[MONTHLY] Beltorchika's Children Ch.07

The area known as the shoal zone, with the moon as its backdrop, was once the airspace where Side 4 used to be located but was now filled with remnants of destroyed colonies and debris from space battles. As they navigated through this area, the monoeye of the Hi-Zack on top of the container of Char's launch lit up. Quess, still in civilian clothing, floated into the cockpit of the Hi-Zack through the tube that connected the launch and the mobile suit.

　"There's only one seat, though."

　Glarv, who was sitting in the Hi-Zack's cockpit, continued to protest.

　"You can sit on my lap."

　Looking up at Char from the hollow space of the container, he said, "Would that be okay?"

　Quess slipped in front of Glarv and sat on his lap. Char looked at them and closed the hatch of the container.

　"Once we're away from the launch, I'll let you take over."

　Reluctantly, he closed the hatch in front of the cockpit and detached the Hi-Zack from the launch, and a bird's-eye receding view appeared on the front display.

　"Whoa! We're floating!"

　Quess said contentedly, reaching out for the levers in Glarv's hands. Watching Quess's hand movements, Glarv withdrew his hands and fidgeted with his knees, feeling uneasy.

　"Can you not move? It makes me feel weird."

　"The feeling's mutual. Anyway, these levers--"

　"I know. It's different from the Jegan, but I get it."

　"Really?"

　Quess's delicate hand grabbed the levers on the left and right, and she moved her fingers up and down on top of the levers.

　"Like this, right?"

　Suddenly, she pulled the lever. The G-forces pulled the mobile suit down. The scenery on the surrounding display flowed quickly.

　"Keep it like that and raise it even higher!"

　"Alright!"

　Following Glarv's instructions, the display's scenery changed rapidly, all under Quess's control.

　"Bring the launch in front of us!"

　"Okay!"

　Without hesitation, the launch slid in front of them.

　"Is this really your first time piloting a mobile suit?" Glarv asked, unable to contain his surprise.

　"It's strange. When I'm sitting like this, I can feel the connection between my actions and the mobile suit's movements. Now watch, a backflip!"

　The Hi-Zack executed a backflip, appearing in front of the launch's cockpit.

　"Whoa!?"

　"Is that Quess?"

　"Yes. Looks like she's a natural."

　Char explained to Horst, peering over his shoulder.

　"Captain, the Muska's ready to pick us up."

　"Huh...?"

　Upon hearing the co-pilot's announcement, everyone turned to see a Neo Zeon vessel flashing its lights in the shadows of the rocks where the Hi-Zack was playfully maneuvering.

　The Hi-Zack appeared to notice the Musaka too. Its tail nozzle's light intensified as it approached the ship.

　"Watch out!"

　Glarv panicked in the cockpit, but Quess made a swooshing sound and propelled the Hi-Zack towards the Musaka, narrowly missing the bridge.

　"Don't provoke them!"

　"It's not my fault."

　"Please stop, at least for my sake. It's bad enough they don't trust me already."

　"Really now?"

　"Being at the Newtype Labs makes you elite, but it also draws envy."

　"What's wrong with that?"

　Quess made a rapid turn with the Hi-Zack and skimmed past the Musaka's bridge once again.

　"Quess!"

　No longer able to stand it, Glarv grabbed Quess's arms from both sides and yanked her away from the controls. However, he alone received a reprimand from the Musaka's captain, deck officers, and mobile suit unit commander.

　"Like a kid can just operate a mobile suit on their own! Huh! A Newtype should come up with a more clever excuse!"

　While being berated, Glarv couldn't help but think the captain's words were justifiable.

　"I promise to be more cautious!"

 　Glarv apologized loudly and was finally let go.

　"Seriously, what a thankless role..."

　Even though Glemy thought this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly when he recalled how he had obediently listened to his superior's orders today.

　"I'm at my wit's end..."

　Perhaps it was because the bittersweetness of inhaling Ques' scent still lingered in his thoughts.

　As Glarv headed to the pilots' lounge, he halted the lift grip upon spotting Char and Quess ascending a different passage.

　"Up here...?" 

　The passageway was dim. Glarv scanned the area, ensuring no one was around, then climbed to the level where Quess had disappeared and cautiously peeked out.

　A young soldier entered carrying a tray.

　"Oh! You're letting such a young soldier attend to you?"

　Quess's voice emanated from within the room, and soon after, the soldier emerged.

　"What are you doing?"

　Glarv, having forgotten to conceal himself, was chastised by the young soldier.

　"Ah, my apologies. I took a wrong turn... it's my first time on this ship."

　"Isn't the pilot core the same on any ship?"

　The young soldier scoffed.

　The Commander's room that Quess was led to featured genuine velvet walls and was lavishly adorned with authentic wooden columns and wainscoting.

　"Wow! Are rooms like this set up on every ship? You certainly have refined taste, don't you?"

　"It's not like I asked for it."

　"Why don't you drop the modesty? After all, you're important."

　Quess sipped milk through a straw brought by the soldier and sprawled onto the incredibly plush leather sofa as Char stepped into the adjoining room.

　Char came out wearing a dinner jacket over his dress shirt.

　"You must have some terrible memories for you to hate Earth, Quess Air?"

　Char called her by the false surname she had introduced herself with, knowing it was a lie. Quess's body was floating horizontally in the middle of the room.

　"…"

　Char took his own cup of unsweetened tea and gazed at Quess's still childlike body while sipping from the straw.

　"So why did you take an interest in me?"

　"You said that people are weighed down by gravity, didn't you?"

　Quess gently floated towards the ceiling.

　"Your words resonated with me. But I believe those who genuinely understand that notion are somewhat tragic. That's why you appear so cool on the surface."

　With his back to Quess, Char gazed out the porthole, thinking, "well, well." They appeared to have navigated through the shoal zone, leaving only stars in view.

　"I've always tried to pursue my passions, you know?"

　"Really?"

　"When I saw the swan take flight, Amuro yelled, and then I did too. That's when you appeared..."

　"Did you betray Amuro and the others because of that?"

　"They just happened to save me. I wouldn't call them friends."

　"Is that so...?"

　As Char peered through the porthole glass, Quess, who clung to the ceiling, was reflected in it.

X　　X　　X

　Lieutenant Kayra Su peered out of the window of the Londo Bell's mobile suit maintenance factory and was greeted by the imposing sight of the Ra Cailum docked at the pier, filling the entire view. Her attention shifted to the Re-GZ as she asked, "Great work. Did you manage to add even a single extra round?"

　"Of course!"

　The one with a cheerful demeanor was Astonaige Medoz.

　Behind them, the final inspection of the ν Gundam's cockpit area was underway, and the mood was quite tense. However, with the formerly unpainted sections now painted, the ν Gundam finally resembled a standard Earth Federation Forces mobile suit.

　"Wow! The Londo Bell colors really complement it, don't they?"

　"Well, it is originally a Gundam, and Amuro contributed to its design, so it's only fitting."

　Kayra laughed heartily at Beltorchika's comment, but her expression soon turned serious.

　"What about the Psycho Doga? There weren't any hidden transmitters or self-destruct devices, were there?"

　"We didn't miss anything, not even bombs disguised as grease."

　"That's a relief."

　Kayra nodded confidently but leaning in, Beltorchika couldn't help but ask, "Do you think all this work will be worth it?"

　"Are you talking about the peace agreement? No, I don't think so. Char is bent on crushing the Earth in one fell swoop."

　"Do you really believe that?"

　"Yes..."

　Beltorchika looked unconvinced, and Kayra appeared to have lost her feminine touch.

　"How can we get Amuro out of the mobile suit?" Beltorchika asked.

　"End the war, of course," Kayra answered.

　"Kayra!"

　"Sorry, Beltorchika..."

　Feeling regret for her callous words, Kera apologized to Beltorchika.

　Hathaway was as busy as the mobile suit deck. He was secretly making a large purchase without his father Bright's knowledge.

　Within the courtyard of a salvage yard near the Londo Bell barracks, Hathaway straddled a machine called "Medd," appearing to be a hybrid between a Petite Mobile and a mobile suit. He had just managed to stand it up.

　"Incredible! It feels so genuine!"

　Hathaway leaned out from the boxy frame to inspect the leg length, then attempted to make it walk. Despite the numerous creaking sounds it produced, the Medd moved.

　"Are you sure this is okay?"

　"It's fine. Look, it's moving. The real challenge, though, is obtaining a space-use license even if you practice with this."

　The junk shop owner, sporting a shiny red nose, casually spoke in front of the warehouse.

　"If you work for the Colony Public Corporation and perform colony repairs, you'll never go hungry."

　"What a dreary prospect. Are you one of those young people who plan their entire life so early on?"

　The old man raised his weary voice when a loud clattering echoed, and the Medd toppled into a heap of debris.

　The Medd failed to stick the landing after a jump, and the Haro ejected from its cockpit and hid in the pile of junk.

　"Ouch! You little...!"

　As Hathaway cursed, the old man approached the Medd and asked,

　"Is the canopy intact? This thing is built tough."

　"If it's leaking air, replace it."

　"No can do. That's extra. You can spread the loan over 50 months, alright?"

　"Okay, I'll go with that."

　After hoisting the Medd back up, Hathaway crawled under the heap of debris in pursuit of Haro.

　"Haro! Harooo!"

　Hathaway was resolved to master mobile suit operation, even if it meant taking out a loan to acquire this miniature version.

　"To win Quess back, I need the skills to venture into space. Otherwise, I won't get close to Char."

　Hathaway was convinced that he needed to become proficient in operating a mobile suit to achieve this.

　However, around the time Hathaway began his efforts, Quess was already piloting a mobile suit at a level far beyond what he could imagine.

　Located a considerable distance from Side 5's airspace, there was a distinctive space colony with a massive cylinder rotating on its own.

　About one-third of the sun-facing side was a closed-type colony used in places like Side 3, and about two-thirds of the rear side was a cylinder colony with three mirrors, commonly called an open-type. Steps created a sloping connection surface due to the different diameters.

　This was now, in fact, the colony established by the Neo Zeon regime, Sweetwater.

　The benign name was assigned to dispel the dark image of a hastily built colony created by connecting destroyed colonies to accommodate refugees. But, unfortunately, bureaucratic sensibility has always manifested in such ways.

　A rough-looking object was flying at a considerable speed in the airspace just ahead, followed by Glarv's second Psycho Doga.

　"Commander Char, you're engaging in something risky..."

　Glarv couldn't help but think this.

　However, Glarv was piloting a Psycho-type. Although his thoughts were not explicitly read by the monitors, unnecessary thought waves would still be recorded, so he quickly tried to concentrate on his task. This was the downside of the psycommu, a brainwave amplification device. Glarv was willing to expose everything about himself to others until he obtained true strength, but having to block even this level of thought occasionally caused physiological discomfort.

Pash pash!Pash

　The apogee motors of each joint of the rough-looking craft seen in the upper right flashed, and the machine executed a swift turn.

　"All right! Let's proceed to the target."

　Glarv called out and flew off in the opposite direction of Sweetwater.

　Near the port of the colony, the Rewloola was patrolling.

　However, the scene did not seem to be preparing for the handover to the Earth Federation government. Instead, several Geara Dogas were lined up on the upper catapult deck, and an atmosphere of tension dominated as if it were always like this.

　In the right corner of the spacious bridge of the Rewloola, the staff of the Newtype Labs occupied the area, with Mesta Mesa sitting in the center seat with a slightly tense expression.

　Behind her, observing the situation, Char also shared a similar tension.

　"Joint-Movable Balancer, they call it Jomb, right? Amazing..."

　The voice came from a small display on the console panel in front of Mesta. Quess, wearing a T-shirt, was seen operating the rough-looking machine.

　"You don't have to think about the movement of the apogee motors in the Alpha's joints!" Mesta said sharply.

　"Yes!"

　Quess's lively voice echoed clearly in the crowded bridge of adults.

　"Okay! We're going to start testing the funnels!"

　"Are you sure you want to do that?"

　A somewhat apprehensive voice came from Quess.

　"Is that something a strong-willed girl like you would say?"

　Mesta intended it as a joke, but that was the best she could do.

　Char, who had been silently observing, felt a sense of accomplishment, believing his judgment was correct. However, he was still preoccupied with something.

　"Am I making this one the same as her?"

　That was his obsession.

　Nevertheless, when confronting the overwhelmingly powerful Earth Federation Forces, Char wanted to utilize every possible advantage, even when devising a small operation.

　He was convinced that they needed to deploy a mobile suit at a level beyond a mere prototype, even if it meant using a prototype of a prototype. That was why the Alpha Azieru, which Quess was piloting at that moment, was so crucial - and why Quess herself was regarded as a formidable asset to their forces.

　It wouldn't be accurate to call the Alpha Azieru a mobile suit.

　This was because it did not have a completely humanoid form.

　The section extending out like a deck on its shoulders was non-functional. Equipped with mega particle guns running along the rails below it, it extended and retracted through wires controlled by psycommu control. It had no legs. Below the waist, a giant skirt protected the tail nozzle, and there was an attachment for mounting two boosters for long-range attacks.

　Although it was only a prototype, encountering Quess prompted Char to contemplate deploying the Alpha Azieru. However, he realized that the circumstances were not the same as when he met Lalah Sune during the Principality of Zeon era.

　Naturally, Quess differed from Lalah in terms of personality and character. Nonetheless, Char sensed a similar kind of power in Quess as he had in Lalah.

　As expected, the outcomes aligned with his vision. Although there had only been four test flights so far, Quess had already reached the level of regular pilots.

　After witnessing those results, they were finally prepared to test the funnel controls through the psycommu.

　The Neo Zeon fleet was scheduled to surrender to the Earth Federation government the following day. Time was of the essence. The test needed to be completed before then.

　"Sync Quess's brainwaves with the psycommu control!"

　"Confirmed."

　"Enhancement levels are calibrated to version RJ32 and deemed functional."

　"Try it out. Quess, any discomfort or headaches?"

　"No, nothing!"

　"Mesta, did you enhance her that much?"

　As expected, Char whispered to Mesta.

　"No... it's just a psychological adjustment. We didn't use any drugs, but that's all we needed to do."

　"I see..."

　Char's gaze shifted to the Alpha Azieru outside the window, bearing a resemblance to the ancient mobile armors, its silhouette framed by the sun.

　"Quess, can you pinpoint the target's position?"

　"Yes, it's imprinted in my mind clearly," Quess answered, her brainwaves synchronized with the powerful Psycommu system.

　In this scenario, Glarv was acting as the target.

　"If you can visualize the target, the funnel will penetrate the enemy's territory autonomously."

　"Yes..."

　"Release the funnels!"

　"Yes!"

　As Quess responded, several flashes of light raced across the skirt of Alpha Azieru. However, they seemed to hover unsteadily in the air in front of it. It was discernible even on the monitoring display that those few funnels floated in all directions, showing erratic movements.

　"Can I really control them with my thoughts?" Quess asked, a hint of doubt in her voice.

　"Visualize the target! Doubting thoughts will confuse the funnels!"

　"Got it!"

　"Encourage the funnels!"

　"Go, funnels, go!"

　Her thoughts connected with the funnels, and they began to move with purpose.

　There was no doubt that Quess wasn't operating mechanically, as seen on the surveillance display. Quess' hands remained crossed over her chest.

　"Now, sense what the funnels see and give the command to attack!"

　"Funnels! Hit!"

　Quess, with her eyes tightly shut and shouting commands, filled the small monitor screen.

　"Here they come!"

　Glarv's voice rang out, as he sequentially identified the approaching figures. He skillfully intercepted the dummy funnels with decoys deployed around him.

　"That makes eight!"

　At Glarv's call, Char and the other staff members were impressed.

　"Wow..."

　"We can confidently say that Quess is a Newtype," Mesta reported.

　"If we need to expedite our plans, deploying her in actual combat might be our best option," 

　"Deploy her to crush Luna Two?"

　"As the head of the Newtype Labs, that's my assessment."

　Char couldn't help but make a grim face.

　"Captain..."

　"It's not my job to make a judgment about Quess. I'll leave it to you."

　"Are you sure?"

　Mesta asked Char, who had turned his back, as if to confirm.

　A pair of Geara Dogas stationed at the Rewloola's catapult deck hatch emerged before the Alpha Azieru, gliding past Glarv's Psycho Doga.

　They connected a conduit from the Rewloola to the Alpha's head, establishing a passage for Quess.

　The Alpha's colossal size precluded it from fitting in the mobile suit deck. Quess reached the upper booth of the mobile suit deck by traversing the conduit.

　"Amazing! Newtypes are incredible!"

　The crew members who greeted her found it hard to fathom that a girl clad in a t-shirt and shorts had piloted such a massive machine, and they showered Quess with compliments.

　"Thank you."

　Quess bowed her head and said, "I can do this because everyone is here to support me."

　Her words weren't flattery. Quess had learned the value of collaboration during her training in India, so she spoke from the heart.

　"Quess! You really are a Newtype! I know how scary it is because I was the target!"

　Glarv ascended from the mobile suit deck, grasped Quess's hand, and cheered exuberantly.

　"Hahaha... It's because your thoughts are sharp. It hit the target so well!"

　"I've never seen anyone like you before!"

　"I'm thrilled too! It feels like my emotions and spirit are being unleashed into the cosmos, you know?!"

　Moved by the moment, Quess embraced Glarv without hesitation.