Chapter 13: The Back Side of the Story

After yesterday's interview, Shinn Asuka has been officially hired as a test pilot at the MS Institute in Anaheim and starts work today. Due to his good performance in the interview, he was booked as a test pilot for Zeta Gundam, and he needs to read through the mountains of relevant technical documents before the first prototype of Zeta is completed. After this, Ade did not pay much attention to him. Although Shinn's worldview is not very mature, he had struggled in the community for so many years, he should be able to adapt to the new work environment.

But last night C.C.'s performance was quite strange. She had been silent last weekend, and then suddenly returned to normal yesterday. But Ade did not care much, because she was always so mysterious. He was browsing the progress of the two nuclear power machines jointly developed with PLANT.

When Ade saw the picture of Lacus in the drawer this morning, he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have not cared about those two machines for a long time. Now that he has received the "benefit" from Clyne, it is reasonable to pay more attention to them. As for the photo, C.C. didn't seem to like the photo sent by Clyne, so Ade brought it to the office.

Ade is actually of little interest to the two new machines, because there is really nothing new in its structure technology. Whether it's the D.R.A.G.O.O.N System (Disconnected Rapid Armament Group Overlook Operation Network System) or the backpack, all of them are ready-made technology. even the METEOR (Mobile suit Embedded Tactical Enforcer) system that Ade blew up in the PPT, is only modified from RX-78 GP03D's Dendrobium. The two machines are basically the results of the existing technologies' patchwork.

Of course, their performance is really as good as Ade boasted, but it is difficult to arouse his interest. In contrast, Zeta's deformable skeleton, as a brand new subject, is more challenging for him. So after designing the architecture of these two machines, he threw the detailed implementation completely to other researchers and never cared about it again.

Regarding the naming of these two machines, Ade did not do any intervention, but magically they were still named Justice and Freedom. On this point, he had asked Clyne for advice.

"Such naming is something I object to, it simply incites antagonism between Coordinators and natural people. Even if it exists, such superiority should never be shown." Clyne told him so at the time, "But Councilor Aznable insisted, and Patrick was extremely favorable to Aznable's claims, and I had no influence in ZAFT."

Ade never thought that the names of Justice and Freedom would be proposed by Char. When he thinks about Char's way of running things, is this really his political advocacy or is it just a slogan he is shouting in order to get some people's good feeling?

In addition, Clyne's claim that he has no influence in the ZAFT army is absolute nonsense. The amount of money that passes through his hands every year as PLANT's equity agent in Anaheim is hard to calculate, which is more than enough to build a private arsenal on any unknown satellite.

Not to mention his deal of Neutron Jammer Canceller with Ade is a completely private deal. When he smuggled this important weapon out of the country without a word, Ade was dumbfounded. If such a person has no influence in the army, well, Ade can only show an awkward but polite smile, saying, "Yes, yes, I believe it."

As Ade rambled on, he flipped through the development progress of Justice and Freedom. It seemed that the two machines were progressing as smoothly as he had envisioned, and it wouldn't be long before they were ready to be handed over to PLANT. The technical leader of the two machines did a good job. I remember that he has not been promoted for a long time? Oh, I should consider giving him a salary increase!

The videophone on the table suddenly rang, and Ade smoothly pressed the answer button.

"Good morning, Director," it was Odebi from downstairs, "Minister Jamitov Hymem of the Earth Federation called for you and is waiting."

"Patch me through." The screen shifted and an older man appeared on the screen, "Good morning, Brigadier Hymem. Oh no, by your time zone, it should be a good afternoon, right?"

"Good morning, Dr. Lingus." Hymem didn't seem interested in discussing time zones with Ade, "You should have an idea in your mind about the reason I am contacting you, right?"

"Does it mean that the discussion has already come to a conclusion?" This is only a few days after last week's meeting, "Brigadier Hymem, I must say that you have turned my opinion of the efficiency of the Federation upside down, it seems I have been somewhat biased against the Federation in the past."

"Then continue with that bias, Doctor, there is a difference between the military headquarters and the punk bureaucrats of the Federal Government." Hymem didn't hide his disdain for the federal government in the slightest, even if he himself was the current Secretary of Finance, "Captain Ray is a soldier, his disposition is purely a military internal matter, and the federal government has no authority to interfere."

"Does it mean good news?"

"At 8:00 a.m. lunar time next Monday, Captain Amuro Ray will arrive at Copernicus Cosport on time aboard the flagship of the Earth Federation Cosmic Army's 13th Fleet, Argama, and will be under the sole supervision of Lieutenant Bright Noa. Captain Amuro Ray will return aboard the same battleship next Friday at 8:00 p.m. Lunar time."

Wait, there's too much information, I need to think of them one by one.

The 13th Fleet of the Cosmic Army, the flagship of Argama, Lieutenant Bright Noa, well, the world is messed up enough. Ade is completely immune to this level of petty problems nowadays. Then came the most critical, "Brigadier Hymem, if I heard correctly, there are less than five days?"

"Yes, the military will lend Captain Ray a total of one hundred and eight hours exactly."

"Isn't that too short a time?"

"Isn't one hundred and eight hours more than enough for a genius like Dr. Lingus?" Hymem's face looked serious, "This is the unanimous conclusion reached by the entire military hierarchy after careful consultation, one hundred and eight hours is the maximum time limit we can accept. Dr. Lingus, I am now informing you of the military's final decision, not bargaining with you."

Although this man's speech was offensive, Ade was too lazy to argue with him now. Since it was already a final decision, there was no point in continuing to dwell on it, so he went straight to the next question, "It's just sending a person, is it necessary to convoy him with the flagship of the 13th fleet?"

"I thought Dr. Lingus as a researcher could understand it."

"That means to your side, the value of Captain Ray, or rather, the loss of Captain Ray, is no less than a battleship … "It seems that the Federation values New Type far more than he once thought. He thought they were not paying enough attention by keeping Amuro in a cage, but now it seems that they just don't know how to deal with Amuro so they have to lock him up first. "But if you send out a warship, it will involve the Lunar military, right?"

"Do not worry about this, doctor. I will personally deal with General Ghingham. In addition, protecting Captain Ray's safety will be considered the highest priority for the entire trip." Hymem glanced out of the screen as if someone had entered the room he was in, "This guideline will be firmly implemented on the moon as well, please understand it, Dr. Lingus."

In other words, all of Amuro's activities on the Moon will be closely monitored by the Federation fleet, "Although it may cause some inconvenience, on behalf of Anaheim, I understand the military's approach."

"Thank you very much, Doctor, for your understanding. That's all I have to convey, and my secretary will send you the details by email later. Doctor, I hope you will deliver a satisfactory answer by then."

"Then, please look forward to it. Goodbye."

"Bye." Hymem hung up the video call, looked at the man who seemed to appear out of thin air in the room, opened the desk drawer, and picked up the pistol inside.

"Hello again, Jamitov Hymem." The man looked to be in his mid-thirties, wearing a well-made green suit, with long, well-kept blond hair and a gentle smile on his handsome face, as if he had everything in hand. "Finally spared to let your rare pet out of his cage?"

"How did you get in?" Hymem slowly moved his pistol under the table in front of him, holding it with both hands in a ready stance to raise it.

"Don't you think it's a stupid and boring thing to ask the same question that won't get a reply every time?" The man was at the other end of the room. His elbows casually propped up on the cabinet beside him, with no intention of getting closer. "Although sharing a room with a lousy old man practically makes me sick to my stomach, I'm sorry to say that I haven't found a better collaborator in the current Federation."

"Collaborator?" Hymem let out a sneer, "A collaborator who won't even reveal his name?"

"It doesn't matter what my name is, what matters is that you handled the information I gave you in a way that was very much in my interest. In other words, we work well together." The man fished out a data disk from his suit pocket and placed it on the cabinet at hand, "This time, the content in the data disk is more explosive, and an old man like you had better be mentally prepared. It contains news of something you can only dream of."

"I can't understand what you're saying."

"Neutron Jammer Canceller." The man looked at Hymem with pleasure as Hymem drew a backward breath, "There are three of them, one on the moon in Anaheim and two in PLANT's Nuclear Power Research Center."

"There is no way to get the one on the moon, but PLANT's Nuclear Power Research Center …" Hymem's sharp eyes locked on the man in front of him, "You want ZAFT and the Federation to go to war directly?"

"What you want to do is your business, I have no interest in interfering." The man seemed to be completely unaware of the pressure from Hymem, still looking relaxed and comfortable, "By the way, it won't be long before the two Neutron Jammer Cancellers of PLANT be equipped to two Gundams. You see, what a great opportunity. There is no need to start a war."

There was too much information for Hymem to digest, and he could only respond in silence.

"That's all I have to say, the details are here." The man pointed to the data disk he had just put down, "Goodbye then."

Then as if he had never appeared, the man disappeared out of thin air. Although this was not the first time he had seen such a thing, Hymem still couldn't believe it.

As a senior member of the Earth Federation government and military, he did know some "truths" that the general public did not know, such as Britannia, such as Mischief. But even for him, what this man did was still an overturning of common sense. It can't be explained by "blindfold" or "special powers". And the information he gives each time is also completely unexplainable by mere spy means. But the hateful thing is that the information he gives every time is too delicious for Hymem to refuse, like this one in front of him.

Hymem put the pistol back in the drawer and let out a long breath. He got up and slowly walked to where the data disk was. His hands trembling slightly from nervousness or excitement.

"Neutron Jammer Canceller …"

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