I'm not happy, nor am I sad about it. A name holds no meaning; it's a code that traps each being into becoming something not of his choice. I don't care for it. It's only another gamble. A gamble I've taken...when I saw the downed man.
"Hey you! You new?" A bulky man, about five years my senior, must be part of the household.
"......" Sometimes it was better to be quiet, no one noticed you that way, as I've learned from the past several years.
"Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" I felt a heavy hand grabbing onto my shoulder, my reflexes told me to shove him away, but I refused. I didn't want to lose my job yet.
"New..."
"Are you stupid or something?" He looked me up and down, as if I was an object. "Quiet people like you are either dumb or dangerous, which one are you?" He leaned closer and scrutinized me, his bad breath on my neck; I took a step back to pick up my toolbox.
"No Name!! We need you to fix the control panel up here!" I looked up at the mechanic who called me. I liked that mobile suit.
"No...Name...? Hey you!! You got no name?" I walked up the stairs. "Hey you dimwit! I'm talking to you!! Trowa Barton is talking to you!!"
Trowa Barton. So that man was Trowa Barton.
"We Bartons are one powerful family," he said, chewing on a drumstick. I unscrewed the nail on the side, the wires needed some rearranging. "I mean, we got the money, we got the political power. We're indestructible!"
The red wire should go to the blue switch, the yellow to the red switch, the blue to the green, the green to the yellow; one tiny mistake could be fatal.
"When I pilot this gundam, I swear...I'll take over the world!" He laughed, bits and crumbs from the drumstick fell all over the floor. "Hey No Name! Can you just see it? Me, on this gundam, scaring the shit outta everybody! They'll bow before me. My father's a genius!"
I took the screwdriver and started to screw the nails back into the holes. It was best to make sure that each nail was fitted into the correct hole. Details and intricacies played a big role in security.
"You know No Name, as stupid as you are....you're pretty good at this aren't you?" I glanced sideway at him and stood up. My job for the day was done.
The scientists were doing inspections again. It was decided that there was to be some magnet coating treatment to be done on the propulsion system. It seemed that other mechanics weren't too confident in doing so. That would be part of my job for today.
Gundams were said to be the most powerful weapons. But one small mistake, one small flaw, anywhere on this body would be enough to destroy it. When looked from afar, they were no different from a mobile suit, stronger but by no means contained the same flaws that existed in an ordinary robot.
"Hey No Name!" It was Trowa Barton again. I finished putting on the rest of the coating and climbed down. The coating would do for now. "Well you're in luck! It just happened that I'm in a good mood today." He put his arm around my shoulder. It was difficult to resist the urge to throw him over my shoulder.
I walked on silently, and he followed me. I put away the tools and shut off the lights before I locked the gates. Security was very important, especially when it came to weaponry.
"What a shame!" He turned me around. He was much taller than I am, more muscular. I could smell alcohol on him. "Such a pretty face." Not the same kind of alcohol those mercenary troops drink, but alcohol nevertheless. "Am I scaring you? Nah...you're too dense to know anything right?" He pushed me against the wall.
"Actually, I've done a little research on you." Research. Perhaps not too far back, nothing too damaging. "You used to be in the mercenary right? No wonder you know how to fix all that shit." Shit? That mobile suit could either be a piece of junk or a powerful weapon. It all depended on who it was that would be piloting the gundam.
"Soooo..." His face was millimeters from mine. It was dark here, and quiet. "Did you have a boyfriend? I knew about those ... men gathering and having fun with little boys like you. So you were one of those." I hadn't cared enough to get involved with anyone. Those men came to me on their own accord. They were the ones who touched me.
"Don't try to play innocent with me, No Name," He grabbed my hand. If I started to fight him, I would lose the job. Being a mechanic was better than going back to the mercenaries. "How experienced are you? You know, it's rare to see a young boy around here. I get sick and tired of those girls...they just yap on and on and on."
Experience meant nothing. It started shortly after I've joined a new mercenary, after the perishing of the guerilla forces. Then again, it could've started even before that. I've learned to be quiet about everything. Though I never did comprehend how could a young boy arouse those men's interests. It stopped when I became strong enough to fight back. It had always been the men.
"Sometimes, boys are the best," His hand reached up and touched my face. I had a choice. I wasn't pressured or forced this time. There was nothing to lose. I decided that I wouldn't fight. I liked this job.
"Not bad..." He had that smug smile on his face. So he was sober this whole time. I knew that. "The only bad thing was that you were silent the whole time, like you're not there. Or is it that you just don't know how to cry out or scream?"
I've used up all the tears since I was a baby. I couldn't quite remember. Watching from afar showed a lot of things-- betrayals, killings, and lies. Human beings are meant to be distrusted.
"So No Name," he leaned up on his elbow. "Was that good for you?"
"......" I got up and pulled on my clothes.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" He grabbed my arm. I freed myself and continued to get dressed. "Well frankly I think you're okay. Though virgin boys would be better."
Sex was definitely overrated. "But then again doing you as a virgin probably wouldn't be fun," he sat up and stretched. "you don't make a single noise."
"......" I opened the door. It was almost daylight outside. I still got work to do.
They ran a lot of tests on this gundam. They've also tightened the security around the construction site. It was their first gundam, a lot of problems had been detected and they had been careful about the details. It was still unclear in what was the purpose of building such a weapon. It was quite clear however, that OZ would not be in support of such an act. It was none of my concern nevertheless.
They called the gundam HeavyArms. It was equipped with an abundance of ammunitions. Interestingly enough, it was structured in such a way that one side was heavier than the other. It would be a challenge to pilot it. It was also equipped with a self-destruct mechanism. It would be an honor to die with it.
Trowa Barton gave no indications of his interests in the safety or well-being of the mobile suit. His primary concern seemed to lay only in controlling the weapon itself and made use of it. He talked of his ambitions as a member of the Barton Family while trying to get closer to me. No advances serious enough that resulted to what happened last time though. There had been too many people around us, due to the near completion of the gundam. He was concerned with his reputation.
Further instructions were given to renovate and contruct the mobile suit. It was near its completion. They've decided that for security purposes no one would be allowed to test drive the gundam, not even the members of the Barton Family. Thus they were even more cautious in making sure that the gundam was safe for piloting when needed.
I wouldn't mind test driving the mobile suit itself. I didn't care for my safety. I knew all about danger, I was used to walking a tight rope.
Doctor S, that was what they call him. He and his assistant were examining their masterpiece again. There was a section above the cockpit that needed to be fixed. That was my job. I gathered up my tools and proceeded to work.
"Hey.... Are you the one who did the magnet coating treatment on the propulsion system?"
The propulsion system must be functioning then. I nodded.
"That was marvelous work.... Where did you learn such skill?"
"......" I proceeded to my work. Things like these should not be delayed.
"Well.... he's an odd one." Odd one indeed. Nobody was normal, as far as I knew. I looked up and climbed up the stairs. The upper torso area of HeavyArms needed some work.
"Hey No Name!" The work didn't seemed to be too difficult. I continued to work without hindrance. I felt him leaning against me. Then his arm around my shoulder. I could feel his breath on my neck. "I've got something to show you, for your eyes only," A photograph of a little girl and a young woman. "She's Marimeia, my older sister's daugher."
"......" The information did not concern me.
"We thought she'd died with my sister back on X18999, but we found her. When we've taken over the earth, she'll be the ruler. This house thinks that we won't need mobile suits." A division in views and interests. Someone was bound to be hurt in the process.
Finishing touches were as important as any other minute details. One could never tell when would these details make a difference.
"You're just scared that we Bartons will take over Earth!" An argument, regarding Operation Meteor. "I'm going to tell my father." There was the sound of a gunshot, followed by a thump. Trowa Barton had been killed.
The tools in my hands dropped onto the floor, the sound of them hitting the ground reveberated throughout the construction site. "Who is it?! Come on out!" I knew they have a gun. They could shoot me dead any time. I came out, my hands raised as they pointed the gun at me. I felt nothing.
"I don't have a name. You would have to think of something to call me." They were shakened, but cautious nevertheless. "You can kill me, but I may resist a little." It seemed that they had not expected such a response. What was done could not be undone. Trowa Barton was dead. Someone would bound to find out if Trowa Barton was not sent to Earth. I made the ultimate proposition.
"You're going to pilot this gundam?"
"I like this machine body."
"Very well, as of now, you're Trowa Barton. You are now entrusted with Operation Meteor."
"Looks like I'm going back to Earth after all..." The truth must be kept a secret. The capsule passed by a group of mobile suit shuttles. There were people assigned to aid in the operation. They must be kept silent.
"This is the special forces under direct control of the Barton Conglomerate. We have been ordered to aide in Operation M." It was inevitable, that one them would try to communicate.
"......" There were ammunition on this capsule. It would do.
"Huh? Who are you?!" They saw me. Now they must be silenced. I fired at them. They were obliterated.
Operation M, proceeding with mission. Treasonous act engaged... Ships exterminated. Furthurmore, Operation M was a failure. As it stood, would land on earth.
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So I am on my way to Earth. Shall I perish or live in this war, will not be of my concern. I am now Trowa Barton. I've taken the gamble.
-------------------------------THE GAMBLE (END)--------------------------------