Interception Test

(Sun Yao)

"A human figure? Did that Werewolf really come to the island?"

A disturbing piece of news.

Sirius himself seemed unconcerned and even had the maids on the beach continue preparing for the upcoming barbecue.

"Well, let's not be suspicious about things that aren't certain yet. Let Miluno- chan and Antarctic Star go and check... Yin Wei, can't you handle this yet?"

Ms. Yin Wei fiddled with the computer for a long time, but in the end, she shook her head in frustration.

"No, we'll lose the signal as soon as we go in, and we won't be able to send the images back. I guess it's because the wormhole can't transmit signals between the inside and outside."

Although the drone was sent into the wormhole wrapped in a bubble, it disappeared without a trace afterward.

Sirius suggested, "How about we stuff half of the antenna in with a bubble? That way we can connect to the outside signal, right?"

Yin Wei shook her head.

"There aren't any usable antennas here... Miss SpiCa sent a message saying she'd send over a specialized drone capable of withstanding the pressure of a wormhole first."

Sirius immediately abandoned all pretense of decorum and began cursing. "Huh? If you had something like that, you should have brought it out sooner! Why are you still hiding it at a time like this?"

A tiny point of light fell from above the wormhole. Miss Yin Wei took a step back, and the point of light passed through the circular ring and crashed onto the beach from the deep darkness.

Boom--

A silver box, about the size of a suitcase, fell to the ground amidst a cloud of dust.

Ms. Yin Wei stepped forward and opened the box. Inside lay a special large drone. Not only were cameras and data cables mounted on the bottom of the drone, but the entire body also had small jets at multiple angles. However, the overall lift was still provided by propellers.

"We can't send any technicians over, let me take a look first."

But soon, under Ms. Yin Wei's operation, this special drone took to the sky.

She's truly proficient in all sorts of technologies, able to quickly master even such complex equipment. Why then does she choose to work as a frontline liaison officer?

"Can't Miss Sirius's laser penetrate the wormhole?"

"No, the light will dissipate as soon as it Past."

"If there's no light inside, what's the point of sending a camera in?"

"No, there is light inside the wormhole. The darkness you can see with your naked eye is just a membrane that you can pass through. There is light inside the wormhole."

"Miss Sirius also traveled through a wormhole?"

She frowned in disgust when asked that question.

"I was Spica once. Believe me, going into a wormhole at this stage is just asking for trouble. Imagine, without any protective gear, your bare body is submerged hundreds of meters underwater, and pressure is applied to every part of your body. Even your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are being squeezed, making it impossible to breathe. Your clothes outside your Battle Dress might even be torn to shreds... That's what it feels like to go through a wormhole. But your magic is special; it can withstand this kind of pressure."

Although I've seen this kind of knowledge in popular science magazines, hearing it from Miss Sirius makes it seem even more real. No wonder only magical girls and Monster can pass through wormholes; ordinary people's physical abilities simply can't withstand it.

"Speaking of which, Ceruno- chan~ do you admire Miluno a lot?"

Miss Sirius struck up a conversation with me again, and this time I really got excited.

"Yes! Miluno was already my idol before I became a magical girl!"

"Is that so? So what does your boyfriend think of Miluno- chan?"

"Yezi?"

An unexpected problem. I rested my chin on my hand and thought about it for a moment.

"Yezi is very averse to magical girls, and she's usually quite impatient when I mention Miluno to her... But after I became a magical girl, his attitude changed quite a bit. He not only brings up magical girls on his own initiative, but he also often offers advice on my battles, and he seems to care even more about it than I do myself."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Sirius half-opened his eyes and gave a strange smile.

"I think what he cares about isn't the magical girl, but you?"

Do you care about me?

She let go of my shoulder, then walked around to face me with her hands behind her back.

"That's right! You don't think you can still maintain a pure friendship with her after turning into a beautiful girl, do you?"

So, it seems Miss Sirius knows I was originally a man, and she's just teasing us by calling Yezi "Boyfriend-kun" all the time?

She really has a really bad sense of humor.

"I'll change back to my original form sooner or later, and Yezi knows that. I don't think he'd have that kind of thought."

"And what about yourself?"

"Huh? Me?"

"Don't you have any feelings for him beyond friendship? I have a feeling that your boyfriend will grow up to be a very outstanding man. Even a magical girl can slip through her fingers if she doesn't hold onto love, right?"

I wanted to deny it, but recalling what happened in the bathroom yesterday, Miss Sirius's words weren't without merit. Now that I'm a girl, I can no longer get along with Yezi like Past. Yezi understands this, but she still stubbornly wants to maintain our original relationship...

"Cough cough."

Two dry coughs interrupted my sentimental thoughts.

It's Miss Yin Wei.

"We can begin here. Let's start the experiment quickly."

A drone sent by the Association hovered above her head, connected by a thin data cable to a computer on the beach.

"Send the interception bubbles into the wormhole first; the drones will take pictures from behind the bubble defense line."

"What if the interception fails?"

Ms. Yin Wei replied seriously, "If it fails, this drone, which cost tens of millions to build, will also be scrapped."

"Thousands, tens of millions?!"

Is this drone made of diamonds?

It's hard not to feel guilty about protecting such an expensive machine.

"Don't worry, even if it fails, you won't have to pay compensation. It was originally an experiment arranged by the Association. However, maintaining the wormhole also requires a lot of energy, so you'd better hurry up."

"Ah! Yes!"

The bubbles that appeared in the air reflected the sunlight and, guided by me, wriggled into the wormhole. They were very stable; my bubbles could withstand the pressure inside the wormhole.

After filling the wormhole with enough bubbles, the drone, trailing a long data cable, followed it inside.

"We'll be able to see it this time."

When Miss Yin Wei said that, I leaned over and took a peek.

The inside of the wormhole was even more disgusting than what I had read in books. It was like a tunnel made of crushed cream cake, with yellow, white, pink, and purple substances twisted together. It was far from beautiful, but light did exist there.

The area in front of the camera was filled with bubbles, making it impossible to see the other side of the passage.

"Prepare for interception."

"What am I supposed to refuse? A mannequin?"

Sirius replied, "Everything from the other end."

"Headquarters has begun deploying mannequins; estimated arrival time is ten seconds... eight... seven..."

Ms. Yin Wei began the countdown, and everyone held their breath in anticipation. I felt especially nervous.

"Three... two... one!"

A large point of light fell from above the ring, and a piercing shriek echoed from within the wormhole. Then, the Association's dummy crashed into my bubble of rejection at incredible speed...

Did they stop them?

The drone that entered the wormhole lost signal, and the dummy, carrying bubbles, crashed out of the wormhole, making a sand crater on the beach. The drone also perished, lying broken and wrecked to the side.

It seems that this "tens of millions" is now useless.

"Interception failed."