—PROLOGUE FILE—
MC-0022 NEXT WINTER

I was rushing back to Master Chang while a white squall was raging on the sea of Mars’ Oceanus Borealis. Although successfully terraformed, it was frozen solid by the frigid minus twenty degree Celsius temperatures. This storm consisted mostly of small hailstones like frozen diamond dust — minute particles as opposed to snow in the atmosphere. Even now, the white squall was pelting against the windows of our long-range, high speed hover craft Voyage, practically cutting visibility as it zipped across the ocean.

“Lieutenant Commander Kathy, we’ve got about five kilometers left until we reach the Preventer base, but it looks like it’ll take about another two hours for us to get there.” The operator, Lieutenant Terre Hiqotori, relayed the message with a grumble.

Next to him, staring quietly at the navigational chart projected on the hologram monitor, was Captain Sakai Masakazu. Despite frustration with the vagaries of the weather map on the sub monitor, he shrugged, saying “We’ll be about fifteen minutes later than the estimated arrival time. To be honest, I didn’t think the northern polar cap would be this rough.”

“Understood. Sorry for all the trouble,” I replied, maybe sounding like I was muttering to myself. The cold was just that harsh. My lips trembled and I couldn’t hold my back teeth together. Temperatures of ninety below zero were recorded in this spot at one point, so I was in no position to complain.

“Either way, we have to hurry.” It was imperative that we hurry. We had to put out this fire while it was still small.

I’m Lieutenant Commander Kathy Po, member of Preventer, a secret intelligence bureau under the direct command of the president of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Called ‘firefighters’ as an alias, we are a secret military agency tasked with the elimination of weapons and preservation of peace in the Earth Sphere. With me is a microchip containing memory files sent from the President of the ESUN, Dorothy T. Catalonia. I’d already anticipated that the contents of these chips would put Operation Mythos into motion. Although I immediately sent the report to our arctic base, Master Chang instructed me to download three files from an old historical database library managed by the ESUN in addition to these chips and to bring them with me.

“Seeing as you’re a member of Preventer, it’s imperative you familiarize yourself with those files. Look them over before you get here.” As usual, my superior’s way of speaking was that of someone distancing himself from people.

“How in the world is data from last century going to be of any help?” I couldn’t help but wonder whether these data files weren’t utterly pointless.

The three specified files, in order, were recorded in the Summer and Autumn of AC-195 and Spring of the following year. Their language, recorders, storage locations, and archival processes were completely different. There was only one commonality amongst them: the keyword ‘Gundam pilot’. Superior pilots who wielded advanced mobile suits made of Gundanium alloy. In general historical databanks, neither their names nor the word “Gundam” were ever recorded. They were designated only with serial model numbers beginning with “XXXG”.  Subsequently, their stories weren’t even passed down from generation to generation as legends in the Earth Sphere. Without a doubt, I don’t find it strange that it’s called a ‘sealed record’. I got the impression that their existence was irrelevant on the center stage of history.

The year After Colony 195 was a time when war amongst the people of the Earth Sphere was the most bitter. The first file gave an account of the Summer of that year. Written in German, its contents were more like a letter or short essay rather than a journal or biography. The poem “Autumn” by Rainer Maria Rilke, an Austrian poet from the former century, was quoted in the beginning portion. Although it remains a mystery why “Autumn” was recalled when the season was Summer, the fact that two lines were penciled in at the end of the poem and then later crossed out for some reason leads me to believe there is a deeper meaning behind this file. However, I do not understand the significance of this. Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is that a Gundam pilot by the name Milliardo Peacecraft was playing an active role in those days. And it’s my guess that the one who wrote this composition is one Treize Khushrenada. The file is as follows:

AC-195 SUMMER

The leaves are falling, falling as if from far up,
as if orchards were dying high in space.
Each leaf falls as if it were motioning “no.”

And tonight the heavy earth is falling
away from all other stars in the loneliness.

We’re all falling. This hand here is falling.
And look at the other one. It’s in them all.

And yet there is Someone, whose hands
infinitely calm, holding up all this falling.

R. M. Rilke “Autumn” A.D. 1902

That is my eternal friend,
Milliardo Peacecraft.

This era is enveloped by a shadow of desolation.

Even given mankind’s long history, I must admit that this era has been a sad and painful one, completely cut off from its past and future.  I could say that it resembles the image of Earth alone in the vast and infinite universe, or is like a very young, lost child who has no place to go anymore. Mankind set off into outer space at the end of the last century and then for the first time, we found ourselves alone. Even the Moon, the closest celestial body we could rely on, was separated from Earth by hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Artificial living spaces located in areas of stable gravity between the Earth and the Moon — the Lagrange points — were constructed. As a new world, the symbol of space colonies led to the creation of a new epoch aptly christened After Colony. Even with nearly two hundred years having passed, mankind has yet to escape from an era of darkness.

A few of this era’s leaders, serving only their own conceited desires in the name of justice, brought about wars in every corner of the Earth Sphere. The almost meaningless contest for power ultimately forced a vast majority of the masses to suffer poverty, starvation, and bloodshed. However, it is possible to think that we continue to wander the darkness even now is because mankind took flight into outer space before our wings had fully developed. Yet, looking at it another way,, the notion that we manipulated something like outer space, an absolute void that completely rejects the existence of life, into something close to our own environment could perhaps be taken as the primary psychological factor that has tormented us with a sense of immaturity and isolation.

Either way, in the end mankind continued to wage war for nearly a century, unaware that the yearning for outer space was growing stale, thus leading this era to become stagnant itself. Stagnation then becomes a slow decline. Perhaps it is because there are wars that we are able to persevere, allowing the rulers of this age to boast.

Bitter, never-ending tears flow from the eyes of the people.

Have they already given up on everything?

There is no end to warfare or to conflict. Without a doubt, that is the obvious fact if you look at the course of our history thus far. Could it be we are making the ‘unexpected’ the ‘expected’, chronically laying waste and waging war out of habit to the extent that it’s no exaggeration to say it somehow keeps the balance of our hearts and minds to cast aside the seemingly meaningless phrase “desire for peace”?

The Sun has always continued to shine with such radiance, yet they’ve forgotten of its existence and averted their eyes from it, closing themselves within the small shell known as the Earth Sphere.

Is a revolution what is needed?

In this age of darkness, there needs to be someone with a sliver of hope, an individual who can show us the path we must take. No matter how small it may be, how tainted with blood their deeds may be, they must take the hand of the lost, weeping child and guide them to the right path.

However, this guiding hand must never be that of a ‘victor’.

Rule by conquest will again bring about the start of a struggle for power and continue the recapitulation of a history of warfare.

That is why the defeated must be the ones to change history.

Sommer TK

The word “Summer” was written in German followed by the initials ‘TK’, which seem to be those of Treize Khushrenada. Based on this, I’m led to believe that this was written by the man himself, focused on the particular fixation with the word ‘defeated’. However, at the time, there wasn’t a connection between Milliardo and Treize (their initial meeting is said to have been during the Eve Wars). Despite the fact that the two were contemporaries, perhaps from an historical point of view it is more appropriate to regard this as written by someone else.

The next file was equally puzzling.

This file was an archive of a recorded clip rather than a composition. In September of AC-195, a boy by the name of Duo Maxwell transfers to a state-run secondary school at the L-4 colony R09935. The video recording is of him reading an essay on the relationship between the colonies and the Earth. However, I got the impression that it was more of a thesis than a simple essay. Due to the vid-file being recorded with a camera installed in the far back of the classroom, his facial features are not clearly visible. However, if this truly is Duo, then this means this is the only Gundam pilot we’ve been able to see in the flesh. According to the rumors circulating at the time, the Gundam pilots were mostly young boys, often infiltrating schools and transferring between then again and again in order to carry out their missions without seeming to be anything other than transfer students. Yet, if this were true, I feel it’s somewhat irrational for him to give his name as Duo. If I were hiding myself, normally I’d use an alias.

The contents of the vid-file are as follows:

AC-195 AUTUMN

“Earth: the planet in the solar system that miraculously gave birth to life. In the year After Colony 195 with the development of the colonies people now live in new surroundings thanks to plentiful natural resources and cultivated technological abilities. However, this new world is nothing but an imitation of humankind’s motherland, the Earth. But why were the colonies made in the first place? I hear the main purpose was technological development to improve the lives of humankind on Earth. Did humankind start asking for too much from this imitation world? The self-sustained way of life is more stable than life on Earth, especially since it lacks the risk of natural disasters. It appears that this unlimited growth would guarantee the eternal existence of humankind. Perhaps there was an age where people dreamed of the possibilities in outer space where they could start from scratch. However, it’s unthinkable that the colonies or that humankind will ever forget the Earth. What did technological development in the colonies bring to the Earth? The kind of technology the Earth wants most: military power. Destruction is in human nature and can never be gotten rid of. And now, the colonies are developing a militaristic disposition. The colonies cannot forget the Earth.

The Earth has great beauty. The animals known as humans have acquired such strength that they even think about controlling this planet for themselves. From the point of view of a planet’s life, the life of a living thing lasts no more than an instant. But in the end, humans can only think of themselves. Nothing changes. The time spent by humans in outer space has been a complete waste. In reality the ideal is just a dream: this false pacifism, this false living space. Outer space claims many lives. Although humankind has never been able to forget the sorrow caused by this, they have not stopped fighting. The blood and tears they shed are merely ceremonial.

One can’t speak of history without referring to the wars in each era as important events. I’m sure the pale pep talks of fighting for peace have been repeated numerous times in the past. The colonies say they need armaments to maintain peace. It’s no different than on Earth. I guess that they believe the bloodshed would lead to higher morale—”

The boy known as Duo reads up to this point before being stopped by the teacher. He’s then instructed to take a seat in the far back. When the camera pans over the report he’s holding, close observation shows that nothing resembling writing has been written on the paper. It was completely blank. He may have been extemporaneously reciting how he felt on the spot as if he were reading something. If that’s the case, then I’d imagine that idea is a criticism of the signs of the times. However, I should marvel that a boy still so young is able to think with such a broad outlook.

In addition, the last page is blown by the wind and it’s possible that only a small portion can be seen momentarily, just enough to confirm what appears to be several lines of concluding remarks. By freezing the frame, the following can be discerned:

“So why do people fight, anyway? Perhaps the meaning of existence lies within their will to fight. People feel a sense of accomplishment through battle. And it’s also a fact that the ones actually fighting are never perceived as being tainted.”

Although it’s my own personal opinion, I feel that this boy isn’t Duo Maxwell as we would be led to believe. I can’t help but think that he’s probably another Gundam pilot. Unfortunately, there are no documents to identify any of them, so I cannot pursue it any further. Yet for some reason I can’t help but be left with that impression.

When I downloaded the final file, I was taken by surprise. It was archived by someone I was well acquainted with: Sally Po. That’s my mother’s name. At the time — AC-196 — my mother, much like myself, was a member of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation’s Preventer agency. The particulars of her mission details are unknown, but judging from the voiceprint of this archived file, I believe she was assigned to guard detail of one Relena Darlian, then Vice Foreign Minister.

Neither my mother’s face nor her voice were recorded. Furthermore, there is no way of determining with whom Relena Darlian was meeting. Either it’s a very important person or the subject matter is highly classified information because the only sound that can be heard from the video feed is snowy in parts. Like the other files, the location where this was originally recorded is unknown and there’s no clear indication of the time or date, either. However, the only thing I can barely make out is the fact that the old man talking to Relena Darlian is of fairly advanced age.

Although it’s strictly confidential, the Heero Yuy mentioned by the two in the file is known amongst we Preventers as being one of the Gundam pilots. The young boy was given as a codename the name of the former legendary colonial leader. The very heart of this matter is discussed about in the file.

If I may make a note, it wouldn’t be too much to say that the Spring of AC-196 — eight months prior to Mariemaia’s uprising — was a peaceful time for the Colonies and the Earth.

The voiceprint begins with the voice of the old man.

AC-196 SPRING

“People’s minds are afflicted by two major diseases. One is our tendency to pass the idea of revenge down through generations, and another is our tendency to want to classify people by groups and not as individuals.”

“…”

“It’s true that your ideal succeeded in temporarily bringing an end to the chain of hatred that spanned centuries. However, a group that preaches pacifism built upon those ideals will not yield any disagreement on the matter.”

“…”

” I’m sure you’re aware what sorts of things are going on as a result.”

“…”

“We were talking about him, weren’t we?”

“…Yes…”

The old man’s laughing breath could be heard.

“He was the best. He exceeded our expectations. No matter what obstacle he faced, he never gave up.”

“…”

“His name… that’s right… I came up with that name, didn’t I?”

“Heero Yuy, you mean?”

“Yes, a pretty good name for an alias, don’t you think?”

“Intel saying that you assigned him a new mission is correct, is it not?”

“Would you mind if I answered that after you answer some of my own questions?”

“Not at all…”

“Can the ideal of total pacifism really be obtained by throwing away weapons and confining soldiers?”

“So long as the concept of fighting doesn’t disappear from the minds of the people, then true peace may be unobtainable.”

“Do you really think man has matured that much?”

“Not yet, and from now on it’ll be quite difficult.”

Relena could be heard giving a deep sigh.

“But, mankind itself doesn’t need to confront an enemy. Rather, they must face the difficulties blocking their way with everything they have.”

“And so that’s why you planned Mars’ terraforming, isn’t it?”

“I understand if this notion makes you laugh, but it’s what I honestly believe in.”

The old man’s body could be heard shaking. He seemed to be getting quite a chuckle out of it.

“As you say…”

The creaking sound of a chair turning around was heard.

“Right now, Heero is on a mission to destroy an Earth assault-use colony type beam cannon that is nearing completion. So you see, there always needs to be a deterrent named ‘Heero Yuy’ in the shadows of the peace you created.”

“…”

“And that is regardless of the times or the location.”

This file is classified top secret even within Preventer. It never would have come to my attention had I not been given special authorization by bureau chief Master Chang. There were no records of an Earth assault-use colony beam cannon ever having been developed. It’s my belief that the Gundam pilot with the codename Heero Yuy carried out a mission to destroy it.

When I thought about the specifics of the mission, they’re more or less the same as what the current Preventers are doing. Yet I was confused as to why my mother wasn’t assigned to this mission. I suppose it was at a time when the organization was still in its infancy and not yet fully functioning.

The file had a data attachment separate from the audio. It was a draft and operations manual for a “cryonic sleep capsule”.

The diagrams were only initialed with a J’ so I didn’t know who created it. If I had to guess, it’s likely the old man with whom Relena Darlian conversed. Out of the three files, this is the only one that seemed to have relevance to President Dorothy’s command file. But regardless of that, I can’t possibly imagine how old data such as this can be necessary to put the recent operation into motion.

“Lieutenant Kathy, sorry for making you wait,” said Lieutenant Hiqotori as he eased the thrust of our hovercraft.

“We’ve arrived at the arctic base. We somehow made it within the estimated time,” said Captain Sakai softly.

“Thank you, you’ve all been a great help.” I responded.

The white squall outside had calmed down. In the dim Martian sky, the second moon Deimos was shining behind the rainbow-colored aurora like a frozen teardrop.

I ran into the base from the docking bay without a moment to lose. Master Chang lives here alone. I ran to the bureau chief’s office while disarming numerous strict security codes and undergoing DNA scans. With the Martian gravity only a third of that of Earth, my strides were longer than expected, allowing me to run with relative ease.

When the last door opened, waiting for me was Master Chang, dressed in dark blue Chinese garb with an upright collar.
“You’ve done well…”

“Master Chang, permission has been granted for Operation Mythos. Please let me awaken the ‘Aurora Princess’.” I inquired. At the moment, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ was sealed inside a cryonic sleep capsule. Just then, I heard a voice from behind me.

“You look just like your mother.”

Startled, I turned around. Standing behind me was a middle-aged man shrouded in black clerical attire and a young boy with long hair in a braid. The priest was the one who spoke. At the same time I immediately turned around, my rifle was drawn.

“Who are you?” I asked, aiming the gun even as the tension grew after not having sensed their presence at all. Still, even though I was pointing my gun at them, they weren’t the least bit phased by it. By this alone I realized these two were no ordinary individuals.

“So you’re Sally’s daughter,” said the priest, passing in front of me with the young boy towards Master Chang. The young boy glared at me with a sullen expression, openly showing his disgust at having a gun pointed toward him.

“How long do you plan on aiming that at me?” he asked, his defiant gaze glistening as he muttered. I seemed to hear “…Or do you wanna die?”, though I wasn’t entirely sure.

“I’m Father Maxwell,” said the priest, who in contrast to the young boy had been beaming the entire time, his friendly smile unwavering, “As in, he may run and hide, but Father Maxwell never lies… This brat with the contemptible eyes is my son Duo.”

“Hmph,” the young boy seemed to scoff at me. He had absolutely no intention of greeting me.
Master Chang, who remained silent, motioned for me to lower my gun. I reluctantly followed his orders.

“You’re lucky, looks like you’ll live another day,” the boy spat in his abusive tone.

When I realized this impudent young boy’s name was Duo Maxwell, I wondered what sort of sick joke it was. Was he named after a Gundam pilot for the fun of it?

“Well now, you’ve brought the three files in question, haven’t you?” asked the priest. “You’ll need those three preludes in order to awaken the ‘Aurora Princess’.”

TO BE CONTINUED