Chapter 299
"You make it sound so easy. Ascalon's been by that Hooded Man's side the whole time, so I'd have to get close to him first!"
Letting W stomp her foot in frustration, Nana turned back to continue installing the new electronic door lock.
"I've also spoken to Ascalon, and she's not a difficult person to talk to... Aren't you being too impatient? Do I need to remind you how smug your expression looks when you're angry?"
"You don't need to tell me that!"
Although she was still verbally furious, Nana felt that W had listened to a little, since she lowered her voice and calmed her expression for the next sentence. At this moment, W finally looked like a normal Sarkaz beauty again, instead of some crazy woman.
"In short, Medic, I want you to repay the favor you owed the people of the Snowfield..."
Watching the cat remove the faulty wiring from the lock and then stand up to look at her, W held up a bag that looked dangerous to Nana:
"Place this under the Doctor's arm or anywhere near her... I've seen your file; if it's you, you can definitely bypass Ascalon... Don't worry, it's just a... little gift to try and awaken her memories."
Before W could react, Nana's Halo did indeed flash brightly in high-power mode... but that radiance representing resolute annihilation only flickered for a moment before disappearing.
Nana watched as W, her lips pursed, handed her the explosives, her tone as if she were a criminal reaching out to a policeman saying, "Arrest me." If she could, Nana wanted to offer her a cigarette or something to calm her down... but seeing that W was asking her to "pass it on" rather than actually throwing the bomb into the Doctor's office, perhaps she was forcing herself to calm down in her own way.
However, there are some things Nana still has to say:
"W... There are some things, some words, that are not even allowed to be mentioned."
"What? You want me to disappear?! This damn investigation has gone on for so long! The ship's protection system logs, the testimonies of the survivors of the Rhodes Island attack, the inexplicable system overwrite records that Closure completely avoids talking about... everything, all the evidence, is fucking pointing to one fact!! But Ascalon, Kal'tsit, and all of you are pretending not to see this?! Even you--?!"
Although W was yelling loudly, even startling a regular Rhodes Island office worker passing by nearby, Nana's unwavering expression made W realize what was happening:
Yi Lin Yi Qi Si Wu Jiu Shi Cu Ba "Damn... I forgot... you're not from the Babel era... so am I the one saying something nonsensical...?"
"So, did you feel any better after venting your anger?"
"... No, I just feel my killing intent towards that woman has intensified..."
Seeing W put away the bomb and smile return to his face, Nana tilted her head:
"No, you can't do that... Regardless of Ascalon's judgment, I really will kill you."
"Oh my, that's really scary. With you saying that, I might be able to endure it for another three years."
Ignoring W's sarcastic remarks, Nana simply turned around and continued examining the malfunctioning corridor door... while W showed no sign of leaving.
Seeing that Nana tried several times to open the door without success, W, who was leaning to the side, reverted to her expressionless, static beauty, seemingly recalling something as she offered her advice:
"You can't just fix the lock on this door; there's a problem with the connection between its third connecting rod and the servo motor in the hallway... Also, it's possible that the capacitor starting with 'U' on the hallway control panel is faulty..."
Following W's suggestion, Nana searched through the spare parts she had brought and found a spare capacitor and a heat gun. After a brief inspection, she discovered that things were exactly as W had described.
Skipping over the obstacle removal part so quickly, Nana repaired the door and looked at W, who had a somewhat bewildered expression:
"You also understand mechanics and Originium circuits?"
"No... it's just... I saw how His Highness repaired it... His Highness and the others inspected it for a long time, I remember it very clearly."
As a quiet cat who doesn't overjudge others' past, Nana simply looked away as W reminisced about the past.
Before Nana left with her toolbox, Neko felt she had to say something, so before the partition door at the end of the corridor separated them, Nana turned back and said to W:
"I'm not from the time of the Babel Doctor, and I know nothing about what happened back then... So I won't say anything about what you did wrong. However, Rhodes Island nowadays, including Kal'tsit and Amiya, relies heavily on the Doctor, who is also my benefactor. So I will only say what punishment you will receive for doing that."
"I don't object to you seeking the truth. If it really is the Doctor's fault, then I have no problem with you joining me in condemning him... But, based on my experience and how I feel about my relationship with the Doctor ... I think that even if all the evidence points to the hypothesis you're unwilling to admit, the truth is probably not that simple."
People come together for a common goal, yet always part ways because of differing beliefs... The door... someone will always come to fix it... Don't always stay in that place, try looking further ahead.
As Nana turned and left, the other intact corridor door closed smoothly... W watched Nana's figure disappear from sight, then the static beauty frantically scratched her hair:
"Damn, did Hoederer learn his inhuman speech habit from people like this...?"
Originally intending to kick the door that Nana had just repaired, W's action turned into a stomp, and he left in a huff... Shortly afterward, a purple-haired figure wearing a hood emerged from the shadows, then sighed and disappeared.
The story known as the Babel continues to be buried in the dust and smoke.
However, these things are still too far away for Nana. Even for Angel, it might be too much to handle both the past and the future at the same time... Moreover, it concerns the Doctor's past, and this is something the Doctor needs to deal with himself.
All Nana could do was take some time to tell the Doctor about W's hostility towards her, and more specifically... since Ascalon hadn't made a move, it meant that Kal'tsit could tolerate W as she was now... As for the future, that was a matter for another time.
So what about now?
Leaving aside the distant future, focusing only on the present, Nana went to the lower level of Rhodes Island while reviewing the goods list that Nagisa had collected simultaneously, checking what could be used in the upcoming battles.
The lower deck usually refers to the area between the first and second decks of Landship.
This is the power and energy zone of the Rhodes Island main ship, rarely visited except by technical personnel from the Engineering Department. Here you can see the heart of the Rhodes Island main ship—the high- Originium boiler mounted above the chassis, which powers the turbine engines required to drive the tracked vehicles. Separately, an independently operating electric motor powers the ship's steering system.
In addition, the drone warehouse, power line hub, backup power supply system, and material and consumable warehouse commonly used by the Engineering Department are also located on the lower deck.
Compared to the clean and tidy department offices, the stuffy and noisy engineering corridor on the lower deck is the working environment that many Engineering Department staff are more familiar with and accustomed to.
In addition, the boarding ramps and logistics processing center of Rhodes Island are also located on the lower deck. The multi-section retractable ramps for vehicles to board the ship are the first step for most operators to "step onto Rhodes Island", and this is Nana's destination.
After swiping her card to pass through the security gate, and completing iris and fingerprint verification with the confirmation of the on-duty action team, Nana also saw Sharp, the operator she often saw when drinking with ACE and Huang. It seems that his squad is guarding the main gate today.
After waving goodbye, Nana headed to the logistics center. There, she saw Nana directing the drone swarm to collect items. She was wearing a fluorescent yellow vest over her dress and a safety helmet with the words "Safety First" written on it.
"Nagisa, good afternoon... This outfit... is quite unusual."
"Rhodes Island stipulates that Illumi's dance (four) is thus, come... you bring it too."
Smiling, Nana let Nagisa put another helmet on her head. She adjusted the ear holes on the helmet, put the cat ears into the pre-made holes, and then brushed the hair near her ears to improve her hearing. Then, Nana followed Nagisa to the mountain of packages.
"Wow, there are so many..."
"After all, this is a formal supply shipment after several years. That official saw your records of purchasing weapons at your own expense several times, and most of what's being sent this time are the latest... standard-issue Firearms Arts."
Opening a wooden crate and looking at the 'smuggled goods' with the gun markings erased, Nana knew that the erased markings probably indicated the ICA's firearms manufacturing center.
After putting on gloves and quickly inspecting the items, Nana found nothing wrong except for a smear of handgun oil. She then turned to Nagisa and asked:
"These are all meant to be consumables, right...?"
"Yes, I've already sent other more sophisticated items, such as high-precision optical sights and high-value automatic ballistic computers with etched chips, back to our armory... Although the quantities aren't as numerous as these consumables, which can be counted in boxes, we'll have more options for weapon accessories in future battles."
"Is there anything we can use right now? I felt like yesterday's battle was pretty difficult..."
"Yesterday? The Doctor and I reviewed the entire battle log together. Since Seaborn didn't deploy any highly Pollution units... In the battle log, they were mostly just Pollution pet dogs and aggregated pieces of biomass. The only ones that could be considered combat-ready were the initial few Frightfish... Including the reconnaissance team, none of the three main combat teams were injured, and the nest was successfully destroyed... It shouldn't be called 'barely' right?"
Nana thought for a moment and tilted her head at Nagisa's relatively optimistic assessment:
"Let me put it another way. Dealing with just a few Frightfish is not enough; the main challenge is the encounters with the flesh chunks and mutated creatures. Both Starlight and Thunder's main combat teams seem to have used every trick in the book... If the enemy isn't just flesh chunks, but a proper the Swarm of Seaborn, then what should we use to deal with them?"
Seeing Nana's expression of panic about not having enough firepower, Nagisa chuckled and adjusted his helmet.
"Regarding this matter, I also have something to report to you..."
"It's so formal?"
As Nagisa leads Nana into the logistics area that the coffee shop occupies, a steel frame placed on a wooden pallet and wrapped in waterproof canvas comes into view.
Although Nana could tell from the outline of the item that it was probably different from the firearms that were allowed to be possessed, and was a completely military asset, the olive green ultralight cannon that Nagisa lifted a waterproof cloth still made Nana raise her eyes.
"... L118?"
"Yes, the L118 ultralight artillery, part of which is said to have gone missing after the Columbia Army downsized."
"Although towed artillery is outdated compared to Landship... its 105mm caliber and weight of only 1.8 tons make it easy to tow by vehicles or hoisted by helicopters from Rhodes Island or the Guard Bureau. Not to mention its use in the wilderness, even in cities, with the cooperation of the authorities, we can deploy heavy firepower to the area you need within half an hour."
How many are there here?
"Twelve Gates."
"Are there any operators? Where's the ammunition?"
"I can operate it via drones... Don't worry about ammunition, we have enough to fight a war."
As he spoke, Nagisa gestured for Nana to look at the pile of crates reaching the ceiling behind them. Although there were no external signs, Nana could tell from the slight sensation of the Originium radiation that those were shells as big as a small mountain.
"By the way, we... are a medical company, right...?"
"But you're more than just a doctor..."
"The fact that the Oripathy Specialist Hospital has thousands of Originium Cannon stored up is already quite alarming."
As she spoke, she opened a box of ammunition. Nana discovered that this did not seem to be low-purity ammunition that would emit Originium Dust Pollution, but rather a product that had undergone all the fine processing procedures except for etching.
Once the Originium equivalent reaches a certain threshold, no spell is needed to activate it... Just give it an activated 'signature,' and the rest can be left to the Originium itself.
This is the Originium Artillery, a military weapon used extensively on this land. In a sense, the principle behind the shells is no different from the reason why Oripathy explode and die.
The thought of having to use this thing in the city as a member of Rhodes Island, even for someone like Nana who came from a 'freelance' background, felt like a complete absurd joke.
"... Control of the equipment will be given to the Doctor after the higher-ups discuss it. You are only allowed to operate it yourself... I'm going to talk to Lungmen about this now."
"I understand, but have you thought about how to say it? Besides artillery, we actually have something even more exciting..."
Hearing Nagisa's explanation, Nana paused for a moment, then the assassin shook her head speechlessly and left.
"Let's talk about it again when we need more powerful support."
Instrument Ba (8) Ling Liu Yao PS: Wuwu Cat
This chapter absolutely requires bringing up this picture again (laughs).
PSS: So I'm just making a temporary update. I'll write today's update later... I'm vomiting, having diarrhea, and being extremely sleepy. I'm really struggling to cope with this June.
9th Lungmen Seafood: 343 Ladies' Chat
Because the description of the 'more exciting support' given by Nagisa included a TDD service badge Puff that were not found on other items... which is the signature of 'Teresa Walter', and the name of a transport ship that Nana did not recognize.
Even considering things from a purely analytical perspective, Nana could sense that this 'explosive' support was definitely related to Columbia. Considering that Puff herself was in Lungmen, it wouldn't be wrong to regard it as a rescue and support force prepared by TDD for Puff herself.
So the question is, what exactly is this support?
Think about TDD, think about the equipment on the ships you once boarded... Will they be armed helicopters? Or the rumored high-speed, variable-slip wing aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing, only assigned to the most advanced fleets?
After all, it is a ship with a submersible hull, so the length of the flight runway and catapult is greatly limited. It is quite different from the Baron-class Giant Ship at the Blacksteel headquarters, which has a full-size flight deck and can directly take off and land fixed-wing aircraft.
However, the TDD is a cutting-edge warship under the Ministry of Defense. Although it may be somewhat hampered in terms of aircraft, as a technological marvel of Columbia, it must be equipped with humanoid machines that are modeled after the Victoria and have already formed their own systems.
The thought of a fully armed Mechanical Hunter possibly charging into Lungmen made Nana's head spin... And if the situation were even worse, and it wasn't just one Mechanical Hunter charging in, but a whole battle group of them, Nana would want to die.
To be honest, things have come to this point, you might as well deploy the entire deck. If Nana remembers correctly, the TDD is also equipped with a gun of unknown caliber and a large guided rocket pod. As a weapon that was originally built with the goal of creating Mobile City- like mechanical Beasts, it is perfectly normal for it to be equipped with heavy firepower.
If that ship is indeed in the wilderness Lungmen right now, then whether Tessa is in danger in Lungmen or TDD is ordered to attack the Mobile City, then things like the Seaborn Demons, which will bring destruction to the land in the future, can be temporarily put aside... Compared to the disaster that will not be fully unleashed for who knows how many years, the news that the newest and oldest core countries may be at war on this land is the most disheartening news.
Of course, seeing the TDD seal and immediately thinking about a war between Great Yan and Columbia might indeed be a sign of Nana's drastic decline in thinking. But since it's the final option, leaving it alone for now is the normal thing to do.
Because it would take some time for Nagisa to register the packages, Nana, who wanted to finish clearing out the 'packages' and return to the front lines before dark, said goodbye to her in advance. She borrowed a trolley from the logistics center and took the packages that her manager had specially packed as 'personal items' back to her room on Rhodes Island. With a long-lost sense of joy, Nana began to unpack the packages.
First, the suit jacket and matching pleated skirt or other style of skirt taken out of the waterproof packaging—any normal person could tell just by touching them that these high-quality fabric uniforms were meant for everyday wear in summer and winter... But Nana is not a normal person.
She knew better than anyone that these suits were essentially her 'work clothes'. Replacing Rhodes Island's unchanging uniforms with these clothes would be an option... but Nana was the kind of person who switched her mindset based on her appearance.
This makes one somewhat worried that wearing a suit out might subconsciously revert to the killer's demeanor... However, the psychological suggestion wasn't strong enough to become a 'switch,' since even in 'uniform,' Nana's infiltration time far exceeded her 'working time.'
After tidying up the suits and putting them in the closet, Nana turned her gaze to the truly expensive item her agent had sent her— Liquid Metal Fabric.
Clearly, the last video call revealed that Nana's Liquid Fabric, after being divided several times, could only be used as an accessory in the combat uniforms of Rhodes Island's elite Elite Operator.
Now, the agent has sent Nana a brand new Liquid Metal Fabric, along with several cans of liquid metal that costs hundreds of times more than its weight in Red Gold... Judging from the nozzles, it should be some kind of spray.
After a quick look at the accompanying instructions, Nana understood that this was a neutralizing spray used to seamlessly connect old equipment to new liquid metal... It allows the old and new batches of liquid metal to connect and complete the predetermined spell wavelength adaptation.
Simply put, spraying this on the old combat uniform allows it to integrate with the newly delivered liquid metal. Otherwise, various problems would arise in recognizing technological items such as Tactical Unit that use a large number of Originium chips.
After briefly glancing at the troubleshooting methods for issues such as 'spell casting interference', 'liquid metal cannot be remelted', and 'detection shielding function is ineffective', Nana looked at the precautions for using the neutralizing agent.
"... Using it on different material surfaces may have varying effects on the current material equipment, including changes in material properties and color, resetting spell chip settings; in severe cases, it may cause short circuits in Originium circuits, melting down high-precision equipment... For detailed information, please submit relevant documents such as the 'Neutralizer Usage Instructions' to the equipment manufacturing and maintenance personnel..."
Looking at the instruction manual, and then at her own combat suit, which contained a significant amount of liquid metal and was designed to be used with tactical equipment... Nana for a long time before deciding to call Weedy and Orchid's emergency call number to have professionals take a look at what to do with the thing.
Regardless, Nana definitely needs the new liquid metal equipment.
Whether from the perspective of enhancing one's ability to conduct covert operations or from the perspective of protecting against biological erosion, full-coverage combat suits can effectively reduce the possibility of being corroded by Seaborn in high-intensity combat.
When it comes to defense, the stronger the defense, the better, as long as it doesn't hinder operations.
"I see. That's why you were so nervous and used your Trauma Team privileges to call me here... The technology people use on land is quite interesting, isn't it? Although I hate working overtime, I'll consider this after-sales service for now."
As she spoke, Weedy shook the spray can in her hand and called over her drone, intending to take a sample to see just how much it corroded normal materials.
Meanwhile, watching Weedy eagerly trying out her new toy, her eyes somewhat glazed over, Orchid, who wondered why her dark circles had actually increased after joining Rhodes Island's Human Resources Department and receiving a salary increase, looked speechlessly at Nana:
"So, actually, it has nothing to do with me... In the end, I was just a tailor who provided the uniform pattern."
"But... after spraying the neutralizing agent, the color of the clothes might change... I was thinking of ordering a new set from you Orchid, if the old combat uniform turns into a weird color and becomes unwearable... But we can wait until Weedy finishes the experiment... You seem to be working at the Human Resources Department counter now? You look quite tired..."