FINAL.CHAPTER – AND TIME KEEPS ON SPINNING (1)
最終章「そして時は紡ぎゆく」1

　”God, I’m so bored.”

　”You can say that again.”

　Quentin and Walter Fermo let out a simultaneous sigh as they lay on top of their beds in a spacious hospital room. They were at a medical facility inside the Buch Colony owned by the Ronah family. Both of them were being treated for the injuries incurred during the battle at Axis a week ago.

　The Axis infiltration mission was in no way a success.

　All the data on the psycho-frame that might have been left there had been lost, and the two custom mobile suits that they brought along under the guise of operational testing were moderately damaged while the prototype Armed Base was never even recovered.

　However, they did achieve one thing: a real battle with a Zaku III Custom and an R-Jarja, which were considered rare in this age and time. Additionally, the data collected from the combat with the mobile armor equipped with a psycommu system would greatly help Buch Concern’s future weapons development.

　”So, we came out even. Sigh, how depressing.”

　As his brother blurts out regretfully while leaning on one arm and looking out the window, Walter speaks out in protest.

　”It’s your fault, to begin with, oh shameless brother of mine. How could you lose to some random person twice?”

　”Need I remind you that you got your ass handed to you too?!”

　”No, I didn’t! I was about to win until you, and that red one came to spoil the party! “

　”Shut up! If I didn’t come to your rescue, you’d be dead by now!”

　”That’s my line! If I didn’t save your sorry ass, you’d be flying into the abyss of space together with Axis by now!”

　Spittle flying, they spouted insults at one another. It may not be too long in the future before they make their next move.

× × ×

　Meanwhile, at a dry cleaning shop in a town on Riah at Side 6, standing at the counter of Danton Dry Cleaners looking bored, is a burly man with an apron that looks out of place.

　A large bandage is spread over his wry face making him look sullen, while his muscular arms bulging out of his shirt’s sleeves are bandaged.

　Almost one week has passed since Danton Hyleg returned from Axis.

　He was solving a crossword puzzle to kill time, getting tired of waiting for the store’s poster girl who went out for delivery when the cowbell hanging at the entrance rang.

　”Welcome to–“

　Danton raised his head as he greeted but stopped halfway with a grimace.

　”Greetings. It’s been a while, Mr. Danton.”

　The young man in a suit standing at the entrance smiled at Danton nonchalantly.

　It had been a week since Danton saw Mehmet Merca.

　”It’s you again…”

　Ignoring Danton’s clearly uninviting tone, Mehmet walked straight into the store.

　”Here’s something for a quick recovery.”

　He handed over the basket he was holding with a smile. The basket was filled with a variety of fruits in red, yellow, and green. They looked especially colorful in the dry cleaning shop, which was mostly covered in white.

　”Look at this melon. Doesn’t it look delicious? “

　”A melon…”

　”It’s an authentic muskmelon grown on Earth. I spent a lot on this. I remember that you liked it.”

　”…?”

　He wondered for a while if he ever told him such a thing. In any case, melons aren’t really his favorite anyway.

　”Oh…”

　He finally recalled something. When he first met this man at that coffee shop, he ordered a melon cream soda. He really just liked the pretentious sweetness and utterly unnatural green color of the drink, which made it feel very much like what a soft drink is supposed to be; he doesn’t actually like melons. That drink doesn’t even taste like melons.

　”Look…” Danton tried to explain.

　”Oh? Was I wrong? “

　”No, I like it. Thanks.”

　Danton tried to explain, but as he looked at Mehmet’s innocent face smiling in front of him, it didn’t matter. He took the basket from him and set it down on top of the counter.

　”I’ll have it for dessert after dinner. Arlette will be delighted too.”

　”Where is she, by the way? “

　”Out on a delivery.”

　He answered while grabbing an apple from the basket and biting into it on the spot.

　”She went out before noon and hadn’t come back. I wonder where she’s loafing about…”

　”I guess I missed her. That’s a shame.”

　While making that remark, Mehmet sat on the sofa set up for customers, looking like it was the natural thing to do.

　”Why are you sitting down? You have something else to talk about?”

　”Here comes the real deal. I wanted to report back to you on what happened afterward.”

　”Sigh…”

　Danton rested his elbows on the counter as he lets out a long and obvious sigh.

　”I thought I told you to keep us out of it. We were only hired as your tour guide, by the way.”

　”Yes, that was the case in the beginning. But now that you’re in this deep, it’s not very nice of you to say that, you know?”

　”Tch…”

　Danton emerged from behind the counter with a scowling face and turned the sign hung on the entrance door from “OPEN” to “CLOSED.”

　”So, what about it? Did you find out who those people are? “

　”About that…”

× × ×

　”So, we turned up nothing.”

　”I’m terribly sorry to have to report that, sir.”

　Mehmet bowed deeply in response to the utter disappointment in his superior’s voice.

　The report with the Axis investigation results by the Mastima Special Forces failed to meet the Federation government’s top brass’s expectations. While they managed to infiltrate Axis and reach the research facility, they encountered and engaged an unidentified armed organization. As a result, the psycho-frame and all its research data were lost. The top brass was most concerned about the leaking of data on the psycho-frame to the armed organization. However, after checking the video footage from Mastima’s normal suit camera, they concluded that there was no reason to worry about that for now.

　After all, the research facility was destroyed, and given the duration of their stay, they could not have had time to extract any data. But as to who they might be, it was concluded that investigations would continue as they had. Seeing that the organization was operating a Jegan, Byarlant, and a Gundam-type suit, they could not have been mere junkers or pirates. They could even be an organization with ties inside the Earth Federation government.

　Mehmet speculated that the top brass must have decided that delving too deep carelessly could expose their suspicions for no good reason.

　Either way, they have completely erased their concerns of the psycho-frame technology being stolen. From their calculations, the Axis trajectory is taking it further away from Earth. Soon, it would leave the asteroid belt and depart to a place nobody will be able to reach.

　That is the conclusion reached by the top brass of the Earth Federation government.

× × ×

　”So, that’s why I don’t think we’ll have the chance to ask you to guide us through again.”

　”As if we’d agree to go again. Sheesh…”

　Watching Danton taking a bite out of his apple in a bad mood, Mehmet continued as if nothing happened.

　”By the way, Mr. Danton. May I ask something?”

　”Hm?”

　Sensing that his tone changed slightly, Danton looked up at him.

　”After we headed back to the landing craft, Arlette fought with that red mobile armor, correct?”

　”Uh-huh…”

　”We didn’t get a good look at that skirmish, but… I believe Arlette is an amateur at piloting a mobile suit. I understand that you were extremely worn out from the previous battle, so I’m quite impressed that you got out of it alive.”

　”What are you getting at?”

　”Oh, it’s nothing… While you were fighting, I thought I saw a bright light appear out of nowhere. You know…”

　While his soft-spoken manner, Mehmet shot a piercing stare at Danton.

　”It looked exactly like the radiance from a psycho-frame.”

　”…”

　Danton returned Mehmet’s stare without answering his question.

　The sound of him biting into the apple broke the silence that had descended upon the store.

　”You must have imagined it.”

　”I… guess so…”

　Mehmet seemed like he was struggling to find words and then casually smiled and shrugged.

　”The psycho-frame is now gone together with Axis… That’s that.”

　”Uh-huh. That’s that.”

　”May I have one of those apples? Watching you eat it made me want to try one too.”

　”Why not? You brought it after all.”

　Sighing again, Danton grabbed an apple from the basket and threw it to Mehmet.