Chapter 373 - 374: DSSD—Deep Space Survey and Development Organization

Chapter 373: Chapter 374: DSSD—Deep Space Survey and Development Organization

"As expected of Lacia-san!"

Just when the viewers thought the concert was about to begin, the scene abruptly jumped to Fortaleza in South America.

This was a research and development center.

Deep Space Survey and Development Organization.

The Deep Space Survey and Development Organization, abbreviated DSSD.

In the world of Gundam SEED, it was the only organization that could truly be described as "neutral."

It received funding from the Earth Alliance, PLANT, third-party nations, and even the Martian colonies.

The McGriffs were making their final preparations before heading to DSSD’s space station.

The world was at war, and the spaceport could no longer be used. But as a truly neutral organization established to explore deep space beyond the orbit of Mars, DSSD naturally had a launch platform of its own.

However, just as the McGriff couple were preparing to leave, they received an email signed by someone named "Lacia."

So the two postponed their departure and began studying it together with their daughter, Selene McGriff, who worked in MS development.

"Fully automated AI navigation... a space probe... This is an ingenious design."

And it was not just the family of three.

Other DSSD researchers gathered around as well.

DSSD was a very unusual organization. Other institutions provided them with funding and material support, and DSSD shared technology with those institutions in return.

But Lacia-san was different.

What Lacia-san provided to them was "technical support."

Talk about turning the whole relationship upside down.

But they had to admit that her technology had been enormously helpful.

Especially in the field of AI.

Quantum computers were still relatively primitive in the Gundam SEED world, but AI technology itself was actually quite widespread.

PLANT’s governing institutions used administrative AIs for decision-making, and ordinary mobile suits carried self-correcting AIs. That was also why ZAFT and PLANT had accepted the G-series AIs so readily—GINNs already had similar systems.

But compared with the AI technology provided by "Lacia-san," those systems were worlds apart.

The difference was practically Windows 98 versus Windows 7.

"Huh? This technology?"

The other side had also sent them a "giant technology gift pack."

It was full of blueprints.

"Wait." Selene was from PLANT, and when she saw some of the strangely familiar material, she immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Isn’t this that... neutron... Wait, nuclear power? No, what exactly is this?"

Wasn’t this fucking ZAFT technology?

The DSSD researchers looked at one another.

"And this PS armor technology over here... don’t tell me it belongs to the Earth Alliance?"

Another researcher nearby had noticed a different document.

This was insane.

Every fucking file was a hot potato.

"Seriously, who is she? Why does she even have this kind of material?" another researcher asked, nearly losing it.

"I remember someone tried sending her an invitation to join DSSD before. What happened with that?" Professor McGriff suddenly remembered.

"Mm, but if she can obtain material like this, I suspect she’s someone with a certain amount of authority inside either the Earth Alliance or ZAFT," a researcher nearby replied.

"Maybe she isn’t even a specific person. Maybe it’s an organization, or some sort of codename? A name used in service of the highest ideals of all humanity?" someone else suggested.

"Selene, what do you think?" McGriff asked his daughter.

"Mm, maybe she’s an alien," Selene said casually. "I’ve heard the rumors about DSSD. Supposedly this organization was founded by aliens, right?"

"Hahaha, that’s definitely just a rumor," someone nearby laughed.

"If she were willing to show herself, I honestly wouldn’t mind letting her become DSSD’s director."

Lacia did not merely provide technical support. She also supplied funding and material resources.

The supplies were delivered through the Junk Guild, while the money was pure support with absolutely no strings attached. It was far better than the Earth Alliance, which was constantly demanding technology in return.

"Mm?"

At that moment, they noticed that a website link had also been included.

"A concert?"

It was a website carrying a live broadcast of the concert.

The stream normally required payment, but through this link, they could watch it for free.

"Oh, it’s the Songstress of Orb."

"I heard Heliopolis was destroyed before. I was a little worried about her."

"Wasn’t ZAFT the one that destroyed Heliopolis? Why is she holding a concert on ZAFT’s side?"

[What even is this organization?]

[Lacia is probably just another identity Inori is using, right?]

[Deep-space development? Don’t tell me this anime is actually going to tell a story about aliens.]

[Feels similar to that ZAFT research institute from before. Is this showing Inori spreading technology everywhere?]

[I feel like it’s a little different.]

[AI is devious as hell.]

[Let the bullets fly for a while.]

[Could this be some kind of narrative trick?]

There was certainly a narrative trick involved.

But that was not the only objective.

Another reason Inori was doing this was for "character building."

The way DSSD had been founded in this world was somewhat different from how DSSD had originally been founded in the SEED world.

"Ouma Mana" had originally been an identity used by Hyuga Hanabi after studying through the "training course."

Back when Inori was still Hanabi, she had used the identity of Ouma Mana to release quite a few interesting things, purely because the idea was fun and gave her a chance to stir up trouble.

Later, after entering the SEED world, Inori used a Fate Card to further weave this "Ouma Mana" identity into the story’s "early history."

But all of that was later material—part of Inori’s own "backstory."

It was not part of the world’s broader background.

If Inori did not interfere at all, the story would still move in its original direction.

So in a certain sense, interference was necessary.

Besides, background was only background. What appeared before the audience was the "truth" the audience actually knew.

And DSSD was such a useful organization... If she did not take control of it herself, how could she possibly feel at ease?!

At that moment, as everyone at DSSD opened the video link, the shot card’s duration also expired.

The Stage smoothly transitioned straight from the video link to North Africa.

"Ohhh! It’s Inori-san!"

"See? All that talk about Inori-san getting blown up by us was nothing but a rumor!"

"Exactly! She even came here in person to sing for us!"

Plenty of people in ZAFT liked Inori’s songs.

Yzak and the others had no interest, but ordinary soldiers were still very fond of her.

When news of Heliopolis’s destruction first spread, there had even been rumors that "the Songstress of Orb had perished."

For example, that so-called Moon Newspaper over in Eurasia had been brazenly spouting nonsense.

But now that Inori-san had appeared in person and was holding a concert, the rumor had effectively been disproved.

"The Tiger really is the Tiger. Getting the Songstress of Orb to appear in person can restore and boost ZAFT morale at the same time." Mu and the others were watching the broadcast aboard the Archangel as well.

The broadcast was fed by cable into Fyu-Neru and transmitted from there. Nobody knew exactly how it worked, but on Earth, where radio interference was such a headache, it still allowed them to watch a live broadcast.

And amid everyone’s cheers, a red Astray came flying in from the distance...