Otachi, Leatherback, and Scunner Attack

Stacker Pentecost moved with astonishing speed. While everyone else was still absorbed in the plan he had proposed and trying to refine it, he had already obtained an answer.

"Newton's speculation was correct. Those Kaiju weren't simply driven by wild instinct. They weren't merely hunting and gathering—they came under orders! They are Biological Weapons, not products of nature! Their Master, or rather, their Maker, is a colonial civilization in the universe. Like locusts, they occupy one planet, consume everything there, then move on to seek their next target.

Our planet is one of the targets they selected.

What is surprising is that, according to the intelligence obtained through this Drift, they had set their sights on this planet long before humanity even appeared. They came here during the age of dinosaurs! But at the time, this planet's environment and atmosphere were not suitable for their survival. For other reasons, they left. Yet they continued to keep an eye on this planet.

Now, with the ozone depleted, carbon monoxide levels rising, and the water polluted, they smelled the chance for ripe, sweet fruit. So they returned. They believe that the current environment, even with the restrictions imposed by the wormhole, has reached the point where they can transform this planet and begin colonizing it. Over the past decade, wave after wave of Kaiju were not sent here simply to slaughter us. They were sent to gradually attack and contaminate the most severely polluted regions, shifting them little by little toward an environment suitable for them!

As for wiping us out? Once the environmental transformation succeeds, at least more than half of humanity will have to die. In the end, they will send Reapers even stronger than the First through Fourth-Generation Jaegers to harvest us completely. By then, the new house will have been cleared, and the new tenants can move in."

"I knew it!" Newton Geiszler leaped up excitedly, clenching his right hand into a fist and smashing it through the air.

"That's impossible!" Hermann Gottlieb looked utterly stunned.

"This is the truth, Dr. Hermann." Stacker Pentecost's expression was grave. "Like you, I don't want to believe it either. But facts are facts. Just like mathematics, they cannot be refuted."

"Forget him. That's just the wail of a loser! Let's talk about this colonial civilization instead. Is there any more information?" Newton Geiszler shoved Hermann Gottlieb aside and leaned close to Stacker, his face flushed and his expression feverish. He was hardly the calm, seasoned sort who kept Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Happiness hidden behind an unreadable face.

In the original story, because no one believed him, he impulsively dismantled and modified Shaolin Rogue's Drift System himself, then drifted with the damaged, dying brain of a Kaiju. When Hannibal Chau asked why he insisted on getting a monster's head, Newton first claimed it was classified. Then, before Hannibal Chau could ask another question, he eagerly began bragging about everything he had done.

At heart, he was much like Hermann Gottlieb: a relatively pure Researcher whose emotions were written all over his face, with no real scheming to speak of. Of course, that changed somewhat after he was brainwashed and controlled by the Precursor Consciousness in the following years.

"The Precursor Civilization. Those who create these Kaiju are called Engineers. Kaiju DNA originates from the genes of these Precursor Engineers. Through toxic chemical processes and biological mutation technology, they clone Kaiju of all different forms. The higher the rank of the Precursor Engineer, the more powerful the Kaiju they clone, and the stronger its toxicity.

Also, the Breach is indeed as Dr. Luke said. If we want to enter it, we must obtain part of a Kaiju's genes, or enter alongside a monster. Only then will the Breach recognize us and allow us to pass through safely," Stacker Pentecost said.

"That's a lot of intelligence. Looks like you put in quite a bit of work these past few days." Herc Hansen patted Stacker on the shoulder.

"The Alexis Couple helped a great deal. Using the Single-Pilot Drift System created by Dr. Luke, we had three people drift simultaneously with a Kaiju's secondary brain. That was how we obtained this valuable intelligence." Stacker Pentecost rubbed his forehead.

"Are those three people alright?" Raleigh Becket asked.

"Three death-row prisoners. One of them had a doctorate and joined the experiment in exchange for a reduced sentence." Stacker Pentecost glanced at Raleigh Becket before adding, "They're alive. They'll just have to spend the rest of their lives in prison."

"Dr. Luke, is there a way for us to obtain the key needed to enter the Breach?" Stacker's gaze fell on Luke Field nearby.

"Of course." Luke Field answered easily. "We only need some monster tissue and a few modifications to the Jaegers. If necessary, I can even give them a monster gene Coating to make them look authentic. A second layer of insurance."

"Then get started. Time is short, and we cannot afford to wait." Stacker Pentecost clapped his hands, signaling the end of the meeting.

"I heard Dr. Luke has a very high position in this base?" Raleigh Becket caught up with Mako Mori ahead of him and walked beside her, asking curiously. He found it hard to imagine that even General Stacker, who had been difficult to deal with in his memories, treated Luke with such respect. Especially during these past few days at PPDC headquarters, Raleigh had realized that Luke seemed to possess the same decisive authority as General Stacker.

"Of course. During PPDC's most difficult period, Dr. Luke and Shao Industries behind him provided us with help." Mako Mori hurried along as she explained to Raleigh Becket. "Dr. Luke brought many technologies unique to Shao Industries. Those technologies greatly aided PPDC. Take Jaeger modifications, for example. Jaegers upgraded by Dr. Luke possess combat capabilities that are worlds apart from before.

"At the same time, he also upgraded the base a little."

"The base?" Raleigh Becket looked confused.

"Some industrial machinery used to improve Jaeger repair and maintenance efficiency. Ever since the member nations drastically cut funding and severed PPDC's finances, we could no longer afford to maintain large Jaeger repair teams. Aside from those who volunteered to stay, most were recalled by their respective member nations. Dr. Luke once developed an Automated Factory system for Shao Industries. After modifying it, he applied it to PPDC. General Stacker only began recovering abandoned Jaegers for repair recently because he discovered that, after applying this technology, our current Jaeger numbers were nowhere near its limit. With the existing maintenance staff, we could support even more Jaegers."

Mako Mori counted them off on her fingers for Raleigh Becket. "Besides the Automated Factory technology, Dr. Luke also upgraded PPDC's energy system. In his words, PPDC's current funding only allowed for this level of upgrade. But if the upgraded energy system were fully opened up, it would not only be enough to run PPDC headquarters at full capacity—it could also provide sufficient energy for the entire island.

"The base's defensive measures were upgraded as well. When the base was originally built, it was meant to counter Kaiju, so its defenses against electromagnetic pulse weapons and the like were lacking. Dr. Luke turned it into an enormous Faraday Cage. General Stacker felt it was completely unnecessary, but since Shao Industries offered the assistance as a gesture of goodwill, he did not object.

"Finally, Dr. Luke and Shao Industries have the support of a country. His connections and influence within that country are considerable. Every one of PPDC's bases in other member nations was shut down or transferred away, leaving only this headquarters. Besides that country believing PPDC needed to be preserved until the Kaiju Wall had been proven effective, Dr. Luke and Shao Industries also put in a great deal of effort. General Stacker, and all of us, are very grateful to him."

"I see. Then it looks like he's a good person after all." Raleigh Becket smiled.

Mako Mori pursed her lips and smiled as well. They each arrived at their own quarters within the base, their doors facing one another.

"I heard you're a pilot?" As he was about to enter his room, Raleigh Becket suddenly turned and asked.

Mako Mori turned around as well. Holding a folder against her chest, she met Raleigh Becket's gaze. "Yes. I only became a pilot recently, and I haven't experienced an actual battle yet."

"What are your simulator results?" Raleigh Becket asked. Becoming a Jaeger pilot required grueling training and immense effort, as well as a certain amount of talent. When Raleigh Becket first entered Jaeger Academy, he had seen plenty of people eliminated for reasons such as failing training, failing simulator exercises, or having unstable psychological qualities.

"Fifty-one deployments, fifty-one kills," Mako Mori answered softly.

Mako Mori's simulator record made even veteran Jaeger pilot Raleigh Becket raise his eyebrows in surprise. "That's impressive. Which Jaeger were you assigned? Maybe we'll fight together someday."

"Kulturo." A rare hint of girlish excitement appeared on Mako Mori's face. It was the first time Raleigh Becket had ever seen that expression on her.

"Kulturo? That Sixth-Generation Jaeger?"

Raleigh Becket had been at PPDC headquarters for nearly a week, so he naturally knew about the uniquely styled Jaeger displayed in the center of the base, one as distinctive as Crimson Typhoon. From his old friend Herc Hansen, he had also learned some information about it. He knew it was the newest and only Sixth-Generation Jaeger, as special as Striker Eureka, the only Fifth-Generation Jaeger.

"Yes, it's extremely powerful. Whenever I pilot it, I can feel its vast, endless energy. It has six Energy Cores..." Mako Mori clearly adored Kulturo.

"Wait, I heard this is Dr. Luke's Jaeger?" Raleigh Becket frowned, carefully recalling what Herc Hansen had told him about Kulturo.

Mako Mori froze. Her fingers tightened around the folder. "Dr. Luke is a Researcher. His safety is valued immensely by everyone in the base, including Shao Industries and the country supporting it. We cannot treat him as a warrior. Besides, Dr. Luke immerses himself in research and Jaeger modification technology every day. To him, Kulturo is merely a work he created."

"Is that so?" Raleigh Becket nodded as though convinced.

Mako Mori felt a little discouraged. As the most advanced Jaeger in the world—and perhaps even the strongest Sixth-Generation Jaeger—there was no independent Jaeger pilot who did not want to become its pilot. Yet in Dr. Luke's eyes, such a powerful Jaeger was merely a big Toy, a work used to test and prove his technology. Once it had successfully entered service, Dr. Luke had already lost most of his interest in it.

Whenever Mako Mori thought of the answer she had received when Dr. Luke handed Kulturo's controls to her, and she had asked in disbelief why he was giving her the pilot's position, she found it impossible to understand. But that did nothing to diminish her joy at becoming Kulturo's pilot. Over the past few months, she had been familiarizing herself with every function Kulturo possessed. She was not only an excellent fighter, but also an outstanding researcher of Jaeger technology, which helped her grasp the technology contained within Kulturo more quickly.

When the War Clock's countdown reached its final day, the entire base grew tense.

23:53.

The energy surge from the wormhole triggered PPDC's alarm.

Cai Tiantong swiftly took his seat, watched the data scrolling across the screen, and made his report.

"Three signals! Signal strength: Fourth-Generation! One of them is Fifth-Generation!"

As Raleigh Becket and the others hurried over in response to the alarm, Cai Tiantong spoke at Stacker's signal.

"Their codenames are Otachi and Leatherback, along with the first Fifth-Generation specimen, codenamed Scunner. They will reach Xianggang within one hour."

"Sound the alarm, evacuate the entire city, and close the bridges. The authorities will arrange for every civilian to enter a shelter. The rest is our job. We cannot allow the Fall of Sydney to happen here. Crimson Typhoon, Shaolin Rogue, Cherno Alpha..." General Stacker took over from Cai Tiantong.

"Shaolin Rogue probably can't deploy for the moment. Dr. Luke just dismantled it for experimental modifications." Chen Kesheng, Shaolin Rogue's mechanic, raised his hand helplessly. "Dr. Luke said that since it's only a Third-Generation Jaeger, it's perfect for experiments. Even if the experiment fails, we would only lose one Third-Generation Jaeger."

The other members of Shaolin Rogue's maintenance team also looked helpless. Boss, after the previous upgrades, Shaolin Rogue already met the standards of a Fourth-Generation Jaeger!

"Then..." Stacker swept his gaze over the room and spotted his adopted daughter, Mako Mori, standing beside Raleigh Becket with eager anticipation on her face. "Add Gipsy Danger and Kulturo. The four of you will stop the Kaiju. I have only one objective: do not let them approach the base or the city. Striker Eureka, you will hold the coastline. If any Kaiju break through the blockade, you stop them. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

"Then begin preparations. Keep the Kaiju corpses as intact as possible. Dr. Luke will need them." Stacker waved his hand, signaling everyone to prepare.