Disclaimer: I make no claim whatsoever to owning Gundam Wing or any part of it nor do I profit from accommodating scenes in Ayn Rand?s The Fountainhead to fit the GW universe.
A/N- As usual, footnotes are included for your reading pleasure. Finally, after a decade, Dorothy Catalonia and Quatre Winner finally meet again. Heero was always a planned inclusion in this chapter, but then Relena decided to drop in.
Rendezvous means: a meeting of two or more spacecraft in Outer Space.
********************
Birth and Binding IV:
Rendezvous
by Terra
********************
To hold his fists closed tight, as if the skin of his palms extended to the steel he held ? not to feel the heaviness of his body, but only the tension of his knees, the vibrations of his wrists, the resistance of his shoulders and the drill he emerged as ? wrestling in his grasp, was a source of great pleasure for Heero Yuy. He liked the work. He liked the emptiness of his body?s exhaustion. If the other construction workers were surprised that the architect frequently donned their mantle, they did not show it. It felt natural for them to accept Heero as one of their own; here was a man who was not consciously aware of his otherness and so could not fathom flaunting his superior status.
Heero endured the sneers of the building inspectors. He patiently gave statements to the cavalier press. He did not notice the curious glances of pedestrians skirting the edge of the construction site. He knew only Winner Tower and he was expecting its owner. When Quatre appeared, his architect told him only: ?There?s been no major delays. You can expect it on schedule.? His friend said, ?You look like hell.?
Quatre tilted his head back and laughed. ?I can always expect honesty from you, Heero.?
Heero?s casual glance was mildly interrogative. ?You?ve seen Wufei.?
?Yes,? Quatre assented. ?He contends it?s too well-executed.?
?He?s right.?
?Are we certain that our files aren?t a decoy? The hackers could easily have accessed anything else on the mainframe.?
Intense Prussian blue eyes scaled the length of the titanium girders reflecting not a skeleton, but the fleshy concrete product. ?Wufei?s people are working on ruling out that possibility. So far, the prognosis isn?t good.?
?But why now?? Quatre?s trained neutral tone belied mild frustration. ?What is there to be gained ten years after the fact??
Heero?s deep-throated laugh rang in the empty air unexpectedly. When his mirth subsided, he answered, ?Money. Power. What else??
The response was immediate, vehement: ?I?d sooner disappear than allow them to hold my family?s money hostage. They?re fools if they think we can be blackmailed.?
?No, they?re not fools,? Heero replied, slowly, methodically. ?Whatever they are, they aren?t stupid.?
A tense, but companionable silence fell between the two men. Quatre?s restless eyes fell on the rusty, dented drill resting against his friend?s knee. Gesturing in indication, he asked: ?Do the men need you to supervise this closely??
?I?m not here in a supervisory capacity.? Heero said, gripping the instrument to incline the drill towards the real owner of all the machinery. ?I just like this kind of work.?
Quatre accepted the construction tool, not surprised to discover that it was a Winner Construction Co. model, mused at its weightiness and said: ?You submitted your design anonymously, but when I saw it, I knew that you were no ordinary architect. Only you had envisioned a building where the artistry matched its utility and I wondered then where you had learned your trade. The last time we had spoken, you were still in school.?
?After the war, I was a rivet catcher in the reconstruction on L31. I never learned more about architecture anywhere else.? Heero explained, offhandedly, while demonstrating how to use the drill. ?I?ve been an electrician, and a plumber, and a demolitionist and many other things. I went to school last.?
?I didn?t know that.? Grasping the machine steadily, Quatre strode purposefully past construction workers who stared bewilderingly at his expensive tailored suit, at his leather dress shoes and at the drill in his hand; they were stunned when he began to finish boring the holes their architect had abandoned minutes earlier.
Over the din, Quatre said, casually and precisely: ?Heero, it?s not money. It?s instability they want.?
Because the malfunctioning weather grid made it too hot that morning and she knew it would be hotter near construction equipment, because she wanted to see no one and knew she would face a gang of workers, Dorothy walked to the Winner Tower construction site. The thought of seeing it on that blazing day was revolting; she enjoyed the prospect of meeting Heero Yuy there.
When she emerged past the chain-link fence to the edge of the site, she stood still as an insult to the place below ? to the creaking orange crane hovering overhead, to the faded yellow excavator raking dirt below, to the dusty, greasy workers cracking the compacted air with drills and hammers. Her dress ? the color of water, a pale blue-green, condescendingly simple and markedly expensive ? her ornamented heels glinting ostensibly in the sun and her curtain of hair limping in a loose bow over her shoulder flaunted the chilliness of private gardens and the hauteur of drawing rooms from which she came.
She looked down. Her eyes stopped on the pale blonde hair of a man who raised his head and looked at her as if anticipating her arrival. She stood very still, because her first perception was not of sight, but of touch: the cognizance, not of a visual presence, but of a slap in the face. She held one hand awkwardly away from her body, the fingers spread wide on the air, as against a wall. She knew she could not move until he permitted her to.
Dorothy saw his mouth and traced the silent defiance in the shape of his mouth; the resilient planes of his defined cheeks; the competent, assured brilliance of the eyes that held no pity. She knew it was the most beautiful face she would ever see, because it was the abstraction of strength made tangible. She felt a convulsion of anger, of protest, of resistance ? and of pleasure. He stood looking up at her; it was not a glance, but an act of ownership. She thought she must let her face give him the answer he deserved.
But she was looking, instead, at the dusty smears on his suit pant leg, the wet dress shirt clinging to his ribs, the muscular lines of his long, pale arms. She was thinking of those statues of men she had sought and broken; she was wondering what he would look like naked. She saw him looking at her as if he knew that. She thought she had found an aim in life ? a sudden, sweeping hatred for Quatre Raberba Winner. She was first to move. She turned and walked away from him. She saw Heero Yuy leaning, arms crossed, against a titanium girder, cautiously watching her approach.
Dorothy spoke first. ?Relena sends her regards.?
Slowly, he replied stiffly: ?Thank you.?
?I wish you had burned the designs for this building,? she said, clear grey-blue eyes narrowed against the sun?s assault, absently glancing at the structure. ?What?s worse is that you?ll build another after this and another after that, always begging them to give you a chance to offer your best when all they want is an average architect?s worst.?
Heero walked until he stood at her side. ?You forget that I?m building for them. Not because of them.? Then, he strode away, his hands tucked casually in his worn jean pockets, without a single glance backward.
Refusing to avoid him, Dorothy peered unwillingly under golden lashes at her enemy. She said, civilly: ?Good morning, Mr. Winner.?
He inclined his head politely. He said, ?Miss Dorothy.? He stood silently, looking at her. His mouth quivered in the hint of a smile, more insulting to her than words.
She had seen him from a distance, swaying from the trembling of the drill. Looking at him now, she thought ? hopefully ? that the vibrations of the drill hurt him, hurt his body, everything inside his body. She remembered another time, another place where she had speared him with a fencing foil. She hoped fervently that it had left a scar. Her voice was offensive, accusing: ?Why are you looking at me like that??
He sustained the insolence of looking straight at her, he would not move, he would not grant the concession of turning away ? of acknowledging that he had no right to look at her in such a manner. His eyes said silently that he had not merely taken that right, but that she had given it to him. He said, softly, destroying the bite of her words with his tenderness: ?For the same reason you were staring at me.?
?I don?t know what you?re talking about.?
?If you didn?t, you?d be much more astonished and much less angry, Miss Dorothy.?
?I didn?t expect to run into you here.?
?If you had, no doubt, you wouldn?t have come.?
Dorothy laughed scornfully. ?If you understand that much, then you should know I?ve only come to speak with Heero Yuy. Good day, Mr. Winner.? She turned sharply and had walked three steps before his voice arrested her movement: ?Relena knew I would be attending the Architecture Expo.?
?By which, you mean she was hoping I?d see you.? Her tone was flat and her inflection even, betraying none of her irritation, masking all of her anger.
?It?s been ten years.? Quatre took a step towards her. ?And you?re still afraid.?
A harsh laugh was wrenched out of Dorothy?s throat. ?Since you seem to understand me so well, why don?t you enlighten me? What am I so afraid of??
?Me, Miss Dorothy. Of me. For me.? He came another step closer. They were only an arm?s length apart.
Dorothy asked, her voice not a scream and not a question: ?Just what makes you so sure??
?I haven?t forgotten. I can never forget.? He walked one more step. If he wanted to, he could?ve touched her, stroked her skin with his, destroyed her. ?Dorothy ? Dominique.?
Her eyes fluttered wide and her taut mouth closed in a silent scream. She had to run, not to be seen by anyone, not to be seen by herself if she could escape it. Only her father called her, Dominique. She was assaulted with memories of his heavy cigar scent, the coarseness of his uniform, the dry softness of his hair, his thick Spanish accent when he told her that she looked like a princess wearing a headband. Dominique, your given name means ?gift of god.? You?re our gift ? your mother?s and mine2. She said nothing. They looked at each other. She thought that every silent instant passing was a betrayal; this wordless moment was too eloquent, this recognition that no words were necessary.
Their understanding was too offensively intimate. She destroyed it by speaking to him. She said, sharply: ?Don?t you dare.?
?I won?t if you?ll stop running away.?
Her hand unconsciously reached up to brush her lips. She could almost savor his memory of blood?s metallic aftertaste. She saw streaking lights on a warm, humming display: they were her pawns; she thought the perfect formation in her mind ? her fingers dancing on the console ? and the flickering lights obeyed. Dorothy quelled the welling sense of resentfulness as she remembered his intrusion into the deepest crevices of her mind3. ?I haven?t run anywhere.?
Quatre laughed, a rich, unguarded sound. ?You?re right. You?ve been hiding in plain sight.?
?I haven?t been hiding at all.? Her voice was cold and unyielding.
?You?re so afraid of the world, you?ve chosen to concede in the worst way.?
?Mr. Winner, I didn?t come here to be insulted by you.?
?No, you came here to be punished.? Watching her lips part in protest, he continued, unheeded: ?To convince Heero to abandon this project. To save him from the persecution to come. But most of all, you wanted him to refuse, so you wouldn?t be alone.?
She laughed dryly, mirthlessly. ?I?m hardly alone.?
?Aren?t you?? Quatre said, quietly. ?You surround yourself with people to feel alone.?
?Are we still speaking about me? It?s not healthy to project yourself onto others, Mr. Winner.?
?Am I? I don?t run my company to amuse myself. You, on the other hand.? His tone was thoughtful, curious. ?When are you going to stop handing me all that extravagant praise? Someone else might see it. And you won?t like that.?
?Someone else??
?You know that I understood, from that article of yours about Winner Tower. You wanted me to see it. But don?t you think someone else might understand your way of doing things??
?Oh, yes. But the effect ? for you ? will be worse than if they didn?t. They?ll like you less for it. However, I don?t know who?ll even bother to understand. Unless it?s ? what do you think of Sylvia Noventa??
Quatre replied, indifferently: ?Why should anyone think of Sylvia Noventa??
?It?s people like her you should be most wary of. Are you really so blind to the world??
?I?m not blind, Miss Dorothy. I?ve just never felt obligated to live by all its rules.?
Dorothy whispered, shallowly, intensely: ?You?re not aware of them. I am. I can?t help it. The contrast is too great. Quatre, you won?t win, they?ll destroy you, but I don?t want to be there to see it happen.?
At the moment she pronounced the syllables of his name, tortured and yearning, forgoing formalities, he breached the invisible barrier they had wordlessly agreed to respect. He touched the fabric of her dress. He could feel a struggle in her lithe form, a violent shiver masking her intent to lean against him. Then, she shifted subtly, straightening the straps of her sundress, shattering the moment of intimacy. She said, coolly: ?The Exposition opens in less than an hour. I need to return to my hotel and prepare.?
Quatre dropped his arm, but did not step aside, forcing her to pass around him. He said to her retreating back, softly, resolutely: ?Don?t wait to be saved, Dorothy.?
When Quatre returned to his hotel suite, he received a call from Relena Darlian. Her sandy blonde hair swishing in mildly contained agitation, her head leaning towards the screen, she told him, gravely: ?I don?t feel right announcing our candidacy with this security breach hanging over us.?
?I know. Relena, I won?t be your running mate. If my role during the war becomes public, I won?t drag you down with me.?
?If it comes to that,? she said, dryly, ?you?ll need my political clout to hold back the lynch mobs.?
Quatre laughed, carefree, deflating the tense bearing of his shoulders. ?When you phrase it that way, I?m inclined to agree with you.?
?To think that just two days ago,? she said, smiling self-deprecatingly. ?I was fretting over whether to include ?Peacecraft? on the ballot.?
?Relena,? his tone suddenly serious, ?something is amiss. If political instability is their objective ? if they wanted to destroy both of us simultaneously, they should?ve waited until after our announcement. The media has speculated that our candidacy was forthcoming for months.?
?We may be giving them more credit than they?re due.? Her brow creased in concentration. ?Sally told me that the hacker tripped every alarm in the system when he stole the files and had to essentially dismantle the entire mainframe to cover his tracks.?
?In doing so, he?s allowed us to take countermeasures. Whomever he answers to won?t be pleased. That may explain the delay in publicizing the information.?
?There?s no question that that?s their ultimate aim, is there??
?No, I have no doubt. However, it?s possible that they?re rethinking when to leak the files to the press. They?ll want to time it for the greatest political impact.?
?Are you all,? she hesitated, ?? certain that hiding is not an option? I know that for public figures like you and Duo4, it might seem tantamount to an admission of guilt, but surely the others ???
?I know you?re concerned about Heero, but he?s just begun his career as an architect. He wants to finish at least one building before he?s forced to retire.?
?Yes, I know.? Relena sighed softly. ?When I called, I took one look at him and knew he wasn?t going to budge, but I had to try.?
?As for the others ? after hearing the news, Trowa went on vacation to Earth with his sister.? Quatre smiled, wistfully. ?I think he wants to enjoy his relative anonymity while he still can. Wufei, as you know, is heading the investigation so he won?t be running anywhere.?
?It?s so unjust what?s happened ? what will happen.? She shook her head; her voice quivered slightly, exasperated, dismayed. ?How could Une not have the foresight to delete those files??
?Even as a colonel, she didn?t have the clearance to access those secret OZ databanks embedded within innocuous programs5. It was only when those codes were broken by the hacker that we became aware of their existence. It?s a telling sign that whoever orchestrated this knew long before we did.?
?You suspect Romefeller??
?Among others.?
?Did you ?? Relena paused. ?Dorothy Catalonia is on L1 right now. She may know more than she?s willing to tell me.?
?I saw her,? he added, ?as you hoped I would.?
Not denying his allegation, she asked, keenly: ?And did she say anything??
?No. I didn?t tell her about the hacker.?
?What?? Her forehead crinkled slightly in confusion. ?If it?s about trust, I vouch for her character, although, I would think you?d feel the same way.?
?She would only have been hurt by it, Relena.? He said, slowly: ?I won?t involve her until my tower no longer tortures her.?
?About that ? I told her that while she may be entitled to her opinions, she needs to stop drawing attention to you and Heero especially at a time like this.?
Quatre smiled wryly. ?Dorothy Catalonia is not the kind of woman who would listen to that kind of advice. Even from you, Relena.?
?I disagree. She?s notoriously difficult, but she could be a powerful ally.?
?Considering persuading her to claim the Catalonia seat6??
?That?s merely icing on the cake. As it stands, she regularly wines and dines with Romefeller?s elite. I?ll ask her to accompany me to the Economic Forum this year and you can see her in action7.? Relena continued, emphatically: ?Quatre, in the worst case scenario, we?ll need all the allies we can find.?
Heero Yuy clipped his name card to the cusp of the left pocket on his grey-blue suit. ?Heero Yuy, Architect? was emblazoned on the digital cellophane which alternatively displayed his name and the design for Winner Tower. He stood patiently by his exhibit: a dozen architectural renderings, photographs and models. He had spent many hours crafting a exhaustive model of the future Winner Tower, including models of its surrounding buildings, an interactive virtual tour of the inside and a timeline detailing each phase of construction. Heero had exceeded the requirements for an exhibition at this prestigious convention and he knew it. His colleagues in adjacent booths begrudgingly knew it, too. They sneered at him as they passed and allowed their whispering voices to carry.
Heero was saddled between a showcase of purportedly innovative designs for government buildings and an exhibit exploiting the architectural past, in the name of progress. In recent years, it had become the fashion in architectural circles to draw heavily from past canons. The Devolution movement ? the belief that architects have a duty to adapt the beauty of the past to match the needs of the present ? had come into vogue and seemed poised to stay. The philosophy?s central tenet presumed that every great artistic breakthrough had been long since discovered and that architects ought to revive the past using modern materials. Heero couldn?t conceive of anything more degrading.
The annual Architecture Exposition not only displayed to the public the various achievements of stars in the field, but also allowed them to brazenly self-promote to potential employers. Heero had been invited, because he had become an object of curiosity amongst his colleagues and some enthusiasts and because he had landed the Winner contract. Many people came to look at his exhibit, but almost as if responding instinctively, they refused to look him in the eye when they spoke to him. Some asked him his opinion on Devolution, others demanded to know why he was deliberately effacing the architecture profession with his extreme ideas and the honest men wondered about the shameless nature of his building: its glassy panes unafraid to reveal the contents within, the relentless skyward reach of its spires and the utilitarian division of its spaces.
When he next saw Dorothy Catalonia, he observed her immaculate appearance, her indifferent stance and the swarming crowd of men surrounding her. Across the room of indistinguishable, milling figures, his Prussian blue glance clashed with her grey-blue gaze. The silent challenge issued by his eyes prompted her to approach his exhibit. She leaned weightlessly against one slender elbow and curved down to admire his models. Slowly, her free hand soared to caress the sculpture of Winner Tower. Absently catching his amused glance, she abruptly straightened and turning to her companion said: ?Lord Beckinsale, it?s a perfect atrocity, isn?t it??
Her admirer nodded sagaciously. ?Unbridled arrogance, that?s what it is.?
Dorothy laughed gaily. ?Why, you?re absolutely right. Andrew, be a darling and find me a flute of champagne. I?d like to exchange a few words with this esteemed gentleman.?
Andrew Beckinsale moved with awkward reluctance, casting Heero a distrusting look. Then he bent down to kiss Dorothy?s hand and replied, airily: ?Of course. I?ll only be a moment.?
She bade him farewell with a serene smile. Turning around to face Heero, she said, ?Where were we? Oh, yes, Relena told me that it would be worth my time to speak with you. I hope you won?t disappoint me.?
There was a short, tense pause as Heero assessed her thoughtfully. Then, he answered, tersely: ?There was a Preventer security breach two days ago. A hacker uncovered a hidden OZ database in the system that contained Gundam schematics and pilot profiles. Right now, he?s still at large.?
Dorothy stared at Heero for a long, painful moment. She breathed, ?Oh, you perfect fools! Any day now ? and still you ?? There was an instant of comprehension and then a visible struggle in her face to maintain composure.
?Relena trusts you, and we could use your help.?
She said, softly: ?I assume you want information about Romefeller.?
?Whom do you suspect??
?There are a number of Foundation politicians who?ll want to ascend the political ladder in the upcoming elections.? Dorothy?s uninterested tone wavered. ?If ? this information is leaked to the press ? there are a few who would stand to gain.?
?I?ll need names.?
?Desmond. Kaiser. Beauchamp. Those three come immediately to mind. Maybe even Takahashi ? why not? Romefeller is expanding beyond Europe8.? Then, she paused to consider: ?Perhaps Sylvia Noventa.?
?Noventa??
Dorothy watched the shift of surprise on his face with interest. ?Have you met her??
?Briefly ? ten years ago.?
?That changes things,? she said, softly. ?That changes everything, but what can I do??
Heero slowly reached for her; his hand encircled her braided plait dangling loosely against her collarbone, pulling her closer to him. Her eyes widened in surprise. He said, with finality: ?Your sense of integrity is destructive. I don?t care if I?m your target, but don?t involve Quatre or Relena.?
She made a movement to speak, but her next words were lost when her shortly-departed companion returned at that moment with drinks in hand. She accepted the champagne graciously and walked away without another utterance, leaving Heero to look on after her in contemplative silence.
1After the conclusion of the Mariemaia Incident, CEO Quatre Winner and the WCC oversaw the reconstruction of L3-X18999 ? the colony which declared its independence in AC 197 ? to repair the colony stability system which had been tampered with by the Barton Foundation. Unbeknownst to the Winner heir, Heero was hired as a rivet catcher, who fastens structural parts and assemblies together, giving him insight into the engineering process and valuable experience working with practical construction.
2Dorothy means ?gift of god.? Her mother died from childbirth complications when Dorothy was born. Her father passed away years later in battle.
3Before the final battle against White Fang, the Gundam pilots encountered several Mobile Doll units controlled by the ZERO system. Dorothy Catalonia had been the strategist behind them. During the encounter, Quatre and Dorothy?s minds were linked for a second by the ZERO system and this psychic connection allowed both to sample some of the other?s most powerful memories.
4In AC 202, Duo Maxwell became the head of the Sweeper Group, which deals in used machinery and salvaged space debris, recovering functional units to sell on the market. The Sweeper Group is a major player in the economy of Outer Space, especially vital for older colonies needing constant maintenance. Winner Enterprises Colonial (WEC) often negotiates lucrative contracts with the Sweeper Group; the friendship between Duo and Quatre has made this partnership more or less seamless.
5After Preventer technical specialists reset the mainframe, they discovered that the programs they had incorporated from OZ?s defunct database contained troves of secret databanks detailing secret experiments, mobile suit designs and classified information. The identities of the Gundam pilots and the schematics of their mobile suits were never revealed to the OZ rank-and-file members. Only top officials and select soldiers from OZ and the Romefeller Foundation were privy to that information.
6Dorothy has never claimed her hereditary seat in the House of Lords in the ESUN?s legislative branch ? the Parliament. As a member of the Romefeller Foundation, and as heiress to the Catalonia and Dermail estates, she has considerable wealth and political clout ? two crucial prerequisites for a hereditary Parliamentary seat.
7The Earth Sphere Economic Forum is held annually at a famous Alpine retreat in Davos, Switzerland. Corporate executives, heads of state, Parliamentary politicians, socialites and debutantes gather there every year to discuss interspatial trade and other policies.
8Allen Desmond currently serves as the vice president of the ESUN, but has recently lost much popularity due to the failure of his anti-poverty legislation ? in light of the highly publicized Poor Man?s Fire in Brussels? housing projects ? and lags behind Relena Darlian in polls of the upcoming presidential elections.
Hadrian Kaiser is a rising star in the judiciary; he is a prosecutor who frequently appears before the ESUN?s highest court ? the Supreme Court in Luna, the Moon?s capital ? and who many speculate will eventually earn a seat on the court.
Colette Beauchamp was the former Foreign Minister of Interstellar Affairs before a bribery scandal forced her resignation.
Akira Takahashi is the head of the Maruito Group, which owns the largest chain of European-style hotels in Asia. [inspired by the real Maruito Group which owns European-style hotels only in Japan]
A/N- In the next segment, Dorothy flees L1 for refuge on Earth and encounters Trowa Barton, with cameos from Mariemaia and Catherine Bloom. The next chapter will be entitled: The Man with Two Faces.
Valhalla will update next Tuesday, February 27th.
Valhalla: Birth and Binding [4/7, 4xD]
Moderator: Lauren
-
Blondesimone
- New Recruit
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 12:46 am