Gundam: Changing the World Even with a Mass-Produced Unit

Chapter 81: A Fateful Encounter

What kind of person is Eli's father?

The father of this body was a self-made, moderately successful businessman who had even begun to establish some political influence on Iffish Island. He was expanding his company to other colonial satellites and had achieved an extraordinary feat—owning property on both the Moon and in Hong Kong.

For a resident of the universe, this was an unimaginable accomplishment. Given more time, Eli's father might have built a small business empire, only to have it honorably acquired by Anaheim or some other conglomerate.

And what about Eli's father in another world?

He didn't know—such things were beyond his understanding.

Eli had grown up in an orphanage. In both the 21st century and the Universal Century, he had never experienced fatherly love. Yet, Amuro considered him someone who was more like a father.

Sitting in the rented jeep, Eli sighed softly, resting his hands behind his head and gazing up at the sky.

As someone from the 21st century, Eli found this scene fascinating. At the horizon, the artificial land curved upward, disappearing into the misty clouds.

Although the memory of this body had grown accustomed to such sights, Eli still felt a deep sense of awe. The scene before him demonstrated humanity's potential—not necessarily the potential to become Newtypes, but the potential to become a true cosmic civilization.

From this perspective, even Hathaway's ideals held a certain correctness. Humanity's failure to venture deeper into space was inseparable from the elite classes on Earth.

Thinking of the Universal Century's "abandoned spacenoid" theory, Eli let out another sigh.

If he truly intended to reshape the Federation into what he envisioned, he might one day find himself opposing those who resided on Earth.

But for now, he decided not to dwell on such matters.

"Amuro, it looks like it's going to rain," Eli said, glancing at the increasingly overcast sky.

"Ah, it does."

Amuro, with his extensive experience in living on colonial satellites, only needed a glance to make the judgment.

"Honestly, they should at least give us a weather schedule."

Driving the jeep, Amuro muttered his complaint.

What he didn't notice was Eli's growing anxiety.

The thought of the upcoming meeting—a fateful encounter—stirred Eli's emotions.

"Hold on tight, Eli-san. I'm going to drive straight back to the White Base at full speed!"

To Eli's surprise, Amuro had no intention of stopping to find shelter from the rain. Instead, he floored the accelerator, speeding toward the White Base.

"Huh? But…"

But what about the meeting with Lalah?

The girl with extraordinary Newtype abilities had, during their first encounter, captivated the attention of two other prominent Newtypes.

Amuro and Char had both been enamored by her, their rivalry over her sparking a lifelong feud.

It was even tied to Char's most embarrassing final words and Lalah's lingering presence in Amuro's mind—a ghost of space haunting him.

Lalah was such a magnetic figure.

But if Amuro kept going like this, what would happen to that fateful encounter? To the understanding between Newtypes?

Eli sat upright.

Yet, soon after, his tension faded.

If it meant Amuro could live a more carefree life in the future, then this so-called fate was dispensable.

After all, whatever he wanted to change, their meeting was merely a minor detail.

With this thought, Eli propped his chin on his hand and turned to gaze at the scenery inside the colonial satellite.

Nearby was a small lake, a rare sight in the crowded satellite.

At that moment, the sound of wings flapping reached Eli's ears.

Turning his head, he spotted a white bird.

A swan?

Eli watched as the bird descended toward the lake's surface.

No, "descended" wasn't quite accurate. "Fell" would be more fitting.

The swan had lost its vitality, likely due to old age.

Following the swan's trajectory, Eli noticed a villa on the other side of the lake.

Upon closer inspection, he saw someone sitting at the villa's entrance.

"…."

Eli couldn't hear her voice, but he felt as though she was saying something sorrowful, mourning the swan's demise.

"It's rare to see someone so emotional…"

Amuro, as if sensing something too, glanced in the villa's direction despite focusing on the road.

"What, are you captivated again?"

"Do you think I'm some overly sentimental person, Lieutenant? I just think… she might be a Newtype. If possible, I'd like to meet her."

Amuro said this as he ensured the road ahead was clear, then briefly turned his gaze toward the villa.

Eli's eyes followed, meeting the gaze of the young woman sitting outside the villa.

She was an Indian girl, calmly seated at the villa's entrance. Noticing the two, she looked back at them.

Her eyes seemed to gaze into a far-off place, unfocused and hard to read, making it unclear whether she was truly looking at them.

She nodded in their direction, then tilted her head back to look at the sky.

Whoosh…

Rain began to pour abruptly, shrouding the area in mist and cutting off their line of sight.

"Hold on, Eli-san!"

Unfazed, Amuro showed no hesitation. Though drawn to the mysterious girl, he prioritized finding shelter from the rain for himself and Eli.

The jeep jolted as it sped on, the old memory circuit on the center console rattling with each bump.

This fateful encounter ended in nothing more than a fleeting glimpse.

"Not bad," Eli murmured to himself.

…

"So, how did you two end up coming back soaked like this?"

Sayla hurried over with towels in hand when she saw the drenched duo return to the hangar.

"The rain came too suddenly," Eli explained as he dried his wet hair, glancing at Amuro.

Amuro also took a towel from Sayla, but his first move was to dry the memory circuit.

Even though it was unlikely to ever be used, Amuro's actions clearly showed his intention to treasure it.

At that moment, Eli noticed someone lingering at the corner of the corridor.

It was Fraw.

She was watching them, seemingly just letting out a sigh of relief.

No matter what, Fraw still cared about her childhood friend.