KSGU:Volume 8 Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Part 1
“…Did you hear the broadcast in the bridge? All personnel are to head to the mobile suit deck without exception.”
“But you can’t extract the people with drips here, you know!? How am I supposed to deal with them under zero gravity? It’s okay if we’re talking about the guys in the infirmary, but the patients in the ICU can’t move. There’s a clause in the constitution that allows for wounded soldiers to be treated too.”
This familiar voice rang with a stubborn force of anger in her ears. Marida Cruz widened her eyes, and her blurry stare looked around.
She saw the white ceiling of what seemed to be an infirmary. It was not the ceiling of the “Garencieres”, and once she understood this, there was a weak electrical surge flowing through her body, and she turned her heavy head in the direction where the sound came from. There was a hulking male figure outside the curtains surrounding the infirmary bed, wriggling there; it was someone she knew, one of the members of the “Garencieres” crew, Alec, the backup steering pillow. He had a bulky figure, but he was timid, and at this point, he was holding onto a sub machine-gun. She also had an impression on the man in white clothes, whom the gun was being pointed to, but she was not too familiar with him. He was the military doctor in charge of treating her when she was captured and brought aboard the “Nahel Argama”, and she remembered that he was called Hasan…
Suddenly, a headache caused her blurry vision to be interrupted. What’s going on? Wasn’t I brought to Earth? Her body felt heavy, and her mouth still felt a little numb; she felt gravity, but she wondered whether she was on Earth or in space—she closed her eyes, and then opened them again, and looked outside the curtain with a clearer vision this time. “Say something too, Mr. Gael.” Hasan said as he looked past Alec, and stared upon the 3rd figure.
“It was for a short moment, but you did work together with them, right? Even if you want to occupy a ship, there has to be some basic rules here. Isn’t there anyone easier to negotiate with?”
From the gap between the curtains, she could see the side face of a silent man. She looked into the black eyes of the bald man who seemed to be full of vigor, and realized that this was a face she saw before too…as she thought about this, “It’s useless.” A sudden voice caused her eyelids to numb.
“We’ve been on this “Nahel Argama” far longer than the time he spent on the “Garencieres”.”
Zinnerman said as entered her vision, and he looked at the man called Gael. They exchanged sinister looks, and after a moment, Zinnerman looked away. “…It’s useless to hope for terrorists to abide by rules, is it?” Hasan said these words, and Zinnerman turned his firm stare over at him.
“That’s how it is. If we’re not recognized as soldiers, there’s no need for us to follow the rules.”
ZInnerman pulled the handgun from his waist and pointed it at Hasan nonchalantly. The sudden tense atmosphere jolted Marida’s dull body, and her body shuddered as she laid on the bed. Zinnerman however seemed to notice her presence, and shuddered for a moment before looking over at her. “Dr. Hasan.” Gael brought the silence.
“Zinnerman’s serious here. It’s best to listen to him now.”
“But…”
“We can only let them take the men away. They should be able to recognize that we’re bringing along necessary medical equipment.”
Gael again looked at Zinnerman in the eyes, showing an embolism of restrained emotions. “You need to let us check through the stuff.” Zinnerman frowned as he said this, and then lowered his gun pointing at Hasan. The latter glared back, but left unwillingly after being prompted by Gael, “I’ll help out too. Let’s go.” Alec seemed to be relieved, but Gael did not care as he followed Hasan.
“How unfortunate.”
Gael’s burly frame muttered as he passed by Zinnerman, and then disappeared from her vision. Alec too left, and the side of Zinnerman’s face was the only thing left through the gap of the curtains. The black eyes tried to suppress the emotions it just could not do so, and they were twitching on his emotionless face. Master seems to be in pain. Why am I still lying in such a place? Marida bent her back, wanting to bring her upper body up, but the tremendous pain on her flank caused her to grit her teeth in agony, “Mas…ter…” and she eked out the voice in an interrupted manner. Zinnerman walked over to her in large steps, and the bearded face she ostensibly had not seen in a while covered the light panel on the ceiling.
The faded leather jacket gave a little gunpowder smell. The chilly air outside flowed into the bed, causing her to feel a little tense as she laid down it defenseless. “This is…?” She let out a dry voice, and could not exert strength into her limbs freely. Zinnerman placed his hand on her forehead, “Don’t worry.” He said silently,
“I won’t ask you to move, so just sleep for a while here. Everything will be over when you wake up next time.”
The touch of the rugged palm moved from the forehead to the eyelids, giving warmth that seeped into her body and mind. That’s right. This is the hand that called me, and pulled me out from the darkness. Marida recalled this, but this was still unable to shake off her sleepiness. She closed her eyes slightly, and reached her arm that ostensibly had the drip on it at Zinnerman; her outstretched fingers touched the latter’s. It’s daddy’s hand. This non-contextual line appeared in her mind, and the body warmth of Zinnerman beside her vanished.
There was the sound of the curtains being pulled up, and the body that was surrounded by the cold and silent air outside drifted away gradually. Marida watched the back silhouette that was full of hardship, realized that she had no ability to support him, and let her body, ostensibly as heavy as lead, sink into the bed.
