File 4.7 - Lost Potential

A dark familiar room housed a gathering of the top brass of HOPE with the exception of one individual. Lieutenant Noltz joined them under request from the General. The three heads of the military departments sat on the commanding side of the table. Their faces held hard looks reading to judge and rip apart anything. Opposite of them was the nervous Lieutenant along with an ever-unfazed Doctor Kitawara.

Starting out the meeting, the General leaned forward pressing his hands together while his elbows rested on the table surface. He peered over his interlaced fingers to stare directly at Lieutenant Noltz. “Lieutenant Elizabeth Noltz, you’ve been brought before this committee to give your report on the first week training progress of your trainee, Petty Officer Third Class Shizuka Hiraoka.” The General glanced down at the screen confirming he read it correctly. His eyes turned to Doctor Kitawara briefly before focusing on the woman.

“Yes, sir!” Dimming the lights, Elizabeth stepped forward to the table with the device in hand. She brought up the physical records of Shizuka. A large “classified top secret” mark stamped the record, while the details outlined all measurements and tests performed on Shizuka. “These are the records run on Petty Officer Hiraoka at age one, then Potential #3294301.” She changed the slide to another record, a current one for Shizuka. It quickly transitioned into a graph comparing the results. “This is Petty Officer Hiraoka now after a week of training. While the physical training prior was not poor, she is not currently fit for the extreme forces placed on the body while piloting an AESIR. Her adaptability, logic centers and neural responses are higher than an average Potential. However, she has shown some resistance to the interfacing with the training simulator.”

The Admiral leaned forward a little, joining General Nornland. “What is your assessment of her then? Can she handle being a pilot?”

Silence filled the room while the Lieutenant considered her answer. The longer she waited the worse it made her answer appear. She felt the eyes of everyone on her. “I do not believe she would make a good pilot, sir! She has the strengths of any Potential, but her environment for the last six years has not conditioned her for the rigors of military service. She has already displayed rebellious tendencies and if she were to continue forward in the Project she will likely resist.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. That is all, dismissed.”

“Sir!” She saluted to the committee and then departed the room.

Once the room was short one the atmosphere changed and redirected. Attention came to Doctor Kitawara. The Admiral pushed a little closer to the table working his stature to a commanding presence. “Doctor Kitawara, you’ve heard the report. Your daughter may be one of the best Potentials, but your disregard for her training has wasted her.”

“Agreed,” nodded the Nornland, “You requested her to be a candidate, but like with the other one both are not suitable for the Project.”

“I disagree,” Kitawara started, not that him disagreeing with them was a surprise. “I picked them because they were not part of the Project from the beginning. You think I’d just let my daughter go off and act like a rebellious selfish child knowing the importance of the Project?”

“You’re telling us this is all part of your plan?”

“Of course! I allowed my daughter to go, how do you think it was so easy for an eight year old to just leave Antarctica City alone? I wanted her out there because of how it would shape her. Both of them will be far greater pilots than either of the two you handpicked. Besides, as head of the Project I’ve already had adjustments and specifications made to the Freya and Od for them. Unless you want the Project to go behind schedule and leave us vulnerable to their attacks, they are your pilots.” Kitawara stared at them in his usual unflinching manner. The look in his eyes lacked any sign of equality between them. When they had nothing more to add, he departed to leave them to their frustrations.

As the door closed, the General slammed his fist down on the table. “Damn you, Kitawara! We need the right pieces that will do as ordered and not think. He’s threatening our command.”

“The man became less predictable after his wife died,” commented the Air Marshal, “He was a brilliant Potential and we needed him to get the Project back on course after the previous failures.”

“Perhaps…he’s too brilliant. Unfortunately, the course has already been set. But we still have options.”