Laplace's Box – MechaBay | Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn

Laplace’s Box (ラプラスの箱, Rapurasu no Hako) was a political artefact containing the original Universal Century Charter that threatened the legitimacy of the Earth Federation government throughout the Universal Century. The box was the cornerstone of the Vist Foundation’s political power and influence from UC 0001 to UC 0096.

History

The origins of Laplace’s Box traced back to UC 0001, when the Earth Federation held a ceremony at the Laplace space colony to mark the transition from the Common Era to the Universal Century. During this ceremony, Prime Minister Ricardo Marcenas delivered a speech introducing the new Universal Century Charter, with each constitutional law being laser-engraved onto a stone tablet as he spoke.

However, the ceremony was attacked by terrorists hired by George Marcenas, Ricardo’s son and member of a right-wing political faction. The attackers reprogrammed the colony’s solar panels to focus concentrated solar rays onto the residential block, causing explosive decompression that destroyed the colony and killed all inhabitants, including Prime Minister Marcenas.

The only survivor was Syam Vist, one of the terrorists, who discovered the original charter tablet drifting in space amongst the wreckage. Recognising the political significance of the document, Syam took possession of it and later married into the influential Vist family through underground connections. He established the Vist Foundation using the charter—which he codenamed “Laplace’s Box”—as the foundation’s source of political power.

Political leverage

From UC 0001 onwards, the Vist Foundation used Laplace’s Box to exert influence over the Earth Federation government. By threatening to reveal the box’s contents to the public, the Foundation gained substantial political leverage and amassed considerable wealth. The box’s effectiveness as a political weapon increased significantly after the One Year War, when Newtypes like Amuro Ray proved that space-adapted humans possessed enhanced abilities, validating Zeon Zum Deikun’s theories about human evolution in space.

By UC 0096, fear of the box had become entrenched within the highest levels of the Federation government. Although most individuals directly involved with the box’s origins had died, the delicate power balance it established remained intact. The Vist Foundation decided to transfer control of the box to the Neo Zeon remnant group known as “the Sleeves” in an attempt to correct what they viewed as the flaws of the Universal Century.

Principles

Laplace’s Box operated as a political weapon through the legal and constitutional authority of its contents. The original Universal Century Charter contained language that fundamentally contradicted the Earth Federation’s subsequent treatment of spacenoids and provided legal grounds for challenging the government’s legitimacy.

The box’s power derived from the fact that the charter was signed by representatives of Earth’s nations, making it legally binding international law. The Federation government’s systematic suppression of spacenoid rights and exclusion of space-adapted humans from government representation directly violated the charter’s provisions, rendering the Federation’s authority constitutionally illegitimate.

Clause 9

The most significant element within Laplace’s Box was Clause 9 of the Universal Century Charter, which stated: “In the future, should the emergence of a new space-adapted human race be confirmed, the Earth Federation shall give priority to involving them in the administration of the government.” This clause effectively guaranteed that Newtypes and other space-adapted humans would have priority representation in the Federation government.

All public copies of the charter had this clause removed by George Marcenas and his followers after the Laplace attack, ensuring that the general population remained unaware of these guaranteed rights. The original charter in Laplace’s Box was the only remaining evidence of the Federation’s constitutional obligations to spacenoids.

Applications

Political blackmail

The primary application of Laplace’s Box was as a tool for political blackmail against the Earth Federation government. The Vist Foundation used the threat of revealing the box’s contents to secure favourable treatment, government contracts, and political influence. This arrangement allowed the Foundation to become one of the most powerful entities in the Earth Sphere, with controlling interests in Anaheim Electronics and significant influence over Federation policy.

Military leverage

During the Laplace Incident of UC 0096, various factions sought to gain control of the box for military and political purposes. Neo Zeon forces under Full Frontal intended to use the box to legitimise their cause and overthrow the Federation government. Conversely, Federation hardliners wanted to destroy the box to eliminate any threat to their authority.

Constitutional reform

The revelation of Laplace’s Box’s contents in UC 0096 provided a legal foundation for constitutional reform and spacenoid rights. The box served as irrefutable proof that the original intent of the Universal Century was to include space-adapted humans in government administration, potentially justifying decades of spacenoid independence movements.

Evolution and improvements

La+ Program

To ensure that Laplace’s Box would only be accessed by worthy individuals, the Vist Foundation developed the La+ Program and installed it in the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam. This program served as a sophisticated key that would guide potential inheritors through various checkpoints, testing their character and Newtype abilities before revealing the box’s location.

The La+ Program represented an evolution in how the box was protected and accessed, moving beyond simple physical security to include psychological and spiritual testing. The program was designed to identify true Newtypes who could properly utilise the box’s power for the benefit of all humanity rather than personal gain.

Digital preservation

While the original charter remained in physical form as a laser-engraved stone tablet, the Vist Foundation also maintained digital copies and supporting documentation. This ensured that the box’s contents could survive potential destruction of the physical artefact and provided redundancy for their political leverage.

Impact

The existence of Laplace’s Box profoundly shaped the political landscape of the Universal Century. Its influence extended far beyond the immediate power it granted to the Vist Foundation, affecting Federation policy towards spacenoids and contributing to decades of conflict.

Spacenoid oppression

Knowledge of the box’s existence among Federation leadership contributed to their systematic oppression of spacenoids. Knowing that the original charter granted space inhabitants significant rights, the Federation worked to prevent the box’s contents from becoming public knowledge while maintaining strict control over space colonies.

Independence movements

The box indirectly fuelled various spacenoid independence movements throughout the Universal Century. While most rebels were unaware of the specific contents, the general knowledge that the Federation was concealing important information about spacenoid rights provided moral justification for their cause.

Newtype persecution

After Newtypes were confirmed to exist during the One Year War, the Federation’s suppression of the box became even more critical. The charter’s specific mention of space-adapted humans taking priority in government administration made Newtypes a direct threat to Federation authority, leading to various anti-Newtype policies and weapons development programs.

Limitations

Despite its significant political power, Laplace’s Box had several important limitations that affected its utility as a political weapon.

Physical vulnerability

The box required physical possession to be truly effective. While the Vist Foundation maintained secure storage at their Industrial 7 facility Magallanica, the artefact remained vulnerable to military action or theft. The Foundation’s decision to transfer the box during the Laplace Incident demonstrated this vulnerability.

Political context dependency

The box’s effectiveness as a political weapon depended heavily on the prevailing political climate. During periods of Federation strength or public apathy towards spacenoid rights, the threat of revealing the box’s contents carried less weight. Conversely, during times of spacenoid unrest or Newtype emergence, the box became a more potent weapon.

Information warfare

The Federation government possessed significant resources for information suppression and propaganda. Even if the box’s contents were revealed, the government could potentially discredit the information or claim the documents were forgeries, limiting the box’s ultimate impact.

Military countermeasures

As demonstrated during the Laplace Incident, the Federation was prepared to use military force to suppress the box’s contents if necessary. The deployment of the Gryps 2 colony laser against Magallanica showed that the government would risk massive destruction rather than allow the box to undermine their authority.

Legacy

The opening of Laplace’s Box in UC 0096 marked a turning point in Universal Century history, though its immediate impact was more limited than many expected. Despite the revelation of the Universal Century Charter and the confirmation of Newtype rights, the fundamental structure of the Earth Sphere remained largely unchanged.

Limited immediate change

As documented in UC 0097, one year after the box’s opening, the world’s framework had not been greatly altered despite the charter’s revelation. The Laplace Incident was officially concluded with the dissolution of the Sleeves, and both the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam and RX-0 Banshee were sealed away to remove their dangerous capabilities from public consciousness.

Long-term constitutional impact

While immediate change was minimal, the box’s opening established a legal precedent for spacenoid and Newtype rights that would influence future political developments. The existence of the original charter provided a constitutional foundation for later reforms and helped legitimise spacenoid political movements.

Technological implications

The advanced Psycho-Frame technology demonstrated during the Laplace Incident showed humanity’s potential for evolution beyond current limitations. However, the sealing of the RX-0 units indicated that society was not yet ready to fully embrace such technological advancement.

Behind the scenes

Laplace’s Box serves as a central plot device in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, representing author Harutoshi Fukui’s exploration of themes related to political legitimacy, hidden history, and the power of truth. The box’s name references French mathematician Pierre Simon de Laplace, known for his deterministic philosophy suggesting that the universe’s future could be predicted based on current conditions.

The concept reflects real-world situations where governments suppress historical documents or constitutional provisions that might undermine their authority. The box’s revelation that many Universal Century conflicts could have been avoided had the original charter been honoured serves as commentary on how hidden or suppressed information can shape historical events.

External links

Laplace’s Box on the Gundam Wiki
Universal Century Charter on the Gundam Wiki