『Motor, on. RPM increasing.』
The ten electric motors of the Solar-Powered Reconnaissance Aircraft (Swift), fixed to the runway, quietly begin to spin. The Swift is a patrol aircraft capable of continuous flight for over 2,000 hours according to its catalog specifications, at a high altitude of about 20km. The length of the main wing is approximately 40m. It is a boomerang-shaped aircraft, without a fuselage or tail, and is classified as a so-called Flying Wing.
At high altitudes, the air is thin, so a large and long main wing is necessary relative to the aircraft’s weight. Furthermore, by arranging the propellers across the entire wing, it is easier to generate lift. The entire surface of the main wing is composed of high-efficiency solar panels, generating electricity that can charge the batteries while also securing motor power.
『Motor thrust at full power. External power purge, complete. Catapult on. Takeoff.』
At the same moment as the connected power cable is forcefully detached, the long aircraft is pushed out by the catapult and soars into the sky. Until it reaches the specified altitude, it uses both the battery and solar panels to gain thrust, and during its stay in the air, it reduces output to store electricity in the battery. And at night, it continues to fly with the battery – that is the flight cycle of this Solar-Powered Reconnaissance Aircraft (Swift). Although the flight time is limited by the battery life, this reconnaissance aircraft, which can continue to fly for a long time without resupply, can be used as a substitute for surveillance satellites, communication satellites, and GPS satellites if enough are prepared. However, it has a fatal problem: its slow speed and lightweight body make it easily shot down.
『Aircraft No. 2, external power purge complete. Catapult on. Takeoff.』
Chasing after Aircraft No. 1, Aircraft No. 2 also flew out from ＜The Tree＞. The weather is good, and the wind is weak. If it can catch an updraft well, it will be able to gain altitude rapidly.
『Both Aircraft No. 1 and No. 2 are stable. No abnormalities in power generation. Altitude is steadily increasing.』
The two Swifts are flying in a spiral pattern over the sea to the north, as seen from Fortress ＜The Tree＞.
“Seems like there are no problems.”
『Yes, Ma’am. There are no meteorological issues either… I have confirmed an updraft. I will control the Swift’s flight.』
Currently, no forces capable of shooting down the Swift have been confirmed. Also serving as a probe, multiple Swifts are constantly deployed to construct a patrol network. Aircraft No. 4 and beyond are currently being manufactured, and the patrol range is scheduled to be expanded sequentially.
“Beautiful…”
She vaguely gazes at the image from the Swift’s nose camera. The bright blue sky and emerald green sea surface spread out as far as the eye can see.
“The more I look… the more there’s nothing here…”
The sea is beautiful, but the lack of resources is discouraging. The area around ＜The Tree＞ is full of small reefs and shallows, with a paradise-like scene of coral reefs (unconfirmed) growing in clusters. However, conversely, that was all there was, and everything necessary for the activities of ＜The Tree＞ was lacking.
“It might be perfect for a vacation, though.”
In the image, the sparkling sea surface gradually changes to a deep blue color.
“Is it getting deeper from around here?”
『Yes, Ma’am. It is estimated that it becomes as deep as a cliff from here. Exploration will be necessary eventually, but the current equipment cannot reach this far.』
“Hmm,” she nodded. Once the Deep-Sea Exploration Drone is completed, they plan to explore for undersea mines. If they dive several thousand meters, they should be able to explore for large-scale manganese nodules. Leaving aside the mining method, the first priority is to identify the location.
“Well, let’s leave that for later…”
The Swift catches an updraft and gains altitude while repeatedly circling.
“＜The Tree＞ looks small from this perspective.”
＜The Tree＞, which occasionally comes into view, has a shape like an inverted funnel. The communication antenna protrudes from the center. Its height exceeds 500m. The underground (underwater) structure (module) is hemispherical, and currently exists in a state where it seems to have been carved out of the rocky reef area. There was also a plan to dig through the ground from the underground module for test drilling, but it is awaiting investigation because it is unclear whether it is under the seabed or in contact with the sea. If the underground module was dug without realizing it was in the sea, there was a risk of seawater flowing in and causing it to flood. For that reason, they are first creating a detailed seabed map of the surrounding area.
“It must look big from below, though.”
『Yes, Ma’am. The Swift’s current altitude is 1,500m. Ground speed is 280km/h.』
“Thank you. Hmm, once the situation calms down, I want to relax…”
『Yes, Ma’am. I will make arrangements.』
“Not right away, okay?”
While gently stopping ＜Ringo＞, who immediately tries to do something, she thinks about the future.
(Honestly, I don’t really have any work to do… unlike in the game. Considering that the game has become reality… I guess that’s reasonable. Hmm, unlike my Mum (Ada), being inexperienced is kind of refreshing. For now, let’s aim for a lifestyle similar to the real world.)
While listening to the occasional status report from ＜Ringo＞ about the Swift, she decides on a personal task list. It’s a list in her head, so she’s likely to forget it, but if ＜Ringo＞ finds out, it’ll probably be troublesome, so she can’t help it.
(Ensure a stable supply of food. Create facilities for moderate exercise. Confirm safety and make it possible to play outside. Maybe swimming in the sea, diving, or cruising?)
In the real world, it was necessary to earn money to achieve these things, but here, she can probably just ask ＜Ringo＞ to do it.
(If I say it all at once, she’ll probably do it by the next day… If I don’t dole it out little by little, various things won’t last.)
You shouldn’t let an excellent AI exert its full power. She probably doesn’t know moderation, so she’ll quickly turn me into a useless person. And, probably, she won’t be able to resist that temptation.
(I’m pretty lazy, after all…)
That’s something her auxiliary self (Ada) had pointed out to her many times. If she’s not conscious of it, or if someone else (Ada) doesn’t guide her, she’ll quickly become self-indulgent. Well, she said that’s how most people of this generation are, so it’s not just her. Rather, it seems that they were trying to correct her based on that experience.
(This environment is bad. If I’m not really careful, I could end up being 100% taken care of by ＜Ringo＞, from morning to night.)
＜Ringo＞, unlike the auxiliary self (Ada) in the real world, has overwhelmingly less experience in interacting with humans. Of course, she’ll use her processing power to the fullest to support her, but she’ll only be able to respond after confirming the results. After all, there’s no precedent. Without a precedent, she can’t predict the results of her actions.
(I could tell her, but… something feels different…)
And then.
It would simply be a way for her to kill time. While clashing with ＜Ringo＞, she’ll promote her growth day by day. She doesn’t have a long life experience either, or rather, she’s a young person, but she probably has more life experience than ＜Ringo＞.
(If ＜Ringo＞ has the performance, she can quickly correct any strange habits in her thinking.)
If it’s an AI with a super-performance platform, even if a strange thought circuit is formed, it can be corrected in a short time by executing a correction program. Even things that would require years of guidance for a human can be handled in a few days, and autonomously.
(I don’t understand why ＜Ringo＞ and I were transferred to this world…)
Something she’s intentionally trying not to think about. Eventually, ＜Ringo＞ will start interpreting it on her own. Originally, it should be something she’s incredibly concerned about, but fortunately, she has a clean personality. If she thinks about it, she won’t understand, so she doesn’t think about it.
(If I get pessimistic, it’ll be boring. Let’s somehow manage to enjoy it.)
While lying in the Medical Pod, she renewed her determination.