Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Stolen Memories ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter Seventeen

Trowa and Quatre had departed more or less straight away for L1 on their mission to find and detain Dr J. The others had not left the space station until around 10 hours later. It had taken time for Duo to complete his scanner, and Sally did not want to rush packing her delicate medical equipment. When they were finally ready Heero powered down the station after the others had boarded the shuttle. He then floated effortlessly to the air lock where Relena was waiting.

"Will you come back here?" She asked watching him lock the door and code in security sequences.

".?" Heero glanced at her questioningly.

"This was your hideaway from everyone." Relena explained "Something I am very envious of. A place where no one can find you, where you can be alone and not be interrupted. A place where you can do what you want to do. Now we know about it will you come back here or find some other place?"

Heero finished with the airlock and took her arm guiding her to a seat. "It is a good place to be alone, but after all these years I have found that I don't like being alone as much as I used to." He helped strap her in, pulling the belts tight, feeling the clearance between the straps and her shoulders to gauge that he had them adjusted correctly. "Anyway, I could always tow it to a new location if I feel it needs to be secret again."

Relena smiled "Just like a gypsy, wandering the stars." She sighed "Now I really am envious.."

Heero smirked, then made his way to the pilots seat. Duo was there already and had finished the pre-flight checks.

"Everything A OK." Duo grinned and glanced over his shoulders. "All passengers on board?" he pointed at Sally, then Wufei and Relena counting "Check! This is your Captain speaking. I would like to welcome you aboard Maxwell Airlines flight 02 from where ever the hell we are to the old Sanq Kingdom, Earth. We should be arriving at our destination around midnight. The weather in the Sanq Kingdom is hot and liable to get a lot hotter after we arrive. Please, ladies and gentleman, ensure that your seat is in the upright position and the tray is stowed. Once again we would like to - ooof" Duo broke off as Heero slapped the side of his head.

"Just fly" Heero growled, disconnecting the seal between the station and the shuttle.

"You're the boss." Duo assented, and pressed a control to vent some gas from the side of the shuttle, which gently manoeuvred the shuttle away from the station. He then engaged the engines and piloted the shuttle away.



The trip was uneventful, as was the decent into Earth's atmosphere. They were not challenged or even hailed as they made flew into Sanq airspace. Duo and Heero glanced at each other, both clearly unhappy that there had been no confrontation.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Duo murmured "It feels like a trap - Une ought to have defences set up, unless she wants us to come this way. I hate trying to second guess that woman."

"We will land were we planned to. If it is a trap, then Une will spring it soon enough. No point worrying about it." Heero said and he piloted the shuttle to a rough landing strip that they had built and used on occasions in the past. It was in the middle of a remote forest at the edge of the Sanq Kingdom and was originally created by stray Gundam fire during a battle in the Oz conflict. The forest had been so heavily scared by the battle that the landing strip did not stand out from the air.

"As soon as we land be prepared to disembark immediately." Heero called over his shoulder to Relena, Sally and Wufei. "We don't know what's coming and we don't want to be sitting targets."

Relena nodded her understanding, whilst Sally quickly stowed a few pieces of medical equipment into a backpack. She saw Relena watching her curiously.

"Just in case we have to make a run for it." Sally explained "I want to have a few essentials."

"Sit down and strap yourself in, woman" Wufei grabbed Sally's arm and forced her down into her chair. "We are landing and with your sense of balance you will probably fall over and break your leg. The last thing I need is to have to carry you out of this forest."

Sally scowled at Wufei but didn't argue. Almost as soon as she had sat down they were all jostled in their seat as the shuttle made contact with the landing strip. Relena gripped the armrests of her chair as she felt her body lurch forward as the shuttle slowed. The whole shuttle felt like it was shaking apart and the engines whined as they were put into reverse to slow the forward motion.

"Don't worry." Wufei had seen Relena's expression "This strip is basic and not sealed as commercial landing strips are. We have used this before with a shuttle of this size and not encountered problems."

Relena nodded and felt relief as the shuddering gentled and then stopped as the shuttle came to a halt. She fumbled with her seat belt buckle and stood as Heero came out of the cockpit, gun in hand. Wufei opened the shuttle door. It was dusk and the forest looked eerie with the lengthening shadows. Heero pressed himself to the edge of the door and peered out scanning the area for any movement.

"No incoming on radar" called Duo who had remained in the cock pit "Looks like we are in the clear."

"Stay here, I am going to do a search of the perimeter." Heero instructed the others, and jumped out of the shuttle landing in a crouch some six feet below. Immediately he ran to the edge of the trees and disappeared from sight.

"Still no incoming." advised Duo "I think we may have finally got one step ahead of Une."

"Don't underestimate her." Wufei said quietly, looking out of the shuttle door into the dusk. He had taken his gun out, safety off. "She is a highly trained professional regardless of which personality she is currently using. I do not like having her as an enemy." Wufei stiffened and aimed with his gun out the door, then relaxed and put the safety back on before holstering the weapon.

Heero jogged up to the shuttle.

"All clear." He reported. "Let's move."

"Ladies first." Duo said as he moved from the cockpit to the cabin, picking up the boxed scanner he had developed.

Relena hesitated at the edge of the door, then sat down legs dangling over the edge. Heero had put his gun away and lifted his arms to catch her as she shuffled forward and dropped. Relena suppressed a shriek as she fell, and merely squeaked as she felt Heero's strong arms around her. The impact made Heero stumble back a pace or two, then he gently placed her on her feet.

"Thank you" Relena whispered looking up at him.

"Your welcome" Heero bent his head and claimed a quick kiss from her.

"Hey!" called Duo "Mind on the job at hand if you don't mind."

Heero glared up at Duo for interrupting them, then dashed forward to catch the box that Duo had suddenly thrown down. Relena was shoved to the side in Heero's haste.

"Idiot!" Heero called up to Duo "At this point the scanner is irreplaceable."

"Catch me, my Heero!" Duo called in a falsetto voice and jumped down aiming at Heero. Heero neatly side-stepped and walked back to Relena's side as Duo impacted with the ground.

"Owww" Duo complained rubbing his leg, which had been jarred in the impact. "Ooofh" Heero threw the box at Duo and he caught it mainly with his stomach.

Wufei was next to disembark, wearing the backpack that Sally had loaded during the landing. "Need a hand?" he called up to Sally. Sally glared at him again and gracefully dropped to the ground.

"No" she said adjusting the straps of her own backpack.

Heero moved to a control pad located on the wheel of the shuttle, keyed in a number and then the door of the shuttle slowly closed and locked.

"Time to move." He said as he took Relena's hand and started off into the woods.



Dr Basil Holt frowned. His computer display showed a smiling image of Relena Dorlian, with the current readings sent by her nanobot. He concentrated on the pattern, then keyed in an instruction and a historic overview of heart rate, blood pressure and brain activity was displayed.

"Damn." He said softly and he compared the pattern at twenty-minute intervals. "I've been had."

"What do you mean?"

Basil jumped startled as he thought he had been alone in his office. Lady Une was standing by the door observing him.

"Really Lady, must you do that." Basil frowned at him "You take years off my life every time you sneak up on me."

"Sorry Basil, but you are such an easy target." Une smiled and walked up to Basil's desk sitting on the corner. "Now who has had you?" she asked again.

Basil turned the laptop so that Une could look at the read out.

"Look at the pattern. It's a pattern that is repeating every twenty minutes. You just don't get that happening normally. People don't operate that robotically." Basil shook his head as he folded his arms still regarding the printout. "Those pilots have managed to reprogram the new version nanobot. God knows how they did it, but they have."

"What does that mean?" Une was bent forward looking at the screen intently. Her brown hair falling forward to hide her face.

"It means one of two things. One, they have managed to deprogram Relena and are feeding false information for what ever reason." Basil shook his head unable to comprehend how they were able to achieve this.

"Or two?" Une prompted.

"Relena is dead, as we planned, and they are trying to hide her demise." Basil answered looking directly at Une trying to gauge her reaction.

"Probability?" Une again asked.

Basil thought for a second, then answered "I really cannot believe that they were able to deprogram her without killing her. Not without help from the designer. I would say she is dead and they are trying to hide it."

Lady Une crossed her arms. "And you are the sole designer of this bot."

Basil looked startled. "Of course I am, you know that I am the creator of this technology." Une stared at him and Basil started to look edgy. "I am the sole creator and designer. I did not help the pilots if that is what you are implying."

"Of course not." Lady Une looked out of the office window "I am not accusing you of anything my dear old friend. I just wanted confirmation that no one could be helping the pilots. So, Relena is finally dead."

"Yes, the evidence would point to that." Basil frowned at Lady Une. "Er, my condolences" he said weakly.

Une turned around and stared at Basil, then slowly smiled.

"Thank you Basil. But I never really knew her. And how can I truly mourn someone that I never really knew." Lady Une flicked an imagined spot on the sleeve of her uniform. "I will go and inform Millardo of Relena's not unexpected death. I am sure that he will be as devastated as I am."

Lady Une nodded and walked out of the room. Basil stared after her for a while, then swallowed.

"I am going to be in deep shit if Lady Une ever finds out about Dr Js involvement." He murmured, rubbing his forehead. He was beginning to get a headache.





Quatre and Trowa had arrived on L1 without incident and had immediately started their search for Dr J. They had visited his flat, which was empty of both personal possessions and furniture. When they located the landlady, she advised that the Doctor had vacated several days before. He had paid up the rent to the end of the tenancy agreement and told the landlady that he would not be renewing.

From there Quatre and Trowa moved on to the laboratory. Security was still operating, they could get in as far as the lift but no further. Trowa decided that they did not have time to be elegant in the means of their entry, and set a small charge in the base of the elevator. Once that had blown the floor of the elevator had largely disappeared and they were able to absail down to the level of the laboratory. Brut force opened the doors into the lab.

The main room of the laboratory was empty, equipment stripped. The only thing that remained was a screen with a disc player. On top of the screen was a disc. Quatre and Trowa looked at each other, then Trowa shrugged and placed the disc in the player and activated the screen. A recording of Dr J leapt into life, the Dr hunched over and not looking directly at the screen. He looked old and sad.

"Heero, I anticipated that you would call to see me and I would imagine that I am correct in guessing that it is not a social call. You believe that I am involved in the nanobot technology. And, much to my shame, the answer is yes. I am involved. I was one of the original designers. Dr Holt and myself developed the technology.

"The original idea came from Dr Holt. He was very unhappy after his unfortunate accident that he could no longer help children with congenital heart disorders and was looking for another way to utilise his medical knowledge. He had the idea of a nanobot that could regulate the heartbeat of a heart that was not beating correctly, a much more refined method than the existing pacemaker - no need for batteries to be replaced or the worry of a unit becoming faulty. I agreed that it was a brilliant idea. But then I did something I think I shall regret for the rest of my life. I suggested other uses of a nanobot should we be successful with that version.

"I trained you, Heero, to become the perfect soldier. But I always felt I had failed as in the end you followed your heart rather than your mind. I am ashamed to say that I thought that I could with this technology create an actual perfect soldier. One who would follow orders without hesitation, without questioning." Dr J's image shook his head. "It was wrong, Heero, I know it was. Once the prototype had successfully passed all computer generated tests Basil and I agreed to write up our findings and bring them before the General Medical Council for approval for further testing on live subjects.

"However, before the papers were written Basil was offered the position of Physician to Miss Darlian. He accepted, and at that time I grew a little suspicious of his motives. It was a move that was completely out of character for him. After a little time had passed I went to visit Basil in the Sanq Kingdom. It was then that I realised that Basil was conducting tests on live subjects, on human beings. I knew this when I encountered Miss Darlian and she did not recognise me.

"After I had seen her with Basil, I pondered what to do. I made enquiries and found that you and all your comrades had left Earth for destinations unknown. Then I heard rumours of the Justice Committee and its purpose. I revisited Basil, and managed to see Miss Darlian alone. I gave her a repellent spray that I had developed for protection. I told Basil that it was infected with nanobots whose purpose would be when triggered to burst blood vessels in the brain and cause instant death." Dr J sighed, and Trowa visibly swallowed. "Although I had bots that could do that, the spray I gave to Relena was bot free. She is a pacifist and I could not willingly add to the wrongs that had already been done to her. That was all I felt I could do. I then returned to L1 and waited for you to make contact with me, as I knew you would. And I assisted you the best I could to rid young Quatre and Miss Darlian of the nanobots."

Dr J shifted on his seat then looked directly at the camera for the first time. "I am sorry. I have hurt you by supporting Dr Holt, and I had promised myself that I would do all I could do to help you. Why did I do it? Well my boy, I suppose that all I did, all I have ever done, was in the name of science. I am afraid that is what drives me, nothing else.

"I am sorry for that which happened to Relena and Quatre, but I must confess to you that I am also fascinated by it. I don't think that I will ever be able to change my fascination for how we can manipulate people. That is my flaw and I will just have to live with it." Dr J suddenly grinned at the camera "I suppose that is if you let me! Someday we might meet up again, and by then I hope you can forgive a selfish old doctor. You were always a kind boy. Farewell."

Dr J's image bowed his head, and the transmission terminated.

Quatre and Trowa looked at each other.

"We won't find him easily now." Trowa said.

"No" Quatre agreed "And I don't think Heero will want us to." He picked up the disc and put it in his pocked "Lets get to the rendezvous point on Earth."