Where did you pick her up? You have a loli complex or something?”
”Your language just gets worse and worse, don't it, Hilde?”
”Someone's a bad influence...... after all, it's your fault, Mr. Unenlightened, didn't you know?” 223/1/14-15......”
”I'll leave you to it...... one of these days, a guy going by the name of Wind's supposed to come pick her up.”
Naina was a hit with the eight ankle biters once they warmed up to her. I took notice of one particular rugrat about four years old and looking like trouble, ”Who's that?”
”He just appeared from out of nowhere recently...... he looks like you, I thought one of your women'd had him.”
For a second, the faces of various women flashed through my mind but none seemed very familiar. Thinking back by his apparent age would have been when I was going with Hilde. The mean looking kid ignored me and Naina and went outside.
As Hilde watched the brat leave, she whispered in my ear, ”For now, I've been calling him Duo...... when his hair gets a little longer, I'm going to braid it... I'm sure you'll be like peas in a pod.”
”Don't say that, I'm still a man of the cloth. I run and hide, but I'm vestal Father Maxwell 223/2/8.”
”Liar, you're always getting dumped...... you playboy!”
”Whoa, don't get your panties in a bunch...... I told you from the get-go what I was like.”
”Yeah yeah......”
”One 'yeah' is enough.”
”Yeah yeah yeah.”
”...... ” Apparently she wasn't going to listen to my warnings or my rebukes. She pretty much hated me.
Hilde clapped her hands to get the attention of the noisy brats and said, ”Alright, everyone! I hear the Father is leaving! Let's give him a big, smiley send-off!!”
”Come back [soon]!” [The kids said.]
It would have been nice to have at least had the time to have a smoke but, seems like I wouldn't get a chance to relax [here]. Well, I suppose it's gotta be a bad influence on the kids to have a gangster [#15] like me hanging around.
”I'll get going right now.” I went outside and when I faced my partner, the mean-looking ankle biter who looked a lot like me was fiddling uninvited with the engine.
”Oy, hey! Kid! What are you messing with?”
”I'm just really into two-wheeler bikes.”
”Yeah right, as if you know anything.”
”The hydraulic drive for the front wheel's been caked in mud! If you ride like that, the back wheel'll lose torque and you'll sink for real.”
”I-I guess you know a thing or two.” I thought she hadn't been running up to par recently.
”I cleaned it up for you...... I changed the oil filter while I was at it,” said the kid who, without so much as a hint of smugness, tossed a black, sand covered filter into the trash. ”It's okay that I used the [filter] that was under the back seat, right?”
”O-oh...... thanks.”
The kid looked right at me and asked, ”So, you're my old man?”
”Nooo way!”
”Don't our faces look alike?”
”That's just a coincidence you d.a.m.n brat......” I straddled the bike, started the engine and there sure was a fine sound coming from the front. ”Don't you knw your mom's name or anything?” I didn't think he'd know, but I asked just in case.
”No clue, yo I've been on my own since I was born!”
”In that case, you'll be fine hereafter, too!”
”Here? The old lady won't let me cut my hair!”
”Ha ha ha...... something like a braid wouldn't leave you even if you died.”
”Big whoops, idiot.”
”Don't you go making Sister Hilde cry!”
”Same to you. Aren't you doing just as you please?”
”It's been real, Duo!”
”Later, Father c.r.a.pswell.”
I revved the bike up and beat the light fantastic out of there. I decided to take camel back mountain in a double jump and didn't look back. What a horrendous brat! That was my first impression [of Duo].
***
MC-0022 Next Winter
Taking off the virtual visor, Kathy turned around.
”Father, is that true?”
”Well...... it's not a lie,” I said lightly. I fool around and I gamble, but Father Maxwell is honest [about doing it].
”If that's true, then who is the man [calling himself] Special Commander First Cla.s.s Zechs Merquise of the Lanagrin Republic?”
”If it's not actually the man himself, not a clone and not, of course, a spare...... what possibilities can you think of?”
”A g-ghost?”
”[The real Zechs Merquise] is still alive, calling himself 'Cyrene Wind.'
”Then a living ghost?”
”Why are you imagining all these unbelievable [impossibilities]......”
”A disguise or plastic surgery?”
”All wrong......”
”How can you be so sure?”
”I can...... long ago when my bride boarded a battles.h.i.+p called Libra......”
Then, suddenly the emergency take off alarm for the subterranean mobile suit hanger rang out.
”Master Chang!” Kathy shouted at the monitor as she called up that reckless idiot. He was piloting the mobile suit that had been at the base.
”This is Chang Wufei!” His face and voice both were as youthful as they had been in the past. ”On the observation satellite's monitor, there are four machines shown making an attack from the Lanagrin Republic!”
”Four?!”
”You mean Zechs?”
Wufei, blazing with fighting spirit, coldly declared, ”The suits have been confirmed and scanned, results [show] a collation of model numbers...... OZ-03 MCIV {Virgo IV}, three; and model number OZ-13 MS {gundam Epyon}”
”Gundam......”
”So they've finally started moving out......”
”I'll make arrangements immediately for reinforcements.”
”There's no need for that! I can take them out alone.”
Wufei's machine was a white mobile suit with a dragon hang [?] equipped on the right arm and a beam trident for the left.
”Code name 'Nataku'...... Preventer's scramble! {epyon II} Is taking off!”
***To Be Continued
NOTES
#1 - Wild Turkey, the bourbon.
#2 - This is apparently the name of a single malt Scottish whiskey (the Laphraig, not the Pete).
#3 - Actually, Duo is saying Zechs has killed millions of people. Given the way you count in j.a.panese, Duo LITERALLY says ”if he's killed man, he's killed a hundred. That's in tens of thousands.” But one hundred ten-thousands is a million. It sounds more menacing to say a guy (zechs) has kills LOTS of people, then tack on that number is actually a power of ten, doesn't it?
#4 - Neuenheim is, as far as I can tell, a place in Germany. Konzern is apparently German for ”business group” and that makes a lot of sense.
#5 - Dixneuf is French for the number 19.
#6 - Indeed, Cyrene is the DAUGHTER of the king of Lapiths, she was caught fighting a lion by Apollo and he whisked her off to some part of Africa which bore the name Cyrenaica (named after her) which is in modern day Libya. Pleased to note: the raw text uses the genderless ”sprite” or ”fairy.”
#7 - the kanji of the raw text says ”sprite” or ”fairy” but Sumizawa specifies the reading is ”Cyrene.” Zechs is definitely referring to his daughter, however.
#8 - Literally, he says Naina is his ”good for nothing daughter” but I'm chalking this up to j.a.pan's typical introduction rules that mandate one must humble oneself (or one's family, etc.).
#9 - And being only just in his thirties in AC years when it's MC-0017 means that five MC years later (or about ten AC years), he'd be entering his forties when Heero is awakened and Katrine steals Prometheus and Kathy is getting brought up to speed on the VR thing.
#10 - I haven't been to enough bars to know, but it seems like you couldn't get a BOTTLE of tequila (especially considering they'd already had five shots of it). I HAVE had tequila in j.a.pan and it comes in shots, which I a.s.sume is the norm. And finally, why does he faceplant into the counter? Maybe he just puts his head down on the counter...
#11 - I've never heard that expression, but it's apparently out there and apparently British? Just in case it's not obvious enough from context, Duo's saying ”several small sums add up to one big sum.”
#12 - Well, I can't find anything that names specific continents on Mars since there aren't actually oceans on Mars. None of the plains have a name with a p.r.o.nunciation that might match the j.a.panese phonetic transliteration as near as I can tell, so I guess Sumizawa's just saying they're crossing ”Mars.” I suppose it's possible that particular continent IS eponymous OR it could be ”Marth” from the Fire Emblem game (courtesy of Wikipedia j.a.pants) as I believe the creators lifted the name ”Khushrenada” off some other anime that was known at the time, but that's all I got. I'm sticking with KISS for now.
#13 - I can't find much about ノーベェ on the intarwebs, but come connection to chocolate seemed more prevalent if somewhat dated. There's both a belgian company (I guess?) and a guy from Oklahoma (I guess?) named n.o.ble.
#14 - Bactrian camels have two humps, dromedaries have one.
#15 - the raw text says ”yakuza” and while it COULD be the plain old yakuza, the dictionary also says it means ”no-good guy” or ”gambler” and we KNOW Fat Max is a (crooked!) gambler at least and hunts down other neredowells for their reward. You can take it or leave it.
NOTE: I haven't proofread this chapter as a whole yet given a myriad of things, the least of which not being the disaster than j.a.pan has turned into (and I am currently out of on a previously arranged vacation). I aplogize for the rough areas, but I figured it would be more fun for you all to know what's basically going on than waiting at least two more weeks for me to get back into j.a.pan (barring total nuclear meltdown).
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