(Universal Century. In ordinary terms it means ‘A Century for everyone’. The age of outer space should be written as ‘Universe Century’, but we deliberately used the word ‘Universal’, which means ‘for all’, as the name for the new century.)
Marida’s hearing that was dulled by the anaesthesia picked up this calm but determined voice. She opened her eyes slightly, and saw the ceiling inside the ship connector.
The fluorescent panels that were lined up in intervals continued to glide by Marida’s eyes, and the slow-flowing air struck her face. She moved her slightly numb hand, realized that she was fastened down on the zero-gravity use stretcher, and gathered her sights that were focused on both left and right eyes. The men wearing white normal suits were surrounding the stretchers, moving along the connector to somewhere else. At this point, this group of people looked like they were paramedics sending an injured sportsman, but none of them were focusing on the patient. Those faces were obviously showing strange looks as they looked forward, silently letting the lift grips pull them forward. The pistols grips on the men’s waist holsters showed that they were definitely not related to any medical work in any sense.
Marida originally thought that they were conversing with each other, but that was not the case. The ‘voice’ she heard came from the internal wireless speakers of the helmet. Who’s the one talking? She swallowed her saliva that had some bitterness of the anaesthesia and pricked her eyes to hear this ‘voice’ that sounded like someone’s speech. However, another person’s voice “You’re saying that the message came from the “Unicorn”? caused her face to twitch.
“I’m saying this alright. The machine started to let out this signal once they made contact with the debris of “Laplace”.”
“Did the Laplace Program unseal itself? How’s the NT-D?”
“I don’t sense any activation of the NT-D here…”
Marida turned her eyes to the source of this voice. From the back of the normal suit, she saw a man with a fat face tensing up. They are not crew members of this “Nahel Argama”. If I remember correctly, that man from Anaheim Electronics is called Alberto. She felt her head aching somewhat as she recalled these scenes, and closed her eyes for the time being. She had not recovered completely, and the effects of the anaesthetic did not fade off completely. However, it seemed that the fastening belts on the stretchers were not secured that tightly, and she gradually clenched her fists to awaken her still sleepy body. She then widened her eyes and looked around.
From the area she could see, she saw Alberto and 3 other men who looked like his henchmen. They were probably heading to the shuttle that was linking over, and from what she heard before she fell asleep, it seemed that she would be brought to Earth together with this group of people. If she were detained in a military facility, the chances of her escaping would become even more difficult. Marida did not think that she could survive and make it all the way back to the Neo Zeon camp, but if she were injected with drugs and revealed information she should not say, she would end up putting her master and everyone else in a pinch, and she had to prevent that no matter what. She twitched her body that was in the worker normal suit, checked on her thoroughly hurting body due to her injuries, realized that she was not completely immobile, and started to observe the men’s actions.
The men seemed to have swallowed the opinion of the military doctor who said that Marida would be unable to wake up for half a day, and did not pay attention to her. Can I take down such numbers? As Marida held her breath and asked herself, “What should we do? Do we delay the launch and hear out the outcome of the investigations?” a subordinate asked, and Alberto’s back shuddered as he held onto the lift grip.
“Continue to keep contact with the bridge. Call the captain of the “Klimt” and tell him and we may change our departure time according to how things develop.”
“Yes.” The subordinate answered as he stepped on the floor and moved back Alberto, who muttered, “What kind of joke is this…” without looking at the other person. His voice echoed through the corridor, and Marida saw that he seemed to be terrified from behind as she heard that ‘voice’ from the broadcast inside the ship. She suddenly recalled Banagher’s name and looked up at the ceiling.
It was said that this ‘voice’ came from the “Unicorn”. Is he called to be the pilot again? Marida relaxed her tense body as she let her consciousness float towards that ‘voice’. She closed her eyes and tried to catch the pulsation of the “Unicorn”, but felt an icy feeling suddenly pierce through her chest.
She could not help but widen her eyes, and her fingers stiffened at this point. A certain presence was rising up from below the fall, passing through the normal suit and the stretcher, and she clearly felt goosebumps that rose from the skin on her back. This presence did not come from the “Unicorn”, and it was not from that ‘voice’. Another thing was approaching. Someone was staring at the “Nahel Argama” with killing intent.
Marida knew that this was not a term she should be saying as a prisoner, but she could not find any other term to describe this sharp ‘presence’. Her body that was lying tense on the stretcher traced the certain person’s presence rising from her back as she gathered her concentration that was wandering around in space, and then chose the words that formed in her heart.
The enemy’s here—
Part 2(As humans need to reside in outer space, it’s important for all of humanity to unite together. We can’t let this miracle… become a special occasion…)
The noise started to mix in amongst the voices, proving more than anything else that an enemy was approaching. Otto restrained his inner heart that felt horror as he loudly asked the crew, “Minovsky Particles, you say!?”
“The density is rising rapidly. It’s not an interfering wave.”
The sensor operator seated at the left console seat added on as he looked over at Otto. Minovsky Particles were detected inside the ship, and it was not scattered here from a trading ship somewhere as a precaution against pirates. Someone was definitely releasing Minovsky Particles in this area to cover the eyes of the “Nahel Argama”. To think that we’ll end up with an enemy attack at such a time. Otto exchanged glances with Liam and immediately asked the sensor operator, “Where’s the source?”
“Unable to confirm. The spreading pattern is still unstable. It seemed that the Minovsky radar caught interference.”
“What about the motion sensor?”
“There’s no response in the sensor range. No heat signature either.” The enemy launched an electronic battle from outside the detectable range, and the Minovsky radar failed because of the enemy. There was no room for suspicion in this current situation, and Otto used the reflexes he honed during this past week, “PREPARE FOR ANTI-AIR BATTLE!” he yelled, and the voice echoed through the bridge.
“All personnel, put on your normal suits and prepare for battle. Prepare the cannons. The enemy may be hiding amongst the surrounding civilian ships. Carry out tight anti-air surveillance. We should be able to detect the location of all the ships from the radar information.”
But even so, hundreds of ships continued to move around on the Earth’s orbit. The “Nahel Argama” could not easily pick up the enemy’s location, and it could not expect to fight a decent defensive battle while being thoroughly battered. Otto heard the repeated instructions and alarm sounds as he muttered to himself, “What kind of enemy is there…” Liam received the normal suit from the duty soldier as she coolly answered him, “I don’t think there’ll be many of them here.”
“Besides, this is the absolute defense zone of Earth. Even if the enemy’s disguised as a merchant ship, it probably won’t have the fighting strength of a fleet to invade.”
“That’s the problem. Since they’re willing to fight us with few numbers, they probably came up with some plan.”
Liam, who was putting on her normal suit, stopped what she was doing as she gave Otto a stunned reaction. Otto too felt a little troubled that he spoke with the tone of a very experienced commander as he avoided Liam in the eyes, asking, “Where are our allies location?” Liam zippered up the fastener of her normal suit as she answered,
“The patrol fleet is on duty, but they’re retreating towards the geostationary orbit. Even if we immediately ask them for aid, it’s hard to tell whether they can reach in 30 minutes.
“30 minutes… if this were an enemy raid, it’ll be over by the time they arrive.”
Doesn’t matter what the result is now. Otto added on in his heart as he too received the normal suit and turned to Mihiro at the communication operator seat, saying, “Call back the scouting scout.”
“Once they return, call Romeo 010 and 012 to cover the mothership. The ECOAS’ “Loto” probably can be used as cannons, so do tell them as well.”
“Yes… then, what about the “Unicorn”?”
Mihiro put on her helmet, returned to her seat and gave a meek expression at Otto. From an objective viewpoint, the “Unicorn” would clearly be the most powerful fighting force the ship had. Otto felt words that were stuck in his throat, and he pulled up the fastener of the normal suit in one go, “Tell him to remain on standby inside the colony.” He answered while avoiding the other party’s stare.
“That mobile suit is still releasing that ridiculous speech. Hurry up and let it retreat back inside before it becomes a live target for the enemy.”
We can’t let the kid help in this battle anymore. “Roger that”, Otto saw Mihiro answer “Roger” as she turned her face back to the console, and he looked back onto the screen in front before remorse rose in him. The debris of “Laplace” was ferrying the “Unicorn” over the Southern Hemisphere of Earth, and for every second passed, it would pull away from the “Nahel Argama” that was located on the equator. The electric noise that was mixed in with the speech seemed to be leaving together with the old Prime Minister residence.
Less than 100 years ago, the voice of the first Prime Minister of the Federation government was released all over the world. Ignoring what kind of relation this speech actually had with the “Laplace Box”, these would definitely be difficult to listen to at this point when times had changed. Unknown world, brand new century, humanity that managed to create a united government called the Earth Federation— Otto continued to digest on those words, and he heard someone say, “How ironic” before it was overwhelmed by the loud sound of the alarms.
“A glorious outcome created when all of humanity is united… we, who’re living under such a result, are still killing each other.”
Liam’s voice sounded ever so vicious, and Otto had no reply for her as he put on the helmet of his normal suit without saying anything. The voice that announced the start of the Universal Century did not stop completely as it continued to remain beneath the noise and rang through the wireless radio.
Part 3(We must normalize that fact that humanity has united, not rejecting each other, not hating each other, and become one race as we head to a wider universe. The term Universal Century includes our hopes.)
The beating of the heart was responding to the ‘voice’ of the ghost. Was it his own heartbeat, or was it the “Unicorn”? Or was it neither, but the beating from the universe itself as the owner of the ‘voice’ merged into it…?
Banagher could not understand. However, he felt that there was another him deep within that he did not know of, responding to the ‘voice’. He understood that the body that was becoming one with the machine was pulsating, and the thoughts within him were radiating out in all directions. Right, the Universal Century was supposed to be a Century full of possibilities—Banagher’s pulsating thoughts muttered as he started to listen to the voice that was coming out from within him.
That kind of possibility could allow humanity to ascend as a higher form of existence in the next phase. The owner of this ‘voice’ knew how much blood humanity shed for this path, and had to leave his own prayer to the next generation even though they did not know what kind of possibilities awaited them at all.
“It’s because we don’t understand that we draw it out, and then we ponder on it. Humans are the only ones granted with such an ability.”
The large tapestry appeared in space, and the gathering shadows seemed to form the silhouette of Cardeas. It was one of the six tapestries hung in the Vist residence, the piece called the ‘tent’. A lady was in front of the tent that had the words ‘my only wish’ on it and, and put her ornament into the “Box” the servant girl was holding. A lion and a unicorn were on both sides, looking like they were ready to guide the lady into the tent—
“There’s a certain sense the five senses can’t comprehend…and it exceeds the senses we have now…maybe that is the existence they called God, or maybe that is an illusion created by humanity’s wishes. But if we believe in that existence and can do what the world does, there is a chance to turn it into reality.”
A glow was radiating from the tent, and the unicorn that was floating gradually in space surrounded the “Unicorn”. As many people believed in its existence and loved it, this legendary beast was born. Humans could tame this beast, and as for whether it really existed, it already did not matter—this prose of an old poem passed through Banagher’s thoughts.
“Whether it’s right or not isn’t important. To them, this light is important. They needed something to fight despair and live in this world that was cruel and binding. They needed something to believe that this world still has room for change.”
The silhouette then took the form of Marida as she looked up at the man crucified on the Cross, saying that. They put their hopes into the future… as a prayer to make up for their sins in the past, and to comfort themselves at that this point. Perhaps they, the people who were determined to migrate into space, were most probably hurt, and were the ones who were forced to despair. This emotional state caused them to create this arrogant god called the Federation, and they left their directions to this god. That was why these people had to complain that there was no hope that existed, and passed on the possibility to the next generation. It was just like what Cardeas did, and that certain person who got the “Box” 100 years ago.”
“In the past, Zeon Deikun once said that only those people who came to space could head for innovation. This meant that humanity got used to its environment and evolved…Newtypes. To the bureaucrats who sending the leftover population to space and remained on Earth, this thinking itself basically toppled their standpoint. That’s why they suppressed Zeonism and Side 3 that was promoting it.”
The silhouette swayed again, becoming Full Frontal’s mask in space. The cold voice that described reality echoed in Banagher’s thoughts.
“The Zeon Republic had such a crime, and after a year’s war, it fell defeated. However, this helped the Federation’s call, causing the Earth Central Administration to expand every day. To break the shackle of the Federation, to fulfill self-autonomy for Spacenoids, we should—“
Banagher could understand these words, and he too felt that this was correct. But is there a certain something that is lacking? he felt a sense of anxiety, and he felt that the more someone insisted on it, the more likely it would be to be distant from possibilities. But what was this feeling, the feeling of the head smashing itself against the wall? Why was it that this voice that deemed prayers as merely prayers, and possibilities as possibilities forever, felt so cold?
Whether it actually existed, that’s not the issue here. There are cases of trust being nurtured and affecting reality. The Unicorn, the beast of possibilities; me, and us, we’re all waiting for something in the future. I want to see the future the owner of this ‘voice’ says as we carry the possibilities of humanity heading into the future—
THUMP. THBUMP. THUMP. The scattered memories and the excerpts of words let out a pulsating feeling, gradually connecting the nerves that were not connected. A certain something sleeping in the “Unicorn” sensed this connection, and the glow of the Psycoframe was emitted out from the gaps between the armor. THUMP, THUMP…a forceful and rhythmic beating felt like blood flowing through the human body. It felt like the body temperature that was granted knowledge and blood increased, and the heat felt like it was expanding to the endless time and space…
At that moment.
There was an icy co0ld and sharp ‘presence’ growing inside this time and space, and the pulsating sound dissipated. Banagher widened his eyes and saw the all-view monitor visuals in his sights of reality.
There was a ‘presence’ pressurizing the body and mind, gathering gradually on the other end of the dilapidated debris, on the horizontal contour on the Earth. It was a ‘presence’ approaching from the darkness, a ‘presence’ that appeared to hurt others. Banagher’s body detected this as it moved on its own, and he held onto the control stick again. The originally still “Unicorn” lifted its head at this moment, and the bladed antenna suddenly rose up. The glow from the Psycoframe that was rising between the gaps scattered, and the white machine moved around amidst the debris.
(I don’t belong to any religion, but I’m not an atheist. I believe that a healthy representation of the human spirit would be to ascend to a higher plane, to give laws to ourselves, as we set higher bars for ourselves.)
With lightning-quick reflexes, Banagher moved his limbs and immediately held onto the control stick while stepping on the pedal. The main thrusters on the back and legs let out flares together, and the “Unicorn” that suddenly started to advance dashed out of the debris of “Laplace”. The G-force that came right from the front caused Daguza to lower his head, and he was pressed down on the assistance seat without having the time to ready himself.
“Banagher…!?”
“Something’s coming over. It’s targeting the “Nahel Argama”.”
Banagher left these words behind and turned his face forward without hesitation. Daguza inspected the display board and quickly scanned through all the meters. The “Unicorn” let out thruster flares in the opposite direction of where “Laplace” was headed, and immediately negated the orbital speed. It then accelerated at a height near the atmosphere as it gradually pushed itself such that it would return back to the equatorial orbit. This was a reckless action that completely relied on the great power of the thrusters, but in another sense, this was a clever action done with ample knowledge of the machine’s capaibilities.
There were no alert signs on the screen, and all systems were normal. Until this point, the speech of the First Prime Minister had not stopped, and the signal from the wireless communicator continued to persist on. However, there was nothing to suspect whether the pilot was conscious or not.
“…Are you alright?” Daguza looked over at Banagher’s face. There was no response of any machine on the radar, and the space on the all-view monitor was dead silent. “I don’t know. We might not make it in time.” Banagher answered as he continued to stare at the space where the “Nahel Argama” should be at.
“That’s not what I’m saying here. I’m asking about your body condition. Did you just…”
Just lose your consciousness? No, did you consciousness fly out there once? Daguza could not find any term that could describe this as he turned his speechless face away from Banagher. Soon after the speech started to play, Banagher looked like his soul was taken, and he did not respond at all. Also, the glow from the psycoframe started to fill the cockpit, and the machine that activated the NT-D still showed signs of ‘transforming’ despite there not being any enemies on the radar. It felt like it sensed the anomaly on Banagher and created a resonance.
Did the psycoframe on the machine react to the pilot? Or did the psycowaves of the pilot activate the system? Either way, the NT-D was silent at this point, and the “Unicorn” continued to glide under low orbit in its unicorn form. Daguza bit his lips and looked back at the debris of Laplace, (bridge to all mobile squad), Mihiro’s voice could be heard.
(Abandon the current mission immediately and return to the mothership. We have detected Minovsky particles now. There’s a very likely chance that its scattered to disrupt the enemy. I repeat…)
Daguza turned his face forward in surprise. The radar screen that was linked to the navigation control satellite had noise all over it, indicating the fact that the electronic waves caught interference. The noise from the wireless radio got worse and worse, and the voices of Conroy and the rest yelling something seemed so distant. The laser communication from the “Nahel Argama” still remained, but the reception from the other channels decreased. The effective radius of all the sensors were limited by the interference of the Minovsky Particles.
Everything was still normal several seconds ago. Did this guy detect the enemy’s presence before the Minovsky Particles were scattered? Daguza felt a shiver as he looked at the side of Banagher’s face. His heart then jumped hard the moment he heard the shout, “THEY’RE HERE…!”
Banagher continued to look in front without looking aside as he narrowed his eyes and gave a killing intent. At the distance out of the sensor radius range, the “Nahel Argama” can determine where the enemy was from the laser signals, but this guy seems like he can detect the enemies further than that. “How many can you sense?” Daguza asked in a half-believing manner, and Banagher answered him without looking back, “There’s one…no, that’s not it. There’s another independent squad hiding behind it.”
“Behind…?”
At this point, Daguza was really stunned. He knew that it was useless, but he still looked over at where Banagher was staring at. He stared at the dark blue space that was CG drawn, and he again felt an ominous feeling before looking back at the side of that face seated beside him.
It was said that Newtypes could detect an enemy’s presence through the mobile suit armor and fight while predicting each other’s movements. Daguza had no intention of doubting if a sixth sense really existed, and he had personally experienced the threat of psycommu weapons, but he had no idea whether such monstrous-like humans really existed. He wanted to cast proof to deny it, but he could not do it. He turned around and saw a pink beam flying through the darkness.
A beam came flying in from the space behind the “Nahel Argama” that was moving around the equatorial orbit, and it grazed past the “Unicorn” before being sucked in by Earth that was showing its night appearance. It was the glow of the mega-particle cannon…but it was not sniping at the “Nahel Argama”. The enemy sublight shots came flying one after another as they aimed for the debris of “Laplace” moving on the axis orbit. To be accurately, the enemy was sniping from long distance, outside the range of the sensor, at the “Nahel Argama” mobile suit squad stopped there.
Even if the enemy did not know where the mobile suits were, it was possible to predict the location of the “Laplace” debris that was maintaining a steady speed. Thus, it was not difficult to shoot at the debris. It was merely 10 seconds since the moment the retreat order was given, so Conroy and the rest should still be hovering in the debris, planning how to change their trajectory. “They’re aiming for the mobile suit squad…do they intend to isolate the “Nahel Argama?” Daguza mused as he looked at Banagher’s face. He, who sensed the enemy’s location first, looked right in front this time as he did not move. Even the beams that glided past him did not cause him to show signs of fears.
If he was a step slower in changing the course, the “Unicorn” will be affected by this long-range snipe and end up tangled amongst the debris of “Laplace”. As I guessed, this guy can see something I can’t see. There was no room for doubt anymore as Daguza looked over at where the beams came flying in from. He could not detect the enemy’s presence, and he felt his own anxiousness as he even thought of cursing out at this speech that continued to play.
Part 4(During the Anno Domini Era, these Holy Scriptures were spread from man to man. Even without mentioning the Ten Commandments of Moses, every religion teaches doctrines on how people should live and face the Earth. These weren’t viewed as human words, but rather as a contract with God.)
The beam launcher shot had its power suppressed and the charge time set to the minimum as it looked like a slender and sharp claw that was about to scratch the night face of Earth. As the trail scattered, another beam came flying by, drawing scratches on the place where the “Laplace” debris was. It was not easy to hit, but for the mobile suit squad that was scattered around the debris, this kind of attack was enough to cause a threat.
Gilboa’s squad did manage to stop the enemy in their tracks. Gael Chan felt that he would not meet any resistance any further, checked on the laser link with the “Garencieres”, and his lips curled up.
“I never thought I’ll have Zeon covering me…”
And I’m attacking a Federation ship of all opponents. Gael felt that it was really odd as he stared at the ship body of the “Nahel Argama” on the enlarged window. As the estimate marker and the CG visuals overlapped each other, it was still possible to detect the shape of the ship even if the machine was outside the sensor rang. The “Nahel Argama”, which lost its portside catapult, floated on the space above the equator, and looked like a sphinx with a missing left foreleg. It was a mobile suit mothership that was very similar to the “White Base” of the past. As he stared at this white ship body that could not even fire any anti-air fire, Gael checked on whether the Minovsky radar was working, and then cautiously suppressed the speed o the “Eye-Zack”. As he slowed down, the machine descended, and the “Eye-Zack” that got onto the rendezvous orbit approached the “Nahel Argama” as every second, every minute passed.
In space, where there were no conductive substances, it was possible to guess the source of the Minovsky Particles through the diffusion thickness and the spread. The device in charge of this would be the Minovsky radar. With that, it was possible to detect the enemy’s location amidst the Minovsky Particle wave and prevent pre-emptive attacks. However, electronic related methods could nullify the electronic equipment, and this “Eye-Zack” that was enhanced in electronic warfare was equipped with such functions. Currently, the Minovsky radar on the “Nahel Argama” was confused by the irregular spread, and even the “Garencieres” could not grasp its position. Gael would use this opening and close in to a minimum distance where the optical sensors could not detect, and take action in one go. The “Eye-Zack” was obviously inferior in terms of mobility and generator output as compared to the current mobile suits, but it would only take an instant to determine the winner if it were a distance when both sides could see each other. He just had to approach the enemy first without the enemy noticing him.
“I don’t have any grudges with you…but I still have to repay this debt.”
With the night of Earth as the background, the footage showed the white ship that was a pin size at best. Gael touched the Firearms Control System panel and readied the live ammunition weapon that was commonly called the modified Zaku machine gun at a position to shoot. Once he shoots, his position would be detected by the enemy, so he chose not to concentrate his fire. As he was about to squeeze the trigger, the battle sequence program started to count down in seconds. Suddenly, he saw the all-view monitor in front of him dyed completely white, and two tremors shook the cockpit as the machine rattled and cried.
“What’s going on…?”
The scattered particles of the beam hit the exterior armor of the “Eye-Zack”, causing the cockpit to let out noises sounding like it was hit by pebbles. Gael adjusted the machine and pointed the gun at where the beams were flying from. They were not cannon shots from the “Nahel Argama”. An enemy was firing high powered beams from another direction. The “Eye-Zack” rolled its monoeye unhurriedly, and as the sensors caught sight of a machine moving over from the Earth at its feet, the message ‘data match’ was shown and enlarged on the screen together with the CG-corrected enemy visual.
“The “Unicorn”…!?”
The pure white mobile suit, which had the unique trait of the lone horn, wielded its customized beam rifle that was loaded with magnum cartridges as it came crashing in from below. Gael squeezed the trigger on reflex and carried out evasive maneuvers, and the modified Zaku machine gun let out a trail of fire. For every five shots, there was a tracer round inside, and the tracer round let out a light yellow trail. The “Unicorn” looked like it was ready for this attack as it dodged and fired the beam rifle again. The mega-particle cannon that was greatly different from the normal rifles, and a torrent of light rain down on the “Eye-Zack” less than 3km away. The storm of scattered particles again concentrated its fire on the “Eye-Zack”, and right at the moment, the damage report window appeared on the monitor.
The extremely hot particles caused the armor to be poked with holes, and the field monitor for the right knee joint indicated that it could not be recovered. The enemy should be suppressed at this point by the sniping, so why is it that it can get all the way here? Gael checked on the current situation of the “Eye-Zack” that had its mobility reduced by half, and he bit his lips and glared at the lone horned mobile suit in front to him.
He knew about the overwhelming mobility and the power of the armaments as he took part in the development beforehand. To the “Unicorn”, this old generation mobile suit that was very slow in its movements was no different from a scarecrow. I’ll be slaughtered when the next shot comes in, Gael had no doubt about this prediction as he got mentally prepared to prepare for the third shot. However, the “Unicorn” continued to face the “Eye-Zack” as it did not shoot a beam.
The white machine had the ideal line of fire to catch the enemy, but it lowered its beam rifle somewhat hesitantly. This action was basically a free chance given to the enemy to run away, and it was definitely impossible for the person sitting inside that cockpit to be a normal pilot. Is the one sitting inside that person? Gael instinctively thought as he felt a burning feeling in his head, and squeezed the trigger of the machine gun fully.
The large empty cartridge was ejected, and the 120mm bullets that were fired let loose a tail of light at the “Unicorn”. The “Unicorn” dodged this attack by adjusting its height, but it did not intend to fight back. The machine, which lost its killing intent, continued to dodge while not wasting its movement, and got in the way of the “Eye-Zack”, only caring about harassing the enemy as it did not let the enemy charge at the mothership. Gael could have broken through if he wanted to—but he was facing an opponent he could not ignore. He understood that he had to do something he did not expect, a foolish act that could ruin the entire plan, but he still used the left arm of the “Eye-Zack” to draw out a beam saber.
Not caring that the machine would leave the rendezvous course, Gael lit the thrusters to slow the “Eye-Zack” down. The machine that was affected by gravity started to descend, and it closed in on the “Unicorn”. At that moment, Gael used the chance to swing the beam saber down at the “Eye-Zack”.
The “Unicorn” grabbed the grip from the pack on the rear side of the arm, and drew its beam saber. Both sides’ beam sabers clashed, creating sparks that lit the place. Gael tried to steady the machine that nearly got knocked aside and used all his strength to yell, “BANAGHER LINKS!”
“WHAT KIND OF FIGHTING IS THIS!? SHOOT DOWN THE ENEMY WHEN YOU CAN DO SO! YOU CAN’T SURVIVE LIKE THIS!”
(What…?) The doubtful voice echoed through the wireless communicator. No problems here. Gael vaguely heard the change of era speech from the first Prime Minister too. It seems that the Laplace Program is successfully acting out the original process as planned. Gael confirmed this and felt a certain unexpected sense of realism, and he continued to yell at Banagher, “YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO!”
“YOU HAVE TO FIND THE REAL IDENTITY OF THE “BOX” AND FIND A BETTER WAY TO USE IT. THAT’S THE WILL YOUR FATHER LEFT FOR YOU TO DO WHEN HE LEFT THE “UNICORN” TO YOU!”
(What are you saying!? Who exactly are you!?)
“It doesn’t matter who I am! You must continue to live on and carry on the will of your father. I can tell that you have the ability to do this!!”
If that’s not the case, the “Unicorn” would not have left the “Laplace” debris at this timing and get in my way. This is what the heavens planned—everything is right at where they should be just as planned. Gael felt amazed by this in less than a second, let the “Eye-Zack” sweep aside the “Unicorn” that only knew how to swing the beam saber with brute force and get by its opponent. (Wait!) Banagher yelled, and the voice of the First Prime Minister’s speech faded away.
He tossed out the dummy balloon to hold off the opponent, and let the machine head back on course to the “Nahel Argama”. It doesn’t matter if I’m shot from behind now. He believed that he had someone to believe in in the future, and that he should continue to live in shame forever. This thought he did not have several seconds ago caused him to give a wry smile, and he tried to drag the “Eye-Zack” that was on the brink of death away by exerting the throttle.
“I hope you will not abandon your life. Continue to live on Banagher Links. For your father’s sake.”
Gael muttered to himself as he rode on the “Eye-Zack” that lit its thrusters. The “Nahel Argama” fired its intercepting fire, and the “Eye-Zack” machine rushed in on the fire trails with reckless abandon.
Part 5(And now, we’re about to say goodbye to the century of Gods and accept the time of a new contract. This time, it’s not to surpass God, but to communicate with the God inside us, as we move up to a higher plane. The contract of the Universal Century should be born of all of humanity’s consciousness.)
The “Unicorn” used its beam saber to slice apart the dummy balloon that was expanded to the size of a mobile suit, and then aimed the reticule of the rifle at the enemy unit. Banagher squeezed the finger on the trigger lightly, and the silhouette of the enemy unit that looked like it was wearing a radome-like overlapped on where the “Nahel Argama” was. Banagher then moved his finger away from the trigger.
The position of the opponent at this point would mean that the beam would hit the “Nahel Argama”. Banagher clicked his tongue as he felt confused by his inner heart feeling relieved that he did not have to fire. ““Nahel Argama”, do you copy? Daguza’s call at this point caused him to hurriedly grab onto the control stick.
“1 o’clock, Plus 47 degrees. There’s an enemy unit approaching you. Hurry up and intercept it.”
Daguza did not wait for the ship to reply as he casted a sharp glance at Banagher. Banagher looked away and intended to step on the pedal, ‘stop’, the voice caused him to stop the machine.
“If you approach now, you’ll be caught in the shots from the “Nahel Argama”. Go intercept the enemy behind.”
Daguza sounded rather stiff. Banagher reflected on what had happened, and this kind of reaction felt reasonable to him. He stared at the “Nahel Argama” that was firing intercepting shots from the monitor, and the dummy balloons that were released continued to explode as they got shot. At this moment, the unknown enemy unit was attacking the ship alone. For a Neo Zeon pilot, he knows too much about me. Is he someone related to the Foundation? But if that’s the case, that person will not sit inside a “Sleeves” mobile suit without reason—
“He just mentioned your father…did he?”
Daguza mused as he did not look away from the enemy unit that was passing through the concentrated fire. Banagher could not stop his shoulders from shivering.
“What’s going on? You—”
The flashes looked like they came with sounds as they radiated from the monitor, overpowering the words Daguza wanted to say next. Banagher and Daguza looked over at where the flashes came from, and they saw the enemy unit surrounded by flames as it charged at the “Nahel Argama”.
The machine was surrounded by numerous anti-air fire as it became a ball of fire, but it continued to move it. “A special attack…?” Daguza muttered as his face was covered by the light of the fireballs. The enemy unit that was thoroughly hit let out a chain of explosions, and blew up into bits near the battleship. The anti-glare filter could not completely prevent the strong light from filling the cockpit, and Banagher could not help but narrow his eyes.
The booster tank at the back exploded, and the enemy machine that was no longer humanoid was gradually swallowed by the lights of explosions. That heat source soon cooled off due to the vacuum, and then became a blueish-white waste gas as the blown fragments scattered all around the “Nahel Argama”. The frame was the only thing left amongst the twisted wreckage, and there was no signs of an ejection pod being fired out. “Doing such a stupid thing…” Daguza’s voice rang together with the speech, and Banagher stared at the “Nahel Argama” that was enlarged on the window. He saw that the ship and the shuttle that was connected were fine, and felt a heavy feeling he could not shake away.
The enemies’ sniping from long range continued, and though the current situation did not allow for his heart to relax, what was with this uneasy feeling in his chest? That explosion and the scattered debris did not feel realistic. Banagher sensed the sharp ‘presence’ of that pilot that had not disappeared even till this point. He harboured this baseless belief as he turned to the space on the other end. He felt that another ‘presence’ was getting ready to launch as the long-ranged shots of beams came flying over.
Part 6(Everyone knows that there was quite the controversy over the Prime Minister’s residence being a space station orbiting around the Earth. From a transportation and security viewpoint, this wasn’t really a good choice. However, we are about to advance into the Universal Century.)
It was possible to see that light that exploded through the main screen on the battle monitor, even if it were through the naked eye. The lights let out a sharp glow with the Earth shrouded in night as the backdrop.
“The laser signal from the guest is cut off. Near the “Mock Trojan Horse”.”
Flaste, who was seated at the steering seat, looked behind at he reported to Zinnerman. Just as planned, Zinnerman gave this expression as he nodded slightly, and the commanded through the microphone. “Alright, Gilboa squad, head forward.”
“The “Mock Trojan Horse” isn’t going to move fast when its attached to the shuttle. Distract them as much as you can. 20 minutes later, we’ll send the signal to retreat.”
(Roger that. We’ll look forward to the guest’s performance.)
With this response, Gilboa, who was right in front of the “Garencieres”, let the “Geara Zulu” move and removed the beam launcher and the energy unit from the backpack. It would not be suitable to bring in the power but hard to control beam launcher if he wanted to get close to the enemy ship and distract it, and a standard armament beam rifle would be enough. The other two “Geara Zulus” units followed what Gilboa’s unit did as they let go of the beam launchers in their heads. Zinnerman saw these actions and reminded them as a commander, “Don’t force yourself there.”
“Even if we don’t count the Manhunter mobile suits as fighting strength, we can’t underestimate the new transformable mobile suits. It seems that the “Gundam” is moving faster than we expected.”
The “Unicorn” left the debris of “Laplace’ right before the attack started and even covered the “Mock Trojan Horse” directly. Is this a mere coincidence, or did that pilot detect the attack beforehand? Gilboa let out a meaningful voice as he said, (It seems like the opponent’s that brat with sharp instincts.)
(The brats in our house look like they like him. Shall I try to bring him along with the “Gundam” if I have the chance?)
“Don’t be greedy. We can receive the information of the Laplace Program from the Psyco Monitor. Right now, our utmost priority is to save Marida.”
Zinnerman recalled Banagher Links’ eyes in his mind as he refuted Gilboa’s suggestion. Beside him, “The Captain’s right. Your steering skills are the best when we‘re talking about steering this “Garencieres”. Don’t involve any unnecessary feelings and die off there.” Flaste interrupted, and Gilboa answered with a wry tone, (Understood)
(Gilboa Squad, launching!)
The three “Geara Zulus” lit their thrusters at the same time as they gradually moved on course to the “Mock Trojan Horse”. Zinnerman did not wait for the 3 thruster flares to vanish as he turned his sights to the “Unicorn” marker located. As things stood at this point, the unequipped “Garencieres” could not help out. After the mini mobile suits took back the beam launchers Gilboa squad threw out, what Zinnerman could do was to gain an estimate of the situation of this battle through the main screen. Even so, all the sensors were affected by the Minovsky Particles, so he could only look at the allied machines’ laser signals to guess what was going on afar. There was nothing else that could cause detriment to the mind more easily than this, but they could still detect the movements of the “Unicorn” through the psyco monitor, and this was a solace that was better than nothing.
The information that could be sent from the psyco monitor did not just include the location of the “Unicorn”. Since just now, Zinnerman had been listening to the speech that had been playing through the bridge. The voice of the First Prime Minister of the Federation government could be heard in this speech which started since midnight—and the “Garencieres” could hear every signal the “Unicorn” released through the psyco monitor. The NT-D was not activated, but the psyco monitor could trace the actions of the ‘Unicorn”, and it definitely reacted to this voice.
The transmitting wave used by the monitor could cause the Minovsky Particles to vibrate. Thus, even if it was more than 1000km away, this ‘voice’ could still be heard clearly. However, it may not be a good thing to hear it, and Flaste commented, “Sounds really grim”. Zinnerman did not argue back as he turned his bitter expression at the steering seat.
“It’s good that it can tell us the position, but this just sounds annoying no matter how I listen to it. Is it not going to end until the speech is over?”
“There is a reaction from the psyco monitor, so it shows that the Laplace Program is still functioning, but…”
As the answer came, Zinnerman saw the psyco monitor on the main screen. What was indicated on it was the merely an audio data being received, and there were no signs of the Laplace Program releasing any other information. Zinnerman intended to stroke the beard under his chin, but his fingers hit the helmet of his normal suit. He snorted out some air and sat back into the captain seat. He heard of this change of eras speech several times in school and in the news, but he never heard the contents so seriously. “Are we to analyse this audio data?” Flaste asked, “I don’t know.” And Zinnerman answered as he shook his head slightly, wanting to shake off these words that were full of implications out of his mind.
“We haven’t detected the signal of the NT-D being activated. Maybe there is some hidden message once the speech is over—”
“We got a laser signal!” One of the crew reported, covering what Zinnerman was about to say. Flaste immediately sat upright in his chair and asked, “Is it from the “Rewloola”?”, while Zinnerman looked over at the back of the crew member’s head as he sat on the navigation seat.
“No, that’s not it. This signal is…”
The crew member’s stammering voice caused Zinnerman to feel a chill up his back. The time at this point was 00.12, and it was earlier than expected by 30 minutes. However, there was no other person who would contact the ship at this moment. Zinnerman left Flaste to respond while he stared at the main screen. In this wide and endless darkness, there was a defiant pressure entering this incomprehensible battlefield—
“So Full Frontal has appeared, huh…”
Part 7(I feel that there are some differences between Earth and Outer Space that I have to personally experience. Thus I used the authority of the Prime Minister to make this decision. And there is no better stage to change the calendar on the last day of Anno Domini and to start the Universal Century than this space station.)
After firing the wire gun at the scalding hot external armor, the reel was activated. He took note not to let the protruding metal frame touch the normal suit, and as long as he could climb onto the internal armor that was poking out, the first phase of the plan would be considered a success.
“I really want to say that this is easy…but the rest is up to luck.”
Gael muttered to himself as he landed on the deck of the “Nahel Argama”. The battle before this created a large broken opening on the catapult deck that was 30m large and more than 5m tall. The frame that was twisted by the burnt armor was not cleaned up, no one bothered to deal with it, and it was a devastating scene akin to the aftermath of a fire. The block Gael climbed was a service route that had the middle exposed amidst this breakage. After walking inside for approximately 10m, he could see an emergency partition wall that was used to separate the inside of the ship from the absolute zero of space.
Everything was going just as Gael predicted. He had a ship layout map obtained from Anaheim Corporation and photos taken by Neo Zeon, and after comparing the two data, he had a rough grasp of the damage situation. Gael got out before the “Eye-Zack” got shot down when he charged right into the anti-air intercepting fire, and he used the portable vernier land mover to climb onto the “Nahel Argama”. This action itself would completely rely on timing, and the reason why Gael was willing to execute this reckless plan was because he saw the opening on the catapult deck. It was the easiest path to enter. He forcefully kicked the melted metal frame and let his body lean at the wall. He used his hand to wave aside the black ash that was on the surface and installed the high powered explosives SHMX he had on his waist onto the partition wall. He stuffed this wired ignition device, retreated to the wall and waited for the most suitable moment to press the ignition switch.
Soon after, there was another trail of beams outside the fault, and the anti-air fire that went quiet suddenly lit up again. Gilboa’s squad was starting to create a distraction. Gael leaned his back on the wall, and he saw the crossfire through the helmet visor. The shots grazed past the hull of the ship, rocking it, and Gael used the moment the tremors reached his back to press the ignition switch.
The explosives installed inside the partition wall exploded silently, and there was a hole that was approximately a meter in diameter. The fragments of debris that exploded flew out towards the vacuum, and the air inside the ship rushed out of the wall. The steam that was condensed due to the sudden quick decompression created a layer of mist on the service route. Gael used the metal frame as a pivot and brought his body to the hole before firing the wire gun inside. The reel immediately started to activate, and Gael managed to duck into the hole past the air that was rushing out at him. He let his feet land on the floor and step deep within the service route. The air roared over the helmet, stimulating the eardrums that were already used to the silent space.
The emergency partition steel wall started to activate once it sensed the decrease in pressure, sealing the path. Gael forced himself to keep his eyes open as he continued to kick the wall. The partition wall the descended from the ceiling blocked his sights, and he saw that the gap between the wall and the floor was becoming narrow. Will I be locked here? Or will I be crushed by the wall? Gael used all his strength to kick the wall and curl up—and then, he felt the sound of the partition wall sealing up with his body.
The winds that were surrounding him suddenly stopped, and the wire gun ceased to curl up at this point. Gael opened his eyes that were shut unknowingly and looked around. The gloomy red color of the emergency lights was all around, and the path leading to the middle of the battleship was right in front of him. The partition wall that was closed up was right behind him, and the barometer installed on the arm of the normal suit was pointing at one. So I succeeded? Gael heaved a sigh of relief as he opened the helmet visor, deciding to wipe his entire face that was covered with sweat.
There were damages on the partition walls the moment the enemy raid came, and new partition walls sealed the place in response. Most likely, the crew of the ship would think this was caused by the direct hit of the enemies’ shots, but they could not have expected for everything to be planned by an intruder. Gael experienced the tremors of the continued battle with his body as he remembered the map of the ship in his mind. He then kicked the floor and moved towards the nearest locker room.
If he were slow, he would end up meeting the emergency response team, and this would be bad for him, especially as he was still wearing a Neo Zeon pilot suit. Gael did not bother himself too much with the alerts that rang through the corridors and switched the wireless radio to the frequency Federation ships used. During battle, the wireless communicator inside the ship would be kept opened, and if he could receive these signals, he could get a rough grasp of the situation.
(Focus your fire on top! If the enemy’s in low orbit, they can’t turn back easily. You can definitely hit them if you aim carefully!)
(The connected shuttle is getting in our ship’s way! The 17th to 21st Close-In Weapons System can’t be used. Can’t we think of anything here!?)
(“Klimt” calling the “Nahel Argama”. We can’t re-enter the atmosphere like this! Our ship will delay launch. We hope for the crew and the guests to evacuate inside the ship.)
(“Klimt”, our ship will allow your crew to evacuate into the ship. We might have to abandon your ship based on the situation. Please hurry with your retreat)
To the soldiers who lived in the Minovsky era, it was their job to determine which were necessary information amongst the dialogues that were exchanged through the wireless communicator. It seemed that the guests that boarded the “Klimt” once would head back inside the “Nahel Argama”. It would take him 5 minutes to put on a Federation normal suit, and it would take another 5 minutes for him to head to the connector shaft with the “Klimt”. He promised with Zinnerman 20 minutes grace, and he was planning whether he could catch at least one of Martha’s subordinates and bring that prisoner called Marida Cruz back. Having checked that 3 minutes passed on the watch, Gael flew through the maze-complicated large passageways as if he was gliding. (WHAT’S THE “GUNDAM” DOING!? HURRY UP AND TELL IT TO FIGHT IF IT’S LAUNCHED!) A certain person’s growl echoed through the wireless communicator, and Gael felt that his body that was rushing under zero gravity became even heavier.
Part 8(Today, there are more than 100 representatives from different countries in the Earth Federation. After some discussion, we shall sign the charter of the Universal Century. This Charter shall be known as the Laplace Charter, and it shall act as a contract between Humanity and the World.)
The “Unicorn” drew the barrel out from its back attachments and set the magazine in it. The assisting grip on the side in front extended together with the barrel, and the hyper bazooka was ready to fire.
The “Unicorn” put the beam rifle onto its back, and raised the barrel of the hyper bazooka that was about as tall as itself over the shoulder, ready to fire. The 3 “Geara Zulus” quickly dodged and went right at the “Nahel Argama” at the back. Banagher caught sight of one enemy unit flying over him on the reticule, held his breath and squeezed the trigger. The propulsion gunpowder that was used for firing exploded inside the barrel, and the 380mm shot took this momentum as it came flying out of the nozzle. The heat and wind pressure that was released from the smoke evacuator caused a thick trail of gas to scatter around.
The 380mm shell continued to spin as it flew in a straight line, dragging a trail of thin smoke as it grazed past the accelerating “Geara Zulu”. The proximity fuse activated at the same time, causing hundreds of metal balls to fly out from the exploded shell. The large number of balls that were 5mm in diameter scattered out, and the “Geara Zulu” legs took direct damage as it got knocked off course greatly, but it did not take fatal damage. Banagher immediately stepped on the pedal to let the “Unicorn” rise. The beam that came flying in grazed past the “Unicorn”s legs, and the machine gun-like beams came ripping over.
The other two mobile suits caught up to the “Nahel Argama”, moving through the intercepting fire as they let loose a rain of beam bullets onto the ship. The enemy units accelerated, got above the ship, and after seeing that they hit, decelerated immediately and pull away from the firing range below them. The increase and decrease in speeds would show the difference in heights, and they were executing a hit and run tactic that could only be executed in low orbit. In contrast, the two “Lotos” that were equipped onto the battleship were tactless. The anti-air machine guns and the 4 Gatling cannons that were equipped on their shoulders respectively fired, but only added some empty lights amidst the lines of fire. On the other hand, the two “ReZELs” that were protecting the ship from above and below fought back with beam rifles, but even they looked to be having a tough go in this battle that was different from an ordinary space battle. The allied mobile suits movements were not sharp enough as they had to concentrate on maintaining orbital speed. In contrast, the enemy forces that could only snuggle around the mothership continued to fight using an irregular rhythm as they continued to carry out hit and run attacks. It was because the enemy was overwhelmingly familiar with fighting in low orbit.
The bridge did command the “Unicorn” to return, but in this current situation, it could not do so. Banagher’s consciousness was mostly distracted by the speedometer and height meter, but he continued to fire a second hyper bazooka shot. The scattered shots exploded around the enemy unit’s head that was lowered greatly, creating sparks in the armor. But that was not enough to cause a fatal hit.
The “Geara Zulu” descended again and accelerated as it fought back with the beam rifle. Banagher dodged as he closed in on the enemy with the 3 hyper bazooka rounds. He determined the attacking route of the enemy, and as he aimed the reticule slightly below the target, “It’s disadvantageous for you to attack a moving enemy with a bazooka.” Daguza’s voice rang in his ears.
“You should use the beam magnum. At this distance…”
“No. That’s too powe3rful.”
A mere graze from a beam magnum shot can melt a mobile suit’s armor into nothing, and even trigger an explosion—even if I don’t use this weapon, I can still force the enemy to retreat. “This is not a time to hold back, you know!?” but Banagher ignored Daguza’s growl as he let the machine stop immediately.
The machine descended drastically, and the relative distance with the enemy unit was pulled closer. “You’ll fall!” Daguza shouted, and Banagher accelerated at a height of 200km and got around the feet of the “Geara Zulu” that passed by. The 4 thrusters on its back lit up at the same time, and the “Unicorn” rose quickly as it pursued the enemy unit from below.
“If it’s a close-ranged battle…!”
Banagher deliberately turned the reticule away and fired the hyper bazooka. The shell grazed past the “Geara Zulu”, exploded 2km away, and the metal balls that came flying out rained on the thick green machine. The “Geara Zulu” took more than a hundred metal balls from the front as it lost its balance, and the beam rifle in its right hand dropped off. The beam rifle seemed to have taken damage from the direct hits of the metal balls as it exploded immediately, creating an orange ring of light in space.
With the light of the explosion shining, the “Geara Zulu” shot its balance verniers as it slowly retreated. The generator was not damaged, and it probably would not be dragged down to Earth by gravity. After confirming this, Banagher scanned around to look for the other two mobile suits. At this moment, Daguza gave a deep voice from behind as he said, “You deliberately missed that, didn’t you…”
“If we force them to retreat, there’s no need to kill them, right?”
“They’ll end up being reclaimed by the mothership if you do that, and they’ll become enemies with us again.”
“I’ll just force them to retreat again when that time comes.”
Banagher said without looking at the other person. “Do you think this is a game, you bastard!?” the angry growl rang through Banagher’s ears, and his body that was grabbed on the shoulder was held down onto the linear seat. Banagher bit his lips, unwilling to meet Daguza in the eyes.
“I don’t want to repeat what that man just said, but you should take the enemy down when you go. The enemies you let go may end up being the ones killing our allies, or even you.”
The shoulder that was grabbed by the other man cooled off, and the clever reality spread through Banagher’s body. If he admitted this, he would be swallowed by the machine, and would become a living core of negative emotions ready to explosive. He thought about the thoroughly injured Marida, and the certain person whose name he did not know that got shot and killed by a stray shot—and had enough of this. “SINCE WHEN AM I PLAYING HERE!?” he squeezed out this voice from his abdomen and waved away Daguza’s hand on his shoulder.
“WHETHER IT’S MY DEATH, OR THE DEATH OF OTHERS, I CAN’T JUST JOKE AROUND HERE. THAT’S WHY I’M TRYING MY BEST HERE, ALRIGHT!?”
Daguza met Banagher’s stare right in the eyes, and he showed a wavering expression as his eyelids shivered. Banagher finished and looked away, only to hear an approaching alarm of an