Chapter 9 (1/2)
Peacecraft File 2
AC 145 WINTER
The explosion of the Earth delegation shuttle in the vicinity of the L-1 colony cl.u.s.ter was finally announced as an act of terrorist by colonial extremists. The sole survivor, Duke Cinquant Khushrenada, expressed his feelings [by stating], ”I think it is regrettable that the path to peaceful coexistence between Earth and the colonies comes to an end,” and the Earth Sphere United Alliance Army added that [it] ought to be stationed in the colonies [ALT: and CINQUANT added that the ESUAA ought to be stationed in the colonies #0]. Regarding Sabrina Peacecraft, who was supposed to have been the other survivor, she was reported by the ma.s.s media as having died with the other pa.s.sengers. Since then, no, since before then, history was full of ostentation and deception. Everything was handled with a (sort of) white washed interpretation [of events] that was favorable to the authorities. The colonies and Earth had decided that the AC 145 [shuttle] incident was the start of the antagonism [between them], but in fact this beginning is a fabrication through and through. On the one side, the rebels and United Alliance Army's deadlock in the Norther European kingdom of Cinq continued. The skirmishes at the (very) front lines were (see-sawing) one step forward and one step back; and despite the ocean blockade in [Cinq's] territorial waters that had been [in effect] for nearly half a year, [neither side] was able to make the decisive blow. Here a ”buzzword” appeared. Though it truly was a momentary fad, it was (a word that was) exactly like it was the ”truth” [ALT: it was a word that was taken at face value as being the truth]. Throughout history, these kinds of frequently appearing ”buzzwords” often lead the ma.s.ses off in the wrong direction. In the AC era, it was this [phrase]:
Early conclusion
In truth, this was ceased-thinking conclusionism and simple logic. Of course, an urgent situation that is getting worse must quickly be ended. However, as the situation was at a standstill, it was not necessary to arrive at an immediate conclusion [at the expense of one] that would allow for a gentle, good change to occur. Speaking more concretely-
”Because people will naturally die as long as the war continues, and where a number of victims is unavoidable, it is better to use a WMD (lit: large scale weapon) and wipe out the rebel forces once and for all.”
-is one mode of thinking. This loses sight of the real issue. At the same time, the people were under the impression that they had thought up the words themselves. [Because of that buzzword], there was a tendency to value an 'end' to the war over the 'life' of a person. Ma.s.s media, which caters to public opinion, also backed the irresponsible 'early conclusion.' The United Alliance Army executives decided to launch a nuclear warhead (limited area dispute use that is in the satellite orbit 216/3/4-6).
”Set the launch for midnight on November 27th [#1], colony standard time.” That was, of course, an order of the utmost top-secret importance. All the people were being lead around by their noses with superst.i.tious sounding 'catch phrases' like 'it will be easier once it's over' without careful deliberation; they don't notice that they themselves are accomplices. Spreading thoughts of conventional conclusion didn't spread out 216/3/11-12. All they could do was move forward. They had lost the power to imagine. Humans who have lost their imagination can find value only in results. One may sympathize with this state of mind. And that is a terribly deep sin.
*
Sabrina was taken in by the Darlians. However, the Darlians were [no longer] affluent but had mortgaged their luxurious home and s.p.a.cious grounds and were poised to relinquish them in few months' time. Because their own country had been taken over by the rebels, the Earth Sphere United Alliance was imposing a heavy tax upon them. Moreover, the colonies' middle cla.s.ses gave official notice of 'wealth redistribution.' For the upper cla.s.ses, [they, the middle cla.s.ses] commenced the dismantling of the upper cla.s.ses' 'vested interests.' The ever-magnanimous Darlians accepted all these demands and chose to relinquish their fortune. A sharp decline began. [Katerina] had to give up the (early morning) horseback riding and s.p.a.ce walks. She even gave up her adored horse. Without the means to employ a tutor, it was decided that Heero Yuy would be discharged at the end of the month. For Katerina, that was the one thing she didn't want. Heero, however, consented. As he hadn't ever really done any tutoring, he had felt guilty about receiving the monthly reparation (lit: salary). When the seed in Katerina's heart sprouted with sadness, it probably had not yet been foreseen that this feeling would become 'love' in due time . It was Sabrina who breathed very different air from the Darlians [family] 217/1/4-5<. at=”” this=”” time,=”” she=”” closed=”” her=”” heart=”” and=”” did=”” nothing=”” but=”” play=”” the=”” piano.=”” she=”” continually=”” played=”” chopin's=”” revolutionary=”” [#2].=”” or=”” she=”” chose=”” the=”” difficult=”” ”mazurka”=”” [#3].=”” these=”” songs'=”” senses=”” of=”” speed=”” could=”” not=”” be=”” expressed=”” if=”” they=”” were=”” not=”” played=”” from=”” memory=”” [thus=”” allowing]=”” one=”” [to=”” focus]=”” on=”” the=”” keyboard.=”” but=”” they=”” were=”” excessively=”” elaborate=”” and=”” short=”” in=”” emotion.=”” it=”” is=”” believed=”” that=”” sabrina=”” definitely=”” seemed=”” to=”” want=”” to=”” forget.=”” her=”” country,=”” her=”” parents,=”” the=”” people=”” who=”” had=”” perised=”” in=”” the=”” shuttle=”” explosion,=”” and=”” now,=”” even=”” herself;=”” [she=”” was]=”” now=”” a=”” n.o.body.=”” yet=”” the=”” more=”” she=”” concentrated=”” on=”” the=”” song,=”” the=”” more=”” the=”” faces=”” of=”” the=”” people=”” she'd=”” lost=”” came=”” back=”” to=”” haunt=”” her.=”” she=”” fell=”” into=”” a=”” spiral=”” of=”” loss=”” and=”” the=”” gap=”” between=”” herself=”” and=”” her=”” surroundings=”” widened.=”” as=”” a=”” result,=”” she=”” became=”” unable=”” to=”” concentrate=”” on=”” anything=”” other=”” than=”” the=”” songs=”” and=”” while=”” the=”” vicious=”” circle=”” continued=”” without=”” end,=”” she=”” continued=”” beating=”” the=”” abyssally=”” depressed=”” keys=”” [alt:=”” she=”” continued=”” to=”” be=”” the=”” keys=”” in=”” her=”” abyssal=”” depression=”” [adjectival=”” order]=””><>
Then, unexpectedly, she heard a voice speaking at her ear. If she focused too much on things, she would fall into an certain type of a state of trance 217/2/10-11. Despite the mezzo forte of the piano, she could hear the discussion of her littler sister Katerina and the tutor Heero Yuy in the neighboring room. Their voices seemed to have a certain anxiousness and reluctance in their soon-to-end relations.h.i.+p. It was a heated, lively discussion.
”Emmanuel Kant isn't saying 'one cannot lie' 'for the sake of eternal peace.'”
”Kant is saying that the foundation of moral metaphysics is: 'one must not tell lies whatever the circ.u.mstances.' So it stands to reason that it would be under that heading. For peace, 'sublime goals' and 'obligatory motive' are necessary and without that, if (decorating with falsehoods) isn't permissible, then b.l.o.o.d.y battle is also negated and peace that came of it will have no value.”
Sabrina stopped playing, and she faced the adjoining room, drawing closer,
”Please tell me what you mean, in detail,” Sabrina posed the question from the doorway. ”I can accept that 'peace' is morally correct. Ergo, isn't it more important that 'peace' be achieved, regardless of the 'means'?”
”You're saying that peace achieved by military intervention is also just, yes?”
”Yes......”
”Come in......” said Heero, ”you're wrong.” Heero had two students for his final cla.s.s. [#3.5]
”I am wrong!” Tears flooded Sabrina's eyes. ”Isn't it obvious that [I am? you are?]wrong?” She went sobbing to Heero's arms. Heero was perplexed, hit as he was by Sabrina's flood of emotion. ”I want to see Sam...... I want to see Sam!”
”Sam......?”
Sabrina's emotional support was the cat Sam who she had left on Earth. Katerina was likely sympathetic to her older sister's state. But sure enough, seeing her snuggled against Heero and in tears unmistakeably disquieted her heart. Katerina's expression was different from usual. Gone was the carefree cheek, it was replaced with dark jealous/envy.
Even though we have the same face, Sabrina is an angel from Earth......I'm the lost child that was thrown away in s.p.a.ce.
That may have been the second when she realized the happiness which she had enjoyed was [actually] a 'hard life' that was [only] called 'freedom.'
*
Sabrina and Katerina were, on the surface, close sisters, but it was (perhaps) enmity neither one wanted to acknowledge that ran through their hearts. One might even call it an abhorrence of their closest relation. The two of them did not share a bedroom as if that were the most natural thing [#3.75]. Nevertheless, since their rooms were next to each other, it was possible for one to pay a visit to the other. That, however, had not yet happened even once. The siblings never spent the night talking, or shared their feelings or comforted one another. Undoubtedly any words they exchanged were empty ones. Worry for their country or thoughts of their father and mother (probably) only brought sighs and it was (probably) impossible to fill the deep gulf that had been dug between them. However, Katerina had been taught by Heero Yuy. If humans were intended to discover what it means to 'live,' each individual's thoughts were important and there was no particular need to limit it to history or place or environment. Setting aside the fact that her (older) twin sister--who was this young woman named Sabrina?--Katerina screwed up the courage to go and pay a visit to Sabrina's room.
”Sabrina, I want to talk to you!” Her graceful (older) sister looked at her blankly. ”What is your dream? What do you want to be when you gorw up?” The value of a human living--Now is the time to discuss what we think of the future.--she recalled hearing that from Heero Yuy. Sabrina, however, shook her head.
”--I'm already dead [#4].”
Katerina argued without hiding her irritation, ”You mean historically? You're breathing and crying and capable of love, aren't you?”
”What about you, Katerina?”
”Huh?”
”What do you want to be?”
Katerina asnwered the very next second, ”An astronaut! I want to explore s.p.a.ce!”
”......but you're a girl.”
”So what?!”
”What if that's impossible?” Sabrina's point was calmly made. Considering the actual state of affairs at the Darlians, they couldn't spend money freely [#5]. An astronaut, to become one would require a higher education with a huge price tag. It was only for civilians who joined the Earth Sphere United Alliance who were mostly exempt from paying those expenses. Katerina didn't want to enlist. She decided to select a different future employ. ”Maybe a teacher at school......with my school record, though, that might be impossible.”
”No, it's not!” Sabrina encouraged her with a smile. ”You can talk about such difficult [issues] with Heero-sensei.” Once she said that, she tried talking about her own dreams for the future. ”I also want to teach--the piano to children, I'd like to have a quiet life.”
”You could do that, couldn't you?! Since you're not a princess anymore.”
”Y-yes......that's right.” For most girls, they're pleased to be [just] 'a girl.' And [Sabrina] was always at war with that feeling 219/1/8.
”Sabrina, I'm beginning to see you in a new light.”
”Katerina, you're a better sister than I imagined.” They looked into each others eyes and decided to always trust one another there after.
*
Heero went to his college for the first time in a long while. More than six months had pa.s.sed since he had handed in his leave of absence form. Heero went to visit his friend Jay Null.
”Heero Yuy, good to see you.” That underground lab was an eerie place. On the numerous, old-fas.h.i.+oned blackboards there were several illegible numerical formulae written, a stag's head that was a throwback to bygone days decorated the wall, and on the (plank surface) below it were a miscellany of notes posted without any s.p.a.ce to spare between them; the heaps of books, files, datachips [and what not] lay scattered as a result of an avalanche [their own great number] had caused; there wasn't even s.p.a.ce to walk in. The oddest thing was that [no one] had the foggiest idea what this man's specialty/major was or what he was researching.
”The next meeting is the day after tomorrow......everyone is welcome.”
”That's not why I came here today.”
”What a shame.”
Heero had heard all manner of bad rumors about this man. [For example] that he was a vastly wealthy man because of the several fusion reactor patents he owned but was evading taxes and irrespective of that, he was providing his own research expenses by (cracking [#6]); or he was hogging the school's latest materials and apparently constructing something; or that he was so brilliant, the underground organization also saw him as a threat. Heero, however, wasn't very interested in any of those categories of gossip.
”What are you researching now?”
”Developing a new life form--I'm using silicon instead of carbon [#6.5]......it's, uh, actually a simple experiment.” No sooner had he said that than there was a small explosion. ”Cripes! Come on! Another failure? c.r.a.p!”
Clearing his throat, Heero held up a small plastic bag in which there was some/a cat hair.
”Actually, I wanted you to clone a cat from this fur.”
As he patted out the fire burning on the desk, Jay said, ”Oh, okay......put it over there somewhere......I'll bring it with me the day after tomorrow.”
”You will? Thanks.”
”Leave it to me, there's nothing I can't do.”
*
Afternoon, two days later--
Jay brought a seventeen meter large-scale trailer loaded with what seemed to be a white-painted aircraft to the Darlian residence. It resembled a winged dragon with two heads.
”Buck up, Heero......for I have brought you the cat.”
”What is this?”
”Once you see it, you'll see it's {Wyvern}.”
”I asked for a Norwegian forest cat. The young lady here isn't hoping for a two-headded flying dragon monster.”
”Well, I am appalled at your lack of common sense.”
”I don't want to be told that by you.”
”Listen, all you brought me was a single cat hair. Probably one from the lady's skirt--”
”That's correct.”
”If it had had the root attached, it'd be different, but to (read) DNA data without any somatic cells would take a h.e.l.l of a long time. It wouldn't be possible (to do it) in just two days.”
”You can't do it, then?”
”Didn't I tell you--there's nothing I can't do.” Jay was smiling boastfully, ”I applied a little artificial intelligence.”
”Artificial intelligence?”
{Wyvern} was taken to the backyard. It would be close to Sabrina's and Katerina's rooms there.
”Originally, this {Wyvern} needed a servomechanism to make solo flight possible. This machine had to be freed from the instructions of the pilot, ground crew, and controller and from exact flight plans and all that. And I made it such that the system makes the machine land safely in any location, under any circ.u.mstances, the {ULS} [#7] is done by AI ((artificial intelligence)).”
Heero was impressed with what Jay had said.
”I didn't know you were so well versed in that field.”
”It pains me to say it, but my teammate Thomas Quarant programmed it.” A small, pale man in round gla.s.ses came out of the trailer. He looked up timidly at Heero from the bottom of his gla.s.ses.
”I am Thomas Quarant. I am developing the first program that expanded the genetic algorithm using quantum computers 221/1/5-7. If I'm allowed to study with this, I can complete the artificial intelligence that can 'immediately judge the environmental situation and quickly calculate-disposal'--the {Zero system}.”
”I don't believe such a fantastical system is necessary for just one cat.”
”Heero, Heero, Heero......Quarant, did you connect the artificial intelligence to this computer?”
”It's already done.”
”Well, let's hurry up and turn it on.”
The machine called {Wyvern} bore a strong resemblance to the mobile armor form of the future {Gundam Epyon}. Near the end of AC 195, Doctor J was being held prisoner upon the White Fang's battles.h.i.+p Libre, but he learned of the existence of {Gundam Epyon} which had destroyed the Bulge Fortress. He had seen Treize's blueprints with his own eyes and among the (efficiency), he had some (beliefs/thoughts) about the transformative flight ability [Treize] called {mobile armor}.
”Whaaat, so this isn't Wyvern,” he had seemed unable to prevent the nostalgia from seeping out into his voice. ”Taking the lead from my bird mode, thinking of a design that makes a Gundam transform into a Wyvern is laudable...... however, the name mobile armor is a bit......” When he spoke of just how unfortunate that sole point was, he eyed the technical officer. ”Did that Treize Khushrenada design this?” Doctor J tacked a ”what a boorish name” at the very end.
But that is a terrible digression.
The two young students entered Sabrina's room and into that terminal unit they entered the cat data.
”The basic data of a Norwegian forest cat is in. Now, you have to input the cat's characteristics.”
”What? But......” Sabrina was at a loss. Quarant asked questions as he nimbly typed upon the keyboard.
”What is the cat's name?”
”'Somewhere'......”
Jay was delighted, ”Oh, that's a good name! Wouldn't that be a better name for this sytem than 'ZERO'?”
”But I call him 'Sam'.”
”Oh,” Jay said, loosing heart as he showed Quarant a photo of Sam and had him trace it in the monitor. And [Sam] meowed to Sabrina.
”Actually, we know quite a bit about you, my lady.”
”Huh?”
”What, didn't you always come out to the outer wall construction site? We worked part time out there!”
”I loved those homemade cookies.”
”......those [were made by] my younger sister, Katerina.”
”Is that so?”
”......” No matter what, the conversation didn't pick up.
”Well, I suppose there's no help for mixing the two of you up since you're twins and all,” said Jay with false cheeriness.
”Yes, yes.”
Afterwards, Quarant asked Sabrina detailed questions and (repeated) the fine tuning. He spoke after hitting the enter key for the last time, ”Okay, finished. Please try (corresponding) with 'Sam' as you did before......I'm positive the (learning fuction) will run immediately and he'll come to behave just like your 'Sam'.” Sabrina called ”Sam” and the 'Sam' in the monitor answered with a 'meow.' The voice and expression was just like the Sam who was still on Earth.
”I missed you, Sam.”
”Meow, meow.”
Seeing Sabrina like that made Heero and Katerina skeptical that it really was okay [to have made a digicat / #8].
”Isn't this the same as those pet-raising [simulation] games from long ago?” Sabrina asked naively.
”Absolutely not! This Sam has actual emotions!” Quarant vehemently denied [her statement]. He went on and on, speaking in [scientific] jargon but to summarize: intelligent beings pa.s.sed vaguely synthetic judgement with regards to their targets/objects 222/2/1-4. For example, imagine you are in a coffee house and you notice an elderly patron who you sense is irritate--[the synthetic judgement is] understanding how one feels this. One might understand from the position of his eyebrows or the [direction?] of his gaze or the expression on his face but not to what extent. The number of wrinkles in the paper that he's holding, the clatter of the cups, the oddly rough nose breathing, the inability to feel at home for all the excessive movement, or the sensitive response to each and every buzz in the air around--isn't that taking in the signs created by the whole body? 222/2/15-19 Until now, computers have diagnosed things like pulse, blood pressure, and (the numerical value of palpitations), but they hadn't come to the point where they could understand the mental state of an irritated old man. Conversely, [apply this] to an unsettled, lonely young lady. Healing that girl's heart won't take kind words, it is enough [to say], 'I'll simply be with you,' but if a computer doesn't understand feeling 'lonely' or 'anxiety,' the action is a superficial thing and lacks feeling. Apart from instinct, dogs and cats (judge) all the various trifling/trivial behaviors of humans and come snuggling up or take to someone. For that to happen [though], a certain degree of (experience) is necessary and by the same logic/reason/argument, a newborn puppy or kitten could not respond in this fas.h.i.+on. One had to make [the] vague and uncertain [human] feelings understandable in order to allow a computer to have feelings, but that required enormous volumes of information and communication in addition to experience and time. That was what Quarant spoke pa.s.sionately about.
--[To] introduce feelings to your partner ((target))--
Just to do that, it was apparent that the (high speed calculation disposal equipment) of quantum cla.s.s computers had to be developed/evolved. That said, Katerina and Heero only understood about half of that. Boisterous as usual, Jay put his arm around Quarant's shoulder and made to leave.
”See you later, Heero! That meeting tonight starts at nine in lecture hall three, you gotta come!”
”Y-yes......(but) are you leaving that Wyvern here?”
”Leave it alone until [we/I] can make/get a subst.i.tute A.I.! It was getting tough to hide it at school anyway! Don't you think that bright idea kills two birds with one stone? Ka ka ka ka ka [#9]......” And then, Hurricane Jay and Brouhaha Quarant left.
”They probably really just wanted to get rid of that thing......if the authorities [ever] found this, it'd be quite a fuss.”
”I thought Sensei was [a little] strange, but your friends are even more so.”
”Yes, that's about right.”
Heero and Katerina let out a little sigh. To completely cover the giant, ominous machine with a sheet, they had no choice but to cancel their afternoon cla.s.s.
*
That night, for the first time in a long time, Sabrina decided to play Nocturne for the 'Sam' in the monitor. As she'd done before, she (tried) to say ”play it once, Sam.” Same gave a small ”meow” and curled up. That little thing was just like the real Sam. So was the way he rolled over in his sleep during the song. Nocturne continued (forever). Sabrina's beloved peace of mind had returned. A quiet night descended. The song changed from Nocturne to Waltz No. 2. ”Grand Valse Brilliante.” [#10] Heereo and Katerina, who were in the backyard and felt compelled to finish covering {Wyvern} with the sheet, were fascinated by the waltz they heard [from the house]. Suddenly, Katerina faced Heero and with proper social manners said, ”Sir, may I have this dance?” In living with Sabrina, she'd somehow picked up those pretty kinds of manners.
”In these situations, isn't the man supposed to do the asking?” Heero's wry/bitter smile was self conscious.
Laughing, Katerina answered, ”Aw, [since] when did you ever think of me as a girl?”
”Since now.”
--And tonight will be the last, won't it.
After this evening, Heero intended to quit being a tutor. He believed his connection to the underground activists Jay and Quarant would surely cause trouble for the Darlians. For the last night at least, it was (surely) alright to pretend to be someone else. Heero took Katerina's hand and danced elegantly. Under the star filled sky, their light steps pa.s.sed on endlessly 223/2/8-9. Though [dancing] on the gra.s.s wasn't [easy].
”Someday, at a party, I'd like to dance with you.”
”Did you want to embarra.s.s me furhter?”
”No, Sensei......for a stick in the mud (頭が固いワリ), your rhythm is smooth and gentle.”
”You're good, too, for a tomboy.” There was nothing as beautiful as those two [as they] danced against the lights of the Darlian residence.
”Thank you for helping Sabrina.”
”It's only natural to a.s.sist a pupil in a difficult situation.”
”......so will you help me, too?”
”You?”
”Yes......I'm now in a lot of pain.” After that were probably [going to be] words [of her] (”loving heart.”) But the far off piano music had finished. And from the second story window, they heard Sabrina.
”Sensei, Katerina! I'm sorry I was having fun by myself! I'll come and help you!”
”It's alright, Sabrina......we've already finished,” Katerina said. An infinite moment cannot last forever.
Heero looked at his watch and said, ”I have to get going. Can't break my promise to meet Jay.”
”The a.s.sembly? The student movement?”
”I'm just going to put in an appearance.” And just like that, he went off into the darkness of the night. He didn't say goodbye. They were certain to meet again--. Beside Katerina, who was always seeing Heero off, was Sabrina.
”Did Heero Sensei leave?”
”I'm--”
”Huh?”
Katerina raised her hand in the direction which Heero had disappeared.
”I'm Katerina Peacecraft......and you are?”
Sabrina looked at her sister with wonder.
”What are you playing at?”
”It's okay......(now) I'm in the same position as you, Sabrina.” At this time, Katerina was clearly aware that she was in love. She was simply happy to love him, Heero.
*
Hundreds of people had gathered in the college's underground lecture hall number three. Standing on a dais was a middle cla.s.s man with an air of a true intellectual.
”Our colonies have been living under a monarchy that merely calls itself a democracy [#11]. Long have we been suffering with excessive taxes. Must we continue to labor just so that the people of Earth may live in peace and quiet? We, the people of the colonies, pay taxes more than fifteen percent higher than those living on Earth. What's more, most of those taxes are used for the military expenses of the Earth Sphere United Alliance Army! This is outrageous! There is absolutely no fighting here in s.p.a.ce, why then must we pay war expenditures? That's not all! We citizens of s.p.a.ce supply many of the (materials) and safe produce for the Earth is the status quo, so why are we so oppressed?”
Heero entered the hall in the middle of this speech. Jay took swift notice, beckoned 'over here!' and had [Heero] sit. Even [catching] only part of the speech, he knew the man's a.s.sertions were (freedom principle advocating/自由原理主義的な) libertarian [#12]. Naturally, he could predict what would come next.
”Now we ought to stand up! We are not a people who have been thrown away! We are the people who, of our own free will, choose to live in s.p.a.ce! We have the right to live freely!” Just when the applause was about to start, someone in the front row raised his hand as he stood up.
”If I may? I am Cinquant Khushrenada, a member of the Romefeller Foundation on Earth.” Those words threw the place into an uproar. It was shocking enough to have someone from Earth there, but he had some nerve to [wish to] express his opinion. And a small number of people in the hall recognized that he was the sole survivor of the shuttle that had just [recently] exploded. That [bit of information] was whispered around the room, an indescribable tension spread across the hall. Heero had seen that explosion with his own eyes.
”The other light that went in another direction [what his escape pod]......”
He hadn't asked the details [of the shuttle] from Sabrina. But the timing of it was [too] good and felt deliberate; he was dubious.
”Everything my esteemed counterpart [#13] has said is correct. But I have two or three particulars I want to question.”
”G-go ahead.”
”What is this 'freedom' you talk of? What is the 'right'? Do you intend to return this orderly world to lawlessness? If the law and taxation system are lost, your [own] livelihood and economy cannot keep going. Where upon 'freedom' will be lost. If the Earth didn't exist, you, my friends, who have rights, wouldn't [even] exist. Before insisting on 'rights,' I'd have you remember your debt to the earth. What would you have the mothers do when [it is time] they give birth? Independence is fine, to rise up is good. However, I'd like you to consider the things for which the Earth, as it exists now, are necessarily indispensable. That is to say, supporting the Earth has the [same] significance as supporting your [own] livelihoods.”
Silence befell the hall. One person, only Heero Yuy, saw this scene as something to ridicule. Those were not questions or even refutations just now. It was nothing more than a one-sided telling of Earth's situation. That was how Heero a.n.a.lyzed it. Cinquant slowly climbed up the dais and presented a pistol and a short sword, [both?] embellished with gold and jewels, to the man who had been making a speech.
”It appears everyone already knows but, I am the one who, by rights, should have died in that shuttle explosion. If you, my good man, are wis.h.i.+ng for bloodshed, by all means, start with me (lit: run me through). If your will is strong, it should be an extremely simple thing. My life along with the peris.h.i.+ng of Earth! So, which shall it be, the sword or the gun?”
This gathering was for the sake of rising up, not a place for discussion. Much less the thoughts of shedding blood 226/1/12-14 [sentences seem contradictory].
”Would you mind knocking it off?” Heero Yuy stood up. ”Not a one among us hopes for bloodshed! That doesn't depend on our resolve 226/1/19, it's because [I/we] wish for peace for the future of Earth and s.p.a.ce!”
”And you are?”
”A student at this school who also does colony construction.”
”And what of future peace? I'd like to hear your opinion.”
”[Just] as the colonies need Earth, Earth needs the colonies. What we don't need is antagonism [or] (I believe) this hatred for one another......if we can eliminate the unnecessary elements, our futures should see peace by themselves.”