Gundam, Gravity Elegy

"..."

"Ah, you don't need to answer me. Just know the answer in your heart, and then... take a look at this."

Djamitov frowned as he looked at the pile of documents that General Gop had thrown at him.

"These are..."

"These are just some pieces of information that my intelligence department gathered casually: the lieutenant's hometown, the places he has lived, and... the search and rescue fleet."

At the same time, Djamitov's eyes scanned rapidly, taking in the most important information:

"Because of his mother's job transfer, Lieutenant Gao Ren had no friends growing up and had a relatively withdrawn personality. Sometimes he was even ostracized by his group and called a freak..."

"However, rumors circulate that he possesses wisdom unlike that of a child."

Just as Djamitov was muttering to himself, General Gop's voice echoed in his ears:

"There's even a claim that our lieutenant possesses superpowers and used some kind of telepathic ability to allow the rescue team to locate his shuttle deep in the ocean... Ah, of course, none of these claims have been verified, and I haven't confirmed them either."

Without ever glancing at the written text, General Gop merely raised his eyebrows, which seemed to be completely squeezed out by his fat:

"But—Colonel Hyman, do you remember that rumor?"

"What...rumors?"

"Of course it's that one, the one that Daken mentioned back then, and now the Zabi family is using it as a moral high ground—don't they believe that humanity will evolve because of the universe, and that with the progress of the times, some special... abilities will emerge?"

Then, a word appeared that sent shivers down Jamitov's spine:

"Newtype - don't you think it sounds a lot like the rumors about Lieutenant Gao Ren?"

"That's absolutely nonsense!"

"There's no need to be so aggressive, Colonel Hyman. Overly forceful rebuttals will only make you seem guilty."

"..."

“But you’re right, at least for now, it has to be ‘nonsense’.”

Admiral Gop slowly began to speak:

"What 'new humans' and 'old humans' are nothing more than the 'righteousness' that the Principality of Zeon seeks to justify its atrocities. So... whether it's you, me, or Reibill, the Earth Federation believes that we don't need to rely on these vague rumors, so we can't openly contact them either, understand?"

"……Understood."

After taking a deep breath, Jamitov loosened his clenched fist, and Colonel Hyman saluted.

"Then I will rush to the African front as soon as possible."

"The Earth Federation looks forward to your achievements, Colonel Hyman."

Watching that lean figure disappear into the distance, Gop slowly turned his gaze to the documents on the table:

"Morale is indeed an issue that needs to be addressed before a concrete strategy can be achieved."

Gradually, his gaze shifted to the youthful face, which was as still as water:

"I'm sorry, child, the Earth Federation is really not ready to welcome you yet—at least, simply being a New Human is absolutely not enough."

The general picked up the cup, but the tea leaves that had been proudly floating before had completely sunk to the bottom.

Under the warm light, the tea soup even appeared pitch black, like a slumbering, rotten patch of land.

"Oh dear, the tea has gone cold."

Chapter Two: The Confinement Room

"Remember to eat properly and on time."

"Take care of yourself and don't stay up late all the time."

"I want to find a girl I like in the future, and who likes me back."

A white light flashed, and Gao Ren felt that the colors appearing before his eyes were indescribable.

It's a solid color, yet it sparkles.

But when it comes to dreamlike quality, it reveals a chilling quality that is hard to describe in words.

Honestly, Gao Ren didn't like this feeling.

He felt like a lone boat in a vast ocean, a solitary meteor in the universe, forever unable to land, just drifting along with the current in a certain direction.

In the end, it sank into a murky and gloomy abyss.

"I'm sorry, it seems like Mom won't be able to see you grow up."

The sound disappeared, and at the same time, the dazzling brilliance was no longer what came into view, but at the same time, it was an environment that was by no means completely familiar to him.

Darkness—about four square meters in size, with only a few specks of light coming in through the small square window above the main entrance, you can vaguely see the sponges covering the surrounding walls to prevent self-harm.

Solitary confinement—that's what the place is called, and although many people say it seems unbearable, Gao Ren doesn't actually think so.

First of all, although the four-square-meter space is not large, the circulating air around it does not make him feel stuffy, and the regular meals every day also allow him to clearly feel his connection with the outside world.

There's no need to worry about running out of oxygen or being crushed.

More importantly, its duration is not long; if there are no other disturbances, it will probably last only about seven days.

And now...

"It should be lunchtime."

'Didi Didi'

"crunch"

As if to awaken the deepest fears within, after a series of soft sounds, the heavy lock slowly opened.

As the door to the solitary confinement cell opened, a blinding light came into view.

However, perhaps because that radiance was not sunlight, Gao Ren did not feel any warmth. The only weakness of the Gablo Military Academy might be its location—it is located deep in the South American rainforest, along with the Gablo base.

Therefore, there are only artificial lights used for illumination here:

"Second Lieutenant Gao Ren."

"What's wrong? I remember I already fully admitted my mistake."

"Do not……"

"The dispute started because of me, and I was the only one involved in the fight. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

"No, no, no—"

Finally, when Gao Ren's eyes had adjusted to the cold light he hadn't seen in so long, he saw the soldier in front of him stand up straight.

Then he saluted:

"Your three-day confinement is over. Thank you for your hard work, Lieutenant Gao Ren."

However, these words made Gao Ren frown:

"Only three days? But you said seven days before..."

"That's because we thoroughly investigated the incident—we confirmed that you were the victim, and we've imposed even harsher punishments on the mastermind behind it and those who egged us on."

Walking down that cold corridor, he simply listened quietly to the rambling of the military police officer leading the way.

"Actually, we didn't want to do that either, mainly because the impact was too bad, even the officers were involved."

But after saying all that, Gao Ren felt that only one sentence was truly important:

"I had no choice but to punish you, please forgive me."

Upon hearing this, Gao Ren stopped in his tracks:

"But if I remember correctly, you didn't say that three days ago."

"Second Lieutenant Gao Ren..."

Seeing the military police sweating profusely, Gao Ren couldn't help but fall into thought:

“Three days ago, you… no, it should be your colleague who hit me in the back without saying a word, saying that no one can violate the Earth Federation Army’s regulations.”

"But actually, it's because this matter has a huge impact..."

“But when I saw that you turned around and treated those who really caused trouble kindly, and even released them directly, in the end you only arrested me and my friends.”

"That's because the situation in Gabro is a bit special..."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. There's nothing wrong with what I said, but why has your attitude changed now?"

Seeing the military policeman's increasingly incoherent ramblings, Gao Ren simply smiled:

"Has something happened?"

"Ha, what else could have happened? It's just that the higher-ups received orders."

Before the military policeman could answer, a voice suddenly came from a corner:

"That's great. You're going to the battlefield soon. Maybe you'll be able to go and be with your friends in Sydney soon."

It was a mockery that was completely undisguised:

"I heard you're a Newtype. People like you often hear special voices, right? Can you hear your mother calling you?"

Following the sound, Gao Ren stopped in front of a metal door—also a solitary confinement cell. Through the narrow square window that could only allow for a narrow view, he saw a pair of malicious eyes.

Perhaps because he had been in darkness for several days, one could vaguely see his pale skin covered in bruises, and his hair was extremely dry. Combined with his eyes, which seemed to be filled with blood, he looked like a vicious demon ready to devour its prey.

but……

"waste."

That calm response shattered all the gossip, and at that moment, the mockery in the confinement room vanished completely, leaving only that heavy, inhuman breathing.

"What...what did you say?"

“I’m telling you, Leonard.”

Meeting that hateful gaze, Gao Ren simply crossed his arms:

"They can't produce any theoretical results, and their piloting skills are also not good enough. They've always been in the middle to lower ranks. Apart from making a fuss about my background, mocking me to my face and trying to isolate me, they don't have any other respectable methods."

"Gao Ren!!"

"And then, even in a fight, you lose."

At that moment, the heavy iron door of the solitary confinement cell seemed to come alive, and Gao Ren could see those scarlet eyes pressed against the door:

"You damn bastard, you shouldn't have survived Sydney. You should have died with those guys—"

'boom'

But before he could finish speaking, a large foot slammed into the door of the solitary confinement cell. The metallic sound resonated in the cold corridor, even jarring Gao Ren, who was outside the cell, could hear it.

"Behave yourself."

The military police roared:

"Reinhard Jamie, your confinement period is extended to fifteen days!"

After saying all that, he smiled again.

"Lieutenant, your family has come to pick you up. And you are..."

"Take me out of here."

"it is good!"

Upon hearing this, the military police felt as if they had been granted a pardon, but their pace quickened involuntarily.

Watching the swift back of the military policeman, Gao Ren simply turned his gaze to the door at the end of the corridor.

Ever since Zeon crashed the colony into Sydney, he has had no blood relatives left, and if there are any people outsiders who can be called 'family'...

'crunch'

"Aren!"

As the gate finally opened, a slender figure came into view; even the military uniform could not conceal the beauty of this Eastern European woman.

"Lieutenant Shirley."

'Snapped'