Chapter 106: New Class of Destroyers and Cruisers
“The deployment of Spy Bots to the Northern Islands has been completed. Since it’s within direct power supply range, we were able to establish and operate them easily.”
“That’s good to hear. I never really understood why we invaded the Northern Islands in the first place, but it’s about time we took serious action. After all, this is the closest point to The Tree, and it poses a direct threat.”
Although they had been somewhat neglecting the Northern Islands to avoid unnecessary provocation, it was finally time for The Tree to respond in earnest. As a first step, they attached a submarine (Orca) to the returning fleet and released insect-like Spy Bots under the cover of night.
“The insect-type bots can now operate without resupply thanks to microwave power transmission. The ability to eliminate batteries has allowed for significant miniaturization. They will infiltrate various locations and establish a mesh network. Considering their original purpose, microwave-powered Spy Bots were initially deemed unnecessary.”
“Well, of course. If you need to infiltrate without being detected, it would be unthinkable to scatter microwaves around.”
During the World of Space era, virtual enemies operated within the same technological bandwidth, making microwave power transmission impossible. In contrast, this world has seen no development in radio wave technology, allowing for unrestricted use at least for the time being. There’s no concern about being detected, no matter how flamboyantly they spread electromagnetic waves.
That said, the bots are still a decent size at over 3 cm. If they were to fly around freely, they would certainly raise suspicions and could even become targets for extermination. Therefore, their movements are primarily conducted at night, while they are hidden during the day. Nonetheless, this does not hinder their ability to gather sound waves. Although the sensitivity of the onboard sensors limits their field of view, by aggregating the visual sensor data from multiple bots, they can capture reasonably high-resolution footage. While some may be discovered and destroyed, their main components—cellulose, resin, liquid power transmission mechanisms, and micro-silver threads—make them look no different from ordinary insects when crushed. Simultaneously, the palm-sized spider bots deployed can recover any remnants. These spider bots possess enhanced communication capabilities and are primarily intended to remain hidden in the shadows, gathering information and relaying it to The Tree in near real-time.
“Once we have gathered sufficient information, I will report back. At this point, it seems that long-range communication technology has not yet been developed, so there’s no need to rush. It appears they are using birds for communication with the mainland.”
“…Birds?”
“Yes, Ma’am. Historically, there were carrier pigeons that utilized their homing instinct. I suspect it operates on a similar principle. We have confirmed that they are releasing birds with the same message tied to their legs in several batches. However, since all the birds were of different species, it remains unclear whether they are using the homing instinct or some other method to guide them to their destination.”
“Hmm…”
When you think about it, the distance from the Northern Islands to the Kingdom of Repuitari is a straight line of at least 1,000 km. Naturally, there are no islands in between, so unless they are seabirds, there would be no place for them to rest. While there are species capable of flying continuously for 24 hours, it seems unlikely that all the distinctly different birds possess such flying abilities.
“We’ll investigate this further in due time. With the speed of birds, no matter how fast they are, it will take at least three days for a message to arrive. If they take any detours, it could take over a week, so that’s the limit for information transmission speed. With that much time, we could establish an entire intelligence network across the Northern Islands.”
“Alright then… Next, let’s discuss the new class of destroyers. The tests are going smoothly, right?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
In response to Commander Eve’s words, Ringo nodded and displayed the destroyer tree on the screen.
“Here’s the development status. This class is separate from the Alpha-class. The base material has been changed to high-tensile steel. The armor in various sections is made from carbon nanotube-resin composites, adopting a laminated structure. The hull has been designed with a focus on maximizing acceleration performance, considering factors like wave resistance.”
“Hmm, I see… So it’s all about acceleration performance.”
“Yes, Ma’am. During combat maneuvers, what is required of a destroyer is its ability to accelerate, decelerate, and turn. Maximum speed and fuel efficiency come second.”
“Sounds good to me. Now, about the propulsion system…”
Next to the destroyer tree, the propulsion system tree was displayed as well. The interconnected lines allowed for an understanding of which technologies were used for each type of ship.
“The foundational technology is water jet propulsion. The propulsion method is a screw pump, right? Wasn’t that tested with the Alpha-class?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We have prototyped several propulsion systems and adopted the one with the best results. We also conducted tests on electromagnetic propulsion, which generates thrust by creating a magnetic field underwater, but at this point, pressurization via screw pumps seems to be more efficient. Electromagnetic propulsion requires superconducting coils, and unless we have room-temperature superconducting materials, additional cooling mechanisms will be necessary, which affects the payload. We are currently researching room-temperature superconductors, and if we can make that practical, we will consider replacing the propulsion system.”
“Oh… Water jet propulsion… But the hull is covered in slits. What’s the structure like?”
“We have arranged intake ports and injection nozzles. To put it simply, injecting a large volume of water at low speed is more efficient for acceleration than injecting a small amount of water at high speed. To efficiently achieve sufficient acceleration, we have adopted a method that injects a large volume of water from multiple nozzles.”
“I see… I see. It’s a shape I haven’t seen before, so it surprised me. As long as it’s fast, that’s fine. This should solve the issues with acceleration and maximum speed. What about the armament?”
“The main gun is a multi-barrel railgun. There are short-barrel, multi-barrel railguns for small targets and anti-aircraft purposes. Vertical launch systems for anti-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and anti-submarine missiles. Torpedo launch systems for both short and long torpedoes. We also have reconnaissance drones and anti-personnel drones that can be deployed immediately via an electromagnetic catapult.”
“It seems well-equipped. Is it focused on versatility?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We have prepared ammunition to respond to a variety of situations. Additionally, the living quarters are minimal, essentially making it a cargo area, which enhances its endurance.”
The new destroyer is significantly larger compared to the Alpha-class. The increased capacity has been allocated for a large number of shells, missiles, torpedoes, and drones. Ringo estimates that a single ship can perform the work of five to six Alpha-class vessels.
“And here is the current flagship, equipped with a fusion reactor cruiser. The ship’s width has been increased to accommodate the fusion reactor, resulting in a lower maximum speed compared to standard models. The main gun is a multi-stage electromagnetic projectile launcher (coilgun). It is also equipped with multi-barrel railguns as secondary weapons, along with short-barrel, multi-barrel railguns. A larger vertical launch system has been installed, capable of firing various missiles, including long-range ones. There are torpedo launch systems and an electromagnetic catapult for drone deployment. Furthermore, it can carry one SR-1 Albatross-class flying boat and is equipped with a simple maintenance dock.”
“Completely outfitted for expeditionary operations.”
“Yes, Ma’am. We anticipate that we will often need to dispatch it beyond the range of microwave relay drones, so we have equipped it with various experimental functions. Given our current target, the Kingdom of Repuitari, even if some issues arise, we can provide direct support from The Tree. I see this as a timely opportunity.”
Commander Eve grants permission for Ringo’s proposal. As a result, The Tree’s shipyard will enter mass production for the new class of destroyers.