Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Mobile Suit Gundam Fan Fiction / Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ Mobile Suit Gundam Tournament ❯ Sayla's Doubts ( Chapter 3 )

Episode 03

Sayla's Doubts

Written By
Mark Moore

Author's note: I'm sorry for the delay. There were quite a few thunderstorms recently, which limited my computer time. Also, I unexpectedly got called into work today. Enjoy the story. Feedback is welcome.

The United Kingdom's first Gundam match is in two days, and Sayla Mass is worried of her performance.

Thursday, September 27, 2007, 4:52 PM, British Summer Time

At Ray Air Force Base in London, England, work was proceeding on the United Kingdom's Gundam.

The Gundam stood 18.5 meters tall, 0.5 meters of which were taken up by the head. The Gundam was painted mostly white, but there was also blue, yellow, and red. An elevator was set up to take people up to various levels of the Gundam. There were also metal platforms set up for people to walk on.

Karen Joshua, the Gundam's test pilot, was sitting in the cockpit, which was located in the Gundam's chest area. She had long, red hair, which she wore loose.

Sayla Mass stood on the platform adjacent to the cockpit, watching Karen. Standing at consoles on the platform was Dorothy Catalonia, the head engineer that had designed the Gundam for the British Government. She had long, blonde hair, which she wore loose. The third person on the platform was Fraw Bow. She was interested in the proceedings but was primarily there to give moral support to Sayla. She had short, light brown hair.

"Okay, raise the right arm."

At Dorothy's request, Karen pulled the lever on her console that controlled the right arm. The arm slowly rose up until it was pointing straight up.

Dorothy smiled. "Good. Now, make a fist."

Karen pressed the right fist button. Nothing happened.

"I said make a fist."

"I tried. Nothing's happening."

Dorothy checked her console. "Shit. The new algorithms from the Australian Gundam aren't fully compatible with our Gundam's OS." Dorothy pressed some buttons on her console. "Try now."

Karen pressed the right fist button. The Gundam's right hand closed into a fist.

Dorothy nodded. "Good! That did the trick!"

"The temperature's rising. Our Gundam can't handle the thrusters from Australia's Gundam. I think we should increase the coolant capacity."

Dorothy nodded. "Agreed, Sayla. Power down, Karen."

Karen opened the Gundam's hand, lowered its arm, and shut off the Gundam. The blue glow in the Gundam's eyes disappeared.

Karen got out of the cockpit.

Dorothy looked at Sayla. "I'll get some engineers on the overheating problem."

"Will they have it fixed by Saturday morning?" Sayla asked her.

"They should. I'll personally supervise the work from now until then."

Sally Po, Sayla's superior officer, walked into the hangar. She had long, blonde hair, which she wore loose.

Sayla and Karen saluted her. "Captain!"

"At ease. How's the Gundam coming along, Dorothy?"

"We need to increase the coolant capacity to prevent an overheating problem. We're also having some compatibility problems with the Australian programming. I'm getting engineers over here to work on these things."

"Get it done. Our first match is in two days."

"Yes, sir."

"We're loading up the Gundam and shipping it to Kuwait. You'll have to work on it in the air."

"Understood."

Sally looked at Sayla. "I'm personally overseeing the Gundam's transport. You will leave for Kuwait tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

Sally looked at Karen. "Karen, you're with me and Dorothy."

"Yes, sir."

Sally looked at Fraw. "Fraw, you know how to operate the simulator. Correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. If Sayla wants to get in some last-minute training, you're in charge."

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, come down from there. We have to move the platforms and elevator to get the Gundam out of there."

Sayla, Dorothy, Karen, and Fraw walked into the elevator and rode down to the floor. They walked out of the elevator.

Soon, a group of officers arrived. They operated heavy machinery to move the platforms and elevator out of the way. The women watched this.

Once all of that was out of the way, one of the officers held up a remote control and powered the Gundam up. The Gundam's eyes glowed blue.

The women watched as the officer made the Gundam walk out of the hangar. The women followed the Gundam.

A truck was parked outside the hangar. The officer made the Gundam lie down on the platform behind the truck. He then powered down the Gundam. The blue glow in the Gundam's eyes disappeared.

The truck driver pressed a button, and the platform moved into the truck, taking the Gundam inside with it.

The officer got onto the back of the truck and pulled the door closed.

Sally looked at Sayla. "Okay, we're off. We'll see you in Kuwait."

Sayla saluted Sally. Sally saluted Sayla, then she, Dorothy, and Karen got into the back seat of a car. The driver of the car followed the truck to the runway.

Sayla and Fraw watched the truck and car go until they were out of sight.

Sayla looked at Fraw. "Let's go to the simulation room. I want to practice."

Fraw looked at Sayla. "You sure don't waste any time."

Sayla and Fraw entered the simulation room in another building on the base.

Sayla got into the simulator. "Okay, I'm ready."

Fraw made some selections on the computer console. "Using the battle data that was sent to us from yesterday's match, I'm going to program the drone to be a combination of our, Australia's, and Niger's Gundams. If you can beat this, it won't be a guarantee of victory in your match, but it should boost your confidence. Okay, try this."

The screens inside the simulator turned on. They displayed a dock. The ocean appeared to Sayla's left. The drone appeared in front of her. A thunderstorm was approaching. There were dark clouds in the sky. Lightning flashed. Sayla heard thunder. There was a light chop to the water.

"Fight!" the simulator's male voice declared.

Sayla moved her Gundam forward. She swung the left arm at the drone. The drone jumped and avoided the attack. Sayla jumped and fired her beam rifle. The blasts hit the drone repeatedly. Sayla then kicked the drone three times with her Gundam's right leg.

"Overheating!"

Sayla knew that she had caused damage to the drone. She activated her Gundam's thrusters and flew the Gundam into the sky. She fired at the drone with her beam rifle.

"Not enough power!"

Sayla's Gundam landed back on the dock. The Gundam didn't have enough power for long flights and had to recharge.

The chop in the water was now medium.

The drone came at Sayla and kicked her Gundam five times with its left leg. Sayla punched the drone three times with her Gundam's right fist. Then she kicked it three times with her Gundam's right leg.

Sayla activated her Gundam's thrusters and flew the Gundam into the sky. She quickly flew over the drone and behind it.

"Not enough power!"

Sayla's Gundam landed back on the dock.

Sayla kicked the drone three times with her Gundam's left leg.

"Overheating!"

The chop in the water was now heavy. Water was splashing onto the dock.

Sayla knew that she was close to victory. She kicked the drone five times with her Gundam's left leg.

The drone punched Sayla's Gundam fives times with its right arm. It then fired at Sayla's Gundam with its beam rifle repeatedly.

"Overheating!"

Sayla grew frustrated. She backed her Gundam up.

The drone fired at Sayla with its beam rifle. Sayla activated her Gundam's thrusters and started to fly into the air. The blasts hit her Gundam anyway, and it fell back onto the dock.

Sayla kicked the drone five times with her Gundam's left leg.

"Checkmate!"

The drone fell down.

"Well done! Glory to the winner!"

The simulation ended. The screens went black.

Sayla got out of the simulator.

Fraw smiled. "Pretty good, Sayla. Your reflexes are pretty good. So is your strategy."

Sayla walked over to her. "Bullshit. I was lousy. I just barely won. Besides, all that it proves is that I can defeat Australia's and Niger's Gundams."

Fraw frowned. "You're right. Who knows what the other nations have?"

Sayla sighed. "I'm not ready for this."

Fraw gave Sayla a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, Sayla. The real thing feels just like the simulator. I think you'll be able to use our Gundam to its full potential."

Sayla smiled at her. "I wish I was as confident."

"You know what you need?" Fraw asked her.

"My head examined?" Sayla replied.

"A girls' night out. Let's have fun before we leave."

Sayla smiled. "That sounds like fun."

Sayla and Fraw walked into a restaurant.

The man behind the counter smiled. "Welcome. How many in your party?"

Sayla held up her left hand and raised her index and middle fingers.

The man picked up two menus. "Right this way, please."

Sayla and Fraw followed him over to a table.

The man placed the menus on the table. "Please look over our menus. I will return shortly to take your order."

The man walked away.

Sayla and Fraw picked up the menus and read them.

"I think I'll have the steak, a side of onion rings, and a regular cola." Sayla set her menu on the table.

"That sounds good. I'll have the same." Fraw set her menu on the table.

"I'm worried, Fraw. What if I don't do well on Saturday?"

"If that happens, then the United Kingdom will ally itself with one of the other nations. You know that."

"I don't want to let anyone on our team down."

"Don't worry about it. Let's just relax and enjoy our dinner."

"I can't relax."

Fraw smiled. "When we get home, I'll exhaust you so much that you'll have to relax."

Sayla smiled. "Maybe this should have been a girls' night in."

Sayla sat on the couch in the living room of her and Fraw's house.

She was flipping through a photo album.

She was mostly looking at pictures of her parents. There were pictures of her mother by herself, her father by himself, her parents together, her mother with Sayla, her father with Sayla, and both of her parents with Sayla.

Fraw walked downstairs and over to the couch.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" Fraw asked.

"In a bit."

Fraw sat down to Sayla's right on the couch.

Fraw looked at the pictures. "You were a cute kid."

"Thanks."

"You're still cute."

"Thanks."

"That was a hint, Sayla. I want you upstairs and nude."

"In a bit."

Fraw sighed and looked at the pictures.

Neither of them said anything for a moment.

"How you has it been?" Fraw finally asked.

"7 years."

"What made you think of them now?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the pressure. I joined the Royal Air Force, because they had been in it, and I wanted to honor their memory somehow. I constantly feel that I'm out of my league, though. Maybe I shouldn't have joined."

"You're a Flight Lieutenant. That should indicate that you're doing well."

"What does the Peter Principle say? 'In a hierarchy, every person tends to rise to her level of incompetence.' Right?"

Fraw sighed. "Something like that. Don't beat yourself up, though. You're a bloody good pilot."

"I don't feel like it."

"Your parents would be proud of you,...and so would mine...for taking care of me."

Sayla smiled weakly. "Thanks, love."

Sayla closed the photo album and set it on the coffee table. Then she stood up.

"Come on. You have to exhaust me, so I can get a good night's sleep."

Fraw happily followed Sayla upstairs.

Mobile Suit Gundam Tournament

Mobile Suit Gundam Tournament

Sayla pressed Fraw against a wall in their bedroom and held her arms against the wall.

Sayla kissed Fraw passionately on the lips.

Fraw opened her mouth. Sayla used the opportunity to slip her tongue into Fraw's mouth. Sayla and Fraw french-kissed.

After a moment of this, Sayla released Fraw's arms and placed her hands on the wall. Fraw moved her arms around Sayla and placed her hands on Sayla's ass.

Sayla finished the kiss. "I want you."

"I want you, too."

"Then let's not waste any seconds."

Sayla and Fraw took off their clothes and let them fall to the floor.

Fraw hugged Sayla and kissed her passionately on the lips.

Sayla broke the kiss. "Not yet. Let me get the bed sheets pulled off first.

Fraw released Sayla. "Hurry."

Sayla turned, grabbed the bed sheets and cover, pulled them off of the bed, and let them fall to the floor.

"Okay."

Fraw tackled Sayla and pushed her onto the bed. She shoved her tongue into Sayla's mouth.

Sayla lied down in bed, smiling. "That was fun."

Fraw lied down to Sayla's right and smiled. "I knew you'd like it. Now, get some sleep."

Sayla kissed Fraw on the lips briefly. "I love you. Good night."

"I love you, too. Good night, love."

Sayla soon fell asleep.

Sayla had a nightmare.

She was sitting in the cockpit of her Gundam, fighting a monstrous, shadowy Gundam. It kept pummeling her Gundam.

Sayla kept pressing buttons on her console, but they didn't have any effect.

"Come on!" Sayla yelled. "Do something!"

"Sayla, what are you doing?!" Dorothy demanded through the Gundam's radio frequency. "Kick his ass!"

"I'm trying, but the bloody controls won't respond!" Sayla yelled back.

"The controls work fine! It's you that's the problem!"

"No, it isn't!" Sayla insisted. "Call off the match! I don't want to lose!"

The opposing Gundam landed a final blow, completely incapacitating Sayla's Gundam.

Sally appeared in front of her.

"I can't believe you lost! After all of the work that we put into this match, you let us down!"

Sally faded away and was replaced by Karen.

"You're a pathetic pilot!"

Karen faded away and was replaced by Dorothy.

"You got my Gundam destroyed!"

Dorothy faded away and was replaced by Fraw.

"No sex for you tonight, loser!"

Fraw faded away.

"I didn't mean to let you down!" Sayla yelled. "I didn't! Please forgive me!"

Sally, Karen, Dorothy, and Fraw appeared, surrounding Sayla.

"Sayla Mass! Sayla Mass! Any pilot could kick her ass!" they chanted in unison.

"Stop it!" Sayla yelled.

"Sayla Mass! Sayla Mass! Any pilot could kick her ass! Sayla Mass! Sayla Mass! Any pilot could kick her ass! Sayla Mass! Sayla Mass! Any pilot could kick her ass!"

"Shut up!" Sayla yelled.

"You know it's true!" Karen yelled.

"You're a failure!" Dorothy yelled.

"You're a disappointment!" Sally yelled.

"And you're lousy in bed!" Fraw yelled.

"You can't mean that!" Sayla yelled. "I did the best that I could!"

"Sayla Mass! Sayla Mass! We'll make sure that she gets no ass!" Sally, Dorothy, Karen, and Fraw chanted in unison.

Sayla screamed.

Sayla woke up, sweating and panting.

She sat up and took in her surroundings. She was in bed. Fraw was sleeping to her right. It was dark.

Sayla lied down and tried to go back to sleep.

Friday, September 28, 2007, 8:07 AM, British Summer Time

Sayla woke up.

She looked to her right. Fraw was sleeping next to her.

Sayla turned and positioned herself over Fraw. She took a moment to admire Fraw's beauty.

Sayla kissed Fraw on the lips.

Fraw woke up.

Sayla finished the kiss, pulled back, and smiled. "Good morning."

Fraw smiled. "Good morning."

"Let's eat a quick breakfast, then we can pack."

"Okay."

Sayla put a duffel bag on the bed and opened it.

Then she got a clean uniform and put it into the bag.

She also got a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a box of dental floss, a small bottle of mouthwash, a small can of deodorant spray, a small bar of soap, and a small bottle of shampoo from the bathroom and put them into the bag.

Sayla zipped the bag closed.

"Is that all that you're taking?" Fraw asked.

"We're going there just for the match. We'll be back home by tomorrow evening. Pack just one pair of clothes. It'll be enough."

"okay."

Fraw got a duffel bag, put it on the bed, and opened it.

"Don't worry about the hygiene stuff. I already packed it."

"Okay."

Fraw got a fresh set of clothes and put it into the bag.

She zipped the bag closed.

Sayla checked her watch. "We should get to the base and board the plane."

Sayla and Fraw sped down a highway in Sayla's white convertible. They were listening to "Holding Out For a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler on the radio.

After driving for a few minutes, Sayla turned right onto another street.

A few minutes later, they reached Ray Air Force Base.

Sayla brought her car to a stop by the gate. She handed her badge to the security guard, and Fraw did likewise with her visitor's pass. The guard scanned them and handed them back. Sayla and Fraw handed their duffel bags to the security guard. The guard opened them, inspected them, closed them, and handed them back. Then Sayla had to go through a thumbprint and retinal scan. Finally, the security guard opened the gate, and Sayla drove onto the base.

Sayla drove to a runway and parked in the lot near it.

Sayla and Fraw got out of the car and walked over to an airplane.

The pilot and the copilot saluted Sayla. Sayla saluted them.

The four of them boarded the airplane.

"Aisle or window?" Sayla asked Fraw.

"I don't care."

Sayla sat in the seat by the window, and Fraw sat to her right. They each buckled their seatbelts.

Soon, the airplane's engines started. The airplane sped down the runway and flew into the sky.

Sayla stared out the window, nervous.

Fraw laughed. "Don't tell me that you're afraid of flying."

Sayla looked at her. "Not flying. Piloting the Gundam."

Fraw sighed. "Not this again."

"I can't help it. I'm worried."

"You have nothing to worry about. You've prepared as much as you could. You've spent countless hours in the simulator. You'd read up on every aspect of the Gundam. You've questioning Karen about the Gundam's performance. What more could you possibly do?"

"I could pilot the actual Gundam before the match."

Fraw laughed. "Not likely."

"Exactly. Sally won't let me touch the bloody thing."

"She has her reasons. As for what those reasons are, beats me."

"Money, most likely. That thing is expensive."

"That's a good reason. She probably doesn't want to raise the maintenance costs too high."

"I doubt that I'd add any significant amount of money to the repair bill during practice."

"That's true."

"Why'd they choose me for this position?" Sayla asked. "Surely, there are more qualified people."

"Maybe, but Sally must have seen something special in you to get you this job."

"There's nothing special about me."

"I disagree with that."

Sayla smiled weakly. "Thanks, love."

"Did you bring anything to read?" Fraw asked.

"No."

"I thought so. It's a long flight."

"I don't suppose you've brought anything."

Fraw unzipped her duffel bag and took out of box of playing cards. "As a matter of fact, I have. Up for a game?"

"Sure. Which game do you have in mind?"

Fraw opened the box, took the deck of cards out, and dropped the box into her duffel bag. "Blackjack."

"Okay."

"If I win, you have to shut up about being a lousy pilot. No complaining. No whining."

"Deal. Get it? Deal."

Fraw groaned and dealt the cards.

The United Kingdom's first Gundam match is here. Sayla Mass is worried of her performance. Will she be able to defeat the Kuwaiti pilot and keep the United Kingdom in the tournament?

Next on "Mobile Suit Gundam Tournament":

"Level 1, Match 02"

You will race with the tide.