Chapter 12

(P.O.V.) Reinhard

C.E. April 2

Orb Union, Onogoro Island, Morgenröte HQ, Reinhard's Personal Lab/Hangar/Workshop/Home.

"All right, HARU, run the test with the modified parameters." I said, taking a swig of water to wash down the fatigue.

The familiar hum of a GN Drive booting up filled the air as I shifted my gaze to the center of the room, where a new variant solar furnace stood in waiting. Building this second furnace had proven easier than the first; I'd refined the manufacturing process and cut the time required by two weeks. It felt like a major breakthrough.

As I examined the data displayed on the screen, I noticed that the particle production rate matched that of the original model before it achieved its remarkable ability to generate perpetual energy. That affirmed what I had suspected—I would need to engage the Lite Trans-Am to trigger a reaction similar to that which the Fafnir had experienced. Alter hadn't explained how the dragon heart had gained the capabilities of a TD Blanket, but after some thought, I pieced it together. All I had done was activate the Lite Trans-Am, allowing it to continuously compress GN particles, which resulted in that transformative reaction. Now, I needed to replicate that incident for confirmation.

"Alright, HARU, activate the Lite Trans-Am. Let's see if this works."

In an instant, the solar furnace blazed to life, glowing a vibrant reddish-pink before shimmering into pure white hues, flickering momentarily before settling back to reddish-pink. I watched, captivated, until the timer counted down to zero. "Report, HARU."

[Sir, it appears the Dragon Heart has indeed acquired capabilities similar to that of a TD blanket, enabling the solar furnace to semi-perpetually generate energy, just as you suspected.]

"Fantastic! Now, I just need to construct two more variant GN Drives for the Ptolemy and repeat this process," I responded, feeling a rush of excitement. "All right, buddy, divert some of the Karels from assembling the Gundam frame and have them start putting together the GN Drive. After that, ensure it's stored under lock and key."

I stretched my stiff muscles and walked over to my chair, allowing myself a moment of respite. Glancing at the TV mounted on the wall, I unmuted it just in time to catch a news broadcast.

"…While the PLANTs may have eliminated the risk of nuclear armaments being used in the war thanks to the implementation of Neutron Jammers, they also scattered countless Jammers across the Earth, rendering every nuclear power plant obsolete…"

Not surprising. They probably aimed to eradicate the possibility of nuclear weapons being used on Earth while igniting an economic crisis. In doing so, they'd thrown the world into disarray. Countless cities that relied on nuclear power were now in dire straits, and people risked starving or freezing to death due to power shortages. Thankfully, Orb wouldn't face an energy crisis; its primary energy source is geothermal, courtesy of the volcanic activity.

Despite the turmoil, the Atlantic Federation has finally gotten their act together and redirected funding back toward the G-Project. They were realizing that without nuclear weapons, they were at a significant disadvantage. Thanks to this newfound focus, work on the G-Project has commenced in earnest.

This also meant that the construction of prototype mobile suits, which the Morgenröte employees were building in secret, had resumed. According to them, every prototype mobile suit and the new class of ship being developed at Heliopolis should be completed in less than a year. I wondered if I should travel to Heliopolis to check out the G-Project in person.

"I should probably talk to Uzumi about a possible visit to Heliopolis." I muttered before my gaze fell upon two Haro units on my desk. Both had suffered damage, but one was beyond repair. I salvaged usable parts from it to fix the orange one.

Grabbing the orange Haro, I examined it and chuckled—its design had changed slightly, but it still resembled the drawing I made when I first conceptualized it. I lifted it above my head and turned it to view it from different angles.

After a minute, I powered it on and watched as its eyes lit up. It scanned the room before locking onto me. "Who are you?" it exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. Strange—I was sure my original design had a neutral tone. I wondered why they had decided to give it the voice of an excited child.

"Hi there, little buddy. I'm Reinhard, a member of Celestial Being. Can you tell me what the last thing you remember?" I asked gently.

The Haro fell silent and remained motionless for a moment before muttering, "Lockon, Lockon…" It kept repeating the same name. Did this Haro work with Lockon Stratus? I recalled that the Dynames had been sent back remotely when it was damaged beyond repair, while the pilot tried to eliminate the enemy Gundam. If that were the case, this Haro must have been the one who took back the Dynames.

I observed the unit as it repeated the name, and a wave of melancholy washed over me. I wondered if this Haro unit was capable of expressing emotions or if its behavior were simply pre-programmed for situations involving loss. "It's okay, buddy. Lockon Stratus is still alive. He's currently resting, and when he wakes up, I'll take you to him." I said, imitating the reassuring tone someone might use with a child.

As soon as my words left my lips, I saw the unit stop repeating the name and watched as it asked, "Lockon alive?" I nodded in confirmation, and I couldn't help but smile as I saw its demeanor change. It started bouncing enthusiastically while repeating the same words, but instead of sadness, there was joy in its voice. I let it continue, grinning from ear to ear as I watched its excitement unfold.

I decided to let it have its moment and focused on my monitor and the improvements I was still implementing on the schematics for the Ptolemaios.

(Timeskip)

April 4

Currently, I was driving to the military hospital after receiving a call. It had been a few weeks since the survivors had been brought in, and this wasn't the first time I'd come to check on them. I still didn't know the names of the two survivors I had found, even after asking HARU to search for any information on the Ptolemy's crew in VEDA's terminal. All he had told me was that every single file containing the identities of Celestial Being's members had been deleted by VEDA itself before the connection was severed.

While I had confirmed the identity of the Gundam Meister when I saw his face before he was sent to the medical facility, I couldn't shake the haunting memory of his final moments—or what I thought were his final moments. Despite knowing he was destined to die, he fought until his last breath. I didn't know what drove him to keep fighting—maybe it was loyalty to Celestial Being, or perhaps he had a personal connection to the enemy pilot. Regardless, none of that mattered in those last moments; he earned my respect—something fewer than ten people had ever succeeded in doing.

The two survivors I'd discovered had both been placed in medical comas. The man had sustained extensive injuries, and the doctors faced challenges due to his mechanical implants. They managed to stabilize his condition, but the process required putting him into a coma. The woman's situation was somewhat better; a piece of shrapnel had pierced her lower back, and while her injuries were considerably easier to treat, she too had to be placed in a coma. The reason was the same: their bodies were not acclimated to Earth's gravity, a complication that arose from the sudden change in gravitational pressure.

Interestingly, the Gundam Meister—Neil Dylandy—did not require a medical coma. Perhaps whatever had caused him to arrive in this timeline affected him differently, or maybe he was just lucky. His injuries had been healed without issue, including any previous ones like his damaged eye. However, even though he wasn't in a coma, he hadn't shown any signs of waking up until today.

After arriving at the hospital, I grabbed my bag and headed toward the elevator after checking in at the front desk. As I rode the elevator to the floor where all three were located, I found myself reflecting on how I would explain what had happened.

(P.O.V.) Neil Dylandy

C.E. 70, April 4

Orb Union, Onogoro Island, Military Hospital

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital room filled with all the bells and whistles. Honestly, I was pretty confused. I remembered firing at the Gundam Throne piloted by Ali al-Saachez, then suddenly found myself in a forest with the wreckage of the Ptolemaios nearby. The last thing I recalled was seeing a Gundam descending from the sky just before everything went black. Now—here I was. Something crucial felt missing from my memory, but every time I tried to grasp what it was, it felt like my brain would burst, forcing me to give up.

A nurse soon noticed I'd woken up; she rushed out of the room but quickly returned with a doctor. He began firing off questions, most of which I answered with a simple, "I don't remember." The pity in his gaze told me he believed me. Eventually, he explained that I, along with two others, had been found aboard a destroyed ship that had drifted into Orb's territorial waters. They had sent us here after the rescue.

Hearing him say that immediately raised red flags. There were discrepancies between my memories and his words. Either he was lying or whoever had informed him had left out critical details. And since when had a nation called Orb existed? Too many things didn't add up. Just as I was about to voice my confusion, another doctor walked in and whispered something to the first doctor. The latter frowned and sighed in resignation. "Someone is coming to talk to you." he said reluctantly. "I can't say much more until they arrive."

Once they left, I quickly got up, feeling how stiff my body had become, indicating I'd been out for some time. After stretching, I tried to open the door, only to discover it was locked. So, I decided to look around the room. Peering out the window, I noticed a large building in the distance and a harbor filled with warships.

"So, this is a military hospital." I murmured, noticing the number of military vehicles parked below and the barracks surrounding the hospital. The doctor's reaction suggested he might have been ordered to withhold information, but at least he hadn't lied about the name. Still, I couldn't recall any such nation as Orb ever existing. Moving away from the window, I caught my reflection in a nearby mirror. I smirked at what I saw. "At least my eye has healed, so I'm no longer handicapped."

Continuing my exploration, I made my way to the adjacent bathroom but didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Eventually, I spotted a television mounted on the wall and found the remote sitting on the table. "I wonder if there's any news about Celestial Being." I pondered, curious about what had transpired since my defeat.

I began flipping through channels until something made me freeze.

"It has been two months since the Bloody Valentine incident, where the space colony Junius Seven was destroyed by a nuclear missile launched by the Earth Alliance." the news anchor reported, showing footage of the incident. The screen depicted two fleets in space—one armed with primitive mobile armors and the other with mobile suits. My mind reeled as I stumbled back to my bed, sinking onto it while panic seeped in. "What the hell is going on?" I uttered in a shaky voice.

Suddenly, I heard a sigh from behind me, causing me to jump and instinctively reach for my sidearm—only to remember I wasn't armed. I turned to see a man with blond hair entering the room. He had a pistol holstered on his right leg and was carrying a bag in his left hand. I noticed he was rubbing his forehead, looking exasperated.

"I told them not to tell you anything because I didn't want to overwhelm you, but why the hell did they leave the TV remote in the room?" he asked, incredulity clear in his voice.

What was he talking about? Was this some elaborate ploy by the Earth forces who captured me after my defeat, trying to trick me into revealing information about Celestial Being? "Who are you?" I asked while brainstorming ways to escape the room.

The man's eyes scanned my body, making me feel like prey before the feeling dissipated, and he nodded. "Not bad, but your legs are still too far apart, and it looks like you still aren't at 100%, which makes sense since you've been asleep for a couple of weeks." he said, pointing at my stance. He reached into his bag, pulled something out, and tossed it to me. Instinctively, I caught it, curious about what he had thrown while the man spoke.

"Here, catch. You'll probably need that for what's going to happen next." I looked down at my hand and saw a can of beer. This left me confused as I watched the man drag a chair closer to the bed with a clear view of the television. He then retrieved a second can from his bag and opened it. "Come on, sit down. I won't bite. Besides…" He paused, taking a sip from his can before sighing. "Why would I hurt a fellow member of Celestial Being?"

Wait, he was a member of Celestial Being? But how did he know that I was also one? All the information about the Gundam Meisters and the Ptolemaios was kept secret. Could he have acquired this information when VEDA was compromised? No, when the Trans-Am was unlocked, every single file detailing the identities of the Gundam Meisters and key members of Celestial Being was erased from VEDA. "How do I know you're not lying aren't actually a member of the Earth forces?" I asked, needing more information. I couldn't afford to make a rash decision.

The man, who was in the middle of taking another sip while watching the TV, simply hummed. "How about I tell you something so crucial that without it, Celestial Being wouldn't be able to eradicate war?" He glanced at me with a smirk. "TD Blanket."

When he said those words, my eyes widened. How could this man know about the existence of a TD Blanket? That information should only be known to two individuals at a time to ensure it didn't get leaked. Could he really be a member of Celestial Being? "How about it? Believe me now?" he said, turning his gaze back to the television and frowning.

I hesitated but finally sat down on the bed. I opened the beer can and took a large swig before releasing a long, relieved breath. "Alright, let's say I believe you. Who are you, and where am I?" I asked, eager to get some answers.

"Those aren't difficult questions to answer, but which answer would you like first—the impossible one or the one that will make you think I'm insane?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eye.

Hearing him, I couldn't help but wonder if he was messing with me. "Fuck it, let's go with the second one, which I assume is the bad one." I took a sip, redirecting my gaze to the TV, now showing reports about the most recent battle. I questioned whether this news report was actually real.

"They're both bad, actually." he replied, letting the words linger a moment before continuing. "Congratulations, you have traveled to a parallel timeline."

At his answer, I immediately spat the beer I'd been sipping in surprise. Was he serious? I looked at him incredulously. "You're joking," I said, trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing.

He simply pointed at the TV. "Look at that and tell me how, in just a couple of weeks, humanity could change so much." Okay, I had to admit he had a point. "And besides, do nuclear weapons even exist in your time? According to the plan, anything nuclear was supposed to be replaced by solar energy."

Wait. My time? "Wait, do you mean you aren't from the same time period as me?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around it.

He smirked and said, "Nope. Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Reinhard Durandal, a first-generation member of Celestial Being, the first Gundam Meister according to Aeolia, pilot of the Gundam Fafnir, and some other titles that probably wouldn't mean anything to you. It's a pleasure to meet one of our successors—Lockon Stratus. Or would you prefer Neil Dylandy?" he finished with a genuine smile.

"Wait if you're from the past how do you know the current state of humanity in my time and how do you know my name?" I asked noticing the discrepancies in what he said.

"Well, let's just say I had a vision." he began, explaining how he accidentally ended up in the Quantum Dimension, had a vision about Celestial Being, and met an entity named Alter. That last part sounded vaguely familiar. "During your arrival in this timeline, you probably passed through it as well. According to my theory, it was responsible for saving your life, though you probably can't remember anything since your brain is unable to process what you saw."

I don't know if what he said made sense or not, but I couldn't deny the fact that I was no longer in my timeline, meaning I had no way to verify his claims about Celestial Being were true. Suddenly, an urgent thought struck me. "What about the Ptolemaios? I remember seeing it before passing out." I asked urgently.

Reinhard, who heard me, sighed and pulled out another can, taking a large sip. "Damage beyond repair. Whatever was left was sent to R&D, except for technology that relied on GN particles and the VEDA terminal onboard. The ship had been evacuated before being destroyed…" He said, pulling out a tablet and handing it to me.

I looked through the pictures, which showed the wreckage of the Ptolemaios, and my heart wrenched in pain. What had happened to the crew after they evacuated? What about the Gundam Meisters? Did they manage to escape? I continued scrolling through the photos until Reinhard asked me to open a document he had written about his vision. As I read the document, images started flooding my mind, showing what had happened to the Gundam Meisters. When I finished reading, I found tears streaming down my face. Was it my fault? If I had only been more careful and hadn't engaged Ali in combat alone, maybe Celestial Being wouldn't have been defeated.

"Thinking about what-ifs won't solve anything. It will only trap you in a pit of doubt from which you won't be able to escape. There's only one thing you can do," Reinhard said, his tone melancholic. "Keep moving forward. That's the only thing we can do until we have the opportunity to return and finish what was started."

I looked up from the tablet and met his gaze, confused. "What do you mean 'go back'? Didn't you say the only reason we arrived here was because of the Quantum Dimension? By that logic, we can't return without its assistance."

"True, but according to what Alter said, at some point in the future, we will be sent back temporarily. While I don't know if we will be to stay, I know we can finish what was started," he said resolutely. "Do you understand, Neil? Celestial Being wasn't destroyed; this was merely a setback we will help correct. That I swear."

He was right. While the Earth forces might have won, Celestial Being had not been annihilated. Defeated, yes, but not destroyed. They would need to rebuild, but with the lack of assistance, especially since most of the agents had been compromised due to VEDA's seizure, they would have to fight against the odds at every turn. But I trusted they would succeed. Suddenly I remembered Reinhard mentioned survivors. "Wait, you said there were two survivors onboard the Ptolemaios?" I asked, eager for answers.

"Oh right," he said, recalling. "While I don't know what method the Quantum Dimension used to protect you from the side effects of the sudden gravitational shift, I assume someone attempted to replicate what happened to me with the Ptolemaios. When I activated the Lite Trans-Am, it acted like a beacon for all of you. So, while I traveled from Earth to space, they traveled from space to Earth. Their bodies weren't acclimated to the gravity here, meaning they had to be induced into a medical coma while their bodies adjusted." he explained. "Want to go see them? Maybe you can finally tell me their names. I'm tired of referring to them as Survivor One and Survivor Two." He said getting up and motioning me to follow him.

After we exited the room, I spotted two soldiers guarding the entrance. They saluted Reinhard, who returned the gesture before telling them they could return to their posts. "Why did those soldiers salute you?" I asked, genuinely confused as to why they would salute him.

"Right, I forgot to fill you in on what happened after I arrived." he said. He began explaining his story—from waking up in space to saving the Chief Representative of Orb, and being granted asylum, all while giving me an overview of both sides of the war.

"So, we have the Earth Alliance on one side, made up of sponsor nations who want to bring the PLANTs back under control, while the PLANTs seek independence and have created mobile suits that give them an overwhelming advantage against the Earth Alliance, which only has mobile armors." I summarized.

Reinhard nodded as we continued walking. "Yup. I'll give you a more detailed rundown of what happened since the war was declared later. But since Orb is neutral, we don't have to worry about getting dragged into the war." he clarified.

"For now." I declared, fully aware that sooner or later, Orb would likely be pulled into the conflict.

Reinhard grimly acknowledged, "Yes, for now. That's why secret preparations are already underway for the defense of Orb should it ever find itself under attack. Looks like we're here." He opened a door leading into a hospital room with two beds.

As I moved past Reinhard, I spotted two familiar faces. "Lichtendahl, Christina," I said, relieved to see they were still alive.

"So those are their names." Reinhard mused. "Christina was pierced by a large piece of shrapnel in her back, and I assume her space suit was compromised, leading to oxygen deprivation before she arrived here. Lichtendahl's situation is more complicated; I think he used his body to shield Christina from the attack that destroyed the bridge. He would have died if not for his implants."

Implants? Since when did Lichty have implants? I looked at Reinhard in confusion, and he must have understood because he walked over to Lichty, removed the blanket covering his torso, and pulled up his right sleeve, revealing a mechanical arm. I gasped, my eyes widening in shock.

"No idea what happened to him, but most of his body had to be replaced by mechanical implants for him to survive. By the way you look, it likely means he kept it a secret. Perhaps he has PTSD from the incident and doesn't feel comfortable talking about it." Reinhard said, pulling the sleeve back down and covering Lichty's torso with the blanket again. "Well, you can ask him when they wake up, based on what the doctors said it should take one to two months for their bodies to readapt to the gravity. That said, what do you intend to do for now?" he asked.

What did I intend to do? Well, obviously, I needed to return to my timeline and Celestial Being, but what was I going to do until then? "I don't know." I admitted, feeling lost. I had given up my previous life to join Celestial Being and, somewhere along the way, had started to forget my identity. Although I still remembered what prompted me to join—something I would never forget—I realized I had begun to identify more as Lockon Stratus, Gundam Meister of Celestial Being, than as Neil Dylandy, son of Owen and Lyndsay Dylandy, brother of Lyle and Amy Dylandy. I could barely recall anything from before joining Celestial Being, other than my family and my hatred of terrorists, which looking back, was the reason I confronted Ali al-Saachez alone and almost lost my life.

Reinhard remained silent for a moment before he spoke again. "I see. It appears you don't know what you want to do. Well, I have an offer for you. As I mentioned, I'm in command of a special task force that works directly for the Chief Representative of Orb, essentially, it's a black ops team. Currently, there's no one besides me in the task force, so I'm offering you the position of vice-captain. Our job would be to protect ORB should it ever come under attack and perform missions assigned to us by Uzumi. But I don't need your answer right now. In the bag I left in your room, there's an ID, a credit card, and a phone with my number on it. I want you to travel, do whatever you want. But when you make your decision, just give me a call, and I'll send you the location of our base. Also, there's a key for a car in the bag; I suggest you open the trunk—I left a surprise for you." he said, smiling before heading towards the door. He waved over his shoulder as he left. "See you later, Neil."

When he left, I lingered in the room for a while, watching over Lichty and Chris before deciding to go back to my previous room. There, I found some clothes left on the bed for me. After getting dressed, I rummaged through the bag Reinhard had left behind. I found everything he mentioned and made my way out of the hospital, searching for the car he had mentioned.

After some time, I finally spotted it. Just as I was about to enter the driver's seat, I recalled Reinhard's words about a surprise. "I wonder what he left?" I mused as I opened the trunk, my curiosity piqued.

To my surprise, I found a familiar orange ball. "Haro?" I called out, astonished.

Haro, hearing my voice, started bouncing excitedly. "Lockon!" he squeaked, calling out my name with joy. How did he get here? Was he onboard the Ptolemaios?

It didn't really matter. I picked him up and hugged him tightly against my chest. "It's good to see you, buddy." I honestly hadn't expected to see him again, and remembering our last conversation made me feel a twinge of guilt.

Eventually, I got into the car, placing Haro in the passenger seat, and I pondered over what I should do first.