“What is this all about, Golan, I have to meet with the council tomorrow morning.” Cagalli Yula Athha sighed and collapsed into a dark wine-colored leather chair. The trio sat in her office, the third man being Alex Dino, a.k.a. Athrun Zala. “Hopefully the news that Heliopolis can be salvaged may yet appease them.”
Golan Asperant took a seat opposite her while the maid brought a tray of coffee and set it on the low table between them. If Dino’s presence bothered him he didn’t show it, instead pouring coffee for his cousin.
“I worked with you father and Morgenroete to develop the G-Weapons for the Atlantic Federation…that you probably already know.” She nodded. “What you don’t know is the reason we agreed to develop those weapons. You opposed your father’s decision, I know, and went to Heliopolis in order to try convincing the mechanical engineers to cease production.” He made a dismissive gesture. “But you never stopped to ask yourself why, why would a staunch pacifist like Lord Uzumi decide to fuel the flames of conflict? It was because he realized that unchecked power only embittered one’s enemy.”
“Unchecked power?”
“Yes. Watching ZAFT’s mobile suits dominate the arena of battle caused OMNI to search out a trump card, fueling the hatred between the two. If, paradoxically, OMNI were to gain equal footing in terms of mobile suit technology, then perhaps battles would become inconclusive and hostilities would grow cold. Such a situation might in turn lead to peace.” Golan took a sip of coffee.
Cagalli scowled. “But that type of reasoning doesn’t take into account the hatred of both sides. The G-Weapons only increased ZAFT’s offensive and became a bargaining chip to the United Earth Forces!”
“True. Lord Uzumi realized that after they were stolen.”
“I don’t really understand why you’re telling me this; I know about all of these events – I lived through most of them!”
“I know, Cagalli, but you don’t know what happened after your father realized this, while you were off in the desert with Kisaka.” He glanced at Alex. “Your father granted a portion of ORB’s resources to an autonomous organization outside the jurisdiction of any government. Its purpose is to monitor relations between Naturals and Coordinators across the board and provide unbiased information and reports on battles and governmental policies. It is called TERMINAL.”
Alex hid his surprise at the bombshell and stored the information away for later. Neither of the others saw his eyes widen behind his tinted lenses.
“What is this TERMINAL doing now? Who runs is?” Cagalli set her teacup down. Golan could tell she was already thinking of ways to use such an organization.
“No one. Terminal is an autonomous network of individual agents reporting to a central databank. It’s not run by anyone, per se, but has massive military clout…off the records of course.” It wasn’t a total lie, more like a trimming of the truth. Everything he’d just said was correct but it didn’t address the overriding ethos of such a group, nor its personal investment in the furthering of Naturals and Coordinators. It was best not to confuse Cagalli more than necessary.
“So you’re saying that there’s a paramilitary militia hiding out in space under the auspices of ORB?”
“Don’t get upset now, Cagalli, there’s nothing you or I can do about it anyway. TERMINAL’s main headquarters is in ZAFT territory anyway, near Colony Mendel.” Golan watched Alex tense and shift his head towards the window facing the beach. “I didn’t come here to talk to you about that, however.”
Cagalli withdrew herself and sat back, sipping her drink. “Does this have something to do with the Junk Guild?”
Golan smiled. “It does. Now I realize that it seems like what I just told you doesn’t have any connection to the Junk Guild or their mission at Heliopolis but bear with me a moment longer.” She nodded warily. “Do you know who founded this country, princess?”
“The Athhas, in 198 of the old calendar.” She rolled her eyes; every school child knew that.
“Ostensibly you are correct. Our family created this country in response to the emergence of Blue Cosmos and anti-Coordinator sentiment on Earth. But there was another, one who placed the Athha family in the position to found ORB with her prestige and financial backing. That woman was Maria Glenn.”
“George Glenn’s mother?”
“Indeed. Is it that strange that the mother of the first Coordinator, after seeing her son assassinated, would want to create a neutral nation where other like him could live in acceptance?”
“No, but I find it odd that her name never appears after George Glenn’s death, there’s no mention of his father, and why she wouldn’t flee to the PLANTS.”
“She wouldn’t flee to the PLANTS because she was already dead by the time the PLANTS were in full operation. As for George Glenn’s father, well, there are very good reasons why no one ever heard about him.”
Cagalli chuckled. “Good, I used to think Glenn was born out of Immaculate Conception.”
“Far from it. George was conceived and born just like every other child, albeit with genetic enhancements. Contrary to popular belief, those enhancements were not artificial.”
“They weren’t?”
“No, he was born with them. His mother decided that the explanation of genetic manipulation was easier for the public to swallow and also fell into line with her other beliefs. Maria was a true radical, far more than Blue Cosmos would have us believe. She went so far as to cryo-freeze her own husband after George was conceived, anticipating the violence to come.”
Cagalli set her cup down before leaning forward. “Not that I don’t appreciate the history lesson, but why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you this, princess, because Maria had her son hide his father’s body in an asteroid during his circuit of the solar system. An asteroid that she later convinced Asami Nula Athha to purchase for mining purposes. A mine that was later shut down by TERMINAL’s predecessor, STASIS, when excavation neared the hibernation pod.”
“You don’t mean…”
“Yes, Cagalli, the father of the first Coordinator was entombed in the Heliopolis mine caverns. Without your knowledge I asked Captain Masters to search for it during his survey.”
“Did he find it?”
“He found it. The body of the Prime Newtype.”
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(Posted Thu, 10 May 2007 14:46)
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