Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Fan Fiction ❯ Fata Morgana ❯ chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

Pairing is Alle/Marie, but that is subject to change. There may be possible future yaoi.

Rating is PG for now, but that will go up before the end.

 

Fata Morgana

Chapter 1

By evilkat

 

 

 

 

Allelujah followed Sumeragi and Tieria down the corridor to the tactical forecaster's quarters. He knew why they wanted to speak with him, he just didn't care. He wanted to get back to Marie and they were keeping him from that. He hadn't even been allowed to change out of his flight suit. As soon as the cockpit of Arios opened, they were waiting for him.

 

“Please sit down, Allelujah,” said as she gestured to the bed. The whole room smelled like stale whiskey. It was especially strong on the bed covers. She dropped into her own chair with a heavy sigh. “I think you know why we brought you in here.”

 

Tiera glared at him from where he stood, leaning against the wall. There was no use trying to lie or make excuses. If he just came clean, he could be done with this whole reprimand that much faster. Allelujah kept his eyes on the floor. “I jeopardized the mission by failing to see the two Aheads coming up on our six.”

 

“You almost got Lockon killed is what you did!” Tieria snapped. Allelujah flinched at the harsh tone, but kept quiet. A screaming match was not going to get him out of there any quicker. He knew better than that.

 

“Tieria, please,” Sumeragi intervened and the other man backed down. Directing her attention back over to the bed, she started again, much calmer than her cohort. “Look, Allelujah, this isn't the first time this has happened. We're starting to get concerned. You seem to be loosing focus during critical times. Your sense of duty isn't what it used to be.”

 

“It's because of that girl,” Tieria interrupted. There was no missing the venom in his voice.

 

“What?” That got his attention. He blinked, looking back and forth between the two in confusion. “What does Marie have to do with any of this?”

 

Sumeragi made a “you're-not-helping” face at Tieria and that's when Allelujah really started to worry.

 

“There isn't an easy way to tell you this, so I'm going to be blunt,” the older woman stated. Her eyes hardened as she sat up a little straighter in her chair and hit him with a remark that nearly knocked him over.

 

“We have your files from the HRL Supersoldier program.”

 

Allelujah felt the air freeze in his lungs. “What? How…how long have you had them?”

 

Sumeragi and Tieria shared a quick glance. “Since the beginning,” the other Meister answered.

 

“How—“

 

“Veda.”

 

He stared up at Tieria's ageless face, disbelieving what he was hearing. “The answer to all of my questions was in your possession all this time and you didn't think to tell me about it until now?!” He was pissed beyond all belief.

 

“I know, I know,” Sumeragi said, trying to cool down the situation. “It's just that you were so vulnerable back then. I didn't want to upset you any further—“

 

“Upset me?” he roared, jumping to his feet. “This is my life we're talking about here!”

 

Tieria pushed himself away from the wall, read to intervene if necessary. “Sit down, Allelujah, and listen to what she has to say.” The Arios pilot glowered for a moment and then sat back down on the bed.

 

Visibly shaken, Sumeragi turned her chair around and grabbed her laptop off the desk. “Here, take a look at this. The file details most of the, uh, experiments you underwent, but this one section here,” she pointed to the screen as she handed the laptop over. “This section talks about the quantum wave surgery on your brain.”

 

Allelujah took the computer from her and skimmed the screen quickly. It was mostly a diary of the surgery and his recovery and something called Project Greenfield. It was distressing to see the name E-0057 and know that it was referring to him.

 

12-07-2296. E-0057 came through initial testing with no genetic flaws. We have

high hopes he will be a suitable candidate.

 

 

How many years had that been his sole identity? But he still wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for. “I don't see anything out of the…” Allelujah trailed off as something caught his eye.

 

04-05-2299- E-0057 and E-0163 have successfully established and maintained a quantum wave bond for nearly three weeks now. The other scientists, myself included, are confident that once the neural implant surgery is complete, we will have another successful breeding pair.

 

A sudden pain, sharp and icy, sliced through his brain from the back of his head to his right eye. Hissing through clenched teeth, he pressed the heel of his palm into his eye.

 

“Allelujah, are you alright?” Sumeragi asked.

 

He ignored her and growled, “Breeding pair?”

 

The tactical forecaster was on her feet, attempting to pry his hand away from his face. “Are you in pain? Let me have a look.”

 

He slapped her hand away. “I'm fine. Answer my question.”

 

Tieria answered for her. “In addition to creating the perfect killing machines, the HRL wanted those soldiers to create the next generation of genetically perfect weapons.” Allelujah turned his mismatched eyes to the other man as he continued his explanation. “As far as we can tell, Marie is most likely the E-0163 mentioned in the files.”

 

“Allelujah,” Sumeragi beckoned gently. Once she had the Arios pilot's attention, she continued. “That drive, that compulsion you feel towards her…it's most likely fabricated. Both of you had implants placed in your brains that were to be activated with the onset of puberty. It was supposed to strengthen your bond, so that as you both grew in your soldier training, you would also grow closer in a more intimate way.” She paused as a blush colored her cheeks. “Since you were separated from her before that could happen, it looks like you're making up for lost time. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this.”

 

He was not hearing this. There was no way. There was just no feasible way that any of what he was being told was true. It was impossible that everything he was feeling for Marie was false. He felt it with every fiber of his being. How could it be wrong?

 

“No,” Allelujah whispered. The anger was building to the point where he didn't know what to do with himself. He heart thumped against his ribcage like it wanted to burst through it.

 

“Oh, Allelujah, I'm so sorry,” Sumeragi said. She made a move towards him, but he cut off whatever she was about to offer the moment her hand touched his shoulder. He shoved her—hard. She toppled backwards, ricocheting off her chair and landing on the floor. Stunned into silence, she could only stare up at the enraged Meister, wide-eyed.

 

“What the hell is the matter with you?” shouted Tieria as he grabbed Allelujah firmly by his forearm. That was clearly not the best course of action to take as it only served to piss the other man off further.

 

Practically roaring like an animal, Allelujah turned and fisted both hands in the collar of Tieria's uniform and slammed him back into the wall of the cabin. “Liars…both of you!” he screamed into Tieria's face.

 

“What reason would we have for lying?” Tieria wheezed out. The weight of Allelujah's body crushing his chest was making it hard to breathe. “Think about it.”

 

Allelujah shook his head. Logic and reason had taken a back seat to anger and aggression. Not since Hallelujah's “death” had he felt such blinding rage. The difference this time around was the fact that he didn't have a backseat view of it all. No, he was fully in control now. That is, if having one of your closest friends practically in a chokehold is considered control. “You just don't want me to be happy,” he stammered. “You want me to be an emotionless robot to carry out your orders.”

 

Tieria actually managed to look hurt by that remark. “You're not thinking clearly, Allelujah. We have no reason to behave like that. Think about what you are saying. This is not you.” His voice remained calm despite his fingers desperate attempt to pull the other man's hands loose.

 

“No!” The Arios pilot punctuated that statement with another slam of Tieria's lithe body against the wall. “What would an inhuman bastard like you know of love, huh? You're jealous. That's right, you're both jealous that I found some small kernel of happiness in this whole god-forsaken war and now you want to take it from me. Never! That is…never…going…to….”

 

Allelujah's eyes rolled up into his head right before he collapsed in a heap at Tieria's feet. “Should I even bother to ask why you have a hypo-gun of tranquilizers in your quarters?” the incredibly thankful pilot said as he met Sumeragi's weary gaze.

 

“Remember that section about how the implant stimulated the adrenal gland?” she responded as she tossed the empty hypo-gun onto the bed.

 

Tieria cocked an eyebrow. “Well, never let it be said that you aren't thorough in your research.”

 

Sumeragi laughed dryly. “Now, let's get loverboy here to the infirmary.”

 

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

The lab again. He didn't want to go. The soldiers behind him gave him a push and he forced his legs to move. Bad things happened here, but he didn't dare resist. The place smelled antiseptic, the scent covering the room's secrets as machines hummed in electronic unison. They strapped him to the examination table. The overhead light blinded him, making it hard to distinguish one shape from another. Scientists moved about in the shadows like rats. Only his eyes roamed freely until they too, took that away from him.

 

The metal apparatus they clamped to his face had two smaller, smooth sliver appendages that were inserted into the corners of his right eye while two others slid along under his eyelid on the top and bottom effectively holding it open. His eyeball immediate began to dry and tear as he tried desperately to close it. The slightest movement in any direction caused pain so horrible he felt as if someone had poured glass shards into his eye. He could only look up, straight up into the machine that hovered directly over his face.

 

With sickening horror he realized that the low humming he was hearing was the machine slowly lowering. A glint of light drew his attention to the long, thin needle protruding from the end of an arm-like attachment. It was poised to stab him directly in his pried open eye.

 

No…please god, no.

 

Despite his best effort, there was no way he was going to escape from his bonds. As the needle came closer with an agonizingly slow pace, he attempted to turn his head to avoid it, pain be damned. But it was useless, he was held too securely. When the tip of the needle finally reached his eye, there was the briefest moment where there was no sensation and then the world as he knew it exploded into a white-hot furnace of pain so excruciating, he thought he would die from it. They had not given him anesthetic of any kind.

 

He had made a promise to himself long ago that he would not scream for them, not matter what they did, he would not give in to them. His pride was the last and only thing he could say was truly his. But scream he did.

 

And did.

 

And did.

 

 

He was still screaming when he came out of the dream, arching his back as the memory of pain followed him into consciousness. He pressed his palm into his right eye and blindly reached out with the other until he came into contact with something hard and cool to the touch. Allelujah opened his good eye. He was encased in acrylic glass. He recognized it immediately--A recovery bed.

 

No. No.

 

What had they done to him this time?

 

He began to thrash wildly, pounding his fists against the pane. The air was getting tight, he couldn't breathe. They were trying to suffocate him. That's what they did to children who failed the Program. He kicked and punched with all his might, panicked, desperate, even after his knuckles became bloody. Then, with a sudden hiss, the chamber opened and cool air rushed in. Allelujah was up and out of it before the top had slid down completely. He pressed his back into the nearest corner and waited for them to come and get him. He wasn't going without a fight.

 

He waited, but there was nothing, no sound save for his panting breaths. As he calmed, a burning sensation began to register. He looked down at his bloodied hands—his very adult bloodied hands—and time slowly began to catch up with him again. What happened?

 

“Allelujah?”

 

His head snapped up at the sound of his name, and he saw at Sumeragi Li Noriega standing across the room. Minimum safe distance, his mind supplied sarcastically. She had a hesitant expression on her face. His display in the recovery chamber had more than likely frightened her and from the look of it, she was alone. He did a mental backtracking of the last events before waking up here in the infirmary and remembered the incident in Sumeragi's quarters.

 

“Sumeragi-san?” he said quietly. He had been so angry, so out of control. Guilt washed over him like a tidal wave. He had physically attacked Tieria. He remembered the intensity of wanting to hurt the other man so badly. That was so unlike him. He wasn't like that. Not at all. He bowed his head in shame. “Oh, Sumeragi-san, I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what happened. I…I—“

 

“Its okay, Allelujah,” she answered and hurried over to kneel down in front of him. “We suspected something like that might happen and were prepared.”

 

“But, I tried to hurt Tieria!”

 

“Its okay, it's okay,” she soothed. “He's fine. You didn't hurt him. It's the implant, Allelujah. The implant is responsible for all of these crazy fluctuations in your mood.”

 

The Arios pilot stared at her momentarily before turning his gaze back down to the floor. That's right, the implant. Just another shining example of how bad the HRL ruined his life. “You probably want to pull my flight status, right?”

 

The older women sighed. It sounded vaguely relieved. “Temporarily, yes. We need to find out more about what's going on in your head. There is a doctor I know that I want to have a look at both you and Marie. I think he can help. While we're Earth-side, I figured this would probably be the best time.”

 

Allelujah nodded. There was really no other choice. If he wanted to stay a part of Celestial Being, he would have to submit. Though, the thought of letting some strange doctor, or any doctor for that matter, run tests on him was enough to twist his gut into knots. He had been someone's little science project enough for twenty lifetimes.

 

Sumeragi stood and tugged lightly on Allelujah's sleeve. “Come on; let's get those hands taken care of.”

 

She led him over to one of the tables and he sat solemnly while she dressed his wounds, barely flinching when she dabbed his raw knuckles with alcohol. “You haven't told Marie yet, have you?” he asked softly.

 

The older woman gave him a sidelong glance before continuing to bandage his hand. “No, I figured I'd let you do that.” She ripped off a piece of surgical tape with her teeth and secured the end of gauze. “There you go. Good as new.”

 

She smiled brightly at Allelujah and he wished he could return the favor. Despite her best effort not to, she still looked after those under her command. He wouldn't call it motherly, after all, not having a mother, he couldn't relate, but there was definitely an older sister type of vibe. He never paid it much mind before, but at this moment, he was grateful.

 

“Here, I want you to take this.” Sumeragi pressed the data stick into his overly bandaged palm. “Look it over with Marie. Talk about everything. I can't imagine this will be easy for either of you, but you both deserve to know the truth.”

 

Allelujah didn't dare try to speak. If he tried, all he would be able to do is scream out his agony. He instead nodded his head and quietly slipped off the table and made his way to the door. “Thank you, Sumeragi-san,” he said, pausing briefly, but not turning around.

 

“You're welcome, Allelujah,” came the gentle reply.

 

Standing in the empty corridor, he realized he didn't know where he should go. He didn't want to go back to his quarters. Marie was there waiting for him and he wasn't ready to handle that just yet. He needed to try and wrap his head around everything that had just happened before he would even dream of approaching her. After all, how do you tell someone you love with all that you are that that love might not be real? That it's just a fabrication, a manipulation of your brain chemistry and hormones by people playing god? But on the other hand, how could it be wrong when he felt it so strongly? How could a room full of scientists do that?

 

He should have known better to ask that question, but Allelujah still felt like his world had just been ripped out from under him.

 

 

TBC…

 

 

Fata Morgana- a very complex superior mirage with alternations of compressed and stretched zones and erect and inverted images. Fata Morgana is also a fast changing mirage.

 

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