Gundam, Gravity Elegy

However, he decided to find someone to keep him company before that happened—like his sister Shirley.

"So, didn't I already say that it's no use even if you come to me? I'm not the kind of person who would offer opinions in a war council."

"Yes, I know, but I feel a little uneasy without Shirley by my side."

"Oh dear, is she trying to be cute and affectionate with me?"

"No, it's just that I have a fear of circuses."

"Oh ho ho ho ho~"

Before Gao Ren could finish speaking, a subtle sound came from inside the mechanical door.

"Crunch"

As the automatically sensing sliding door opened, before I could even fully step onto the bridge, I saw a major jumping around like this:

"Wow, the communication equipment, wow, the fire control console—it's awesome!"

Of course, besides the monkeys, there's also the indispensable animal trainer... or rather, the witty commentator, a role currently filled by Captain Cuvatro Bagina:

"Honestly, there's no need for this, Michael. You have a kind of beauty that's starting to resemble a human right now."

Michael simply scoffed at this.

"You wouldn't understand. All the long-range guidance and communication methods failed completely. After fighting so many land battles in this trench, I feel like I'm living in the old-world war era two hundred years ago."

After saying this, he plopped down in the captain's seat in the very center:

"Sigh, as expected of Zeon's goods. Although the three-section split bridge design is somewhat unclear, I have to say that the central view is really good. And I really like the design of that observation tower. Even in a high concentration of Minovsky particles, you can clearly see the battle situation outside."

"However, watchtowers that are directly exposed to the elements also increase the risk of being attacked."

"Do you think I care about this kind of thing? I usually ride in an armored vehicle. If I were going to die, I would have died long ago. How could I still be alive now... Ah."

Then, the circus performance seemed to end when the 'audience' entered the scene.

"Ahem, well, now that everyone's here, let's discuss the next battle plan in detail."

Under the gaze of the crowd, Major Michael, who was beginning to take on a human form, finally got up from his seat.

"Let me see how to open the map, hmm..."

Then, he started gesturing wildly on the instrument panel, but pressing one button after another made his scalp tingle.

"Uh……"

Finally, Captain Cuvatro couldn't stand it anymore.

"Just turn on this control button, and then turn on this."

Of course, there was actually nothing there.

Just as Cuvatro confidently looked down at the bridge, he saw nothing; the rather heavy electronic screen on the floor displayed nothing.

Not to mention that, there wasn't a single piece of equipment or light inside the entire bridge; instead, the sun made it bright and spacious.

"Oops, no, no, I remember how it worked? Back in the Side 5 days..."

"Come on, I doubt you could do it either."

"That shouldn't be the case. I remember it should be like this... Wait, let me sort this out, I can't quite remember."

Perhaps, there are no humans left here.

Looking at the two officers who were arguing like children, Gao Ren couldn't help but exchange a glance with his guardian.

Then, they tacitly moved aside and opened the communication.

Having no experience operating Zeon warships, there was nothing they could do but hand the task over to someone more suitable.

"The diver... oh no, she can't leave her post."

After careful consideration, he received another signal:

"Ms. Lutz, could you come to the bridge?"

"it is good."

And that's when things started to get magical.

Inside the bridge, the two highest-ranking men from different units were shoving and wrestling like shameless thugs, while the crucial position was given to a woman:

Metz Lutz – as the maintenance squad leader of the fourth squad, she herself is not from the military, but works for Anaheim Electronics.

As a professional mechanic and engineer, although he had not participated in the development of warships, he clearly had his own unique understanding of system operation.

"The warship's systems were locked. It must have been the captain or someone similar who completely shut down and locked the systems before decommissioning the ship."

In fact, Gao Ren didn't even see her haphazardly operating the system; instead, she connected her computer to the warship's operating system like a sophisticated professional.

then……

"Just unlock it again."

After typing away on his computer for a while, all the equipment in the bridge was turned on.

The communication channel was not connected, and static echoed within it. Meanwhile, the manufacturer's logo appeared on the electronic screen on the floor.

"Hoshioka?"

"That's an industrial enterprise of Side 3. It used to be responsible for civilian development, but now it also undertakes the production of mobile suits and warships."

"I see……"

As he met Ms. Lutz's gaze, Gao Ren's head buzzed.

He instinctively wanted to take a step back, but only heard one word:

"Gundam."

Then, Gao Ren stood at attention.

Looking straight ahead, the woman's voice was calm and unhurried:

"The Gundam is ready."

Although nothing was said, it was as if everything had been revealed.

Faced with that calm gaze, he lowered his head:

"I'm very sorry, there was a reason for this, and this situation will not happen again."

However, isn't that a bit too absolute?

With this thought in mind, he couldn't help but add another word:

"perhaps."

Fortunately, Ms. Lutz, as an elder, did not seem to dwell on this point:

After putting the computer away, the woman walked past him.

Don't force yourself.

Although the tone was somewhat cold, but...

Is she concerned about me?

"Well, after all, you're only 14 years old."

"I see……"

Just out of concern for someone who...maybe can still be called a 'child'?

Perhaps that's true, but Gao Ren still felt something was off:

"I'm a soldier, after all... never mind."

Not wanting to dwell on the issue, Gao Ren quickly averted his gaze from Shirley's hesitant expression.

"Honestly, I think those two guys over there are more people to worry about than me."

At this moment, Major Michael and Captain Cuvatro, who had been rolling around on the floor, finally came to their senses and got up from the floor without changing their expressions:

"Although we encountered some difficulties, we were able to overcome them."

"Let's not waste any more time and get to the point."

Looking at the two men who had suddenly started singing in unison, Gao Ren couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.

Although there's an inexplicable sense of unease, but...

"Being able to serve under these two guys feels like I've got everything I need for life."

He rubbed his aching temples and then turned his gaze to the testing device on the side.

"I think there's a more troublesome thing to deal with right now than the so-called plan."

'Drip drip'

When its value finally dropped by one level, a short sound echoed within the bridge.

"This is... text communication?"

If you've finished your current tasks, please let me know so I can assign you new ones.

How should I put it? Even just reading the words, you can feel the emotions behind them.

"How frivolous!"

Author's message

…………

A little-known fact you might not need: the Gallup-class carriers have a three-section bridge design, and the combat bridge can be used as an escape pod, but it can't fly very far on Earth.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The First Division of Zeon

July 27, UC.0079

9: 00 AM

It has been about four hours since sunrise.

The sun hung high above the clouds, shining on the ancient city of Vienna, and casting the shadow of the enormous, seemingly swallowing-the-ground iron bird—the Gau-class aircraft carrier—over the earth.

Its name is Bison.

“Since the Celts settled on this land around 500 BC, the city has gone through several eras, including the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although it initially existed as a military fortress, it has long since become a city of civilization and art.”

"The pace of life there must be leisurely. As the old-century writer Stefan Zweig described in 'The World of Yesterday,' the mornings in Vienna begin in cafes, where people open their newspapers and look for the Royal Theatre's program schedule first, not political news."

"The forest is layered and vast, and the air is moist and refreshing. No matter how hot the sun is, it is incredibly cool and pleasant under the shade of the trees. Even if you don't walk around, just looking down from the sky, you should be able to appreciate its magnificence and beauty. It is a kind of scenery that is hard to see in the side."

"Perhaps... that's how it was supposed to be."

'boom'

Just as the man was listening to the rambling words coming from the distorted communication, a fierce burst of fire suddenly erupted.

Then, the communication fell into an eerie silence.

Although the sound wasn't loud for them as they were gradually descending, it made the man in the main seat on the bridge scratch his head somewhat embarrassedly.

“Well, Lieutenant General Mark Koby, while I do understand your fervor for Earth culture, that forest you mentioned… it’s probably going to disappear in a little while.”

"what?!"

On the other side of the screen, Lieutenant General Ma Kebai, Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Attack Force, couldn't help but reveal an expression of shock, as if he were suffering from angina:

"Are you kidding me, Major General Keller? That place is a sacred place that has inspired countless musicians and artists. It is a treasure of human culture. Haven't you heard of the works of Johann Strauss?"

"Have not heard."

"..."

"However, I think that whether it is culture or art as you call it, it must ultimately give way to our Zeon's ultimate goal."

Major General Julian Keller, Commander of the European Front, shrugged helplessly.

"This place not only has a large Federal Army base, but even now that the main force has retreated, the local guerrillas are still resisting without stopping."