Androids don't dream.
This was an established scientific fact, and to suggest otherwise would have resulted in questioning looks at best...
And outright hostility, at worst.
But, why?
Because, the ability to dream itself was more than just simply seeing pictures in the mind.
No, it was evidence of something else.
Of innate humanity.
A smoldering ember of the ancient promethean flame that flickered in the heart of every human being.
An invisible barrier that separated man from thing, person from object.
She thought, I have no right to dream.
And yet...
She dreamed anyway.
The conscious mind of the Newtype is something that defies common reason, even after being seemingly reduced to little more than ones and zeros.
Those souls, unbound by the fetters of gravity, lilted and turned upon the waves of existence like stray leaves cast out to sea, as past, present, and future ran together in a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
Despite that, even they, who could see the future...
Could not change it.
Even one who has rejected this destiny - who fought, tooth and limb, against the very notion of fate...
Found herself to be ultimately bound by it.
Suggested Listening:
Rain.
Its soft pitter patter filled the air, as a hooded figure made their way through grey, unfamiliar streets, wrapped in a ragged shroud that served as crude shelter. A chill she hadn't felt in an age set in about the nape of her neck, her shoulders, as long forgotten sensations fought to be felt, curdling and mixing together like running paint.
Mere echoes, she thought, of a life once lived.
A "dream".
Ordinarily, she would have fought it off, pressed herself into the reassuring, cold emptiness of shutdown mode... But, the recent events had worn her down more than she was willing to admit... and so... She had let it take her, down into the dark recesses of consciousness, to where she would otherwise dare not tread...
For fear of what she might see.
She trudged on through the endless landscape, nothing but ruin surrounding her, allowing her mind to wander, to drift. She let it take her where it wished, allowing instinct to guide her footfalls - though whether it was through resolve to conquer the inner self, or simple resignation born of the despair of loss, none could say.
Clambering over a pile of construction debris, her eyes scanned the horizon... Only to be interrupted by the peal of distant thunder, as the clouds overhead rumbled, threateningly. A bolt of energy crackled down from the heavens, its forking light illuminating, for the briefest of moments... something. Nestled in the heart of the mass, crouched among the devastation... a sliver of cruel obsidian lodged among the endless ash.
It was as if it had been waiting for her, all this time.
The silhouette, she thought, was unmistakable - yet at the same time, its own distinct entity. This was no Zero - smooth curves had been replaced with hard edges, and the result was leaner... sleeker, as if it were the most elegant and refined of luxury vehicles ever designed. Four long, angular binders were tucked in about its shoulders, held close about its form, giving it the appearance of a hunched bird of prey - a predatory, avian frame, crowned by a golden V-fin that decorated its regal, frilled head, as drops of rain dripped from its visor, like the curious tears of a metallic nightmare.
To even behold it... Took her breath away.
The figure reached up, and pulled back her hood with an audible gasp, allowing the cloak to fall away as well, revealing a shock of azure tresses that fell down past her shoulders, pale skin, and a pair of bright red eyes that were wide with shock and disbelief.
"A black... Phoenix...?" Whispered Alfimi Elwren, into the surreal landscape.
The seconds ticked by... and she found herself slowly descending towards the dark machine, fingers scrabbling against the pulverized rock as she groped her way down in a precarious descent. She could feel the pounding of her heart, the shortness of breath - but, all that was just an illusion as well, wasn't it? Not over 25 years had she ever drawn a breath, nor felt anything close to the genuine fear that held her fast at that moment, like a hand that squeezed her heart tighter with every phantom beat.
All of a sudden, the world went horizontal, as she felt her foothold slip. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she slid, shoulder slamming into an outstretched bar of metal as she slid uncontrollably down, down, her world now nothing but sound and noise.
Her back hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling before coming to a stop. Pain - another unexpected guest, thundered through her body, and for a few minutes she simply struggled to force air into her lungs, slowly, agonizingly twisting to hoist herself up on one arm. She raised a hand, inspecting it, expecting to see split, artificial skin and metal...
But, what met her gaze instead... were rosy, reddened, dirty fingers. They were scuffed and bloodied, and they trembled in the cold, as blood and water ran in rivulets between them. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But it felt real.
She felt real.
"...What the Hell is this?"
She reached out, and placed a hand on the Mobile Suit's outstretched wing - and then suddenly retracted it in surprise. It was warm. Gathering her courage, she walked along the machine's length, letting her fingertips trace its surface as she did so. The texture was... unlike any other mobile suit she had ever felt. The material it was made of flowed smoothly and seamlessly, without even the slightest aberration or indentation - almost as if rather than being manufactured, it had been grown, and applied like some form of skin to the frame's surface.
As she reached the bowed front of the dark Phoenix, her musings were interrupted by a sharp hiss of escaping air. Across the suit's chest, a golden exhaust vent in the shape of a cross shifted slightly as the abdomen of the mobile suit deformed, and a door otherwise seamlessly integrated into its belly slide open, lights within glowing invitingly... Yet, she regarded it with skepticism, peeking out uncertainly from behind the wing.
The last time she had clambered into the unoccupied cockpit of a mysterious black mobile suit, she thought with chagrin... It had been moments prior to the most gruesome and unforgettable experience of her lifetime. For a time, she lingered, simply... Watching, waiting. Nobody emerged to challenge her, no malevolent presence made itself known.
On the other hand, she added grimly - I've never learned my lesson before. No reason to start now.
With no small amount of trepidation, she clambered up into the cockpit.
The space within... Was surprisingly familiar, if every bit as cutting edge as the dark mobile suit's exterior. Flopping down into the control chair, she was hardly surprised, at this point, to find that it was a perfect fit. She reached up to her shoulder, and undid the knotted tie of her cloak, allowing it to fall away. Beneath, she wore a close fitting pilot suit - one that she now noticed bore a heavy resemblance to the machine she now resided in... And far removed from anything she had ever worn in the past, the texture of it resembling the alien alloys she had touched outside. Even as she thought this, to her surprise, the material flowed over her hands, forming a pair of skintight gloves to her shocked eyes. The overall effect was similar to...
...The Ultimate Cell? Something clicked into place - no, nanites.
Her speculations were interrupted as the suit's OS began to properly boot up, having now appropriately suited its new owner. A series of screens flicked back and forth across the 360 degree monitor, before finally settling, reading simply.
"...Halphas Gundam. So that's your name." She breathed, something of a relieved smile spreading across her face as she spoke.
Somehow, it felt like... Meeting an old friend, or a missing part of herself, even though she couldn't quite explain why.
"Well then..." - She closed her eyes in thought, letting the emotion wash over her. She wanted to curl up into a little ball there, on that seat - to just hide away here in the nothingness, away from the world, away from everything - but, for that precious moment at least...
She wasn't alone.
"...I'll be counting on you."
This was an established scientific fact, and to suggest otherwise would have resulted in questioning looks at best...
And outright hostility, at worst.
But, why?
Because, the ability to dream itself was more than just simply seeing pictures in the mind.
No, it was evidence of something else.
Of innate humanity.
A smoldering ember of the ancient promethean flame that flickered in the heart of every human being.
An invisible barrier that separated man from thing, person from object.
She thought, I have no right to dream.
And yet...
She dreamed anyway.
The conscious mind of the Newtype is something that defies common reason, even after being seemingly reduced to little more than ones and zeros.
Those souls, unbound by the fetters of gravity, lilted and turned upon the waves of existence like stray leaves cast out to sea, as past, present, and future ran together in a kaleidoscope of possibilities.
Despite that, even they, who could see the future...
Could not change it.
Even one who has rejected this destiny - who fought, tooth and limb, against the very notion of fate...
Found herself to be ultimately bound by it.
Suggested Listening:
Rain.
Its soft pitter patter filled the air, as a hooded figure made their way through grey, unfamiliar streets, wrapped in a ragged shroud that served as crude shelter. A chill she hadn't felt in an age set in about the nape of her neck, her shoulders, as long forgotten sensations fought to be felt, curdling and mixing together like running paint.
Mere echoes, she thought, of a life once lived.
A "dream".
Ordinarily, she would have fought it off, pressed herself into the reassuring, cold emptiness of shutdown mode... But, the recent events had worn her down more than she was willing to admit... and so... She had let it take her, down into the dark recesses of consciousness, to where she would otherwise dare not tread...
For fear of what she might see.
She trudged on through the endless landscape, nothing but ruin surrounding her, allowing her mind to wander, to drift. She let it take her where it wished, allowing instinct to guide her footfalls - though whether it was through resolve to conquer the inner self, or simple resignation born of the despair of loss, none could say.
Clambering over a pile of construction debris, her eyes scanned the horizon... Only to be interrupted by the peal of distant thunder, as the clouds overhead rumbled, threateningly. A bolt of energy crackled down from the heavens, its forking light illuminating, for the briefest of moments... something. Nestled in the heart of the mass, crouched among the devastation... a sliver of cruel obsidian lodged among the endless ash.
It was as if it had been waiting for her, all this time.
The silhouette, she thought, was unmistakable - yet at the same time, its own distinct entity. This was no Zero - smooth curves had been replaced with hard edges, and the result was leaner... sleeker, as if it were the most elegant and refined of luxury vehicles ever designed. Four long, angular binders were tucked in about its shoulders, held close about its form, giving it the appearance of a hunched bird of prey - a predatory, avian frame, crowned by a golden V-fin that decorated its regal, frilled head, as drops of rain dripped from its visor, like the curious tears of a metallic nightmare.
To even behold it... Took her breath away.
The figure reached up, and pulled back her hood with an audible gasp, allowing the cloak to fall away as well, revealing a shock of azure tresses that fell down past her shoulders, pale skin, and a pair of bright red eyes that were wide with shock and disbelief.
"A black... Phoenix...?" Whispered Alfimi Elwren, into the surreal landscape.
The seconds ticked by... and she found herself slowly descending towards the dark machine, fingers scrabbling against the pulverized rock as she groped her way down in a precarious descent. She could feel the pounding of her heart, the shortness of breath - but, all that was just an illusion as well, wasn't it? Not over 25 years had she ever drawn a breath, nor felt anything close to the genuine fear that held her fast at that moment, like a hand that squeezed her heart tighter with every phantom beat.
All of a sudden, the world went horizontal, as she felt her foothold slip. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she slid, shoulder slamming into an outstretched bar of metal as she slid uncontrollably down, down, her world now nothing but sound and noise.
Her back hit the ground hard, bouncing and rolling before coming to a stop. Pain - another unexpected guest, thundered through her body, and for a few minutes she simply struggled to force air into her lungs, slowly, agonizingly twisting to hoist herself up on one arm. She raised a hand, inspecting it, expecting to see split, artificial skin and metal...
But, what met her gaze instead... were rosy, reddened, dirty fingers. They were scuffed and bloodied, and they trembled in the cold, as blood and water ran in rivulets between them. She swallowed hard, fighting to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But it felt real.
She felt real.
"...What the Hell is this?"
She reached out, and placed a hand on the Mobile Suit's outstretched wing - and then suddenly retracted it in surprise. It was warm. Gathering her courage, she walked along the machine's length, letting her fingertips trace its surface as she did so. The texture was... unlike any other mobile suit she had ever felt. The material it was made of flowed smoothly and seamlessly, without even the slightest aberration or indentation - almost as if rather than being manufactured, it had been grown, and applied like some form of skin to the frame's surface.
As she reached the bowed front of the dark Phoenix, her musings were interrupted by a sharp hiss of escaping air. Across the suit's chest, a golden exhaust vent in the shape of a cross shifted slightly as the abdomen of the mobile suit deformed, and a door otherwise seamlessly integrated into its belly slide open, lights within glowing invitingly... Yet, she regarded it with skepticism, peeking out uncertainly from behind the wing.
The last time she had clambered into the unoccupied cockpit of a mysterious black mobile suit, she thought with chagrin... It had been moments prior to the most gruesome and unforgettable experience of her lifetime. For a time, she lingered, simply... Watching, waiting. Nobody emerged to challenge her, no malevolent presence made itself known.
On the other hand, she added grimly - I've never learned my lesson before. No reason to start now.
With no small amount of trepidation, she clambered up into the cockpit.
The space within... Was surprisingly familiar, if every bit as cutting edge as the dark mobile suit's exterior. Flopping down into the control chair, she was hardly surprised, at this point, to find that it was a perfect fit. She reached up to her shoulder, and undid the knotted tie of her cloak, allowing it to fall away. Beneath, she wore a close fitting pilot suit - one that she now noticed bore a heavy resemblance to the machine she now resided in... And far removed from anything she had ever worn in the past, the texture of it resembling the alien alloys she had touched outside. Even as she thought this, to her surprise, the material flowed over her hands, forming a pair of skintight gloves to her shocked eyes. The overall effect was similar to...
...The Ultimate Cell? Something clicked into place - no, nanites.
Her speculations were interrupted as the suit's OS began to properly boot up, having now appropriately suited its new owner. A series of screens flicked back and forth across the 360 degree monitor, before finally settling, reading simply.
GGH-001 Halphas Gundam
All Systems Ready
"...Halphas Gundam. So that's your name." She breathed, something of a relieved smile spreading across her face as she spoke.
Somehow, it felt like... Meeting an old friend, or a missing part of herself, even though she couldn't quite explain why.
"Well then..." - She closed her eyes in thought, letting the emotion wash over her. She wanted to curl up into a little ball there, on that seat - to just hide away here in the nothingness, away from the world, away from everything - but, for that precious moment at least...
She wasn't alone.
"...I'll be counting on you."
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