Chapter 86: Supersonic High-altitude Reconnaissance Aircraft
“Whoa! Oil! It’s oil!”
“Yes, Commander. It appears to be an oil slick.”
The monitor displayed a whitish film covering the surface of the sea.
“Crude oil…!? Is that really crude oil?!”
“It is believed to be crude oil. It appears white due to its thin spread, but spectral analysis indicates an 88% probability that it is indeed crude oil.”
The solar-powered reconnaissance aircraft, Swift, had discovered the oil slick while patrolling the sea. Lacking onboard analytical equipment, Ringo immediately prepared the SR-1 Albatross flying boat, equipping it with a spectral analyzer and a component analyzer before launching.
“We will land shortly to collect samples. The oil slick is quite extensive, so locating its source immediately may prove difficult.”
“We also need to measure the ocean currents. If it’s leaking from the seabed, there should be a point of origin, but who knows?”
“Yes, Commander. We just had a typhoon pass through. It’s possible that it flowed out from the land.”
“…I see. So it could have been carried here by the storm. Now, where is the oil slick located…”
Ringo quickly displayed a map with the position of the oil slick. Thanks to the aerial footage from Swift, they had already determined its precise location and scale. All that remained was to investigate the ocean currents and backtrack to the source.
“Hmmm. It’s flowing from here to there, right?”
“Yes, Commander. It has been 3 hours and 42 minutes since the discovery, and during that time, the oil slick has spread like this. From this, we can infer the direction of the ocean currents.”
The display illustrated the ocean currents overlaid with the spread of the oil slick.
“Um, the point of origin isn’t here, is it?”
“Yes, Commander. There is a tip of the oil slick that seems to be the origin, but it has been moving over time. Therefore, it’s more reasonable to assume that a certain amount has flowed down from the land along the river rather than leaking from the ocean floor.”
Ringo pointed to a massive river that bisected the desert region. This river marked the eastern border of the Forest Country, Lebresta, and there was a port town upstream.
“There must be crude oil buried somewhere upstream. If it’s leaking, it might even be gushing out!”
“Yes, Commander. That possibility is certainly plausible. Even if there isn’t enough pressure for a full gusher, it should at least be pooling in a location prone to collapse during heavy rain. Moreover, we might be able to spot it from the air right now.”
Previously, Swift had been shot at with arrows, leading to a halt in its deployment over Lebresta’s airspace. However, given the current situation, they would need to consider a bold reconnaissance mission.
“While we could deploy a large number of Swifts, let’s send out the supersonic aircraft instead.”
“Oh, right. I remember the development was completed.”
They had been working on the supersonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, and it seemed it was finally ready.
“The experimental model has already been confirmed to fly. Three pre-production models are currently being manufactured, and they will roll out in 8 hours. After operational testing, they should be ready for takeoff in 14 hours.”
Ringo stated this matter-of-factly, but in reality, it was a rather reckless schedule. It was hard to believe that a newly manufactured aircraft would operate without any issues. Typically, it would take dozens of hours to conduct tests and carefully perform flight trials before deeming it safe to fly. Yet, Ringo was boasting about completing this in just 6 hours after production.
However, Commander Eve was oblivious to this abnormality. Having been thrown into this world with the game’s settings, she assumed the simplified manufacturing process was normal due to the game’s nature. To be precise, she understood that standard manufacturing processes were quite complex, but Ringo’s casual remarks led her to mistakenly believe it was all part of the game mechanics.
In reality, Ringo was utilizing its computational resources to perfectly control the manufacturing process, accurately replicating even the molecular arrangements to achieve such productivity.
“So, it’s going to take quite a bit of time, huh?”
Eve remarked.
“Yes, Commander. Since the aircraft is designed to accelerate beyond Mach 3, even minor irregularities could lead to structural failure. A thorough observation and fine-tuning of the entire aircraft are necessary.”
“Ah, I see. Wait, Mach 3?”
“Yes, Commander. The maximum speed recorded during testing was 4221.1 km/h, reaching Mach 3.5. Ultimately, we aim for Mach 4, but for now, flying at around Mach 3 is more realistic.”
Mach 3 translates to approximately 3600 km/h, a speed that covers 1,000 meters in just one second. It was hard to imagine being able to shoot at an object moving at such velocity. Moreover, if it were to be shot down, it would likely disintegrate due to wind pressure, ensuring confidentiality.
“For safety, we have placed thermite incendiary agents near critical sections, allowing for the aircraft to be incinerated in case of loss of control. While smaller components may leak, the core functions can be completely destroyed.”
“Thermite? Isn’t that dangerous to carry?”
“Yes, Commander. By setting the particle size relatively large, we can control the ignition temperature. It won’t ignite unless the aircraft is in a burning state.”
“Hmmm… as long as it doesn’t self-destruct unexpectedly, I suppose that’s fine…”
Thus, the first attack aircraft manufactured by The Tree after the transfer was born. The SR-1 Albatross was more of a cargo aircraft and did not have fixed armaments, so it was excluded from this category.
“So, 14 hours from now… that’s 11 PM.”
“Yes, Commander. I apologize, but I ask you to remain on standby today.”
“Hmmm… well, that’s fine. Or is it? Maybe I’ll take a nap after lunch.”
Prompted by Ringo, she had been leading a very regular life for the past year. By 11 PM, she would usually already be in bed.
“Akane, Ichigo, please take control of the Second Fortress. Utsugi, Erika, and Olive should also join us. We can use the Brain Unit’s forced awakening function, but it’s quite taxing, so I wouldn’t recommend using it regularly.”
“Well, that’s true. Then I guess after lunch, we’ll all take a break.”
“Yes, Commander. I will plan accordingly.”
“Final check complete, all green.”
“Confirmation complete. Surrounding airspace is clear. Takeoff is authorized under fortress command.”
“Takeoff authorization accepted and confirmed. The control AI has initiated the takeoff sequence.”
“Sequence initiated, confirmed. Catapult position fixed. Voltage rising, now commencing. Reached specified voltage. Rocket motor ignition, catapult lock released. LRF-1 Vulture, Unit 1, takeoff.”
The first unit of the supersonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, LRF-1 Vulture, was launched into the sky with a thunderous roar. Accelerated by the electromagnetic catapult and aided by solid fuel boosters, it rapidly ascended.
“Burning temperature within specified range. Acceleration within specified range. Aircraft vibration within specified range. Speed has reached 600 km/h.”
“Next, preparing for launch of LRF-1 Vulture, Unit 2. Takeoff is authorized under fortress command.”
“The control AI has initiated the takeoff sequence.”
“Catapult position fixed, reached specified voltage. Rocket motor ignition, catapult lock released. LRF-1 Vulture, Unit 2, takeoff.”
Following Unit 1, Unit 2 was similarly launched. This time, the two units would pair up and penetrate the airspace above the Forest Country, Lebresta. Entering from the Afrasia United Kingdom side could raise unnecessary suspicions, so they planned to fly over the southern sea from the Second Fortress and then approach from the east.
“Unit 1 has reached an altitude of 25 kilometers and is transitioning to level flight. Unit 2 has reached altitudes of 23, 24, and 25 kilometers. Transitioning to level flight. Unit 1, rocket motor burn complete. Rocket motor separation successful. Ramjet engine ignited. Ignition successful. Unit 2, rocket motor burn complete.”
Thus, the supersonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, LRF-1 Vulture, was unleashed at an altitude of 25,000 meters.
After this, the two units would conduct operational tests of their onboard sensors while flying over the sea, preparing to infiltrate the Forest Country, Lebresta.