Editing KSGU:Volume 10 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 13===

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The body and heart filled with shock and trepidation sank in the cold darkness. The shockwaves grew distant, some aftershocks. There were no feelings involved in Alberto’s heart, and no clear hatred, just anguish flowing with the waves lingering in his heart. Was his aunt, Martha Carbine, going to aim the colony laser at this area? So he wondered, but even then, this notion seemed so unrelated to him. He looked towards the space outside the window with his empty eyes “Can’t be helped.” a hoarse voice came from the stationary “Banshee”.

“There is no scientific proof that the Newtypes exist, and it can be taken as fake if we look at it the other way. Most importantly, the Federation itself buried this clause, and this fact is the biggest weapon to those believing in Zeonism. If the spaceboids know of the “Box” existence and lead an insurgency under the name of Zeon…the population  of 3.5 billion on Earth can only choose to remain silent, and protect the secret, all so that this world doesn’t turn into Hell.”

The idea of a Newtype brought hope to the spacenoids who were practicing abandoned citizens, but at the same time, it became the source of the symptoms. It brought a new period of class segregation, and the finally united humanity became divided once again. It was because the “Laplace Box” existed that the Federation had been highly oppressive, partially out of fear, but it finally forced the Principality of Zeon to call for independence. Recognizing the existence of Newtypes and giving them priority to join the government was akin to letting the abandoned spacenoids occupy the palace, and they could not allow that.

“But Hell broke loose. The One Year War…we lost half our population, and the Federation managed to defeat the Principality of Zeon, but at a great cost. The War proved the existence of Newtypes, and the curse of the “Box” was heavier. Nobody knew what the content was, fear was the only thing ingrained in their hearts. Do not open the “Box”, The Federation government will be doomed if you do…father and the others could only continue to hide this secret. Not just to hide the skeleton in the closet, but also to protect the billions of people. Faced with the terror of another destructive war, humanity chose to live in this twisted establishment, down the path of being fed till they die.)

After the War, the remnants of Zeon were hunted down, and the Federation government began thorough politics centered upon Earth. They oppressed the spacenoids excessvies, creating the right wing extremists that were the Titans, dividing the Federation army into two again. The Federation army weakened, and Neo Zeon seized the opportunity to start two Neo Zeon wars. The Federation barely managed to win after much hardship, preserving its pride as the highest authority, but the disillusionment of the spacenoids had become widespread, and the after war society remained unstable.

While the anti-government forces had quietened down, Neo Zeon maintained their presence as the “Sleeves”, and one could see some factions in the Republic of Zeon backing them. It was a regimented dispute that was quelled under economic sanctions, but there was a tense feeling that a misstep could ignite the situation, and the nightmare of a full scale war remained. In such a situation, Riddhe’s father, his cronies, and the Vist Foundation secured the secret of the “Box” together, and planned a Federation military reassembly when the Republic was to be dissolved. The acts of the Settlement Issues Council were completely correct, if taking the perspective of protecting the Federation government. They would banish the myth of Newtypes, and execute the UC plan to eliminate Zeonism forever…Alberto himself felt they should not be blamed for trying to get back the Universal Century that should be.

The secret of the “Box” was so heavy. The tragedy of the One Year War resulted in the ghosts of half the population, bearing it down all the more. Who dared say that if the assassination did not happen, that the original charter of the Universal Century was announced, the Newtypes would be accepted a blessed? Could they have progressed to a society centered around Newtypes if the One Year War and the future conflicts did not happen?

It was impossible. There would be a war in a different manner. It would not have been Federation vs Zeon, but Earthnoids vs Spacenoids—the people who abandoned and the abandoned people, a full scale bloody conflict. The Federation government would have fractured, and the first united government in human history would have crumbled within a hundred years.

But at the same time—one could not deny the possibility that if the “Box” was opened before Zeonism reigned, before the One Year War happened, the Principality of Zeon would not be the cause of much violence. If Zeon Deikum had known there was a clause to head over governance to the Newtypes, he might not have gone about spreading his ideas of the Newtypes, and the ruling Zabis might have acted differently Nevertheless, it was all just a possibility. Nobody could be sure of the ‘future they should have’, and their ancestors who were ordinary men and not Newtypes chose the most appropriate action, to eliminate this ‘possibility’—or to seal it. How could they be reproached? It was for the sake of protecting the world. If he and his allies were in the same position, they too would have done the same, to maintain the status quo.

And then…they lost everything; not just the future, but also the hope and development of every future minute, every future second, becoming mere blocks of flesh who wept over the lost possibilities. They however were not the only ones; every person in the Earth celestial sphere had lost the compass leading them to the next day, a collective society that had failed to progress. They were simply focused on trying to fit in as one of the billions of people out there. “But what order are we protecting by doing this?” Riddhe’s voice rang, and Alberto mistakenly took them as his own voice.

“I did something that can’t be taken back. I heard her voice, Marida Cruz. We only brushed past each other, and I never talked to her before, I never knew of her name, but I heard her ‘voice’. What’s going on? People can understand each other, people have such a possibility. I said I would protect, but I never believed in the ones I wanted to protect. I disappointed everyone…I lost everything…”

The words got increasingly hotter and damp, reverberating in his body and mind that were drifting in the endless voice. Yes, they could not believe, they could not entrust themselves into this act of trust, and merely feared that they, or the world, would change. Alberto looked away from the seemingly weeping “Banshee” with its head lowered, and towards the still silent “Magallanica”.

“Everything is made by Man, for Man…huh?”

Everyone, including Syam, Cardeas, and the Marcenas family, had the same distrust and despair, and chose the act they felt was best. They did not know how to trust others, and resulted in having to bear every result, stuck in the sturdy cage called reality. What did Syam and his father believe in when they chose to open the “Box” even if it meant being the enemies of the world? Just a redemption for the possibilities and futures they had sealed away? …Alberto hoped not. He hoped they wanted to open the “Box” because they believed in something he did not know of. Otherwise, that would be too tragic.

No matter how outstanding a person was, he was still merely a feeble human. Having finally understood the weight of loss and guilt, he could finally understand their troubles from their perspective. Cardeas Vist never got to express his true sentiments when he was murdered by his son. In the final moment of his life, he had the coincidence of meeting his other son, who was entrusted with the “Unicorn”. That might have been the only miracle Cardeas ever got to experience in his life. Even though they shared the same bloodline, as a fellow man, Alberto was grateful for this miracle. Surely his father would not have expressed the true sentiments, especially when they could not communicate with each other—

“Just one word…if you had said just one word…”

I would have devoted my all to you if that happened. Alberto berated his father for the last time, and then focused the rage on himself for being unable to confess to Marida. The lingering grudges slowly melted away as he stared at the “Magallanica” filled with Cardeas’ soul, and all he could not was to keep crying.