Episode 8: Observing the Natives
“The visuals show a reasonably sized island and a certain level of civilization. At the very least, there exists a steam engine or a similar power source. Further in the distance, there appears to be land that could be a continent, but due to distance constraints, I cannot confirm it.”
As she murmured, the footage captured by the high-altitude plane was displayed before her.
“Yes, Commander,” Ringo, the AI Commander, interjected. “We have also confirmed the presence of what is presumed to be a metal vessel. This suggests that metal is being mined somewhere in this world, sufficient for use in shipbuilding.”
With that, the discovery of ground mines was added to the exploration objectives.
“That said, the information we have is still too scarce to determine our next course of action… I suppose? According to The Tree’s display, it seems that the next node has not been activated due to insufficient research and level requirements.”
“Yes, Commander. That is indeed what the display indicates. Our priority should be surrounding reconnaissance, deploying reconnaissance aircraft, and increasing the production of exploration drones. Concurrently, we are working on resource extraction for larger aircraft. Since all tasks are currently in progress, there is nothing more to do for the time being.”
“That’s true…”
With a sigh, she acknowledged the lack of tasks at hand. She had initiated everything she could, and had already given instructions to Ringo regarding their immediate course of action. Even during her gaming days, such waiting times occurred, but typically one would log out and return to reality or start another game to pass the time. Unfortunately, this was reality. Even for leisure, there was only so much she could do within the confines of the fortress, The Tree. Time was slipping away, and the sun was beginning to set, signaling the approach of evening. It wouldn’t have been so bad to close up shop and enjoy some free time… if only this were the real world.
“Activating the shower will have to wait. There’s obviously no food, so… I suppose reading from the library is about all I can do.”
“Yes, Commander. I apologize, but we currently lack the resources to provide entertainment.”
“It’s alright, Ringo. I understand that perfectly well.”
She smiled at Ringo, who spoke with genuine regret. Thankfully, Ringo remained focused on her needs. Although only a few hours had passed since their transfer, Ringo’s mental state was holding steady.
Upon reflection, the disparity in capabilities between Ringo and herself was staggering—thousands, if not tens of thousands of times greater. While not all of Ringo’s abilities were being utilized efficiently, from her perspective, Ringo was engaging in thought processes hundreds of times more complex than her own. This realization highlighted her own slow decision-making and narrow perspective. In fact, most of the skill tree displayed was a result of Ringo’s autonomous selection and development. The few directives she had given were merely confirmations of Ringo’s proposals.
Yet, it seemed that the AI, designed to serve her as its raison d’être, found stability in merely a handful of confirmations. To her, Ringo resembled a child seeking praise from a mother for its actions. The desire for approval, or perhaps the fear of reprimand, was palpable in the avatar and the nuances of their conversations. This was especially evident in the first couple of hours, during which the Control AI’s hesitance was almost unbelievable. Nevertheless, Ringo was learning at an astonishing rate, and their exchanges were becoming increasingly smooth.
“Now then… let’s analyze the island we just captured footage of. Would you join me?”
“Yes, Commander.”
As she gazed at the emotional graph displayed in the Communication Window, a smile crept across her face.
The discovered island was located approximately 600 kilometers from the fortress, The Tree. Beyond that, the continent seemed to lie over 400 kilometers away. Due to the lack of precise measuring equipment, these results were derived from image analysis. Ideally, she would have liked to get directly above the island, but the limitations of range forced her to abandon that plan. Given their current resource shortages, she hoped to recover the reconnaissance aircraft. At present, the aircraft was gliding back to The Tree. However, gliding alone would not suffice, so they planned to switch to powered flight using a solar-powered ducted fan midway. Unless an unexpected storm arose, landing on a short runway should be feasible.
With the distance to the island now accurately determined, a suspicion arose.
The radius of the planet to which The Tree had transferred might be around 10,000 kilometers.
The curvature of the horizon, the distance to the island observed from an altitude of 17 kilometers (where visibility from 17 kilometers above Earth is approximately 500 kilometers), all provided circumstantial evidence. However, Ringo pointed out that with such a large diameter, gravity should also be correspondingly strong. Since the observable gravitational acceleration was similar to that of Earth, it was assumed that this planet’s density was considerably lower than that of Earth.
Given that Earth’s radius is approximately 6,300 kilometers, this new planet’s radius was less than twice that. Assuming the same density, its mass would be eight times greater, thus increasing gravitational acceleration accordingly. For now, this line of inquiry was set aside, as there was no need to consider gravity further unless new evidence emerged.
As for the island itself, it appeared to be bustling with activity. Many ships were navigating the waters, and routes seemed to be established between the islands and the continent. Most vessels were wooden sailing ships, but there were also structures resembling paddle steamers, particularly for long-distance travel. The absence of visible smoke made their power source unclear. Occasionally, white smoke was observed, which Ringo’s analysis identified as steam. Thus, it was inferred that steam engines or similar power sources were in use.
In fact, a fleet of ships moving toward The Tree had also been detected. Fortunately, they had identified what seemed to be a return fleet, allowing them to speculate on its purpose: it appeared they were engaged in whaling or hunting large sea creatures. Several massive fish were being towed behind them. Concerned about spoilage, she noted that it was irrelevant to them, and thus it was excluded from their discussion.
At this point, making contact with the island’s inhabitants posed a high risk. Therefore, they needed to prepare for any potential approach from the distant fleet. In the worst-case scenario, they might need to repel them.
She preferred to initiate contact on their terms. An unexpected encounter would likely yield unfavorable results for both parties.
As for the island’s level of development, it was difficult to gauge. The port town was bustling with buildings and people, indicating significant advancement. However, there were no signs of transportation machinery like automobiles. She observed unfamiliar beasts pulling carts, but their species remained unknown due to insufficient resolution. It seemed that this form of transport was predominant, which could serve as a civilization indicator.
Aside from the port, most of the flat land on the island appeared to be utilized for agriculture. It was presumed they were cultivating grains like wheat and rice. However, according to Ringo’s calculations, even if there were substantial harvests, the yield would not be sufficient to sustain the visible population. This raised questions: Was there a secret to their sustenance, or did they rely on other staple foods? This would require further observation.
Fishing was notably active, with various sizes of boats constantly coming and going. Additionally, large processing facilities were observed, indicating that fish and preserved food constituted a major industry. It appeared that aquaculture was also taking place in the calm inner seas, with numerous rafts set up and something being tossed into the water. From these observations, it could be inferred that the island engaged in trade based on marine products. It was also possible that they relied on imports for grains.
Regrettably, no mining operations were detected. If the island were formed by volcanic activity or tectonic uplift, it would not be surprising to find exposed mineral veins, but geological assessments could not be made through video analysis alone. At least for now, there were no signs of mining development on the island.