Alone and Lonesome ー Part 5

ー The welcoming ceremong ー

The place was huge with bodyguards everywhere. There were two rows of bodyguards who were standing in a line. The first row of bodyguards were wearing black cloths with masks covering their upper faces and the second row was wearing blue cloths with the same masks covering their upper faces.

All the adults were also gathered there. Adults are grown versions of humanity who resides in plantations. The Adults population resides in tall glittering skyscrapers at all time and rarely walk outside.

Each Adult usually wears a white heasdress which covers their eyes and nose. Their skin seldom exposed in the air.

The place was known as APE Control section. APE is a political organization that consists of scientists and politicians who govern all of known humanity. All civilian and military organizations report to them or someone under them. With the exception of the special forces pilots, also known as the "Nines", who report directly to APE. They worked with Dr. FranXX in the creation of the FranXX program.

There are Seven members in the APE political organization. Also known as the "Seven Sages" or "Lamarck Club". They are the highest members of mankind's governing institution "APE". They are publically regarded as the leaders of humanity and chairman of council, Known as "Papa", is worshipped as a god. The Seven adults who assemble at APE HQ. In opposition of the sudden activity of Kalaxour, they pay particular to the awakening of Strelizia and its pistil, Zero Two. They refer to the boy as the "special specimen".

APE was established as a means of liberation for humanity's salvation. By introducing magma energy, humanity gained access to highly advanced technology and built forth a strong economy, and they were able to take it towards the path of the impossible: Immortality, and thus would be free to live as of equivalence of deities. As a part of their philosophy, the actions of APE will help citizens live in a society that is devoid of fear but enveloped with utopia. This is encouraged through APE propaganda and strict consequences (including the threat of death) for those who bend and/or break the rules.

Most citizens view APE as something that liberates them from the burden of being human, such as sentimentality (ex. pain and affection), which they had come to consider to be troublesome. However, APE is extremely hypocritical and despite claiming to usher in a utopia free of any inconvenience, they enforce strict laws upon citizens, especially the parasites, making it a totalitarian regime.

APE was founded at the start of the twenty-first century following the mysterious arrival of the Chairman and his companies who took control of the internationalization government due to APE's discovery of Magma Energy. Members of the APE introduced magma energy as new mining technology by excavating magma energy from underground the Earth'a surface and it became a new low-cost and all-compassing energy source, allowing technology and civilization to rapidly accelerate.

In 2025, the chairman (who later became known as ´Papa´ to almost everyone approached Dr. FranXX about his research on illegal cloning. APE hoped to spees human civilization via studying the possibility of humans achieving immortality. Although he was uninterested, APE hired Dr. FranXX to conduct a project on human immortality in exchange for offering him significant funding for his research. Sith the use of injecting magam energy into the bodies of humans, his research was successful and all the wealthy citize s became immortal but at the cost of their reproductive functions. Initially, only the wealthy citizens could afford this but eventually, this became universally available.

In the opinion of public, APE is a successful organization that is dedicated to the preservation and protection of humanity, as they meticulously oversee the development of the parasites and were the ones who keep humanity from the threat of extinction thanks to their discovery of magma energy. The boy says that, without the use of magma energt, which supports humanity'a necessities, humanity wouldn't be alive. Much of the humanity is loyal to APE and follows its authority without questions. APE regards the parasites as simpmy tools or warfare and considers any death of a parasite to be a welcomed sacrifice for the greater good. However, to boost the parasites´ loyalty and self-confidence, APE occasionally praises them for their duties and rewards them with annual gifts and, in Squad 13,s case, medals. For the friendship ceremony. to honor the kissing of plantation 13 & 26, APE gave the parasites the privilege to be treated as VIPS.

In 2037, the Kalaxours began attacking the magma plants. To counter against the Kalaxours, APE instructed Dr. FranXX to develop a defense strategy. His research led to the creation of the FranXX unit. However, when the project entered it's prototype phase, It hits a standstill and the units wouldn't start up. Further researchs revealed the units required pilots who shared a mental connection and retained their reproductive functions.

This revelation was discovered after many lives were lost in the development of the units, but by objecting the pilots with yellow blood cell dosages, the pilots would be able to conpatible enough to operate the units. Because all the adults had sacrificed their reproductive functions in exchange for immortality, there was a need for new, fertile children. Through Dr. FranXX's cloning research, male and female synthetic children called Parasites were created. Kept in isolation throughout childhood, these children were required to develop the emotional responses required to pilot a FranXX.

Upon getting a sample of hair from the humanoid princess of Kalaxours, Dr. FranXX created Zero Two, a project APE personally oversaw and deemand a highly significant success. Because of Zero Two was an artificially human-Kalaxour hybrid with abilities that far surpassed an average parasite's, APE oversaw her development and subjected her to horrific experiments to test her abilities and prepare her for the day when she would operate "Star Entity", a Kalaxour weapon deep under Earth's surface at "Gran Crevasse". To nurture and educate the children as parasites, APE created the Garden, where they would undergo daily teats and drills from birth to age 14, when they are deemed fit to pilot and are eligible for discharge.