Space. For humans, it has become a home away from home. In the year UC0201, a large group of colonies were transfigured for interstellar travel. Their destination: the Alpha Centauri system. It was the largest undertaking of humanity since the first O'Neil type II colony was completed and marked the beginning of the UC calendar. Now, eight type III colonies were configured to transport millions of life forms to a distant solar system. Their estimated time of arrival? 100 years.
Thus, the colonies set off, and 1 billion people began their journey to the stars. Upon arrival, these people of the stars began to build, mine, and live their lives the way they used to. 203 years passed. More colonies were built. People were happy. All was well. At least that was the general thought. But brewing deep within the depths of colonial society were the seeds of war. A small group of people began to advocate for the ability to return to Earth. These were young people who wanted to see what their home world was really like for themselves and not from recordings. But the colonial government didn't like this sort of talk, and silenced these young men and women...by killing them. And it was this unfortunate event that allowed the blood of the young to feed the seeds of war. All hell was about to break loose...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Dyson's Cross
Chapter 1: A New Light Before Darkness
"A masterpiece! Wonderful! An excellent piece of work!" A man in a lab coat was shaking the hands of his fellow scientists. Outside, on the planetoids surface, glowing brightly in a concave dish, was the fruit of their work: An artificial sun. "I'm so proud of you all. We've come a long way from the drawing board 50 years ago."
"Dr. Mayborne, sir...what will become of the Neo Sol now that it's complete?" A young scientist looked his mentor in the eye, her eyes glowing with that of great admiration and wonder.
Dr. Lewis Mayborne, the head of the Neo Sol project, ran his right hand through his graying hair while his left hand tapped at a console. On the holoscreen appeared the schematics for a large sphere. He turned to his staff and a smile of ambition spread across his face. "Now? Now we build it. We have the sun, we have the technology, and we have the materials. We can realize the dream that no human was ever able to!"
Another scientist, this one a young man in his early thirties, turned to his mentor and gave him a look that purveyed shock. "Doctor...you can't be serious. A Dyson's Sphere? We'd never be able to finish it in our lifetime!"
Mayborne nodded understandingly and waved his hand in the air. "Ah, that's where you're wrong my young student. We're already half way done." The doctor tapped the controls of the holoscreen again and brought up yet another image: a half complete sphere. "Our job was to supply the sun for it so that construction could be finished. And now that our part of the equation is done, they can complete the masterwork. If that wasn't good enough, it will be complete in two years time."
The team of scientists ooh-ed and aah-ed. Applause filled the small control room as a man near the door left. He took off his lab coat as he walked. Underneath it was a red uniform, with gold tassels on the shoulders and silver buckles holding his jacket closed. On his left breast was the white emblem of a star with an embroidered "L" in the center. On his high jacket collar was a gold triangle and a silver triangle, the points touching. He picked up his pace as he moved to the maintenance airlock.
The mans eyes darted in every direction as he came up to the airlock and got in. The pilots suit he had brought with him when he came on was still where he left it in the EVA closet. A smile spread on his face as he began to put on the suit. As he put on the helmet and pressurized the suit, the smile turned into a toothy grin. And as he stepped out onto the planetoids surface from the airlock, a cold, piercing laugh escaped his mouth.
Ahead of him, hidden behind a cluster of tall hills, was his Mobile Suit. The sleek, white and blue LR-02QE Hyperion shone brightly in the light of both the Alpha Centauri sun and the Neo Sol. The Hyperion Quad Engine was state of the art: panoramic targeting system, I-Field, beam shield, HOBS or High Output Beam Sabre, and a dual barrel beam rifle were made especially for this variation. An expensive piece of equipment for a very gifted pilot...or so they told him.
As he rode the lift cable up to the cockpit, he took a look at the Neo Sol. It was just as bright as the sun, yet so much smaller. He could admire such works of art. They were necessary for the human race to survive. But in this case, the Neo Sol had to be destroyed. There was no way around it. He hopped into the cockpit and shut the hatch. Immediately, a voice asked him to identify himself to initiate startup.
His fingers danced on the keypad on the overhead situation console. The MS hummed to life and gave him the ok to take off. The young man pushed the right pedal down and felt gravity take hold of him for a few moments as he left the surface of the planetoid. Then, he adjusted his course and headed off towards a dark part of space. That was where the Montclaire was waiting.
***
Darkness. It was so nice to finally be in darkness. Never a moments rest. The body laying in the bed turned onto its side and heaved a sigh of contentment as it began to relax. Never a moments rest as long as we're out here, away from the comfort of the colony. The body turned to its other side and sighed again, this time with more tension. A hand went through a head of hair. Muttering escaped from the lips. Then the body sat up and turned on the lights in its room.
Sitting against the headboard of the bed was a boy of 15. His brown hair fell over his green eyes. His light skin was brightly illuminated in the fluorescent lighting of the small cabin. His hands were clenched in fists resting gently on his knees. He couldn't sleep. He felt something was wrong, or would be wrong very soon. And he couldn't have been more right. Moments later a series of klaxons sounded through the ship and the lights turned bright red. The voice of a young woman came over the comm system and began to give orders. "Combat Alert One! Battle Stations! All crew members report for active duty! This is not, I repeat NOT a drill! Prepare MS units for launch!"
The young man groaned and banged his head against the headboard. As he started to get out of bed, the comm system in his room squawked, and the woman's voice was heard again. "Ensign Lanton, you're to report to Lieutenant Hillfeld on deck 4 for a briefing. Your mission is quite specific." There was a pause as the voice waited for an answer. Then it spoke again, with a harsh tone. "Marc! Get your body out of bed! If I have to come down there..."
"Shaddup Amy, I heard you the first time." Marc pulled on his blue pants and reached for his jacket. "You're always acting like God now that you're the CCO, ordering everyone around. Hell, you rag on me more than the other crew members, so I think that you've got a special agenda! Wanna tell me?"
"Why you...I oughta come down there anyway and knock your head in! My being Chief Communications Officer has nothing to do with me ragging on you! I'm just concerned for you...that's all! And if you can't accept that...then bite me! Aaaargh!" The voice clicked off. Marc closed the last clasp on his jacket and left his room, a smile of contentment on his face.
***
Lieutenant Junior Grade Amy Horie slammed her console with her fist, making a small dent in the unfinished metal surface. "That f***ing brat! I'm gonna kill him!"
A young woman who worked as the weapons officer came over and patted Amy on the shoulder. "Hey, all guys are like that...usually. I dated this one guy back in OTC who was really dedicated to me. Then, I broke up with him because he wanted to get married BEFORE I finished OTC! Can you believe that?"
"Maria..." Amy turned and gave her friend a strange look. "Maybe you should see a therapist or something. Sounds like you have a problem..."
Maria snorted. "Me? I'm not the one dating a 15 year old pilot trainee, Amy. A trainee who gets more headaches than any person I've ever met. A trainee who causes you more trouble than he's worth! Why do you stay with him?!"
Amy looked at the situation screen on the bridge. The battle formations were beginning to appear as the minovsky particle levels began to rise. "I stay with him because...because...because I love him. He's gentle...and is actually nice most of the time. Besides, a three year age gap isn't that big when you think about it." Maria sighed and went back to her station, leaving the Amy alone at her console. As the battle alert sounded again, a thought ran through her head that she'd neglected to say earlier. I love him because he fights for me...
Thus, the colonies set off, and 1 billion people began their journey to the stars. Upon arrival, these people of the stars began to build, mine, and live their lives the way they used to. 203 years passed. More colonies were built. People were happy. All was well. At least that was the general thought. But brewing deep within the depths of colonial society were the seeds of war. A small group of people began to advocate for the ability to return to Earth. These were young people who wanted to see what their home world was really like for themselves and not from recordings. But the colonial government didn't like this sort of talk, and silenced these young men and women...by killing them. And it was this unfortunate event that allowed the blood of the young to feed the seeds of war. All hell was about to break loose...
Mobile Suit Gundam: Dyson's Cross
Chapter 1: A New Light Before Darkness
"A masterpiece! Wonderful! An excellent piece of work!" A man in a lab coat was shaking the hands of his fellow scientists. Outside, on the planetoids surface, glowing brightly in a concave dish, was the fruit of their work: An artificial sun. "I'm so proud of you all. We've come a long way from the drawing board 50 years ago."
"Dr. Mayborne, sir...what will become of the Neo Sol now that it's complete?" A young scientist looked his mentor in the eye, her eyes glowing with that of great admiration and wonder.
Dr. Lewis Mayborne, the head of the Neo Sol project, ran his right hand through his graying hair while his left hand tapped at a console. On the holoscreen appeared the schematics for a large sphere. He turned to his staff and a smile of ambition spread across his face. "Now? Now we build it. We have the sun, we have the technology, and we have the materials. We can realize the dream that no human was ever able to!"
Another scientist, this one a young man in his early thirties, turned to his mentor and gave him a look that purveyed shock. "Doctor...you can't be serious. A Dyson's Sphere? We'd never be able to finish it in our lifetime!"
Mayborne nodded understandingly and waved his hand in the air. "Ah, that's where you're wrong my young student. We're already half way done." The doctor tapped the controls of the holoscreen again and brought up yet another image: a half complete sphere. "Our job was to supply the sun for it so that construction could be finished. And now that our part of the equation is done, they can complete the masterwork. If that wasn't good enough, it will be complete in two years time."
The team of scientists ooh-ed and aah-ed. Applause filled the small control room as a man near the door left. He took off his lab coat as he walked. Underneath it was a red uniform, with gold tassels on the shoulders and silver buckles holding his jacket closed. On his left breast was the white emblem of a star with an embroidered "L" in the center. On his high jacket collar was a gold triangle and a silver triangle, the points touching. He picked up his pace as he moved to the maintenance airlock.
The mans eyes darted in every direction as he came up to the airlock and got in. The pilots suit he had brought with him when he came on was still where he left it in the EVA closet. A smile spread on his face as he began to put on the suit. As he put on the helmet and pressurized the suit, the smile turned into a toothy grin. And as he stepped out onto the planetoids surface from the airlock, a cold, piercing laugh escaped his mouth.
Ahead of him, hidden behind a cluster of tall hills, was his Mobile Suit. The sleek, white and blue LR-02QE Hyperion shone brightly in the light of both the Alpha Centauri sun and the Neo Sol. The Hyperion Quad Engine was state of the art: panoramic targeting system, I-Field, beam shield, HOBS or High Output Beam Sabre, and a dual barrel beam rifle were made especially for this variation. An expensive piece of equipment for a very gifted pilot...or so they told him.
As he rode the lift cable up to the cockpit, he took a look at the Neo Sol. It was just as bright as the sun, yet so much smaller. He could admire such works of art. They were necessary for the human race to survive. But in this case, the Neo Sol had to be destroyed. There was no way around it. He hopped into the cockpit and shut the hatch. Immediately, a voice asked him to identify himself to initiate startup.
His fingers danced on the keypad on the overhead situation console. The MS hummed to life and gave him the ok to take off. The young man pushed the right pedal down and felt gravity take hold of him for a few moments as he left the surface of the planetoid. Then, he adjusted his course and headed off towards a dark part of space. That was where the Montclaire was waiting.
***
Darkness. It was so nice to finally be in darkness. Never a moments rest. The body laying in the bed turned onto its side and heaved a sigh of contentment as it began to relax. Never a moments rest as long as we're out here, away from the comfort of the colony. The body turned to its other side and sighed again, this time with more tension. A hand went through a head of hair. Muttering escaped from the lips. Then the body sat up and turned on the lights in its room.
Sitting against the headboard of the bed was a boy of 15. His brown hair fell over his green eyes. His light skin was brightly illuminated in the fluorescent lighting of the small cabin. His hands were clenched in fists resting gently on his knees. He couldn't sleep. He felt something was wrong, or would be wrong very soon. And he couldn't have been more right. Moments later a series of klaxons sounded through the ship and the lights turned bright red. The voice of a young woman came over the comm system and began to give orders. "Combat Alert One! Battle Stations! All crew members report for active duty! This is not, I repeat NOT a drill! Prepare MS units for launch!"
The young man groaned and banged his head against the headboard. As he started to get out of bed, the comm system in his room squawked, and the woman's voice was heard again. "Ensign Lanton, you're to report to Lieutenant Hillfeld on deck 4 for a briefing. Your mission is quite specific." There was a pause as the voice waited for an answer. Then it spoke again, with a harsh tone. "Marc! Get your body out of bed! If I have to come down there..."
"Shaddup Amy, I heard you the first time." Marc pulled on his blue pants and reached for his jacket. "You're always acting like God now that you're the CCO, ordering everyone around. Hell, you rag on me more than the other crew members, so I think that you've got a special agenda! Wanna tell me?"
"Why you...I oughta come down there anyway and knock your head in! My being Chief Communications Officer has nothing to do with me ragging on you! I'm just concerned for you...that's all! And if you can't accept that...then bite me! Aaaargh!" The voice clicked off. Marc closed the last clasp on his jacket and left his room, a smile of contentment on his face.
***
Lieutenant Junior Grade Amy Horie slammed her console with her fist, making a small dent in the unfinished metal surface. "That f***ing brat! I'm gonna kill him!"
A young woman who worked as the weapons officer came over and patted Amy on the shoulder. "Hey, all guys are like that...usually. I dated this one guy back in OTC who was really dedicated to me. Then, I broke up with him because he wanted to get married BEFORE I finished OTC! Can you believe that?"
"Maria..." Amy turned and gave her friend a strange look. "Maybe you should see a therapist or something. Sounds like you have a problem..."
Maria snorted. "Me? I'm not the one dating a 15 year old pilot trainee, Amy. A trainee who gets more headaches than any person I've ever met. A trainee who causes you more trouble than he's worth! Why do you stay with him?!"
Amy looked at the situation screen on the bridge. The battle formations were beginning to appear as the minovsky particle levels began to rise. "I stay with him because...because...because I love him. He's gentle...and is actually nice most of the time. Besides, a three year age gap isn't that big when you think about it." Maria sighed and went back to her station, leaving the Amy alone at her console. As the battle alert sounded again, a thought ran through her head that she'd neglected to say earlier. I love him because he fights for me...