Lacus's tone softened further as she spoke.
"He probably wants to protect Flay and her parents."
"But... I want to help too."
After hearing this, Flay pondered for a moment, her young mind quickly grasping Lacus's meaning. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"That's true, but for now, let's leave it to him."
Lacus took the girl's hand.
"Flay, just focus on studying. That's enough."
"Mm..."
As they spoke, both felt each other's strength through their clasped hands.
Of course, not everyone was optimistic about Fred.
Take Shiva, for instance, along with some of the researchers.
Watching the boy smoothly enter the cockpit and begin his checks, their thoughts varied.
Fred's failure would also be their opportunity. If he failed, they would naturally have a chance to take over the project.
As for whether Fred would face any punishment afterward—that was none of their concern.
Under everyone's gaze, Fred's self-check proceeded smoothly.
"System startup. OS loading 'GINN-TEST-3.1'."
The boy's voice was clearly audible inside the sealed cockpit.
It also transmitted through the microphone to everyone's ears.
And Fred—he could hear a low rumble rising from behind him.
That was the location of the engine.
It was this very vibration that gave him the first real sense that he was truly piloting an MS.
He was now operating this massive robot, this MS, the foundation of the future Gundam.
Even though he had come up with many reasons for taking the helm himself this time and had convinced everyone, it was only now that Fred truly understood.
Perhaps the reason he was so eager was precisely because of that lingering obsession with the Gundam in his heart.
He recalled his days numbered by illness, the hope that his life could continue elsewhere, the fantasies of a healthy existence in another world.
And now, he had that opportunity.
He had truly taken the step he had always dreamed of!
At this moment, Fred was even more excited than he had imagined.
Yet, despite the turmoil in his heart, it did not hinder his hands as they swiftly moved across the complex array of buttons.
"New Auxiliary Control Module loaded successfully. 'Mass Autonomous Movement Posture Stabilization System,' Version 1.0. Initiating algorithm self-check program."
Fred operated without slowing his hands in the slightest.
Meanwhile, the observers had long held their breath.
As if afraid that even the sound of their breathing might affect the performance of the handsome red-haired boy on the screen.
Beside Fred and on the main screens visible to everyone, the simplified wireframe model of the GINN was broken down into differently colored blocks.
Representing armor, frame, weapon hardpoints, and propellant tanks, each block displayed real-time mass and inertia data.
On another side, icons representing the twelve posture control jets across the body shifted from standby gray to ready light green.
Every move Fred made left a clear trace on the monitoring screens before the observers.
Fred was indeed extremely familiar with the Mobile Suit he had helped build for a year, operating almost without conscious thought, his movements flowing naturally as if second nature.
This also stirred up more feelings of excitement or envy among the observers.
However, these thoughts clearly couldn't affect the young man who was already immersed in his own world. His hands moved swiftly, even showing signs of accelerating further.
"Static mass distribution calibration complete."
As the boy's words fell, the wireframe model on the screen fluctuated slightly. The system was scanning and confirming the precise center of gravity of the Mobile Suit.
He could feel an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible vibration from the seat—the dampers at each joint were making fine adjustments at precise frequencies, seeking the most stable stationary posture.
This was also the most critical first step for dynamic balance.
Finally, the calibration was successfully completed after a minute.
Just as Fred and the others had experienced countless times in computer simulation tests.
Seeing this important procedure complete its first step, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, though they hadn't fully relaxed yet.
After all, this was only the beginning.
Amid their tension, Fred's voice once again came through the field's loudspeakers.
"Comparison test with system predictions."
As Fred spoke, his previously rapid hands came to a complete stop.
At the same time, one hand was already gripping the control stick, fingers resting on each of its different buttons.
If everything went smoothly, every muscle movement he made—pushing, pulling, rotating, pressing the force-sensitive buttons on the grip—would be keenly sensed and calculated to determine the feedback needed to compensate for the kinetic inertia.
For example, if he moved his right hand, his left hand would automatically lift to counteract the inertia generated by the right hand's motion.
This was an automatic correction under zero-gravity conditions.
"Simulated dynamic compensation test begins."
The young man took a deep breath before continuing.
"Release the first-level maintenance frame lock."
"Received, releasing first-level lock. The Mobile Suit remains supported by the bottom stand, allowing limited range motion testing."
Heinline replied.
Seeing the prompt on the screen and hearing the click of the lock disengaging, Fred slowly pushed the control stick in his hand.
This was a crucial step, and no unexpected issues appeared on the monitoring screens.
Left hand, right hand, left leg, right leg.
It looked somewhat like a baby's unsteady first steps, yet it gripped the hearts of everyone present.
But this was normal. After all, for most people, this MS was truly like a babbling, stumbling infant.
As for its "parents," they were clearly everyone present, including Fred inside the cockpit.
"Basic kinetic test normal."
Fred's tone remained serious, and without pausing, he quickly added.
"Begin combined motion testing."
After speaking, Fred slowly but firmly pushed the control stick forward and to the right—a standard starting motion for aiming and shooting with the right hand.
Without the Automatic Balance System, a GINN would shift its center of gravity entirely to the right, making the movement appear somewhat clumsy and even prone to falling due to the imbalance.
Just like when Sai first piloted the Strike Suit.
Of course, the Strike Suit also has an automatic balance system, but even Naturals can't use it—its automation isn't that advanced.
As for the Automatic Balance System used by Coordinators, the intelligence requirements aren't as high.
At that moment, as Fred manipulated the MS to raise its rifle, the movement was smooth and fluid, even carrying a hint of flair.
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