Chapter 11

(P.O.V.) Reinhard

C.E. 70, February 20

Orb Union, Morgenröte Testing Island, Wreckage of the Ptolemaios

After waiting for the evac team to arrive on the bridge, I watched as they quickly prepared both survivors for transport on stretchers after the medical experts finished some basic first aid checks.

I had already searched the bridge and couldn't find anything since everything was destroyed. However, I did come across something that reminded me of the past. In the corner of the bridge, there were two mobile terminals, also known as Haros—not to be confused with HARU. They are different; one is an advanced virtual intelligence, while the other is an AI built mainly to connect with VEDA from anywhere, among other tasks. Both units looked fine from the outside, but I would need to take them apart to check if they still worked. Just the fact that multiple versions of my creations, like the Ptolemaios and the Haro, were actually built made me extremely happy.

After that, I followed the evac team out of the wreckage. Once outside, I saw many men walking around, inspecting the ship and searching the nearby woods. I noticed Uzumi standing with Kisaka, both looking at the ship with serious expressions. I moved toward them until Uzumi noticed me and turned his head and sighed. I could see that his back was straighter, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Reinhard, please tell me the system you wanted to test didn't have the purpose of materializing spaceships because I honestly can't see what tactical value that would have during a battle." he said in a joking tone, but his expression was serious. I wondered what happened to him. Earlier, he was somber because of Junius Seven, but now he seemed like a different person—like he had found something he was missing.

"Don't look at me like that. I had no idea the wreckage of the Ptolemaios would appear. Shit, I didn't even know about the survivors! Not that I'm complaining—we got a free space cruiser." I waved my hand at the ship. I had so many plans for the ship, but they would have to wait for now. First, I needed to dismantle it to see what was inside the hull.

"The Ptolemaios?" Uzumi asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the ship. "Can I assume it was a ship that belonged to Celestial Being?"

"Yes, it is—or was. Believe it or not, I was the one who created the original blueprint for that ship. It was designed as a forward operating base for armed interventions, but the design was modified to make it smaller for reasons I don't know. Looking at the wreckage, I realize I made a huge oversight." I said, feeling a wave of regret hit me.

"The ship appears to have been destroyed during a battle," Kisaka interjected, offering his thoughts. But could it really be called a battle when a mobile suit fired at a ship with no weapons?

"It was, and that was my biggest mistake. I should have accounted for it being in space combat and designed weapons for it to defend itself." I said, gripping my hands in frustration. Then I relaxed my grip and looked resolute. "But I can't change the past." I wondered how the Quantum Dimension sent the ship here. It must have had a reason because I honestly don't believe that whatever is inside the hull is fully responsible. Alter said the only reason I teleported was that the Fafnir's GN Drive synced with my quantum brainwaves.

"I assume you were expecting something to happen during your test?" Uzumi asked.

I should probably come clean. After all, Uzumi has been a great help to me, and he deserves the truth. "It's as crazy as when I told you I was from a different timeline. After I passed out, I found myself in a separate dimension—yes, I know it sounds unbelievable. While my body remained here, my mind somehow crossed that boundary. There, I saw visions of the future… or was it the present?" I scrunched my face in confusion. "I don't know; time worked differently there. The past, present, and future were all happening at the same time. Either way, I saw what happened to Celestial Being: they started performing armed interventions. Everything was going according to plan until a traitor gave the major superpowers a version of the GN Drive called the Tau. It was weaker than a true GN Drive but still better than any power plant they had, along with thirty mobile suits to use with them. Eventually, it led to a battle that resulted in Celestial Being's defeat." I paused to catch my breath. "After that, I met a being I decided to call Alter since it didn't give me its name. We talked, and he explained how I ended up in this timeline and asked me to activate the Lite Trans-Am system, which is the system I tested when I woke up. He said the dimension itself was sending me something. I was reluctant, but, like I said earlier, I felt I would regret it if I didn't. And it turned out I was right; not only did we acquire a space cruiser, but more importantly, we saved three lives that were supposed to be lost." I said, feeling thankful to the Quantum Dimension for sending the Ptolemaios and the survivors here, though I was curious how the Gundam Meister also teleported, as I was sure he died before the Ptolemaios was destroyed.

After I finished talking, I was met with silence. I waited for them to process what I said before I surprisingly heard Kisaka speak.

"Had I not seen what happened earlier, I would seriously begin to question if you are insane or no." he said with a sigh. Well, that was rude. I am 90% sure I am not insane. But what happened earlier?

"What happened?" I asked curiously. I saw both of them look at each other before Uzumi started explaining what happened.

Apparently, after the Fafnir shifted from glowing reddish-pink to pure white, the particles spread and reached the warship, and somehow everyone saw someone they knew who had already died.

Okay, that makes sense… NO, it doesn't! How the hell was that even possible? Are they saying that GN particles managed to drag their consciousness from the moment of their death to the present? Was this a side effect of the Quantum Dimension assisting with the Ptolemaios's teleportation? If so, what kind of abilities do GN particles truly have besides offering limitless energy?

The more I discover about GN particles, the more confused I become. Could it be that me sensing the emotions of the crew earlier was also a side effect? Or is it an ability that an innovator possesses? If so, what else will I discover in the future? Deciding to do what I've been doing a lot lately, I shelved that thought for future me to deal with.

After that, it was decided to transport the wreckage to a Morgenröte facility where it would be disassembled, and most of the parts would be sent to research and development to see if they could figure out how it worked, with a few exceptions being sent to my Workshop/Lab/Hangar/House.

All of what happened today will be classified, meaning only the individuals present will know what happened. The survivors are already on their way to the military hospital on Onogoro Island for treatment and nothing else was found on the island besides them.

(TIME SKIP)

C.E. 70, February 27

Orb Union, Morgenröte Facility, Cafeteria.

Man, I'm really glad I can order whatever I want in the cafeteria. Seriously, what kind of company offers five-star lunches to their employees for free not that I am complaining. I thought while cleaning up my tray after enjoying my meal. I wasn't sure about the Thai green curry at first, but it turned out to be delicious.

It had been seven days since the test, and the Ptolemaios had already been completely disassembled, except for any equipment that required GN particles to function, including the VEDA terminal. Everything else was shipped off to Research and Development.

As I left the cafeteria, I saw a familiar face and raised my hand. "Hello, Erica," I said, greeting the other chief engineer of Morgenröte.

She looked at me with a scrunched-up face, which seemed to happen every time we talked. "Reinhard," she replied, saying my name in an even tone. I sensed some frustration from her; it had become common since the test. I had developed the ability to feel people's emotions toward me, but it wasn't always consistent. Sometimes it worked, and other times it didn't. Maybe it's because I'm still in the process of becoming an innovator.

"You missed another meeting, and because of that, we had to listen to Koto complain about you for half the meeting."

Oh, right. I always forget about those meetings. I went to the first one to introduce myself to the higher-ups, but I felt uncomfortable with Koto constantly clicking his tongue every time I was mentioned. He always asked what I was working on, even though I had complete authority over my research. Eventually, I stopped going. Koto is like a man-child; instead of coming to me directly and asking me to attend, he would rather waste everyone's time talking trash about me.

"Sorry, Erica, but you know how I feel about those meetings. Besides, I sent a report before every meeting about the OS." That was true. While I didn't attend in person, I always sent a report detailing how the OS was progressing—even if the G-project's funding had been cut due to the war, which had significantly slowed development.

"Yes, I'm aware, but sending a report doesn't excuse you from attending the meeting. I also want to let you know that the screening for test pilots for the mass-produced mobile suits has already begun." she said, pressing her index finger against my chest. Her gesture wasn't as intimidating as she thought.

"I see. That reminds me, how is the research going on the tech that was recovered from the Ptolemaios?" I asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Good. We're about 40% of the way done. However, we still can't figure out how the ship was powered."

Of course, they couldn't. I took every single piece of technology that hinted at the existence of GN particles—a decision Uzumi agreed with, especially after what happened on the island. I used to think that humanity wasn't ready to know about GN particles because they would use them for war, but I realized that Aeolia barely scratched the surface of their potential. So, the existence of the GN Drive must be kept a secret, especially the methods for creating a Dragon Heart and a TD Blanket.

"Reinhard, what about you? Did you find anything about that ship from the terminal you took?"

"If you're asking if I discovered what powered the ship, then no. The only things I found were the name of the ship and the fact it was a prototype vessel. The terminal was too damaged to find anything else. My best guess is that it was a prototype developed by ZAFT, but I don't know why it was abandoned." Uzumi had created a cover story about how the ship crash-landed on Orb to explain its existence and made fake IDs for the survivors and in case anyone grows curious about how the were found the official story is that they were found in a destroyed ships that was pushed into Orb's territorial waters by the currents before they were rescued.

Besides that, I also discovered an improved version of E-carbon that was used for the armor on the Ptolemaios. After further research, I found out about a type of shielding technology called a GN Field, which could enhance the defensive properties of E-carbon, making it almost completely invulnerable to conventional weapons. The GN Field created a protective sphere around the object although it wasn't limited to creating a sphere meaning, and depending on the number of GN particles used, the shield's durability could increase.

I really wanted to install this technology on the Fafnir, but for that, I would need to remake all of the armor using the new version of E-carbon. I could do it, but right now, it doesn't need that upgrade. That said, I planned to install it in the new Gundam.

I also accessed the file that Haru found, and it was a gold mine. It contained schematics for every single Gundam, ship, transport vehicle, and support armament Celestial Being ever made. There was even a personal document written by Aeolia about an extremely interesting system that I plan to attempt to create at a later date. However, I don't have high hopes it will succeed. But then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"So, how is the development of the Astray going?" I asked, knowing that Erica was the lead on the Astray project.

"Good, considering that most of the technology used in the G-Project can't be built without the schematics. This means we will have to wait for the four prototypes being built in secret on Heliopolis to arrive on Orb so we can reverse engineer them. However, the mass-produced model is coming along well and should be finished in January. Despite its specifications being inferior to the prototypes, I would say we need an OS that allows a natural to pilot them but fortunately you've pretty much already completed it still we don't know if it will enable a natural to fight against a Coordinator."

I noticed that when Erica mentioned "Coordinator" she showed some reluctance, which made sense since she was a Coordinator herself. If an OS that allows a natural to pilot a mobile suit were developed by Orb, and if the Earth forces learned about it, they would stop at nothing to acquire it. This could escalate the war, especially since the Earth forces can't press the big red button anymore thanks to the PLANTs' Neutron jammers.

Five days ago, ZAFT launched its first counterattack since the Bloody Valentine incident (that's what the destruction of Junius Seven is being called) against the Earth Alliance by attacking the gateway to the moon, which was the ISS Yggdrasil. During the battle, ZAFT deployed what I assume was an experimental version of what they call the Neutron Jammer, which disables nuclear fission. This means neither side can use nuclear weapons in the future. That was great; now I don't have to worry about nukes. But while this technology should prevent any more mass murders like Junius Seven, it was also a powerful weapon.

"What are you thinking about?" Erica asked as we walked side by side.

"Neutron Jammer." I said, still deep in thought.

Hearing what I said, her expression brightened, making her look like a twenty-year-old, despite being my senior by ten years. She didn't look a day over twenty-five, thanks to being a Coordinator. "Oh, the Neutron Jammer is a brilliant invention. Just imagine—the PLANTs have removed the possibility of another Bloody Valentine by creating it." she said, her voice full of relief. She didn't realize the potential of the Neutron Jammer as a weapon.

While it removed nuclear weapons from the equation, it also had the ability to cause a worldwide energy crisis if the PLANTs decided to drop countless Neutron Jammers on Earth, since Earth's main energy source is nuclear power. This could lead to mass starvation, economic collapse, and even death. It's also highly possible that the PLANTs could create something that would allow them to use nuclear weapons again, even with Neutron Jammers around. Now, I doubt they would actually use nukes, but what's stopping them from creating nuclear-powered mobile suits?

We continued talking until we went our separate ways. I headed toward my lab, and as I passed through the door, I looked at the opposite side of the Fafnir. I saw the Gundam frame Apollo being built by the Karels. While they were slow, they didn't make any mistakes during the building process, especially with HARU supervising them.

I walked to my workstation and saw schematics for several armaments displayed on one of the monitors. Another monitor showed the original schematics for the Ptolemaios. "The ship I designed was meant to coordinate operations while the Gundams fought. My only thought when I saw it destroyed was, 'why?' Not why it was destroyed, but why didn't I include weapons that would allow it to protect itself? I was foolish; I didn't consider that a traitor could exist and betray Celestial Being." I gripped the edge of the table, my face twitching in anger before I calmed down and took a deep breath. "But I won't let that happen again. While the G-Project is building a new class of mobile assault ship based on Orb's Izumo class, which will house the prototypes, I will redesign and rebuild the Ptolemaios into a class of its own that won't be outdone by either of them." I said this with determination as I sat down and began to alter the schematics.

While the appearance would remain the same, I would remove the containers for the Gundams. Instead, I would create a dedicated hangar for them. I decided to make the ship itself larger, about the same size as the Izumo-class. The armor would use the improved E-carbon developed by Celestial Being, while the hull would be constructed with a new type of compressed X-titanium I created. Though unsuitable for mobile suits, it would be perfect for the hull of the Ptolemaios, making it nearly indestructible.

For the power plant, the original Ptolemaios used a large GN condenser that gathered GN particles from the Gundam's GN Drives. Its speed depended on the number of GN Drives onboard. I intended to remove its reliance on Gundam GN Drives and instead build two variant GN Drives to serve as the ship's main power source. I would also install a large GN condenser to power the ship's electronics while the GN Drives would focus on powering everything else—like weapons and defense systems.

As for armaments, the ship would have a large GN cannon under the modified catapult that could retract inside, along with smaller GN cannons on the sides of the ship. There would also be a large GN missile launcher and a standard GN missile launcher on the back, capable of launching in any direction. The large GN missiles would be focused on destruction, while the regular ones could serve multiple purposes: mines, smoke screens, EMPs, and standard GN missiles. For defense, I planned to equip it with GN Field technology and several GN Vulcans scattered throughout the ship, both on the top and bottom, designed to destroy projectiles and incoming mobile suits or armors.

For special equipment, I intended to install the Lite Trans-Am system on the ship, which would enhance the ship's hull integrity, GN Field, speed, and weapons while active. The Lite Trans-Am would also let the ship make atmospheric exits removing the need for outside assistance to allow it to leave earth's gravity, and I would add an optical camouflage system to allow the ship to travel without being detected. Finally, I would include a terminal for HARU based on VEDA, which would act as the ship's brain, allowing it to sort through battle data in real-time and transfer the information to the Gundams and from them to the Ptolemaios.

"The Ptolemaios will be reborn as the greatest ship the Cosmic Era has ever seen. This I swear!" I declared while renaming the schematics to "CB-70-X- Ptolemaios Arisen."

(P.O.V.) Neil Dylandy A.K.A. Lockon Stratus

REDACTED

REDACTED

(Dream)

As I floated in this endless expanse, all I could see was a blinding white, punctuated by fleeting clouds of grey. It felt like I had been here for days, though it might have been only minutes. My sense of time was completely out of order.

I wondered, was this purgatory? Was I simply waiting for judgment? But then, I hadn't believed in God since that damned KPSA and Ali al-Saachez killed my parents and sister. That bloody asshole thrived on chaos. I couldn't help but wonder if my last shot had at least put him in critical condition. I was pretty sure I hadn't killed him.

The Ptolemaios should have already recovered Dynames and discovered I wasn't onboard? Guilt gnawed at me for lying to Haru, but I had to protect the GN Drive from falling into Earth forces' hands. Did Setsuna ever find the answer to his question? Was Tieria still coping with the loss of his connection to VEDA? How did the crew react when they found Dynames? Is it wrong that I want them to grieve for me? Does that make me a terrible person?

"No, it simply makes you human."

The voice startled me. I turned, my eyes widening in shock. Standing before me was a man I recognized all too well, though there was something different about his eyes they were golden instead of blue.

"Lyle, is that you? Please don't tell me you died too." I questioned, my heart racing, desperately hoping it wasn't true.

Lyle—or the man who looked like him—smirked and chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint… or should I congratulate you? Your brother is still alive, though I can see how you might confuse me with him." He pointed as a mirror materialized before him, and he started posing. "Not bad, but I prefer the last guy's body over yours. His was more... defined." The mirror vanished, and he plopped down on a chair that hadn't been there a moment ago. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. My name is… or will be? I keep forgetting, time doesn't flow in a straight line here. Anyway, I'm Alter. I know, not very original, but blame the other guy he has a terrible naming sense."

I was at a loss for words. Shit, I didn't even know what was happening. Was he here to judge my sins?

"PFT!!" His laughter burst forth, shaking his shoulders and adding to my confusion.

When he finally calmed down, he looked at me with amusement. "Again, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not some arbiter who's here to judge your sins." Wait, did I say that out loud? Did he read my…?

"Yes, I read your mind. Don't worry; I only skimmed your surface thoughts. I don't enjoy diving deep into others' minds," he said casually. But still, shouldn't I have some right to privacy?

"No, you don't—at least not here," he replied, waving his hands to indicate the surrounding emptiness.

"What is this place, by the way?" I asked as I tried to focus, only for my body to twist awkwardly.

"A little advice: it's best not to try to understand how this place works. Trust me, the best-case scenario is your brain fries in the process, and you end up—well, you know. The current you can't grasp the complexities of this space." He waved his hand, and I found myself back in front of him, looking directly at his face. "That's better. Now, I'm sure you're curious about where you are."

I chose to stay silent, simply nodding my head.

"I'll explain everything. Just don't scream in your mind, okay? I nearly went deaf from the last guy's scream…or will go deaf; time is confusing here. Long story short, congratulations—you aren't dead... yet." He paused dramatically.

So, I'm still alive? That meant the Ptolemy could still rescue me.

"Yes and no. Let me explain how you got here. Right now, your body is unconscious, caught in a catatonic state while floating somewhere outside space itself and your mind has been separated from it and dragged here in the process."

…What?

"Good, you didn't scream. To address your confusion, your mind separated from your body due to the GN particles engulfing you when the GN condenser inside the GN Arms Type-D's GN Cannon exploded. While it was the explosion that tore your mind from your body, it's also why you have a chance to survive. Now, to answer your first question: you are in what I recently dubbed the Quantum Dimension or Realm. And if you're wondering what that means, consider it the place where GN particles originate."

Wait, wasn't it the GN Drives that produced GN particles?

"Wrong. GN Drives can't produce True GN particles; they create a subcategory instead, which has various effects in the physical world—from energy sources to jamming communications. I won't explain how the GN Drive does this; we're short on time, and I need to fill you in on a couple of things."

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

"It's probably better to show you what happened after you fell into a catatonic state."

Suddenly, I found myself in the midst of a chaotic battlefield. Earth forces were attacking Celestial Being. I watched as the remaining Gundams fought a losing battle. Tieria in the Nadleeh was taken down after managing to destroy two more mobile suits. I saw Allelujah in the Kyrios struggle against two mobile suits before he too was defeated. A mobile suit reached the Ptolemy and fired his beam rifle destroying a part of the bridge, only for the Ptolemy to quickly be engulfed by GN particles.

Then I witnessed Setsuna in the Exia fighting a new type of mobile armor, destroying it just as another mobile suit emerged from its remains, getting defeated by the Exia. That glimpse of hope—a moment when Setsuna could still save everyone—flickered before my eyes, only to be crushed when a modified Flag equipped with a Tau GN Drive appeared and attacked Setsuna, leading to the destruction of both suits.

In the blink of an eye, I was back in the white space, overwhelmed by a tidal wave of sadness as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Why? Why? Dammit, WHY did that have to happen?" I yelled, frustration boiling within me.

I looked at Alter, who had a pitying expression. "If you're looking for someone to blame, I'm afraid I can't help you. But I can tell you two things." What's the point? Celestial Being no longer exists.

"First, Celestial Being and the remaining Gundam Meisters are still alive. During that battle, only one member of Celestial Being was K.I.A."

Shock coursed through me, my eyes wide. Before I could ask, he nodded. "I'm not lying. There's still a chance they can accomplish their mission. The second part is a bit more complicated, so listen carefully. The only way to save your life and the lives of those onboard the Ptolemy is to send all of you somewhere far away—someplace so distant you'd find it hard to believe me. But in time, you will be able to return temporarily and help Celestial Being complete their mission."

What do you mean?

"I would love to explain further, but it appears our time is up. When you wake up, remain calm. Someone will help you. I wish you the best of luck in your upcoming battles, Lockon Stratus." He bowed his head as he finished speaking.

My consciousness began to slip away, and soon I was engulfed in darkness. When I next opened my one good eye, I found myself standing in a dense forest, my body aching as if it could give out at any moment. I strained to look around and spotted the wreckage of the Ptolemy nearby.

Suddenly, a familiar sound drew my gaze upward. I watched as something descended, leaving a trail of green and white GN particles behind. The sight filled me with a surge of strength, and with my last ounce of energy, I managed to whisper, "Gundam." before my world faded to black.