Chapter 9

(P.O.V.) Reinhard

C.E. 70, February 14

Orb Union, Onogoro Island, Morgenröte Headquarters, Reinhard's Personal Laboratory/Hangar

I happily inhaled the rich aroma coming from my favorite mug filled with a new type of coffee I had bought. After taking a satisfying sip, I savored the perfect mixture of sweetness and bitterness. Glancing out the window, I relaxed as I watched the sunset. Finally, I had a chance to rest after my grueling march to complete the upgrades to the Gundam Fafnir.

Yes, I had changed its name after much consideration, realizing it needed a fitting identity. After all, "Alpha" was just a codename taken from the project's title, and it felt wrong to keep calling it that. So, I decided to name it after the evil dragon from Norse mythology, just as I had named its GN Drive after the same creature. Since the component enabling the GN Drive to function is literally called a Dragon Heart, it seemed appropriate.

I upgraded the GN condensers and constructed new ones, allowing the Gundam to store additional GN particles, which increased its operational time. Currently, it can function for about ten to twelve hours. While I wanted to grant it unlimited operating time, I still hadn't found a suitable material capable of holding the amount of GN particles required for such a feat, so that's the time limit for now.

On a personal note, I finally settled on my emblem. I still remember the meeting with the heads of the National Defense Force when they asked me to create an emblem for the squadron, as well as one for myself. The emblem for the squad was easy enough; it basically features a griffin blowing a large horn.

[Squad Emblem Picture]

For my personal emblem, however, it took me much longer to decide what I wanted. Originally, I envisioned using Celestial Being's emblem, but I decided against it. If I were performing armed interventions, I would have picked it without a second thought. But I wasn't, so I needed to get more creative. One day, I had a dream where I was piloting the Gundam through the sky when I noticed a gigantic black dragon flying above me. Just looking at that dragon left me breathless. When I woke up, inspired by the dream, I sketched out my personal emblem before painting both the squad and personal emblems on the Fafnir's shoulders.

[Personal Emblem Picture]

I turned my attention back to the monitor displaying the latest build of the OS I was working on and frowned in irritation. I had managed to create an OS that would allow a Natural to pilot a mobile suit based on information received from the Morgenröte employees assigned to the G-project. While I found it intriguing—especially the phase shift armor, capable of reducing damage from all forms of physical attacks—I realized I couldn't improve the OS to a level that would enable a Natural to evenly fight a Coordinator. The reason was simple: I didn't have the necessary battle data to create such a thing. I couldn't just take the Fafnir and attack a wandering ZAFT ship. I mean, I could, especially since no nation knows of the Fafnir's existence, but that would go against my personal code, since ZAFT wasn't my enemy, at least not yet.

I refused to attack them simply for the sake of acquiring battle data, even if it meant I couldn't complete the OS. I communicated this to Uzumi, and he agreed, encouraging me to focus on improving the OS to the best of my ability.

This realization led me to recognize how little I truly knew about Coordinators. Consequently, I tasked Haru with organizing the black box I had taken from the G.A.R.M. research facility back on Mendel and searching the web for public information on Coordinators so I could learn more about them.

What I discovered was that Coordinators are essentially humans whose genetics have been modified at the earliest stages of embryonic development. This process grants them enhanced bodies that are virtually immune to disease, faster learning capabilities, and the ability to alter their physical appearance according to parental desires, from hair color to height. It truly impressed me how far we had come as a race since the time we killed each other with rocks.

However, I also learned that Coordinators have several flaws. For instance, 2nd generation Coordinators—those born from parents who were made Coordinators at birth, making them 1st generation—face low fertility caused by genetic trait conflict. Even so, a Coordinator can be born with genetic defects, such as impaired sensory functions. These defects typically arise because a mother's womb cannot provide an adequate environment for genetic modifications.

Interestingly, there exists a subcategory of Coordinator known as half-Coordinators. These individuals are born from both a natural parent and a Coordinator. While they are inferior to so-called pureblood Coordinators, they still hold an advantage over Naturals. I found it endearing that despite the animosity between Naturals and Coordinators, there are still those who manage to overcome the divide.

This was all the information available on the web that Haru had managed to find, but the real insight lay within the black box. It was filled to the brim with improved versions of the coordinator creation process, alongside schematics for an artificial womb designed to eliminate any possibility of genetic defects during the creation of a Coordinator. It also contained the personal diary of Dr. Ulen Hibiki, the creator and leader of the Ultimate Coordinator project, which aimed to rectify the flaws in the coordinator creation process.

The journal began during the initial phases of the project and detailed the roadblocks the doctor faced, mainly due to a lack of funding that delayed progress. One day, he was approached by a wealthy industrialist, whose name wasn't mentioned in the journal, who requested that the doctor create a clone of himself for unspecified purposes. The journal described how, despite being hesitant to fulfill this man's request due to laws regarding cloning, he eventually agreed when the man promised to fund his project.

Eventually, the doctor created the artificial womb, which accelerated the project. However, he still hadn't been able to create a successful test subject, with the failures being disposed of. One entry noted that one of the researchers had successfully smuggled out three test subjects to an unknown location.

During the final phase of the project, the doctor decided to use his unborn son as the final test subject. He wrote about the conflict he had with his wife, Via Hibiki, when she discovered his decision and how he tried to explain that his actions would lead to their son's happiness. There was a full page dedicated to him articulating his reasons, almost as if he were trying to convince himself.

After the birth of his children—his son, whom he intended to make the Ultimate Coordinator, and his daughter, whom he allowed to be born almost completely naturally, with the exception of slightly enhancing her learning abilities—the project was deemed a success. The last entry revealed the doctor's intention to publish his research against the orders of the higher-ups, who wanted to profit from his findings. He expressed a desire to allow humanity to advance even further, stating that this was the only way for them to achieve true happiness.

After May 18, 55 C.E., there was no further information, indicating t it was the day the facility was attacked. This was supported by news articles about a terrorist attack on the Mendel colony by an unnamed group.

There was a report about something that reminded me of one of the few times I almost got killed. It was during my revenge spree; I was hunting the leader of the Italian mafia who ruled the Sicilian underworld. After killing my way through the leader's mansion, I came face to face with his bodyguard, who had been tasked with stopping me. Initially, he and I were evenly matched, but halfway through our fight, he suddenly changed. He grew stronger, faster, and somehow began predicting my every move. I'm not afraid to admit that I started to panic when I got stabbed in the shoulder and I was forced dodge his attacks until he grew tired and sloppy, leading to me slashing his throat and watching him drown in his own blood.

The reason I mention this is that the state he entered midway through our fight seemed extremely similar to what the report calls SEED mode or Superior Evolutionary Element Destined mode. It's probably one of the dumbest acronyms I've ever heard, but regardless of my personal opinion, SEED mode is described as a state where an individual possesses heightened reflexes and increased information-processing abilities. The only theoretical ways to enter SEED mode are during extreme situations or by recalling a significant trauma, and only individuals who possess a SEED factor are able to access it—but it has never been officially proven to exist.

Despite really wanting to acquire such an ability, if it truly exists, I had no way of knowing whether I possessed a SEED factor or even if humans from my timeline had such factors. If I did have that ability, it would elevate my combat prowess to a whole new level, especially if Haru actively assisted with fighting.

Shaking my head at the thought, I decided it was best not to entertain any power-hungry ideas. Yet, I should probably try to find a way to discover if I had the SEED factor, given the time.

Setting down my mug, I walked to my workstation, which had four monitors. One displayed the OS, another showcased a finished design for the new Gundam Frame I was building—designated Apollo, since it was intended for long- to medium-range combat. I had already asked Haru to command the Karels which are drones capable of construction and maintenance, to begin construction as soon as he finished altering the titanium I had requisitioned into X-titanium. I still had no idea what I would name the new Gundam or its GN Drive, but I had time to think about it. It's not like Orb was going to war like the rest of the world.

This made me pause as I looked at the last monitors, each showing news reports from the Earth Alliance and the PLANTs about the declaration of war. Just thinking about the lives that would be lost during the coming conflict made me question why humanity couldn't simply talk through their issues. But no, humanity loved war and thought it was the simplest solution to their problems. Don't like a particular religion? Declare a holy war! Lacking resources? Conquer another nation! Don't like a particular ethnic group? Commit genocide!

"Aeolia, was this what you were afraid of—that humanity would bring the seeds of conflict into space?" I questioned aloud. Would this also happen in my original timeline if Celestial Being failed? I still remembered how quickly the situation had deteriorated over the past two months.

In early January, a delegation from the PLANTs was on its way to meet representatives of the sponsor nations when it was attacked, resulting in one of its members' deaths. In retaliation for the attack, the PLANTs executed the ultimatum they had sent out in early December, halting all exports. This decision caused the sponsor nations, reliant on those goods, to plunge into an economic crisis, igniting a wave of anti-Coordinator sentiment largely fueled by government propaganda.

Eventually, the UN—an organization I thought had dissolved during WW3 but apparently still existed, albeit not for long—moved up negotiations already scheduled between the sponsor nations and the PLANTs to February. Both sides agreed to meet at Copernicus, but, as Murphy's Law dictates, chaos ensued. During the meeting, a terrorist bombing killed all the UN and Earth delegates. Luckily, the representative from the PLANTs was conveniently late due to a shuttle malfunction.

This led the Atlantic Federation to accuse the PLANTs of conducting the terrorist attack, framing it as a declaration of war against Earth and, by extension, the Naturals. They announced the formation of the Earth Alliance, also known as O.M.N.I.

A/N: Hello, guys! Just a side note: I messed up the timeline a bit in previous chapters, as the Earth Alliance was only formed after the war was declared against the PLANTs. My bad!

After a week, the Alliance-PLANT war was officially declared, and I had no doubt it would lead to an astronomical number of casualties on both sides. I just hoped they wouldn't decide to press the big red button.

Focusing on the monitor showing the Earth Alliance fleet leaving Copernicus three days ago led me to wonder if they had already begun fighting against each other. If so, just how many lives would be lost today?

I held my forehead, feeling another headache coming on—something that had been happening a lot due to my lack of proper rest. Even in this new timeline, some things never change. Frowning as I noticed the headache growing worse, I opened one of my drawers and popped an aspirin. After a minute, I realized the pain was still intensifying, and I tried to get up. "Seriously, what the hel—AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I wasn't even able to finish my sentence before I grabbed my head with both hands and screamed out in pain, hearing what sounded like hundreds of thousands of voices screaming in anguish simultaneously before going silent.

[SIR, ARE YOU OKAY? SIR!] The last thing I heard before passing out was Haru's voice, which sounded filled with anxiety. But that was impossible; being a VI, he shouldn't be able to express emotion. I probably was just imagining things.

(P.O.V.) Uzumi Nara Athha

C.E. 70, February 14

Orb Union

Sitting in my office, going through paperwork was one of the few things I truly despised. But such is the responsibility of the head of state; I must oversee every official document that requires my signature to ensure that nothing detrimental to Orb slips through the cracks.

I glanced over to the other side of the table and saw Cagalli struggling with a stack of security reports, scrunching her face in frustration at being forced to tackle such tedious tasks. If she is to succeed me, she'll have to learn that being the leader of Orb is a great responsibility—and that she will be accountable for the nation's future.

"What the hell is wrong with these idiots? This is the fifth time they've sent the same report! Don't they even patrol?" she exclaimed, tugging at her hair in exasperation. I couldn't help but wonder where the little girl went who used to try so hard to act like a princess in front of me went.

During her initial training with Reinhard, she always looked exhausted and on the brink of passing out. I was concerned enough to personally visit Reinhard and ask if he was being too hard on her. To my surprise, he explained that it was her own doing. It seemed that during her training, she hadn't made the effort to perfect what she learned, which resulted in her developing terrible habits that took a toll on her. This led to her exhaustion after each session. Reinhard noted that this was common among talented individuals who learned quickly but neglected to hone their skills, often leading to overconfidence and, ultimately, failure in combat.

Despite my lack of military experience, I had heard several conversations with the general overseeing the army about how essential it was to break soldiers during basic training in order to instill discipline and remove overconfidence.

According to the report Reinhard sent me last week regarding Cagalli, it seemed she had already rebuilt her foundation and surpassed her previous self. "Cagalli, what have I said about swearing in public?" I said, not looking away from the documents. If there was one thing I wished Reinhard could have accomplished, it was breaking her tomboy attitude, but even he had been unable to do so.

"But father, these morons keep sending the same report about what they found on patrol! Sure, they change a couple of phrases, but it's still the same!" I wondered if she understood that the reports she was reading were from the patrol fleet, which typically didn't venture beyond our territorial waters. It wasn't strange if they didn't find anything new and kept sending similar reports. Besides, we shouldn't be worried about our borders right now—especially since the first battle of the Alliance-PLANT war should have already begun.

While Orb had managed to profit slightly from the PLANTs halting their exports—forcing the sponsor nations to look for alternative sources—it wasn't enough for me to feel pleased about hearing that war had been declared. Even though I had made a statement reaffirming Orb's neutrality in the conflict, I dreaded the thought of it being discovered that we were assisting in the creation of the Atlantic Federation's prototypes at Heliopolis. If that ever came to light, I would need to resign, but I knew I'd still have enough political pull to ensure Homura would succeed me until Cagalli was ready to lead.

I continued to work while Cagalli gritted her teeth over the reports. It wasn't much quality father-daughter time, but I was glad to spend any moment with my daughter, especially since my work often kept me away for long periods.

But all good things must come to an end, and in this case, my phone started ringing. Frowning, I wondered what could be so important that my order not to be interrupted had been ignored. "Yes, what's the matter?" I asked, turning on the speakerphone, prompting Cagalli to stop working and remain silent so she could listen.

[Lord Uzumi, I am HARU, a VI created by Reinhard. I need you to send a rescue team to Reinhard's lab—it's an emergency!] came the voice of what sounded like an old British man.

A VI? When did Reinhard manage to create a VI, and why did he need me to send a rescue team? "I was unaware that Reinhard had created a VI. What happened?" I asked, my concern growing as I worried about what could have made the VI contact me directly.

[I'm unsure, Lord Uzumi. One moment Reinhard was fine, the next he was screaming while grasping his head in pain before passing out. Please, we don't have time for me to explain. Just know that I am a VI built to assist Reinhard in piloting the Gundam.] I detected what seemed to be an emotional tone in his voice, which only heightened my concern.

"Understood. I will send a team immediately. I assume you're capable of opening the laboratory? If so, be on standby to allow them access," I stated before disconnecting the call. I quickly dialed the closest medical hospital to Morgenröte Headquarters, ordering them to send a medical team at once.

"Father, will Reinhard be alright?" Cagalli asked, biting her lip anxiously. Over the past few months, she had started seeing Reinhard as an older brother figure, so I wasn't surprised that she was worried.

"I don't know, Cagalli, but all we can do is hope he's safe."

Suddenly, I saw my brother Homura burst through the door. "The Earth Alliance just destroyed Junius Seven with a nuclear missile!"

Hearing this, my face, as well as Cagalli's, went pale.

(P.O.V.) Reinhard

UNKWON

I opened my eyes, jolted awake by the sound of a delicate buzzing that felt strangely familiar. As I took in my surroundings, I realized I was floating in an ethereal space filled with faint clouds and particles scattered everywhere.

Confusion washed over me. I had no idea if I was dreaming or if I had somehow died and found myself in the afterlife. Yet, a sense of calm enveloped me, and I instinctively felt that I had been here before, though I couldn't remember when or why. As I attempted to examine the space more closely, I noticed something that left me bewildered. "Are those GN particles?" I asked aloud, watching as they floated gracefully around me.

Curiosity piqued, I reached out to touch one, only to immediately regret my decision. An overwhelming rush of emotions flooded through me—every single feeling imaginable. I withdrew my hand in panic, wondering what had just happened.

Suddenly, without warning, the space around me began to shift, taking the shape of a hangar. When I looked around, I froze in shock. Why were there four Gundams inside this hangar, and why did they all have GN Drives? Taking a closer look, I found names starting to materialize in my mind.

"Exia, Dynames, Kyrios, Virtue/Nadleeh," I said, pointing at each Gundam individually. I had no idea how I knew their names, but somehow, calling them out evoked feelings of confusion, followed by distrust, understanding, and finally, happiness—like reconnecting with a long-lost friend. But that was impossible since they weren't alive.

Next, I found myself standing in front of a young man with purple hair who bore a striking resemblance to Regina, one of my former teammates during my time on the Alpha project. He looked like he could be Regina's younger brother, if not for his golden eyes.

Then, I saw a young child inside a space shuttle, laughing maniacally while shooting at other children. Shortly after, I encountered another child, seemingly enjoying a family outing with his parents and younger sister before I witnessed him kneeling in front of a destroyed building, a haunted look on his face.

Finally, I observed a young child being manipulated by a mercenary into killing his parents in the name of God, gradually morphing into a child soldier. I saw him running through a town ravaged by mobile suits. Just as he was about to be cornered by one, I watched in awe as pink beams dropped from the sky, destroying every single mobile suit. He looked up in reverence at a floating Gundam that seemed to have wings of an angel, thanks to the GN particles released from its GN Drive.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in the same room where I had started, which had a window showing the hangar housing the four Gundams. Again, names appeared in my mind: "Soran Ibrahim, codename Setsuna F. Seiei; Nyle Dylandy, codename Lockon Stratos; Allelujah Haptism; Tieria Erde." Strangely enough, the last two didn't have codenames. I had no idea why. But I wondered why I was seeing these four young men. Then I heard what felt like a whisper. "Gundam Meisters."

Looking around the room and not seeing anything, I realized these four men were Celestial Being's Gundam Meisters. If that was true, was I witnessing future events yet to come? If so, why?

But I received no answer and was forced to watch as Celestial Being began performing armed interventions. I saw them reveal themselves to the world, using the Gundams to launch multiple attacks simultaneously across the globe and even in space. Then I found myself standing in the middle of a crowd, looking up at a giant advertisement screen featuring Aeolia announcing Celestial Being to the world and its goal of eradicating war.

Afterward, everything seemed to fast-forward, like someone had pressed the fast-forward button on a remote. I watched as Celestial Being continued to perform armed interventions until they found themselves ambushed by the combined forces of all the major superpowers in the world, facing a force of 1,000 mobile suits. After fifteen hours of fighting, the Gundam Meisters began to exhaust themselves before being saved by three additional Gundams. But when I saw the particles they were emitting, I gasped. "Why do those three Gundams have Tau GN Drives?"

I watched as the three Gundams began committing acts of terrorism under the guise of armed interventions. Then two of the Gundam Meisters attacked the three Gundams powered by Tau GN Drives, and I saw the Gundam Virtue shed its armor before activating the trial system that I had theorized. Just as I thought they were about to finish them off, the system shut down abruptly.

My first thought was that VEDA had been compromised since it was only supposed to disable the trial system if the user was acting against orders. However, seeing how those three Gundams attacked civilians, there should have been no reason for VEDA to protect them unless it had indeed been compromised.

I saw the world superpowers on the brink of surrender before they were given thirty Tau GN Drives and mobile suits capable of housing them, ultimately deciding to unite their forces to wipe out Celestial Being.

Then I was transported to a room with giant pillars and a central orb with blue lines running through it. Instinctively, I knew what it was. "VEDA!" I exclaimed. I saw three men walk into the room, and I felt shocked when I recognized one of them; he bore a striking resemblance to E.A. Alan, a close friend of Aeolia. But when I observed the second man walking in behind them, my entire world shattered as I barely managed to utter, "Why does he look exactly like me? What the hell is this?"

I watched as the man who looked like Alan hacked his way into VEDA before taking complete control over it. What happened next made me instinctively attempt to break the last man's neck in a futile effort to stop him, despite knowing I couldn't do anything. I continued my attempts while he laughed and shot at Aeolia, who was inside a pod in cryosleep. When I finally stopped, I dropped to my knees in despair. "Why? Why the hell am I seeing this?" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.

Almost as if someone was listening, I saw the screens display Aeolia's final message, in which he granted the Gundam Meisters full access to the GN Drives' capabilities which granted them acess to the Trans am system.

Everything that followed was a blur. I watched as one by one, the Gundam Meisters fell, along with seeing the Ptolemaios's bridge being destroyed before the whole ship was engulfed in GN Particels.

Eventually, I returned to the ethereal space I had been in before. I looked at my hands, which were shaking, and gripped them tightly until my nails dug into my palms. I knew I needed to find a way back home.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, at least for now!" I froze when I heard a voice and slowly turned around to see an identical copy of myself with golden eyes.

"Who are you?" I demanded, anger lacing my voice.

Hearing my question, the figure smiled and adopted a thoughtful look. "Now isn't that a good question. Am I the once and future king? Am I a human who has transcended his own mortality? Could I be an eldritch being spreading madness throughout existence?" he hummed before looking into my eyes and snickering. "Sadly, it's not something so exciting. I am simply a reflection of yourself, created by this dimension where thought becomes reality, and where the past, present, and future converge." He spread his arms as if to emphasize his point.

A reflection of myself? What did that even mean? He couldn't be me; if he were, he wouldn't be so calm after witnessing what I had seen.

"You are correct. I am merely a physical reflection created to facilitate easier communication." Wait, did he just read my mind?

"Yes!"

Woah, that is extremely annoying. "Pft, don't worry. I won't dive too deep into your mind; I'm only reading your surface thoughts." Oh, that's not so bad, then.

"Okay, then can you please explain where the hell I am and why I'm here?" I asked.

"Well, first, this realm doesn't really have a name, so if I had to come up with one on the spot, it would probably be the Quantum Dimension, where GN particles originate. The only way to access it is for your quantum brainwaves to synchronize with a GN Drive to an almost impossible level, or by the combined telepathic screams of hundreds of thousands of lives being killed simultaneously."

Wait, what did he just say about the deaths? "Ignore that part; you'll probably find out when you wake up. Essentially, your mind and soul were transported to this realm by accident, which is strange since this is the second time you have come here. Before you ask when the first was, it was during the quantum teleportation accident."

So, I did perform an accidental quantum teleportation! "Yes, you did. As for why the realm decided to show you the future, present, and past, it's because it needs you to complete the mission VEDA has given you."

Wait, is he talking about… "Yes, the mission to save Celestial Being from its eventual destruction."

But how am I supposed to save Celestial Being when I accidentally performed a quantum teleportation to a different timeline? "Not by accident, instead by design!"

Wait, WHAT! "Don't scream! A telepathic scream is ten times worse than a normal one."

Sorry.

"It's alright; you didn't know. So basically, you were always meant to travel to a different timeline due to the combination of the Dragon Heart and the Lite Trans-Am, which caused the GN Drive to sync with your quantum brainwaves, kickstarting your evolution into an Innovator. This enabled you to perform a quantum teleportation thousands of times stronger than a regular one, allowing you to break the barrier between space and time."

Innovator? "Doesn't matter right now; you will find out more about Innovators later. So basically, during the teleportation, you were supposed to end up in a dead world with you as the last human remaining on Earth. But the Quantum Realm guided you to this specific timeline for a particular reason, which I can't disclose; just know that in a couple of years, you will be allowed to temporarily return to your original timeline to ensure that Celestial Being survives and fulfills its mission."

Why does the Quantum Dimension want to help Celestial Being, if you don't mind me asking?

"Not really, but it's slightly complicated. Essentially, it wants humans to evolve into Innovators, as humans are the only race capable of using quantum brainwaves. The more humans evolve into Innovators, the more the Quantum Dimension can grow and expand. But don't worry about it; just focus on the mission."

Okay, I guess.

"Cool! Now you're already starting to wake up, so I just need to say two more things. First, don't worry about the Lite Trans-Am causing you to perform an accidental teleportation again. The Dragon Heart is still adapting to become an alternative to a TD blanket, which means that sooner or later, it will reach the level of an original solar furnace. Even then, you won't be able to perform such a large teleportation without the Quantum Dimension's assistance, but you'll be able to perform short-distance teleportation once it stabilizes, so have fun with that. Second, when you wake up and leave the hospital, I need you to activate the Lite Trans-Am so it can act as a beacon for the Quantum Dimension to send you a couple of surprises."

I don't like surprises.

"Don't worry; they will help you, trust me. Now, with that said, I'd like to thank you on behalf of the Quantum Dimension and wish you luck in your coming fights. Until next time, First Gundam Meister." He finished talking, performing a slight bow before I started to lose consciousness again, the only thought running through my head being,

What the hell did I get myself into?