Riah

 Rain on Side 6 wasn’t too common. Having to rely on external water deliveries from earth meant that wasting it on simulating weather conditions was seen as wasteful. However, the new government of Riah felt that having rain storms here and there could be seen as a sort of symbolical act, to keep the memory of the recent civil war alive for generations to come.
    Plus, it helps to wash the blood off the streets.

Life for civilians following the revolution wasn’t the easiest, as martial law brought along with it strict curfews and armed patrols to many of its streets. Even some of the mobile suits brought by the Principality were left behind to not only provide large-scale riot control, but also to remind the people of their “saviors”.
    The children didn’t care about these curfews all too much, and a week wouldn’t pass without some rebel getting arrested for wandering the streets at a point of time they weren’t supposed to. Unfortunately, these arrests wouldn’t go as planned every now and then…

“Hilde, whatcha waitin’ for? We gotta get goin’!” A voice called over to the peppy girl from outside her window. She peeked out, only to see that she was being called for by her closest friend, Ruby. Hilde quickly lit up and waved at her.
    “Sozzie! I’ll be down there in just a sec!” She turned around and grabbed her things, namely a backpack and a music player. Today was something she had been waiting for a good week or two now - Ruby had asked if she could accompany her for a secret mission, one that would need the help of someone new. Hilde wasn’t quite sure what this “mission” was supposed to be, other than it was something given to Ruby by her other friends. She didn’t talk about them very often. 

    Hilde ran down the stairs, waving at her mother on the way to the front door.
    “Ruby got here, I’m heading off for a bit with her, Mama!” Before her mother had a chance to respond, she had already sprinted out into the soft afternoon rain. The cool droplets fell on her hair and shoulders, and the small puddles on the ground splashed as she stepped over them. Ruby herself was standing close by, looking at her watch somewhat impatiently, which let her guard down just enough for Hilde to tackle her onto the ground.

    “H-hey, we gotta get goin’, Hil! We don’t got time to mess ‘round right now!” She giggled, giving the excited girl a noogie.
    “Awawawa~! But it’s been so long since I saw ya, Ruby. I couldn’t help giving ya a welcome!”
    The two got up and brushed off the dirt and fake grass on their clothes, and began walking. Not that many people were up and about, with most people either staying inside in case they ran into a particularly disgruntled patrol. The two had no such worries - they knew pathways and little shortcuts that let them avoid them altogether.

    “Ruby?” Hilde asked, inquisitively. “When do ya think they’re gonna lift martial law here? I miss being able to walk around carefree here…”
    At first, she didn’t answer, looking a little perturbed by the question. After a bit, however, she shook off her own worries and flashed a smile at the girl.
    “I got’s a feelin’ they’re liftin’ it real soon. It’s been nearly five months already, an’ there hasn’t been a lotta trouble in ‘ere for like a month now. Any day now we can head out and enjoy the outside again.”
    Satisfied with the answer, Hilde kept walking with happy steps, playing some music through her player. In darker times like this, having a way to distract one’s self is important toward keeping a happy outlook on things.

    Time passed, and the two eventually made their way to the center of town. Waiting there was one of Ruby’s friends, carrying a backpack and a pair of walkie-talkies on him. The three met up, with Hilde getting a big hug before he turned toward Ruby to discuss something out of Hilde’s ears.
    The town center looked sad. The once lively park was quiet and empty, and many stores and little coffee shops that Hilde could see were closed down, either to be opened another day, or left permanently as a reminder of what over half a year of conflict and unrest does to a place.
    “I had ice cream there last summer,” Hilde thought to herself. “Hopefully somebody else opens a new one for next year…”

    Hilde’s reminiscing was cut short by Ruby giving her a soft bonk on the head.
    “Come on, ya lil’ daydreamer! We still gots some walkin’ to do.”
    She nodded and got up, giving one more look at the town center as the two continued toward their destination. A little along the way, she handed the younger girl one of the walkie-talkies.

    “You’re gon’ need this once we get to where we’re goin’. Ya know how to use a talkie, right?”
    Hilde looked at the device, pressing on the button that turned on the transceiver. Ruby smiled and ruffled her hair as a reward.
    “Man, we’re heading out real far and I get to use a walkie-talkie? This is cool as heck! It’s like we’re some kinda secret agents, headin’ to our mission to beat up bad guys and grab some documents or save a friendo in need!”
    Ruby looked at Hilde, quiet concern on her face.

    The two kept walking, passing by the dead streets of the town. Apartments were boarded up, carcasses of what once were civilian cars were strewn around, and every once and a while they would walk across pavement slightly tinted red. Distractions were quite necessary.
    “..Hil, have ya had ideas on whatcha gonna do once all o’ this is cleared up?”
    Hilde wasn’t expecting the question, and had to think a minute to come up with an answer.
    “Uhm… I think I’m gonna head to Zeon. I heard they opened up a really cool school there, one that lets people study communications and things. Plus it’d just be nice to see another Side for once. Mama and Papa have been saving money for me to travel there and everything! What about you?”
    Ruby didn’t respond.

    Not long after, they reached their destination - a governmental building. Compared to the surrounding buildings, this one was in good condition, and people could be seen working and moving about if one looked closely at the windows. It also happened to be one of the few buildings that still had Federation jurisdiction.
    Ruby sighed, turning to Hilde and placing a hand on her shoulder. Her grip was a little shaky.
    “Okay, Hil. Time to start our lil’ mission. See a buncha those broken cars over there? Slip under one of ‘em, an’ start lookin’ out for patrols. I gotta set somethin’ up real quick, an’ this place can have a lotta guys waltzin’ ‘round, so ya need to keep your eyes wide open, gotcha?”

    Something heavy began to form inside Hilde’s stomach all of a sudden. Although she was rather young at only fifteen, she could recognize when something bad was about to happen. Something really bad. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded and started walking toward one of the abandoned cars.
    This wasn’t normal. She knew it, but something in her forced her not to voice it. Maybe it was the rain? It has been raining considerably more than usual, maybe it’s making both of them act strange. Ruby wouldn’t be doing something like this normally.
    The ground beneath the cars was cold and dry, although a few drops of water have managed to leak out from the holes in the chassis. Crawling in the asphalt felt uncomfortable, and the small pebbles scratched up the skin on her hands, while the dust and rain water dirtied her clothing. Oh well, that could be washed off, and scratches heal in no time.

    Right?

    While the silence before wasn’t exactly comfortable, it now began to feel downright threatening, and the position she was in made Hilde begin to feel somewhat claustrophobic. But she couldn’t get up. Not before Ruby was done, she had to keep a lookout for her. She wouldn’t be letting her best friend down.
    Still nothing. Hilde’s leg began to cramp. This wasn’t fun anymore. It really hadn’t been fun for quite some time now. But she couldn’t let Ruby down, so she waited.
    And waited.

    And waited-

    Hilde could feel the rumbling of vehicles approaching, but she didn’t see where they were coming from. All she knew was that there was a lot of rumbling, much more than what a single car could make. She reached for her walkie-talkie.
    “R-Ruby, someone’s coming! I-I can’t see where they’re coming from, but I can feel the ground shaking a lot! G-get outta there!”
    She didn’t respond. Hilde called for her again.
    “Ruby! A-are you there? C-C’mon, you gotta move! Why aren’t you s-saying anyth-“

    "Sorry, Hil. Bit late for that."

    An APC drove in front of the car Hilde was lying under, blocking her vision from that side. She could hear at least three… no, four vehicles parking in front of her, along with a lot of commotion. Her hands were trembling, and she nearly dropped her transceiver. She had to move, she had to see what was going on. Quickly but quietly, she crawled her way under the car, and as she made her way out of there…

    “Put your hands up! You are under arrest for terrorism against the Riah Republic! Put your hands up and come quietly, or we will be authorized to use force!”

    Ruby was standing quietly, staring coldly at the military police surrounding her. Hilde kept herself hidden behind the car husk, tears filling her eyes at the sight she was witnessing. She had kept her eyes and ears open. How could she have let this happen?
    “R-Ruby! W-wh… what are we going to d-do?! There’s n-no way out! Mmaybe you can f-follow what they’re saying and-“

    “Nah. Too late for that, Hil.” The walkie-talkie spoke back to Hilde. Seems Ruby had rigged hers so it would keep sending audio
    “I’m… I’m sorry I got ya into this whole mess. Ya shouldn’t be a part o’ this in the first place. Are ya in a safe place right now?”
    “U-uh huh…”
    “Good. I suggest ya look away, and keep to the ground. Put your hands over your head too, jus’ in case. Oh, an’ one more thing…”
    Hilde followed the instructions to a tee. She didn’t know why she was given instructions like that, but there was a feeling. A feeling that kept growing larger and larger, especially as the murmurs of the officers began turning to panicked yelling. She wasn’t going to..?

    “Keep that smile up, Hil.”

    …

    Hilde stood in front of the airport mirror. Her ship would be leaving soon, but she had to make sure everything was just right. Hair pin, properly placed. Glasses, clean and not crooked. Bandages, tight and clean. She was ready to go.
    As she walked toward the entrance, she saw her parents waiting for her there. Like any good parent would be, they were looking quite concerned over their little baby girl heading out into the open world.
    “You took quite a bit there, young lady. Didn’t we tell you to use the bathroom before leaving?”
    “Sorry, Mom. I just had to make sure the bandages weren’t too loose. Wouldn’t want the other passengers to suddenly freak out in case I started bleeding again, y’know?”

    The three walked to the gate where Hilde’s ship was waiting. Boarding had started just a few moments ago, so they had time to get a few more words in.
    “You sure you’ll be okay, Hilde? You’re going to be alone in a big place for a while, and with what happened last month..
    “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll be fine. I said I wanted to head to Zeon after martial law got lifted, and I’m keepin’ my word.”
    She smiled widely, giving her parents one more hug.
    "Smiles all the way!"

    As she went through boarding procedures and was about to enter the ship, she looked back, seeing her parents standing by and waving at her. She smiled and waved back at them. It wasn’t quite as wide this time.
    Hilde made her way to her seat, and a few minutes later found herself sailing across the stars. She looked out her window, marveling at the beauty she was witnessing. However… something heavy began to feel in her. She got up and made her way to the bathroom. After locking the door behind her, she pulled out an old and worn photograph, back when she was even younger. She wasn’t alone in it. One final message had been written on it in red:
    "Keep that smile up, Hil. -Ruby"

    “Don’t worry. I’ll… I-I’ll keep on smiling, no matter what.”
    Blood ran down her forehead, and she fell to her knees. Teardrops fell on the photo.

    “N-no… no matter w-what…”

Pearl Eye

    “..And now for technology. ZMF, or the Zeon Military Force, unveiled their newest innovation in military technology. Dubbed the ‘Mega Particle Cannon’, the weapon system utilizes the recently confirmed Minovsky Particles to condense a large beam of energy before firing it. Preliminary testing has shown a 180% increase in destructive capabilities compared to conventional weaponry, along with a massive range increase in zero-gravity environments. The Principality has not yet unveiled any applications for this weapon, and FBC was unable to reach Zeon officials for comment-“

    Static filled the air for a moment as one of the assistants, Blago, adjusted the channel on the radio. Soon enough, somewhat melancholic rock music filled the dead air within the test lab.
    “Lucky! I haven’t heard this channel play Anathema in quite some time. Better than listening to some boring news talk, eh Silvije?”
    The silver-haired individual in question wasn’t paying much attention, focusing more on the team’s current project, an experimental engine designed to handle light amounts of Minovsky Particles.
    “As much as I enjoy the complex chord progressions and intricate melodies you so dearly love to listen to, Blago dear, I would have been quite happy with keeping the channel on news. You even turned it off during technology talk! A perfect opportunity to hear a glimpse into the rapid advancements of the same fields we are currently working on!"

    Blago shook his head and walked over to the engine. It looked… somewhat ramshackled. Croatia was never known for its presence on the tech sphere, and funds being cut from the educational sectors meant that more ambitious students had to get considerably more crafty with their projects. Silvije tightened a few screws here and there, keeping an eye on the passive readings they were logging.
    “Alright, alright. I won’t switch it next time. How are we looking right now?”
    “Background radiation is still at a safe range, about 1.2 times the average levels. Heat is near-room temperature, and passive energy output is matching the theoretical levels we established about a month ago. Just a few more adjustments here and there, and we should be ready to attempt a Minovsky test. By the looks of things, if this ends up going well…” They turned toward their lab partner, flashing their signature soft grin.

    “..We’ll be getting into the history books with this. Could you gather the rest of the team up, dear?”

    Within a few minutes, the research team, about seven heads in total, were huddling around the engine, chattering to one another about a multitude of things: Engine levels, the recent news broadcast, what they were going to have for lunch… The only person not to join in on the conversation was Silvije, diverting their focus instead on continuous fine-tuning of their project. It was imperative that they did this.
    Despite everything looking good as it stood by, introducing Minovsky Particles into the equation could severely change the properties of both the fuel and the engine operation itself, and with it being such a new thing, nobody on the team was fully sure what could happen if things went wrong. Silvije paid this factoid no mind. After all, the greats of history went into dangerous situations to bring forth advancement. Curie’s radiation, Reichelt’s parachute, Bogdanov’s blood transfusions. Were things to go wrong, they were prepared to add Skok’s particle engine to that list. 

    “Silvije, busy daydreaming again? The film camera’s just about ready to go, you can make your fancy speech before the test now.”
    They flinched and turned toward Blago, pointing at a trio of students setting up said film camera. Flashing a smile, Silvije stood up and walked in front of the camera, clearing their throat as they prepared to recite their speech for this momentous occasion.
    Something was nagging them. Despite the passive readings being perfectly fine, they couldn’t help but feel that there was still a level of instability the team had missed while producing the prototype. Perhaps it was just nervousness, that slight worry that the results would be inadequate. Ultimately, it was something they couldn’t affect anymore. The woman handling the camera began counting down. Three… two… one…

    “Greetings. I am Silvije Skok, and I serve as team lead and head researcher on my team’s master’s project - experimenting with Minovsky Particles for the purpose of enhancing miniaturized engine output. As the fields of particle physics and energetics keep advancing at a breakneck pace after the confirmation of Professor Minovsky’s ‘M-Particle’, the question of applying this for conventional use has been an active talking point for the past few months.
    Our team has theorized that, with the introduction of Minovsky Particles into a pre-existing uranium-powered thermonuclear engine, one could not only greatly increase the capabilities of our current engine designs, but could also greatly expedite the process of miniaturizing larger engine designs to be utilized in places other than massive space cruisers. This could rapidly change the landscape of locomotion as a whole, ranging from greater access to FTL travel to simply allowing for the possibility of converting smaller, more affordable craft designs into being capable of breaching the atmosphere. The following shall be a presentation of our theory. Should this succeed, our species could be grasping at the next stage of technological evolution. Thank you.”

    Silvije turned back around, only to be met with a mixture of clapping and a couple of joking remarks.
    “Next stage of technological evolution? My my, our Silvije’s becoming a true wordsmith, aren’t they?”
    They shook their head and let out a few approving chuckles, walking over to the engine’s main computer. The levels were still normal. Time to get to work.
    “Alright everyone, stand back. I’m going to begin inserting the particles after a count of three.”

    “Three…” People began moving away to give room for Silvije and the engine.

    “Two…” Their hands lightly shook.

    "One."

    The soft, green glow of the engine began to brighten, and the whirring of various cooling fans drowned out much of the noise. The test began successfully. Silvije sighed, and slowly began increasing the density of the particles.
    “Minovsky Particle density at 10 percent…” The glow kept getting brighter, and slowly, the color of it began to change.
    “Particle density at 20 percent… S-Silvije, I think you should go a bit slower…” The glow was no longer green. It was now blue.
    “Particle density at 30 percent…” The color kept changing with no signs of stopping, and one could hear the strain being put on the cooling systems.
    “Particle density at 40 percent…” The engine was glowing in shades of purple and pink.

    “Particle density at… wh-what..?” Silvije squinted their eyes, only to quickly open them once more. 

    "Oh dear Lord in Heaven."

    Without warning, Silvije got up, knocking their chair over and ushering the rest of the team to move.
    “Everyone, emergency evacuation! The particles are overloading the engine, the uranium’s about to go critical!”
    Within a few moments, pandemonium broke out in the room. A few didn’t bother waiting for further information and bolted out, while some had to be persuaded slightly more. The last to leave was Blago, but before he did, he looked back to see his team leader, having sat back down at the computer.
    “Silvije, get a move on! We don’t have much time!”
    “No, not yet. I’m going to try my best to keep this from turning into a nuke, and it’s going to require as much attention as I can muster. Get yourself to safety first.”
    They turned their head to give Blago one more smile before he ran out.

    “Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you, Blago.”

    The explosion that came from the engine shook the university building to its core. Pots were knocked over, drinks were spilled, a few students fell to the ground. However, the major damage was limited to just the room of the engine, thanks to Silvije Skok’s efforts. As for the doctor themselves…

    Blago waited and waited for Silvije to leave the premises, each second making him more and more anxious. Then came the explosion, and it was like his heart skipped two beats. Quickly, he rushed back, hoping and praying that they had made it out in one piece. Surely, they had to have. He wouldn’t be accepting anything outside of that.
    “Silvije!! Silvije, are you here?! Yell if you’re still okay!” He kept yelling, over and over again, getting closer and closer to the engine room. No signs of them anywhere.
    The room was a disaster. Tables were thrown around, most of the equipment had been rendered useless, although surprisingly the room was mostly clean of smoke or charring. The Geiger counter in Blago’s pocket was eerily quiet as he walked around the room, trying to assess what had even happened.

    “Blago.” A voice called to him from a pile of garbage by the corner. He quickly rushed over, moving some of the heavier trash away, panic filling every word coming out of his mouth.
    “O-oh god, what even happened here? Silvije, y-you didn’t leave, did you? How are you even alive? N-none of this seems real, it-“
    “Shh… It’s going to be fine.” The pile began moving on its own, and Blago stepped back. What he saw was horrifying. Pristine lab clothing, ripped and torn to shreds. Snow-white skin, darkened and deepened to a shade of dead pink. Where once were two shimmering eyes of emerald were now one, the other replaced with a pearl lacking detail. Blood poured down the doctor’s head, and they could barely stand on their own.

    And yet, that soft smile still remained.

Loum

    Januaries are supposed to feel cold. At least, that's what was told by the folks that came down from Earth. Sides can't replicate the sort of conditions one could feel down there, or rather, most people didn't want to experience that, which led to them constantly replicating a nice summer environment.

    Of course, none of that mattered where Amos found himself. After all, unless you were directly in the way of a sun, space was always cold. Freezing, in fact. But this wasn't something he would notice. The machine he found himself in, the revolutionary MS-06C Zaku II, ran at a cozy 35° Centigrade, and the primitive normal suit around him didn't make the cockpit feel any more comfortable. Such is war.
    "Longinus Squadron, prepare for launch." The hangar of the Musai blared loudly, and a bead of sweat rolled over Amos' brow. It's just like in training, and the controls aren't too far from the cranes he had operated. The team goes in, takes out a couple of ships, and comes back. His eyes close.

    The selected survive. Give them a reason to select you.

    The G-forces of the launch were unlike anything he had experienced before. Even the centrifuges were nothing compared to the level of pressure he felt all the way down his spine as he was forced backward into the cushioned seat. Tunnel vision quickly gave way to a full-on blackout. A level of blackness he quickly gave way to a full-on blackout. A level of blackness he had never seen - or rather, couldn't see. A kind of primal blackness that only the permanence of death could.
    "Petty Officer Bletz! Orders!" The shouting of one of the privates brought life back in front of the young soldier's eyes, and only then did he truly see the scale of whatever he was brought into. Ships from both sides firing large beams into one another, explosions in bright shades of pink and purple swallowing the blankness of space around them, and finally his kind, the multitude of Mobile Suits charging forward with large bazookas.

    "Officer!" The soldier repeated once more. Amos' body snapped, and he finally managed to respond.
    "R-Roger. Teams one and two, advance on the Magellan cluster in front of us. Target bridges and rear engines while avoiding the main deck. Team three, provide rear support. Team four, stay further away and keep a low profile. We're going to experience casualties, and you will fill in gaps as necessary."
    His voice was somewhat shaky. Any rookie's would in that situation. No one would blame him for this. He closed his eyes and let out a quick sigh as if to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to face. A second passed. Another. A third. He opened his eyes.

    "Let's murk them." 

    The machine moved surprisingly smoothly, even with all the twists and turns he had to do to avoid being listed in the obituaries. This couldn't be said for the machine gun provided with his machine, and he could feel every contained explosion of the firearm shake the cockpit to his core. The ships weren't designed for weapons like this, and it showed. Somehow, to him... it felt too easy.
    Were there others who were taking out ships faster than him and his team? Certainly, with two suits in particular catching his attention - a salmon pink one, and a dark crimson one, both flying around and taking down opposition left and right. Posers in his eyes.
    Another empty magazine. Another reload. Bright explosions of purple, along with clouds of red, kept filling his vision over and over again. All with just a few pulls on levers and a few pushes of a pedal. The efficiency of this metal beast was unlike anything the Federation had to offer. It's like they were unstoppable.

    Until they weren't. It was nearly instant, only marked to the squadron by a loud cry, which didn't last longer than the blink of an eye. A member of team two had gotten too careless. The only things that showed his position were bits of metal and a disembodied hand of the Zaku II he was piloting. Not just dead, removed from existence.
    Amos froze for a second, a second that would've in any other situation cost him his life. Tunnel vision began to return, or was it his consciousness focusing his sight on the remains, on his first true failure in life? The boy had a family to return to, and now they wouldn't even have anything to fill a coffin. Fear and uncertainty preyed upon his thoughts, and he had to close his eyes again. A second passed. Two. Three...?

    The selected survive.

    He opened his eyes again.

    "Team four, send a reinforcement. Two, avoid further fire while waiting for reorganization. One, follow my lead." Amos' voice wasn't shaking anymore. It didn't have enthusiasm. Only a single emotion oozed through his words, through the individual syllables, as the grip on his controls tightened and his gaze sharpened.

    Cold efficiency.

    The next few minutes felt like a blur to him. The status of other ships, other pilots, and even most of the team following after him, seemed to come to his mind. Reload. The explosions began to lose their contrast, slowly melding into the blank space they lose their contrast, slowly melding into the blank space they were once mindlessly consuming. Reload. The clouds of red grew larger and larger. Even with the gloves around his hands, he could feel his nails dig in and draw blood from his palms. Reload. The selected survive, and he wasn't selected. The rest would be, and he would make sure of it, or die trying. Reload.

    ...Out of ammunition. A ship barrel, pointed right in front of him. Darkness.

    By the time Amos woke up once more, he wasn't in his Zaku anymore. He wasn't even in space anymore. He found himself in a bed, a few bruises on him and his palms slightly scarred, but alive. He had been selected.
    In the coming days, he would find that some of his squadron wasn't as lucky. Though above the average loss count during the battle, five of sixteen had lost their lives. By the time he was able to see his men once again, team two was no more. He didn't mourn for them, for it was their inexperience and overconfidence that brought them where they were. It's what he told to himself as he looked out of his military hospital room, crimson flowing down his hands.

    The Battle of Loum left its scars on the people that participated in it. For some, they were physical. For most, they were mental. For the brave act of letting nearly half a dozen were mental. For the brave act of letting nearly half a dozen men die, and for ruthlessly efficient carnage against his fellow being, Amos Bletz was awarded the title of Major, getting converted to Lieutenant Commander upon transferring over to the Earth Attack Force a week before March. Even the Zabi family showed respect toward him. None of it felt special or honorable to him.

    The Lance of Longinus had pierced the enemy, and taken allies with it. 

This is first of many short stories that will fall under the banner of my biggest passion project: "Mobile Suit Gundam: Broken Tech, Broken Hearts". I currently have two other stories written down which I'll be posting here momentarily, and I'll keep adding to the story as time goes on.

-Tim Cay

Welcome

This is a blog dedicated to some of my writings, mostly fanfiction for Mobile Suit Gundam. I've been writing on and off for about 10-11 years now, and although I've shared my writings with a lot of my friends, I've never really had a public place that I share my things on - until now, that is. I already have a few shorts stories I'll be posting here shortly, so I hope you enjoy your stay and I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor.

-Tim Cay