First Memory: For real
A snowball will smack Gundam in the face, leaving behind a bruise and a Sight/Sound/Smell crystal. When he comes to he'll have a nice headache and and overwhelming desire to say CHORISU all the time, in speech and in the journals. It annoys everyone for 5 days.
He was walking in the desert, climbing a rocky hill. He couldn’t feel the heat, but he could smell it. The dusty sun on rocks smell. He could see it too, shimmering in waves off of the earth.
He held a small computer unit in his hands. It was giving readings.
He was surprised to hear himself speak, his voice younger, as he knelt to examine the rocks, holding the holo-screen before him.
“If Lockon’s prediction is correct, the missiles were launched from around here.”
The screen changed, giving readings that Gundam thought he almost understood. His memory certainly read them well, murmuring to himself.
“Residual traces…” The memory looked up. “A mobile suit was definitely here. But where was it from?” Though he could not feel his memory move, Gundam saw the view change, knew he was rising and walking forward again.
He topped the hill, still watching the readings, and looked at the scene below. Gundam heard his memory gasp, and the landscape before his eyes shifted as the memory self quickly hid behind a large rock, peeking out to take in the large humanoid machine, the van, and the two men talking below.
“The Union?”
The men were approaching his location, and he ducked out of sight again. But he could hear them.
“In addition to the missile pod we found, with these readings there’s no mistake.” One of them was saying.
“Those guys are investigating this place too?” It was Gundam’s memory, muttering to himself.
“So it was PMC Trust in your opinion?” The shorter of the men, a blond in a blue uniform, stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips as he looked forward. He sounded thoughtful.
“It’s similar to the Moralia conflict.” The taller man with the scanner similar to the one Gundam’s memory had, stopped next to the blond, looking down at his screen. He had glasses and a ponytail, he was wearing a lapcoat. The blond held out a hand, stopping the taller man and looking toward’s Gundam’s rock. “What’s wrong?” The taller of the two asked.
“It’s not nice to eavesdrop.” The blond called. Gundam heard his own surprise in the intake of breath, though he couldn’t feel himself breathing. “Get out here now, you.” The blond’s voice was commanding and brooked no argument.
Gundam didn’t see what he did with his scanner, but he saw his memory raise his hands in the air, surrender, and step out to face the men.
“A local kid, huh?” the tall one murmured, a gentle look on his face.
“I wonder.” Was the blond’s reply, his own attention much more stern as he regarded Gundam.
“Um, I… I heard there was some fighting in this area. So I…” Gundam’s memory voice sounded even younger than it had before, almost childish, and uncertain.
“I see. I understand this sort of thing is interesting to boys your age, but it’s still dangerous. It’d be best if you’d run on home.” The taller man was kindly, smiling as he scolded gently. The blond closed his eyes, expression stiff, then opened them, staring straight at Gundam with an expression that was level and measuring.
“Yeah… I will. Excuse me.” The memory spoke, still young and uncertain sounding. He bowed and turned away from the men. He got a few steps before the blond spoke.
“Boy. What do you think of this country’s civil war?”
Gundam turned his head, and the tall man murmured something to his friend, but the blond was staring straight at Gundam, a challenging look in his eyes, face set.
“I was wondering what you thought of this country’s civil war.” The blond pressed, taking a few steps forward without breaking eye contact.
“Uh, I…” Gundam stayed in place, his voice wavering.
“Can’t think of it from a neutral standpoint, eh?” The blond man’s voice just had an edge of mocking. Or something. Baiting. “So then, which side do you believe in?”
“I don’t believe in either. They’re both right, in some ways.” Gundam’s voice remained uncertain and soft. Very much that of a young man caught in something bigger than he was. “But people are going to die in this fighting.” His memory turned around to face the men full on once more. “A lot of them are going to die.” Sorrow in his voice.
The blond watched him a moment more, then closed his eyes in acknowledgement. “I agree.”
“Is that something a soldier should be saying?” Gundam’s memory questioned.
“Has having us come to this country hindered things, I wonder?” The man in the uniform looked up again, hands going back to his hips.
“But since there are a lot of soldiers, the damage has decreased.” Said Gundam’s memory.
“Even so, you’re fighting.” The soldier said.
Gundam looked up, sudden, he could hear his own startled breath as the soldier’s expression turned smug and knowing. Intently focused on him.
“I wonder what that is you’re hiding behind you?” The blond man asked, but in a way that implied he knew already.
Gundam heard the noise his memory made, something like a gasp and a growl, and a click of metal.
“What a scary face.” The blond man said, green eyes staring intently up at Gundam. But there was a smile of anticipation and excitement on his face.
They stayed like that, staring at each other for a moment, locked in a silent struggle of wills, Gundam guessed, before the soldier smiled and turned to his friend.
“Katagiri, the day before yesterday, the Suit that attacked the communication antenna from here was the new model, the AEU Enact, wasn’t it?”
“Hey what are you doing?” The man, Katagiri, asked.
“Although this suit appears to have been dispatched from Moralia’s PMC. Let’s go report this.” The soldier turned and started to walk away, his friend watching him in confusion for a moment before following. They spoke to each other, softly, but Gundam’s memory remained still, watching them leave.
“A PMC Enact…” His memory whispered. “It couldn’t be! It was that guy. That man… incited the civil war!” His voice took on the quality of shock, and he heard something metallic drop to the ground with a clatter. “But why? Why? Why is he here now?”
He was walking in the desert, climbing a rocky hill. He couldn’t feel the heat, but he could smell it. The dusty sun on rocks smell. He could see it too, shimmering in waves off of the earth.
He held a small computer unit in his hands. It was giving readings.
He was surprised to hear himself speak, his voice younger, as he knelt to examine the rocks, holding the holo-screen before him.
“If Lockon’s prediction is correct, the missiles were launched from around here.”
The screen changed, giving readings that Gundam thought he almost understood. His memory certainly read them well, murmuring to himself.
“Residual traces…” The memory looked up. “A mobile suit was definitely here. But where was it from?” Though he could not feel his memory move, Gundam saw the view change, knew he was rising and walking forward again.
He topped the hill, still watching the readings, and looked at the scene below. Gundam heard his memory gasp, and the landscape before his eyes shifted as the memory self quickly hid behind a large rock, peeking out to take in the large humanoid machine, the van, and the two men talking below.
“The Union?”
The men were approaching his location, and he ducked out of sight again. But he could hear them.
“In addition to the missile pod we found, with these readings there’s no mistake.” One of them was saying.
“Those guys are investigating this place too?” It was Gundam’s memory, muttering to himself.
“So it was PMC Trust in your opinion?” The shorter of the men, a blond in a blue uniform, stepped forward, placing his hands on his hips as he looked forward. He sounded thoughtful.
“It’s similar to the Moralia conflict.” The taller man with the scanner similar to the one Gundam’s memory had, stopped next to the blond, looking down at his screen. He had glasses and a ponytail, he was wearing a lapcoat. The blond held out a hand, stopping the taller man and looking toward’s Gundam’s rock. “What’s wrong?” The taller of the two asked.
“It’s not nice to eavesdrop.” The blond called. Gundam heard his own surprise in the intake of breath, though he couldn’t feel himself breathing. “Get out here now, you.” The blond’s voice was commanding and brooked no argument.
Gundam didn’t see what he did with his scanner, but he saw his memory raise his hands in the air, surrender, and step out to face the men.
“A local kid, huh?” the tall one murmured, a gentle look on his face.
“I wonder.” Was the blond’s reply, his own attention much more stern as he regarded Gundam.
“Um, I… I heard there was some fighting in this area. So I…” Gundam’s memory voice sounded even younger than it had before, almost childish, and uncertain.
“I see. I understand this sort of thing is interesting to boys your age, but it’s still dangerous. It’d be best if you’d run on home.” The taller man was kindly, smiling as he scolded gently. The blond closed his eyes, expression stiff, then opened them, staring straight at Gundam with an expression that was level and measuring.
“Yeah… I will. Excuse me.” The memory spoke, still young and uncertain sounding. He bowed and turned away from the men. He got a few steps before the blond spoke.
“Boy. What do you think of this country’s civil war?”
Gundam turned his head, and the tall man murmured something to his friend, but the blond was staring straight at Gundam, a challenging look in his eyes, face set.
“I was wondering what you thought of this country’s civil war.” The blond pressed, taking a few steps forward without breaking eye contact.
“Uh, I…” Gundam stayed in place, his voice wavering.
“Can’t think of it from a neutral standpoint, eh?” The blond man’s voice just had an edge of mocking. Or something. Baiting. “So then, which side do you believe in?”
“I don’t believe in either. They’re both right, in some ways.” Gundam’s voice remained uncertain and soft. Very much that of a young man caught in something bigger than he was. “But people are going to die in this fighting.” His memory turned around to face the men full on once more. “A lot of them are going to die.” Sorrow in his voice.
The blond watched him a moment more, then closed his eyes in acknowledgement. “I agree.”
“Is that something a soldier should be saying?” Gundam’s memory questioned.
“Has having us come to this country hindered things, I wonder?” The man in the uniform looked up again, hands going back to his hips.
“But since there are a lot of soldiers, the damage has decreased.” Said Gundam’s memory.
“Even so, you’re fighting.” The soldier said.
Gundam looked up, sudden, he could hear his own startled breath as the soldier’s expression turned smug and knowing. Intently focused on him.
“I wonder what that is you’re hiding behind you?” The blond man asked, but in a way that implied he knew already.
Gundam heard the noise his memory made, something like a gasp and a growl, and a click of metal.
“What a scary face.” The blond man said, green eyes staring intently up at Gundam. But there was a smile of anticipation and excitement on his face.
They stayed like that, staring at each other for a moment, locked in a silent struggle of wills, Gundam guessed, before the soldier smiled and turned to his friend.
“Katagiri, the day before yesterday, the Suit that attacked the communication antenna from here was the new model, the AEU Enact, wasn’t it?”
“Hey what are you doing?” The man, Katagiri, asked.
“Although this suit appears to have been dispatched from Moralia’s PMC. Let’s go report this.” The soldier turned and started to walk away, his friend watching him in confusion for a moment before following. They spoke to each other, softly, but Gundam’s memory remained still, watching them leave.
“A PMC Enact…” His memory whispered. “It couldn’t be! It was that guy. That man… incited the civil war!” His voice took on the quality of shock, and he heard something metallic drop to the ground with a clatter. “But why? Why? Why is he here now?”