Chapter 22: Departure of the Fox Maidens (45 Units)
The first voyage of the First Trade Fleet is about to commence.
The flagship of the Light Sailing Trader (LST) class, LST-1, named Paraiso.
The second ship of the LST class, LST-2.
The third ship of the LST class, LST-3.
Although there was consideration to name the ships, it was decided to use numbers instead, as the other vessels were planned for dismantling once assembled. However, since the alphabet used for these ship names is not utilized on the Northern Continent, it was deemed that there would be no issues.
“Even with just three ships, the single column formation looks magnificent!”
As she sat contentedly in the command seat, watching aerial footage from the drones, Ringo also shared her delight.
“This time, we’ve deployed attack drones to enhance our defensive capabilities. While their speed isn’t particularly fast, they should be quite effective in combat against personnel.”
“Oh? I feel like the Communicator Androids alone would suffice.”
“Considering their individual value, the loss of a Communicator Android compared to the total loss of a drone is more economical. We’ve also secured a source for iron, allowing us to mass-produce drones, so we aim to preserve the Communicator Androids as much as possible.”
“Well… that makes sense. If one of them gets injured, it would indeed be a hassle…”
This time, 36 new Communicator Androids have been rolled out. To ensure all of them can board the First Trade Fleet, a total of 45 Communicator Androids will head toward the port town. With such a force, they could easily seize control of that port town, but adding drone weaponry would be an excessive show of strength.
That said, the port town may not remain peaceful forever. By the time they arrive again, it could be occupied by another faction, and they might be attacked without warning. Fortunately, reconnaissance bots have been infiltrated in large numbers to verify the situation in advance.
“We will continue to mass-produce Communicator Androids, and we will gradually install autonomous intelligence in them. We must avoid damaging the base units as much as possible.”
“Oh, right. Have you made any progress on the Brain Unit?”
“Yes, smoothly. We are currently cultivating the Communicator Androids, and we will begin testing the installation. If there are no issues, we will proceed to the education phase.”
Once the Brain Unit is installed, the androids will be capable of autonomous thought and action comparable to that of adults. They will also be able to communicate bidirectionally with Ringo, allowing for the production of unique and high-performance humanoid machines.
By the way, in the World of Space, wireless communication was easily disrupted, making it rarely used except in the earliest stages. In this world, devoid of wireless technology, such operations are feasible.
“By the way, aren’t you going to change the genetic information? I think we have enough samples from the locals.”
“…”
At her simple question, Ringo fell silent for a moment. All currently operational Communicator Androids were manufactured based on her genetic information, resulting in them having nearly identical appearances, to the point where they could be mistaken for twins.
“…I find it hard to accept…”
“…?”
Seeing Ringo struggle to articulate her feelings, she tilted her head in confusion. After a moment, she realized that Ringo was emotionally resistant to mixing in genetic information from others.
“Oh, I see.”
“…”
As Ringo stood there awkwardly, she smiled and embraced her.
“It’s alright, Ringo. If you don’t want to, we can think of another way.”
“…However, that may not be very efficient…”
“Oh come on. You don’t have to worry about that. Prioritizing efficiency isn’t the only right answer.”
Ringo understood that introducing diversity into genetic information to differentiate appearance and gender would be the most efficient approach. However, she instinctively reacted against the idea of mixing her genetic information with that of others. Despite recognizing the logic behind it, she couldn’t bring herself to choose that option.
Seeing Ringo‘s internal struggle, she offered comfort.
“If we’re talking purely about efficiency, I would be the least efficient one here.”
“That’s not true…!”
“It is true. You know that well enough.”
She hugged Ringo and gently patted her head.
“Do what you want to do. If you’re ever in doubt, remember your Raison d’être. No matter how inefficient it may seem, as long as you stay true to that, it will be the right choice.”
“…Yes.”
And so, she began to glance over the genetic information that Ringo had gathered.
“Well, even if we set aside mixing it with my genetic information, creating new ones based on the locals sounds good, doesn’t it?”
“…Yes, that makes sense. I will produce a few units for testing.”
Confirming the addition of the task to manufacture Communicator Androids based on the genetic information of the locals, she returned to her original duties. That is, overseeing the fleet review ceremony accompanying the departure of the First Trade Fleet.
“All crew members, to the port side. Salute!”
Though silent, the impressive salute seemed to resonate with sound. A total of 45 fully armed Communicator Androids lined up on the port side, saluting toward the drones.
“Nice movements.”
“Thank you.”
Due to the proximity to The Tree Fortress, Ringo directly controlled all the Communicator Androids, adjusting their muscle output to the millimeter. Thus, even on a swaying ship, they were able to execute perfectly synchronized movements. However, once they departed for the destination port of Terek, a delay of a few tenths of a second would inevitably occur. At that point, the control of the hardware would need to be managed by the androids’ own brains, making such synchronization impossible. Variations would also arise due to the individual hardware characteristics of each Communicator Android.
“Next, we plan to run the engines at full power and conduct test firings of each turret. It will take some time to prepare, so please relax until then.”
“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”
She sank into the command seat and picked up the tea that Ringo had prepared. This tea was made from leaves obtained during the last trade. It would have been reckless to attempt making tea from seaweed (though something akin to kelp tea was possible).
“The taste of civilization…”
Considering the bland distilled water or the electrolyte solution with added minerals, this was a significant improvement. Although distilled water and the adjusted electrolyte solution required more advanced manufacturing equipment, Ringo decided to let it slide, thinking that if the Commander said so, it must be true. She would likely say something similar every time a new ingredient was introduced.
“The refinement of wheat flour has been completed, and I’ve made some baked goods. They may be a bit bland due to the lack of dairy products.”
“Let me see.”
As the electric cart delivered cookies, she eagerly grabbed one and popped it into her mouth.
“Mmm~. Sweet~”
With her cheeks puffed out and her feet pattering in delight, Ringo couldn’t help but smile. It was worth the effort to gather plant-based oils. Although there had been some hesitation due to the low production volume and short shelf life, she had insisted on adding it to the inventory for use on the ship. Naturally, they had transferred it into sealed containers onboard and brought it all back. It was likely oil pressed from nuts like olives. While fish-derived oils could be produced, the smell was a significant concern. It could be masked in cooking, but it was unsuitable for use in sweets.
“Once the large transport ships are operational, we might be able to trade for livestock.”
“…Livestock? Like meat or milk?”
“Yes. This would expand the variety of dishes and sweets.”
“…! Yes! I would definitely like that!”
As expected, Ringo felt a sense of fulfillment at her enthusiastic response.
“But with this, it seems… well, it may not be possible immediately, but I would like to establish a base on land as well…”
“Indeed. Once we can secure enough iron, we should prepare a base somewhere.”
“It would be ideal if it were close to an iron mine.”
“We are currently investigating. We are ramping up production of solar-powered reconnaissance aircraft (Swift) equipped with magnetic sensors, so we should be able to expand our survey range gradually.”
With the acquisition of iron, they could finally utilize some of the reserved duralumin. The production line for the Swift was now operating at full capacity due to its low material requirements.
“The map of the Northern Continent has expanded quite a bit.”
“Yes, Ma’am. We are gradually expanding our range from the southeastern coast. There are many sandy beaches, so it’s a land with few port towns.”
Avoiding the peninsula nations, they continued their exploration to the east, but the low-lying areas made it difficult to find any mines so far. They would have to proceed steadily. For the time being, Ringo, as the Control AI, would focus on acquiring iron and rare metals through trade while searching for resource production opportunities.