Chuck growled softly, taking a long drag before puffing the smoke into the air. “I can’t stay calm without a cancer stick between my lips with all these failures piling up on us! I can’t believe our second attack on Orb failed just as miserable as the first one!!”
Derek leaned back in his chair staring at the ceiling. “I had high hopes for Lt. Bruin but this last failure was just too costly. Over half her team was decimated and we lost a sub and two are damaged nearly beyond repair.”
Rubbing his eyes tiredly Victor looked at his companions. “I guess a punishment is in order, too bad she had a bright future…”
”Oh there you short-term thinkers go again. Cutting off someone’s potential after two mistakes.” A cheery voice with an underline sinister tone chuckled in the darkened room.
Isaac turned in his swivel chair to face the new-comer. “I wasn’t aware you would be joining our meeting Prof. Steamhein.”
The man known as Steamhein stepped out of the shadows. He was tall with albino white hair. He looked no older than his early thirties but the air he generated as he walked in claimed he was much older. He wore a lab coat over a pair of trousers, and white button-down shirt. He wore a short of special pair of glasses with the right lens composed of some tricked-out device like a special lens. “You know me, I like to come and go. Also I have a report on the Messiah and Desolation Messenger projects. But I think they can come after I persuade you all to give our dear Tammy Bruin another chance.”
Cassie eyed Steamhein with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t understand why you are bothering. I know you’re fond of her and the three pilots of the Gundams we stole but we can’t let her failures go unchecked.”
”I never said let her off the hook entirely but your method of punishment will only serve to shooting yourself in the foot.” Steamhein said as he waved his hand in a “tsk, tsk” gesture. “Also I think some fault should rest on your shoulders considered you didn’t think through totally of the targets you sent her after.” He smiled smugly as if he had everything planned to work in his favor.
“How are we at fault for her screw-ups?” Victor asked with a raised eyebrow that dared Steamhein to prove his point.
”Tammy Bruin is undoubtedly talented as an intelligence officer and has uncanny leadership abilities, and we cannot discredit her MS skills, however you all neglected a vital piece of information when you dropped those missions on her shoulder.”
Cassie eyed the scientist, making a hand gesture for him to continue. “What vital info did we neglect?”
”You sent her against Kou Uramecha, an individual she has a close personal tie to. Also we know she’s been adamant on bringing him back to the fold alive as opposed to dead. After all she did care for him after his parents were killed up until he ran off, and of course she’s suspicious to why he ran away. As time goes it gets harder to hide those IDOLA test records and so on.” Steamhein stated as he adjusted his glasses.
Derek growled softly, he was the one who instigated the IDOLA program and in selecting Uramecha as chief test subject. “So you’re saying we sent her to potential failure?”
”That you did.” Steamhein said bluntly. “I don’t even need to mention that besides Uramecha her team ended up fighting a while under-manned but battle hardened Orb, the Junk Guild and more than one Gundam type model suit in the hands of competent pilots. In fact your plans against the Archangel and Eternal were equally foolish. Those ships are full of battle hardened veterans as well as the best model suits in the universe at the moment. You can’t expect instant success like all our efforts against organizations like ZAFT and the Earth Alliance Forces who we have heavily infiltrated. Don’t forget those three ships also more or less single-handedly ended the war.”
The facts that Steamhein had laid out hung in the air over the Top Five as one after the other began to digest what he was saying. Isaac was the first to speak.
”Your point is made Prof. Steamhein so tell me what you suggest we do to maximize her efficiency?”
”Assign her as an Intel-Officer for the Pegasus. I believe she’ll shine at gathering data on our enemies or assisting our Gundam pilots.” Steamhein grinned.
”Gundam? I’ve never heard that term before.” Victor mused.
”Ah yes right. Gundam was an acronym created by Kira Yamato the pilot of Freedom based on what he read off the start up OS for the Strike. Its rather fetching I say the name has a powerful tone to it.” The scientist muses.
Dismissing the quirkiness of the scientist Chuck stubbed his cigarette into an ashtray. “Now then, would you be so kind as you give us your update on the Messiah and Desolation Messenger units?”
Steamhein pushed up his glasses. “Oh yes our two keys. I can first off happily report that we will be on schedule with their completion dates.”
”Can this be done? You did just send us several notes about revising parts of the Messiah alone.” Victor asked.
”I can assure you the completion date has not changed.” Steamhein said with utmost confidence. “Those additions I sent you in my last memo will prove their worth in the battlefield.”
Derek pulled out the aforementioned memo. “How can you make the expectancy date with all these medications you keep piling on?”
”Genius never sleeps Victor, if I feel something will give my machines an edge I will implement it even if I need to create a new technology to make it work.” Steamhein said with a conviction only a true man of science could have. “You will have your ultimate weapons on their due dates as I promised.”
With that said he turns and walks out of the room, the same smug smile on his face. Once he was gone all five members of the Top Five seemed to relax from unknown tension.
”Damn, I don’t care if he is on our side that guys just gives me the creeps.” Isaac rubs his arms.
Cassie adjusts her tie for a second. “The Professor certainly gives off an air of eerie. However his genius and service to us outweighs his quirks. He hasn’t failed us yet and without him we can’t hope to finish the Grand Solution plan.”
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(Posted Sun, 16 Oct 2005 07:23)
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