Gundam, Gravity Elegy

Amidst the mess of vomit, he seemed to be muttering in his sleep:

"No...don't kill anyone."

Shirley quietly hugged the child from behind, resting her head gently on his shoulder, as if offering comfort, yet also as if seeking solace.

Those ramblings reminded her of that moment, a hell that even she, the 'rescuer,' didn't want to recall.

Now, the Federation is going to completely tear open this wound, presenting it to the public in a 'glamorous' manner, turning it into a weapon of public opinion:

"Mom, I feel so bad."

…………

July 10, UC.0079

Operation Britain, launched by the Zeon forces, caused a satellite to fall to Earth, with the largest fragment landing in Sydney.

According to records, an escape shuttle was caught in the blast and crashed into the deep sea.

One hundred and five people were fugitives.

There was one survivor.

Author's message

…………

The Exiles, from "Glorious Abawaku," are composed of civilians and Deikun members who defected directly from Zeon after the Battle of Loom. They were later used by the Federation for propaganda purposes.

Chapter 80: NT Resonance

"...It feels so bad."

She didn't know when it started, but the girl felt as if she was completely sealed in a closed space, unable to hear any sound at all.

She could see the giant meteorite falling from the sky, and she could feel the surging air currents that seemed to completely overturn the sky.

They wanted to reach out and save themselves, but they could only be swept into that almost suffocating darkness.

In that place, where there was no light at all, it seemed impossible to even stretch out one's arms and legs.

She could hear angry shouts, hear the echoing gunshots, and then smell an indescribable stench that was enough to awaken primal fear.

In the end, all that could be heard was that lingering sound:

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..."

A gentle, reassuring voice.

It's as if warmth can be brought even in this closed-off space, just like the existence full of 'love' described in the book.

"Mother?"

"It's okay, you'll feel better after a good night's sleep."

"mom……"

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

"Mother!!"

However, the moment the words left my lips, that suffocating, closed-off feeling vanished.

"Alma Stirner's brainwaves are gradually returning to normal."

"Has the data recording finished?"

"All recorded."

Gone was that gentle voice, and there was no more comforting touch; all that remained was the spacious room and the long-lost fresh air.

So what was that before?

Was that feeling of being confined just a dream?

Also, where am I right now?

Alma Stirner—a girl who has never reached adulthood, simply looking around, hoping someone can answer her questions.

Unfortunately, the pure white room couldn't offer anything; aside from the artificial cold light, the only feedback it could provide was that sound.

'Click'

The sound of a door opening.

When the door opened, a familiar figure finally appeared before him:

"Captain Monica!"

She was still wearing that red military uniform, and looked as dashing and gentle as I remembered:

"Great, you're finally awake."

However, Alma noticed an unusual weariness on his face.

At the same time, the atmosphere at the scene seemed to be different from what she had expected:

"Special Captain Cadillac, you only have 3 minutes of visitation time. We will start timing now."

Outside the door, the stern voices hinted at hostility, causing her body to tense up instinctively. But once the door closed, everything returned to normal.

"Captain Monica, where am I?"

Looking at the figure who was walking slowly towards her, a person who was like an older sister to her, Alma couldn't help but ask a question.

"We're back in Odessa now..."

But before Monica could respond further, her uncontrollable words came out like a machine gun:

"And how's the situation at Ruhr Base? I only remember Lieutenant Ume was injured, and Lieutenant Washitani was adjusting his mech. Who attacked us?"

At this moment, she had more questions in her mind than she had imagined:

"besides……"

what else?

When those chaotic thoughts reached their end, the expression and figure that surfaced in her memory made her eyes sting with tears.

"How is Ren...?"

But before the words could be fully uttered, those slender fingers were already placed in front of her lips.

"Now, perhaps the timing is just right."

Meeting Almana's questioning gaze, Monica simply took out a tablet computer, and upon opening it, the first thing that appeared was the logo of the Earth Federation.

“However, watching news from the Earth Federation is against the rules…”

"That's true for other people."

Seeing Alma's stunned expression, Monica simply sighed softly.

She didn't speak further, but a clear image appeared on the small tablet:

"Recently, the counterattack by the Federation European Army has become a hot topic of conversation. Thanks to the valiant fighting of the Federation soldiers, the Federation Army has recaptured the famous crossroads of Europe: the Ruhr industrial base..."

"The Ruhr base has fallen?!"

Alma couldn't help but raise her voice; her little mind seemed unable to connect the dots.

"Could it be that the Federal Army had already broken in that night? At that time, the front lines..."

"In this battle, we not only defeated the Zeon 1st Division, but also successfully killed the Zeon European Command Commander, Yuri Kelleren."

The barrage of messages bombarded her mind, leaving the girl unsure where to look.

She didn't really understand the occupation map shown in the media, nor did she recognize the photo that appeared in the media.

Of all that, she could only understand one word:

"And the most noteworthy thing in this operation is our Earth Federation Forces' first new type of mobile suit - named Gundam."

On the screen, the dark figure appeared, along with that photograph:

"This mobile suit, which swept through the battlefield and defeated Zeon head-on, was piloted by our legendary Son of Sydney. The awakened lion of Earth will surely bear the will of those who died unjustly and severely punish those brutal invaders."

Although the military uniform was completely different from when we first met, the face beneath the officer's cap instantly overlapped with the one in my memory:

"Unite under the banner of the Federation, and together crush the Principality of Zeon and the evil dictatorship of the Zabi family!"

'patta'

Then, the brief news broadcast ended, and the room seemed to return to silence.

It took Alma a long time to seem to come to her senses.

"So, Ren is a federal soldier?"

"Ah."

"Is...is that thing true?"

Beneath Monica's face, which could only be described as astonished, Alma simply covered her head in disbelief.

"I... I saw it. I saw something huge falling to Earth. That thing... it was terrifying. I heard screams, I heard gunshots, and I felt like I was trapped somewhere. Did he experience all of these things?"

Seeing her seemingly pained expression, Captain Monika simply clenched her fists:

"I have no idea……"

At this point, she couldn't help but glance at the completely closed door, then looked around to make sure there was nothing wrong with the room itself, before pursing her lips:

"However, from my personal perspective, if anyone asks you about anything related to Ruhr, even if they only mention it, you should try your best to avoid the topic and say that you don't know anything about it."

"Huh? Why?"

Alma wanted to ask that question, but it was probably a question that didn't need to be asked; reality soon revealed it to everyone.

'Boom dong dong'

"Captain Monica, you have one minute left."

The sound echoing from the doorway brought with it a somewhat incomprehensible noise.

but……

"Because after that, I'm afraid neither Lieutenant Mei nor I will be able to protect you."

'Click'

The moment she finished speaking, the door was suddenly opened.

Then, an elderly man in a white coat walked in. He looked incredibly kind, but Alma's vigilance was at its highest at that moment.

"My visiting hours shouldn't be over yet!"

"Oh right, so just treat me like an old man passing by."

He simply waved his hand and then sat down.

"I just came to see my future new family..."

“No, Monmelly, the child will come back to space with me. Miss Kycilia is planning to establish a large facility and is in dire need of manpower.”

But before the old man could finish speaking, another serious voice rang out.

"And compared to a war-torn Earth, isn't the peaceful and tranquil universe more suitable for her?"

At that moment, the smile on the usually calm old man, Dr. Montmelly's, vanished, and a sharp glint even appeared in his narrowed eyes:

"Aren't your 'students' enough for you?"

“She herself graduated from the school I founded, so it’s only right and proper for her to continue working here.”

Meeting that less-than-friendly gaze, the old man slowly walked forward.

At that moment, even Monica instinctively reached out and shielded the girl on the hospital bed behind her:

“Dr. Flanagan…”

Upon seeing this, the old man simply took out a file from his pocket:

“This is the transfer order I obtained from Miss Kycilia. Your technical department’s 603… no, even the Commander-in-Chief’s Guard shouldn’t be able to interfere in the internal affairs of the Assault Mobile Force.”