--June 18, 2043, 2:35 a.m.--
Late at night was supposed to be the time when humans felt the most physiologically exhausted, but now—this rule clearly did not apply to the people of Shatterdome.
All the technical workers had gathered in the first-floor hall of Shatterdome, their faces filled with excitement as they nervously carried out the final preparations for deployment—
Just one hour ago, the three Kaiju had closed to within the final 300 kilometers of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. They were expected to arrive before 4:00 a.m.
The pilots had also all assembled in the Command Center, but this was no longer a mobilization meeting. This would be a real tactical deployment.
The entrance to the Command Center was crowded with people. Inside, apart from Lin Yin, the eleven pilots on standby stood in a line with their hands behind their backs, staring straight ahead as they waited for the commander before them to issue the highest order.
Jiang Tianzheng paced back and forth before the eleven with his hands behind his back, considering the best candidates for deployment.
There were three Kaiju, Jiang Tianzheng thought. What formation should he send out?
"Raptor" was a top-tier Generation 7 Kaiju. Its tonnage and size nearly matched the current records for Generation 7 Kaiju, and it was clearly skilled in close combat. "Goshawk" was also Generation 7, with incredibly powerful mobility and the greatest threat level among the three Kaiju. "Viper" appeared to be the weakest; its size and tonnage were instead close to those of a Generation 6 Kaiju. Aside from its astonishing speed, its other traits were unknown, which left Jiang Tianzheng puzzled.
Kaiju usually only grew larger. Regression was uncommon. Perhaps "Viper" possessed some deadly trump card, such as powerful acid or lethal venom...
But it did not matter. Humanity had far more Jaegers than they did.
Furthermore, aside from repelling the Kaiju attack, Jiang Tianzheng had to retain sufficient combat strength to counterattack the breach within seventy-two hours. Although "Shanghai" and "Huashan" were already on the way, there was no guarantee they would arrive on time, and other countries could not coordinate joint operations in such a short time... That was indeed another difficult problem.
Jiang Tianzheng remained silent. Lin Yin keenly noticed the conflicted look on his face and could not help speaking up.
"Sir." Lin Yin reminded Jiang Tianzheng, "Please make a decision as soon as possible."
After a long while, Jiang Tianzheng coughed, and his furrowed brow relaxed—he had made his decision.
"Everyone, listen up!" Jiang Tianzheng shouted. "Those whose names are called, step forward!"
The eleven immediately brought their legs together and stood tall, their faces filled with resolve and determination.
"Zhang Wenhu, Tang Jia, Tang Yi!" Jiang Tianzheng ordered. "The three of you will form an inverted triangle and engage 'Raptor' and 'Viper'!"
The three immediately stepped forward and saluted as they accepted the order.
Jiang Tianzheng then instructed Angie, "Angie Beckett, 'Goshawk' is yours. Shoot that beast out of the sky for me."
Lin Yin could not help feeling anxious when she heard that. She had not expected Jiang Tianzheng to assign the most difficult task to Angie. Although she had complete confidence in Angie's skills, and Anshan was fast enough to keep up with "Goshawk," Anshan was ultimately a light Jaeger. Light Jaegers found it difficult to confront Kaiju head-on alone. Their usual purpose was to launch surprise attacks and restrain Kaiju, or create openings for heavy Jaegers to attack.
Of course, Lin Yin knew why Jiang Tianzheng had sent Anshan. He wanted Angie to grow as quickly as possible and stand on her own—but honestly, Lin Yin felt this was forcing her growth too quickly.
"Yes!" Angie hid away her usual innocent, guileless demeanor, her expression stern. "I guarantee the mission will be completed."
Fortunately, Jiang Tianzheng also knew the limits.
"Seti Andrews!" Jiang Tianzheng continued. "Stay behind the four of them and provide support."
Seti whistled and gave Jiang Tianzheng a perfectly standard military salute with an utterly relaxed expression—this really was difficult for him.
"The others..." Jiang Tianzheng finally swept his gaze across the remaining six and issued his final order. "The six of you will enter the cockpits and stand by as well."
After receiving everyone's responses, Jiang Tianzheng clapped his hands.
"Guys, the operation begins now. Everyone, move out!"
Zhang Wenhu and the Tang Brothers immediately headed for their respective Jaeger hangars without another word. Seti only left after holding a brief celebration with his work team, while Angie glanced at Mike. Their eyes met, and both felt a pang of regret.
If only Rosen were here too... Mike thought.
But more important missions awaited them. Mike and Angie could only put Rosen out of their minds for the moment and hurry toward the cockpits.
--June 18, 2043, 3:30 a.m.--
At that moment, fierce winds howled over Hong Kong, dark clouds pressed down overhead, and a storm brought by a summer typhoon was about to descend.
But how could such tiny raindrops possibly extinguish humanity's passion?
Outside Shatterdome, countless external floodlights switched on at once, illuminating everything within several kilometers. More than a dozen Chinook helicopters circled above the sea gate—they would light the battlefield for the Jaegers.
Under thousands of spotlights, Sea Gate No. 3 opened first.
The colossal archway, standing two hundred and thirty meters high, slowly parted to either side. Then Huangshan, painted an earthy yellow, stood towering upon the advancing mobile platform. The 140-meter Jaeger was fully armed, its massive body seemingly containing explosive power.
Then Sea Gates No. 4 and No. 5 opened in succession, and the deep-blue Dongting and dark-green FL emerged one after another.
Changbai came next, rolling out from Sea Gate No. 2. Its owner, Seti, clearly wanted his partner to stand out, so Changbai was painted jet black, with several lightning-shaped white patterns sprayed across both shoulders. It looked especially striking beneath the spotlights.
The last to emerge was naturally the heavyweight. The petal-like structure at the center of Shatterdome slowly opened, and the pure-white Anshan stood upright on the deployment platform. In the night sky, the Titan-class airship and four towing helicopters had been waiting for some time. Twelve towing cables descended, and they eagerly lifted Anshan into the hundred-meter sky.
The five Jaegers rode the wind and waves along the tracks toward Victoria Harbour. Inside the Command Center, everyone held their breath in extreme tension and watched intently.
"Neural Link successful. Drift stable." Jiang Tianzheng continuously confirmed the condition of every Jaeger team. Everything was normal. "Open the shared communication channel between the Jaegers."
The voices of the pilots immediately rang out in the Command Center.
"Approaching the designated position." Zhang Wenhu's calm voice came through. "Switching to walking mode afterward."
Before long, the five-kilometer track reached its end, and four Jaegers immediately leaped into the Pacific Ocean. The airship also began its Jaeger drop. With the sudden loss of its 3,750-ton load, it shot upward uncontrollably.
In less than a second, Anshan crashed into the water like a falling meteor, swallowed by the towering waves thrown up by the impact. Once the spray subsided, the night navigation lights of every Jaeger lit up. Together with the powerful lights from the dozen or so Chinooks above, the entire stretch of sea became as bright as day.
"Anshan has reached the target area." Angie's voice followed. "Wrist blades deployed."
Once she entered combat mode, she was completely different from her usual self—the feminine side of her had vanished completely. At that moment, she was nothing but a pure genius: confident, composed, and fearless.
"Everything is operating smoothly." At last, Seti naturally took over the reporting duty. "Changbai has the field under control."
The five giants began to move, forming a certain formation.
They gradually disappeared into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Wherever they passed, waves surged and mist rose.
Top Secret --Pan-Pacific Joint Military Forces-- --Combat Weapon File-- Name: "Huangshan" Model: Mark VII (Heavy) Activation Date: January 2038 Termination Date: Not applicable Pilots: Lin Yin, Zhang Wenhu (assigned to the Hong Kong Shatterdome Base) ... Height: 140 meters Loaded Weight: 7,000 tons Operating System: "Sanyang" Horizon Gate, head-mounted cockpit Power System: 12IX nuclear-powered turbine engine, built-in reactor Core Armor Thickness: 220CM—470CM Weapons: Left hand: "Chain Sword" and "Ion Cannon"; right hand: "Electric Grip" high-powered grappling mechanism, maximum grip strength of 20,000 tons, capable of effectively restraining Kaiju movement. Both hands: Spiked knuckle guards, inflicting additional damage when striking Kaiju. Additional Equipment: Ground-grip spikes, providing the Jaeger with additional balance Paint Scheme: Earthy yellow ... Remarks: One of the first batch of Mark VII heavy Jaegers. Though it has many sister units, its outstanding reliability made it the first to be deployed in battle. Its current pilot, Zhang Wenhu, is reserved and meticulous in thought. Consider designating Huangshan as a core member of the Savior Program. ... ... ... --Pan-Pacific Joint Military Forces-- --Combat Weapon File-- Name: "Dongting" Model: Mark VI Activation Date: November 2030 Termination Date: Not applicable Pilots: Sun Zheng Tang, Jiang Shanqing, Tang Yi ... Height: 132 meters Loaded Weight: 5,400 tons Operating System: "Sanyang" Horizon Gate, head-mounted cockpit Power System: 11IX nuclear-powered turbine engine, built-in reactor Core Armor Thickness: 73CM—210CM Weapons: Both hands: "Ion Cannon" Additional Equipment: None Paint Scheme: Deep blue ... Remarks: One of the first batch of Mark VI Jaegers, a prototype "semi-beast Jaeger." When it was activated in 2030, the second wave of attacks had yet to arrive, and the designers lacked experience in designing for combat against Kaiju. Therefore, Mark VI Jaegers generally suffered from countless flaws and problems. It was not until the eve of 2038 that the problems with this class of Jaeger were gradually resolved. However, Dongting also produced a combat hero—Sun Zheng Tang. After 2039, Sun Zheng Tang joined the Chinese Military Police and now serves in Hong Kong's Special Combat Zone. Its current pilot, Tang Yi, is calm and steady by nature, but too young and still requires observation. ... ... ... ... --Pan-Pacific Joint Military Forces-- --Combat Weapon File-- Name: "FL" Model: Mark VII (Light) Activation Date: January 2040 Termination Date: Not applicable Pilot: Tang Jia ... Height: 132 meters Loaded Weight: 4,000 tons Operating System: "Leader" omnidirectional tactical response cockpit, head-mounted cockpit Power System: X13 super single-core processor, built-in reactor Core Armor Thickness: 108CM—150CM Weapons: Left hand: "Tesla Electromagnetic Barrier," capable of releasing a 40-million-volt electrostatic pulse barrier at close range to block all attacks from the front. Right hand: 609MM-caliber super-heavy cannon, using specialized depleted uranium armor-piercing shells, each shell weighing 4 tons, with a maximum ammunition load of 3 rounds. Additional Equipment: Six full-vector thrust nozzles mounted at the waist, shoulders, and elbows, greatly increasing the Jaeger's mobility. Paint Scheme: Dark green ... Remarks: A second-batch Mark VII light Jaeger. It absorbed Anshan's strengths and remedied its shortcomings. Due to insufficient combat data, FL has not yet received a detailed evaluation. Its current pilot, Tang Jia, is upright, loyal, and forthright, though sometimes somewhat reckless. He still requires observation. ... ... ... ... --Pan-Pacific Joint Military Forces-- --Combat Weapon File-- Name: "Changbai" Model: Mark VII (Heavy) Activation Date: January 2040 Termination Date: Not applicable Pilot: Seti Andrews ... Height: 145 meters Loaded Weight: 6,700 tons Operating System: "Sanyang Modified" Horizon Gate, head-mounted cockpit Power System: 12IX nuclear-powered turbine engine, built-in reactor Core Armor Thickness: 210CM—460CM Weapons: Left hand: "Improved I-23 Heavy Ion Cannon"; right hand: "Qionghua" tactical module pack—this module contains five weapons: "sword, axe, hook, shield, gun," which can be switched rapidly during combat. Additional Equipment: "Yajiao" double-hook spear mounted on the back; gravitational sensing capacitor system added to the legs to assist the pilot in adjusting center-of-gravity balance and enhance unit stability. Paint Scheme: Black, with lightning-shaped white stripes sprayed on both shoulders (this violates regulations) ... A second-batch Mark VII heavy armored Jaeger. It absorbed the strengths of its predecessors, and its overall capabilities have improved further. Due to insufficient combat data, Changbai has not yet received a detailed evaluation. Current pilot: Seti Andrews, a German Jew who has acquired Chinese citizenship. Arrogant and lacking manners, he is a problematic figure among the pilots. However, strangely enough, Changbai's work crew is fiercely loyal to him,
Whether she left or stayed remained to be seen.
--Pacific Ocean Joint Military Forces-- --Combat Weapon Archive-- Name: 'Shandong' (Big D) Model: Mark VIII Activation Date: June 2041 Termination Date: Not applicable Pilot: Lin Yin ... Height: 160 meters Fully Loaded Weight: 8,000 tons Operating System: "Kunpeng" 4.1 Power System: 15IX nuclear power processor, built-in reactor Armor Thickness at Core Sections: 250 cm–500 cm Weapons: Left wrist: 'God Binding Silk' articulated chain, capable of binding and whipping targets; right palm: 'Water Cutter' Laser Cutter, whose ten-thousand-degree heat could cut through anything known on Earth; Both arms and chest: 12 AKM linked missile silos; both shoulders: 6 K-Stunner oxidizer-free missile silos; Beneath both ribs: 4 460 mm heavy cannons loaded with high-explosive shells, each shell weighing 1.5 tons; both sides of the waist: 6 'Thunder' magnetic storm generators. This equipment formed Shandong's ultimate move: 'Full Burst.' Additional Modifications: Reinforced balance systems installed in both legs, with a dual gyroscope structure built into the body. The limbs were fitted with reinforced combat armor. Paint Scheme: Crimson ... Remarks: The first 8th generation Jaeger, incorporating all the strengths of the previous seven generations while focusing on enhanced defense and endurance. Its only flaw was slightly weaker mobility. With outstanding combat achievements, it was currently one of China's strongest Jaegers. Current Pilot: Lin Yin. Whether in experience, talent, willpower, or faith, she was the best candidate for the Savior Program.
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