2010-02-27 - Extensions Of Self

Giga-Float. For some months now, it has served as the operations point for a bulk of the special ops division of the Earth Federation. A giant, floating island, the titanic mass driver now floats across the Pacific, listlessly wandering as the waves chop violently around it.

It has been a hectic week. But the greatest of trials deserve the greatest of rewards. Currently, Giga-Float's MS bay reflects this very fact; machines flow in and out of the development bays, some having distinct stylings of the GN-X, others looking like barebones skeletons of Aheads. More than once, the conical storage cone to the GN-T Drives can be seen being scuttled back and forth.

It is the coming of a new age.

Currently, this is what Ribbons watches in a room specifically reserved for him aboard the Float. Sitting on a luxuriously appointed couch, the young, green-haired man crosses one leg over the other, watching on holographic projectors as men do their work; the actions of humans never fail to amuse him. His gaze drifts, to two MS containment bays. For now, he is waiting for the two he has summoned.

His oh-so special guests.

Leo Stenbuck, it seems, is in high demand today. He had hardly left a (highly stressful) audience in one of the Giga-Float's less Ribbons-centric meeting rooms with special guest Gendo Ikari when he was called upon for another meeting, with yet another particularly special guest.

Truly, there's a change a'happening.

The door to Ribbons's Special Place slides open with a mechanical hiss, and Leo steps inside, clad in his shiny new A-LAWS uniform. It's barely been a day, and already they're pushing them out. And custom-tailored, too.

it's nice, Leo muses, to know that the Federation can get things done fast when it is motivated to.

The young Major's - Captain's, now, he supposes - eyes scan the room before he steps out of the doorway, before finally settling on RIbbons. "Ribbons," he greets, stepping out of the doorway and gseturing for the girl behind him to enter. "You wanted to see us?"

Louise follows along just behind Leo, likewise in her shiny new A-LAWS uniform; she's a little unsure about this elite task force, or more accurately unsure about working with ZAFT, but if this is what Ribbons has deemed best for uniting the world's will then she will give everything for it. It's that simple.

Stepping into the room, Louise keeps her expression neutral, though it's hard for her to suppress a small smile as her eyes fall on Ribbons. "Ribbons, sir," she says, momentarily unsure how to properly greet him here on the Giga-Float; she settles on a crisp salute, which she holds for a moment before dropping it.

Slowly, Ribbons looks up. Calm violet eyes behold Louise and Leo as they enter, his lips quirking in a calm smile. "You've come a long way, haven't you?"

Hands settling in his lap, Ribbons looks to the side, staring once more at the projection displaying the MS hangar. "Both of you have been through much. You've lost loved ones, experienced betrayal, rage, and hatred..." His gaze shifts, focusing intently on Leo.

"... and had to sacrifice so much to achieve a feeling of strength."

Ribbons remains silent for a long time after, as if letting his words settle in -- to let them fester. Closing his eyes, the Innovator smiles, leaning his head against the back of his couch. "And yet you've experienced the same thing that all humans in every era have experienced. Like an endless loop of tragedy." His smile grows a touch sadder, more sympathetic, perhaps.

"Do you understand, now, why humankind have never known peace?"

Ribbons's words about loss, and betrayal, and sacrifice... they strike a chord in Leo, and, for some reason, a wave of anger washes over him. Not that it's hard to push Leo's buttons lately... especially not today, after his slight breakdown on the radio and his subsequent meeting with Gendo Ikari.

He thinks he's so smart. What does he know about any of the things of which he speaks? He's never even been in a fight; not to Leo's knowledge, at least. His... sister, or, or whatever she is, she's still safe and sound, despite her psychosis. Psychos/e/s, even.

And he lied to him. Or maybe he was just wrong. It doesn't really matter, either way. He promised him something, promised him Sarah, and it wasn't true. Leo's hand slips into one of his uniform's hip pockets, brushing back the skirt to do it; a week ago, his bottle of pills would have been there.

Now, the pocket is empty.

But he does the healthy thing, and swallows his anger and his indignance. "I understand well enough," he says, simply. He can't help but add, mentally: Do you?

Leo isn't the only one who gets angry at Ribbons's words, but it's not at Ribbons that she directs her ire. Louise's anger comes at the people -- the humans who refuse to know peace. "They don't want it," Louise reflects, a little bitterly, gripping one arm with the other. "They won't take it unless it's forced upon them."

It is either a lack of realization or a lack of caring that lets Louise walk that path mentally -- the same path that she condemns the people of Katharon for walking. The simple fact is that humanity refuses peace even when they claim to want it and need someone like Ribbons, someone with absolute power, to impose it on them.

She nods, quietly, afterward; she says nothing further, however.

"You're upset," Ribbons notes easily to Leo, eyes still closed; as if for all the world the young man was just an open book to him. His right hand gestures broadly. "And why shouldn't you be? You've lost so much. Yet nothing's changed. You haven't gained anything you wanted, have you? And perhaps the saddest thing of all... is that your situation is hardly unique."

Ribbons offers no apologies to his words as he speaks; everyone needs a tailored approach. And so, the Innovator tailors, his eyes opening to refocus on Leo, his words uttered with all the conviction of a prophet. "I do know why this world is the way it is. Why you both have experienced the same tragedies that countless others before you have. Humans refuse it -- because they can't live long enough to realize their own mistakes. It's the tragedy of humans that you are all destined to repeat the same wars, the same madness, imprinted on your genes, because you'll never live past the revelation of their uselessness."

For a moment, Ribbons turns his gaze towards Louise, giving her a reassuring smile before he turns back to Leo. He is the one who requires that attention the most, to placate those worries. "You're angry. But you should use that anger in the right way, don't you think? Your tragedies might not be unique, but you are. I came to the both of you -- I chose you -- because both of you are special. Both of you can change this world and guide it toward a proper path." Ribbons stands, taking a single step towards Leo, head tilting toward the side. "Don't you think judgment should be rendered on the people who have hurt you? Don't you think that you should bring about retribution to those who would continue to commit their same, human mistakes?

"But before you do that, you should both be enlightened as to your true roles. I want you /both/ to know the truth." Ribbons smiles once again -- it is a reassuring, serene smile, meant to calm. "With all these people who have lied to you, don't you think you deserve the truth for once, Leo Stenbuck -- Louise Halevy?"

As Ribbons picks him apart - reads him like an open book - Leo's anger falters, replaced by uneasiness. He was sure he'd gotten better at not wearing his emotions on his sleeve, even if he fears it's because Rei's death has broken him somehow, made it harder for him to feel anything at all.

So how is it that this... man? boy? Leo's unsure. How is it that Ribbons can read him so easily? And, just as unnerving, why does he keep referring to humanity as if it were a group he was seperate from?

Leo scolds himself mentally; that's just paranoia again, just like he felt with Gendo. Maybe Huang was right... maybe he does need to talk to a therapist, or something.

But at least Ribbons is admitting that he's not been entirely honest. Leo seizes upon that as a small victory. And Ribbons recognizes his talent... he needs him.

And it isn't like he's... scary. A little unnerving, yes, but look at him. He's practically a little boy; even if he is an Earthnoid, at least as far as Leo knows, Leo's pretty sure he could break him in half.

Not that he'd want to, of course.

"Yes," Leo says, simply, pulling his hand out of his pocket, crossing his arms casually over his chest, and staring Ribbons right in the eyes... a distinct change from when they last spoke, and the boy Leo was then could barely muster up the courage to look at the person he was talking to.

Where Leo at least bothers to think about this critically, Louise doesn't in the least; she falls for Ribbons's words hook, line, and sinker. She's even OK with the idea that Ribbons has not told her the whole truth of her choosing yet, because at the end of the day -- he's responsible for the hope she found again. And for that, she'll bear anything from that man if only he asks.

She smiles back at Ribbons, letting him talk to Leo; the doubt in his heart far exceeds hers, and it's only fair that Ribbons should spend more time reassuring him. He's lost so much -- his home, Rei... it's only natural that he'd be hurting. She was hurting, too, for a long time.

When he asks both of them that fateful question, Louise nods, firmly. "Yes," she says, with a firm nod. "I'd like to know the truth."

Leo has grown.

In part, that may be a detriment.

But it is the truth they want, and it is the truth that Ribbons so generously offers him, like a god offering the gift of fire unto mortals. He turns his back to them as they both offer their affirmations, his gaze once more turning to the screen panel.

"Before the dawn of the New Colony Age, it was speculated that one day, when humanity was ready, they would transition into space, and release their shackles that limited them, becoming something more -- Innovators. People who would change the shape of the very world." Ribbons keeps his gaze firmly affixed to that screen, looking almost considerate for a moment, before he continues. "Eventually, individuals with enhanced awareness came into the world -- people, in their ignorance, called them 'evolution.' 'Newtypes,' 'Psychodrivers.' Humans thought these individuals would bring about true understanding.

"But they were wrong. Look around you. What has changed? Humans still fester in ignorance and contempt. Newtypes use their power to kill and spread violence. Humanity transitioned to the stars too soon, and like a child with a loaded gun, only used their scarcely-understood power to devour themselves." Ribbons turns his head, looking behind him at Leo and Louise; his expression is stern, and his eyes are now glowing -- a distinct gold that bleeds digital strands against violet.

"Newtypes are an evolutionary dead end."

A pause, and Ribbons turns again. "A-LAWS was formed to establish peace... and to prepare humanity for a true transition to the stars, when they are ready to accept their birthright. You, Louise Halevy, Leo Stenbuck -- you are special. Of all of the humans I've met, you two have experienced and survived through much... and both of you have the potential to become the true next stage of humanity."

Slowly, the screen shifts behind Ribbons, almost demanding attention as it focuses on those two MS containers. The hatches open in a series of hisses and unlocking clacks, the front compartments opening up... to reveal two machines. One massive, blue, bedecked in guns. The other more slender, white and blue, and with the distinctive v-fin that defines those machines that change eras.

"A-LAWS are the force that shall establish peace," Ribbons says with a calm smile.

"And you two shall be the vanguard that guide it.

"As humanity's first Innovators."

Leo keeps his eyes locked on Ribbons as he speaks, barely even blinking. There's another brief surge of anger - more irritation, really - at his words about Newtypes.

It isn't that he holds any particular love for Newtypes, at least not in practice. But as a self-described Contolist, a believer in the teachings of Zeon Zum Deikun, some part of him parses Ribbons's words as a claim that Deikun was... wrong. Foolish. And that by extension, Leo himself is foolish.

As Ribbons continues speaking, however, Leo forces himself to admit that the two philosophies are not mutually exclusive. Zeon spoke of the evolution of humanity... perhaps he was simply ahead of his time.

When Ribbons's eyes light up, a wave of pressure rolls over Leo's temples; he blinks rapidly a few times, and then, suddenly, his eyes are the same as Ribbons's, as if someone had turned on a music visualizer in his irides.

Unlike Ribbons, Leo's sudden psychic activity is merely the result of a simple call-and-respond; a ping. It is phenomenally weak, the psychic equivalent of a dialup modem calling over and over and receiving only the barest of responses, when it gets one at all.

It will, of course, grow in time.

Perhaps, Leo muses. Perhaps Ribbons is right. Perhaps the Newtype /is/ an evolutionary dead end, and what Zeon spoke of was...

Leo's glowing eyes lift from Ribbons to the screen as the containers open to reveal their contents. His eyes are drawn to the Gundam; the ubiquitous name of the tool which has, for sixty years now, shaped human history merely by its existence. The Gundam Fight, the One Year War...

The first - and most - of which, Leo notes, were built by humans. Not Newtypes, Psychodrivers, not Coordinators. But not Innovators, either. Perhaps Zeon Zum Deikun was wrong... but, perhaps, so is Ribbons.

Perhaps humans need not evolve to thrive, and conquer their base nature, and evolve beyond the need for war and death.

Perhaps they need only to be properly guided.

Unlike Leo, Louise is not dangerously close to a dead zone; perhaps it's her overreliance on those pills to stabilize herself. Maybe it's that near-absolute loyalty to Ribbons. Whatever the case, when Ribbons 'queries' Louise, she is opened wide to him.

Her eyes match his, the same bleeding gold and purple, wide open -- receiving everything. Louise stands at attention, listening to the best of her ability; part of her wants not to believe in the idle imaginings of philosophers like Deikun and Yuy -- and that part is only strengthened when Ribbons claims Newtypes as an evolutionary dead end.

Turning her attention to the machines shown, she nods firmly, taking it all in. Ribbons wants her to take on the role of humanity's guide into a better future. He wants her, in spite of -- no, /because/ of her damage, her wounds, to pull humanity forward.

"Thank you," she says, quietly; it's a murmur, far-away, distant. Unlike Leo, she does not spend -- waste -- time trying to reconcile his words with her previous thoughts... perhaps because she did not previously think much about it at all. There is Louise, and there is Ribbons's will, and the boundary between the two is terribly faint.

Properly guided. Ribbons couldn't agree more.

But the blind can never lead the blind, and this is only tragic reality.

"Humans will continue to wage war, and no human will ever live long enough to learn from that mistake," Ribbons utters, almost to himself, turning his gaze back toward the two machines.

"The CBY-001 1 Gundam and CBY-077 GN Cannon. Do you know why it is the 1 Gundam, Leo Stenbuck?" Ribbons turns his gaze back to the young man, his glowing eyes looking like they could pierce the soul. "Because it is a cherished machine -- beloved, because the one who pilots this will alter the very fate of humankind. And it was made just for you, Leo."

It's the truth. Or at least, a version of the truth.

Ribbons' gaze turns, then, towards Louise, his gaze softening. "And the GN Cannon -- a weapon with the power that you've yearned for, to strike down the ones who've wronged you, who have continued to perpetuate chaos. A weapon to support the 1 Gundam in destroying the enemies of a peaceful future. This is your weapon, Louise, and yours alone -- made because I believe in your ability to excel further than anyone else." And excel further than the GN Cannon itself. But...

... within the bounds of Ribbons' constraints, as all things.

"Starting today, these are your machines. Use them, and all their power, for the benefit of the people you've lost." Ribbons' gaze shifts to Leo for the briefest of moments, before he begins to walk towards the door.

"It isn't much of an apology... but I hope they're satisfactory to your needs."

Leo's eyes swing back down to Ribbons when he begins speaking about the 1 Gundam. 'Ai'... he recognizes it as 'love', if only barely. He's far from learned in Japanese, but you don't spend over a year with a Japanese girlfriend and not pick up a few things.

Beloved, huh? Well. Leo may not be sure if he agrees with Ribbons's assessment of the nature of mankind, but there's no denying that he has humanity's best interests at heart.

Leo doesn't immediately shift out of where he stands, just slightly in Ribbons's path to the door; he lets him reach him, first, and looks down at the... the Innovator, Leo's gut tells him, for a few heartbeats.

"Thank you, Ribbons," he eventually agrees with Louise, shifting to the side and out of Ribbons's way.

"Thank you again, sir," Louise says, a little more firmly this time; her mind has snapped back to full processing, and she knows now what she must do. She must take this weapon -- CBY-077 -- and use it to execute Ribbons's will, to prevent humanity from its senseless, deadly mistakes.

Eyes resting on the GN Cannon, Louise says, "This should be more than satisfactory." She glances to Leo, and the 1 Gundam. The pair remind her of the Gundam and Guncannon -- but they're more than that. They complement each other, but more than that, they're symbols of Ribbons's love of mankind, and desire to alter its fate. Why else would one be the Beloved Gundam?

Moving out of Ribbons's way, she glances toward Leo, wordlessly.