Chapter 87: Negotiation or Invasion
High above the Forest Country (Lebresta), two aircraft soared through the skies at an altitude of approximately 25 kilometers. Their speed exceeded 3,600 kilometers per hour, surpassing Mach 3.
“Flight status is stable. After aerial photography of the target river area, we will reverse course and conduct precise measurements using the range-finding laser,” Akane reported.
“Understood. Akane, Ichigo, I’m counting on you,” Ma’am commanded.
“Roger that,” Akane replied.
“Understood,” Ichigo added.
The LRF-1 (Vulture) was controlled by a strategic AI and tactical AIs for each function. Due to the high speed of the aircraft, real-time control from the base was challenging. The need to manage an extremely unstable aircraft meant that even a response delay of less than 0.1 seconds could be fatal. Therefore, a dedicated tactical AI was in charge of flight control. However, to avoid narrowing down options, it was necessary to provide commands as needed. This time, RINGO had entrusted the overall command to Akane and Ichigo, believing they could handle a single operation appropriately.
“Vulture 1 has completed aerial photography of area G8. Point passed. Initiating course change,” Akane announced.
“Report: Examination of the target area is complete. No notable terrain has been detected,” Ichigo added.
“Course change complete. Receiving images from area F7,” Akane continued.
While the two aircraft were flying in formation, Vulture 1 was tasked with information gathering, while Vulture 2 provided escort.
The supersonic high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft LRF-1 (Vulture) was equipped with high-performance sensors and fixed-weapon laser cannons. However, due to power consumption issues, the sensors and laser cannons could not be activated simultaneously. Ideally, microwave power transmission would have been beneficial, but if the aircraft were to hide behind the horizon, power transmission would become impossible, forcing reliance on the onboard power supply. This was a problem stemming from the aircraft’s excessive cruising speed.
For reference, when observing from a height of 1.7 meters, the Vulture flying at 25 kilometers would disappear from sight at approximately 740 kilometers away. At a cruising speed of 3,600 kilometers per hour, it would become invisible after just 12 minutes of straight flight. Even if a drone for microwave power transmission were stationed at an altitude of 20 kilometers, the maximum power transmission distance would only be about 1,400 kilometers, which was insufficient given the Vulture’s operational radius. Considering the reconnaissance purpose, it was unavoidable that power supply drones or ground facilities could not be prepared in advance.
“Completed aerial photography of area B3. Point passed. Initiating course change,” Akane reported.
Due to its high speed, the Vulture also had a very large turning radius. Considering the aircraft’s load, the turning radius could reach up to 200 kilometers. As a result, it was practically impossible to conduct reconnaissance over the same location multiple times, but it was perfect for covering vast areas in a short time. This reconnaissance mission aimed to cover a range of 600 kilometers north to south and 800 kilometers east to west. A combination of straight flight and circular orbits was necessary to thoroughly explore this expansive territory.
“Quite a complex trajectory you’re taking,” Ma’am observed.
“Yes, Commander. Long straight flights increase the risk of being targeted. However, straight flight is essential for precise measurements, so I’ve designed a trajectory with randomness to minimize the time spent in straight flight while maximizing the time spent in turns,” Akane explained.
“I see… Well, as long as we’re capturing what we planned, there’s no problem,” Ma’am replied.
As the Vulture circled around the displayed map, it steadily filled in the gaps. With the onboard fuel, the flight time was approximately two hours, and the flight path was set to ensure complete investigation of the target area within that time.
About 40 minutes into the mission, as they monitored the reconnaissance situation, Akane suddenly spoke up.
“Ma’am, we’ve detected a response that appears to be oil.”
“Where? Where?” Ma’am exclaimed, standing up and leaning forward in anticipation.
“Due to nighttime conditions, we cannot display it in visible light, but here are the processed images,” Akane replied.
What appeared on the screen was likely a desert image, corrected to resemble visible light as closely as possible. In the center of the brown desert image, several dark, distorted lakes could be seen. At first glance, they resembled ponds that had emerged in the wasteland.
“Wow… Is all of this oil?” Ma’am asked in awe.
“Yes, Ma’am. According to spectral analysis, there is over a 90% probability that this is oil. We can confirm that oil is gushing over such a wide area, so the prospects are quite promising,” Akane confirmed.
This oil field was located in a desert region, with no settlements in the vicinity. Geographically, it was likely considered part of the Forest Country (Lebresta), but there appeared to be no stationed troops in the area. Even if The Tree were to establish effective control, it seemed unlikely anyone would raise objections.
As she pondered this, Commander Eve murmured, “I want it…”
“Yes, Ma’am. It seems to be underutilized, so let’s seize it all at once,” RINGO responded immediately. The moment oil was discovered, RINGO had already run multiple simulations. It added the precise location data to the computational model and displayed the results instantly.
“You’re well-prepared,” Ma’am remarked.
“Yes, Ma’am. With The Core’s computational power, simulations of this level can yield results in just a few seconds. With our current military strength, we can seize the coastline near the oil field and construct a fortress using construction ships. Simultaneously, we will conduct an airborne assault to invade inland and occupy the southern part of the oil field. If possible, we will construct extraction facilities and lay pipelines. The coastline will serve as a base for defensive forces, protecting all facilities. While expanding the fortress, we will transport supplies and advance the development of the oil field. Within a month, we should be able to complete the pipeline installation. The total length of the pipeline is about 100 kilometers, so if we initially use a smaller diameter to conserve resources, we can manage with our current supplies.”
“Hmm. If we have enough resources, I’d like to get started right away. Are there any other concerns?” Ma’am inquired.
“The expansion of the Second Fortress will temporarily halt, but the development of the mine is progressing smoothly, so we should recover quickly. If we can secure the oil, we will be able to produce resin, which will ultimately enhance our expansion speed. Additionally, we should be cautious of any powerful monsters or external forces that may engage us in combat; it’s uncertain if we can counter with our reserve forces,” Akane warned.
Oil was a coveted resource. They wanted to dispatch troops immediately upon discovering it, but rushing in without adequate preparation posed the risk of losing everything.
“However, we are conducting reconnaissance quite conspicuously. Given the nighttime conditions, visual detection may be difficult, but we haven’t managed to suppress sound. There’s a significant chance our reconnaissance activities have been exposed,” RINGO pointed out.
“I see. That’s a concern as well… Striking swiftly without giving the enemy time to respond is indeed a valid strategy. We could either take our time to prepare for an unknown threat or prevent them from having the opportunity to react,” Ma’am contemplated.
It was a difficult dilemma. What they were planning was, at the very least, an invasion of a sovereign nation. While the discovery of the oil field had raised their spirits, upon reflection, it was clear that it constituted an unprovoked act of war.
“Hmm… Still, it wouldn’t be wise to disclose the oil’s value… It would be ideal if they were cooperative in extraction, but I wouldn’t want to be taken advantage of either,” Ma’am mused.
“Ma’am, if you prefer a peaceful approach, we could propose a diplomatic mission. However, as you rightly suspect, it’s almost certain they would try to take advantage of us. Since we haven’t demonstrated our military strength, negotiations between nations could take years,” RINGO cautioned.
“That’s true. Underground resources are literally buried treasure. It’s only natural they would want to sell it at the highest price. Unless there’s a global cartel involved, the only ones needing oil in this area are us. That means negotiations will undoubtedly be challenging,” Ma’am acknowledged.
“To obtain it swiftly, a military invasion may be unavoidable. At this rate, our stockpiled oil will last about a year. Even with other technological developments, we won’t achieve results beyond securing the oil field,” RINGO concluded.
“I understand. We’ve developed technology to generate jet fuel from algae, but the efficiency is lacking… Moreover, oil is not just a fuel; it’s a raw material resource. The ability to use resin freely is also significant, along with other separable elements being attractive,” Ma’am reflected.
Commander Eve found herself standing at a crucial crossroads.