Part 18

//The eloquent dance of life.  The pulsing beat, the beautiful melody, the stark contrast.  It always moves forward, only learning from past moves.  The dance flows on.  The rhythm, the motion, that choreography.  The intricate movements that captivates all who watch transfixed by what they are seeing.//

We have been working for hours.  I would have never guessed how much work goes into piloting a mobile suit.  The number of displays alone could blow a person’s mind.  Treize has told me about all the components and I have already stored away all the information.  He explained each possible scenario diligently, sparing no detail.

“Do you think you can handle it Zechs?’

“Yes.”

“Then give it a try.  I’ll be on the comm. if you run into any trouble.”

I nod as he walks off the platform.  He is already entrusting me to a solo flight.  Where is the logic in this action?  No simulation, no testing, not eve a trial run.  What if I crash this machine?  I’ve never even driven a car before. Now I sit mocking a pilot.

The screen on my right buzzes to life.  Treize’s face looks at me impassively.  “Is there something wrong?”

“No, nothing is wrong.”

“Then run your preflight checks.”

Obeying his order I run through the standard system tests that I had been taught no more then an hour before.  Treize watches what he can from the cockpit camera. 

“Checks are clear.”

“Power up and exit the dock.”

“Hai.” This is the moment of truth.  Finally, my chance to prove that I am more then the gum on the sole of the proverbial shoe of life. 

The beast roars to life around me, the rumble of the engines plague my ears and the vibrations caused rattles my teeth.  I have never felt this much power before, especially at my fingertips.  “Releasing restraints and exiting bay.”  My fingers dance quickly over the panel, hitting the face plate in perfect rhythm.  It is so natural, almost like I have been doing it most of my life.  The machine takes a slow step forward.  ‘This isn’t so tough’.  The next one comes swifter.  Nine paces later the building is building is behind me.

“Keep it simple Zechs.  And wipe that grin off your face.”

Grin?  I realize that sometime between when I was at the dock and now that a feral grin had crept up to distort my features.  I quickly revert to my normal impassiveness.

I make the movements as graceful as possible although I’m not sure how well I succeed.  The movements of the machine become less jerky as I progress.  It feels almost like the giant shell around me has become a part of me. 

It doesn’t take long before I feel like my energy has been drained from my body.  I return the suit to its dock and lower myself to the ground.

A freckled face surprises me.  “Jeremy?  What are you doing here?”

“Treize told me that you were gonna pilot so I thought that I’d come to see how you’d do.”

“How did I do?”        

“Considering it was your first time you did well.  You just need to make it look more like walking and like falling less.”

“Thanks for the advice…”

“No problem buddy, but in all seriousness you did look good out there.  In a way you could say that I’m jealous.  It took me at least ten times out before I looked that good.  Plus I think I saw someone watching you from afar.”

“Who?”

“You might be able to catch her if you hurry.  Don’t worry, I’ll tell Treize what happened.  You know, she isn’t that bad looking.  She could probably be November if she wanted to be.”

“I doubt that she’d be interested in being in one of your calendars.”

“Her loss.”  Jeremy points me in the right direction and I take off hoping to catch a glimpse of the piercing black eyes that I can’t get out of my head.

Before long I find a solemn face reading a piloting text, her features dulled by the shadows cast by the tree she sits under.

“Hi, Lu.”

She carefully marks her place before looking in my direction.  “I saw you pilot.”  She stands up and brushes the traces of dirt off her uniform.  “It was your first time?”

“You could tell?”

“Not exactly.  Jeremy came to my room and drug me out here to watch.”

“Oh.”

“I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.  If he didn’t tell me I wouldn’t have been able to watch your first flight.”

“Guess you owe him one, huh?”

“Yeah, I just hope he doesn’t expect to see something I don’t want to show.”

“He better not or I’ll…”

“Getting a little protective?”

“Well no, it’s just that…”

“Yeah I know, I’m a delicate flower that needs a big strong man to take care of me.  I’ve heard it all before.  Spare me your pity, I can take care of myself.  If you want someone to protect go hunt down Missy or something.” She states crossing her arms over her chest and flopping ungracefully to the ground.

The silence that ensues feels like a huge gulf, sucking me in and plunging me into eternal darkness.  How I ended up on the loosing end of this conversation is beyond my comprehension.

Her willowy arms hug her knees to her chest.  “You’re still here.”

“Of course I am.”  I reply taking a seat facing her while she does her best to avoid eye contact.  “It’s nice not to have to worry about someone all the time.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“I guess.”

“Why did you come here?”

“To watch you pilot.”

“I mean to the academy.  What made you decide to come here.”

“Oh.”  She hugs her legs tighter.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.  It’s none of my business.”

“No, it’s ok.  Do you know what it’s like to have someone who’s sole purpose in their life is to protect you?”

“No.”

“It’s the worst feeling in the world.  I felt like I couldn’t do anything by myself without someone else there making the decision.  I just couldn’t stand living like that anymore.  I left my family and came here.  I want to prove to myself that I’m more then what they let me think I was.”

“You are more then that.  It’s just that I, well…” she watches me with expectant eyes.  “Let’s just say that if Jeremy did anything to you I’d have to kill him.”

“Oh, so why did you come here?”

“To hide from my past.”

“What could have been so bad that you have to hide from it?”

I look into that understanding face.  It wasn’t long before I told her.