Gundam, driving a mass-produced machine will change the world

"Wow, this is Earth!"

At the port of Axis, a young Zeon soldier floated in front of the harbor, gazing in awe at the blurry blue dot in space that was now visible to the naked eye. He had just turned twenty and had only been a member of the Zeon army for two years.

The details of Earth cannot be seen clearly with the naked eye, but knowing that he would be able to see Earth during his shift change today, he specially borrowed a high-powered telescope from his comrade. Now, through the lens, he can clearly see the azure ocean, brown land, and swirling white clouds on that blue dot.

An indescribable emotion was surging within the young man's heart. It was a complex mix of longing, awe, and a touch of bitterness. Earth, the cradle of humankind, was an unattainable dream for those of them who were born and raised in the universe.

"What kind of reaction is that? Didn't you see it before?"

A veteran with a prosthetic right arm, floating beside him, snatched the binoculars from the young man's hand with an expression of utter exasperation, and placed them in front of his helmet, pointing them at the Earth.

The young man wasn't annoyed; he simply picked up his camera, carefully adjusted the focus, and filmed the scene before him.

"It's Asia, isn't it? Let me tell you, I fought in Southeast Asia during the One Year War, and that brainless Eli once fought against me."

As the veteran spoke, he raised his prosthetic right hand to the young man. This right arm had been amputated during the battle with Eli. At the time, the veteran wasn't a mobile suit pilot, but a tank crewman; perhaps his lack of value as a hostile target saved his life. His voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else's story, but the fleeting pain in his eyes betrayed him.

“I see… My memories of the One Year War are fading away. It feels like it happened when I was a child, a long time ago. So, I’ve even forgotten a lot about what the Earth looks like.”

The young man responded softly, his gaze still fixed on the direction of Earth. Those living on a satellite colony, though confined to a small space, might actually be able to glimpse Earth if they looked up at the right time. He remembered his childhood, when his father would often take him to the observation module, pointing to that small blue dot in the distance and telling him about the mountains, rivers, oceans, and forests of Earth—things he had never seen before.

"Back then, I always wanted to see what the ocean looked like, but now I haven't even been to my favorite swimming pool anymore."

The young man's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation. This was quite ironic; a significant portion of the advanced cosmic inhabitants championed by Gihren actually harbored hopes for Earth. However, Gihren ultimately channeled those hopes into resentment towards those living on Earth. These cosmic inhabitants were taught to despise Earth's "parasites," yet they couldn't suppress their yearning for that blue planet.

"The ocean isn't really that great. It's just a bigger, saltier pool of water, and the sand on the beach gives the maintenance crew a headache."

The veteran tried to speak in a light tone, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. In fact, when the veteran first saw the ocean, he also had a rather expansive feeling—the ocean is vast, but there is no such thing as a vast human heart.

"That was during wartime; it certainly wouldn't be like this in peacetime."

The young man's naive words led the old soldier to return the binoculars to him. He still believed that without war, the earth would be a beautiful and peaceful place. He imagined the sunlight shining on the sea, the sound of waves crashing on the beach—things he had only ever seen in photographic records.

"MS has entered/exited, be careful!"

The silence was shattered by a sudden warning from control room. The veteran reacted even faster, grabbing the young man and quickly retreating using the jetpack on his standard uniform. Although the veteran only had one arm left, his movement skills in space were remarkably adept.

In the next instant, two dark purple GM II motorcycles suddenly shot out of the harbor! They sped past the spot where the two men had just been standing, completely disregarding the workers on the job. If they hadn't dodged in time, a collision with a GM II at that speed would have rendered their safety harnesses useless, and might even have caused their uniforms to tear due to the tautness of the ropes.

"Titans, what!"

The young man roared, waving his hand at the fleeing GM-2 to express his anger. But this anger was quickly suppressed by the veteran. Although the veteran's hand was only a prosthetic, it was still strong and steady.

"You two can stop working now."

Clearly, even if the control room alerted them, they wouldn't apologize, and they learned about what should have been a major safety incident as soon as they finished work.

This attitude only fueled the young man's anger, but seeing the ferry approaching, he finally boarded it angrily. He gritted his teeth, trying to control his emotions, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner rage.

Silence reigned on the ship. Only two people were in the small cabin, moving from the port towards the interior. Inside the port, Zeon ships were gone, replaced by Federation warships, among which numerous small engineering mobile suits were shuttling back and forth, repairing damage caused by the battle.

Amidst this bustling activity, the mobile suits scattered throughout the tunnel, alerting and monitoring the Zeon workers, stood out conspicuously.

"Those Titans guys are getting increasingly audacious lately. Not only do they come and go from port at will, but they also seem to be vying with Andre Tek for patrol duties, and there seem to be some friction between their guards. I heard that Sirocco even mediated a dispute between the two leaders a while ago." The ferry driver, also a Zeon man, noticed the tense atmosphere between the two men and took the initiative to speak, trying to ease the tension.

But the two who had just escaped death weren't in the mood for that. The veteran simply nodded, while the young man continued to stare out the window at the Federation mobile suits, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

The two remained silent as they entered the changing room, removed their standard uniforms, changed into their everyday clothes, and then walked side by side into the interior of Axis. Once inside the elevator, they could clearly see the buildings constructed against the rock walls within Axis.

The scene before me was oppressive. Most areas were lit only by scattered lights, and many buildings, damaged in the previous battles, had not yet been repaired. The streets were sparsely populated, and those few I saw hurried past with their heads down.

Only a few lights remain. Once brightly lit Axis, it now resembles a dying giant, slowly drifting through the universe.

The two lived in the same area. Along the way, they could see many residents standing by the roadside, leaning blankly against walls, streetlights, or other objects, doing nothing, sometimes standing there all day. The light in their eyes had vanished; they lived like walking corpses.

The young people weren't staring at them. These were all staunch supporters of Zeon and Neo Zeon, so even though they were now under the control of the Federation in Axis, they appeared drained of their energy, and some even committed suicide at home.

Of course, the most extreme group spontaneously organized resistance activities. The young man had heard that some underground resistance organizations were still active, carrying out sabotage and assassinations. But he also knew that these actions often ended in disastrous failure.

The streets riddled with bullet holes and the uneven pavement already demonstrated the fate of the resistance.

The young man's gaze wandered, unsure where to land, so he finally looked up. But as soon as he looked up, he saw a mobile suit standing high above, the Rem, equipped with live-fire machine guns and anti-personnel weapons mounted on its legs, hovering menacingly above the city of Axis. Its facial monitors slowly rotated, like a cold eye, watching everyone's every move.

And there's more than just this one Rem inside. These Federation mobile suits can be seen at every important intersection and plaza, their presence constantly reminding the Zeon people: you are the defeated, the conquered.

The young man, who would only embarrass himself by raising his head, eventually lowered it again. Looking at the mottled ground beneath his feet, a sense of powerlessness welled up inside him.

"Uncle, do you think it's true or false that Eli, the leader of the Ander Tek, said he would eventually bring everyone into the universe?"

The young man finally broke the silence, his voice tinged with confusion. Recent rumors circulated that the man claimed he would relocate all of humanity to space, restoring Earth to its natural state. This idea sounded appealing and garnered a positive response among the space dwellers. Yet, the organization under the command of this idea was precisely the one that had suppressed them.

"Who knows? Didn't the Federation initially say that it would continue to promote space colonization until humanity truly leaves Earth? That charter clearly states that."

The veteran didn't even need to think to answer this bewildered fellow. Having retired after just one battle, he had long since formed his own views on everything in the world.

"Even if what he said is true, who knows how long he can keep it up? Even Gihren, back then, personally pushed many people out of the colony and threw them into space."

This veteran, who had retired early due to injury, had witnessed that scene firsthand in his hometown in Side 3. That scene, which could be described as fratricide, still often replays in his mind. He remembers the desperate expressions of those thrown out of the colony, and the horrific way they died in the vacuum of time.

"So-called aliens of the universe, we are such pathetic people. In the end, those above have never regarded us as real people, but merely as a link in the exchange of interests."

This is how society works, as this veteran has seen through it all. Whether it's Zeon or the Federation, those in power only care about power and resources; ordinary people are merely pawns in their game.

Because the majority of the space inhabitants did not come to Earth voluntarily, this antagonistic situation ultimately arose. Earth's inhabitants enjoy the bounty of nature, while the space inhabitants struggle to survive in a man-made environment. This inequality made conflict inevitable from the outset.

The young man didn't reply, but watched the veteran, who had already reached his building, disappear into the shadows of the low-rise buildings. He didn't know how to respond to this person—should he show anger? Or should he express sadness?
The young man didn't quite understand it, but he went home and showed the photos he had taken to his two younger siblings. His brother and sister, eight and ten years old respectively, were at an age full of curiosity about the world. They huddled in front of the small screen, staring wide-eyed at the photos of the Earth, exclaiming in amazement.

Seeing the somewhat exaggerated joy on his two younger siblings' faces, and then looking at their far from ideal living conditions in Axis, a protective instinct welled up in the young man's heart. Their parents had died in the previous battle, and now only the three of them remained, relying on each other for survival.

The young man didn't reach a conclusion, but in that instant, a simple thought crossed his mind—he couldn't let his younger siblings grow up in Axis. At the very least, he wanted them to have a swimming pool to play in, like he had when he was a child. He hoped for a better future for them, free from the torment of war and oppression.

The young man, thinking this, looked up at the dimly lit window. What struck him most was the light emanating from Rem's facial monitor. That cold light seemed to represent the Federation's omnipresent control and surveillance.

However, the next moment, he saw a beam of light pierce through the Rem. (End of Chapter)