Chapter 13: Observing Military Invasion
“Yikes…”
The Northern Islands were under military invasion. Observing from an altitude of 20 kilometers, she felt a chill run down her spine.
“Eight battleships. Two main ships with rotating turrets. Additionally, there are five support vessels. In contrast, the Northern Islands have only one main ship equipped with a ballista, while the rest rely on large ballistae for defense.”
“That’s overwhelming.”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. It’s indeed overwhelming.”
It had been just over a month since their transfer. A significant movement had occurred in the waters surrounding the Northern Islands, where they had been monitoring. A fleet dispatched from the mainland had just commenced its attack on the Northern Islands. It was a clear act of invasion, and the military might was so great that the Northern Islands stood no chance of resistance. An hour had already passed since the attack began, and the main island’s port was nearly obliterated, with support ships now advancing toward the harbor, presumably for landing operations.
“Hmm… I was hoping they would make a good trading partner…”
The Northern Islands appeared to have minimal military presence and a stable environment. With abundant fish catches and a warm, mild climate, the inhabitants seemed to possess a cheerful disposition. She had even confirmed that festivities were often held from evening to night.
“That’s unfortunate, Commander Ma’am. It seems the Northern Continent is quite turbulent due to its hegemonic tendencies, making significant trade difficult.”
“That’s true…”
The Northern Islands seemed to primarily export perishable seafood. Their trade partners were diverse, engaging in substantial commerce with nations along the southern coastline of the Northern Continent. She had speculated that they might have secured their independence by leveraging food exports.
“If only we could build a grand fleet, we could negotiate.”
“Unfortunately, we lack the resources to construct combat ships.”
Indeed, that was the case. With the extraction of cellulose from seaweed now on track, they were in the process of designing ships made from cellulose structures. However, combat vessels required exceptional durability. While high-speed ships could forgo some armor, constructing a vessel capable of overcoming wave resistance while retaining various weaponry still necessitated a significant amount of iron. The dismantled large aircraft yielded only duralumin, which was, at this point, an expensive and precious material better suited for aircraft. Moreover, iron was essential for various machine tools, making it a critical resource.
“If we can establish underwater mining, it would alleviate some of our shortages.”
“That is currently under investigation…”
Meanwhile, deep-sea drones had successfully launched and were conducting resource surveys in the waters surrounding the fortress, The Tree. They had managed to collect samples of several seabed minerals and were analyzing their contents. It appeared to be typical manganese nodules. There was also a possibility of iron oxide deposits in certain areas, which raised hopes. However, both resources lay at depths exceeding 1,000 meters, making extraction a daunting challenge. The irony of needing iron to create mining structures while simultaneously lacking iron was not lost on her.
“That said, as far as we can observe, the surrounding civilizations primarily rely on wooden sailing ships, with armored vessels still being quite rare. We can assume that a cellulose-based combat ship could hold its own.”
“Hmm… Well, cellulose is a type of resin, after all.”
“While it’s not entirely accurate, I generally agree.”
“Still, to engage in gunboat diplomacy, we definitely need larger ships.”
Considering the civilization level of the Northern Continent, a ship around 100 meters in length would suffice. However, using cellulose as the primary structural material would result in weaker defenses for its size. A vessel around 20 to 30 meters would likely strike a better balance.
“Perhaps it would be wise to separate the flagship from the main smaller vessels.”
“Hmm… Well, for the time being, that seems to be our only option…”
If they could design a proper airtight structure, they might even create an unsinkable ship. However, according to Ringo’s rough calculations, constructing a large vessel using the fortress’s industrial 3D printer was impossible without a dedicated shipbuilding dock. This meant they were still facing an iron shortage.
“Additionally, for negotiations, we need personnel… An android would suffice, but a communicative android is essential.”
The most pressing issue was the overwhelming lack of personnel. After all, there was only one of her.
“At this point, we can manufacture a communicator android that utilizes a significant number of biological components. For the time being, I will need to operate it remotely, but once the design for the Brain Unit is complete, we can gradually replace them with independent units.”
“That’s true…”
The production of biological androids would involve using the genetic information currently available, specifically her own DNA. Since the nervous system would take time to develop, remote operation was the plan for now. Once the basic structure of the Brain Unit and the Neural Design were completed, it would be possible for them to operate as independent entities.
“I could manage to survive on my own, but it would be rather dull. It’s healthier to aim for trade.”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Let’s begin the production of communicator androids.”
“Please do. As for the flagship… well, let’s just assemble something for now…”
“Understood, Commander Ma’am. I will devise a method to block out the structures and sequentially combine them at sea.”
Agreeing to Ringo’s proposal, she exhaled. The integrated AI was remarkably efficient, causing the situation to change rapidly. For now, it was crucial to continue monitoring the Northern Islands and the Northern Continent. According to Ringo, reaching this fortress was technically impossible due to the current technological level, but there was a chance of accidental discovery. However, considering the absence of nearby islands, it seemed unlikely that anyone could approach without being shipwrecked.
“If possible, I wanted to negotiate sooner, but at this rate, it seems impossible for the time being.”
In the footage captured by the Swift, the city was ablaze. The soldiers who had landed appeared to have set it on fire.
“Invasion… but they’re merciless. Is this how it usually is?”
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. Depending on the circumstances, several possibilities arise. Typically, it is uncommon to destroy a city to this extent during an occupation, so it seems their goal is to leave it in ruins.”
“Hmm… What could their intentions be?”
Houses lay in ruins, toppled by artillery shells. It seemed that explosive shells were being used, and Ringo had mentioned that their technological level appeared inconsistent. The soldiers wielded staff-like weapons that emitted flames from their tips, igniting fires one after another.
“Can flamethrowers really be constructed that way?”
“No. At the very least, a pump mechanism and fuel tank are necessary to release a flammable liquid. It would be impossible to fit those components within that staff-like weapon.”
“Hmm. It seems there might be a technological system here that we don’t understand.”
While she had intended to observe before negotiating, it appeared that the knowledge levels were more disparate than she had anticipated. There was a high likelihood that what she considered common sense would not apply. A thorough investigation would be necessary.
“Yes, Commander Ma’am. From the video analysis, it is possible that they possess either a highly advanced scientific civilization or an entirely different unknown technological system.”
“Highly advanced means they have scientific technology that surpasses ours, right? I don’t think we need to consider that possibility.”
“Then, I will continue the analysis from the perspective of an unknown technological system.”
The term “unknown technological system” made her smile wryly. At the very least, the game that served as the foundation for this fortress had a hard sci-fi setting, with various scientific theories stored in its library. What could be inferred from that was the possibility of means beyond scientific technology—namely, the existence of magical technology.
Who had summoned her to this world, and for what purpose? Or perhaps, who had sent her away?
Gazing at the current technology tree, she sighed once more.