[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by Kha

@Lowe: That link started off as a VA joke, then after a few Tracings morphed into...

Anyway, also as a VA joke, I'm planning to have Hayate pondering about Kha rather excessively, almost 6th Div stumbling levels, in Twist's Fate, even though she hates the guts of "Solo Wing Zero".

Khayate... Nice ring. :3

Think this is a second reason for Yuuno to hate Kha's guts?
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Despite being a chapter dedicated to fluff, this manages to be longer than my most recent profiles so far.

Here's Linebackers, Part VIII, even though it doesn't feature the Linebackers at all. But you'll see why they're important at the end:

Spoiler for Ponderings:

-Glock-

Hmmm…

I awoke, the sky still dark, yet awash in the dull light of atmospheric airglow. My first whiff of the air smelled like… lavender mint. I also felt a warm weight on my right shoulder, leaning unto me. Someone’s head leaning on me.

Kaylin?

Strangely enough, the first thought that ran through my head was: She never smelled this good before.

One might imagine that Kay strived to preserve hygiene, and just like all people, especially women, she did. But in her line of work, where clean, plentiful bathing water is a distant luxury that can be absent for weeks or even months at a time, it often leaves her with a… less than desirable odor. Thankfully, she seems to have put the showers in my quarters to good use. And now… it seems, I couldn’t get enough of this sweet aroma.

Damn… being this close to her, looking so serene and peaceful, watching as her chest slowly rose and fell with each breath. Something within me definitely stirred.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr…

And something else as well.

*sigh*

As much as I wanted Kay’s company, one cannot deny the body of its needs, especially in regards to hunger. And my stomach was definitely making itself known.

Slowly, I gently lifted Kay’s head from my shoulder, making sure to not wake her. The slight breeze that blew past reminded me of how cold it was up here. I clutched for Sofia’s Pendant Form.

“Sophia, Materialize Barrier Jacket Cape.”

“Yes sir.”

I covered Kay with my barrier jacket’s cape, which should keep her warm. It should last long enough till I come back before it dematerializes. Not the first time I’ve done this, all those nights where she stubbornly tried her best to shiver off the cold, either that or she was too tired to even bother.

“I’ll get you something when I get back.”

I’m uncertain of what came over me the moment after I said that... I leaned over, and…

…

Not sure why I did that. I don’t regret it though. And not like she’ll know.

“Be back in a few.”

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-Kay-

And with that, he was gone.

I opened my eyes for the first time tonight. In truth, I’ve been awake for the past few minutes. After all this time he still can’t tell whether I’m sleeping, or simply meditating.

He nearly destroyed my meditation with that one though. To think he’d have the guts to snatch a kiss from me…

Not like I mind. If I had to admit… I kinda liked it. And after everything that’s happened today, I’m willing to cut him some slack. I gingerly touched my left cheek where he kissed me, as if trying to preserve that feeling.

“Rey, I hope you don’t mind.”

A chirp from Khaydarin meant Rey was still awake. I did give her an important assignment earlier.

“I do not understand your query.”

As expected.

“Rey… why do you like him?”

A few seconds of silence passed. I guess not even Rey can think that quickly to answer such a question.

“I… cannot tell.”

“You can write saintly qualities into his profile and still not be able to answer my very simple question.”

In truth, I probably couldn’t answer either.

“I wrote the simple facts as I could observe from Glock’s behavior. Such simple data cannot be used to ascertain one’s emotional feelings for another person. What I transcribe about him cannot describe my reasons for favoring his company. I also cannot attribute my reasons as stemming from his favorable treatment of me, as he is known to treat everyone nearly equally. In short, I am unable to answer your query to your satisfaction. ”

To think you’ve grown this much Rey, it astonishes me. I couldn’t help but smile at this revelation.

“That is true Rey… very much so.”

“Why the query Kay?”

Good question Rey. Why did I ask that?

“Honestly… I am not sure myself. Perhaps, I just wanted to hear a second opinion.”

“A second opinion?”

I sighed heavily.

“On how I feel and on why. Both of us like Glock in more or less the same manner. I thought that if I could hear why you liked him, maybe I can relate.“

“I apologize if I could not provide you with the answer you sought.”

“No need to be sorry, it was presumptuous of me. I can’t even answer my own question.”

Why did I even want to know why I felt this way about him? In fact, when was the first time I felt this way about him? I honestly cannot recall.

It wasn’t a singular moment of suddenly feeling for him... In the past seven months, despite his initially stoic and stiff demeanor, and his near unshakeable professionalism which made him no more than a decorative spud, he was there. Watching, guarding, a constant presence by my side.

But anyone would’ve sufficed if that was the only reason. I created my children to be my constant companions, and if I wanted human company I would’ve hired a bodyguard.

Was it the General’s stories of pain and suffering that he had gone through, his love for his lost Shinobu, and the double-edged sword of loving Mai? And the stories of his determination despite the odds?

It can’t be. For I have long known of his determination before.

Was it during the time he first poured out his heart, when he suddenly broke down at the sight of the abominable Necrons on Megiddo? When the past horrors caught up to him? When he first showed me his vulnerabilities, his weakness, his pain?

No. For even before that, I knew that I had cared for him. I wanted him to trust me, just as I had trusted him.

How could I not know when I had fallen in love with him?

I can analyze and reconstruct entire events that occurred centuries or even millennia ago, and yet I cannot even grasp what has happened for the past seven months.

“Isn’t it enough that you feel for him?”

"What was that?"

“I recall this phrase you frequently quote. As I understand it, one cannot fully integrate logic with emotion. Logic should only curb one’s emotions from negative influences, but it cannot suppress it. Isn’t it enough that we both feel for him, and live to let those emotions reach him?”

Wow. I can recall a time when I was the one teaching my children these things.

“Who taught you that?”

“You did. I am merely repeating what you have taught us.”

“I did?”

“No.”

Rey… I swear, there’s a virus running in you that I don’t know about… But even then…

“I see. Thanks for reminding me.”

“You are welcome.”

Maybe I’m just thinking of this too much… or that kiss really messed with my head there.

One thing I do know… I wouldn’t want to lose him again. Not to his past demons, present bureaucracy, or whatever the future throws at us.

I just hope he comes back soon… I’m thirsty…

“Analysis complete.”

Finally, my assignment. I had Rey run an extensive reconstruction analysis on Galatea’s fragmented programs earlier, to narrow down and determine the cause of the reaction.

“Results?”

“After initial reconstruction of the emotional subroutines, further fragments began to surface, which recompiled themselves into a new program. It appears to be a reception program for a remote signal stimulus related to a previously recovered fragment, specifically Program 11.”

Program 11. One of the first incomplete programs we uncovered after Galatea’s… passing, along with Program 13, the incomplete programming code for his Full Drive form. The program fragment with the makings of an audio/video media file, created only mere minutes before Galatea’s deletion. It took us years to recover just 10% of this file, which we cannot run unless we recover the remaining 90%.

“The activation of this reception program appears to have automatically uncovered and isolated several related fragments to Program 11. Simulation tests reveal that reconstructed these fragments will restore Program 11 to 100% data composition.”

What… the…hell…

“Hold on… you’re telling me that we now have our first complete program?”

“That is partially correct. The program still requires a direct reception of a signal of a particular signature to be completed. Fortunately, there are enough fragments present to determine the signature of the signal in question. A systematic search of all external energy signals within the past few days yielded one possible result, a signal received at around 1513.53 hours.”

1513. About three minutes off the mark, but around the time of the first reaction. My bet is that this signal is also responsible for the reaction in the first place. With the exact timing pinned down, I could go through the media logs again.

“Run media log recorded from 1512.53 to 1514.53 hours.”

A holodisplay opened, showing us the ruined buildings of the abandoned districts, a recording of the events before our mock battle. Glock was right in front of me, double checking Sofia for use. Behind him, the two Linebackers were doing the same, with Smith tapping his device, speaking to it.

“Lina, wake up now! We got work to do!”

This was it.

“Stop! Rewind playback by two seconds.”

The moment the little holographic girl Lina appeared… time exactly 1513.53 hours.

“There is another matter which may be of interest.”

I’m not sure what else could interest me at this moment, having discovered the concrete link between Galatea’s reactions and the Linebackers. What did these two devices have in common for Galatea to have subroutines programmed to react to the appearance of Lina?

“What is it?”

“Another receptor program is attuned to use the same signal signature for activation. This receptor program is linked to Program 13... “

Okay. So THAT is more interesting.

“…and like Program 11, simulations result in program completion and activation should direct signal contact be established…”

Just like that my sleepiness vanished. I really need to talk to these Linebackers… fast…