New World Panic Gundam Freerider

New World Panic Gundam Freerider (新世界乱脈ガンダムフリーライダー, Shin Sekai Ranmyaku Gandamu Furīraidā, lit. New World Chaos Gundam Free Rider) is a novel series set during the late Universal Century timeline, in the year UC.301.

Plot
After three centuries, the endless cycle of war has had its effect on the Earth and the space in which humanity occupies. Helium-3 and their byproduct Minovsky particles, the fuel which powers almost all electricity-based technology, has polluted the atmosphere and space, making up 8% of all air. The revived Earth Federation does not take action, however, even as the unseen effects take their toll on the environment and populations. They see it as a boon rather than a blight, using the opportunity to gain and use more of the Minovsky particle. A countercultural movement has come because of this and other such heinous acts, the group known as Ride the Wave being prominent along all, trying to protest the Federation into solving this crisis.

Alexa Hepburn is a young girl stuck in mediocrity; with no chances or opportunities in life and prevented from doing anything beyond living out the rest of her days in her small town. When Ride the Wave comes into her town to find supporters, the Federation military stationed there attempt to stomp down on the rally being held. It is revealed that Ride the Wave had stolen five prototype mobile suits, known as Gundam Freerider, as the first act towards a fully fledged rebellion. Alexa joins Ride the Wave in order to fight against the Earth Federation and as her first step towards freedom.

Ride the Wave

 * Alexa Hepburn
 * Harry Waide
 * Jakil Mareed
 * Amber Durange
 * Simon Whilker

Earth Federation Forces

 * Henry Lasenjer

Ride the Wave

 * MSL-178 Freerider Gundam
 * MSS-178AC Freerider Gundam Panic

Trivia

 * The title New World Panic is a play on the term New World Order, a conspiracy theory which claims there is an emerging clandestine totalitarian world government which seeks world domination.
 * The term Freerider can refer to several concepts and real-world ideas:
 * Freeriding is a style of snowboarding or skiing performed on natural, ungroomed terrain, without a set course, goal, or rules in place.
 * The Free-rider problem is a type of market failure seen in social science that occurs when those who benefit from resources, public goods, or services of a communal nature do not pay for them. Free riders are a problem because while not paying for the good, they may continue to access it. Thus, the good may be under-produced, overused or degraded. An example would be a project where one or more members may reduce their contributions or performance if it is thought that others in the group may attempt to free ride.