After Colony technology

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This article deals with technology from the After Colony timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries.

In the After Colony timeline there are generally few explanations about the technology, as the series focuses more on character development. Most technology is assumed to work in at least similar fashion to the mobile weapon technology from Gundam's Universal Century.

1 Gundanium Alloy
2 Planet Defensors
3 The ZERO system
4 Mobile Doll system
5 G-Unit Technologies
6 References

[edit] Gundanium Alloy

One of the central elements of Gundam Wing's mobile suits is the use of Gundanium Alloy. What makes Gundanium so incredible is its properties: it is practically immutable, highly heat-resistant, and electrically neutral. These properties combine to produce a material that is extremely hard to damage, lending to the Gundams' atmosphere of invincibility and intimidation. Additionally, heat and beam weapons produced using Gundanium are much stronger than similar weapons made using traditional titanium, thanks to its extremely high melting point allowing it to produce hotter and therefore stronger beam energy. The name is actually a misnomer, since Gundanium is not technically an alloy; it contains non-ferrous metals and non-metallic elements. Gundanium is very rare and hard to make, since it requires the use of super-heated plasma and nanomachines, and very few people know exactly how to make and refine it. Further, it is said that Gundanium can only be produced at Lagrange points under zero-gravity conditions, putting a very powerful tool in the hands of the colonial rebels.

There is a common misconception that Gundanium is nigh-invincible; this has been disproven by several instances in Gundam Wing and Endless Waltz where the Gundams were damaged, usually by beam weapons. However, this has also lead to the supposition that Gundanium is especially strong against solid weapons, like traditional machineguns (as is the similar alloy Gundarium, from the Universal Century). This second theory may have some truth to it: according to the novelization of Gundam Wing, a physical impact roughly equal to the force of a train travelling at 120 kilometers per hour while towing ten-plus transport cars would be enough to easily destroy Gundanium. This is also covered in the series where Heero attempts to destroy the Wing Gundam with several naval torpedoes detonated simultaneously, although no exact figures are quoted and the gundam appears undamaged afterwards.

Gundanium's name is actually an acronym; it stands for Genetic on Universal Neutrally Different Alloy. The suffix -nium was added to distinguish it from similar alloys being made on Earth. In the After Colony Universe, the word "Gundam" is derived from this acronym (GUNDAnium Mobile suit). Despite this fact, not every mobile suit made with Gundanium is a Gundam (examples: Vayeate, Mercurius).

In an Easter Egg of the Series, Gundanium is referred to as "Gundarium Theta" which would make it an eighth-generation descendant of the Lunar Titanium used on the original RX-78-2 Gundam of the Universal Century.

[edit] Planet Defensors

The "planet defensors" are small disk-like drones that can be separated from mobile suits, and can arrange themselves to deploy an electromagnetic forcefield that would protect the mobile suit. The OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius mobile suit was developed as a testbed for the planetary defensor system by OZ, which later integrated the defensors into the OZ-02MD Virgo mobile doll. A Virgo on its own can only generate a shield that protects from fire in one direction (as one Virgo only carries four defensors) - however, three Virgos working in concert can deploy their defensors in a globular shield, as can the Mercurius (which carries ten defensors.) OZ later developed an advanced variant of the Virgo, the WF-02MD Virgo II, which carried eight defensors per unit; this machine was stolen by the rebel group White Fang and is often associated with them.

Capable of defending against both projectile weapons and particle beam weapons, older laser weaponry was deployed that could penetrate the field. However, the reason the lasers were no longer in use was due to extremely rapid overheating in combat, often leading to the weapon exploding in the Mobile Suit's hands. Planet defensor fields were also breeched by melee attacks, suggesting that it takes a certain amount of force (either constant, like a weapon attack, or focused like a laser) to break through the field.

[edit] The ZERO system

The ZERO (Zoning & Emotional Range Omitted) System is a technology for interfacing the brain of the pilot with the mobile suit's computer, it could be comparable to the Universal Century's biocomputer in the Zeta Gundam. This system would not only increase the pilot's reaction times as there are no need for traditional visual interfaces, but thanks to the advanced computations performed by the computer, the pilot can become aware of future outcomes and possible courses of action that can be taken to achieve total victory or total defeat. However, due to the bidirectional nature of the system, the system had the negative side effect of creating hallucinations for those with poor mental strength, as the mood and thinking of the pilot can create a feedback loop in the system, leading to temporary insanity. Only three known mobile suits were ever equipped with this system, the XXXG-00W0 Wing Gundam Zero, OZ-13MS Gundam Epyon and XXXG-00WOS Wing Gundam Seraphim. Later during the White Fang conflict, Gundam Pilot Heero Yuy and White Fang leader Zechs Merquise developed a modified version of the ZERO system that was derived from their respective Gundams. They were given to Gundam Pilot Quatre Raberba Winner and White Fang supporter Dorothy Catalonia so that they could lead their respective forces with their maximum potential strategic abilities. Heero installed his into Quatre's XXXG-01SR Gundam Sandrock (which Quatre would later remove) and Zechs developed his into a helmet for Dorothy to use to control and coordinate the movements of mobile dolls in combat from inside the battleship Libra.

XXXG-00WOS Wing Gundam Seraphim

[edit] Mobile Doll system

Developed by OZ's Colonel Tsuberov, a loyal supporter of the Romefeller Foundation at OZ's Lunar Base, the Mobile Doll System uses a powerful computer system equipped in a mobile suit that allows it to act on its own without a human pilot. Through this method not only would it help prevent Romefeller from sacrificing the lives of their pilots, but it also would prevent them from using poorly skilled pilots in battle. However one of the Mobile Dolls chief opposers was OZ's leader Treize Khushrenada who felt that the Mobile Doll system would make humans unnecessary for battle, and therefore render battles useless. After the White Fang seized control of the Lunar Base, the modified ZERO System that the White Fang leader Zechs Merquise had developed allowed Dorothy Catalonia to employ the system in controlling the Virgo II's Mobile Doll target programming and tactics during battle. One other variation is that when the Gundam Scientists who remained as prisoners in the hands of OZ and later the White Fang rebuilt the OZ-13MSX1 Vayeate and OZ-13MSX2 Mercurius into Mobile Dolls. Both of these suits Mobile Doll AI system were equipped with battle data from Trowa Barton and Heero Yuy from when they previously piloted these suits, and were later single-handedly destroyed by Duo Maxwell.

[edit] G-Unit Technologies

Appearing in the manga sidestory G-Unit (Last Outpost), the Gundam-type mobile suits called G-Units feature two unique technologies. The Unit System is described as a method of rapidly adapting a mobile suit to any environment. All mobile suits built with the Unit System are completely modular (except for the cockpit), allowing for the rapid changing of parts. The second technology, the PX System, is explained very briefly in the manga. The PX System is described as a temporary boost in a mobile suit's abilities and the pilot's reaction time (one of its engineers compares it to the adrenaline rush experienced during strenuous activity). While in use, the PX System manifests itself as a bright glow suffusing the G-Unit's body. However, the PX System is also very taxing; while typically programmed to shut down after a predetermined time period, the system can be kept on for extended periods of time. The problem is that overuse of the system can result in damage to both the mobile suit's structure and the pilot's brain. The only people capable of using the PX System safely are Odin and Odel Barnett; the two brothers were also capable of increasing the system's output to extreme levels, resulting in what they called "PX Overdrive". OZ pilot Kratz Silvy used the PX System, but his abuse resulted in a horrible death.